+++ It certainly doesn’t come as a huge surprise now when we tell you that a new BMW M4 CS is on the way. The hotter M4 could debut as early as May. It follows on from the high-performance M4 CSL and M3 CS variants. The soulmate saloon came onto the market in March 2023. The M4 CS is likely to share its basic virtues with it. I am therefore expecting a version of the 3.0-litre biturbo in-line 6-cylinder engine with an increased output of 550 hp. The extra power is achieved by increasing the boost pressure and adapting the engine management accordingly. In addition, there is the 8-speed automatic transmission and, unlike the outstandingly good predecessor, all-wheel drive. As the M4 Club Sport or Competition Sport (there are different views on this) is also likely to follow in the footsteps of the M3 CS apart from the drive system, we expect a small diet compared to a conventional M4 Competition xDrive. However, various body and interior parts made of carbon fibre and a titanium rear silencer will probably not save more than 20 kilos in weight. Previous prototype pictures have shown the performance-optimised coupé during tests at the Nürburgring, among other places. The visual changes were largely concealed. However, unlike the normal M4, the M4 CS will have an additional front spoiler and a spoiler lip at the rear. The CS will be based on the facelifted M4, which was presented in January. The new features include optimised headlights, a flattened steering wheel and new displays. Production of the M4 CS, which is limited to a few thousand cars, is due to start in July. We will be able to drive the coupé for the first time in mid-May. Rumor has it that an M3 CS Touring will be coming in 2025. +++
+++ At KIA ’s ‘EV Day’ last year, we were treated to a slew of new all-electric concept cars, including the EV3 Concept. Now I can confirm the production-ready version will be revealed in the third quarter of 2024. The announcement was made during Kia’s annual Investor Day, which laid out further details on other all-electric vehicles such as the EV4 and EV2. The EV3 will be the first of this group, following on from the EV6, the China-only EV5 and the EV9. The EV3 borrows plenty of the angular design themes also seen on the EV9 and EV5, and the interior takes on a radically minimalist approach. No technical details have been announced for the EV3 yet but it should utilize Hyundai-Kia Group’s E-GMP platform already seen on the EV6. The EV6 will receive a mid-life refresh later in 2024, which could see an 82kWh battery added to its line up (the same unit used in the facelifted Hyundai Ioniq 5 sibling). This battery could then find its way into the EV3, perhaps alongside the existing 58 kWh and 77.4 kWh batteries already found in the EV6. I expect a maximum electric range of 500 km for the EV3 and a selection of single-motor and dual-motor 4-wheeldrive powertrains are also on the cards. A performance-focused GT variant could be added at a later date as the firm reiterated its plans to continue releasing GT trim variants of its EV models at the 2024 Investor Day. The next GT model will be the EV9 GT in January 2025. In terms of looks, the EV3 certainly abides by Kia’s current design language. Being a C-segment SUV, the car has dimensions close to those of a Kia Sportage but with a more squat, aggressive stance highlighted by those chunky wheel arches. To the front, the LED headlights are similar to the EV9’s, without the strip along the bonnet’s leading edge, and there’s no real grille to speak of. The lack of painted pillars gives the roof a floating effect and the roofline slopes down to the rear to create a sportier profile. Rear light strips that fall away to the side further accentuate the car’s width. The interior borrows a lot from the EV9 with an oval-shaped steering wheel, floating centre console, ambient lighting, a huge dual-screen sat on the dash and a fairly minimal layout to help promote the sense of space. Extra practicality comes in the form of a bench-type rear seat that can fold upward to store large items like ‘electric scooters and bicycles’ according to Kia. Kia will roll out AI technology to help improve the day-to-day running of the EV3. The firm says the technology will debut on the EV3 model and can help organize things like schedule management, route optimisation, travel planning, entertainment and emergency support. +++
+++ We’ve only just said goodbye to the LAMBORGHINI Huracan and its glorious V10 engine, but preparations are already being made for the brand’s next entry-level supercar, which has been spied testing and could be called Temerario. Lamborghini has submitted a trademark application to the European Union Intellectual Property Office for the name and a name badge in its familiar font with bullhorns on either side. The company hasn’t confirmed whether the Temerario name is for the Huracan’s successor, but given the timings it’s likely to be the lucky recipient. Lamborghini’s naming convention tells us Temerario was probably the name of a Spanish fighting bull, but the word also means fearless or bold in Italian. It also means daredevil and reckless in certain translations, which would suggest this new model will get all the personality of its predecessors. The new Huracan successor, whatever its name is, will be a plug-in hybrid. I expect the plug-in hybrid system to be mated to a twin-turbocharged V8; potentially the same unit planned for the Urus PHEV. Lamborghini’s Chief Technical Officer Rouven Mohr previously told the new car will use an engine of “more than 6 and less than 12 cylinders. It’s not a range-oriented hybrid and there will be no kind of downsizing”, he said. With that in mind we expect the hybrid system to be very much performance-focused just like the one in the flagship Revuelto. With Audi not planning on creating a next-generation R8 on the same platform, Lamborghini will have more freedom with its junior supercar. In terms of design we can see this test car has similar proportions to the Huracan. Beneath the Gallardo-esque headlight stickers the real headlights sit inline with the bonnet edge, angular side air intakes give way to a large lower grille. Down the side we can see air intakes for the engine that look similar to the Huracan’s and up top there’s a ‘double-bubble’ roof design. The wide stance of the car is accentuated by the sheer amount of tire on show at the rear. Electrified stickers dotted around the exterior also suggest this car has some sort of electrified powertrain. A huge rear diffuser and single-exit exhaust placed high up on the rear should help give it some added presence. The new Lamborghini supercar has huge boots to fill in following the Huracan, which was Lamborghini’s best-seller until the Urus came around. Despite the loss of the V10 engine we expect the new model to produce even more power than the most potent 640 hp Performante version of the Huracan. +++
+++ It would be a bummer if Toyota didn’t put its potent 3-cylinder engine in more cars other than the GR Yaris and GR Corolla. It looks as though the third model to get the 1.6-liter turbo might have a LEXUS badge. Unveiled as a concept in January at the Tokyo Auto Salon, the LBX Morizo RR has a high chance of reaching production. The small Lexus crossover with the tiny but mighty G16E-GTS is all but confirmed to go on sale in select markets. Lexus Australia CEO John Pappas said the LBX Morizo RR is “highly likely” going into production. However, he did add the potent derivative of the Yaris Cross-based LBX has not received the green light just yet. While the Yaris Cross has spawned a GR Sport derivative, it’s all show without any extra go. The hotter LBX shown at the beginning of the year in Japan had the 300 horsepower engine from the GR Corolla, complete with the 400 Nm of torque found in the GR Corolla Morizo Edition. The spicy LBX has a newly developed eight-speed, torque converter automatic transmission borrowed from the 2024 GR Yaris. Toyota chairman Akio Toyoda (photo) has already been heard saying the LBX Morizo RR will go on sale later in 2024. Fun fact: the company’s former president and CEO is known by his ‘Morizo’ nickname when he’s sitting behind the wheel. If approved, the beefy derivative would have more than twice the power of the regular LBX, which makes do with 136 hp from its hybrid 1.5-liter engine. +++
+++ It appears MERCEDES just can’t leave the GLE alone and after giving it a facelift in 2023, the SUV will be given further updates this year. Mercedes’ facelift of the GLE last year was expansive, adding a new range of mild-hybrid 48 volt petrol and diesel engines, updated plug-in hybrid technology, standard-fit air suspension and Mercedes’ new MBUX infotainment system. There was also a host of fresh interior upholstery choices to go with a few exterior tweaks. However, the GLE is now set to receive a new front bumper and headlight design. At the rear, there will be no changes. Off course, an AMG version (with a more aggressive Panamerica grille, diamond-cut alloy wheels and painted brake calipers) will return. The current, second-generation GLE arrived in 2019 and rivals the likes of the Lexus RX, Range Rover Sport, Maserati Levante, Audi’s Q7 and the BMW X5. Most of those have all-electric equivalents and it’s the same with the GLE in the form of the EQE SUV. With this latest update we can expect the GLE’s lifecycle to extend past 2025, when a new all-electric Mercedes SUV will launch on the upcoming MB.EA platform. The same line up of trim levels and powertrains is likely to be retained with this new update, although pricing could be tweaked. +++
+++ RENAULT is considering reviving the Espace as a MPV, as the flexibility of the company’s electric car platforms enables it to explore and revisit a range of different body styles. The Espace is currently a stretched 7-seat version of the Austral, but the name could be redeployed for an electric people carrier that’s truer to the concept (and design) of the original, launched in 1984. Renault’s global leader for the Ampr Medium platform, Olivier Brosse, told that a resurrection of the seminal people carrier is “something we are contemplating” as Renault expands its electric car line-up into new segments. He said: “Technically I think it is possible, but after that we would have to consider if an MPV would be accepted by European customers”. An electric, 7-seat Espace MPV based on the Ampère Medium architecture (formerly known as CMF-EV) that underpins the Mégane and Scénic electric crossovers would give Renault a rival to the likes of the Volkswagen ID.Buzz and Kia EV9. Just as importantly, it could face off against the wave of new Chinese electric MPVs, such as the Xpeng X9 and Zeekr Mix. However, Brosse was keen to point out that an electric MPV would bring with it some fundamental technical challenges. “I think one technical problem we have is that after the car exceeds 2.0-2.2 ton, from a technical perspective it’s mandatory that the car becomes rear-driven”. said Brosse. He referenced Alliance partner firm Nissan’s Ariya as an example of how far the Ampère Medium platform can go in terms of weight in its current form, saying that an increase above 2.000 kg would result in a switch to a rear-wheel-drive or 4-wheeldrive layout. However, Brosse also suggested the flexibility of the architecture means the technical constraints aren’t necessarily an inhibitor to expanding the EV portfolio into new segments, saying: “There is no strict policy in Renault. Electric car platforms bring a number of benefits that allow us to optimize internal packaging, and from a design point of view they give you a lot more freedom”. A new Espace could follow the lead of the forthcoming 5, 4 and Twingo EVs in taking design inspiration from its original namesake, which was defined by its boxy silhouette, short overhangs and aerodynamically optimized steep bonnet and windscreen; features that were inspired by France’s TGV high-speed trains. Renault hasn’t confirmed plans to bring back any other historic models beyond its three compact EVs, but design boss Laurens van den Acker has previously told that CEO Luca de Meo finds reinventing classic designs “irresistible”, suggesting more could return as the firm expands its EV portfolio. “I think at this time when there’s so much insecurity in the world, where there are many dark clouds hanging left, right and center, to make a few cars that really talked about the good times (and the times when the brand was alive) and stir all these positive emotions that people have, is a good thing”, said Van den Acker. +++
+++ TESLA delivered just 386.810 vehicles in the first 3 months of the year, missing Bloomberg’s average estimate by the biggest margin ever in data going back 7 years. The company is slashing prices of its best-selling vehicle, the Model Y, in a bid to clear its biggest-ever stockpile. The global slowdown in electric vehicle demand, along with robust domestic competition, is hurting Elon Musk’s standing in China, the world’s biggest automotive market. Musk, meantime, is having to make special efforts to retain artificial intelligence specialists, some of whom have left the carmaker in the past year to join his AI venture. +++
+++ New car registrations in the UNITED KINGDOM increased 10.4% year on year in March, representing the industry’s 20th consecutive month of growth, according to new figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). A total of 317.786 cars were registered across the country, with the growth attributed to the first plate changeover of the year (from 73 to 24) and continued fleet investment. Although numbers rose year on year, registrations are still down 30.6% compared with pre-pandemic levels. In total, over 545.000 new cars have been registered so far in 2024. The majority of this growth can be attributed to booming fleet sales, although the number of private sales fell 7 percent year-on-year, no doubt due to the ongoing high levels of inflation and cost of living struggles. However, while petrol and hybrid car sales are booming (they now occupy 56 percent and 14 percent of the market respectively) diesel and fully-electric car market share is slowly falling. Diesel cars now only account for 7.3 per cent of the UK’s car market. BEVs (battery electric vehicles) are seeing their highest-ever recorded sales (76.233 in March alone), but due to sky-high petrol and diesel registrations, market share fell this month by 1 per cent compared to last month. It’s slightly up since last year, though. The best-selling model in March was none other than the Nissan Qashqai; no surprise, given Nissan’s petrol-hybrid family SUV was the UK’s overall best-seller in 2022 and runner-up in 2023. Almost 9.000 Qashqai examples made it onto British roads last month, with the Ford Puma only slightly behind with roughly 8.300. The Ford remains the UK’s best-seller year-to-date, however, while the title of the UK’s favourite electric car is still held by the Tesla Model Y, with as-near-as-makes-no-difference
