Auto Express 1542

THERE were plenty of raised eyebrows back in 2014, when PSA boss Carlos Tavares announced plans to turn DS from a Citroen model line into a premium brand to rival Audi, BMW and Mercedes. It was all part of Tavares’ ‘Back in the Race’ strategy, which has already transformed the PSA business – financially and product-wise. It led to the ‘Push to Pass’ plan and more raised eyebrows as PSA bought Vauxhall and Opel from GM. The jury’s still out on the Vauxhall/Opel deal, but from what we’ve seen so far from this new-look PSA, the signs are good. And from a DS perspective, it’s looking like another Tavares masterstroke. On the face of it, DS has always made complete sense. The French are rather good at luxury fare, so…

John_McIlroy@dennis.co.uk @johnmcilroy ● Hi-tech pure-electric SUV has intentionally conventional shape ● Sits between Q5 and Q7; 80 per cent charge in under 30 mins “You can see influences from the Q8, as well as unique touches such as a flush grille and cameras that replace the regular mirrors” THE Jaguar I-Pace has grabbed the headlines since it hit the roads earlier this summer, but one of its main rivals has just been revealed. This is the Audi e-tron, a pure-electric SUV that’ll arrive in January as a competitor for the British car and the Tesla Model X. The first pure-electric Audi, the e-tron is a 4.9-metre SUV that’s designed to sit between the Q5 and Q7. You can see influences from the likes of the Q8, but there are unique e-tron…

Steve_Fowler@dennis.co.uk @stevefowler DS may be playing the long game in its pursuit of Audi, BMW and Mercedes, but its second bespoke model in the space of a year will break cover at October’s Paris Motor Show, in the shape of the new DS 3 Crossback. Like its bigger brother, the DS 7, the DS 3 gains the Crossback name to signify its SUV styling – although in truth, it is also a replacement for the DS 3 hatch, which won’t get a direct successor. The Crossback is still compact, at 4,118mm long – 178mm longer than the DS 3 hatch – but it gains rear doors and fresh tech thanks to the PSA Group’s new compact Common Modular Platform (CMP) that’ll underpin everything from the new Peugeot 208 hatch to…

John_McIlroy@dennis.co.uk @johnmcilroy ● OFFICIAL THIS is the SEAT Tarraco, a new flagship SUV for the Spanish brand that’s designed to rival the likes of the Volkswagen Tiguan, Hyundai Santa Fe, Ford Edge and Skoda Kodiaq. Unveiled this week ahead of a public debut at October’s Paris Motor Show, the Tarraco (named after the city of Tarragona) is based on the longest version of the VW Group’s MQB platform, called A2. It’s 4,735mm long – so around four centimetres longer than a Kodiaq or Tiguan – and will be offered in both five and seven-seat editions. The new car’s styling is an evolution of SEAT’s existing look, but design boss Alejandro Mesonero claims it’ll influence future models. “It delivers a feeling of proudness,” he says, “thanks to its assertive front end…

AN updated version of Land Rover’s Discovery Sport has been spotted on test ahead of its launch late next year. Since its introduction in 2015 it has overtaken the Range Rover Evoque to become the brand’s top seller, with more than 300,000 being snapped up. As the Discovery Sport will only undergo a facelift, Auto Express understands it will remain on the current D8 platform. But it will be modified to accommodate a cleaner diesel engine and electrification such as mild-hybrid technology. The Discovery Sport won’t change much in profile or design based on the latest spy shots. Minor changes such as new headlights, tail-lamps and a fresh front grille inspired by the newer, larger Discovery can be picked out. Our spy photographers managed to get a brief glimpse in…

JAGUAR Land Rover boss Dr Ralf Speth has warned a bad Brexit deal would lead to tens of thousands of redundancies. Speth told the Government’s Zero Emission Vehicle Summit in Birmingham: “Jobs have been shed when they should’ve been created. A thousand lost as a result of diesel policy. And those numbers will be counted in the tens of thousands if we do not get the right Brexit deal.” In an outspoken statement, Speth said new customs checks and trade duties could lead to border delays at ports, warning: “Like many British companies, our supply chains reach deep into Europe. Bluntly, we will not be able to build cars if the motorway to and from Dover becomes a car park.” He added: “Brexit is due to happen on 29 March next…