Hyundai’s first large electric SUV to be called Ioniq 9

The soon-to-be-released Ioniq 9 will be Hyundai’s first large, electric sport utility vehicle (SUV). The concept car was first unveiled at the 2021 Los Angeles Auto Show.

According to Korea JoongAng Daily, the Ioniq 9’s “introduction date has been set for December”, instead of an earlier speculation that the car would be shown at the Busan International Motor Show scheduled for June.

It is likely to arrive in showrooms here in 2025.

The Ioniq 9 was previously called the Ioniq 7, a concept of which appeared at the recently concluded Indonesia Motor Show in February.

Meanwhile, the Kia EV9, an equivalent electric SUV launched by Hyundai’s sister brand, has had disappointing sales figures in South Korea owing to its high price tag. In 2023, Kia sold 8,052 EV9 cars in its home market, half its target of 16,000.

Polestar 3 production starts in China

Production of the Polestar 3 has started in Chengdu, China, after a long delay owing to software issues. The manufacture of the full-size electric SUV is also slated to start in South Carolina in the United States in the middle of 2024.

The first early production test series in the American factory has been completed successfully. Polestar 3 will be the first Polestar to be produced on two continents, supporting the company’s growth ambitions across North America, Europe and Asia.

The Polestar 3, along with the smaller, coupe-ish Polestar 4, is slated to arrive in Singapore by year-end.

Renault’s funky electric hatch

Faithful to the 2021 concept car, the Renault 5 E-Tech electric hatch is the first to use Renault’s AmpR Small chassis.

Measuring 3.92m in length and with a targeted weight of below 1,500kg, the car will be available in two variants – a 90kW motor with a 40kWh battery and a 110kW motor with a 52kWh battery. The power-to-weight ratios suggest a spirited performance.

The Renault 5 E-Tech will have a modern lighting signature with welcome and goodbye sequences, and bold colours such as Pop Yellow and Pop Green. The first cars could arrive in late 2025.

Nissan to offer autonomous mobility services in Japan from 2027

Nissan Motor plans to start offering autonomous-drive mobility services beginning in fiscal year 2027.

The announcement is seen as a significant step towards Nissan Ambition 2030, the company’s long-term plan to “empower mobility by solving transportation service issues faced by local communities in Japan”.

Local communities have been facing several mobility challenges, such as driver shortages, which are a result of an ageing population. With this service, Nissan will provide a broad range of new services that enable free movement.

Nissan has been testing business models for its mobility services in Japan and abroad since 2017.

McLaren convertible matches coupe twin’s performance

McLaren’s Artura Spider open-top hybrid sports car will arrive from the second half of 2024, two years after its coupe sibling made its debut here.

Powered by a twin-turbo 3-litre V6 engine coupled with an electric motor to make more than 200hp a litre, the Artura Spider is said to be the lightest convertible in its class with a dry weight of 1,457kg. It matches the coupe with a three-second century sprint and a top speed of 330kmh.

Its motorised hard-top opens and closes in 11 seconds, at speeds of up to 50kmh. It comes with minivan-like features such as blind-spot monitoring and cross-traffic detection, as well as road sign recognition and lane departure warning.

BMW unveils new electric scooter

The BMW CE 02 will be launched in Singapore by the third quarter of 2024. This is an electric motorcycle with 11kW of power, giving a top speed of 95kmh. A 3.92kWh battery gives the CE 02 a claimed range of 90km.

While the BMW CE 04 launched in 2022 looked somewhat like a traditional scooter, the CE 02 is harder to categorise, with a relatively short seat and a relatively generous front suspension fork. BMW did not reveal a local price, but in Europe, the CE 02 Highline costs €6,675 (S$9,710) before taxes.

Car-themed F&B outlet Rounding to close on March 10

Car-themed eatery Rounding will close its doors on March 10, less than two months after it opened on Jan 14. The Straits Times understands there had been complaints about noise from people living near its premises in Balestier.

Rounding had put up sound barriers similar to those deployed at construction sites, but to no avail. It added that it was looking for a new place to restart the business.

Rare Rolls-Royce snapped up by buyer in Singapore

The Rolls-Royce Arcadia is the third Coachbuild Droptail commission that Rolls-Royce has built, and its first modern two-seater. It is said to have cost a buyer in Singapore €6.5 million (S$9.5 million) before taxes.

Being a left-hand drive, it will not be road-registered. The unique car was shown at a media preview on Feb 29 at Gardens by the Bay. The car features a host of intricate details, including a clock face on the dashboard that is said to have taken five months to put together.

The name Arcadia refers to a place known in ancient Greek mythology as “heaven on earth”. The car’s designers drew inspiration from sculpture and architecture from the owner’s favourite places in the world.

This includes the tropical sky gardens in Singapore, Indonesia and Vietnam, as well as Biomimetic architecture, which features organic forms.

The special car was showcased a day after Rolls-Royce’s annual World Dealer Awards took place here, a first for the British brand. The Dealer of the Year was jointly won by Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Prague and AGMC, which is the dealer for Dubai, Sharjah and the Northern Emirates.

BYD mulls hybrids for Singapore fleet buyers

In markets which may be slow in switching to pure electric vehicles, BYD has hybrids. The Chinese maker will unveil the Seal U DM-i, a plug-in hybrid, at the Geneva Motor Show in March.

BYD says the car will offer exceptional efficiency and excellent ride comfort. The Seal U DM-i is a five-seater SUV, unlike the Seal electric saloon BYD unveiled here in 2023.

The company may introduce plug-in hybrid options for fleet customers in Singapore, where it is making exceptional sales progress.

MG may add hybrids to Singapore line-up

MG is another Chinese electric carmaker which is unveiling a hybrid. The MG 3 Hybrid+ hatch features a 102hp Atkinson-cycle 1.5-litre petrol engine and a 100kW electric motor, as well as a separate generator-motor.

Producing a combined 143kW, the car reaches 100kmh in eight seconds and has a claimed consumption of 4.4 litres/100km. Its 1.83kWh battery is said to allow for “an extensive electric-only driving range”.

The engine is connected to a three-speed automatic transmission. MG is contemplating offering hybrid options in Singapore as well.

Facelifted Peugeot e-2008 with bigger battery, more power

Peugeot has launched its facelifted e-2008 electric crossover here. With a slightly bigger 54kWh battery, the car now offers a range of up to 436km.

Its output is also slightly higher at 100kW and 270Nm, and it is equipped with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It is priced at $153,888 with certificate of entitlement. The pre-facelift model was a finalist in the ST Car of the Year 2022.

Volkswagen cars made with China’s XPeng to be branded VW

Germany’s Volkswagen and China’s XPeng said on Feb 29 that the first car they plan to develop together will be an SUV. According to Reuters, the venture includes platform, parts and software sharing.

In July 2023, Volkswagen said it would buy 4.99 per cent of Xpeng for around US$700 million (S$942 million), with plans to jointly launch two electric vehicle (EV) models by 2026. The purchase was completed in December.

Volkswagen, which is trying to regain market share in China lost to local rivals, said economies of scale from joint purchasing, combined with innovations in design and engineering phases, will slash development time by more than 30 per cent.

Cars produced through the partnership with XPeng will carry the VW logo. Volkswagen lost its leading sales position in China to EV giant BYD in 2022.

Meanwhile, China’s new energy vehicle sales (electric and hybrids) fell by 39 per cent in January versus the previous month, the first such drop since August 2023, as heavy discounts led by the US’ Tesla failed to propel demand.