Alfa Romeo Giulia Veloce coming soon
The new Alfa Romeo Giulia Veloce could arrive in Singapore as early as year-end. The Italian rear-wheel-drive is powered by a 2-litre turbocharged petrol engine paired with an eight-speed autobox producing 280bhp and 400Nm. It hits 100kmh in 5.7 seconds and a top speed of 239kmh. The Giulia Veloce sits between the Giulia Speciale and flagship Giulia Quadrifoglio. It is made in Termoli, Italy.
Airbag recall for more Toyota cars
About 3,000 more Toyota cars here are affected by the ongoing Takata airbag recall, according to the Land Transport Authority. The latest batch is part of a recall initiated by Toyota Motor Corp on March 30 this year. More than 70,000 Toyotas here have been recalled over faulty airbags since 2013. The LTA says vehicle owners may log in to the Electronic Vehicle Recall System on the OneMotoring portal or contact the respective motor dealers to check if their vehicles are affected by the recall.
Audi's second e-tron in the works
Audi's second electric model, the e-tron Sportback, will be produced from 2019. The German carmaker showed what the car might look like in a concept of the same name. The coupe-like four-door grand tourer is powered by a 320kW electric drive. It sprints from 0 to 100kmh in just 4.5 seconds and has a projected range of 500km. Audi's first electric car, the e-tron, will arrive in showrooms from next year.
Cerato gets sportier looking
Cycle & Carriage Kia has introduced a sportier-looking version of its Cerato. The Cerato K3 Sports wears a new body kit and boasts a number of smart features such as a touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay, an anti-glare rear-view mirror, ventilated front seats and a hands-free boot lid. The variant costs $105,999, which is $6,000 more than its closest sibling. That is before a $2,000 discount.
Volkswagen's electric car with auto-pilot mode
Volkswagen's ID Crozz concept is an electric car with a 500km range, all-wheel-drive and auto-pilot mode. Packing 225kW, it will go into production in 2020 as a member of a new generation of Volkswagen electric vehicles. Its battery can be charged to 80 per cent capacity in 30 minutes using a fast-charging 150kW direct-current outlet. The car switches over to fully autonomous mode when the driver touches the VW badge on the steering wheel for three seconds.
Next Merc CLA?
The Mercedes-Benz Concept A Sedan hints at what the next CLA looks like. It measures 4,570mm long, 1,870mm wide and 1,462mm tall. Its wheel arch is designed to show off its 20-inch wheels. The door handles of the show car are flush with the body.
More Q cars from Audi
Audi is expanding its range of Q cars with two new models: the Q8, which will be produced in Bratislava, Slovakia, next year; and the Q4, which will roll off the line in Gyor, Hungary, in 2019. The Q7 has been produced at the Slovakian plant since 2005. The plant will also make an S version and a plug-in hybrid variant of the Q7. The compact Q4 will have a coupe- like silhouette, allowing it to compete with BMW's X4 and Range Rover's Evoque. From next year, Audi Hungaria will also manufacture the Audi Q3, which until then will continue to be produced in Martorell, Spain.
Made-in-China electric Volvos
Volvo Cars will build its first fully electric car in China. The car will be based on Volvo's compact modular architecture for smaller cars. It will be available for sale in 2019 and exported globally from China. China is the world's largest sales market for electrified cars. Volvo has committed to selling one million electrified cars - including hybrids - by 2025. It is developing an electric car on its scalable product architecture as well. The Swedish company also plans to offer plug-in hybrid versions of every model.
Christopher Tan
