Ford has revised the Focus lineup in the UK, with the removal of the entry-level Style model, a new trim grade added and small price increases on certain models. The dropping of Style trim, a model often ignored by buyers in favour of better equipped trims, means that the Focus now starts from £20,645 for the Zetec grade – £2,100 more than before. That brings it to a similar pricing point as the new Puma, which is available to order in higher trim grades for the time being. A series of small price rises have also been implemented elsewhere in the range, according to the firm’s latest pricing lists which are in the process of being incorporated into the online configurator. All Zetec, Active and ST-Line grades see a bump up of £250, while estates rise by £100 and petrols rise by £500. Two new variants are now available to order, too. Joining the current two-strong lineup of ruggedly-styled Active models is a flagship Active Vignale, available from £27,045, which brings the extensive kit tally from the standard Vignale model onto the higher-riding car. The tweaks follow a more minor revision of the Focus which regards to one model, quietly implemented earlier this year. The 1.5-litre petrol engine has been switched from the multi-link rear suspension to a cheaper, simpler torsion beam setup, leaving only the 2.0-litre diesel models with the multi-link
Origin: Ford Focus prices increased as entry variant dropped
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Ford revises Focus range with entry variant dropped
Ford has revised the Focus lineup in the UK, with the removal of the entry-level Style model, a new trim grade added and small price increases on certain models. The dropping of Style trim, a model often ignored by buyers in favour of better equipped trims, means that the Focus now starts from £20,645 for the Zetec grade – £2,100 more than before. That brings it to a similar pricing point as the new Puma, which is available to order in higher trim grades for the time being. A series of small price rises have also been implemented elsewhere in the range. All Zetec, Active and ST-Line grades see a bump up of £250, while estates rise by £100 and petrols rise by £500. Two new variants are now available to order, too. Joining the current two-strong lineup of ruggedly-styled Active models is a flagship Active Vignale, available from £27,045, which brings the extensive kit tally from the standard Vignale model onto the higher-riding car. The tweaks follow a more minor revision of the Focus which regards to one model, quietly implemented earlier this year. The 1.5-litre petrol engine has been switched from the multi-link rear suspension to a cheaper, simpler torsion beam setup, leaving only the 2.0-litre diesel models with the multi-link
Origin: Ford revises Focus range with entry variant dropped
New Mercedes GLE Coupé receives hot AMG 53 variant
Mercedes-AMG has unveiled the new GLE 53 Coupé as a performance-oriented reworking of the new GLE Coupé, also revealed today. A prelude to the full-blown GLE 63 that’s expected next year, the GLE 53 features a 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged inline six petrol engine with 429bhp and 384lb ft of torque. It also has a 48V mild-hybrid system, making use of the firm’s EQ Boost starter/ alternator that delivers an additional 22bhp and 184lb ft for short periods and improves on-paper efficiency. One of the turbos is of the conventional exhaust gas-driven variety, with another made up of an electric compressor driven by the 48v system. The unit makes the SUV capable of 0-62mph in 5.3sec (the same as the regular GLE53) and a governed 155mph, yet also a claimed 30mpg combined. The latter is an NEDC correlated figure rather than the more realistic WLTP figure, however. As with other Mercedes-AMG models, there are revisions to the chassis, including retuned active ride control and air suspension, a more direct variable-ratio steering set-up and a high-performance braking system with 400mm-diameter front discs. The car sits 15mm lower to the ground than standard in Sport and Sport+modes, and lowers to the same point above 75mph in Comfort. The firm also claims the 60mm shorter wheelbase than the standard GLE further boosts agility. AMG-specific styling modifications inside and out also feature, such as specific bumpers with larger air intakes and chrome louvres, a silver chrome front splitter and flared wheelarches. Quad tailpipe trims for the AMG exhaust system also mark it out. Furthermore, an optional AMG Night package with black exterior trim detailing and tinted windows is available. Six wheel designs can be ordered, all from 20-22in in size. Typical AMG trim elements feature inside, with stainless steel pedals, aluminium shift paddles, carbon fibre detailing and standard AMG sports seats with red topstitching. A range of different upholstery and trim elements are available to order
Origin: New Mercedes GLE Coupé receives hot AMG 53 variant
Bugatti mulling over SUV, 500-km/h Chiron variant
The Bugatti Galibier 16C ConceptHandout / Bugatti Bugatti said a while ago an SUV wasn’t in the cards. But times, they are a-changing, with an interview with Volkswagen boss Stephen Winkelmann revealing the premium automakers got a crossover utility at the ready and may be planning to build an even faster Chiron.Automobile Magazine sat down with Winkelmann to discuss the future of the storied brand and its forthcoming projects, and apparently the prospect of an SUV joining the lineup is very real.The design is done. Some potential customers have seen it, and they liked it. One or two influential people up in Wolfsburg were complimentary about it, Winkelmann said of what could become Bugattis second product beside the Chiron.But at this point there is no budget and no decision.The decision to make an SUV instead of an all-electric hypercar comes from demand, and a lack of a high-performance, high-end luxury CUV. The refusal to consider an all-electric hypercar also comes from battery technology being relatively young not good enough for a Bugatti yet, Winkelmann says. The CUV will definitely have some sort of electrification, however. Most Bugatti models are ultra-exclusive, and the CUV will be no different, but the body count wont be as low as the Chirons. Winkelmann says were not talking 100 cars a year here, but 600 to 800.As for the Chiron itself, its not going anywhere soon, with Winkelmann saying it will be another five years before the finishing touches are put on the evolution of the vehicle. That evolution might encompass a 500-km/h version, as well as an open-topped variant though likely not in the same
Origin: Bugatti mulling over SUV, 500-km/h Chiron variant
The fifth-gen Cadillac Escalade will get a high-power variant: rumour
The 2018 Cadillac Escalade. The next-gen Cadillac Escalade will reportedly be served up with an extra side of horsepower. A story by Cadillac Society cites “sources familiar with future Cadillac product plans,” claiming the top-of-the-range fifth-generation Escalade will get a more potent V8 engine than the current models. According to the Caddy-dedicated publication, the upcoming Escalade will come with three engine options, one of which will be a significant step up from what’s currently offered in the flagship SUV. Official details have yet to be released, but Cadillac Society believes it has a bead on the three potential engines destined for the performance variant, which may be called the “Escalade-V” or “Escalade Blackwing.”There’s the 6.2-litre V8 that drovethe now discontinued CTS-V, where it made 640 horsepower and 630 lb.-ft. of torque. Option two, which our source claims is the frontrunner, is a tweaked version of that same powerplant, which has yet to be fitted into any Cadillac product, but has been used by GM to power the Corvette ZR1. That supercharged engine makes 755 horsepower and 715 lb.-ft. of torque for the ‘Vette. The third and final engine swirling about the rumour mill is the souped-up twin-turbo 4.2-litre V8 Blackwing engine that drives the CT6-V. In the luxury sedan, that engine makes 550 horsepower and 627 lb.-ft. of torque. So, if rumours are to be believed, the fifth-generation Cadillac Escalade will have a model-topping engine with no fewer than 550 and no more than 755 horses. That is, if Cadillac plugs one of those engines in as they currently are. Regardless of which high-test engine Cadillac chooses to run with, it looks like the Escalade is in for a significant bump up in power from its current 6.2-litre V8’s 420 horsepower and 460 lb.-ft. of torque.The next generation of Escalades is anticipated to arrive as a 2021 model year, so we shouldn’t have to wait long to confirm (or squash) the
Origin: The fifth-gen Cadillac Escalade will get a high-power variant: rumour
Next-gen Porsche Boxster, Cayman may get a plug-in hybrid variant
The Porsche 718 Cayman GTSPorsche Porsche’s plans to electrify the Boxster and Cayman may also include offering a plug-in hybrid version to be sold alongside gasoline versions. According to Autocar, the German automaker hasn’t decided on whether the electrified sports cars will be a regular or plug-in hybrid, but Porsche boss Oliver Blume says they’re working on it. We have prototypes of the 718 running in electric now, and a hybrid prototype is being built, he said. If you look to the next generation of those cars, it’s possible, although not clear whether it would be plug-in hybrid or hybrid. Porsche has been mulling over the idea of an electric sports car since 2011, when it built a few prototypes of the Boxster and Cayman as an EV. Furthermore, the Boxster E-volution concept from 2017 actually managed to beat the current 718’s zero-to-100 km/h sprint time thanks to a 38 kWh battery, which also lended to a 190-kilometre range. The 718 Boxster and Cayman EVs would be built on Porsche’s Premium Performance Electric (PPE) platform that will also be used on the Taycan, and is expected to have a range of up to 300 kilometres. Porsche says this is currently the absolute limit of the battery technology. A hybrid-ized 718 would employ the same hybrid systems currently used in the 992-series 911, just adapted for the smaller four-cylinder engines. The strategy will be a similar one used by the Macan — the EV will utilize the PPE platform, while the hybrid versions will remain on the MLB platform. Solid state batteries are expected to arrive in 2025, changing the landscape of EVs completely with up to 50 per cent more
Origin: Next-gen Porsche Boxster, Cayman may get a plug-in hybrid variant
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