Genesis to introduce a brace of SUVs in the next two years

If theres one thing sorely missing from the Genesis brands showrooms, its a crossover or three. In a market thirsty for tall wagons with traction at all four corners, the Genesis cupboard is more than a little bare.On todays sales call reporting on monthly earnings, we learned this oversight is about to be rectified with a pair of crossover vehicles.COO Erwin Raphael told assembled reporters that, in addition to the G80-based rig set to debut in about a years time, a compact crossover built on the excellent G70 platform will appear.Details are slim but its a safe bet the small SUV will be available with at least the 2.0-litre turbo-four found in the sedan. Plugging the hawt 3.3-litre twin-turbo six would shake up the segment in a big way. Dont expect the G70s stickshift transmission, though.As for the all-wheel-drive crossover already announced, we know it will be called the GV80 and share most of its platform details with the G80 sedan. That machine is available with a 3.8-litre V6, that 3.3-litre twin-turbo or a 5.0-litre V8, by the way. A hybrid version wouldnt be totally surprising, either.Genesis is taking the tried-and-true alphanumeric approach to naming its vehicles, appending a G to their sedans and a GV to their forthcoming crossovers. One assumes they couldnt use GX thanks to some sort of copyright claim by Lexus.South of the border, a market which drives many product decisions in this country, Genesis dealers have been crying out for more product after a production blip earlier this year. Despite having nary a crossover to offer, the brand doubled its sales last month compared to the same timeframe twelve months ago. Once these crossovers hit, expect that number to continue an upward
Origin: Genesis to introduce a brace of SUVs in the next two years

Audi to introduce 7 new SUV variants by year’s end

As if we needed any further proof crossovers and SUVs are here to stay and not just a passing fad, top brass at Audi announced the company will present seven completely new SUV variants (that is, without predecessors) in 2019. It’s the without predecessors notation that made us sit up and take notice. According to text from the AGM, these seven new variants will include two “particularly sporty” versions of the big-dog Q8. Could this portend an S8 and RS Q8, perhaps? Audi’s biggest SUV with a Urus-derived engine would be quite cool. Mentioned along with these mysterious Q8 variants were Q3 Sportback and e-tron Sportback models. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that Audi have been looking at the coupe-ification of SUVs happening at other German brand, and is now looking for a piece of the action. Specifically, Audi said it will launch the design-oriented Sportback concept in its SUV family. Elsewhere, the company says they will significantly expand the Audi On Demand flexible premium mobility service. As of the fourth quarter, customers in 10 European countries will successively be able to access up to 10,000 Audi vehicles and use them flexibly. Plans call for a shoring up of dealer support to facilitate these plans.This will be the umbrella brand for all Audi mobility solutions, from short-term bookings to long-term vehicle use. In the first quarter of 2019, deliveries of the Audi brand decreased by 3.6 per cent to 447,247 vehicles, compared to 263,750 in 2018. This happened due to to certain supply issues causing some models to be quite thin on the ground. Here at home, Audi moved 6,404 vehicle in the first quarter of this year, down from 7,936 in 2018. This can be partially attributed to vehicle supply issues as well. This sales performance places Audi ahead of Lexus and Acura, but behind the eight-ball compared to BMW and
Origin: Audi to introduce 7 new SUV variants by year’s end

Volkswagen to introduce compact SUV, Tarek, to North America

Volkswagen is apparently bringing another SUV to North America. It’s called the Tarek; it’s slightly smaller than the Tiguan, so meant to challenge the likes of the Subaru Crosstrek, Honda HR-V and Kia Soul; it’s already on sale in China as the Tharu (pictured above); and its new North American presence is probably not supposed to be public knowledge just yet. The news was revealed by Volkswagen of Argentina, who outlined the Tarek’s future during a press announcement covering new investments at a local factory. Whether this was an intentional world-first announcement or not is a little hazy (probably not), but either way Autoblog Argentina was able to get its hands on this image of the distribution map, showing the Tarek’s migration from China where it exists as the Tharu, to Canada, the U.S., Mexico, Brazil and Argentina. Volkswagen has yet to announce any official information about the North American Tarek, including what powertrain it’ll get, but in China, the brand builds the front-wheel drive Tharu on its MQB architecture. It carries a 1.2-, 1.4- or 2.0-litre turbo engine making 116, 150 and 186 horsepower respectively, all of which are tied to a seven-speed DSG transmission. The Tharu measures 175.3 inches long, 72.5 inches wide and 64.3 inches tall, with a 105.5-inch wheelbase. Comparatively, the 2019 Volkswagen Tiguan is 185.1 inches long, 72.4 inches wide and 66.3 inches tall, with a 109.8-inch wheelbase. Will the Tarek look and behave like the Tharu, or will Volkswagen somehow distinguish it before its journey West? We promise you’ll know as soon as we
Origin: Volkswagen to introduce compact SUV, Tarek, to North America

VW killing EV sports car platform, but may introduce new EV brand: report

The VW I.D. Buzz Cargo ConceptHandout / VW Commercial Volkswagen is planning a lot of changes for the coming years, and they aren’t insignificant ones, either, according to a new report. Within 10 years, the Volkswagen group is planning on ditching a lot of the extra weight it pulls around, including a few vehicle platforms and brands, Automobile Magazine reports. Before it even got off the ground, VW is allegedly killing off Porsche’s proposed SPE electric sports car platform, and instead will work only with the three new architectures it’s already developed, the MEB, PPE and the J1, which underpins the Taycan. Even the upcoming electric Boxster and Cayman will have to adapt and use a converted MMB structure instead of its own new platform. While VW puts itself in a good position to create 70 new electric vehicles (EVs) by 2028, the future doesn’t look so bright for a few of the luxury brands under the company’s umbrella. Bentley will most likely get chopped or sold off, says Automobile, as almost no part of VW’s plans for the future includes massive W-12 luxury cars helmed by execs not keen on EV technology. Bugatti might also be gifted to Ferdinand Piech of Porsche, and Italdesign and Ducati could also be blown off soon, too. Lamborghini is the only brand that might get a second chance, the report says. VW, Audi and Porsche are likely to survive untouched. VW is also willing to take a risk on building a brand-new EV-only brand that would take on Tesla. According to VW boss Herbert Diess, “It would be a mistake not to address the increasingly volatile market with potentially game-changing new offerings. Trouble is, we already have a very full plate, and there is a limit to our spending power.” The plan would be to build EVs the size of the compact Up! with an electric range of up to 160 km for urban drivers, and to build in the ability to spawn up to 10 other body styles inside the brand, to be used as taxis and shuttle vans. So VW is making some big changes, but as Diess says, risks and opportunities live next door to each
Origin: VW killing EV sports car platform, but may introduce new EV brand: report

Ford will introduce a new ‘affordable’ product by 2022

Ford today introduces the all-new Focus car for global customers, featuring the latest advanced and affordable technology with more comfort and space and a better fun-to-drive experience.Handout Ford is letting its drivers know that just because the stories of entry-level Ford vehicles like the Fiesta, Focus and Fusion, are coming to a close, those seeking a bargain won’t be left in the cold waiting for the bus. On Wednesday, the VP of enterprise product line management for Ford, Jim Baumbick, said the Blue Oval would be adding a new “affordable” nameplate to its lineup, providing an alternative to the receding sedans, Automotive News reports. It’s unclear what body style it’ll be built around, or how large or small it’ll be, but things are apparently moving quickly over in Ford’s development HQ. It’s an example of how we’re moving faster, working together differently and leveraging our five all-new flexible vehicle architectures, Ford said in a statement. We came up with the concept in just 12 weeks using our new product creation process. Previous all-new vehicles could have taken years of research before receiving approval. Will it be a sedan? Given that all four of the aforementioned culled Ford vehicles are, that which is meant to fulfill those missing them would make sense as a sedan. But the push toward larger vehicles like SUVs and pickups is undeniable, so we could definitely see the “affordable” option being a crossover. There’s also the news of a more affordable compact pickup on the way, which could be the sedan substitute Ford is speaking of. Time, and Ford, will tell.
Origin: Ford will introduce a new ‘affordable’ product by 2022