+++ ASTON MARTIN is aiming for record annual sales of around 8.000 cars a year as part of new boss Adrian Hallmark’s plan to return the persistently loss-making company to profit. Hallmark, formerly boss of Bentley, told investors he’d undergone “60 days of intense learning” since joining the company at the start of September. His first move was to shrink previously guided sales targets for this year to around 6.000 units from more than 7.000, citing supply-chain issues as well as low Chinese demand. The hard reset battered the company share price, dropping its valuation below 1 billion pound for the first time since it was listed in 2019. +++
+++ New BENTLEY boss Frank-Steffen Walliser is already visualising a strain of “surprising” future models as he begins his tenure of taking the British firm into the electric age. The 54-year-old German joined Porsche as an engineering intern 29 years ago and rose to be its head of complete vehicle development before moving to Bentley this July. He defines his prevailing challenges as being to get electrification right and to continue growing Bentley along lines begun by his predecessor on its path towards self-sustainability. However, as part of this progress, Walliser sees opportunities for making “something more extreme” that emphasises existing Bentley characteristics while also injecting more excitement into the line-up. “You wouldn’t do it immediately”, Walliser told, wary of accusations that he’s forcing Porsche values onto this ultra-British old luxury marque. “In any case, it would be completely wrong to make a Bentley that’s anything like a Porsche. The task is to understand the brand, the cars and the customers. But in my opinion, you wouldn’t have to give anything up to make some Bentley models more sporty. Their blend of qualities is strong and unique, and we must keep that”. Still, it seems Bentley product development moves are already being contemplated at the top. When Walliser’s hiring was announced by Audi CEO Gernot Döllner (Bentley is part of Audi’s Progressive Group, along with Lamborghini and motorcycle maker Ducati), he cited his “entrepreneurial experience” as being useful for the move to Crewe. Summarising his own management style, Walliser reckons he’s a hands-on type, interested in details but capable of making quick decisions when needed. But he also likes consensus and sees Oliver Blume, CEO of both Porsche and the Volkswagen Group overall, as a particular expert at involving good people in key decisions. Prominent in Walliser’s in-tray is the hot topic of electrification. Bentley’s first electric car was recently postponed to 2026, due to a slowdown in EV demand. That car, which won’t replace anything in the current line-up, is tipped to be a Porsche Taycan-sized, crossover-esque saloon, and Walliser half-confirmed as much by agreeing that aerodynamics will be a design priority for the car. Bentley will start testing prototypes within a few weeks, said Walliser, but if his arrival has any effect on the production car (“we have specialists for this”), it will be reflected strictly in their refinement and how they drive. Having masterminded Porsche’s influential 918 Spyder supercar of 2014 and been its head of motorsport for 5 years, Walliser is well prepared for the inevitable Bentley-in-motorsport question. He readily agrees that racing fits perfectly with Bentley’s heritage and that Le Mans is the natural link. “When you have models called Mulsanne and Arnage, it shouldn’t even be a question”, he said. However, he added: “If you ask me whether it would be appropriate to go now, I’d say no. My priority is electrification and growing the company, because you need money for racing. Being a CEO is very different from being a head of motorsport: you have to worry about the health of the whole company, not just starting a new adventure”. When Walliser arrived at Bentley, he was surprised by the excellence of the cars (“some are rather underrated”) and by the extent of the VW Group’s recent investment in new facilities at Crewe (“it’s a huge positive”). There’s “lots of respect” for Bentley inside Porsche, said Walliser, especially as the British firm produces such high quality despite being relatively small. “People over there see Bentley’s interior quality and wonder how we deliver it”, he said. “Bentley is also the VW Group company they say they most enjoy working with, because of the passion”. He continued: “One of my biggest surprises when I came was seeing how much hand-manufacturing we do. All that wood and leather work was amazing to see. But I soon saw how much we benefit. You can’t just buy skills like these; they have to be nurtured. Craftsmanship is the soul of Bentley, and I wouldn’t change it for anything”. Walliser is very familiar with EVs, having had Porsche Taycans as company cars for more than a year. He recalls how the weight of the pioneering 918 Spyder supercar, a plug-in hybrid with a 20 km EV range, attracted critics until they drove it: “I kept telling them that weight is coming but there are ways of dealing with it. Besides, it’s not just batteries that drive weight; safety tech does too, and more of that is coming”. Walliser reckons we’re coming to the end of the first great development phase for EVs, but he doesn’t see any quick breakthrough that’s likely to boost energy density. He believes a second phase will begin around 2027, as the first electric Bentley hits the market. “In the second phase, you’ll get bigger batteries, longer ranges and greater usability”, he said. “Some will say their batteries are too big, but their long ranges will help customers make the switch and get over their range anxiety”. The third phase could start around 2035, predicts Walliser, when chemistry has progressed, charging infrastructure has spread and improved and most drivers will have tried EVs. “At that stage, weights should start going down again, and it will be a day that’s very welcome”. +++
+++ CAR BUYERS ACROSS AMERICA , even those with comfortable incomes, are dropping out of the new-car market as prices soar. The average price of a new auto this year is $48,205, up 21% from 5 years ago, and monthly payments on new-car loans now average $767, up 17% from 4 years ago, according to Cox Automotive. One in six new-car buyers this year will take on payments of more than $1,000 a month, according to a survey by automotive researcher Edmunds.com, which found that 73% of consumers are holding off on buying a new car because of the cost. Blame it on ballooning sticker prices resulting from more technology, automakers’ quest for fatter profit margins and skyrocketing auto loan rates. +++
+++ FORD ’s October U.S. sales report marked the 12th straight month of improved results from its long-troubled Lincoln luxury brand. Lincoln deliveries surged 36 percent to 9.349 during the month. And for the first 10 months, sales grew 27 percent to 83.879 vehicles. Unless something major goes wrong, the brand should top 100.000 annual U.S. deliveries for the first time since 2020. Perhaps it’s not such a troubled brand any more? The big driver for Lincoln this year has been the redesigned Nautilus midsize crossover, which is made in China. Reviews of the vehicle have been positive. Deliveries rose 44 percent through October to 29.155 vehicles, making it easily the brand’s bestseller this year. The automaker put some serious marketing dollars into this vehicle with a unique and successful advertising and social media campaign this year. Lincoln’s success, of course, is a small part of Ford’s overall effort to boost earnings and its stock price. As emphasized in its third-quarter earnings report last week, the company still must overcome high warranty costs on the expense side of its ledger. This story today illustrates those ongoing struggles with recalls and warranty expenses. In this case, a faulty intake valve resulted in 91.000 recalled Ford vehicles, some of which will require an engine replacement. Ford is also launching a warranty campaign that extends coverage for these vehicles to 10 years or 150.000 miles. +++
+++ MERCEDES-AMG has confirmed it is working on an electric super-SUV based on its bespoke EV architecture, AMG.EA. As reported by Autointernationaal.nl in April, the new model has been conceived as a rival for the Lotus Eletre, the upcoming Porsche Cayenne Electric and the petrol-powered BMW XM. Just as the XM was developed from the ground-up by BMW’s M division, the new Mercedes is being developed wholly by AMG, rather than being based on an existing model such as the EQS SUV. It is expected to arrive in 2026, following the launch of the second-generation AMG GT 4-Door Coupé; the first car that will use AMG.EA. A development of Mercedes’ mainstream MB.EA platform, the AMG structure is modified to use advanced electric motors from Oxfordshire-based firm Yasa. Its axial flux units put out up to 500 hp and 800 Nm, yet weigh just 24 kg. AMG.EA can support a pair of motors on each of its axles, suggesting the most extreme cars based on the platform could offer comfortably more than 1.000 hp. The structure will also offer 800V electricals and an AMG-specific battery pack using a silicon anode. +++
+++ SMART will expand its line-up to 4 models next year, with the new addition to be known as the #6. It’s likely to be the first hatchback to join a currently SUV-only range. A replacement for the baby ForTwo and ForFour models is still some way off, though, with the brand unable to make the costs stack up for small cars. But it has held back the #2 or #4 nameplates while it seeks a partner to help make the project profitable. This means the larger car comes first, and speculation has it pinned as a hatchback, although it’s described only as “surprising and exciting from a design and technology point of view” by insiders. It’s expected to be revealed in the second half of next year, before hitting the road in 2026. “We have promised one car per year and have fulfilled this so far”, Smart’s European CEO Dirk Adelmann told in an exclusive interview. Although he wouldn’t be drawn on what the car was, he confirmed it wouldn’t be an SUV. “There will be a 4th car from us in year number 4”, Adelmann continued. “We now have 3 SUVs in the line-up, with #3 being a SUV-Coupé. There is a market besides that bodystyle, and we definitely want to address that, with a hatchback or another body type. “We are investing heavily in a time when there is a lot of uncertainty in and around electric cars, particularly in Europe”, he continued. “And that shows you that Smart, now with 26 years of existence and heritage, is here to stay, is here to make an impact, and is here to be one of the main forces to drive sustainable mobility, not only urban, but also extra-urban”. The car is expected to be a C-segment (Volkswagen Golf-sized) hatchback taking cues from the existing #1 and #3 models, rather than the chunkier looks of the new #5. This would be a good time to build a hatchback, given that Mercedes-Benz, which owns a joint majority share in Smart with Chinese manufacturer Geely, is set to end production of the A-Class in the next 2 years. Adelmann said Smart is also increasing its dealer network, in part through Mercedes dealers seeing the two brands sitting well together on the same site. “When Mercedes are thinning out their portfolio in the C-segment, Smart is the natural bridge for those customers who will not get a Mercedes in that segment anymore”, he said. “So they are happy to have us in the showrooms, and we are happy to be the bridge for those customers stepping up from another brand to Smart, then maybe from Smart to Mercedes in the future”. Although it’s not yet confirmed, the new #6 would likely use the battery and motor set-up from the #3 and #1, which offers 47 kWh and 62 kWh battery options and power outputs of 272 hp or, in the Brabus performance versions, 428 hp. It would also most likely sit on parent company Geely’s Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA) , which underpins the #1 and #3. Although development of the #6 is already well under way, Smart has yet to find a solution for how to produce a replacement for its most iconic model, the ForTwo. It was the car that launched the company back in 1998, so a modern interpretation of the two-seat city car would seem an obvious choice for today’s all-electric brand. The company has reserved the #2 and #4 names in the hope it will form a partnership with another brand to make launching the models economical, but nothing is confirmed. “We have reserved the even numbers on purpose, as the tool we will use when the time is right”, Adelmann told. “We are working on it, we are looking, obviously as a brand, at a 2-seat option, but we’ve been doing that for a long, long time”. Adelmann said the technology and crash test requirements make it hard to build profitable small cars, which have low profit margins. “There is a reason why it’s very difficult for any OEM to be successful in the A-segment, because the technology is more or less the same as bigger cars, the GSR (General Safety Regulation) 2.0 requirements on assistance systems are exactly the same, Euro NCAP is exactly the same”, he continued. “You simply cannot price for it, and that is still an industry-wide dilemma. We hear our customers, we hear our retailers that are also pushing us, and we have 2 million people in Europe that have driven or are driving the ForTwo or FourFour, so a 2-seater is something we’re working on, but have not decided on yet”. Smart’s pledge of one new car per year means it would be 2027 at the earliest before a new #2 would arrive, with the #3 coupé-SUV having launched this year, the chunky #5 coming next year, and the #6 scheduled to arrive in 2026. Talking about potentially collaborating with another brand on a small car, Adelmann referenced past co-operations with Mitsubishi and Renault as evidence of Smart’s previous success. The first ForFour was also a Mitsubishi Colt, while the more recent ForTwo and ForFour shared their underpinnings with the Renault Twingo. +++
+++ SUZUKI has put its future electric cars on hold while it “monitors the market” amid a general slowdown in EV uptake, president Toshihiro Suzuki has said. 4 electric models were due before the end of the decade as part of a $35 billion EV investment, starting with the eVitara that was launched this week. These models have already been previewed in silhouette form and although Suzuki has yet to confirm which segments they will occupy, they are clear matches for the likes of the S-Cross and Ignis, suggesting the brand will look to electrify some of its most popular models. However, at the launch of the eVitara, its first EV, Toshihiro Suzuki would not set a date for when the next electric car would arrive, nor confirm if the target was still to launch five EVs by 2030. “We are in a very difficult situation at this moment as the sales of BEVs are slowing down”, he said, “and on the other hand affordable and cheap EVs from China are coming into the market, so it is a very difficult time to introduce further BEVs”. He added: “Looking at the current situation, the government incentives for BEVs are going out and, coupled with Chinese EVs that have very strong segment competitiveness, you have to think carefully about what type of BEV should be introduced to the market and in what time”, Speaking about the next EV, which will be “smaller than the eVitara”, Toshihiro Suzuki said: “All I can say is look forward to it, but again we have to keep watching how eVitara sales will go but also how the market trends go before setting a date”. Despite this, EVs remain a key part of the firm’s future. “Although I said we have to monitor the situation, that does not mean we are leaving BEV development, so we are going to keep up the development”, he added. “But we are not going to concentrate on just EVs, and the other idea is to merge pathways such as with biogas fuel in India. We want to keep our development in parallel”. For Suzuki, 48% of its annual car sales come from India, a market that while pushing towards carbon-neutrality remains heavily dependent on combustion-engine vehicles. “From Suzuki’s point of view, EV is not the only solution”, said Toshihiro Suzuki. “Suzuki thinks with a varied pathway, which means hybrids, of course, and e-fuels and also projects such as biogas in India. So we are going for many options”.
Suzuki’s president has suggested the brand has no plans to build an electric or hybrid version of the Jimny, given that electrifying the 4×4 “would ruin” it. The car has had a strong following Europe since its launch in 1970, with its 4th generation in 2018 rubber-stamping its cult classic status. Calls have been made to bring the Jimny back to the market since it was pulled from sale in 2020, but strict emissions regulations has in reality meant only with an electrified powertrain would it be able to return. These regulations mean that the Jimny is only able to be offered as an Van. Hopes were raised when official silhouette images of Suzuki’s next electric cars seemed to suggest the Jimny would gain a fully electric counterpart. A hybrid variant has also long been mooted. However, speaking to reporters at the launch of the eVitara, Toshihiro Suzuki appeared to dash any speculation. “If you talk about the Jimny EV, I think it would ruin the best part of the Jimny”. he said. “I think the core strength of the Jimny is the right weight”. Instead, Toshihiro Suzuki wants to focus on continuing the Jimny with “professionals”. “If we want to keep providing the Jimny to the market as tools for the professionals, maybe the e-fuel, or biofuel utilising the ICE technology would be the way to keep Jimny supported in the future”, he said. +++