Tag Archives: spy shots
3 Things To Know About The All-New Mercedes-Benz GLE
German company Mercedes-Benz came up with a sketch and short video clip showing the upcoming Mercedes-Benz GLE sport utility vehicle’s redesigned front fascia and exciting new set of LED headlights. As if the GLE has not been talked about a lot lately, now the sketch and teaser video turned people’s enthusiasm to a near obsession.
Exterior and New Platform
The new-generation Mercedes-Benz GLE will be based on the MHA RWD platform. The silhouette of the car might remain the same, but the styling on the new GLE is bolder and definitely more futuristic. It is longer, too, at 3.1 inches (80 millimeters). Spy shots revealed a prominent new grille, sweptback LED headlamps, and wraparound taillights. The new model is less boxy, too, and has sharper-looking bumpers, larger alloy wheels, and the familiar twin exhausts.
Powertrains
The 2019 Mercedes-Benz GLE will most likely use the 4.0-liter bi-turbo V8 engine on the GLE 63 which will be available in two flavors—one that makes 563 horsepower and another one that produces a whopping 604 horsepower. We also believe that the German carmaker will introduce an entry-level GLE 53 AMG to the SUV’s lineup. This will use a 3.0-liter in-line six-cylinder engine.
For the standard versions, Mercedes will use a number of four- and six-cylinder petrol and diesel engines for the 2019 GLE. These engines will be paired with a 9-speed automatic gearbox. There might also be a 48-volt plug-in hybrid version that’s going to be paired with the six-cylinder versions.
Interior
Spy shots revealed an interesting take on the interior, especially because of the new technology that Mercedes has been working on. In terms of in-car tech, Mercedes is doing a complete revamp. It will now come with twin 10.25-inch display units for the instrumental console. The center console, on the other hand, will run the MBUX (Mercedes-Benz User Experience) interface. The new SUV will also arrive with a three-spoke steering wheel, grab handles integrated into the central tunnel and powered seat adjustments for the rear passengers.
New Peugeot 208 Snapped For The First Time
The all-new Peugeot 208 supermini was spied for the first time on the road. The completely revised model now has sharper looks and an all-electric model that could rival the Ford Fiesta and the Volkswagen Polo.
There are very few key details that we can glean from the spy shots as the car was heavily camouflaged. There are at least three features we can be sure of now: the car will have a set of bold Lion-claw headlights, it will have a sleek rear end, and it will have a five-door body, confirming speculations that the three-door body of the current GTi models will be dropped for the supermini’s second generation.
The car takes its cues from the newer 3008 and the 5008 SUVs in terms of an upright grille and U-shaped lower air intake that gives it a rather distinctive nose. For a sportier look, the roofline tapers to the back and the rear has a small boot spoiler and a bumper-mounted number plate. The DRL signature up front is replicated at the back that now sports a full-LED setup and based on the dual exhaust tips, the photographed model looks to be the GT-Line variant.
There’s a variety of small-capacity turbo petrol engines for the powertrain options. There’s also a new full-electric-vehicle for the first time. Peugeot’s electric powertrains are suited for small cars, but not for large cars just yet, Peugeot 3008 project manager Marion David said earlier.
To achieve this, the French brand is going to use the new Common Modular Platform (CMP) technology on the 208. The platform will allow the supermini to support batteries and motors for all-electric models. It will offset some of the weight that would be added by the battery packs in these cars.
The petrol engines offered could be three-cylinder turbos with power from 70 horsepower to nearly 150 horsepower for the 1.2-liter version. There’s no information available if Peugeot will offer diesel engines in its next-generation superminis.
The new 208 will likely make its first public debut at the Geneva Motor Show in the spring of 2019.
2020 Hyundai Ioniq Spy Shots Show New Grille, Design Language
A prototype for the updated version of the Hyundai Ioniq has been spotted testing its hot weather capabilities in California’s Death Valley. This confirms reports that Hyundai is updating its Ioniq family of hybrid and electric cars.
The Ioniq was first introduced in 2017 so this updated version should come to us next year as a 2020 model bearing a slew of midcycle facelifts for Toyota Prius’ competitor.
Based on the spy photos, the Ioniq will receive some major updates for the exterior. The car was heavily camouflaged but not thoroughly enough that we’re able to make out the car’s new mesh pattern for the grille (instead of the current horizontal slats on the current model). The internals of the lights is also new.
The prototype the spy photographers took was either the Ioniq Plug-in Hybrid or the Ioniq Hybrid, though most of the changes should be applied across the range.
We expect that the car’s design will be tweaked to feature elements found on Hyundai’s Le Fil Rouge concept, which was unveiled at this year’s Geneva auto show in March. The concept was focused on Hyundai’s new “sensuous sportiness” design language. The elements of this concept are scheduled to first appear in a production model through the redesigned Sonata next year.
Hyundai hasn’t been clear about changes to its drivetrains, but there should be major updates considering the developments we’ve had in the electrification technology. The Ioniq Hybrid and the Ioniq Plug-in Hybrid are closely related since they both feature a 1.6-liter inline-4 as their internal combustion. They also share a single electric motor paired with a six-speed dual-clutch transmission. That combination can make 139 horsepower and the plug-in hybrid can go 29 miles on electric power alone.
On the other hand, the Ioniq Electric can power up to 120 horsepower from a single electric motor. That alone can cover 124 miles on a single charge of its 28-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery.
4 Things We Learned About The 2020 BMW 8-Series Gran Coupe
After we have spotted prototypes for the BMW 8-Series Convertible, we are now being treated to some spy shots of the 8-Series Gran Coupe. By the looks of it, the Gran Coupe is more likely to be a sedan than an actual coupe. This model is due to fill the gaps that the 6-Series Gran Coupe will leave after it gets phased out by the German automaker.
Exterior
We know a little bit about how this car will look, thanks to the M8 Gran Coupe concept unveiled in March. We can also expect an M8 version to be launched with the regular one. Just like the 8-Series coupe, the Gran Coupe will have a low roof and wide, muscular shoulders, which may mean an option for a three-seat bench in the rear.
Interior
We expect nothing less from BMW when it comes to cabin elegance and luxury. The digital screens serve as instrument cluster and the entertainment hub. Right smack on the center console would be a gear lever and a rotary-dial controller. There will be plenty of technology, of course, but the German brand hasn’t let us on it yet. If you want to know what to expect from the Gran Coupe’s cabin, take a look at the previously revealed 2019 M850i xDrive coupe’s interior.
Platform
BMW will use the CLAR modular platform that started with the 2016 7-Series. The multi-material design of the platform is meant to shed weight, but the Gran Coupe might still be a tad heavy compared to others. The coupe weighs 4,478 pounds in the M850i disguise, so the Gran Coupe will likely be heavier. This CLAR platform will also make the car compatible with electric powertrains.
Engines
We have no details on the engines that would be offered but expect the same 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V8 found in the M850i coupe. That one makes 523 horsepower. There might also be an option for a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-6 and the M8 will get M850i’s V8 engine with over 600 horsepower. We also expect that a plug-in hybrid will be introduced.
Check out the new spy shots of the upcoming BMW 8-Series Gran Coupe in the gallery below:
3 Things We Know So Far About The 2020 Hyundai Sonata
A prototype for the new mid-size 2020 Hyundai Sonata has been spotted while being tested at the Nurburgring track in Germany. It looks like it’s wearing its final skin, though the absence of production taillights and side skirts is noticeable.
1. Based On The Le Fil Rouge Concept Car
At the Geneva auto show last March, the South Korean automaker introduced the Le Fil Rouge Concept Car. The new Hyundai Sonata will borrow key elements and styling from the concept car, including the fastback roof leading to a large duck-tail spoiler. The concept will also be the basis for the sculpting on some of the panels, as well as the short overhangs and multi-slatted grille. Though these elements are in a toned-down form on the new Sonata, they are nonetheless reminiscent of the concept car in March.
2. It Might Carry The Same Powertrain Options
Hyundai hasn’t been very vocal about the mechanical setup of the new Sonata. The current generation offers a 1.6-liter turbocharged inline-4, a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4, a 2.4-liter inline-4, and a plug-in hybrid option. There should be more options available for the new model year and the 1.6-liter turbo engine might be dropped from the lineup. The cars should be set up with a front-wheel-drive system.
3. Coming In The Fall Of 2019
The all-new Sonata will be available in dealerships in the fall of 2019 as a 2020 model. That means that the debut should be sometimes in the early months of 2019. Watch out for the i45 name in other markets because that might be the name the Sonata will be using.
The Sonata is in direct competition with the likes of the Chevrolet Malibu, Honda Accord, Nissan Altima, and Toyota Camry. All of these cars have been updated and redesigned in recent years. Competition in this segment is tougher than ever, of course, seeing as most people now prefer crossover SUVs over mid-size sedans.
Check out the new spy shots of the 2020 Hyundai Sonata in the gallery below:
Hyundai Readies Release of i30 Fastback N
Hyundai has been teasing us with the launch of its newest i30 Fastback N for quite some time now. Whether it is the South Korean automaker that’s truly excited about it, we do not know. What we do know is that the model is finally in its final stages of development, and it will soon join the i30 N and the Veloster N when it debuts later this year.
Hyundai took the Fastback testing around different terrains and road surfaces in Europe. Of course, the prime location to test any vehicle is on the Nurburgring Nordschleife, where the company has its own technical center. There, the model is currently undergoing rigid testing and evaluations for performance and durability before it is announced and launched to the public.
The prototype showed that the fastback will have a sloped roofline, a bold rear lip, strong character lines, and the automaker’s signature Cascading grille. Under the hood, it should have the same engine as the i30 N hatch. This means the Fastback would be powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 246 horsepower. A Performance package, which we are not sure yet will be offered, can take that output to 271 horses.
The problem is that if you’re living in the United States, you probably won’t see the i30 Fastback N. That makes sense considering Hyundai never brought the i30 N here.
Maybe a petition is in order? Don’t fret. The standard i30 hatch is very similar and probably closely related to the Elantra GT, which we have here. The Fastback body style might be introduced to the US audience through the Elantra lineup. That will happen, of course, if Hyundai North America sees the demand for it.
If it’s any consolation, we are getting the Veloster N, which received positive reviews during its first run.
2020 Mini Electric Spy Shots Reveal Exterior and Interior of the Car
The 2020 Mini Electric spy shots revealed that the signature hardtop model will not have exhaust pipes and even a traditional grille. In some of the shots, you would notice that an accent light runs along the width of the grille. There’s also a new wheel pattern that Mini previewed during a teaser shot of the car released earlier this month.
The concept for this car was first previewed at the 2017 Frankfurt auto show and is only one of the 12 electric cars that the BMW Group plans to produce by 2025. For Mini, the first batch would include their signature hardtop model though visually, there are not many features that separate the electric version from the gasoline-powered models.
In terms of powertrains, Mini remains mum on specific features because the technology is rapidly evolving and there might be new ones available by next year. That being said, experts still expect to see a single electric motor at the front axle and batteries located beneath the rear seat. The range should be somewhere in the 200-mile figure or higher, depending on the EPA rating.
The engines will be manufactured from the same factories in Germany that produces the hardware for the BMW i3. The car, however, will be assembled at the Mini plants in the United Kingdom and China. For the production in China, Mini will tie up with local automaker Great Wall.
This is Mini’s turn to launch a production and volume EV. Thought the company was a pioneer of electric vehicles (it leased a hardtop-based Mini E electric car on a trial basis late last decade), its efforts have been overshadowed by the likes of Tesla Model 3.
After the launch of the electric hardtop version next year, the BMW Group should also unveil an iX3 SUV in 2020 and the iNext in 2021.
Check out the new spy shots of the Mini Electric from Motor Authority in the gallery below:
2020 Kia Soul Gets Funkier, Thanks To A New Unilight Feature
The third iteration of the Kia Soul will get a lot funkier as seen in the major changes brought about by its next-generation model. Since going on sale nearly a decade ago, this tiny box became a staple in Kia’s model lineup. In fact, a redesign back in 2014 infused additional features into the hatchback, paving the way for the Kia Soul Turbo in 2017.
Sure, the Soul was part of many “Best Trucks and SUVs” list back in 2017 and 2018 but the competition is getting tough in this segment and it’s time for Kia to bring out the big guns.
Aside from the roofline of the 2020 soul that still looks similar to the current generation, everything else has been altered to create an eccentric new look for the car.
Up front, Kia decided to let go of today’s traditional large headlamps and went instead for a pair of low-mounted units that could almost be mistaken for fog lights. The combination turn signals and LED daytime running lamps (the “unilight”) sit above the grille.
At the back, the D-pillar-mounted taillights now have a three-dimensional appearance and are merged into the liftgate. This just made the Kia Soul more identifiable on the road as it is before without necessarily losing its unique character.
The Soul will offer the same powertrains and platform as the Kona. The entry-level model would have a 2.0-liter inline-four that produces 147 horses. An upgrade would be a turbocharged 1.6-liter, though the output remains shady for now. We’re pretty sure it would exceed the Kona’s 175 horsepower and would instead stand closer to the Soul Turbo’s 201 horsepower.
The base model will be paired either with a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic gearbox. The Soul Turbo will use exclusively the brand’s seven-speed, dual-clutch automatic. The Turbo would also have distinct features such as the mesh-style grille and center-mounted exhaust outlets.
Photo Source: CarAndDriver
3 Things We Learned From Seeing The Spy Shots Of 2019 Hyundai i40
Spy shots of the Hyundai i40 were taken and we’ve got the lowdown on what we can expect from the South Korean automaker’s midsized, Europe-facing sedan.
Exterior
When we said there were spy shots, it means that Hyundai did a very thorough job at covering the new i40. The images from TopSpeed show the car wrapped in heavy camouflage, so there’s no way to tell the tiny little details that make the reveals of car exciting. We can see the body style, of course, and we know it’s going to be a sedan with some fastback hints to it. A part of the front grille was revealed, too, featuring thin horizontal bars, though we’re pretty sure these are just placeholders for now.
The headlights gave us a little peek, but it doesn’t look like it’s similar to past models. This could be a completely new set of lights as it doesn’t even resemble the pair we saw on the i40 wagon spotted testing last month.
Interior
We could not see the i40’s interior, but we believe that there won’t be any dramatic changes from the cabin we saw in the i30. We know they came from completely different segments, but there are enough similarities to justify their cabins looking the same.
If there will be a change, it’s going to be the layout since the vertical layout from the latest model is outdated. The i40 should have the same horizontal layout as the i30 with the center console touchscreen located high on the dashboard. The infotainment controls should surround the screen, making it look sleeker and slimmer.
Seating configuration would probably be the same, though we hope that Hyundai fits the i40 with new seats—preferably, something more premium and comfortable than the old one.
Drivetrain
The new i40 won’t be a next-generation model, so it will have the same lineup of engines. It should have quite a number of different engine options. Currently, it offers a 1.6-liter four-cylinder gas engine that produces 133 horsepower, a 2.0-liter four-cylinder that makes either 164 horsepower or 150 horsepower, and a high-spec 2.0-liter gas engine that can churn out 176 horsepower or 162 horsepower.
For the diesel, the i40 should have the same 1.7-liter four-cylinder engine with three different power outputs: 113 horsepower, 137 horsepower, and 139 horsepower.
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