Monthly Archives: August 2017
Pricing Details of Hyundai Elantra GT Sport Released
Hyundai released the prices for the Elantra GT Sport with the hatchback starting at $20,235, including an $885 destination charge. The hatchback will be based on the i30 than the Elantra sedan we see in the United States. This hatch will have a more European-inspired styling than all the other vehicles in the lineup.
Standard to all models is a six-speed manual transmission while an automatic transmission will add $1,000 on the price tag of the base model. The base Elantra GT comes with a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter I-4 that has an output of 161 horsepower and 150 lb-ft of torque. Inside, you’ll find Hyundai’s standard equipment such as a rearview camera, 17-inch alloy wheels, LED daytime running lights, and an 8-inch Display Audio infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility.
The Elantra GT is designed with sportiness in mind, even the base model. But what most people are looking forward to is the Elantra GT Sport, which is being sold for $24,135. Thanks to a turbocharged 1.6-liter I-4, the Elantra GT Sport can produce 201 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque. This engine is paired with seven-speed dual-clutch transmission for an extra $1,000. It also gets a multi-link rear suspension, larger brakes, and 18-inch alloy wheels wrapped in high-performance all-season tires.
Right now, the Elantra GT is directly competing with the hatchback versions of 2017 Honda Civic ($20,575), 2017 Volkswagen Golf ($20,715), and the 2017 Civic Si if it has a hatchback variant. The 2017 Civic Si sedan and coupe has a starting price of $24,775, which is $640 more than the Elantra GT Sport with the same specifications.
The total interior space of all Elantra GT hatchbacks is 120 cubic feet, 25 cubic feet of which is solely for cargo room. Owners have the option to add heated and ventilated front seats, dual-zone climate control, navigation with Blue Link telematics, wireless charging, LED headlights, and a seven-speaker Infinity audio system. Also available are the following safety features: automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control, and Hyundai’s Driver Attention Alert.
2017 Chevy Bolt Versus 2016 Tesla Model S 75D
The 2017 Chevy Bolt just bested Tesla Model S 75D in its own game. While the Chevy Bolt only has an EPA-estimated range of 238 miles of driving on a single charge, the Tesla Model S 75D has a rate of 259 miles. The specifications would point to Tesla as the better between the two, but Consumer Reports made a head-to-head comparison that just put Tesla to shame.
According to the results of the study, the Bolt outperformed the Tesla by not only reaching its 238 range, but surpassing it by 12 miles to reach 250 miles. The 2016 Tesla Model S 75D, on the other hand, went 235 miles, a lot less than its 259-mile rating and even Bolt’s original range of 238 miles.
The 2016 Tesla Model X 90D, which has a rating of 257 miles, also died at just 230 miles, proving once and for all that you can never trust these electric cars on paper. Consumer Reports has yet to test the 100D variants of the Model S and the Model X, but there are high expectations for these variants. Experts, in fact, agree that the 100D variants would be better than the Chevy Bolt.
But the contention remains on the price. The 100D variants of the Model S and the Model X better give you a rating of more than 250 miles since the starting price is at $100,000 (before the federal tax credit) while the Bolt only has a selling tag of $37,495.
The testing confirmed that the Chevy Bolt should be ranked as the second best all-electric vehicle, next to the Tesla Model S. Aside from the range, the Bolt bested the Tesla Model S 75D in terms of agility and quietness too. It only fell on the categories of having a “squishy” brake, uncomfortable seats, bumpy ride, and the longer charging time. All these, of course, can easily be remedied, but the range remains to be the deal breaker.
3 Things We Learned From The 2019 Mercedes-AMG GT 4 Spy Shots
We saw the concept for the 2019 Mercedes-AMG GT 4 back during the Geneva auto show in March, and to say we’re excited is quite an understatement. Last week, spy shots and video of its prototype showed that the standalone sedan is already in the late stage of development.
The production version will closely resemble and will stand similar to the concept shown in March. This looks to be beneficial for people who caught up with the craze of the concept.
1. Release date
The standalone sedan, which will be called the Mercedes-AMG GT 4 based on sources, will be on sale starting 2018 as a 2019 model year. This is AMG’s third standalone model just after the GT sports car and the Project One hypercar, which should have launched by next year.
Mercedes will also be releasing a new generation of CLS, which means an internal competition among these cars.
2. Exterior
The sexy lines of the GT sports car will be slapped on the Mercedes-AMG GT 4. The difference is that the headlights will have an angular shape and the hood has been shortened in length. Since this is a sedan, the wheelbase was stretched and there are two extra doors for the rear passengers.
The massive rear spoiler, unfortunately, can’t be seen yet because of the ultra-secretive way this has been camouflaged. But based on the overall look of the car, the concept will be a good foundation to render how the rear side would look like.
The sedan will use the MRA rear-wheel-drive architecture we usually see on the latest C- and E-Class instead of stretching the GT sports car’s aluminum spaceframe architecture. But to make the rear-wheel-drive architecture compatible to the AMG, it needs to be strengthened and made more weightless.
3. Drivetrain
Mercedes will use AMG’s 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V-8 engine to produce 500 horsepower. Though the concept showed a hybrid system, it is highly unlikely that we’ll see this during the launch. However, a hybrid system with an output of 805 horsepower will be possibly available for a range-topping version of the sedan.
3 Variants Stand Out For The 2018 Mazda 3
The new Mazda 3 may not be as popular as Honda Civic right now, especially when it comes to the Si and Type R variants, but it has an appeal that cannot be denied, too. As the Civic’s direct competitor, the Mazda 3 added new standard equipment to its lineup and made the powerful 2.5-liter engine more readily available.
1. Sport Variant
The Sport variant of the compact sedan is powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that can produce 155 horsepower at 6000 rpm and 150 lb-ft of torque at 4000 rpm. It comes with a six-speed manual transmission and a $18,970 price tag. The six-speed auto transmission will add $1,050 and the hatchback style has a $1,250 premium.
The standard equipment would be an automated emergency braking (available across all variants), 7.0-inch infotainment screen, Bluetooth phone and audio, push-button start, and cloth seats. With the $1,000 Preferred Equipment package, owners can also get blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert plus 16-inch alloy wheels (standard for the hatchback), satin chrome interior trim, and heated side mirrors with turn-signal lamps.
2. Touring Variant
The Touring has a new 2.5-liter engine that has an output of 184 horsepower at 5700 rpm and 185 lb-ft of torque at 3250 rpm. The price tag starts at $20,965 with the hatchback version adding $750 on top of that.
Standard equipment includes leatherette seats with heated front, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, rain-sensing windshield wipers, automatic headlights, dual-zone automatic climate control, a new dark silver alloy wheel color, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob.
For an additional $1,500, owners can get a nine-speaker Bose audio system, SiriusXM satellite radio, and a sunroof.
3. Grand Touring Variant
Mazda 3’s loaded version has a starting price of $24,020 with a six-speed manual transmission but for $24,770, you can have it in the hatchback version with manual gearbox. An automatic transmission adds another $1,050.
The Grand Touring will have all the standard and optional equipment on the lower trims, plus black or off-white leather seats, a color head-up display, and all-LED exterior lighting. If you want more, there’s the $1,600 Premium Equipment package that will add navigation, adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning and lane-keeping assist, and traffic-sign recognition, plus adaptive front headlights, a heated steering wheel, and paddle shifters (with the automatic transmission).
Expect the Mazda 3 to arrive this month.
2018 Honda Insight Spy Shots Emerge
The third-generation Honda Insight is arriving, if spy photos of a test mule for the hatchback is to be believed. It looks like the Japanese automaker is finally ready to unveil its latest offering for the sedan segment.
Body of a Honda City
Honda has always managed to stay clear of criticisms when it comes to body styles and lines. The Insight is no different as it prepares to use the similar body of the Honda City, though adjustments are needed to fit the mechanicals of the Insight. Adjustments mean stretching and widening the body to make way for the wheel arches and extensions added to the hood and rear doors.
Plug-In Hybrid is Possible
Honda has yet to give details as to what will compose the 2018 Insight. What we know so far is based on the Clarity range of fuel cell, plug-in hybrid and electric cars in the midsize sedan segment that was launched just recently. The Clarity range is a hint that Insight will keep its odd shape—a hatchback—but will also dabble in offering electrified cars, or at least the possibility of a plug-in hybrid variant.
If Honda does take this route, it only means one thing—it’s ready to compete with the Toyota Prius in the electrified car segment. The Prius is offering both a hybrid and plug-in hybrid variants. The current-generation Insight, on the other hand, only delivers a hybrid version.
Based on the 2030 Vision strategy released in June by the Japanese carmaker, two-thirds of its vehicle lineup should have some form of electrification by 2030. Primarily, the focus is on the plug-in hybrid technology, although there are also plans to produce electric and fuel cell cars. Honda is set to release a new electric car this fall.
The 2018 Honda Insight will debut later this year or early next year.
Photos
Check out Autoevolution’s spy shots of the upcoming Honda Insight in the gallery below:
Ferrari To Add Utility Vehicle To Boost Income
Luxury sports carmaker Ferrari will soon be adding a roomy four-seat utility vehicle to its lineup to boost its profit by 2022. Ferrari expects that the utility vehicle would double its income and help the manufacturer move along from its supercar niche.
Though there is no confirmation yet from the Italian brand, the people privy to the market said that the current five-year plan under CEO Sergio Marchionne is targeting an increase to the 10,000 units annual deliveries being made. Mr Marchionne will be retiring in 2021.
One of the projects said to be part of the lineup is a four-seat utility vehicle that will be perfect for the whole family. Be careful to see this plan as a way for Ferrari to finally open its doors for an SUV. It still remains adamant that it wants to carve a separate niche from carmakers who have ventured into producing SUVs and crossovers.
The “Ferrari utility vehicle,” as it will be dubbed, will be roomier than the current two-door GTC4Lusso. The segment would target Asian market, particularly car enthusiasts in China. Experts said it could add around 2,000 units of deliveries a year in China alone.
If this will push through, Ferrari is looking at competing with the likes of Maserati, Bentley and Lamborghini, who, like Ferrari, refused to join the fray of SUVs and crossovers in the market.
There is no final word on the model, but Ferrari is working to incorporate its sporty style into this new segment.
More Hybrid Models to Come
The new business plan, which will expectedly fall under stricter environmental regulations, also detailed how Ferrari will build more hybrid cars to improve fuel efficiency and attract more buyers.
Marchionne has been receiving flak for his plan to increase Ferrari’s deliveries each year because the brand will be losing its exclusivity. However, he tames those sentiments by releasing special or limited edition cars like the $2.1-million LaFerrari Aperta convertible.
This business plan came about as the auto industry is grappling with a new world order where electrified cars are slowly becoming the norm.
3 Facts About The Facelifted 2018 Porsche Macan
At the end of this year, the auto industry will welcome Porsche‘s all-new Cayenne, which, along with a coupe-styled Cayenne (said to be still under consideration despite the spy shots), is set to fire things up in the SUV segment.
The latest spy shots, however, revealed something else entirely—that the smaller Porsche Macan will have a facelift for 2018. It’s three years old, after all, and is already due an upgrade.
1. Macan’s Role in Porsche’s Inner Circle
The Macan, which is one of Porsche’s smallest offering on its lineup, was launched back in 2014. Since then, it became a core part of Porsche’s range of vehicles, rapidly rising to become the company’s best-selling car. By 2016, Porsche managed to deliver 237,778 cars globally, 95,642 of which were the Macan.
Rivaling against the likes of Jaguar F Pace and Alfa Romeo Stelvio, the Porsche Macan is pressured to keep itself fresh and up-to-date. The fact that 40 percent of Porsche’s sales come from the Macan is even more reason for the brand to keep itself updated.
2. Lighter Facelift
Don’t get your hopes up too much with the 2018 Macan because the facelift promises to be minimal. The spy shots have a light camouflage compared to others we have seen being tested.
The front of the test mule suggests that there are going to be new headlights and a wider grille. If you have seen the recent spy shots of the next-generation Cayenne, then you have seen a glimpse of what the new Macan will look like. Moving to the rear of the car, it’s clear that Porsche will put on a new single LED strip that runs the width of the tailgate.
This is a design feature first seen on the latest Panamera. It will play a significant role in the brand’s entire portfolio since it’s going to be the newest trademark rear lighting signature.
3. Ready by 2018
Don’t expect the new Macan to come to your dealers as early as this year. It will have to give way first to the Cayenne, whose likely debut will be before the year ends. Porsche will unwrap the new Macan in 2018.
Elon Musk Says Tesla Model 3 Performance Version Will Arrive Next Year
Tesla finally handed over units of its Model 3 to those who had it reserved months ago. Although the production are only in small numbers, more are expected to come as the electric car manufacturer is ready to roll out performance versions of the Model 3 next year.
Tesla is gearing up to boost production of the Model 3 in the Long Range trim because a new version is expected to come out next year. The Model 3 has an estimated EPA of 310 miles range, which will probably increase significantly when the performance variant debuts next year.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk answered questions about the Tesla performance variant on Twitter. It can be recalled that Musk hinted last year that after the production of Model 3 went full swing, a performance version would be in the works.
He told Twitter user Ryan McCaffrey (@DMC_Ryan) that a performance variant will probably debut by the middle of next year. “Focus now is on getting out of Model 3 production hell. More version = deeper in hell,” Musk said.
The problem is that while Tesla is in the middle of producing the Model 3 according to the demands of the market, more pressure will be put on it once more variations of the car come out. For now, it’s the Long Range Model 3 that is available to the market. The base model of Tesla’s most affordable electric vehicle will be available this fall.
The base model is priced at an affordable tag of $35,000, and it has an EPA-estimated 220-mile range.
Tesla was the first company to prove to the auto industry that electric cars can be fun, too. Its Tesla Model S was the one who introduced dual-motor configuration, which led to the P100D. The performance variant of Model 3 will likely use a similar motor design, though it might not be as powerful as the P100D.
4 Things You Have To Know About The 2019 Audi RS9 Coupe
Three decades ago, Audi couldn’t even be uttered in the same breath as Mercedes-Benz and BMW. But in the 1990s and 2000s, the Ingolstadt-based company produced premium cars such as the A4, A6, A8, and Q7. But even though it has upgraded its lineup, Audi couldn’t even compete with the likes of Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe. Thankfully, that’s about to change now with the 2019 Audi RS9 Coupe.
1. Exterior
The A9 will be based on the A8’s design and since we’ve already seen what that looks like, we have a pretty comfortable simulation of how “muscular” the A9 will be. Expect to see the same massive grille, muscular engine hood, angular headlamps, and big vents on each corner of the bumper.
Because it’s an RS model, the intakes are larger and will occupy almost the entire area under the headlamps as seen in the rendering of TopSpeed above. An RS9 badge will be on a more aggressive nose. In terms of exterior, the upcoming RS9 should have a similar elegant design to the Mercedes-AMG S63 and the BMW M8.
2. Interior
The interior will be based heavily on the standard A9, which means it is similar to the A8 with the addition of a sportier design such as a carbon-fiber trim and a flat-bottom steering wheel. The interior of the RS9 will most likely have the same horizontal lines as the A8, which means a wide look and smooth, clean surfaces.
The legroom will be similar to the sedan but since this is a coupe, the shoulder room and the headroom will decrease because of the roofline. The tech package will include the latest infotainment system such as the Apple CarPlay, the Android Auto, and the new AI traffic jam pilot.
3. Drivetrain
There is no word on what the RS9 will have under its hood, but we can expect it to have either a 4.0-liter V-8 engine or a bigger 6.0-liter W-12. The W-12 produces 600 horsepower and 664 pound-feet of torque. But if it wants to give Mercedes-AMG S63 and the BMW M8 some real competition, it should aim for 610 horses at the minimum.
4. Prices
We are just guessing here, but the Audi RS9 will probably retail with a price tag of $200,000 and above.
INKAS Inks Partnership Agreement With Kore Design Studio
INKAS Group of Companies inked an exclusive $18-million deal with Kore Design Studio to produce its “unique line of carbon fiber products.” Under the agreement, INKAS Group will act as the exclusive manufacturer of Kore Design tuning kits and interior feature upgrades.
Kore Design Studio is an expert in aftermarket visual tuning packages for a wide range of brands, models, and makes. Toyota, for example, is a client of Kore Design, and was often responsible for providing the Japanese automaker a one-of-a-kind look and performance upgrade.
David Khazanski, president of INKAS Group, said in a statement that his company is honored to be a partner of Kore Design in the production and manufacturing of luxury vehicles. He believed that the partnership will widen INKAS Group’s portfolio of products and services, as well as allow it to create fresh opportunities for Canadians and support the Canadian economy.
INKAS Group is an international corporation with headquarters in Toronto, Canada. In the last two decades, the group has accumulated “extensive experience” in the design, engineering, and manufacturing of customized vehicles for VIP clients. Among its most notable clients are politicians, celebrities, and high-profile individuals.
“As a provider of exclusive solutions for the automotive segment, we stand behind the quality of our products, and it was vitally important for us to find a reliable partner willing to support our enormously high standards of engineering and manufacturing,” Martin Lorrenzini, chief designer officer of Kore Design Studio, said.
INKAS Group, he added, is the “ideal choice” because they are committed to quality like Kore Design Studio. Mr Lorrenzini also lauded INKAS’ extensive industry experience and modern fully-equipped production facility.
As part of the agreement, INKAS Group upgraded its manufacturing facility with 3D scanners, five axis milling machines, and Autoclaves. Production of the new carbon fiber products will begin in January 2018.