In BMW’s announcement of a wide-reaching new connected car software rollout yesterday, a small nugget of information became a big talking point: the brand will now use a subscription-based scheme for car options. Essentially, what this means is that your BMW will now be sold with optional software and hardware already installed, but not switched on.… Continue reading BMW’s subscription-based options scheme isn’t as mad as it sounds
Author: Autocar Magazine UK
Inside the industry: car makers and retailers have a love-hate relationship
There’s a saying that business without tension isn’t really business, the implication being that if you’re not fighting someone, capitalism is about to gobble you up for being too nice. Just as well, then, that, even by the standards of the most dysfunctional families, the relationship between car makers and car retailers remains fraught –… Continue reading Inside the industry: car makers and retailers have a love-hate relationship
Volkswagen ID 3 R: electric hot hatch tipped for 2024 launch
A free software update will be offered once the systems are available. Early buyers can also choose to delay receipt of their ID 3 until the systems are fully ready. The ID 3 will eventually be sold with three battery capacities and two power outputs. The First edition, which was offered to people who pre-booked… Continue reading Volkswagen ID 3 R: electric hot hatch tipped for 2024 launch
New electric BMW 3 Series spied testing
BMW is understood to be developing an electric version of the 3 Series to sit alongside the 523bhp i4 EV by 2023 – and an early prototype has been spied testing. A camouflaged prototype spotted by our photographers is almost identical to the current G20-generation 3 Series, although the addition of mandatory ‘electric test vehicle’ stickers and… Continue reading New electric BMW 3 Series spied testing
New ‘deepfake’ tech to accelerate autonomous car development
A UK-based software company has developed ‘pioneering’ technology inspired by viral videos that, it hopes, will accelerate the rollout of autonomous vehicles. Oxbotica, a start-up founded by Oxford University graduates, is using a technology called ‘deepfaking’. First used to create fake internet videos, it employs deep-learning artificial intelligence (AI) to generate thousands of photo-realistic images… Continue reading New ‘deepfake’ tech to accelerate autonomous car development
New Volkswagen ID 4 shown undisguised in Chinese documents
There will be two versions of the ID SUV: a standard model and a coupe-SUV in the vein of the original concept, expected to be named the ID 4 and ID 5 respectively. The ID 5 will be revealed at a later date. The ID 4 SUV will have a more conventional roofline and tailgate design,… Continue reading New Volkswagen ID 4 shown undisguised in Chinese documents
New Volkswagen ID 3: UK specs for launch editions outlined
Sales of the pivotal Volkswagen ID 3 have begun in Germany and other European countries today (17 June), with order books for the special First Edition in the UK set top open next month. Deliveries are due to begin in the UK in September. Autocar’s Volkswagen ID 3 2020 review There had been reports the hugely important… Continue reading New Volkswagen ID 3: UK specs for launch editions outlined
New Citroen e-Spacetourer is nine-seat EV with 143-mile range
Citroën is joining the niche electric MPV sector with a battery-powered version of its Spacetourer van-based model. The e-Spacetourer, which can accommodate up to nine people, features an electric motor putting out 134bhp and 192lb ft of torque in place of the standard model’s diesel engine. Mated to a 50kWh battery pack, that’s enough for a… Continue reading New Citroen e-Spacetourer is nine-seat EV with 143-mile range
Kia: lockdown making it easier to hit CO2 targets
Kia’s business has been less negatively affected than its competitors by the pandemic, according to the firm. In fact, Kia believes it has actually benefited in terms of meeting the EU’s tough new fleet average CO2 emissions targets. “We think we will be less impacted than the industry in general,” Kia’s chief operating officer for… Continue reading Kia: lockdown making it easier to hit CO2 targets
Volvo: Lockdown has changed car sales forever
Asked whether the online sales service has helped push sales during lockdown Elvefors said: “It has, and I’m sure that approach is here to stay now. Even with dealerships opening, the social-distancing rules are likely to limit demand, and there are people, such as those on high-risk grounds, who will be unwilling or unable to… Continue reading Volvo: Lockdown has changed car sales forever