Car News

Strict measures by the Department of Agriculture to stop stink bugs from destroying Australian plants and crops are putting the brakes on new car sales because cargo ships are being turned around or fumigated offshore. Thousands of new motor vehicles across most brands shipped from the northern hemisphere have been affected, from expensive Mercedes-Benz sports cars to cheap Chinese utes.

Mercedes-Benz Vans has debuted its new eVito Tourer in Berlin, a new electric people mover that will launch with the BerlKönig ride-share service in Germany. Designed for lugging multiple passengers in inner-city areas, the eVito Tourer features a 41kWh battery pack which offers between 156 and 186 kilometres of range, hooked up to an 85kW/295Nm electric motor.

Armoured vehicles based on production models aren’t a new concept, but you haven’t seen one like this before. Meet the AddArmour APR Audi RS7. As reported by Carscoops, the AddArmour RS7 is claimed to be the fastest armoured car in the world, this vehicle has been given a host of upgrades to make it not only resistant to small arms fire but also to give it a manic top speed of 325km/h.

Alpina is readying a BMW X7-based model with more than 440kW, according to new reports from the USA. Speaking with Automobile Magazine in America, Alpina's boss confirmed his firm is working on a seven-seat XB7, potentially with power from the same engine used in the 7 Series-based B7. If that's the case, the XB7 would have a twin-turbo 4.4-litre V8 engine under the bonnet making 447kW and 900Nm, the latter of which is on tap between 2000 and 5000rpm.

Continental has updated its 48-volt hybrid technology, which can now support pure-electric driving up to 80km/h. The technology was previously in the realm of 'mild-hybrid' tech, capable of cutting fuel consumption by harvesting energy under braking and assisting the internal-combustion engine under heavy acceleration. It also opened the door for more sophisticated start/stop systems, and coasting with the engine turned off.