Fast Lane: Lotus Eletre to start at around $600,000, e-VW with seven seats here in 2024

Quickest Volvo unveiled

Volvo Cars has unveiled the EX30, its smallest electric crossover.

Three variants are available – a single-motor with 272hp and a 51kWh battery promising 343km of range; a single-motor with 272hp and a 69kWh battery delivering 478km of range; and a twin-motor Performance with 428hp and a 69kWh battery touting a range of 458km.

The Performance variant, an all-wheel drive, sprints to 100kmh in 3.6 seconds, making it Volvo’s quickest car yet. The variant has a charging capacity of up to 153kW, while the standard-range car has a capacity of 134kW. That means they can be charged from 10 to 80 per cent full in a little over 25 minutes.

Volvo says the XC30 is priced similarly as its combustion equivalents, but Singapore agent Wearnes says pricing details will be out only closer to its local launch in the first quarter of 2024.

First electric Lidar-equipped Lotus SUV to arrive as early as year-end

Just months after launching its final combustion-engined car, Lotus is now poised to launch its first electric model here.

The Eletre sport utility vehicle is nothing like the low-slung petrol-powered Emira. Measuring 5,103mm long, 2,135mm wide, 1,630mm tall and with a wheelbase of 3,019mm, the car is about the size of the Lamborghini Urus. With 22-inch wheels, it sits 194mm above the ground.

Like its fellow Geely-owned brand Polestar, Lotus makes the Eletre in China.

The Eletre comes in three variants – the base Eletre, the Eletre S and the Eletre R with a 2.9-second century sprint. All variants are twin-motor all-wheel drives, with the R boasting a two-speed transmission in the rear axle as well as all-wheel steering. All cars are equipped with Lidar, and are said to be capable of Level 4 autonomous driving.

Lotus agent Wearnes previewed the S on Monday. The car has 450kW and 710Nm of torque, powers to 100kmh in 4.5 seconds and has a top speed of 258kmh. Its 112kWh battery promises a range of 600km, and a boot capacity of at least 611 litres means plenty of stowage. The S comes in four- and five-seat configurations.

The official launch is slated for as early as year-end, and prices for the S start at just below $600,000 before certificate of entitlement.

Singapore to have both five- and seven-seat VW ID Buzz

Volkswagen has just unveiled a long-wheelbase seven-seat version of the ID Buzz electric minivan. It measures 4,962mm long and boasts a wheelbase which is 250mm longer than the standard wheelbase ID Buzz, and up to 2,469 litres of stowage.

Equipped with an 85kWh battery and a 210kW motor, the ID Buzz LWB hits 100kmh in 7.9 seconds and a top speed of 160kmh. An all-wheel-drive 6.4-second GTX version with an output of 250kW has been announced for 2024.

Singapore will have both the LWB seven-seat and standard wheelbase five-seat versions, with sales slated to begin some time in the middle of 2024.

Hyundai to unveil performance variant to Ioniq 5 soon

Hyundai Motor is slated to debut its first performance electric model in July.

The Ioniq 5 N, an all-wheel drive equipped with an electronic limited slip differential and front-rear torque distribution, is undergoing winter testing in the icy Swedish wilderness, with temperatures as low as minus 30 deg C. The car is expected to accomplish the century sprint in well under four seconds.

Hyundai says it has no plans to introduce the Ioniq 5 N to Singapore.

New Ford Ranger arrives

Ford’s new Ranger has landed. Equipped with a 2-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel engine making 168hp and 405Nm of torque, the truck is priced at $129,888 before certificate of entitlement.

The latest Ranger features a new grille and a signature C-Clamp headlight treatment. Subtle shoulder lines and more prominent wheel arches give it a more confident stance. Inside, it boasts soft-touch materials, a prominent portrait-style infotainment touchscreen, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Engineers moved the front wheels forward by 50mm for a better approach angle. They also shifted the rear suspension dampers outboard of the frame rails to give drivers and passengers a better ride both on- and off-road.

Customers will have a choice of two four-wheel-drive systems – an electronic shift-on-the-fly system, or an advanced new full-time four-wheel-drive system with a set-and-forget mode designed for capability when and where customers need it.

Off-road recovery is made easier with prominent dual recovery hooks in the front bumper.

VW unveils most powerful Touareg

Volkswagen has unveiled the Touareg R eHybrid, a top-of-the-range model with a V6 petrol engine plus an electric motor combining to make 456hp. The car sits on 20-inch wheels with blue brake callipers depicting a silver R logo. Sill panel mouldings with an illuminated R logo, and a car key with leather-covered cap and R logo remind all that this is a car from VW’s R division.

The most powerful Touareg also has a panoramic sunroof, four-zone automatic climate control and new matrix LED headlights, which “project a light carpet”.

A naked Norton with 182hp

Norton Motorcycles has launched its first naked sport motorcycle and the most powerful British cafe racer, the V4CR. It is also the brand’s first new launch in a while. Based on the V4SV but with a stripped-back fairing, the 1,200cc bike has 182hp/125Nm and revs up to 12,000rpm. Norton says it will make only 200 units.

Audi refreshes A6 and A7

Audi has spruced up its A6 and A7, which are now offered in three trims – Sport, S Line and Black Edition. Matrix LED headlights with dynamic front and rear indicators, electric memory driver seat, a lit phone cradle and camera-based traffic sign recognition are now part of the package.

In Sport trim, specifically for the A6, the radiator grille is finished in dark chrome, with new side air intakes and a redesigned rear diffuser. The S Line version of the A6 also benefits from 19-inch wheels and sports suspension.

Changes extend to the cabin, where the dashboard and roof lining are now finished in black. A multi-function leather steering wheel with shift paddles features contrasting stitching. The footrest and pedals are now stainless steel.