Autocar July 8, 2020

WHEN WE INVENTED the Autocar Awards, we were determined to make them different from all the rest – by giving prominence to the creators of our most desirable cars. One theme that runs through the awards this year (p31) is high achievers succeeding against the odds. Take the double-award-winning Ariel Atom: it’s made by a small company in Somerset yet is a car of such incredible quality that it can out-handle the finest from Maranello, Working and beyond. A word, too, for Aurrigo, a 30-employee company from Coventry taking on and beating the likes of Google and Uber in the field of autonomous vehicles. Perhaps the most remarkable story of all is that of our Issigonis Trophy winner, Volvo boss Håkan Samuelsson. He’s not a traditional petrolhead or a career ‘car guy’,…

WHEN WE INVENTED the Autocar Awards, we were determined to make them different from all the rest – by giving prominence to the creators of our most desirable cars. One theme that runs through the awards this year (p31) is high achievers succeeding against the odds. Take the double-award-winning Ariel Atom: it’s made by a small company in Somerset yet is a car of such incredible quality that it can out-handle the finest from Maranello, Working and beyond. A word, too, for Aurrigo, a 30-employee company from Coventry taking on and beating the likes of Google and Uber in the field of autonomous vehicles. Perhaps the most remarkable story of all is that of our Issigonis Trophy winner, Volvo boss Håkan Samuelsson. He’s not a traditional petrolhead or a career…

“The Q4 is mainly driven by its rear motor, with the front one being called on only when needed” Audi will launch a rakish Q4 Sportback E-tron next year – one of seven electric E-tron models that will be on sale in the next 18 months. By 2025, Audi plans to have 20 EVs. The Range Rover Evoque-rivalling Q4 Sportback is mechanically identical to the Q4 E-tron electric SUV that was unveiled at the 2019 Geneva motor show but has a more coupé-like roofline. The siblings will go on sale at the same time in late 2021. The Q4 is the first Audi to adopt the Volkswagen Group’s dedicated MEB electric car platform, first used by the Volkswagen ID 3 hatchback. A spokesman said the platform is the “cornerstone” of Audi’s electrification plans. “We…

How close is the concept to the production car? “It’s 90% there; we’ve made the concept a bit wider and a bit lower, and some bumper details will change. There will be [conventional] door handles [rather than flush ones]. And the production car will have 21in wheels; that’s such a cool expression.” We see a lot of flush door handles on concepts; when will they become a reality? “In the future, they will be flush, with just a touch button to open the door. But because this is [a compact] car, it wasn’t an option. As the technology becomes cheaper, we will implement this wherever possible.” What was the biggest challenge with this design? “The section around the A-pillar. The wheels are really pushed out to the corners – great for designers. But the A-pillar…

“The Q4 is mainly driven by its rear motor, with the front one being called on only when needed” Audi will launch a rakish Q4 Sportback E-tron next year – one of seven electric E-tron models that will be on sale in the next 18 months. By 2025, Audi plans to have 20 EVs. The Range Rover Evoque-rivalling Q4 Sportback is mechanically identical to the Q4 E-tron electric SUV that was unveiled at the 2019 Geneva motor show but has a more coupé-like roofline. The siblings will go on sale at the same time in late 2021. The Q4 is the first Audi to adopt the Volkswagen Group’s dedicated MEB electric car platform, first used by the Volkswagen ID 3 hatchback. A spokesman said the platform is the “cornerstone” of…

How close is the concept to the production car? “It’s 90% there; we’ve made the concept a bit wider and a bit lower, and some bumper details will change. There will be [conventional] door handles [rather than flush ones]. And the production car will have 21in wheels; that’s such a cool expression.” We see a lot of flush door handles on concepts; when will they become a reality? “In the future, they will be flush, with just a touch button to open the door. But because this is [a compact] car, it wasn’t an option. As the technology becomes cheaper, we will implement this wherever possible.” What was the biggest challenge with this design? “The section around the A-pillar. The wheels are really pushed out to the corners – great…