According to Hyundai, the Santa Cruz was not designed to be an alternative to a truck. The rumour mill continues to churn over Hyundais forthcoming pickup, a product that has seemingly been in gestation longer than a baby elephant.Recent scuttlebutt had the maybe-it-will, maybe-it-wont vehicle being built on a unibody platform think Santa Fe or Palisade with a bed instead of a cargo area and youd be on the right track.Now, however, it seems likely the Hyundai pickup will be built on a ladder-frame chassis. According to an interview with Aussie automotive site Which Car, development costs of a new separate frame will be shared with Kia, meaning theres every chance that brand will get a version of the truck as well.Whats clear to us is that if were going to bring a ute out, it had better be a ute, said John Kett, Hyundai Australia CEO, before setting off for the Outback to wrestle a gooly-gooly snake with his bare hands. Were going down that pathway and were working towards it. We just have to make sure that when it arrives, its a bloody ute.Clear as the water at Surfers Paradise, eh, mate? Kett went on to tell the Aussie gearheads the company is looking at a range of models, including two- and four-wheel-drive models and a possible array of cab configurations. Introducing anything other than a four-door Crew Cab would be a waste of time in this and many other countries, so, if a Hyundai pickup does materialize, expect it to launch in that body style.Another wrench in the works? Just because a company is selling a vehicle Down Under doesnt necessarily mean itll make it to this side of the pond. For proof of that in this very segment, one need look no further than Ford, a company which inexplicably refuses to sell the mighty Ranger Raptor in this country despite a favourable climate for doing so.Earlier this year, top brass at Hyundais U.S. unit spoke about the pickup truck in interviews, saying it would be very versatile and create a whole new class of buyers. Whatever form the truck takes, theres a good chance it will be manufactured in North America, thanks to the so-called Chicken Tax that levies stiff tariffs on imported pickup
Origin: Hyundai’s upcoming pickup will have a ladder frame, confirms exec
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Porsche exec suggests next-gen 718 could be AWD, electric
At the recent unveiling of its all-electric Taycan, Porsche announced that by 2025, half of all its models worldwide would have some form of electrification.But we didnt expect this one: according to hints from a Porsche exec who talked to Top Gear, the next generation of the 718 Boxster and Cayman could be powered entirely by batteries.The 718 just fits EV, doesnt it? The next generation of these cars would be a good time to go all-electric, the magazine quotes Lutz Meschke, deputy chairman of the board.Furthermore, Meschke replied to a question about all-wheel drive with Yes, it needs to be, that makes sense, even though the platform has forever been rear-wheel-driven, as the driving gods intended.The automaker has been adding plug-in hybrid technology to its models for a while, of course, and along with unveiling the Mission E concept that prefaced the Taycan, Porsche took the wraps off the battery-powered Cayman E-volution concept car a couple of years back at an electric vehicle symposium in Stuttgart.It basically looked like a stock Cayman with some green badges, but the company stressed that it was just another EV development project and wouldnt go into production. And of course the Taycan isnt going to stand alone. A wagon version of it, the Taycan Cross Turismo, will come toward the end of 2020. After that, an all-electric Macan is expected to arrive in 2022. Meschke confirmed the current gas-powered Macan will initially be sold alongside it, but will be dropped after a couple of years.The Cayenne and Panamera are also planned for full electricity, but so far, theres been no word on replacing the dino-juice engine in the 911 for something that plugs into the wall. It seems even Porsche must realize that some things are
Origin: Porsche exec suggests next-gen 718 could be AWD, electric
New 2019 Audi A4: UK pricing for facelifted exec revealed
Audi’s major mid-life upgrade of its A4 range is due to go on sale soon, and pricing has appeared on some company car lists. Though not official announced by the brand, an industry source confirmed to Autocar that the 2019 A4 will start from £30,725 in base Technik form with the ’35’ TFSI petrol engine. The 188bhp diesel is auto-only and priced from £34,480. Those figures represent an increase of around £1,500 over the previous entry-level SE spec. However, technology and kit upgrades will help justify the list price increase, as will competitive leasing costs. The non-RS range flagship at launch will be the newly diesel-powered S4 TDI. That’s priced at £47,295 in standard trim, with higher-spec Black Edition and Vorsprung models also available. In an attempt to keep pace with rivals such as the new BMW 3 Series, the compact executive saloon has received an exterior and interior revamp to bring it in line with Audi’s current design themes. the firm says the changes are more substantial than is usual for a facelift, and include a range of hybridised engines. The revised A4 will be available with three 2.0-litre TFSI petrol engines featuring a 12V mild-hybrid system and ranging from 148bhp to 241bhp, along with two diesels, a 188bhp 2.0-litre and a 241bhp 3.0-litre. A 12V mild-hybrid 2.0 TDI diesel, with 134bhp or 161bhp, will follow after the launch. The S4 model, a rival to the Mercedes-AMG C43, will be offered in Europe purely as a mild-hybrid diesel, with a 3.0-litre TDI mated to a 48V integrated starter/motor for a total output of 342bhp and 516lb ft of torque. The S4 will be offered with an eight-speed automatic gearbox and all-wheel drive, with sport suspension as standard, and a sport differential and suspension with damper control available as options. The entry-level 35 TFI and 40 TDI will be offered after launch with a manual gearbox as standard. All other models will be automatic as standard. Seven- and eight-speed ’boxes will be used, with a six-speed manual following as an option. Entry-level cars will be front-wheel drive, with Audi’s quattro all-wheel-drive system available on higher-spec models. The A4 will be sold with standard and sport suspension, with two adaptive systems available. Those systems work with damper control and feature a Comfort mode that lowers the ride height by 10mm and a Sport setting with a 23mm reduction in the ride height. As for the design, the A4 will now feature a wider and flatter grille, with a revamped side profile that has sharper, more sculpted shoulders and clearly defined lines. Audi’s design team has also introduced more bespoke styling elements on the S line, S4 and Allroad quattro variants, including bespoke grille designs, in order to give each a more distinctive identity. The revised interior is built around the latest version of Audi’s MMI infotainment system, featuring a 10.1in touchscreen. That screen can be operated by using touch or voice control. Audi has scrapped the rotary controller that appears in the outgoing model. A full 12.3in digital driver information display and head-up display are available as options. The revised A4 will be offered with a number of driver assistance systems, grouped into three packs. Options will include automatic cruise control, which, Audi says, can use ‘car-to-x’ navigation data from external devices such as traffic signs to increase accuracy. The rugged Allroad quattro model, as before, features an extra 35mm of ground clearance, additional underbody production, a wider front and rear track and optional Allroad-specific suspension. QA with Amor Vaya, Audi exterior designer What did you focus on with the redesign? “The A4 is a well-proportioned car, but the old one was occasionally called a little boring. We’ve put a lot of life and energy into it. We didn’t want to change the design principles, but we wanted to make a statement.” How did you do that? “The design is now a lot richer, more expressive. We’ve focused on the detail, with the use of 3D design elements, chrome parts and other small things that can make a big difference.” What are the challenges of doing a facelift design? “The fixed points were all designated six or seven years ago, so we have to work around that. That gives some limitations, but we’ve evolved the A4’s design substantially.” Why focus on differentiating the S4 and Allroad quattro? “We wanted to give each variant its own character. We’ve been criticised before for making every model and variant look similar, so now each model has its own character, and every car inside that model family does,
Origin: New 2019 Audi A4: UK pricing for facelifted exec revealed
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