Auto Express 1559

WITH so many of us not actually buying cars outright, but rather sticking them on three-year PCP finance deals or contract hire leases, the decisions we face at the magic two or three-year mark have changed considerably over the past decade. Fact is, when you get the call to pop into your current dealer to talk through your options, you could well end up being walked through deals for two or sometimes three models in the same manufacturer’s model range. And it probably wouldn’t take too much of a hard sell on the spot (did someone say deposit contribution?) to prevent you from looking at any of the potential alternatives from other brands. We’ve been wondering how to reflect the choice that we’re all having to make in increasing numbers…

● Newcomer will be first Audi built on VW Group’s MEB EV platform ● Dimensions similar to Q3, but interior space on par with larger Q5 James_Brodie@dennis.co.uk @jimmybrods AUDI will waste little time in adding a third electric car to its line-up by previewing a new addition to the e-tron family at the Geneva Motor Show in March. As with the e-tron GT revealed at the Los Angeles Motor Show at the end of 2018, the next all-electric Audi show car will be another close-to-production concept, intended to send a strong signal as to where the brand sees the electric car arms race turning to next: small SUVs. While the full-size e-tron SUV joins the Tesla Model X and Jaguar I-Pace, and will soon take on competition from Mercedes and…

“This is the next industry-transforming event and will help both companies improve their fitness” JIM HACKETT Ford president and CEO “We’re strong players with a proven track record. VW is a market leaders in EU and China; Ford a leader in the US” DR HERBERT DIESS VW Group CEO Jonathan_Burn@dennis.co.uk @Jonathan_burn TWO of the world’s most recognised manufacturers, Ford and the Volkswagen Group, have formed an alliance that will see the car giants develop pick-up trucks, commercial vehicles and autonomous tech. And the partnership could extend to Ford being given access to the VW Group’s new multi-billion-pound MEB electric vehicle platform, which will make its debut on the new VW I.D. hatch later this year. When does it begin? THE partnership was officially announced at last week’s Detroit Motor Show…

Deputy editor, Auto Express ON paper, the announcement is pretty much confined to commercial vehicles. Ford has renowned expertise in this area, with the successful Transit, and VW wants to tap into that to boost the fortunes (and profits) of its vans. The big news is what Ford could get in return: access to VW’s MEB pure-electric architecture. Assuming the Golf-sized model is as small as MEB will go, that would still give Ford a potential route to a Focus EV equivalent and at least one or two electric SUVs. Of course, building more models on the MEB platform would help VW to increase its own economies of scale, fast-tracking potential cost savings that will allow it to offer EVs at ever-keener prices. It’s potentially a win-win deal for both…

Jonathan_Burn@dennis.co.uk @Jonathan_burn THE automotive calendar traditionally kicks off with the Detroit Motor Show, but 2019 will be the last time. From next year the event will be held in June because the bright lights of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas continue to attract car makers’ attention, which has left the show halls in Motor City looking rather bare. Big American SUVs and lots of performance have long been the themes at Detroit, and this year was no different. The show was dominated by homegrown brands, such as Ford and General Motors, which both unveiled a wealth of new metal – most of which is never likely to come to the UK. But the two big US car firms were making headlines away from the show, too; both…

New special Discovery marks 30th birthday TO mark 30 years of the Land Rover Discovery, the British firm has launched a limited-run Anniversary Edition. Based on the Discovery Sd6 SE, the newcomer (above) will be built only for the UK market and limited to 400 units. It features 22-inch alloys, a fixed panoramic glass roof, rear privacy glass, a 380W Meridian stereo and a choice of four metallic paint colours. The only engine option is the 302bhp 3.0-litre V6 diesel. It’s on sale now, from £59,995. Stats show grey is new black for car buyers GREY has become the most popular paint colour for new cars for the first time since records began. Figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show 495,127 new grey cars were registered…