Auto Express 1761

CAR brands are an emotive subject. Just the mention of some of them will make fans go all giddy, while reputations (good and bad) tend to stick, and building (or rebuilding) a name can be hugely time-consuming and costly. This year we’re going to be inundated with new brands, all eager to persuade you that they’re the new this or that, that they’re offering something others don’t, and selling cars in ways you’d never have imagined. Only last week I drove past what used to be my local Volvo dealer. It now wears Ineos Grenadier branding in preparation for the arrival of the new 4x4, which we’ll be driving in the next few weeks. Chinese brands are coming aplenty, too. We’ve already driven the BYD Atto 3 and Seal (above) and the GWM…

sean_carson@autovia.co.uk ● Petrol, diesel and pure-electric power for larger premium SUV, with different powertrains set to be based on different platforms FOLLOWING BMW’s latest X1 compact crossover growing in size, the German company is readying a new, larger X3 SUV for launch in the next few years that will offer more space and practicality, a smarter cabin filled with more technology and, crucially, a wider choice of powertrains. This decision from BMW to retain combustion-engined options alongside an all-new iX3 EV will mean the new X3 family will be underpinned by two platforms. As our two exclusive images show, in combustion-engined form the X3 will retain BMW’s more conservative approach to styling, with a relatively traditional kidney grille set-up compared with cars in its line-up such as the 4 Series/i4 and 7 Series/i7 luxury…

sean_carson@autovia.co.uk ● One-off concept pumps up the power with 382bhp maximum ● Car tests the waters for future development of ID. line-up AS concept cars go, the Volkswagen ID. Xtreme isn’t as much of a pie-in-the-sky machine as some. For a start, it moves under its own power – which means Auto Express can get behind the wheel. The ID. Xtreme is based on a second-life ID.4 GTX prototype, so there’s an element of sustainability to this project. It’s equipped with a 77kWh battery, and the GTX’s output has been increased from 295bhp to 382bhp – quite a leap, with the rear motor receiving the biggest upgrade. This development drive unit pumps out 275bhp on its own, while the front-mounted 107bhp motor is unchanged. This extra power and only a little more weight, due to…

sean_carson@autovia.co.uk WHILE the ID. Xtreme (left) is a showcase for the future of the ID. line-up, the roll-out of Volkswagen’s electric family continues with the ID.7 saloon. The German firm revealed its forthcoming Tesla Model 3 rival at the Consumer Electronics Show 2023 in Las Vegas, US and confirmed it would use the ID.7 name, but has stopped short of showing the vehicle’s full design. However, VW has outlined some key technical details of this sixth member of the ID. family. Firstly, the ID.7 is targeting a claimed range of 435 miles. The brand says that “efficient aerodynamics help to reduce the drag coefficient” and therefore boost the new car’s range, but it’s not yet known if this figure means that the ID.7 will be equipped with VW’s 77kWh (usable) battery, or…

sean_carson@autovia.co.uk “It pays homage to designs of old, including the Zagato TZ and Junior Zagato models” ITALIAN coachbuilder Zagato has revealed its new custom creation, the Giulia SWB Zagato. It’s based on the hardcore Alfa Romeo Giulia GTAm super-saloon, but Zagato says development and production were done entirely in house. The new Giulia SWB Zagato pays homage to designs of old, including the Zagato TZ and Junior Zagato models, with a Kammback-style tail. Almost every body panel has been remodelled and constructed from carbon fibre, which means the SWB should weigh less than the 1,520kg GTAm. The new car’s overall proportions are far removed from those of the Alfa Romeo Giulia saloon on which it’s based, with the Zagato’s swoopy body featuring just two doors compared with the saloon’s four. The car’s headlights are reminiscent…

FOLLOWING its announcement earlier this year that it would focus more on luxury models and profit margins, Mercedes is readying an all-new replacement for its A-Class that could be called the EQA saloon. Mercedes CEO Ola Kallenius previously said that “the entry point to the Mercedes brand in the future will be a different one than today”. That was in reference to a new MMA architecture that will underpin a new car launching by 2024, when we’re likely to see this fresh EV model. This early prototype clearly shows a saloon body, and it’s thought that some elements from the firm’s experimental EQXX concept – such as 3D-printed parts – could trickle down in production form. Mercedes’s new MB.OS infotainment should also make its debut.…