Monthly Archives: March 2018
Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe: One of the Most Awaited at Geneva Motor Show
One of the most anticipated cars in the 2018 Geneva Motor Show is the Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe. The car is the production version of the Mercedes-AMG GT Concept shown at the same auto show last year.
As its world premiere draws near, Mercedes-Benz has been releasing teasers of the AMG GT 4-Door Coupe to further build up hype for it. Above is a video preview giving us a glimpse of the primary styling features of the auto. It provides us a lot of idea what to expect from the vehicle without giving away everything. The 23-second clip ends with a shot of it from above, which display the car with all its four doors open.
We also learn from the video that the Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe possesses the biturbo V8 engine of AMG. Then, it carries a 4MATIC all-wheel drive system of Mercedes, which provides more traction to the high-performance car. The official specs of the vehicle’s power unit are not yet available but it should be somewhere in between the output offered by its two-door sibling called the Mercedes-AMG GT R.
Going back to the concept form of the Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe, its maker earlier promised us an output of somewhere around 800 hp. However, that comes with a hybrid setup. So far, there is no indication that the V8 combustion engine of the car’s production version is now paired to electric motors. That would probably come later though in the top trim of the model.
Photos
Here are some official teaser images and spy shots of the upcoming Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe:
Update
An image of what appears to be the Mercedes-AMG GT 4-Door Coupe just came out just after the release of its teaser video. The leaked image shows the entirety of the car without any camo.
Spanish Carmaker SEAT Removes Veil On Cupra e-Racer
Volkswagen-owned SEAT announced that it has come up with the Cupra e-Racer, a fully electric racing touring car that will be unveiled at the Geneva Auto Show. The Spanish automaker calls it the world’s “first 100 percent electric racing touring car,” which, based on its specs, is truly one of a kind.
Everywhere you look, fully electric racing cars are hitting the track, promising to revolutionize the race car industry. There were previous reports that even at the 2020 World Rallycross Championships, electric racers would be part of the program. In fact, they would headline the show. An electric touring car series was also reported to be supporting the Formula E.
Aside from that, Jaguar also announced that an I-Pace eTrophy racing series will be featured alongside Formula E during the 2018-19 season. There is certainly quite a turn and change in the industry as manufacturers scramble among themselves to come up with an enticing fully electric (sometimes, even automated) racing touring car for the tracks.
The Cupra e-Racer is based on the Cupra Leon TCR touring car, and is expected to headline a new E TCR category. The Cupra e-Racer can produce 400 horsepower that will peak at 670 horsepower.
The Cupra brand is new, so that e-Racer will probably act as the best vehicle the Spanish automaker can come up with now. It is expected that the brand will take over SEAT’s entire motorsport and racing division, given that it has done a fantastic job in the last touring car it produced and developed.
SEAT’s motorsport and racing division is originally under the SEAT Sport brand. If you are still unsure how SEAT wants to market its Cupra brand, or what it plans for it, you better take a look at what it tweeted earlier: “It didn’t come here to play games. It’s coming strong. And coming to stay. Discover CUPRA’s launch at https://t.co/RW2yM88LCi pic.twitter.com/F1vfqrByqi.”
The New Ford Focus RS Will Be A Hybrid
Ford is planning for another RS-badged Focus as the current generation Ford Focus RS is preparing to stop production by April 6 this year. The next-generation Focus RS will reportedly be a hybrid that can produce up to 400 horsepower.
Dutch publication Auto International started the rumor last week when it reported that the next-generation Focus RS will have a 48-volt, mild-hybrid system that will boost the power production of the vehicle. That is reason enough for the RS-badged Focus to be able to choke out a nice 400 horsepower output.
The current-generation Ford Focus RS produces 350 horsepower, though a 370-horsepower version was also available, thanks to a Mountune performance kit. The 370-horsepower Focus RS was aptly called the Focus RS Heritage Edition.
The same report said that the current 2.3-liter turbocharged inline-4 engine will be carried over to the next-generation Focus, but it is believed that the hybrid will have a bigger starter motor that will seriously boost the powertrain capability. Aside from the 400-horsepower output, the new Focus RS will allegedly also come up with an additional 44 pound-feet of torque, bringing the total to 394 pound-feet of torque.
These are just rumors, of course, but there’s credence to it since Ford plans to electrify most of its vehicles in the coming years. In fact, it even teased a future battery-electric performance crossover that would carry the “Mach 1” name. There was also a report that a hybrid version of the Mustang and F-150 might be coming out.
Jim Farley, executive vice president and president for global markets, earlier said that Ford plans to distribute seven fully-electric cars in North America by 2022. This might be the start of that project.
There’s no timeline as to when the next-generation Focus RS will come out. What we do know is that the next hatchback will make its bow at the 2018 Geneva Auto Show. The sedan version might make its debut at the 2018 New York Motor Show.
4 Self-Driving Cars We Expect To See At The Geneva Auto Show
Whether they’re merely concepts for now or in planned production, the Geneva Auto Show will be home to some of the most fantastic innovations of modern time—self-driving cars.
Here is a list of the top 4 self-driving cars we are anticipating at the show:
1. Volkswagen I.D. Vizzion
The I.D. Vizzion is fourth on Volkswagen’s futuristic I.D lineup of concepts. The Vizzion is a long, low sedan with no steering wheel or pedals. Much like the other I.D. concepts—the Buzz bus, the Crozz crossover, and the original I.D.—the Vizzion will be quick and powerful. It will pack a 111kWh battery car that can go 413 miles on a single charge. It will have dual motors with an output of 302 horsepower and a top speed of 112mph.
2. Rinspeed Snap
The Snap is Rinspeed’s latest concept vehicle that first debuted at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show. As promised, the Snap is more than just a self-driving car, but it’s a “mobility ecosystem” that is pieced together. The Snap has a skateboard for the mechanicals and technology components and a pod where the riders sit. The idea is for the skateboard piece to be able to retire without necessarily diminishing the whole function of the vehicle. The pod will be able to survive even without the skateboard.
3. Renault Self-Driving Concept Car
Still unnamed at this point, the latest self-driving concept car from Renault was spotted being filmed in Barcelona ahead of its debut at the Geneva Auto Show. The pod-like vehicle is a testament to Renault’s “vision for shared urban mobility.” It is also designed for ride-hailing services like Uber.
4. Icona Nucleus
Italian design house Icona will attend the Geneva Auto Show for the first time with its self-driving car concept called the Nucleus. Icona calls it “the ultimate self-driving living room” because it focuses more on the cabin and how to make the interior functional.
Europe’s New Honda CR-V Will Get Third Row Seats
The European version of Honda’s latest iteration of its popular CR-V will have the option of third-row seating, the Japanese automaker announced days before the Geneva Motor Show. The American version, with its turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder, has been available in the US for months. This version, though, offers no option for third-row seating.
This is the very first time that Honda is offering its most popular compact SUV with third-row seats, considering the past few years have seen the automaker’s contemporaries going into this route. The move will place Honda on the run again as the best in its segment, competing well with the long-wheelbase VW Tiguan and the Nissan X-Trail (known in the use as Rogue). Both have available third rows.
The third-row seating option for the new European CR-V will only be available on the gas-powered variant, so we can expect that it will soon arrive in US shores. However, Honda refused to give any details if and when will that happen. All these are purely speculations and we hope we’re right thinking a third-row CR-V is in the worls for American showrooms, too.
Hybrid CR-V Powertrain
Honda also took the time to announce that there’s another new CR-V option—a hybrid powertrain. Honda just announced that it will go on sale in Europe in early 2019. Since last year’s Shanghai Auto Show, the Japanese maker has been hinting a hybrid version of the CR-V.
We’re not sure if this will be available in the United States, though reports point out that it will be. The hybrid version of the CR-V uses Accord Hybrid’s 2.0-liter four-cylinder hybrid powertrain, an engine that has already passed US regulations for emissions. In the US, it could very well compete with the Nissan Rogue Hybrid, the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, and the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV.
2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata To Get 181 Ponies
The Mazda MX-5 Miata has never been known to produce as much power as its contemporaries. The current model of the Miata only has 155 horsepower, which is much less than the power produced by the previous generation of the car. That will soon change, however, as reports said Mazda is giving the 2019 MX-5 Miata a bump of 26 horsepower to see the current production to 181 ponies.
This became evident in the VIN notice sent by Mazda to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) that listed the 2019 Mazda MX-5 Miata as having a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that can produce 181 horsepower. That is 26 more horsepower than the current generation has now. It is also the most every from a production model Miata.
What the NHTSA document failed to specify is if the 2.0-liter engine is only an evolution of same Skyactiv-G unit currently found in the Miata. The brand is about to come out with a “high-tech, gas-fed supercharged, compression-ignition-capable” Skyactiv-X engine sometime in the next year or so. This will be used on the next-generation Mazda 3 compact. It is estimated to have an output of 181 horsepower, the same one listed for the 2019 Miata.
For the next models, we’re expecting the Skyactiv-G to position itself as a cheaper alternative to the Skyactiv-X. It could be an entry-level option and still receive developments and updates from Mazda. The automaker confirmed nothing short of that. With that being said, it’s not entirely impossible for the Skyactiv-G to still be the engine we’ll see on the 2019 Miata, considering that it is highly capable of the additional 26 horsepower needed for this new Miata.
Once upgraded, the G would have better intake and exhaust plumbing while the engine internals will rise by a few hundred revolutions per minute. The Skyactiv-G engine has a 13:1 compression ratio and uses premium gasoline.
2019 Jaguar I-Pace Giving Tesla A Run For Its Money
Oh, there’s nothing much here except Jaguar revealed that its all-electric I-Pace is due to be released and distributed next year. That only means one thing: Tesla’s monopoly of the EV market is done and over. For years, whenever some rich dude wanted a cool, sexy, functional, and reliable electric vehicle, all he has to choose from are Tesla products. That’s about to change now.
If there’s anything we learned from Tesla regarding EVs it’s that an electric car must have a long driving range and the recharging of battery must be convenient. Now that luxury automakers like Jaguar dipped their well-engineered minds into the market, Tesla will have serious competitions in this market. The new 2019 Jaguar I-Pace is the first luxury EV to roll into distributorship.
Two e-Machines
According to reports, the I-Pace is going to be powered by two electric motors, or e-machines in Jaguar jargon. The first one is responsible for driving the front wheels and the second one will be driving the rear wheels through concentric drive transmissions. The I-Pace is a pure electric five-passenger luxury crossover SUV with a standard all-wheel drive.
Everything is developed in-house at Jaguar, including the permanent magnet motors, the battery concept and design, and the software that controls the powertrain and manages the battery. There’s no confirmation from the luxury automaker about the outputs for the I-Pace, but Patel confirmed that it will have an output of 400 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque. It will also have a range of 300 miles before a recharge is needed.
There are no details yet about the pricing, but Jaguar said that it will release the list on March 6, 2018, which isn’t really too far from where we are now. Once it goes on sale, the I-Pace will be offered in three trim levels: S, SE, and HSE. There’s, of course, a limited production First Edition version that will be priced higher than the actual production model.
A Look at the Major Changes in the 2020 Hyundai Tucson
Spy shots of the prototype of the 2020 Hyundai Tucson revealed major changes are in the works for this next-generation compact SUV from the South Korean brand. The prototype showed that there are a number of updates on the exterior and the cabin of the popular SUV.
The changes are quite significant, according to a report on Motor Authority, as there will be new lights and a new grille even. Based on the hints we’re getting, we won’t be surprised if we get a Tucson that follows some of the details and changes on the new 2019 Hyundai Santa Fe. We all know there was a huge positive reception to the Santa Fe, so what’s stopping the South Korean automaker from making similar changes to the Tucson?
Inside the cabin, the center stack was completely redesigned by foregoing the integrated infotainment screen on the current Tucson and replacing it with a tacked-on screen. This is a design that Hyundai has been introducing on its latest models.
There’s no word yet on whether there will be upgrades on the powertrains but what’s on the current Tucson model might be carried over to the 2020 model. They’re all pretty okay, so far. This means that buyers will have the option to choose between a 2.0 liter inline-4 that can produce 164 horsepower or a 1.6-liter turbo inline-4 with 174 horsepower on tap.
Admittedly, there are still a lot of missing information here. But hopefully, we get more details as the plans for Tucson emerge. It is, after all, due for a release next year as a 2020 model.
Like many automakers, Hyundai is heavily investing on its line of SUVs and compact SUVs. The Kona was recently launched and the new Santa Fe will soon be available in showrooms. Another update from Hyundai is that it’s currently working on a three-row SUV.
