+++ The recently revealed Fiat 600e could soon go through the hands of Italian go-fast specialist ABARTH , resulting in the performance brand’s second all-electric model, after the Abarth 500e which was unveiled toward the end of 2022. The bigger Abarth 600e could arrive in 2025, mirroring the gap between the debuts of the Fiat 500e and its Abarth counterpart. Speaking about the upcoming model, Fiat and Abarth CEO Olivier Francois revealed no details but on the topic of the viability of an Abarth 600e, he said that “It’s logical”. The standard Fiat 600, which shares the same EV platform as the Jeep Avenger, is powered by a 156 hp front-mounted electric motor that draws juice from a 54 kWh battery pack enabling a WLTP-rated range of 400 km. In the case of the Fiat 500e and its Abarth cousin, the power output difference is 35 hp or 30 percent, with the Abarth 500e having a total of 154 hp on tap and the regular Fiat 500e getting 118 hp when equipped with the larger 42 kWh battery pack. If Abarth will go on the same route as with the 600, it would mean that power could go up to 204 hp for a front-wheel drive variant. However, as the Stellantis group revealed in 2022 with the Jeep Avenger 4×4 concept, the e-CMP platform that underpins both the Avenger and the Fiat 600 could theoretically support dual-motor all-wheel drive, allowing Abarth to potentially create an AWD Fiat 600 with 300 hp if the rear motor would be the same as the front drive unit. Whatever the case, Autocar writes that the upcoming hot Italian electric crossover will probably feature a host of sporty design touches, both inside and outside, with bespoke wheels, more aggressive bumpers, bucket seats, and maybe even a speaker that emits fake engine noises, as is the case with the current Abarth 500e. +++
+++ Early hints at what BMW is planning with the upcoming new M5 are here, thanks to a frustratingly cropped, leaked photo of its rear end. Featuring M2-style angular design, quad-tailpipes, and a subtle trunk lid spoiler, the performance sedan looks ready to take on the competition. The model in the photo certainly does look the part. Starting on the left-hand side of the photo, we can see big M style wheels wrapped in large section width tires. Above them, the telltale signs of a widened wheel arch give this car the distinct impression of being intended for high performance applications. Moving to the right slightly, a marker light contributes to giving the rear-end an angular design. Below it, a lower bumper section finished in black becomes a cutout for each side’s twin exhaust pipes, as well as a diffuser section. Above them, a slim spoiler over the trunk gives the car a focused look. Below it, all the way to the right of the frame, the start of an M badge is made hard to read by glare from the harsh lights above. All of these design cues more or less conform to the spy photos we’ve already seen of the car testing at the Nürburgring and elsewhere. Since this one is uncamouflaged, it reveals more about the subtle character of the M5. If this is, indeed, the real deal, we’re seeing it well ahead of schedule, as earlier reports suggested it wouldn’t be revealed until mid-2024. That means that a few question marks remain about the new M5, though we have some hints about what will power it. BMW is widely expected to use the XM’s powertrain in the M5. That would make it a plug-in hybrid, and would put a twin-turbo V8 under its hood. Whereas the XM makes 748 hp and 1.000 Nm of torque, rumor has it that it will be tuned to make 800 hp in the performance sedan (or wagon, depending on the buyer’s preference). +++
+++ HYUNDAI has kicked off production of the all-new 2024 Kona Electric at its plant in Nošovice, Czechia. Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Czech (HMMC) has great ambitions for the new model, planning to build 21.000 units of the Kona Electric by the end of this year and 50.000 during the entire 2024 calendar year. The new Kona Electric made in Europe will be sold primarily in European markets, but also in countries like Turkey and Israel, as well as the islands of Réunion and Guadalupe. The Czech plant will also build a righthand-drive version of the Kona Electric for the United Kingdom, Ireland and Cyprus. In total, the Czech-made Kona Electric will be delivered to 42 countries, compared to the 22 exclusively European markets of the outgoing model made in Nošovice. As a result, HMMC expects the new Kona Electric to make up 15 percent of the plant’s total production by late 2023. That’s no small thing seeing as the factory also builds the Tucson and the entire i30 compact lineup, including hatchback, estate and fastback (in regular, N-Line, and N performance variants). As with the previous-gen Kona Electric, Hyundai’s Czech plant will continue to produce 2 single-motor FWD versions of the electric subcompact crossover with different battery capacities. The base Kona Electric features a 48.4-kilowatt-hour battery pack that powers a (156 hp) electric motor and offers 377 kilometers of WLTP range. There’s also a longer-range, more powerful variant featuring a 65.4 kWh battery and a 218 hp electric motor. This model offers a class-leading range of 514 km WLTP. The Kona Electric’s battery cells are manufactured at LG Energy Solution’s plant in Wroclaw, Poland, with final battery assembly taking place at the same HMMC facility that produced manual transmissions until the end of 2021. “Hyundai regards Europe as a core market, which is reflected in our dedication to our customers across the continent. That is why we produce more than 70 percent of our models (designed with European customers in mind) in Europe”, said Michael Cole, president and CEO of Hyundai Motor Europe. “In response to the growing demand for our electric vehicles in the region and with a focus on shortened delivery times, producing one of our most important electric cars in Europe underlines the importance of the European market for Hyundai”. The Korean company announced an accelerated electrification strategy in March 2022 that will bring eleven new Hyundai EVs to the European market by 2030, and the second-generation Kona Electric is one of them. The automaker also committed to selling only zero-emission vehicles in Europe by 2035. +++
+++ The HYUNDAI MOTOR GROUP is redirecting its focus toward India to offset plunging sales in China and Russia as demand for cars has been exploding in the South Asian country in recent years in line with its robust economic growth, according to company officials and industry experts, Thursday. As part of efforts to downsize operations in the world’s second-largest economy, Korea’s largest automaker decided to shut down its plant in Chongqing, which has been idling for the past year. Hyundai also reportedly plans to sell another plant in Changzhou due to sluggish sales. Its Russian plant in St. Petersburg, which has been shut since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine early last year, is expected to face a similar fate. To make up for these production losses, the Korean automaker has been expanding its presence in India by acquiring a plant from General Motors. “We are actively pursuing various business efficiency improvements in China to enhance our operations. We plan to strengthen efforts to enhance profitability through streamlining production and operations. Details, such as potential divestitures, have not been determined”, a Hyundai Motor Group official said. AHyundai’s China subsidiary, Beijing Hyundai, put the Chongqing plant up for sale on the Chinese bourse on July 11. The starting price is 3.684 billion yuan ($505.9 million), but so far, there have been no confirmed buyers. The Chongqing plant, established by Hyundai in 2017 with an investment of 1.6 trillion won ($1.21 billion), was its fifth plant in China and has an annual production capacity of 300.000 vehicles. However, due to poor sales, it ceased operations in December 2021. During an Investor Day for CEOs held in June, Hyundai confirmed its intention to sell 2 Chinese production plants this year. Hyundai also plans to sell its Changzhou plant. The sale of the Chongqing plant is seen as part of Hyundai’s efforts to restructure its business in China due to declining sales. Since entering the Chinese market in 2002, Hyundai built 5 plants, expanding its annual production capacity to 2.7 million vehicles. However, in 2017, sales were disrupted by the Chinese government’s retaliation against Korea’s decision to deploy a U.S. Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile system, resulting in double-digit annual sales declines. Hyundai’s market share also plummeted from 8.1 percent to 3.5 percent. In addition, the automaker faced increasing competition from Chinese rivals that were rapidly growing after receiving substantial government aid. As Hyundai aims for global restructuring, it is also eyeing its Russian plant, which has been halted due to the Russia-Ukraine conflict. The St. Petersburg plant used to produce 200.000 vehicles annually, serving as Hyundai’s flagship facility. However, it has been idle for a year due to the war. Local media reported earlier this year that Hyundai’s Russian subsidiary was in negotiations to acquire the plant. Hyundai’s official stance is that no decision has been made, but industry watchers expect Hyundai to significantly restructure its struggling Chinese and Russian plants. Hyundai sees India as a land of opportunity to offset the challenges in China and Russia. Rising as 1 of the top-3 automobile markets globally, sales of new cars in India reached 4.76 million last year, showing rapid growth. Hyundai recently acquired a plant in Talegaon from General Motors (GM), aiming to enhance its position in the Indian auto market. The Talegaon plant has an annual production capacity of around 130.000 vehicles. Subject to Indian government approval and other procedures, full-scale production is set to commence in 2025. With the expansion of the Chennai plant’s production capacity from 750.000 to 820.000 vehicles in the first half of this year, Hyundai’s total production capacity in India could reach up to 1 million vehicles. “It looks like Hyundai is seeking opportunities in markets such as India, as it faces challenges in China”, an industry official said. Last year, Hyundai sold 552.511 vehicles and grabbed a 14.5 percent market share in India, ranking second. With the acquisition of the Talegaon plant, Hyundai aims to respond actively to local demand by rapidly introducing various vehicle models, in line with the Indian government’s policy to increase the share of EV sales to 30 percent of total car sales by 2030. +++
+++ KIA has started accepting pre-orders for the latest electric version of its affordable compact Ray on Thursday. Priced at around W20 million (comparable with €19.500 in the Netherlands), it can travel approximately 200 km on a single charge. A notable feature is that it is equipped with the LFP battery by China’s CATL, which is cheaper than the NCM battery primarily produced by Korean battery makers, making the car even more affordable. The exterior design is largely similar to its internal combustion engine version, but it has a battery which takes just 40 minutes to recharge from 10 percent to 80 percent and can travel up to 205 km on a single charge. The Ray’s electric version was initially launched in 2012, but several years later it was discontinued amid poor sales, because its single-charge range was just 90 km, despite its high price tag of W45 million. There are very few electric vehicles priced below W30 million in the market here, so the new Ray could attract consumers who have been hesitant to buy EVs, which still carry high price tags. +++
+++ NISSAN will launch 27 electrified vehicles globally by 2030, including 19 battery-electric models, according to people who attended the brand’s annual dealer conference in Las Vegas earlier this week. This includes Infiniti branded models. As part of the presentation, some 3.000 dealership executives were shown 3 new EVs that are expected to debut in the next 7 years, including a crossover coupe-type replacement for the Leaf, a performance saloon that could take the place of the current ICE-powered Maxima, as well as a battery-powered crossover based on the CMF-EV platform that underpins the Ariya as well as the Renault Mégane Electric. According to a dealer who asked not to be identified, the next-generation Leaf will reportedly offer 25 percent more range than the current model, all while looking like “a mini-Ariya”. Back in May, I reported that the replacement for the current all-electric hatchback will be built at the marque’s United Kingdom factory in Sunderland, where production is set to begin in 2026. A preview of the Leaf successor was shown at the end of 2021 in the form of the Chill-Out study which is said to feature solid-state batteries, dual-motor all-wheel drive, and “high levels of comfort, and an energizing driving experience”. As for the upcoming saloon, details are non-existent, but we already know that the Japanese car maker plans to build 2 such EVs at its Mississippi plant in 2026, one wearing the Nissan badge and the other going on sale as an Infiniti. The company’s e-Power series-hybrid technology will also come to the United States, with the first model benefiting from it being the redesigned X-Trail that’s scheduled for the second half of 2026. Currently, Nissan doesn’t sell any hybrids here, even though the technology (which uses a battery-powered electric motor to drive the wheels and a petrol engine to charge the battery) has been on sale in Japan since 2016. Furthermore, Nissan’s efforts in the development of solid-state batteries will move on to the pilot production phase next year in Yokohama, Japan, with one dealer who attended the meeting saying that the slimmer packs would be capable of offering 160 km of driving after a quick 15-minute top up. +++
+++ The results are out for the J.D. Power 2023 American TECH EXPERIENCE INDEX (TXI) Study, which “focuses on the user experience with advanced vehicle technology as it first comes to market and is an early measure of problems encountered by vehicle owners”. Its measurement metric is problems per 100 vehicles (PP100), same as with the J.D. Power Initial Quality Study (IQS). The takeaway this year isn’t that owners aren’t using advanced technologies, as was the case with the 2022 study, or that they’re having more problems with them overall. It’s that owners of battery-electric vehicles are having more problems with advanced tech than owners of ICE-powered vehicles. According to the study, 17 of 21 features that can be had on both propulsion types (such as remote parking assistance and gesture controls) get lower satisfaction ratings by owners of electric cars, in some cases nearly 20 PP100. The survey organization says this tracks with what its found in the IQS, where total vehicle problems were “46% higher among electric cars (excluding Tesla) than ICE vehicles and satisfaction is lower among owners of electric cars across 9 of 10 categories than among owners of ICE vehicles”. Findings regarding biometric measurements are among those that go against the overall study findings. Whether a fingerprint reader or an eye tracker, car owners in general said “they do not consider them to be useful”. In terms of ease-of-use and satisfaction, plug-and-charge capability on EVs gets good marks. This allows EV owners to plug into a public charger and have payment taken care of automatically; the vehicle communicates with any charging station compatible with an automaker’s plug-and-play system, so the vehicle can automatically submit a bill for the charging session to a central owner account with no further action needed at the station. Survey respondents noted a mere 6 PP100 and an 88.9% satisfaction. Among manufacturers, repeat winners took the top prizes. Genesis earned the highest rank for innovation overall and among premium brands for the third straight year. Hyundai not only won the tech innovation banner for mass market brands for the 4th straight year, ahead of Kia, GMC, Ram and Subaru, but Hyundai also finished in second in the overall standings. On that overall chart, the top-5 are Genesis, Hyundai, Cadillac, Lexus and BMW. On the premium chart, Genesis is followed by Cadillac, Lexus, BMW and Mercedes-Benz in the top-5. It wasn’t close from the first to the rest, though. Genesis scored 656 on a 1.000-point scale, the average among premium manufacturers was 588, Cadillac and Lexus both scored 533. It’s a strong showing for the American luxury brand, however, Cadillac coming second in the overall 2 of the past 3 years and second in the premium segment for 3 years in a row. EV-specific brands like Tesla, Lucid, Rivian and Polestar get great marks for tech inclusion but have more problems that most legacy OEMs. The 4 newer brands aren’t officially classified due to manufacturer-imposed limitations on getting answers from owners in certain states. If Tesla had been ranked, its score of 773 would make it the leader overall and among premium brands. Polestar’s score of 591 would put it second on both charts. +++
+++ VOLKSWAGEN has previewed the new Tiguan and Passat in a video detailing the all-new DCC Pro adaptive shock absorbers that the 2 models will hit the market with. The world has been waiting for the new Tiguan and Passat for quite some time. VW has already released various teaser images and photos of camouflaged prototypes and earlier this week, leaked images of the Tiguan without any camouflage emerged online. The carmaker says that the DCC Pro suspension of the 2 models “combines comfort with agility like never before”. Each of the new adaptive shock absorbers is fitted with 2 valves, one of which controls the damping during compression while the other one adjusts the dampening during rebound. These valves operate independently, allowing the system to absorb shocks and bumps while also reducing body lean while cornering. VW adds that both Comfort and Sport modes will be offered for the suspension in the new Tiguan and Passat. Volkswagen has said that it will premiere the new Passat before the end of August, meaning that we’ll see it in just a few days. Perhaps the most important update made to the 9th generation is that it will only be sold as a wagon, badged as the Passat Variant. It will also be larger than its predecessor and underpinned by a unique version of the MQB Evo platform. Like the Tiguan, it will be offered with diesel, petrol, mild-hybrid petrol and plug-in hybrid powertrains. +++