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VOLVO has been knocking on the door of the premium brands for some time now, but the launch of the new XC40 small SUV (above) proves beyond doubt that it is now firmly established among the world’s premium car makers. Here is a car dripping with desirability due to its combination of style, technology and quality, plus a novel subscription-based ownership plan. It follows on from Auto Express award-winning XC90 and XC60 models, and will likely sell in numbers that will make rivals wince. So the pecking order in the premium sector is being shaken up, but what’s happening among mainstream makers? The recent Frankfurt show proved yet again that Chinese brands will arrive – eventually. Meanwhile, two existing brands have really caught my eye of late with product and…

John_McIlroy@dennis.co.uk @johnmcilroy ▪ First 40 series Volvo to share parts developed with Geely ▪ Petrol and diesel power, but electrified cars could follow VOLVO has a strong reputation for large SUVs, with its XC90 and the recently launched XC60. But now the firm is targeting the likes of the BMW X1, Audi Q3 and Range Rover Evoque with the all-new XC40. The XC40 is the first ‘40’ series model to be based on parts jointly developed by Volvo and its Chinese owner, Geely. It’s 4,425mm long and 1,863mm wide – so shorter and narrower than the XC60. It’s tall, though; the roofline is just a few millimetres shy of its bigger brother’s, in fact. Volvo says this is because customer research has indicated that buyers want something that is unmistakably…

James_Brodie@dennis.co.uk @jimmybrods ANOTHER piece in Mercedes’ SUV puzzle is slowly falling into place: the next-generation GLE. The new BMW X5 rival has been caught on camera by our spy photographers, and our exclusive images preview how it could look. It’s set to arrive in 2018 with a possible debut at next year’s LA Motor Show. The GLE will be an important model for Mercedes; the brand shifted 712,100 SUVs in total last year, with the ageing current car playing an important role. Over the next two years it’ll be joined by a new GLA, rugged GLB, a fresh GLS, an SUV entry under the Maybach brand and even a new G-Class. “It’s anticipated the GLE will use a new scalable platform and feature a range of fresh engines” The existing…

Richard_Ingram@dennis.co.uk @rsp_ingram DACIA, the brand that currently sells the cheapest new car available in the UK, will apply its budget roots philosophy to fully electric vehicles in the future, Auto Express can reveal. The Romanian company will use its position as part of the Renault-Nissan Alliance to develop affordable EVs. The group, which was recently expanded with Renault taking a majority stake in Mitsubishi, will launch 12 new pure-electric vehicles by 2022. Speaking at the recent Frankfurt Motor Show, Dacia’s European chairman Jean Christophe Kugler told Auto Express that his team will look at the technology available to Dacia, and make decisions based on customer demand. “We will remain shockingly affordable,” Kugler told us. “We won’t change our brand territory. We will benefit from the Alliance strength and the proven…

RUMOURS of a potential Performante version of the Lamborghini Aventador have been given more fuel with new spy shots of a subtly revealing test mule of the brand’s flagship supercar. From the front, the Aventador looks largely identical to the standard model, but it’s at the back where things get a bit more interesting. The prototype boasts a rear exhaust disguise that bears a strong resemblance to early prototypes of the Huracán Performante. Other revisions to a forthcoming Aventador Performante would largely focus on stripping any unnecessary weight; that would mean extensive use of carbon fibre, as well as a more basic interior. In its current most powerful state of tune the Aventador’s 6.5-litre V12 develops 729bhp, but a new intake manifold and exhaust system, like that fitted to the…

John_McIlroy@dennis.co.uk @johnmcilroy SKODA is lining up a high-performance version of its latest small SUV, the Karoq – and it could use an electrified powertrain to give it the potential to match SEAT’s forthcoming Ateca Cupra. The Karoq is an indirect, slightly larger replacement for the Yeti – a car that was never offered as a vRS. But speaking at the recent Frankfurt Motor Show, the Czech brand’s research and development boss Christian Strube revealed that he is already pushing for a high-performance variant of the new arrival, previewed in our exclusive images. When asked if there was potential for a Karoq vRS, he replied: “Yes, of course. I’m fighting for it. Just as I was fighting for the Kodiaq vRS. Sometimes I’m successful, and sometimes I’m not. But yes, we…