Mercedes-Benz is teasing the next-generation GLA with a design sketch, just a day or so before the official release of the 2021 model.According to Mercedes-Benz, the new vehicle will be 10 centimetres taller than the previous model to give it more of a crossover appearance.It will also be 15 millimetres shorter, although Mercedes says legroom will not be impacted, since the length will be taken off the overhang.In fact, there will actually be more room, because the wheelbase has been lengthened.As far as styling goes, the sketch reveals, mostly, what weve come to expect of Benz crossovers. Were sure the pedestrian looks wont stop Mercedes-Benz from packing the vehicle full of tech, including the excellent MBUX infotainment system. At the very least, we know the rear bench seat will be unique, and feature a forward- or backward-sliding function, as well as 40/20/40-split capability.The wheels are huge, at least on the teaser drawing, in ironically stark contrast to recent reports Audi predicts 23-inch wheels should be about the largest fitted to production cars. Clearly, Mercedes stands with GM in forecasting 26-inch rims in the near-future.On top of the regular model, AMG 35 and 45/45S models are expected to be available, as well as a 250e plug-in hybrid model.The GLA will be revealed to the world online exclusively on December 11; the first auto show to feature it in the metal will be Genevas, in March of
Origin: 2021 Mercedes-Benz GLA teased in design sketch just ahead of reveal
design
Updated 2020 Bentley Bentayga to feature revamped design
Bentley will update its best-selling model – the Bentayga SUV – next year to bring it up to scratch with its latest models, and disguised prototypes have begun cold weather testing. The test mule is clearly recognisable as a Bentayga, but heavy camouflage to the front and rear suggests Bentley is planning a number of design updates. At the rear, we can see the brakelights have been reshaped and expanded, while the current model’s deep numberplate recess looks to have been brought forward. At the front, the Bentayga retains its prominent grille and three lower air intakes, but will receive a reconfigured headlight design to bring it into line with the firm’s new Continental and Flying Spur – both of which have launched since the Bentayga arrived in 2016. We can also expect the front and rear bumpers to be redesigned. Just as significant will be the technology overhaul inside. The current car’s infotainment system is often criticised for feeling out of date next to cheaper siblings from Audi and Porsche, so the priority will be to bring in the latest system from the Continental GT and Flying Spur. A fully digital instrument display will likely also feature, while the range of active safety technology should advance. The flagship W12 engine is expected to receive upgrades to boost efficiency, but don’t expect anything dramatic across the rest of the range. The V8 is relatively new, too, while the six-cylinder plug-in hybrid model still isn’t on sale after a lengthy delay. Question marks remain over the diesel model, which was officially axed from the firm’s line-up in 2018. A change in attitude towards the fuel was blamed for its removal back then, but since then sister brand Audi has introduced several large capacity S-badged diesel models to its range. Expect to see more details emerge early next
Origin: Updated 2020 Bentley Bentayga to feature revamped design
2020 BMW M3: rear end design seen undisguised
The next-generation BMW M3 – due for launch in 2020 – appears to have been photographed undisguised for the first time, according to an image posted to Facebook by BMW tuning specialist Evolve Automotive. The car looks to be on the assembly line, and reveals previously unconfirmed elements of the model’s design. Key changes over the standard 3 Series include the addition of a subtle rear spoiler, extended wheel arches, black plastic rear trim and reshaped bootlid. Four large exhaust pipes also feature, and will be housed in a downforce-enhancing rear diffuser, which appears not yet to have been installed. The hotly anticipated performance saloon is expected to use an extensively updated version of BMW’s twin-scroll turbocharged 3.0-litre straight-six engine, producing around 500bhp. Officials at the 2018 Paris motor show, including company boss Harald Krüger, confirmed that a new M3 was under development, although they declined to give details. It is understood, however, that engineers have been set the target of giving the new M3 a power boost over the M3 CS, which produced 454bhp. It is believed the additional performance is likely to come from the use of a water injection system, like that used by the M4 GTS, to enable reduced cylinder temperatures for more efficient running. The only obstacle to this system being employed is believed to have centred on the issue of effective packaging, but that is now thought to have been overcome. The additional weight of the water injection system is minimal and unlikely to compromise BMW’s goal of making the car lighter than the 1585kg M3 CS. This is thanks to the savings already made with the basic structure of the new 3 Series, as well as the potential benefits of using carbonfibre parts, including the roof. Use of a four-wheel-drive system, similar to that used on the M5, and any form of electrification are believed to have been vetoed because they would add too much weight, complexity and cost. However, persistent reports suggest that the 2020 M3 could be the final M model to be launched without some form of electrification, which is necessary due to the increasing priority of meeting fleet-average CO2 targets. There are no further details about the new M3’s potential performance, but the lighter, more powerful car will eclipse the current M3 CS’s 0-62mph time of 3.9sec. It will be sold with a choice of six-speed manual gearbox or optional eight-speed automatic, but the auto will enable the better performance figures thanks to a built-in electronic launch control system. The M3 will also benefit from the increased rigidity offered by its part-aluminium, part-high-strength steel CLAR underpinnings. This is a key reason why BMW is already making class-leading claims about the dynamic abilities of the base 3 Series. The regular car’s wider track and uprated suspension systems should also give engineers the foundations for a dynamically more capable M3. As well as offering greater performance potential, the stiffer chassis should reduce the amount of vibration transmitted into the car to enhance overall refinement. It should also allow engineers to adopt softer spring rates to give the M3 a more compliant ride in its most comfortable mode without hampering the car’s overall dynamic ability. Inside, the next M3 will follow in the M5’s footsteps and swap its dashtop infotainment screen for one that’s more tidily integrated into the dashboard. The iDrive system is expected to retain a rotary control knob because it has been praised for its ease of use in current cars. The M3 will also gain significantly more advanced driver assist features, but former sales and marketing boss Ian Robertson has hinted to Autocar that most BMW models will steer clear of the full autonomous hardware suites to be used on i5 and i7 due from 2021. M models, in particular, will still possess a very driver-centric character. The M3 will continue to form the basis for the technically identical M4 coupé, while M-worked 3 Series models will lend their hardware to a two-door M440i M Performance coupé and M440d M Performance coupé. These models are also due to arrive in showrooms in 2020 and are part of a 26-model onslaught of M division-tuned cars that aims to more extensively rival the growing ranges of Mercedes-AMG and Audi Sport. It remains uncertain whether the car will feature an active rear-wheel steering system to enhance agility and boost high-speed stability. Although it is under consideration, the business case for developing the system for the M3 only is believed to be under debate. The car, now testing on public roads in development form and due to go on sale in 2020, would inherit the active technology from the 5 Series and 7 Series. If the hardware does make the cut and is fitted to the super-saloon, the M3 would be the only car in the upcoming 3 Series range to feature
Origin: 2020 BMW M3: rear end design seen undisguised
BMW design boss defends radical styling direction
BMW’s design boss has again defended the brand’s controversial new styling direction, continued in earnest by the recently revealed Concept 4 Series Coupé. After it was unwrapped at the Frankfurt motor show, Adrian van Hooydonk was asked about the polarising views of BMW’s recent design debuts. He told Autocar: “I’m not a psychologist but I know BMW is a brand that not only has customers, it has fans. They know our entire design history and have strong opinions on that. I don’t think that’s a bad thing, it means we have really connected with these people on an emotional level. Okay, I know that there might be some discussion with fans because they’ve grown to love what you’ve just done and you’re changing it already. “As a company, you have to keep moving,” he continued. “The minute you start standing still, you become an easy target. The market is very competitive now, more than ever. But the hardest thing to do is make changes while you are successful. If you are no longer successful, people will immediately start saying you need to make changes, but then you are in panic mode.” Describing the 4 Series specifically, van Hooydonk said: “It is a sporty coupé, and by definition it has to have a very expressive design, and you see that all around the car, not just the front. But there are not that many lines or elements – it’s not a complex design. “We want to do this for all our cars: we want to have fewer elements, then each element you use plays a bigger role.” Van Hooydonk did acknowledge, however, that it was the recent facelift of the 7 Series flagship that was the most visually distinctive – and there’s a good reason for that. “It was part of the brief,” he said. “People liked the car, but they said by and large it looks quite similar to the previous one, so why should they buy the new one? Now everyone has noticed and production has ramped up
Origin: BMW design boss defends radical styling direction
Inside Ferrari’s new design studio
Last year Ferrari finally opened its own design centre, having for years seen design houses, most famously Pininfarina, lead the styling of its models. Ferrari head of design Flavio Manzoni has told Autocar that a large in-house team is now essential due to the complexity of the design process and the need for multiple designs to be integrated into architectures from the beginning. The days of a car maker supplying a chassis to a coachbuilder for styling are over. “One of the main reasons for an in-house design team was the growing complexity of our cars,” Manzoni said. “The technology and aerodynamic requirements grow day by day. Interaction is needed between the different areas. “Using the other system, you could not now conceive the shape of a new Ferrari on top of the mechanical parts designed before. You had a chassis, then a coachbuilder. The coachbuilder designs the dress on top.” When Manzoni joined Ferrari in 2010 there were just a handful of designers. Today there are more than 100 working in the 1400sq m design centre in facilities that encompass everything from clay modelling to two ateliers where more than 200 customers come each year to meet with designers and individually personalise their new Ferrari. Manzoni also spoke of his desire to give each model its own distinct look, rather than a Russian doll-style approach. “We never follow the strategy of a ‘family feeling’ effect in the range,” he said. “You consider the shape, and that must reflect the essence of each project. It’s a very difficult thing to do, but each car must also then still be recognisable without a badge. But it makes the job more fun. It’s difficult, as every time you have to be new but consistent.” The SUV will be the most ‘different’ Ferrari yet, but it is a challenge Manzoni has relished. “We are very lucky,” he said. “We made a job to start from an idea that’s the consciousness of the richness of Ferrari: the forms, patrimony. “But at the same time, we are not slaves to history. We have a beautiful architecture. Our job is between prudence of tradition and the courage of innovation. This expresses our approach. There’s lots of responsibility for the brand, but a courage to evolve in different directions and break many rules. The SF90 breaks many rules. We didn’t use round rear lights but we’re happy to have made something different. “You should start with a lot of curiosity, the desire to make something really strong and
Origin: Inside Ferrari’s new design studio
Aston Martin launches bespoke garage design service
Aston Martin’s bespoke personalisation outfit, Q by Aston Martin, has launched a new service to help owners create their ideal car storage facility. Automotive Galleries and Lairs, revealed today at Pebble Beach, will assist owners in designing bespoke garages or display units to house their Aston Martins. The new sub-division can also design and build entire homes, in partnership with high-profile architectural firms, wherein the client’s car collection acts as an integral design feature. Architects are assigned to individual projects based on their awareness of the local area and appreciation of the requirements of the brief. A design concept from architectural firm Obermoser shows an extravagant underground gallery, with Aston’s new Valhalla supercar housed in the middle of a circular fish tank. Another rendering shows the upcoming Valkyrie hypercar positioned prominently in front of an expansive window. Aston Martin chief creative officer Marek Reichman said: “Imagine a home or luxury retreat built around your car. Picture creating the ultimate space to showcase your own automotive works of art. “This is now achievable with this new offering. For the car enthusiast, the garage is as important as the rest of the house and a bespoke auto gallery designed by Aston Martin that either focuses on showing off the car or is part of a larger, integrated entertainment space with simulators and such like takes Aston Martin ownership to the next level.” The launch of Galleries and Lairs coincides with the beginning of construction at Aston Martin’s new luxury apartment block in Miami. Aston Martin Residences, a 66-storey tower building in Miami comprising 391 apartments, is scheduled for completion in the next two
Origin: Aston Martin launches bespoke garage design service
New Hyundai i10: sketch shows design revamp
Hyundai has revealed a preview sketch showing the design of its third-generation i10 city car ahead of it’s reveal at the Frankfurt motor show in September. The sketch shows a new design direction for the Volkswagen Up rival, with a new wider front grille reflecting the firm’s current styling. As with the current i10, the car’s daytime running lights are located within the grille. It also hints at what Hyundai calls an ‘X-shaped C-pillar’, which was first teased in a single preview image released by Hyundai last month. Hyundai says the model will be designed, developed and built in Europe. While it hasn’t revealed any technical details, Hyundai does say the car will feature a “range of new connected car and safety features”, including smartphone connectivity, a reversing camera and a range of driver assistance systems. A heavily disguised i10 test mule has previously been spied undergoing winter testing. That car retained the familiar smaller footprint and upright stance of the outgoing i10 but had significant body cladding, including over the C-pillar, which appears to rise in the same way as that in the preview image. Details of the interior are yet to be seen, but the Korean manufacturer is expected to boost perceived quality as well as introducing the promised advanced technology. Interior space isn’t likely to increase significantly, because the current i10 is only fractionally shorter than the latest Kia Picanto, with which the new model is expected to share its platform and mechanicals. Engines are expected to include the familiar 1.0-litre three-cylinder and 1.2-litre four-cylinder naturally aspirated petrol units, with a turbocharged 1.0-litre triple likely to make its way over from the range-topping Picanto. Expect prices to rise slightly to reflect the improvements and changing
Origin: New Hyundai i10: sketch shows design revamp
The Honda e dashboard design makes us want it even more
The Honda e Prototype at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show.Harold Cunningham / AFP/Getty Images Hondas beautiful e concept is coming to life, and the more we learn about it, the more we cant wait to get our hands on one.Honda has just released a video detailing the dashboard of the e, and we have to say, it makes us want one even more than we already did.The dashboard consists of two 12.3-inch touch screens in the centre for the infotainment, an 8.8-inch screen right in front of the driver, and two six-inch mirrors on the edges of the dash to show what the external camera mirrors see.The design is downright gorgeous in its simplicity, and when the vehicle is turned off you wouldnt even recognize that the entire fascia of the dash was a touch screen.Its easy to configure too, basically, anybody thats ever been in contact with a smartphone can move around the apps and change the interface to suit their needs. A smartphone can also be used as a key instead of a standard fob and can be configured to set geofencing, preconditioning, and safety alerts.On top of the great dash, the vehicle will respond to Hey Honda commands. The climate change buttons have remained tactile, and so have the buttons on the steering wheel.According to Honda, more than 36,000 people expressed interest in buying the small EV after it was revealed, the UK, Germany, France, and Norway will get first priority, but we hope Honda knows that Canada wants it just as much as the rest of the
Origin: The Honda e dashboard design makes us want it even more
2021 Mercedes-Benz EQ S: new prototypes show design
Mercedes-Benz is preparing to take on the Tesla Model S, Porsche Taycan and the next-gen Jaguar XJ with the plush new EQ S electric saloon, which has now been spotted testing in near-production form for the first time. The latest addition to Mercedes’ EQ electric vehicle line-up will join the EQ C SUV and a production version of the EQ A hatchback concept in showrooms in 2021. According to company officials, its name implies a level of luxury, comfort and features consummate to the company’s traditional S-Class saloon. The EQ S heads what the engineering boss of Mercedes-Benz’s EQ sub-brand, Michael Kelz, suggests will be a 10-strong electric vehicle model range by the middle of the next decade. But in a departure from the EQ C, which is based on existing underpinnings from the GLC, and the EQ A, which is set to adopt a modified A-class platform, the range-topping EQ S will be the first EQ model to be based on Mercedes-Benz’s dedicated MEA (modular electric architecture). Among the key engineering solutions included in the aluminium-intensive MEA platform is a flat floor structure. These most recent EQ S prototypes confirm the production shape of the future flagship. It is described as being between roughly the size of the third-generation CLS. In terms of proportions, it uses a much shorter bonnet and more heavily raked windscreen than the current S-Class. In combination with the flat floor structure and a close to three-metre-long wheelbase as well as less intrusion from the gearbox and transmission tunnel than in conventional combustion engine models, this is expected to provide the EQ S with greater interior space than the existing Mercedes-Benz range-topper. The heavily curved roofline and relatively shallow glasshouse is similar to that seen on the latest CLS. The fastback-style rear houses a liftback-style bootlid similar to that fitted to the Mercedes-AMG GT 4-door. The EQ S is expected to be powered by twin electric motors – one acting on the front axle and the other at the rear – providing permanent four-wheel drive. In the upcoming EQ C, this set-up delivers more than 400bhp and some 516lb ft. A lithium-ion battery boasting a capacity of around 90kWh is planned to provide a range of between 400 and 500km (248-311 miles). Mercedes-Benz has confirmed the EQ S will be produced at its main Sindelfingen factory on the outskirts of Stuttgart. It is the third German plant earmarked to produce an EQ model, with the EQ C set to be built in Bremen and the EQ A planned to hail from the company’s compact car plant in Rastatt. An additional EQ model, likely a yet-to-be-revealed GLB-based EQ B SUV model positioned below the EQ C, will also be produced at the Smart factory in Hambach,
Origin: 2021 Mercedes-Benz EQ S: new prototypes show design
Revised BMW 5 Series to get bold design updates, arrives 2020
Prototypes of the facelifted BMW 5 Series have begun testing on public roads ahead of a planned introduction in mid-2020. Although it’s still heavily disguised, the updated executive model will clearly receive a bolder look in keeping with styling developments brought to both the latest 3 Series and facelifted 7 Series. The move is part of a broader strategy at BMW that aims to give each model its own individual appearance. Among the new design elements expected to be brought to the 5 Series are a more prominent kidney grille, redesigned headlights and a more heavily structured front bumper that incorporates newly designed air vents, including vertical air curtain ducts at the outer edges. Changes at the rear are likely to be less significant, although the plastic wrap adorning the spied prototypes hints at styling revisions to the tail-lights, rear bumper, tailpipes and area around the numberplate. Inside, the 5 Series is expected to receive new digital instrument graphics as well as a revised central display housing the infotainment functions. Today’s 5 Series will get BMW’s latest iDrive 7.0 operating system as part of a running change from this month onwards, suggesting the 2020 model will carry this on until the introduction of an iDrive 7.5 system in the eighth-generation 5 Series model due in 2023. The prototype shown here is propelled by a plug-in hybrid powertrain, shown by the mandatory identification on its front doors as well as the flap for the charging port integrated into the front-left wing. The current G30 5 Series is already sold with a plug-in hybrid setup in the 530e. This has a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and an electric motor developing a combined 248bhp and providing an electric-only driving range of up to 40 miles. As part of a push to take its plug-in hybrid drivelines into the performance car class, BMW is said to be planning a new 545e model running the same set-up as the 745e. This would use a more powerful turbocharged 3.0-litre six-cylinder engine and electric motor making a combined 388bhp and yielding an electric-only range of up to 36 miles. In further developments, BMW plans to equip all petrol engines with a particulate filter, while the diesels will receive new selective catalytic reduction (SCR) technology, according to Munich
Origin: Revised BMW 5 Series to get bold design updates, arrives 2020
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