Category: Highlight

  • Volkswagen’s T7-generation van debuts in Multivan guise

    Volkswagen is working on an electric successor to its iconic Microbus based on 2017’s ID.Buzz concept car. It starts sales in Europe next year and is confirmed to reach the United States in 2023, meaning we’ll likely see it arrive as a 2024 model.

    However, concurrent with the development of the new electric van is development of a new generation, number seven to be exact, of VW’s conventional T-series vans. The new T7-generation van was revealed on Thursday in passenger-oriented Multivan guise. For commercial buyers, VW will continue to offer the current T6 generation in Transporter guise. Sadly, neither is expected in the United States.

    Unlike the T6 generation, which is based on a dedicated van platform, the T7 generation has adopted the car-based MQB platform found in multiple models, including the latest Golf and the Atlas crossover. Moving to this platform has resulted in longer overhangs front and rear, but it has enabled VW to offer a plug-in hybrid option for the first time. You also get all the connectivity options and electronic driver-assist features built into the MQB platform.

    2022 Volkswagen Multivan

    2022 Volkswagen Multivan

    2022 Volkswagen Multivan

    2022 Volkswagen Multivan

    2022 Volkswagen Multivan

    2022 Volkswagen Multivan

    The Multivan measures 195.8 inches long as standard and 203.7 inches in stretched guise, and it is 76.4 inches wide. It can seat up to seven, with many of the seats designed to be moved via tracks or removed completely. There’s also a table, which is completely removable and features adjustable height, three cup holders, and a storage bin. The standard size has a maximum 129.7 cubic feet of storage and the long version a maximum 143 cubic feet.

    Multiple powertrain options are on offer, all of them with front-wheel drive. The powertrains primarily comprise a series of turbocharged inline-4s, in both gasoline and diesel flavors, but the range-topping option is plug-in hybrid setup that combines a 1.4-liter turbocharged inline-4 with a single electric integrated with the transmission, in this case a 6-speed dual-clutch unit. Peak output is 215 hp and 13-kilowatt-hour battery means a small electric range is possible. Maximum towing capacity is 4,409 pounds.

    VW’s T-series vans are actually the direct successors to the Microbus, with the original T1 generation first sold here as the Bus. While VW plans to offer both the new T7 generation and electric Microbus successor in its lineup this time, some of the automaker’s other vans could dissappear. VW officials have hinted that the smaller Touran and Sharan minivans are likely to be phased out due to families preferring crossovers.

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  • 2023 Kia Niro spy shots: Radical look pegged for compact crossover

    A prototype for a redesigned Kia Niro has been spotted for the first time.

    The new compact crossover is expected to arrive at dealerships in the second half of 2022 as a 2023 model, and its reveal could take place around the end of the current year.

    The prototype is heavily camouflaged but we can already see that the designers have given the new Niro a radical new look similar to what’s round on the recently revealed 2023 Sportage.

    Kia Habaniro Concept, 2019 New York International Auto Show

    Kia Habaniro Concept, 2019 New York International Auto Show

    Kia Habaniro Concept, 2019 New York International Auto Show

    Kia Habaniro Concept, 2019 New York International Auto Show

    Key design traits include a clamshell hood, low-set headlights, and a tailgate with a pinched leading edge that resembles a ducktail spoiler. The vehicle also sports vertical taillights. Interestingly, Kia hinted at the design of its new Niro as early as 2019 with the Habaniro concept car.

    It isn’t clear what Kia has planned for the powertrain lineup. A hybrid powertrain is likely to be standard, at least here in the United States, and we should also see a repeat of the plug-in hybrid and battery-electric options. Expect the electric version to better the current Niro EV’s 201 hp and EPA-rated 239 miles of range.

    Stay tuned for updates as development continues.

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  • Rugged Ineos Grenadier SUV coming to US in 2023

    Rugged, off-road-oriented SUVs like the Ford Bronco, Jeep Wrangler and Land Rover Defender may soon face competition from a formidable contender being developed by the newly minted automotive arm of British chemical giant Ineos.

    We’re talking about the Grenadier, a boxy, go-anywhere SUV modeled after the previous-generation Land Rover Defender and due to start production in 2022. From the onset of the vehicle’s development, Ineos has insisted that sales in the United States are part of the plan, and now the company has hired former Jaguar Land Rover and Daimler marketing executive Greg Clark to help launch local sales.

    In an interview with Automotive News (subscription required) published over the weekend, Clark said Ineos plans to start selling the Grenadier in the U.S. in early 2023. There’s still a lot of work to do, he said, including finding a location for a U.S. headquarters and establishing a dealer network covering all 50 states.

    As mentioned above, the Grenadier has been modeled after the previous-generation Defender, right down to using a body-on-frame platform. Even helping with the development is Austria’s Magna Steyr, the same company that helped Mercedes-Benz develop the G-Class, another body-on-frame SUV. This should help set it apart from Land Rover’s new Defender, which has switched to car-like unibody construction.

    2022 Ineos Grenadier

    2022 Ineos Grenadier

    To keep things simple, Ineos plans just one powertrain for the U.S., a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-6 sourced from BMW. It will be mated to an 8-speed automatic and four-wheel-drive system with a two-speed transfer case. A diesel will be offered in other markets.

    Further down the track, a pickup body style and possibly even a hydrogen-electric powertrain may be offered.

    As for pricing, Ineos plans to position the Grenadier above affordable off-roaders like the Bronco and Wrangler but below the luxury level of the G-Class. Automotive News posits a price range between $75,000 and $120,000. There will be numerous accessories available at the dealer level, including popular off-road gear like winches, roof racks, and extra lighting, as well as commercial-oriented items like power tools and shovels.

    Production of the Grenadier will be handled at the former Smart plant in Hambach, France.

    Source