Car News

The rear of the BMW X2 xDrive25e has been unveiled ahead of the car's full global debut some time in 2020. The X2 xDrive25e will use the same 162kW/385Nm all-wheel drive plug-in hybrid drivetrain as the closely related X1 model. Under the bonnet there's a 1.5-litre turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine making 92kW and 220Nm. It drives the front wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission.

Audi had a year it would rather forget after being hamstrung by supply of new models due to certification delays out of Europe, while German rivals BMW and Mercedes weathered the 2019 storm by holding their own in a declining market. The other surprise to come from the luxury-car sector was Japan’s Lexus, which posted its best result since being established in Australia 29 years ago.

The top end of town treated themselves to record numbers of supercars in 2019 while the rest of us did it tough. Ferrari posted its fifth record in a row – and the seventh all-time high in nine years – while Lamborghini notched up its second record in a row and the fourth in the past five years.

Overnight, Seat announced its boss, Luca de Meo, was leaving his post at "his own request and in common agreement with the Volkswagen Group". Interestingly, he will remain with the Volkswagen Group "until further notice". Carsten Isensee, Seat's finance chief, will temporarily take charge of the Spanish car maker. Reports in the European press before the Christmas break suggested de Meo was the leading candidate to become the next CEO of Renault.

Buying a “demonstrator” model is normally a great way to save thousands on a new car. However, changes to the way the industry counts new-car sales means customers need a crash course in understanding the differences in “demonstrator” models. “Demonstrator” models were originally designed to be just that: a car the dealer registered for people to take on test drives.