The new Lotus Evija, an all-electric hypercar claimed to be “the most powerful production car in the world”, has entered its initial build phase at the company’s facility in Norfolk, UK. The announcement, which comes as the car makes its Chinese public debut at the Guangzhou motor show, also comes as dynamic testing of the car begins at Lotus’ Hethel test track. A new video (below) shows the car being driven at speed for the first time. Gavan Kershaw, Director of Vehicle Attributes at Lotus, says “Physical prototype testing at speed is a landmark moment for the Evija and hugely exciting for everyone involved. Our aim is to make sure it’s a true Lotus in every sense, with exceptional performance that’s going to set new standards in the hypercar sector.” While most track testing will be done at Hethel, Lotus claims it will use other demanding European circuits, too. “Over the coming months several prototypes will cover many thousands of miles and hundreds of hours of driving assessment, including on public roads” the maker said in a release. Production will commence fully in the middle of next year. An output of 1973bhp is promised, which is more than the upcoming 1888bhp Pininfarina Battista and Rimac C_Two, and the 1479bhp internally combusted Bugatti Chiron currently in production. No more than 130 of the two-seat hypercars will be built, each priced at £2.04 million. “Target specifications” include four-wheel drive, 1254lb ft and torque vectoring, giving it a 0-62mph time of less than three seconds, a 0-186mph time of less than nine seconds and a top speed of 200mph-plus. A production slot can be reserved with a refundable £250,000 deposit. The Evija, apparently pronounced ‘E-vi-ya’, will be Lotus’s first new-model launch under Geely ownership, and is the maker’s first all-new model for more than a decade. It will be made at the company’s traditional home in Hethel, Norfolk, and will act “as a ‘halo’ for the rest of the Lotus range” both now and for “new Lotus performance cars to come”. The car pictured here in a studio is for show, but Lotus’s design director, Russell Carr, told Autocar that “this is how it’ll be on the road. This is very much the production car. All the surfaces are made to production level.” The Evija, which is codenamed Type 130, is low and broad, at 4.59m long, 2.0m wide and 1.12m high. According to Lotus, it “marks the beginning of a contemporary new Lotus design language”. “We wanted from the start to do something that was pure, simple, but have a sense of luxury and elegance about it,” said Carr. “On the outside, we started by thinking ‘what are the existing factors from the Lotus DNA that we want to keep?’, and really important for us were the strong haunches you see on the car. It’s very important when you’re sitting inside that you can see the corners of the vehicle – it helps you place the car on the track. It’s also just a very emotional thing to see the bodywork; rearwards as well.” “We have the cabin sat low within those fenders, which are really important to us because the car’s all about dynamics,” said Carr, “and if the cabin sits low and the fenders are pronounced, you have the impression that the car’s got a low centre of gravity.” Around the overall design simplicity come some advanced aerodynamics (see Carr QA, below), which direct air flow over, under and through the car, creating a complex body shape with vast scoops running through the rear three-quarters, and exiting at the back. The design is permitted by the adoption of electric drive. “That certainly gives us a lot more freedom, yes,” said Carr. “You’ve obviously got battery packs that can be placed in certain places, and it’s certainly different from a traditional combustion engine, and we’ve tried to exploit that as much as possible.” Lotus hasn’t yet revealed how many electric motors the car will have or where they’ll be positioned, but its partnership with Williams Advanced Engineering – which is, among other things, the supplier of batteries to the Formula E grid – will be key to the Evija’s performance. Lotus said the Evija will have a 70kWh battery, capable of being charged at up to 350kW, enabling an 18-minute charge with a WLTP range of around 250 miles. The charge port is at the rear of the car. Construction is from carbonfibre, both for the chassis and the body. Light weight is core to all Lotus models and the Evija weighs several hundred kilos less than the Battista and C_Two are reported to be, although they have more battery capacity. Even so, at 1680kg, the Evija is likely to become the heaviest Lotus ever. Despite this, Lotus boldly claims it will “set a new standard for Lotus driving performance” and be “the most dynamically accomplished road car in the history of Lotus”. Inside, the carbonfibre construction remains visible in what’s a relatively spacious cockpit. “The start point is a floating beam, this open instrument panel you can place
Origin: New Lotus Evija electric hypercar makes dynamic video debut
2020 BMW X3 lineup grows with a new plug-in hybrid model
2020 BMW X3 xDrive30eDerek McNaughton / Driving What is it?BMWs most popular model the X3 will soon be available as a plug-in hybrid with an electric range of 50 kilometres.Why does it matter?While a fully electric X3 is still a distant possibility, the X3 XDrive30e with standard AWD bridges the gap between a future BEV and the partial electric X3 today. Power comes from a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder turbo engine with 184 horsepower and an electric motor integrated into the eight-speed automatic transmission.Check out all of our latest auto show coverage hereThe high-voltage battery can be charged via a conventional household socket using the standard-equipment charging cable. In this way, the battery will fully charge in less than six hours. For commuters who travel less than 50 kilometres each day, it could be months before ever needing gas. Together, the two drive units yield 292 horsepower, allowing for a zero-to-100 km/h sprint in 6.5 seconds and a top speed of 210 km/h. Average fuel economy, when bolstered by the batterym is 2.4L / 100 kilometres.More importantly, the lithium-ion battery pack is located underneath the rear seat while the fuel tank is positioned above the rear axle, so the cargo space of 450 litres is the same as a conventional X3. When is it coming?The X3 plug-in hybrid is coming to Canada late spring, 2020, with pricing will be announced closer to the launch.Should you buy it? If you like the looks and driving dynamics of the X3, as lots of people do, then saving fuel, cutting emissions and never having to suffer range anxiety sounds like an ideal formula for this popular premium SUV.LISTEN: What do car dealers think about electric vehicles? Are they keen to have them in their showrooms? We talk to Vancouver GM dealer Blair Upton about this and much more during this week’s episode of Plugged In. Plugged In is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Stitcher, and Google Podcasts.Is the player not working? Click
Origin: 2020 BMW X3 lineup grows with a new plug-in hybrid model
2020 Mazda CX-30 splits the difference between the CX-3 and CX-5
2020 Mazda CX-30Derek McNaughton / Driving What is it?By now, its a universal truth that we Canadians are hungry for SUVs and crossovers. Well, Mazda wants to satisfy our appetites with the CX-30, a new crossover slotting between the CX-3 and CX-5, at the Los Angeles Auto Show.Why does it matter?The CX-5 is, without a doubt, Mazdas bread-and-butter crossover. So, its easy to see why theyd want to capitalize on the success after all, its hands-down Mazdas best-seller. Problem is, the CX-5 can be a bit too big for some buyers enter the CX-3, right? Well, that ones a bit too tight, particularly in the rear seat and cargo area.This is where the CX-3 comes into play. Not quite as big as the CX-3 yet not quite as tight as the CX-5, consider the CX-30 as the Goldilocks. From the outside, the CX-30 is essentially a restyled CX-5 with a sleeker roofline its genuinely attractive, embracing Mazdas Kodo design language with a thin and wide grille, slim headlights, and some clever contouring in the sheet metal thats not quite visible to the naked eye until certain light and reflections happen to hit the sides just right.Check out all of our latest auto show coverage hereInside, the CX-30 is immediately familiar. Sharing an overall interior layout with the Mazda3, fit-and-finish is absolutely impeccable. An 8.8-inch display handles infotainment duties, while a seven-inch digital display in the gauge cluster is standard. Naturally, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity are standard, and Mazda offers its latest suite of active safety features are available blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert is standard on the base GX, but youll have to step up to the mid-level GS if you want goodies like adaptive cruise control, forward-collision alert, and lane-keep assist, among others. The GT adds a couple of new tricks up its sleeve in this department, including rear automatic braking. The CX-30 adds knee airbags for the driver and front passenger, too.The only slight disappointment with the CX-30 is the powertrain lineup. Its a carbon copy of the Mazda3, meaning the 2.0-litre SkyActiv inline-four is standard, good for 155 horsepower and 150 lb.-ft. of torque. If thats not enough kick, Mazdas 2.5L four-banger is available, good for 186 horsepower and 186 lb.-ft. of torque. Both powertrains are hooked up to a six-speed automatic, and all-wheel-drive is available.Now, theres nothing inherently wrong with this powertrain lineup Mazdas G-Vectoring Control is standard fare, and the company has paid extra attention to quashing noise, vibration, and harshness, so you can bet itll ride well but youd think the CX-30 wouldve debuted for North America with Mazdas trick SkyActiv-X engine. When is it coming?The Mazda CX-30 is hitting U.S. dealers next month, followed by Canada in January. The CX-30 starts at $23,950 for a base, front-wheel-drive GX and tops out at $33,850 for the fully loaded GT.Should you buy it?Good question. The CX-30 is priced well, generously equipped, and the interior is impeccable. And given its a Mazda, you can bet itll be among the more engaging crossovers in the segment. If the CX-5 is too big, the CX-3 is too tight, and the Mazda3 hatch doesnt fit the bill, the CX-30 is just
Origin: 2020 Mazda CX-30 splits the difference between the CX-3 and CX-5
Dodge’s latest Special Edition celebrates 50 years of Challenger
50th Anniversary Edition Challenger celebrates golden anniversary with new exterior paint color, body-color Shaker hood on HEMI® V-8 models, unique badging and heritage style available on four Challenger models. Never one to turn down a chance to market yet another special edition of its wares, Dodge pulled the wraps off a 50th Anniversary Edition Challenger today at the L.A. Auto Show this week.Available in Canada on the Scat Pack 392 Shaker trim, this rear-drive brute earns a body-colour Shaker hood in addition to a raft of unique badging.On this side of the border, 70 numbered units of Scat Pack 392 Shakers painted in eye-popping Go Mango will mark Challengers original 1970 model-year introduction.Check Out All Our Auto Show CoverageThat Shaker hood puts the fun in functional, by the way, and comes with a Mopar cold-air intake that deploys a conical air filter and matching air box for improved airflow. Be sure to make like Brian OConnor and pop the hood, as youll also find a SHAKER underhood decal thats reminiscent of the original 1970 Challengers.Each 50th Anniversary Edition car will also wear a Satin Black painted hood and black-wrapped roof and decklid. Its interesting to your author that Dodge paints one panel but wraps the others.Challenger 50th Anniversary logo badges will show up on the grille and spoiler in a new Gold School finish (Dodges retro marketing team strikes again). Fender badges are also finished in this colour, while the standard Satin Black fuel-filler door with jumbo FUEL lettering adds a touch of nostalgia. From the steering wheel to the instrument panel, startup screens, gauge faces, seat backs, door bolsters and floor mats, the 50th Anniversary theme extends into the Challenger’s athletic interior. Future bidders at Barrett-Jackson, take note: All 2020 model-year Challenger SRT Hellcat and SRT Hellcat Redeye models will feature the 50th Anniversary badge. Dont let em fake you out in Scottsdale in twenty years time.Elsewhere in the FCA-in-LA booth, the Fiat brand showed off a refreshed 500X Sport, a machine that will need to take up much sales slack now the 500 has gone to the great scrap heap in the sky. The cousins of Giulia and Stelvio also got some tweaks for 2020, including a revised interior and some flashy new
Origin: Dodge’s latest Special Edition celebrates 50 years of Challenger
GM sues Fiat Chrysler, alleging corruption undermined its UAW deals
Then-FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne, left, is seen with Jeep brand President and CEO Mike Manley at the Jefferson North Assembly Plant, in Detroit in 2010.Carlos Osorio / The Associated Press General Motors hit Fiat Chrysler Automobiles with a blockbuster racketeering lawsuit November 20, alleging bribery and corruption that has sent union and company leaders to jail ultimately cost GM billions of dollars by tainting labor contracts as far back as 2009.GM filed suit in federal court in Michigan on Wednesday seeking to recoup unspecified damages from its rival, which has in the past denied being aware three former executives conspired with United Auto Workers officials to undermine labor law.GM strikes at the heart of that defense, alleging the late Fiat Chief Executive Officer Sergio Marchionne himself authorized bribes with the ultimate aim of weakening a competitor and forcing a merger.Fiat Chrysler said its astonished by the suit and speculated that GM may be trying to undercut a planned merger with Frances PSA Group and active negotiations with the UAW over a new labor contract. We intend to vigorously defend against this meritless lawsuit and pursue all legal remedies in response to it, the company said in an emailed statement. GM alleges Marchionne, who died last year, and the former company officials corrupted the collective bargaining process between the UAW and Detroits three automakers in 2009, 2011 and 2015. That resulted in unfairly high labor costs for GM, putting the company at a competitive disadvantage, Craig Glidden, the automakers general counsel, told reporters during a briefing at the companys Detroit headquarters.The multi-year bribery scheme FCA led undermined the integrity of the collective bargaining process and caused GM substantial damages, Glidden said, referring to Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. The attempted merger with PSA has no bearing on GMs complaint, he said.Competitive EdgeThe suit targets Fiat Chrysler and former company officials who pleaded guilty and were sentenced to prison for their roles in the corruption scandal, including Al Iacobelli, who had served as vice president and lead UAW negotiator.Competitive advantages provided to Fiat Chrysler but denied to GM included a higher portion of lower-paid workers, a streamlined grievance process and looser limits on use of temporary employees, according to GM.‘Fat, Dumb and Happy’Federal prosecutors have said Fiat Chrysler executives provided gifts aimed at keeping union officials fat, dumb and happy as part of a widening probe that dates back at least two years. Earlier this month, UAW President Gary Jones took an indefinite leave of absence after reports tied him to the scandal. Federal agents raided his Detroit-area home in August.Jones has not been charged in the case, and the UAW has said previously he was not involved in any wrongdoing.Iacobelli, who unexpectedly left Fiat Chrysler in June 2015 just before the start of UAW contract talks, has said that while serving as the automakers head of labor relations, he helped funnel $1.5 million from a worker training center to union officials, who spent the money on lavish gifts for themselves including jewelry and designer clothing.Shortly after Iacobelli pleaded guilty early last year, the UAWs then-president, Williams, denied the negotiations with Fiat Chrysler had been influenced by the diversion of
Origin: GM sues Fiat Chrysler, alleging corruption undermined its UAW deals
Mercedes-AMG GLS 63 is a three-row sport-brute with 603 HP
Mercedes-AMG GLS 63Nadine Filion / Los Angles What is it?Yet another uber-powered sport-brute in the Mercedes-AMG performance division, this one both more powerful and emissions-conscious than ever.Why does it matter?Well, the GLS is the biggest SUV in Mercedes lineup and now, with its AMG-tuned 4.0-litre enhanced with EQ Boost electrification, its the baddest. In regular AMG 63 guise, the twin-turbo V8 is enhanced by the starter-generators 21 horses for a total of 603 horsepower. More impressively, the EQ produces 184 pound-feet of the 63s driveshaft-twisting 627 lb.-ft. Zero to 60 mph (96 km/h) is said to take 4.1 seconds, incredibly quick for a gargantuan three-row SUV. Top speed is 280 km/h and even that is electronically limited. Theres no mention of the new GLSs fuel economy, but previous 48-volt mild hybrids from Mercedes have boasted a slight increase in fuel economy despite their increased performance.Check out all of our latest auto show coverage hereOther performance enhancements include the nine-speed Speedshift transmission that allows for multi-gear downshifts; for instance, you can kick down from fifth to third and directly from ninth to fifth. AMGs Ride Control+ air suspension, meanwhile, keeps the heavy no curb weight announced but dont expect it to be any lighter than the current GLS 450s 2,425 kilograms from rolling excessively during hard cornering. Sport and Sport+ modes lower the suspension by 10 millimetres when you start getting serious about speed. There are even electronically controlled roll bars at both ends that, according to Mercedes, almost keeps the big GLS flat round hairpins. All told, this is one family hauler that will always be on time for soccer practice. When is it coming? The GLS 63 will launch in the U.S. in mid-2020, but Canadian availability is yet to be determined.Should you buy it?Do you have the requisite $140,000 or so? Do you really want to scare your children or anyone in the rear seats, for that matter that much? Or, do you just need the biggest, baddest SUV in Mercedes lineup? If the answer to any or all of those questions is yes, then maybe you should be shopping the GLS 63. If not, the basic 450 4Matic version will probably do you just
Origin: Mercedes-AMG GLS 63 is a three-row sport-brute with 603 HP
Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 arrives to rival Bentley Bentayga
Mercedes-Benz has extended its Maybach line-up with the unveiling of a plush new 550bhp flagship version of the third-generation GLS at the 2019 Guangzhou motor show in China. Lining up alongside the S-Class-based Maybach saloon, the top-flight SUV is planned for UK delivery in 2020 as a rival to the likes of the Bentley Bentayga and Range Rover, featuring a series of unique styling cues, a mild-hybrid drivetrain and an upgraded interior. The new model invokes many of the styling elements seen on the S-Class Maybach to help distinguish it from the standard third-generation GLS. Included is a distinctive chrome grille featuring vertical louvres, chrome highlights within the side window surrounds and along the sills, standard 22in (and optional 23in) wheels, an optional two-tone exterior paint scheme in eight different colour combinations, electrically extending running boards and chromed tail-pipes with a signature cross-rib. Speaking about the new model, Mercedes-Benz’s head of product management, Martin Hülder, said: “SUV vehicles have a major advantage for the luxury segment: the high seating position. In combination with the running boards, this makes access and egress easy and convenient.” Inside, the 5202mm-long Mercedes-Maybach GLS sports an upgraded interior with nappa leather upholstery and unique trim elements. Among the long list of options for UK customers are reclining rear seats with a massage function and a fixed centre console with folding tables and a refrigerator in a four-seat layout that can be further enhanced with a panoramic sunroof. Boot capacity below the cargo blind at the rear is 520 litres. Reflecting its upper luxury positioning, the latest Maybach model also receives a long list of standard driving aids. Mercedes-Benz’s most luxurious SUV will be offered from the outset of sales with just one drivetrain in the GLS 600 4Matic. The mild-hybrid unit combines a turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 petrol engine with a 48V integrated starter motor to provide an overall output of 550bhp at 6000rpm and 538lb ft of torque from 2500-5000rpm. The electrically boosted reserves are channelled through a nine-speed torque-converter automatic gearbox and 4Matic all-wheel drive. Mercedes-Benz claims a 0-62mph time for the 2710kg Maybach GLS 600 4Matic of 4.9sec. Top speed is limited to 155mph. Combined fuel consumption and CO2 emissions are put at 24.1mpg and 266g/km respectively on the WLTP cycle. Underpinning the new top-of-the-line GLS model is a specially tuned version of Mercedes-Benz’s E-Active Body control suspension. Also included is a curve inclination function that allows the big new SUV to lean into corners to reduce the lateral forces acting on the
Origin: Mercedes-Maybach GLS 600 arrives to rival Bentley Bentayga
2019 LA motor show: full report and pictures
Welcome to Autocar’s extended coverage of the 2019 Los Angeles motor show, one of the last major shows of this year’s automotive calendar. As ever, it is a uniquely Californian show that plays home to a varied mix of SUVs, V8s and electric cars. Manufacturers including Audi, Ford and Volkswagen are all in attendance, with major announcements expected throughout the week. Some brands even jumped the gun, revealing all ahead of the show floor opening to the industry. We were on the ground in LA to bring you all the news as it breaks from the show, as as well as providing insight and comment from industry figures, and first drives of some of the biggest new launches. LA 2019: show report Wheeled vastness, electric vehicles and fast-breeding mid-size SUVs were the most visible exhibits at an LA show marked by the welcome arrival of heavy rain and hail to a parched California. Whether this sudden shift was merely weather or a symptom of climate change, there were certainly signs of fundamental change at the show, where the electric Mustang Mach-E is Ford’s surprisingly potent – and fairly pricey, at £40,000 upwards – Tesla fighter. VW’s ID Space Vizzion concept, the E-Tron Spaceback that makes Audi the first premium player to introduce a second EV, the new-to America electric Mini and numerous plug-in hybrids will all be able to take advantage of the fact that California’s solar and wind power quite regularly generates surplus electricity in need of a home. Yet the industry’s growing battle to introduce affordable electric models was overshadowed, literally, by the bombastic trucks littering much of the Chevrolet stand, a spectacular ultra-high-riding, highly modified Ford F250 pick-up in the main entrance foyer and any number of medium to large SUVs. Not all of them from US manufacturers either, Mercedes unveiling AMG versions of its GLE and GLS, Audi its potent RS Q8, Toyota a new Highlander SUV of a size unremarkable in an American context, Land Rover its Defender and Kia its not-for-Europe Seltos. The almost absurd contradiction in all this can be hard to explain, but to understand the big trucks follow the money – these beasts are highly profitable US best-sellers – while the EU’s CO2 squeeze, China’s commitment to EVs and Tesla’s sales success explains the heavy peppering of battery-powered cars at this show. Which also explains the strange avenues some manufacturers are travelling in an effort to clean up the car and maintain its appeal. Who would have thought that there would one day be a five-door Mustang SUV punching out as much as 459 electric horsepower, or that BMW would have hired a couple of musicians to devise soundtracks for its EVs, or that it would be harvesting methane from a US dairy farm to produce electricity? VW, meanwhile, will plant 1000 trees to compensate for the 1000 miles that its Atlas Cross Sport R will travel in the Baja 1000 off-road race and Subaru, which had turned its stand into a virtual slice of US National Park, would be planting no less than half a million trees to rebuild US forests destroyed by fire. Even the unchanging is changing. There’s a new Mustang Shelby GT 500, but there’s now a Mustang EV. There’s a new Corvette, this the legendary sportscar’s first US show appearance, but its engine lies behind the driver rather than in front. On the other hand, some things really don’t change. Dodge celebrated 50 Challenger years with a very limited limited edition of 490 multi-hued cars, FCA’s policy of starving most of its brands of genuinely new product underlined by the sorry 300C saloon at the back of a Chrysler carpet park of ageing minivans and a modest Fiat stand deprived of its one-time mainstay 500, now deleted. Yet this show was optimistic, as motor shows almost invariably are. Live blog Thursday 21 November, 1000 GMT Last few udates from the show floow. “Big show for Hyundai,” says editor Tisshaw. “Not only is it previewing its new design language with the Vision T SUV concept, but also its plans for its first mid-engined car with the RM19 prototype. Think of that for a second: a mid-engined Hyundai. That’s remarkable progress from the company in such a short space of time.” The sun always shines in LA, right? Not today: heavy rain and thunderstorms are rattling the convention centre, and each executive giving a speech has made pretty much the same gag about the weather at the start of their presentations. Kia has a new SUV at the show, but it’s not for the UK. The Seltos is sized between the Stonic and Sportage in European terms, a gap Kia has just filled with the XCeed in Europe. The Seltos will instead be offered in the US, Korea, India and the Middle East. Thursday 21 November, 0900 GMT Jaguar stole a march on its big German rivals with the I-Pace, but Mercedes-Benz and Audi have caught up with launches in their own. And now in the case of Audi, it’s gone past Jaguar with the launch of its second electric car, the E-Tron
Origin: 2019 LA motor show: full report and pictures
BMW’s 2020 M8 Gran Coupe is more practical for more people
BMW M8 Gran CoupeDerek McNaughton / Driving What is it?A four-door version of the M8 coupe arguably the best-looking new BMW in dealers right now that tries to hide the fact it has four doors. The 2020 M8 Gran Coupe takes all the good looking bits of the M8 Coupe, adds a sloping roofline and two more doors to create a sportier presence than youd get with a four-door luxury sedan. And yet its still an M car with proportions that are more practical for more people. Riding on a longer wheelbase, the Gran Coupe also gets much more rear seat room a six-foot adult can sit in the back without slouching to clear the sloping roof.Check out all of our latest auto show coverage hereWhy does it matter?Along with its good looks is impressive power, the M8 Gran Coupe models get 600 horsepower and 553 lb.-ft. of torque from a twin turbo 4.4-litre V8, while the Competition models get 617 horsepower, allowing for zero-to-100 km/h times of 3.3 seconds and 3.2 seconds, respectively. All of that is routed through an eight speed M-Steptronic transmission with three shift modes. That is crazy fast for something so big.Standard features abound on the Gran Coupe, including an adaptive differential, 20-inch wheels, laser headlights, a slew of driver assists, Harman/Kardon infotainment with Apple CarPlay, wireless charging, WiFi hotspot, Connected Package Pro, and other conveniences. The Gran Coupe also comes standard with a panoramic roof and M Sport brakes. When is it coming?The first cars will start to arrive in January 2020.Should you buy it?At $148,000 for the M8 Gran Coupe and $161,000 for the Competition, the one-per-centers of the world wont find much to fault in this
Origin: BMW’s 2020 M8 Gran Coupe is more practical for more people
BMW adds an extra set of doors to the 2 Series
BMW 2 Series Gran CoupeDerek McNaughton / Driving What is it?An alternative to the classic sedan, the Gran Coupe blends the sexier styling of a coupe with the practicality of the sedan. Mostly seen in more expensive BMW models, the 2 Series Gran Coupe is a first in the premium compact segment.Why does it matter?Lets face it, sedans are a bit like dad jokes and the children of aging boomers, just hitting the sweet spot of buying new cars, will groan at the idea of a sedan. The 2 Series Gran Coupe brings better styling while still acting as a functional family hauler that could be a gateway car for the brand, especially in urban areas.Check out all of our latest auto show coverage hereThe 2 Series Gran Coupe will be offered as a 228i and M235i, both of which will have BMWs xDrive all-wheel-drive system as standard equipment. The 228i gets a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder with 228 horsepower and 258 lb.-ft. of torque, pushed through an eight-speed automatic transmission and BMWs xDrive all-wheel-drive system, while the M235i brings 302 horsepower and 332 lb.-ft. of torque, also through a 2.0-litre and eight-speed automatic transmission. Also standard is full-LED headlights, alloy wheels, a digital instrument cluster, and a 10.25-inch high-resolution central display. When is it coming?Its coming to Canada in mid-March 2020, with pricing announced closer to the launch date.Should you buy it?Considering the 2 Series Gran Coupe is almost the same size as a 3 Series, and yet still gets 450 litres of cargo space, its almost a 3 Series for less money ideal for a family of four that wants a premium car thats not as boring as dads BMW
Origin: BMW adds an extra set of doors to the 2 Series
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