Outlander’s official unveiling less revealing

Days after images of the next-gen edition without disguise hit the internet, Mitsubishi sends out a shadowy sneak preview that reveals little.

This and other images of what appears to be the next Outlander were posted on the web days ago.

INTENT by Mitsubishi to maintain an air of mystery with the next Outlander that is expected to come on sale here in 2021 seems set to proceed, regardless that unexpurgated images of the model have already hit the web.

Today distributors, included Mitsubishi Motors New Zealand, sent out an official shadowy image, that of course discloses little detail, as part of a build-up to the car’s full official unveiling, timed for February.

There’s just one catch to keeping the suspense up – the cover asppears to have been completely blown.

Images of a car without any camouflage have been racing around the internet for most of this week.

Mitsubishi distributors sent this extremely shadowy image out today.

Those pictures, seen here, purport to show a car in a public area and were posted first on Instagram account @allcarnews, then subsequently picked up by other websites, including Australia’s CarAdvice.

 The account claims the car was snapped while sitting in an open car park.

The new Outlander looks to share the bulk of its design with the Engelberg Tourer, a concept that was revealed at the 2019 Geneva motor show.

The ‘caught-out’ car carries the brand's current design language, showcasing slim headlights and pointed front facia.

It's expected the vehicle will share its underpinnings with the upcoming Nissan X-Trail, a result of platform-sharing within the Nissan-Renault-Mitsubishi Alliance. Some sites suggest an uncanny resemblance to the Nissan at the D-pillar.

According to a report from a US website, CarBuzz, the new Outlander will be powered by the X-Trail's 2.5-litre petrol four-cylinder engine, producing 135kW and 245Nm in its American tuning.

There will also be a replacement for the Outlander PHEV, but that comes later. The present model uses a 2.4-litre petrol four-cylinder mated to two electric motors mounted on each axle, with 60kW at the front and 70kW at the rear, and powered by a 13.8kWh battery pack.

Last year’s Engelberg Tourer concept

Electric Caddies for GMSV push?

General Motors’ electric strategy affects every brand, so what possibility GMSV could provide a conduit for the NZ market?

Lyriq kicks off the Cadillac electric push … and other models are close behind

HOW would you feel if the new General Motors Special Vehicles’ operation, in addition to selling NZ market-prepped Chevrolet Silverado pick-ups and Corvettes, also started supplying electric Cadillacs?

Conceivably, that it could happen. Insomuch as, when asked about this very scenario, the reply from the retail organisation that fills in the gap left by Holden Special Vehicles departing the scene was … well, intriguing. 

Here’s a hard fact: No maker is resisting the shift away from fossil fuels and toward battery-compelled products, Cadillac included. General Motors’ high-end marque figures in a GM commitment to having 30 electric vehicles by 2025, including 10 for availability outside of North America. One of those is Cadillac’s first battery-compelled car, the Lyriq crossover, due out in the US next year. 

Bear in mind this, also. Even though GM determined in mid-February to leave all right-hand-drive markets – a decision that finished off Holden – it remains in that game. 

The C8 Corvette coming in 2021 is factory-built in that format (it was basically production-ready when GM announced its exit strategy) and GMSV will distribute it. It is also continuing availability of Silverado pickups locally converted to right-hand drive – a business previously handled by Holden Special vehicles.  

And there’s this: Media speculation – never outright denied by GMSV – is that if it is to add more US-sourced models for Australasia, they will be Cadillacs.

Cadillac is now in the EV business. Its first battery model, the Lyriq crossover, is on sale in 2022 and the Celestiq, a fastbacked large luxury car, and a full-size SUV are also confirmed. There’s also been talk of a sports car.

Some of America’s Cadillac dealers are declining electric plug ‘n play.

Tasty? There’s no confirmation of any of these every selling outside of North America, but it’s worth keeping in mind that EVs are a relative cinch to transform from left to right hand drive because … well, no pesky engine under the bonnet to work around. 

So with all that, it seemed relevant to ask GMSV whether those potential products might include electric vehicles. 

The response? “We will continue to examine opportunities to bring vehicles to Australia and New Zealand that we believe can compete strongly in their segments, but we don’t have anything to announce at the moment.” 

Not everyone in Cadillac support club likes the idea of a mains electricty-refreshed future. Subsequent to the Lyriq being unveiled in August, around 150 of the marque’s 880 domestic US dealers have decided they’d rather take buyouts from GM than make upgrades required to sell electric vehicles. The estimated spend to include charging stations, training of employees and lifts that can carry EV batteries comes to around $NZ284,000 per dealership.

The cost to prepare at retail level is but a fraction of what GM intends to spend over the next few years; in November it made clear that targets established at the beginning of 2020 have changed. Now intention is to unveil more electric cars, trucks and SUVs than previously announced and that it will produce many of them sooner than originally planned.

GM will also lift the budget for all-electric, autonomous vehicles and battery development over the next five years to $NZ39 billion, an increase of $NZ10.1 billion over initial plans announced in March. 

GM has high confidence in its Ultium battery programme.

All its US domestic market brands will provision electric cars to ensure availability at “all price points for work, adventure, performance and family use.”

GM has also created a new division, EV Growth Operations, dedicated to creating new electric vehicle models and the software and services to go with them. It anticipates that within five years, 40 percent of GM models sold in the US will be electric.

Some will have a new proprietary battery system, called Ultium, which GM believes presents a breakthrough for cost, packaging and range. GM says Ultium cars can clock 750kms before need for recharging.

Cadillac aside, there are also big plans for Hummer, GMC, Chevrolet and Buick.

In addition to the Hummer EV pickup, GMC will add a Hummer EV SUV and these will eventually be joined by a mainstream electric pickup, also with GMC branding.

Chevrolet will release a replacement for the Bolt electric hatchback it presently sells in the US and Canada. Additionally, it will have an electric full-size pickup plus several SUVs and cars, though there’s never been an indication Corvette will join the electric charge. Buick has two SUVs.

All these brands have previously represented in New Zealand, though it’s been a long time between drinks for some.

Hummer has been reborn as an electric vehicle brand.

Top three of 2020

This site’s three writers were asked a simple question … of all the vehicles driven in 2020, which one resonated the most?

ANNOUNCEMENT tomorrow night of New Zealand Car of the Year seemed a good opportunity to put a simple question to the three contributing writers to MotoringNZ.com.

Which was? “Select, from all the New Zealand-new vehicles they tried in 2020, the one you’d most wish could take permanent residence in your garage and explain why, in no more than 50 words”.

Let’s lift the garage door and see what’s behind.

Rob Maetzig – Toyota Yaris Cross hybrid

Why did this car impress? Three reasons. First, it is a compact sports utility, which means it competes in the hottest market segment. Second, it is electrified which is extremely important in these carbon footprint-centric times. And thirdly, it’s a little beauty to drive. 

Colin Smith – Ford Focus ST

 Because? It continues the ST hot-hatch bloodline and edges a step closer to the car you can’t buy any more – the Focus RS. The Toyota GR Yaris is a touch more exciting but the space and practicality of the Focus ST makes it a performance car all-rounder.

Richard Bosselman – Land Rover Defender

 … or the Toyota Yaris GR. They’re both astounding, engaging. Yet, it has to be the Land Rover. No disrespecting the hot Yaris, but Defender is more serious; it’s a tool, it’s a family, with a range of styles and engines, including a plug-in hybrid. Reaching a broad audience, it is also more vital and more from the maker’s heart. One other plus. It makes every rival feel even more ancient than some already are. My pick for NZCOTY.

Crash test plaudits for Defender and Sorento

Five star results for large sports utilities in NZ market form.

TWO large sports utilities recently introduced to New Zealand have both received five star scores from the nationally-recognised safety ratings agency, one from testing in Europe and the other as result of a process undertaken in Australia.

The Land Rover Defender’s score comes from a test undertaken by European New Car Assessment Programme (NCAP) and applies to the long-wheel-based, five-door 110 model that is on sale in NZ, and not the short-wheelbase three-door 90 yet to release.

The Kia Sorento’s outcome was also determined by the European agency, however the score it gets comes with stamp from its Australasian sister organisation, ANCAP.

This is a procedural process but means that the ANCAP rating is only relevant to the 2.2-litre turbodiesel, all-wheel-drive variants – the only choice in Europe - and not any front-wheel-drive, 3.5-litre petrol V6 Sorentos that are built for other places. Those go unrated.

Helping the Sorento achieve its five-star safety rating and 82 per cent score in the Adult Occupant Protection category is the inclusion of a centre airbag, designed to prevent front occupants colliding with one another in a severe side impact.

It is only the third vehicle – and the first family SUV – with such a technology to be tested by Australasian or European safety authorities.

The Sorento received an 89 percent score in the Safety Assist category – the highest since the introduction of ANCAP's stricter 2020 testing protocols – with the safety body celebrating Kia's inclusion of driver attention monitoring as standard, and an autonomous emergency braking system capable of braking for cars turning across intersections.

Kia's new-generation family SUV also earned scores in the Child Occupant Protection and Vulnerable Road User Protection (i.e. cyclists and pedestrians) categories of 85 per cent and 63 per cent respectively.

However, ANCAP's technical report notes 'weak' protection of the driver's chest and upper legs in the frontal offset crash test, and 'poor' protection of a pedestrian's pelvis and head, the latter applying if their head strikes the base of the stiff A-pillars.

The Defender 110 received a solid 85 percent rating in the Adult occupant protection test (scoring 32.5 of 38 points).

 In this test, the Defender scored well in the lateral impact (scoring 15 of 16 points), rear impact (scoring 3.8 of 4 points) and rescue and extrication categories (scoring 2 of 2 points). It was the frontal impact category that the Defender 110 lost points, in scoring 11.7 of 16 points.

In the child occupant test, the Defender scored 85 percent yet again (scoring 41.7 of 49 points). In the Crash Test Performance based on 6- and 10-year-old children category, the Defender received a perfect score (24 of 24 points).

 It scored well in the child restraints (CRS) installation check as well, securing 10.7 out of 12 points. The only area the SUV lost out on was the safety features category (scoring 7 of 13 points), as it doesn’t have integrated child restraints and doesn’t have child-seat mounting points in the middle seat of the second row or in the third row.

The Defender scored 71 percent (38.4 of 48 points) in the vulnerable road users test, with the only major area of concern being the front edge of the bonnet, which provided poor protection to pedestrians. Lastly, it scored 79 percent (12.7 of 16 points) in the safety assist system category.

NZ Car of the Year countdown begins

Contenders for the country’s annual motoring title are starring on television tonight

THE PRELUDE to the announcement of the New Zealand Car of the Year features on a high-rating television show tonight.

The 10 contenders for the 33rd winner of the national title, meted annually by the New Zealand Motoring Writers’ Guild, will be assessed tonight by hosts of Television One’s ‘Seven Sharp’ programme.

The programme continues its COTY coverage tomorrow night, announcing the winner live at the culmination of the half hour current affairs programme, which screens from 7pm. 

The Guild membership comprises automotive journalists from around the country. The NZCOTY has established as the country’s most coveted motoring award and it has an unequalled history among various motoring prizes, with announcement annually since 1988.

Guild president Richard Edwards suggests the award’s mana comes down to it and the provider organisation having a good reputation. 

The selection of finalists is a robust and comprehensive process, which culminates in a vote involving more than 20 journalists and the Guild is fiercely independent “which not only adds to its credibility but also the high regard in which the award is held by the entire industry.” The input from Seven Sharp hosts Hilary Barry and Jeremy Wells is extramural to the voting process, but has added an extra flavour in the three years of the programme’s involvement.

The 2020 finalists were announced in November. Eight of the 10 finalists are from the SUV sector, which now commands huge interest from consumers, and two are from the small car segment. One is a full electric vehicle.

The award involves the local distributor of the winning vehicle receiving the Peter Greenslade Trophy, named after a founding Guild member. The present holder is Jaguar New Zealand, whose i-Pace electric SUV won in 2019.

Contenders, in alphabetical order, are Audi Q3, Ford Fiesta, Kia Seltos, Land Rover Defender, Mazda CX-30, Mercedes EQC, Mercedes GLB, Peugeot 2008, Skoda Kamiq and Toyota Yaris.

South Island enthusiast snares single special F-Type

The Heritage 60 Edition seems likely to carry a hefty premium over the standard supercharged V8 donor.

SIXTY are being created to celebrate the E-Type's 60th birthday, just one is earmarked for New Zealand … and it’s already been spoken for.

 That’s the synopsis for the 2021 Jaguar F-Type Heritage 60 Edition, a special edition officially unveiled yesterday.

Coupes and convertibles are being produced, but it appears the open-air editions aren’t destined for this part of the world.

The single coupe locked in for Kiwi consumption has been signed off to a South Island fan, with mid-2021 delivery looking likely.

The deal appears to have been achieved regardless that final pricing has yet to be resolved, Jaguar New Zealand has indicated.

It won’t be cheap. Jaguar Australia reckons the five coupes it has been allocated will each sell for around $NZ350,000, before on-road costs.

That’s a significant premium over the most raucous version of the donor F-Type R, the P575 R, which is a $214,900 ask here and has the same 5.0-litre supercharged V8 sending 423kW of power and 700Nm of torque to all wheels through an eight-speed automatic transmission.

Performance figures carry over; so a 3.7-second sprint from zero to 100kmh, towards an electronically-limited top speed of 300kmh.

All examples of the special are finished in Sherwood Green – an original E-Type colour, last offered on a new Jaguar in the 1960s – with duo-tone Caraway and Ebony Windsor leather, a combination exclusive to the Heritage 60 Edition.

The cars feature 20-inch gloss black forged alloy wheels, black brake calipers and gloss black and chrome exterior trim accents.

Unique highlights include aluminium centre console trim inspired by the E-Type's rear-view mirror housing, E-Type 60th Anniversary logos embossed into the seat headrests and above the infotainment display, commemorative sill plates, Caraway-edged floor mats and an SV Bespoke 'One of Sixty' plaque.

The anniversary logo is shared shared with six matching pairs of restored, 3.8-litre 1960s E-Types, that are being delivered by Jaguar Classic, the brand’s refurbishment division that dedicates to yesteryear fare.

The resto projects pay tribute to two of the most famous E-Types built, which wore British registration plates '9600 HP' and '77 RW'. These will be known as the E-Type 60 Collection. It’s not known if any of these are earmarked for NZ buyers.

Gymkhana star car also a sneak peek?

US media wonder if the wildest WRX ever built is a test bed for the next STI’s engine.

MORE than just a great video – perhaps also an ultimate pre-release test for the engine set for the next Subaru WRX STi.

So goes speculation in respect to the powerplant in the STI Travis Pastrana’s drives to the limit – and occasionally almost beyond – in the latest of the wild Hoonigan videos, Gymkhana 2020, released today.

Concurrent with the film’s release, Subaru of America has released information about the American driving talent’s brand-provisioned car and the engine under the bonnet – an all-new 2.3-litre boxer four-cylinder making 642kW, the work of Subaru Motorsports USA and technical partner Vermont SportsCar.

As astounding as the output is – and no WRX has had more - it’s the engine’s capacity that has raised even more interest. 

 Subaru does not have a 2.3-litre turbocharged boxer engine in any of its cars; however it’s speculated that the next-gen STI, due out in 2022, will have a version of the new 2.4-litre that runs in the US market Ascent SUV and will debut here next year in the new Outback.

US website TorqueNews says reports “from many sources” say the next-generation Subaru STI will be powered by an Ascent-sourced engine, but with plenty of Subaru Tecnica International upgraded internals to produce close to 390kW.

It speculates “Subaru would use the 2.4-litre turbocharged engine in the 2022 WRX and possibly the all-new 2.3-litre … in the STI. This new engine would give separation to the two performance models, like the current generation.” 

Adds the website: “The Gymkhana STI is the perfect car to test the new powerplant’s reliability and performance capabilities. It gives Subaru plenty of time to tweak the engine before the launch of the next-generation model.”

As you can see from the film, Pastrana gives his new ride a total workout in stunt sequences with planes, boats, action sports athletes, and significant landmarks in the driver’s home town of Annapolis, the historic capital of the US state of Maryland. 

The high-flying gap jump over a racing speedboat that kicks the action off is over Annapolis’ famous Ego Alley waterway.

Subaru says they started with a production Subaru WRX STI shell. The car was fully caged and lightened to just 113kg. That’s around 360kg lighter than a standard STI as sold in the US.

Bentley’s assault with battery outlined

It all starts with a slightly lofty, swoopy sedan with leading edge tech smarts.

IMAGINE the EXP 100 GT concept as a four-door sedan with a crossover stance and, according to an overseas report, that’s a fairly accurate representation of the direction being taken by Bentley’s first full electric car.

The pioneering model will be the first of a number of battery-reliant products the Volkswagen Group-owned high-brow Brit brand will deliver into showrooms from 2025, according to latest information rolling out. 

This builds on the November 5 announcement that Bentley will drop all combustion engines in the next decade, will produce plug-in hybrid and all-electric cars starting in 2026 and aim to be all-electric from 2030. 

A new report by the website for top British motoring weekly Autocar suggests Bentley’s first EV will be in the same vein as a Jaguar I-Pace; standing slightly taller to accommodate the underfloor batteries. However, it won’t push up to the extent of a traditional SUV.  

It will also be an electric with a smart edge, being one of the first cars to use a new Audi-developed luxury car platform. 

The architecture is from Project Artemis, an Audi-led initiative aimed at developing new technologies for electric, highly automated cars. 

Artemis cars – the Bentley, an Audi and probably a Porsche at this point - all base off a single reference, which VW Group has recently identified as Landjet, that is less an underpinning in an engineering sense and more a technology set.

Landjet will enable 5G connectivity functions, including extensive use of ‘car-to-X’ features, over-the-air upgrades, and augmented reality, as well as top-of-the-line battery cell, electric drivetrain, and autonomous driving technology.  

Bentley’s specific model plan, Beyond 100, is already under way with two plug-in hybrid models coming out next year, but the bigger step is that breakthrough electric vehicle, coming to market in 2025.

It will have more generous ground clearance than the EXP 100 GT, a highly-acclaimed styling study Bentley revealed last year, but will draw design cues from that car (seen here) and might also have some links with an Audi concept of 2018, called Aicon.

Bentley bosses are not expecting a major leap in battery technology any time soon so the firm’s first electric models will be designed to match the range and weight limitations of current systems with Bentley’s luxury positioning, the report says. The result will be models that differ significantly from Bentley’s current line-up.

Bentley chairman Adrian Hallmark has told Autocar his company hasn’t decided whether future electric models will take on the nameplate and lineage of existing combustion-engined cars.

“Our position is to look at customers and segments. As well as moving to electric, we’re going to adapt our product range because the world is changing.

 “We want to appeal to more women and be more relevant in future urban environments which are very much different to today, and we want to appeal to modern luxury values which are different to ones from 20 years ago.”

Bentley’s ambition synchs into Volkswagen Group’s broader strategy to become a leading producer and seller of electric, connected cars. The Group has set a target to sell about one million electric cars per year by 2025.

Wham bam grand slam ‘super’ Ram for right-hand drive

Australian website says the 523kW TRX monster model is among variants of the new-gen Ram 1500 that’ll be on sale next year.

 RAM-BUNCTIOUS stomp is part of the scenario when New Zealand switches across to the latest generation of Fiat Chrysler’s giant pick-up truck – with confirmation that the TRX supercharged flagship is in the mix. 

The monster truck rival to the Ford F150 Raptor is powered by a supercharged 6.2-litre Hemi V8 – shared with the Dodge Challenger Hellcat and Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk – with an astonishing output of 523kW and 881Nm.

 Even though the TRX is bluff, massive and weighs 2.7 tonnes, Ram claims it’ll still hammer out the 0-100kmh dash in 4.5 seconds and the quarter mile (400m) run in 12.9 seconds at 174kmh. Top speed is rated at 189kmh. That makes it one of the world’s fastest production pick-ups.

Talk of the TRX being in the mix comes as production transition from the Ram 1500 offered brand-new to Kiwis now – the old DS generation model that still circulates Stateside, but as a ‘classic’ variant – to the latest ‘DT series’ RAM 1500 that introduced to America over a year ago is all but complete.  

The Melbourne facility where factory-fresh product is converted into right-hand-drive format for New Zealand and Australia is deep into re-jigging for the new model, which is far more advanced than the one Kiwis are enjoying – and still can. DS availability will continue, in a lower price slot than DT, which can be expected to deliver with a bigger sticker than the current range carries, a reflection of it being vastly more modern. Regardless, with DT comes a new opportunity that’s sure to create extra excitement.

According to Australia’s CarAdvice website, the TRX has been signed off for right-hook reconfiguration, initially as a limited production run from next year. Two are arriving within weeks for early tooling and engineering work.

The website says Ram Trucks Australia has advised its dealers to initially expect a limited run of 200 to 250 vehicles priced between $NZ189,000 and $NZ210,000 – making it the priciest Ram ever offered here, assuming it will be.

 New Zealand’s Ram distributor, Ateco, has yet to speak about the programme and whether it is involved. Given the interest in Ram here, however, it’s difficult to imagine why they wouldn’t want to be.

Pluses, no penalties, with driver monitoring app

Insurer-promoted tech will only reward.

Less proficient drivers who do not score well with the app won’t be penalised, Tower assures.

A LEADING car insurance provider proposing customers adopt phone app that judges their driving style and rewards good habits with a discount on car insurance has assured those who don’t make the cut won’t be censured.

The possibility of drivers being hit with elevated excesses on strength of how they are scored by such technology has become an experience for motorists in the United States.

The GoCarma app advocated by Tower Insurance here appears to be among those available to America’s motoring public, and Tower has confirmed it can access and assess the driving habit data accrued about individual users.

But it has no intention of penalising those who are shown up for doing poorly. 

“If poor driving behaviours are detected it won’t impact the premium that you pay,” a spokesperson said today. 

 “You will earn a lower score on the app but this won’t impact any currently agreed premium. Your score will not affect the premiums you pay or any other conditions of your policy cover.”

 The potential of that was raised in a recent assessment by a top US publication, Forbes magazine, which reminded its readers that data from phone-tracked metrics are commonly shared with the app provider and can work both ways in the US.

It concurs with the proposal that a system that rewards with lower premiums for better driving can be a smart way for good drivers to take advantage of their daily safe driving skills and highlights that, in the US, such apps stand as a useful tool for parents to track new drivers’ behaviour, particularly teenagers. 

However, in the US, there is a catch: Some insurance companies will increase premiums if a driver on the policy scores poorly, Forbes says. 

Its advice: “If you are interested in usage-based insurance, check with your insurer to determine if bad scores will result in higher rates.” 

Tower is thought to be the first insurance provider to tout this technology to Kiwi motorists.

Questions about the potential of penalties, and also much data accrued by individual motorists is used by insurers and how often it is collated, were put to Tower via Auckland public relations firm, We Are Pead, which sent out a release on the insurer’s behalf yesterday. 

It assured there will be no brickbats – just bouquets.

GoCarma works on Android and IOS (so Apple) systems and is operates via Bluetooth. It monitors driving habits in areas like acceleration, braking, cornering and driver distraction (including phone use). 

The PR material says every time users make a trip the app, which is available to people who aren’t customers of the company as well as those who are, scores their driving out of 100 and provides them with personalised feedback on their habits and where they can improve.

Tower specifically says that for its customers, the app can help reduce their insurance excess based on how safely they drive as certain scores will earn them discounts. Scores of 70 plus, 80 plus and 90 plus would earn $100, $200 and $300 off the excess respectively.

Tower acknowledged it has access to the GoCarma data.

“The users’ data is security managed with Tower's app partner. Tower use the driving info to improve the scoring, product development and offer targeting.  

“The data is collected and collated in real time so customers can see their score in the app shortly after they finish their drive.” 

It suggests its concern is that, as much as most Kiwis think they are great drivers, the country’s road toll suggests many over-estimate their abilities.

It says its own research shows nine out of 10 people believe they drive better than the average New Zealander and that just one percent are willing to admit their driving is below average. Almost all – 96 percent - reckon other people need to sharpen up.

Tower does not say how expansive its research programme was but suggests the results show men to be more likely to rate their driving as above average (92 percent) than women (86 percent), and that Kiwis aged 21-30 and 61-70 rated their driving skills highly with 92 percent in each group rating themselves above average.

Tower managing director Michelle James acknowledges in the release that tracking and assessing driving skills has become normalised in insurance in the United States and England. 

She expressed confidence 82 percent of drivers will possibly or absolutely use an app to track their driving, while 85 percent have indicated they’ll give it a go if it leads to better premiums and rewards.

Aston builds a booze bus

DBX by Bowmore is fuelled by the maker’s association with the well-known maker of single malt whiskey.

DRINK drive sensitives are potentially never higher than at this time of the year, so perhaps announcement of an Aston Martin that earns ‘limited edition’ status through a tie-up with a high-end whiskey is bound to raise … well, eyebrows as much as any cheer. 

Aston has explained the impetus for the Bowmore Edition of its DBX sports utility all about capturing the essence of two luxury British brands. 

Bowmore is a known single malt whiskey distillery, sited in Islay, Scotland.

This version of the $330,000 DBX, Aston’s first SUV and considered vital to its maker, was created by the in-house bespoke service, Q by Aston Martin, and only 18 will be made. 

Although Bowmore Edition models are globally available, part of the buy-in is that an owner achieves delivery during a private lifestyle experience at the distillery.

“Aston Martin DBX has provided the perfect canvas for the highest level of Q by Aston Martin customisation,” Aston Martin boss Marek Reichman is quoted in an overnight release.

“The Aston Martin and Bowmore brands share the same vision of creating timeless beauty and a lasting legacy, loyal to their heritage but also embracing new methods and this is reflected in the DBX Bowmore edition.”

A car fuelled by whiskey isn’t to be taken literally – the DBX’s V8 drop of choice is s high octane petrol – but there are plenty of cues.

For instance, Bowmore-branded strips from the copper whiskey stills are inlayed into the side strakes and Bowmore Tweed accents the interior.

Inside, there are polished copper cup holders, while the sill plaques are made from recycled copper from the Bowmore still.

There’s also hand-laid copper foil detailing on the gloss black centre console trim inlay, and each car features a selection of specially designed Q by Aston Martin accessories such as the Bowmore tweed picnic blanket and leather holdall.

One of the bespoke paint colours is called Bowmore Blue, while the other is Xenon Grey.

“We cannot wait to welcome each of the owners of this beautiful car to our distillery on Islay and show them all that Bowmore and our island home have to offer,” says Francois Bazini, global managing director of Scotch at Beam Suntory, owners of Bowmore.

“Although we make entirely different products, our shared values and passion are very much aligned so you can expect more exciting announcements in the future.”

Customer deliveries are planned to take place in the final quarter of next year.

Electric Toyota, Lexus just a year away?

A line drawing and a shadowy image are the latest elements of an information rollout about the new platform-sharing products.

The Toyota BZ series (above) and the as yet unnamed Lexus base off a common platform.

TOYOTA and upmarket spin-off, Lexus, have released additional clues about their first bespoke electric cars, developed off a common platform for potential release next year. 

The brands have each released shadowy images giving a hint of how the Toyota BZ - for ‘beyond zero’ – series and the as-yet-unnamed Lexus will look on release, with industry experts immediately seeing some styling connection between the latter and the LF-30, a concept Lexus displayed at the 2019 Tokyo motor show.

Toyota’s been slow to join the electric car field and for a long time was historically disparaging of the technology, saying it was an unnecessary stop on the journey between the mild-hybrid (so, non-mains replenishable) tech that kicked off with the first Pruis and now proliferates its family and is Kiwi-favoured, to the ultimate future of hydrogen fuel cell motivation.

However, that sentiment ceased when new boss Akio Toyoda took the reins; these brands now have more plug-in hybrid cars – which do rate as EVs – and also have developed the NX300e, a fully battery-reliant version of the smallest Lexus crossover, coming on sale in New Zealand next year. 

The latest announcement from Toyota overnight represents further confirmation of a bigger investment into battery driving.

 Even though the platform they build upon appears related to the new TNGA underpinning now used by many popular Toyotas, these are not conversions of existing products but new cars designed from the get-go to only be compelled by batteries. In short, they’re bespoke. 

Overseas’ reports suggest the BZ series and Lexus are timed to make their public emergences at a common time, but no-one yet quite knows when that will be.

However, 2021 is looking good. Toyota says that it will announce final details on the BZ “in the coming months” and that the model “has already been developed and is being readied for production”. 

Toyota New Zealand’s boss Neeraj Lala, in an interview in June on his first day as chief executive, promised “we’ll have an EV here within the next 18 to 24 months. Just in time for demand.”  

He would not be drawn into saying which badge that tech would sit behind. In hindsight, it’d surely have to be both. 

the LF-30 concept was revealed last year.

A strong styling feature of the Lexus concept is an aggressive bonnet lip over what seems to be a typically complex ‘spindle’ front grille. 

The BZ, meantime, is are expected to roughly the same size as the RAV4 SUV - although the wheelbase is almost certainly likely to be longer than that of the conventionally-powered vehicle, and the front and rear overhangs should be shorter. 

There’s another string to the BZ bow in that it is likely to also be the basis for an electric Subaru; the brands are, of course, partners already with the current and new 86/BRZ – only the latter coming to NZ, next year, as the GR86 (because it’ll be part of the Gazoo Racing tribe).

Onlookers say panel creases highlighted in the BZ sketch make it clear that it and Subaru’s effort, which has been spoken of in the past, are going to share more than their underpinnings.

Says Britain’s AutoExpress: “The lines should translate into a distinctive-looking model with an image unlike anything else in the Toyota range - much as the Prius hybrids have their own identity.”

Toyota calls its new EV platform e-TNGA, and says it is designed to support a wide range of vehicles, since only a few areas of the architecture - notably the space between the front axle and the base of the windscreen - are fixed.

Toyota claims this allows difference widths, lengths, wheelbases and heights - and also says e-TNGA can be fitted with front-, rear- or four-wheel drive, and a range of battery and electric motor capacities. Some of the trademarks registered by Toyota - including BZ4X and BZ5X - would sit easily on a four-wheel-drive vehicle.

Lexus is reportedly hoping that its defined styling and a sophisticated new four-wheel drive system, called DIRECT4, will lend enough distinction between its model and the Toyotas.

The new Lexus set-up uses a motor on each axle and features sophisticated computer hardware and software that can split power and torque depending on the dynamic experience required.

As all this unfolds, Toyota has also stated intention to build another conventional – so petrol and petrol hybrid – SUV to slot between the C-HR and the RAV4.

toyota has displayed various electric car design studies over recent years, including this one from 2018.

M enthusiasts, this is for you

A quick trip to BMW’s fantasy burb where everyone drives … well, need it be spelled out?

HERE’S the latest ‘M Town’ commercial, that features some of the company’s finest performance vehicles ever.

BMW says M Town is the most successful digital campaign it has run for the M division and in this film, dubbed ‘The Drop’, the protagonist drives a red E30 M3 from the BMW M Heritage Fleet.

In total, 18 M models are featured in the video, including the likes of the M2 CS, M4 GTS, M3 GTS, M5, and an E46 M3. The film also provides us with a quick glimpse of the upcoming M3 Touring in the clip, with BMW M chiuef executive Markus Flasch leaning the rear. Plus check out the bloke hefting an electric charger wearing the most powerful letter in the world. A hint an electric M car is coming to those who didn’t already know (spoiler alert: It’s based on the i4 sedan) .

 “M Town is the most successful digital campaign from the BMW M GmbH, particularly as the entire BMW M Community throughout the world actively participates and shapes it,” director of global sales and marketing at BMW M Lothar Schupet.

“This enthusiasm and this identification create that very special something that makes BMW M so unique. Therefore, we are happy to continue this success story with the next film whilst also giving a small glimpse into the future.”

Modest revisions with XV’s mid-life update

Apart from the opportunity to order it with a LOUD colour, implementation of an SI drive and a restyling to bring it in line with the XV Hybrid that landed earlier this year are the biggest changes.

THREE years on from original launch, the second-generation Subaru XV has received a freshen, the biggest single change being to implement the make’s Subaru Intelligent Drive.

SI Drive in Subaru speak is a drive-mode system, already seen in other models, that alters engine mapping to influence torque characteristics and throttle efficiencies. In Premium models SI Drive will include X-Mode — a calibration designed for snow and mud.

The 2021 car can be picked out from achieving a new front bumper, fog lights, grille and an altered side-cladding. Most of the changes are designed to mirror those found on the XV e-Boxer Hybrid, launched locally earlier this year.

A new style of alloy wheel (17-inchers on most models, and 18s on the Premium model), and there’s a vibrant new colour — Plasma Yellow Pearl.

Auto door locks become standard across the range and the Premium achieves front and side-view cameras, and an auto-dipping wing mirror on the passenger side.

Subaru defines the XV as its ‘small SUV’ within a family that also includes

Devil of a time with this famous Lamborghini

On release, it imprinted as the world’s fastest production car.

BEST get used to a heavy, truck-like gear shift and best not look underneath: The basic frame construction is … well … particularly artisan enough to suggest the ‘devil’ is not in the detail.

So says John Bellamore, vehicle collections manager for the country’s top car museum, Southward’s on Wellington’s Kapiti Coast, when discussing a rare gem among the hundreds of cars on display. 

“I drove it down here from Auckland and it was … (expletive deleted). It was probably brilliantly in 1997.” But a reality check by today’s standards. “Ah …. yeah.”

Still, despite all its foibles and shortcomings, he loves the Lamborghini Diablo as being an exemplar of where exotic Italian sports car design stood in the 1990s, a time when it imprinted for a period as the world’s fastest production car.

Today the two-seaters greater strength is an eye-catching attraction. It stands few peers in a collection far from short of marvels of automobilia – the dramatic, impossibly low wedge shape almost as wide as it is long, those trademark scissor doors… and, of course, that absolute beast of an engine, a 5.7-litre V12.

On top of that, the Southward collection’s car is an ultra rare open top version, called the Spyder, thought be one of just two of two produced by the factory in the year of its manufacture, 1997.

Why talk about Diablo today? Because Lamborghini has taken time out to recall this being the week when, 30 years ago, this car went into production.

The car’s story, however, began five years before with the Project 132. Styled by Marcello Gandini, it was then revised by Chrysler’s Design Centre, as the American car maker became the majority shareholder in the Italian company in the meantime.

It was tuned with input from famous rally champion Sandro Munari and officially stood as the fastest production car in the world at the time of its launch, capable of a top speed of 325 km/h. 

The first iteration was a handful: No power steering and electronic driving aids, yet it did feature leather upholstery, electric windows, electrically adjustable seats and air conditioning.

Four-wheel drive was introduced in 1993 in the Diablo VT,  also featured other mechanical and visual improvements.  

The SE30 boasted 390kW, a considerable step up from the original’s 361kW and 580Nm of torque, though the 6.0-litre unit in the special series models and racers was even gruntier.

Two years later, the saga continued with the Diablo that was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show and had rear-wheel drive, 380kW and an adjustable rear wing.  

The open-top variant was launched in December of 1995 as the brand’s first 12-cylinder, mass-produced convertible, with four-wheel drive and revised styling. 

With Audi purchasing Lamborghini in 1999, the Diablo was upgraded once more.

Top designer Luc Donckerwolke left his signature on the supercar, which was joined by the VT and VT Roadster.

All three were updated inside and out, and the engine developed 369kW and 605Nm of torque. Moreover, for the first time, the Diablo came with ABS and variable valve lift system.

However, all through its life the Diablo maintained a chassis and construction that was, well, “interesting”, Bellamore says.

“If you ever look underneath one … well, the tube in the chassis is basically all inch box section. It’s just not what you’d expect with a lumping V12 sitting in the back there.”

He is upfront that the Diablo was a second choice car when they got it; the aim was to secure the car it replaced, the Countach, but one could not be bought for love nor money.

In hindsight, though, the Diablo has proven to be worthy of selection, because it’s just a magnet for attention.

The doors were the famous touch and the design was a credit to them, he says.

With 2903 units built, the Diablo was eventually retired in 2001 and was replaced by the Murcielago, which was then replaced by the Aventador in 2011.

Buddy's winning heaps of mates

Start with a Toyota RAV4, render in classic Chevrolet sports utility cues … and, it’s the start of a special friendship.

SEEMS everyone wants to meet the Buddy, a Toyota RAV4 alchemised into something like an American Chevrolet sports utility from the 1980s.

It’s the latest work from Japan’s 10th largest passenger vehicle producer, a brand you can only name check from used import rosters, and since being revealed in Japan last month has attracted so much attention the entire production for the next two years is accounted for.

Mitsuoka Motors doesn’t export, yet even so it has developed something of a worldwide reputation for its speciality  - putting a retro spin on popular modern models.  

It’s been busy in recent years with the Himiko, a rebody of the previous generation of the world’s best selling sports car, the Mazda MX-5, so that it looks a bit like a 1980s’ Morgan, and the Viewt, a half-scale homage to the legendary Jaguar Mk II of the 1960s. Based off the Nissan March, which was sold new here as the Micra until five years ago, that one stayed in production for 25 years and achieved sales exceeding 12,000 units. A small number has found their way to NZ.

Those cars are now yesterday’s news. Consumers are now hankering for sports utilities – and so the Buddy was born to meet that demand.

The design influence comes from the Chevrolet Blazer pick up truck-based wagons produced for North America in the early 1980s.

The shiny grille and the two-piece rectangular headlights and the rear-end reshape are particularly reminiscent.

Even though the donor model has a relatively squared silhouette, the Buddy is much boxier still, so quite a few exterior panels have been replaced or at least altered.

The wheels as well. Buyers can order the Buddy with ‘dog dish’ hubcaps and vintage-looking wheels.  

Once again, the reproduction is a physically smaller vehicle than those that it draws inspiration from.

Don't expect to find a 454-cubic-inch V8 in the engine bay or a period-correct column shift  transmission; Mitsuoka has kept the original Toyota drivetrain in place.  

In this respect, though, the Buddy is at the leading edge of technology, in that the top version is provisioned with the electric-assisted 2.5-litre petrol hybrid setup that has become the most popular choice for Kiwi RAV4 buyers. 

AS said, if you’d like an example of this artisan car, be prepared to join a long queue. Mitsuoka doesn’t work in high volumes. They reckon on knocking out 50 next years and 150 in 2022 - and every build slot for the next two years is spoken for.

 Pricing for the Buddy starts at the equivalent of $64,000 for the non-electrified model and rises to just under $84k for the hybrid.

Audi’s baby Q joins plug-in hybrid gang

No word yet about NZ introduction timing.

THE SMALLEST offer in Audi’s sports utility portfolio has joined the plug-in hybrid club.

There’s no word from Audi New Zealand about when the Q3 TFSIe will become available here, but it goes on sale in Europe in March. 

The new edition uses a 1.4 TSI turbo petrol engine aided by an 85kW electric motor.

Power for the electric half of the drivetrain comes from a 13kWh battery, which when fully-charged gives the Q3 TFSIe an electric-only range of 51km on the WLTP cycle. Combined power is 182kW, with 400Nm of torque, and Audi claims a 0-100km/h time of 7.3 seconds.

The plug-in hybrid tech is available in both the standard Q3 and in the Q3 Sportback and is badged as a '45 TFSIe' in current Audi badging-speak.

Audi claims both return figures of 32 to 39g/km of CO2 and fuel economy of 1.4 litres per 100km.

The Q3 plug-in’s commitment to eco-minded motoring is quite pronounced. It will always start-up in electric mode unless it's in very cold conditions and, when running in 'Auto Hybrid' mode, an engine-off coasting feature will often enact, which helps to save a little extra fuel. The computers that decide how best to juggle electric and petrol power can also take info from the sat-nav to predict how best to deploy that power. 

There is, of course, the option to charge the battery while driving, and there's an S setting for the gearbox which allows brief bursts of maximum torque, gauged to be 330Nm, released from the electric motor for hard acceleration.

Audi suggests the brake energy recuperation system can recover 40kW of power during braking. Charging from a home socket with 3.6kW output, the Q3's battery can be recharged in just under four hours, and you can use the MyAudi smartphone app to monitor and schedule that charging.

The battery pack does impact on boot space – Audi cites it at 380 litres – but the cabin and exterior styling are essentially unchanged, aside from the addition of an extra cover for the charging point.

Toyota NZ urges Government to rev up climate stance

Country’s top car seller says a feebate a must to get wheels moving

Neeraj Lala.

NEW Zealand risks becoming the “Cuba of the South Pacific”, a dumping ground of Europe’s dirty diesels and high carbon-emitting petrol-fuelled cars.

That’s the view of Toyota New Zealand’s chief executive officer, Neeraj Lal, reacting to recent occurrences of political shift toward encouraging a shift from fossil fuels and toward more environmental motoring solutions, including battery-motivated products.

His comments come in the wake of two big headline actions: The move by the United Kingdom to ban sale of new fossil-fuelled cars after 2030 and our own Government’s determination this week to formally joined 32 other countries around the world in declaring a state of climate emergency for New Zealand. 

The NZ initiative brings with it a revitalised focus on electrifying its public service vehicle fleet, thorough prioritising fully electric and hybrid cars, and plans to become carbon neutral by 2025. 

That’s conceivably a switch Toyota NZ cannot leverage to advantage as much as some other brands as even though Toyota hybrid cars are highly favoured by private and fleet buyers, they are not considered electric models, because they lack facility to recharge off the mains.

The Government’s climate response decision has been welcomed by not-for-profit pressure group Drive Electric, though this organisation - which involves 17 new car brands, including TNZ - says the move still doesn’t go far enough.

Mr Lala says the UK’s move is both an encouragement to New Zealand policy-makers and a danger sign that this country could be flooded with used internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles at the end of this decade.
 
New Zealand needs to work urgently on the right policy settings that encourage much higher take up of electrified vehicles through meaningful financial incentives, he said today. 

“We also need to make sure that we do not end up importing vast numbers of ICE passenger vehicles. Otherwise there is no hope of meeting the Paris Agreement’s 2050 net-zero carbon target.”

A push by new vehicle distributors, via their representative body, the Motor Industry Association, to introduce the ‘feebate’ that incentivises purchase of low and no-emissions cars has TNZ’s support. Mr Lala said the scheme, proposed in the last Parliamentary term by kyboshed by the Government’s then-partner, NZ First, has much merit.

The core element of the scheme is that it incentivises private and fleet buyers of low-emitting vehicles by adding a levy to high-emitting vehicles and using that revenue to reduce the price of low-emitting vehicles costing less than $80,000.

Mr Lala also reminds that the era of Covid-19 has affected car makers ability to produce and ship vehicles.

“As the worldwide supply of hybrid and battery electric vehicles becomes stretched due to global demand, New Zealand will find it harder and harder to access stock without a financial incentive.

“Essentially, we need to get our hybrid and EV numbers up to get higher stock allocations.  

“The feebate scheme should be back on the table, urgently. Toyota New Zealand has opened a dialogue with the Minister of Transport, Michael Wood, and will continue to advocate for financial incentives for electrified vehicles.”

TNZ is easily the biggest seller of mild hybrid vehicles in this country – and is now seeing hybrid editions of popular models outselling their fully fossil-fuelled equivalents. However none will conceivably be considered when Government weans off fossil-fuelled cars in public service use and into electric models, as proposed.

the rav4 hybrid has become massively popular and outsells the fully fossil-fuel alternates.

The market leader has just one plug-in hybrid car, a version of the Prius, but will add another, in the form of a PHEV edition of its most model of the moment, the RAV4. It has plans to deliver an electric car in 2021.

Mr Lala has applauded Government for confronting environmental issues, but says it needs to put financial resources behind its policy.

“Companies such as Toyota (NZ) would be willing to supply the public sector with low-emitting vehicles, but not at cost – it needs to be a win-win for both parties.
 
“With transport emissions accounting for nearly 20 percent of all carbon output, we have a large influence on how New Zealand will progress to a zero-carbon economy. The transition to a low emissions transport market comes with a price tag, but the cost of not enabling a greater uptake of low emissions vehicle could cost Aotearoa/New Zealand and the planet a lot more.”
 

Government’s EV push a sweet synch with Hyundai announcement

The drive has begun to stock the Government fleet with electrics by 2025 – sweet timing, perhaps, for an already favoured brand.

The new e-gmp platform is a breakthrough for Hyundai that will underpin 23 new Hyundai, Genesis and Kisa vehicles between 2021 and 2025.

ARRIVAL timing of a swathe of battery-compelled Hyundai and Kia products atop a new dedicated electric architecture announced by their parent overnight could time sweetly with Government impetus to shift its fleet into that technology. 

The Government has formally joined 32 other countries around the world in declaring a state of climate emergency for New Zealand, bringing with it a revitalised focus on electrifying its vehicle fleet, thorough prioritising fully electric and hybrid cars, and plans to become carbon neutral by 2025. 

The decision has been welcomed by not-for-profit pressure group Drive Electric, though this organisation - which involves 17 new car - says the move still doesn’t go far enough.

It could be sweet news for Hyundai New Zealand, a Drive Electric member which is already established as the leading provider of electric cars – defined as passenger vehicles that can plug into mains replenishment (which excludes hybrid cars) - for public service usage, with its Ioniq and Kona, though in the overall scheme of things that involvement is token.

Of the 15,000 vehicles that could be defined as Government vehicles, just over 100 vehicles are electric.

A case of Ioniq irony? The current Ioniq is different to the Ioniq 5, so far only seen in concept form (below) that will be the first car on the E-GMP platform.

Even so, Government has now pledged all of its cars will have some degree of electrification by 2025 and determined to trade in internal combustion vehicles for either fully electric replacements or hybrids if EVs aren’t deemed fit for purpose.

 Quite coincidentally, the announcement timing synched with one overnight from Hyundai, this about a brand-new electric skateboard architecture that will underpin of the electric future for Hyundai and Kia cars and SUVs, as the basis for 23 products coming out between next year and 2025.

 E-GMP (for Electric Global Modular Platform) is a flexible architecture and an undertaking that lifts Hyundai’s electric car development to a much higher level, in that with exception of the batteries, it’s an entirely in-house achievement, requiring no reliance of components sourced from outside suppliers, as has been necessary with the current Hyundai-Kia electrics: Ioniq hatch and the Kona and Kia Niro SUVs.

With E-GMP every aspect, even motor design, is brought in-house: The same process Telsa undertakes.

 Hyundai’s underpinning is a rear-drive set-up that can also format, with addition of a second motor, to all-wheel-drive. It enables a range of up to 500km, develop as much as 447kW and take just 18 minutes to reach 80 percent battery capacity when using a high-speed charger.

The first vehicle on this new platform is the Ioniq 5, which has so far only been seen in concept form (where it was called the 45). Ioniq 5, should not be confused (but probably will be) with the current Ioniq, which presents in mild hybrid, plug-in hybrid and fully electric form.

Hyundai announced earlier this year it intends to start a whole new EV sub-brand, akin to Volkswagen’s ID line, called … Ioniq. The Ioniq 5 is the first of the new family’s products. It’s a medium crossover, larger than the Ioniq hatch.

But that’s just a pathfinder. E-GMP is intended for 23 new Hyundai, Genesis and Kia vehicles in car and SUV formats over the next four years, including a high-performance model that will be shown off next year.

That car will be capable of 0-100kmh in less than 3.5 seconds and have a top speed of 260km/h, with rear- and all-wheel-drive versions available. To save energy, the front motor on the latter will decouple from the wheels when it's not needed.

 Hyundai has not shared details on battery pack size, but said that it's targeting 500 kilometres of range – a sizeable leap on the abilities from its current electric products.

By bundling the components, Hyundai said, it raised the maximum speed of the motor by up to 70 percent compared to existing motors, despite its small size.  

EVs based on the new platform will be capable of charging to 80 percent in 18 minutes, thanks to an 800-volt architecture that supports charging speeds up to 350kW. A five-minute charge can add about 100km.

The E-GMP also supports bidirectional charging; meaning that it can – in markets that allow this - can be configured to discharge its energy from its battery back to the grid or to a house. The vehicle-to-load (V2L) function supplies 3.5 kW of power which, according to Hyundai, can operate a mid-size air conditioner and a 55-inch TV for 24 hours. Alternately, it can be used to charge another EV.

The national distributor for Kia says it has no comment to make about E-GMP. Hyundai NZ has yet to respond to an invitation to provide its thoughts.

NZ-bound MX-30 sees stars in crash test

Euro NCAP analysis generally praised, but pointed out a perceived shortcoming.

THE next Mazda set for New Zealand introduction, also the marque’s first fully electric car, has just undergone an important validation – securing a respectable crash test score.

The MX-30’s performance in tests run by Euro NCAP, the sister organisation to the Australiasian New Car Assessment Programme part-funded by NZ tax payers, was good enough to secure a maximum five-star rating, with praise for its impressive front-end safety structure and far-side restraints.

Those systems helped it achieve a 91 percent score for adult occupant protection and 87 percent for child occupant protection.

It also achieved 68 and 73 percent for the Pedestrian and Safety Assist respectively.

However, the car’s collision avoidance capabilities didn’t impress as much.

The EV scored 73 percent for its safety assistance systems and 68 percent for vulnerable road users collision avoidance capabilities.

Euro NCAP described the latter score as a “mediocre test performance”, noting the car lacks “more advanced functionalities, such as turn-across-path intervention.”

What also requires consideration, though, is that the test ramped up this year to become tougher than ever.

Michael van Ratingen, the secretary general of Euro NCAP, said the latest five-star ratings demonstrate that the 2020 protocols are “having a tangible impact on the safety equipment and crash performance of car models in Europe, including the latest electrified vehicles.”