The Renault Captur has been redesigned and closely upgraded for 2024 in a bid to propel it up the ranks of Europe’s hotly contested small SUV section.
Renault calls it “the B-segment car for living”, touting its small footprint however spacious (and ‘modular’) inside as attributes that make it “at home in the city or off the grid”.
Sporting a brand new entrance finish, which brings it into line with the newer Clio and Scenic, and now obtainable in performance-inspired Esprit Alpine trim, the brand new Captur will tackle the revised Ford Puma and Nissan Juke when it lands in dealerships in autumn.
Aside from the styling adjustments on the entrance, the tweaked back lights and a spread of recent paint and trim choices, the Captur has been most clearly revamped inside, the place plusher supplies, additional equipment and new-generation infotainment mix to offer a extra “modern” and “upmarket” atmosphere, Renault says.
The centrepiece of the overhauled cabin is a brand new 10.4in vertical touchscreen, which includes Renault’s newest OpenR Link infotainment platform, bringing a raft of recent connectivity capabilities and wi-fi smartphone mirroring as customary. “It is as intuitive to use as a smartphone,” the model says.
The upholstery differs in keeping with trim stage – Techno brings yellow stitching whereas Esprit Alpine provides blue inserts and French flag motifs, for instance – however there isn’t a chrome or leather-based on provide, in keeping with Renault’s sustainability ambitions. Instead, the agency says, “all the upholstery includes recycled fabrics selected for their low-carbon footprint, without compromising on perceived quality, feel or comfort.”
Practicality stays the prevailing focus for Renault’s smallest SUV: the rear seat nonetheless slides again as much as 160mm, there may be 24.7 litres of cupboard space dotted across the cabin and the boot capability is 536 litres with the seats up.
The Captur is actually the Clio’s taller sibling and, as such, continues to share the supermini’s CMF-B platform and selection of two petrol-electric hybrid powertrains.
The entry-level set-up – anticipated to be priced from round £22,000 – is a 1.0-litre three-cylinder sending 90bhp by means of a six-speed handbook gearbox and able to round 48.3mpg on the WLTP cycle.
The full-hybrid E-Tech variant, which is able to value roughly £29,000, combines a 94bhp 1.6-litre engine with a 48bhp electrical motor, an 18kW starter-generator and a 1.2kWh traction battery for 143bhp, 60.1mpg and engine-off driving at as much as 27mph for brief durations.
The chassis, as with the body-in-white, is basically carried over from the earlier automotive, however the suspension geometry and shocks have been modified for “a more dynamic ride” whereas the steering has been recalibrated for improved response and management.
Happy birthday to an absolute legend! Volkswagen’s best-selling automotive of all time and Europe’s hottest automotive ever turns 50 in the present day. On March 29, 1974, sequence manufacturing of the Golf Mk1 began on the Wolfsburg plant in Germany. Since then, greater than 37 million models have been offered. Doing the maths, over 2,000 folks have purchased one each single day during the last half a century.
The Beetle’s alternative initially emerged on the finish of the Sixties when Porsche developed the EA 266 prototype. Over 50 automobiles had been constructed however the undertaking was in the end cancelled in October 1971. Those automobiles had a water-cooled inline engine tucked away beneath the rear bench seat, which technically made the automotive mid-engined. The location of the fuel engine made issues troublesome concerning restore and upkeep work.
Volkswagen EA 266
It did allow a prime velocity of 116 mph, which wasn’t too shabby for an econobox. Although a mid-engined hatchback appears like a whole lot of enjoyable, the truth was utterly totally different. Rumor has it the engine ran too sizzling and fumes would enter the cabin. Not solely that however the automobile was claimed to be fairly loud in addition to unstable on a moist street.
Chances are it will’ve been too costly to construct anyway, so the automotive was scrapped. It additionally seemed awkward and would’ve been a ache to restore given the engine’s hard-to-access location. VW says that of the 50+ automobiles produced by Porsche within the late Sixties and early Seventies, solely a handful have survived.
Volkswagen EA 276
Volkswagen EA 276
Around the identical time, the EA 276 was being engineered at house in Wolfsburg with a front-wheel-drive, front-engined structure. Only one was ever made, however even that prototype wasn’t totally purposeful. It had the Beetle’s air-cooled boxer engine below the hood, whereas the gasoline tank was situated beneath the rear seats. The small hatchback—which seemed higher however nonetheless a bit uncanny—had a torsion beam axle and a spacious cargo space.
The EA 276 undertaking was deserted as properly as a result of the engine know-how it used was already outdated for what was supposed to be a world product. However, the one-off automotive did affect the first-generation VW Gol launched in Brazil in 1980 with the 1.3-liter air-cooled engine from the Beetle however mounted on the entrance. The Gol hatchback spawned a Voyage sedan a couple of yr later.
Volkswagen EA 337
The true Golf earlier than the Golf was the EA 337, penned by none apart from Italdesign’s Giorgetto Giugiaro. The manufacturing mannequin transitioned from sq. to spherical headlights whereas the flip alerts had been moved from the fenders to the entrance bumper. In addition, the door handles of the Golf Mk1 stand out from the physique whereas on the EA 337, the handles sit flush with the physique. The Golf’s windscreen shouldn’t be as flat as on the prototype.
Giugiaro needed the oblong headlights to enter the manufacturing mannequin and echo the taillights when it comes to measurement and structure. However, VW determined to go together with spherical lights as a result of these had been cheaper to provide. He recollects being requested to attract a “mass-produced car that should be a modern compact car with a boot lid.” He remembers VW asking him to “design a successor to the Beetle for us. And will be satisfied if the space in the interior is about the same as that of the Beetle.”
Although Giugiaro has designed every little thing from the BMW M1 to the Lotus Esprit, he as soon as stated the Golf was “the most important car of my career.” Back in 2008 when he celebrated his 70th birthday, the iconic automotive designer said the success of the original VW Golf “opened many doorways for me.”
As far because the automotive’s identify is anxious, “Golf” comes from the German phrase for the “Gulf Stream” (“Golfstrom”) ocean present. Fast ahead 50 years later, VW nonetheless makes use of the long-lasting moniker for the eighth technology of its compact automotive. The hatchback/wagon duo lately went by means of a mid-cycle facelift and can stay on sale for a number of years till an all-electric Golf Mk9 takes its place within the lineup.
The third-generation Peugeot 5008 plugs into Europe’s already crowded SUV phase in additional methods than one. It’s accessible with a totally electrical drivetrain however you may as well have the three-row household hauler with a plug-in hybrid setup. Alternatively, the French model a part of Stellantis plans to promote a less expensive mild-hybrid mannequin as nicely.
Essentially, the brand new 5008 is an enlarged model of the latest 3008 launched in 2023. It sits on the STLA Medium platform and has the next dimensions: 188.5 inches lengthy, 74.4 inches large, and 66.5 inches tall, with a beneficiant wheelbase of 114.1 inches. One main benefit it has over the Tesla Model Y bought in Europe is the provision of a 3rd row.
The Tesla Model Y was Europe’s best-selling automotive in 2023, turning into the primary ever EV to high the chart – and the primary automotive from outdoors of Europe to take action.
On sale since 2020 and constructed within the US, China and Germany, the crossover completed the 12 months with 251,604 items bought, in keeping with figures from trade analyst Jato Dynamics – an increase of 84% over 2022.
Tesla bought some 17,000 extra examples of the Model Y than another automotive, beating the likes of the Dacia Sandero (234,715) and the Volkswagen T-Roc (204,610).
It was additionally the one electric-only mannequin to look within the high 30, because the second-best promoting EV, the Tesla Model 3 saloon, completed thirty second general with 100,883 gross sales.
“The soaring popularity of the Model Y and price cuts across its range helped Tesla record its largest market share since arriving in Europe. Tesla has the right product in the right place at the right time,” stated Jato international analyst Felipe Munoz.
It didn’t finish there for the American EV model: it is now the sixteenth most-registered model in Europe, having surpassed Volvo and Nissan.
Meanwhile, Volkswagen completed the 12 months as soon as once more as Europe’s favorite model, with 1,343,740 vehicles bought, adopted by Toyota with 819,544 and Audi with 730,690.
What in regards to the different vehicles within the high 10? See if any of them shock you beneath…
The high 10 best-selling vehicles in Europe of 2023
Four years on sale and the Tesla Model Y is the best-selling automotive in Europe. Its wholesome vary determine and described efficiency all probably performed an element in its gold medal place, and it was additionally probably helped by a wave of worth cuts firstly of the 12 months. Will it end 2024 because the continent’s high vendor, too?
So shut, but to this point for Dacia. The Sandero has completed in second place for the previous two years, however that’s actually nothing to be ashamed of. Its attraction is bolstered by its distinctive worth for cash, which may have resonated with patrons as the price of residing disaster continues to hit throughout Europe. That it’s additionally a aggressive supermini with a spacious inside and respectable dealing with makes it an particularly compelling purchase.
The Volkswagen T-Roc is all the time a preferred alternative in Europe, and that appears set to proceed for the foreseeable future. It ranked third in 2023, and its gross sales even outnumber these of the venerable Volkswagen Golf. A latest facelift boosted its inside high quality, addressing one of many few criticisms of this well-rounded crossover.
Europe’s timeless love for station wagons could safe them via the auto business’s transition to the electrical period. Some of the area’s largest automakers have began the rollout of electrical station wagons in widespread segments. Among the mainstream manufacturers, Peugeot has launched the e-308, whereas Volkswagen has partially revealed the ID.7 Tourer and plans to launch it later in 2024. In the luxurious area, BMW has unveiled the i5 Touring, a spinoff of the i5 that arrived within the U.S. in November 2023.
The BMW i5 Touring is a part of the sixth-generation BMW 5 Series Touring. BMW has sold over 1.2 million copies of it within the final three many years. It combines the flexibility of a station wagon with a pure electrical powertrain and a number of different eco-friendly measures which might be new for the sixth era. Here are all the main points of the brand new BMW EV:
In order to provide the most modern and correct info potential, the information used to compile this text was sourced from BMW and authoritative sources just like the EPA.
The BMW electrical wagon is right here, mixing sportiness, consolation, and know-how for a contemporary driving expertise.
The i5 Touring’s Form Follows Function
The 2025 BMW i5 Touring has an athletic and sporty exterior that’s greater than its donor mannequin. Thanks to its elongated roof and two-box design, the 2025 BMW i5 Touring has a extra athletic stance than the i5 sedan. The signature four-eyed face with twin headlights and the angular kidney grille make the automobile immediately recognizable.
The roofline dynamically slopes, whereas the shoulder line rises above the muscular rear wheel arches. The rear quarter glass panels are lots large to make sure that the driving force will get good rear-diagonal visibility. The slim D-pillars are visibly slanted and provides the electrical station wagon a sportier styling than the sedan. The flat rear window underlines the automobile’s large physique and strong construct. The hind lights circulation out into the aspect sections, additional emphasizing the automobile’s broadness.
BMW i5 Touring Exterior Dimensions
Length
199.2 inches
Width
74.8 inches
Height
59.6 inches
Wheelbase
117.9 inches
(Specs sourced from BMW)
BMW
The 2025 i5 Touring incorporates a energy tailgate, and opening it reveals a flat cargo space with 570 liters (20.1 cubic ft) of bags area. Folding the 40:20:40-split backrest of the rear seat nearly triples the cargo quantity to 1,700 liters (60.0 cubic ft), and you are able to do that conveniently with levers within the cargo space. Unfortunately, there’s no frunk within the electrical station wagon, as is the case with the BMW i5 sedan. Frunk is a common feature of new-age electric cars, however largely these designed and engineered to be EVs from the bottom up.
Progressively Designed, Fully Vegan Interior
The 2025 BMW i5 Touring has a low-profile inside for an understated class. A 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a 14.9-inch touchscreen infotainment system are clubbed and appear to be an ultra-wide, single unit curved in direction of the driving force. BMW designers have discreetly built-in the air vents into the dashboard. The upholstery of the dashboard, the seats, the door panels, the steering wheel, or no different floor options leather-based. The complete cabin is totally vegan as customary.
One of the best inside options of the 2025 BMW i5 Touring is the power to play games with the AirConsole platform. While the automobile is stationary, for instance, while you’re charging it or ready to select somebody up, you and different occupants can play informal video games on its 14.9-inch central show utilizing your smartphones as controllers.
Will BMW’s latest entry within the zero-emissions market, the i5, lastly persuade you to go all-electric?
The i5 Touring Will Be Offered In Two Trims
eDrive40 and M60 xDrive
BMW
BMW has launched the 2025 i5 Touring in two variants globally: eDrive40 and M60 xDrive. The eDrive40 variant is sensible for you in case you search most vary and minimal power consumption, mainly, in case you see this mannequin primarily as a frugal grocery-getter.
The M60 xDrive variant, as its title suggests, primarily serves fans who search fast acceleration and a extra dynamic driving expertise. In addition to a extra participating drive, it presents extra functionality in difficult driving situations. Thanks to its all-wheel drive drivetrain structure, it’s a extra appropriate alternative for locations with moist and snow-covered roads.
Sprints From 0 To 62 MPH In Under Four Seconds
BMW
The 2025 i5 Touring eDrive40 has just one motor, situated on the rear axle. This motor produces 308 horsepower (230 kW) and 295 pound-feet (400 Nm) of torque. A Sport mode quickly will increase its energy to 250 kW (335 horsepower), and with a lift or launch management perform, you possibly can quickly improve its torque to 317 pound-feet (430 Nm). A 0-62 MPH dash takes 6.1 seconds, and the highest pace is electronically restricted to 120 MPH.
The 2025 i5 Touring M60 xDrive comes with a front-mounted motor as effectively and bumps the mixed power and torque figures to 509 horsepower (380 kW) and 586 pound-feet (795 Nm), respectively. The Sport mode quickly raises the previous to 592 horsepower (442 kW), and with the increase or launch management perform, you possibly can elevate the latter to 605 pound-feet (820 Nm). Accelerating from 0-62 MPH is a matter of simply 3.9 seconds, and although the highest pace is electronically restricted, it’s comparatively increased – 143 MPH.
Electronically managed shock absorbers can be found optionally within the eDrive40 variant, however within the M60 xDrive variant, they’re a part of the usual gear. A rear-wheel steering system can be customary within the M60 xDrive variant, whereas 48-volt anti-roll bars can be found optionally.
BMW i5 Touring Performance Specifications
BMW i5 Touring eDrive40
BMW i5 Touring M60 xDrive
Drivetrain Layout
RWD
AWD
Power
230 kW (308 horsepower)
380 kW (509 horsepower)
Power (Sport Mode)
250 kW (335 horsepower)
442 kW (592 horsepower)
Torque
400 Nm (295 pound-feet)
795 Nm (586 pound-feet)
Torque (Boost/Launch Control)
430 Nm (317 pound-feet)
820 Nm (605 pound-feet)
0-60 MPH Acceleration Time
6.1 seconds
3.9 seconds
Top Speed
120 MPH
143 MPH
(Specifications sourced from BMW)
Delivers Up To Nearly 350 Miles Of Range
BMW
The 2025 BMW i5 Touring has an 81.2 kWh lithium-ion battery pack that operates at 400 volts in each eDrive40 and M60 xDrive variants. Its peak AC charging enter is 11 kW within the eDrive40 variant and 22 kW within the M60 xDrive variant. An possibility is accessible to boost it to 22 kW within the eDrive40 variant. As for the utmost DC charging enter, it’s 205 kW in each variants.
Charging the 81.2 kWh battery pack from 0 to one hundred pc degree takes eight and a half hours utilizing an 11 kW AC charger. Using a 22 kW AC charger, that point halves to 4 hours and quarter-hour. A ten-80 % DC fast charging session takes precisely half an hour. With full capability, the lithium-ion battery pack delivers a WLTP vary of 560 km (348 miles) within the eDrive40 variant and 506 km (314 miles) within the M60 xDrive variant.
The new Nio ET5 Touring appears nice in and out, plus it additionally comes with progressive battery-swapping tech and a cute little voice assistant.
It Will Be Launched Outside Europe As Well
BMW
It goes with out saying that the BMW i5 Touring is a automobile centrally centered on European nations. Sales-wise, BMW says Germany is an important marketplace for the all-new 5 Series Touring, which incorporates the first-ever i5 Touring. Great Britain, Italy, Sweden, and Belgium are different essential markets for the carmaker within the area. However, prospects exterior Europe additionally admire the mixture of sporty class and elevated practicality station wagons provide. Thus, BMW has confirmed that it’s going to promote the i5 Touring in markets exterior the Old Continent.
First Global Markets Revealed
In addition to confirming that it plans to promote the 2025 i5 Touring exterior Europe, BMW has particularly listed a few of these markets. The firm says Japan is the most important market for the sixth-gen 5 Series Touring outside Europe and has already launched the automobile there with a plan to begin deliveries as early as Q3 2024 (July-September 2023).
The 2025 BMW i5 Touring is Japan’s first electrical station wagon. It retails at ¥10,400,000 (approx. $69,650 as per the alternate charges on the time of scripting this) within the eDrive40 variant and at ¥16,000,000 (approx. $107,150) within the M60 xDrive variant. BMW has confirmed the launch of the 2025 i5 Touring in Australia and New Zealand as effectively.
U.S. Launch Not Announced
BMW
While the M5 Touring’s arrival within the U.S. has been confirmed, the pure electrical i5 Touring continues to be a query mark. The i5 Touring, just like the M3 Touring, is at present a forbidden fruit. BMW hasn’t introduced its U.S. launch and is specializing in the i5. That stated, BMW has confirmed that the M5 Touring will be coming Stateside.
The electrical sedan retails at $67,795 within the eDrive40 variant and $85,095 within the M60 variant. Both costs embrace a vacation spot and dealing with price of $995. According to EPA, the i5 can ship a variety of as much as 295 miles within the eDrive40 variant and as much as 256 miles within the M60 variant.
‘Inclusion in football’ workshop at Europe’s largest sports activities enterprise congress supplies vital impetus.
DFB Vice President Ralph-Uwe Schaffert pronounces extra visibility for inclusive soccer at UEFA EURO 2024.
Sandra Waidelich, CMO Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles: ‘We have a social stance and we want to communicate this to the outside world.’
Inclusion, range and soccer – these had been the three main matters mentioned on the SPOBIS Conference in Hamburg. For the fifth time, the German Football Association (DFB) and its mobility accomplice Volkswagen organised a programme specifically tailor-made to the 21 DFB regional associations for the biggest sports activities enterprise congress in Europe. Speakers on the ‘Inclusion in Football’ workshop included DFB Vice President Ralph-Uwe Schaffert, HSV President Marcell Jansen, the record-breaking worldwide participant of the nationwide Blind Football staff, Alexander Fangmann, and Sandra Waidelich, Head of Marketing & Sales Experience at Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles.
Inga Grabow formulated one of the crucial memorable sentences of the day in Hall 6 of the Congress Centre Hamburg (CCH): ‘Everyone can’t do one thing. That’s why we’re all the identical.’ Together along with her husband Marcel Grabow, she organises and trains the groups of the Ibbenbürener Kickers, an inclusive soccer membership, on a voluntary foundation. Founded 4 years in the past, the membership is open to everybody – no matter age, gender, expertise or background, with or and not using a incapacity and in vibrant blended groups. ‘For us, it’s concerning the expertise, not the end result,’ stated Grabow, summarising the core concept of inclusive soccer to the representatives of the 21 DFB regional associations in attendance.
On that morning on the CCH, the Ibbenbürener Kickers had been one of many golf equipment, alongside SV Werder Bremen, that used the stage on the ‘Inclusion in Football’ workshop initiated by Volkswagen and the German Football Association to offer an perception into their work as an inclusive soccer membership.
DFB Vice President Schaffert needs to advertise visibility for inclusive soccer
In his keynote speech on the alternatives and advantages of inclusion in organised soccer, DFB Vice President Ralph-Uwe Schaffert emphasised simply how vital this work is for soccer to develop its integrative energy: ‘There are a large number of people with disabilities in Germany, whether physical or mental. It is important for these people to be able to participate in sport. As a major sports association with over seven million members, we in particular must set an example here.’ He believes it to be essential to take a look at the subject with a potential-orientated somewhat than a ‘deficit-orientated view’. A key query might be: ‘What can people who join a club with a disability do even better than people without a disability?’ Even if there are obstacles in on a regular basis membership and affiliation life because of personnel, infrastructural or monetary conditions, makes an attempt ought to be made to beat these preliminary obstacles.
Full home in Hamburg: keynotes, talks and discussions on the alternatives and advantages of inclusion in soccer.
The Sepp Herberger Foundation, which Schaffert additionally chairs, exists throughout the DFB to advertise and organise handicap soccer in Germany and to offer it a house in organised sport. Wheelchair, deaf and blind footballers in addition to sheltered-workshop- and amputee gamers can all be discovered beneath its umbrella.
The lighthouse tasks embody the annual Football Inclusion Days, which might be held as soon as once more this yr from 10 to 12 May at Roncalliplatz in Cologne, along with the German Football League for the Blind, which was based in 2008 and is the one one among its form in Europe. The UEFA EURO 2024 can also be for use for handicap soccer, Schaffert revealed in Hamburg: ‘We are planning so-called “inclusion days light” for all host cities in order to reach a wider audience.’
HSV President Jansen: Inclusion not a advertising and marketing instrument
Professional soccer might present a tailwind for extra visibility in inclusive soccer. Marcell Jansen additionally agreed with this. In the panel dialogue ‘The role of Inclusive Football from the Perspective of Professional Clubs, Companies and Associations’, the president of Hamburger SV admitted: ‘As a Bundesliga club, whether in the premier or first division, we could certainly go one better and, for example, increase visibility in the run-up to professional matches.’
In normal, the subject of inclusion is changing into more and more vital throughout the golf equipment. For instance, HSV has been providing amputee soccer since 2021 and just lately included a match day within the West Curve Championship, the championship of HSV followers with over 60 groups. At the identical time, nevertheless, Jansen warned towards utilizing the subject of inclusion for false promoting functions. When requested whether or not inclusion contributes to the model of an expert membership, he answered clearly: ‘As a club, you have to have the basic conviction that you are committed to inclusion. This is not a marketing tool, but a self-image.’
A self-determined life for individuals with disabilities
Volkswagen has additionally taken up the reason for supporting soccer in all its range, from the grassroots to the highest – and underpins this with numerous communication campaigns, amongst different issues. For instance, a social media sequence on the subject of integration was just lately produced beneath the hashtag #einfußball concerning the soccer membership Türkiyemspor Berlin 1978. This is precisely what it’s all about, stated Sandra Waidelich, Head of Marketing & Sales Experience Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, throughout the SPOBIS spherical desk: ‘It doesn’t matter whether or not they’re individuals with or with out disabilities, the place they arrive from, what their sexual orientation is or what their non secular beliefs are.’ Her firm has ‘a social attitude and we want to convey this to the outside world’.
Together for the longer term: representatives of the 21 regional soccer associations mentioned inclusion tasks.
In addition to the DFB partnership, the Group is subsequently additionally a accomplice of the Sepp Herberger Foundation and the Football Inclusion Days. ‘We are a mobility provider and want to play our part in enabling people with disabilities to lead a self-determined life,’ emphasised Waidelich.
At the centre of society
Alexander Fangmann introduced a unique however crucial side to the controversy on inclusive soccer. In the view of the record-breaking participant of the nationwide Blind Football staff, golf equipment and associations mustn’t simply ask themselves what they’ll do to assist individuals with disabilities. Rather, they need to take into account what occurs to a membership when members now not discover appropriate programmes and go away the membership. Because, for instance, the enjoyable of sport is misplaced as a result of strain to carry out. Inclusive sport presents an amazing alternative not solely to draw members, but in addition to retain them.
In Hamburg, it as soon as once more turned clear that inclusion and variety are important for sustainable success in soccer. And in enterprise, too.
Volkswagen and DFB at SPOBIS: How inclusion can reach organised soccer
In a shocking flip of occasions, the Tesla Model Y has secured its place as Europe’s best-selling automotive for the 12 months 2023. Preliminary knowledge from market analysis specialists at Dataforce reveals that the American electrical car has established a strong lead over its closest competitor, the Dacia Sandero. With figures representing 97 p.c of gross sales within the European Union, the EFTA international locations, and the UK, the Model Y triumphs over the Romanian hatch with a lead of 254,822 to 235,893 items.
How did the Model Y win the crown? One of the principle causes is that Tesla strategically catapulted the crossover to success by implementing substantial worth cuts initially of 2023, a development that has endured into the present 12 months. The firm additionally benefited from incentives concentrating on firm vehicles in Germany final 12 months, the place the Model Y emerged because the best-selling EV automotive with roughly 45,800 registrations, in line with Automotive News.
The ID.3, Volkswagen’s electric vehicle, has received a positive evaluation from the German ADAC, the largest automobile association in Europe. The engineers at the Test and Technology Center in Landsberg am Lech have driven over 100,000 kilometers to thoroughly test the vehicle. The key finding is that the high-voltage battery still maintains a net capacity of 93 percent. The tested model, ID.3 Pro S with a 77 kWh net battery energy content, comes with a guarantee from Volkswagen that the battery will retain at least 70 percent of its original net capacity after eight years or 160,000 kilometers of use.
The ADAC testers did not hold back in subjecting the ID.3 to various battery usage scenarios. To expedite reaching the 100,000 km mark, the vehicle was often charged to 100 percent at fast charging stations. Additionally, contrary to the recommended practice, the vehicle was left fully charged for several days while waiting for the next test drive.
This endurance test is the first of its kind for a vehicle in the ID. family. The ID.3 was regularly inspected by engineers at the Landsberg am Lech Test and Technical Center in between drives. The ADAC evaluated the vehicle based on eight main criteria and over 300 sub-criteria, including technology, safety, handling, ease of operation, and environmental impact.
The ADAC strongly advises customers to install software updates. During the endurance test, the ID.3 received multiple software updates, which not only resolved various bugs but also improved charging power up to 170 kW. Furthermore, the updates had a positive impact on consumption and range. Specifically, the new software significantly improved power consumption in short distances and winter temperatures ranging from 0 to 5°C.
The ADAC testers also praised the intelligent Electric Vehicle Route Planner, which was added to the ID.3 through a software update. This feature plans charging stops based on the fastest route to the destination, considering factors such as battery charge level, traffic conditions, and forecasts. The charging stops are dynamically evaluated based on charging pillar performance. As a result, the route planner may recommend two shorter charging stops with higher power instead of one long stop with lower power.
Nissan has recently introduced a cutting-edge concept car, Concept 20-23, in honor of the 20th anniversary of Nissan Design Europe in London.
This futuristic design study showcases an electric car specifically designed for urban settings. It draws inspiration from Nissan’s involvement in Formula E racing and online simulator racing while also paying homage to the brand’s history of creating bold hatchbacks.
The concept’s name reflects the 20-year presence of Nissan Design Europe (NDE) in London and incorporates the traditional number 23 (ni san) and the current year.
In mid-2022, Hyundai Motor Europe’s marketing chief, Andreas-Christoph Hofmann, confirmed the company’s plans to introduce an affordable electric car in Europe. He stated that the car would be priced around €20,000 (approximately $21,400) and acknowledged the challenges of developing a low-cost EV. These challenges include not only maintaining profitability but also addressing packaging concerns for small vehicles.
Now, in September 2023, the compact electric vehicle has been captured testing in Europe. Despite the heavy camouflage, the prototype already exhibits a familiar look as it is based on the Casper. Originally, the Casper was equipped with a naturally aspirated three-cylinder, 1.0-liter gasoline engine, but it is now being prepared for an all-electric powertrain.
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