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ONE of the great privileges about this job is the opportunity to see new cars – or pictures of new cars – before they are presented to the wider world. The anticipation is always tangible as we open the images on our laptops and cast our eyes over the first official shots of an all-new model. We had one of those moments this week, as the team huddled around a computer to check out the new Rolls-Royce Phantom (above). And the reaction as that first image opened up before our eyes? “Oh.” Because, let’s be honest here, it looks rather a lot like the last one, doesn’t it? It’s not the first time this has happened recently; the BMW 5 Series and Audi Q5 didn’t exactly reinvent the wheel, either.…

Jonathan_Burn@dennis.co.uk @Jonathan_burn THE Volkswagen Golf will undergo its biggest transformation in 43 years for the next generation as the German brand prepares to roll out hybrid technology, slim down the model line-up and completely revamp the interior design. An unveil for the Mk8 hatchback has been earmarked for the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2019. The arrival of the next Golf – previewed in our exclusive images – will coincide with the roll-out of Volkswagen’s I.D. electric car family, which begins with the Golf-sized I.D. hatchback. However, boss Herbert Diess has said that despite the aggressive EV offensive, which will see at least five dedicated battery-powered VWs launch by 2025, the next Golf remains the brand’s focus. EXCLUSIVE IMAGES “Our images show svelte front end with lower bonnet and sleeker LED…

James_Batchelor@dennis.co.uk @JRRBatchelor IT doesn’t happen very often, but Rolls-Royce has launched a brand new car: the eighth-generation Phantom. Where previous Rolls-Royces in recent years have been reliant on BMW underpinnings, the Phantom VIII sweeps in a new bespoke scalable platform. This will underpin every Rolls for the foreseeable future: the next Ghost saloon, Wraith coupé, Dawn drophead convertible and the Cullinan SUV. Compared with the outgoing model, the new Phantom is lighter but up to 30 per cent more rigid. There’s a new double-wishbone front axle and five-link rear axle with selflevelling air suspension and even fourwheel steering. In addition, a new piece of technology should make Rolls’ famous ‘Magic Carpet Ride’ even more floaty. The ‘Flagbearer’ set-up uses a stereo camera system, built into the windscreen, that scans the…

TORSTEN MÜLLER-ÖTVÖS Chief executive officer, Rolls-Royce Q THE Phantom VII is arguably still the best car in the world. How do you better that? A “Phantom VII fulfilled its task perfectly as it brought Rolls-Royce back to being the pinnacle of luxury. We have been very self-critical of VII and customer feedback also told us where we could improve .” Q Why won’t you be building Coupé and Drophead versions of the Phantom VIII? A “It’s about priorities; we’ve decided to invest in the Cullinan SUV. It’s more important we do this than introduce new versions of Phantom, particularly when we have Wraith coupé and Dawn drophead. To copy that story again would be nice but not a good investment. ” Q Is Rolls-Royce in danger of being considered an…

Martin_Saarinen@dennis.co.uk @AE_Consumer THE UK will ban the sale of petrol and diesel cars and vans from 2040 as part of a plan to tackle air pollution. The move, which does not include hybrids, is part of the Government’s new air quality plan. On top of the sales ban, ministers are encouraging councils to increase the number of ‘clean air zones’ in the UK. Charges for older, more polluting vehicles haven’t been ruled out, plus councils have been given a green light to propose a targeted diesel scrappage scheme in heavily polluted areas. Councils with pollution problems have until March 2018 to propose their plans for cutting emissions. The Government has set aside a £2.7billion fund for the project. This includes: £1billion towards low emissions vehicles, including £100m towards charging infrastructure.…

AN all-electric version of the MINI Hatch has been confirmed for production in 2019. It’ll be assembled in Britain at the MINI plant in Oxford, and represents one of the next big steps in the BMW Group’s broad EV strategy – as the company plans to add electric power to every model before the end of the decade. Additional models will be introduced after 2020, and the group’s ‘nextgeneration vehicle architecture’ will be designed to enable all cars using it to be offered with all-electric powertrains. BMW says the MINI EV will be a batteryelectric version of the brand’s core threedoor hatchback model. The powertrain will be built in Germany, but final assembly has been confirmed for the factory in Oxford. An electric MINI has been brewing for a while.…