Imagine this: you’re driving along in your electric vehicle when all of a sudden, the brakes fail.
Usually this is realised at quite inconvenient times, such as just after the brake pedal is depressed. What do you do now? There’s no gears to change down and the electric hand brake doesn’t work.
Luckily, Mercedes-Benz seems to have thought of a last-ditch solution to a problem which hopefully won’t be a common occurrence.
According to CarBuzz, the German manufacturer has patented a system which rapidly deflates a car’s tyres, dramatically increasing its rolling resistance in an attempt to decrease the vehicle’s speed when its braking systems fail.
This system would be more applicable to EVs as a majority use a combination of regenerative braking as well as a traditional hydraulic setup through brake-by-wire technology, although any issues with the system could remove the ability for either part to work.
Daimler, the parent company to Mercedes-Benz, believes its rapid tyre deflation system would only activate if there’s a failure within the master unit or if a fault arises, slowing the vehicle down and allowing the driver to move to a safe location.
It’s not clear as to whether the system would deflate all four tyres or just the front pair, but it does raise the question about what pressure the tyres would drop to, as too low would potentially damage the rim and tyre while too high won’t slow the vehicle enough.
With the EQA and EQC already on sale and the EQS set to arrive next year, Mercedes-Benz likely won’t roll out the system until its next generation of electric vehicles, as it has committed to going all-electric in a majority of markets by 2030.
UPDATE, April 7, 2022: Australian pricing for the new 2022 Ford Ranger has now been revealed. Get the full details at the link below.
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Update, November 24, 2021: IT’S HERE!
Well, here it is. The new Ranger has been revealed. We won’t make any changes to this story, but you can find our ongoing coverage of the new Ranger at the links below. Hit ’em up.
Update, November 23, 2021: Mere hours to go
As announced in early November, the global reveal of the all-new 2022 Ford Ranger will occur tomorrow, November 24.
It’s been a couple of years now since Wheels got a first look at what’s to come, and, as you can see below, we’ve been speculating on just what we can expect from Ford’s new global ute.
Along with the images in this story, the new Ranger has now been spied and teased a number of times – and while it feels like there’s not much left to see, we know there are a lot of questions still to be answered.
In our earlier story below, you’ll find everything we’ve been anticipating. Late tomorrow, we’ll all see how close our information and speculation has been.
Watch for more in the next 24 hours, and make sure you stay tuned to our Facebook (4×4, Wheels) and Instagram (4×4, Wheels) feeds to get the very latest news as it happens.
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The current Ford Ranger is one of the most popular dual-cab utes, not just in Australia, but around the world.
Now being sold in Australia, Europe, and North America, the locally-developed work ute is at the top of most buyers’ lists – for good reason.
However, an all-new model is on its way, with radical styling, powerful petrol and diesel engines, and a thoroughly modern interior.
Read on, to find out everything you need to know about the 2021 Ford Ranger
What engines will be fitted to the 2021 Ford Ranger?
There will be a combination of turbocharged petrol and diesel engines on offer in the 2021 Ford Ranger.
The 3.2-litre five-cylinder turbo diesel that the majority of Ford Rangers are currently fitted with is expected to go the way of the dodo.
In its place it’s likely the 2.0-litre twin-turbo diesel four-cylinder that is currently fitted to the Ranger Raptor will become the ‘entry-level’ engine of choice.
Wheels confirmed last year that Ford is also developing a pair of turbo V6 engines for the Ranger – the 3.0-litre single-turbo Power Stroke diesel and 2.7-litre twin-turbo ‘Nano’ Ecoboost petrol.
The 3.0-litre single-turbo V6 Power Stroke diesel was first introduced in 2018 in the Ford F-150, generating 186kW and 597Nm. With a graphite iron engine block and aluminium alloy cylinder heads, the 3.0 Power Stroke is designed to save weight.
The second generation of the 2.7-litre twin-turbo petrol V6 ‘Nano’ Ecoboost made its debut in 2018, and features a number of changes carried over from the 3.5-litre Ecoboost that is fitted to the F-150 Raptor. When fitted to the regular F-150 the twin-turbo V6 produces 242kW at 5000rpm, and 542Nm at just 2750rpm. This engine is likely to be fitted to cars sold in North America.
Rumours have persisted that a 2.3-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine will be fitted to the Ranger. This engine – which is also used in the Ford Focus ST and some Mustang variants – is also likely to remain exclusive to North American Rangers.
What gearbox will be fitted to the 2021 Ford Ranger?
All variants of the 2021 Ford Ranger will be fitted with a 10-speed automatic gearbox.
There has been no word on manual transmissions, however being a work truck first and foremost, it’s likely some cheaper variants could have the option of being fitted with three pedals.
What will the 2021 Ford Ranger look like?
Wheels captured exclusive images of the 2021 Ford Ranger early last year.
Caught in the outer suburbs of Melbourne, the clay model gives us a good indicator of what the final production-ready Ford Ranger will look like.
The Ranger will be brought in line stylistically with the larger F-truck family, sharing the same grill design, square fog light housing, and C-shaped LED headlights.
When will the 2021 Ford Ranger go on sale in Australia?
Development is still ongoing for the 2021 Ford Ranger. Wheels understands the car is due for an international reveal late-next year.
However, with the global COVID-19 pandemic wreaking havoc on the automotive industry, this could be pushed back to 2022.
Australia is one of the core markets for the Ranger, so expect it to go on sale locally soon after being revealed to the world.
Will the 2021 Ford Ranger be a hybrid?
Ford has made no secret of its push towards electrification. It is investing heavily in the technology, and pushing towards having at least one variant in each model line be electrified.
Last year, Ford of Europe president Stuart Rowley said customers will always be able to opt for a hybrid when looking to buy a Blue Oval product.
“From Fiesta to Transit, every new vehicle that we introduce will feature an electrified version that best suits the needs and pockets of our customers.”
Logically, that would mean there will be an electrified or hybrid Ranger.
It remains unclear what level of electrification will be offered with the Ranger, or if it will be sold in Australia.
How much will the 2021 Ford Ranger cost?
Pricing for the 2021 Ford Ranger remains a large unknown.
However, for most models, don’t expect it to vary from the existing costs of the Ranger line-up.
Will there be a V8-powered 2021 Ford Ranger?
News of a 5.0-litre naturally-aspirated V8-powered Ford Ranger Raptor rocked the world in January when first reported by Wheels.
That project was designed for the current T6 Ranger, but has been put on ice as part of a global cost-saving effort by Ford.
While there is no word on a special V8 2021 Ford Ranger, never say never, as the program could be picked up again for the 2021 Ford Ranger once Ford’s financial situation stabilises.
Where is the 2021 Ford Ranger built?
Currently, Australian-delivered Rangers are built in Ford’s manufacturing facility in Thailand.
This is expected to continue for the 2021 model.
The Ranger is also built in factories in South Africa and North America.
Will there be a 2021 Ford Ranger Raptor?
It is all but guaranteed that Ford will develop an off-road focused Raptor variant for the 2021 Ford Ranger.
This model is expected to be fitted with a turbocharged V6 engine, have widened bodywork, beefy tyres, and updated Fox Racing suspension at all four corners.
Timing on the 2021 Ford Ranger Raptor is unknown, and its arrival my trail the ‘regular’ Ranger line-up by around a year.
Will the 2021 Ford Ranger have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto?
While Ford has been working hard on the 2021 Ranger’s engine and chassis, it’s expected the interior will also be given serious attention.
The latest generation of Ford’s in-house infotainment system, Sync4, will be standard.
This means smartphone mirroring systems like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto will be available on every Ranger variant.
Inside the Ranger’s cabin will be a large vertical central touchscreen, like that seen in the all-electric Mustang Mach-E, and some next-generation F-150 spy shots.
The instrument cluster is also expected to be digitised on some variants.
What chassis will be used for the 2021 Ford Ranger
Underpinning the 2021 Ford Ranger will be an evolution of the current T6 platform which was developed and engineered by Australians in Australia.
The T6 evo platform is being work on by Ford Australia engineers in conjunction with their North American counterparts.
A new T7 platform is in the pipeline, and will be shared with future Volkswagen trade utes, but is not expected to be fitted to a Ford product until the Ranger is completely updated.
UPDATE, 23 November, 2021: BRZ still on time
Full details are still to come, but Subaru Australia has today confirmed with MOTOR that the 2022 Subaru BRZ is still on track for a first-quarter 2022 launch.
So, barring any further delays, fans of two-door Japanese sports cars can expect to see the BRZ in the next few months, followed by the new Nissan Z in mid-2022, and the GR86 sometime later in the year.
UPDATE, 22 November, 2021: GR86 due in late 2022
The 2022 Toyota GR86 will instead arrive in Australia as the 2023 Toyota GR86, with confirmation coming today that the new sports car’s local sales launch won’t occur until some time in the second half of next year – at least 15 months since the car was first unveiled internationally.
Punters will get an opportunity to see the GR86 make its static (non-driving) debut at December’s Great Race Festival in Bathurst, but – with no specific timing revealed beyond that “second half” statement – it could be still a year from now before hopefuls can turn their interest into a purchase.
Luckily, fans of the platform can at least get a deposit in for the 86’s Subaru BRZ twin, which is – for now, at least – expected here in the first quarter of 2022.
We’ve asked Subaru to confirm if the BRZ is still on track for the launch timing first announced in September, and we’ll update this story when we know more.
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July 30, 2021: Toyota Australia has revealed it will be announcing an official date for the local arrival of the new GR86 later this year.
The information was confirmed today by the Japanese manufacturing giant as part of its campaign to continually drip-feed and tease the local release of its new sports car.
As it phases out the existing 86, which first hit the market in 2012 and has sold in excess of 20,000 units, Toyota edges closer to bringing its GR 86 successor to showrooms – having initially broken cover in April and recently making its public debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Set to join the existing GR Yaris and GR Supra in Toyota’s performance vehicle range, the GR 86 will pack an upgraded 2.4-litre, flat-four engine which pushes power and torque up to 173kW and 250Nm respectively, a 21kW/38Nm increase over the 2.0-litre unit in the current 86.
Toyota Australia’s Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Franchise Operations, Sean Hanley, believes the popularity of the existing model will lend itself to the GR 86 when it eventually arrives Down Under.
“Since it arrived in Australia, the 86 coupe has found favour with sports car enthusiasts, whether it is being driven on winding back roads, around town or even out on the racetrack,” said Hanley.“Its popularity is evident by the demand we are seeing even at the end of the current 86’s lifecycle, showing that fans still have an appetite for compact, lightweight and affordable sports coupes and the new GR 86 will continue to delight them with updates which will make this an even more fun vehicle to drive.”
Although the 86 is no longer available to order, Toyota says it still has limited stock across its Australian network of dealers which will likely sell out by the time the GR 86 launches.
An all-electric 2023 Hyundai Grandeur could debut with retro looks alongside a standard model, if rumours out of South Korea prove true.
Hyundai set tongues wagging when it pulled the covers off the Grandeur Heritage Series concept car earlier this month, revealing a futuristic restomod of the company’s original premium large car from 1986.
Now a report from The Korean Car Blog is citing industry sources who say the concept actually previews a production car, slated to be introduced alongside an all-new petrol-powered Grandeur model.
Hyundai is said to be planning to introduce the electric vehicle (EV) with styling inspired by the first-generation Grandeur – which in itself was a rebadged Mitsubishi Debonair.
However, while the battery-powered Grandeur will take its design cues from the original, it’s unlikely the production model will be identical to the concept – which is understood to have been based on an original 1986 vehicle.
“As our designers conceive the future, it’s important to look back on what we’ve created in the past and find inspiration in it,” Interior Group boss at Hyundai Design Centre Hak-soo Ha said.
“With the Heritage Series Grandeur, our designers have reinterpreted an important part of Hyundai’s history as a wonderfully unique blend of vintage and contemporary that reflects the boundless possibilities of our EV era.”
Given the Hyundai Pony Heritage Series – another restomod concept based on the 1986 Hyundai Pony – inspired the shape and many of the elements of the Ioniq 5, a premium electric sedan with a conventional three-box shape could be put to market to target the likes of the Tesla Model S.
Hyundai has already confirmed the next Heritage Series concept will be based on the Galloper from 1991, itself a rebadged version of the first-generation Mitsubishi Pajero. If the trend continues, a battery-powered boxy four-wheel-drive could be in the company’s future.
The Korean car giant has previously stated it intends on releasing 23 electric models by 2025.
Key Points
- Honda unveils inexpensive $2500 scooter for US-market
- Powered by an 110cc four-stroke engine with a CVT
- Two custom project bikes unveiled to showcase range of aftermarket options
Honda has unveiled the 2022 Navi scooter to join its range of miniMOTO small bikes at the IMS Outdoors motorcycle show in California.
Small bikes, such as the Grom, Monkey, and Super Cub, are amongst the top-sellers in Honda’s motorcycle range – with the Navi joining the line-up as the least expensive model in recent years.
Priced from just US$1807 (AU$2500), the Navi is a scooter with the styling of a motorbike. It includes an 110cc single-piston four-stroke engine and a continuously variable transmission (CVT) mounted near the rear, as well as a lockable storage compartment where a motorcycle engine is typically found.
The engine produces 6kW of power and is capable of reaching a top speed of approximately 80km/h, meaning this scooter is aimed at beginners and designed more for city driving rather than a highway cruise. According to Honda, the Navi requires just 4.1-litres of fuel with an economy rating of 2.1L/100km.
Alongside the stock Navi scooter unveiled at the motorcycle show, a pair of project bikes from MNNTHBX and Steady Garage were on hand to demonstrate what is possible in the aftermarket community.
The first build was completed by MNNTHBX, which specialises in designing aftermarket goods for miniMOTO bikes. The team immediately began transforming the Navi into a racetrack pit bike with a sporty design, consisting of red, white and blue graphics.
“We were really inspired by the bike’s utility, and how we could take that and make it cool,” said Kevin Estep, co-owner of MNNTHBX.
An Öhlins shock is fitted to the billet-aluminium mount, with the shop also including a low-positioned Renthal MX-style handlebar and a Yoshimura carbon-fibre exhaust. A pair of large tyres – 12-inch front and 10-inch back – and two 6.5-inch Kicker speakers, with an amplifier and controller integrated into the seat, also add to the custom bike.
“The Navi already comes with a storage compartment, so we thought about how we could repurpose that,” added Estep.
“We figured if you’re in the paddock, you always want some tunes, so we built a billet enclosure to go in that same space and integrated a Kicker sound system. It sounds really good!”
Meanwhile, the folks at Steady Garage took a different approach in customising the Navi scooter, giving it a low stance and wide front wheel.
According to partner Kevin Dunn, the build required “a lot of research and trial and error,” with the company having never built a miniMOTO before.
A custom Vance & Hines stainless steel exhaust with twin outlets has been fitted to the rear of the bike, as well as a larger and wider rear wheel with a lower profile tyre.
Additionally, a custom-built shock from Gears Racing and LED pin-striping were added to complement its custom paint job and carbon-fibre seat.
“We gave it what we call a diamond tail, which is also common with the Ruckus, and that really cleaned up the rear end,” said Dunn. “Then we custom-built a carbon-fiber [sic] seat off of the stock seat pan, following the lines of the diamond tail.”
The two companies say most of the components used in the custom project bikes will be offered to Navi buyers, with Vance & Hines also developing a tapered stainless steel exhaust system, and Honda Signature Accessories adding to the range of aftermarket options available for the tiny scooter.
Key Points
- Dodge confirms the Hellcat package will end by 2024
- Manufacturer set to reveal its first electric vehicle next year
- Dodge CEO has received death threats over move to EVs
American manufacturer Dodge has confirmed it will end production of its Charger and Challenger Hellcat variants by 2024 as the company moves towards electrification.
The high-power variant of the four-door sedan and two-door muscle car has been in service since 2015, launching from Dodge’s skunkworks division SRT – with 527kW and 881Nm on tap from a 6.2-litre, supercharged Hemi V8.
In an interview with Motortrend, Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis outlined the manufacturer’s intention to adopt electrification in the future, a decision which will come at the cost of its flagship V8 models.
Claiming he’s received death threats over his company’s decision, Kuniskis has said Dodge will go all-out to farewell the Hellcat over the next two years.
“For 24 months we are feeding the beast,” Kuniskis told Motortrend.
“I’m juggling knives, because I’ve gotta keep two different huge factions happy and at some point [they] will converge. The problem is no one knows when. My job is to provide confidence, over the next 24 months, that we’re gonna do this.
“These cars that you know today will go out of production by the time we get to 2024.”
The 2024 date is significant, as Dodge aims to introduce an electric muscle car to the market in the same year – having already teased the concept in August before it breaks cover next year.
Parent company Stellantis has previously announced its plans for all of its brands to move to more unified electric vehicle platforms, as a majority of its European manufacturers look to go all-electric by 2030 in line with local regulations.
It’s a time for rejuvenation within Stellantis, as the conglomerate has given each of its 14 brands a 10-year stay of execution, allowing them to sort out their respective business models before facing the chopping block.
For Dodge, this means diversifying, given it currently sells just three models in the United States (the Charger, Challenger and Durango SUV) – something it will be looking to change when its electric muscle car is revealed.
Just last week, fellow Stellantis and former FCA brand Chrysler announced it was pulling out of the Australian market, having endured dwindling sales of its sole remaining model, the 300.
The 2022 Mazda MX-5 will be revealed next month, as the current version finishes its run.
Mazda has announced orders of the current MX-5 have ended in anticipation of the new model, which is expected to debut the vehicle’s mid-life facelift.
“With the exception of some specifications, sales of the current model have been discontinued,” a notice on the Mazda Japan website reads.
“The announcement of the new model is scheduled for this winter.”
While a report in October referred to the next-generation 2024 Mazda NE MX-5 potentially receiving a mild-hybrid powertrain, the forthcoming unveiling is likely to offer a styling update of the current model, known as the ND3.
A spokesperson for Mazda Australia has told MOTOR there will be more details to share on the updated MX-5 on December 16.
Many international motor shows were cancelled during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, but the Guangzhou Auto Show was one event that remained unaffected by the events of the past year.
Held each year in late November (around the same time as the famous Los Angeles Auto Show), the motor show – located in the city of Guangzhou, about 120km northwest of Hong Kong – returned again in 2021 filled with a number of China-only vehicle reveals, wacky concept cars, and a luxurious electric SUV that will arrive in Australia early next year.
Here are some highlights from the recent show, broken into production and concept debuts:
Production vehicle debuts
Aion LX Plus
Aion, the electric division of Guangzhou Automobile Industry (GAC), took to its home motoring event to unveil its latest zero-emissions vehicle: the LX Plus.
The electric SUV is headlined by a massive 144.4kWh battery with GAC’s silicon sponge cell technology, allowing for a claimed 1008km driving range on the China Light-Duty Vehicle Test Cycle (CLTC)… as well as two electric motors, and a 0-100km/h time of 2.9 seconds.
Chinese deliveries are planned for early 2022.
Audi A8 L Horch
There is a new rival for the ultra-luxurious Mercedes-Maybach S-Class and Bentley Flying Spur on the market – but not ours. You’ll have to move to China to experience it.
Based on the newly-facelifted Audi A8 design, this stretched long-wheelbase Horch version is set apart by its singleframe grille with vertical struts and ‘H Crown’ alloy wheels. Inside, the spacious cabin offers diamond-quilted leather, high-pile floor mats and cushions embossed with Horch badging.
Audi expects one-fifth of A8’s sold in China to be the Horch flagship, with the nation accounting for around 60 per cent of global current-generation A8 sales.
Audi Q5 E-Tron
A bigger seven-seat brother to the Audi Q4 E-Tron, the Q5 E-Tron is the latest member of the electric Audi line-up – but it’ll be available for the Chinese market only.
Not to be confused with the international Q5 or upcoming PPE platform-based Q6 E-Tron, this electric SUV is based on the same MEB platform as the Volkswagen ID family and Q4 E-Tron, sharing its wheelbase and length with the large VW ID.6 family car – albeit with a more premium design inside and out.
2022 Audi Q5 E-Tron revealed; exclusive to China.
Genesis Electrified GV70
Set to launch in Australia in the first half of 2022, the Genesis Electrified GV70 is the third all-electric vehicle from Hyundai’s luxury division. Based on the GV70 medium SUV, the electrified version retains its core styling elements, but swaps out internal-combustion power for a pair of electric motors placed on each axle, providing up to 360kW of power in ‘boost mode’.
In its regular driving mode, each motor in the Electrified GV70 develops 160kW/350Nm – propelling the SUV from 0 to 100km/h in 4.5 seconds, with a combined 700Nm of torque to boot.
Genesis claims the Electrified GV70 can travel over 500 kilometres on the CLTC test-cycle and 400km on the Korean system, with its 350kW rapid charging ability allowing the battery to be charged from 10 to 80 per cent in 18 minutes.
Just like the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Genesis GV60, the electric SUV also features V2L (Vehicle to Load) technology, allowing it to power appliances with a combined draw of up to 3.6kW.
2022 Genesis Electrified GV70 revealed, Australian launch confirmed.
GWM King Kong
Also referred to as the King Kong Poer, this new ute is a restyled commercially-orientated version of the GWM Ute currently sold in Australia – with the dual-cab currently under consideration for Australia.
A spokesperson for GWM Haval told sister publication, 4X4 Australia, “we’re always open to new models, such as the King Kong Ute, that could expand the GWM product portfolio in Australia,”
“While our regular discussions on product continue with our Head Office colleagues, it’s too early to say whether we’ll see it here.”
Available in two size configurations, with the largest variant featuring a longer wheelbase than the GWM Ute, the King Kong is reportedly powered by the choice of a 140kW 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine or 123kW 2.0-litre turbo-diesel mill.
2022 GWM King Kong: Chinese pick-up under consideration for Australia.
Honda Integra
The iconic Honda Integra nameplate has returned, with the Japanese manufacturer offering this particular model in China as a revised version of the latest 11th-generation Civic sedan – with the Integra produced under the GAC-Honda joint-venture, and its other partner Dongfeng Honda receiving the standard Civic.
The unveiling of the Chinese market Integra comes as Acura – Honda’s US-based luxury firm – prepares to launch its own version of the Integra that’s also based on the Civic, but with a redesigned body.
Other differences over the regular Civic include a larger 10.2-inch digital instrument cluster, 9.0-inch touchscreen with Honda’s ‘Connect 3.0’ infotainment system and a digital key to allow owners to lock/unlock and start the car using a connected smartphone.
2022 Honda Integra returns – but you can’t have one.
LDV Mifa 9
Maxus – known as LDV in Australia – has unveiled the Mifa 9 luxury minivan, its latest electric vehicle at the motor show, claiming to provide the “ultimate driving space for users who yearn for green multi-person smart travel.”
Measuring in at 5270mm long with a 3200mm wheelbase, this electric van is larger than the mammoth Mercedes-Maybach GLS. Outside, it showcases slim LED headlights, large front air intakes, chrome lashings, aerodynamic alloy wheels and large rear tail-lights.
While the exterior isn’t too crazy in the styling department, the interior of the Mifa 9 features a large widescreen display that spans almost the entire width of the dashboard – with 10 displays, including a rear seat entertainment system and armrest screens, on offer. All six individual seats feature power adjustment, as well as heating, ventilation and massaging functions.
The Mifa 9 also sports an intelligent driving assistance system, with the ability for point-to-point assisted driving, automatic lane changes, smart parking and emergency avoidance assistance.
A 90kWh battery pack reportedly sits beneath the body of the Mifa 9, allowing for a claimed range of 520 kilometres with Maxus (LDV) stating it plans to introduce a longer-range version of the vehicle in 2023 with more than 650km of range. Pricing starts at around AU$58,325 in China.
Lincoln Zephyr
The luxurious Lincoln sedan lives on with the newly-launched Zephyr, despite the discontinuation of passenger vehicles in its United States home market.
Exclusive to China, the new Zephyr revives an iconic nameplate for the Ford Motor Company, and is reportedly based on the same Ford C2 platform as the Focus, Escape and Maverick. With a large wheelbase, the luxury sedan emphasises rear seating space and legroom – both important factors for Chinese vehicle buyers.
The interior of the Zephyr is headlined by a large 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and whopping 27-inch screen running the Chinese-developed ‘SYNC+’ infotainment system, with vehicle also capable of Level 2+ autonomous driving thanks to the fitment of Lincoln’s ‘Co-Pilot 360 2.0’ active safety suite and ‘ActiveGlide’ adaptive cruise control system.
2022 Lincoln Zephyr: iconic nameplate returns for Chinese luxury sedan.
Mitsubishi Airtrek
The Mitsubishi Airtrek is the first electric SUV from Mitsubishi – but it’ll remain exclusive to the Chinese market.
Based on the GAC Aion V revealed in 2020, the Airtrek slots between the Eclipse Cross and Outlander dimensionally and features the brand’s ‘Dynamic Shield’ design language. A Tesla Model 3-like large infotainment system sits atop the dashboard, alongside a fully-digital instrument cluster capable of providing augmented reality for the built-in navigation system.
Equipped with a 70kWh battery pack, the Airtrek is reportedly paired to a 135kW electric motor to deliver a claimed 520 kilometre driving range under the CLTC testing standard.
With a generous 2830mm wheelbase, the Airtrek focuses on rear seating space – with its dedicated electric vehicle platform and completely flat floor also working to boost comfort.
The Airtrek is set to go on sale exclusively for the Chinese market in early 2022, with international markets likely to see the continued prioritisation of PHEV models before a global electric SUV – probably based on the Nissan Ariya – is introduced.
2022 Mitsubishi Airtrek: China-only electric SUV revives old nameplate.
Voyah Dreamer
The luxury minivan is as popular as ever in Asia, with Voyah – the luxury arm of Dongfeng – debuting its new electric Dreamer van at the motor show. The design of the Dreamer is dominated by a monster front grille similar in nature to the Lexus LM, alongside a large glasshouse, chrome accents, electronically sliding rear doors and LED tail-lights.
Larger than the aforementioned Lexus LM and Buick GL8 Avenir luxury minivans, the Dreamer sports a capacious footprint at 5315mm long, 1980mm wide and 1810mm tall, with a large 3200mm wheelbase.
Based on Dongfeng’s latest Electric Smart Secure Architecture (ESSA), the Dreamer will also be available with a plug-in hybrid powertrain – alongside a fully-electric version.
The company is yet to provide details surrounding its EV powertrain, however the related Voyah Free SUV is fitted with an 88kWh battery pack and dual electric motors good for 510kW of power and 1040Nm of torque in flagship all-wheel drive guise.
Inside, the Dreamer picks up a full-width instrument panel across the dashboard, and an abundant amount of second-row space thanks to a 2+2 seating configuration.
XPeng G9
Xiaopeng Motors, commonly known as XPeng, has revealed its range-topping SUV, the G9, at the motor show. Designed with international markets in mind, the XPeng G9 is set to compete with the Tesla Model Y – in addition to the Chinese Nio ES6 and Li Xiang One SUVs.
According to the manufacturer, the G9 has been developed to be compliant with a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating, as well as the European Union’s stringent WVTA vehicle certification standards. There are clear European ambitions here, with the company already introducing its flagship P7 electric sedan in Norway during August 2021.
The slim daytime running lamps of the G9 span the front of the car, with a pair of LiDAR sensors situated beneath the LED headlights. The model will become the first XPeng vehicle fitted with the brand’s ‘XPilot 4.0’ active safety suite, which is claimed to offer “full-scenario assisted smart driving from vehicle start-up to parking.”
Over-the-air software updates will also be available through a 5G network connection, with XPeng claiming an update time of less than thirty minutes.
No interior images or specific powertrain details have been announced, however XPeng is likely to provide more details when the G9 goes on sale in China and other markets later in 2022.
Concept car debuts
Buick GL8 Flagship Concept
Another reveal, another luxury minivan. This time we’re looking at a futuristic concept from Buick, previewing the brand’s next-generation design language with sleek styling and a plethora of swish technology.
Developed in Shanghai by SAIC and General Motors, the GL8 Flagship Concept takes the minivan to the next level with two-tone paint and sharp design elements – including an illuminated grille and large multi-spoke alloy wheels, as well as cascading tail-lights.
An extremely plush experience can be found inside, with a rotating passenger seat and a couch-like rear bench seat designed with ‘zero gravity suspension’ to ensure optimum comfort. The driver is treated to a 30-inch freestanding display, integrated steering wheel touchscreen and full-width head-up display – with nearly all vehicle functions controllable through voice commands.
Buick claims the concept vehicle is fitted with Vehicle-to-X (V2X) technology, allowing the GL8 Flagship to communicate between vehicles, people, infrastructure and the cloud.
Buick Smart Pod
The Buick Smart Pod is another futuristic minivan concept previewing an autonomous people-mover of the future.
Built on the same Ultium electric vehicle platform as the Cadillac Lyriq, the Smart Pod is closely reminiscent of the Porsche Vision Renndienst concept, with weirdly positioned body-coloured windows, large alloy wheels and short overhangs. The exterior of the Smart Pod also incorporates micro-LED headlights and tail-lights that are hidden when not in use.
Offering sublime comfort for four passengers, the Smart Pod features independent reclining rear seats with the ability to provide a bed-like sleep mode.
The concept also sports a retractable 50-inch display, in addition to a virtual cockpit with artificial intelligence, voice commands and eye-tracking technology. The data provided on the head-up display can also be projected on the side windows.
GAC Vision Emkoo
Launched at the auto show, the GAC Vision Emkoo Concept is headlined by its bold sci-fi design language, incorporating a monstrous front grille with integrated LED lighting and fastback-like rear end.
In addition, there’s also hidden wheels and an interior design that is said to be inspired by the shock wave from breaking the sound barrier.
GWM King Kong Supercar Pickup Concept
Based on the GWM King Kong dual-cab ute unveiled at the motor show, the Supercar Pickup Concept ups the ante with a wide body kit and lowered suspension, plus large black alloy wheels with yellow rings and front camber, and a stylish rear sports bar.
Wider front fenders, aerodynamic side steps and a rear spoiler also add to the design concept, as do chrome-finished claws below the regular King Kong’s headlight design. Finally, the Supercar Pickup Concept also gains dark tinted windows, quadruple exhaust pipes and a large rear diffuser.
With no details surrounding what lies under the bonnet of the GWM King Kong Supercar Pickup Concept, it is likely propelled by one of the King Kong’s two engines: a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol or turbo-diesel of the same capacity.
Honda e:N SUV and e:N Coupe
Designed to preview a number of Honda electric vehicles set to launch in China over the next five years, the e:N SUV and Coupe concepts demonstrate an angular styling approach with sharp front and rear lighting elements.
The two concepts are reportedly underpinned by Honda’s new ‘e:N Architecture’ that will feature on a number of e:N-branded cars, with batteries set to be supplied by Chinese battery manufacturer CATL.
Hycan Concept S
The Hycan Concept S is an electric four-door sports coupe designed to target a younger audience in China, with a front light bar stretching into a pair of sleek headlights and similarly-styled tail-lights that span across the entire rear end of the concept.
Low-profile tyres hide behind large concept-like alloy wheels, while narrow side mirrors indicate a focus on aerodynamics.
Not much else is known about the Concept S, however the Hycan brand was launched in 2019 under a joint-venture between GAC Group and NIO Inc. Since then, the company has launched two electric SUV models: the 007 and the Z03.
Salon Mecha Dragon
Adding to the growing number of Great Wall Motors sub-brands, Salon is the latest addition to a range of brands including GWM, Haval, Wey, Tank and Ora.
The first model from Salon is the Mecha Dragon near-production concept, which sports an 800-volt electric architecture with up to 480kW of power and an 802 kilometre range – with just 10 minutes of rapid fast-charging set to be capable of adding 401km of range to the vehicle.
As with many other vehicles revealed at the show, the Mecha Dragon features a number of separate widescreen displays that span wall-to-wall across the dashboard. GWM states the concept is capable of going from 0-100km/h in just 3.7 seconds.
UPDATE, May 26 2022: The updated Karoq is now on sale in Australia, which you can read about at the linke below. The rest of this story remains unchanged, but our latest reviews are also linked below.
The story to here
November 23, 2021: Video released
A new teaser video for the upcoming 2022 Skoda Karoq has been released today, ahead of the new-look small SUV’s November 30 unveiling.
The new clip, which follows a set of stylised teaser sketches released earlier this month, shows the Karoq will debut a slimmer headlight design, while the rear features a simplified take on the current hooked tail lamps.
Subtly redesigned bumpers will also appear at both ends.
Although not shown in the video, the Karoq is also promised to deliver upgraded technology, which could mean we’ll see larger displays in the cabin and new safety gear.
Catch the video above, and watch for all to be revealed on November 30.
November 17, 2021: Facelifted Karoq previewed
Key Points
- Current Karoq was first launched in 2017
- Facelift expected to only bring cosmetic changes, none mechanical
- Revised model will be officially revealed on November 30
November 17: Skoda’s small SUV is set for a facelift by the end of the month, with the Karoq in line to be updated for the first time since 2017.
Teased by the Czech manufacturer ahead of its physical reveal on November 30, the design sketches show a revised front appearance, which brings it in line with the latest Skoda design language – reflecting recently updated models such as the Octavia and Kodiaq.
A wider grille takes centre stage with thinner LED headlights flanking it on either side, each featuring two split daytime running lights as opposed to the single, unbroken version in each unit as is currently available.
The facelift isn’t limited to the front, as the sketches also show off a redesigned rear end, with a longer rear spoiler and black diffuser highlighting the top and bottom of the back section.
As with the front lights, the tail-lights are also now slimmer and wider, giving the Karoq a sharper look from behind – while the ‘Skoda” lettering across the boot remains, having been changed from the central badge in 2020.
Skoda says the 2022 Karoq will feature a ‘technical tune-up’, but did not provide details as to what may be changed on the revised model, with a small engine output variation the most likely outcome.
This is poetic. Recently I aimed a backhanded swipe at car-cleaning snobs and now I’m about to be smitten by the gods of detailing. I’m in an Aston Martin Vantage Roadster. More specifically, the car is in a no-touch laser wash machine in Moe and the mechanism is trying to write itself off. The car lurches and bucks as the gantry groans and warps into parallelograms.
I consider how the insurance claim for a car wash gone rogue is going to play out. Then it’s over. Normality resumes, the wash and wax spraying continues, and Victoria’s magnitude 5.9 earthquake activity subsides for another thousand years.
In a unique contribution to consumer journalism, I can confirm that there is little to no scuttle shake in the Vantage Roadster during moderate seismic events.
We’re en route to Walhalla, a tiny gold mining village nestled deep in the folds of the Dividing Range. The bitumen dead-ends there, so we’ll loop back on ourselves and then drop down into the Thomson catchment and finish up at the remote dam. On a weekday it’s a particularly quiet spot, perfect for stretching the legs of the Aston without bothering anybody else.
This is my first time behind the wheel of any version of the current Vantage, the Roadster being launched in 2020. This particular car nominally wears an RRP of $314,635, but with a restrained dabble through the options menu, this one’s carrying a price-as-tested of $384,036.
Taking that first figure into consideration, it significantly undercuts the $347,700 Porsche 992 Carrera GTS Cabriolet, and given that the 911 fronts up with 353kW and 570Nm versus the Brit’s 375kW and 685Nm, there’s some respectable bang for your big bunch of bucks with the Vantage.
It feels conspicuous in Moe, the blue-collar coal town in the Latrobe Valley seemingly on tickover this morning. Cloud sits on the hilltops, dulling the Zaffre blue paintwork, but as soon as the sun peaks through, the colour erupts into a riotously extrovert dazzle.
The road out threads through the scruffy industrial suburbs and then reaches for the Baw Baw hills. It’s near-perfect for the warm 4.0-litre V8, with long bends and decent sightlines.
The Aston’s suspension can be set into three modes: Sport, Sport+ and Track. Then there’s a separate drive mode button which offers the same three modes for powertrain attributes, exhaust and steering. Now we’re out of town, I’ve switched it into Sport for the suspension and Sport+ for the rest.
The AMG genetics aren’t too deeply buried, Sport+ and Track modes delivering a punchy pop-bang on sharp throttle lifts. With the hood down and plenty of rock walls lining the road as it climbs to the plantations around Moondarra, it’s a joy to carom the reports off one rock face and then hear it reflected back a second later from the other side of the valley.
The coding for the ZF eight-speed automatic is entirely too mannered in Sport, defaulting to seventh or eighth seemingly at the earliest opportunity, but Sport+ is a good deal crisper. Should you want to take control of the transmission yourself, just pluck one of the long column-mounted paddles and it’ll instantly switch into manual mode.
A long pull on the right-hand paddle then slurs it back into automatic. The paddles themselves are beautiful, cool-touch aluminium with a perfect curve to their obverse faces that you can hook a digit into.
The initial impression is of solidity. That’s no bad thing. I’ve driven some fairly flaky Astons in the past, yet this one not only feels chunkily bombproof, but it also feels like an Aston Martin. Sounds trite, I know, but there’s so much AMG in this DNA that there was always the risk that the Vantage could have come off as a Brit with a decidedly German accent. That’s good. Not so clever is the rather vintage infotainment architecture.
The small screen that sits proud of the dash houses a system that would have seemed superannuated five years ago. There’s no touchscreen functionality and there’s no smartphone mirroring. While the COMAND-based functionality of what you do have is fairly easy to navigate via a touch pad and wheel, it has you starting to look for other areas where the Vantage is off the pace.
There’s no wireless charging pad nor head-up display. Should that matter? In purist terms not really, but details matter.
Aston Martin’s boss Tobias Moers knows this and it’s on his priority list. This Vantage wears the revised Vane grille rather than the old Hunter design and more updates are coming, fast. The manual transmission option has been ditched and a whole suite of changes are incoming for the mid-life facelift.
“In addition to design changes and functional improvements, the interiors will be totally reworked with up-to-date connectivity, enhanced digitisation and new assistance systems,” Moers said. “We’re also going to rethink the AMR sub-brand. The cars should be more dynamic in the way they look and drive.”
That last point is interesting. There’s no doubt that a Porsche 992 Cabriolet would be a faster thing on the backroads towards Walhalla, but would it be more rewarding? I’m not sure. The Vantage is a captivating thing, plenty fast enough to get you juiced on road yet civilised enough to offer something when you’ve kicked the pace back.
We find a quiet corner for some photography and scuttle the Aston through at moderate pace only for the front to ground painfully onto the bitumen as the camber fizzles. I’m mortified, ducking beneath the car to see where the piano black plastics now wear a crazy lattice of fine white scratches. It dents my confidence in the Vantage a bit.
Yes, the adaptive suspension was in its softest mode, but then the car was only travelling at around 50km/h. The dampers just couldn’t support the car’s nose on what looked like an innocuous corner at fairly pedestrian speeds. I think of the genius of vehicle attributes boss Matt Becker and wonder how such a shortcoming would have been signed off on his watch.
As the day goes on, the pace creeps back up and it never happens again. I’m prepared to give the Vantage the benefit of the doubt. Perhaps it was just a very curious piece of road shaping.
We pull into Walhalla for lunch. The village has had a bit of a tough time of things lately, having been hit by a landslide. Looking at the precipitous piles of mining tailings that sit on the other side of Stringer’s Creek, it’s hardly surprising. Edward Stringer himself wasn’t the luckiest of chaps.
The former convict was one of a group of four prospectors who first found gold here back in December 1862. Old Stringer staked his claim but died before he dug an ounce of gold out of the ground, posthumously being awarded the princely sum of £100 for the discovery.
In its heyday, Walhalla was home to 4000 gold-fevered miners. It was named after a productive mine, but in February 1863 prospectors William Myers and John Hinchcliffe found the motherlode, named Cohen’s Reef. The largest single gold seam in Victoria, by 1900 the reef had yielded 1.8 million troy ounces of gold, or around $4.4bn worth at today’s rates.
By 1919 it was all over, the cost of maintaining long tunnels and deep shafts slowly becoming uneconomic. The machinery that extracts the gold from the quartz-based ore was fired by wood-burning steam engines, and this monster was fed by denuding the local forests, timber tramways bringing wood in from further afield until the numbers just didn’t stack up.
Today Walhalla is home to around 20 permanent residents, with Stringer’s Creek occasionally yielding alluvial gold to the trippers who come to pan its gin-clear waters.
The train that once ran to Moe whistles in the valley below, steam marking its progress out of view beneath the dense ferns, stringbarks and cycads. Time to press on towards our destination, Thomson Dam. There’s a good deal of fundamental rightness about the Vantage’s dynamics. The chassis feels surprisingly rigid for a non-carbon topless car.
The steering weights up nicely in corners and isn’t overly afflicted by unnatural heft when you cycle through the drive modes. Pedal positioning is excellent and the brake pedal is easy to modulate. All of the basics are done well. Even the steering wheel, which looks so ungainly, with its squircle shape, is good to hold, encouraging a nine- and three-o’clock hand position.
Although it measures just 4465mm from stem to stern, with such minimal overhangs the Vantage features a long wheelbase of 2705mm. A Porsche 992 is comfortably longer yet its wheelbase measures just 2450mm, some 255mm less.
While this means that the Porsche always feels agile, the Aston feels planted and reassuring, telegraphing its intentions explicitly and when it does choose to swing its tail, it’s straightforward to gather back. There’s a benign feel to it that doesn’t dilute how exciting the car is to drive. It just feels onside and is a great fit for its target audience.
We know that this is not a ten-tenths sort of car. Moers is working on that. In order to succeed, the Vantage Roadster doesn’t have to cover too many bases. It needs to look good, sound good and feel like a quality product, and although many would argue that it’s not as pretty as its predecessor, I’d say it fulfils all three of those criteria.
Civilisation seems to end at Rawson. Beyond this tiny village the C481 becomes something very special, at first rollercoastering across lumpy plateaux under huge arcs of sky. Then the trees begin to knit their fingers overhead and the road changes.
Cast into deep shadow, the corners here are different. Water courses across the bitumen in places, while in others there’s a filmy green sheen of algae that never seems to dissipate. From the junction with the seemingly endless dirt of Baw Baw’s South Face Road to the Thomson Dam itself, the road cedes about 130m of altitude and packs a lot of challenge into just 15km.
Blind crests enlivened by lumbering timber trucks, gritty corners that go on an on, demented cambers and a suicidal sub-population of lyrebirds are more than enough to keep you focused. Of course, everything feels a lot faster with the hood down. I’m no great fan of drop-tops, but there’s a magic to immersing yourself in the forest so intimately.
Pull over and the Aston’s idle stop system cuts in. After kilometres of wind buffeting and Affalterbach’s V8 exercising its top registers the silence is shocking. The forest is still. No wind, no birdsong, no insects. The absence of aural clutter seems alien.
It’s a good opportunity to consider the cabin while Ellen Dewar plays catch up. The interior architecture, while well screwed together, lacks the elegance and visual cohesion that Aston Martin is known for.
It’s a manic scatter of buttons, with that oddly shaped wheel and a pair of unexceptional air vents seemingly the central focal point of the dash. You sit low, with the waistline rising near your shoulders. It’s not a car you’ll lazily fat-arm around in.
The hood mechanism is very slick, operating quickly at speeds of up to 50km/h. It’s well insulated too, matched with double-glazed side windows, although such is the chubbiness of the door seals that you need to slam the door as if you’re a character from Grand Theft Auto if it’s not to sit half-catched.
Hood up, headroom is very good, but the rear three-quarter visibility is predictably catastrophic. The simple answer is to drop the top and revel in the sight of those broad hips in the rear view.
We roll down to the dam, past one bend where a Mitsubishi Verada has gone so far Burke and Wills that I wonder how its owner ever got back to the road without a machete and a rope. Bursting out of the woods onto the dam wall, there’s snow-dusted high country visible across the reservoir’s glinting waters.
The catchment looks healthy, the Thomson Reservoir making up just over half the capacity of Melbourne Water’s 10 reservoirs. The village of Rawson was purpose-built for construction workers on the dam, which opened in 1975 and barrages a body of water double the volume of Sydney Harbour.
The earth and rockfill dam looks more than substantial enough to withstand a magnitude 5.9 shaking. The Aston Martin Vantage Roadster feels only slightly less implacable. I didn’t expect to gel with this car, but despite its flaws it has an intriguing and endearing blend of qualities. A keeper? Let’s just call it a durable bond.
The route: 81 kilometres
THERE’s A BIT of everything on offer here: fast sweepers, tight hairpins and blind crests. Look for the long uphill left out of Moe. It’s a blinder. Go steady on the road to Walhalla, but you can open the taps a little more on the way to Thomson Dam. Look out for mud and debris dragged on to the road by logging trucks and be very aware that the road invariably gets wet and mossy towards the dam.
