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After 27 years of absence, Toyota will again market the Land Cruiser in Canada. We now know the date of its unveiling. Toyota  is a company that has mastered the art of mystery shopping. After a huge advertising campaign on the new generation Tacoma, the Japanese group titillated motorists for several weeks on the arrival of the Lexus GX finally revealed in June. For the past few weeks, the manufacturer has been pursuing this marketing technique with a new vehicle highly anticipated on the market, the Toyota Land Cruiser. Few details have been released, but we now know the launch date. A square front A few weeks ago, Toyota unveiled a mystery image of the  2024 Toyota Land Cruiser . In profile, it was possible to discover a large SUV that displayed a robust and straightforward look. The new photo shows us a bit more of what the front of the Land Cruiser will look like. It will be entitled to a rectangular grille. Truth be told, every part of the front bumper seems to be made up of a

During the second quarter of 2023, the Volkswagen Group sold 180,600 electric cars worldwide,  53% more than in the same period last year . This represented 7.7% of its total volume (which amounted to 2,331,500 units), a slight improvement from the 6% achieved in 2022. This has been the second best quarter for the electric range of the German manufacturer. In the first half, the company shipped 321,000 electric cars,  achieving a year-on-year growth rate of 48%  and a share of 7.4%. Although these numbers are good, they are still far from Volkswagen’s aspirations to become one of the leaders in the sector. With 118,900 examples delivered in the second quarter (+69%),  Europe remains the main market for Volkswagen electric cars . In addition, its bank of orders in the old continent is around 200,000 vehicles. Although sales in the United States are starting to take off (+56%), their volume (14,000 units) is still very low. Its growth is much more moderate in China (+18%), with a tota

A few days ago we heard the news that Audi was closing a strategic agreement with the Chinese manufacturer SAIC, among other things, to accelerate the development of its new electric cars. Now it is the parent company, Volkswagen, which has made a move to take advantage of the rapid growth of Chinese electric car manufacturers, with the acquisition of a percentage of Xpeng Motors. In the first phase,  Volkswagen and Xpeng Motors  will plan to jointly develop two electric cars under the Volkswagen brand for the Chinese compact car market. These two new models will complement the portfolio of products based on the MEB platform and are scheduled to hit the market in 2026. At the same time, as part of the long-term strategic cooperation, the Volkswagen Group will increase its investment in Xpeng Motors by approximately  USD 700 million , which, upon completion of the transaction, will allow the German manufacturer to have  a seat on the board of directors. from Xpeng. Volkswagen has ind

Just a few months ago, Tesla began installing the first V4 Superchargers at some of its European stations. On paper, its fourth generation of ultra-fast chargers should be capable of reaching a peak power of 615 kW, since they can work at 1,000 V and 615 A; however, until now they were limited to 250 kW. American sources indicated that starting next year, V4 Superchargers would begin to upgrade to 350 kW, something that has now been officially confirmed thanks to documents for the construction of a new station in Swindon (United Kingdom  ) . In addition, another novelty of great interest has also been announced. And it is that the V4 Superchargers  will include a payment screen , an element that was not available in the three previous generations. This will facilitate the charging process for those users who do not have the company’s app or who do not have coverage on their smartphone (remember that Tesla models do not have this problem, as they have a Plug&Charge system). It is

After the bittersweet performance of the i-Pace, Jaguar ‘s first electric car, the British manufacturer in the hands of the Indian group Tata is preparing to make a new move that allows it to recover the ground lost in recent years. And the manager, according to rumors, will be  an attractive electric saloon  that will be placed in the upper part of the premium segment, and that will be presented this year. Jaguar Land Rover’s new CEO Adrian Mardell and chief designer Gerry McGovern recalled how Jaguar had found success in the 1990s, particularly in North America, when its cars were more expensive and targeted a different demographic. richer than the one the brand has been chasing for the last 20 years. A strategy that the brand now wants to continue hand in hand with  a more exclusive range made up of electric cars  that will flee from the price war started by Tesla and the Chinese groups, and which they hope will allow Jaguar to position itself in a part of the market with less vol

The rumors have been confirmed: Audi and the Chinese group SAIC, parent of MG, have reached  a collaboration agreement for the joint development of electric cars . As a result of this association, the firm with the four rings will have access to an electric platform from IM, the premium brand of the Asian conglomerate. How has Audi come to the situation of having to resort to the technology of its Chinese competition belonging to the powerful Volkswagen Group? The main reason would be  the delays accumulated by the company in the development of the new SSP platform , called to replace the MEB and PPE at a stroke. The problems are mainly concentrated on the software of the new architecture, which is the responsibility of the young CARIAD division. The electronic platform, known internally as “2.0” (the MEB platform software is called 1.1 and the PPE software 1.2),  has been designed to offer advanced autonomous capabilities . “All stakeholders agree that the Chinese auto market is in

Elon Musk has indicated that  Tesla’s priority is to increase its production volume  to reduce costs and gain a dominant position. A dynamic that they seem to be achieving and this is demonstrated by the figures for the first semester, which have placed the  Model Y as the best-selling car in Europe. The Model Y overcame its historic challenges of quarterly delivery peaks, achieving stable registrations thanks to the increasing capacity of the factory in Germany, combined with the efficiency of the one in China. Thanks to this, the electric SUV has managed to surpass other much cheaper models, such as the  Dacia Sandero , the Volkswagen T-Roc crossover, or the Opel Corsa, to become the best-selling car in Europe between January and June. During this period, Model Y has managed to deliver a total of  125,144 units , which means  boosting its deliveries by 211.7%  compared to the same period last year. The figures could be higher because the data only covers 94% of sales in the Europe

The North American manufacturer  Rivian  presented its first electric cars in 2021: the R1T pickup and the R1S SUV. A company that also makes vans for Amazon, and that has now confirmed that  it will land on the roads of Europe starting this year. At the moment it is not known which models will be in charge of opening the ground, but it is expected that one of them will be the  R1S SUV , and later a new model, which is currently being developed, would do so. the R2, a more compact and affordable proposal that will be based on a new platform. The new compact SUV should cost between 40,000 and 60,000 dollars before taxes, that is, between 36,000 and 55,000 euros. According to CFO Claire Rauh McDonough, the vehicle aims to compete with other high-volume electric models like the Tesla Model Y . According to McDonough, the production of the  new model is scheduled to begin in 2025-2026,  with estimates that already in 2026 production will reach 200,000 units. A fairly ambitious goal that

The Stellantis group wants to boost Alfa Romeo to turn  it into a premium firm on par with Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz . With this goal in mind, the brand will undergo a profound and very rapid transformation that will lead to its full electrification by 2027, barely three years after the launch of its first electric car. Jean Philippe Imparato, CEO of the company, confirmed during an interview that his short and medium-term strategy includes the launch of five new models, all of them electric or with electric versions. The first to arrive will be  an SUV derived from the FIAT 600 and Jeep Avenger , which will be manufactured at the Polish Tychy plant. Scheduled for 2024 , it will compete in segment B with the MINI Aceman, Smart #1, and Volvo EX30, among others. After it will come the replacement for the Giulia, scheduled for 2025, as well as the Stelvio, which will be released in 2026. The last to arrive will be a flagship saloon framed in the E segment. Are we not forgetting the

After sixteen years of absence,  the British brand MG returned to the Spanish market in 2021  with a very clear objective: to become the spearhead of the Chinese group SAIC in our country, where another of its firms, Maxus, also operates. As in the rest of Europe, the overwhelming success of its low-cost range has been almost immediate. Last June,  the company registered a total of 3,663 cars in Spain ; that is, it was done with the participation of 3.62% (a figure that rises to 5.52% in the individual channel). Currently, its offer is made up of five models: MG4 (electric), MG5 (electric), ZS (thermal and electric), HS (thermal and plug-in hybrid), and Marvel R (electric). However, this is only the beginning, as the manufacturer is preparing a complete product offensive for the coming years that will allow it to establish its position in the European market. The goal pursued by its leaders is to cover as many categories as possible,  from urban cars like the Comet to sports cars l

Thomas Schäfer, CEO of the Volkswagen brand , has let the managers of the German company know that difficult times are ahead. During an internal meeting, the executive went so far as to affirm that  “the roof is on fire” , because despite his huge investments to become a leading electric car manufacturer, the results are not accompanying. Although in the United States, the sales of its electric range are advancing at a good pace, with deliveries of the ID.4 quadrupling during the second quarter compared to the same period last year,  in China and Europe the demand is much weaker than expected , something that worries the management of the company a lot. Schäfer openly says that  the next few months will be  “very difficult” , which is why a massive cost reduction of 10 billion euros will be sought over three years.  “We are letting the costs get too high in many areas. Our structures and processes are still too complex, slow, and inflexible . “ The manager has asked that expenses be

The new  MG Cyberster  is one of the most anticipated launches of the Anglo-Chinese firm, which will celebrate its centenary next year. This 100% electric convertible is the latest member of a long line of sporty  roadsters , a type of vehicle on which MG has built its brand image for decades. At first, the MG Cyberster was conceived as a replacement for the  MG TF (2002-2011) , but the need to use high-capacity batteries forced the company to extend its wheelbase, which resulted in an overall length of 4.53 meters, well above the 3.96 meters of its predecessor. With a range consisting of two versions of  314 CV (231 kW)  and  544 CV (400 kW)  of power, the MG Cyberster will play in the same league as the Alpine A110 , BMW Z4, Porsche 718 , and Toyota Supra, among others. However, the company does not rule out developing a smaller and more affordable sports car. MG’s global design chief,  Oleg Son , has hinted that the idea is gaining ground within the SAIC group, its parent. Althou

Ralf Brandstätter, CEO of the Volkswagen Group in China , believes that the electric car market is “overheating”, with high investments and aggressive discounts that could threaten the stability of the sector. In particular, he points out that the pressure to which some manufacturers are subjected could lead to their demise. This situation mainly affects younger brands: according to the manager, many new players will urgently have to seek additional capital investment, or else they will go  bankrupt in the short term .  “We are facing a situation where the market is overheating. The consolidation of the playing field is in full swing. Although without making direct mention of Tesla, Brandstätter  is very critical of the price war that has rocked the Chinese market in recent months .  “Currently, there are more than 120 automakers in the [electric vehicle] market, and around 150 new models will be launched by 2023. Intense competition and high battery prices make them face strong econ

The sales share of the  Tesla Model Y in Europe  does not stop growing as does its production capacity. Now, the American SUV has temporarily conquered another large market, managing to position itself as the best-selling car in the  United Kingdom  in June. June figures provided by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show that 5,539 units of the Tesla Model Y  were sold in the UK last June, giving it the top spot ahead of models with a combustion engine, such as the  Ford Puma , with 5,453, and the  Opel Corsa  with 4,146 units that also include the electric version of the compact. Tesla is taking advantage of the good progress of electric sales in this market, which in June has accumulated a total of 31,700 100% electric units,  39.4% more  than the same period last year. Figures from the United Kingdom that are added to those achieved in other markets, such as China where Tesla has produced more than  93,000 units in a single month , and that are further consoli

FIAT has officially confirmed that on July 11, 2024, coinciding with its 125th anniversary,  it will present a new utility vehicle inspired by the Centoventi Concept (2019) prototype , which in turn took some features from the original Panda of the 80s. Although the Panda It has been during its first three generations an urban segment A, in its next incarnation it will grow in size to serve as a military in segment B. “We have room to make another model of the B segment [along with the 600] in the ‘essential’ [category]. Our offer could be adapted to another product” , says  Olivier Francois, CEO of FIAT . It will be a  crossover  approximately 4 meters long with a  “simple and smart, a bit like the Panda used to be” approach. Everything indicates that our protagonist will derive from the new Citroën C3, which will be released a few months before.  “The car you’ll see next year will be cool, popular, and affordable . ” In addition to Europe, it will also be sold in other markets such

Peugeot has presented by surprise and without prior notice the expected restyling of the e-208 , its most popular electric car. With this movement, the lion’s firm stops the leaks that it had been suffering for days since the final design of the vehicle was revealed a few weeks ago in a series of images taken on the assembly line itself. The renewed Peugeot e-208, which  will start manufacturing in November at the Stellantis plant in Figueruelas (Zaragoza) , has received a facelift similar to that of the e-2008. The main novelty is found in the optical groups with LED technology and in the daytime running lights in the form of a triple claw, although the grille and the bumper are also new. Of course, the utility adopts the new Peugeot corporate logo, inspired by the one used in the 60s of the last century.  The changes are minor in the rear , highlighting the pilots with three horizontal stripes and the name of the brand in larger letters. The tire offering has also been updated. “T

The irruption of the  Chinese groups  in the different international markets is causing many to have to recalculate their rates due to the push of some brands that arrive with great force and adjusted costs, and that add to the pressure of others, such as Tesla. But  Hyundai  has indicated that they will not enter into this price war and that they will be located in a differential segment thanks to their product. One of the markets that are seeing the fastest implementation and impact of Chinese brands is Australia. There,  the Chinese models already represent the five cheapest electric cars that are currently available , and with an increasing presence of these. But despite the clear offensive of the Asian giant, Hyundai Australia it has been commented in a press conference that proposals such as the electric Hyundai Kona will  not compete on prices against Chinese rivals  such as BYD Dolphin, BYD Atto 3, and the MG4. According to Hyundai Australia boss John Kett, “  We have to fin

An atomized design, improvements in connectivity, safety, efficiency, interior finishes, and digitization update the urban Kia Picanto 2024. A true street car that Kia has renewed in the image and likeness of the new customer needs. One million units sold in Europe in its three generations  —2004, 2010, and 2017, on which this profound update is based— are to be more than satisfied with a car like the  Kia Picanto , militant in a category in which many competitors They are stampeding: of 32 possible alternatives in 2018, four disappeared at the beginning of this decade and currently  only 18 models belonging to the pure A segment remain . And obviously, the number of units sold has also dropped from almost 1.2 million units throughout Europe in 2018 to the 740,000 expected for the current year, a figure that according to the brand will stabilize in the coming years, which would mean a market share of around 5% —global Europe—. City meat due to its dimensions, pursuing agility and eas