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+++ Despite the advantages offered by a plug-in hybrid like the AUDI Q7 e-tron, in the end, it may not be that much more economical than the regular TDI diesel. At least that’s how Carbuyer found out after averaging just 6.7 liter / 100 km) in a mixture of city and motorway driving. In other words, nowhere near Audi’s official numbers. When Audi first introduced us to the Q7 e-tron, they were boasting about 1.7 liter / 100 km), but this figure was measured in a laboratory over ideal conditions that are, to put it mildly, unrealistic. So in real world traffic, you might find that the e-tron doesn’t hold such a massive advantage over the regular 3.0-liter TDI version. The rest of the car is, of course, familiar to anyone who’s seen the full-size premium SUV. You get the same looks both outside and in, although once you pop open the trunk, you’ll notice you have more space than in a regular Q7, as there is no third row of seats. Whether that’s a plus or a minus, is up to each individual customer. What everyone will enjoy, however, is the Q7 e-tron’s performance. Thanks to a combined 373 horsepower and 700 Nm of torque, this plug-in hybrid SUV will get from 0 to 100 km/h in just 6 seconds flat. Not bad for such a heavy vehicle, is it? +++

+++ BMW engineers have been tasked with ramping up the sporting qualities of the 3 Series when the next-generation model hits the market. The brand’s best-selling model has long stood out as a driver’s favourite among its rivals, largely thanks to the premise of rear-wheel drive and powerful engines. But the future version will take things a step further and be offered with more M-division fettled versions that come with generous boosts in performance. The first variant will be the rear-wheel-drive M340i M Performance which will feature a 360 hp version of BMW’s twin-scroll turbocharged 3.0-litre inline 6-cylinder petrol engine. It will be followed by a 4-wheeldrive M340d xDrive M Performance, which is set to receive a 320 hp version of the company’s twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre inline 6-cylinder diesel engine. Key to the expansion plan for the 7th-generation 3 Series (set to arrive next year) is the addition of 2 new M Performance models powered by 6-cylinder engines. In a strategy mirroring that undertaken with the latest 5 Series, the new M Performance variants will go on sale shortly after more mainstream versions of the new 3 Series are launched in both sedan and Touring body styles. The new derivatives will be offered as either a petrol or a diesel and will bridge the gap in the line-up that presently exists between standard six-cylinder models and BMW M’s range-topping M3. The new performance orientated 3 Series models will be targeted at the likes of the Audi S4 and Mercedes-AMG C 43. They will have individual styling touches, their own unique chassis tuning and relatively high equipment levels. They will also form the basis for the two-door M440i M Performance Coupé and M440d M Performance Coupé models, which will arrive in showrooms in 2020. Significantly, the decision to launch the M340d xDrive M Performance model underpins plans by BMW to continue to equip the 3 Series with a full range of 3-, 4- and 6-cylinder diesel engines, despite increasingly tight emissions legislation across Europe, including the spectre of regional bans on diesel cars from entering city centres (some of which may be implemented in Germany). “The diesel is a critical component in our efforts to reach the 2020 climate targets”, said BMW chairman Harald Krüger. “It is very important in improving the overall efficiency of our future models”. BMW is pulling out all the stops to ensure the new 3 Series, which goes under the internal codename G20, possesses the stylistic appeal, performance credentials, dynamic ability and overall technical prowess it needs to claw back the gains made by its keenest executive class rivals, most notably the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, which officials have described as the clear benchmark. Prototype saloon versions of the new 3 Series spied testing on the roads around BMW’s engineering headquarters in Munich recently indicate it will continue the company’s tradition of evolutionary design change, with an appearance that leans heavily on that of the larger 5 Series, as well as influence from the X2. The car has a more naturally sporting stance to mirror the changes beneath. Credit for the design of the new model rests with former BMW brand design boss, Karim Habib, who moved to Infiniti last year. As the first 3 Series model to be fully honed in BMW’s Munich-based wind tunnel, the G20 is also claimed to match the aerodynamic efficiency of the 5 Series. The most slippery body style is said to have a drag co-efficient of 0.22. The new 3 Series has grown in most key dimensions. Nothing is official, but Munich insiders suggest overall length is up by 60 mm to around 4.703 mm. Some 20 mm of this is said to be concentrated within a lengthened wheelbase, which has increased to almost 2.830 mm, up from 2.810 mm. By comparison, the current C-Class is 4.696 mm in length and has a 2.840 mm wheelbase. The new 3 Series is based on BMW’s latest CLAR (CLuster ARchitecture) platform, as used by all recent models, and features a longitudinally mounted engine. In keeping with developments already seen on the larger 5 Series, it benefits from a range of weight-saving initiatives, including the greater use of hot-formed high-strength steel within the main body structure, to cut the already highly competitive kerbweight of today’s sixth-generation model by up to 50 kg, despite the larger dimensions. The volume of 3 Series sales rules out the use of carbonfibre, so there’ll be no Carbon Core structural developments like those seen on the headlining 7 Series. However, BMW’s body construction specialists suggest the G20 will feature a much larger number of cast aluminium components and a greater percentage of magnesium in load-bearing areas. All told, the weightsaving developments are expected to give the lightest variant in the range, the 3-cylinder 318i, a kerb weight of about 1.425 kg. Together with the reduction in weight, the CLAR platform is also claimed to bring an improvement in structural rigidity that, in a move similar to that undertaken with the 5 Series, forms the basis for a change in philosophy for the chassis tuning. Recognising a growing customer desire for additional ride comfort, BMW is looking to provide standard versions of the new 3 Series with more compliant properties, in a move aimed at matching the smoothness of its key rival, the Mercedes-Benz C Class. Expected developments include the adoption of rear air springs on more upmarket models. However, BMW is thought to have ruled out the active four-wheel steering system (that countersteers the rear wheels at lower speeds and parallel steers them at higher speeds in the name of agility), even though the 5 Series is equipped with it. In a continuation of the Efficient Dynamics program that has seen successive reductions in consumption and emissions across the 3 Series line-up over recent years, BMW plans to bring a series of upgrades to the petrol engine line-up of the new model. BMW officials confirm an extension of the strategy in use today, with both 3 and 4-cylinder units serving volume-selling 316i, 318i, 320i and 330i models in combination with either standard rear-wheel drive and optional xDrive 4-wheel drive on selected variants. Positioned above them will be a 6-cylinder engine offered in both a standard, rear-wheel drive 340i and the aforementioned M340i M Performance guises. BMW has begun to successively upgrade the petrol engines in each of its various model lines, with the recently revealed 2 Series Active Tourer facelift being the most recent model to bear the tweaks. Measures such as a new injection system, a particulate filter to lower NOx levels, a revised belt drive system and more efficient cooling measures are claimed to bring moderate increases in power and torque. Together with the reduction in kerbweight promised by the new CLAR underpinnings, the reworked petrol units are also said to offer consumption and emission savings of up to 5 percent across the model line-up. Unclear at this stage are BMW’s plans to introduce water injection as part of the raft of revisions. First introduced on the 6-cylinder unit used by the M4 GTS, the water injection system brings proven performance and efficiency gains. However, it also requires the addition of a water tank close to the engine, which in turn complicates packaging. Accompanying the petrol units will be range of diesels. Adopting developments first seen on the 2.0-litre unit used by today’s 325d, each new oilburner will receive two-stage turbocharging and a selective catalytic reduction (SCR) filter as part of BMW’s efforts to reduce emissions. At the same time, BMW plans to increase the pressure of the common-rail injection system used by each of its diesel engines from 2.000 to 2.200 bar in the smaller 3-cylinder units and from 2.000 to 2.500 bar in the 4-cylinder engines, with the exception of the unit to be used by the new 325d, which will run pressures of up to 2.700 bar. The 1.5-litre 3-cylinder powered 316d will gain 20 hp at 136 hp, instead of the 116 hp of today’s model. Above it, the 2.0-litre 4-cylinder will continue to be offered in 3 distinct states of tune, developing an added 13 hp in the 318d at 163 hp, some 14 hp more in the 320d at 204 hp and a claimed 14 hp extra in the 325d at 238 hp. The Bavarian manufacturer is also planning to equip up to 3 new 3 Series variants with an upgraded version of today’s 3.0-litre inline 6-cylinder diesel. They include the standard 330d and 340d, as well as the aforementioned M340d xDrive M Performance diesel flagship. +++

+++ JEEP will launch 4 new models in Europe in 2018 as it looks to improve on its “lousy” performance last year. That’s how Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) boss Sergio Marchionne described Jeep’s European sales, which grew just 2% to 107,569 cars in 2017 despite a recently refreshed line-up, spearheaded by the new Compass. Now, the roll-out of the new Compass is soon to be complete, and it will be imminently joined by a revised version of the Cherokee and a Renegade this summer, ahead of the launch of the all-new Wrangler in Europe later this year as Jeep looks for Europe to help push it towards 2 million sales in the medium-term, up from just under 1.4 million in 2017. Jeff Hines, Jeeps’ new European boss, described last year’s sales in Europe as “disappointing”, which he put down to delays in getting the new Compass to market in one of the continent’s biggest segments. “For 2018 vs 2017, I expect a lot better”, he said, saying this year would be “the year of Jeep” in Europe. “What some customers may not realise is how the great dynamics and interior can make a Jeep a great daily driver that can fit all your needs”, said Hines, in reference to the fact the cars were often still viewed as utilitarian 4x4s. The revised Renegade would be revealed on June 1 at the wider FCA presentation into the future of its brands, where Jeep’s targets and future model strategy will be outlined for its investors. Jeep’s growth plans could also be harmed by a falling demand for diesel in Europe, but Hines believed the fuel still has a role in Europe and the firm was also now planning for hybrids, plans for which would be confirmed on June 1. +++

+++ LOTUS ’s long-mooted SUV will arrive in less than 4 years to battle rivals such as the Maserati Levante and Porsche Macan, the firm’s boss has revealed. Lotus will cherry-pick platform modules from parent company Geely to create a Levante-sized car weighing less than 2 tonnes. “It will go round bends like nothing else in its segment”, said CEO Jean-Marc Gales. “If we fail on that, we fail the project”. Geely-owned Volvo will be a big source of parts. The SUV will likely use elements of the SPA platform that underpins the XC90 and XC60, which are both relatively light SUVs thanks to the platform’s use of high-strength steel. The SPA structure would restrict the car to 4-cylinder engines, but Gales said the car will have a hybrid option. Volvo’s XC90 Twin Engine hybrid makes 406 hp, so an increase on that can be expected given Lotus’s skill at extracting power from its Toyota engines. The SUV will also use Volvo’s electric architecture and equipment, including the large touchscreen. “I love the new Volvo interiors because they are so simple”, said Gales”. The screen is great”. However he ruled out using the screen in future new sports cars, the first of which will arrive in 2020. Gales added that the SUV’s design will be finalised within the next 2 months; patent drawings have offered an early glimpse of how the car could look. The SUV doesn’t need a sports-car front end in the style of the Porsche Cayenne but it does need to be recognisably a Lotus, Gales said. He also praised the design of the Alfa Romeo Stelvio. “Take away the badge and you would probably say that was an Alfa”, he said. China is likely to be the primary build location but Gales didn’t rule out the UK. “I can imagine 2 places worldwide and I’d love one for the UK, but I want to know what happens after Brexit”, he said. Lotus is hiring 250 new engineers at its Hethel base to work on the SUV and the new sports cars. A price approaching 115,000 euro in The Netherlands is expected for the new SUV. +++

+++ MERCEDES ‘ upmarket Maybach sub-brand is preparing to extend its line-up beyond the S-Class with a plush range-topping version of the upcoming third-generation GLS (formerly GL). Maybach is considered an important brand for Mercedes to develop given the rising demand for luxury models, particularly in the SUV sector, with rivals such as Bentley and Land Rover having notable success with their respective Bentayga and Range Rover. Mercedes has also seen strong growth from its AMG performance arm, which achieved 131,970 sales in 2017, and it would like to emulate this success with Maybach on a smaller but profitable scale. The SUV, which was reported to be on the cards by Autocar in 2016, is set to make its debut as a lightly veiled concept car at the Beijing motor show in April. It will then be revealed in production guise at the Los Angeles motor show in November. The car is tipped to be priced above 230,000 euro in The Netherlands when sales begin in 2019. The new Mercedes-Maybach GLS will build on initiatives taken with the 2-year-old Mercedes-Maybach S-Class. The new Maybach SUV will share the same basic aluminium and steel bodyshell and advanced 4-wheeldrive underpinnings as less heavily specified versions of the new GLS. However, its upmarket positioning will be underlined by a series of subtle exterior design tweaks and a significantly more luxurious interior than standard versions of the US-built SUV. Insiders involved in the development of the Mercedes-Maybach concept car, known internally as the Maybach 9, say it will not only preview the look of the new model, with a bold new grille among the elements aiming to provide it with added exclusivity, but will also highlight the sort of upmarket features, including autonomous driving functions, to be offered on the production version of the SUV. A high-level official told: “We have been quietly surprised by the sales success of the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class, which is proving extremely popular in many key markets. The plan now is to extend the exclusivity surrounding the Maybach name into the upper end of the SUV segment. We’re confident this new model will leave little to be desired in terms of luxury”. The basis for the new GLS is Mercedes-Benz’s MHA (Modular High Architecture) platform. A development of the existing MRA platform, it is intended to underpin a series of new models, including the new GLE and GLE Coupe. It provides a significant reduction in kerb weight, the capability to support a 48V electrical architecture and the very latest in radar, camera and sensor-supported driving functions. The Maybach-badged GLS is likely to be offered exclusively with the Mercedes-AMG-developed M177 V8 petrol engine. In the recently launched S 560, this twin-turbo 4.0-litre V8 produces 469 hp, setting up the possibility of the new model being called GLS 560 for production. The new engine, which features a cylinder-shutdown function for added fuel savings in city driving, will replace the twin-turbo 4.7-litre V8 used by today’s GLS 500. Also under discussion for the new Mercedes-Maybach model is the plug-in petrol-electric drivetrain recently unveiled in the S 560e. It combines Mercedes’ new turbocharged and electronic supercharged 3.0-litre in-line six-cylinder petrol engine, developing 367 hp, with a 122 hp electric motor. In the new GLS, it is claimed to use a lithium ion battery for a pure-electric range of up to 50 kilometres. With the GLS produced exclusively at Mercedes’ Tuscaloosa plant in Alabama, the luxury SUV will be the first Maybach model to be produced in the US. As well as providing stiff competition to the Bentayga, the Maybach GLS has also been conceived as a rival to the likes of the Rolls-Royce Cullinan and Range Rover SVAutobiography. Meanwhile, Mercedes-Maybach is planning to launch an upgraded version of the S560 at the Geneva motor show in March. Among the changes planned for the saloon is a newly designed grille that will set the tone for all future Maybach-badged models. +++

+++ RENAULT is said to prepare a new crossover for the Russian market, which will be presented at the 2018 Moscow Motor Show, at the end of August. Now, new details about it have emerged. The company’s chief of product planning, Bruno Ancelin, said that it’s based on the Dacia platform, which continues to be used by the Romanian automaker on all of their products since the first-generation Logan, in 2004. “We will be offering a new compact SUV on the Duster platform, of the same size, but differently positioned”, stated Ancelin. The vehicle will be a “more refined” and “a bit more expensive” version of the new Duster, so we’re likely looking at trim updates in the cabin, and perhaps some tweaks made on the outside. This version of the Duster will be sold throughout Russia starting early next year, with Renault logos. However, it’s also said to launch in different Asian markets at the end of 2019 or in early 2020, such as China and South Korea, only this model will ride on a completely new platform, “that of the future Renault Clio”, according to Ancelin. In turn, the architecture will also eventually be used by Dacia for its entire lineup. Despite getting new underpinnings, this Renault Duster will keep the exact same bodywork of the second generation. The increased production costs that inevitably come with this move are justified, as this won’t be a low-cost model. Surprisingly enough, the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance might not keep the Duster ‘2.5’ limited to the Asian markets. It might arrive in Europe too, probably as a Dacia, but “not before 2020”, added Bruno Ancelin, who admitted that an official decision hasn’t been made yet, and for a good reason: it could cannibalize the Captur. +++

+++ ROLLS-ROYCE has claimed that it, and not Aston Martin Lagonda, has created and previewed the future of luxury through a concept car in an escalating war of words between the 2 companies. At the Geneva motor show, Aston Martin revealed the Lagonda Vision Concept, which previews a radical new electric, autonomous saloon concept that’s due to make production in 2021. Rolls has today said that it came with a concept with that very brief back in 2016: the Vision Next 100, codenamed 103EX. “When we revealed 103EX to the world in 2016, Rolls-Royce set the agenda for the future of luxury mobility”, said company chief Torsten Müller-Ötvös. “Since then, it has become clear that other car brands have acknowledged our vision, so much so that they have adopted most aspects, apart from the most visionary and radical. Rolls-Royce’s vision in 2016 was, and remains, all-electric, completely autonomous, completely bespoke mobility, coupled with ultimate luxury”. Müller-Ötvös’s comments and response follow Aston Martin Lagonda design boss Marek Reichman’s own comments on how he views the current state of luxury cars and brands, including Rolls and Bentley. “Rolls-Royce and Bentley are Ancient Greece today”, he told ahead of the Geneva show. “I worked on the original Phantom. The brief was Buckingham Palace on wheels. It was important to do that to establish it. But the world has changed, and the royals have changed”. Reichman also said “you can’t see Apple or Google executives in a Phantom” but you could in a Lagonda, and that current luxury cars were based around an imperfect package essentially carried over from the days of horse-drawn carriages. “Look at Rolls-Royce: it’s the most luxurious car in the world”, he said. “Given its roots, its reason for being, it’s essentially still an internal combustion engine to replace a horse, a carriage and a trunk. It’s an imperfect package for luxury”. Müller-Ötvös also responded to Reichman’s quotes to the Financial Times in an interview at the Geneva motor show. “They really don’t understand our segment, they really don’t understand the customers”, he said. “They are in a complete different league on pricing, they have zero clue what’s going on in the upper, upper segment. Zero. I am sorry to be so blunt”. Müller-Ötvös added that his company had always had an amicable relationship with Aston Martin, and that he believes the comments were designed to stir interest in the company ahead of a stock market listing. While Lagonda has production plans, the 103EX does not. However, Müller-Ötvös told: “Rest assured, we are preparing ourselves, once the infrastructure is in place, and we see more and more customers wanting the cars”. +++