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+++ The next AUDI A8 will hit back at the Mercedes S-Class and BMW 7 Series on the technology and efficiency fronts. The new A8 will use more aluminium in its construction than ever before, as well as components made out of magnesium and carbonfibre, but it’s still likely to gain a few kilos because of autonomous tech and a proposed hybrid powertrain. The new A8 is due to be revealed this summer, with sales starting by the autumn. The German brand’s flagship A8 has a history of lightweight construction, but engineers admit that responding to customer demands is likely to bring a small gain in kerbweight for the new version. The car’s bare metal construction is around 50 kg heavier than the structure of the existing A8. Three key factors are said to have caused the new Audi A8’s increase in mass. The first is the requirement for a full-length panoramic sunroof, because this demands extra bracing to avoid chassis flex. The second is the extra autonomous technology that will feature on the next A8; it’ll use 48-volt electrics to power an army of sensors, but the additional electronics and cameras will add extra bulk. The third factor is alternative powertrains; Audi will introduce at least a plug-in hybrid version of the A8, and the batteries for that vehicle bring a ‘double whammy’ in weight gain: the units themselves are hefty, but the amount of extra protection they require adds kilos to even the A8’s bare shell. To minimise the gain, Audi’s engineers are using more aluminium than ever before (the material accounts for 58 percent of the body) and introducing magnesium and carbonfibre. The magnesium is used in the front strut brace; a component that is 28 percent lighter than it would be if it were made out of aluminium. The carbonfibre component is what Audi calls the ‘carbon wall’: in effect, an angled, carbonfibre-reinforced plastic panel at the back of the passenger cell. Formed using ‘stripes’ of carbon weave and a process called resign transfer moulding, which can stamp the form the panel into shape in 5 minutes, the wall weighs just 2.6 kg: a saving of around 50 percent on a metal part. As well as the groundbreaking weight-saving tech, Audi’s upcoming replacement for its flagship luxury saloon is set to be one of the most high-tech cars ever put on the road. As it occupies top spot in Audi’s current range, it’s no surprise that the company puts its most advanced technology into the A8 first – and that’s why it’s set to be the first production car ever built with full ‘Level 3′ autonomous driving tech. That means the A8 will be able to completely take over control, allowing the driver to relax and take their eyes off the road. Revolutionary piloted driving tech has been confirmed for the A8. Long-range radar sensors, 12 ultrasonic sensors, laser scanners and hi-resolution video cameras will constantly monitor the car’s surroundings, with the system also able to guide a car safely through traffic jams at up to speeds of 50 km/h. Audi believes up to 90 per cent of all innovation in the automotive sector will come from electronics, with lighting playing a significant part. Matrix LED technology is still relatively new but Audi is already working to move the game on further. “We are working on the integration of organic LEDs”, said Ricky Hudi, Head of Electronics at Audi. He claims the advancement will enable “new forms of expression and differentiation”, with their main use expected to be in a car’s digital displays. Those displays will also be operated by gesture control. “We are already working on a new gesture control system as an advanced development,” said Hudi. In-car operations such as adjusting the temperate, answering incoming calls and switching between radio stations will move from button operation to gesture control. The A8 is a good car to introduce some of these technologies because it is always good to start with a premium offering”. The A8 is the first model using inspiration from the Prologue concept, penned by recently appointed design head Marc Lichte. +++

+++ Just when we thought that the C5 won’t make a comeback anytime soon, as it will be replaced by an SUV that adds the Aircross suffix, CITROEN are getting ready to give the Chinese customers a new model. Created especially for the Chinese market, the brand’s take on the family sedan segment will celebrate its world premiere next week, during the Shanghai Auto Show. Normally, the official announcement would have been accompanied by a teaser image, but Citroen have yet to provide one. Instead, they’re saying that the new model features an “elegant and prestigious styling outside and inside, with an emphasis on modernity and comfort”. The car’s front end will be dominated by the two-tier lights, including LED DRLs, and will be underlined by chrome trim, whereas at the other end, the redesigned taillights, with four modules on each side, come with LED technology, which translates into “an original and immediately recognizable light signature”, according to Citroen. The cabin will be dominated by a 12-inch digital instrument cluster with customizable settings, an 8-inch touchscreen display, and a broad and tall central console. Comfort and soundproofing have been improved, and the new C5 also benefits from a range of driver assistance systems that include blind spot monitoring, lane-keeping assistance, collision alert, and 360-degree camera view. +++

+++ JAGUAR has a lot of exciting models in its lineup: fresh wheels that offer tempting (even compelling) alternatives to the usual suspects from Germany and Japan. The XJ, however, is not one of them. And its future is uncertain. Introduced 7 years ago, the current XJ is the oldest model in the Jaguar lineup and (save for the soon-to-be-replaced Audi A8) in its segment as well. It’s also the company’s slowest sellers (and one of the most lethargic in its segment). That doesn’t leave Coventry with many reasons to keep it around, so it’ll either have to replace it or retire it soon enough. “We had a facelift with 2016, so it is approaching the end of its lifecycle”, a Jaguar spokesman said regarding the XJ. “We’re looking at, you know, future opportunities of where that could possibly go”. He would, however, neither confirm nor deny rumors on the prospect of its replacement. The automaker may find its energies would be better spent elsewhere, letting the XJ (long having served as its main sedan line) go the same way as the XK. Which is, to say, upstaged and outmoded by smaller stablemates. It wouldn’t be the only luxury automaker without a competitor in the segment, after all. While Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Maserati, and Lexus all vie for slices of that particular pie, neither Acura, Infiniti, nor Volvo bother with it. And Jaguar could soon switch from one category to the other. +++

+++ The new MERCEDES SL will be more practical and faster than its predecessser due to a 2+2 cabin and AMG engineering. Speaking at the New York motor show about the eighth-generation car, AMG boss Tobias Moers told a 2+2 layout “would make sense” because it would offer a “bit more space”. Development of the new 2-seat luxury roadster was handed to AMG last year as part of a plan by Mercedes-Benz’s incoming research and development boss, Ola Källenius, to provide the new SL with what’s been described as “a more sporting character” than the existing model. “It is being kept secret at the moment, but AMG is heading the engineering of the new SL”, a highly placed insider at Mercedes-Benz’s headquarters in Stuttgart told, adding: “It’s going to be a  vastly different proposition to today’s model”. Although photos of a development prototype from the Nürburgring show a heavily modified S-Class coupé, the final production version of the SL will get an all-new platform structure. Known internally as the MSA (Modularen Sportwagen Architektur), it is also planned to underpin the successor to today’s SLC.  The new platform, which supports scalable tracks and wheelbase, has been developed using various solutions from Mercedes-Benz MRA (modularen rear architektur), as used by the E-Class. As well as receiving a new platform, Mercedes-Benz has also taken the decision to ditch the SL’s folding aluminium roof. For the first time since the 5th generation model ceased production in 2001, the new model, codenamed R232, will flaunt a multi-layer fabric hood similar in construction to that used by the S-Class cabriolet. Among the engines planned to power the new SL is Mercedes-Benz’s new turbocharged 3.0-litre in-line six-cylinder petrol unit. In the new SL 300 is planned to deliver 370 hp, while added turbocharger boost pressure and other power enhancing measures will see it pumped up to 449 hp for use in the SL 400. Ranged above them will be the SL 500 running a specially tuned version of AMG’s 4.0-litre V8 with around 460 hp. Two AMG models are also planned: the SL 63 running a 500 hp-plus version of AMG’s twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 and the range-topping SL 65 with a twin-turbocharged 6.0-litre V12 producing 630 hp. A Mercedes-Benz spokesman said it was unlikely that Mercedes-AMG’s 43 range would be extended to the SL, given that the current SL 400 uses the same engine as the 43 range, with the same power output. Nevertheless, if 43 badging were given to the SL, it’d almost certainly use the engine found in the current SL 400, which is also in the 43-badged AMG line-up. The current SL has been around in facelifted format since late 2015, so the next-generation SL may still be at least 2 more years away if it follows the standard timeframe for model cycles. Currently, the SL 63 produces 585 hp, the same as the E 63 S because they use the same engine in the same state of tune. As such, it’s likely the entry-level AMG-tuned SL 63 will have the same power output as the E 63, details of which were recently leaked in a document. If that’s the case, the SL 63 could have 612 hp and 850 Nm of torque from a twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 engine. Both cars also weigh exactly the same (1.845 kg) in their current iterations and have a 0-100 km/h time of 4.1 seconds with the old 5.5-litre V8 fitted. The S 63 Cabriolet is faster to 100 km/h by 0.2sec and still uses the old engine, so it’s safe to assume that the SL’s engine will be in the same state of tune, and that when the S 63 adopts the smaller engine, it will be more powerful than the SL and E-Class AMG-badged cars. Meanwhile, AMG will continue to produce V12 engines, so it’s a safer bet that the flagship SL 65 will return once again. Another source said the SL was the next in line for development from Mercedes. +++

+++ PORSCHE is applying the finishing touches to its third-generation Cayenne for 2018. It’s the next chapter in the German marque’s short but important SUV history. The firm’s efforts in the 4×4 market have been controversial for fans of the brand, but have provided the sports car maker with vital cash flow. The smaller Macan is now Porsche’s biggest seller, but the Cayenne still represents a huge chunk of total sales. By the firm’s own count, just over 70,000 units were shifted in 2016, around 30 percent of Porsche’s total output. I expect Porsche to update the looks of its large SUV with design traits taken from the smaller Macan. A clamshell bonnet with embedded headlights should make its way onto the front end of the car, while at the back the LED tail-lights will be connected by a thin lighting strip running the width of the tailgate. Overall, though, the design will be evolutionary rather than a completely fresh start, and the silhouette of the SUV will remain largely unchanged. The next Cayenne will make use of the Volkswagen Group’s MLB Evo architecture, like other premium SUVs from the group, such as the Audi Q7 and Bentley Bentayga. It will also underpin the next Volkswagen Touareg and all-new Lamborghini Urus. The new platform is lighter than the one used on the current Cayenne, and if Porsche combines it with new, lightweight materials such as aluminium, it could shave up to 100 kg off the current car’s kerbweight, making it better to drive and improving fuel economy in the process. Unlike the exterior, changes in the cabin will be revolutionary. We can expect to see the digital dash and centre console design from the new Panamera feature in the Cayenne. High resolution displays, haptic feedback controls and improved connected services should all feature. Porsche will keep the Cayenne’s engine range much the same, sticking with six and eight-cylinder diesel and petrol units. They’ll be developments of the engines used in the current model, tweaked for more power and better economy. Again, the entry-level model will be a V6-powered Cayenne diesel. Flagship models are the Turbo and Turbo S. Both will offer class-leading performance. Hybrid technology will remain part of the SUV range, too, and we could see the 680 hp turbocharged powertrain from the new Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid make an appearance when the new Cayenne hits the road in 2018. +++

+++ The successor of the SKODA Yeti will not only get a new platform, design and technologies, but also a new name – Karoq. While nothing is official at this point, German media report that the new Skoda Karoq will be almost identical to the Seat Ateca, but will get Kodiaq-inspired styling, on a smaller scale. Leaving the weird name aside, which sounds almost the same as the Volkswagen T-Roc when pronounced, this is actually on par as a previous report that referred to the next generation Yeti as the Model Q (codename), stating that it will become larger, have many things in common with its Spanish cousin, and use the MQB architecture. Initially believed to debut sometime next year, it seems that the new Skoda Yeti/Karoq could actually be introduced this summer, and will be followed by 2 more SUVs: a budget one, based on the same underpinnings as the current Yeti and probably aimed at emerging markets, and the anticipated Kodiaq Coupe. +++

+++ A VOLKSWAGEN T-Roc R could be launched, marking the firm’s first high-performance SUV, according to the firm’s head of development, Frank Welsch. The T-Roc is a Golf-based SUV aimed at the booming, Qashqai-dominated SUV market and is set to be revealed this summer, ahead of going on sale in the autumn. It sits on the same underpinnings as the Audi Q2 and Seat Ateca, making the installation of the same powertrain family a relatively simple engineering exercise. “Yes, of course I could imagine more powerful engines and it has been prepared for the eventuality”, said Welsch. “I wouldn’t call it a GTI (an SUV isn’t a fitting car for that badge, perhaps) but I could imagine it as an R. “Our first job is to launch the standard car and see the reaction to it. If demand is there for a more powerful car, we can likely satisfy it. There is a great deal of potential in the car that we can unlock if customers want it”. The latest Golf R is powered by a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder engine making 310 hp and 400 Nm. It has a 0-100 km/h time of 4.6 seconds when equipped with a 7-speed DSG dualclutch automatic gearbox, although the T-Roc’s greater weight and less aerodynamic shape, as well as the likely retuning of its engine to suit its high-riding characteristics, will likely blunt those figures. The commonality of parts for cars using the MQB A platform on which the T-Roc sits also raises the prospect of the new SUV being sold in plug-in hybrid GTE form along with, potentially, a warm GTD set-up. However, the future of diesel engines in smaller cars remains up for debate as manufacturers weigh up the cost of meeting new emissions regulations for diesels against how much of a premium car buyers will be willing to pay. A pure-electric version of the T-Roc is unlikely, however, as VW is set to launch a bespoke family of electric models on its MEB platform from 2020. Welsch’s openness to branding a fast T-Roc as an R model rather than a GTI also signals a clear policy to reserve the latter badge for its famous hot hatches. Even so, the firm is looking to broaden the appeal of its GTI range, with the entry-level Up GTI set to launch early next year. As the SUV sector booms, car makers are looking to exploit sales niches while creating halo models that attract attention to a line-up as a whole while allowing them to exploit historically authentic performance brand names that set them apart from rivals. Nissan has toyed with limited-run GT-R-engined versions of its Juke SUV, and launched Nismo models, but VW’s decision to launch an R version of the T-Roc would signify a stepping up in the mainstream performance SUV stakes and be in line with the policy already signalled by stablemate Seat’s indications that it will launch Cupra versions of its SUVs. +++