2019 Volkswagen ArteonBrian Harper / Driving Santa Barbara, Calif. — There is no question Volkswagen’s new all-wheel-drive Arteon fastback is the replacement for the now-departed CC (nee Passat CC). Equally, there is no question the fully contented, mid-size four-door is a far more complete car than the CC ever was, its $47,995 price tag indicative of flagship status. What can be questioned is timing, a valid criticism in that a concept version of the Arteon was shown three years ago at the 2016 Geneva motor show. Yes, the production version’s introduction to North America was deferred about a year, supposedly due to delays in getting emissions certification. But, with consumers buying more and more crossovers at the expense of mid-size and full-size sedan sales — this resultant shift causing the Detroit automakers to cull their lineups — what expectations does VW have for this car, one it is taking up-market into territory occupied by nameplates with a stronger upscale presence? The pragmatic answer from VW Canada is that it will sell as many as can be shipped from Germany, which, considering the Arteon is a low-volume vehicle, will likely be well under 1,000 units. While it is impossible to predict its success in the marketplace, one can at least make a reasonable determination as to the Arteon’s suitability as an alternative to a $40,000 to $50,000 mid-size crossover, or as competition to other similar priced, mid-sized all-wheel-drive cars. This is a diverse lot that includes the Kia Stinger, Acura TLX and Infiniti Q50 — the main rivals, according to Kai Oltmanns, Arteon project manager for VW — but could also include more traditional fare such as the Dodge Charger, Ford Taurus (while inventory lasts), Cadillac CTS (ditto), Buick Regal GS, Nissan Altima and Subaru Legacy. Certainly the Arteon takes a break from Volkswagen’s traditionally conservative styling convention; its low and wide stance, bold crossbar grille and aerodynamic coupe-like profile make it significantly more distinctive than its CC predecessor. One could even say handsome, to the point that, were the VW logo removed from the grille, it would be easy to confuse the fastback with some more expensive European nameplate. Size-wise, the Arteon’s wheelbase is 127 mm longer than the CC’s, and is blessed with shorter overhangs for a more sporting look. Other dimensions include a 4,862 mm length, 1,872 mm width and 1,435 mm height. So the car has legit credentials as roomy, comfortable-for-four-adults family transportation, with massive luggage space (564 litres with the 60/40-split rear seats up, 1,557 L when they’re folded) and easy access thanks to its hatchback design. Yet the Arteon’s sporting vibe isn’t quite matched under the hood. Unlike the CC, which had a V6 option as well as a 2.0-litre turbo, there is only the latter offered in its replacement. This four-cylinder engine, which makes a decent although by no means class-leading 268 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, is hooked up to an eight-speed Tiptronic automatic, with power then shuffled to all four wheels via the 4Motion all-wheel-drive system. However, when the car is operating under a relatively low load or coasting, only the front wheels are driven with the rear wheels decoupled to help improve fuel economy. During the course of a day’s drive that had us work our way down from kitschy-but-cute Solvang, through the Santa Ynez Valley to Santa Barbara, on to Ojai and finally a long run up and down the twisting, undulating Maricopa Highway (Hwy. 33), it was the 4Motion drivetrain that proved to be the Arteon’s best feature. With weather ranging from light rain to fog to bright sunshine, the barely traveled Maricopa tested suspension, comfort, throttle response and grip. This last, grip, was phenomenal, the Arteon tracking through copious blind and decreasing radius turns and holding its line as if it was on rails. It was aided by the car’s XDS front and rear cross-differential lock, which operated like a limited-slip differential and helped to compensate for understeer during hard cornering. Not as impressive was the VW dynamic chassis control (DCC) system, which comes with the usual Comfort, Normal and Sport driving programs. Playing with the modes during the drive saw little appreciable difference in feel between the three. Even in Sport, there was a certain remoteness to the steering as well as more body roll in the corners than ideal. To be fair though, DCC now comes with individual control settings for the dampers that allow more comfort or sport to be dialled in. But these adjustments can only be accessed though the individual settings submenu. Considering the depth and breadth of the mid-size four-door segment — still sizeable even with Detroit’s defections — the decision to forego multiple trim levels for one loaded model (with just a few option packages available) is daring. Nevertheless, the $48K Arteon doesn’t skimp on the details.
Origin: First Drive: 2019 Volkswagen Arteon
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Canada’s 10 most popular luxury vehicles in 2019’s first quarter – it’s an SUV game
2018 Mercedes-Benz GLC 350ePeter Bleakney / Driving It has not proven to be the kind of start many premium auto brands desired. After years of record-breaking performances, some of the most popular luxury brands kicked off 2019 with a whimper. Granted, auto sales on the whole are falling. After five consecutive record years, 2018 volume dipped marginally. Through 2019’s first three months, total industry volume has declined by more than 4 per cent. Plunging car sales and slowing pickup truck momentum deserve some of the blame, but decreased demand for many of Canada’s favourite premium-badged vehicles plays a significant role, as well. Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Audi – Canada’s three top-selling premium auto brands – combined to lose 3,750 sales in 2019’s first quarter, a year-over-year drop worsened by decreases at Acura, Alfa Romeo, Lincoln, Jaguar, Land Rover, and Maserati. In total, premium brand auto sales are down by nearly 7 per cent. With no manufacturer-supplied monthly reports from Tesla, it’s difficult to obtain firm figures for the Model 3. Based on data from Canada EV Sales, Model 3 demand plummeted following Ontario’s rebate removal, from a high of 1,540 Ontario sales alone to merely 49 in January. For the time being then, there’s no Model 3 on this list of Canada’s 10 top-selling luxury vehicles in 2019’s first-quarter. With sales reports from the Global Automakers of Canada, these are Canada’s luxury leaders so far this year. 10. Infiniti QX60: 1,159, up 41 per cent No vehicle on this list has gone longer without a major redesign than the QX60, which debuted as the JX35 in early 2012. The QX60 has consistently been Canada’s favourite Infiniti despite the fact that it only partially veils its proletarian Pathfinder underpinnings. Yet having never topped 5,000 sales in the past, Infiniti is on track for over 6,100 QX60 sales in 2019. Infiniti’s other utility vehicles combined for a 16-percent uptick in Q1. 9. BMW X1: 1,283, up 2 per cent There’s no shortage of competition for the X1 right inside BMW’s showroom, but X1 sales continue to rise. Including the X1 and its X2 offshoot, sales of BMW’s two smallest utility vehicles are up 28 per cent so far this year. The duo combines to produce more than one-fifth of the brand’s Canadian volume. Gone are the days when BMW’s 3 Series was Canada’s top-selling premium automobile – the 3er only ranks fourth in BMW’s own lineup. 8. Acura RDX: 1,518, down 3 per cent Not likely to remain in the red, the new third-generation Acura RDX is just exiting the transition phase and is likely to soon see positive forward sales momentum. The RDX is hugely important to Acura, which has seen its car sales slow to a trickle (the RDX outsells Acura’s entire car lineup by a wide margin) and suffered meaningful MDX decline, as well. 7. BMW X5: 1,521, up 25 per cent On track for a huge year of more than 8,000 sales, the X5 is the most costly vehicle on this list of best sellers. Pricing begins above $70,000 – none of the others even start above $60,000. Yet the X5 is now producing significantly more sales than similarly sized mainstream SUVs like the Nissan Pathfinder, GMC Acadia, and Subaru Ascent. X5 demand was not slowed by the arrival of the larger X7 in March. BMW Canada reported its first 180 X7 sales while X5 volume jumped 30 per cent to 504 units. 6. Lexus NX: 1,544, down 2 per cent Anyone who thought the NX’s face was too controversial for mainstream success was, evidently, wrong. So common is the NX half a decade into its tenure that its divisive face is now almost normal. Nearly 30,000 NXs have found their way into Canadian driveways since 2014. Even if the current pace of modest decline continues in 2019, Lexus will still likely add over 5,500 more NXs to the tally by year’s end. 5. Lexus RX: 1,635, down 0.2 per cent Perennially a U.S. luxury sales leader, the Lexus RX remains popular in Canada despite a recent loss of momentum. The RX was long Lexus’ most affordable utility vehicle. Now, two nameplates – the NX and new UX – sit beneath the RX. Lexus has nevertheless expanded the RX lineup to include a three-row RX L, and that vehicle could swing the tide in the RX’s favour. March volume, for example, was up 20 per cent. 4. Mercedes-Benz C-Class: 1,640, down 35 per cent There is but one passenger car on this list of Canada’s 10 top-selling luxury vehicles. This is it. You won’t find the BMW 3 Series here, nor the Audi A4. Meanwhile, C-Class sales are plunging along with sales of its traditional rivals. A4 volume is down 40 per cent this year; 3 Series sales are down 38 per cent. The C-Class is outselling both, combined. 3. BMW X3: 1,653, down 14 per cent Although BMW is currently producing over 200 monthly Canadian sales with its specialty utility vehicles – the X2, X4, and X6 – the brand’s first forays into the luxury SUV market remain the most popular. With its X3, now in its third generation, BMW builds Canada’s third-best-selling premium
Origin: Canada’s 10 most popular luxury vehicles in 2019’s first quarter – it’s an SUV game
First drive: 2020 Jaguar F-Pace SVR
NICE, France — My dear old dad, rest his Scottish soul, was a Jaguar man. Loved them since he was a kid in Britain. Bought several as an adult, raved about them all his life, lost money on several. To him, owning a Jag was a mark of prestige, success, a life well lived. The same affection for the brand somehow passed over his sons entirely, even though all of us are certifiable petrol heads. Perhaps our attention wandered because Jaguar back then was just another luxury marque catering to those old guys and women who spent more time at the country club than the race track. But in 2014, Jaguar Land Rover launched its Special Vehicle Operations unit — a little like BMW’s M division or Mercedes’ AMG arm — in Warwickshire, England, with a team of 200 specialized engineers hell bent on turning regular Jags and Rovers into vehicles that would command everyone’s attention. And, boy, has it worked. The arrival of the 2020 Jaguar F-Pace SVR, only the second production vehicle to come from the facility after the Jaguar F-Type Coupe, is not just an achingly good-looking SUV, it is a compelling and utterly fascinating vehicle to drive, marking new territory for the brand and its long history. To be sure, it looks downright villainous, the way a proper Jag ought to appear in public, with lighter 21- and optional 22-inch wheels, hood vents for the intercooler, side vents for the brakes, big air intakes up front and rear diffusers that work to slice the air, joined by four 95-mm exhaust ports that are not only lighter, they sound properly feral (though they can be quieted too). Stranding on the gas pedal of this $92,000 SUV, however, reveals the true reward of a vehicle that has gone under the SVO scalpel. In an instant, the 5.0-litre V8 beneath the creased hood releases 542 horsepower to all four wheels in the form of 502 lb.-ft. of torque and two very loud alarms — one from the supercharger whine up front, the other from those chrome pipes out back, each oval barking like a rabid dog that crackles and pops on throttle lift. When paying attention, 100 km/h will disappear in 4.3 seconds. Keeping the foot down brings 200 km/h in only a few seconds more, on its way to a top speed of 283 km/h, which seems bonkers for a mid-size SUV that will primarily see more days at the local hockey rink than anything resembling Hockenheimring, the German motorsports complex. But here’s the thing: Driving the F-Pace SVR obscenely fast is entirely enjoyable, never scary and totally thrilling because the SUV remains so smooth and so well composed at crazy speeds. NVH is all but eliminated. There is almost no wind noise. It is Donovan Bailey on a good day, a bolt of adrenaline so full of grace that sprinting off the line and hitting 150 km/h feels serenely effortless. Sure, the roads of South France are not like those of Montreal’s South Shore, but the suspension tuning is so well executed that it makes long drives, especially in these highly comfortable, lozenge-quilted leather sport seats, an event to anticipate. As Ross Restell, the lead engineer, SVO vehicle dynamics, puts it: “What’s the point of having an SUV like this if it beats you up all the time?” Indeed, Restell and his team have hit the sweet spot of comfort and performance. Torque vectoring of the rear wheels, coupled with a standard electronic active rear differential and a constantly variable AWD system that usually powers the rear wheels (but can send up to 50 per cent of torque to the front wheels) keep the F-Pace SVR surprisingly well planted. New dampers and stiffer spring rates keep bounce and lean to a minimum, the overall ride impressively delivering equal parts smoothness and control even in “Dynamic mode,” the sportiest of settings. It’s neither hard nor too soft. A massive recalibrating of F-Pace software also helped each system perform to its maximum ability. Yes, this might sound over the top, but the ride is so good and so smooth in the SVR, it may be the most pleasing ride of any vehicle — car or SUV — I’ve ever had the opportunity to drive. Electric steering has excellent feedback and weight, sorting itself out as the speed gets quicker. Braking power is good but not outstanding, and the pedal didn’t remain as firm as I would have liked after repeated bouts of shredding speed. That’s partly because the 1,995-kilogram SVR does forward momentum so well that we come to expect the same in reversing that momentum, especially since the SVR wears larger and lighter 395-mm brakes over a regular F-Pace. Ceramic brakes, which would cost about the same as sending one kid to university for a year, are not an option, but few will track this SUV anyway, even if the SVR could probably keep pace with a Cayenne Turbo. The cabin, of course, has been handsomely tailored in fine materials and brought up to date with standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as well as 4G WiFi for up to eight devices. It’s too bad it doesn’t get the new steering wheel that
Origin: First drive: 2020 Jaguar F-Pace SVR
Lincoln Corsair will be first Lincoln model built in China
Lincoln will build its brand new Corsair SUV in China, making it the first model the brand has ever built there. According to a report from Automotive News filed on Wednesday, the MKC predecessor is projected to be Lincoln’s most popular model in China, as the MKC was. The choice to build the Corsair in China makes sense, as it is built upon the same platform as the redesigned 2020 Ford Escape, which is produced in China. Having production in the same country that buys the most of the model makes for great savings on shipping. As for Americans, their Corsairs will come out of Louisville, Kentucky. Local automaker Changan also uses the same plants as Ford in a joint building venture, as laws in China require that foreign automakers can’t just set up a plant and start building, they must partner with local companies that are run in part by the government. This is a small price to pay in exchange for large tax savings. Lincoln has been doing very well in China since 2014 when it was introduced there, and that is partly because of the desire for locals to purchase luxury products for more of a personal experience, rather than an object to show off. Chinese Lincoln dealerships also offer more than what a regular dealer would, with a luxurious showroom complete with tea room. Complete sales and service transparency is also a hallmark of the company. Expect Lincoln to make more vehicles in
Origin: Lincoln Corsair will be first Lincoln model built in China
Canada’s 10 Worst-Selling Vehicles In 2019’s First Quarter
2019 Fiat 500 1957 EditionHandout / Fiat In part due to massive marketing campaigns, many Canadians know the Ford F-Series has been Canada’s best-selling truck line for 53 years, and that the Honda Civic has been Canada’s best-selling car for 21 consecutive years. Fewer will know that the Fiat 500L is on track to end 2019 as Canada’s worst-selling vehicle. Such a statement doesn’t lend itself to a radio jingle or high-energy television commercial. Canada’s most popular vehicles are ascendant. In a declining pickup truck market, F-Series sales are rising, driving Ford’s share of the full-size pickup market beyond 40 per cent. Despite a marginal downturn, the Honda Civic’s share of Canada’s car market is now above 13 per cent, up from 8 per cent a decade ago. Then there’s this group of Canada’s worst-selling vehicles, 13 nameplates that attracted 240 buyers in the first three months of 2019, or roughly the number of Civics sold by Honda Canada every day in March. It’s not just by the standards of Canada’s leading automobiles that these vehicles are embarrassingly uncommon. The Audi Q8, a decidedly premium SUV that is only in its launch phase, is twice as popular as these 13 vehicles combined. Canada’s top-selling premium vehicle, the Mercedes-Benz GLC, has a base price near $50,000, yet it generates 10 times the volume of these worst sellers. All of these worst sellers combined don’t produce as much volume as the Porsche 911, or Kia Stinger, or the $110,300 Lexus LX570. To determine the worst-selling vehicles in Canada in the first quarter of 2019, we narrowed the list of qualified vehicles to include nameplates with base prices under $100,000, excluded vehicles that weren’t on sale at the beginning of 2019, excluded two-seaters, and removed vehicles that had received their official cancellation papers. Vehicles that haven’t found a single buyer are deemed dead in the water, even if only temporarily, and are also given a reprieve. On the whole, these rules eliminate most vehicles that are automatically destined to be low-volume products in Canada. With figures from the Global Automakers of Canada, these are Canada’s 10 worst-selling vehicles in 2019’s first three months. T10. Fiat 500, Volvo S90, Jaguar XF What do a stoic Swede, a forgotten Brit, and a formerly beloved Italian have in common? Their level of Canadian unpopularity is identical, and sufficient to place them on this list of Canada’s worst-selling vehicles in 2019’s first quarter. The Fiat 500 is down 56 per cent, year-over-year, but that tells only a part of the story – Canadians initially snapped up 700+ Cinquecentos per month. The Volvo S90 is lost in a sea of tailgated Volvos – the company’s SUVs and wagons generate 85 per cent of its Canadian sales. The XF is par for the course at Jaguar these days: a sedan that never fared well now struggling to maintain any semblance of desirability in a market gone mad for luxury SUVs. T8. Maserati Ghibli: 29, down 24 per cent The Ghibli was initially Maserati’s route into the mainstream of Canada’s luxury market. While the Quattroporte and GranTurismo stuck to the very high-end clientele, the Ghibli would begin to reach downmarket. Relatively speaking, of course. That job is now the job of an SUV, the Levante. Just as the Ghibli found it a challenge, so too does the Levante. Sales of every Maserati are nosediving in 2019, from the Quattroporte’s 57-percent drop to the 91-percent GranTurismo decline, the Ghibli’s 24-percent decrease, and the Levante’s 25-percent downturn. T8. Jaguar XJ: 29, down 69 per cent Jaguar is now not so different from its Land Rover partner brand. Land Rover produces all of its sales from SUVs. Jaguar, a brand that only launched its first utility vehicle three years ago, is already at 82 per cent. The XJ is Jaguar’s longest-running nameplate and Jaguar’s flagship, but it’s also the brand’s least popular model. It’s part of a Jaguar car lineup that’s lost nearly two-thirds of its volume, year-over-year, in 2019. 7. BMW 6 Series: 27, down 69 per cent To be fair, two of the three 6 Series body styles hit the market with MSRPs well beyond our $100,000 maximum. But the 6 Series Gran Turismo is a sub-$80K car, and a scarcely seen one at that. BMW brought back the 6 moniker in 2012. Despite its challenging design statement, it proved to be a relatively successful venture for such a high-end coupe/cabriolet. BMW Canada averaged nearly 500 annual sales for the first half-decade. 6. Infiniti Q70: 18, up 13 per cent In 2019, it’s not easy to sell an upmarket sedan even if it’s a known entity; a once-beloved premium statement maker such as the Mercedes-Benz E-Class or BMW 5 Series. Imagine then what it’s like to try to sell an Infiniti Q70, a car that’s largely been ignored – and hence unknown – since it operated as the Infiniti M. Fewer than 2,400 have been in Canada sold over the last decade. 5. Lincoln MKT: 16, down 45 per cent The Canadian-built, Ford Flex-related,
Origin: Canada’s 10 Worst-Selling Vehicles In 2019’s First Quarter
First Drive: 2020 Mercedes-Benz CLA 250 4Matic
2020 Mercedes-Benz CLACosta Mouzouris / Driving MUNICH, Germany – “This is our formula for success – get them into the brand early, and keep them for life.” That unabashed claim is pulled from the press literature of the 2020 Mercedes-Benz CLA, so apologies for that, but it’s actually somewhat substantiated. Mercedes-Benz introduced the CLA 250 in 2013, and the compact sedan (its maker calls it a coupe, but it has four doors, so…) succeeded in attracting new, younger customers to the German automaker. Available initially as a front driver, it boasted styling cues and features borrowed from larger, pricier Mercedes cars, but at a price that made it very accessible. More than 750,000 CLAs have sold worldwide since its introduction. Most of its buyers were new to Mercedes, and they were also the youngest. The average American CLA buyer is 10 years younger than the average Mercedes customer; the average Canadian buyer is six years younger. According to Mercedes, in Europe half of CLA buyers came from other brands, and three quarters of CLA owners who traded up, did so into another car within the company’s line up — get them in early and keep them for life. Despite having been on the market for five years, Mercedes claims the CLA sold in record numbers last year. The CLA has been redesigned for 2020, and it is larger and has become more upscale. It has also matured in the market and has shed its entry-level status; that duty has been taken over by the A-Class. The new Hungarian-made CLA boasts wheel tracks that are 53 mm wider at the front, 48 mm wider at the rear, and a wheelbase that’s stretched by 30 mm. The body is roughly 50 mm longer and wider, though height remains unchanged. Despite the larger exterior dimensions, there’s only a bit more headroom for front passengers, and more elbow room for all occupants. The trunk opening is now wider for easier loading, though trunk capacity has shrunk by 10 litres, to 460. From the front the styling changes are subtle, with a reshaped grille and more slender LED headlights. From the side the changes are more obvious; the character lines have been ironed out, giving the CLA a smoother, more streamlined appearance. The rear has been altered, too; the former large openings flanking the bumper are now narrow slits, and the licence plate has migrated to the bumper from the trunk lid, which is wider and now integrates a portion of the taillights, giving the rear end a wider, cleaner appearance. The tidying up of the styling carries into the cabin, which is sleeker and less cluttered. My test car is equipped with the optional 10.25-inch widescreen, which sits prominently behind the steering wheel, unencumbered by a visor or cowling. It has two portions: straight ahead from the driver’s seat is a configurable instrument display with three possible layouts, and to the right is a multimedia touchscreen, which displays navigation, entertainment, drive mode, and vehicle info. It can also be controlled by a laptop-like touchpad on the centre console. A 7-inch TFT instrument display is standard. Mercedes-Benz User Experience (MBUX) is now included, and it controls numerous functions via various inputs. It recognizes hand gestures and can be programmed to call up various functions by moving your hand above the centre console. Lacking time to program this function, the central screen often changed displays while gesturing during normal conversation. More conveniently, many functions can also be called up by declaring, “Hey Mercedes,” which activates the MBUX voice control. Using a normal tone it worked well for setting the climate control and selecting a destination for the navigation system, among a few other commands, though limited seat time prevented me from further exploring the system’s capabilities. An interesting aspect of the MBUX voice control is that it will only recognize the voice that initially called it up after turning on the car, thus avoiding any confusing commands called up by other passengers. The 2.0-litre turbocharged four returns, paired to a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. Horsepower has been boosted to 221 from 208, while peak torque remains the same at 258 lb.-ft. It can propel the CLA from zero to 100 km/h in 6.3 seconds. On the road the redesigned CLA feels more refined than the outgoing model. In Comfort mode the ride is now genuinely cushy, without returning sloppy handling. The firmness of the previous model’s suspension has been toned down and the ride is significantly softer, though the CLA hasn’t lost its ability to corner precisely, and exhibits little body roll due to its broader footprint and a larger-diameter rear stabilizer bar. An optional head-up display is small, but well defined and easy to read. Other bits of technology aren’t as effective. One is the augmented reality navigation, which overlays navigational prompts onto a live image on the display screen. It proved no more effective than the
Origin: First Drive: 2020 Mercedes-Benz CLA 250 4Matic
Lotus, aiming for comeback, announces the U.K.’s first all-electric hypercar
A teaser image of the electric Lotus Type 130Lotus On Tuesday in Shanghai, Lotus announced a concept for the first fully electric British hypercar, the Type 130. Unveiled on the morning of the first day of this year’s Shanghai International Auto Show, the Type 130 would be the first all-new car from the Hethel, England-based automaker in 11 years. The news arrived after word that Lotus parent company Geely would begin manufacturing cars in China, working from a new, US$1.3-billion factory in Wuhan. A spokesman from Lotus declined to say when the factory would open but said the new vehicle would not be built there, but at company factories in England. But having come through a sporadic sales history in North America and an ownership change in 2017 to the privately held Chinese automotive giant Geely, Lotus executives say the new electric vehicle marks a turning point for the 71-year-old brand. If all goes as planned, the million-dollar Type 130 will serve as the halo car for a new generation of Lotus motor cars. “It’s a statement of intent: Electric is part of the strategy going forward,” said Phil Popham, chief executive officer of Lotus. “For Lotus, it has to be all about the driving experience—and electric will drive the value of every car we make.” Despite releasing scant details of the new car, and only a vague rendering at the Chinese show, Lotus said the Type 130 is in “advanced stages of development.” A physical representation of the car will be revealed along with full specifications later this year in London, Popham said. Production numbers are expected to be very low, though the CEO said he has already received letters of intent from several eager buyers. The news of the Type 130 came with the additional announcement of the Lotus Evora GT4 Concept, a track-only racer with a lightweight carbon-fibre body, a 450-horsepower V6 engine, and a top speed of 273 km/h. Both cars are examples of a renewed push at Lotus – after a roughly £1.5 billion (US$1.97 billion) investment from Geely – to gain relevance in the key U.S. and Chinese automotive markets. “Awareness is high for us in the U.S., but familiarity is low,” Popham said. “We consider ourselves a 71-year-old startup.” Last year, Lotus sold just 1,630 vehicles globally; 228 of those were in the U.S. But there is indeed plenty of history to leverage. During the 1970s and ’80s, the brand was known for its racing success and association with the jet set—not the least of whom was James Bond himself. In 1978, Mario Andretti won America’s last Formula 1 World Championship as the driver for Lotus. Lotus cars such as the Esprit were beloved for their supercool style—élan strong enough to make owners overlook their famously quirky mechanics, tight interiors, and sometimes lackluster build quality. Popham said in time, there will also be a Lotus SUV and other sports cars built on new platforms. He also mentioned Lotus would consider opening a classics department where versions of fan favorites – the Eclat, Esprit, and Europa, say – could be restored with dead stock or modern components. Aston Martin, Jaguar, and Land Rover have successful programs doing the same. When asked if Lotus would ever bring back the ’70s-cool wedge-shaped Esprit in particular – this was the one that became a submarine in The Spy Who Loved Me – Popham eagerly if noncommittally nodded: “At some point, we’d love to have a car called Esprit
Origin: Lotus, aiming for comeback, announces the U.K.’s first all-electric hypercar
Aston Martin (finally) unveiled its first all-electric car, the Rapide E
Aston Martin is making an all-electric car. Specifically, it’s making this all-electric car. Beautiful, yes, and exclusive too, as the brand plans to produce just 155 of them. The Aston Martin Rapide E, which made its international debut at the Shanghai Auto Show this week, is based on the existing gas-drinking Rapide sedan and, on the surface, it shares quite a bit in common with this older sibling. In fact, it’s simpler to just list the differences: the Rapide E’s grille is grated rather than horizontally finned like on the sedan; the intake shape and fascia design have been re-imagined to make sure the 400-lb-heavier electric version cuts through the air properly; and there are some blue accents on the brake calipers and within the headlights. Under the surface, however, things are quite different. The car runs on an 800-volt 65-kWh battery that charges at 500 km of range per hour when plugged into a high-speed charger, and will provide an estimated range of around 322 km per charge. That battery pack passes the juice to a pair of twin motors mounted on the rear axle, which make 450 kW (or the equivalent to 600 horses) and provide the Rapide E with its rapidity (zing!), getting it up to 60 mph (96 km/h) in under four seconds and pressing it up to a top speed of 249 km/h. Inside the Rapide E has been outfitted with a 10-inch digital instrument cluster, plus an 8-inch infotainment system display that sits above the centre dashboard. It will also support both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. This is the first full look at the finished, limited-ed electric car that James Bond will reportedly drive in his next on-screen appearance. It looks fit for a spy—we’ll have to wait just a bit longer to see if it handles well enough for one
Origin: Aston Martin (finally) unveiled its first all-electric car, the Rapide E
Ford CEO tamps down expectations for first autonomous vehicles
Ford promises an autonomous, ride-sharing car by 2021 – but does the public really want it?Ford Too much hype has built up about how soon self-driving cars will hit the road, but they will ultimately change the world, Ford’s CEO said early April. We overestimated the arrival of autonomous vehicles, Jim Hackett said April 9 at a Detroit Economic Club event. While Ford’s first self-driving car is still coming in 2021, its applications will be narrow, what we call geo-fenced,’ because the problem is so complex. Hackett, 63, is engineering an US$11 billion overhaul of Ford, which involves closing factories, cutting thousands of salaried jobs and ditching traditional sedans to focus on high profit sport-utility vehicles and trucks. In addition to shoring up profitability, the drastic moves are borne out of the pressure car companies are under to get autonomous-vehicle technology on the road before rivals inside and outside the auto industry. When we break through, it will change the way your toothpaste is delivered, Hackett said at Ford Field, the football stadium of the Detroit Lions, owned by the family of Executive Chairman Bill Ford. Logistics and ride structures and cities all get redesigned. I won’t be in charge of Ford when this is going on, but I see it clearly. Ford recently earned kudos from President Donald Trump for investing US$900 million to build electric and self-driving cars in Michigan and US$1 billion on two factories in Chicago to build Explorer SUVs. Hackett also is in talks with Volkswagen to jointly develop electric vehicles and driverless cars. The two automakers already have joined forces to build commercial vans and trucks. When we bring this thing to market, it’s going to be really powerful, Hackett said. There’s probably going to be alliance partners that we haven’t announced yet that will make it more certain that we don’t take on all the risks ourselves
Origin: Ford CEO tamps down expectations for first autonomous vehicles
All about car 