Electrification is unavoidable for carmakers as regulations tighten on exhaust emissions and even the reluctant ones have to at least go the hybrid route, if not full electric. Maserati, with its small range, has chosen the hybrid route which started with the mild hybrid Ghibli saloon last year and now extends to include its first hybrid SUV, the Levante Hybrid.
Unveiled at the Shanghai Auto Show (and online for the rest of the world) the Italian brand’s first electrified SUV offers new performance characteristics that are ‘Faster. Greener. Unique’, as its advertising tagline goes.
48V mild hybrid system
Like the Ghibli Hybrid, the Levante Hybrid combines the 4-cylinder, 2-litre turbocharged engine with a 48-volt hybrid system to recover energy during deceleration and braking. The SUV weighs less than the 6-cylinder engine equivalent (both diesel and petrol) and, above all, has an even better weight distribution since the heavy battery pack is placed in the rear to optimally balance the masses of the vehicle.
Maximum power output of the powertrain is 330 ps, with maximum torque of 450 Nm that is available from 2250 rpm. Factory data on the performance, which is available only with all-wheel drive, shows a top speed of 240 km/h and acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in 6 seconds.
Blue shade for hybrids
In terms of appearance, the Levante Hybrid launch version is characterised by a new metallic tri-coat colour called Azzurro Astro, available as part of the brand’s customisation programme, Maserati Fuoriserie. Other exterior and interior details contribute to this car’s immediately recognisable design; some are in blue, the shade chosen to identify hybrid cars, already used by Maserati on Ghibli Hybrid.
On the exterior, blue characterises the three iconic side air ducts, the brake calipers and the C-pillar logo. The same blue shade reappears inside the car, specifically on the embroidered seams of the seats.
New Maserati Connect program
The SUV remains connected at all times, enabling monitoring of the vehicle’s ‘health’. The new Maserati Connect system will alert the driver when a scheduled service is due, adding convenience to the ownership experience. With a Smartphone or Smartwatch, the driver can stay in contact with their vehicle via the Maserati Connect App (also possible via their virtual personal assistant with Amazon Alexa or Google Assist).
Bentley is no stranger to the famous Pike Peak International Hill Climb event in the USA, have set records in previous years – the Production SUV record in 2018 with a Bentayga W12, and the outright Production Car record scored in 2019 with a Continental GT.
For this year’s event, to be run in late June, the carmaker will again compete in the ‘Race to the Clouds’ and the car it will enter will be the first competition Bentley to run on renewable fuel, ahead of a goal to offer sustainable fuels to Bentley’s customers around the world. It is related to a major new sustainability initiative with a renewable fuels research and development programme spearheaded by the most extreme roadcar-based Bentley in its 101-year history.
The modified Continental GT3 racer, based on Bentley’s race and championship-winning car, will power its way up the 19.99 km course running on a biofuel-based petrol. Various blends of fuels are currently being tested and evaluated, with possible Greenhouse Gas reductions of up to 85% over standard fossil fuel.
All-electric range by 2030
This first step marks the start of a longer programme that will investigate both biofuels and e-fuels for their potential to power the Bentleys of past and present in a sustainable way. Bentley’s ambitious and transformational Beyond100 programme aims to make the brand the world’s leading sustainable luxury mobility company, with the entire Bentley model range offered with hybrid variants by 2023 ahead of its entire range running only on electricity by 2030.
Combustion-engine Bentley models will still be produced for the next 9 years – and Bentley’s new project aims to make those cars as sustainable as possible through the use of innovative fuel technologies. With more than 80% of all the cars it has ever built still on the road, a genuinely sustainable and customer-facing renewable fuel offering will also allow customers to enjoy their current and classic Bentleys responsibly for years to come.
At the 2018 Pikes Peak Hillclimb, Millen claimed the outright record for a production SUV with a Bentayga.
“We are delighted to be returning to Pikes Peak for a third time – now powered by renewable fuel, as the launch project for another new element of our Beyond100 programme. Our powertrain engineers are already researching both biofuels and e-fuels for use by our customers alongside our electrification programme – with intermediate steps of adopting renewable fuels at the factory in Crewe and for our company fleet. In the meantime, the Continental GT3 Pikes Peak will show that renewable fuels can allow motorsport to continue in a responsible way, and hopefully it will capture the third and final record in our triple crown,” said Bentley’s Member of the Board for Engineering, Dr. Matthias Rabe.
Partnered by Fastr and M-Sport
The project is being run together with British Continental GT3 customer team Fastr, who have successfully campaigned their Bentley racing car in time attack competitions across the country. Technical teams from Bentley and Fastr are working together with specialists from M-Sport to extract the maximum possible performance from the Continental GT3 package.
156 corners at average speed of 125 km/h
To break the record, the car will have to complete the climb, which includes 156 corners, at an average speed of more than 125 km/h to cross the finish line in less than 9 minutes and 36 seconds. To help achieve this target will be 3-time Pikes Peak champion and former ‘King of the Mountain’ Rhys Millen who holds individual class records and who set Bentley’s two existing Pikes Peak records.
With the start line at 2,835 metres, the course climbs to almost 4,300 metres – where the air is 1/3 less dense than at sea level. The reduced air density will have implications on engine performance and the high speed the car must run at will also require a good aerodynamics package. It will have biggest rear wing ever fitted to a Bentley, sitting above a highly efficient rear diffuser that surrounds the transaxle gearbox. This rear aerodynamic package is balanced by a two-plane splitter at the front, flanked by separate dive planes.
The dashboard of the Limited Edition Pikes Peak Bentley Continental GT has a diagram of the mountain course with 156 corners.
The engine is Bentley’s proven racing power unit, developed from the 4-litre turbo V8 fitted to the Continental GT V8. For the Continental GT3 Pikes Peak, engine modifications together with the use of carefully selected biofuel will ensure the engine develops significant horsepower despite the rarefied conditions it will operate in. Short side-exit exhausts will ensure the car sounds as dramatic as it looks.
Further modifications include cooling airscoops in place of the rear windows, and the obligatory stopwatch mounted to the roll cage next to the steering wheel to allow Millen to keep track of his progress up the mountain.
Toyota is known to be cautious in venturing into new segments, watching competition start first and seeing the shortcomings – and then coming in with products that are often better. With electrification, the company has had dominance in the hybrid segment but seemed to be slow to get into full electrification. This is not to say that it was not developing models, but commercialising them was something that was slower.
Now, however, the company is starting its big push into full electrification, which is part of its commitment to contribute to reducing CO2 emissions. To achieve this. Toyota is establishing a full line-up of electrified vehicles which will reach around 70 by 2025; at least 15 models will be launched by 2025.
Starting with SUV BEV
At Auto Shanghai, which is on this week, the Japanese carmaker has announced its new BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle) series to start off and is displaying a concept car, the Toyota bZ4X, as a preview of the first model of this series. To be made in China and Japan, worldwide sales of the production version of the new SUV BEV is expected to start by the middle of 2022.
Development of the bZ series (‘bZ’ stands for ‘beyond Zero’) is based on BEV-dedicated platforms that can be used with multiple variations in terms of size and design. Since it is difficult for Toyota to prepare such a wide range of choices by itself, it is jointly developing the series with partners who have the appropriate expertise in various fields. In the case of the bZ4X, Subaru is involved as a partner.
e-TNGA platform
The new vehicle will adopt the e-TNGA BEV-dedicated platform that was jointly developed by the two companies. It takes advantage of the strength of Toyota, which boasts expertise in vehicle electrification, and Subaru, which possesses AWD technologies. The bZ4X combines a long wheelbase with a short overhang which allows both a distinctive design and interior space comparable to a D-segment sedan.
The bZ series BEVs will have a human-centered approach aimed at widespread use in regions such as China, the USA and Europe, where there is significant demand for BEVs, and where there is a large supply of renewable electricity.
A uniquely shaped steering wheel eliminates the need to change grip when steering, and also contributes to a spacious interior. The vehicle will have a steer-by-wire system that provides a smooth driving feel aligned with the driver’s intentions. The low position of the instrument panel and the location of the meters above the steering wheel serve not only to enhance the vehicle’s sense of space, but also improve visibility and contribute to safe and secure driving.
The bZ4X has a new AWD system jointly developed by Toyota and Subaru. In addition to the use of regenerative energy systems, the vehicle also adopts a solar recharging system that recharges the battery while stationary.
♦ The day started with rain that continued to the start of the race, and some drivers had incidents even while preparing to get to the starting grid. Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin had brakes on fire while Sebastian Vettel had brake issues without a fire, and Carlos Sainz slid off and damaged part of the front wing which needed to be quickly replaced. Charles Leclerc also spun during the formation lap, showing how slippery conditions were.
♦ Not surprisingly, the start of the race saw a mess in the first corner. Verstappen was quick off the line and then got in contact with Lewis Hamilton. with the latter heading into the grass. Nicholas Latifi was less lucky though, colliding with Nikita Mazepin and ending up heading into a barrier, triggering deployment of the Safety Car.
♦ Yuki Tsunoda, who had broken his gearbox in an accident during qualifying, had to start from the back of the grid but was able to speed through the pack to 15th place in the first lap. The wet conditions also saw Mick Schumacher crashing at the pit lane exit, and he had to go with a damaged front end for a couple of laps. Fortunately the Safety Car was still out but it didn’t help that he could not get into the pit lane again due to the debris – from his own car earlier.
♦ Racing resumed when the Safety Car pulled in on the 6th lap, and Max Verstappen shot off again, pursued by Hamilton. The wet conditions were slowing tyre-warm-up so the drivers had to adjust accordingly. Only Pierre Gasly and Mazepin had chosen to start off with wet tyres.
♦ By lap 13, Sergio Perez was in fourth but was informed that he was given a 10-second penalty (stop/go) for overtaking while the Safety Car was leading the convoy earlier. He would have to work hard to stay well ahead of Daniel Ricciardo who was tailing him.
♦ The track was slowly drying by lap 15 but still slick in some parts, and Carlos Sainz was caught on wet patches twice. While Latifi’s race ended early, his Williams team mate George Russell was up in tenth place and holding on well.
♦ With one-third of the 63-lap race completed and the track conditions slowly drying, the teams were watching each other to see who would come in to change from the intermediates. It was Vettel who would be the first but he was also hit with a 10-second penalty (stop/go) for not having wheels fitted at the 5 minutes signal (before the race started). He came back in on lap 24, while in 17th place, to serve his penalty.
♦ Verstappen came in on lap, and Hamilton slipped into the lead, still with the damaged front wing. When the Red Bull driver rejoined, he was in third place but quickly got Hamilton in his sights and started the chase. He didn’t have to work hard as the Mercedes-AMG driver also came in to change tyres. By lap 28, every car had come into the pits at least once.
♦ On lap 31, Hamilton slid off into the gravel and touched the barrier, coming to a stop for a short while. But he managed to reverse out and rejoined the race, though down in seventh.
♦ His team mate, Valtteri Bottas was not so lucky – he had a collision with Russell which got debris all over and the Safety Car was called into action. Hamilton took the opportunity to get back and have the damaged wing changed. There was some much debris that the Stewards decided to stop the race on lap 34 for clean-up work. All cars were required to return to the pits and wait. For Hamilton, it may have been a small blessing as his team could work on the repairs with less pressure.
♦ At the time the race was stopped. Leclerc was 15 seconds behind race leader Verstappen but things would be different when racing resumed. 17 cars were still in the running and there would be 29 laps left to run.
♦ The race was restarted after 23 minutes with a rolling start after the cars circulated for one lap with the Safety Car at the front. And though track conditions were drier, Kimi Raikkonen slid off into the gravel! Verstappen shot off (and almost crashed), while Leclerc was quickly passed by a determined Lando Norris. Tsunoda was in tenth but a spin dropped him all the way to the back.
♦ Hamilton was ninth when the race restarted and within 2 laps, he had passed Stroll and Raikkonen to move into 6th, and was working hard to get to the front. In the process, he set the fastest lap which would get him one extra point if no one else was quicker in the race.
♦ With 10 laps remaining, Verstappen was still in the lead and 17 seconds ahead of Hamilton who was in 4th and trying to get past Leclerc. Norris was closest to the leader and even he was about 16 seconds away.
♦ Hamilton got past Leclerc on lap 55 but Verstappen had been pushing harder and the gap to third place (Hamilton) had extended to 18 seconds – and would extend to more than 20 seconds with 4 laps remaining.
♦ With 3 laps remaining, Hamilton pushed past Norris but the gap was just too big to reach Verstappen, and unless the Dutchman had very bad luck, he would take the chequered flag. He had beat Hamilton’s fastest time but in the effort to pass Norris, Hamilton had set an even faster time so he would still claim that 1 extra point even though he would not win the race.
♦ Further back, while Vettel had to pull out with gearbox issues Alpine and Alfa Romeo Racing Orlen could celebrate with the first points of the season as their cars finished in the top ten.
The Tiguan, Volkswagen’s bestselling model, has received feature upgrades for the 2021 Allspace R-Line version. The upgrades provide additional convenience to occupants with respect to using personal devices and smartphones.
While most cars have USB ports nowadays – for recharging devices or accessing data and content – it’s still the transitional stage when the latest smartphones come with the larger, more efficient USB-C ports but the ports in the cars are the older USB ports which are smaller and of a different shape too.
Now the latest Tiguan Allspace R-Line comes with USB-C ports which can handle higher power, so recharging is faster and data transfer speeds are also faster. The good thing about a USB-C port is that you can insert the cable either way, instead of having to look for the right side up.
Connectivity is also improved with wireless App-Connect for Apple Car Play. This allows mirroring apps from the iPhone onto the infotainment system and accessing them using the touchscreen. So instead of having to look at a Waze map on the small phone screen, you can view it on the larger 9.2-inch colour display on the dashboard.
Priced from RM209,637 (excluding insurance), the Tiguan Allspace R-Line has a powerful 2.0TSI turbocharged direct injection petrol engine with an efficient and slick 7-speed wet clutch direct shift gearbox (DSG). The engine’s 220 ps/350 Nm goes to all four wheels with the 4MOTION all-wheel drive system distributing power flows front and rear intelligently.
Besides a 20% discount on Volkswagen engine oil, customers will also receive a car-care kit if they spend a minimum of RM1,200 when they send their vehicle for servicing at an authorised dealership.
Aftersales Raya Campaign
Until June 13, 2021, Volkswagen owners who send their vehicles for servicing at authorized Volkswagen dealerships can get a 20% discount on Volkswagen Genuine Oil. Those who spend a minimum of RM1,200 during the visit will receive a complimentary car care kit and free Raya packets (while stocks last).
Volkswagen at ACE
The latest Tiguan Allspace R-Line and other Volkswagen models are on display at the Auto Car Expo (ACE) at Setia City Convention Centre in Selangor this weekend. Besides ongoing promotions, there’s also an additional RM1,000 cash rebate for purchases made at the event. If you’re not ready to buy a brand new Volkswagen, there are also quality pre-owned units at the event from Das WeltAuto.
Those who book a Passat Elegance and R-Line will receive a complimentary all-expenses paid trip to the Pangkor Laut Resort in Perak. Additionally, the Passat Elegance comes with 1-year of free insurance coverage worth up to RM5,500, while the Passat R-Line comes with free petrol for a year (worth RM2,500).
Volkswagen models are available for viewing and test-drives at all authorized dealerships nationwide. To locate a showroom in Malaysia, visit www.volkswagen.com.my.
Formula 1 returns to Europe this weekend after the opening round in Bahrain last month, a departure from the usual season-opening venue in Australia. Tightened entry procedures forced the organisers to switch to the Middle East and the Australian round will be run towards the end of the year when, hopefully, the pandemic will have eased.
For the second round of the 2021 Formula 1 championship, the race is at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, more popularly referred to as the Imola Circuit as it is near the city of Imola in Italy. It was used for Round 13 last year, the first time in 14 years. The event is again called the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
Last year, when the race was run at Imola, the teams had no recent data since the last race was run in 2006 when the cars and tyres were different and so were the conditions at the 68-year old track. The Imola circuit is a highly technical one, with a wide range of corners and it’s narrow and bumpy, as the older tracks tend to be. But at least there is now data from the race last year, which will help in setting up the cars.
“We all enjoyed returning to Imola in 2020, after a 14-year gap, and it was made more special by the fact we secured our seventh Constructors’ championship on that weekend. It’s quite a narrow track, which makes overtaking more difficult, but this puts more focus on strategy and makes qualifying even more crucial,” said Toto Wolff, the head of the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Team.
As for the tyres, Pirelli is bringing the same C2-C3-C4 compounds from the middle of their range as last year. However, the warmer temperatures [compared to last year] and changes in tyre construction and downforce levels also create new conditions this weekend.
The performance gaps between all three compounds are different to initial estimates. The gap between hard and medium is smaller than expected because the hard, although requiring a longer warm-up time, is then able to work well and provide a good level of grip. Between the soft and the medium, the gap is instead bigger.
The drivers therefore face a different challenge from Bahrain, and securing good positions as far in front on the grid as possible have been vital. While the results of the first round have Mercedes-AMG at the top, it’s still early in the championship and how the season will run will be clearer after this weekend’s race.
