+++ It’s been known for a while that CADILLAC is developing a large crossover SUV with third-row seats. The last we heard, the vehicle will be based on the longest version of General Motors’ C1XX platform which is already found in the latest versions of the Chevrolet Traverse and Buick Enclave. Now we have an idea of what Cadillac’s 3-row crossover will be called, and when we might see it. The vehicle will be called an XT6 and arrive around mid-2019. It will target other mid-size luxury crossovers with third-row seats such as the Audi Q7, Land Rover Discovery and Volvo XC90. Lexus is also set to join the fray with a 3-row RX 450h L. With Cadillac’s Escalade already offering a third row, you might be wondering why Cadillac needs another vehicle capable of carrying 7 or more passengers. The need is to fill the wide gap between the XT5 which starts at roughly $40k and the Escalade whose starting price is in the $70k range. The Escalade can also be a bit too big and brash for some. It also misses out on the car-like demeanor of a crossover. Cadillac will add XT4, XT3 and XT2 crossovers positioned below the XT5. Right now I only have confirmation of an XT4 due in 2018 to challenge the Audi Q3, BMW X1 and Mercedes-Benz GLA. +++
+++ Mercedes parent DAIMLER AG is investing in a Chinese self-driving startup, in another instance of a Western auto maker seeking out a Chinese partner to get a foothold in a challenging market. The Stuttgart, Germany-based automotive giant made its first ever investment in a Chinese startup this week, taking part in a $46 million funding round for Momenta, a Beijing-based firm providing road sensors and high definition mapping software. Other investors in Momenta include NIO, an electric-vehicle maker backed by Tencent Holdings that has pledged to sell fully autonomous cars in the U.S. in 2020. Daimler declined to comment. It joins peers such as Hyundai in aligning with Chinese firms as the race to develop an autonomous vehicle revs up. Western auto makers face high hurdles entering China because the country considers the kind of mapping needed to make self-driving cars work a national security issue and limits it to domestic companies. Foreign software and car companies also could face difficulty gaining approval to conduct test drives in the country, The Wall Street Journal recently reported. China has made self driving cars part of its national agenda, setting autonomous vehicle targets and creating sandboxes to test such technology, as Beijing makes a big push to dominate the world’s artificial intelligence industry by 2030. In a plan unveiled by the State Council on July 20, China pledged to invest and groom technologies from autonomous driving to computer vision for use in sectors such as national security and manufacturing. By 2030, China forecasts its core AI industries to be worth 1 trillion yuan ($148 billion). China differs from the U.S. in regulations, environment and domestic protection, and startups in the Asian nation are attractive to foreign investors, said Jackie Yang, a managing director at venture-capital firm TransLink Capital. “The local startups have either developed a technology and product that addresses the China market better or have a better price-performance equation”, he said. Venture capital is pouring into the sector. Beijing-based TuSimple, one of the three Chinese startups to receive an autonomous vehicle test permit from California in the last two months, also expects to announce in the next month that it has raised $20 million from investors, according to people familiar with the company. +++
+++ ELECTRIC vehicle charging provider Chargemaster believes electric and plug-in electric cars are all set to boom in the UK. Already, more than 100,000 are in use on British roads and the total should ease over the 1 million mark by 2022. If its predictions come true, it would represent phenomenal growth for electric cars: back in 2012, fewer than 2,000 EVs were in use in the UK. Chief Executive David Martell is nevertheless confident because of the “tremendous growth in the uptake of electric cars over the past 5 years”. Indeed, even 1 million EVs might be a conservative estimate, believes Martell. Electric cars have “become more competitive in terms of costs, and more practical in terms of range. We expect the UK electric vehicle parc to rise to more than one million by the middle of 2022, but it could grow to as much as 1.4 million”. All it would take is a modest increase in the adoption of electric cars: Chargemaster’s figures are based on EVs taking 7 percent of new car sales. New cars arriving in the next 5 years should drive this: “A significant number of new models will have a range of more than 320 kilometers, with a lower purchase price than earlier vehicles”. Potential game-changers on the way include cars such as the next-generation Nissan Leaf and the much-anticipated Tesla Model 3. The 100,000th electric car sold in Britain was registered in May. Last week, a new Electric Vehicle Experience Centre was opened in Milton Keynes. Britain’s first all-electric car showroom, it’s already being dubbed an Apple Store for EVs. +++
+++ FORD ’s been playing the slow-drip game with information about the refreshed 2018 Mustang, but on Monday it finally revealed the tidbits enthusiasts truly care about: power and performance figures. The big news is output of the GT model with the revised 5.0-liter V8 is now up to 460 horsepower and 560 Nm of torque. As previously mentioned, it’s available with a new 10-speed automatic transmission. Of course, those who prefer to shift can still opt for a 6-speed manual to row their own as God intended. While quiet on the new redline, an image shows the new Mustang GT should rev to a lovely 7,500 rpm. Ford claims that when equipped with the new 10-speed automatic transmission the GT can run a 0-60 mph (96 km/h) sprint in under 4 seconds by utilizing a new Drag Strip mode. The Blue Oval is quick to point out that this achievement means the Mustang GT is now quicker than a Porsche 911 Carrera. Of course, several less expensive cars are quicker than the not-so-cheap Porsche 911 Carrera, including the Chevrolet Camaro SS and Corvette, and the Dodge Hellcats. The new Drag Strip mode is said to deliver “peak engine torque and horsepower straight through” the run when using the 10-speed automatic transmission. How, you might ask? Ford only says engine torque doesn’t drop when shifting. Whether that means it uses magic beans or not, we’ll have to reach our own conclusions, but we’ll find out and report back when more information becomes available. The new Mustang GT will also be available with “custom-designed” Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S when buyers choose the Performance package. EcoBoost-powered 2018 Mustangs get a power bump, too. They now have 310 horsepower and 465 Nm of torque. That represents an increase of 33 Nm in the torque department while horsepower remains steady. Opting for the 4-cylinder Mustang won’t put you in a penalty box, as Ford claims a 0-60 mph sprint of under 5 seconds. And let’s not forget that Ford already told us the new turbo-4 Mustang will have line-lock. Stay tuned for more information regarding the 2018 Ford Mustang as we near its launch later this fall. +++
+++ Fiat Chrysler Automobiles says JEEP is on target despite a steep sales drop in the first half of the year. Jeep head Mike Manley expects sales to rebound later this year and through 2018 as the brand launches new products. Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is apparently not concerned that Jeep sales are off to a rough start in 2017. Sales fell by 13 percent in the first half of the year, shedding nearly 60,000 units compared to the same period in 2016. The falloff is particularly extreme in light of the broader surge in demand for SUVs. “If you look underneath the numbers, we’re doing exactly what we said”, Jeep brand head Mike Manley told. The executive expects sales to rebound later this year and through the end of 2018 as Jeep launches new models and significant updates. The redesigned Compass is the first important model to revitalize Jeep sales. The revamped compact SUV is positioned as a replacement for both the Compass and Patriot, which together accounted for around 55,000 lost sales in the first half of the year. The outgoing Compass and Patriot were not exactly shining stars in the Jeep family. Many were consequently pushed via fleet sales, but FCA promises the new Compass is aimed squarely at retail customers. “This is an investment in the future of the brand, and that to me is the most important thing”, Manley said. Jeep is also preparing to introduce a redesigned Wrangler, updating the iconic off-roader late in the 2019 model year, while a Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer are expected to arrive in 2020 or later. +++
+++ MERCEDES has confirmed a shift in its motorsport program that sees the German brand ditch the DTM touring car series in favour of Formula E starting in 2019. Having been involved in Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters, or DTM, and its predecessor series since its inception in 1988, Mercedes has won 183 races, along with 10 drivers’, 13 team and six manufacturer titles from 26 seasons. However, with the path to the electric future all but certain for road cars, the move into Formula E is a logical one. “Our departure from the DTM brings a long-standing motorsport era to a close. We look back with pride on the commitment of our teams, drivers, partners and the many people behind the scenes, who so often made the series a fascinating platform for our customers and for fans of our brand, it is now time to start on a new path”, Mercedes-Benz Cars vice president of marketing, Jens Thiemer said. With the likes of Jaguar already in and BMW and Audi also confirming their entry into the all-electric series, Mercedes-Benz joins at a time when it has won the last three constructor and driver’s championships in Formula One and is looking to find more road-car relevance in its motorsport programs – especially with the company set to market future battery-powered electric vehicles using the EQ label. “Formula E is a significant step in order to demonstrate the performance of our attractive battery powered electric vehicles, as well as giving an emotional spin to our EQ technology brand through motorsport and marketing,” Thiemer said. The German brand’s head of motorsport, Toto Wolff, says the combination of Formula 1 and Formula E is the best of both worlds for the manufacturer, going forward, with the latter a “brand new form of racing that reflects a rapidly changing automotive landscape. In motorsport like in every other area, we want to be the benchmark in the premium segment and to explore innovative new projects. The combination of Formula 1 and Formula E delivers that. Formula E is like an exciting start-up venture”, Wolf said. With Formula One more than likely to maintain its current hybrid engine formula of a V6 with battery assistance for the 2021 season (when the current specifications expire and the FIA had a chance to change the current engine specifications) it appears the pinnacle of motorsport will stay with internal combustion engines for another decade whilst electrification takes a larger market share of road cars. “Electrification is happening in the road car world and Formula E offers manufacturers an interesting platform to bring this technology to a new audience, and to do so with a completely new kind of racing, different to any other series”. Unlike Formula One, which starts its season with the Melbourne GP, Formula E currently has no races for Australia, with the European and North American centric series set for expansion in the coming years. +++
+++ Jaguar Land Rover UK managing director Jeremy Hicks has revealed the new RANGE ROVER Velar already has a full order bank for the first 3 months of production, before anyone had even seen or driven the new model at a dealer. British dealers are now receiving their first stocks of new Velar ahead of deliveries officially beginning in September, but if you order one now, it’s almost certain you won’t be taking delivery before 2018. The new 5-seat Velar mid-size SUV is a new model for Range Rover. The car is its 4th model, joining Range Rovers Evoque and Sport plus the Range Rover pinnacle. It sits between the smash-hit Evoque and the premium-priced Range Rover Sport; Land Rover says that for some buyers, the Evoque is too cheap and the Sport is too dear. It’s hoping the Velar will prove just right. Hicks told us sales are likely to be strong: the firm currently isn’t making estimates, but “somewhere below Evoque and above Sport would work nicely for us”. In a full year, the Evoque sells around 20,000 units in the UK, and the Sport sells around 13,000 units. So, around 15,000 Velar in Britain per year? Hicks was saying nothing. The firm has been careful to make sure the Velar grows its sales base, rather than cannibalising it, explained Hicks. This is why it has a more car-like feel than the Sport, why its cabin is so much more premium than the Evoque. And initial research suggests it’s been successful: of the early orders, 2 in 3 of them are new to the Land Rover brand, “and only 5 percent of them are Range Rover Sport owners”. Prices for the Velar start at £44,830 in the UK, but Hicks says that really is just the starting point. Early orders suggest transaction prices approaching £60,000 will be commonplace for the Velar; that’s why Land Rover has launched an ultra-exclusive First Edition, to be sold only in the first year of production. Price? Yours from a cool £83,350. +++
+++ TESLA is retiring its cheapest Model S to widen the gap above the Model 3. Both the Model S and Model X will apparently be available only in dual-motor AWD configurations. Tesla is planning to quietly trim its Model S range once again to widen the gap between the luxury EV and its mass-market sibling, the forthcoming Model 3. The entry-level Model S 75 will soon be retired, the company has confirmed in a statement. The package is currently the cheapest Model S. The Model S 75 is also the only vehicle in Tesla’s standard production lineup available with a rear-wheel-drive system. Eliminating the offering suggests the company is moving to the dual-motor 75D as its entry-level Model S and making AWD standard across the board for the Model S and Model X. The Model 3 will arrive on the market as a rear-wheel-drive sedan. It will eventually be available with dual-motor all-wheel drive, but not until Tesla has successfully ramped up production for the simpler RWD edition. Buyers still have a chance to purchase the Model S 75. A final retirement date has not been announced. +++