Newsflash: Audi A8 wordt eindelijk sexy

0

+++ The next-generation AUDI A8 will borrow several key styling cues and features from the GrandSphere concept. The luxurious sedan will land in showrooms in a couple of years as an electric sedan with a spacious interior and a long list of tech features. Built on the PPE platform developed jointly with Porsche, the next-generation A8 will adopt the e-Tron nameplate. It’s expected to make its official debut in 2024 and the overall design won’t change much. “The GrandSphere is a very concrete teaser. It’s not far away from what will become production. It’s not 1:1 but very close”, Marc Lichte, the head of Audi’s design department, told. It sounds like Audi’s next flagship sedan will receive a complete exterior make-over. While the exterior design shouldn’t change much, it will be interesting to see how much of the interior makes the leap from concept car to production car. Audi developed the GrandSphere with Level 4 autonomous technology in mind and designed the interior accordingly; Oliver Hoffmann, the head of Audi’s technical development, told Autoblog in 2021 that the concept was created from the inside out. It’s too early to tell exactly what the next-generation A8 will be powered by, but the sedan will exclusively be available with an electric drivetrain; the PPE platform isn’t compatible with a gasoline-powered engine. For context, the concept unveiled in 2021 (pictured) used a pair of electric motors (1 per axle) rated at 710 horsepower and 950 Nm of torque. They were linked to a massive, 120 kWh lithium-ion battery pack that stores enough electricity for a driving range of up to 750 km. Audi quoted a 0-to-100 kph time of about 4 seconds. The next-generation A8 isn’t the only high-end electric model that Audi will unveil in 2024. The German firm’s product roadmap also includes an electric RS6 e-Tron based on the next-generation A6, which hasn’t been unveiled yet but should stay relatively close to the A6 e-Tron concept introduced in April 2021 and the A6 Avant e-Tron concept unveiled in March 2022. Also built on the PPE platform, the RS6 e-Tron will reportedly stand out from the A6 with more power and a more muscular-looking exterior design; these features have characterized Audi’s high-power wagons since the RS2 made its debut as an evolution of the 80 in 1994. “I love the RS6 because I can put bikes inside, skis, so many things. That’s why I love it. And for me, stance. It’s always the wide track. And if you think about competitors of Audi, are they in the market right now with performance EVs with the wider track? I would say no”, Lichte said. +++

+++ BMW is recalling 3.431 electric vehicles because the sound generator used when backing up might fail. Specifically, certain examples of the i4 eDrive40 (1.988 vehicles) and iX xDrive50 (1.443 vehicles) are being recalled. BMW says the external artificial noise generator control unit “may, sporadically, experience a fault condition”. If this occurs, the typical beep/hum it’s required to emit when backing up may not play. That would put these BMWs out of compliance as it concerns FMVSS 141 Section 5. In case you were curious, this section of regulations covers the minimum sound requirements for hybrid and electric vehicles. Since there’s no natural engine sound to alert nearby people to their presence, all of these vehicles are required to produce artificial noise at low speeds. The fault in a lack of noise while backing up was discovered in quality control checks at a BMW manufacturing facility. BMW then did a full analysis to determine which vehicle models and which options packages the fault was being displayed in. For i4 owners, it appears that only the eDrive40 is affected, so i4 M50 owners need not worry. As for the iX, only the xDrive50 is included in this recall, so iX M60 owners can sit it out. For those with affected vehicles, owners will be notified and instructed to bring their EVs into the dealership to have their vehicles updated with new artificial sound generator software. +++

+++ FORD says it will drop the price of the Mustang Mach-E electric crossover while simultaneously ramping up production in 2023. Customers can expect to see price drops as steep as nearly $6.000 for upper-trim models in what amounts to a fairly significant correction to the repeated, large price hikes of 2022. And if you’ve already ordered a 2023, don’t worry; Ford says you’ll be taken care of too. The price drops vary from just $600 on the Standard Range model to $5.900 on the GT model; the most expensive in the lineup. And as I noted above, you’re not getting screwed if you’ve already bought a Mach-E. Ford says existing customers awaiting delivery will automatically receive the adjusted price; those who purchased and took delivery on January 1 or later are also eligible for reimbursement, which Ford will handle on a case-by-case basis. “We are not going to cede ground to anyone. We are producing more EVs to reduce customer wait times, offering competitive pricing and working to create an ownership experience that is second to none”, said Marin Gjaja, chief customer officer, at Ford. “Our customers are at the center of everything we do. As we continue to build thrilling and exciting electric vehicles, we will continue to push the boundaries to make EVs more accessible for everybody”. +++

+++ The MAZDA MX-5 “will never die” but the Japanese company has yet to commit to the technical make-up of the next-generation version. Mazda’s CEO in Europe, Martijn ten Brink, said the current car, first launched in 2015, will continue to be updated and is under no threat of being taken off sale from emissions or other legislation. “How do you stay true to the concept of what the car stands for taking it into the next generation of technologies?” he said, when asked about plans for the next MX-5. “That’s not been decided. But I think for Mazda it would be fair to say that the MX-5 will never die. I think it will continue to exist forever and it will have to go with the times. That’s a super challenge, and people are passionate about this car in Mazda. Of course, as you can imagine, people have opinions on which direction it should go. So I’m very curious where it will end up, but it will definitely remain part of the line-up”. In a wide-ranging interview at the Brussels motor show, ten Brink also discussed Mazda designers exploring new shapes and sizes for its models that major on aerodynamic efficiency when its new scalable electric architecture arrives in 2025. “I think everybody is really happy in the company with the performance of our crossovers and the advantages that they offer”, said ten Brink. “But I think everybody is also looking at what are the polar possibilities in terms of design of new electrified products. “How do we go? Do we go to a new shape? That’s what our designers are experimenting with. I look forward also to vehicles that are not necessarily SUVs or crossovers”. He added: “We need to think about aerodynamics in a different way. I think we’re going to get more diversity in terms of design from all the different brands. And I think also our experiments for design will take us into new directions, but they will definitely have to be super-aerodynamic”. Ten Brink said Mazda’s size means it has to do things differently and produce models for global markets rather than adopting different approaches region by region. “We need to be successful in Japan, in Australia, the US and Europe, with by and large the same vehicles”, he said. “This is an enormous challenge for a smaller manufacturer because we can’t go all in on one thing. “That is where the larger manufacturers have, of course, a bit of a luxury but also maybe didn’t have to be so open about what they do in the rest of the world because they can focus their communication far more on ‘this is our story for Europe’, ‘this is our story for North America’. We need to have the same story across the globe”. +++

+++ NISSAN and Renault have agreed to equalize the stakes they hold in each other, both sides said, ironing out a source of conflict in the Japan-French auto alliance. Up to now, Renault Group has held a 43.4% stake in Nissan, potentially giving it a larger say in how the Japanese automaker is run. It will transfer shares equivalent to a 28.4% stake to a French trust so each side will hold the same 15% stake in the other, according to the companies. The disparity between the holdings was a cause of friction, especially after Nissan became far more profitable than Renault. The agreement on the change is still being finalized and needs board approval from both companies. The companies said the shares in the French trust can eventually be sold but did not say to whom or how. They said the sale will be carried out in a “coordinated and orderly process” if a deal makes commercial sense to Renault Group, and that there is no time deadline. Until then, the voting rights would be “neutralized” for most managerial decisions, but the economic rights, such as dividends, will continue to go to Renault, the companies said. The top shareholder in Renault is the French government. Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida met with French president Emmanuel Macron earlier this month. The alliance has had its ups and downs since it began in 1999, when Renault sent one of its executives, Carlos Ghosn, to then-struggling Nissan to lead a turnaround. Ghosn first served as Nissan’s chief executive and later its chairman before he was arrested in late 2018 on various financial misconduct charges. The alliance, which also includes Mitsubishi and remains one of the world’s top auto groups, has been eager to put the Ghosn scandal behind it. Allegations against Ghosn include underreporting income, using investment funds for personal gain and illicit use of company expenses, including overseas homes and a yacht. Ghosn said he is innocent of all charges. He jumped bail in late 2019 and is now in Lebanon, which has no extradition treaty with Japan. The equalization of the crossholdings has been speculated about for some time. The companies called the move “an important milestone. “The ambition is to strengthen the ties of the alliance and maximize value creation for all stakeholders,” said Nissan, based in the port city of Yokohama. The agreement calls for Nissan to invest in Ampere, an electric vehicle and software company founded by Renault. Details of the investment were not released. The companies will also work together on marketing, vehicles and technology in Latin America, India and Europe, they said. The announcement underlines the automakers’ efforts to work together to ride out the avalanche of changes underway in a highly competitive industry. With worries growing about climate change, global markets are pushing electric vehicles and other cleaner modes of transportation. +++

+++ The SUZUKI Jimny will receive an electric variant in the coming years as one of five new EVs the Japanese manufacturer will launch in Europe by 2030. As part of an ambitious growth strategy detailed by Suzuki, which includes a 3,5 billion euro investment in battery development, the firm will introduce 5 new electric cars from 2024 onwards and has pledged to achieve carbon neutrality in Europe by 2050. The first Suzuki EV to arrive on the market will be a production version of the recently revealed eVX concept, a Suzuki S-Cross sized crossover boasting a 550 km range. However, the electric Jimny is unlikely to share the eVX’s underpinnings given its much smaller footprint and it could even use an adapted version of the combustion car’s platform in a bid to maintain its affordable billing. The current car is only available with a 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine producing 102 hp and 130 Nm, so electric power will bring a marked improvement in both power and torque. No details of the electric Jimny have been confirmed, but an official preview image released by Suzuki suggests its distinctive 2-box silhouette, slatted grille and squat proportions will be carried over, although new star-shaped headlights hint at a subtle redesign. From 2024, the Japanese firm will also expand its range to electric SUVs and B-segment models. 2 larger electric SUVs are also on the cards, which could be set to compete with the popular Opel Mokka Electric and Kia Niro EV. As it invests 2.5 trillion yen (€17 billion) in the construction of a battery plant and various other sustainable developments, Suzuki forecasts 80% of the cars it sells in Europe will be battery-electric, with the remaining 20% taken by hybrids. Suzuki is not immediately set to become an electric-only firm and will continue to work towards developing a carbon-neutral combustion engine for sale in other global markets. Suzuki cars sold in fast-developing, core regions such as India will eventually be powered by biogas and ethanol mixed fuels as the firm works towards achieving carbon neutrality for 2070. In other core areas like Japan, the firm will continue to develop hybrid powertrains, but it will focus outright on EV power in Europe, where it plans to be carbon neutral by 2050. +++

+++ ZEEKR has previewed its third model: a high-riding compact crossover which insiders at the Hangzhou-based company suggest will receive the 003 name when production kicks off later this year. A linchpin in Zeekr’s plans to double its annual sales to 140.000 units in 2023, the new 5-door model is planned to be introduced to selected European markets following a planned unveiling at the Shanghai auto show in April, kicking off an aggressive global push by the Chinese car maker founded in 2021. Known under the internal codename BX1E, the 003 is based on parent company Geely’s Scalable Electric Architecture (SEA) platform; the same structure used by Zeekr for its first 2 production models, the Zeekr 001 shooting brake and Zeekr 009 MPV. Little information has been divulged about the electric 003’s drivetrains, though Autointernationaal.nl understands it will be sold with a choice of single-motor rear-wheel drive and dual-motor four-wheel drive systems, with outputs ranging from around 272 hp up to 428 hp in a range-topping performance model. Styled by an in-house team working under the guise of Geely design director, Stefan Sielaff, at Geely’s design centre in Gothenburg, Sweden, the compact SUV continues Zeekr’s reputation for delivering cars with highly contemporary styling and modern detailing. Included are thin LED driving lights integrated within the shut lines of the bonnet and horizontally-mounted headlamps at the front; a look reminiscent of the treatment used by Geely-owned brand Lynk&Co on various models. The side of the new Zeekr model receives large wheelhouses with deep crease lines within the surrounding bodywork, conventional rearview mirrors, flush door handles as well as an upswept belt line, wide C-pillar treatment and sloping roofline. Distinctive horizontal tail lamps with simple LED graphics housed at the base of the window dominate the styling at the rear, giving the 003 plenty of visual width. Vertical reflector units are also mounted at the outer edges of the rear bumper. The tailgate boasts a high loading lip, and Zeekr has also given its latest model what is perhaps the shortest rear window wiper ever applied to a production car. As a sister model to the Smart #1, a car developed by Geely in partnership with Mercedes-Benz, the 003 is said to measure around 4.300 mm in length, 1.830 mm in width and 1.640mm in height. The opcoming Volvo EX30, which shares the SEA platform, will have similar dimensions. +++

Zeekr003prototype

Reageren is niet mogelijk.