Alev Kochoolu – Page 11 – Automobiles Review

Design, technology, zero emissions: new Kona electric comes with a series of updates

2021 Hyundai Kona Electric1

Hyundai Motor has made a series of updates to its successful all-electric sub-compact SUV, the Hyundai Kona Electric. In order to make the new Kona Electric an even better product for its customers, the upgrades revolve around design, technology, and practicality.

Since launching in 2018, demand for the Hyundai Kona Electric has exceeded all expectations in Europe, thanks to its powerful electric drivetrain, long driving range and stylish SUV looks. In just two years, over 120,000 units have been sold globally, including more than 53,000 in Europe. In August, three production models set a new range record of 1,026 kilometres on a single battery charge at the Lausitzring in Germany. Meanwhile, in January, the Kona Electric made it into the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ under the category “Highest Altitude Achieved in an Electric Car”, after being driven to an altitude of 5,731 metres to Sawula Pass in Tibet.

In March, Hyundai started production of the Kona Electric at its Czech production plant, Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Czech (HMMC). This enables the company to significantly reduce customer waiting times for new electric cars.

The new Kona Electric has undergone bold design upgrades for a dynamic new look, as well as featuring safety enhancements and an advanced technology package.

“When we launched the Kona Electric in 2018 as the world’s first fully-electric subcompact SUV, it represented a major step forward for affordable e-mobility,” says Andreas-Christoph Hofmann, Vice President Marketing and Product at Hyundai Motor Europe. “With the new Kona Electric, we’re showing that Hyundai is fully committed to zero-emissions driving, by providing our customers with enhanced driving assistance and safety features, making it an even more desirable package.”

Bold exterior design upgrades for a clean and stylish appearance
The new Kona Electric has undergone a series of bold exterior design updates. By combining a clean and sleek appearance with the protective and bold B-SUV body type of the Kona, it expresses its exceptional electric technology while being even more recognisable on the road.

The front with the new-look closed grille features a pure and clean design. This modern look is further enhanced by the new LED Daytime Running Lights, which emphasise the car’s wide stance. The front is complemented by an asymmetric charging port, a feature unique to the Kona Electric which makes a strong statement about driving electric.

New, sharper headlamps stretch around the side of the car. The high-tech headlamp inner bezel now incorporates multifaceted reflector (MFR) technology. The headlamps are connected to the painted wheel arch claddings, giving the new Kona Electric a distinctive and sophisticated look. Vertical air inlets in front of the wheel arch claddings enhance its aerodynamics, substantially reducing turbulence in the front wheelhouse area. Meanwhile, a functional air intake in the lower bumper is visually enhanced by horizontal satin accent bars, which give it a pronounced stance.

The rear bumper retains the accent bars to add value to the overall look of the car, while new horizontally-stretched rear lamps complement the pure appearance of the front.

The new Kona Electric is 25 millimetres longer than the previous version. This ensures it has a dynamic appearance combined with a strong visual stance.

The new Kona Electric is available with a range of new exterior colours,

Exterior colours:

Dive in Jeju [New]
Ignite Flame [New]
Misty Jungle [New]
Surfy Blue [New]
Cyber Grey [New]
Galactic Grey
Phantom Black
Dark Knight
Pulse Red
Atlas White

An updated interior with progressive technology
For the first time, the new Kona Electric is equipped with a 10.25-inch digital cluster, while an optional 10.25-inch AVN screen is carried over from the last update. The AVN unit incorporates multimedia and convenience features including Bluelink, Hyundai LIVE Services and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, further democratising advanced connectivity for Hyundai drivers. Customers who select the eight-inch Display Audio system can wirelessly connect their smartphones to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

New Kona Electric customers can enjoy the new Bluelink upgrade, which allows them to control their car with their smartphone or voice to make their drive more convenient and enjoyable. The app displays the vehicle’s range and battery state, as well as charging times, when plugged into different public or private charging points. Users can access an advanced battery management system in order to select charging times that best fit their schedule or their budget by making the most of off-peak electricity rates.

Thanks to Remote Charging, new Kona Electric drivers can start and stop charging at the push of a button on their smartphone via the Bluelink app. During colder months, Remote Climate Control allows users to schedule a time that they would like to pre-heat their car electrically when connected to an external power source. As well as providing additional comfort to occupants, this also saves battery power that would otherwise be needed to heat the vehicle on the road.

The latest Bluelink upgrade includes a range of new and advanced connectivity features for increased convenience. User Profile offers increased personalisation, and can be transferred to other Hyundai vehicles providing the same feature. Last Mile Navigation helps customers continue the journey to their final destination via the Bluelink app even after their car has been parked, using either Augmented Reality or Google Maps. Connected Routing harnesses real-life and historical speed information through GPS, which is stored in the server and updated every month, to predict upcoming traffic every five minutes. This ensures more accurate traffic forecasting, more precise times of arrival, and more reliable route recalculations. Live Parking Information gives users real-time information on the location and price of nearby available parking spaces. In addition, the latest Bluelink upgrade features Free Text Search for users to enter addresses or points of interest.

Meanwhile, new ambient light technology illuminates the passenger and driver side footwell, emphasising the lifestyle character of the vehicle.

Customers can select from two interior colour packages for further customisation. The one-tone Black package is available with cloth, or leather materials. Alternatively, the two-tone Grey interior package is available with leather materials.

Segment-leading driving range
Like its predecessor, the new Kona Electric offers two different zero-emissions battery electric powertrains, with no compromises on performance.

The long-range version with a 64 kWh battery features an electric motor which delivers maximum power of 204 PS (150 kW. The basic version has a battery capacity of 39.2 kWh, with the motor delivering 136 PS (100 kW),. The long-range battery version provides a maximum speed of 167 km/h, with the standard-range battery version offering 155 km/h.

Both powertrain versions deliver 395 Nm of immediate torque, ensuring the new Kona Electric is fun-to-drive with full power available from the first second.

Since its launch in 2018, the Kona Electric has been equipped with one of the best all-electric driving ranges in its segment. After tyre improvements on the 2020 model year update, the 64 kWh battery version offers a class-leading range of 300 miles (WLTP) on a single charge. Meanwhile, the 39.2 kWh model offers a range of up to 189 miles (WLTP).

The shift-by-wire system enables operation of the car simply by pressing buttons to switch driving modes. It also eliminates the routing space required for housing the mechanical linkages between a normal shifter and the transmission, providing additional storage space in the front of the car.

The Smart Adjustable Regenerative Braking system allows the new Kona Electric to automatically set the regenerative braking level, while paddle shifts behind the steering wheel allow the driver to adjust the intensity of the regenerative braking. The system recuperates additional energy when possible. Regenerative braking is maximised when keeping the left pedal held, allowing the driver to even bring the vehicle to a full stop – without use of the brakes.

Charging the lithium-ion polymer battery from 10 to 80 per cent only takes about 47 minutes using a 100 kW direct current (DC) fast charger. The Kona Electric features an optional 10.5-kW three-phase on-board charger, allowing for significantly shorter charging times using public three-phase AC charging stations or with a private compatible wall box at home. Drivers also have the option of charging their car at a compatible regular household power socket using the ICCB-cable (in-cable control box).

Even more best-in-class safety features
The new Kona Electric features a state-of-the-art Hyundai safety package for peace of mind. Hyundai SmartSense provides comprehensive, best-in-class active safety and driving assistance systems, and the new Kona Electric is now equipped with even more functions than its predecessor.

Upgraded Hyundai SmartSense features that feature on the new Kona Electric include Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist (RCCA) and Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist (BCA), which offer not just warnings to drivers, but also implement the brakes where necessary. RCCA works to avoid a collision when reversing, as the car’s sensors detect approaching vehicles from both sides, with the brakes applied if necessary. Meanwhile, BCA engages the car’s differential brakes to prevent an accident if another vehicle is detected near the rear corner and the driver attempts to change lanes.

Another feature new to this model is Leading Vehicle Departure Alert (LVDA), which alerts the driver if they do not react fast enough when the vehicle ahead of them starts moving. Further new safety features include Safe Exit Warning (SEW) and Rear Seat Alert (RSA). SEW warns passengers intending to exit the vehicle if it is not yet safe to do so. RSA is a door-checker feature that recognises if the rear doors have been opened prior to departing. When the drive is completed, the car alerts the driver if someone or something is in the back seat when they open the doors. In addition, the new Kona Electric is also available with eCall, a feature which automatically alerts emergency services if the airbags are deployed or the eCall button is pushed.

Hyundai SmartSense safety features:

[NEW] Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist (BCA)
[NEW] Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist (RCCA)
[NEW] Leading Vehicle Departure Alert (LVDA)
[NEW] Safe Exit Warning (SEW)
[NEW] Rear Seat Alert (RSA)
Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist with pedestrian and cyclist detection (FCA-Ped)
Smart Cruise Control with Stop & Go (SCC w/ S&G)
Lane Following Assist (LFA)
Lane Keeping Assist (LKA)
Intelligent Speed Limit Warning (ISLW)
Driver Attention Warning (DAW)

Increased comfort and convenience

A number of convenience features allow for a more comfortable ride, in particular for back seat passengers. As with its predecessor, the new Kona Electric’s second row heated seats allow rear passengers to relax when travelling on longer journeys. The new second row USB port delivers additional power to recharge devices on-board if needed. Meanwhile, an electric parking brake offers even more reassurance for drivers, and can be activated by the simple push of a button.

December 7, 2020

Complete Transformation: The Motopark GT3 RS Rallye Mod for the road

2020 Porsche von Motopark

This name has been synonymous with countless successes in international motorsport series and a great deal of race track expertise. It is not for nothing that famous names like Valtteri Bottas or Max Verstappen learned to race here under team boss Timo Rumpfkeil from scratch and finally ended up in the top class of motorsports.

Of course, it’s just natural to transfer this concentrated expertise from the race track to the road:

After the first conversions of a Porsche 997 GT3 for Olaf DOBBERKAU and Ruben ZELTNER to a rally version, the former Swedish racing driver Kevin KLEVEROS approached the Motopark professionals with a very special request:

His Porsche 911 GT3 RS – a true feast for the eyes and a real rarity even in its original condition – should get a complete Rally Mod. And Rally should not only stand for a martial optic in WRC-style but also for a corresponding performance, which is in no way inferior to the optics!

And of course, the remaining comfort of the GT3 RS of the 991 series should also be retained in order to continue to be used to its full extent on the road.

The result is truly something to see – and above all heard!

Because a handmade stainless steel exhaust system with even further optimized throughput ensures that the not exactly quiet high-revving boxer gets the acoustic stage it deserves. By the way, a specially developed Air Scoop on the roof sucks in fresh air at all times – and this part looks pretty cool on top of everything else.

With regard to the suspension, the Motopark team was also able to draw on practically unlimited resources:

The Full-Spec-Rally-Dampers with special tuning, adjustable in compression high/low as well as rebound, are made by REIGER and feature both a rebound control valve and a corner control valve. A thermostat provides identical damping in cold and warm conditions. Naturally, springs and stabilizers have also been reworked and got into shape for tough off-road use.

A fat underbody protection and mud flaps not only protect the GT3 RS from stones and other loose objects, but also give it the look befitting its intended use.

Another damn cool gimmick: The Fly-Off handbrake with ABS Kill-Switch ensures bold drifts in gymkhana style on any surface at any time.

It is well known that it gets dark early in Sweden, especially in the winter months – but that doesn’t cause too many problems to the off-road high-flyer from Oschersleben: A huge Nightface (carbon bracket) with extremely bright Xenon auxiliary lights turns night into day.

On the deceleration side, Porsche already provided a very good basis, which is why hardly any modifications were necessary: The brake pads with rally specification have a higher coefficient of friction and thus ensure better cold grip.

Since this rare gem is not suppose to flattened its tires – or in other words just sitting around in a car collection later but will also experience species-appropriate movement. Therefore the safety side was also upgraded: In the interior the Motopark team has installed a safety-cage extension which is optionally available from Porsche. A rally counter calculates distances, average times etc. via GPS and a reading lamp for the co-driver is included, too!

For the matching “war paint” of the GT3 RS, the Motopark crew – at the request of the customer – finally got Hajo LEMKE from 811 design on board.

The result was an overall concept that also delivers the performance promised by the martial appearance. And a vehicle that – despite its continued registration – will not be seen again on public roads in the near future.

December 7, 2020

Bentley motors outlines beyond100 strategy, targeting sustainable luxury mobility leadership

2021 Bentley Beyond1001

Bentley Motors has outlined plans to become a global leader in sustainable luxury mobility with further details of its Beyond100 strategy revealed today. With the promise to offer truly sustainable luxury, Bentley will reinvent every aspect of its business to become an end-to-end carbon neutral organisation as it embarks on its second century. The target is driven by a transformation programme across Bentley’s entire operations and products. This includes switching its model range to offer exclusively plug-in hybrid or battery electric vehicles by 2026, and full electric vehicles only by 2030.

The announcement highlights Bentley’s plans to provide extraordinary mobility for the next century, evolving from the world’s largest producer of 12-cylinder petrol engines to having no internal combustion engines within a decade, reinventing itself as a leader in sustainable luxury mobility.

The Beyond100 strategic plan is an extension of two decades of forward thinking, innovation and achievement. Acutely aware of the responsibility to consider its environmental, social and economic impact, Bentley has transformed its 80-year-old headquarters into the UK’s single carbon neutral luxury car factory. In parallel, the luxury marque has grown to operate in more markets than ever before, 68, while creating a long-term, consistent, sustainable business model, a truly solid basis to build for a second century.
Adrian Hallmark, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Bentley Motors, said: “Since 1919, Bentley has defined luxury grand touring. Being at the forefront of progress is part of our DNA – the original Bentley boys were pioneers and leaders. Now, as we look Beyond100, we will continue to lead by reinventing the company and becoming the world’s benchmark luxury car business.

“Driving this change includes, and also goes beyond our products, delivering a paradigm shift throughout our business, with credibility, authenticity, and integrity. Within a decade, Bentley will transform from a 100 year old luxury car company to a new, sustainable, wholly ethical role model for luxury.”

End-to-End Carbon Neutral
Bentley’s aim to become an end-to-end carbon neutral luxury car brand by 2030 will be underpinned by a structured, business-wide sustainability programme. This includes the development of electrified models throughout the range, and further improvements on its operational environmental impact, that of its tier one supply chain and collaborating with its retailer network.

Bentley’s approach to redefining its business model will be built around its accelerated journey towards electrification. Having already committed that every model line will be offered with the option of a hybrid variant by 2023, with Bentley’s first pure electric model to be launched in 2025, Bentley is today announcing a move towards zero emission mobility.

Following the introduction of the first Bentley fully electric model in 2025 – Bentley’s first cradle to grave fully carbon neutral car – Bentley will exclusively offer plug-in hybrid and electric models only within its range in 2026. By 2030, this will change to battery electric vehicles only.

Bentley’s electrified future was previewed with the reveal of the all-electric EXP 100 GT concept car in its centenary year, which also featured a multitude of sustainable materials. These included 5,000-year-old copper-infused Riverwood, traditionally produced wool carpets and a leather-like textile upholstery made from a bi-product of wine-making. Bentley will continue to use only sustainably sourced materials throughout its current, and next generation of cars.

Last year, Bentley’s production facility in Crewe became the first luxury automotive factory in the UK to be certified carbon neutral by the Carbon Trust. This followed two decades of implementing innovative solutions, including a water recycling system in the paint shop, local tree planting, installation of a 10,000 solar panel carport, taking the total number of on-site solar panels to 30,000, and a switch to renewable-only electricity sources.

The Crewe facility will continue to improve its environmental operations. By the end of this year, all suppliers will have passed a sustainability audit, verifying their sustainability credentials. In the future, by the end of 2025, the company intends to reduce its factory environmental impact by focusing on energy consumption, CO2 emissions, waste water, use of solvents in the paint process and becoming plastic neutral. This will result in a climate positive factory by 2030, actively reducing levels of carbon in the atmosphere, while in parallel the business invests in renewable energy and forestation projects.

Financially Resilient and Recession-Proof
Achieving sustainable luxury mobility relies heavily on a sustainable business model, and Bentley’s aim is to become the world’s benchmark luxury car business, financially resilient and recession-proof. The challenging economic situation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in Bentley undertaking its biggest change programme in a century.

This change programme was driving for consistent financial resilience through rapid productivity improvements across the business, and a fundamental restructure. Previously announcing a voluntary release and redundancy programme with the aim of a workforce reduction of 1,000 permanent colleagues, this figure was reduced to 800 colleagues, including around 200 contractor positions.

Furthermore, the success of this voluntary release programme has resulted in a much smaller number of those remaining at risk of compulsory redundancy, less than 10, although Bentley continues to investigate opportunities to avoid this outcome if possible.

The results from this comprehensive cost and investment structure has placed the business in a position to achieve a positive financial performance for the full year 2020, in spite of the extenuating external circumstances. This platform will create a sustainable, consistently profitable business model for the next 100 years.

Extraordinary People
Achieving sustainable value creation is in large part down to the growth and collaboration of Bentley’s extraordinary people. Designing and building Bentleys of the future will require a greater diversity of talent, achieved by retraining in some areas and by developing and attracting a wide-range of talent including digital innovators and creative thinkers.

Bentley will continue to work with local schools and colleges to develop local talent in South Cheshire, building even closer links with the Crewe Engineering & Design UTC, which Bentley is a founding partner of. This includes becoming the employer of choice in the automotive sector with a clear brand, vision, mission, values and purpose. Bentley is focused on attracting diverse candidates and is targeting a management population of 30 per cent by 2025 that is truly diverse, increasing today’s figure of less than 20 per cent.

The company is committed to handcrafting cars in Crewe for the next 100 years, whilst also preparing for a digital future, and has confirmed it will be investing in two new Research and Development buildings, a vehicle test centre and a dedicated launch quality centre. This expansion and greater focus on digitalisation reinforces Bentley as a values-led organisation, matching customer values of sustainability, innovation and collaboration, which is more important than ever in a digital world.

Redefining For The Next Century
Redefining digitalisation throughout the organisation extends to many of the brand’s valued customers. Bentley is building a network of connected services individual to the customer achieved through product visualisation, co-creation and a digital journey. This will deliver a truly 360 degree, curated customer experience.

As well as accelerating the product journey towards electrification, Beyond100 opens a new era for Bentley’s bespoke division, Mulliner, which now has a three-portfolio structure comprising Mulliner Classic, Mulliner Collections and Mulliner Coachbuilt. The recently revealed Bacalar signifies the start of this new age as the first member of the Mulliner Coachbuilt family and incorporates elements of the sustainable materials showcased in EXP 100 GT.

For 100 years, Bentley has defined grand touring. To maintain the brand’s reputation for delivering extraordinary customer journeys, means appealing to existing and new luxury customers who seek socially acceptable brands, driven to be pioneers and role models of sustainability, with Beyond100 placing Bentley Motors firmly at the vanguard.

December 7, 2020

Lotus partners with the UK’s most creative photographers to celebrate muse global design award for Evija

Processed with VSCO with l9 preset

Lotus is celebrating the all-electric Evija hypercar’s latest award win with a gallery of new images taken during a unique and inspiring collaboration with some of the UK’s most creative photographic talent.

The celebrations mark the results of the prestigious 2020 MUSE Global Design Awards, where the Lotus Evija took overall victory in the Automotive Transportation category.

The eight exclusive photoshoots took place in and around Duke of London, a former 1930s soap factory in West London transformed into a stunning motoring venue and tribute to all things automotive. Lotus invited each photographer to attend for one-on-one private access to the Evija, allowing them to choose how and where to shoot the hypercar – in their own style – in any location around the site. The results are now available at their respective Instagram feeds.

December 4, 2020

Mazda supports re:act during critical covid-19 response with volunteers honoured by the queen

Mazda supports1

When Covid-19 began to sweep across the globe, RE:ACT Disaster Response (formerly Team Rubicon UK) quickly launched “Op RE:ACT” to support emergency frontline services and vulnerable communities throughout the UK. To support the 600 highly trained RE:ACT Responder volunteers, Mazda Motors UK supplied the disaster response charity with a fleet of vehicles to help with their life-saving work to combat the virus in the UK.

Working in collaboration with local groups, charities, UK Government and British Armed Forces, RE:ACT is a UK-based humanitarian charity that provides direct action in emergencies and crisis. Repurposing the hard skills and experience of military veterans, RE:ACT Responders have earned their reputation through international deployments to major natural disasters and emergency crisis operations in the UK; including an integral role during Covid-19 where Op RE:ACT deployed over 600 trained RE:ACT Responders and 5,000 military veterans to support the national effort.

Across the UK RE:ACT Responders and Regional Liaison Offers used the fleet of Mazda vehicles to travel to affected areas and based themselves within communities where they could make the greatest difference. Equipped with reliable transportation, the Regional Liaison Officers were able to safely integrate with Local Resilience Forums and local authorities to understand the local impact of Covid-19 and identify regional disparities.

Using their expertise in disaster response and situational awareness, the information gathered enabled RE:ACT to assess the dynamic situation across the UK and prioritise a number of critical tasks to protect local communities; including the provision of additional PPE items, essential welfare checks or delivering emergency food.

In total the Mazda vehicles covered almost 12,000 miles and supported 37 counties across the UK, with two Regional Liaison Officers, Mary Lockwood and Lizzy Stileman, making full use of the vehicles. Mary used a Mazda vehicle to travel across Lancashire liaising with local authorities, managing Covid-19 testing, working in care homes and attending regular Local Resilience Forum meetings. Lizzy was based at the British Army’s Standing Joint Command in Aldershot, Hampshire, working closely with the Army to support the voluntary and community response throughout the UK.

Having been previously deployed to multiple countries as a volunteer delivering aid – including last year in the Bahamas as part of the Hurricane Dorian relief effort – Lizzy, a 20-year veteran of the Royal Logistics Corps, was no stranger to disaster responses in challenging environments. Using the information from Local Resilience Forums and identifying local tasks, Lizzy provided a critical link between the Military response to Covid-19 and RE:ACT, and was later honoured an MBE for services to Incident Response and charitable service during Covid-19. In addition, RE:ACT Operation Manager, Paul Taylor was also awarded an MBE for services to Humanitarian Support during Covid-19.

“The essential element of any successful humanitarian action is collaboration and this has proved during the Covid-19 response to be as essential in the UK as in international response operations” commented Paul Taylor, RE:ACT Operations Manager. Adding, “Mazda has been extremely helpful and enabled RE:ACT to focus on its humanitarian work, saving money and time and taking considerable stress and pressure off our Responders so they didn’t have to worry about their transport and could focus on the task at hand.”

Since March 2020, RE:ACT has distributed 10.1 million PPE items, supported and delivered 3.1 million meals, conducted 4,400 welfare checks, cared for 2,700 deceased, facilitated 3,700 Covid-19 tests, completed 121 live critical tasks and supported 37 counties across the UK. RE:ACT is currently on task in Solihull and Nottingham distributing home testing kits and expect to be heavily involved with community response throughout the second Covid-19 wave.

December 4, 2020

Peugeot stars at inaugural what car? Van awards

PEUGEOT Van Range1

All models in the PEUGEOT van range were named winners at the What Car? Van Awards, with the PEUGEOT Partner winning the hotly contested Small Van category. What Car?‘s expert judges were left impressed by the Partner’s clever i-Cockpit® interior and it’s excellent 1,009kg maximum payload and up to 4.4m3 load volume.

Steve Huntingford, editor of What Car?, said: “The PEUGEOT Partner designers have had the freedom to unleash some ingenious solutions that make a subtle but significant difference. The Partner’s i-Cockpit® interior layout is the key, as it elevates the small van into something unique in the light commercial vehicle sector, setting it apart from competitors.

“The layout, materials and modern dashboard tech on offer make it feel like it has been built around the driver, and special as a result.”

The PEUGEOT Partner was also named joint-winner for Practicality in the Small Van class, while the Expert was named joint-winner in practicality for the Medium Van category, thanks to its maximum payload of 1,469kg and a load volume of up to 6.6m3.

The PEUGEOT Boxer was named joint-winner for Practicality in the Large Van category, with judges impressed by its vast load volume of 17m3 and maximum payload of 1,870kg.

David Peel, Managing Director of PEUGEOT UK, said: “We’re delighted that the entire PEUGEOT van range has been recognised at the inaugural What Car? Van Awards. Winning the Small Van of the Year award is no easy task, given the quality of competition out there, so we’re very happy to see What Car? recognise each of our vans for their excellent practicality and versatility.“

December 4, 2020

The new Renault Trafic passenger

RENAULT TRAFIC SPACECLASS (J82 E4)

Renault PRO+ has revealed its New TRAFIC Passenger and New TRAFIC SpaceClass passenger transport vehicles. Joining the award-winning TRAFIC range, the latest additions feature enhanced design inside and out, advanced semi-autonomous driver aids and Renault’s latest infotainment technology.

Aimed at large families and professionals in passenger transport, New TRAFIC Passenger delivers space and versatility, for up to nine people plus increased luggage capacity. Yet this incredible practicality has been achieved without compromising comfort and refinement.

Building on the impressive specification of New TRAFIC Passenger, New TRAFIC SpaceClass has been designed for drivers and passengers that demand even more exclusive comfort. With its premium interior space and roomy eight-seat layout, New TRAFIC SpaceClass is the perfect high-end shuttle for businesses wanting to transport VIPs in luxury and comfort.

Boasting a new exterior design the New TRAFIC Passenger and SpaceClass has a more expressive and robust look. There’s a new horizontal bonnet design and vertical grille, plus new bumpers and full LED headlights featuring a chrome insert, echoing Renault’s trademark C-Shape light signature. Other enhancements include new 17-inch diamond-effect alloy wheels for New TRAFIC SpaceClass and more elegant wheel trims for New TRAFIC Passenger. Further kerb appeal comes with the availability of the flamboyant new Carmin Red metallic paint finish, one of seven different exterior colour finishes.

Inside, New TRAFIC Passenger and New TRAFIC SpaceClass are designed to deliver the perfect balance of practicality and comfort, with passenger-car cues creating an attractive, premium environment. The all-new dashboard features an eye-catching horizontal strip that blends into the door panels, giving a wraparound look and an even more spacious feel. There’s also a new gear lever design, plus the air conditioning controls are embellished with chrome trim for even more upmarket appeal. Customisation options are enhanced by a range of new colours and materials, while New TRAFIC SpaceClass benefits from an exclusive and elegant Meteor Grey dashboard finish.

Practicality is enhanced with the inclusion of even more storage spaces. Overall, the interior houses an impressive 84 litres of handy storage solutions. As before, the vast boot delivers up to 1,800-litres of carrying capacity.

Significant changes have also been made to the technological and connected features of New TRAFIC Passenger and New TRAFIC SpaceClass, with both benefiting from the latest infotainment. The new 8-inch EASY LINK touchscreen is available from display brings enhanced levels of connectivity and usability, including full smartphone integration with Apple CarPlayTM and Android AutoTM. Satellite navigation is also standard, while the option of a wireless smartphone charger allows the front occupants to stay connected all day long.

Elsewhere, New TRAFIC Passenger and New TRAFIC SpaceClass benefit from the latest generation of semi-autonomous driving aids. These include adaptive cruise control that automatically maintains a safe distance to the vehicle in front, plus an Active Emergency Braking System (AEBS). Other new features include Blind Spot Warning and a new passenger airbag that’s been optimised to protect two front seat passengers.

A series of new optional packs will also be available, depending on the need of the customer and the intended use of the vehicle. Specialists in VIP and passenger transport will be able to take advantage of the luxurious Prestige Pack featuring two independent swivelling captain’s chairs, a bench seat replacing the third row seats, a reading light and leather interior throughout. A new Adventurer Pack features similar options with the addition of a third row of seats that can fold completely flat to form a bed.

New TRAFIC Passenger and New TRAFIC SpaceClass are available with three versions of Renault’s 2.0-litre diesel engine, including the new dCi 150. Delivering an increase in 5hp over the unit it replaces, this responsive and refined engine joins the frugal dCi 110 and the powerful dCi 170.

All engines are equipped with Stop & Start technology, helping make New TRAFIC Passenger and New TRAFIC SpaceClass compatible with the latest Euro 6D-full emissions regulations.

A six-speed manual gearbox is standard on dCi 110 and dCi 150 models, while six-speed EDC
dual-clutch automatic transmission features on both the dCi 170 and dCi 150.

Speaking about New TRAFIC Passenger and New TRAFIC SpaceClass, Senior Vice President of the Alliance Business Unit, Mark Sutcliffe, said: “This year, the emblematic Renault TRAFIC, a real success story for three generations, is celebrating its 40th anniversary, with more than two million units sold in 50 countries. It is an opportunity to renew Renault TRAFIC Passenger and SpaceClass with a distinctive design, an extended engine range and driving aids for greater safety. They are part of the world of the passenger car. Designed for local authorities and large families, VIP transport or customers looking for adventure, there’s a version for everyone.”

Full details and prices of New TRAFIC passenger transport range, including the New TRAFIC Passenger and New TRAFIC SpaceClass, will be unveiled in early 2021.

December 3, 2020

Bentley lifts the lid on the toy box

2020 Bentley All1

Bentley has celebrated the renewal of its complete model range with the hosting of its first live driving event since February. Featuring examples of the entire model range, including the new GT Mulliner in its dynamic debut, and the new Bentayga, the event was held at the newly opened Northamptonshire hotel, The Falcon at Castle Ashby.

Beyond the very latest models, Bentley also gave guests rare access to a selection of cars from its Heritage Fleet – giving the event its name, ‘Toy Box’. The history of Bentley Continental performance was exemplified by a set of four cars that showcase the evolution of the finest Grand Tourer across its lifetime:

The 1952 R-Type Continental, Bentley’s own car and one of only 208 built, as the fastest four-door coupe in the world when launched and the most expensive car of its time
A 2003 Continental R Mulliner Final Series, one of only 11 built, and the last two-door car built by Bentley before the Continental GT
The first-generation Continental Supersports, represented by the last car built in 2012, and registered specially for the event
The one-off 2019 Pikes Peak Continental GT – the very car that Rhys Millen drove to a new outright Production Class record of 10:18.488 at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in 2019

The complete Continental GT family, with all combinations of coupe, Convertible, V8 and W12, were joined on the road by the latest Flying Spur W12. Meanwhile, a fleet of first-generation Bentayga Hybrids running solely on electric power chauffeured guests to a specially designed course where they were able to put the new Bentayga V8 through its off-road paces, including wading through deep water, steep inclines and descents, and side angles up to 32°.

The Mulsanne Speed – which recently completed production – also joined the event, giving a final chance for guests to drive the former Bentley flagship.

To complete the Toy Box, Bentley had a number of prized cars on display at The Falcon. These included:

A supercharged 4½-litre ‘Blower’, Bentley’s own road-going homologation demonstrator from 1930.
The Bentley Mulliner Bacalar – signifying the return to fully bespoke vehicles from the world’s oldest coachbuilding business
The #7 Bentley Speed 8 which won Le Mans in 2003

To keep both guests and staff safe, the event was run under strict COVID protocols. The entire staff – including all hotel personnel – were antigen-tested before the event, on-site during the running of the event and immediately afterwards, and all guests had their temperatures recorded on arrival. Guests were paired and placed in micro-bubbles with hosts as they joined the event, and facemasks were worn indoors and outdoors at all times. Every car received an immediate and thorough sterilisation after each usage, using a powerful aerosol disinfectant.

Through these measures, Bentley was able to allow more than 70 guests to experience the very best Bentleys from past and present in a safe and responsible way.

December 3, 2020

Vauxhall confirms new Crossland prices and specifications as order banks open

2020 Vauxhall Crossland

Vauxhall has released prices and specifications for the new Crossland with order banks now open. The new Crossland will start from £19,060 on-the-road in SE trim, with first customer deliveries of the compact SUV starting in early 2021.

The new Crossland features Vauxhall’s latest design language, including the bold new Vauxhall Vizor front-end that was first introduced on the all-new Mokka. A single module now runs across the face of the new compact SUV, containing LED lights and the new Griffin logo. At the back, new dark-tinted tail lights and a new high-gloss black tailgate surface give the new Crossland a wider stance.

The new Crossland starts in SE trim and comes standard with 16-inch bi-colour wheels and LED headlights with auto lighting. Inside, owners get a seven-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, plus Lane Departure Warning and Speed Sign Recognition.

Starting from £20,210, SE Nav Premium trim adds front and rear parking sensors, a reversing camera and LED fog lights. Inside the driver gets a new ergonomic seat for enhanced comfort and Vauxhall’s Multimedia Navi Pro with an eight-inch touchscreen with sat-nav.

Sporty SRi Nav models feature 17-inch bi-colour alloy wheels, contrasting roof colours, alloy-effect skid plates and dark tinted rear windows. Inside, owners get Vauxhall’s Multimedia Navi Pro with an eight-inch touchscreen and sat-nav. Prices for SRi Nav models start from £21,360.

Elite models start from £22,610 and contain leather seat trim, heated front seats and steering wheel as well as front and rear parking sensors with a rear-view camera.

Elite Nav models add Multimedia Navi Pro infotainment as well as wireless mobile phone charging and a 180-degree panoramic rear-view camera, with prices starting from £23,110.

Top-of-the range Ultimate Nav models come with Alcantara seat trim, Keyless Entry & Start, as well as silver roof rails, alongside Vauxhall’s Multimedia Navi Pro with sat-nav and a panoramic 180-degree rear view camera. Ultimate Nav models start from £25,615.

December 3, 2020

Mercedes-Benz vans debuts two ‘firsts’ – a fully electric van tv campaign and launch of online showroom

Mercedes-Benz Electric Vans1

Mercedes-Benz Vans UK Ltd is launching a new TV campaign, making it the first van manufacturer to air a commercial showing fully electric vehicles, which will promote the ability for customers to ‘shop online’ via a new digital showroom.

The advert, which launches Monday 2 November, will air during breaks on as Great British Bake Off, I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here, Coronation Street, England International Football Friendly, Who Wants to be a Millionaire, and Gogglebox, as part of a significant investment from the Brand.

As well as terrestrial TV, the advert will air across Video On Demand services such as Sky Go and BT Sport, online advertising, and outdoor billboards across the motorway services network, to highlight the eVito and eSprinter.

The six-figure investment in advertising reflects the significantly growing demand from UK businesses to operate all-electric vans, and desire to ‘shop online’.

The Mercedes-Benz Vans online showroom gives customers full visibility of all available vehicles for immediate sales in the UK, powered by the nationwide Dealer Network. Customers can browse new and used stock online, thanks to a wide-range of filters to help find the right vehicle for their business needs and budget with representative finance options available.

Vehicles can then be added to a shortlist for viewing later or comparing with others, and once customers have found their vehicle of choice and click ‘I’m interested’, they are taken to the next stage of the journey, which will flag their chosen vehicle to their preferred Dealer to carry out the transaction off-line.

Andy Lawson, Sales Director, Mercedes-Benz Vans UK Ltd, said: “We believe it is important to invest in high profile advertising to continue to raise the profile of the van community, and to show that all-electric vehicles are here to stay. We also know that our customers are extremely resilient and are increasingly turning to new ways to ensure their businesses remain successful, so we’re pleased to be combining our electric vehicle campaign alongside our new online showroom; the time is right to highlight our offering and continue to support those businesses who choose eVans.”

In conjunction with this campaign, retail customers purchasing an eVito are also eligible for a free NewMotion Home Fast Smart charge point, worth £549*. The NewMotion Home Fast Smart charge point offers safe and convenient charging, at up to 7.4 kW** on single-phase grid connections. It is also compatible with both electric cars and vans, and gives charging-related data insights, including kWh power usage, costs, and savings, in real time through an online NewMotion platform, with the added ability to check the live status of any charging session.

December 2, 2020

Nissan Ariya is touching ground in Europe

A few early production units of Nissan Ariya, our recently unveiled all-electric coupé crossover, just landed in Europe to increase the excitement and interest of customers in the region.

“It is with great pleasure we see the Ariya prototypes arriving in Europe. These versions will be used as show cars and some are also destined for testing purposes at Nissan grounds,” said Helen Perry, Chief Marketing Manager of Electric Passenger Cars, Nissan Europe.

“We can see how beautiful this car looks and we really can’t wait to share more details in the upcoming months” Perry added.

With 5 versions of Ariya for Europe, the all-electric coupé crossover will perfectly fit the needs of the European customer. The Nissan Ariya will be available in the second half of 2021.

December 2, 2020

Vauxhall releases UK-shot content of all-new Mokka-e and Mokka

2021 Vauxhall Mokka and Mokka-e1

Vauxhall has released new UK-shot content of its all-new Mokka-e and Mokka SUVs including b-roll video and photography. The package also includes a product walk around with Vauxhall/Opel’s Design Vice President Mark Adams.

December 2, 2020

Author: Alev Kochoolu