+++ The recent unveiling of the CITROEN ë-C3 and its focus on affordability made everyone wonder if the Stellantis brand will become the equivalent of Renault Group’s Dacia. When asked about this matter, Citroën CEO, Thierry Koskas, admitted that while they will be competing with Dacia in certain segments, the market positioning of the Citroën brand is different. Koskas explained that Citroën is a mainstream brand of Stellantis, just like Fiat. Opel and Peugeot sit slightly higher on the ladder, but still below the trio of premium Stellantis brands including Alfa Romeo, DS and Lancia. When asked about a possible rivalry with Dacia, the Citroën CEO said: “You are now comparing us with a brand that we have a lot of respect for. The difference between Dacia and Citroën is that we are a brand with a hundred years of history. We also have other core values, namely comfort, simplicity, sustainability and courage. Cars should be affordable for everyone as much as possible, but we also make more expensive models such as the C5 Aircross and C5 X. The positioning of Citroën as a brand is therefore not the same as that of Dacia. We compete with Dacia with some models, but not with all”. When talking about Dacia-rivaling models in Citroën’s range, Koskas likely refers to the new ë-C3 and the successor of the C3 Aircross. The family-friendly C3-based model was teased with a 7-seater layout, proposing an indirect rival of the Dacia Jogger. Back to the Citroën e-C3, the model will arrive in 2024 with a range of 320 km and a starting price of 24.790 euro in the Netherlands, undercutting the upcoming Renault 5 Electric and Volkswagen ID.2 rivals. Furthermore, Citroën promised an even cheaper 20.980 euro version set to debut in 2025 with a range of 200 km, plus a petrol-powered C3 that could be even cheaper than that. Koskas said that the Citroen ë-C3 is “most certainly a response to the Chinese offensive“. This sounds similar to what the Fiat CEO, Olivier Francois, recently promised about the upcoming Fiat Panda which will be closely related to the Citroen ë-C3 sharing the same underpinnings. The Citroen boss credited the “great work of their engineers” for succeeding in their goal of making an EV that can compete with rivals from China in terms of pricing while being manufactured in Europe (Slovakia). Note that the cheaper but also less powerful and smaller Dacia Spring is produced in China, which makes it vulnerable to potential EU-imposed tariffs for Chinese EV imports. Setting aside the Spring, Dacia is reportedly working on a more direct rival to the Citroen ë-C3, in the face of the next-generation Sandero Stepway which is rumored to get a fully electric version. The zero-emission Romanian supermini is expected to debut around 2027, as a budget version of the upcoming Renault 5 Electric and Nissan Micra e-Power siblings. +++
+++ DS AUTOMOBILES is hoping that owners of its ‘3’, ‘4’, ‘7’ and ‘9’ will start to have conversations with their cars following the implementation of ChatGPT in the infotainment system. ChatGPT has revolutionized the way we think about artificial intelligence over the last year and will now work seamlessly with the Iris System. What this means is that the French firm’s voice recognition system has just got a whole lot smarter and has been transformed into a knowledgeable digital assistant that can answer even the most complex of questions. To use the new system, DS owners will simply need to say “Ok Iris” or press a dedicated button on the steering wheel. Drivers and passengers will then be able to speak with the AI-powered assistant. “Our mission at DS is to provide our customers with a unique onboard experience”, head of DS Automobiles Olivier François commented. “As pioneers in the integration of ChatGPT into the automotive world, we are making a generative artificial intelligence that is fluid, intuitive and immersive accessible, transforming every trip into a unique journey. It is a high-tech revolution with unlimited potential that is part of one of the greatest 21st century societal transformations”. The system will be initially rolled out to the first 20.000 registered users and offered at no extra cost over a 6-month period if taken out between 19 October 2023 and 29 February 2024 on the DS 3, DS 4, DS 7 and DS 9. DS’s ChatGPT-powered IRIS assistant can be accessed in France, Germany, the UK, Spain and Italy, and works with the local languages of these countries. “Even knowing all the inner workings and binary computations that allow ChatGPT to interact with its user, there is a certain fascination with how this conversational artificial intelligence model works”, added Stellantis chief software officer Yves Bonnefont. “Its ability to interact is certainly one of the most striking applications of AI of the past year around the world. Since ChatGPT has been available, we’ve worked to integrate it into our own systems. And we are pleased to be the first to offer this innovation in Europe. This development is part of Stellantis’ strategic focus, within the Dare Forward 2030 strategy”. +++
+++ In 2021, MAZDA announced plans to expand their lineup with new crossovers. While we’ve already gotten the CX-60 in Europe, a new model will arrive in 2025 and use an existing nameplate. The vehicle will be an electric crossover and it could adopt the CX-5 moniker. That remains to be seen, but previous reports have suggested Mazda won’t offer a dedicated electric vehicle as upcoming EVs will reportedly “utilize the platforms of existing gasoline-powered vehicles”. +++
+++ PORSCHE is slowly soldiering forward toward a time when the entire lineup features some sort of electrification. That includes a new generation of all-electric 718 variants and a hybrid 911. Now, new quotes from a couple of executives at Porsche shed more light on these important sports cars. During Rennsport Reunion 7, Michael Steiner, a Porsche board member told that “The 911 will be, definitely, if at all, the last Porsche that will be electrified”. To be clear, he’s talking about fully electric but we’ll get to that shortly. For now, Steiner says that the big problem with an all-electric 911 is weight. Speaking at the same event he said “The 911 should not get too heavy. So this is the reason we look more for performance-oriented solutions, and we have other cars for people who would like more electrification. We don’t see the need to just convert our icon into an electric car that has disadvantages”. “Now we are working on the next generation, which arrives about the middle of the decade”, said Frank Moser, Porsche’s vice president for the 911 and 718 model lines. “We have developed the hybrid, a performance hybrid of the 911, and that’s about in the middle of the decade: the next generation of the 992”. Previous reports suggesting that the 911 hybrid would come online around the middle of the decade appear to be correct then. We fully expect the first of its kind to follow the same strategy that Chevrolet has with the Corvette, namely, that it’ll go into a high-performance trim first. When asked for specifics, Moser said “Maybe 2 years”. What is certain is that within 2 years the new all-electric 718 will arrive. Both are slated for sale as 2025 model-year units. The big question on everybody’s mind though is what exactly they’ll sound like. The latest 4-cylinder 718 models were bashed pretty heavily for their soundtrack so we can only imagine what people will say about electric versions. According to Moser, the team is deep into the development stage regarding the sound of these new sports cars. “We have good guys, they know how to develop a good soundtrack”, he said. “You know from the Taycan, what is a typical electric Porsche sound? We never had one before. Everyone knows the sound from a flat-6 and therefore it’s difficult. From my opinion, while driving an EV you hear nothing and that’s great. So you remember you are sitting in a Boxster, electrified and you hear nothing. You have a totally dynamic car that is agile but totally silent. I think that’s really good”. Interestingly, Moser also said that “the sound is not the No. 1 goal”. That’s a fair statement but it leaves me wondering just how true to the 718 lineage this new generation will truly be. +++
+++ In the constantly transitioning landscape of electric vehicles, cost considerations extend beyond the purchase price. Repairing potential collision damage can scare away some buyers. Now, a new study might alleviate some of that concern. Almost all new cars today feature advanced technology. That tech, made up of components like lidar sensors, radar sensors and cameras is often contained in major body panels. On top of that, electric vehicles also have battery packs and electric motors that can run up a repair bill. A number of reports seem to indicate that REPAIRING AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE will cost significantly more than the average car. Now, a repair shop software company’s data indicates that repair costs are nearly identical between gas and EVs so long as you don’t have a Tesla. Statistics from Mitchell, the software company in question, show number of interesting details. For one thing, the average repair cost of a combustion-powered car across all of Mitchell’s customers was $4.205. That’s only $269 less than that of a non-Tesla EV which cost, again, on average, $4.474. That’s a difference of just 6 percent. Interestingly, those who own a Tesla are indeed in for a larger repair bill statistically. The same data indicates that they pay, on average, $5.552 or about 27 percent more. Again, it’s the technology associated with these vehicles that have repair prices so high. “These vehicles are on the cutting edge of all this safety technology and this digital connected-car technology and all of that is going to play a role when these vehicles are involved in a collision”, said Ryan Mandell, director of claims performance for auto physical damage at Mitchell. In addition, other factors might be driving the cost of repairs where EVs are concerned. Firstly, they’re often newer which means that aftermarket options aren’t as plentiful, thus driving up the cost. Secondly, the overall cost of EVs is going down meaning that some that might have been repaired are written off instead, minimizing the potential repair cost reported. +++
+++ The longer and more practical 5-door version of the SUZUKI JIMNY which is exclusively produced at the Gurugram plant in India, will be exported to Japan sometime in the future, as revealed by a high-ranking official. Japanese customers currently have access only to the locally-produced 3-door version of the Jimny, in narrow-body kei-car and standard Sierra specification. However, CV Raman, chief technology officer of Maruti Suzuki, recently confirmed that the 5-door Jimny “will also be launched in Japan, but in some time”, hinting at an expanded lineup for the JDM-spec model. During the launch of the new bodystyle variant in early 2023, Suzuki announced plans to offer it in global markets including India, Africa and Latin America, but it seems that more regions are being considered given the public’s positive reaction. With a length of 3.985 mm, the 5-door Jimny is 340 mm longer than the global-spec 3-door model, due to the stretched wheelbase resulting in a more spacious cabin. Despite the extra weight, the Indian-spec 5-door Jimny comes fitted with the naturally aspirated 1.5-liter petrol engine producing the same 105 hp and 134 Nm of torque. The 4th generation Jimny was originally introduced in 2018, so it is about time for Suzuki to introduce a facelift for the popular off-roader as early as next year. In January 2023, the automaker announced a fully electric Jimny for Europe, with the official teaser showing an illuminated grille and new LED graphics. Reading between the lines, the forthcoming debut of the EV could coincide with a mid-lifecycle update for the ICE-powered Jimny that is being sold all over the world. Given that the 3-door and 5-door models share most of their body panels, the facelift could potentially be applied to both versions at the same time. As for the powertrains, besides the EV, chances are that Suzuki will expand the Jimny’s lineup with a hybrid version, at least for markets where electrification is quite important. Japan is one of those cases, with Suzuki’s local range set to comprise 20% EVs and 80% Hybrids by 2030. The automaker’s plans for Europe have the opposite ratio with a target mix of 80% EVs and 20% Hybrids by 2030. +++
+++ In the years since TESLA first unveiled the Cybertruck the world has changed in dramatic ways and the pickup has seen a number of delays. Now, as we approach what CEO Elon Musk is calling the start of production in late November, he’s admitted that the Cybertruck is very hard to build. During a recent earnings call, he went as far as to say “We dug our own grave with the Cybertruck”. For anybody watching the news that has surrounded the EV over the last few years, that’s probably not too shocking. Aside from its numerous delays, something that Tesla is somewhat known for, there are technical challenges unique to Cybertruck. An email purportedly from Musk to employees in recent weeks stressed how important it was to get the panel gaps tight and uniform. That’s not all that easy on any car but on one with large expanses of stainless steel, the errors are all the more obvious. “I do want to emphasize that there will be enormous challenges in reaching volume production with the Cybertruck and then making the Cybertruck cashflow positive; this is simply normal”, Musk said. He points at the technology within the truck as the main pain point though. “When you’ve got a product with a lot of new technology or any brand new vehicle program, especially one that is as different and advanced as the Cybertruck, you will have problems proportionate to how many new things you’re trying to solve at scale”, he added. With all of that in mind, Musk says that a ramp-up to maximum production, around 250.000 units annually, won’t happen until 2025. If true, that’ll be some 6 years after the Cybertruck was initially announced. At least we won’t have to wait much longer to get our first look at the very first batch of production-ready units. They’re slated for a special delivery event on November 30th at Giga Texas. We should learn more about pricing, powertrains and other specifications between now and then. +++
