+++ Whoa, easy on the squinting there, folks. I know, the new ASTON MARTIN logo looks basically the same as the old one. But I promise, it has changed. Aston Martin dropped the single vertical line at the bottom and the inverted arch. Also, the lines are thicker. It’s like Aston Martin highlighted the badge and clicked “bold”. It also happens to be the 8th redesign of the logo. The original appeared on Aston Martin cars in 1920, with subsequent designs launching in 1927, 1930, 1932, 1954, 1984, 2003 and now. Aston Martin probably wouldn’t be that put off by me describing the new logo as the old one, but “bold”, because the company’s new tag line follows suit: “Intensity. Driven”. Yes, the tag line is basically a synonym for “bold”. Aston Martin says the new branding is part of a new focus on providing luxury cars with maximum performance. It also seems to reflect the brand’s upcoming roster of mid-engine sports cars with the F1-inspired Valkyrie, now in production, and the less extreme Valhalla, the latter of which will start deliveries in 2024. The new badging will appear on the Aston Martin F1 cars and will also appear on these new-generation Aston sports cars. +++
+++ Russian car manufacturer AVTOVAZ said on Wednesday that it is preparing to launch a limited new batch of the Lada Largus model, after Western sanctions imposed after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine brought production lines to a halt. Avtovaz employs more than 30.000 people in Russia, including at its flagship plant at Tolyatti on the Volga River. After Western countries imposed sanctions and Renault departed Russia over the war, Avtovaz placed much of its workforce on furlough. A lack of imported parts saw the company’s Lada brand launch a stripped-down “anti-sanctions” Lada Granta, lacking key safety features, including airbags and anti-lock braking systems. Avtovaz said that the new cars would be assembled using parts already held in storage. In total, at least 1.800 cars will be produced. The first cars are expected to reach the market by the end of this week. +++
+++ The new BMW X1 debuted less than 2 months ago. The third generation SUV received a major restyling inside and out, but BMW didn’t detail all the variants. A hotter X1 M35i is in development and is currently being tested at the Nurburgring race track. It will get a more aggressive design with a lower bumper grille and triangular intakes at the edges. The rear bumper will also be unique design. It houses the M35i’s quad exhaust tips, which are usually reserved for full-fat M models. However, rumours suggest that BMW will give quad-exhaust setups to more M Performance models. The SUV will also ride closer to the ground and it will get a roof spoiler. I expect the hotter X1 to get the same powertrain that propels other M35i trims, which means we’ll likely see BMW’s turbocharged 2.0-litre 4-cylinder under the bonnet. The engine should produce the same 306 hp and 450 Nm. The X1 M35i will have the same interior as the rest of the lineup. That includes the dual-screen setup and BMW’s iDrive 8 infotainment software. The interior should feature M Performance touches, including sportier seats and unique graphics. BMW hasn’t announced when it’ll reveal the M35i, but it should happen before the end of the year, likely going on sale after the xDrive28i variant. +++
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The cost-of-living crisis is significantly influencing CAR BUYING HABITS , with buyers pushing back vehicle purchases, revising budgets and considering different brands and models when searching for a car. A study took the responses from 1.232 people around the United Kingdom and found 35.05% of buyers were reducing the amount of money they were going to spend on their next car. Of that figure, 22.99% said they would cut their budget by 20% or higher. Some 25.37% estimated a cut of 10-15% and 23.58% of buyers said they would spend 5-10% less. The study also showed that of the 1.232 buyers, 36.61% had chosen to delay their purchases because of the cost-of-living crisis. Of those, 48.45% had pushed back their purchase by more than three months and 24.11% chose to delay until 2023. Some 39.68% of buyers decided to change the make or model of the car they were considering due to the cost-of-living crisis. Of that figure, 71.74% considered a completely different manufacturer and 12.8% said they were looking at a different model from the same car brand. Just 38.46% of buyers said they were looking to buy a new car, with 34.01% seeking a used model. The remaining 27.53% suggested they were still undecided about whether to buy new or used. Of the 34.01% looking to buy a used car, 20.62% said they were originally going to buy a new model but attributed their change in decision to the cost-of-living crisis. The What Car? survey also queried 401 people who had recently purchased a vehicle. Around a fifth (20.45%) said the cost-of-living crisis affected their buying decision, while 61.25% said they had chosen to buy a different model from the one they originally wanted. Over half of owners (59.09%) said they bought new, while the remaining 40.91% chose to buy used. Around 13.64% of used buyers said they initially wanted to buy a new car, but chose a used model to cut costs. +++
+++ HYUNDAI has reaffirmed its commitment in China, aiming to selling 520.000 vehicles annually in 2025 in the world’s largest vehicle market. It announced the goal when it held a music gala to celebrate its 20th anniversary in the country. The event attracted over 100 million viewers online, including many of its car owners and dealers. Established in 2002, Beijing Hyundai was the first automotive joint venture approved after China’s entry into the World Trade Organisation. Once a serious rival to German and Japanese brands, Hyundai’s accumulative sales in the country have exceeded over 10 million units. Earlier this year, Hyundai decided to invest 600 million yuan to boost its competitive edge in the era of smart and electric vehicles. The joint venture said it will launch 2 electric models in 2023 and speed up efforts to introduce Hyundai’s Ioniq and Nexo models. China is the world’s largest market for new energy vehicles. The China Passenger Car Association estimated that NEV sales could hit a record number of 500.000 units in June. Hyundai, including its affiliate Kia, sold 390.000 new energy vehicles globally in the first 5 months this year, up 42.6 percent year-on-year. +++
+++ MERCEDES is working on a facelifted version of its pure-electric EQV. The luxury minibus was first revealed at the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show, making it the second-oldest model within the Mercedes EQ range, after the EQC. The front end will get a revised bumper, new LED headlight arrangement and a new grille design, but it’ll be a very mild update cosmetically. The charging port will probably remain within the front bumper as well. The rear lights will get a new signature and we could see a fresh selection of alloy rims too. Inside the facelifted EQV, we could see the latest infotainment system feature alongside a new steering wheel. The outgoing EQV features a 10 inch screen on the dash, which could be swapped for a pair of 10.25 inch screens positioned side-by-side like in the A-Class or a combination of an 11.9 inch central screen and 12.3 inch driver’s display from the new C-Class. The current EQV uses a 90 kWh battery and front-mounted electric motor, developing 204 hp and 364 Nm. This means the EQV has a maximum range of 350 km and can charge 10 to 80 per cent of its battery in 45 minutes. We’re unlikely to see a new battery added to the EQV, considering it shares a platform with the internal-combustion engined V-Class, but we could see Mercedes unlock a few extra miles of range thanks to data collected on existing EQVs and the EQ range in general. There’s no word on an official reveal yet, but I expect a full debut in early 2023 with first orders soon after. +++
+++ The next-generation NISSAN X-TRAIL has been officially detailed in Japan ahead of an expected launch in mainland Europe early next year. Shown in full for the first time at the Shanghai motor show last year, the brand’s largest European-market SUV once again shares the bulk of its exterior and interior design with the US-market Rogue, which it has followed onto a heavily updated version of the Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi Alliance’s CMF-C crossover platform, as used by the Qashqai. That means it is offered with Nissan’s new E-Power hybrid drivetrain, a system that differs from a conventional hybrid powertrain in that a petrol engine features but is used exclusively to charge a battery, which in turn powers an electric motor connected to the front axle. Here, the set-up comprises a 1.5-litre petrol engine mated to a front-mounted electric motor for a total output of 190 hp and has the same ‘e-Pedal’ one-pedal operational ability as the all-electric Nissan Leaf, offering enhanced efficiency and lower emissions than the range of pure-petrol and diesel engines used by the previous car. Unlike the Qashqai E-Power, the X-Trail will also offer Nissan’s e-4orce electrified 4-wheeldrive system, which adds a secondary electric motor on the rear axle to offer a claimed “huge leap in acceleration, cornering and braking performance”. As in the electric Ariya, e-4orce is capable of quickly varying the distribution of torque between the front and rear axles to maximise cornering grip and stability. The 4-wheeldrive car is also equipped with different settings for driving on snow, mud and gravel. This is the first time Nissan has shown the X-Trail’s interior, which is a close match for that of the latest Qashqai, although bespoke features include a pass-through centre console and an array of new colours and materials. A pair of 12.3 inch screens dominate the dashboard, working together with standard-fit Amazon Alexa voice control and a 10.8in head-up display to minimise the need for drivers to take their eyes off the road. The 4th generation car will be available optionally with seven seats but is said to “remain sufficiently compact for easy parking manoeuvres” while offering “best-in-class” luggage capacity. For the Qashqai, the slightly larger, latest generation of the CMF-C architecture brings new front suspension and a more responsive steering set-up to enhance dynamic behaviour and it is likely the X-Trail will largely follow suit. Dimensions and other technical details have yet to be revealed, but the new Rogue is 38 mm shorter and 5 mm lower than its predecessor, so expect similar changes for the X-Trail, alongside a raft of aero-focused new design cues. +++
+++ TESLA on Wednesday reported a rise in quarterly profit, as a string of price increases on its best-selling vehicles helped offset production challenges, sending its shares up 4% in extended trading. “With each of the Fremont and Shanghai factories achieving their highest-ever production months and new factory growth, we are focused on a record-breaking second half of 2022”, Tesla said in a statement. Tesla said it has converted approximately 75% of its bitcoin purchases into fiat currency, which added $936 million of cash to its balance sheet. The company has raised prices of its cars several times this year to cope with higher costs of lithium used in batteries and aluminum used for the body, along with other raw materials. Chief executive officer Elon Musk has, however, said Tesla would drop prices when inflation cools. Total revenue fell to $16.93 billion in the second quarter from $18.76 billion a year earlier, ending its streak of posting record revenue in recent quarters, as it struggled to meet demand for its electric cars due to a shutdown of its Shanghai factory and production challenges at new plants. Analysts were expecting revenue of $17.10 billion, according to IBES data. Net income was $2.26 billion for the latest quarter, or $1.95 per share, compared with $1.14 billion, or $1.02 per share, a year earlier. Tesla is bracing for a potential recession and mounting competition from rivals. It also faces challenges of significantly boosting production in the second half, after China’s lockdowns hit production of the company and its suppliers. Musk also has said Tesla’s new factories in Texas and Berlin were struggling to boost production, calling them “gigantic money furnaces” which are losing billions of dollars. Musk said he had “a super bad feeling about the economy” in June and began layoffs. +++
+++ The TOYOTA Yaris Cross GR Sport is a new variant of the little crossover that’s launching in Japan. More than just a styling tweaks, the company gives this vehicle a stiffer body and a revised suspension. The Yaris Cross GR Sport features extra bracing in the centre of the underbody and at the rear. Toyota says this provides improved steering stability and less body roll. The revised suspension lowers the ride height by 10 millimetres. The company also tweaks the tuning for the springs, shocks, and electric power steering. The Yaris Cross GR Sport rides on 18 inch Falken FK510 tyres. With the hybrid powertrain, the Yaris Cross GR Sport has an upgraded powertrain controller that provides an improved accelerator pedal response. Toyota also tweaks the small crossover’s styling by adding mesh grilles to the front and rear. The brake calipers get a coat of red paint, and the model rides on 10-spoke wheels. Inside, the Yaris Cross GR Sport gets special front seats that are a mix of the material Air Nubuck and synthetic leather. There’s a leather-wrapped, three-spoke steering wheel with the GR logo on it. The front portion of the centre console has dark grey metallic paint. The shift knob has a leather covering. The pedals get aluminium covers. The GR Sport is available with a pair of 1.5-litre 3-cylinder engines. One version makes 120 hp and a hybrid variant of this mill has 92 hp). While the Yaris Cross is available with all-wheel drive, this model only comes with a front-drive layout. The Yaris Cross GR Sport goes on sale in Japan in August. The GR Sport joins the Adventure trim after its introduction last year. That model put an emphasis on making the vehicle appear more rugged by adding a revised front fascia and rear bumper protection plate. +++
