Monthly Archives: July 2018
2019 DS 3 Crossback SUV Readies For Launch
The new 2019 DS 3 Crossback will be the DS’s star for the upcoming Paris Motor Show. Thanks to the new set of leaked images, we now have a good idea about how the new SUV will look like.
The DS 3 Crossback SUV will be similar to the design of the recently released DS 7 Crossback and will, of course, attempt to compete with the current crossover SUVs in the market. It’s a growing market and one that will continue to grow in years to come. It makes sense that DS wants a chunk of that market for their Nissan Juke-looking SUV.
The two unique design features of this SUV are the sharp kink in the window line and the vertical daytime running lights. Other than these, buyers can be sure that the crossover will use Peugeot’s all-new small CMP platform, the same one used on the next-generation Peugeot 208. This means that an all-electric version could also be in the works since the CMP platform was engineered with electrification in mind.
Eric Apode, DS’s executive vice president who’s responsible for research and development, said during the Tokyo Motor Show last year that two-thirds of the 650,000 cars that DS sold since 2010 have been the DS 3. It makes sense for the company, whose parent company is the Peugeot, to cash in on a large number of customers who believed in the DS 3.
He said there is also an “evolution of the markets,” and this can be seen in the sales of the MINI SUV as opposed to the three-door hatchback that the automaker has been known for. The same can be said for other companies such as the Audi.
The DS 3 Crossback will be the first vehicle off the shelves of DS to use the e-CMP. This means that it will be able to offer the Crossback as a pure electric vehicle as well. As previously published by DS, the car would be powered by a 114bhp electric motor and a 50kWh battery that has a range of 280 miles.
Top 3 Facts About The 2019 Cadillac CT5
It’s time for Cadillac to retire the nameplates CTS and ATS. On the heels of these two nameplates’ retirement would be the birth of the CT5 with a smaller CT4 to be added in the future.
The Cadillac CT5 has already been spotted testing and we believe it is heavily based on the Escala concept. The CT5 will be similar to the CTS in terms of size, but that’s where the similarity stops. The former will be sportier, more modern, and will have a new body style. It will borrow from the fastback layout of the Escala concept.
Exterior
The front grille of the CT5 is very wide and sports thin horizontal slats instead of the small rectangular inserts. The headlamps will have small LED spots toward the grille and bigger lights around the corner. And just like the Escala and the CT6, it would also have vertical lights on the sides.
The prototype we have seen shows a big bulge on the middle of the hood, but it’s probably because they were testing a performance model. The regular CT5 will most likely have a less aggressive hood.
On the sides, the CT5 has a coupe-style roof, sloping deck lid, and a spoiler integrated into the edge of the trunk lid. On the rear end, the bumper will be clean and simple on the regular models thought the higher models should have an aggressive diffuser and quad exhaust pipe layout.
Interior
The CT5 will have a brand-new layout and it will be sportier and more modern compared to the Escala and the CT6. There will be huge displays both for the instrument cluster and the infotainment system, and a small, clean center stack should house a few buttons and dials.
The seats are going to be comfortable in both the standard and high-performance trim levels. The higher models should get leather and Alcantara inserts. There’s ample legroom in the rear compartment. The layout would be good for a four-seater, though a five-seat layout would remain standard.
Performance
It is not yet clear what engines the CT5 would have. We’re thinking it would come packed with a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that can produce 265 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. This will be paired with a rear-wheel-drive system.
Other options would be the 3.6-liter V-6 rated with 335 horsepower and 284 pound-feet of torque, as well as the 3.0-liter V-6 engine that delivers 404 ponies and 400 pound-feet of torque.
The CT5 should have a base price of $46,495.
Photos via Autoblog
2019 BMW X2 Caught in a Spy Video
Since 2011, we have heard rumors that BMW is planning to build an X2 crossover. It first hit the streets in October 2015 and we saw it again in January 2016. In both occasions, the SUV was heavily camouflaged, giving us no details about what it looked like.
But finally, in 2017, the X2 was introduced as BMW’s sixth crossover. As a sleeker version of the X1, the X2 is in direct competition with the Audi Q2.
Exterior
The BMW X2 shares its headlights with the X1, but the grille and the bumper are all different. The X2’s grille is wider at the base, giving the SUV a broader and more distinct appearance. Below, BMW let go of the horizontal slants and used the more modern trapezoidal design. This enhances the X2’s unique look.
On the sides, there are fewer creases on the door, more cladding on the side skirts, and a new roofline and side window configuration. There’s a slightly raked roof that gives the X2’s appearance a sleeker profile. The same can be said of the X2’s rear design. The taillights stand out, in particular. They are as large as the ones on the other X models, but they are sleeker and they get wider in the lower area.
Interior
The interior of the X2 is identical to the X1. The layout is standard for the modern BMW, using horizontal lines on the dashboard and the door panels. The A/C vents and the control panels in the center stack all have a similar orientation. This was done to make it seem that the X2 is wider and has more space. But remember that the X2 is a compact vehicle, and it could never be as comfortable as the X5.
Drivetrain
It has the same drivetrains as the X1, which means a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine under the hood. The turbodiesel mill can produce 190 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. It can go from 0 to 62 mph in just 7.7 seconds.
3 Things To Know About The 2019 Audi SQ8
The latest Audi Q8 was introduced back in June 2018. It is the company’s latest SUV offering and competes with a market dominated by BMW X6, Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe, and the Porsche Cayenne. Now that the regular Q8 is ready to hit dealerships, Audi is looking at expanding its existing lineup with a performance-oriented SQ8.
Exterior
In terms of design, it would take a truly Audi expert to notice the difference between the Q8 and the SQ8. There isn’t as much chrome as on the regular model while the grille inserts are black. But any difference stops there. The SQ8 has the same wide Singleframe grille with sharp corners, slender headlamps with LED technology, and the same bumper with massive vents on the sides. The engine hood remains the same though the Q8 has a sporty hood that fits the character of the SQ8 quite well.
On the sides, the only differences are the all-black mirror caps, the black roof rails, and twin five-spoke wheels with the beefed-up brake calipers behind it. At the back, the skid plate has been replaced by a diffuser-like element and there were four oval tips instead of the rectangular exhaust outlets.
Interior
The insides of the SQ8 speaks premium material, though it will have the same layout as the regular Q8. A continuous air vent strip will run at the top of the dashboard while the lower section, finished in gloss black, will house the infotainment display. There are two different screens—a 10.1-inch screen in the center stack and the smaller 8.6-inch screen above the center console.
The seats will be wrapped in fine leather with a diamond-quilt pattern, though there might be an option for sportier seats in the SQ8. Technology included are the LTE Advanced data transfer, Wi-Fi hotspot, a navigation system with intelligent suggestions, and Car-to-X services for traffic and hazard information as standard. There will be an optional Audi Connect key that will allow you to lock, unlock, and start the vehicle from an Android smartphone.
Drivetrain
We don’t have the exact details yet about the engines, but we believe that the SQ8 can use the same engine as the SQ7—a turbodiesel V8 engine that produces 435 horsepower and 660 pound-feet of torque. That’s enough to take on the X6 M50d.
Photo Source: Motor Authority
3 Changes We Should Expect From The 2020 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
We’ve got spy shots of the new 2020 Mercedes-Benz S-Class and it looks like there will be a major redesign of its exterior and the interior. The German automaker said that sales of its flagship model, which is a big seller in China, Germany, South Korea and the United States, increased by 27.5 percent to 43,106 units for the first half of this year.
Exterior
The spy shots reveal a flattering temporary grille that’s reworked along with the front camera and Intelligent Drive sensors. There are also new bubble-shaped multibeam LED front headlights that flank the grille bits, as well as a beefier hood above it. The door handles appear longer than this year’s model. It might even follow in the footsteps of the Tesla Model S with the handles flushed inside the door.
At the back, the redesigned LED lights are hidden under the temporary units, though they are sleeker, wider, and wrapped around the upper rear panels.
Interior
Inside, there’s a big panoramic roof that lets the light inside. That dashboard has a long, one-panel flat screen while a second screen appears to be in the vertical orientation in the center console. The spy shots showed everything covered up but judging from the space, there could be enough for a 12-inch screen or something even larger.
Above that second screen is a new venting system with four rectangular vents. This replaced the rounded ones used in the last model.
Powertrain
The spy shots have yet to tell which engine is being used, but we’re sure that the car will come with either an inline-six or twin-turbo V-8 engine with electrification that will boost power and fuel economy. There might be a plug-in in the future and an all-electric range of over 30 miles should be expected as well.
More details about the 2020 Mercedes-Benz S-Class are expected to arrive in the coming weeks.
Tesla Model 3 Starts Offering “Summon” Feature
#model3 $TSLA @tesla @elonmusk amazing pic.twitter.com/W6UPQjCBjy
— 28_delays_later (@28delayslater) July 1, 2018
The Tesla Model S and the Model X have been enjoying the self-parking Summon feature for quite some time now. But finally, it has arrived in the Tesla Model 3, as announced by the company in a tweet.
Tesla said on Twitter, “Summon [is] now available in the Model 3.”
Apparently, news and press releases are not the venues where we’re going to learn new updates about Tesla. Everything’s on Twitter these days, so better stick with following Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
The Summon feature allows cars to park autonomously without anyone in the car. No one is also remotely controlling the car. This is a huge help when you need to park the car in a very tight space and very close to a wall or a pillar. Getting out of the car is not a problem anymore since you could simply stand and watch your car park itself. Neat, right?
If programmed to do so, the system can even open and close the garage door as it parks and powers down. It can be called out by the owner, too, making it far easier for the driver to get in the car after it has been parked in a tight space.
The tweet was a response to a video posted by Twitter handle @28delayslater, showing the Model 3 parking itself in a tight space in a home garage. The garage door also closed behind it. Mr. Musk replied to the video tweet, saying “Note, no one is in the car or controlling remotely. [The] Car is driving entirely by itself.”
Similar with other Tesla models, the Model 3 can add new features and upgrade existing ones through over-the-air software. Yes, that’s right. There’s no need to bring the car to a dealer and have the system installed. All you need is a pretty strong connection and you’re good to go. Interestingly, this move of downloading software over the air is being adopted by other automakers.
EPA Chief Scott Pruitt Steps Down
US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) chief Scott Pruitt, who came under fire earlier for backing President Donald Trump’s decision to lower the standards for vehicle emissions requirements, resigned on Thursday because of an ethics scandal.
Pruitt is favored by the President for rolling back former President Barack Obama’s strict regulations on vehicle emissions. However, he is currently being investigated for travel and security expenses, as well as an expensive condominium arrangement.
President Trump said on Twitter that he has accepted Pruitt’s resignation and that EPA Deputy Administrator Andrew Wheeler will become acting chief of the agency starting on Monday.
Trump said that “Within the Agency[,] Scott has done an outstanding job, and I will always be thankful to him for this.”
Pruitt, a former Oklahoma attorney general, is facing dozens of investigations by the EPA inspector general, the Congress, and the White House. Reports pointed out to his questionable spending on first-class plane tickets, use of security detail, utilization of his office for favors, and connections with lobbyists and industry groups.
A separate report by The Washington Post even said that the former EPA chief pushed to find his wife a well-paying job with another politically-connected group.
The EPA’s inspector general is also being asked to look into reports that Pruitt falsified his official schedule “to hide or remove” records of his meetings and discussions with industry representatives. A CNN interview with US Representatives Don Beyer and Ted Lieu, citing remarks by Kevin Chmielewski, Pruitt’s former deputy chief of staff, said that Pruitt held routine meetings to “scrub, alter or remove from Pruitt’s official calendar numerous records because they might ‘look bad.'”
The representatives said that the allegations are being supported by an inspection of the former EPA chief’s official calendar.
Pruitt became famous for revising the Obama administration’s tighter standards on the model year 2022 to 2025 vehicles.
2019 Peugeot 208 GTi Hot Hatch To Come In Pure EV Form
We’ve been pretty excited with the 2019 Peugeot 208 GTi hot hatch when it was introduced, but it looks like there’s another reason to party. According to the French automaker, it is lining up a pure electric form of the 208 GTi hot hatch. The electric vehicle (EV) variant will sit alongside the petrol version when both are introduced at next spring’s Geneva Motor Show.
The arrival of an EV form will mean Peugeot will switch to a new architecture, preferably the Common Modular Platform or CMP, which offers much-improved efficiency, cheaper build costs and, crucially, the scope for pure-electric variants.
This is not really a surprise since we’re expecting that an EV form will come. Earlier, Peugeot announced that the next 208 will arrive in two versions: the CMP (also known as the EMP1) and the e-CMP. However, what’s surprising to us is the fact that the electric 208 will also be offered as a GTi.
Peugeot head Jean-Pierre Imparato spoke to Auto Express and said that full details of the cars will be revealed in March, just in time for the show in Switzerland. He added that each time the brand comes up with a new model, it will be offered in an electrified form, so it will still be up to the buyers to choose the powertrain they want.
A pure EV form is being offered in the GTi version because Imparato does not want “to generate [a] difference between EV and combustion-engined models.” Aside from this tidbit, Peugeot is also working on manufacturing and developing high-performance vehicles with electrified powertrains.
Just last year, it has been revealed that the French company is developing a 300-bhp hybrid version of the 3008. There are also other concepts, though the most notable is the 308 R Hybrid.
Photos via Auto Express
Audi e-tron EV’s Interior Is Out Of This World
Ten years ago, the auto industry was so simple. There is a single screen on the dashboard that shows the gauge, temperature, speedometer, fuel levels, etc. There’s a radio that can play songs from your phone via a jack. There’s a dial for the aircon and the light could be switched on and off.
Those days are gone. Now, we’ve got two screens on the dashboard (both possible touchscreen), the seats are heated, there’s a parking assistance system, and the temperature is controlled by pre-programmed driver settings. The Audi e-tron EV’s interior is just another example of how times have changed.
The company has given us a glimpse of the in-car side-view screens (mirrors) that are attached to rear-facing exterior cameras. These officially replaced the traditional side-view mirrors.
The cameras’ views are going to be transmitted to 7.0-inch OLED screens mounted on the forward edge of each door panel (the driver’s side and the passenger’s side). The view can be switched to different settings when turning, parking, and highway driving. Drivers can also zoom in and out. This technology, of course, will only be available to markets outside the United States because the US does not allow such uber coolness.
The SUV will also come standard with Audi’s Virtual Cockpit display that replaced the traditional gauges with a large customizable screen. The infotainment system can be viewed on two stacked landscape-oriented screens on the center console.
There’s a floating L-shaped hand rest that protrudes from the passenger side of the center console. It houses the “shift gear,” which uses a thumb slider to select drive, reverse, and neutral. There’s a different button for park.
The rest of the car’s interior is typical Audi—from the layers of real brushed aluminum to the Valcona leather to the other soft-touch materials. There’s also a 16-speaker 705-watt Bang & Olufsen 3D sound system and an optional ambient-lighting package add to the premium vibe.
Pricing for the 2019 BMW X5 Announced, Starts At $61K
BMW finally announced the prices for its new luxury crossover SUV, the 2019 X5. The new BMW X5 is available in just two models—the xDrive40i ($61,695) and the xDrive50i ($76,745). The starting price is an increase from the outgoing 2018 BMW X5.
The lineup of the crossover has also been slimmed down. The 2018 lineup used to have a two-wheel drive, a diesel, and hybrid models. However, the 2019 lineup offers none of the said options.
Instead, the xDrive40i gets a six-cylinder engine while the xDrive50i is powered by a V8 engine. The xDrive40i gets a slightly higher price increase. It’s priced $1,200 more than the cheapest all-wheel-drive model, the xDrive35i. But compared with the even cheaper rear-wheel-drive sDrive35i, the difference is $1,500.
On the other hand, the xDrive50i saw a higher price increase from the previous model. The difference is $1,700. Don’t fret, though, since the two new models are more powerful and perform better than their predecessors. That more than makes up for the price increase.
The 2019 xDrive40i makes an extra 35 horsepower, pushing the total to 335 ponies. It also produces 330 pound-feet of torque. The xDrive50i, meanwhile, gets 456 horses from last year’s 450.
Both models will get ZF’s eight-speed automatic transmission. They’ll also be packed with the xLine specification, which includes Dynamic Damper Control, two 12.3″ screens, adaptive LED headlights, and safety assists such as blind spot detection and frontal collision warning. There’s also the city driving assist system aptly called the City Collision Mitigation.
The xDrive40i and the xDrive50i are both configured for towing. They have the hauling power of a 6,600-pound trailer and there’s an available option of tow hitch rated for 7,200 pounds. There’s another option—an off-road package that includes air suspension and mechanical locking rear differential.
Buyers may also get the performance-oriented M Sport package, remote starting, BMW’s Laserlights with a heated steering wheel, and heated and cooled cupholders.
The 2019 BMW X5 will be available in dealerships starting on November 10 this year.
