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Electric Ford F-150 spawns hardcore rally weapon Car News

The Ford F-150 Lightning Switchgear has been unveiled as an off-road demonstration of Ford’s electric powertrains that promises to “push the boundaries” of electric pick-ups.

The one-off truck, set to make its debut at next week’s King of Hammers off-road racing event in California, follows the Supervan 4 and Mustang Mach-E 1400 EV projects.

It’s said to provide a “playground for engineers” to experiment with and optimise Ford’s future electric cars.

It has been developed by Ford’s Demonstrator Programme in collaboration with specialist tuner RTR Vehicles.

Over the standard F-150 (Ford’s long-time best-seller), it gains a “significant” increase in track width to improve off-road stability, better ground clearance, double-wishbone suspension at the front, a multi-link arrangement at the rear and beefier dampers. 

It also gets bespoke front and rear bumpers and a stabiliser bar on the front axle for steeply undulating surfaces, as well as better approach and departure angles.

Its swollen wheel arches accommodate the wider tracks, 37in off-road tyres and more ventilation ducts to smooth airflow over its body and thus make it more stable off-road.

It also gets a Ford Performance livery, as seen on the Mustang GT3 race car.

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Source: www.autocar.co.uk
This notice was published: 2024-01-17 16:01:02

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Land Rover Defender convertible enters production Car News

Dutch coachbuilder Heritage Customs has started production of its soft-top convertible Land Rover Defender, with the firm’s second example already under way at its Enter factory. 

Based on the L663-generation Defender 90, the Valiance Convertible has been heavily modified to feature a sixth seat, forged wheels, bespoke leather trim, sports seats and other changes to both its interior and exterior. 

The Valiance Defender has been finished with Sunbeam Yellow paint, with contrasting exterior features in black, including the vehicle’s roll cage, front bonnet plates and side air vents. Its fabric top is handmade and electronically controlled. 

Inside, the Valiance Defender is fitted with black quilted upholstery, aluminium panelling and an additional passenger seat positioned in the centre of the front row. It also features yellow stitching to match the exterior paintwork. 

As reported by Autocar in 2022, Heritage Customs will build just five examples of this convertible Defender, each priced at more than £100,000. Around £58,000 of that figure is for the conversion itself, with the price of the base car making up the rest. 

However, this doesn’t include modifications to the powertrain, which will remain in factory specification as chosen by the customer. 

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Source: www.autocar.co.uk
This notice was published: 2024-01-17 15:36:36

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Extended-range Vauxhall Mokka Electric priced from £36,610 Car News

The driver can configure the electric car using three driving modes: Eco, Normal, and Sport.

The long-range car has the same 54kWh battery as the facelifted Peugeot e-208. It works with an upgraded electric motor, providing 19bhp more than the standard one, at 154bhp, and 191lb ft.

This power increase also means a bump in performance over the standard car. The long-range car sprints to 62mph in 9.0sec, which is 0.2sec quicker than the standard 50kWh car.

Despite the extra performance, Vauxhall says it will achieve 4mpkWh on the combined cycle, which matches the Mazda MX-30.

The Mokka will, like the previous car, support 100kW rapid charging, which can take the battery from 0-80% in 30 minutes.

Vauxhall – which aims to become an all-electric brand by 2028 – currently has no plans to introduce a more powerful, larger-capacity electric Mokka variant, it told Autocar.

This, for now, closes the door on an electric GSe performance model joining the recently revealed Vauxhall Grandland GSe and Vauxhall Astra GSe.

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Source: www.autocar.co.uk
This notice was published: 2024-01-17 09:00:00

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Rugged new Subaru Crosstrek replaces XV for £34,290 Car News

The new Subaru Crosstrek has arrived in the UK as a replacement for the XV, bringing a design overhaul and strong focus on off-road driving.

Designed for “utility and sportiness that lends itself to an active lifestyle”, the family SUV touts a series of drivetrain revisions to make it easier to drive off-road.

It gets a “class-leading” ground clearance of 220mm and a revised permanent four-wheel drive system over the old Subaru XV, allowing for more agile handling and better control both on and off-road.

There’s also X-Mode on top-end models, which gives the driver better control on slippery surfaces. 

Subaru also claims the Crosstrek is 10% stiffer than the XV, due to refined production techniques, resulting in a quieter cabin and better handling.

Subaru Crosstrek

The Crosstrek is the first UK-bound Subaru to wear the Japanese firm’s new frameless hexagonal grille, along with reshaped air ducts and channels that are said to improve improve fuel economy.

It also features slimmer headlights, new alloy wheels that are available in 17in or 18in sizes and black cladding on its wheel arches

It makes use of the same 2.0-litre four-cylinder boxer petrol engine as the XV. That means it produces 134bhp and an identical torque figure for a 0-62mph time of 10.7sec and a top speed of 123mph. Power is sent to both axles via a CVT.

Inside, the Crosstrek gets an 11.6in infotainment touchscreen with smartphone mirroring as standard.

It also gets Subaru’s Eyesight suite of active safety systems, which is said to operate more smoothly and quickly than before.

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Source: www.autocar.co.uk
This notice was published: 2024-01-16 15:30:28

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Electric Audi A6 estate nearly ready for 2024 unveiling Car News

Elsewhere in the range, there will be a choice of more performance-oriented dual-motor set-ups and efficiency-minded, rear-driven variants offering 0-62mph times ranging from “well under” 4sec to 7sec.

A promised electric Audi RS6 Avant successor could pack more than 600bhp, as previewed by the technically similar Porsche Macan EV. 

In this application, the PPE platform accommodates a circa-100kWh floor-mounted battery that gives a claimed 435 miles of range and can charge at a rate of 270kW to gain 186 miles of range from a 10-minute top-up.

Because the battery is sited flat and arranged across the chassis, the earlier concept version of the A6 Avant E-tron is said to offer broadly comparable interior dimensions and load capacity to the current A6 –  a trait that will likely carry over to the production car.

However, product marketing boss Niko Martens said EV platforms will ultimately “give more leeway and flexibility, not just in the trunk [boot] but also up the front for a potential frunk”.

Importantly, the electric concept shows how the longer wheelbase afforded by an EV platform allows for more leg room in the front and rear.

The A6 Avant E-tron measures 4960mm long, 1960mm wide and 1440mm tall, which makes it roughly the same size as its ICE forebear.

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Source: www.autocar.co.uk
This notice was published: 2024-01-16 13:13:00

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New seven-seat Volkswagen Tayron replaces Tiguan Allspace Car News

The new seven-seat Volkswagen Tayron is due on sale in the UK in 2025 as a successor to the retired Tiguan Allspace. 

The second-generation Tayron has now been revealed in the latest batch of Chinese regulatory filings ahead of its planned introduction to Europe markets next year.

In China, it will be marketed as the Tiguan L Pro and come with the choice of both standard and sporty R-Line styling packages.

Described by Volkswagen brand CEO Thomas Schäfer as a global model, the Tayron is planned to be produced at manufacturing plants in Germany (Wolfsburg), China (Anting and Changchun) and Mexico (Peubla).

As with the new third-generation Volkswagen Tiguan and ninth-generation Passat, it’s based on Volkswagen’s new MQB-Evo platform, with added stiffening measures and suspension upgrades and 48V mild-hybrid compatibility.  

Details contained in the Chinese government filing put the new Tayron’s length, width and height at 4735mm, 1859mm and 1682mm respectively. This makes it 197mm longer, 17mm wider and 43mm higher than the new Tiguan.

The Tayron also receives a wheelbase that’s 111mm longer than the third-generation Tiguan, at 2791mm. Kerb weight is put at 1790kg.

Chinese-market models are set to be powered by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol engine developing 184bhp in entry-level form and 217bhp in a higher specification.

European models will also offer a petrol-electric plug-in hybrid option similar to that set to be made available in the Tiguan.

In the UK, the Tayron will be positioned beneath the recently facelifted Volkswagen Touareg.

It’s likely to be sold in the UK with the choice of either a 2.0-litre turbo petrol or a 2.0-litre turbo diesel engine, both with 48V electrification and a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox as standard.

Volkswagen has confirmed it will also offer the choice of two PHEVs offering 201bhp and 268bhp, with electric-only range of more than 62 miles and DC fast-charging capability.

Depending on the engine, buyers will also be able to choose between front- and four-wheel drive.

While the new Volkswagen SUV will retain the Tayron name in the UK, it’s planned to be sold under the Tiguan name in other selected markets, including the US.

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Source: www.autocar.co.uk
This notice was published: 2024-01-15 15:06:36

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New MG 3 to be unveiled at Geneva motor show Car News

MG has confirmed that it will unwrap the next-generation MG 3 at the Geneva motor show on 26 February.

The Chinese brand made the announcement on X, posting an undisguised image of the new supermini’s front end.

Trademark filings from September previously revealed the exterior design of the new 3, confirming that it has taken influence from both the larger MG 4 hatchback and the new MG Cyberster flagship sports car.

Unlike those cars, though, the new 3 is set to stay true to its affordable billing by sticking with petrol power rather than switching to a pricier electric drivetrain – a decision seemingly corroborated by the new car’s lengthy front overhang, sizeable grille and a filler cap at the rear that’s clearly too small to accommodate a CCS charging socket.

The petrol-engined supermini is an increasingly rare breed in the UK, following the exits of likes of the Ford Fiesta and Kia Rio, and the current 3 is one of just three such cars still on sale for less than £15,000. 

 

 

Its successor is tipped to adopt emissions-reducing mild-hybrid technology, which – together with wider inflationary pressures and the introduction of heavily updated interior and driver-assist technology – will make it a more expensive proposition, but bosses are keen that it remains one of the market’s most affordable new cars. 

The current 3 is a minor player compared with the MG ZS and MG HS compact SUVs, having taken just 2920 sales across Europe in the first half of 2023.

The figures don’t stack up to convert the MG 3 to electric power, hence its continuation as an ICE model, MG UK commercial director Guy Pigounakis told Autocar recently.

“Developing a small electric car is only marginally cheaper than developing a bigger car,” he said. “Then half the price is battery, so it becomes a £25,000 car, which is unaffordable.”

2024 Mg 3 patent filing right side

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Source: www.autocar.co.uk
This notice was published: 2024-01-15 15:30:00

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Breakdowns caused by potholes on the rise, warns RAC Car News

The money, diverted from the controversial HS2 rail project, is claimed by Westminster to be sufficient for resurfacing some 5000 miles of road over the next 11 years.

It’s the biggest road-specific fund ever announced in the UK.

Potholes

Williams said in November that the funding should “go a considerable way to bringing our roads back to a fit-for-purpose state”.

Edmund King, president of the AA, echoed this sentiment: “Perilous roads blighted by potholes are the number-one concern for drivers and a major issue for bikers, cyclists and pedestrians. 

“So far this year, the AA has attended more than 450,000 pothole-related breakdowns. The damage caused can be a huge financial burden for drivers but is also a major safety risk for those on two wheels.

“The £8.3bn plan can make a considerable difference in bringing our roads back to the standards which road users expect, especially if councils use the cash efficiently to resurface our streets.

“As well as safer roads, eliminating potholes gives confidence to people wanting to cycle and instils pride of place within local communities.”

Additional reporting by Jonathan Bryce

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Source: www.autocar.co.uk
This notice was published: 2024-01-15 07:34:27

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Breaking down the stories from 2023’s UK car sales numbers Car News

Has the arrival of a spreadsheet ever been considered exciting? Doubtful, yet it’s still an annual highlight to download the SMMT’s annual end-of-year new car registrations for the numbers where there’s simply no hiding for car makers, for better or worse.

As ever, 2023’s numbers didn’t disappoint in the stories they produced. It was less a year of chip shortages and supply constraints, more one of falling consumer confidence and the squeeze of a cost of living crisis.

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Source: www.autocar.co.uk
This notice was published: 2024-01-12 10:34:59

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Ford Ranger Raptor vs Jeep Wrangler: which is best off-road? Car News

Rather more gratifyingly, this time it’s a twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre petrol V6, which, even though it has been sanitised from 400bhp in Australia to 288bhp here so that it meets our emissions rules, is much more like it.

Particularly as it makes 362lb ft of torque from an accessible 2300rpm. And while a 0-62mph dash of 7.9sec would give a rabbit plenty of time to steal some veg and mooch back through the hole through which it came, I’m not sure I would want my 2454kg of pick-up truck to go much faster.

Jeep Wrangler: introduction 

At nearly £60,000, the Ranger Raptor doesn’t have many direct rivals, but when it comes to off-the-shelf 4×4 ability, there’s still nothing like the Jeep Wrangler, which happily also starts at £60,000 these days. Goodness, when did that happen?

It doesn’t do the same thing as the Ford, but it does do amazingly good things, particularly at lower speeds, and Jeep has looked after this model fantastically well over the decades.

It’s every inch as well-defined and honed a product as, say, the Porsche 911, deftly evolved with great continuity and so successful that in a good year, Jeep will sell a quarter of a million of them.

It’s possible to argue – and in a former job, I once did – that it’s the single greatest vehicle model line of all time. Yes, the Ford Model T was the first that could be built in huge numbers and the Mini’s transverse engine layout was jolly innovative, but they weren’t driven off the back of a glider on D-Day, were they?

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Source: www.autocar.co.uk
This notice was published: 2024-01-14 07:00:00