+++ BMW is on track to launch the new 5-Series next year, a car I expect to look much like the current car because it isn’t borrowing the split-headlight design of the 7-Series and X7. But one familiar feature from the 2022 machine that might be missing on its G60-code replacement is a V8 engine. While the next M5 will retain its 4.4-liter V8 but augment it with hybrid assistance for a rumoured 760 hp output, reports suggest its also-V8 M550i xDrive little brother will be killed off and replaced by an M560e xDrive running an entirely different drivetrain. So the 4.4-liter V8 will be reserved for the M5 and the M560e will swap its V8 for a hybrid-assisted 6-cylinder powertrain, essentially the one already seen in the bigger M760e xDrive. That sedan’s combination of a 3.0-liter inline-6 and an electric motor generates an impressive 571 hp , plus 800 Nm of torque, which compares well with the 530 hp and 750 Nm of the current M550i. The M760e can reach 100 km/h in 4.3 seconds, but the smaller, lighter M560e would improve on those numbers, and hopefully also improve on the 3.8 seconds needed by today’s M550i, which was critically acclaimed by test drivers at its launch. And that curb weight advantage should also mean an M560e would be able to match the M760e’s 82 km electric driving range even if there’s not enough room in the chassis to cram in the full 18.7 kWh of battery found in the 7-Series. BMW introduced V8 power to the E34 5-Series line in 1992 and V8s have been part of the lineup for 30 years. Will you be sad to see the M5’s little brother swap its V8 for a hybrid six, or will the extra muscle make up for it? +++
+++ BUGATTI is at a turning point in its history: it will end production of the Chiron and the W16 engine that powers it in the coming years. What’s next remains a little murky, but the company confirmed that it’s not planning on releasing an electric car or an SUV for at least 10 years. “A purely electric version is not included in our 10-year plan for Bugatti. There will also be no SUV”, said Bugatti-Rimac CEO Mate Rimac in an interview. “If it’s comparable, then it’s not a Bugatti”, he added, citing the firm’s founder. His comments put an end to the rumours that have hovered around Bugatti since Croatia-based Rimac purchased a controlling stake in July 2021. Rimac made a name for itself by developing high-performance EVs, and some feared it would leverage its expertise to launch a range of badge-engineered battery-powered Bugatti models. Rimac ruled out badge engineering early on and stressed the two brands won’t overlap, though its CEO predicted that “within this decade there will be a fully electric Bugatti” shortly after the purchase was announced. Bugatti has started developing the Chiron’s successor and Autoblog confirmed in August 2022 that the model will be powered by a plug-in hybrid drivetrain. Rimac stopped short of revealing precise technical details about the yet-unnamed model but told his team hopes to increase the system’s electric-only range from approximately 20 km in some gasoline-electric hypercars to 50 km. More details about Bugatti’s future should emerge in the coming months. In the meantime, the company has its work cut out for the coming years: it needs to finish production of the Chiron, build the track-only Bolide and make the 99 planned units of the sold-out Mistral. +++
+++ The 2024 CHEVROLET Equinox EV gets its big reveal today, hitting the Internet just a week before the Detroit Auto Show. We’re only a few months on from Chevrolet revealing the Blazer EV, and for folks wishing for something affordable, the Equinox EV is going to look a fair bit more tantalizing. GM is detailing a number of vital specs for every motor, battery and trim configuration today, but it’s only providing a price estimate for the base 1LT model, telling us that it will start “around $30,000”. For that price, you’ll get a single-motor front-wheel-drive Equinox EV that produces 210 hp and 320 Nm. It’s paired with the base (smallest) battery pack, and Chevrolet estimates a 400 km range on a full charge. I don’t know how much the upcharge will be yet, but you can pair the 1LT with the big battery pack for 480 km of range. You can also spec it with all-wheel drive, which automatically tacks on the big battery, leading to a range estimate of 450 km. The 1LT eAWD (and every all-wheel-drive Equinox) comes with a dual-motor setup that results in a combined output of 290 hp and 450 Nm. It’s not abundantly obvious in photos, but the Equinox EV is a fair bit bigger than the regular, gas-powered Equinox. Chevy says the EV is 20 cm and 7 cm wider. The 22 cm longer wheelbase and 5 cm reduction in height really help the Equinox EV’s proportions, too. Cargo space is a bit less than the gasoline Equinox, a compromise for design. Just like the Blazer EV, there is no frunk: Chevrolet uses the space for the front drive unit and other electronics instead. Styling varies widely between trims. The base 1LT is subdued and melts into the background, while the RS and 3LT both pop with far more flare and look-at-me attitude. Every trim gets a distinctive wrap-around LED taillight, but only upper trims enjoy the full-width front DRL. Wheel sizes range from 19 to 21 inch options. Charging technology and speed is the same across the board. The Ultium platform-based crossover maxes out at 150 kW fast-charging; Chevrolet says that this can return approximately 110 km of range to the car in as little as 10 minutes. It’s a similar charge speed as vehicles like the Ford Mustang Mach-E and Toyota BZ4X, but it lags behind segment leaders like the Kia EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq 5. Level 2 charging at 11.5 kW is standard, but the top-line 3RS offers 19.2-kW Level 2 charging. At this rate, you’ll get 80 km of range per hour. Lastly, GM is showing off a new V2L (vehicle-to-load) system with the Equinox EV, but it’s only optional on the 3RS. If you spec your Equinox this way, it will provide up to 3 kW of power to whatever electrical item you have plugged into it. That’s not enough to rescue a stranded EV on the side of the road (at least not in a reasonable timeframe), but it’ll work quite nicely for camping and tailgating applications. As for the interior, the 1LT will come with a big 11 inch infotainment touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard equipment. Step up to higher trims, and you get an even bigger 17 inch infotainment system. No matter the trim, Chevrolet includes hard buttons for climate controls and a fully digital instrument cluster. Optional tech extras include niceties like a head-up display, digital rear view camera mirror and a 360-degree camera. Plus, Chevrolet is making Super Cruise optional, so you can get GM’s awesome hands-free driver assistance system. Pricing details for the other trims (2LT, 3LT, 2RS and 3RS) are not available yet, but Chevrolet doesn’t specify any range differences between trims, as they all get the big battery as standard equipment, leaving front-drive cars with 480 km of range and all-wheel-drive cars with 450 km. No matter the trim, GM says the Equinox EV’s battery comes with an 8-year 100.000-mile warranty in addition to the regular bumper-to-bumper warranty. The first Equinox EVs off the line will be a special 2RS “limited edition” model not pictured here. Chevrolet says it will offer unique colours inside and out, but provided no further details, including price. These launch cars will be available in Fall 2023. GM didn’t provide a detailed outline of its launch schedule, but it claims all trims will be made available at some point within the 2024 model year. We hope the base 1LT model isn’t the last to launch, but if the plan is the same as many other GM EVs, the most expensive trims will be what come first. As for the production location, Chevrolet says it will be manufacturing the Equinox EV, which may also be sold in Europe, at its Ramos Arizpe, Mexico facility where it also plans to make the Blazer EV. +++
+++ A couple of years after its debut, FERRARI ’s cheapest front-engine GT, the Roma, is finally getting a convertible. There is a chance the Roma convertible will get a foldaway hardtop like the 812 and Ferrari’s other mid-engine sports cars. This will all help the Roma have a more consistent appearance that would be difficult with more folding sections or even a soft roof. When it reaches production, the Roma should get the same twin-turbo 3.9-liter V8 making 620 hp / 760 Nm and 8-speed dual-clutch transmission as the coupe. It will likely be a bit heavier. It will also likely put the future of the Portofino M in question. The Portofino was sort of the entry point for the Ferrari line, but it’s extremely old, having been based on the California, and it won’t have the unique sales point of being a convertible to the Roma’s coupe. +++
+++ HYUNDAI has yet to give the green light to a second-generation i20 N but the man behind the original says he is pushing hard for it to live on. Former boss of the N division and Hyundai’s current executive technical advisor Albert Biermann states that the car’s future remains uncertain given the shrinking hot hatch market and the continued shift towards SUVs and crossovers. Furthermore, electrification remains a key area of discussion about the future of the i20 N. “A successor has not been decided yet, it’s a tough one”, Biermann acknowledged during an interview. “The hot hatch market is shrinking globally, but the i20 N market is very important in Europe. The challenge in Europe, many people are dreaming about EVs (electric vehicles). Already I’m fighting for a next-generation petrol-powered i20 N for quite some time. I have not been successful yet”. Biermann noted that the turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder of the current i20 N will comply with Euro 7 emissions regulations but said he is open to the idea of an all-electric version of the pint-sized hot hatch also being offered to customers, potentially alongside a second-generation combustion-powered model. “Why not? At this point I cannot imagine we can bring the smaller (electric) N car to a price point where an i20 N can be. I still see some price gap”, he said. “But an electric Hyundai i20 N could still be a charming vehicle with significantly lower cost than an Ioniq 5 N (Hyundai N’s first electric vehicle). We have to bring electrification also in the price range where the Hyundai i20 N is today”. The i20 N has proven to be a hit among buyers, particularly in Australia and Europe where waiting times for it have stretched out to two years. While no decision has been made on a second-generation model, a mid-life facelift is in the works. +++
+++ Ex-Aston Martin CEO Tobias Moers will run a Swiss start-up alongside Manfred Fitzgerald, former head of Genesis. Swiss luxury car start-up PIECH AUTOMOTIVE has announced the appointment of ex-Aston Martin CEO Tobias Moers alongside Manfred Fitzgerald, the former head of Genesis, as co-chairmen. Moers will assume the role of chief technical officer, directing the development of the firm’s first car, the Piëch GT. Moers ended a 2-year stint at Aston Martin in July, having announced he would step down as CEO in May. He described the parting as being “mutual agreement”, amidst poor financial results and the departure of several high-profile figures at the company. Fitzgerald, on the other hand, left Genesis in 2019 “to pursue new opportunities” according to an official Hyundai Group statement. Piëch Automotive co-founder Toni Piëch (great grandson of revered engineer Ferdinand Porsche) said of their appointments: “Both have a proven and enviable track record in this segment and possess extensive knowledge, an adept sense of how to communicate with exclusive customers and a distinct understanding of luxury brands. We are convinced that this management team will steer the Piëch brand to long-term success through the introduction of an attractive product portfolio, pioneering technology and an exceptional customer experience”. They take the reins of a brand in its gestational phase: the GT was revealed at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show, but little more was said about the car until October 2021, when testing began ahead of its 2024 launch. The company announced in May 2022 that it partnered with German firm ElringKlinger to develop the batteries for the GT, targeting a 500 km range from a sub-90kWh battery supporting 800 volt, 350 kWh charging. +++
+++ RIVIAN and Mercedes-Benz have announced that the 2 companies plan to collaborate on an electric van factory. The factory will be located in Europe at an existing Mercedes facility, and it will build next-generation vans from both automakers. The 2 companies are only planning on teaming up for this factory at the moment, but it’s possible the 2 will work together on more projects in the future, assuming everything goes well. Specific dates for when this factory may be completed weren’t given, but the 2 types of vans that would be built there are slated for around 2025. One of them is based on the Mercedes-Benz VAN.EA platform, a modular platform that will underpin a line of electric-only vans. The other is on the Rivian Light Van architecture. Based on the name, it will likely be a smaller commercial van to slide below the current Electric Delivery Van range that uses the Rivian Commercial Van platform. Neither company said where these new products would be offered. Obviously Europe seems like a key market for them. It seems likely that they will also be sold in the U.S. Or at least the larger versions of these new vans, since the market for smaller vans is being abandoned. Rivian’s van offerings will of course continue to be all-electric, though it seems Mercedes will continue to offer some gas-powered vans as of 2025 on older platforms. +++
