News

The Toyota bZ4X electric crossover, previewed by this concept vehicle, will be the first of Toyota’s new Beyond Zero EVs to arrive next year. It’s built on the Toyota and Subaru co-developed electric platform, and this model has a dual-motor, all-wheel-drive setup.There will eventually be 15 new Toyota EVs, with seven to carry the bZ name. Toyota says it has 15 new electric vehicles on the way, of which seven will use the moniker bZ, for Beyond Zero. The first to arrive will be the bZ4X crossover, previewed by this concept vehicle—a logical choice, since the RAV4 was Toyota’s best-selling car in the U.S. last year. The bZ4X will arrive in mid-2022 with others, including an electric pickup truck, to follow in the next few years.
The bZ4X concept is similar in shape and size to the RAV4 crossover but lower, with a longer wheelbase and sharper styling. From the outside, the concept captures the ethos of bold, futuristic EV looks, but we can’t say the same for the interior. It’s taken over by an awkwardly bulky steering column, with a digital gauge cluster set back far apart from the steering wheel that has an oversize hub with buttons for the cluster and driver-assistance features. A large touchscreen extends up out of the center console, which has a rotary shifter placed in the middle and storage underneath with two USB-C ports.

Toyota hasn’t said anything about battery size or range, but the bZ4X will have to compete with other electric crossovers such as the Ford Mustang Mach-E, with up to 305 miles of range, and the Tesla Model Y with 326 miles of range on its Long Range model. The bZ4X, along with additional upcoming Toyota models, will be built on the e-TNGA electric vehicle platform that Toyota developed alongside Subaru, and it supports single-motor front- or rear-wheel-drive setups or dual-motor, all-wheel-drive models, like this bZ4X. A single-motor bZ4 should also be available, and we’ll see an electric vehicle from Subaru, too.
We’ll know more details about the Toyota bZ4X soon, and it will arrive in the U.S. in the middle of next year. We expect the production version to cost around $40,000 given that the plug-in-hybrid RAV4 Prime starts at $39,220.
This content is imported from {embed-name}. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io More

BMW has released more details about the all-wheel-drive versions of the new M3 and M4.The 2022 M3 and M4 xDrive will carry a $4100 price premium over the rear-wheel-drive 2021 Competition models.The AWD cars will start arriving in the U.S. this August.BMW’s first M3 equipped with all-wheel drive will be landing in the U.S. market a few months from now carrying a significant price premium. Available only for the higher-powered M3 Competition and M4 Competition models, the AWD 2022 M3 and M4 xDrive models cost $4100 extra compared with the equivalent RWD 2021 versions (BMW has not released 2022 pricing for the non-xDrive cars).

The M3 Competition xDrive starts at $77,895 and the M4 Competition xDrive starts at $79,795. The xDrive cars come with the same twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six engine as the RWD Competition, with 503 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque. An eight-speed automatic transmission is standard; the only way to get a six-speed manual is to opt for the non-Competition spec, which has 473 horsepower.
The AWD system offers a few different driving modes. The default “4WD” setting incorporates a rear bias and distributes torque to the front wheels as needed; “4WD Sport” increases the amount of torque sent to the rear; and “2WD” is a drift mode that requires stability control to be deactivated.BMW says that the xDrive models will be slightly quicker than the RWD cars, claiming an 0.4-second improvement in their 60-mph acceleration times. The AWD system also adds 100 pounds to the M3 Competition’s claimed curb weight and 99 pounds to the M4 Competition’s claimed curb weight. We look forward to testing the AWD M3 and M4 ourselves to see how they stack up.
This content is imported from {embed-name}. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io More

The VW ID.6, unveiled at the Shanghai auto show, is the first ID EV model that Volkswagen designed for a specific market, which is why the EV has a long wheelbase and a panoramic glass roof to feel larger.It also features China-market-specific connection technologies, like the ability to check on local air quality ratings.The ID.6 slots in below the VW Atlas in size. A version might come to North America, Automotive News said earlier this spring, quoting a VW spokesperson.UPDATE 4/18/21, 5:00 pm: VW told Car and Driver that it will not give out specific details about future products, but we did get the hint that an Atlas-size SUV built off the MEB platform—something similar to the ID.6 described here but without the China-specific touches—will go on sale in the U.S. at some point in the future.Volkswagen is thinking expansively about EVs. The new electric lineup already includes the ID.3 hatchback (available in Europe) and the ID.4, which is sold in the U.S. and will be getting a higher-performance GTX variant. We know the ID. Buzz van will go on sale in the U.S. in 2023. And now here comes the ID.6, a three-row electric crossover SUV based on the I.D. Roomzz concept. Unveiled in connection with the Shanghai auto show this weekend, the ID.6 will be sold in two versions in China, the ID.6 Crozz and the ID.6 X.

Volkswagen

There will be a total of four configurations of the ID.6 in China, with the largest having seats for seven people. Two battery capacities will be available, 58.0 kWh and 77.0 kWh. On China’s NEDC testing cycle, the new VWs will have a claimed total driving range of up to 270 or 365 miles. In 4Motion guise with two electric motors, the ID.6 is claimed to be able to go from zero 62 mph in 6.6 seconds, and the EV will have a top speed of 99 mph.

Like other ID models, the ID.6 rides on VW’s MEB platform, an EV-only solution the company is using to transform itself into an electric mobility company. What’s different is that the ID.6 is the first ID vehicle that was developed specifically for a particular market, and VW said the ID.6 put the “needs and wishes of Chinese customers” top of mind when it comes to size, functionality, and user experience. The ID.6 will be the largest member of the ID family with a total length of 192 inches, 11.8 inches more than the ID.4. A panoramic glass roof and optional sunroof just add to the sense of roominess. When compared with the U.S.-market Atlas, it’s on a similar-size wheelbase, but the Atlas is about six inches longer and wider and four inches taller than the ID.6.

Volkswagen

Counting the ID.6, VW will have launched eight ID. models in China by the end of 2023. Olaf Gutowksi, vice president of sales, marketing, and after sales for Volkswagen China Passenger Cars, said the brand needs this kind of variety to keep pace with the “fierce” competition from domestic brands like Nio and Xpeng in the EV space. VW’s Chinese EVs also need to have more whiz-bang technology features to attract attention, Gutowski said. The ID.6 will have the bare minimum number of physical buttons and switches on the dash, and drivers will interact with the car using a 12.0-inch touchscreen and VW’s “Hello ID” voice-control system. “One difference in our ID. models in China is that they will have a high level of computing power and a robust software platform in order to provide customers with the necessary digital and connectivity services,” Gutowski said in a statement. “For instance, Chinese ID.6 customers can check for updates on air quality or traffic violation tickets.”So the ID.6 will initially go on sale in China, but Automotive News said, quoting an unnamed VW spokesperson, that it is “conceivable” a version of this EV will come to the U.S. We expect the U.S. to get a three-row EV SUV in the Atlas size range from Volkswagen before long, which is likely to be built here as well.
This content is imported from {embed-name}. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io More

Mercedes-Benz has revealed another electric-vehicle entry, the EQB, based on the GLB crossover, and it’s coming to the U.S. next year.The EQB will be launched first in China, where it debuts in a luxuriously equipped all-wheel-drive version with AMG Line styling.Europe gets it next in three versions: front- and all-wheel-drive models and a range-optimizing mid-level EQB.Just three days after Mercedes-Benz revealed the mother of all EVs in the form of the stunningly sophisticated EQS luxury sedan, here’s yet another addition to the Mercedes-EQ family of cars: the EQB, an electric seven-seater crossover SUV that is to the GLB-class what the EQA is to the GLA. And yes, it will come to the U.S. market, expected here by the 2022 calendar year.

Mercedes-Benz

While the sheetmetal and glass are identical, the styling department under Gorden Wagener has cleaned up the exterior for a more contemporary and sophisticated look. The front is graced by the trademark EQ headlight/fascia assembly, with a horizontal light bar stretching over the entire width. This element is reflected on the tail end, which boasts a horizontal light strip as well. There are EQ-specific colors and wheels, and there will be a choice of regular or AMG-Line front and rear bumpers.The interior is carried over from the GLB as well, but it comes with EQ-exclusive color and trim options, including rose gold (pictured here), one of Wagener’s favorite colors. Due to the battery packs in the floor, interior space suffers a bit: Daimler cautions that the third row will only work for people up to 5’5″, and the trunk shrinks considerably. That said, the EQB is still a crossover SUV that offers more space than usual for its exterior dimensions.The EQB was unveiled in China, and it will be launched there first as a fully loaded model with a standard AMG Line look, all-wheel drive, and two motors that make a combined 288 horsepower. Europe will get both the EQB350 4Matic with around 268 horsepower and the front-wheel-drive EQB250 with 221 horsepower; there will also be a midlevel version designed as a long-range model. Both China and Europe will see the EQB at dealers within the 2021 calendar year. The U.S. will have to wait until 2022, and the company is mum about the possible powertrain options. “Stay tuned for more details in the coming months,” we are advised. What we can deduce from our experience with the EQA is that even the least powerful versions of the EQB will come in at around 4500 pounds, which we hope won’t translate into plodding, cumbersome handling characteristics, even if that would feel a bit less out of place in a people hauler like the EQB than in a compact hatch like the EQA. There will be no true AMG version, unlike on the EQS and the EQE. However, we’ll suspend judgment until we can drive it.

Mercedes-Benz

Once it arrives on U.S. shores in mid-2022 as a 2023 model, we expect pricing to begin in the $40,000 range for the entry-level version. That model’s performance, despite the EQB250 moniker, can be expected to fall way short of the GLB250, which starts at $39,100. Unlike the EQS, the EQB will be no game changer. But it could be a fitting second or third car to share the garage with Daimler’s new king of EVs, the EQS sedan.
This content is imported from {embed-name}. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io More

VW has announced that it will brand the sportier, faster versions of its upcoming electric-vehicle lineup as “GTX.”The new branding starts with the all-wheel-drive ID.4 GTX, which has a second motor on the front axle.The official unveiling of the ID.4 GTX doesn’t come until April 28, but until then we can see the logo, at least.Volkswagen is set to officially unveil a faster all-wheel-drive version of the ID.4 later this month, one that will carry the new GTX branding the company says it will be using to indicate higher-performance versions of its pure electric models.
This content is imported from Instagram. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

In Europe, Volkswagen already uses GTI, GTD, and GTE branding – respectively for gasoline, diesel, and plug-in-hybrid models, with the badges applied variously to faster versions of the Golf, Polo, Passat, and even the baby Up! But on our side of the Atlantic, GTI is a model in its own right, and it’s also the only member of the eighth-generation Golf clan to be sold in the States. While GTX branding hasn’t been used in the States before, it has featured in other markets. The 1984 Jetta GLI was sold as a GTX in some territories, including Canada.The ID.4 GTX will be officially announced on April 28, but we’re told that the branding will also be used on other ID models. GTX versions will be distinguished by extra performance and, in the case of the ID.4, all-wheel drive through an additional motor on the front axle, which is the first time this will be offered on an ID model.

2021 Volkswagen ID.4.
Volkswagen

Volkswagen hasn’t officially confirmed power or performance, but Autocar in the U.K. has reported that the ID.4 GTX will have a combined output of 302 horsepower and 339 pound-feet of torque, giving a claimed 6.2-second zero-to-62-mph time under Europe’s generally conservative testing methodology. If so, that means the fastest of VW’s ID models will remain substantially slower than even the most leisurely Tesla.

We can safely expect the GTX to be distinguished from lesser versions of the ID.4 with visual tweaks and a more dynamically focused suspension. We’re also hoping that the tartan seats long associated with GTI models make the transition to the brave new world of electron-fueled performance derivatives. The GTX hasn’t been officially confirmed for the U.S., but we have been told that all-wheel-drive versions of the ID.4 will be offered starting next year, so it is entirely possible that this will be one of them.Volkswagen is already reporting strong demand for its ID models in Europe, announcing it is also set to double the capacity of the Braunschweig, Germany, factory that assembles battery packs for vehicles that sit on the group’s pure electric MEB platform, from 250,000 to 500,000 a year, alongside up to 300,000 smaller battery packs for plug-in-hybrid vehicles. In addition to the ID.3 and ID.4, the company has just unveiled the larger ID.6 crossover at the Shanghai auto show; we’re also expecting a coupe-SUV ID.5 later this year.
This content is imported from {embed-name}. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io More