+++ The second-generation AUDI A7 Sportback has been unveiled ahead of its public debut at the Los Angeles motor show in November. Sporting a sharp new exterior design, the luxury liftback is due to reach showrooms during the first quarter of 2018. It comes with a 48V electric system, new engines with mild-hybrid properties for added fuel savings, as well as a steel and aluminium body structure. The BMW 6 Series Gran Turismo and Mercedes-Benz CLS rival gets a reworked chassis featuring four-wheel steering and a raft of digital interior functions as part of the engineering overhaul. Along with the latest A8, the new A7 Sportback represents somewhat of a new start for Audi, following the fallout from parent company Volkswagen’s Dieselgate scandal. Initially approved for production by Audi boss Rupert Stadler in 2014, the A7 Sportback has been developed under three research and development chiefs: Ulrich Hackenberg, Stefan Knirsch and Peter Mertens. Audi says the A7 Sportback has been refined to offer outstanding long-distance-cruise traits, and also says its reveamped interior will boost its appeal. And with just one model planned for production from the outset, it also appears Audi is taking steps to ensure top-notch quality during the initial build phase. Stylistically, the new A7 Sportback continues the theme established with the first-generation model in 2010, but with tauter surfacing and crisper forms. The 5-door layout remains; the cabin doors are once again frameless, while the large tailgate hinges from above the rear window to provide unimpeded access to the luggage compartment. The front end is dominated by the latest evolution of Audi’s single-frame grille, as seen on the recent A8. It is set within a heavily structured front bumper and is bookmarked by angular headlights sporting distinctive LED graphics in one of three designs, which taper back within the leading part of the front wings. Further back, there are pronounced front wheel arches, a relative shallow 6-window glasshouse, heavy swage lines within the lower sections of the doors and a roofline that slopes heavily towards the rear; all in keeping with the original A7. At the rear, Audi has provided its latest model with an active spoiler element. Integrated into the trailing edge of the tailgate, it deploys at speeds above 120 km/h to increase downforce on the rear axle for added high-speed stability. The most dominant styling feature is the full width tail-lights treatment: each tail-light receives 13 individual elements, joined by an illuminated light bar that stretches across the rear of the boot lid. Audi will offer the new A7 Sportback with an optional S line styling package from the outset of European sales. It features a high-gloss-black treatment on the grille insert, front air ducts, sills and rear diffuser. At 4.969 mm in length, 1.908 mm in width and 1.422 mm in height, the new Audi is 14 mm shorter, 3 mm wider and 2 mm higher than the first-generation A7 Sportback. Based around the latest evolution of Audi’s MLB platform, it also adopts a wheelbase that is 13 mm longer than its predecessor at 2.923 mm, providing it with a larger footprint that will be shared with the new A6 due in 2018. The interior of the A7 follows the lead of the latest A8. There is a 12.3in digital instrument display, combined with a 10.1 inch Multi-Media Infotainment display integrated within the centre of the dashboard facia and an 8.6 inch display unit mounted lower down at the base of the centre console; both offering standard touch control, with haptic and acoustic feedback qualities. The adoption of touch-sensitive displays for all the major functions provides the dashboard with a clean and uncluttered look devoid of traditional manual controls. The stubby gearlever, meanwhile, is designed to allow the driver to rest their wrist on the horizontal handle to ease the touch operation of the airconditioning and other functions, accorrding to Audi. Up front, new seats are claimed to offer added levels of comfort, with buyers able to specify multi-adjustable, customised contour seats with both ventilation and massage functions. The rear can be configured with two individual seats or a two-plus-one layout. Despite the 14 mm reduction in the length of the exterior, Audi claims improvements in packaging have liberated an added 21 mm of length within the interior and, with it, increased rear leg room. The 535-litre boot capacity of the original A7 Sportback has been retained, although Audi says the luggage compartment has been redesigned for improved utilisation of space. The rear liftback is manually operated, although buyers can choose an optional foot-operated sensor. Options include Matrix LED headlamps with laser projector units, a head-up display unit, voice control, four sound systems including a Bang & Olufsen unit offering 3D surround-sound, remote parking pilot and, from 2018 onwards, remote garage pilot. The remote garage pilot autonomously manoeuvres the A7 Sportback into and out of parking spaces or a garage without the need for a driver to be behind the steering wheel. That technology is among a number of autonomous driving functions. The new A7 Sportback can feature up to 5 radar sensors, 5 cameras, 12 ultrasonic sensors and a laser scanner. They are networked by a so-called zFas central driver assistance controller. In total, the new car features 39 driver assistant systems, both as standard and optional. The second-generation A7 Sportback will be launched with just a single engine, although others, including both four and six-cylinder petrol and diesel units, are planned to be added to the line-up as production of the four-door ramps up at Audi’s plant in Neckarsulm, Germany. The turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 petrol unit comes as standard with a new belt drive alternator, lithium/ion battery and 48V electric architecture to provide it with mild hybrid properties. At speeds between 50 km/h and 160 km/h, the car can coast with the combustion process idled for added fuel savings on extended periods of trailing throttle. It also uses a stop/start function that shuts down the engine below 25 km/h as you roll up to traffic lights. In combination with a front camera, the engine is then restarted as soon as the car ahead begins to move or, alternatively, when the driver activates the throttle. The successor to the earlier supercharged 3.0-litres V6 offered in the first-generation A7 Sportback produces 340 hp and 500 Nm of torque. Drive is channeled through a standard 7-speed S-tronic dual-clutch gearbox and the latest iteration of Audi’s quattro fourwheel-drive system that only activates the rear wheels when it detects added traction is required. The new engine provides the initial A7 55 TFSI model with a claimed 0-100 km/h time of 5.3 seconds and electronically limited top speed of 250 km/h, with emissions put at 154 gram/km respectively. Audi is already talking up the dynamic qualities of the new A7 Sportback, which follows the trend towards the adoption of four-wheel steering, or dynamic-all-wheel-steering, as Audi prefers to call it. At speeds below 50 km/h, the rear wheels steer in the opposite direction to those at the front in a bid to imbue the new Audi with added low-speed manoeuvrability and a claimed 1.1 meter reduction in the turning circle compared with its predecessor. Above 50 km/h, the rear wheels steer in the same direction as those at the front, which Audi says contributes to increased straight-line stability and improves high-speed lane-change properties. In other changes, Audi says the suspension has been developed from scratch and claims it offers greater levels of feedback. Buyers can choose between four set-ups: conventional steel springs, a sport suspension that lowers the ride height by 10 mm, electronically controlled damping and a self-leveling air suspension. +++
+++ GENERAL MOTORS recorded a loss of 2.6 billion euro in the third quarter of this year, due to costs related to the sale of the Opel and Vauxhall brands. The American firm recently completed the sale of its European operations to the PSA Group in a deal worth around 2.2 billion euro. However, the cash it received from that sale was offset by costs relating to the deal, including charges relating to pensions and contract cancellations. While GM had warned investors of a special one-time charge of costs relating to the sale, the final figure of 4.7 billion euro was slightly larger than anticipated and only partially offset by the income of the firms. The sell-off of Opel and Vauxhall is part of a wider series of moves by GM to withdraw from unprofitable markets. It has also announced it will stop selling vehicles in India and sell its South African operations to Isuzu. GM’s revenue in the third quarter of the year (running from July to September) totalled 29 billion euro. That was down 13.5 percent year on year but was higher than had been expected, prompting the firm’s share price to rise after the announcement. The firm’s third-quarter earnings report also highlights the growing importance of China to car makers. GM brands delivered 982,311 vehicles in the country in that period, an increase of 12.3 percent year on year. +++
+++ HONDA will introduce a number of new electric concept cars over the next few years, the brand’s design boss Makoto Iwaki has told. The EVs (Electric Vehicles) will preview future models, with various iterations on the way. The news follows the unveiling of the new Honda Sports EV concept at this week’s Tokyo Motor Show. The electric coupe previews how an electric Honda sports car could look, but the Japanese brand has not given a firm commitment to when a production model will launch. Regardless, it will be joined by more EV concept cars, as Iwaki-san told: “I cannot tell you the exact timing but there will be more EV concepts”. Honda’s first EV will launch in Europe in 2019 and be based on the Urban EV supermini concept that debuted at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. Iwaki-san told us that his team’s aim is to try and get the concept into production without many design changes.
“I try to transfer that design 100 percent but some details will look different”, Iwaki-san said. “It’s difficult to accurately say how the details will change. But body size will be almost exactly the same as the concept and we will make the front face friendly so people feel attached. The headlamps design will make that expression; this is a simple design; we try to keep simplicity”. Honda doesn’t currently sell any pure-EVs in Europe, though a hybrid version of the forthcoming CR-V is due in 2018. +++
+++ LEXUS president Yoshihiro Sawa has refused to rule out launching a spiritual successor to the LFA supercar but says that, for now, such a project remains “just a dream”. Production of the LFA was limited to 500 units and the model went off sale in 2012. Powered by a 4.8-litre 560 hp V10, it covered 0-100 km/h in 3.6 seconds and hit a top speed of 325 km/h. While it remains a supercar icon, with its reputation and used asking prices on the increase, Lexus insiders have previously suggested that cars such as the striking LC coupé do more to change perceptions of the brand by being more affordable for aspirational buyers. “I really want to do an LFA successor, and it is important to have dreams, but for now it is a very complicated situation”, said Sawa. “It’s a very difficult question to answer as I would like to do it, but we have other priorities for now”. These priorities will include bringing two SUVs to production: the UX as a rival to the Audi Q3, BMW X1 and Mercedes-Benz GLA, and a 7-seat version of the RX to rival the Range Rover Sport for versatility and luxury. +++
+++ MAZDA will bring back its famed rotary engine as a range extender because it is “much, much quieter” than the alternatives, according to the car maker’s engine boss Mitsuo Hitomi. The Japanese firm’s range hasn’t featured a rotary-engined road car since the RX-8 went out of production in 2012 but is known to have been interested in reintroducing the technology. Mazda’s RX-Vision Concept, which was shown at the Tokyo motor show in 2015, used such a powertrain. However, Hitomi has now confirmed that, rather than being used in its purest form, a rotary engine will appear in a range extender version of its first electric vehicle due in 2019. When asked at the Tokyo motor show if Mazda was developing a standalone rotary engine, Hitomi said: “Even if there isn’t a plan to have it in an actual product, of course we are developing a rotary engine alone”. He strongly hinted that a rotary engine-powered model is likely to exist alongside the range extender in the future. Asked why Mazda will use a rotary engine as a range extender, Hitomi said “the rotary engine isn’t particularly efficient to use as a range extender but when we turn on a rotary, it is much, much quieter compared to other manufacturers’ range-extenders”, which is seemingly suited to the near silence of electric cars. Mazda’s recent engine focus has been on the development of compression ignition Skyactiv-X petrol engines, which the firm believes can be as clean as an electric powertrain over a car’s whole lifespan. It has also been working on electrified versions of that powertrain. Mazda’s first rotary-engined car was the Cosmo grand tourer, which was shown at the Tokyo motor show in 1963 and went into production in 1967. The company developed a Wankel rotary engine with the help of a German firm called NSU. Rotary engines, which use rotors instead of pistons, are generally smaller and lighter than traditional petrol engines, without any loss of power. Since the RX-8 ended production, the firm’s only machines to feature a rotary engine have been the race cars in the American Pro Mazda junior single-seater series. +++
+++ NISSAN has confirmed it will enter Formula E from the 2018-19 season onwards, joining a growing list of major manufactures committing to the all-electric single seater racing series. Nissan’s entry will coincide with the withdrawal of Renault from the sport, as the Renault-Nissan alliance sees no need for its two flagship brands to compete against each other. From 2018, the French marque will focus its resources on returning to the top step in Formula 1. However, Nissan will lean on Renault’s expertise and experience to get going in the sport, and will inherit Renault’s place as a partner to the e-dams team. The all-electric championship will feature new rules next year, with the introduction of a new chassis and new battery specifications. The Japanese firm says that its impending Formula E entry will serve as a springboard to showcase its electric vehicle strategy. The timing of the announcement coincides with the launch of the new second generation Leaf EV, plus the reveal of two all-new electric concepts – the hot Leaf Nismo and the new IMx concept, which previews an upcoming electric SUV. Nissan is the first Japanese brand to enter Formula E, and will compete against a handful of top European manufacturers also readying entries such as BMW, Audi, Porsche and Mercedes. Jaguar is already in the sport, while Citroen maintains an interest through the DS Virgin Racing team. +++
+++ SINGAPORE , among the world’s most expensive places to own a vehicle, will stop increasing the total number of cars on its roads next year. The government will cut the annual growth rate for cars and motorcycles to 0 from 0.25 percent starting in February, the transport regulator said. “In view of land constraints and competing needs, there is limited scope for further expansion of the road network”, the Land Transport Authority said in a statement on its website. Roads already account for 12 percent of the city-state’s total land area, it said. Smaller than New York City, land in Singapore is a precious commodity and officials want to ensure the most productive use of the remaining space. Its infrastructure is among the world’s most efficient and the government is investing 21 billion dollar more on rail and bus transportation over the next 5 years, the regulator said. Singapore requires car owners to buy permits (called Certificates of Entitlement) that allow holders to own their vehicles for 10 years. These permits are limited in supply and auctioned monthly by the government. At the most recent offering last week, the permit cost S$41,617 for the smallest vehicles. The LTA said the zero-growth target will affect vehicles in Categories A, B and D under its permit system; these include cars and motorcycles. The existing vehicle growth rate of goods vehicles and buses will remain at 0.25 percent per annum until March 2021 to give businesses time to improve the efficiency of their operations and reduce the number of commercial vehicles they require, LTA said. These changes are not expected to significantly affect the supply of permits since the quota is determined largely by the number of vehicle deregistrations, the regulator said. The limit on vehicle growth rate will be reviewed again in 2020. +++
+++ TOYOTA ’s R&D boss has hit back at suggestions that the firm is lagging behind rivals in the race to launch pure electric cars, saying that Toyota has more than 20 years and 10 million unit sales’ worth of experience of the components acquired through its hybrid leadership. Rivals have accused Toyota of being slow to develop pure electric vehicles (EVs), with its management preferring to concentrate on hybrid and hydrogen technology until around 18 months ago, when changing legislation, particularly in China, led the brand to set up a division dedicated to EVs. However, R&D chief Kiyotaka Ise dismissed criticism that Toyota had been too focused on the longer-term potential of hydrogen. He said: “We have been working with electric motors, inverters and batteries for more than 20 years. We have nothing to worry about; our EV technology is already developed. The core technology is the same”. Reports suggest that the first in a wave of new Toyota electric cars will be a modified version of the C-HR, which will be sold in the Chinese market to meet new regulations. However, a bespoke platform for a range of electric vehicles is being developed by the firm for launch around 2020; a date that would put it head to head with the launch of Volkswagen’s ID family of electric cars. Asked if advancing battery technology was a concern, Ise responded: “Why would it be? There are basically 4 battery suppliers in the world and we can buy from any of them”. He conceded that the switch to more energy-efficient solid state batteries could provide a point of difference but that he expected Toyota to beat its rivals to market with them. “I will not spoil the story by revealing our range goals or cost expectations, but we are working hard on solid state batteries”, Ise said. “The plan is to have them on sale in the early 2020s, and that is an objective that we think puts us ahead of the opposition. +++
+++ The UNITED KINGDOM car market shrunk by 9.3 percent to 426,170 units last month, marking the first September in which registrations declined for 6 years. Sales usually grow in September due to the registration plate change. Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders (SMMT) CEO Mike Hawes said: “September is always a barometer of the health of the UK new car market, so this decline will cause considerable concern. Business and political uncertainty are reducing buyer confidence, with consumers and businesses more likely to delay big-ticket purchases”. Hawes labelled “confusion over air quality plans” as one of the key reasons for a large decline in demand for diesel cars, registrations of which are down by 21.7 percent compared with September 2016. There was also a 1.2 percent decrease for petrol models, with 232,810 cars registered. Contrastingly, registrations of alternatively fuelled vehicles (AFVs) continued to soar, with a 41 percent boost in output over last year’s month. Despite the boost, however, AFVs still accounted for just 22,628 cars, or 5.3 percent of the market, in September. In the face of concerns over future legislation, Hawes said: “consumers should be reassured that all the new diesel and petrol models on the market will not face any bans or additional charges. Manufacturers’ scrappage schemes are proving popular and such schemes are to be encouraged, given that fleet renewal is the best way to address environmental issues in our towns and cities”. Of the manufacturers, Ford remained the biggest producer of cars, supplying 39,696, more than two thirds of which were Fiesta or Focus models. Volkswagen was second, with 36,332 cars produced, of which 12,800 were Golfs. The most registered model in the UK in September was the Nissan Qashqai, with 13,499 units, bringing its year-to-date total to 53,197. But longstanding leader the Fiesta still comfortably leads the 2017 table, with 75,814 units, beating its stablemate, the Focus, which has recorded 57,256 units. The Golf remains third with 57,018 units. A Ford spokesman told that the Fiesta’s dip in September was attributed to the launch of the all-new model, of which “only 2 out of 6 trim levels are currently on sale”. Ford therefore expects sales to increase when more variants are launched in the coming months. A Nissan spokesman told that the Qashqai’s success was a reflection of the SUV segment, which has remained resilient throughout 2017, as much as it was a signal for the model’s strong demand. The top10 list of best-selling cars in the UK in September were: 1) Ford Fiesta – 75,814 registrations, 2) Ford Focus – 57,526 registrations, 3) Volkswagen Golf – 57,018 registrations, 4) Nissan Qashqai – 53,197 registrations, 5) Vauxhall Corsa – 46,600 registrations, 6) Vauxhall Astra – 41,250 registrations, 7) Volkswagen Polo – 40,455 registrations, 8) Mercedes-Benz C-Class – 39,055 registrations, 9) Mini Hatch – 36,784 registrations, 10) Mercedes-Benz A-Class – 34,547 registrations. +++