+++ AUDI has been somewhat lethargic when it comes to new models in recent years, but now it seems the Ingolstadt-based company is back. There is still a lot to come in the next few months. But despite the obsessive electric optimism of its own boss Gernot Döllner (“The future of the car is clearly electric”), one of the most important Audis of the next few years will still be burning petrol. We are of course talking about the new Audi A5, which made a rather strong and pleasing debut at the beginning of the week. So things are finally happening in the premium D-segment, probably still the German motorist’s favourite child. Can the new A5 Avant (which will account for 80 percent of all A5 sales in Germany) hold its own against the top dogs, the BMW 3 Series Touring and Mercedes C-Class Estate? I dare to make an early comparison. All 3 car manufacturers can produce beautiful estate cars, so there should be little disagreement. The new A5 Avant sets itself apart from the competition with its very modern lighting design. Whether the many configurable light signatures are a real reason to buy is another question. More importantly, the A5 has grown considerably and, at 4.83 metres, is now a good deal larger than the Benz and, above all, the BMW. It also leads the field in terms of wheelbase. This provides significantly more space in the interior than before. After an initial seat test, it is clear that the 4 rings are now ahead in the rear. Audi A5 Avant: Length x Width x Height x Wheelbase = 4.829 mm x 1.860 mm x 1.460 mm x 2.900 mm. BMW 3-series Touring: 4.713 mm x 1.827 mm x 1.440 mm x 2.851 mm. Mercedes C-Class Estate: 4.751 mm x 1.820 mm x 1.454 mm x 2.865 mm. When it comes to the interiors, the predecessor A4 certainly had the most catching up to do here. The quality of the interior was top-notch, as is typical for Audi, but bear in mind that it had almost 9 years under its belt (market launch in October 2015). And even the major facelift was 5 years ago. Now, Audi has really upped the ante with the new A5 Avant in terms of cockpit design and material quality. With the very high-quality curved display, the new passenger display and the way the cockpit wraps around the front passengers, they have set the benchmark for us in terms of style, solidity and quality (but the 3 Series and C-Class have also been on the market for a few years). It remains to be seen how the handling works. Despite the annoying touch steering wheel buttons, the Mercedes is certainly good here thanks to its sensible menu navigation and first-class voice control. But for me, the BMW ranks right at the top with its mix of rotary pushbuttons, touch controls and also excellent voice control. Unfortunately, Audi now relies on capacitive steering wheel buttons, and there are no longer any real buttons for the climate control. Instead, the hand rest in front of the infotainment screen is a welcome change. This makes operation easier because you can tap more steadily. The voice assistant will get help from ChatGPT in future. With its increased dimensions, the A5 Avant is right at the front in terms of legroom in row-2. The others are better at boot space. Here, the Audi even delivers slightly less than its predecessor. In addition, there is no storage space under the boot floor, as this is where the 48 volt battery of the new super mild hybrid system is located. Audi A5 Avant: Digital instruments, Infotainment, Passenger display, Boot volume = 11.9 inches, 14.5 inches, 10.9 inches, 476 – 1.424 litres. BMW 3 Series Touring: 12.3 inches, 14.9 inches, not possible, 500 – 1.510 litres. Mercedes C-Class Estate: 12.3 inches, 11.9 inches, not possible, 490 – 1.510 litres. About the powertrains: Audi is using its new Mild Hybrid Plus engines for the first time in the upcoming A5. Here, an electric motor located on the transmission output shaft provides up to 24 hp boost and 25 kW recuperation. The lithium iron phosphate battery has 1.8 kWh. The system is said to save up to 0.7 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres and can be driven purely electrically when gliding or manoeuvring. All in all, it weighs 65 kilograms. This means that the A5 runs in the ideal Lambda1 range across the entire map ; a basic requirement for compliance with future emissions standards. There are two 2.0-litre petrol engines and a 3.0-litre V6 in the new S5 and S5 Avant. The basic petrol engine comes with front-wheel drive, the S5 with all-wheel drive, and there is a choice of all other engines. All come with a 7-speed dual clutch. Two 4-cylinder plug-in hybrids will follow in 2025, which should offer an electric range of more than 100 km. A V6 plug-in hybrid is expected for the new RS5. The 3 Series still has a relatively large engine portfolio, and let’s be honest: whether 4 or 6-cylinder, diesel or petrol, it has always been 1 level better than its 2 competitors. An 8-speed automatic transmission is now obligatory. In addition to rear-wheel drive, xDrive all-wheel drive is also available for many engines. The current Mercedes engine range is relatively economical, but not overly exciting. Always included: a 9-speed automatic gearbox. Depending on the model, rear-wheel or all-wheel drive is available. The decision to offer only 4-cylinder engines in the current C-Class is still the subject of controversy. The new AMG C 63, which relies on a 4-cylinder plug-in hybrid instead of a V8, has so far proved to be a fatal flop. +++
+++ On paper, the electric car’s recipe for success is simple: to sell, a BATTERY -powered car has to be economically competitive with its petrol-powered competitor, and to do that, batteries have to cost less and less. The good news is that this is indeed the case. The cost of a lithium-iron-phosphate battery will be 51% lower in 2024 than in 2023. This is at least what has happened in China, where lithium-iron-phosphate cells have an average price of $53/kWh, compared with $95/kWh previously. The main reason why the price of LFP batteries in China has fallen so much is that the cost of the raw materials used for the cathode, which is the most expensive component of a battery, has been reduced. At the beginning of 2024, it cost 50% less than the previous year. Today, it is only 30%. A second factor has also driven down the price of batteries: demand. Chinese Gigafactories produced 51% of their maximum battery capacity in 2022. By 2023, this had fallen to 43%. This is because demand for electric cars around the world has fallen, and the drop in demand is forcing manufacturers to revise prices downwards. In terms of batteries as a whole, it is currently calculated that a battery with LFP chemistry costs an average of $75/kWh. In fact, electric cars equipped with this technology have already reached price parity with combustion engine cars. In fact, two-thirds of zero-emission vehicles sold in China cost less than their petrol counterparts. But that’s what’s happening in the Land of the Dragon. In the rest of the world, where conditions and technologies are different, LFP batteries are much less common than nickel-manganese-cobalt. However, China is showing a way forward that will also be followed by other markets, led by the US and Europe. In fact, analysts believe that raw material prices will remain low for a long time, leading battery manufacturers to bring increasingly affordable products to market. This will lead to increased demand for electric cars in the future, triggering a virtuous mechanism in which economies of scale and greater sharing of components will contribute to the spread of new mobility. +++
+++ In the quest to compete at the very top of the luxury car market, lots of high-end manufacturers have started to pay more and more attention to the extraordinary world of bespoke commissions and one-off models. CADILLAC is one of those brands, and it’s now come up with the not-quite-a-concept Sollei Concept, which it says represents the very pinnacle of its new bespoke program.
The Cadillac Sollei has been designed with a clear reference to Cadillac’s ostentatious and glamorous 4-seat convertibles of the 1950s and ‘60s. It references these classic land yachts through its imposing scale and proportions, and by putting ultimate luxury at the very centre of its focus. In order to create the concept car, Cadillac has borrowed many elements from the Celestiq, the brand’s all-electric flagship that’s already gathered a lengthy waiting list. As a result, the 2 will probably share the same Ultium platform, powered by 2 electric motors and a 111 kWh battery between them. From there, though, the Sollei has been given a brand new body, with 2 massive doors and an opulent open cabin. The nose is very similar to the Cellestiq’s, but from the A-pillar back, the more traditional open-top silhouette takes over from the fastback roofline, giving the Sollei a much more classical appearance. The rear end is completely new for Cadillac, and features a thin light bar stretching across the boot lid, sitting above the illuminated risers that frame the rear bumper below. Curious production-relevant design elements, such as the illuminated side repeaters and reflectors on the lower bumper also suggest this could yet be built and sold in extremely limited numbers (if there’s demand). The cabin takes almost all of its references from the Celestiq, including its pillar-to-pillar 55-inch display screen and wide central tunnel. The overall design, despite being minimalist in terms of physical controls, has a very opulent art-deco theme, and comes with intricate wooden veneer work across the doors, seats and centre console, as well as solid milled aluminium and even a mushroom-based bio-fabric. While Cadillac has not said the Sollei will go into production, its ambitions to become a brand that once again operates at the very top level of luxury motoring, like a Rolls-Royce or Bentley, suggest that this is not out of the question. Just don’t expect to see one in the supermarket car park. +++
+++ ELECTRIC CAR registrations continue to grow globally. This is confirmed by figures compiled by the market research company Rho Motion, which show a +13% increase in BEV and PHEV sales worldwide in June. However, a deeper analysis of the situation reveals that more than 60% of all electric cars are sold in China. Similarly, of the 1.4 million PHEVs registered worldwide, as many as 0.86 million are attributable to China alone, where they increased by 25% compared to June 2023. Less exciting were the figures from Europe, where monthly sales of electric cars contracted by 7% to around 300.000. Finland, Ireland and the Netherlands recorded the biggest losses, while in Italy there was a 34 percent jump as a result of government incentives (exhausted within hours). In the US and Canada, PHEV sales increased by 6 percent to 0.14 million in the same month. Analyst Charles Lester of Rho Motion commented on the data as follows: “We can say that 2024 will not see the ambitious growth that some manufacturers were hoping for. We expect around 16.6 million electric cars to be sold in the year as a whole, albeit with significant disparities from market to market”. The analysis only further highlights a rather complicated period for battery-powered cars, whose growth has progressively slowed in recent months. Among the reasons for this is the fact that some countries have started to stop offering incentives on the purchase of new electric models, which are still economically unviable for many European households. High interest rates on loans do not help (although the cuts promised by the ECB in the coming months may improve the situation), while many motorists put off buying an electric car while waiting for a new generation of models (and batteries). It remains to be seen how the duties imposed by the EU on electric vehicles imported from China will impact the market. While it is true that the ‘weight’ of these cars in Europe is not yet predominant, it has to be said that the models built in the country of the Dragon are among the most affordable of all. +++
+++ JAGUAR has officially initiated the process of “managed extinction” of its vehicles. All the models we know, from the F-Type to the E-Pace to the F-Pace, will no longer be produced and will not be replaced. This is an unprecedented industrial and commercial changeover, but one that is intended to voluntarily reposition the brand in line with the JLR Group’s plans. From 2025, Jaguar models will indeed become something completely different. The cars will be bigger, more exclusive and more expensive, with prices in the region of €120.000 upwards. There will only be 3 models, and the first will be a GT saloon over 5 metres long. The cars will be exclusively electric and have a range of around 700 km, but those who buy them will not do so for this reason, but “because of the emotions they arouse”. These are the words of Rawdon Glover, head of the Jaguar brand, who explained the reasons and ambitions for this revolution during a round table discussion with the press on the sidelines of the Goodwood Festival of Speed 2024. He believes that the market for electric vehicles today is flattened by technical requirements that force similar designs because they are developed with aerodynamics in mind. “I don’t think there are many distinctive electric vehicles out there today,” says Glover, “and we have an opportunity to create something that is desirable first and foremost and makes people say, ‘Wow, that’s incredible!’ “. The philosophy should take its cue from the past, particularly that of company founder William Lyons, who maintained that Jaguar is at its best when it “copies nothing”, leading to the creation of icons such as the D-Type, E-Type and, more recently, the XJ220 hypercar. When Glover was asked if Jaguar’s new strategy won’t be affected by the European de facto ban on combustion engines by 2035?, he answered: “We believe that electric mobility is a kind of fusion that is progressing at different speeds in different parts of the world. We believe that electromobility will allow us to do certain things, especially in terms of the actual design. Once you’ve committed to an architecture, it’s very difficult to say: “Oh yes, why are all the investments going in this direction? So we’ve committed to this direction. At company level, we have other brands and other platforms. All of that will change depending on market trends, but in terms of overall strategy, that’s what it will be. Again, with any platform, it’s a long-term game. You need around 6 years to bring new models to market and then you have a 9-year cycle. So if you go for it, you’re making a 15-year commitment to the platform. It’s very difficult to walk away from that. For me, that’s the future, whether it comes as quickly as we thought or whether it comes a bit later. But there is no way we can put in a hybrid engine or a petrol engine. We can’t go back”. When Glover was asked why flexible, so-called multi-energy platforms were not developed, he answered: “They are much more expensive. Flexibility has its price. So I’m not sure it’s so easy to say: “We should have chosen a flexible platform”, because in reality we would have taken a completely different route in terms of vehicle design and proportions. There are pros and cons. The world of luxury sports cars and electric vehicles don’t seem to get along. Let’s look at the Taycan, which had a good start and is now seeing a drastic drop in sales. What do you think about that?
Our first car will be a four-door Grand Tourer, so it will be different from the Taycan. There will be other cars with different body styles, which will be in different market segments. We are starting with the 4-door GT, not because it is the biggest segment, but because we think it is the most important one to establish the brand. That’s why we chose the 4-door GT, because it has a pure design and establishes the Jaguar movement. We knew it would never be the biggest market we could tap into, but that’s why we wanted to focus on this vehicle”. In terms of components, Jaguar is positioned higher today, but has a lot in common with Land Rover. When Glover was asked if he will change this strategy, he answered: “Yes and no. I should have said from the outset that the products are based on their own architecture. We have the MLA, which is also used for the Range Rover. We call this architecture JEA, which stands for Jaguar Electrical Architecture. It is only for us. This means that we are not restricted in terms of design, which would have been the case if we had switched to the MLA platform. In terms of the software, battery technology and infotainment systems, they will be very different, but many of the underlying systems that define the vehicle will be used across the JLR group. JLR is unique, and the reason it’s important to us is that Range Rover is an SUV brand and the MLA is an SUV architecture. So having an independent architecture is very important for us. The seats in Jaguar products will be completely different. The interior design will also be completely different. Some of the basic technologies of the car, many of the accessories will be the same, but when you get into the car, will you think you’re touching the handle of a Range Rover? Not at all. The feel will be very, very different”. When Glover was asked what the biggest challenge is and the biggest difficulty in the repositioning strategy, he answered: “I think that’s a very important question for us. And I think the product itself helps. We assume that 10-15% of our current Jaguar customers will follow us, so relatively few. Of course, we know a lot of customers who drive Range Rovers and Defenders. We know them well. So it will be an opportunity to talk to them. If we think about the Jaguar of today, a premium vehicle with an entry-level price of 60.000 or 75.000 euros, well, we are now going in a completely different direction when it comes to luxury. Everything we do, whether it’s marketing communications, a website, an app or an HMI, has to enhance the customer experience. It’s certainly not the most innovative thing in the world, but it’s not being done consistently anywhere. And it’s something we need to be passionate about. The way the brand presents itself is really important”. About the new 4-door GT, Glover said: “It has a remarkable road presence and the proportions are a far cry from what we do today. To achieve this, I split the design team into 3 groups. Within 3 months, they developed 17 fullsize models with different design languages, some were familiar, others looked like something out of a science fiction film. The design language we chose is exuberant. Just think of something that will be really different on the road. In December 2024, we will unveil our new design language and in 2025 we will present the first GT, which will be launched at the end of next year”. When Glover was asked if he expects the market share of luxury cars to grow significantly and if he is planning to set up a new sales network, he answered: “Yes, we see the luxury market growing. I think I’ve been in the automotive industry for quite a while and I’ve worked for brands where you were fixated on the competition and spent all day looking at their specifications, their prices and their volumes and planning accordingly. We’re not going to do that, because we think that in the price range that we’re going to be in, we’re obviously in a competitive environment, but buyers often have multiple cars at home. It’s going to be whether I buy this car, whether I buy this boat, whether I completely renovate my house, whether I buy my third house, or whatever, so we’re going to be competing with multiple things. Look at Bentley, Ferrari, Aston Martin, look at their average prices, which keep going up, but they’re all driven by the need to create something desirable, something unique, maybe a one-off, but really it’s just about working out how to tap into the wealth that’s there and finding different points for that base. As for the second part of the question, we will operate partly through a reduced retail network. Because a higher price clearly means lower volume. We will focus more on urban areas: Paris, London, Tokyo, Chiang Mai – we will have our own shop where we can fully control the environment and experience and ideally add value”. When Glover was asked what makes him confident that Jaguar can do better than its competitors, he answered: “I think the most important point is the design. When I look at our design, I’ve seen things that you haven’t seen before and I think it really stands out. I don’t see anything like it on the market. Electric cars are an incredible tool in terms of the dynamics of the car, but most importantly the experience has to be wonderful, and I’m happy to say that every time we show people our car, they say, “It’s wonderful” and that’s the point”. +++
+++ With a heritage that dates back more than 30 years, the Sportage is a crucial model in KIA ’s line-up and to keep it competitive in the C-segment SUV class, it’s getting a facelift. The updated Kia Sportage was caught for the first time on the roads around Germany’s famed Nurburgring race tack. The new Sportage’s will get ‘star map’ headlights which mimic those of the new EV9, Sorento and Picanto. The new Kia family face will give the Sportage a bulkier, more aggressive look and we should see a new interpretation of Kia’s traditional ‘tiger nose’ grille. Down the facelifted Sportage will get new diamond-cut alloy wheels that aren’t too dissimilar to the ones featured on the new EV3. While the rear lights sit in the same position as before, beneath the mesh they will get a new light signature. It’s a safe bet the new Sportage will get reshaped bumpers front and rear as well. The Sportage was one of the first cars in the current Kia range to utilise the now familiar dual 12.3-inch screens inside, along with a touch-sensitive climate control panel which has since been used on the EV6, EV9 and Sorento. While the new similarly-sized EV3 will launch with a three-screen setup, Kia may decide to keep the same dual-screen layout in the Sportage to help differentiate the all-electric and internal-combustion engined SUVs. Like its Hyundai Tucson sister model that received a facelift earlier this year, I expect the Sportage to make the dual-screens a standard-fit feature on all models; removing the 4.2-inch driver’s display that was on lower-spec versions. +++
+++ MORGAN may still be producing retro-styled sports cars, but the small Worcestershire-based car company is looking further into the future than ever before, especially in relation to electrification. Speaking about the new Morgan XP-1 all-electric concept, Morgan CEO Massimo Fumarola said: “What does it mean to drive like a Morgan? It means something light, analogue and fun. If you drive the XP-1, it’s a Morgan. I can assure everyone that driving a fully-electric Morgan will come without compromise”. Fumarola refrained from giving a date for when we could expect to see a production Morgan with pure-electric power, however. “We will go electric when there is demand”, he said. Morgan currently has a partnership with BMW, the German giant providing engines and gearboxes for the British firm. Asked on how this relationship could potentially grow with electrification, Fumarola said: “We have a very strong relationship with BMW, our business doesn’t change their balance sheet, but we enjoy going to Munich. The powertrains suit our cars, but in the future I don’t think BMW will give up on internal combustion engines, certainly not before 2035”. The last Morgan coupes came in the form of the AeroMax and later, the Aero Coupe. Questioned on whether the first all-electric Morgan could herald the return of the coupe, Fumarola said: “I don’t know, but it is likely”. Different body styles will be easier to coachbuild over electric platforms according to Morgan’s chief design officer Jonathan Wells. He told: “There are a lot of constraints to an internal combustion engine package, with EV you’ve got options. It gives us so much more freedom for packaging. We are preparing a platform with an eye on what could come in the future. We don’t want an off-the-shelf platform from someone else because we are not going to end up with a lightweight car with the correct proportions. A Morgan should have theatre and drama to look at and it should be lightweight and fun-to-drive”. Wells is also not worried about the possibility of electric power diluting the Morgan brand. “I’m not too concerned. The XP-1 has a thin aluminium sheet between you and the motor and it really whirs, the scrubbing of the tyres is more audible and you’ve still got flies in your teeth. No one can say it’s not an exciting car to drive”. +++
+++ BMW, Mini, Volkswagen, Audi and Skoda will be at the PARIS MOTOR SHOW . The event, which will be held from 14 to 20 October, already saw the participation of 3 Renault Group brands (Renault, Dacia and Alpine) and 3 French Stellantis brands (Citroen, DS and Peugeot) confirmed. Now, thanks to the confirmation of the German manufacturers, the list is getting longer. Among the automakers confirmed at the moment are also Kia and the Chinese brand Seres. In recent years, the Paris Motor Show, like other similar events, has particularly suffered. In 2020 it was not held because of the Covid pandemic and then, when it returned in 2022 (the Paris Motor Show is historically held every 2 years alternating with Germany’s main car show, the IAA, organised by the VDA), it was held in a reduced format, with only French carmakers and BYD present. The 2024 edition therefore promises to be interesting and offers a hopeful sign for European events (remember that the important Geneva Motor Show was cancelled). The next IAA will instead be held in Munich in 2025. Volkswagen will be at the Paris Motor Show with its light commercial vehicle division and will present the Tayron 7-seater SUV and the ID.GTI concept. Audi will unveil the Q6 e-Tron and the future A6 e-Tron (possibly also the restyling of the e-tron GT). Among the brands that have told that they will not attend the Paris Motor Show are Mercedes, Cupra, Seat, Ford, Hyundai, Jeep, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Suzuki and the Geely brands (Volvo, Polestar and Zeekr). Toyota and the non-French Stellantis brands (Alfa Romeo, Fiat and Lancia) are among the ‘undecided’. Absent for now are the Chinese MG, BYD, Chery and Great Wall. +++