Car News

The boss of Ford Performance Europe has ruled out an all-wheel-drive version of the new generation Focus ST hot hatch as a possible replacement for the Focus RS which was axed last month. Speaking to Australian media via a video link for the local launch of the blue oval brand’s latest hot hatch, Stefan Muenzinger said there are no plans for an all-wheel-drive system to handle the most powerful Ford Focus ST to date.

Volkswagen has launched its first fully-electric version of the iconic Transporter van, but it has presumably been designed for short trips only. The maximum driving range is just 132km – a fraction of the 600km or more a diesel Volkswagen Transporter can travel on one tank The eTransporter 6.1 is built by specialising tuning company ABT – away from Volkswagen's main assembly line – but has the backing of the German car company.

Sir James Dyson – founder of household electrical appliance company Dyson – has revealed the electric car his company was working on before cancelling the project late last year. Dyson began developing the seven-seater car – codenamed ‘N526’ – in 2017 with a total planned budget of approximately AU$3.7 billion, as reported by The Times.

The coronavirus crisis has slammed the brakes on the Australian showroom arrival of the new generation Volkswagen Golf. The new VW Golf 8 was due in Australia in late 2020 – about a year after it went on sale in Europe – however CarAdvice has been told the COVID-19 lockdowns and temporary factory shutdowns have pushed back the local introduction until early 2021.

Research out of the United Kingdom has found motorists take more care on the road and are less stressed behind the wheel when driving with their pet dog in the car. The study, conducted by the UK arm of Spanish car maker SEAT, surveyed 2000 dog-owning licence holders and found 54 per cent of respondents drove more carefully when they had their pet in the car.