Land Rover has revamped its best-selling model while keeping the status quo in terms of what buyers want. The looks haven’t changed a whole lot, which is good, because half of the allure of a Land Rover is the classic looks. Buyers can choose from 25 different exterior paints with a contrasting black roof, and add the Black Exterior Pack which includes Narvik Black detailing on the grille and fender vents, extending to the hood and tailgate lettering. R-Dynamic-spec’d vehicles will receive a small hint of a rear diffuser as well as a front bumper that is much more aggressive, and kind of reminds us of offerings from FCA’s sporty truck division. Shadow Atlas exterior accents and contrast stitching also pushes home the Sport’ vibe. Powering the Sport will be Land Rover’s venerable Ingenium series turbocharged four-cylinder, which makes a respectable 246 horsepower. To give it a bit of a kick though, Land Rover has added an all-new 48-volt mild hybrid system that bumps the power up to 296. The Discovery Sport is Land Rover’s volume model—it sells more of this little truck than anything else, but that doesn’t mean there’s a whole lot of compromise. You can still fit seven people in it, provided two of them aren’t big enough to ride a roller coaster, and there’s still Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to accommodate all your devices. ClearSight Ground View monitor also trickles down from higher-spec Landies, allowing you to see through the forward lower body panels. The 2020 Land Rover Discovery Sport will hit dealerships in the U.S. this summer; Canadian pricing and availability have yet to be
Origin: Land Rover Discovery Sport revealed with new tech, familiar looks
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Audi launches new PHEV range with Q5 55 TFSI e quattro
Audi launches new PHEV range with Q5 55 TFSI e quattro The PHEV Q5 SUV leads a new range of four plug in models from Audi Audi has launched its new Q5 55 TFSI e quattro, with the plug-in hybrid SUV kicking off a number of new PHEV model launches. The Q5 has a 14.1 kWh battery, which powers a 105 kW electric motor – supported by a 2.0 litre TFSI petrol unit. This allows for WLTP economy figures of 113 MPG, a range of more than 26 miles on a single charge, and CO2 emissions of 49 g/km. The Audi produces a combined 367hp and 500 Nm of torque, for a 0-62mph time of 5.3 seconds. The Q5 will be able to run on electric power alone at speeds of up to 84mph. Already a popular SUV, the addition of a PHEV powertrain will appeal to a number of buyers, particularly those running one as a company car. The Q5 55 TFSI e quattro can be set to electric-only driving, battery hold, or conventional hybrid modes. The Audi’s navigation system can help put the car in the most efficient setting for any part of a trip, allowing the car to coast when at higher speeds, recuperate energy when heading down hill, and picking which powertrain or combination there or to use at particular sections. Charging is carried out via the Type 2 inlet on the rear flank, with an on-board charger capable of taking 7.4 kW. This means a charging time of just a couple of hours from a fast home or public point. Audi is in the process of re-launching its plug-in hybrid line-up. Having had an A3 and Q7 e-tron on its books, these have been removed, and the e-tron badge reassigned to pure-electric models only – like the e-tron SUV. A new range of ‘TFSI e’ models will be coming along shortly though, with the Q5 set to be joined by the A6, A7 Sportback, and A8 saloons in 2019. Order books will open early in June, with deliveries due in the last three months of 2019. Although UK pricing is yet to be confirmed, Audi expects the Q5 55 TFSI e quattro to start at around £55,000.
Origin: Audi launches new PHEV range with Q5 55 TFSI e quattro
New Renault Megane RS Trophy-R revealed with Nurburgring lap record
The limited-run Renault Mégane RS Trophy-R has been revealed, with the hot hatch undergoing comprehensive weight reduction programme to offer increased performance. Due on sale later this year, the new range-topper features the same highly tuned 1.8-litre turbo engine as the Mégane RS 300 Trophy, which produces 296bhp and 295lb ft of torque. That car achieves 0-62mph in 5.7sec and a top speed of 161mph. Renault says that the Trophy-R is 130kg lighter, due to a weight reduction programme led by Renault Sport, which developed the new model with the same apporach taken on a racing car. The Trophy-R is claimed to feature improved aerodynamics and a reworked chassis drive axles to boost performance. That maintains the ethos of previous generations of Trophy-R, which have been focused on extracting performance through handling and dynamics, rather than purely relying on power. The model has also benefitted from development work undertaken by Renault Sport’s partners; it features an Akrapovič exhaust, Brembo brakes, Bridgestone tyres and Öhlins shock absorbers. While Renault has yet to give full performance details of the Trophy-R, it claims it has set a new front-wheel-drive production car lap record at the Nürburgring Nordschleife. According to Renault, the car lapped the 12.80-mile Nordschleife in 7min 40.10sec on 5 April, and also posted a time of 7min 45.39secs on the full 12.94-mile layout. It has previously been spied in action on the German race track. The Trophy-R is set to make its public debut at Formula 1’s Monaco Grand Prix this weekend before going on sale later this year, with a limited production run of “a few hundred” models. Pricing hasn’t yet been disclosed. The 300 Trophy costs £31,835, and the exclusivity of the new model means it’s likely to cost around £10,000 more. The front-wheel-drive production car record at the Nürburgring was previously held by the current Honda Civic Type R, which lapped the track in 7min
Origin: New Renault Megane RS Trophy-R revealed with Nurburgring lap record
BMW welcomes the M5 into mid-life with the M5 Edition 35 Years
Major anniversaries and milestones in the automotive world are celebrated in any number of ways. You can market Champagne like Bugatti did, or turn an old race car into vinyl records like Porsche, or you can do what most automakers do when the occasion is grand enough and release a special edition. And in the BMW family, one of the members is celebrating a relatively significant birthday this year: The M5 is turning 35. To honour the beginning of what would become an iconic car for the brand, BMW has christened a dark and dashing special edition: the M5 Edition 35 Years. The anniversary car is based on the M5 Competition, with the same 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 engine making 617 horsepower and 553 lb.-ft. of torque. That grants it the same sprint time of zero-to-100 km/h in 3.3 seconds; and top speed of 200 km/h, which it hits after 10.8 seconds. But BMW Motorsport GmbH got BMW Individual to make sure people would be able to tell that this was no ordinary extraordinary M5 Competition saloon. Well, some people. The Edition model comes in a special matte finish called Frozen Dark Grey, with grey 20-inch alloy wheels and brake calipers in gold or high-gloss black. The interior gets black leather seats with contrast beige stitching; select surfaces finished in a shimmering “aluminum carbon structure gold anodized,” and door sills and a centre console engraving that reads “M5 Edition 35 Jahre,” or “35 Years.” We’re just going to say it: middle age looks good on the M5. The production run will total just 350 examples, with 35 allocated for the United States. BMW Canada says it’s still working out its distribution strategy on this side of the border, but that it’s likely we’ll get at least a few. We’d put our money on 3.5
Origin: BMW welcomes the M5 into mid-life with the M5 Edition 35 Years
Koenigsegg supercar due in 2020 with electrified 5.0-litre V8
Koenigsegg is planning to attract new customers with a much cheaper and higher-volume new model, according to boss Christian von Koenigsegg. It’s set to be revealed next year, with production beginning soon after. The Swedish hypercar maker is now able to make use of far greater economies of scale thanks to a £130 million investment earlier this year by Chinese-owned firm New Electric Vehicle Sweden (NEVS, producers of a Saab-based EV). The partnership has given the firm a 20% stake in Koenigsegg’s parent company, with further money to be invested in a joint venture to develop a project for “new and untapped segments”. Von Koenigsegg claims the agreement, which was signed just as funding for a new model series had been secured, means “we get much more muscles and much more jobs, and that was what I was looking for”. Autocar understands the medium-term plan is to build and sell a new supercar at a price of £700,000 to £800,000, less than half that of the firm’s current cheapest model, the Regera. The supercar has been under development for two years but the NEVS deal allows Koenigsegg to raise the pace of development and present the car in the first half of 2020. The exact specifications of the new model have yet to be revealed, although we know that it will feature the tried-and-tested twin-turbocharged 5.0-litre V8 with some form of electrification. Alongside this, it will also use a ‘free valve’ system from sibling engineering firm Freevalve AB. Such tech allows the intake and exhaust valves to be controlled freely without the use of camshafts, resulting in lower fuel consumption, reduced emissions and greater performance. Other models are in the pipeline, although details have yet to be revealed. They will be developed and built at Koenigsegg’s facility in Ängelholm, Sweden, with a new final assembly plant set to be built. However, NEVS also owns the assets of now-defunct Saab, so there is potential for it to make use of a substantial production, research and development facility in Trollhätttan. Don’t expect the new investment and ambitions to make Koenigsegg a big-volume maker, though. Last year, it produced just 18 cars and its aim is to extend that up to and above 100 cars a year in the next few years with the new, cheaper car. Longer term, that could breach four figures, depending on the roll-out of future
Origin: Koenigsegg supercar due in 2020 with electrified 5.0-litre V8
YouTuber fits vintage Dodge pickup with 212-cc lawn mower engine
Carson Duba, a.k.a. EverythingWithWheels on YouTube, has a thing for Predator engines. It says so right on his YouTube About page: Let’s fix something or put a Predator in it! Words to live by, truly. For Duba, the most recent manifestation of this mantra is a vintage Dodge Ram that runs on a US$120 212-cc Predator motor, a power plant designed for vacuums, mowers and pressure washers. Designed for, perhaps, but not relegated to, because the motor moves this little truck just fine, forward and backward, at speeds up to 32 km/h. When Duba’s friend who’d had it kicking around the yard gave it to him, the early ’80s Dodge Ram 50 had a four-cylinder engine. That was scooped out clean to make room for Duba’s more-modest solution. The 6.5-horsepower motor sits on a custom-made platform with its throttle connected to the vehicle’s pedal. It took some negotiation to get the clutch, 60-tooth sprocket and chain to ship power to the five-speed manual transmission and lug the heavy truck around. But, well, take a look at the results! Possibly the best feature? The fact that it looks and drives like a truck, but still starts like a lawnmower, with a pull cord that’s fed through the body and pulled from under the front driver’s side wheel.
Origin: YouTuber fits vintage Dodge pickup with 212-cc lawn mower engine
Land Rover plots comeback with hybrid-led new model blitz
Land Rover will this autumn kick off an extremely significant two-year period of consolidation and expansion, following a turbulent 18 months, that will define the brand for the next decade. A great deal of the activity will relate not just to the launch of four new vehicles but also increased electrification within its line-up. Although the marque’s pure-electric vehicles are still some years away – with sibling brand Jaguar leading the group in this market segment – all new Land Rover models from late 2019 will be offered with the option of mild-hybrid or plug-in hybrid drivetrains, allowing it to leave its diesel difficulties behind. Perhaps the most important addition during that time will be the all-new Mk5 Range Rover, imagined by Autocar above, which is expected to be unveiled in 2021. The mainstream version of the new flagship will be a plug-in hybrid based on an all-new aluminium platform, dubbed MLA. It has been designed to be much lighter than the current Jaguar Land Rover aluminium architecture, as well as accommodating conventional engines and/or electric drive. Autocar understands that there will be an all-electric Range Rover 5, but it will be targeted at city users, particularly in east Asia. The vast majority of sales, however, are expected to be of the plug-in hybrid version, which will combine the new straight-six Ingenium engine with twin electric motors – one assisting the front wheels and one driving the rear axle. Land Rover engineers hope that the combination of the new architecture and downsizing the engine will offset the weight of the battery pack, which will offer around 40 miles of pure-electric driving. A mild-hybrid Range Rover 5 will use a very similar set-up to the upcoming Range Rover Sport, so expect 300- 400bhp versions of the new straight-six Ingenium engine assisted by both a 48V electric supercharger and a twin-scroll turbocharger. Kinetic energy that would otherwise be wasted is harvested and stored in a small battery that, in turn, powers the engine’s electric supercharger. The upshot of this electrification push is that JLR should easily meet its 132g/ km EU CO2 target in 2021. This target is less stringent than the 103g/km applied to its Volvo rival because JLR is a smaller-scale manufacturer of large cars selling fewer than 300,000 vehicles in the EU. As such, the UK government successfully argued, it needs more leeway in meeting fuel economy targets. However, the EU fleet CO2 targets for 2025 (15% lower than 2021) and 2030 (31% lower) are far more onerous, and it’s possible an expanding JLR will lose its derogation, making large-scale sales of plug-in hybrids essential from 2024 onwards. And here, for once, JLR is confidently on the front foot, as its prepares to roll out the new MLA architecture. Elsewhere in the line-up, Autocar understands that the Range Rover Sport is getting a significant mid-life hybrid makeover now as a vote of confidence in its enduring appeal. Sales continue to be very strong and a replacement is thought to be at least three years away. Further out, it’s thought that the first globally targeted Land Rover EV will be the so-called ‘Road Rover’, which will be much lower and more aerodynamic than other Range Rovers. Despite JLR’s new ‘Project Charge’ cost-cutting efforts, Autocar understands the Road Rover is still on the company’s model cycle plan and will most closely compete with Porsche’s next-generation electric Macan and be twinned with the next-generation Jaguar XJ. The future, MLA-based Velar could also be offered in pure-electric form, but that next-generation model is thought to be more than four years away from launch, and remains at the planning stage. In the shorter term, the long-awaited Defender will be revealed to the public this year. It will be sold in mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid forms. Fears that a plug-in Defender, with an electrically powered rear axle, would be compromised off road are, Autocar understands, misplaced. An electric motor offers maximum torque from step-off and the torque delivery is far more controllable than with a conventionally driven rear axle, greatly improving off-road performance. There’s no firm news on a pure-electric version of the Defender, but it remains a possibility. However, a plug-in hybrid with 35 miles of silent and emission-free electric range could be as useful off road as in a city centre. In the immediate future, the new Range Rover Evoque, which rolls on a completely re-engineered platform and has received praise for its refinement and poise, is already available with a mild-hybrid set-up, assisted by a belt-driven starter/generator. Early next year, though, the Evoque plug-in hybrid will arrive using a three-cylinder engine, a 48V hybrid system and an electrically driven rear axle. The three-cylinder engine alone develops a healthy 197bhp and 148lb ft of torque from 1.5 litres. In addition, the electric motor on the rear axle
Origin: Land Rover plots comeback with hybrid-led new model blitz
The 2020 Ford Bronco will come with a hybrid option: report
The Ford Bronco Concept from 2004 promised to be slightly smaller and less expensive that the Escape.Ford The 2020 Ford Bronco could possibly be the most anticipated new vehicle of the year, right behind the Toyota Supra and the mid-engine Corvette C8. Well, now we’re learning the buzz-building off-roader will be made available in a hybrid version, to appeal to a wider range of buyers. Ford CEO Jim Hackett himself confirmed the new Bronco will, indeed, have a hybrid version, at an investor presentation early May, tweeted Michael Martinez, a journalist with Automotive News. The Explorer, Aviator and Escape hybrids were just recently announced, and we expect the Bronco will likely use a version of the same system they will use, which means a proprietary 10-speed automatic and electric motor that doesn’t take up much more space than the standard drivetrain. It’s also possible the Bronco will use a version of the upcoming F-150 hybrid platform, but no details about that have been released yet. Hackett confirms the upcoming Bronco SUV will come in a hybrid variant as Ford focuses on electrifying its lineup. Michael Martinez (@MikeMartinez_AN) May 9, 2019 Ford’s staying mum on details, putting out a statement May 9 confirming only we are on track to electrify our most popular vehicles, including launching the all-new Ford Explorer and Ford Escape hybrids this year along with the new F-150 hybrid in 2020. It promised to reveal more news soon, but in the meantime speculation circulating online may help fill in the gaps. Word is the hybrid won’t differ too much from the gasoline version, which means it will still have a short wheelbase, independent front suspension and possibly a live rear axle with coil springs. The hybrid model will likely be made available shortly after the regular gasoline-powered one debuts, so we expect to see it some time in the middle of 2020. Although the Bronco seems to be debuting a lot of forward-thinking technology for a truck, it’s still going to be playing catch-up-ball to the Wrangler, which already has a coil-sprung rear end and will soon also have its own hybrid version, in
Origin: The 2020 Ford Bronco will come with a hybrid option: report
Skoda electric models to stand out with unique lightstrip
Skoda’s forthcoming range of electric vehicles will retain a front grille but be distinguished from internal combustion-engined models by a bold, full-width lighting strip, according to company boss Bernhard Maier. The design was previewed by the Vision iV SUV shown at the Geneva motor show in March and will be retained for the production version due next year. That car will be Skoda’s first model built on the Volkswagen Group’s MEB electric platform. Maier said the production design will feature a single LED light strip that links the headlights and splits the grille into upper and lower sections. “This is the new expressive crystalline design language,” said Maier. “Glass working has been a Czech specialism for centuries, so this is something that is authentic.” The lighting strip will be made of Plexiglass to save weight. Another changed styling feature of the Vision iV production car will be the adoption of a conventional grille. The concept featured a ‘phantom’ grille but, despite no longer being needed for engine cooling, the slatted grille will remain, with Maier citing feedback from customers who said they liked the design. The production Vision iV will also be sold with a choice of three battery packs and two motor configurations. This is in line with other VW Group electric cars being built on MEB, such as the forthcoming Volkswagen ID hatch. Battery packs of 49, 60 and 82kWh will be introduced over the vehicle’s life, with the biggest battery offering a 300-mile WLTP range. The model will launch with the 49kWh battery and one other, but which has yet to be decided. As standard, the Vision iV will be rear-wheel drive with a single motor, but higher-spec models will be offered with a front-mounted motor providing all-wheel drive. Maier says the two-motor version is “more agile” than the single-motor model. To keep costs down, the Vision iV won’t feature a reduction gearbox, which could increase top speed. “That’s why we limit it to 112mph. Not having a separate gearbox will be very good for the vehicle cost,” said Maier. Skoda boss Bernhard Maier on… Using the iV badge for electric cars “All our electric and electrified vehicles will get the suffix iV, including the Kodiaq and Superb plug-in hybrid. It is not easy to find the right label for new technology. There are already a lot of names used by the competition.” The final name for the Vision iV “The name is not quite clear. We are still working on that. We have some real interesting ones, which perfectly fit our overall nomenclature.” Launching 10 EVs by 2022 “Our basket is full of arrows. I hope all will hit the spot. We have a total of 30 new models by 2022. This is a truly amazing product offensive.” The possibility of a hot Kamiq vRS crossover “We haven’t decided. There could be an opportunity but we have to decide on the most important priority. As things stand, we cannot produce enough
Origin: Skoda electric models to stand out with unique lightstrip
This police-spec Dodge Durango has been kitted out with a 797-hp ‘Redeye’ V8
This year’s 2019 Tire Rack One Lap of America Presented by Grassroots Motorsports Magazine kicks off May 4 in South Bend, Ind., and Dodge//SRT is defending the Dodge Durango SRT’s 2018 One Lap truck/SUV class title, upping its game with a new Durango SRT Pursuit concept called “Speed Trap.” Dodge Dodge early May took the wraps off of a 797-horsepower Durango SRT, complete with a police-car livery, built to compete in the famous One Lap of America. The law-enforcement-spec SUV is a bit of cheeky fun from FCA, as evidenced by its nickname, Speed Trap. The vehicle will be driven in the event by David Carr, an SRT engineer, and David Hakim, a photographer, who also competed in 2018. Speed Trap is based on a Dodge Durango SRT Pursuit of the kind usually sold only to police fleets, but more than a few modifications have been done to it. The largest one is obviously the heart transplant: a 797-horsepower supercharged V8 borrowed from the Challenger Hellcat Redeye sits underhood, now, offering a serious bump up from the 475 horsepower the truck comes with standard. The high-flow cat-back exhaust is brand-new, and the truck sits 0.6-inches lower on 20-inch wheels to improve handling. Meaty 305-section Pirelli tires help put the power down, or create a big smoke-show, if desired. One Lap of America, for those that don’t know, is exactly what it sounds like: one lap around the United States, made up of visits to several race tracks and interesting events along the way. Think of it as a sequel to the Cannonball Run of decades past, which saw people race across the U.S. as fast as they could. When Brock Yates originally started the Cannonball Run, it was, of course, highly illegal, but at least there was a good chance your car was faster than most police cruisers back in the day. Now, with Dodge building cop cars like this, we wouldn’t bet on any sort of luck in that regard. One Lap of America also keeps people from racing on the streets, trading that stuff in for timed runs on certified tracks. Dodge is a regular competitor in the event, and hopes to defend its title in the Truck/SUV class it won last year in a standard Durango
Origin: This police-spec Dodge Durango has been kitted out with a 797-hp ‘Redeye’ V8
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