There are two things that Volkswagen wants us to know about its new T-Cross SUV: It will be revealed this fall after the Paris motor show, and it will have a bigger boot compared with its competitions.
The Volkswagen T-Cross will be the fourth model in VW’s SUV lineup. It will be positioned beneath the T-Roc, the Tiguan, and the Touareg. Then, it will be in direct competition with the Citroen C3 Aircross, the SEAT Arona, and the Nissan Juke.
After its debut later this autumn, VW confirmed that the T-Cross will go on sale across Europe in the spring of 2019.
This latest teaser showed that the T-Cross SUV will get a significantly better boot size, a total of 455 liters in capacity. Since the sliding rear bench will become standard across the model, folding the rear bench flat will take the total boot size to 1,281 liters of space. This is better than the Nissan Juke and the SEAT Arona. Without the rear bench folded, it also beats out the Citroen though the latter has better capacity once the rear seats have been dropped.
The overall shape of the car is squarer than the T-Roc and that should be enough for the model to stand out amid the very Volkswagen styling of its brothers in the brand’s SUV lineup. Essentially, the T-Cross is a Polo SUV without the design elements of the supermini. It would have a slightly bigger proportion than the Polo SUV and the T-Cross will even be taller compared with its in-house rival, the SEAT Arona.
Other things we noticed about the teaser is that the rear lights might be connected by a LED lighting strip that spans the width of the tailgate.
The lineup for the powertrains will be based on a new 1.0-liter turbocharged three-cylinder petrol that can produce a range between 75 horsepower and 115 horsepower. Five- and six-speed manual will be standard across the range but a dual-clutch automatic transmission will be available for higher-spec models.
Seeing as the S60 is one of Volvo’s best-selling models to date, it only makes sense that it is now entering its third generation, design-wise. Since its debut in 2000, we have seen many different variants of the Volvo S60—from a performance car to an electric car to a cross-country car to an estate care. All of these have been successful in their own rights, but the incoming S60 might be even more special.
Upgraded Performance
The Polestar used to be the performance arm of Volvo and although it is its own brand and name now, it will continue to engineer trim lines and upgraded performance for Volvo’s lineup of vehicles. Polestar will be responsible for the upgrades seen on the third-generation Volvo S60 T8, the V60 T8 Wagon, and the XC60 T8 crossover SUV.
Powerful Powertrains
Thanks to a revised ECU, the S60’s turbocharged and supercharged 2.0-liter inline-four and electric motor will be made more powerful. That’s the work of Polestar engineering. The upgrades on the machine will add 15 horsepower and 22 pound-feet of torque to the sedan. This means that the vehicle could gain as much as 415 horsepower and 494 pound-feet of torque.
Boosted Dynamic Features
Volvo is quite proud of the fact that the S60 can now offer adjustable Öhlins shock absorbers and a strut-tower brace received from the 600-hp Polestar 1 gasoline-electric hybrid coupe with gold-painted six-piston Brembo calipers for the front brakes. There are also other enjoyable treats such as big binders that clamp down on the slotted discs and the 10-spoke wheels.
The new S60 will be made in the facilities in South Carolina, so we can expect to see the new model by next week. A high-performance model engineered by Polestar will also be in the works. Reportedly, that high-performance variant will combine the technologies and designs of the V60 wagon and the Polestar 1.
There are two major takeaways during the annual Tesla shareholder meeting: one, more tidbits about the Model Y crossover that’s to come in 2019; and two, there’s a compact hatchback in the coming future.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk said that the Model Y, even amid production problems with the Model X, will be revealed sometime in March 2019 and it would have “something super special” once it arrives in dealerships in 2020. He also said jokingly that the crossover would be free entirely from leather, “even in the steering wheel… if it does have a steering wheel.” Yes, just imagine that. A revolutionary crossover that runs on batteries and has no steering wheel (possibly meaning autonomous driving).
The Model Y is the newest plan in Tesla’s lineup of vehicles. It will complement the Model X and it is expected to compete against the likes of BMW iX3 and other electric vehicles that will be present in the market by that time.
The plan is for the Model Y to become more important and sellable than the Model 3, seeing as crossovers and SUVs are the most popular vehicles in the market today. The Model 3, if you can remember, received 450,000 reservations and if Tesla would soon solve the production problem, the Model Y could see this number rise. In short, the Model Y is poised to become the company’s best-selling model.
Based on the information we now have, the Model Y will have a smaller battery pack than the Model X, which will make it infinitely lighter. The base unit could be packing a 60 kWh battery and the top-of-the-line unit could have a 90 kWh battery. These options would give buyers plenty of choices without necessarily overlapping with the features of the Model X.
The base model could go as high as $45,000, but that could still change depending on how other electric crossovers price their models.
On the other hand, Mr. Musk also got people talking about his tiny revelation that there could be a compact car in Tesla’s future. It would be launched a little further down the road, possible in 2023. Of course, it makes sense for Tesla to target another popular segment in the auto industry—the compact hatchback.
When Tesla released a hype video to show us what they have in store in the future, we are not prepared to actually see any cloaked or uncloaked version of the Tesla Model Y, an SUV crossover that’s to come in 2020. The video is pleasant enough to watch and there are a lot of exciting things that we can watch out for, but come the 0:15 mark, there’s something that might surprise everyone.
Observers noted that the video teased a new vehicle. Is the Model Y crossover? The vehicle is Tesla’s next step towards joining the market for mass car production and officially turning away from being a manufacturer of luxury or performance EVs.
So, why did we think that what we saw was a cloaked version of the Model Y? It looks to have the same sill and door profiles as the Model 3 on which the Model Y is based. The rear door shutline pairing with the rear wheel also looks identical to the compact sedan. Aside from that, we haven’t seen much to give us anything to talk about the new Model Y.
Tesla is working on different variants of the Model 3, including a dual-motor variant, but that’s only when weekly production of Model 3 reaches 5,000 cars per week. It’s entirely possible, of course, that the tease is just that… a tease… and that what’s under the cloak is simply another Model 3.
After all, the Model Y isn’t expected until 2020, based on the latest comment from Tesla CEO Elon Musk himself. He also said that the production of the Model Y will require a new facility as the company’s Fremont, California production site is “jammed to the gills” and “crazy packed” with vehicle production.
Musk has always been media savvy and quite an expert on generating buzz about his genius productions. So, maybe we just fell into another one of his tricks, huh?
Watch the video below and pause it within the 15-second mark to see it yourself:
If you’re excited about what’s in store for us in the new Kia Picanto, then you’re in for a treat. The South Korean automaker just released the first teaser sketches of the new generation Picanto, and it looks nothing like the current model.
Here are the top three things to watch out for in the 2017 Kia Picanto according to a report:
1. The Focus Is On The Younger Generation
It looks like the Picanto will have a “livelier” exterior that will attract the younger generation (millennials) more. The Picanto is Kia’s smallest car, a crucial segment in the auto industry because smaller sedans are usually the first cars for college students and young urbanites. This third-generation Picanto is coming out with a few surprises up its sleeve—for one, it will have a larger dimension and it will have a completely different design from the outside to the interiors.
2. More Enticing Than The Current Model
A few months ago, Kia introduced the new generation Rio subcompact, a truly critical phase for the brand because this is a fiercely competitive segment. Now that it’s ready to come out with the new Picanto, it came with guns blazing. The current Picanto is nothing to talk about, which makes the new one a future talk-of-the-town. Apparently, the new model is going to have a more dynamic A-segment model, which makes it more enticing than its predecessor.
3. A Mix And Match Of GT Line And Rio
The rendering of the new Picanto is a bit of a mix and match. On the exterior, it looks like the dual exhaust tips, bigger alloys, and fresh bumpers are based on the flagship GT Line version. Inside, the cabin is modeled after the 2017 Rio. Most noticeable in the cabin are the two circular instrument cluster dials and a digital round screen. Even the steering wheel looks similar to the same unit found in the Rio.
There should be a couple of power options—either an engine producing 100 horsepower or one that gives out 120 horsepower. If Kia wants to offer affordability, they can go to a naturally-aspirated gasoline engine options.
The production version of the 2018 Kia GT came back with an exciting new teaser that shows us more of what we can expect once it officially debuts next year.
Let’s jump to these three things all auto enthusiasts much watch out for:
1. It’s Going To Be A Liftback
Instead of the traditional body style, the 2018 Kia GT will have a liftback, according to the second teaser released. This means there’s going to be better cargo space at the back. It’s also a rear-wheel drive, so we can expect a slew of more adjustments and modifications in that aspect.
2. It’s The Fastest Kia Ever
This Kia will be able to go from 0 to 62 mph in just 5.1 seconds, making it the fastest vehicle the South Korean brand has ever made. The teaser showed the car being tested on the track beside the Namyang Research and Development Center in South Korea.
During a testing in Germany at Nurburgring, the model was able to reach 244 kph, although its official site said that it has a maximum speed of more than 280 kph. The first teaser, in fact, showed the speedometer needle go over the 280 kph line.
3. It’s Packing Four-Cylinder Gas And Diesel Engine
The production version GT will be available in a wide range of four-cylinder options that include gasoline and diesel options. The flagship will feature Kia’s biturbo 3.3-liter V-6 engine. This is a new unit fitted also in Hyundai’s Genesis-branded premium models. There, it can produce 365 horsepower max and 376 pound-feet of torque.
Entry versions of the 2018 Kia GT can arrive with a new turbocharged 2.0-liter that was the same one you can find under the hood of the 2017 Hyundai i30 N. This can produce 250 horsepower. The European market can receive a turbodiesel engine.
There are no pricing details released by the South Korean company, but expect the 2018 Kia GT to arrive under a different name at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit this January 8.
Mercedes-Benz just released the teaser of its upcoming pickup truck called the “GLT.” Although the video only gives us a glimpse of the Mercedes-Benz GLT, it already shows us a lot of hints about the specs of the auto.
Check out the three things we are expecting from the upcoming Mercedes-Benz GLT pickup truck:
1. Design
The start of the teaser reveals that the snout of the GLT is very sporty in appearance. The slope of the roofline also gives it an aggressive shape. Then everything is accentuated by the signature body lines of Mercedes-Benz. The front of the auto certainly shares many elements with the SUVs of the three-pointed star brand.
It should be noted though that the unit shown in the video is the “Vision” or concept form of the Mercedes pickup truck. So the production model might have some tweaks in its exterior that are different from it. Nevertheless, the production unit will definitely get many elements from its concept model.
2. Capacity
The GLT shares the same platform with the Nissan Navara. Therefore, expect the two to have almost the same hauling capabilities and both should have the same passenger seating capacity.
Like the Navara, the GLT is designed for off-roading and in carrying around heavy cargo. However, similar to the Navara, the GLT carries the design language that defines its brand.
3. Unveiling
The end of the trailer indicates the live world premiere of the Mercedes-Benz GLT. According to the video, the pickup truck will be unveiled on October 25, 2016 in Stockholm, Sweden.
Speculations
We are yet to discover the engine trims available in the GLT. However, it is most likely that it will have the same inline-four and V6 engines offered by Mercedes SUV units.
Teaser of the Mercedes-Benz GLT
Watch the official teaser of the Mercedes-Benz GLT below:
