Audi reveals 2019 A6 sedan

Audi has lifted the covers off the 2019 A6 sedan, featuring a host of upgrades, hybrid technology, and features first seen in the A8.

The German automaker revealed that the eighth-generation luxury sedan will be larger than its predecessor and will feature mild hybrid technology that promises increased fuel efficiency. The new A6 will come with two powertrains, both equipped with the hybrid tech system. The turbocharged V6 petrol option pumps out 340hp, mated to a dual-clutch 7-speed transmission and Audi’s Quattro system, while the 3.0-litre diesel does a good 286hp. The diesel option, available in most international markets, is connected to an 8-speed automatic.

Coast to Coast

So what’s the deal with the mild hybrid? Audi has said their new hybrid tech works with a lithium-ion battery, meaning the A6 can coast from speeds of 34.2 and 99.4 mph. The stop-start function will kick in even at 22mph and will restart automatically when the vehicle in front of it starts. The automaker has also promised that;

In real-world driving, the MHEV technology reduces fuel consumption by up to 0.7 litres per 100 kilometers.

That aims to reduce the already low 7.1 liters per 100km (33 mpg) of fuel consumption in the petrol version.

More technology than the eye can see

The most impressive part of new Audis is perhaps the wide range of technology that the cars can come equipped with. The new A6 will feature Audi’s MMI navigation system alongside a host of driver assistance features. The latter gives you the option to autonomously park the car in your garage or into parking spaces, while the top of the range A6s will come specced with laser and ultrasonic scanners, 5 cameras, and 5 radars.

This on top of the Volkswagen Group’s Virtual Cockpit display and the impressive dual-screen infotainment set up (first seen in the A8), the new A6 will probably be able to do everything for you except make you a coffee in the morning.

No pricing has been announced just yet and while the European and international markets will see the A6 by the summer and at the latest, the end of the year, the A6 will touch down in the United States sometime later. The car’s official unveiling will come at this year’s Geneva Motor Show, which will take place from the 8th until the 18th of March.

Mercedes-Benz X-Class: What is America missing out on?

Mercedes-Benz’s foray into the pickup truck market begins in earnest with their new luxury X-Class. As the new truck begins to arrive into international markets, what is the US missing out on?

In a landscape dominated by giants, the American mid-size truck market often comes in second best in sales compared to its full-sized counterparts. While the US mid-size truck options will receive a bit of a shakeup with the return of the Ford Ranger in 2019, international markets will get the European brand’s first attempt at luxurifying the pickup truck.

Named the X-Class, the Mercedes-Benz truck boasts the same chassis as the Nissan Navara but will come complete with additional Mercedes features and tech not available on its donor car. The X-Class comes with four engine options, one petrol and three diesel, badged with Mercedes-Benz’s familiar naming structure- X200, X220d, X250d, X350d. The latter features a 6-cylinder turbo diesel engine that pumps out 255hp and 550nm of torque, but will only arrive a few months after the rest of the offerings go on sale.

The Mercedes-Benz X-Class pushes the boundaries of the classic pickup. @Daimler_CV pic.twitter.com/56yFhgPV3V

— Mercedes-Benz (@MercedesBenz) August 18, 2017

The first batch of trucks recently arrived here in Australia and will come in three grades, Pure, Progressive, and its highest trim level, Power.  Mercedes Benz has promised that the X-Class will lead the line in luxury pick up trucks, offering up a slew of nice trimmings that should entice those who want a little luxury to go with their off-roading. The Power level trim will come with its seats upholstered in man-made Artico leather, LED hi-po headlights, Mercedes Benz’s COMMAND infotainment system, a 360-degree camera and PARKTRONIC assist.  In Australia, the X-Class can boast that it is the first truck to feature as standard, autonomous emergency braking (AEB).

Paying more for the pointed star

The X-Class will come at a premium of course, with the added features and finish demanding a higher price point than competitor brands in the segment. In Australia, the X-Class kicks off its pricing for its base X220d at $45,450 ($35,418 in US dollars) before it skyrockets up to a pricy $64,500 ($50,300 in USD) for the X250d in Power trim. This is before they release the X350d pricing, which is expected to be north of the 70k mark. It all seems a little bit expensive for a utility vehicle whose segment leaders in Australia ask for about $60,000 in their highest specs. This is all before you add expensive options like genuine leather seats or A-Class styling (each asking for more than a thousand bucks a pop).

To compare, if you go to the Chevy website and build and price a Colorado, spec’d in its Midnight Edition with additional Sat Nav, a year’s worth of On-Star support and for fun, a Cat-Back exhaust, it comes to USD$41,630. I don’t know about you, but if I had to choose, I’d pick the bowtie over the pointed star any day.

An UnAmerican truck

It’s no surprise that Mercedes Benz has said the US market isn’t an option for its X-Class at present time. You could say that while the Colorado, the returning Ranger, the GMC Canyon and Toyota Tacoma hold a unique spot in the truck market in the United States, there really is only one grand winner in the overall truck segment. The land of the free, the home of the brave, is well and truly the domain of the F-150. Large trucks continue to dominate sales in the United States, with Ford’s F-Series and Chevy’s Silverado leading all car sales in the United States. Ram Trucks round off the top four with only the Nissan Rogue sneaking into the top three. A European brand releasing an expensive truck into an established segment is probably a battle Mercedes Benz knows it can’t win at the moment.

So is America missing out on the X-Class?

The short answer is no. Even here in Australia, there are other trucks probably better value for money. Especially since the X-Class itself shares a platform with another brand that has already carved out its niche here.

If someday the X-Class makes its way to American shores and you’re given the option to buy an X-Class over a Colorado, a new Ranger or a Tacoma, would you? Probably not.

2019 Hyundai Santa Fe unveiled

Hyundai has lifted the covers off their new 2019 Santa Fe, giving the SUV a new look, upgraded tech, and a new diesel option for the North American market.

The 2019 facelift, the fourth since its inception in 2001, will see its models streamlined as the previously named Santa Fe Sport will now just be called the Santa Fe, while the 7-seater version will be named the Santa Fe XL.

The Santa Fe will sport a redesigned front end, standard with LED lights, wider stance, and what Hyundai calls a “bold new look”. Hyundai has also promised a larger daylight opening, as well as additional interior design elements aimed at improving the driving experience.

Here’s the sneak peek of The all-new Santa Fe before its world premiere! What do you think? ✔ More info here: https://t.co/JJCvlsX9O5 pic.twitter.com/XJIuHIiIEF

— Hyundai Worldwide (@Hyundai_Global) February 14, 2018

New engine, more tech

The two petrol engines on offer are the 2.4 liter inline four-cylinder GDI engine (185 hp) or a more powerful, turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine (232 hp). The latest edition is the revised 2.2-liter CRDi turbodiesel engine.  The diesel variant will give customers a torquey 320 pound feet with its 200 horsepower output and is slated to arrive in early 2019. The diesel option is only available in the model’s 3-row version, and like its petrol counterparts, will come mated to a new 8-speed automatic transmission.

Techwise, consumers will get the Qi-standard wireless smartphone charging pad, and in its highest trims, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto on an 8.0-inch touchscreen. Those opting for the top of the line will also get a HUD that projects its information on an 8.5-inch display area that boasts a wide array of options and functions. Base models come equipped with the 7.0-inch interface.

A North American bestseller

There have been 1.5 million Santa Fe’s sold in America since 2001, Hyundai hopes the upgrades and design changes will continue their strong presence in the North American market. And while the Santa Fe has never been the most exciting option when it comes to SUVs, it continues to be strong in the practicality and value categories.

A Velar, Velar good Range Rover

Since 1970, the Range Rover has been synonymous with British excellence, luxury and opulence. It is the vehicle of choice for royalty, on-screen despots and high flying suburban mothers the world over. It is of course, with merit, anyone who has spent time inside a Range Rover, in almost any trim, will see that these SUVs are designed with extravagance in mind.

Now I am not exactly the biggest fan of the European way when it comes to automobiles. I have written in the past of my disdain of certain European brands, often talk about their unnecessary costs, and will use any platform I can get access to to rail against their subtle approach to the road. I am the kind of person that sees no reason to pay 100k plus for a German automobiles when I can get the same out of a 45k Chevy. I like my trucks big, my V8s loud, and I think my fuel consumption menu hasn’t been checked since my car rolled off the factory floor.

I am by all European standards, a brute, an uncouth driver of low standards.

The ideal SUV in my world is a Chevy, a Dodge, a Jeep, a Ford. When luxury and opulence is required, I turn to Lincoln, to Cadillac.

I’ve been in Range Rover Discoverys, in Range Rover Sports, in Evoques, and every time I get in one my amazement in its refinement, in its class and elegance, is immediately shattered as soon as talk comes of its price.

“THIS THING IS HOW MUCH?”

The initial sticker shock subsides briefly, only to be bashed into delirium at the mind-boggling, price inflating and often dumbfounding option list that is available. A 70k Jaguar F-Pace that doesn’t have the kind of tech available in a 30k Holden or Chevy is the norm. A Range Rover Sport with what I believe are a standard list of features that when optioned, balloons past 150k, very likely.

Safe to say my pickup truck lovin’ ass isn’t the target clientele for Jaguar Land Rover.

That is until I got the chance to get into a brand new Range Rover Velar. The Velar is Range Rover’s latest entry into its Range Rover family. The model is now one of four in the Range Rover stable. Alongside the baby SUV Evoque, its flagships Sport and Discovery, the Velar is in every sense of the word, magnificent.

Reviews of the Velar have been overwhelmingly positive (even Doug likes it) and while journalists, engineers and petrolheads the world over will tell you about every spec, every engineering win and every piece of motoring genius that Jaguar Land Rover have achieved with it. I will tell you one thing, it won me over. I’m ready to turn in my plaid shirt for a sports coat, I’m ready to switch my playlist from Country 100 to BBC 1, and I’m ready to turn my “Truck yeahs!” into “jolly goods”.

Where we’re going we don’t need roads

The Velar’s proportions are perfect. The Evoque is probably a little too small and the Sport and Discovery are a little too big for all that refinement, but the Velar is the embodiment of vehicular perfection. It is less an SUV and more a beefed up wagon and it never feels like a boat. It is a tech marvel of course, its dual touch screen interface is spaceship-esque and all of its British extravagance is on show (Union Jack styled speakers are a nice touch).

It’s rare that one would equate falling in love with “European” and “vehicle” but for the first time in my life, I got into a European car and fell head over heels for it.

In Australia, the Velar kicks off at about 71k while in the US, the minimum you’d have to pay is at least 50k. Expect the price to be far greater for the right spec and trim (there are many). While normally I would scoff at that and say “you should get an Expedition instead”, I would actually say the Velar is the right level of extravagance worth striving for.

Consider this the least sophisticated review of the Velar, the one without all the numbers and figures motoring journalists have written about. This one is all emotion, all heart. The Velar feels and drives like a million bucks. It’s the kind of car you work your tail off to save for, and the one that leaves you guilt-free when you spend all your hard earned money on it.

And what greater achievement for it than converting loud mouthed, unsophisticated, beer drinkin’ yeehaws?

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The Range Rover Velar is available now at all good Range Rover dealers.

Please keep your top on

While the lustre of the convertible may have its roots firmly planted in automotive history, I find it increasingly difficult to find reasonable justification for them. They are, like so many ideas of modern society, good on paper, but pretty horrendous in practice; deconstructed coffee, communism, Elon Musk.

When you trace back the lineage of the automobile you understand how they all began as open tops. Low speeds, general evolution carriages and you can begin to understand that the automobile evolved from all open top to finding comfort, safety and general good sense in enclosing the space around the passengers. The convertible reached its zenith in the 50s and 60s but with the advent of more safety through the 70s, began its much needed decline.

So you see, its really about safety. But it’s also about realising the dream of that wind breezing through your hair is appealing for about 5 minutes. Then the blazing sun begins to burn your scalp, dirt, debris and fumes begin to wear at your skin and the noise of humanity and sensible people with enclosed cars wear down any romantic notions of being one with the open air.

Short Term Appeal

Don’t believe me? Try it. Seriously. If you have dreams of owning a sweet SL Class Mercedes, a new Mustang drop top or (God forbid) a VW Golf cabriolet (is there a wankier automotive term than cabriolet? I think not), go to your local dealer on a hot day and go for a test drive. If you are a sane human being you will realise that the appeal wears off real quick.

On a recent trip I had rented a Camaro that happened to be a convertible. The Camaro wasn’t the original plan, seeing as at the time, space was needed for plenty of luggage. So when the Camaro became an option, I didn’t think too much about it being a convertible.

I had the car for two weeks, the car is fantastic and someday I will own a Camaro. But it will definitely be the coupe and not the convertible. For the two weeks I had the car, the top came down for 20 minutes. Under the blistering hot Sonoma sun, my wife and I lasted less than half an hour before we pulled back into the drive way and put the top back up.

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The convertibles I’ve had the misfortune to drive recently include a few VW Golf convertibles (if hate and self loathing were a vehicle, it would be the VW Golf convertible) and a BMW 120i. The Camaro yes, but the Camaro itself is such a great car that a convertible version of it just means there is just some added inconvenience. Now a Golf or BMW 120 convertible under the Australian sun is no win situation. Top down, awful. Top up, awful.

Who are these people who buy these cars? I’m not sure, but they are not my friends. Some car manufacturers seem to make a complete mockery of the process too. I’m looking at Range Rover in particular, with the monstrosity that is their Evoque convertible (I will let Doug Demuro explain in his video). Anyone who had paid good money for it has undoubtedly spent too much time with their noggin’ in the sun.

So am I just a sun hater? Well yes, it’s bad for you, plus I don’t like dirt or the possibility that someone or something (monkeys) could hurl objects at me while I’m driving.

If you really like the sun the wind, roll the window down or invest in a sun roof. It’s all you need. Perhaps this comes from growing up in metropolitan cities, driving amongst a busy population of smog and traffic jams. But even with my time in the California sun I can safely say that when it comes to driving, it’s best you keep your top on.