Kia prices hybrid models, what’s Hyundai’s move?

The Sorento has beaten its sister ship, the Santa Fe, in arriving with petrol-electric powertrains.

 HOW long before Hyundai here catches up with its subordinate in offering a seven-seater sports utility with electric assistance has yet to be answered – whether the parent’s ultimate equivalent will also slip under the $100,000 mark is also not yet known.

The New Zealand distributor for Kia has stolen a march on Hyundai New Zealand in releasing the Sorento in two petrol hybrid versions, one with plug-in recharging and the other mild.

The New Zealand agent for Hyundai did not respond to questions today about when its Santa Fe, the Kia’s sister ship, will arrive with the same technology, which was developed by Hyundai then shared with the sibling brand.

However, Hyundai NZ has always indicated it will also provision the Santa Fe with the very same hybrid drivetrains.

As expected, the battery-assisted editions are more expensive than the other Sorento variants Kia has here.

At $89,990, the PHEV is the most expensive Sorento ever sold here, while the hybrid also raises the stakes in its $80,990 front-drive and $82,990 all-wheel-drive formats. 

All three are in the highest-level trim Kia offers with the model, according to a brand announcement shared by media today. 

To date, the most expensive Sorento here has been a turbodiesel, also in the Premium trim, that costs $76,990. 

Kia’s pricing strategy appears to reflect that there is an unavoidable costing factor with the hybrid tech, which allies to a four-cylinder petrol engine in either of its formats.

It also raises another question: How much more the Hyundai models might cost? 

There is already pricing inequality between the diesel sister ships, most obviously when the best-kitted versions are compared.

Though the specifications are identical, and they have the same powertrains,  the Sorento Premium costs a whopping $13,000 less than the Santa Fe Limited – whose RRP is lineball with the Sorento Premium PHEV’s sticker. 

Both hybrids run a turbocharged 1.6-litre four producing 132kW/265Nm, but the electric motors and their feeder batteries are different.

As previously reported, the Sorento (and Santa Fe) PHEV runs a 13.8kWh lithium-ion battery that delivers an optimal electric-only range of 57km per charge. The PHEV’s electric motor creates 67kW and 304Nm,

The hybrid (again, in both models) has a 44kW electric motor. It also has a smaller battery, rated at 1.5kWh.

Overall claimed outputs are 195kW/350Nm for the PHEV and 169kW/350Nm for the hybrid. The diesel creates 148kW and 440Nm.

Kia claims a combined fuel economy of 1.6L/100km and cites a CO2 count of 36 grams per kilometre from the PHEV. The figures for the mild hybrid have yet to be shared, but economy could well likely be closer to the diesel’s 6.1L/100km, if not the oiler’s 159g/km optimal.

Kia’s Premium grade ticks off leather upholstery, a heads-up display, wireless phone charging, Bose audio and a comprehensive passive and active safety suite.

Dirty dozen (plus one) – high CO2 culprits easy to cite

The clean car legislation announced by Government aims to take high-emission product off the road. If imposed today there’d be plenty to choose from.

KIWIS like to think green and care about the environment, but our car, van and utility buying preferences relate a dirtier truth.

The average vehicle in New Zealand has CO2 emissions of around 171 grams per kilometre; our cars and SUVs alone average 161 g/km.

New cars in general are cleaner now than counterparts that came into circulation 10 years ago, a time when fully electric cars were hardly an influence and even mild hybrids were considered a bit kooky.

Yet there’s evidence to suggest our rate of improvement has actually been retarded in recent years and it’s all our own fault. Emergent interest in one-tonne utes and, to some extent, SUVs, is to blame. While it is true that diesel engines emit less CO2 than petrol equivalents, the technology that delivers true efficiency gains in this area has tended to be delivered to proper cars and crossovers rather than the traydecks we prefer. Most of those are still delivering more than 200g/km. That’s why they’ve become an unhealthy addiction – one we probably must serious consideration to quitting with a 105g/km average looking set to install within four years.

Even if we seriously ease up on buying utes, reaching that new target will require radical change nonetheless as no light vehicles operating purely by virtue of using wholly fossil fuel-fed combustion engines slip under the new mandate, though some do come very close. It’s a matter of record, though, that the best-in-class orthodox CO2 emitters – that it is, models that produce the least exhaust nasties within their segments – that are virtually in the zone are rarely a high priority for new car buyers. Green isn’t always cool; why buy a base 1.2-litre Suzuki Swift (with a 106g/km output) when the more effervescent if less efficient Swift Sport is so much more fun?

Reality is that many of the cars that we’ve revered and adored for years are going to have a hard time surviving. That’s why their makers are in many cases one step ahead, and already working to consign them to history, in favour of replacements that take a partial, or even total, electric path.

That’s in the future. Today’s exercise uses RightCar data freely-available to give an idea of how far outside the clean air target the Government plans to have in place by 2025 some vehicles are.

The models listed today are generally at the extreme edge, but include best choices now and vehicles you might love to buy with a lucky Lotto win.

In ascending order of smuttiness:

Subaru WRX

211g/km

 The version that we have at the moment is on its last lap; the Saito edition pictured was sold (and snapped up) on strength that it is a ‘final’ special edition, though notwithstanding that the regular car is set to remain available at least all this year.

 And then? Well, all sorts of speculation is swirling around but it is certain, now that there will be a replacement for the current model and that, rather than going to an electric drivetrain, the newbie will stick to a petrol addiction, but this time in a 2.4-litre format that might produce more than 298kW. So, the good times are set to roll on … expect more of the spirit that dominated the World Rally Championship.

All the same, sticking to the old formula adds additional imperative for Subaru to produce far more efficient cars that will offset the racer’s CO2 hit. It already has two mild hybrids that will help but far more core will be the fully electric model that has been signed off; this being a co-development with Toyota. It’s a medium SUV, in production from later this year. To meet a 105g average without penalty, though, probably means one EV won’t be enough.

Subaru plans to have 40 percent of its global sales be hybrid or electric vehicles by 2030, but also says it won’t have hybrid or electric versions of every vehicle in its lineup until 2035.

Ford Ranger 3.2

227g/km

No replacement for displacement, right?

These days, displacement is being replaced by technology. Multiple turbochargers, advanced fuel injection and efficient engine designs mean you can get more power, torque and efficiency from a smaller power plant.

Ford has three powertrains for this country’s best-selling ute (for five years) but, really, just two matter: The 3.2-litre five-cylinder that has been in service since the T6 platform introduced in 2011 and the 2.0-litre biturbo that came into action several years ago. Originally earmarked for high-end versions, but gradually no availing across most versions, the latter doesn’t feel as effortlessly muscular as the original, even though the latter in fact has more power and torque. The reason why the new motor is here, and will likely continue into the all-new Ranger landing in 2022 (a Ranger-rok as it is a combined effort with Volkswagen) is its efficiency: It’s thriftier and far, far cleaner than the 3.2, which for all its strengths is undone by having the worst CO2 count in this popular category.

Hyundai Palisade

246 g/km

 It has yet to officially go on sale – that happens in a week or so – but already the biggest, most expensive SUV from South Korea’s largest maker is on a blacklist.

Bad start? To be fair, it’s not as bad it looks. The version that has the spotlight is one most people will not consider, given it runs a normally-aspirated 3.8-litre V6 petrol. The main thrust will be with the diesel, a 2.2-litre turbocharged four-cylinder, which is cleaner, emitting 195g/km.

The point here is to remind that even modern big capacity petrol engines are still not clean enough for legislators. It is also worth bearing in mind, however, that Hyundai could have helped itself by installing, in its biggest rig, the more modern powertrains that have gone into the recently-released, latest form Santa Fe. Actually, make that one specific powertrain.

The next-size down SUV is not the same choice, being physically smaller and with fewer seats, and in V6 form it really has no Green advantage over Palisade’s; Santa Fe’s 3.5 emits 244g/km. However, it’s different in diesel. Palisade has the old cast iron block 2.2; Santa Fe has gone to an alloy engine. It’s cleaner, with 160g/km. Santa Fe will continue to hold a Green card going forward, when mild and plug-in hybrid petrol models land later this year. Both have lower emissions counts still. However, there’s no talk about those powertrains availing in the Palisade.

Jaguar F-Pace SVR

272g/km

Considered in the widest perspective, it’s a grub. Narrow that view down to just the ‘bonkers performance SUV’ genre in which it resides and, actually, it’s not too bad. Or, at least, not the worst. Which is surprising, perhaps, given that this $157,900 rocketship’s 5.0-litre supercharged AJ petrol is an old engine. Soon to retire, in fact, with JLR set to install a BMW 4.4-litre eight in its stead.

 Jaguar, of course, is already sitting pretty in that it has a decent option for SVR buyers who need to quit their petrol addiction: It’s the superb iPace all-electric crossover. Not quite the same thing, but certainly a reasonable alternate, even if doesn’t have the thunderous growling exhaust note that, it has to be said, is really quite a fantastic element of the SVR package.

 RAM 1500

280g/km

 The figure above is for the diesel that’s slightly cleaner than the alternate petrol. But, like, just 3g/km cleaner on the overall average. The price of sticking to a diet of Freedom Fuel also reveals in sobering fuel burn, of course, but it’s the CO2 count that matters here.

A big heart is intrinsic to America's big lugger because it is genuinely in another league to one-tonne utes in so far as load-hauling goes. It’s also worth taking note that the 1500, a more popular choice for Kiwis than the larger 2500 and 3500, is at least a steady drinker – economy on the last one tested was much the same unladen as when it was running with a stacked deck and a big trailer. Still, it reinforces why this model has a 121-litre tank.

The DS model here is expected to stay available for some time, though with a ‘Classic’ designation, when the new-gen RAM arrives, probably in April. This is the DT line, which is more modern in look, technology, styling and equipment. It’ll also evidence in V8 petrol only. We’ve yet to see a local emissions count.

Chevrolet Silverado

282g/km

 Again, a substantial emissions count is the price of being American-big; not just size by engine capacity. There’s a 6.2-litre V8 under the massive bonnet.

Can it survive under the new legislation? According to the rules, each make’s official distributor will have a different target to meet, reflecting its fleet of vehicles. Across the vehicles it brings in it has to ensure the average CO2 emissions are equal to, or less than, the target for its vehicles.

As it works by averaging, vehicles exceeding the CO2 target can continue to be brought in so long as they are offset by enough zero and low emission vehicles. The 2025 target will be phased in through annual targets that get progressively lower. This gives vehicle suppliers time to adjust and source enough clean vehicles to meet the targets and to encourage buyers to opt for low emission vehicles.

So, with Chevrolet then, the situation as it stands goes like this. Silverado is currently the sole flag bearer. It should be joined, by late year, by the Corvette sports car but, of course, that’s also a V8. Not necessarily helpful for achieving the new standard, at least without attracting a penalty. 

However, GM has announced intent to build a whole heap of electric cars. If some of those arrived here, and sold under the same broad branding umbrella, it could conceivably make a heck of a difference.

Audi RSQ8/Lamborghini Urus

278-282 g/km

 One makes 441kW and the other 478kW, both run the same 4.0-litre twin turbo V8; a true stomper for sound and sizzle. But, clearly, also a bit troublesome in respect to what primarily comes out of the exhaust pipes.

For all the eco-guilt it lays on, I really enjoyed the RSQ8 in sense that it made a far more sensible selection than the Urus, being basically the same with a German accent but shaped but kitted way better and costing a lot less.

 At same token, it does seem to be interesting and intriguing play, not least because it arrives just when Ingolstadt has deeply immersed in the electric car scene. If any Audi is set to stand out as the epitome of an ‘anti e-tron’, it surely has to be this machine: A super swanky, two tonne five-seater SUV coupe battering ram capable of 300kmh but also downing a horrendous quantity of fuel in the process of expressing optimal performance.

 It’s definitely the last of an old breed. And the RS e-Tron GT that is coming later this year is definitely the first of the new.

Ford Mustang V8

292g/km

And you still have to ask why the Blue Oval has decided its first fully electric car is also a Mustang?

The V8 engine has been part of the Pony car’s tale since day one, but it clearly comes with a cost.

Ford has already tried hard to wean fans off the eight cylinder route, with the now 2.3-litre EcoBoost engine as an alternate. It hasn’t worked – NZ preference for the V8 is even stronger than the global average. We just don’t care for anything less than the ‘real deal’, represented very well by the 5.0-litre engine.

Buyer swing toward the four-cylinder and the Mach-E electric, when it comes, could well be the saving of Mustang. Continued allegiance to the V8, as brilliant as that powertrain is, makes no sense in a world where passion has to take a back seat to pragmatism.

Lexus LX570

334g/km

 THE combined Toyota and Lexus carbon profile in this country is an example to all other brands save, obviously, the one that doesn’t sell anything fossil-fuelled: Tesla.

 The Japanese giant’s count is already below the national standing and should fall even more this year, with more hybrids coming and two electrics as well. Those battery-assisted hybrids have made massive imprint for global good; a year ago the makes reckoned their cars had cumulatively saved their owners 25 billion litres of fuel: Enough, theoretically, for each of those cars to travel around the world, and then some.

It’s a nicely-Green calculation, a great crow for brand credibility. Just a shame that the wholly Green image cannot be claimed; at least not while the Lexus keeps its top-line version of the Land Cruiser 200-Series. This eight-seater monster holds black sheep standing within a family that works hard to portray a goody two-shoes eco-pitch.

 Why it is still here? Lexus always claimed the LX has enjoyed a core of supporters who find it hard to transfer to anything else quite like it. We note that the Land Cruiser it bases off is about to retire, with a new line coming – maybe this year, maybe next – with a hybrid V6 powertrain said to be far more efficient and Earth-friendly than the current V8s (diesel in Land Cruiser, petrol in LX). It’d be good for LX to follow suit.

Rolls-Royce Cullinan

342g/km

 Talk about the filthy rich, right? This giant all-terrain land yacht is certainly making its presence felt through more than just gravitas, sheer substance and obvious affluence. Even it has a massive engine, hauling around all that luxury is clearly not a clean business.

 Rolls is at least know recognising this sort cannot go on. The ultimate toff brand is planning to bring an electric vehicle to market within the decade, though it will likely be a purely road-bound car. Thought about what future technical direction the Cullinan might adopt has not be expressed.

Meantime, the make admits this isn’t exactly the result of customer pressure. What’s compelling the brand to develop one is because many cities plan to ban petrol-powered cars in the not-too-distant future. If that seems a bit distasteful then there is main competitor Bentley, which has advertised more ambitious plans – it intends to release an EV by 2025 along with a hybrid version of each of its cars.

 Lamborghini Aventador

394g/km

 Start with a 6.5-litre V12 that creates 544kW and there will be consequences, right? The Aventador is also a standout for its thirst: 16.9 l/100km is the factory’s optimal economy estimate, so maybe it’s a typo that had RightCar put it at 19.61.

 Still, they say here are supercars, and then there are Aventadors. There’s no question this machine is a proper Lambo’. It’s the quintessential Italian hypercar. The entire thing, from the carbon-fibre tub to the engine, handmade by a bunch of mad Italians in Sant'agata Bolognese. 

Can it continue? No. What’s next? Electrification, of course. They might be mad, but they’re not bonkers.

 A replacement for this car, the Egoista, will be a plug-in hybrid, though still V12. The new version of its Huracan, meantime, is taking the same track, though is expected to use either a modified version of the Audi R8 architecture or else an evolution of the 992 Porsche 911’s platform. Oh yes, and the Urus is getting a plug, too.

Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk

395g/km

 The world’s most potent SUV drinks a lot of dinosaur juice and clearly has quite a powerful dino-breath, too, thanks to adoption of the supercharged 6.2-litre V8 that configured originally in just the Dodge Challenger and Charger Hellcat cars before Jeep decided, in 2018, that it needed some of the same fury.

The NZ distributor has done okay with a model that vanquishes 0-100kmh in 3.6 seconds – or 1.3s quicker than the SRT that used to be the king hitter  - covers the quarter mile in 11.9 seconds, hits 290kmh overall and drinks … well, the word ‘copious’ is an understatement when discussing the thirst.

But clearly it does all this with a very dark cloud hanging above. Another whose chances of survival seem … erm. minimal. If it was to be kept on once the clean car levies impose and assuming Jeep couldn’t find any way of avoiding those (through buying credits from another source) then it would carry a $15,000 penalty.

Although utes impact due to sheer volume, some are worse grubs than others. The Ford Ranger, which has dominated ute sales for five years, has a bet either way with two engine choices.

The 2.2-litre four-cylinder biturbo emits a category best 177g/km whereas the five-cylinder 3.2-litre single turbo alternate evidences a near class-worst 234.

Rolls-Royce Cullinan

Rolls-Royce has the highest average emissions in New Zealand, but then sells comparatively few cars that are only driven sparingly.

One solace for ute faithful is that makes reserved for rich listers still top the scale of shame. Aston Martin achieves 265.1, Bentley 274.7, Ferrari 279.8, Lamborghini 305.2 and McLaren 257.3. Then there's Rolls-Royce, the worst emitter, with an average of 343.3g/km.

Those elite end makes are among low volume makes still exempted from the EU's latest expectation,

Conan of Konas confirmed

Performance SUV teased, full debut just weeks away.

THE performance flagship version of the Kona compact sports utility has been revealed undergoing testing in Germany.

Hyundai has provisioned images of the new variant, and while the car’s camouflage obviously destroys opportunity to achieve an unexpurgated view, they do reveal some details, one being that the high-performance SUV will ride on 19-inch forged alloy wheels shared with the i30 N hatch.

Hyundai has also officially confirmed that the model will run a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine, mated to an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.

While outputs have yet to be announced, it's fully expected they will match the 206kW and 392Nm extracted from the same engine under the bonnet of the facelifted i30 N. 

As for transmission choices? The hatch is about to pick up an eight-speed direct shift transmission as an alternate to the six-speed manual it has run with since launch two years ago. There’s talk the Kona might follow the same course. What’s still also subject to conjecture is whether it is running all-wheel-drive; some say it will be front-wheel-drive.

The powertrain will accompanied by "a variety of high-performance driving features" including launch control and a sports exhaust, according to an international release from the brand.

 Today’s release also promises the car will make its full debut “in the coming weeks”, with production beginning soon after. Hyundai NZ has yet to offer comment on these images, but has previous expressed strong interest in achieving a performance Kona.

Power games – the local EV rollout for 2021

More brands, more cars, more choice – expect plenty of action as the battery car charge intensifies all the more in NZ this year.

 LAST year brought some astounding introductions to the electric vehicle sector – not only brilliant new prestige models for those unrestricted by budget consideration.

We also witnessed the cheapest new electric car in the market getting even cheaper; a repricing of the MG ZS EV to $48,990 was a surprise bombshell – that sticker being  $7000 below a price first proposed that, in itself, would have positioned this model advantageously. 

As is, NZ motorists are now enjoying their first sub-$50,000 brand-new fully electric car, retailing for $1000 less than the ‘special introductory price’ that was offered to the first 50 orders, when that book was opened in 2019.

It’s hard to see that feat being bettered in 2021, but perhaps it might.

 Certainly, we’ll have even more electric cars to consider this year, several  from mainstream makers, including a market leader which is fully versed in the art of successful sales craft.

So, anyway, here in alphabetical order are the new EV models slated to arrive within the next 12 months.

 Audi RS e-Tron GT

AN electric fan blowing down a long metal cylinder … captured by specialists and further modified and built on was among a total of 32 individual audio elements that have gone in creating the special sound track that gives Audi’s performance EV rather special aural signature. It’s said to be something similar to a jet engine powering up, with the noise modulating based on the engine data, before it is projected from a loudspeaker at the front of the vehicle. Speed and throttle position change the tone.

Sounding a bit strange? Well, noise is important to cars, but for a different reason in respect to EVs. For sure, Audi would like to create a frisson of excitement, but also they’re having to bear in mind that the European Union and the United States have introduced regulations mandating all electric cars emit an external sound for the benefit of pedestrians – up to 20kmh and 32kmh respectively.

It’s doubtless an element of the first Audi RS model to go fully electric, skipping the plug-in hybrid stage altogether and beating hi-po rivals BMW M and Mercedes-AMG to market with emissions-free motoring, that will be a subject of some discussion when this hot shot lands around mid-year.

In terms of performance temperature, think an obvious barometer. The RS E-Tron GT is very closely related t the Porsche Taycan; they are not doppelgangers in styling nor in technology application, outputs alter as do even electric motor count (plus they’re built in different factories), but they do use a common platform.

The GT will deliver is two formats, the RS being the top dog. In the latter power comes from high-energy 83.7kWh (93kWh gross) battery that feeds two synchronous motors – a 175kW motor powers the front axle and is shared with the regular e-Tron GT, but the rear is larger and more powerful, at 335kW. Just like the Taycan, there’s a two-speed transmission on the rear axle, and a focus on coasting rather than recuperation to extend battery range. 

Charge times will also be equivalent to the Taycan, with a maximum DC charging capacity of 270kW, for a theoretical 100km of range in 5 minutes. A 50kW DC charger boosts the battery from five to 80 percent in around 1.5 hours, or 22kW AC charger from 0-100 percent in around 4.5 hours.  

As with Porsche, Audi is also about impressing how the GT’s seriousness by reminding that not only is it coming out of the same high-tech plant as the R8 supercar north of Stuttgart in Germany but (and take this as a thinly-disguised swipe at Tesla) the build quality will be superb. For instance, Audi is employing precision machines that can measure surface inaccuracies on the bodywork within 0.2 of a millimetre.

 BMW iX

BMW'S first electric SUV built from the ground up on a new EV platform shares exterior dimensions of an X5, is as tall as an X6 and has the wheelbase of an X7, with very high specification and plush appointments in two levels of bodywork, a standard look and a sport enhancement with more rakish styling elements.

The cockpit uses a lot of inspiration from the iNext concept, including a hexagonal steering wheel and a vast curved digital displays for the driver and front passenger to use.  

It also features BMW's new ‘fifth-generation’ electric powertrain tech. We are told that the car will be powered by two electric motors (with no rare earth elements), producing 'more than' 370kW, which comprehensively beats the 300kW EQC and e-tron 50 and 55 (respectively 230kW and 300kW).  

Apparently the iX will do 0-100kmh in under five seconds, but of greater importance is the efficiency and range between charges. BMW expects the car will average 21kWh per 100km on the WLTP cycle, resulting in a range of more than 600km from its 100kWh battery pack.

Recharging times are also impressive … when the right hardware is in place. The iX3 can be DC fast-charged at up to 200kW, allowing 10-80 percent charging in under 40 minutes, or 120km range for 10 minutes of charge.  

The car premieres a new aluminium space frame that supports an inner carbon cage fabricated from CFRP – for composite plastic and carbon-fibre-reinforced-plastic – covered with a body made out of a combination of aluminium and CFRP. The latter is a material BMW has become accustomed to working with as it features intensively in the i3 and now discontinued i8 plug-in hybrid sports car.

For the first time in a modern-day BMW model, the iX will feature a fixed clamshell style bonnet. A series of aerodynamic developments, including the blanked-off grille, minimal air ducting within the front bumper, flat underbody panelling, integrated door handles with an electronic opening mechanism and the tapered glasshouse, contribute to a claimed drag coefficient of 0.25.

Full LED main beams are standard, though buyers will also be able to specify BMW’s Laser lights as an option. At the rear, the iX’s narrow tail lamps receive LED functionality as standard.

Look for it in the second half of 2021.

BMW iX3

 Likely to be pitched as a competitor for three like-sorted models already on sale here - the Mercedes EQC, Audi e-tron and Tesla Model X – though differing from those in being more obviously based on an existing model.

The iX3 nonetheless represents an important step. It’s not just BMW’s first electric SUV, but also the first BMW to be available with either pure combustion, plug-in hybrid or pure electric power. 

 The X3’s platform has been adapted with a new rear sub-frame that houses a single electric motor and an 80Wh battery pack – yes, it’s exclusively rear-drive - that, BMW says, is 20 percent more energy dense than any battery it has used before.  

Output is to the tune of 210kW and 400Nm and a 6.8-second 0-100kmh sprint is claimed. BMW says it’ll provide an impressive 460km range, as determined on a WLTP test cycle. Using fast-charging, the iX3 is capable of receiving 80 percent charge in 34 minutes. 

BMW is talking up the car’s adaptive energy recuperation system, which it claims automatically enhances efficiency on longer drives. Using location data from BMW’s latest cloud-based navigation system, the iX3 can autonomously change the level of braking recuperation on the move and according to the road ahead. For instance, if the car recognises that a stop sign is ahead, full recuperation will be deployed without any need for the driver to select it. 

Alternately, the driver can take manual control of the regenerative braking, with three levels of resistance availed. A ‘B’ position on the Drive selector enables high enough energy recovery for one-pedal driving around town, a trick the brand appears to have nabbed from Toyota/Lexus.  

The iX3 gets a unique tune for its standard adaptive suspension system with electronically controlled dampers. Alternately, buyers will be able to specify a sportier Adaptive M suspension setup. 

The front grilles are closed off for aerodynamic purposes and the bumpers have been reprofiled and it gets set of aerodynamic wheels styled to reduce the drag coefficient by around five percent compared with regular X3 wheels. 

Arrival? We’re thinking it’ll time pretty much with iNext. 

Ford Mustang Mach E

Okay, so this one’s a bit of a punt. Ford New Zealand says the only electric car it can officially confirm as a definite 2021 starter here is the plug-in hybrid version of the Escape. And, of course, they’re looking at a fully battery-propelled Transit in 2022.

When asked about the Mach-E, spokesman Tom Clancy replied: “I would love to confirm Mach-E for New Zealand – from all reports it’s an excellent and exciting vehicle – but can’t at this time.”

So that’s not a no, and the reason why there’s a chance the electric Mustang (and yes, petrolheads, like it or not, that is what it officially is) sports utility could be coming is because it’s starting to reach the United Kingdom and, also, there’s growing conviction from Australia that they’ll achieve the car before next Christmas.

What is for sure is that, whether it’s a 2021 arrival or later, there’s every likelihood NZ will at some stage be down to take Ford’s first mass-market electric car in its 116-year history.

You should be excited.  Ford says this all-new car is a true pony express; the range-topping Mach-E GT will hit 100kmh in under four seconds, thanks to an all-wheel drive layout channelling the 342kW and 830Nm outputs of a 75.7kWh lithium-ion battery (a 98.8kWh extended range battery is available).

Ford is claiming a range of 480 kilometres from a full charge using its extended-range rear-wheel-drive car.

Hyundai Kona Electric 

This is the mid-life update version of the car that NZ has known for more than a year. The refresh delivers a cleaner front-end design, aerodynamic tweaks and a restocked safety suite that complements improved interior technology.

It retains the single 64kWh lithium-ion battery pack, but the charging port has moved to place asymmetrically between the front headlights, having previous been sited slightly to the passenger side. Charge time is claimed to take 47 minutes when done with a 100kW DC fast charger.

We’d expect to see this in the first half of 2021.  

Kia e-Niro

Where Hyundai goes, the subordinate marque generally follows.

Once again, this is a facelift. There’s not too much info around, but as with the original pitch, it’s likely to be outdone by its Hyundai Kona cousin for style but  

Chances are NZ will see only the more powerful of two battery options, which should see it travel 450kms between charges. 

Lexus UX300e

Built on Toyota’s GA-C platform, this version of the smallest Lexus crossover runs a front-mounted motor that produces 150kW and 300Nm of torque.

Energy comes from a 54.3kWh underfloor lithium ion battery offering a claimed range of around 315km on the official WLTP testing regime. It's capable of 0-100kmh in 7.5 seconds, has a top speed of 160kmh and an optimal range of 400km.

The model’s high-rate lithium ion battery is capable of DC replenishment and rapid-charging from zero to 80 percent takes 52 minutes. It features a number of driving modes so that the performance of the motor can be better managed, along with paddles to alter the strength of the regenerative braking.

 Lexus says the drivetrain has been developed with a focus on on-road performance and the goal of offering a quiet and refined driving experience. Extra bracing has been added over the regular UX hybrid and the dampers reworked to maintain optimum weight distribution.

Prioing has yet to be discussed, but the plan is for the UX300e to form a new “flagship” of this family range so expect to pay more than the $70,300 asked for the current line-topping UX250h AWD F-Sport.

Mazda MX-30

Two flavours for 2021 – mild hybrid and full-out electric – with a third, this delivering as a full electric but with a small petrol-fuelled engine (yes, a rotary) likely to follow perhaps next year. 

The Hybrid is powered by a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine paired to Mazda's M Hybrid system, producing maximum outputs of 114kW and 200Nm through a six-speed automatic transmission sending power to the front wheels only.

The addition of the mild-hybrid system means the model's official fuel consumption figure is reduced to a claimed 6.4L/100km on a combined cycle.

The MX-30 Electric, meanwhile, looks much the same as the mild hybrid car, save for some subtle electric badging on the exterior and a combined AC/DC charging point where the fuel cap would normally be – on the rear right-hand side of the vehicle.

 The electric model is powered by a 107kW/271Nm electric motor on the front axle and boasts a 35.5kWh lithium-ion battery pack mounted beneath the floor. Range is modest, up to 200km on a single charge according to the World harmonised Light vehicle Testing Procedure (WLTP). That’s less than some of the MX-30's key competitors, but Mazda’s not sweating it. A smaller battery means quick recharging; three hours to recharge on an AC socket, or roughly 36 minutes on a 50kWh DC fast charger 

In terms of sizing, at 4395mm long, 1795mm wide and 1555mm tall, the MX-30 is in the same category as the CX-30, with a 311-litre boot on both the electric and mild-hybrid variants.

The model’s most discussed design feature are pillar-less freestyle doors, inspired by those on the Mazda RX-8 sports coupe (and kinda like those on the BMW i3), which open outwards from the central B-pillar point, hinged at the rear. 

The MX-30 has won a 2020 five-star rating from Europe's New Car Assessment Programme. Standard safety kit includes 10 airbags – front, curtain, front-side, rear-side, front far-side (driver) and a driver’s knee – plus emergency lane keeping with blind-spot assist and something called road keep assist, which helps you stay on track even in the absence of lane markings.

There’s also ‘turn-across traffic functionality’ which can intervene in collisions at intersections by activating the smart-brake support system.  

The cabins of both variants are alike. An 8.8-inch screen that sits at the top of the dashboard controls the infotainment system via a rotary dial, while a second lower 7.0-inch touchscreen provides access to the climate controls.

The floating centre console has cork accents as a nod to the brand's history as a cork manufacturer.

The majority of materials used in the MX-30's interior are sustainably sourced or recycled, from the vegan leatherette upholstery om the seats, to the door trim materials which are made from recycled plastic bottles.

Nissan Leaf e Plus

The latest Leaf but featuring a 62kWh battery (up from 40kWh) that can propel the small five-door 384 kilometres on a single charge, representing a 110-kilometre improvement over the standard edition.

Skoda Enyaq iV

In addition to the ‘E’ also referencing ‘electric’ and the ‘q’ conforming to an in-house naming practice, the name also derives from the Gaelic girl’s name Enya (which means ‘fire’ and ‘kernel’). The iV part is less clear.

 Good background to chuck into the inevitable discussion owners of this five-seater medium crossover will enter into with those curious to know more about what will not only be the first fully electric Skoda to come on sale here but also the first of numerous cars utilising a Volkswagen Group underpinning that are set to hit New Zealand, not just as VWs but also as Audis and a SEAT.

Skoda’s status as the debutante for the MEB platform on local turf is a happenstance that hasn’t occurred in most places; but fact is VW New Zealand has resigned to not seeing the ID models that advance this tech until at least 2022, starting with the ID 4. Same goes for SEAT, with its car, the El Born.

Enyaq’s NZ release (and price) has yet to be shared, but the local distributor has already started the pre-launch build up. Insofar as specification goes? Well, there’s likely to be plenty to think about; the factory is prepping Enyaq with the options of three battery sizes, five power variants and a driving range of up to 500 kilometres. It also provisions in rear-drive in entry form and four-wheel-drive further up the range and a performance all-paw RS edition with 225kW is on the cards.

In size Skoda’s EV slots between the Karoq and the Kodiaq, being 4648mm long, 1877mm wide and 1618mm tall, on a 2765mm wheelbase.  It classes as an SUV, though realistically that’s just a convenience. There isn't a great deal of ground clearance so don't expect to go very far off-road in it.

However, it is designed to tow (if only up to 1200kg) and will is as roomy as the Kodiaq, with a big cabin – made all the more spacious by the lack of a transmission tunnel – and a 585-litre boot. Unlike some other electric SUVs, there isn't a storage area under the bonnet.

The line starts with the 109kW Enyaq iV 50, driven by a rear-mounted electric motor (so, rear-wheel drive) with a 55kWh battery pack and a maximum driving range of 340 kilometres.

Above this is the Enyaq iV 60, also rear-wheel drive but with a 62kWh battery and a 390km driving range, then the Enyaq iV 80, the highest choice in the rear-motored set. It has an 82kWh battery offering 150kW and up to 500 kilometres’ range.

Beyond this are dual-motor all-wheel-drive 80X and RS variants, also with the 82kWh battery pack, but with a second electric motor driving the front wheels. In this form the 80X has 195kW and the RS another 30kW more. The extra grunt comes at expense of range, but not greatly, with 460km claimed. The RS is the only variant that Skoda has announced a 0-100kmh time for; claiming it’ll smash that in 6.2 seconds. That’s 0.8s better than the fastest current Kodiaq, the RS.

Fast charging is also promised with an 80 percent 'fill' possible from 40 minutes at a 125kW DC-powered station … if talking about the 82kWh models. The onboard 11kW charging unit will enable users with a suitable domestic wallbox to replenish the battery charge in six to nine hours, depending on battery size.

The cabin eschews the usual Skoda instrument displays and instead takes a small digital display ahead of a two-spoke steering wheel plus an augmented head-up display that projects onto the windscreen, as in the Volkswagen ID.3 hatch (which isn’t being considered for NZ incidentally). A centrally mounted freestanding touchscreen sits atop the dashboard, and this will come in two sizes, 10- or 13-inch, depending on model.

Skoda’s bent for practicality reveals with decent interior storage, including a generous console between the front seats. It gets a large wireless charging pad that can charge two phones simultaneously. Oh yes, and it has the trad umbrella.

Skoda has a wide variety of specification grades, starting with Studio, available in the Enyaq 50 alone. Additional Loft, Lodge, Suite and Eco Suite trim levels will be available on the 60 and 80 models, and Eco Suite features more sustainably sourced materials. The 60 and 80 versions will gain the largest touchscreen display, a 13-incher.

Tesla Model Y

Again, a bit of a punt with this one, at least in respect to timing, as Tesla no longer bothers communicating with media about its cars.

The model, of course, is not secret; the Model Y is a five-seat crossover all-electric vehicle built on the same third-generation platform as the Model 3; think of it as being a more practical, higher-riding stablemate that stands as a smaller alternate to the Model X, albeit not as wacky – so a conventional set of doors here.

Volvo XC40 Recharge 

A dead-ringer to the fossil-fuelled XC40 from the kerbside, and from overseas’ reports, it’s not so different in driving feel, either.

Of course, it is a radical departure, in being the first Volvo to sell here – arriving mid-year or so, by the way – to forego hooking up to Big Oil.

Here two electric motors provide a very healthy 304kW and 660Nm to all four wheels. A 78kWh battery (that can charge to 80 percent on a fast charger in 40 minutes) should provide enough juice for the XC40 Recharge to travel between 350-400kms in the real world. 

The strength of the powertrain is sufficient for a claimed 0-100kmh time of 4.9 seconds.

When discussing Volvo, you’ll be wondering about the chances of seeing anything from Polestar, an offshoot which is all about passenger EVs with a performance twist.

Good news. Volvo NZ is in discussion with Polestar with intent to furnish the  Polestar 2 (below) which, unlike the preceding Polestar 1 is produced in right-hand drive.

It will feature 300kW of full electric power and boast a range of 560km. But it won’t be available before 2022, says Volvo NZ boss Coby Duggan.

Paddon power play seen soon?

Talk about an assault with batteries … in addition to the ‘Kiwi Kona’ courtesy of Paddon Motorsport, Hyundai itself has shown off a slick electric racer and Ken Block has scored an ohm run!

the RM20e reminds that Hyundai Motor Company is also racing with electric power

ESSENTIALLY identical core components and closely-aligned performances, common basic aims … both behind the same badge.

As much as they are, quite literally worlds, apart each is being developed at a leading motorsport facility with intent to create race-winning performance, starting with some astounding grunt: Up to 745kW.

The timeline trajectories are uncannily close. Announcements about one seem to always be followed by an update on the other.

Who will be first? Is it a race? Who else might be competing?

As the days toward each project achieving readiness for full-out field testing draw closer, the nation’s interest in Haydon Paddon’s groundbreaking Hyundai Kona electric rally car is set to grow.

Meantime, in South Korea and in Europe, all eyes seem to be on a car that, while not a doppelganger, is clearly also from the same broad breeding, the RM20e Prototype.

Meantime, anyone taken notice yet of the Ford Fiesta ERX, an early starter in the FIA’s new World Rallycross Project E race series, recently subject of a wild run to victory with the world’s greatest hoonigan at the wheel? 

All remind how motorsport is heading fast toward where every day motoring is unavoidably gravitating … a future that involves electric assistance.

Paddon’s car deserves priority mention, being ‘local’ and all that. Even so, it’s the one we know least about, technically speaking.

This image of the Paddon Kona was run on the DirtFish website last week.

Yes, everyone knows it’s a massively reworked edition of the electric Kona crossover Hyundai has been knocking out for road use; delivering with four-wheel-drive, raised suspension and all the other addenda required for rallying.

But in terms of the exact spec of the drivetrain, the battery size and capability … that’s still under wraps. The team website continues to talk of up to 1100Nm torque, and more than one motor – as few as two, up to four, each making 220kW – through a single speed drivetrain.

There’s been talk of offering around 670kW in hillclimb mode and around half that for longer rallies, to improve range.

Any lack of detail does nothing to diminish the achievement: A car driven by our best known and most credentialed rally talent and created by a handful of hand-picked Kiwi engineers, working from a lock-up at Highlands Motorsport Park at Cromwell, developed alongside Hyundai New Zealand with the assistance of the University of Canterbury, Yes Power and STARD, an Austrian racing team that specialises in electric rallycross cars and has supplied the battery, inverter, and motor  … well, it’s a heck of a thing.

We do know it works. It ran for the first time last week and, according to a report from international rally web site Dirtfish, remains on target for a November 4 launch in Auckland – so, just over two years since project start. 

Hayden Paddon has big plans for the ‘Kiwi Kona’.

The car will be seen in public for the first time when Paddon completes demonstration runs at the Battle of Jacks Ridge on November 15.

“It was 100 percent pride when I drove the car for the first time,” Paddon told DirtFish several days ago.

“Everybody’s been working so hard here to make this happen – some of the guys have been putting in 100-hour weeks to get here … and it went absolutely to plan, no problems at all. We were only running the car at 30 percent power, but the responsiveness from the car is so obvious.

 “The other thing that became obvious is how much more straightforward the Kona EV is compared with a conventional rally car – the number of mechanical, moving parts is significantly less.”

Paddon told DirtFish the aim is to have the car out on a full-length rally this time next year. In other reports, he has spoken of hope to run it in selected rounds of the New Zealand Rally Championship in 2020; a hope that, to be realised, will require some rewriting of motorsport regulations.

Various safety issues have yet to be satisfied but, beyond that, there’s another question: Is it fair – or even conceivable – to expect parity between fossil-fuelled race machinery and electrics?

 Paddon asserts he doesn’t want an electric car for an electric championship. “We want to showcase this against current cars, to show electric can be fast, cool and hold its own. Motorsport should be any car against any car. 

That thinking is built on a solid foundation; like it or not, electric propulsion has a place in rallying at local and international level.

Hyundai says the RM20e will serve as a development tool for a future electric N performance road car.

Patently, this programme is not just to prove a point on local roads. Paddon is keen to exploit the car’s potential for his own driving career and, apparently, as a commercial venture. How many examples are created and to what aim has yet to be fully spelled, but the South Canterbury instigator has always seen a global market potential. He certainly hopes the Kona will give him an advantage as the World Rally Championship heads down an electrified path.

As Kona readies for its big day, so too comes news of another Hyundai headliner, this one from the brand proper. 

No shying with the stats in respect to the RM20e. Everything but the range has been provisioned. So, it has 598kW and 959Nm of torque deployed to its rear wheels, will smash 0-100kmh in less than three seconds and be travelling at 200kmh after just 9.88s. For the purposes of public road driving, top speed limits to 250kmh. Hyundai says it balances these “race-car-like levels of performance, balance, braking and grip” with “daily-driver quietness, responsiveness and road-going capability.”

The drivetrain has developed by an electric vehicle maker whose star power is somewhat brighter than STARD’s.

Rimac is a Croatian car manufacturer that develops and produces electric sports cars, drivetrains and battery systems. Founded just 11 years ago, it rocketed to world interest with the Concept One, the slinky realisation of ambition to create the world’s fastest production electric vehicle. It gained even more notoriety when Richard Hammond crashed it during filming for the Grand Tour Season 2. Was the car too hot to handle? Well, it’s a tame tabby compared with Rimac’s next electric performance flagship, the C-Two, will touch down in 2021 with 1490kW and a top speed of 415kmh.  

Eighteen months ago HMC paid 80 million Euros for an undisclosed share in Rimac, with intent to develop two models – a sports car for itself and a fuel cell car, likely for Kia. The investment represents a 14 percent shareholding for HMC; Porsche, another investor, has a 10 percent share. A Chinese battery maker, Camel Group, is Rimac's second biggest stakeholder with 19 percent, while Rimac founder Mate Rimac owns 43 percent.

the rm20e’s development programme was undertaken at the Nurburgring, home base of Hyundai’s N operation.

As revealed at the Beijing international Automotive Exhibition 2020 last week, the RM20e appears in readiness for track racing, just like the Veloster N eTCR, designed to take on a new eTCR electric touring car series. 

However, motorsport is not the end game in this instance. The factory says the car’s primary purpose is to act as a development tool and test bed for the N-branded performance road car division. It has the remit of being the basis of what yet one day become Hyundai’s equivalent of the Porsche Taycan.

The name is explained thus: RM stands for ‘racing midship’, and refers to the car’s mid-mounted electric motor, which is said to offer “ideal balance and agility from a low polar-moment of inertia.” Meaning it is easier to rotate the car about its axis. The numerical? Well, it’s a bit of a muddle, but effectively it’s the latest of a lineage. There have been four previous incarnations, the first being the RM16.

Back to the Fiesta ERX, which screamed – in a way only electric cars can – into motorsport history the other day by winning the first World Rallycross e-racing event at the famous Holjes circuit in Sweden, ahead of two identical Fords. 

Directly developed by STARD, this car is also a monster: 0-100km in just 1.8 seconds is a blistering time huge horsepower fossil-fuelled rallycross cars with anti-lag systems have been chasing off the start line for years.

What gets the ERX going is a giant 450-kWh battery pack liquid-cooled by dry ice. It delivers oomph through a pair of independent two-speed gearboxes that operate as single-speeds in race mode. Will the Kona go the same way?

Palisade confirmed for NZ

You think the Santa Fe is substantial? Wait until you meet its big brother.

SIXTEEN cupholders, seven USB ports and up to eight seats – plus a brash styling that simply cannot be ignored and potentially a sticker that takes Hyundai into a pricing zone it has never previously breached.

Those are features of the Hyundai Palisade, an even larger sports utility than the well-received Santa Fe that has been confirmed as an addition to the brand’s local line-up, arriving at year-end. 

Designed and initially only designated for North America, but now being made available through South Korea finally bending to a campaign by Australia to put it into right-hand-drive, Palisade is built in front-drive V6 and also provisions in the same mechanical spec preferred by most Santa Fe buyers – so four-wheel-drive, a 2.2-litre turbodiesel and an eight-speed auto.

Auckland-centred Hyundai New Zealand confirmed some months ago it was mulling adding in the Palisade to become the fifth SUV in its line-up and the first to offer eight seats. 

That process has cemented with last week’s confirmation that it will be going into Australia from year-end, coming off the same production line in South Korea that produces NZ-market Santa Fe.

Today the national distributor said it had still to decide on the exact spec and powertrain choices – but conceivably you need only examine what Australia is getting to see the full selection of choice.

 It seems safe to assume NZ will take the 2.2-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel, which is in the same tune as it features in the Santa Fe, so cracks out 147kW and 440Nm.

Our neighbour has decided to take the petrol, a 3.8-litre V6 producing 213kW and 355Nm. Given that Hyundai NZ has discontinued the same layout, albeit with a smaller-capacity six, in the latest Santa Fe, this version of Palisade would seem  less likely.

Timing? Not exact dates are being given, but HNZ general manager Andy Sinclair says it’ll be here in time for summer.

So, we’re picking December. As for price? Well They’ve also indicated – and no surprise with this – it’ll sit above Santa Fe, which tops out at $83,990, so expect to spend at least $85,000, if not more. Could it even become the first Hyundai to sell here for more than $100,000?

Hyundai NZ has expressed confidence it can find a ready market for a model that is much larger than the Santa Fe, measuring around 210mm longer with a 180mm longer wheelbase and boot that offers 311 litres space with all three rows up (so, more than double Santa Fe’s capacity in that configuration), or 704L with two rows of seating in use. It is slightly shorter and narrower than the Mazda CX-9 and longer and wider than the current Toyota Highlander, which is set to go into a new generation in early 2021.

Sinclair is calling the Palisade “the ultimate family vehicle for practical, comfortable daily use and venturing further afield for a family roadie” and says it will provide Kiwis “more choice when it comes to buying a vehicle to meet their lifestyle needs.”

The model also stands out as being one of a relative few Hyundai vehicles unlikely to be troubled by a Kia equivalent here. Yes, there certainly is a twin under the skin. Yet the award-winning Telluride is only made in in North America and has been discounted for reconfirmation in left-hand-drive.

Expectation is that Palisade will add a higher, comfort-oriented specification than Santa Fe as well as an extra seat.

Apart from all those cup holders and USB ports, it delivers roof ventilation for all rows, heating and ventilated front and second-row seats and middle-seat delete for the second-row (as a seven-seater with ‘walkthrough’ aisle).

There’s also a digital instrument cluster with blind-spot video streaming and a 10.25-inch infotainment screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, reversing camera and 360-degree cameras. Also expect a host of safety technology including AEB, adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, passenger detection monitors, and more 

Comfort comes via electrically adjustable seats and plenty of Nappa leather. Both second and third-rows get Isofix anchors for child seats, plus tether points, including for the third row. 

North America’s status as the priority market dictated why it launched at the 2018 Los Angeles Motor Show.

The US market is not wholly pinned to an eight-seater configuration. Over Stateside the car also offers as an opulent six-seater, with power folding captain’s chairs in the second and third rows and a ‘sleep mode’ that can mute the back speakers for snoozing passengers also befit its flagship status.

Like the Santa Fe, it features a rear occupant alert system that will beep the horn if ultrasonic sensors detect movement inside the vehicle once locked, helping look after pets and small children.