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3 Things To Know About The 2018 Land Rover Discovery Sport Landmark Edition
Be prepared to be wowed by the Landmark Edition of the 2018 Land Rover Discovery Sport. The Discovery Sport first came into our consciousness in 2014 as the replacement for the Freelander. Since then, it has become the fastest-selling Land Rover of all time, prompting the company to create a series of special-edition models.
1. Exterior
The Landmark Edition for the Discovery Sport has a subdued appearance and does not look any different from the regular Discovery Sport. It is meant to be that way, though you’ll easily find the differences in the Carpathian Grey roof and the Graphite Atlas accents on the grille, bumpers, and wheel arches. There’s a couple of pairs of 19-inch Mantis wheels that are in Gloss Dark Grey.
There are three hues to choose from if you want the Landmark Edition. There’s Narvik Black, Corris Grey, and Yulong White. Experts agree that the white exterior color palette is the best one for the grey roof and body accents.
2. Interior
The inside of the Landmark Edition is as elegant as they come. The seats are wrapped in grained leather in Ebony color and a matching headliner. On the center stack is a dark grey aluminum trim and panoramic roof. Additional tech and features are the Meridian sound system and a heated steering wheel. It’s not much more than what’s already in the standard model, but these are tech features you won’t get access to even in the options list.
3. Powertrain
The Landmark Edition is using the lone 2.0-liter Ingenium diesel engine that is shared with the XE sedan. You can get it in either the 150, 180, or 240 horsepower. This output is paired with 317 pound-feet of torque. To get the car to 62 mph from a complete standstill, you’ll need 8.9 seconds. The top speed is 117 mph.
The BMW iNext Is A Crossover And We Are Not Surprised
The BMW iNext is set to debut as a concept vehicle later this year, but we already received a teaser photo courtesy of the German automaker. There’s so much to look for, including the fact that the iNext is going to become a crossover rather than a sedan. No surprise there, huh?
Many expected the iNext to be a sedan because it will be inspired by the Vision Next 100 concept, but there is a big demand for SUVs in the auto industry, particularly in China, now the world’s largest market for automobiles. In 2017, the market share of SUVs in China exceeded that of sedans. So, it only makes sense for BMW to slot the iNext above the iX3 and have it sized the same as the X5. For comparison, the iX3 is just an X3 with mild design modifications.
Similar to the iX3, the iNext will feature BMW’s fifth-generation eDrive technology. This drivetrain separates the electric motor, transmission, and power electronics, and features a more powerful set of batteries. The eDrive technology in the iX3 can produce 270 horsepower and can go 400 kilometers (about 249 miles) in the iX3 concept. Since the iNext is slotted above the iX3, we can expect a more powerful iteration of the eDrive powertrain.
The iNext is expected to be the German automaker’s first vehicle to feature autonomous driving technology. BMW is working with a number of big companies such as Mobileye, Intel, Continental, and Magna.
The iNext will start production sometimes in 2021, and is set to become the brand’s flagship electric vehicle. The much-discussed and highly-anticipated iNext should be catching the attention of SUV lovers worldwide, especially those who have made the transition to electrically-charged vehicles. It should be competing with Tesla’s Model X, which is also an electric SUV.
Jaguar Land Rover Is Developing An All-Terrain Self-Driving Tech
Jaguar Land Rover is now developing a self-driving technology that can handle any type of terrain and weather conditions. The system will be able to identify various surface conditions and adjust the vehicle’s settings without any intervention from the driver.
The company, which is known for its off-road SUVs, first announced this system two years ago. But last week, Jaguar Land Rover revealed that it partnered with various groups, including the University of Birmingham to form the group known as CORTEX.
For the system to work, various cameras, ultrasonic, radar and LiDAR units will be used. These sensors would tell the car about the conditions of the road it is driving on. They will scan the surroundings constantly, up to 16 feet ahead at the most. But the sensors won’t only detect road situations. It would also be able to determine weather conditions—dirt, rain, ice, snow, and fog.
The data will then be analyzed and artificial intelligence will predict the potential impacts and effects of the surrounding conditions on the vehicle. Thus, the vehicle will automatically adjust its speed, steering, and even suspension.
The sensors would also be able to measure the space above and on the sides of the vehicle, a feature that would be helpful in warning the vehicle if there is insufficient clearance to maneuver. This is the same technology used in parking assistance systems.
Another type of technology that Jaguar Land Rover is developing is a kind of “platoon” system, wherein a fleet or convoy of vehicles would be able to communicate in such a way that the first vehicle on the line would send a message if it encounters a ditch or a slippery boulder.
The company has yet to announce when this technology will become available. What Jaguar Land Rover is making clear is the fact that it does not intend to take away the fun in off-road driving. The driver can take control of the vehicle anytime he/she wants. This technology is merely an aid that could guide the driver on the conditions ahead.
The Citroen C5 Aircross SUV Is Built For Comfort
The Citroen C5 Aircross SUV was first unveiled at the Shanghai auto show last year for the Chinese market. The thing is, the European market will get one as well and it will be fitted with what Citroen is calling the “progressive hydraulic cushions.”
This means that the Aircross will come with a pair of hydraulic stops on either side of the regular shock, spring, and mechanical stop setup. This will help with the compression and decompression, providing a comfort never before experienced in SUVs trying to be sportier rather than comfortable for its passengers.
You see, that’s the problem with many SUVs in the market these days. The segment has forgotten that it should provide comfort for its passengers rather than make itself look sporty and ready for the race track. Owning an SUV is more than just about going off-track. It’s about comfortable city driving.
The patented suspension setup will mean there’s “zero bouncing” from “major impacts” on the road, Citroen said. For additional comfort, you can also opt for the advanced comfort upholstery. This means 155mm-thick foam and loads of reinforcement. There’s also an 8-inch central tablet with voice recognition controls, connectivity buttons, wireless smartphone charging, and a connected camera.
There’s safety tech, too, aside from the level of comfort this SUV provides. The C5 Aircross will come with safety braking, departure warning, lane-keeping, adaptive cruise control, collision and coffee alerts, driver attention alerts and even traffic sign recognition.
As for the drivetrain, the C5 Aircross will have two petrols available: a 128bhp and a 177 bhp 1.6-liter four-pot. There are three diesel choices: two 128bhp and one 177bhp. There are reports that there will also be a plug-in hybrid drivetrain, but there’s no word yet on when that will be. Apparently, it will be able to run 37 miles in pure EV mode and would feature disruptive CO2 emissions.
3 Things We Know About The 2020 Chevrolet Suburban
We finally caught a glimpse of the first prototype for the redesigned Chevrolet Suburban, which will likely come out as a 2020 model.
The spy shots revealed a few clues about how the new Suburban will look like, especially based on the T1XX body-on-frame platform that Chevrolet used on the recently revealed 2019 Chevrolet Silverado 1500 and GMC Sierra 1500.
1. New Platform
General Motors is currently in the process of redesigning its full-sized fleet using the T1XX platform that suits both SUVs and pickups. This platform is an evolution coming from the K2XX platform. This new one will use aluminum rather than steel to shed some pounds off the new Suburban. The 2020 SUV will likely be 300-pounds lighter, according to reports.
2. Design Borrowed From Silverado
There’s a lot of camouflage on the prototype, but it looks like the face and the headlight especially will be based on the latest Silverado. Though the engineers tried to hide the vehicle’s rear axle, we can see that there’s an independent rear suspension rather than the solid rear used on the current generation Silverado. The new Ford Expedition is likely the culprit to this change.
3. More Powertrains
There will be a wider range of powertrains for the new Suburban. It is very likely that we will see General Motors’ new 2.7-liter turbocharged inline-4 with cylinder deactivation fitted. This powertrain can produce 310 horsepower and 348 pound-feet of torque. This has been confirmed for the new Silverado.
There’s another powertrain: a 5.3-liter V-8 engine with advanced Dynamic Fuel Management cylinder deactivation technology. The top-of-the-line is a 6.2-liter V-8 machine that churns out a whopping 420 horsepower and 460 pound-feet of torque. This engine is currently in the Suburban RST trim.
The new Suburban will likely arrive in late 2018 or early next year, and will be followed by a redesigned version of the smaller Tahoe.
New BMW X5 To Feature The Latest iDrive Infotainment System
BMW has confirmed that a new model under its X series will become available by the end of this year. The BMW X5 will also be the best platform for the German brand to feature its latest iDrive infotainment system.
The new fourth-generation BMW X5 will be revealed most likely at the Paris Motor Show in September, and might become available in dealerships around the end of 2018. This information was confirmed by BMW head Harald Kruger during BMW’s 98th annual general meeting. This will be the fourth X model to arrive this year, after the X2, the new X3, and the X4.
This new SUV will be the first vehicle to feature BMW’s latest iDrive infotainment technology, which is called the BMW Operating System 7.0. The same system will also be featured in the upcoming 3 Series saloon and the flagship X7.
The spy shots revealed a lot about the evolutionary design language that BMW has used for the X5. As a rival to the Range Rover Sport and Porsche Cayenne, the photos showed the company’s latest hexagonal lighting signature even when it is completely covered in camouflage.
CLAR Platform
The current X5, which was introduced in 2013, is still using the same platform as the second-generation X5 from 2006. The biggest challenge then is finding a suitable platform for the new X5, and this could be the CLAR platform, which has already transitioned from the saloon to the SUV in the latest X3. On the latter, the platform has already shed off 55kg off the kerbweight. The larger X5 will have more saving in terms of weight and fuel efficiency.
The new X5 will follow the 5 Series’ four- and six-cylinder petrol and diesel engines.
SUV sales for BMW grew rapidly in the past decade as this segment continues to be the main focus of customers. The company hopes to build on that success when the X5 is revealed later this year.
BMW X8 Flagship SUV Focuses On Rear-Seat Comfort
BMW X8 render. (Photo Source: BMWBlog)
New details about BMW’s flagship SUV, to be called the X8, are emerging. Reports suggested that the BMW X8 will focus on giving rear-seat passengers a comfortable experience.
By all appearances before, the X8 didn’t look like it would go the coupe-SUV route. What was understood before was that BMW would focus on maximizing the rear seats for the comfort of the passengers, especially the Chinese consumers which the X8 will be targeting.
But an Autocar report published on Friday said that the X8 will feature a sloping roofline and a more coupe-like design like the smaller X4 and X6. The BMW is planning to position the X8 flagship as a rival to the Range Rover and to the Bentley Bentayga and the Rolls-Royce Cullinan if the X8 will tick off every box on the options list.
Now, in addition to the rear passengers’ extra space, the X8 will still feature a sloping coupe-like roofline that for most cars won’t be able to accommodate the needed extra space in the rear side. The X8, however, will be employing modern architectural and engineering technology to make this possible even with a slanted roofline.
The platform to be used will prove to be difficult for the German automaker, though reports indicated that the engineers will likely take elements from BMW’s CLAR modular platform and the Rolls-Royce Cullinan’s aluminum architecture.
This means that the 2020 BMW X8 will only be a four- or five-seater to achieve a comfortable experience for rear passengers. The upcoming BMW X7, which the X7 iPerformance concept previewed, will boast three rows of seats for a total of seven seats.
BMW will trademark the X8 to numerous markets around the world, including in Asia and most particularly in China. A final decision on how the X8 will look like will be made later this year before the SUV is released in 2020.
Hyundai Kona N Crossover With 247HP Is Looking For Approval
Hyundai’s N Performance sub-brand is awaiting approval from the top tier of the South Korean automaker to make over the Kona, the brand’s new compact crossover. Once it has the approval, the Hyundai Kona N Crossover will get 247 horsepower from a 2.0-liter turbo engine used in the i30 N.
Albert Biermann, Hyundai’s N performance boss, already instructed his engineers to develop a test mule version of the Kona. This test mule version would be the consideration for the production of the Kona by the end of the decade. Biermann had no assurances about the Kona getting approval, but he reiterated that the Kona needs to use the powertrain in the i30 N.
To differentiate it from the standard version, the Hyundai engineers would need to develop a different suspension and steering specs for the performance version.
The i30 N is based on the i30, an overseas version of the Elantra GT seeing as the i30 N was never offered to the American market. It was offered in three body styles—a hatchback, a wagon, and a fastback sedan. Fitted with a six-speed manual transmission, the i30 N has two engine options: the 2.0-liter four-cylinder and another version producing 271 horsepower. The latter version will power the Veloster N, which will be available in the US.
The Kona’s standard version will have two engines: a 2.0-liter four-cylinder that produces 147 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque, or a 1.6-liter turbocharged engine that can do 175 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque.
Other features of the N version of the Kona could possibly be a large grille, red-trimmed undercarriage, a special badge, and interior trim and suspension upgrades that will include a rear diffuser, small roof spoiler, and exposed rear tailpipes.
Since going on sale last February, the Kona had already sold 5,874 units. It also has plans to develop an all-electric version for 2019 and an entry-level Kona Electric will be available in Europe.
2019 Subaru Crosstek PHEV Is Company’s First Plug-In Hybrid
Subaru’s third best-selling car, the Crosstek, will be the company’s first-ever plug-in hybrid. It’s quite telling, actually, that the automaker chose the Subaru Crosstek to be its first plug-in hybrid version seeing as it was the first conventional hybrid introduced for the 2014 model year.
Since the Crosstek is the company’s fast-selling vehicle, it makes sense that it would like to experiment on it as people are more open to shelling out their money for something they would choose to go with, in the first place. Subaru has yet to reveal photos of the plug-in hybrid variant, so we’re left to wonder how this would look like.
The Crosstek PHEV will be similar to the Subaru BRZ since both of them will benefit from Toyota technology—the hybrid system, that is. It will still be paired to a flat-four and will be capable of driving in full EV mode and in conventional hybrid mode. We have yet to receive information on what the range of the Crosstek PHEV will be.
What Subaru did reveal is that the Crosstek PHEV will be coming soon, even as early as the end of 2018. We might be seeing this in dealerships before the year comes to a close. Of course, while we’re on the subject of release dates and arrival in dealerships, this also signals that more information and details are bound to come in droves.
There aren’t many plug-in hybrid compact crossovers in the market, but there are a few and they are quite interesting. The closest competition of the upcoming Subaru Crosstek PHEV would be the Kia Niro PHEV, which claimed to have a range of 26 miles on a single charge and a solid 46 mpg when running with the gas engine. The Kia Niro PHEV has a starting price of $28,840, so we’re thinking the Crosstek PHEV might play near this number.
Another competitor is the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV with 22 miles of range and 25 mpg on gas. The Outlander has more cargo, but it has a higher base price of $35,915.
3 Things That Make The 2018 Lexus RX Crafted Stand Out
Photo Source: CarAdvice
Lexus has come up with the RX Crafted. The Lexus RX Crafted sits right between the Luxury and the F Sport trims, giving customers who want more features but don’t want to pay the price of the F Sport trim a new alternative. It’s only available in Australia for now, but we’re hoping we’ll see it this side of the globe, too.
Exterior
The update did not alter the exterior of the RX completely, though it now stands out because of the black accents to the front grille and the fog lamp bezels. The mirror caps are also now wrapped in black for a sportier look and the standard wheels have been replaced with 20-inch alloy units.
The rear is unchanged, but the bumper insert has been painted black and the chrome trim in the center and around the tailpipes have been removed. This gives the RX Crafted a sportier stance. The exterior is finished off with a standard moonroof.
Interior
Think about all the equipment you would want in a car and that’s what you’re going to find inside the RX Crafted interior. The Luxury trim used an eight-inch infotainment display. The Crafted has updated this to a 12.3-inch screen at no additional cost. It also has the heads-up display and the premium 15-speaker Mark Levinson sound system with Clari-Fi technology. These are the features that are reserved for the more expensive models.
Powertrain
Most special-edition models only have one powertrain, but Lexus is giving us more with the RX Crafted. It comes available with all the powertrains offered with the standard RX. There’s the RX 300, which uses a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. It can produce 235 horses. Next, there’s the RX 350, which uses a 3.5-liter V-6 engine with 296 ponies. Finally, the RX 450h hybrid is rated to have 308 horsepower.
Photo Source: CarAdvice