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LAST time I interviewed FCA boss Mike Manley he told me that of all the brands he was responsible for, Maserati was the one that excited him most. So it was only right that we met up again at the unveiling of the Maserati MC20 in Modena – a car that heralds another new dawn for the famous Italian brand. Manley would be the first to admit Maserati has had its ups and downs over the years. But this time there’s a fully funded, long-term plan with design, performance, luxury materials, technology and customisation at its heart. And a ‘BEVolution’! Battery-electric vehicles are key. I visited the new Maserati Innovation Lab, with its dynamic simulator that lets engineers do over 90 per cent of a new car’s development work before…

James_Brodie@dennis.co.uk @jimmybrods THIS is the new Hyundai Tucson, the fourth generation of the brand’s global best-seller and rival to the Kia Sportage, Volkswagen Tiguan and Peugeot 3008. It has undergone a total rethink inside and out, introducing a new and distinctive design language that will be kept unique to the Tucson. Combined with some key technology and chassis updates, it’s part of a grand plan hatched by the Korean brand to push its SUV further upmarket. Hyundai previewed this new Tucson late in 2019 with the bold-looking Vision T concept. The production version features many of the Vision T’s styling cues, and it looks like little else in Hyundai’s line-up. The front is dominated by a new grille, with parametric detailing and integrated LED running lights that are designed to…

HYUNDAI’S N division has also been busy, developing an updated i30 N with a new dual-clutch gearbox. And we’ve driven it. The disguise on the prototype hides some minor visual updates, such as new LED lamps, a reshaped front bumper and new grille, but the updates that matter are beneath the skin. Hyundai has tuned the 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo engine so that it now develops 278bhp and 392Nm of torque – increases of 5bhp and 39Nm respectively – while an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox, a likely £1,500 option in the UK, should broaden the model’s appeal. On the road, the dual-clutch gearbox acts almost exactly how you’d expect. It perhaps holds on to gears for a fraction too long in Normal mode, but at least the shifts are smooth. The…

Steve_Fowler@dennis.co.uk @stevefowler “We are not a brand that takes design guidance from a luxury limousine, so it was important to create a statement”KLAUS BUSSE FCA chief designer AFTER years of setbacks, Maserati has finally unveiled the model that should reignite its fortunes: the all-new MC20. It marks the beginning of a new era for Maserati, one that’s set to turn the famous Italian marque into a real rival for the likes of Porsche and Mercedes-Benz, as well as former stablemate Ferrari. It also marks the start of a new era of propulsion for the brand; although the MC20 will debut with an advanced mid-engined V6 motor, it has been designed with fully electric power in mind, too. The Nettuno V6 engine features twin turbos and is the first engine produced…

Chief designer for Maserati’s parent group, FCA, Busse led the team that came up with the MC20 Q Why did you start Maserati’s reinvention with a supercar? A “We are a brand born in motorsport, we are not a brand that takes its design guidance or DNA from a luxury limousine, so it was important to create a statement.” Q What’s your favourite design feature on it? A “It doesn’t have a single graphic feature like an air intake – it’s a pure sculpture. The car itself is that one feature in all its purity and that beautiful shape, which we could only do in collaboration with the engineering team.” Q How did you approach the design of a car that can have V6 or EV power? A “By designing…

Steve_Fowler@dennis.co.uk @stevefowler ELSEWHERE at Maserati, the company has also confirmed that it will launch an all-new SUV in 2021, called the Grecale. It’s the Italian brand’s first mid-size premium crossover, and it will slot into the company’s line-up beneath the existing Levante. And when the Grecale reaches the European market, it has been designed to compete against established rivals such as the Porsche Macan and BMW X3. The new model will be built on the same platform as the Alfa Romeo Stelvio, but it’ll be powered by a version of the new twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 engine used in the MC20 supercar (previous page). Performance figures for the SUV have yet to be confirmed – but the Nettuno engine is capable of producing up to 622bhp and 730Nm of torque. However,…