+++ ALFA ROMEO finally unveiled the production-ready Tonale following an exhausting teaser campaign. It all started 3 years ago at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show with a namesake concept. A little over a year after the showcar’s premiere, a report from Italian media stated the sub-Stelvio model would not receive the Quadrifoglio treatment. As it turns out, it might just happen one day to slot above the warm Veloce trim level. The automaker’s global product manager Daniel Tiago Guzzafame does not rule out giving the Tonale a go-faster derivative. When questioned about the prospects of a Quadrifoglio, he said the company already has “some alternatives, both with pure thermal (gasoline engine) and in the electrification world”. However, he cautioned that it will only happen provided the performance will be on a par with the level of sportiness associated with the famous logo. He went on to say a Quadrifoglio variant will be under consideration for each and every future Alfa Romeo model going forward: “Quadrifoglio will sort of be a brand within the brand, an umbrella to all of our programs model lines. Each program will be offered with a Quadrifoglio version or not depending on the potential we have with that specific segment and vehicle”. When asked about whether a more potent Tonale would have a combustion engine or an electric motor, he vaguely hinted it would be the latter scenario: “Where we are going is what we were saying before: the future Alfa Romeo will be electric”. On the same note, Guzzafame mentioned the company’s first EV will be out in 2024, but not related to the Tonale. However, the platform underpinning the crossover accepts a pure electric model, which could also happen. The first Alfa EV is rumored to be a smaller crossover some have suggested will bear the name Brennero. It too will accept both ICE and EV setups, with the first electric-only model scheduled to debut in 2025. Guzzafame mentioned the global lineup will consist of only electric models by 2027. That tells us the Tonale will have a relatively short life cycle. +++
+++ ASTON MARTIN has appointed Marco Mattiacci as its global brand chief and commercial officer shortly after the departure of several established senior leaders at the UK-based firm. Mattiacci moves to Aston Martin following more than a decade in senior leadership positions at Ferrari, including heading the manufacturer’s North American operations and a spell as managing director and team principal of the Scuderia Ferrari Formula 1 team. Aston Martin says Mattiacci will start his new role immediately, overseeing the firm’s customer and brand experience and product integration and “playing a key role in Aston’s future commercial and product strategy”. Tobias Moers, CEO of Aston Martin, said: “As we continue this new era for Aston, a key pillar is unleashing the potential of our brand, given its customer loyalty and huge global appeal. I’m delighted to welcome Marco to Aston and look forward to working with him and our world-class leadership team to accelerate our breathtaking new product roadmap and unrivalled luxury customer experience”. Mattiacci’s appointment is the latest in a series of changes at the firm, which lost several senior staff members at the start of the year. Among the departures were chief special operations officer David King, chief executive for vehicle attributes Matt Becker, director of Q operations Simon Lane and global president of UK and South Africa Phil Eaglesfield. Moer’s position has also been uncertain. Miattiacci said: “Having enjoyed global affection, passion and loyalty for 109 years, Aston is now igniting a new breed of customers with its next generation of product, ultra-luxury customer experience and return to grand prix racing. Working as part of a skilled and passionate team, I look forward to being the custodian of this iconic brand, which sits uniquely in the crosshairs of ultra-luxury and high performance”. Mattiacci also has experience as president and CEO of Ferrari Asia Pacific and has worked with Aston Martin as an advisor. He was named automotive executive of the year in the US in 2012. +++
+++ CADILLAC has confirmed that it will contest the Le Mans 24 Hours in 2023 with its all-new GTP hypercar. It will continue in the US-based IMSA Sportscar Championship and simultaneously enter the Europe-based FIA World Endurance Championship, which includes the iconic French event. The 2023 entry will be the General Motors-owned American luxury brand’s first appearance at Le Mans since 2002. The fourth-generation Cadillac V-Series prototype will replace the current DPi-VR, which is built to the Daytona Prototype International rules and therefore, despite the name, isn’t permitted at Le Mans. GTP (Grand Touring Prototype; formerly known as LMDh) is the more affordable route into the new Hypercar era of top-tier sports car racing, being cost-capped and taking the current second-class LMP2 chassis as its basis. The other route, LMH, allows manufacturers to design bespoke prototypes, as with the current LMP1 rules; or make competition versions of existing road-going hypercars, creating much greater commerical potential. This potential and the convergence of European and American sports car regulations have enticed a slew of manufacturers to recommit to or enter the IMSA and WEC series. On the GTP side, Cadillac joins Acura, Audi, BMW and Porsche; while on the LMH side are ByKolles, Ferrari, Peugeot, Scuderia Cameron Glickenhaus and Toyota. From the 4 designated GTP chassis providers, Cadillac has chosen to collaborate with Italian specialist Dallara. To this it will add an engine of its own design, in combination with the mandatory common hybrid element. The bodystyling of each hypercar is also free to its manufacturer, to which end Cadillac has released a preview image of its effort. Cadillac’s GTP efforts will be run by US outfits Chip Ganassi Racing and Action Express Racing, with which it won the IMSA championship in 2017 and 2018. Chip Ganassi said: “We’re looking forward to the new international prototype formula and running the Cadillac [GTP]. We’ve had a great relationship across three different racing disciplines with GM, and we’re looking forward to developing the car with Cadillac and Dallara over the next year and a half”. +++
+++ The pure-electric HYUNDAI Ioniq 5 has been given a minor update, with the range-topping model’s 73 kWh battery pack being swapped for a slightly larger 77.4 kWh unit. Hyundai has also introduced a couple more optional extras and some suspension tweaks. The updated Ioniq 5 will be available to order from April, with the first deliveries scheduled to arrive in 2023. Hyundai hasn’t yet confirmed prices and specifications for the new model, but I’m expecting a small uplift over the current car’s starting figure. Hyundai is also tight-lipped on the range benefit the new 77.4 kWh battery pack will have over the old unit, as it’s still pushing the car through the final stages of its homologation process. However, it’s certain to push the EV’s maximum figure closer to the 500 km mark with only a minimal impact on charging times. The outgoing 73 kWh unit is capable of covering up to 450 km on a single charge, when paired with Hyundai’s 217 hp single-motor electric powertrain. Thanks to the car’s 800-volt electrical architecture, the system can also take on an 80 percent charge in around 18 minutes if you can find a quick enough rapid charger. Hyundai will continue to offer the Ioniq 5’s 58 kWh battery at the lower end of the EV’s line-up. The most basic version is powered by a 170 hp electric on the rear axle, and is capable of covering up to 380 km between charging stops. The fresh battery pack will be complemented by a new battery conditioning system, which will allow the Ioniq 5 to automatically adjust the temperature of its battery while on the road, ensuring optimum charging conditions once the car reaches a charge point. The system will automatically activate if the driver enters the location of a charging point on the car’s sat-nav – and Hyundai claims the system will “improve real-life charging performance’ in both hot and cold temperatures. Extra equipment options for the 2023 modelyear Ioniq 5 will include a new Digital Centre Mirror (or DCM for short), which sends a video feed to a monitor in place of the usual rear-view mirror from a camera mounted under the car’s rear spoiler. The addition could be a remedy for the car’s lack of a rear wiper and washer jet, which is a key bugbear amongst buyers. Buyers will also be offered new Digital Side Mirrors as an optional extra. It’s the first time the technology has ever been made available on a Hyundai Group vehicle in Europe, and they work in the same way as the DCM, with a pair of cameras mounted on the car’s doors sending video feeds to monitors in the cabin. Hyundai says the system has the added benefit of cutting down on drag, as the cameras have a much smaller surface area than conventional door mirrors. The firm also claims the cameras offer a better rear view than mirrors, even in poor weather conditions. The last tweak in this current bout of updates are a new set of Smart Frequency Dampers. Hyundai hasn’t yet told us how the new suspension works, although the brand claims the system will improve the response of the rear axle, benefit ride comfort and improve the EV’s body control and handling. +++
+++ BMW Group brands dominated the British PERFORMANCE CAR for the first 3 quarters of 2021, taking 9 of the top 20 bestseller spots, including the outright win. The Mini Cooper S topped the chart, with sales of 4.171, beating the Toyota GR Yaris, which had a stunning run to place second with 2.963. The figures, compiled from data from the Department of Transport (DfT), give new insight into a market that’s well publicised but where sales figures are tightly guarded by car makers. Success in selling performance cars helps the manufacturer in 2 ways, firstly by raising the price of a base model and thus (hopefully) increasing margins. The Mini hatchback is a good example: the Cooper S costs 28 percent more than the base model in the United Kingdom, while the John Cooper Works commands a 59 percent increase. Secondly, they act as a halo model to focus attention on the rest of the range. This last aspect is key, reckons Oliver Petschenyk, powertrain analyst for analyst LMC Automotive. “The majority of performance variants of vehicles are flagships that generate publicity for the vehicles and indicate what pinnacle of engineering the company is capable of”, he told. BMW’s success in the UK was repeated globally last year. The company posted a record 163.542 sales of its M cars last year, a rise of 13 percent from the year before. BMW separates its M models into ‘high-performance’ and ‘performance’, with the latter including models like the BMW M135i, which finished third in the DfT figures with sales of 2.831, and the M340i, which came 8th. BMW also scored with sales of its 840i coupé/convertible, which came in 12th, with sales of 1.190; impressive for such an expensive car. The data shows the Volkswagen Golf GTI remained a key performance model for Brits in the first 3 quarters of the year (DfT data is posted 3 months after the period ends, hence why I’m not using full-year figures). It was also interesting to note that the most popular Mercedes-AMG model after the A35 was the G63, based on the off-road G-Class, with 508 sold. The marketing benefit of high-powered models is seen very clearly in the rise of the trim levels referencing that performance version visually but lacking their power and chassis modifications. The bestselling Ford for the period was the Puma ST-Line, the bestselling Mercedes was the A-Class 250 AMG Line, the bestselling BMW was the 330e M Sport and the topselling Audi was the Q5 S Line. You get the idea. Brits like to be seen in the sportiest-looking cars, even if the go under the bonnet doesn’t quite match the show. Normally hot hatchbacks don’t stray too far from the blueprint of the original, but Toyota chucked that wisdom out of the window with the GR Yaris. The Circuit variant (by far the most popular, taking 2.705 of 2.963 sales) was incredibly Toyota’s 9th bestselling model variant for the period, beating the far more humble Yaris. The transformation to make this four-wheel-drive homologation special wasn’t cheap, and Toyota has admitted as much, saying that it was built more as a marketing tool than for single unit profitability, but it might have paid off. Electric cars crept into the performance top 20, with the Tesla Model 3 Performance in sixth and the Porsche Taycan 4S managing 18th. +++
+++ The new RENAULT Austral will be fully revealed on 8 March, and the French firm has released a series of images previewing some key interior features. The images offer the first look at the SUV’s cabin. They focus on high-quality materials in what Renault has called “an elegantly modern cocoon”. One of the images shows a section of the dashboard, which features a matt soft-touch finish. Renault said wood is used throughout, partnered with chrome trim. Another image previews the front and rear door panels, featuring chrome inserts; and a third highlights the Austral’s “smart hand rest”, which can be slid forwards and backwards. “To achieve the desired level of quality on the all-new Renault Austral, we made no compromise when it came to choosing materials and quality workmanship, much like the open-pore wood finish found on the Iconic level trim”, said François Farion, Renault’s head of colour and trim. Renault recently presented the new Austral with a series of low-lit images, showcasing the car’s “elegant and muscular” silhouette ahead of its unveiling later this year. The Kadjar replacement was presented in front of a selection of different coloured lights. Few details are given away apart from the front and rear lights and a roof-mounted spoiler. Renault says the SUV’s rear lights merge into the Renault logo, while its body uses the same micro-optic plexiglass technology first seen on the new Mégane E-Tech Electric, featuring engravings and patterns visible under LED light. The Austral will represent the beginning of the firm’s new design language with more dynamic lines and improvements to common design elements seen on SUVs on sale today, describing the Austral as “robust as well as agile”. “The Austral combines strong stylistic elements that give it a dynamic and elegant design. Its quality is visible at first glance”, said Renault design director Gilles Vidal. “We’ve reduced the bodywork gaps, refined the flushes so that it develops an immediate high-quality feeling”. The Austral entered the final stages of its development earlier this month, when Renault gave the public the clearest view of its final production design so far. The car, which gets a new look, an overhauled interior and revamped powertrains, was pictured in an eye-catching livery with line-distorting shapes, colours and the newly updated Renault logo. Due to be fully unwrapped in spring, the Toyota RAV4 rival’s new was chosen by Renault as it “conjures up the vibrancy and heat of the south, the tranquil pleasure of nature, as well as wide open spaces, evoking limitless opportunities”. Previous sightings of camouflaged prototypes have confirmed that the flagship SUV has undergone a substantial styling overhaul, following the lead of the Mégane E-Tech Electric, which sets the tone for Renault’s new-era design ethos. Even on the heavily camouflaged cars, we can see slim LED headlights (which could meet in the middle, as on the electric Mégane), a concave grille design and completely reshaped and relocated air intakes. As well as the new look, headline changes for the new model will include the roll-out of quality and technology boosts found on Renault’s latest cars as well as a greater than ever choice of powertrains. Having been on sale since 2015 and receiving the mildest of facelifts in 2019, the Kadjar remains one of Europe’s best-selling family SUVs. Renault will seek to maintain a similar level of appeal in this successor by revamping the cabin in line with an ongoing “interior revolution” under design boss Laurens van den Acker. Set to be dominated by a touchscreen (large and portrait-oriented in top-end models) no longer sitting flush with the centre stack, the Austral’s interior will strive for class-leading material quality and clean design; traits that were key in pushing the Renault Clio to near the top of the supermini tree. Expect classy features such as ambient lighting and posher trim options to help create an upmarket air. The Austral will bear the fruits of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi alliance. It will make use of the updated version of the modular CMF-C platform that underpins the new Nissan Qashqai and is compatible with all forms of hybrid powertrain. This means there will be mild-hybrid options for the regular engine range alongside plug-in hybrid powertrains. The Qashqai’s unique new E-Power hybrid offering is likely to be restricted to Nissan models, however, with the Austral instead using a variant of the Captur’s more conventional E-Tech system, which mates a 1.6-litre petrol engine to an electric motor and 9.8 kWh battery for around 160 hp. Renault could also use the Clio E-Tech’s parallel hybrid powertrain, plus it has choices in a toolbox of Alliance set-ups. It remains to be seen whether Renault will follow Nissan in ditching diesel for its C-segment SUV. The brand has been vocal on its commitments to electrification across its entire line-up. Further details will be made public nearer to the Austral’s launch, but I expect a price increase over the Kadjar to account for the enhanced technology and powertrains. +++
+++ TOYOTA ’s profits have fallen by 21 % in the most recent quarter because of the long-lasting impact of the semiconductor shortage and the firm has further reduced its global sales and production forecasts. The Japanese manufacturing giant recorded third-quarter operating profits of 7.84 billion yen (6 billion euro). Meanwhile, its production forecast for the financial year has been cut by 500.000 units to 8.5 million, which, Toyota says, is down to the “uncertain outlook” caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and semiconductor shortages. Its new forecast of 8.5 million vehicles takes into account predicted supply shortages. For instance, Toyota expects to lose around 100.000 units in March. Further cuts are possible, the company said. The firm has repeatedly reduced production over the past 12 months, the most significant being in September, when shortages led to a 40 % cut. Despite this, its sales grew by 10.6 % in 2021 and the company retained its position as the world’s bestselling brand for a second consecutive year. Toyota said: “We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused to our customers due to the series of production volume reductions since last summer. We are working to restore full production as soon as possible. Although we continued to challenge ourselves with a high production plan to meet strong demand, we reduced the production volume forecast by 500.000 units as compared to our previous forecast in the fourth quarter, due to the production operation instability we are facing”. The firm also announced earlier this year that customers in its home market of Japan could face a wait as long as four years for deliveries of the new Toyota Land Cruiser. Toyota said: “Currently, customers have to wait for a very long time to receive our products. In response to this, we have formulated as robust a production plan as possible for this fiscal year and next. However, formulating an outlook remains very difficult due to the spread of the omicron variant and the shortage of semiconductors. We will continue to make supply efforts, and communicate more carefully with our customers, dealers and suppliers”. Toyota says its 10.29 million vehicle retail sales target and operating income forecasts will remain unchanged, having taken into account depreciation of the yen and the introduction of “profit improvement activities”. Its fiscal full-year operating income target is 2.8 trillion yen (2.1 billion euro), while net income is expected to reach 2.49 trillion yen. +++
+++ The 2022 WORLD CAR OF THE YEAR is one step closer to being revealed, with a shortlist of 28 models being whittled down to 10 finalists. The top 10 includes a variety of models, with electric cars taking four spots, alongside family-oriented offerings such as the Hyundai Tuscon and the enthusiast-focused Toyota GR86. Audi’s Q4 e-Tron also makes the list, thanks to slick interior tech and strong real-world range, with the Cupra Formentor being another entry from the Volkswagen Group. 2 Korean EV relatives in the form of the Kia EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq 5 are also present. Genesis makes an appearance, too, with the G70 executive saloon that arrived as part of the brand’s entry into the European market. The Ford Mustang Mach-E brings athletic dynamics and a sleek design to the table, while the Lexus NX won votes based on its electrified powertrain and plush interior. The new Honda Civic rounds out the top ten, and is set to land in Europe next year exclusively in hybrid guise. The World Car of the Year will be announced at the 2022 New York International Auto Show, having been selected by a panel of 102 motoring journalists from around the globe. Numerous other category wins are up for grabs, too, such as World Electric Vehicle of the Year: the luxurious Mercedes EQS and tech-laden BMW iX join the Audi e-Tron GT, Ford Mustang Mach-E and Hyundai Ioniq 5 in battle for top spot. There are also awards for best performance car, best luxury car and best urban car, and each model in every category will go head to head to achieve World Car Design of the Year honours. This will be chosen by some of the world’s most respected car designers, including Ian Callum and Tom Matano, previously Head of Design at Mazda. The Audi e-Tron GT, Kia EV6, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Mercedes EQS each made the final 5. The top 3 Car of the Year contenders will be announced on March 15th, with winners in all categories being revealed at the New York show on April 13th. +++