2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer RS GM’s onslaught in the crossover and SUV market continues apace with this, the new Trailblazer. Set to slot in the infinitesimal gap between the Trax and Equinox, this rig bears much of the Chevrolet design language foisted upon the automotive world when it introduced the Blazer. Speaking of which, this is the first time both a Blazer and Trailblazer will be on sale as new vehicles at the same time. Sales reps working the floor at Chevy dealers will have their work cut out for them explaining differences between the two to disinterested customers dealing with a kid hanging off their leg and a smartphone sending incessant push alerts about Junior’s baseball game. Chevy didn’t give us much to go on in terms of specifications about this new crossover, choosing to keep information about powertrain options and sizing measurements to themselves. Instinct says the decision to describe this thing as slotting between the Trax and Equinox as an indication it’ll bear an MSRP between those two machines. However, recall that the company decided to price its two-row Blazer within just a few hundred simoleons of the much larger three-row Traverse, so this assumption may turn out to be misguided if The General plays that same game with this Trailblazer. It’s certainly possible. Educated guessing puts a turbocharged four-cylinder engine under the hood and power to all four wheels in snazzy models. I wouldn’t bet on a diesel. The bumf says that all Trailblazers will have features such as automatic emergency braking and lane-keeping, with gear like adaptive cruise control reserved for fancy models. Zooming in on the interior photo reveals a button for automatic start/stop but no dual climate control on this RS model. There appears to be a knob for a power liftgate on the driver’s door, and an electric parking brake resides in the centre console. In all, owners of current Chevys will feel right at home. Look for this new crossover to hit dealer lots early next
Origin: Chevrolet brings back the Trailblazer nameplate for 2021
2021
First patents surface for Dyson electric car planned for 2021
Patent drawings for what could be Dysons upcoming electric vehicleDyson Dyson’s electric car may have a long wheelbase, an interior cabin with reclining seats and an aerodynamic design, according to patents recently awarded to the company. The patents, filed about 18 months ago and made public Wednesday, are the first glimpse of the car being built by the U.K.-based company known for pricey vacuums, hair dryers and air purifiers. In an email to staff, founder James Dyson said the patents don’t reveal what our vehicle will really look like or give any specifics around what it will do, but they do provide a glimpse of some of the inventive steps the company is weighing. The patents also indicate Dyson is mulling a vehicle with larger wheels to improve efficiency. Dyson’s email also hinted at a car with a low center of gravity to improve handling. The company posted a new automotive page to its website detailing its history in the automotive world and how its experience working on motors could contribute to a car. Dyson joins a growing list of technology companies getting into the car business. Tesla has pioneered electric vehicles, Alphabet’s Waymo unit leads in self-driving technology, while Apple has had an automotive project since about 2016. Patent drawings for what could be Dyson’s upcoming electric vehicle Dyson Dyson first disclosed plans to build an electric car in 2017, saying it would invest 2 billion pounds (US$2.6 billion) on the vehicle and accompanying batteries. Last year, the company said it would build a facility in Singapore to develop the car it hopes to introduce by 2021. In his email to staff, Dyson said that testing of the car would ramp up next month and that more than 500 people are working on the
Origin: First patents surface for Dyson electric car planned for 2021
Lexus plots new entry-level compact for 2021
Lexus is developing a new entry-level compact model to replace the ageing CT 200h, according to the firm’s European boss. Plans to release a model that is smaller in size than the new UX SUV were confirmed by Pascal Ruch at the 2019 Geneva motor show, after UK boss Ewan Shepherd first hinted at such a car earlier this year. Despite being introduced back in 2011, the CT 200h is set to remain on sale for another two years. The new model is therefore expected to arrive in 2021 and will almost certainly be based on Toyota’s new TNGA platform, which should offer significantly better interior packaging than today’s car. What’s not clear yet, however, is whether Lexus will retain the CT 200h’s hatchback bodystyle or move to something more crossover-shaped. We know it will be offered with some form of electrification, and it’s possible that such a car could be Lexus’s long-awaited first EV. Ruch also claimed that Lexus is well-placed for the upcoming hybrid revolution, while at the same time revealing that petrol-electric models remain a significant minority of the brand’s global output. Despite Lexus being known in Europe as a hybrid brand, Ruch said that only 182,000 of its record global 2018 sales of 698,000 vehicles were petrol-electric. One reason for that was some restrictions on battery supply; another is that the big US market has a Lexus hybrid share of just 10%. The longer-term plan is for Lexus to move to a 50% hybrid production share globally, Ruch added. Europe is the biggest market for Lexus hybrid models, with petrol-electric cars accounting for more than 75% of the 76,000 sales. In the UK, Lexus sales are nearly 100% hybrid. The plan is for European sales to continue five years of growth and expand to 90,000 units in 2019 – assisted by the new UX compact crossover – and then 100,000 units in 2020. “Europe has a great strategic importance for Lexus because it’s seen as a leading region for technology and design,” Ruch said. “Our hybrid sales are highest in Europe, China and Japan will electrify (internal combustion engines) and the wider US market is really now starting with hybrids.” Ruch told Autocar that the Toyota group was leading the European market in terms of fleet CO2 and was “well on the way” to meeting the upcoming 2020/21 EU CO2 regulations. “We will be focusing on a core strategy of plug-in hybrids, some EVs and, eventually, fuel cell vehicles,” he said. Indeed, new figures from automotive analyst Jato Dynamics show that the Toyota brand posted a fleet average of 99g/km CO2 in 2018, beaten only by Tesla and Smart
Origin: Lexus plots new entry-level compact for 2021
Volkswagen Roomzz concept previews 2021 Model X rival
Volkswagen has extended its range of ID concepts to include a new 302bhp electric-powered SUV, known as the Roomzz. Unveiled at the Shanghai motor show, the contemporary seven-seater acts as a preview to a production model of similar size and shape Volkswagen says will be launched in 2021. It’s a crucial part of the German car maker’s plan to become the world’s leading manufacturer of electric vehicles by the middle of the next decade. Set to be positioned above the upcoming production version of the Crozz and a more sporting Crozz Coupé, the Roomzz is said to offer interior space superior to that of the Touareg in a body measuring 4915mm in length, 1890mm in width and 1760mm in height. “The ID Roomzz shows us what we can expect from full-size electric SUVs in the future,” said VW brand design boss Klaus Bischoff. “The puristic look emphasises the clear function and the user experience is intuitive and natural. Plenty of space inside allows for completely new seating configurations.” The sixth ID concept is based on a new variant of VW’s MEB platform. It has a wheelbase of 2965mm – some 192mm longer than the Crozz’s but 135mm shorter than that of the Buzz. Developed under the internal codename VW316 and previously dubbed ID Lounge, the Roomzz gets its own unique styling that Bischoff describes as featuring “seamless transitions of individual elements” for maximum aerodynamic efficiency. Key cues include an almost completely enclosed front end featuring illuminated horizontal elements that act as a grille and extend outwards into in the outer edges of the headlights to provide the new SUV with exaggerated visual width. Also included is an illuminated VW badge – a feature Autocar can confirm will be offered as an option on all upcoming ID production models in markets where it is permitted. The Roomzz also receives prominent front wheel arches and a side feature line that runs back through to the middle of the front doors. Traditional exterior mirrors are replaced by a camera, which is mounted on a discreet arm within the leading edge of the front doors. The doors open on opposing hinges, providing uninterrupted pillar-less entry to the cabin. Also evident is a rounded roof turret. It houses two Lidar units that form part of a level four autonomous driving system VW is touting for future ID models. Contrasting aluminium is used for the roof rails, while the side glass is almost completely flush with the bodywork to smooth airflow along the flanks. To highlight the interior, the concept also goes without a B-pillar. The rear is distinguished by a full-width light band whose graphics can be customised via a smartphone app. “Lighting is the new chrome,” said Bischoff of the possibilities made possible by the latest generation of LED lighting. Previewing the cabin design VW proposes to provide future models with advanced autonomous driving functions, the Roomzz features a digitised steering wheel. It is designed to retract back into the dashboard when the driver chooses a fully autonomous driving mode. Further interior highlights include a 13.8in digital instrument unit and augmented reality head-up display. Although the new concept features four individual seats, VW insiders have confirmed the production version is planned to provide seating for up to seven in three rows of seats. Power for the Roomzz comes from the same electric driveline previewed by the earlier Vizzion. It uses two electric motors – one acting on the front axle with 101bhp and 103lb ft and a more powerful unit at the rear with 201bhp and 228lb ft. The total system output is 302bhp and 331lb ft. Depending on the driving mode, the new SUV can be driven by the rear wheels as standard or all four wheels. VW quotes a 0-62mph time of 6.6sec and a top speed that is limited to 112mph. Electric energy for the motors is provided by an 82kWh lithium ion battery mounted within the flat floor structure of the Roomzz’s MEB platform. It is claimed to provide a range of 280 miles on the WLTP test cycle, while the charge time to 80% of the battery’s capacity on a highpower 150kW system is put at “approximately 30
Origin: Volkswagen Roomzz concept previews 2021 Model X rival
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