Auto Express 1525

THERE’S a massive battle going on in the front of your car, and you may not even be aware of it. It’s the tussle for your data – and the right to turn it into money. Conservative estimates suggest in-car data globally could be worth $750m (£555m) annually by as soon as 2020 – and that’s only the start. The theory goes that once autonomous tech really kicks in, we’ll all have much more time to ‘do things’ while we’re in the car. Those activities have potential profits – and that’s why established firms like Jaguar Land Rover and the VW Group are investing in start-ups who can come up with the sort of apps and services to prevent us all from just handing over our car’s infotainment screen to…

• Verdict on hi-tech saloon • Coming to UK in autumn mail@autoexpress.co.uk IT’S hardly surprising to discover that the eighth-generation Audi A6 is also the most technically advanced, most efficient, the biggest and most dynamic to drive. According to the people who have created it, at least. But the aspect that strikes you first is just how elegant it appears in the metal; how much impact it delivers visually in and among everyday traffic. So although Audi’s technical innovations include optional four-wheel steering, a range of new electronic driver assistance systems and even greater connectivity on the move, it’s the car’s sheer presence that dominates your initial impressions. However, the newcomer needs to offer more than just good looks. The A6 has some incredibly tough opposition to square up to…

WHAT’S the point of an electronic safety system if it makes you feel stressed and is something you want to switch off for most of the time? The lane assist in the new A6 is on from the moment you fire the engine, so the steering tries to develop a mind of its own as soon as you start driving. We trawled through the sub-menus to switch it off and then normality appeared to the steering. We asked an Audi engineer why it’s on from the word go and why it can’t be turned off within the main settings menu. He admitted the latter should be the case, telling us the system is on to satisfy NCAP. “If it was set to be off on start-up we’d have lost half…

Jonathan_Burn@dennis.co.uk @Jonathan_burn THE next all-new Porsche 911, set to be unveiled in 2019, will be the first-ever production version to get hybrid power, Auto Express can confirm. And the shock news is, there could be two new 911 plug-in hybrids on the way: one to sit in the middle of the range as an alternative to the regular Carrera model, and then another positioned at the top of the range, potentially alongside the flagship 911 Turbo. Auto Express understands there’s a passionate debate in play among Porsche engineers and decision-makers surrounding the creation of a top-flight 911 hybrid. The iconic sports car is a precious commodity to Porsche, so comes under the biggest scrutiny of all in terms of future development. Yet the inevitable move towards hybrid and full-electric models…

John_McIlroy@dennis.co.uk @johnmcilroy A WAVE of hot compact crossovers is on the horizon and the latest firm to show its hand is Hyundai with plans for a Kona N, Auto Express can reveal. Albert Biermann, the man in charge of the company’s N sub-brand, told us he has tasked his engineers with starting work on a test mule of the vehicle, hoping that it could get approval for production. And he has given a strong indication of its powerplant: the 2.0-litre turbo petrol from the current i30 N hot hatch. The performance crossover, which is previewed by our exclusive image, is likely to have at least 247bhp if it gets the green light for production. But it’s understood that the 271bhp motor from the i30 N with Performance Pack isn’t in…

KIA is applying the finishing touches to its updated Sportage, and it will be the manufacturer’s first model to feature diesel mild-hybrid technology. Spy shots (above) showing the Skoda Kodiaq rival testing clearly indicate the South Korean SUV won’t benefit from a dramatic design overhaul; a tweaked front end featuring new LED headlamps is the most obvious change. Beneath the skin, however, the tech is completely new. The hybrid system incorporates a 48V battery with a starter generator unit, which Kia will use to help reduce the CO2 emissions. An electric motor adds 13bhp to boost the Sportage’s performance under hard acceleration, but it also adds assistance under part-throttle loads to reduce strain on the diesel engine. When the Kia is decelerating, an inverter switches the motor’s current, in effect…