+++ ALPINE has launched into its electric era with the A290 hot hatch, which majors on performance, agility and lightness. The Renault-owned brand’s debut EV preserves the spirit of last year’s outlandish Beta concept, with a wide-reaching design makeover that marks it out obviously from the Renault 5 E-Tech upon which it is based and emphasises its sporting billing. The A290 is the same length as the Renault hatch, but its track has been increased by 60 mm, endowing the muscular A290 with a wider stance in order to appeal to “stylists and performance enthusiasts alike”, according to Alpine. The exterior design contains distinctive details that play into Alpine’s motorsport heritage, such as the X-shaped motifs on the spotlights. Wider wings, deep side skirts, chunky 19 inch alloy wheels and a black rear diffuser round off the A290’s rally-inspired look. The extreme design is backed by a host of extensive technical modifications. The A290 features bespoke suspension, powertrain tech, brakes, tyres and sounds for what Alpine calls a “more emotional driving experience”. Alpine CEO Philippe Krief said the A290 was a “stand-alone development” but it has been crafted to “remind drivers of the A110”; the sports coupé that has been the brand’s sole road car since its 2017 relaunch. He stressed that the new hatchback will play an important role as a conquest model for Alpine, given its entry-level billing and urban-friendly proportions. “The A290 is the first Alpine you can have in your story, because it’s a hatch, it’s a city car and it’s quite versatile, so it could be the first car of a future Alpine lover”, he said. As with the A110, weight saving has been a focus of the A290 development. As a result, the electric hot hatch tips the scales at 1.479 kg. That’s only around 250 kg more than a Renault Clio Full Hybrid and 126 kg lighter than the similarly conceived Mini Cooper SE, which was used as a benchmark by engineers. Alpine claims the motor and gearbox weigh less than 100 kg altogether. The rear multi-link suspension from the Renault 5 has been retained for the A290, but with bespoke hydraulic bump-stops and anti-roll bars added to “ensure an excellent level of comfort” and “top-of-the-range handling”. Larger, 288 mm Brembo brake discs have also been fitted and Alpine engineers have retuned the pedal mapping to ensure greater control in all conditions, targeting a similar feel to the A110’s. The A290’s braking system is configured so that there is a “natural transition” between the by-wire system and the regenerative brakes. Powering the A290 is a 52 kWh battery; the largest unit that Renault offers with the 5 E-Tech. It is claimed to offer a range of up to 380 km in the A290 and can charge at 100 kW for a 15-80% top-up in around 30 minutes. 4 trim levels will be available from launch. Entry-level GT and mid-level GT Premium models are fitted with a 180 hp electric motor, while the GT Performance and range-topping GTS use a 218 hp electric motor to match the hot electric Mini. Asked if the A290 could spawn other derivatives, as the A110 has done, ex-Ferrari and Alfa Romeo engineer Krief said the electric hatchback would evolve in a similar way, but he stopped short of confirming an R-badged dual-motor performance model. The 218 hp front motor is carried over from the Renault Mégane E-Tech and tuned by Alpine to produce more torque. The range-topping model develops 300 Nm for a Cooper SE-baiting 0-100 kph time of 6.4 seconds. There’s also a prominent red overtake button on the steering wheel that liberates maximum torque and power for 10 seconds. Rather than replicate the noise of an ICE engine, Alpine collaborated with acousticians to create 2 bespoke driving sounds based on the “natural harmonics” of the electric motor. “The sound is fundamental for emotion”, said Krief. “We must create a car that has an immersive experience. The steering, throttle, braking and sound are all things you feel. They create emotion and this is what we want to put into our cars”. Inside, a 10.25 inch digital instrument cluster and 10.1 inch touchscreen infotainment display run Alpine Portal, the brand’s new infotainment system. Over-the-air updates are available and the system is supported by various Google-based apps. Making its debut in the A290 is Alpine’s new Telemetrics programme, which comprises three main features: Live Data, Coaching and Challenges. Live Data displays information relating to the car’s agility, power, endurance and lap times if you’re driving on a circuit, while Coaching is designed to help drivers improve their skills, giving advice on braking and drifting, for example. The video game-style Challenges mode gives drivers a number of tasks to complete based on agility, power and endurance, with a new challenge unlocked every time one is achieved. The A290 is set to be priced from €39.000 in the Netherlands when it goes on sale towards the end of the year and the first deliveries are due to take place in early 2025. +++
+++ BMW ’s M division has ramped up the power and performance of the M2 as part of a series of running changes for the popular sports coupé. Planned for a salesstart in August, the upgraded 2024 model receives a more powerful version of BMW’s turbocharged 3.0-litre straight-6, developing an added 20 hp, at 480 hp. Torque has also increased by 50 Nm to 600 Nm at 2.650 – 6.130 rpm. The lift in reserves provides the M2 with the same power and torque as the manual M3 and M4. BMW claims a 0.1 second improvement in the 0-100 kph time. The standard M2 Coupé with the 8-speed M Steptronic torque-converter automatic gearbox now covers 0-100 kph in 4.0 seconds and the optional 6-speed manual model in 4.2 seconds. The effect of the extra power and torque is reflected more in the 0-200 kph times, where both M2 models eclipse their predecessors by 0.6 seconds, with 12.9 seconds for the auto M2 and 13.7 seconds for the manual one. The top speed remains limited to 250 kph, though this can be raised to 280 kph with the optional M Driver’s package. The styling remains largely unchanged, but the car now comes with an extended range of colours, including Sao Paul Yellow, Fire Red, Portimao Blue and Skyscraper Grey. The standard M wheels feature a double-spoke design with a black finish and measure 19 inch at the front and 20in at the rear. The same wheels are available with a silver finish as an option. Inside, the M2 Coupé receives a new flat-bottomed steering wheel with an optional Alcantara rim. The reworked model also gets an updated digital operating system with the latest-generation iDrive system. The changes arrive as part of a wider refresh for the 2 Series, on which the M2 is based. The standard car has also been only subtly updated with the addition of new design elements and interior tech, but more significantly it is now petrol-powered only, following the 1 Series, 3 Series, 4 Series and 5 Series in dropping diesel engines. The M2 will continue to be produced alongside standard 2-series Coupé models at BMW’s factory in San Luis, Mexico. Pricing for the updated model has yet to be confirmed. +++
+++ DACIA is putting the finishing touches on its largest car to date, the Bigster, ahead of its launch next year. New images of a camouflaged Bigster testing on public roads suggest that the production car’s design remains largely faithful to the concept unveiled in 2021. It retains its 4×4-inspired chunky SUV proportions and slim led headlights, bearing a strong resemblance to the smaller Duster. Indeed, the Bigster is effectively a stretched Duster: it’s based on the same Renault Group CMF-B (Common Module Family) platform but at 4.6 meter in length is 0.3 meter longer. This makes the Bigster the Romanian brand’s largest car to date, taking on hot sellers such as the Ford Kuga and Toyota RAV4. Dacia CEO Denis Le Vot believes that the Bigster’s value-focused approach gives it a chance to capture the attention of car buyers who are steadily being priced out of the mid-sized segment. Last November, he said: “Less than 10 years ago, you bought something for €40.000, and then you go to the same dealership for your new car and they say the new car is €50.000-something. Then lots of people will say: ‘Oh, no, I’m not doing that. It’s too expensive.’ This is where Dacia makes sense, because we’re coming with, in the case of a C-segment SUV, the Bigster, and it’s not going to start at €40.000”. As such, the Bigster is expected to undercut its key rivals on price, likely starting just below the €38.000 mark. Le Vot suggested that Dacia would keep prices low by building “the essential car”, omitting unnecessary technologies and equipment where possible. “We design cars with zero superfluous content: no screen when we can put no screen, no electronics when we can put no electronics, no ADAS when we can put no ADAS”, he said. He added that “we are taking the assets from the Renault Group”, implying that the Bigster’s powertrains will be plucked from existing cars. The entry-level Bigster is anticipated to use the 110 hp turbocharged 4-cylinder from the Dacia Jogger MPV, and the 140hp hybrid set-up deployed in the Jogger and Duster is also expected to be offered. Although the Bigster will be a 5-seater as standard, it is likely that a third row will also be offered as an optional extra, like the similarly-conceived Nissan X-Trail. The Bigster comes as Dacia reinvents its brand image, going from a maker of ‘cheap’ cars to a bona fide rival for the likes of Jeep, but without abandoning its value-focused principles. Renault Group design boss Laurens van den Acker explained that chief Luca de Meo wanted Dacia to have “an aspiration beyond affordability”. In turn, Dacia has sought to capture the more adventure-minded buyer, linking itself to the great outdoors with more overt styling and a range of camping products for its cars. “In my view, there’s no serious competitor for Jeep in Europe”, said van den Acker. “Why couldn’t Dacia be that? There’s no affordable brand that’s linked to the outdoors, that gets you out of town which, especially since the Covid days, is becoming extremely relevant. Dacia is a brand that’s very well positioned for people who love the outdoors. It gives you two reasons to buy the car, not just one”. +++
+++ In EUROPE , governments may be wary of budget Chinese electric vehicles flooding their markets, but they’re also fiercely competing for a share of the manufacturing investment and jobs the new competitors bring. While the European Union raised tariffs on imports, national governments across the bloc are dangling their own incentives to attract Chinese automakers looking to build European factories. Manufacturing costs for Chinese EV makers including BYD, Chery and state-owned SAIC Motor are much lower at home but they are nonetheless keen to set up in Europe to build their brands and save on shipping and potential tariffs, said Gianluca Di Loreto, a partner at consultancy firm Bain & Company. “Chinese automakers know their cars must be perceived as European if they want to bear interest among European customers”, he said. “This means producing in Europe”. The EU tariff decision is expected this week. On one hand, import taxes could help European automakers better compete with their Chinese counterparts, but they may also spur on Chinese automakers which are already investing heavily, and for the long-term, in Europe. Sales of Chinese-brand cars comprised 4% of the European market last year and are forecast to hit 7% by 2028, according to consulting firm AlixPartners. Hungary, which produced around 500.000 vehicles in 2023, secured the first European-factory investment by a Chinese automaker, announced last year by EV giant BYD which is also considering a second European plant in 2025. Budapest is also negotiating with Great Wall Motor for its first European plant, local media have reported, with the country offering cash for jobs creation, tax breaks and relaxed regulation in targeted zones to attract foreign investment. Hungary has spent more than $1 billion in recent years to support new battery plants of South Korean groups SK On and Samsung SDI and Chinese battery giant CATL’s planned factory. Representatives of BYD, Great Wall and Hungary did not respond to requests for comment. Leapmotor will use existing capacity of Franco-Italian partner Stellantis: the pair has chosen the Tychy plant in Poland as a manufacturing base. Poland has a number of programmes currently supporting more than $10 billion of investments, the country’s development and technology ministry told, including one favouring the transition to a net-zero economy and another offering corporate income tax relief, of as much as 50% in high-unemployment regions. Spain, Europe’s second largest car-making country after Germany, has secured investment from Chery, which will start production in the 4th quarter at a former Nissan facility in Barcelona with a local partner. Chery is expected to benefit from Spain’s 3.7 billion-euro program launched in 2020 to attract electric-vehicle and battery plants. China’s Envision Group has already received 300 million euros in incentives under the scheme for a 2.5 billion battery plant creating 3.000 jobs. Spain might also host Stellantis’ planned 4th gigafactory in Europe, built together with CATL. Chery plans a second, larger facility in Europe, a source with knowledge of the company’s plans told, and has held talks with governments including Rome, which is keen to attract a second automaker to rival Fiat-maker Stellantis. Italy can tap its national automotive fund, worth 6 billion euros between 2025-2030, for incentives for both car buyers and manufacturers. China’s Dongfeng is among several other automakers that have held investment discussions with Rome. Italy’s industry ministry declined to comment. Dongfeng and Chery did not respond to requests for comment. SAIC, owner of the venerable MG brand, aims to build two Europe plants, two sources familiar with the matter told. The first, based at an existing facility, could be announced as early as July and would employ a kit-assembly technique, targeting annual production of up to 50.000 vehicles, one of the sources said. SAIC’s second European plant would be built from scratch and produce up to 200.000 vehicles annually, the source added. Germany, Italy, Spain and Hungary were on SAIC’s location shortlist, the source said. SAIC did not respond to a request for comment. In Europe, Chinese automakers face higher costs for everything from labour to energy to regulatory compliance. But costs for exporting made-in-China cars can add up quickly and threaten already narrow margins. Bain & Company’s Di Loreto said a €15.000 car produced in China requires shipping-and-logistics costs of between €500 and €3.000. Chinese automakers may find labour costs in Northern Europe too high, Di Loreto said, whereas further south, Italy or Spain offer a balance of lower labour costs and relatively high manufacturing standards; particularly important for premium vehicles. For lower-cost vehicles, Di Loreto said, attractive locations include Eastern Europe and Turkey, which currently produces around 1.5 million cars annually, mostly for the EU, and has held talks with BYD, Chery, SAIC and Great Wall. Turkey’s customs union with the EU and free trade deals with non-EU countries guarantee tariff-free vehicle and component exports. +++
+++ The results of the Driver Power 2024 New Car Survey are out, the latest instalment of United Kingdom’s best known and most anticipated guide to customer SATISFACTION among real-world buyers in the new-car market. Based on the opinions of thousands of survey respondents, who have generously taken the time to share personal insights into their car-ownership experience, the Driver Power survey provides a wealth of valuable information for potential buyers of the top 50 cars listed here in our results. The results cover a wide range of categories and sub-categories, so that we can measure and compare owner satisfaction levels for each. The scores are processed with proper statistical weighting applied, with the aim of providing a representative picture of car purchasers’ views across the nation. So read on to find out what owners think of the top 50 Driver Power models this year, and to discover the new champion. Here: you’ll find the top 10 cars in the Driver Power 2024 New Car Survey listed in reverse order. 10. Ford Puma; 9. Citroen C5 Aircross; 8. Peugeot 2008 (second generation); 7. Mazda CX-5 (second generation); Peugeot 208 (second generation); 5. Mini Hatch (third generation); 4. Toyota RAV4 (fifth generation); 3. Toyota Yaris (fourth generation); 2. Tesla Model 3; 1. Dacia Duster (second generation). The Dacia Duster is a no-nonsense SUV that blends exceptional value for money and utility, with decent comfort and convenience. All this is complemented by few unnecessary frills, in a fashionable segment of the car market. That recipe’s appeal shouldn’t need spelling out, but an overall win in the 2024 Driver Power New Car survey surely drives home the point for any doubters. Owners of the outgoing version are sold most strongly on its value for money. But that’s not its only strength, because respondents also rate the straightforward layout that has knobs for the climate settings and a touchscreen that’s clear and easy to use. Indeed, owners rate the Duster’s controls first for user-friendliness, with second or third places for the phone connectivity, climate control, sat-nav and audio systems. Other areas where the Duster excels are its very spacious boot, which is ranked third, the cabin storage in second, and all-round visibility from the driver’s seat in fourth position. Rear-seat legroom finishes a strong 12th, while owners also like the way this affordable bargain drives; it nets second place for steering response, seventh for ride quality and 12th overall for driving pleasure. A worthy 2024 champion! And which cars finished last? The Volkswagen Tiguan (seccond generation) finished in 45th position. Even lower satisfaction was reported about the Ford Fiesta (seventh generation), the Ford Focus (fourth generation), then Vauxhall / Opel Corsa (fifth generation), the Fiat 500 and the Volkswagen Golf (eight generation). +++
+++ TESLA boss Elon Musk has confirmed on X (formerly Twitter) that a ‘refreshed’ Model Y electric SUV will not arrive this year, contrary to previous rumours about an upcoming facelift. Reports had previously stated that a new version of the car, codenamed “Juniper”, was on the way soon. The brand’s boss Musk replied to a user on X who expressed doubt that a new model would arrive in the next month, saying: “No Model Y “refresh” is coming out this year”. He went on to add that small improvements are made gradually to Tesla cars: “I should note that Tesla continuously improves its cars, so even a car that is 6 months newer will be a little better”. However, we still expect a significantly revised Tesla Model Y version to appear eventually, one that has a new exterior look, bringing over updates already seen on the newest version of the closely-related Model 3. Interior updates are also expected for the next Model Y, plus improvements to range and performance. The Tesla Model 3 and Model Y use very similar tech under the skin and we expect the updated Model Y to feature a ‘face’ derived from the Model 3, including the same headlights, as to keep the family resemblance consistent. Interior updates including different seats and the deletion of indicator stalks in favour of steering wheel buttons could also appear on the next Tesla Model Y. Previously it had been speculated that the car might appear in September this year, but it seems that any significant updates will now have to wait until 2025 at least. Prices for the Model 3 actually dropped with the facelift’s arrival, which could also be the case for the Model Y. +++
+++ The new VOLKSWAGEN Golf R is set to be among the final petrol-powered R-badged models as the performance brand prepares to go all-electric by 2030. Wearing a new look and featuring the same overhauled cabin as the other Mk8.5 Golf models, the 4WD mega-hatch is tipped to produce 333 hp (up from 320 hp in the outgoing car); in line with the closely related Audi S3, with a small torque boost to 425 hp. Volkswagen previously showed the Golf R in public for the first time, putting it on display in prototype form, alongside the already-revealed GTI, GTE and eHybrid variants; at the Zell am See ice race in Austria earlier this year. Wearing a commemorative ’50 years of Golf’ camouflage livery, the new car took to the ice circuit as part of a celebration of Volkswagen’s four-wheel-drive performance brand, ahead of its full unveiling this summer. Head of the division Reinhold Ivan said: “Volkswagen R is Volkswagen’s premium performance brand and has stood for sportiness and dynamic performance for more than 20 years. Here at the Ice Race, the past meets the future. We can hardly wait for the Golf R, still disguised here, to celebrate its premiere this summer”. Like the standard Golf and GTI, the R has not been visually reinvented, but will follow them in gaining a new interior that seeks to right criticisms of the eighth-generation Golf line-up, with a new infotainment system, the reintroduction of physical buttons and a raft of higher-quality cabin materials. It will be marked out externally from the current R by a new illuminated Volkswagen emblem and new-generation LED matrix headlights (alongside, no doubt, extra colour and trim options) including the new R-badged alloys worn by this prototype. Volkswagen has given no indication of specific performance figures, but 2022’s special-edition Golf R 333 (the most expensive Golf yet sold) had a top speed of 270 kph and a 0-100 kph sprint time of 4.6 seconds. The firm has shown the R in hatchback form, but earlier prototype sightings confirm that the Golf R Variant will make a return as a rival to the recently updated Mercedes CLA 35 AMG Shooting Brake. +++
