Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) will move production of its Discovery SUV to Slovakia from early next year, the company has confirmed this week, in a bid to prepare its Solihull, UK, facility for a new generation of electric vehicles (EVs)...
Nissan has announced its first-ever sustainability plan as part of its M.O.V.E. to 2022 program, with the goal of decreasing its CO2 emissions from new cars by 40 per cent before 2022 compared to levels in 2000. According to the company, this is the first time it has created a 'comprehensive' sustainability plan, designed to unify its 'environmental, social and governance' initiatives...
UPDATE (8/6/18): Hyundai Australia has issued a statement regarding the Tucson 48V hybrid. See bottom of article for details. Hyundai Motor Europe has confirmed it will offer a new 48V mild-hybrid system in diesel versions of the facelifted 2019 Tucson from later this year. Following sister brand Kia and the facelifted Sportage, the related Tucson will benefit from a 0...
The Hyundai Ioniq has been upgraded in North America for the 2019 model year, gaining additional active safety options and enhanced infotainment services. For the first time, driver attention alert and high-beam assist are available on select models, while autonomous emergency braking is now standard fit on the popular SEL grade...
The BAIC EC has zoomed up the charts to become the world's best-selling electric car during the first three months of 2018. In figures released overnight by JATO Dynamics, the BAIC EC notched up 25,630 sales (up 260 per cent) during the first quarter of this year, taking the provisional sales crown from the Nissan Leaf, which thanks to a new generation model was up 47 per cent to 22,124...
Kia has detailed its new EcoDynamics+ diesel mild-hybrid system, which will debut in the Sportage SUV later this year – but it won't be coming to Australia. Combining a turbo-diesel engine with a 48V electric motor, Kia says the mild-hybrid setup "provides electric power and reduces engine load under acceleration", while also recuperating energy during in-gear deceleration and braking...
Alpina isn't in any hurry to adopt electrified powertrains, arguing its customers want big-capacity engines from their cars rather than plug-in hybrids or battery-electric vehicles. Speaking with media at an event in Melbourne this week, Andreas Bovensiepen, Alpina's CEO and son of the brand's founder, said its owners are still attached to old-fashioned characteristics in their cars...
There are still plenty of questions about Opel and Vauxhall under their new Groupe PSA ownership, but one thing is becoming clear: there's still a place for hotted-up sports models under French ownership. A report from CarBuyer quotes a Vauxhall brand spokesperson, who says "VXR will survive" under the new ownership, although the sub-brand will likely need to shift from larger-displacement engines to compact hybrids...
DS Automobiles – luxury arm of the PSA Group – has announced plans to only offer electrified models by 2025, as part of an electric push starting with the "imminent arrival" of the hybrid DS7 Crossback E-Tense. This announcement shouldn't come as a surprise, given the brand's long-term commitment to Formula E, not to mention the constant stream of plug-in concept cars...
Porsche has added a plug-in E-Hybrid version to the Cayenne range, complete with 340kW and a whopping 700Nm. Power in the E-Hybrid comes from a 3.0-litre V6 making 250kW, coupled with a 100kW electric motor for a 340kW combined power output. More importantly, 700Nm of torque is available 'just above idle' for instant response off the line...
Initial local details for the all-new 2019 Toyota Corolla range have been revealed this week, ahead of a local launch in August. For our market, the Corolla will be offered with two powertrains – one petrol, one petrol-electric hybrid – along with two transmissions. The new 2.0-litre naturally-aspirated petrol engine develops 125kW of power and 200Nm of torque, representing an increase of 21...
The updated Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedan and wagon have been revealed this week, ahead of a European launch in June. While the overall look hasn't changed that much, there are some significant updates for the new range, including the availability of the company's latest driver assistance systems borrowed from the S-Class flagship, along with the AMG 53 mild-hybrid performance variants to replace the AMG 43 versions of the outgoing model...
Geely Auto has unveiled its 'new energy flagship sedan' – dubbed Bo Rui GE – in Beijing this week, complete with an electrified powertrain from subsidiary Volvo. Power in the Bo Rui GE comes from a 1.5-litre turbo petrol engine, mated with a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission and a plug-in hybrid system for claimed combined consumption of just 1...
Volkswagen has announced a new 48V mild-hybrid system will roll out across most of its range, including the upcoming eighth-generation Golf family. Like similar systems used by Audi and Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen's mild-hybrid technology will combine a conventional internal combustion engine with a 48V belt-integrated starter generator and a 48V lithium-ion battery pack...
The Mitsubishi Lancer could soon return, but in the form of a sporty crossover competing in the small passenger car and SUV segments according to a new report out of the UK. Speaking with Auto Express, Trevor Mann, chief operating officer for Mitsubishi Motors, said the Japanese brand is now looking into a new-generation small car to continue where the now-discontinued Lancer left off...
Lexus has finally given its ES mid-size sedan a full reveal, ahead of a fourth-quarter arrival in Australia this year. Although the car will be offered with a V6 engine in global markets, the brand has made the decision to go hybrid-only when the car lobs Down Under. As previously suggested, the car will be built on a Lexus Global Architecture-K (GA-K) platform, itself derived from TNGA...
Infiniti has announced it is developing a new electrified vehicle platform based on the Q Inspiration concept revealed at this year's Detroit motor show. Speaking at a preview event ahead of the Beijing motor show, Infiniti chairman and global president, Ronald Krueger, confirmed the news and reiterated the company's focus on the Chinese market...
Having spun Polestar off into its own electric-focused performance brand, Volvo wowed the world with the Polestar 1. With 441kW and 1000Nm on tap from a hotted-up version of the T8 twin-engine plug-in hybrid powertrain used in the XC90 and S90, the car is thoroughly modern under the skin...
Lexus is planning big things for its next-generation CT small car, with a new report claiming the brand will offer an electric variant to take on the likes of the Tesla Model 3. Auto Express quotes the company's European boss, Pascal Ruch, confirming a successor to its ageing Prius-based model, adding Lexus wants to offer "something different" to differentiate the CT from the Mercedes-Benz A-Class and BMW 1 Series...
Honda has released initial details of its exhibit for the Beijing motor show later this month, including world premieres of two new concepts and the reveal of the Acura CDX Hybrid. The Japanese manufacturer will have a joint booth for both of its partner ventures in the Chinese market – Dongfeng Honda and GAC Honda – headlined by a concept previewing an upcoming China-exclusive EV model, and an all-new sedan concept, which at this stage remains unnamed...
