+++ DODGE has confirmed plans to ditch the V8, and a new report sheds light on how it hopes to keep the next generation Challenger exciting in spite of downsizing. The coupe will reportedly inaugurate a twin-turbocharged straight-6 engine that will offer Hemi-like horsepower. Anonymous sources say that the 3.0-liter engine is called GME-T6 internally. It should have been unveiled by this point, as earlier reports claimed that the new Jeep Grand Cherokee would usher it in, but vibration- and noise-related issues have allegedly delayed its introduction. It’s now scheduled to make its debut in the next Challenger that’s tentatively due out in 2023 as a 2024 model. In its standard configuration, the straight-6 will at least match the 5.7-liter Hemi V8’s 372 hp rating while offering more torque than its bigger sibling’s 530 Nm. Some degree of hybrid assistance could push the engine’s output to somewhere in the vicinity of 700 horsepower, which would allow Dodge to replace the 6.2-liter Hellcat V8. Rear- and all-wheel-drive variants will be available, according to the same report, but a naturally-aspirated 6 will not be offered. Other cars in the Stellantis portfolio will receive the GME-T6 engine as well; it’s reasonable to assume that, if it goes in the next Challenger, it’ll also end up in the next Charger. However, keep in mind that none of this is official: The only facts confirmed by Dodge are that it needs to kill the V8 to comply with looming emissions regulations and that the supercharged Hellcat V8 will retire after 2023. Enthusiasts not interested in a muscle car powered by a downsized engine need to act relatively quickly. Dodge noted in August 2021 that what it calls “the new platform” will make its debut for 2024 and that the current-generation cars will retire shortly after. We know there’s an electric muscle car on the horizon, but details are scarce and it’s too early to tell if it will be related to the next Challenger or if it will be marketed as a standalone model. Additional details about the company’s future plans will be released before the end of 2022. +++
+++ HYUNDAI is seeking to invest in a nickel mine in a major reserve country like Indonesia or the Philippines to secure stable supplies of the metal, which is a key component in electric-car batteries. A leaked memo to executives at the end of the third quarter highlighted the need to secure raw materials directly. “Top management is looking closely into the matter and is likely to form a taskforce to handle mine investments”, an industry insider said. The memo lays out plans to complete studies on nickel mines that are possible investment targets early next year and complete the investment by 2024. “Indonesia’s huge nickel reserves played a role in Hyundai’s recent decision to build an car production plant there”, another industry insider said. Unlike lithium, which is used primarily to manufacture batteries, nickel is also in high demand for stainless steel production and other uses. +++
+++ The HYUNDAI MOTOR GROUP has secured recognition at 6 of 10 major car of the year awards this year, stepping up its brand value and reputation on the global stage, along with securing fourth place in terms of global sales this year. According to the Korean automaker, Hyundai Motor vehicles including an electric model, luxury car and a combustion engine vehicle have received awards. Hyundai’s Elantra sedan has been awarded as the North American Car of the Year. The company’s luxury brand Genesis’ GV80 was named 2021 Canadian Utility Vehicle of the Year. And the midsized electric SUV Ioniq 5 has won the final round of the 2022 German Car of the Year. Hyundai Motor cars have also been recognized by automotive journalists. The GV70 has been awarded as SUV of the year by Motor Trend. The hatchback i20 N was picked as the car of the year by Top Gear, while the Ioniq 5 has been awarded as car of the year by Auto Express. “It is meaningful that global automotive magazines have selected Hyundai Motor cars as the car of the year since such renowned media has rarely picked models from Asian automakers, it is the first time for us to have been recognized by Top Gear magazine”, said an official from Hyundai Motor. The automaker said its feat will continue into next year following the company’s expansion of the Genesis brand as well as the production of electric vehicles. Just 7 years after its launch, Genesis penetrated into the European and Chinese market. This year, Genesis electric models such as the GV70 and GV60 have been newly introduced to the local market, spurring the growth of the automaker’s electric model sales. Meanwhile, Hyundai Motor said its share of the global market has stepped up to the ranks of the top-4, selling an accumulated 5.05 million vehicles globally from January to September. The top three were Volkswagen Group (6.95 million), Toyota (6.32 million) and the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance (5.49 million). +++
+++ KIA has claimed the No. 2 spot in EV sales in Sweden this year, outpacing its US rival Tesla. According to market tracker EU-EVs, Kia sold a total of 6.018 EVs in the January-November period this year, becoming the second highest-selling EV brand with a 12.7 percent market share. At the top of the list was Volkswagen, which sold 9.296 vehicles for a 19.6 percent market share. During the same period, Tesla sold 5.666 EVs, claiming a 11.9 percent market share. Until October, Kia had been behind Tesla but their EV sales last month helped them move up the ladder. In November, Kia sold 776 EVs, while Tesla sold 299 units. Kia’s first all-electric EV6 and the Niro hybrid drove up sales, selling 355 and 365 units, respectively. Sweden is one of the top markets for EVs in Europe. According to data compiled by the EU Commission, EVs made up 15.9 percent of all car sales in Sweden, the third-highest portion after Norway’s 59.7 percent and Iceland’s 27.9 percent. Expectations are also high for the upcoming full-electric Niro that will make its debut in Europe in the third quarter next year. Kia has recently unveiled the all-new Niro EV in a world premiere at the Seoul Mobility Show on November 25. “It’s an encouraging result that we have surpassed Tesla in Sweden, one of the environmentally advanced markets in Europe. We plan to increase sales in other key markets such as Germany, the UK and Norway”, a Kia official said. +++
+++ MERCEDES wants to give itself the upper hand in the large premium SUV market in the face of newer rivals with a mid-life update of its GLE. The revised model has been seen in winter testing for the first time ahead of a likely debut in 2022. The sector is jam-packed with rivals – and there’ll be even more on the way next year, such as the next-generation Volvo XC90 (which will be called Embla) and the new Range Rover Sport, which means Mercedes’s current offering, first launched in 2019, is starting to look less fresh. So, this facelifted version of the GLE comes at a good time. The bulk of the firm’s updates will be limited to the camouflaged areas of the prototype, although we’re also expecting a few technology improvements in the cabin. Up front, there’ll be a reshaped bumper with a new lower intake, a redesigned slatted radiator grille and some fresh LED headlamps. Changes at the rear aren’t as noticeable, with the only major update being a set of new tail lights. Even the current car’s lower valence (normally prime real estate for a facelift) appears to have remained intact. Inside, it’ll be much the same story. We’re expecting some minor upholstery tweaks and a new steering wheel, similar to Mercedes’s strategy with the recently facelifted E-Class. The infotainment system on this prototype also looks to be the same dual-screen system found on the current GLE, although we expect Mercedes will load it with some new software. Mercedes shouldn’t fiddle too much with the GLE’s engines for this facelift, either. Like before, there’ll be six options for buyers to choose from, starting with the 300d. It’s a 2.0-litre 4-cylinder diesel engine with 272 hp and 550 Nm which, like every model in the GLE line-up, will be mated to a 9-speed automatic gearbox and a 4-wheel drive system. Above that, there’ll be the 400d, which features a 3.0-litre straight-6 diesel engine with 330 hp and 700 Nm. Those after zero-emission capability (or low company car tax) will be able opt for the plug-in hybrid-powered GLE 350de, which mixes a 2.0-litre diesel with an electric motor and a 31 kWh battery pack for a combined output of 322 hp. More importantly, Mercedes says the system found on the existing GLE 350 de can cover up to 100 km on the WLTP cycle and this figure will likely be carried over onto the facelifted model. At the top of the line-up, there’ll be a trio of petrol-powered options; 2 of which will feature AMG badges. The GLE 450 will be the least powerful of the three, sporting a 368 hp 3.0-litre straight-six. However, the AMG GLE 53 will push that figure up to 435 hp, slashing the SUV’s 0–100 kph time down to 5.3 seconds. The flagship variant will be the AMG GLE 63 S, and will feature the same fire-breathing twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 as the AMG E 63 S. The engine will see the SUV’s output soar to 612 hp and 850 Nm, trimming its 0–100 kph time to 3.8 seconds. +++
+++ After a difficult year where the automotive and technology industries have been hampered by a shortage of SEMI CONDUCTOR CHIPS , several manufacturers are still feeling the strain, with some having to close production lines earlier than originally planned. The crisis looks likely to continue well into 2022, despite some, including Toyota, believing the worst was already over. Many firms have now moved to agree significant deals with large electronics manufacturers to ensure a consistent supply of semiconductors well into the future. The shortage of semiconductors initially stemmed from increased demand for personal computers, tablets and smartphones at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, which largely diverted supply away from the automotive sector, and it now extends to Covid-related closures at semiconductor factories and international shipping ports. Previously, Autointernationaal reported that a number of manufacturers were urgently seeking to overhaul their components supply chains as a workaround to ensure continued production. Industry analysis company IHS Markit said at the time that the shortage could cut global production by nearly 700,000 vehicles year on year, although the final figure could be even higher. The European Automobile Manufacturers Association (ACEA) said the global chip shortage has caused a loss of three million vehicles compared with 2019. “For the sake of our industry’s global competitiveness, Europe must strengthen its technological sovereignty to be able to provide essential components to the region’s core industries”, said ACEA president Oliver Zipse. +++
+++ The Hyundai Grandeur large sedan was the bestselling car in SOUTH KOREA in the first 11 months of this year while the Mercedes-Benz E Class was the top-selling import. Some 81.344 Grandeurs and 23.333 Mercedes E Class were sold. The Kia Carnival came second among domestic cars with 67.884 cars sold. The van’s ranking rose from 7th place last year as it became more popular for use of new small businesses. In third place was the Kia Sorento (64,373), the top-selling SUV, followed by the Hyundai Avante (64.081) and the Hyundai Sonata (57.073). The premium Genesis G80 came 7th (53.269), the first time the brand ranks in the top 10. Among imports, BMW’s 5 Series was the second most popular with 16.331, followed by the Audi A6 (9.895), the Mercedes-Benz S Class (9.111), and the BMW 3 Series (6.952). +++
+++ VOLKSWAGEN has demonstrated its commitment to diesel power by developing engines that can use adapted diesel fuels, claimed to reduce CO2 emissions by up to 95% over conventional diesels. All models delivered since June employing VW’s four-cylinder TDI diesel powertrains can be used with paraffinic diesel, a newly developed fuel containing bio-components. While Volkswagen has focused recent efforts on ramping up its electric vehicle offering, this move shows the firm is receptive to other ways of reducing its carbon footprint, in its bid to decrease carbon emissions by 40% by 2030 and to be carbon-neutral by 2050. It is a different approach to many of its competitors, which have made bold statements about going fully electric in the next 10 years. By comparison, Volkswagen has said it plans to increase the share of all-electric cars sold in Europe to over 70% by 2030. Meanwhile, diesel’s share in particular has been in steep decline, a trend that started with VW’s Dieselgate scandal in 2015. In the Netherlands, where once diesel accounted for roughly half of new car sales, it now makes up only 5%. A Volkswagen spokesman said: “Alongside the accelerated ramp-up efforts in the area of electric mobility, Volkswagen is further developing the existing range with combustion engines. In this way, the company is responding to different customer needs while at the same time taking into account the internationally varying drive system preferences and the respective general conditions”. The firm added that paraffinic diesel fuel could be particularly attractive to fleet customers, which run a mix of electric and conventionally powered vehicles. It anticipates that the fuel’s market share in the road transport sector could increase to 20-30% in Europe within 10 years. Paraffinic fuels are produced from biological residual and waste materials such as hydro-treated vegetable oil (HVO). These are then converted into hydrocarbons by a reaction with hydrogen and can be added to diesel fuels in any quantity. V-Power Diesel and HVO are currently available in Europe. Volkswagen added that other e-fuels such as Power-to-Liquid (PtL) will be offered in future, which are produced from regenerative sources using CO2 and electricity. In this process, excess green energy could be used in their production. Volkswagen’s petrol and diesel fuel boss Thomas Garbe said: “Through the use of environmentally friendly fuels in the approved Volkswagen models, we are making it possible for customers throughout Europe to significantly reduce their CO2 emissions as soon as the fuel is locally available”. +++