+++ AUDI has laid the foundations for what one senior insider has described as the brand’s “most ambitious new model programme to date”. The plan, which will result in Audi introducing no less than 15 new or facelifted models between now and the end of 2018, will be led by new versions of the A8 and A7. Both cars will feature advanced technology and design cues that will influence other vehicles in the Audi range. The new model blitz is the core element in a broader strategy Audi’s chairman, Rupert Stadler, is banking on to help re-establish the company’s standing following the negative headlines and exodus of top-ranking officials in connection with the Dieselgate emissions scandal. The first model charged with helping Audi to extend its global new car sales beyond the record 1,871,350 established in 2016 is the company’s new flagship, the fourth-generation A8. Due to make its world debut in July, the luxury saloon showcases a fresh design lineage and introduces a range of new technologies, including a suite of autonomous driving functions that will filter down into other Audis, such as the new Q8 and fifth-generation A6, which are both due in 2018. Although Audi officials are keen to talk up the new A8, it’s the second-generation A7 (the first model to be designed wholly under Audi’s new design boss, Marc Lichte) that Ingolstadt sources suggest more successfully embodies the stylistic direction the company intends to pursue. Lichte, who rose to prominence at Volkswagen prior to succeeding Wolfgang Egger as Audi design boss in 2014, has planned 2 crucial steps in the design of Audi’s production models over the next 3 years. The first will focus around the new A7, which is due to be revealed at the 2017 Frankfurt motor show in September. The second step will be reflected on the fourth-generation A3, which is due to be revealed in 2019. With an exterior heavily inspired by that seen on the 2015 Audi Prologue concept, the new A7 dispenses with the familiar look of today’s model in favour of a more tightly drawn appearance. At the front end, it has a wider, shallower, eight-corner single-frame grille and distinctive trapezoidal headlamps with Audi’s LED Matrix lighting technology and a new design of graphics. The new A7 has tauter surfacing forms than its predecessor. Also set to feature on the upmarket four-door coupé-hatchback are new feature lines along the flanks. Audi sources suggest these will become a common element on all of the company’s upcoming models. New production techniques are claimed to allow Audi to achieve corner radii of 2.5mm on panel creases, compared to the 8.0mm achieved by its premium-brand competition. At the rear, the new A7 is set to have full-width tail-lights, which will also become a key design element on the upcoming A8 and Q8, as well as Audi’s first fully dedicated electric model, the E-tron SUV, which is due in 2018. The new-look tail-light is claimed to counterbalance a heavy tapering effect to the flanks towards the rear of the car, helping to accentuate the visual width of the new Audi by providing a greater focus on horizontal design elements. The A7, which will compete against the BMW 6 Series Gran Coupé, Mercedes-Benz CLS and Porsche Panamera, goes against the trend towards ever-greater dimensions in the class, with Audi insiders hinting at a 70 mm reduction in overall length from the current A7’s 4.970 mm. Despite that reduction in length, test prototypes of the new model clearly reveal that it will have a longer wheelbase and wider tracks, giving it both a more confident stance and, according to Audi, more interior space. The performance-orientated S7 derivative will boast a 30 mm-wider front track and more heavily flared front bumpers than the standard A7. The RS7 will look even more aggressive, with yet wider tracks and a more heavily structured wheel arch styling than today’s model. A further development confirmed by Audi insiders is a move toward larger wheel houses, which will allow Audi to offer wheels of up to 21in. If low-profile tyres are fitted, the next S7 and RS7 could possibly even accept 22 inch wheels. The interior of the new A7 departs even more radically from its predecessor. Modelled closely on that of the Prologue concept, it has three separate digital displays: one in front of the driver for the instruments, another high up on the dashboard handling the infotainment, and the third lower down on the centre console, controlling functions such as the airconditioning. The basis for the new A7 is the latest evolution of Audi’s MLB (Modular Longitudinal Architecture) platform, which also underpins the A4 and new A8 as well as the Q5, Q7 and upcoming Q8. As with the outgoing first-generation A7, a choice of either front or four-wheel drive will be offered. The engines set to power the new A7 and A8 include turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder and turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 direct-injection petrol units. The latter has been developed in partnership with Porsche and is already used in the A4 and A5. Those powerplants will be joined from the launch of the A8 by 2.0-litre four-cylinder and 3.0-litre V6 diesels. Also planned for the A7 and A8 is a newly developed plug-in hybrid (PHEV) drivetrain to be used in a pair of new e-tron models. This drivetrain combines the turbocharged 2.0-litre direct-injection petrol engine with an electric motor powered by a lithium ion battery pack. The latter is housed under the boot floor in both cars. The hybrid system is claimed to offer a overall power output of 252 hp, together with an electric-only range of up to 50 kilometers. +++
+++ U.S. BMW dealerships are calling to have more 5-Series models delivered on the back of high demand for the new model. According to the head of BMW Group Region Americas, Ludwig Willisch, there were just 200 unsold examples of the new 5-Series in dealerships this week despite approximately 2,000 being pre-ordered by customers. “So it’s a scarce species. Was it really expected to be that low? I don’t think so, but it’s one of the nicer problems to have”, he said. The executive vice president of operations for Sonic Automotive, which operates 15 BMW stores in the U.S., Jeff Dyke, said that they only have a 15-day supply of the new 5-Series and that they “need more”. According to Automotive News, a number of members from various forums have discussed the shortage with BMW executives. The German firm has said that it is monitoring the situation but remaining wary of not oversupplying dealers with the model. If it were to do so, incentives and discounts would have to be applied to shift units. As it stands, BMW is looking to rid dealers of the previous-generation 5-Series as quickly as possible. In January, average incentives on the model reached to $11,005, but fell to $6,284 in March. +++
+++ Muscle cars and pick-ups extend the General Motors – Ford rivalries to CHINA. The Mustang and Camaro will help Detroit automakers take advantage of China’s growing interest in American muscle. Automotive brand rivalries long familiar to Americans are now heading to the world’s largest automotive market. The Chevrolet Camaro has been sold in China for 6 years, though it has faced direct competition since 2015 when the Ford Mustang arrived. The pony cars are viewed as the first steps in a broader product strategy that hopes to emulate American tastes. “We’re seeing the beginning of a muscle car culture here”, says IHS Market analyst James Chai, as quoted in an Automotive News report highlighting the strategies. “Something that is uniquely American appeals to the Chinese consumer”. With a few years of muscle car sales to test the waters, Ford is now launching the F-150 Raptor in China. The high-performance pickup is likely aimed at the same type of customer, sharing branding elements with high-performance cars and paving the way for the more traditional pickups. Ford’s F-150 has long held the sales crown at home, but China presents a fresh battleground. General Motors is wasting no time getting in on the action, with plans to launch the Silverado and Colorado before the end of this year. Ford will follow into the midsize segment next year with the Ranger. “Chevrolet’s got an amazing history, a 100-year-old brand that’s been here for only a decade, that people don’t even know about”, says Chevrolet brand chief Alan Batey. “But they are fascinated by it”. Chinese buyers are more familiar with Buick, GM’s largest volume brand in the country. Muscle cars and pickups could help General Motors bolster Chevrolet brand sales after several years of declines. +++
+++ FORD will soon be selling more Ecoboost three-cylinder engines in Europe than any other format, once the new 1.5-litre version, launched in 200 hp form on the new Fiesta ST, spreads through its range. Ford’s Europe product development chief, Joe Bakaj, has hinted that the engine will go as far up the range as the Mondeo, for which the existing 1.0-litre engine is already used. Although it has been expanded once already, the Ecoboost triple is unlikely to get any bigger, said Bakaj. “A capacity of 500cc per cylinder is about right for thermal efficiency”, he said. “Besides, we don’t need cars to get more powerful. We need them to get lighter”. Ford is also about to start selling its new generation of multi-speed automatic transmissions, developed with General Motors, in Europe. The gearboxes will be used first in the updated Ford Mustang but are coming in the wider range. The new gearboxes will work especially well in downsized turbocharged engines, Bakaj said. Whereas on step-off a dual-clutch gearbox must depend initially on the nonturbo low-end torque of the engine, the torque converter of the new Ford-General Motors multispeed gearboxes provides better assistance. +++
+++ Some 2 years after production of the JAGUAR XE began, following its world debut at the 2014 Paris Auto Show, the automaker has been spotted testing a mysterious prototype. Scooped on the Nürburgring, the XE can be seen wearing bits of light camouflage on its front end, side skirts, and rear, but no major changes seem to have been operated, as it retains the same lighting units, grille, and other parts. If it’s not a development prototype for an upcoming facelift, it could be another sports edition or an optional sport package. Meanwhile, the British marque is apparently looking into expanding their XE lineup by launching a highly potent model that could add the SVR suffix. Expected to challenge the likes of the BMW M3 and Mercedes-AMG C63, among others, it should use the 5.0-liter supercharged engine from the F-Type SVR, where it pushes 575 hp and 700 Nm of torque to the wheels, through an 8-speed automatic gearbox. In the Jaguar XE SVR, the V8 could be detuned to around 500 hp. Besides the strong engine, the super saloon will also benefit from updated dynamics, and an aggressive styling, which will not only set it apart from the usual lineup, but will also improve its aerodynamic. +++
+++ LAND ROVER ’s Range Rover will be updated next year with new cabin infotainment borrowed from the upcoming Range Rover Velar. As shown by a development car seen testing with an undisguised interior, the Range Rover will get a larger, dual-touchscreen area in its centre console; a design clearly inspired by the Velar’s system. The Velar has 2 configurable 10 inch touchscreens for its Touch Pro Duo infotainment system, reducing switchgear to an absolute minimum. The second screen is below the main infotainment screen, ahead of the gear selector, and controls systems including the airconditioning and Terrain Response. This tech-focused design philosophy will be rolled out in the updated Range Rover, although it’s not yet clear if the screen dimensions will remain the same. Given the Range Rover’s higher price point, it could get slightly larger units. As in the Velar, the touchscreens expand around the controls for the Range Rover’s climate control, removing several buttons from the dashboard. Aided by the latest semi-autonomous driving technology, the added infotainment tech from the Velar, the Range Rover will remain the most advanced Land Rover model, at least until the next-generation Defender arrives. The spotted test car has a fully camouflaged exterior, showing that design tweaks could be applied. The heavy covering on the Rang Rover’s headlights suggest that they will get new internals, likely the newer technology used on the Velar. The current Range Rover was only updated late last year when it gained a new supercharged V6 engine. For this reason, no changes to the engine range are expected with this update, meaning it’ll retain the turbocharged and supercharged 3.0-litre V6 diesels, a supercharged 4.4-litre V8 petrol and the range-topping supercharged 5.0-litre V8. +++
+++ An official range calculator for the OPEL Ampera-e shows range slashed by 64 percent when driving in sub-zero temperatures with the heater on. The Opel Ampera-e’s driving range could vary by nearly 400 kilometers depending on driving conditions and other factors, according to an official range calculator. The finding raises concerns over cold-weather performance for the vehicle. Opel’s website features a dynamic range calculation tool that allows potential buyers to evaluate estimates based on expected average speed, ambient temperature and whether the heating and air conditioner are active. All electric vehicles are prone to significant range degradation in cold weather, but Push EVs noticed the losses appear to be particularly extreme for the Ampera-e. If the driver is traveling slowly with the cabin heater enabled and it is -4 degrees Fahrenheit outside, they should not expect to cruise for more than 165 kilometers before the battery is depleted; a 57 percent drop from its standard range estimate. Taken to the extreme, it is a 70 percent reduction from the peak 520 kilometers range for a low-speed run at 68 Fahrenheit without the heater or airconditioning running. The tool is based on the Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicle Testing Procedure, promoted as a more realistic method than the New European Driving Cycle. Opel expects the Ampera-e to have a WLTP combined range of 380 kilometers. Tesla also offers a dynamic range calculator for its current production vehicles. The Model S with a 75 kWh battery is expected to have its lowest range of 290 kilometers at 70 mph with the heat on at 0 degrees F, a 26 percent drop from its 400 kilometers EPA range estimate. To be clear, Tesla is presumably not using the WTLP cycle and employs different speed and temperature ranges for its calculator. With conflicting test cycles, it is impossible to conclude definitively that the Bolt is any worse than other Electric Vehicles (EVs). The information does serve as a reminder that interior climate-control settings can be a potentially critical oversight when driving EVs near their range limits in extreme temperature conditions. If an Ampera-e driver is making a long-haul trip in sub-zero temperatures, simply leaving the heater off adds nearly 290 kilometers of range. +++
+++ A Model X owner sues TESLA over the falcon doors after a fiery crash. The rear-seat occupants claim to have barely escaped by scrambling out the front doors before the crossover caught fire after a highway accident. A Model X owner in China has sued Tesla over a crash that caused panic for rear-seat passengers when the vehicle’s infamous falcon wing doors allegedly failed to open before its battery pack caught fire. Lee Tada claims to have been riding in the back seat with another passenger when her chauffeur struck a concrete barrier at less than 80 km/h. The Model X then spun and was struck head-on by a Ford Focus traveling the same direction. The falcon-wing doors allegedly failed to open for the rear-seat occupants, requiring them to scramble to the front row and exit the vehicle before its battery pack caught fire. There is an emergency release latch for the roof-hinged doors, though it is designed for first responders and hidden behind the speaker cover in the lower corner of each door. Tada says she received several injuries, including a broken nose and a laceration to her lower lip, as shown in the graphic video embedded below. Her driver was allegedly hospitalized for more than a month with more serious injuries. The lawsuit seeks the equivalent of around 1 million dollar. Tesla has already fired back, however, arguing that traffic police place responsibility on the driver. The company’s VP of the Asia-Pacific region, Robin Ren, describes the lawsuit as a “blackmail” attempt because the insurance company refused to compensate the owner. Lithium-ion batteries are prone to thermal runaway when damaged, leading to particularly violent catastrophic fires in some cases. First responders are trained to use defensive tactics in most cases if an EV’s battery catches fire and the occupants have already been extracted, allowing the fire to “burn itself out”. Videos of such incidents tend to attract more attention than other car fires, prompting Tesla to regularly defend the safety record of its vehicles. “The distribution of the debris at the site and the damage all indicate that this was a high-speed crash, in this case, not just electric cars, but any vehicle can catch on fire”, the company reiterated in a statement related to the China lawsuit. “In fact, another car involved in the accident (a fuel-powered vehicle) also caught on fire. Fuel tank fire incidents happen much more often than the electric car fires”. +++
+++ UBER is hoping to break its streak of bad news by announcing plans to launch its much-hyped flying taxi service in 2020. The ride-hailing giant has teamed up with the cities of Dallas-Fort Worth and Dubai to begin the new initiative. The Verge reports Uber will also be working with Hilwood Properties to identity potential heliports, dubbed ‘vertiports’ in Uber speak, for the service in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. The company has partnered with 5 different manufacturers to design and develop vertical takeoff and landing aircrafts which are lightweight and electrically powered. Before you decide to write the idea off, there are some big names involved including Bell Helicopters and Embraer. Unlike traditional flights, the service promises to be relatively affordable as Uber Chief Product Officer Jeff Holden told the company can get costs down to “$1.32 per passenger mile” in early operations. That makes the service slightly more expensive than UberX but he believes prices will drop in the long term. If everything goes according to plan, Uber could be conducting passenger flights at the World Expo 2020 in Dubai. +++
+++ Google’s WAYMO is getting an additional 500 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans for its well-known autonomous driving program. The new batch of Pacificas will join the original 100 examples delivered by Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), with Waymo outfitting them with its self-driving technology. Together with the expansion of its test fleet, Waymo also announced that selected Phoenix residents will get the opportunity to experience an autonomous Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid through their newly launched early rider program. “The Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivan is a versatile vehicle for our early rider program, which will give people access to our self-driving fleet to use every day, at any time”, said John Krafcik, CEO of Waymo. “This collaboration is helping both companies learn how to bring self-driving cars to market, and realize the safety and mobility benefits of this technology. The collaboration between FCA and Waymo has been advantageous for both companies as we continue to work together to fully understand the steps needed to bring self-driving vehicles to market”, said Sergio Marchionne, CEO of FCA. “The addition of 500 Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid minivans is a further acknowledgement of the hard work put forth by both engineering teams”. +++