By 2040 the UK Government hopes to completely ban the sale of pure petrol and diesel vehicles. Yet look on the statistics for 2018 and you’ll see that a mini-revolution has been brewing. While diesel models used to account for almost half of all British new car gross sales, registrations are down by 29.Eight per cent and now stand at one third, and falling. The petrol-powered Mercedes GLC 250 therefore looks like a automotive appropriate for the times. It’s a comparatively new addition to the GLC line-up; aimed squarely at buyers nervy of diesel’s demise. On paper a minimum of, it fills a neat, emerging hole in the market, and out on the road it feels like a pretty convincing option. Using Mercedes’ latest 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol engine, the GLC 250 injects a bit extra refinement into the ‘everyday’ (sub-AMG) end of the GLC line-up, which previously was a diesel-only zone. Add the optional Air Body Control suspension set-up on our car (a £350 possibility), and the 250 immediately becomes the quietest and most comfortable member of the GLC pack.
With the brand’s mid-dimension SUV a less dynamic proposition than a BMW X3, Jaguar F-Pace or Porsche Macan, the petrol motor feels completely at house right here. You most likely won’t miss the extra grunt of the 250 d model, both. While the petrol version’s 350Nm torque figure leaves it 150Nm down on the diesel, it weighs 120kg much less - and as such it outguns its sibling from a efficiency perspective. Every version gets the same high-high quality inside, with enough house for all of the family and their luggage. While the infotainment system is starting to indicate its age alongside extra trendy Mercedes fashions such as the G-Class, it’s still full of tech. This model costs around £1,000 less than its diesel-powered GLC 250 d twin, and sits in a lower Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) firm car tax band, too. But there’s no avoiding the truth that the petrol GLC will cost extra to run. Official gas economic system of 37.2mpg puts it close to sufficient 10mpg shy of the entry-level 220 d. Even the 250 d will formally return more than 45mpg - so whereas the petrol car is an engaging proposition, it’s likely solely to search out favour with lower-mileage motorists.
Volkswagen AG is investing some €900 million in joint battery activities with Northvolt AB. Part of the sum is intended for a joint venture with the Swedish battery cell producer, a further share will go on to Northvolt AB. In return, Volkswagen will purchase about 20 % of the shares in Northvolt AB and will have one seat on the Board of Directors, subject to approval under antitrust laws. Furthermore, a 50/50 joint enterprise to build a 16 GWh battery cell manufacturing facility in Europe is deliberate through the course of this 12 months. It is meant to find the factory in Lower Saxony (Salzgitter) if the preconditions for this are fulfilled. Dr. Stefan Sommer, Member of the Volkswagen AG Board of Management liable for Procurement, commented: “Volkswagen is laying the groundwork at all ranges for the profitable implementation of its electrification strategy. With Northvolt, we have now additionally discovered a European companion whose know-how and sustainable, CO2-optimized battery cell production processes will allow us to advance cell manufacturing right here in Germany. Under its electrification strategy, the Volkswagen Group’s annual capacity necessities in Europe alone from 2025 are in excess of one hundred fifty GWh - demand on an identical scale is expected in Asia. Northvolt is a European provider of sustainable, excessive-quality battery cells and programs. The company is at the moment setting up pilot production of battery cells and a battery cell production facility with an initial capability of sixteen GWh in Sweden. Founded in 2016 to enable the European transition to a decarbonized future, the company has made swift progress on its mission to ship the world’s greenest lithium-ion battery with a minimal CO2 footprint and the best ambitions for recycling. Aside from Volkswagen AG, Northvolt’s industrial partners and clients embody Scania, ABB, BMW, Siemens, Vattenfall and Vestas.
The 2019 Volkswagen Arteon, the marque’s model-new fastback flagship within the U.S. North American debut at the Chicago Auto Show. Positioned above the Passat in the VW lineup, the Arteon will change the CC sedan.The Volkswagen CC is dead, long reside the Volkswagen Arteon! With its range-topping coupe respiratory its dying breath in 2017, it was only a matter of time previous to its substitute, the Arteon, hit the United States auto present circuit. On the outdoors, the Arteon shall be unlike any VW sedan prior to it, because of its distinctive styling. It should draw some of its design cues from the new Atlas SUV, like its headlights, lengthy and skinny taillights, and its abundance of sharp physique lines. Just like the CC that preceded it, the Arteon will boast a coupe roofline, nevertheless exactly what units it apart is its new MQB platform, which permits a more cab-rearward setup, giving it a longer hood and much shorter overhangs. Basic exterior features are in abundance, as this sharp sedan will include customary LED headlights and taillights, a chrome grille, frameless side windows, dual exhaust exits, a rear wing, 18-inch wheels, and more.
Under its hood, the Arteon will include a single engine choice: a 2.0-liter four-cylinder with 268 horse power and 258 pound-feet of torque. This power will go to the entrance wheels, or all 4 wheels with the optional 4Motion all-wheel-drive system, through an eight-speed computerized transmission. The Arteon will likewise boast a typical adaptive damping system. VW anticipates to have the 2019 Arteon struck dealerships at some point in the third quarter of 2018. Rates remains unsure in the meantime, nonetheless we anticipate it to be a tick greater than the last variation of the CC. 38,685 (location fee included). The VW Arteon will fall in an odd area in the market, as it’s not a whole luxury automobile, however it’s not an everyday sedan. This leaves its competitors fairly broad. Its rivals might embody the higher-trimmed Honda Accord and Ford Fusion, together with the lower-trimmed BMW 3-Series and Acura TLX.
