New Seat el-Born: 2020 electric hatchback begins testing

Seat’s first bespoke electric car, the el-Born, has hit the road in new disguised testing shots ahead of its launch in 2020. The model, named after a fashionable Barcelona neighbourhood, can be seen to sport dimensions and design details similar to the Geneva motor show concept (below), despite the usual camouflage. Autocar was told earlier in the year that the Geneva concept was 95% production-ready, with only a few minor changes coming ahead of production, and that appears to be the case. The el-Born will be the second EV built on the Volkswagen Group’s MEB electric architecture to go on sale when it is launched in 2020, after the Volkswagen ID hatchback. The engineering and powertrain of the two compact models are expected to be closely aligned, with a range of power outputs offered. The el-Born concept featured a 62kWh battery mounted in the skateboard chassis, with an electric motor making 201bhp. Seat claims it will achieve 0-62mph in 7.5sec. It will be compatible with 100kW DC supercharging, allowing the battery to be filled from empty to 80% in 47 minutes.The total range is quoted at 261 miles for this concept. It will also feature a thermal management system to maximise range in hot weather. The machine features a similar hatchback profile to the ID and styling that showcases what Seat design chief Alejandro Mesonero-Romanos calls “the ultimate translation of our emotional design language into the new world of electrical vehicles”. He added that “we have to make customers fall in love with the idea” of an EV. The design features several streamlined areas to boost aerodynamic efficiency, including the Seat logo positioned flush on the front bodywork of the car, above small cooling vents that provide air to the battery pack. The A-pillar of the car has been pushed forward to maximise internal space, with the sharp side lines creating an air curtain. The rear features an LED light strip that runs the full width of the bootlid, with a double-layer spoiler contributing to the car’s aerodynamic efficiency. The interior features a digital instrument display and a 10.0in infotainment touchscreen in a dashboard design that, Seat says, is driver-orientated. Seat also says the el-Born will feature “state-of-the-art” driver assistance systems capable of level two autonomy, meaning it can control steering, acceleration and deceleration. A large central bag compartment is located where the transmission tunnel would sit in a regular combustion-engined car. The el-Born will be built alongside the ID at Volkswagen’s plant in Zwickau, Germany. The first bespoke electric car from Skoda, Seat’s Volkswagen Group sibling, will be based on the Vision E concept and also use the MEB platform and similar
Origin: New Seat el-Born: 2020 electric hatchback begins testing

Honda Civic Hatchback gets a refresh for 2020

The 2020 Honda Civic hatchback.Honda The Honda Civic Hatchback is getting a refresh for 2020, keeping up with its sedan and coupe siblings that were updated last year. The new hatchback is now on sale starting at $24,190.Exterior changes include revised front and rear lower bumpers, grille crossbar and blackout treatment on the headlights. The Sport Touring trim level gets improved LED headlamps, and all trim levels get new wheel designs.Inside, interior accents differentiate the trim levels, with Sport trims getting geometrical patterns, and Sport Touring using brushed black trim. The Sport gets an eight-way power drivers seat, and all trims get more sound insulation.While the styling changes are new for 2020, the Civic Hatchback received some new features for 2019, including standard safety and driver-assist systems, larger cupholders and some much-needed simplicity makeovers for the controls including real buttons for the stereo volume, and for the fan speed on models with automatic climate control.The 2020 Civic Hatchback comes in three trim levels, with six-speed manual or CVT offered in each one, priced from $24,190 to
Origin: Honda Civic Hatchback gets a refresh for 2020

Mercedes-Benz is bringing out an A250e plug-in hybrid hatchback

Mercedes-Benz is planning to add another product to its growing collection of EQ plug-in hybrids. Word is the fourth-generation A-class will get a PHEV hatchback variant dubbed the A250e. The gas-electric four-door will still run the same 1.3-litre turbocharged engine as the A200, good for 158 horsepower and 148 lb.-ft. of torque.The electric portion of the power comes from a motor mounted on the gearbox producing 101 horsepower and 221 lb.-ft. of torque. Those drivetrains in combination, says Benz, will lead to similar performance stats as the gas-powered A250. It’s expected Benz will use the same eight-speed automatic recently introduced in models like the new GLB, only tuned to handle the extra electric torque. Powering the electric motor is a 15-kWh lithium-ion battery with the capacity to deliver 60 km of pure electric driving and a top electric speed of 140 km/h. That battery sits beneath the rear seat, next to the hybrid’s fuel tank, which is 10 litres smaller than that of the standard A250. DC charging should be supported at a max rate of 22 kW, but we’ll have to wait until September for confirmation on that. The A250e is scheduled to be revealed in full at the Frankfurt auto
Origin: Mercedes-Benz is bringing out an A250e plug-in hybrid hatchback

Car Review: 2019 Toyota Corolla Hatchback

2020 Toyota CorollaDerek McNaughton / Driving OVERVIEW Four-door hatchback with a desire to break from its staid personality PROSGood looks, reliability, value CONSEngine is a bit noisy, CVT still feels like a CVT VALUE FOR MONEYExcellent WHAT TO CHANGE?Add a turbo to the XSE and push output to over 220 horsepower HOW TO SPEC IT?Manual transmission XSE My 1977 Toyota Corolla liftback — a two-door, small wagon of sorts — got me through college. When the silver paint faded from so much Alberta sun, I repainted it navy blue. The little hatch with the manual transmission and desirable SR5 package carried my girlfriend and I across Canada in an epic, cross-country drive. The same Corolla became my daily commuter for work until it was finally supplanted by a company car. And during all those years, it never broke down or resulted in any major repairs. I don’t recall ever changing the oil. Today, the Corolla has come a long way since the first generation in 1966, and for 2019, a new hatchback replaces the former iM. The new hatch rides on an revised sport-tuned suspension built on the Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) platform that will underpin the coming 2020 Corolla sedan and hybrid. A sport-tuned suspension does not, however, automatically equate to a sporty car, but the XSE hatch in Blue Flame (Far better than the dark beige Corolla hatch in our comparison test. —Ed.) brings Toyota as close as it as ever come to building a hot hatch. That does not mean it will subjugate buyers of GTIs, Veloster Ns or Mini Coopers — but it will broaden the Corolla’s appeal to those looking for a car with a sense of style mixed with historically excellent reliability, bundled with an agreeable price. At $21,000 to start and $28,000 all loaded up with an automatic transmission, the XSE hatch has a lot going for it, aside from that sassy exterior. The transmission, a continuously variable automatic, has what Toyota calls a launch gear for quicker jumps off the line. Indeed, mash the throttle, and the front tires will rotate a little as the 2.0L inline-four dumps its 168 horsepower and 151 lb.-ft. of torque through the gearbox. Acceleration feels plenty brisk, and the CVT tries hard to simulate a 10-speed, aided by paddle shifters that almost make it feel like driving an automated manual. Well, almost. There’s quite a bit of buzz and commotion as the engine and transmission team up to deliver full performance, but the CVT does a good job of not embarrassing itself, and paddle shifting does alleviate the otherwise mundane nature of the CVT. For those who want more intimacy in their ride, the six-speed manual will undoubtedly feel more engaging, and the manual is available on the XSE. Actually, the Corolla does offer intimacy — in the back seat, where legroom disappears unless the front seats are pulled forward. Cargo space, hampered somewhat by the angled slope of the hatch, improves from a meager 17.8 cubic feet behind the 60/40 split-folding rear seats to an acceptable 23.3 with the rear seats down. The normal utility of a hatch, however is mostly lost on the Toyota due to its design. Some of that can be forgiven, however, by a ride that is more sharp and more defined than any Corolla before, much of it thanks to a rear suspension that abandons the old torsion-beam setup for a more sophisticated multi-link configuration. Crappy roads do not send shudders into the driver’s seat; the car feels tighter, and handling is surprisingly stable up to the point where the tires begin to lose grip. Steering is sharp with moderate feedback, and braking comes with a firm pedal with minimal dive. It’s the point and shoot of compacts, even if it lacks turbo power. Available in S, SE or XSE trim levels, the Corolla hatch comes plenty well equipped in the XSE form, gaining a heated steering wheel, LED headlamps and fog lamps, LED turn signals (finally!), 18-inch wheels, dual-zone automatic climate control, an eight-inch colour touchscreen display, and push-button start with SmartKey access, along with an eight-way power-adjustable driver’s seat. The seats, made of fabric and leatherette, are on the firm side but comfortable. The backup camera is clear, and wireless charging is a bonus. Entune 3.0 offers a large suite of apps, from weather to NPR radio. Instrumentation could be more interesting — it turns from blue to red in Sport mode — but behind the multi-function leather wrapped wheel nests a seven-inch TFT multi-information display in the instrument cluster that shows turn-by-turn navigation and various vehicle settings. Apple CarPlay is standard, but not Android Auto, meaning those with Samsung smartphones won’t be thrilled. An electronic parking brake is standard, as is contrasting stitching in the seats, dash and doors. A host of safety equipment as part of Toyota’s Safety Sense 2.0 package, including automatic high beams, is included. Sadly, there won’t be any two-door manual
Origin: Car Review: 2019 Toyota Corolla Hatchback

Car Review: 2020 Mercedes-Benz A 250 Hatchback

OVERVIEW Wonderful infotainment system that happens to be attached to a nice hatchback PROSSharp looks, dazzling tech, low price for a Mercedes CONSTransmission isnt the smoothest in traffic, seats on the small side VALUE FOR MONEYFair WHAT TO CHANGE?Not much HOW TO SPEC IT?As equipped, complete with that red paint The most exciting part of the new Mercedes-Benz A250 is the dashboard. Yes it’s an an all-new model, yes it’s a car that we’ll have and the Americans won’t, and yes it is now the most affordable Mercedes in the lineup. Ten years ago, the idea that we would spend the majority of a car review talking about a dashboard would be laughable but more and more buyers prioritize infotainment features over mechanical hardware and who are we not to deliver what people want? To be fair, it’s one hell of a dashboard. The centrepiece of the operation is the Mercedes-Benz User eXperience, abbreviated as MBUX. It is a consummate cloud-based infotainment system that can do everything from adjust the interior temperature to tell you the weight of a Caribou. Information readouts occupy twin 10.25 displays, one in front of the steering wheel and one over the centre console. The left screen contains things like the speedometer and tachometer with space between the two to show anything from fuel economy to song information while the right screen is multi-purpose and can display pretty much anything. The displays are so close together that they appear as one long continuous screen stretching across the dashboard. A 7 screen is standard but doesn’t include all the features that make the MBUX system so magical. Upgrading to the 10.25 screen and the MBUX system costs a full $2,950 but it’s bundled in a Premium Package that also includes blind spot assist, rear cross traffic alert, wireless phone charging, and 64-colour interior lighting. The display itself is dazzling. The menus and designs look modern and the look of the screens is deeply customizable. You can turn them yellow and angry, full of engine readouts for when you want to feel like a racecar driver. You can also select a relaxing minimalist layout that emphasizes the music you’re playing. The interior mood lighting has 64 different colours that you can change at will and together, this makes the A250 a car that can suit many different moods. One are that I feel sets the A250 and its MBUX system far above the rest is that there are four different ways you can control it. Let’s start on the steering wheel. With your hands at nine and three on the wheel, your thumbs are close to two mirrored sets of controls. The left controls control the left screen and vice versa for the right. Two of the buttons are conventional; a home button and a back button. The third is an interesting touch-sensitive button. It works like the centre button of a Blackberry. You can scroll or swipe across it with your finger or press down and use it like a regular button. It makes wiping through menus a breeze and you don’t have to take your hands off the wheel to use it. The second is track pad on the centre console that’s similar to what you’d find on a Lexus. Placing your wrist on the handy perch, the touch pad allows you to scroll and click through the menus. One handy benefit is that it vibrates to give haptic feedback when you have selected something on the screen. This is the control method I used the least as I found it difficult to do while driving and less intuitive than the touch screen. Oh yes, after years of rebelling against finger smudges, Mercedes has finally given in and given the smartphone crowd what they wanted all along: a proper touch screen. The menus are well laid out, concise and easy to use. Reaction time of the system is best in the business. If you are handy with a tablet or smart phone, the MBUX touch screen won’t be a stretch. But the most impressive mode of all to interface with the MBUX system is voice command. Simply say Mercedes or Hey Mercedes and a Siri-like assistant will ask how it can help. The system is so eager and perceptive that sometimes (like when recording a video review inside the car) that it will pick up Mercedes from your speech mid-sentence. You can give it the simple voice commands that pretty much every voice system can utilize like navigate me to 123 Cool St or call mom. But it can also respond to less straightforward and more complicated commands. For example you can ask it what is the age of the prime minister of the country of birth of Justin Bieber and it will calmly tell you that Justin Bieber was born in Canada, Canada’s prime minister is Justin Trudeau, and Justin Trudeau is 47 years old. And while that’s novel, you can also ask it for more practical things. For example if you simply say I’m hungry for soup it will display a list of restaurants near you that sell soup. You can also ask it to find you Italian restaurants that are not pizza restaurants or restaurants that are rated four stars
Origin: Car Review: 2020 Mercedes-Benz A 250 Hatchback

Car Review: 2019 Mercedes-Benz A 250 Hatchback

Toyota unveils new Mazda 2-based Yaris hatchback for US

Toyota has launched a new Yaris hatchback, based on the Mazda 2, for the US market at the New York motor show. The 2020 US Yaris will be built for Toyota by Mazda’s Mexican arm and is mechanically unrelated to the Yaris models sold elsewhere. The relationship with Mazda’s supermini can be seen in the model’s basic shape, although it has a heavily reworked front fascia featuring the “hunkered-down, bulldog-like stance” that has become integral to Toyota’s global design language. Toyota claims that the new Yaris hatchback is designed with urban dwellers in mind and says it has 450 litres of boot space. As with the 2-based Yaris saloon that was introduced to the US and Canada in 2015, it offers only a 106bhp 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and a six-speed automatic gearbox. A new Sport driving mode enhances acceleration response. Inside, a 7.0in touchscreen infotainment system is fitted as standard, incorporating Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, voice recognition, satellite radio and sat-nav. The platform sharing agreement between the two Japanese manufacturers stretches back to 2015, when Mazda began production of restyled variants of the 2: the Toyota Yaris for Mexico and the Scion iA for the US. Scion, Toyota’s youth-targeted North American brand, was shelved in 2016, so the new Yaris bears Toyota branding. In Canada, the 2-based Yaris saloon will remain on sale alongside the Yaris hatchback that’s sold in Europe, rather than the new Mazda-built model. Toyota and Mazda have worked together on a number of ventures in recent years, including the creation in 2017 of a joint venture company to develop electric
Origin: Toyota unveils new Mazda 2-based Yaris hatchback for US