The new Volkswagen T-Roc R is now available to order in the UK, with prices starting from £38,450. Standard equipment includes white paint, 19in alloy wheels and Volkswagen’s latest virtual cockpit system. Other colours are available from £360-£1075, while a leather and carbonfibre interior package can be equipped for an additional £2155, and an Akrapavoic sports exhaust system for £3000. First revealed at the Geneva motor show in March, the T-Roc R looks set to become one of the major players in the burgeoning performance crossover market. It is as closely related to the Golf R as lesser versions are to the regular Golf, sharing the same powertrain and base suspension components. That means it has the VW Group’s EA888 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine – now fitted with a particulate filter and in 296bhp tune – part-time Haldex-based all-wheel drive and a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. Volkswagen claims a 4.9sec 0-62mph time – 0.3sec slower than the Golf R but 0.3sec quicker than the Cupra Ateca – and a governed 155mph top speed. Despite a close hardware relationship with the Cupra – and the Audi SQ2 – settings are unique for each car. Although it sits higher than the Golf, the T-Roc R is 20mm closer to the ground than the standard T-Roc thanks to lower suspension and firmer settings. Passive dampers are standard but VW’s dynamic chassis control system can be specified for £695. The T-Roc R gets 18in wheels as standard, with 19s as an upgrade option. All versions have the beefy 17in brakes from the Golf R Performance. Other visual changes include chunkier bumpers, an anodised finish for the radiator grille, matt chrome mirror caps and R badges. The cabin gets some carbonfibre trim and a sportier steering wheel, plus the option of the Golf R’s sport seats. QA with Jost Capito, R division boss What are the fundamentals of the R brand? “It is all-wheel drive, it is sporty and – after discussions with customers in a lot of countries – we know they want to see cars around 300 horsepower. People say why not go higher, but we need to hit a certain price, a sweet spot: we sell more than 20,000 Golf Rs a year.” How do you stop confusion with GTI models? “Firstly, they have two-wheel drive, but also they are more extreme. The R models have to be less racy, but with the same capability or even more. They always have more horsepower but are more about everyday usage. A TCR or Clubsport is much more aggressive. The GTI is in Up, Polo and Golf – and we are saying that R is starting with Golf.” So will there be several other R models? “The task I’ve been given is to make R to Volkswagen what M is for BMW. That means different positioning from just having a Golf R. There will be a wider spread. For the future, the Golf and T-Roc will not be the only ones, that’s for
Origin: Volkswagen T-Roc R: hot compact SUV on sale from £38,450
£38
The 2020 Hyundai Palisade will start at $38,499 in Canada
2020 Hyundai PalisadeJil McIntosh / Driving Hyundai is serious about getting North American families into its three-row products. With an intro price of under $39,000, the 2020 Palisade will no doubt attract some budget-conscious buyers in Canada. And so it should. The new flagship, which debuted at the L.A. auto show last year, will fill the hole left by the Santa Fe XL, which the brand recently sent into retirement. The Palisade is larger than its predecessor in most ways (it’s got to accommodate that extra row of seats, after all), with more legroom and cargo space. But as we noted in our first drive of the vehicle, the Palisade is far from a redone and renamed Santa Fe. The 2020 Palisade is based on a brand-new chassis, which it shares with its cousin, the Telluride, over at Kia. Its 3.8-litre V6 engine makes 291 horsepower and 262 lb.-ft. of torque and is paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission in all models. That power is sent to the front two wheels in the entry-level Essential trim, but to all four for the rest of the Palisade fam. 2020 Hyundai Palisade Jil McIntosh / Driving These details add up to a nimble ride, which is made comfortable as well by interior features like Nappa leather and suede surfaces, standard heated front seats, and new safety tech like lane-following assist, highway driving assist and blind view monitor. Driving modes include the usual Comfort, Sport, Eco and Smart, but Hyundai has also pre-programed ‘terrain’ settings for mud, sand and snow. We shouldn’t need to tell you which of those will be most useful to Canadians. The Essential and Preferred trims are fitted with the 8-seat configuration featuring three rows of bench seats, and the Luxury trim has that option too. The top-of-the-Palisade-line Ultimate trim is available exclusively as a seven-seater. Here’s the full list of Canadian MSRPs for the 2020 Hyundai Palisade models set to arrive in Canada this month. Essential FWD 8P $38,499 Essential AWD 8P $40,499 Preferred AWD 8P $45,499 Luxury AWD 8P $50,199 Luxury AWD 7P $50,699 Ultimate AWD 7P
Origin: The 2020 Hyundai Palisade will start at $38,499 in Canada
Ram recalls over 38,000 pickups due to airbag issues
2019 Ram 1500 Laramie LonghornBrian Harper / Driving FCA is recalling 38,890 Ram 1500 pickup trucks from the 2019 and 2020 model years due to an internal error in the Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC) that can cause the airbags to turn off. This poses as a safety risk because the airbags may not deploy in a crash, which can cause serious injury, bodily harm, or perhaps even death. To fix the issue, Ram will notify affected vehicle’s owners and instruct them to take their pickups to a dealer, where the Occupant Restraint Controller will be inspected. If found to be faulty, the part will be replaced. If no fault is detected, then it will simply be updated. In Canada, 38,890 RAM 1500 pickup trucks are affected, but it’s estimated that just under 296,000 units are affected in the U.S. alone, along with 1,817 in Mexico and 6,154 outside the NAFTA region. Ram 1500 Classic pickups are not affected. The recall is expected to start on June 20. Customers can either check online, or contact FCA at 1-800-465-2001 and reference recall no. V61 or V71, to see if their trucks are
Origin: Ram recalls over 38,000 pickups due to airbag issues
Tesla Model 3 on sale in the UK from £38,900
The Tesla Model 3 saloon is now available to order in the UK. The company’s most mainstream EV to date will see right-hand-drive deliveries from June, with customers who reserved a build slot first in line to receive their cars. Prices start from £38,900 for the entry-level Standard Range Plus model, which has a WLTP-estimated range of 258 miles. The dual-motor Long Range model starts from £47,900 and can reach 348 miles on a single charge, meaning it takes the lead in Europe as the EV with the longest official range. Both models come with aerodynamically optimised 18in alloy wheels as standard, with 19in alloys available as an option. Prices include the UK government plug-in car grant. The top-end Performance version, which has a 162mph top speed and can manage 0-62mph in 3.2sec, starts at £56,900. It rides on 20in alloy wheels and includes a Premium interior package, which includes satellite-view navigation with live traffic, a premium 14-speaker audio system and in-car music and media streaming. Tesla’s ‘full self-driving’ autonomous functionality, which is due to roll out later this year, can be added for an additional £4900. The system can be installed post-purchase for £6800. Tesla CEO Elon Musk previously confirmed that UK orders would go live in a tweet, allowing UK customers to place an order before Tesla raises the price of its ‘full self-driving’ autonomous functionality. From 10 May, those placing orders in the US will need to pay an additional $1000 for the feature. The car maker launched its configurator in December for European customers who had already put down a deposit for a Model 3 saloon, which in the process revealed previously unconfirmed pricing and range details. The Model 3 went on show in UK dealerships for the first time at the beginning of the year, with demonstration models on display at Tesla’s London Park Royal and Manchester Stockport locations ahead of right-hand-drive models going on sale. Model 3 owners will not get free access to the Tesla Supercharger high-speed charging system, with the US company planning to charge for electricity as demand grows and it requires more investment to build up its charging network. Tesla’s latest results from the third quarter of 2018 showed that it hit production targets for the Model 3, building 53,239 units. This followed a tumultuous second quarter in which a temporary ‘tent’ was constructed outside the firm’s Californian plant containing another production line so as to increase output. Tesla revealed its Semi lorry in November last year, and this is expected to go into production in 2019. Its next model, the Model Y small SUV, was revealed in March. The highly anticipated Roadster, a sports car that is promised to hit 0-60mph in 1.9sec, is pegged to arrive in
Origin: Tesla Model 3 on sale in the UK from £38,900
All about car 