In Europe, this means the Seal will only display the make, model and claimed 0-100km/h acceleration time badges on the side, but WhichCar understands Australian market versions could differ when it does launch locally.
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However, the affordable BYD Dolphin small electric hatch won’t erase the lettering since it’s embedded in a perspex strip within the tail-lights (similar to the Hyundai Ioniq 6 sedan), rather than a simple glued-on badge.
The de-badge will reflect on the BYD Seal U medium electric SUV when it launches in Europe and right-hand drive UK next year.
The MG 4-rivalling Dolphin hatch is expected to start deliveries this month or October, with the Model 3-rivalling Seal expected to go on sale before the end of the year.
Kia’s step into the small SUV segment and subsequent success with the Seltos has been nothing short of impressive, since its arrival back in 2019. Its 2023 facelift brings a fresher look and new tech, including an updated infotainment system.
Designed to make a statement, the range-topping GT-Line packs in everything that the Seltos has to offer.
Kia isn’t alone in introducing an SUV into a segment already bursting with options, so let’s take a look at what the South Korean manufacturer is offering.
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Pricing and features
Positioned as the flagship variant, the GT-Line is packed with features and kicks off at $41,500before on-road costs.
It’s powered by a 2.0L four-cylinder engine developing 110kW of power and 180Nm of torque and comes paired with a CVT.
If you’re looking for more performance, for an extra $3400 you can choose the 1.6 litre-turbocharged petrol engine, producing 146kW and 265Nm. It is paired to an 8-speed automatic and is AWD only.
Feature
Seltos FWD
Seltos AWD
Drive
front-wheel
all-wheel
Engine
2.0L, MPI I4, DOHC, Atkinson cycle petrol
1.6L, DI I4, DOHC, CVVD turbo-petrol
Power
110kW
146kW
Torque
180Nm
265Nm
0-100km/h (claimed)
10 seconds (estimated)
8.5 seconds
Transmission
continuously variable
8-speed torque converter
Body
steel, 5-door, 5-seat small SUV
steel, 5-door, 5-seat small SUV
Weight
1375kg
1495kg
Fuel consumption (tested)
6.7lL100km
8.7L/100km
Boot space
433L (S 468L)
433L
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Choosing the Seltos GT-Line, you’ll get:
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As is common (but still strange) with the Kia line-up, only the entry level model paired with the 8″ infotainment display will get wireless Apple Carplay and Android Auto. These softwares are only available via wired pairing in the Sport, Sport+ and GT-Line variants.
Available in 9 colours, the GT-line offers two-tone paint as a no cost-option, while all other colours (except Mars Orange) carry a $520 premium.
Safety
The entire Seltos range is covered by a 5-star ANCAP rating, including an 85% Adult Occupant Protection score.
Kia’s commitment to safety is propelled by features like lane-keep assist, rear-cross traffic alert, AEB and driver attention alert coming standard.
Also available are key features like a reversing camera, rear seatbelt reminders and front and rear parking sensors – all impressive inclusions throughout all Seltos variants.
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Key rivals
The compact SUV segment in Australia is a hotly contested space, with several models vying for the top spot, including top-spec models such as:
There’s no shortage of small SUVs in Australia, so styling and design rank highly on reasons for purchase. It’s up to you to decide if the sporty looking GT-Line ticks your visual boxes.
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Should I put it on my shortlist?
The 2023 Kia Seltos GT-Line is a compelling option for those looking for a compact SUV that doesn’t compromise on features, especially safety.
Its blend of style, space and tech makes it a strong contender in its segment.
While there are areas for improvement (as there are with every car), its overall package and affordable pricing versus key competitors make it a vehicle worth considering for your next purchase.
BMW will add another three fully electric models to its Australian line-up by early 2024, taking the number of zero-emissions options in its local line-up to 12 – with pure EV options now available in six model lines.
Snapshot
Total electric offerings rise to 12, all under the luxury car tax threshold.
iX1 eDrive20 from $78,900, i4 eDrive35 from $85,900, and iX3 M Sport from $89,100.
A driving range of over 400km for each model.
Critically though, all three additions sneak in under Australia’s luxury car tax threshold, joining the single sub-LCT BMW EV offering currently on sale and totalling four affordable pure EV BMWs now costing less than $89,332.
Until now, only the iX1 xDrive30 escaped LCT loading with a before-on-roads price of $82,900 but the German carmaker has locked another variant of the iX1 line-up plus additions to the i4 and iX3 electric ranges.
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BMW iX1 eDrive20 priced from $78,990
Now BMW’s most affordable pure electric car, the iX1 eDrive20 is positioned alongside the $84,900 xDrive30 in the iX1 line-up.
The second of BMW’s small electric SUVs will arrive in the first quarter of 2024.
Despite the new iX1’s sub-LCT pricing, it gains a host of value-adding features including the latest version of BMW’s operating system OS9, which brings the company’s curved information and entertainment display as well as 18-inch alloy wheels, head-up display, all-LED lighting, wireless device charging and smartphone mirroring.
With up to 150kW and 247Nm fed to the front axle by a single motor, the iX1 eDrive20’s 64.7kWh battery can power the new variant to 100km/h from standstill in 8.6 seconds and has a maximum range of about 475km.
Before that, BMW will add a second version of its i4 with the eDrive35 priced from $85,900 – introducing the first electric version of the four-door coupe that isn’t subject to LCT.
It joins a pair of existing electric i4 variants – the eDrive 40 M Sport and M50 which are upwards of $100,000. The third electric 4 Series will touch down late in 2023.
Joining the 4 Series family, the third pure electric i4 is the most affordable with the eDrive35 bringing a rear-drive layout like the circa $100,000 eDrive 40 M Sport version but with a reduced power output and spec.
Compared with the more potent version, it gets 210kW and 400Nm – still good for a zero-to-100km/h dash in 6.0 seconds while the 67kWh battery has enough power on a full charge for up to 430km.
Like the most affordable iX1, the i4 eDrive35 gets 18-inch alloy wheels, LED adaptive headlights, head-up display and among the highest level of technology and smartphone integration but adds to the standard specification highlights with sports seats, black roof liner and BMW’s Iconic Sounds.
Completing the trio of new sub-LCT electric BMWs will be a second iX3 variant in late 2023.
The $89,100 iX3 M Sport (an ‘eDrive35’ but not badged as such) will replace the current entry point of the electric X3 range, gaining the sportier M Sport Pro drivetrain – with a more affordable level of specification.
Its powertrain shares components with the new i4 variant including the same powertrain output 210kW and 400Nm, but with the additional SUV body weight, zero to 100km/h acceleration slows to 6.8s.
Standard equipment in the new iX3 M Sport variant includes 19-inch wheels, an M Sport body and interior package, panoramic sunroof, leather upholstered sports seats, adaptive suspension and metallic paint.
The Australian car market has posted its best August result ever as sales continue to recover following supply shortages.
According to official new-car sales results from the Federal Chamber of Automobile Industries (FCAI), 109,966 vehicles were registered in August – up 15% from 2022, when 95,256 cars were sold.
The previous highest August result was in 2017 when 96,662 vehicles were reported as sold.
It was a record-breaking month for top-selling brand Toyota with 22,321 sales, beating August 2007 when the brand reported 20,938 vehicles.
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The Toyota HiLux took first place with 5762 units – just two more than the second-place Ford Ranger (5760) as both vehicles continue to fight for a place at the top of the podium.
Year-to-date, 38,525 examples of the Toyota HiLux have been sold in Australia, compared to 37,644 Ford Rangers.
New South Wales registered the most vehicles with 34,655 sales, ahead of Victoria and Queensland with 29,126 and 23,049 sales, respectively.
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Western Australia (11,637), South Australia (6952), Tasmania (1843), the ACT (1713), and the Northern Territory (991) followed.
The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries said the record-breaking August reflects “both a high level of demand from Australians and improved supply of vehicles”.
“Year-to-date sales have increased 9.9 per cent which is a better indicator of the underlying strength of the market,” said FCAI chief executive Tony Weber.
“As consumers continue to embrace low emissions technologies we are seeing growth in electric, plug-in and hybrid vehicle sales. More than 1 in 6 vehicles sold in the month of August featured low emissions technologies.”
The Toyota Corolla was the only passenger vehicle in the top 10 in August, while its 12,068 registrations year-to-date place it behind the Hyundai i30 (14,844) and Tesla Model 3 (13,174).
Toyota recorded a record month with 22,321 sales (▲ from 20,616 in August 2022). Year-to-date, the Japanese brand’s sales are down 17% at 133,747, representing 17% of the market.
Mazda finished second with 8458 sales (▼from 8824), while Ford recorded 7898 sales (▲ from 5839) due to strong Ranger and Everest demand.
Hyundai, in fourth, recorded 6513 sales in August (▼ from 6780), while Kia took fifth with 6510 sales (▼ from 6643).
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Year-to-date, Kia remains narrowly ahead of its Hyundai parent, with 51,820 sales compared to 50,741.
Chinese marque MGfollowed in sixth with 5368 sales (▲ from 3074), Mitsubishi placed seventh with 4961 sales (▼ from 6780) and Isuzu Ute, in eighth, recorded 4712 sales (▲ from 2800)
Subaru placed ninth with 4706 sales (▲ from 2960), while Nissan returned to the top 10 in August with 4233 sales (▲ from 2960, or 154%), thanks to high X-Trail and Patrol sales.
Electric car brand Tesla fell to 12th place in August with 3309 sales after posting a record result in June, when 7018 sales were reported.
Country of Origin: Where Australia’s new cars came from in August 2023
Japan remains Australia’s number one source of new cars followed by Thailand, while Chinese cars outsold Korea in third place.
Australian new-car buyers bought 35,945 Japanese-built cars in August, up from 29,147 at the same time in 2022.
Thailand – where most utes and ladder-frame SUVs are produced – followed with 23,095 cars (▲ from 19,880).
China placed third ahead of Korea (16,150 compared to 13,763).
Automotive News Europe [↗] reports China overtook Japan for new-vehicle exports in the first half of 2023 to become the world’s largest vehicle export country at 2.34 million vehicles – up 77% over the same time in 2022 – versus 2.02 million.
Germany trailed in fifth with 5413 registrations last month, followed by undefined countries (3247) and the United States (2768).
Polestar has revealed a hyperbolic hypercar concept that not only tests what the Swedish brand is capable of delivering from its design house but redefines the design process itself.
The Synergy is the winning design in the Swedish brand’s annual design contest, however, the radical two–seater is not the result of just one submission, but the combination of three.
Under the guidance of Polestar’s in–house design team, the Synergy’s exterior form is a blend of Devashish Deshmukh and Swapnil Desai’s interpretation of the 2023 contest “Performance” brief, while the interior is the work of Yingxiang Li.
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By combining three designs into one, the team produced a single hypercar concept that redefines what a high–performance car should look like and its impact on the environment, says Polestar.
Another key difference compared with previous Polestar Design Contest winners, was that this year’s design was created in the final stage as a full–size model, so its intricate details and imposing proportions could be fully showcased and appreciated.
At the international reveal of the Synergy in Munich on the eve of the 2023 IAA motor show, Polestar interior design manager and Design Contest lead judge Juan Pablo Bernal said the Synergy was as much about developing a new generation of designers as it was about delivering a halo car for the brand.
“The reason behind it is the community,” Bernal said.
“We started connecting with talented designers from all around the world and providing them Polestar as the brief to provide a sketch. Nowadays, everyone has the little communities and little Instagram accounts, but by bringing everything together we are one account – their recognition and talent becomes so much wider.
“We said ‘let’s go big this time’. We’ve done scale models which are always appreciated, and beautiful, but let’s take one step bigger. We decided to go full size and that, in terms of development and curating the model and details is a completely different process. It needed to talk Polestar and needs to be on–brand.”
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The Synergy is a two seater all–electric, all–wheel drive hypercar that delivers a big performance punch but treads lightly.
Suspension has inboard dampers in each corner with the Swedish Gold double wishbones visible through large aerodynamic tracts in each from wheel arch.
Wheels measure a serious 23 inches and are wrapped in Pirelli P Zero Elect rubber for maximum track grip but maximising electric range through minimised drag and frictional losses.
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Vast expanses of body panels are uncluttered by textures and components with a “minimalist” design that focuses on simple aesthetics rather than distracting complications.
Polestar badging and branding is also minimal with the car’s identity mostly communicated through the ‘Thor’s Hammer’ headlights which extend all the way over each front wheel arch with a single pinstripe of LED lighting.
At the back, there’s more striking illumination with a full–width LED light bar which incorporates the Polestar logo and model moniker, framed by the company’s trademark exploded right angle details in each corner of the Synergy’s tail.
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Inside, Li’s cabin provides space for two in deeply bucketed seats and the company’s trademark Swedish gold harnesses, while the steering wheel display relays information including the occupant’s vital signs for “a calmer performance driving experience” says Li.
Don’t get too excited about the wild Synergy’s design just yet, though. Although it’s likely some of the concept’s design and details will stay in Polestar’s studio sketches for a while yet, Bernal says the project is more about building and recognising new design talent rather than previewing a new model for now.
“It’s not showing the future of Polestar as a brand but, of course, it needs to be Polestar. The detail and the love and care comes from our side.
“The beauty of this project is the collaboration between them (entrants) and us. We brought the experience and they had the energy and the passion.
“We’re trying to translate their vision and design using our experience to provide that flavour and the Polestar essence to make sure that it is right for the brand.”
What’s actually coming to the road, then?
Polestar fans will soon have the Polestar 5 to fawn over, while convertible fans will have to wait for for the upcoming Polestar 6 (above), formerly known as the O2 concept.
An even sharper-looking Cupra Formentor will arrive in Australia late in 2024.
Snapshot
New look for Formentor confirmed for 2024
Facelifts also coming for Born and Leon models
Powertrains to remain unchanged
The design-led Spanish brand is moving to give its models a more instantly recognisable face with triangular lighting themes, and the Formentor is set to see such adjustments in the second half of next year, alongside updated versions of the Leon hatchback and the Born electric car.
The 2024 Formentor was snapped previously at a Cupra preview event and featured on sites such as Cochespias.
Daniel DeGasperi, Product and PR communications manager for Volkswagen Group Australia, confirmed the news at the IAA Mobility 2023 Munich motor show, where Cupra unveiled its eye-catching new DarkRebel concept model.
“We’ll update Formentor and Leon and Born to the new-look face that has already been previewed, very briefly, last year,” said Mr DeGasperi. “No exact times on all of that – but probably in the second half of next year.”
He said there is nothing further to communicate on the potential changes for the models as yet, but there could be some minor spec tweaks and adjustments for each of the cars – and there is a possibility that Australia will see the introduction of a wagon version of the Leon, the Sportstourer, as well.
“We’re very happy with the Formentor line-up, it has done very well for us,” he said. That means the existing petrol-powered V, VZ, VZx models and the VZe plug-in hybrid will continue.
Below: The Formentor in its current form
All of the ICE versions of Formentor have 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engines, with differing states of tune.
The all-wheel-drive base model V has 140kW and 320Nm, while the front-drive VZ has the GTI-spec 180kW and 370Nm powertrain, and the 2.0L turbo VZx gets Golf-R-derived grunt with 228kW and 400Nm, and all-wheel drive.
The VZe plug-in hybrid uses a 1.4-litre petrol engine teamed to a battery pack and electric motor, with a six-speed DSG and front-wheel drive getting the grunt to the ground.
Australia (and other right-hand drive markets) will continue to miss out on the flagship Formentor VZ5, which employs a five-cylinder turbo-petrol model producing 287kW of power and 480Nm of torque, and capable of a 0-100km/h sprint in just 4.2 seconds.
More details on the Formentor, Born and Leon updates will be announced in the coming months.
WhichCar is driving the Cupra Leon Sportstourer in the coming weeks. Stay tuned for our coverage of both the VZe plug-in hybrid and VZx performance hero model.
Kia has been steadily climbing the ranks in the small SUV segment since arriving in Australia at the end of 2019. Its 2023 facelift brings a fresher look and new tech, including an updated infotainment suite.
Designed with urban explorers in mind, the Seltos Sport combines style, functionality, and a touch of luxury.
But Kia isn’t alone in introducing a hatchback or sedan upgrade into a segment already bursting with options, so let’s take a look at what the South Korean manufacturer is offering.
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Pricing and features
Positioned as a mid-tier option in the Seltos lineup, the Sport offers a lot of bang for your buck. Priced from $32,700 before on roads the Sport is equipped with a 2.0L CVT engine producing 110kW and 180Nm.
Choosing the Seltos Sport will get you:
2023 Kia Seltos Sport features
17-inch alloy wheels
Roof rails
Climate control
Satellite navigation
Cloth upholstery
Shark fin antenna
DAB+ digital radio, wired Apple CarPlay/Android Auto
Six-speaker stereo
Dual 10.25-inch central infotainment and digital instrument displays
Solar Glass windscreen and front doors
Halogen (projector-style) headlights
Sounds of Nature ambient audio
Manual handbrake
Space-saver spare wheel
One-touch driver window control
Two USB-C ports in second-row
Premium steering wheel and gear shifter
USB-A and USB-C ports in front console
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The Sport+ is available for an extra $3100 for the same engine, or an extra $6,600 for the 1.6L turbo 8-speed auto AWD option, with an increased output of 146kW and 265Nm.
Jumping up into a Sport+ model will get you an extra array of features including:
2023 Kia Seltos Sport+ features
Heated side mirrors
Auto-dimming rear-view mirror
Privacy glass
LED interior lights
AEB cyclist avoidance and junction turning assist
Illuminated vanity mirrors
Adaptive cruise control
Front centre console armrest sliding function
Keyless entry and push button start
Rear centre armrest
Electric park brake w/ auto hold
Cloth and artificial leather upholstery
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Safety
The entire Seltos range is covered by a 5-star ANCAP rating, including an 85% Adult Occupant Protection score.
Kia’s commitment to safety is propelled by features like lane-keep assist, rear-cross traffic avoidance assist, AEB and driver attention alert coming standard.
Also standard are key features like reversing cameras, rear seatbelt reminders and front and rear parking sensors – all impressive inclusions throughout the entire range.
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Key rivals
The compact SUV segment in Australia is a hotly contested space, with several models vying for the top spot, including mid-spec models such as:
There’s no shortage of small SUVs in Australia, so styling and design rank highly on reasons for purchase. It’s up to you if the Seltos Sport or Sport+ ticks your visual boxes.
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Should I put it on my shortlist?
The 2023 Kia Seltos Sport/Sport+ is a compelling option for those looking for a compact SUV that doesn’t compromise on features, especially safety.
Its blend of style, space, and tech makes it a strong contender in its segment.
While there are areas for improvement (as there are every car), its overall package and affordable pricing versus key competitors make it a vehicle worth considering for your next purchase.
A baby G-Class will take on the urban jungle as a pint-sized, retro-inspired electric 4WD.
The ‘Little G’ model was confirmed by Mercedes during its pre-show presentation for the 2023 IAA Mobility event.
The announcement was accompanied by a ‘g-Class’ slide featuring a silhouette that indicated the model will very much be a mini retro off-roader inspired by its famous bigger brother, the G-Class (pictured below).
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“There will be a smaller version of one of our most iconic shapes; yes, there will be a ‘Little G’,” said Mercedes boss Ola Källenius (main image).
“We fully understand the responsibililty this entails. Be assured the ‘Little G’ will be electric, it will be capable, and it will be instantly recongnisable. And it will be a lot of fun to drive on and off the road – that’s a promise.”
The g-Class will use the same 800-volt Mercedes Modular Architecture (MMA) platform as the next-generation electric CLA that was previewed at the show with the Concept CLA Class four-door ‘coupe’.
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Mercedes has already announced an electric version of the G-Class with the EQG concept (above), which will debut in mid 2024.
The ‘g-Class’ will have a natural direct rival with speculation that Land Rover is developing an electric baby Defender.
Other MMA family models will include the next CLA Shooting Brake wagon, and successors to the EQA compact SUV and EQB seven-seater SUV.
MMA models can be RWD or AWD and will utilise a highly efficient electric drivetrain that can offer up to 750km in range. Gaining up to 400km of range in 15 minutes will also be possible through 250kW DC charging, says Mercedes.
BMW’s first pure electric full-fat M model will assert its position as a bonafide high-performance driving machine by toppling all Nurburgring records set before it by petrol powered M-power machines.
While a fully electric M car is many years away from a production line – as per BMW’s global launch strategy – the German powerhouse is already busy developing potent electrified drivetrains, poised to infuse genuine track ability into an E-M model once the technology reaches its zenith.
Enter BMW’s Neue Klasse family – the vanguard that will pave the way for an all-electric M experience spawning a car that embodies the very essence of BMW’s high-performance ethos – demonstrable, says BMW, through Nurburgring record demolition.
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BMW’s high-performance division head said that a battery-powered M-asterpiece won’t receive any preferential treatment on the gruelling Nurburgring track, and it’ll only make its grand entrance when it’s ready to break every company lap record before it.
“We just had four new records on the Nurburgring with the M2, M3 Touring, M3 CS, and the prototype car, so this one (electric M) has to top that,” said BMW M CEO Frank van Meel. “We are quite optimistic that it will be able to do that, because it has to.”
Van Meel described the current Nurburgring champions as ‘quite good’ but minced no words in asserting that their recent lap records in various classes would pale in comparison to BMW’s electric pioneer.
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As significant as the record claims are, BMW’s electric M marvel will be armed with a game-changing innovation in the form of a singular electronic control unit – a technological leap that’ll redefine the driving experience not just for M models, but for the entire line-up, says BMW.
According to van Meel, the electronic innovation, announced during the Neue Klasse international reveal in Munich, consolidates the drivetrain, stability, and dynamics control into one centralised unit, creating what BMW CEO Oliver Zipse dubbed the ‘heart of joy.’
This advancement in technology offers BMW a multitude of new possibilities. “It’s a different balance of performance but with new tools,” says van Meel.
A year ago, the world caught a glimpse of a mysterious BMW M prototype tearing up the track, serving as the test bed for this revolutionary system. Fast forward to today, and a production version is tantalisingly close to reality.
“We have a concept car on the road with four independent electric motors, and they are run by this electronic architecture in the car,” confirmed van Meel. “We can run from one to four engines with this architecture, which gives us a lot of things to play with, and that’s what we’re working on right now to find the right setup for our M vehicles.”
Van Meel compared the new system and approach with the company’s first all-wheel drive M-car but said the game had moved on significantly since then.
“We already did it a little bit with the X5 M where everyone said you can’t do a four-wheel-drive with M but we said, yes we can, if we have a centralised logic that we call ‘hand of god’. This is quadrupling that principle.”
But don’t reach for the cheque book just yet; the first electric M isn’t slated to be one of the six models launching in the 24 months following the debut of the inaugural Neue Klasse model in 2025. BMW is taking its time to ensure that the M badge stands for nothing less than perfection in the realm of electrified power.
“Since it is Neue Klasse, which means new class, also M has to be part of the future of the new class. Obviously it will be, and we’ve been working on the architecture of the new class and driving dynamics and a lot of other things so we can make a pure M out of Neue Klasse.”
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“Of course, M always comes a little bit later – that is the strategy of M.
“First we start with the regular cars, although ‘regular’ might be the wrong word for these cars. We’ll do something on top later on.”
And that puts the debut of the first proper electric M car at a date no earlier than the latter part of 2026.
Cupra has unveiled what could essentially be termed a ‘crowd-sourced’ concept electric shooting brake – the Cupra DarkRebel.
Key Points
Configurator feedback shaped the design of DarkRebel
Provocative electric sports car concept could preview a future flagship
Sustainable materials a key consideration
The brand unveiled the two-seat sports car at the Volkswagen Group Night ahead of the IAA Mobility 2023 motor show in Munich, with the eye-catching, sharply styled car drawing on the brand’s ambassadors, customers (AKA, the Cupra Tribe) and owners to help shape the finished product.
Cupra says it amalgamated feedback from more than 270,000 vehicle configurations using the brand’s Hyper Configurator, with the final concept seen here bringing some of those virtual ideas to reality.
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The brand had shown a virtual take on the DarkRebel in recent months, but the physical specimen bowed at the VW Group Night ahead of the Munich show.
“Thanks to the passion and creativity of the Cupra Tribe, we have been able to turn one of our most powerful obsessions into a real show car. The Cupra DarkRebel is the maximum provocation of Cupra design. It is a rebel with a purpose: to prove that electric cars in the future can be sporty, sexy, and emotional,” said Wayne Griffiths, CEO of Cupra.
Design – and the differentiation between the designs of the different brands under the Volkswagen Group Umbrella – was the key theme of the media conference ahead of the motor show, with Cupra clearly pushing for more assertive, sharp-edged cars, while VW unveiled the spunky little ID.GTI concept– which is apparently “93 percent” of what the production version will look like.
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As for the production potential of a flagship shooting brake EV like the DarkRebel?
Time will tell, but the brand has loaded the show car with a number of telltale Cupra elements, such as triangular headlights, and interior design cues aimed squarely at the ‘gamer’ sphere – including the chance to join Cupra’s space in the metaverse, MetaHype, when the car is parked and recharging.
The brand didn’t reveal any specifics for the theoretical powertrain technology used in the concept, other than to say that it is 100% electric.
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There’s “90 percent biodegradable bamboo” employed for some of the interior materials
However, the company did claim the concept car uses the latest “3D metal printing technology” for the central spine and asymmetrical cabin design elements, while the “Supersport” bucket seats feature “3D knitting fabric” in the headrests, and there’s “90 percent biodegradable bamboo” employed for some of the interior materials.
Presenting the car this week, Cupra design boss Jorge Diez said the company has put all of its DNA and values into the car.
“Always pushing with our rebellious spirit is actually one of our main design archetypes – for us, it’s like an obsession to create something special, because through design we can be bold,” he said. “Our goal in Cupra is to provoke, to create desire, and boost your emotions to the maximum.”
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VW Group CEO Oliver Blume commented that designs such as this are what will help the multiple brands under the broader company’s oversight help to stand out to customers in the electric age.
“Good design is an essential factor in delighting our customers. With sharpened design identities, we design striking products and increase the differentiation of the brands. In their exterior, interior and digital experience. Volkswagen Group is becoming a design-driven company,” he said.
