Kia has introduced a new mild hybrid diesel model, the Sportage Ecodynamics+, which has arrived as part of a mid-life model facelift that will reach UK showrooms in the summer. The electrified five-seat SUV is equipped with 48-volt electrical architecture with a starter-generator unit. This system, which uses a 0.46kWh 48V lithium ion battery, will eventually make its… Continue reading Updated Kia Sportage gains a mild hybrid diesel variant
Author: Autocar Magazine UK
Third-generation Tesla Supercharger to double existing UK charger capacity
Tesla will reveal its third generation of the Supercharger later this summer, CEO Elon Musk has revealed. The current Supercharger charges at a capacity of 120kW and the next-gen version is likely to double this, given Musk’s previous comments. While the second-gen Supercharger is currently the UK’s fastest, charge point provider Pod Point announced in February… Continue reading Third-generation Tesla Supercharger to double existing UK charger capacity
Ford readies all-new Mach 1 EV crossover, axes US cars
Ford is pressing ahead with its first all-new battery electric vehicle, a front-drive crossover – and it is committed to the Mondeo in Europe until the mid-2020s, despite last month’s announcement that it is pulling out of the saloon and hatchback market in the US. The all-electric crossover, dubbed Mach 1 in reference to its Mustang-derived… Continue reading Ford readies all-new Mach 1 EV crossover, axes US cars
Volkswagen ID hatch to stay true to concept, says design boss
The design of the production version of the Volkswagen ID hatchback has been signed off and stays true to the concept first seen in 2016, according to VW’s design boss, Klaus Bischoff. The ID hatchback, due on sale in 2019, is the first model from the VW brand to be designed as an electric vehicle from the… Continue reading Volkswagen ID hatch to stay true to concept, says design boss
Canadian entrepreneur buys 10% of McLaren Group for almost £204m
Michael Latifi, a Canadian businessman, has become McLaren Group’s third-largest shareholder, investing almost £204 million in return for a 10% stake. Latifi’s company Nidala Limited now owns one tenth of McLaren Automotive, McLaren Racing and McLaren Applied Technologies, with the only larger shareholders being the Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Company and Mansour Ojjeh’s TAG Group. McLaren… Continue reading Canadian entrepreneur buys 10% of McLaren Group for almost £204m
Motability faces official investigation into financial operations
Motability, the charity provider of lease cars, wheelchairs and scooters to disabled people, has come under fire over its financial operations. Motability Operations, which receives around £2 billion per year from the Department of Work and Pensions, has accrued a £2.4bn reserve in cash – a four-fold increase over 2008. Meanwhile, the salary of CEO… Continue reading Motability faces official investigation into financial operations
2021 Jaguar J-Pace moves closer to production with global trademark
Jaguar is working at top speed on an all-new £80,000-plus J-Pace SUV for 2021, designed to beat the Porsche Cayenne at its own game. A global trademark filing for the J-Pace moniker suggests that the model is edging closer to production, having been scooped by Autocar last year. The Range Rover-rivalling SUV will have a brand-new… Continue reading 2021 Jaguar J-Pace moves closer to production with global trademark
Porsche Mission E: 592bhp output confirmed by Webber in new video
Porsche has released the first official drive footage of its upcoming Mission E electric sports car that shows it being driven at pace by Mark Webber around the brand’s Weissach test track. The Formula 1 race winner and 2015 World Endurance Championship champion demonstrates the all-electric car’s agility and traction on the technical layout, with the Porsche employee stating that it’s… Continue reading Porsche Mission E: 592bhp output confirmed by Webber in new video
Prodrive: how it went from building rally cars to hybrid transit vans
“I’ve always looked at ambulances as heavy, old technology. How do you bring them into the modern era? That’s what we’re working on next.” David Richards, the boss of the Prodrive race team and engineering company he set up in 1984, is nothing if not diverse in his business. While closely associated with high-profile World… Continue reading Prodrive: how it went from building rally cars to hybrid transit vans
German authorities call for Porsche to recall 60,000 diesel Macans and Cayennes
Porsche has been asked by German automotive regulator KBA (Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt) to recall 60,000 diesel-engined Macan and Cayenne models running with emissions defeat devices. The Audi-produced 3.0-litre V6 Euro 6 diesel engine used in the two models was found to have lower emissions during lab testing, constituting a test cheat device — and linking the cars to the Dieselgate scandal. It’s estimated… Continue reading German authorities call for Porsche to recall 60,000 diesel Macans and Cayennes