VW ID. Vizzion Concept previews estate due in 2021 The all electric estate has a range of more than 360 miles Volkswagen has presented its latest pure-electric model to join the ID. sub-brand – the ID. Vizzion Concept. The estate previews a model that will go into production in 2021, with a range of 367 miles on a single charge. Powered by an 82 kWh battery. the ID. Vizzion Concept features comes in either a 275hp rear-wheel drive configuration, or 335hp all-wheel drive set-up. The latter will complete the 0-62mph time in 5.4 seconds. Charging can be carried out at 150 kW on CCS DC charge points, for a charge to 80% in around half an hour. The aerodynamic estate has been designed to be as efficient as possible, improving range. Similar proportions to the Passat see VW pitching ID. models alongside core existing products. Where the ID.3 is similar in shape to the Golf, the production version of the ID. Vizzion Concept will sit in the class above. Smart Climate is introduced, with users able to use intuitive voice controls such as ‘cool quickly’, ‘warm feet’, or ‘defrost windscreen’, on top of more traditional controls through the large central touchscreen. Drivers also get an augmented reality head-up display. Materials used are sustainable, with AppleSkin featuring – an artificial leather containing an amount of residue material from apple juice production.
Origin: VW ID Vizzion Concept previews estate due in 2021
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Toyota previews Mirai Concept and plugin RAV4
Toyota previews Mirai Concept and plug-in RAV4 The new Mirai and RAV4 PHEV are due next year Toyota will showcase a second-generation Mirai concept at the Tokyo Motor Show later this month. The saloon continues to use Toyota’s hydrogen fuel cell powertrain, but with an improvement of around 30% in range. Built on Toyota’s latest modular TNGA platform, the architecture allows for improved packaging of electrified powertrains. The likes of the Prius and RAV4 are already built on it, and Toyota is set to shift the Mirai to the TNGA platform to easier incorporate larger hydrogen tanks. The concept aims to tempt buyers in to the Mirai not just with the hydrogen fuel cell powertrain, but also with its styling and performance. It certainly looks sleeker than the current model, and Toyota has been working on the electric drive systems to improve performance. The increased range is possible thanks to the larger on-board fuel storage and improvements in efficiency. Changes in packaging shifts the Mirai from a four-seater to offering the normal five seats. Handling has also been worked on, making better use of increased body rigidity for improved driving dynamics. Although a concept in name, there’s nothing outlandish about the exterior or cabin, so it’s a good indication as to what the next Mirai will look like when it launches next year. Toyota has also previewed the RAV4 Plug-in, which will debut at the Los Angeles Motor Show next month. In what is expected to prove a popular model if the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV is anything to go by, the Toyota RAV4 Plug-in will build on the RAV4 Hybrid currently available. Increased battery capacity will create a usable electric driving range, and if it’s anything like the Prius Plug-in with which it is expected to share a number of components, the plug-in hybrid RAV4 could be a better drive than the conventional hybrid version. Again, the RAV4 Plug-in will go on sale in 2020, with further details announced at launch.
Origin: Toyota previews Mirai Concept and plugin RAV4
Mazda previews imminent rotary engine revival
Mazda has confirmed it will reveal its next generation of rotary engines later this week via its Chinese branch’s Weibo social media account. Chang’an Mazda posted an image of the brand’s first rotary-engined model, the 1967 Cosmo coupé, accompanied by a new logo for the brand’s “7th Gen Product Cluster” and the phrase “rotor engines make the world more beautiful”. At the 2017 Tokyo motor show, Mazda boss Mitsuo Hitomi voiced plans for the firm to bring back its famed rotary engine as a range extender because it is “much, much quieter” than the alternatives. The Japanese firm’s range hasn’t featured a rotary-engined road car since the RX-8 went out of production in 2012 but it did produce a prototype Mazda 2 featuring the tech back in 2013, which Autocar drove. It has remained interested in reintroducing the technology to production since. Mazda’s RX-Vision Concept, which was shown at the Tokyo motor show in 2015, used such a powertrain. Hitomui later confirmed that, rather than being used in its purest form, a rotary engine will appear in a range extender version of its first electric vehicle due in 2019. When asked if Mazda was developing a standalone rotary engine, he said: “Even if there isn’t a plan to have it in an actual product, of course we are developing a rotary engine alone.” He strongly hinted that a rotary engine-powered model is likely to exist alongside the range extender in the future. Asked why Mazda will use a rotary engine as a range extender, Hitomi said “the rotary engine isn’t particularly efficient to use as a range extender but when we turn on a rotary, it is much, much quieter compared to other manufacturers’ range-extenders”, which is seemingly suited to the near silence of electric cars. Mazda’s recent engine focus has been on the development of compression ignition Skyactiv-X petrol engines, which now feature in the new 3 hatchback and CX-30 crossover. For the original Cosmo, the company developed a Wankel rotary engine with the help of a German firm called NSU. Rotary engines, which use rotors instead of pistons, are generally smaller and lighter than traditional petrol engines, without any loss of power. Since the RX-8 ended production, the firm’s only machines to feature a rotary engine have been the race cars in the American Pro Mazda junior single-seater series. Recently, a patent filed by Mazda looked to preview a lightweight, front-mid-engined sports car with an engine bay just big enough for a compact rotary
Origin: Mazda previews imminent rotary engine revival
Cupra previews first EV with emotive Tavascan concept
Cupra’s first step into the sphere of pure-electric power is a dramatic-looking EV concept called the Tavascan, unveiled ahead of its public debut at next week’s Frankfurt motor show. Named after a ski resort near the French border in Catalonia, the Tavascan is said to marry “the presence of an SUV with the sleekness of a sports coupé” and showcases the evolution of Cupra design as it moves further away from its parent company, Seat. The front end of the Tavascan is designed to balance the desire for “muscularity and dynamism”, the company claims, with an exterior shape honed for range-boosting aerodynamic efficiency. The front end is also intended to create a “totally different focal point” from those of conventional combustion-engined cars, with an illuminated Cupra logo mounted low, below the blanked-out ‘grille’. A separate badge spells out ‘Cupra’ in a vent linked to the headlights. The rear is also heavily dominated by the lower portion’s styling, with a striking bumper shape mated to a steeply raked rear window line and full-width light bar, intersected by the Cupra logo. It is claimed each vent and slat on the body serves a purpose, either in allowing air to flow over the body or directing it internally to cool batteries. The model also sits on aero-optimised 22in wheels. Cupra claims the interior “mixes material and technological concepts with openness and focus” by the use of “contrasting colours, structural carbon and dynamic approaches to technology and design”. Leather, carbon and Alcantara are the dominant materials. There is a floating dashboard but a digital instrument cluster and 13.0in infotainment screen are the focal points. The 13.0in screen can be moved towards the passenger if needed and speaker and smartphone connectivity features are integrated into the seats. Cupra stresses that the Tavascan concept is designed to deliver “the performance, dynamics and drivability its customers demand”. To that end, it features a dual-motor electric powertrain putting out 302bhp, enabling 0-62mph in “less than 6.5sec”. The Tavascan uses the highly flexible Volkswagen Group MEB platform, integrating the two motors across both axles for all-wheel drive. The floorpan houses a 77kWh lithium ion battery, taken from the largest-capacity version of VW’s ID 3. A range of 280 miles is claimed. The brand predicts the electric SUV coupé market will grow by 15% every year and hopes to capitalise on that with future models evolving from the Tavascan. The listing of specs suggests there is some production intent here. Cupra has already shown the Formentor – also an SUV coupé but one with plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrains rather than purely electric – that’s due next year. Two more PHEVs are also on the cards for
Origin: Cupra previews first EV with emotive Tavascan concept
Cupra previews first EV ahead of Frankfurt reveal
Cupra will reveal its first fully electric vehicle, which it says will combine elements of a sports coupé and an SUV, at this year’s Frankfurt motor show. The Seat sub-brand, which is focused on premium performance cars, showed its first stand-alone car, the Formentor coupé-crossover, earlier this year. It will follow that up with the electric concept car, which will preview its first production EV. Cupra has released a single teaser image of the concept, which it says will unite “the silhouette of a four-door crossover with the presence of an SUV and the sleekness of a sports coupé”. It follows a teaser video, which gave glimpses of the headlight design. Although Cupra has not confirmed details of the new concept, it will be based on the Volkswagen Group’s MEB electric platform, which will be used for parent firm Seat’s el-Born EV. It is likely to be a more extreme version of that car. That would match how the Formentor, which will be offered with a plug-in hybrid powertrain, is a heavily reworked coupé version of the Ateca SUV. When Seat turned Cupra into a stand-alone brand last year, bosses said it would act as a “technological flagship”, including in electrified powertrains. Cupra describes the new concept as “a vision of the future” of the brand. The EV concept has been termed a “high-performance vehicle”, suggesting it could get one of the most powerful motor options available for the new MEB platform – likely to feature a motor on each axle offering all-wheel drive. Although the teaser image only shows the rear of the car, Cupra says the front design balances “aesthetics and performance”, featuring a low-set illuminated Cupra logo. The rear will feature a functional aerodynamic diffuser. Cupra takes its name from Seat’s long-running line of performance models, although the brand has a wider focus on attracting higher-end customers who would not usually consider a Seat. That is why the firm has so far focused on SUVs and crossovers, starting with the reworked Cupra Ateca and the Formentor. Seat is aiming for Cupra to offer seven models by 2020, which will mix stand-alone machines with high-performance versions of Seat models, including the current Cupra
Origin: Cupra previews first EV ahead of Frankfurt reveal
Kia previews new small SUV designed for millennials
Kia has released the first sketches of a new small SUV created “for the millennial generation” which has been designed as a global model – although it won’t go on sale in European markets. The as-yet-unnamed machine has been ‘inspired’ by the SP Signature Concept that was revealed earlier this year, and will be the smallest SUV that the firm offers. While there are no plans to sell the car in the UK or other European markets, Kia insiders suggest that the SUV gives an insight into the firm’s future design language that will inform future versions of the Sorento, Sportage and Stonic SUVs, along with the forthcoming Ceed crossover. Kia says the new machine will have a “modern and urbane design” with the space of a traditional SUV in a compact package, adding that it will match “the unique preferences and needs of the millennial generation.” The SP Signature Concept featured LED lights integrated into the latest version of Kia’s ‘tiger nose’ grille, and the sketches of the new SUV show that feature will be carried over. The lights will have a three-dimensional light graphic. Kia has hinted the new model will also feature a long bonnet and sharp bodywork lines with a tapered rear end. The new machine will go on sale in Korea later this year, with other regions
Origin: Kia previews new small SUV designed for millennials
Skoda sketch previews facelifted Superb flagship
A new sketch released by Skoda previews the design of the facelifted Superb flagship ahead of a reveal later this month. The preview image hints at a subtle evolution of the Mazda 6 rival’s front fascia, which retains Skoda’s trademark grille design, alongside redesigned headlight clusters and a reworked lower bumper. Like the recently launched Scala hatchback, the revised Superb will feature the marque’s name in letters across its bootlid, in place of the Skoda emblem. More significant is the fact that the new Superb will be the first to offer a plug-in hybrid option, likely the same 1.4 TSI petrol-electric powertrain that features in the Volkswagen Passat GTE, with which it shares a platform. In the similar-sized Passat, this hybrid set-up produces a combined 215bhp and can emit as little as 39g/km of CO2. Like the Passat, the Superb can be expected to run in electric-only mode for up to 31 miles. Inside, the Superb will benefit from similar interior revisions to those received by the Rapid-replacing Scala hatchback. Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone integration is likely to be made standard across the range, with an enhanced focus on simplicity and ergonomics differentiating the new model from its predecessor. Skoda’s revamped infotainment system will also feature, enabling over-the-air updates and new mobile app functions. Increased personalisation is likely, with Skoda currently offering new microfibre interior materials and backlighting lower down the range. Last year, Skoda design chief Oliver Stefani pledged to roll out a new, bolder design language for the Czech firm in the run-up to mass electrification of its line-up. “Skoda values have always been functionality, usability and practicality,” he said. “We’d like to add more emotion.” The new Superb will be revealed in full during the IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship, of which Skoda is the long-standing main sponsor, in Bratislava later this
Origin: Skoda sketch previews facelifted Superb flagship
Volkswagen Roomzz concept previews 2021 Model X rival
Volkswagen has extended its range of ID concepts to include a new 302bhp electric-powered SUV, known as the Roomzz. Unveiled at the Shanghai motor show, the contemporary seven-seater acts as a preview to a production model of similar size and shape Volkswagen says will be launched in 2021. It’s a crucial part of the German car maker’s plan to become the world’s leading manufacturer of electric vehicles by the middle of the next decade. Set to be positioned above the upcoming production version of the Crozz and a more sporting Crozz Coupé, the Roomzz is said to offer interior space superior to that of the Touareg in a body measuring 4915mm in length, 1890mm in width and 1760mm in height. “The ID Roomzz shows us what we can expect from full-size electric SUVs in the future,” said VW brand design boss Klaus Bischoff. “The puristic look emphasises the clear function and the user experience is intuitive and natural. Plenty of space inside allows for completely new seating configurations.” The sixth ID concept is based on a new variant of VW’s MEB platform. It has a wheelbase of 2965mm – some 192mm longer than the Crozz’s but 135mm shorter than that of the Buzz. Developed under the internal codename VW316 and previously dubbed ID Lounge, the Roomzz gets its own unique styling that Bischoff describes as featuring “seamless transitions of individual elements” for maximum aerodynamic efficiency. Key cues include an almost completely enclosed front end featuring illuminated horizontal elements that act as a grille and extend outwards into in the outer edges of the headlights to provide the new SUV with exaggerated visual width. Also included is an illuminated VW badge – a feature Autocar can confirm will be offered as an option on all upcoming ID production models in markets where it is permitted. The Roomzz also receives prominent front wheel arches and a side feature line that runs back through to the middle of the front doors. Traditional exterior mirrors are replaced by a camera, which is mounted on a discreet arm within the leading edge of the front doors. The doors open on opposing hinges, providing uninterrupted pillar-less entry to the cabin. Also evident is a rounded roof turret. It houses two Lidar units that form part of a level four autonomous driving system VW is touting for future ID models. Contrasting aluminium is used for the roof rails, while the side glass is almost completely flush with the bodywork to smooth airflow along the flanks. To highlight the interior, the concept also goes without a B-pillar. The rear is distinguished by a full-width light band whose graphics can be customised via a smartphone app. “Lighting is the new chrome,” said Bischoff of the possibilities made possible by the latest generation of LED lighting. Previewing the cabin design VW proposes to provide future models with advanced autonomous driving functions, the Roomzz features a digitised steering wheel. It is designed to retract back into the dashboard when the driver chooses a fully autonomous driving mode. Further interior highlights include a 13.8in digital instrument unit and augmented reality head-up display. Although the new concept features four individual seats, VW insiders have confirmed the production version is planned to provide seating for up to seven in three rows of seats. Power for the Roomzz comes from the same electric driveline previewed by the earlier Vizzion. It uses two electric motors – one acting on the front axle with 101bhp and 103lb ft and a more powerful unit at the rear with 201bhp and 228lb ft. The total system output is 302bhp and 331lb ft. Depending on the driving mode, the new SUV can be driven by the rear wheels as standard or all four wheels. VW quotes a 0-62mph time of 6.6sec and a top speed that is limited to 112mph. Electric energy for the motors is provided by an 82kWh lithium ion battery mounted within the flat floor structure of the Roomzz’s MEB platform. It is claimed to provide a range of 280 miles on the WLTP test cycle, while the charge time to 80% of the battery’s capacity on a highpower 150kW system is put at “approximately 30
Origin: Volkswagen Roomzz concept previews 2021 Model X rival
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