+++ BMW will take the fight to the Mercedes-Benz C-Class by engineering its next-generation 3 Series with an enhanced focus on comfort while retaining the dynamic prowess of its predecessor. Although the 3 Series stands strong as the brand’s best-selling model, it’s fallen short of the hot-selling C-Class. As such, BMW engineers have been tasked with broadening the 3 Series’s reach. The future version will therefore be offered with more variants, including new 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 four-wheel drive M340d xDrive M Performance, which is set to receive a 320 hp version of the company’s twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder diesel engine. Key to the expansion plan for the 7th-generation 3 Series, set to arrive next year, is the addition of two 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 saloon and estate 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 6-cylinder models and BMW M’s range-topping M3 sedan. The new performance orientated 3 Series models will be targeted at the likes of the Audi S4 quattro and Mercedes-AMG C43 4Matic. They will have individual styling touches, their own unique chassis tuning and relatively high equipment levels. Autocar can reveal 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”. There 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 2-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. My sources suggest the 1.5-litre 3-cylinder powered 316d will gain 21 hp at 136 hp, instead of the 115 hp of today’s model. Above it, the 2.0-litre four-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 three new 3 Series variants with an upgraded version of today’s 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder diesel. They include the standard 330d and 340d, as well as the aforementioned M340d xDrive M Performance diesel flagship. The current 3 Series saloon, designated F30, has been on sale since 2012, and the 4 Series (F32) coupé since 2013. +++
+++ DS will reveal an all-electric B segment SUV at the Paris Motor Show in October. Called the 3 Crossback, it will be the first car within the PSA group to use the new e-CMP platform technology. The new car will play a starring role in DS’ electrification strategy, which will see the young French premium brand exclusively sell plug-in hybrid and full electric cars from 2025 onwards. The decision to debut the all-electric e-CMP architecture on a DS rather than a Peugeot or Citroën stems from the DS brand’s position in the group as the go-to marque for technology, according to DS vice president of product Eric Apode. Precise technical details remain under wraps for now, but Apode promises that the new EV will be more than a boutique item and will be competitive alongside other contemporary EVs. The DS 3 Crossback will be a direct rival for the Hyundai Kona EV. In 2016, PSA revealed that the all-electric version of the CMP platform would support smaller electric cars with maximum range targeted at 450 kilometres miles, thanks to battery packs of up to 50 kWh in capacity being supported by the platform. After the all-electric DS 3 Crossback arrives in 2019, fully electric versions of both the next Peugeot 208 and Opel Corsa will follow, also using e-CMP. Built on the PSA’s CMP (Compact Modular Platform), the DS 3 Crossback Electric and its conventionally powered sibling will come as the second of 6 new models released over 6 consecutive years, the first of which was the recently introduced 7 Crossback. Apode told that there would be 4 SUVs in total by 2021. One of those SUVs would be a standalone hybrid. Talking about the design of the baby SUV, Apode said that it would not look like a smaller version of the 7 Crossback, instead having its own distinct look. “When it goes on sale in 2019, the model is expected to take 3 times as many sales as the 7 Crossback”, he said. Apode told that “DS has to lead the electric innovation” within the PSA Group. “This is also because of pricing. It (electric technology) has to start with premium brands because the prices will be high”, he said. “Then, as the pricing decreases, it can go to the other brands”. The 7 Crossback will become the first alternatively fuelled offering from the brand when a plug-in petrol hybrid arrives in the coming months. It will leave the following smaller SUV to become the first DS to offer a full electric variant. This tallies with PSA’s broader electrification strategy; for example, the Peugeot 3008 will be offered as a hybrid, while the 208 will have an electric option. +++
+++ FORD is pressing ahead with its first all-new battery electric vehicle, a front-drive crossover, and it is committed to the current generation Mondeo in Europe until 2022, despite last month’s announcement that it is pulling out of the sedan market in the US. The all-electric crossover, dubbed Mach 1 in reference to its Mustang-derived styling features, has been confirmed as a globally engineered model to be revealed next year, with European deliveries starting in 2020. The crossover, codenamed CX430, will be built on the C2 platform used for the new Focus and has been in Ford’s product plan for several years. The CX430 will be additional to the Kuga and, since it is based on the front-wheel-drive C2 platform, it is expected to be conventional hatchback-like, with a slightly raised driving position. Ford has identified ‘white paper’ models like the CX430 to replace sedans and hatchbacks in its US line-up. Further crossovers with Mustang design cues and front-drive chassis are a strong possibility because they combine “the best attributes of cars and utilities, such as high ride height, space and versatility”. If the vehicles are sized appropriately, European sales are likely. Last month’s news that Ford is dropping the Fiesta, Focus, Fusion (Mondeo) and Taurus from its North American line-up came as a surprise. The end of the Fiesta had been rumoured for some time, because fuel prices have dropped and the economy recovered, allowing US buyers to return to their preferred larger vehicles. Decisions on the replacements for the Fusion and Taurus have been pending for a couple of years too. Ford’s new CEO, Jim Hackett, has acted decisively and made the announcement at a financial conference in the US, momentously ending Ford’s 110-year presence in the US passenger sedan market. “We are committed to taking the appropriate actions to drive profitable growth and maximise the returns of our business over the long term”, said Hackett. Analysts said Ford had previously signalled that the mix of conventional car models in its range was forecast to drop to just 10 % in the US, leaving 90 % of its sales as SUVs and pick-ups. “This pull back is really just an admission of the stark North American market reality, especially for American brands”, said IHS Markit analyst Colin Couchman. “Buyers keep shifting to SUVs and crossovers. Sedan sales have been very dependent on poor-quality fleet sales”. Ford US rivals Chrysler and Dodge have taken similar action under Fiat ownership, killing the mid-sized 200 and Dart sedans and instead investing in Jeep SUVs and RAM pick-ups. Between them, Chrysler and Dodge sell just 2 sedans: the full-sized rear-wheeldrive platform twins, the 300 and Charger. Ford will retain only the Mustang and Focus Active passenger cars on sale after 2020, although its bread and butter SUVs and trucks such as the Explorer and F-Series pick-up continue. The end of the Fusion / Mondeo and Taurus can also be seen in the context of a drive to simplify and reduce Ford’s global platforms to just 5. Currently, it has 11. When Alan Mulally took over as CEO in 2006, it was 17. In future, Ford strategy will revolve around an emerging-markets small car platform (Ka+), the C2 (Focus), a mid-sized SUV platform (Explorer), an electric car platform (Mach 1) and full-sized truck platform (F-Series). In the short to medium term, Ford Europe is understood to have mapped the future of the Mondeo to 2022. “The Ford Mondeo remains a core part of our product line-up in Europe. We have upgrades coming for Mondeo later this year”, Ford said in a statement. Details of the autumn upgrade are understood to include a new 2.0-litre diesel engine, codenamed Panther, which will be EU6d-compliant for the new WLTP driving cycle, with its real-world emissions and fuel economy testing, plus a new interior and tweaks to the exterior styling. Apart from that a 8-speed automatic transmission will be introduced to replace the troublesome Powershift unit. The interior changes are tipped to include a new dashboard moulding incorporating the Fiesta/Focus-style infotainment system with a high-set tablet-style touchscreen. At the Geneva motor show in March, Ford Europe boss Steve Armstrong told: “We are constantly updating the Mondeo, from new transmission and engine options to a hybrid version and the Vignale trim”. A lifeline for any new Mondeo is the Focus’s new C2 architecture, which is understood to be sufficiently flexible to allow multiple track widths, wheelbases and firewall heights. This allows a large variety of vehicles to be spun off a single component set, like Volkswagen’s adaptable front-wheel-drive MQB set-up. High-cost items such as the electrical system and powertrains can be carried over from the Focus to the Mondeo. But justifying the unique development and tooling costs for a new body and interior and chassis tuning and certification costs will be a bigger challenge, as sales will be small. A planning volume of around 60,000 a year could be expected. Ford’s component costs won’t be able to take advantage of the huge volume that rivals such as the VW Group can. Ford’s sales volume in Europe of all hatchback / liftback/ stationwagon models (the Ka+, Fiesta, Focus and Mondeo) is forecast to be 520,000 units this year, plus a further 36,000 sedans. By the time Ford needs to make key investment decisions about a new Mondeo, Ford’s hatchback / liftback / stationwagon volume is forecast to fall by another 40,000 units. When the first Mondeo was launched in 1992, it contributed 350,000 units alone but was already on the slide to 250,000 for the Mk2 Mondeo in 2000. Volkswagen can plan on a volume of all brand variants of the MQB A/B Polo/Golf/Passat of around 5 million. At the key decision-making moment in 2021, Ford’s SUV sales are forecast by IHS Markit to have risen to nearly 400,000 units. That is key production volume for overall planning purposes but, in the decade from 2011 to 2021, Ford Europe’s ratio of hatchback / liftback / stationwagon to SUV sales will have moved from 10:1 in favour of hatchbacks to just about an equal split of 1:1, reflecting the huge increase in popularity of SUVs. Given the continuing slide in sales of volume-brand large sedans and hatchbacks, and the rise in popularity of SUVs, it is hard to see market demand for the Mondeo providing sufficient volume to keep the nameplate alive. One possible conclusion is that Ford Europe ideally needs to find a partner to share volume on future hatchback / liftback / stationwagon developments to maintain a presence with all nameplates in the European market. While Ford is betting on its upcoming electric car, it’s also bringing back a famous name, the Bronco, to reinvigorate its SUV line-up. The original Bronco arrived in 1966 and become an iconic model for Ford but was withdrawn in 1996. The last we saw of the Bronco was a concept shown in 2004. But last year, Ford said the name would return on a global SUV in 2020. It will take on the Jeep Wrangler and be more rugged than Ford’s current mainstream SUVs as the firm bids to reclaim the off-road market. +++
+++ JAGUAR LAND ROVER (JLR) recorded 6 % growth in revenue and a 1.7 % increase in retail sales in the tax year ended 31 March, despite being hit hard by a heavy downturn in domestic demand. Global sales totalled 614,309 cars for the tax year; a new high for the company. However, British sales tumbled by 12.8% and European demand was down by 5.3%. JLR CEO Ralf Speth said that it was strong demand in key overseas market that “offset the challenging conditions in the UK and other parts of Europe”. Much of the global increase can be attributed to China, where sales were up 19.9 % year on year. North American sales also rose 4.7 % in the 12 months. Of its models, JLR said the new Land Rover Discovery and Range Rover Velar were key contributors to growth, while the Jaguar E-Pace and China-only Jaguar XF Long Wheelbase were among that brand’s best sellers. The UK’s biggest car maker’s revenue totalled £25.8 billion in the 12 months to 31 March, generating £1.5bn of pre-tax profit. Speth highlighted that financial growth came at a time the brand continues with “over-proportional investment in new vehicles, manufacturing facilities and next-generation automotive technologies in line with our Autonomous, Connected, Electric and Shared strategy”. JLR invested £4.2bn into new technologies during the year, with a portion of this focused on the development of its first electric car, the I-Pace. The firm also said it funded the building of new R&D facilities, as well as the upgrading of existing sites. Construction of its new plant in Nitra, Slovakia, will have required substantial investment. During the current tax year, £450 million is being invested at JLR’s Gaydon Design and Engineering Centre to upgrade the facility into a central hub. JLR will also open a software engineering centre in Shannon, Ireland, that will support the electrification of JLR models and develop self-driving technology. +++
+++ PEUGEOT is planning a dramatic new concept car that previews a potential new range-topping model. While details of the concept car are scarce, CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato confirmed that the Paris motor show in October would play host to “something very outstanding and radical”. The concept is likely to be electric. This would be in line with Peugeot’s plans for every new model from 2019 to have an electrified version, according to Imparato. He said the firm would not be launching stand-alone electric vehicles, nor dropping diesel. Instead, an electrified version would be one of the options available in any given model range, alongside traditional petrol engines and, in most line-ups, diesel. “100 % of new launches will have electrified versions from 2019”, said Imparato. “You will buy your Peugeot and choose the engine for your need. It will not be the same in every country and city, and we must cope with that. So we put in place a modular platform, and you will choose diesel if you want to, petrol if it’s for you. Each launch will have three powertrains: diesel, petrol and electrified”. Imparato said that whether they were pure electric vehicles or plug-in hybrids would depend on the model. Plug-ins would be more likely for larger models, such as the 3008 and 508, with a pure electric option expected for the likes of the next-generation 208. The next 208 will be launched in 2019, and Imparato said it was “a killer” in its execution. “That’s all I’ll say. You’ll see it next year”, he added. As well as bolstering its electrified offerings, Imparato said Peugeot will continue to push and promote its range of GTi models, of which the 208 will remain one. +++
+++ A new PORSCHE 911 Speedster model is due to be revealed this summer as a limited-production, high-performance run-out for the 991.2-generation sports car. The model will sport the distinctive shape of its spiritual predecessors and come with a performance package tuned by Porsche’s GT department. The fitment of centre-locking wheels means much of its running gear will be taken from the driver-focused GT3, which would mean that this will be the most hardcore 911 Speedster to date. The previous Speedster was based on the 997-generation car and came in Carrera S specification, but the new version is due to have the GT3’s naturally aspirated 4.0-litre flat-6 engine. That would give it 500 hp / 450 Nm and would mean its motor will rev to 9.000 rpm. If it follows the example of the GT3, the Speedster’s engine will come mated to a 6-speed manual or 7-speed PDK transmission. The Speedster will be sitting on the same widened track as the GT3, which measures 1.555 mm across at the rear, suggesting that car’s adaptive damping system will be fitted as standard. However, the Speedster’s more obvious road focus might negate for the toe and camber adjustability that is also a feature of the 911 GT3. The key visual difference between the Speedster and its GT department sibling will be an open-top design with a shortened A-pillar and more steeply angled rear engine cover. This shape, hidden on the test car by a fake rear section to the fabric soft top, takes influence from the original 356 Speedster from 1954 that has inspired the shape of run-out 911 Speedsters for the 930, 964 and 997 generations. Just 356 examples of the previous 997-generation car were made, so a similarly low number is expected this time. The last Speedster cost about 60,000 euro more than the GT3 of the time, suggesting the new one could sell for around 280,000 euro in The Netherlands. The swansong 991.2 model will precede the next 911, which will make its debut at the Los Angeles motor show in November. On sale in 2019, it will initially be sold in rear-wheel-drive Carrera and Carrera S guises. +++
+++ Drivers in the United Kingdom face being priced off the road by proposals that are expected to force new cars have an electric-only range of 80 kilometres by 2040. TOYOTA ’s UK managing director, Tony Walker, told politicians from the business, energy and industrial strategy select committee that mandating a 80 kilometres electric-only range for all cars “is not wise, it is reckless”. Plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) are likely to be able to achieve such a range by that date (their EV ranges typically run to 50 kilometres at present), but self-charging hybrids such as the standard Toyota Prius are unlikely to be able to meet the reported 80 kilometres target. Walker explained: “The self-charging hybrid vehicles that we make (like the standard Prius and C-HR Hybrid) are not able to achieve 80 kilometres continuous in electric, zero-emission mode. You would need the technology used in a plug-in hybrid, which is a more expensive battery. That would be a big challenge for affordability”. He added such a policy would “price the ordinary customer out of the market”. The costs associated with electric and plug-in hybrid battery tech were also called into question by Walker, who asked the committee: “Are you saying somehow you know that battery costs will come down? How come you know that and we don’t?” +++
+++ VOLVO has announced a new initiative with Amazon Prime to offer test drives of its V40 across the United Kingdom. Called Prime Now test drive, the new initiative and can be accessed via www.amazon.co.uk/volvo. Amazon customers will need to enter their postcode and pick an available time slot, before having the car delivered to their home or workplace. A fully trained Volvo operative will then bring the car to their door and accompany them on a 45-minute test drive around the local area. The Volvo representative will also explain all the V40’s functions while on the test drive. Locations for the Prime Now test drives are limited to 4 cities in the UK for the time being: London, Birmingham, Manchester and Edinburgh. The drives are available on selected weekends throughout June and July and are offered on a first come first serve basis. The service will kick off in London between 9-10 June, before moving to Birmingham. (16-17 June), Manchester (23-24 June) and Edinburgh (30 June-1 July). Jon Wakefield, Managing Director of Volvo Car UK, says: “At Volvo Cars, we aim to make people’s lives easier. Our Prime Now test drive offer does just that, allowing potential customers to try our V40 on their terms and in familiar surroundings. We’re proud to team up with Amazon to deliver this unique initiative, the first of its kind in the UK and the latest in a range of offerings from Volvo designed to take the hassle out of running a car”. The Prime Now test drive initiative comes as part of Volvo’s plan to make buying and owning a car easier and simpler. After the introduction of their Care by Volvo package, which sees cars owned on a subscription basis with no up-front costs, Volvo is now aiming to simplify test drives for its customers. Wakefield told that the service is only confirmed for the aforementioned dates and there are no plans to extend it. However, he added that if this stint is a success, it could be adopted for other models in the Volvo range. Volvo launched the Care by Volvo subscription service earlier this year that turns the full ownership package of a car into monthly payments with no upfront cost. Its new electric performance division, Polestar, will offer its cars, such as the 1, exclusively through a subscription service like Care by Volvo. The system trades a traditional dealer-focused method of selling cars for a model more closely aligned to those used by Netflix, Spotify and city centre rental bikes. +++