OFFICIAL PICTURES
NEWS
10 AUTOCAR.CO.UK 2 1 AUGUST 2019
CONFIDENTIAL
VOLKSWAGEN SALES
and marketing boss Jürgen
Stackmann says the brand
isn’t giving up on diesel
yet. “There is nowhere thedate [we give up on diesel]
is written,” he said. “We
believe diesel is great for
certain vehicle types and
long-distance drives, with
unparalleled effi ciency.
We’re the only manufacturer
that has actually grown its
diesel mix. We’ll give it a
strong shot for EU7.”
IT MAY BE ageing but sales
of the Fiat Panda have risen
substantially this year,
thanks to the popular new
City Cross model. The high-
riding, snappily dressed
version looks like a four-
wheel drive (a version you
can still buy) but isn’t.
AUDI’S EVER-GROWING
SUV range makes varying
the design of each model
vital in order to identify
its place in the line-up,
according to Jakob Hirzel,
exterior design leader
of the recently facelifted
Q7. “It’s about character,
and identifying where it
makes sense to make them
different,” he said. “It’s a
much bigger line-up now,
so it’s a challenge to make
sure they all make sense.”
TESLA’S EARLY SUCCESS
helped lay the groundwork
for other electric car makers,
according to Byton CEOCarsten Breitfeld. “They
did a great job to build
up this premium electric
brand. They changed the
perceptions of people,” he
said. Hiring designers and
engineers for the upcoming
M-Byte SUV was that much
easier because “no one is
questioning the potential of
electric cars any more. No
one would say an electric car
is something boring”.
EQV leads as first posh MPV EV
Mercedes-Benz reveals all-electric eight-seater with 252-mile range
M
ercedes-Benz has
launched its new EQV,
its second production
electric vehicle, as azero-emission premium MPV.
Previously shown in concept
form, the EQV has been
designed to appeal to fleet and
private buyers with a dual focus
on practicality and comfort.
Mercedes claims a range
of 252 miles from a full
charge, with power stored in
a 90kWh lithium ion battery
pack mounted under the floor
for enhanced dynamics and
maximum interior space. It
can be charged from 10%
capacity to 80% in less
than 45 minutes.
Power is sent through a
fixed-gear transmission to a
The EQV shares its
dimensions with
the regular V-Class
Ultimate roadster is
go, says McLaren
McLAREN HAS CONFIRMED it
is developing a new two-seat
open-cockpit roadster, with
a focus on offering driving“exhilaration”, as its next
Ultimate Series model.
Revealed exclusively by
Autocar (24 July), the as-
yet-unnamed machine will
be limited to 399 examples.
It will sit alongside the track-
focused Senna and 250mph
Speedtail hyper-GT in the
Ultimate Series line-up.
McLaren Automotive boss
Mike Flewitt has promised
that it will “take road-focused
driving pleasure to new
levels”. The open-cockpit
design is intended to connect
the driver with the road.As with all McLaren models,
the roadster’s chassis will
feature extensive use of
carbonfibre and power will
come from a version of the
firm’s long-running 4.0-litre
V8 twin-turbocharged engine.
It will feature “classical
roadster proportions” and use
low-profile dihedral doors.
McLaren is currently taking
expressions of interest for
the new machine. Pricing has
yet to be confirmed, but the
firm says it will sit between
the £750,000 Senna and
£2.1 million Speedtail.
McLaren’s image shows a
stripped-back speedster
look for its 399-run car
Choose six, seven or eight seats
front-mounted electric motor
producing 201bhp and 267lb ft
- enough to propel the 3500kg
EV to a 99mph top speed.
Regenerative braking
maximises range and can be
adjusted using paddles behind
the steering wheel. With the
brake energy regeneration on
its highest setting, Mercedes
says the EQV can be driven with
just the accelerator pedal.
The EQV’s interior
dimensions are the same as
those of the standard V-Class
o n w h i ch i t i s b a s e d , a n d i tcan be used as a six, seven or
eight-seater. The EQV will be
built in two sizes, but only the
long-wheelbase variant will be
sold in the UK.
Mercedes’ MBUX
infotainment system comes as
standard, with a 10in high-
definition display offering live
energy flow and consumption
data. The system also supports
voice control, plus pre-journey
temperature and navigation
configuration via an app.
European EQV buyers will be
able to use the Ionity charging
network, which will comprise
400 rapid-charging stations
across Europe by next year.
The EQV retains the
silhouette, dimensions and
overall styling of the V-Class
but features an EQC-aping
black front panel in place of a
grille and bespoke 18in alloy
wheels, as well as gold and blue
interior trim accents.
It will be built alongside the
conventionally fuelled Vito and
V-Class at Mercedes’ Vitoria
commercial vehicle factory in
Spain, enabling production of
the new model to be adjusted
easily to suit changing
customer demand.
The EQV is set to go on sale
by 2021 at an expected starting
price of around £61,000,
roughly £11,000 more than the
entry-level V-Class.
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