Car News

The next-generation Audi R8 is confirmed to debut at the Geneva motor show in March, ditching a manual transmission for the first time but gaining an all-electric version that promises a 400km-plus range. Audi board member for technical development Ulrich Hackenberg threw his hand in the air to admit he culled the previous all-electric R8 e-tron range that was due to go into production, instead pushing his engineers to boost battery range.

The pure electric Chevrolet Bolt SUV concept revealed this week in Detroit might be the most significant job ever undertaken by Holden’s Melbourne-based design and fabrication team, according to General Motors International vice-president of design Mike Simcoe.

The man who made the decision to pull the pin on Australian Holden manufacturing, General Motors head of international operations Stefan Jacoby, has admitted that he “underestimated” consumer concern following the announcement and communication from the brand wasn’t clear enough. “Personally I think I have underestimated that kind of … uncertainty of our consumers,” Jacoby said of the aftermath of the closure announcement.

The Volkswagen Golf and Ford F-150 have been named the 2015 North American Car and Truck of the Year respectively at today’s Detroit motor show. The Golf claimed the Car of the Year gong with a score of 256 points, holding off the Ford Mustang (204 points) and the Hyundai Genesis (110 points). The win was the second for Volkswagen, coming 16 years after the New Beetle took top honours in the 1999 edition of the awards.

Hyundai has today unveiled a concept ute, dubbed “Hyundai Santa Cruz Crossover Concept” at the Detroit auto show, plugging a major gap in its product lineup.