While the Volkswagen Group has a strong commitment and determination to electrify its range during this decade, it is still not ready to stop offering models powered by internal combustion engines (ICE). Not all markets and regions are ready to use only electric vehicles (EVs) so there will still be a need for combustion engines, and therefore some development needs to continue.
Being a large group with 9 car-making companies (Volkswagen, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, Skoda, SEAT, CUPRA, Audi, Lamborghini, Bentley and Porsche), the Volkswagen Group obviously has a lot of R&D resources which it can use. This allows the massive costs of R&D to be spread out, enabling better competitiveness for each brand.
One example is the MEB platform (it stands for Modularer E-Antriebs Baukasten or modular electric-drive toolkit) which has been developed specifically for EVs. First used in the Volkswagen ID.3 in 2019, it is now being used by new models in the other brands and even by Ford.
CUPRA, the high-performance subsidiary of Spanish carmaker SEAT, has revealed the design language that will be used for its urban electric vehicle (EV). Instead of just sketches, the company has built a full-sized prototype which it calls the CUPRA UrbanRebel Concept that will be displayed at the IAA Munich International Motor Show this month.
The CUPRA UrbanRebel Concept is designed as a racing car to push the limits in a radical interpretation of an urban electric car. Having a racing car as the basis for the design is because Racing is at the core of CUPRA’s DNA.
New electric car to be launched in 2025
“The CUPRA UrbanRebel Concept is a radical interpretation of the company’s urban electric car, due to be launched in 2025. This racing concept gives an idea of the design language of the future street-car and will inspire its creation” said Wayne Griffiths, CEO of CUPRA. “It builds on the design foundations of the 100% electric urban vehicle, that will be launched in 2025.”
This racing version will influence the road version of the urban electric car, but the core elements are enhanced to give the vehicle an even more rebellious character. At the front, the shark nose was created using a negative surface. The front face is also emphasized by the new triangular signature in the headlamps.
Its wraparound window graphic generates the visual effect of a helmet – as in the CUPRA Tavascan Concept – and gives continuity between the windows around the whole car to deliver the effect of a floating roof.
Moving to the side, the car shows athletic proportions, thanks to the wedge line – from the C-pillar to the front door – with diagonal sculptural surfaces., that create tensional contrast. The rear view of shows athletic shoulders, in a new interpretation of the design seen in the CUPRA Formentor.
Influence from virtual world
The rear features an iconic design, thanks to horizontal proportions. On top of that, the large spoiler – usually seen on racing cars seen in the virtual world – gives it an imposing sharp look underlined by the negative surface beneath it.
“The CUPRA UrbanRebel Concept injects a gamification look to the racing car, projecting a radical interpretation of the company’s urban electric car,” said Jorge Diez, CUPRA Design Director. “Each contoured line and sculpted surface in the design is brought to life by a livery that uses kinetic particles to add movement to the surface as light shifts across it.”
Volkwagen MEB platform for EVs
The car’s overall length is 4080 mm, with a width of 1795 mm and height of 1444 mm, which makes is slightly larger than a Volkswagen Polo but smaller than a Golf. It sits on the Volkswagen Group’s MEB (modular electric drive matrix) platform engineered for EVs. The output for the concept car is said to be 250 kW of continuous power and up to 320 kW at its peak. The factory claim for the 0 to 100 km/h sprint is 3.2 seconds.
Volkswagen Group MEB platform designed for electric vehicles.
The CUPRA UrbanRebel Concept is more than just a preview of a new model for CUPRA. It also involves the rest of the Volkswagen Group, which SEAT is part of. “The urban electric car is a key strategic project not only for our company, but also for the Volkswagen Group, as our aim is to produce more than 500,000 urban electric cars per year in the Martorell factory in Spain for different Group brands. The urban electric car will democratise and make accessible electromobility to the masses,” said Griffiths.
While the Volkswagen Group is unwilling to sell off Lamborghini (which is in the group via Audi), it has divested its stake in Bugatti and Croatian carmaker Rimac Automobili is taking a controlling stake in the French supercar company. However, rather than referring to it as an acquisition, it is described as ‘combining forces’ since the move will see the creation of a new company known as Bugatti Rimac.
Porsche and Hyundai shareholders as well
As part of the deal, the restructured Rimac Group will be the major shareholder with a 55% stake. Mate Rimac, the founder, will retain his original 37% shareholding in the Rimac Group with Porsche holding 24%, the Hyundai Motor Group having 12% and the remainder of 27% held by other investors.
Rimac’s business of development, production and supply of battery systems, drivetrains and other electric vehicle (EV) components will be handled by Rimac Technology, a newly formed company which will be fully owned by the Rimac Group. Rimac Technology will remain an independent company working with other global carmakers.
Some of Rimac’s clients which draw on its expertise in electric vehicle technology and component production.
Founded in 2009 as one-man garage
Rimac Automobili is a rather young company in the industry, having started in 2009 from a one-man garage. In that short period, his company has grown at ever-increasing speed, specializing in EVs and becoming a consultant for some companies wanting to develop such vehicles but preferring to let a more focussed outfit handle the work.
Bugatti was established in 1909, a hundred years earlier than Rimac.
As CEO of the Rimac Group, 33-year old Mate Rimac will lead the new company and run both Bugatti Rimac and Rimac Technology. Bugatti and Rimac will both continue as separate respective brands, retaining existing production facilities and distribution channels. Bugatti Rimac will develop the future of both Bugatti and Rimac vehicles by joining resources and expertise in R&D, production and other areas.
During the 2015 season of the all-electric single-seater Formula E series, Rimac provided its Concept One prototype (right) for use as the Race Director’s Car.
Going to a new level
Commenting on the development, Rimac said: “This is a truly exciting moment in the short, yet rapidly expanding history of Rimac Automobili. We have gone through so much in such a short space of time, but this new venture takes things to a completely new level. Rimac and Bugatti are a perfect match in terms of what we each bring to the table. As a young, agile and fast-paced automotive and technology company, we have established ourselves as an industry pioneer in electric technologies.”
“We have just launched our latest hypercar – the Nevera – to universal global acclaim. So I can’t begin to tell you how excited I am by the potential of these two incredible brands combining knowledge, technologies and values to create some truly special projects in the future,” he added.
SEAT, like other carmakers (especially in Europe), is steadily making the transition towards electrification, an important move to meet increasingly tough legislative requirements in the years to come. The emission levels are so low that it is necessary to use hybrid powertrains if not all-electric ones to meet them.
Interestingly, however, the Spanish carmaker will launch its first all-electric model next year using its high-performance CUPRA brand rather than the SEAT brand. The reason for this is said ‘to be to change the dynamic perception of electrically-powered vehicles’.
The new electric model will be based on the el-Born Concept which was shown at the Geneva Motor Show in 2019. Since then, the design team and the SEAT Technical Centre have been working on the production model, continuing to evolve the vehicle. Some of the changes they have made have given it a sportier character and an even more impressive visual appeal.
“CUPRA el-Born displays all the genes of the CUPRA brand and we have taken the original concept to the next level creating a new sporty and dynamic design and reengineering the technological content. CUPRA el-Born is the living proof that performance and electrification are a great match,” said CUPRA CEO Wayne Griffiths.
The SEAT el-BORN concept which was displayed in Geneva last year.
The performance and dynamics of the CUPRA el-Born have been a clear focus during the development of the car, and acceleration from 0 – 50 km/h will be within 2.9 seconds. The Dynamic Chassis Control Sport (DCC Sport), which has been exclusively developed within the VW Group MEB platform for the CUPRA el-Born, combines the low driving height of the car with a system that is adapting automatically to any conditions, offering a superior level of driving dynamics.
For now, the company will reveal that the el-Born will have features such as Head-up Display with Augmented Reality and a range of up to 500 kms on a fully charged battery pack. The 77 kWh battery pack can be fast-charged within 30 minutes which will provide at least 260 kms of range, it is claimed.
The interior is designed to encapsulate the CUPRA philosophy of quality and performance mixed with sophistication. This is highlighted in the sports bucket seats, the steering wheel with Drive Profile Selection and CUPRA mode buttons, and high-quality material choices. CUPRA puts a particular focus on the sustainability of the el-Born using recycled materials in the interior of the car.
The Volkswagen Group factory in Zwickau, Germany, will produce electric vehicles for the various brands, including SEAT and CUPRA.
The model will be manufactured at the Volkswagen Group factory (SEAT is part of the Group) in Zwickau, Germany. This factory has been renovated and configured to produce electric vehicles for the Group’s different brands from 2021. It will have a production capacity of up to 330,000 electric vehicles a year.
As part of the INDIA 2.0 project, Skoda Auto, the Czech subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group, is leading the activities of the Group brands on the Indian sub-continent. Several cross-brand Skoda and Volkswagen models will be created based on the MQB A0 IN variant of the Modular Transverse Matrix, which the 125-year old carmaker is developing with a focus on India and Indian customers.
The new localised sub-compact platform is being showcased for the first time in the Skoda VISION IN concept model with two design sketches that show the exterior style of the VISION IN. The vehicle, which is approximately 4.26 metres long, have been serving as a study for a new compact SUV model developed especially for the Indian market.
The first design sketch shows the dynamic front which has a wide bonnet with a large Skoda grille incorporating solid ribs shapes the visual impression. The upper, very flat units of the split headlights progress directly to the grille. Beneath is a robustly designed front apron with large side air intakes and a massive front spoiler made of aluminium.
The second sketch illustrates a clearly structured, distinctive rear with sharply contoured, three-dimensional rear lights; an additional horizontal light strip connects the reflectors. Illuminated Skoda lettering is prominently positioned in the centre of the rear; an aluminium diffuser is integrated into the rear apron underneath.
Earlier, the interior was revealed in a sketch which showed a wide dashboard arranged on several levels, echoing the symmetrical contours of the Skoda grille in the centre. The colour orange, which inspires vitality and creativity, is used extensively throughout the interior, for example, on the centre armrest and door panels.
In addition to the large, free-standing central screen and virtual cockpit, a new crystalline element on the instrument panel creates an optical highlight. The three-spoke multifunction steering wheel features buttons and knurl wheels following Skoda’s new operating concept. The reduced and clearly structured centre console has a small control lever for gear selection.
Depending on which segment of the car market you look at, manual transmissions are diminishing in popularity and some carmakers have even stopped offering them. The two giant markets of North America and China see more vehicles with automatic transmissions being sold each year but in Europe and other regions, there is still healthy demand for what is also referred to as the ‘stick shift’.
Until the 1980s, when electronics started to be used to manage automatic transmissions, they were seen as being a hindrance to performance. American drivers liked them as they worked fine with the big engines but on smaller engines, they took away the zip and worse, caused higher fuel consumption. So many motorists maintained the idea that if you wanted to have better fuel economy and you wanted to enjoy driving, stay away from an automatic.
Small number of innovations
The manual transmission has not evolved much since it is a simple unit. From the 1970s onwards, additional gears were added although five has been pretty much the norm for some time. There have been some innovations, a notable one being the TREMEC 7-speed transmission in the Chevrolet Corvette with its 1-4 ‘skip-shift’ strategy to improve fuel economy. Rev-matching technology, which first appeared in the Nissan 370Z, is another advancement that helped less skilled drivers enjoy shifting like a pro.
Although automatic transmissions have been the subject of much improvement and technological advancement, it appears that companies like Volkswagen have not stopped trying to make manual transmissions better. The numbers must still make commercial sense for the engineers to get money to work on them.
New gearbox can reduce CO2 emissions, raise efficiency
Recently, the carmaker announced its new MQ281 state-of-the-art manual gearbox which has better operating efficiency and is claimed to reduce carbon dioxide emissions by up to 5 gms per kilometre. The new Passat is the first model to be equipped with the MQ281, and this will be followed by almost all models of the Volkswagen Group.
Latest Passat will be the first to have the new 6-speed manual transmission option in some markets.
The trend towards vehicles from the SUV segment with large-diameter wheels places high demands on the gearbox. “With the MQ281, we have developed a highly efficient manual gearbox that reliably meets these demands – and is soon to be introduced into a number of vehicle classes in the volume segment,” explained Helmut Gobbels, Head of Manual Gearbox and Four-Wheel Drive Development at Volkswagen.
The MQ281 has a torque spectrum of 200 to 340 Nm, which means it completely or partially supersedes the current Volkswagen gearbox designs with the internal designations MQ250 and MQ350 respectively.
It is based on a 2.5 shaft concept and boasts a high gear spread of maximum 7.89. On the one hand, this guarantees good driving off performance – even for heavy vehicles with large wheels – and facilitates, on the other hand, ‘downspeeding’, which is (fuel-saving) driving in high gears with low engine speed.
New MQ281 manual transmission will be used in many models in the Volkswagen Group in coming years.
New oil conduction system
Development of the new gearbox focussed primarily on improving efficiency. “Here we employed virtual development methods,” said Gobbels. “This enabled us to design a completely new oil conduction system. Using a variety of oil conduction measures, we are able to achieve a uniform and optimum lubrication of gear wheels and bearings, reducing the amount of lifetime oil required to just 1.5 litres.” To further reduce friction, a bearing concept adapted to the gearbox was developed. The design used friction-minimised bearings with low-contact seals.
Material use and its distribution for the gearbox housing was also optimised. With the aid of a further virtual development tool, a strength-optimised housing structure could be designed. The new housing supports the noise requirements of today (avoidance of undesired secondary noises) and therefore ensures improved driving comfort through less audible and noticeable vibrations in the vehicle.
The Volkswagen Group, with its huge production volumes, is one of the few carmakers that can afford to make its own transmissions, rather than source them from specialists like ZF or Aisin Seiki. It will be produced at two locations – Barcelona in Spain and Cordoba in Argentina.
The only time Volkswagen model officially sold in Malaysia with a manual transmission was the Polo GTI in 2008.
Don’t expect it in Malaysia
It’s unlikely that we’ll get officially-imported Volkswagen models with the new manual transmission in Malaysia. In fact, since the carmaker got into marketing activities about 15 years ago, only one model has been offered with a manual transmission and that was a Polo GTI 1.8. As most other companies have concluded, there is just insufficient demand for manual transmissions in this market. One company importing a small hatchback from Thailand had to stop doing so when the factory said that the volume taken was so low that the price would be higher than for the automatic variant.
Menurut khabar angin yang baru tersebar, besar kemungkinan Ducati akan berpindah milik sekali lagi.
Berita ini muncul semula setelah Volkswagen Group melantik Ketua Pegawai Eksekutif mereka yang baru, Herbert Diess, juga dikenali dengan nama timangan “The Cost Killer”.
Matlamat utama Diess adalah untuk memastikan keseluruhan operasi perniagaan VW berada di haluan yang sebenar bagi tahun 2018.
No car, no matter how special, is free of imperfections. Case in point is the Bugatti Chiron. Regarded as one of the most expensive and powerful cars on earth, the Chiron is considered the epitome of automotive greatness. Today however, that image has been tainted in the form of a recall.
According to an article by Bloomberg, Bugatti Automobiles SAS has informed U.S. auto regulators that it is recalling models of the car due to faulty welds on the front seat recliner bracket. And unlike regular manufacturers, the French automaker isn’t content with notifying customers of the problem via email or calls, instead, they have taken it one step further.
A team of Bugatti personnel will travel to each Chiron owner’s location to pick it up personally. The team will then haul the vehicle in an enclosed truck to one of 12 Bugatti dealers in the U.S. for inspections. There are about 12 of such vehicles in the US, but 47 in total, globally, are affected by this issue.
There’s no word yet on how Bugatti aims to deal with customers outside the US, but we assume that its method, will probably be similar in nature to that executed in the US. At $2.99 million (RM12.20 Million) a pop, owners of the Chiron shouldn’t have to expect anything other than 6 Star level of treatment.
The Chiron is the follow-up model to the mind-bending Veyron, which claimed and held the record for the fastest production car in the world for several years. It is powered by an 8.0-litre W16 quad-turbo engine that produces 1,479bhp and 1,600Nm of torque. The car was the talk of the town until it was recently upstaged by Koniegsegg’s Agera RS with its0-400-0 km/h feat.
SEAT is hard at work constructing a 43.7 metre tall building that will be able to process 119,000 boxes of parts and components. This new project is part of the automaker’s commitment to making the Martorell factory a benchmark of Industry. It will function as an automated logistics centre and equipped with smart technology.
Once completed in the final quarter of 2018, the facility will be the tallest logistics warehouse in Spain. And it will play a major role in SEAT’s logistics strategy and supply chain. Once construction is complete, SEAT’s new warehouse will have a total surface area of 5,700 square metres. It will be divided into two facilities, the first will be 43.7m high and the second one will be 21m high.
The first facility will have a capacity for 24,000 containers stored in seven aisles. The second one, will feature five aisles for storing more than 95,000 boxes. The entire project is said to be a breakthrough in terms of logistics processes for the Martorell factory. Martorell has also helped SEAT bag a number of accolades including the Manufacturing Excellence 2017 award.
Speaking of the place, SEAT Vice-President for Production Dr. Andreas Tostmann, “The creation of this wholly automated logistics centre once again demonstrates that SEAT is a benchmark company in every area of Industry 4.0,”
“With this project we are taking a qualitative leap forward in our service capacity and our vision of achieving logistics management excellence by increasing efficiency in the manufacturing process of our vehicles,” he added.
The current move should help the Spanish automaker secure its position and market share in Europe amidst increasing competition from Korean and Chinese automakers. SEAT is owned by the Volkswagen group and as such enjoys a number of benefits that include technology and platform sharing, which helps reduce R&D costs.
Some changes are a foot at the Volkswagen Group according to an article by Top Gear UK. Bentley and Bugatti, two of its high performance sub-brands will each receive a new CEO. This news comes after Wolfgang Dürheimer who is currently the CEO of both brands, announced his retirement.
Instead of replacing Dürheimer with a single employee, VW has opted to separate both roles by picking Adrian Hallmark as the head honcho of Bentley and Stefan Winkelmann as the head of hypercar maker, Bugatti.
Hallmark previously held various top executive sales positions at Bentley, VW, Porsche and Saab. His appointment as CEO of Bentley is one of several major decisions that will take place over the course of the next few years. This is due to four Bentley board members, including Dürheimer, who are about to reach the retirement age at about the same time.
Stefan Winkelmann, who was elected to lead Audi Sport last year, will now be in charge of ensuring that Bugatti continues to dominate the high end market of luxury supercars. Prior to his appointment at Audi, Winkelmann was at the helm of Lamborghini for about 11 years.
During his tenure at the Italian manufacturer, Winkelmann helped to turn the company’s fortunes around from an ailing automaker into one that has a strong product portfolio and decent cash flow. He also saw the introduction of the Gallardo, Lamborghini’s most successful vehicle to date.
The car was also partly responsible for the Italian automaker’s financial health and relatively steady recovery. It shared quite a bit with Audi’s R8 supercar but was still unique enough to ensure that the essence of Lamborghini was not diluted in anyway.
Now, with the appointment of Winkelmann at Bugatti, the same magic that played a part in Lamborghini’s recovery, could work for the French automaker as well. If true, this would be the best time for it as the company looks to stave off attacks from Koenigsegg who seem hell bent on stealing the hypercar crown.
