As we come to the end of another week we look at some of the motoring news which you may have missed starting with the new Citroën5 Aircross SUV Hybrid ‘Black Edition’
Citroën UK has revealed details of its new C5 Aircross SUV Hybrid (PHEV) ‘Black Edition’, which is available to order now. Following strong customer demand for personalisation options across the brand’s hybrid line-up, and for the previously range-topping ‘Shine Plus’ trim, Citroën is pleased to announce the new top-specification ‘Black Edition’ trim level. Following this latest announcement, the C5 Aircross SUV Hybrid range will be comprised of ‘Shine’, ‘Shine Plus’ and ‘Black Edition’ trim levels.
New C5 Aircross SUV Hybrid ‘Black Edition’ has a distinctive style that stands out on any road, thanks to its Perla Nera Black contrasting roof and door mirrors, and 19-inch black ‘Art’ alloy wheels* that enhance the body styling. An opening panoramic sunroof with sunblind and ‘Urban Black’ Alcantara® trimmed Citroën Advanced Comfort Seats also feature as standard for enhanced on-board comfort. At the rear, customers also enjoy the benefit of a motorised electric tailgate with hands-free access.
Other standard equipment includes an 8-inch capacitive touchscreen linked to Citroën Connect Nav, Apple CarPlay™ and Android Auto. Features that make life easier are also present, including LED headlights, front and rear parking sensors, reversing camera, power-folding door mirrors and keyless entry and start. The new model also comes with Safety Plus Pack, as standard, which includes blind-spot monitoring and advanced Active Safety Brake with video and radar assistance. For increased comfort on the motorway, ‘Black Edition’ models feature Highway Driver Assist that regulates the vehicle’s speed and proximity to the vehicle in front, as well as assisting the driver with in-lane vehicle positioning.
New C5 Aircross SUV Hybrid ‘Black Edition’ is offered with a PureTech 180 Stop & Start petrol engine, alongside an 80kW electric motor and a hybrid-specific ë-EAT8 automatic gearbox. In electric mode, C5 Aircross SUV Hybrid is capable of up to 34 miles range (WLTP) on a single charge and features Citroën Advanced Comfort Suspension with the latest multi-arm rear assembly for assured handling. It also boasts a strong degree of modularity, due to its three independent sliding, reclining and folding same-width rear seats, and class-leading boot space of between 460 and 600-litres. New C5 Aircross Hybrid ‘Black Edition’ comes equipped with a 7.4kW on-board charger capable of accelerated charging in under two hours with a 32A wallbox or public charging point.
Pricing for the new Citroën C5 Aircross SUV Hybrid ‘Black Edition’ starts from £36,850 MRRP OTR. Citroën UK is currently offering a five-year/100,000 mile warranty on all new models ordered through its online Citroën Store. Citroën Store allows customers to configure their next new vehicle, select the finance package that best suits them, agree a part-exchange valuation and order their new Citroën from the comfort of their own home.
Hennessey Unleashes Ford Performance with Venom 775 F-150
Hennessey Performance Engineering (HPE), the Texas-based hypercar manufacturer and high-performance vehicle builder, has completed development of the Ford-based Venom 775 F-150, which promises factory-stock Ram TRX-crushing power and performance.
The Hennessey engineers have almost doubled the output of the F-150’s 5.0-liter V8, adding 375 bhp to the stock model’s 400 bhp. A 3.0-liter twin screw supercharger and new intercooler system, plus upgrades to the air filtration, throttle body, and engine management systems are just a few of the enhancements that HPE has made. The new model, which is now in production at Hennessey’s Sealy, Texas, headquarters ramps up the torque to 685 lb-ft a full 275 lb-ft above the stock Ford V8’s 410 lb-ft.
Thanks to aluminum-intensive construction, the F-150 has a significant weight advantage over the TRX (it’s about 2,000 lbs lighter depending on specification). The Venom 775 is nimbler on- and off-road, plus it puts the power down more quickly – the Ford is also capable of both RWD and 4×4 modes. The Hennessey team also elevates the F-150’s off-road performance with an off-road upgrade that adds integrated front and rear Venom bumpers, a front LED bar, a 6-inch lift, and 20-inch Hennessey 10-spoke wheels wrapped in 35-inch off-road tires.
Just 100 of the Ford-based supertrucks will be built by HPE engineers in Texas. The result of intensive R&D and decades of expertise sees the new Hennessey Venom 775 sprint to 60 mph in 3.9 seconds, while the ¼ mile sprint takes just 12.0 seconds @ 117 mph.
Backed by Hennessey’s three-year / 36,000-mile warranty, customers can be confident in exploring the full extent of the Venom 775’s performance both on- and off-road. In addition, the Hennessey modifications retain all the manufacturer driving modes enabling comfortable cruising or high-power performance at the flick of a switch.
Customers buying the Hennessey-tuned F-150 will typically spend a total of $90,000-$110,000 (including the stock V8 Ford F-150).
Beaulieu announces new Bond exhibition for No Time To Die
Beaulieu is set to launch Bond in Motion – No Time To Die, a new exhibition featuring the iconic cars, gadgets and costumes from the latest 007 film.
The exhibition will be unveiled in the National Motor Museum on October 15th, shortly after the film’s UK release on September 30th.
Beaulieu Enterprises Managing Director Russell Bowman said: “This entirely new exhibition will offer visitors an exclusive chance to see cars, gadgets and costumes from the highly anticipated No Time To Die, the 25th James Bond film.
“It follows in the footsteps of our acclaimed Bond In Motion exhibition, which opened ten years ago showing 50 original vehicles from 50 years of Bond – and we know this will be just as popular.”
The exhibition will be the first opportunity for the public to see the folding-wing glider from the film. The full-size model will be suspended above Bond’s iconic silver birch Aston Martin DB5, complete with new LED number plate and machine guns.
Also on display will be the Aston Martin DBS Superleggera, driven in the film by new agent Nomi, the No Time To Die Aston Martin V8 – which was last seen in The Living Daylights (1987) – and the Chevy Bel Air. Fans of four-wheel drives will enjoy Bond’s Land Rover Series III and the Land Rover Defender 110. A Triumph Scrambler motorcycle and Royal Alloy Scooter will be crowd-pleasers for fans of two-wheelers.
Visitors will be able to get a first look at new gadgets from the Secret Intelligence Service Q Branch, including Bond’s Q-enhanced Omega Seamaster Diver 300M watch, alongside technical plans for vehicle designs and DB5 weapons. Backdrop screens will show action clips from the movie.
One millionth MINI delivered in the UK
MINI has delivered its one-millionth car sold in the UK, just over 20 years since the start of modern MINI production began in 2001.
MINI has sold over 5.1 million cars globally in the past two decades, and the UK is the brand’s largest market.
David George, Director of MINI UK, said: “To have sold over one million MINIs in just 20 years is a remarkable milestone; we are all extremely proud. This achievement is testament to the fantastic cars we’ve built and launched during that time, our customers’ continued love for MINI, and the strength and unwavering dedication of our retail network.
As we see the increasing demand for our MINI Electric and MINI Countryman Plug-In Hybrid models, which account for nearly a fifth of global electrified sales, we’re excited to see what the next twenty years hold, as we transition into our fully electric future.”
MINI will launch its last model with internal combustion engine in 2025 and, by 2027, the share of all-electric vehicles in global MINI sales will be at least 50 percent. In the early 2030s, MINI will be the first BMW Group brand to go fully electric.
Bentley’s “#GoToZero” plan accelerates drive for sustainable luxury from the inside out
The last two months have seen colleagues at Volkswagen Group production sites around the world immerse themselves in #GoToZero projects focusing on environmental sustainability. This week it has been Crewe’s turn and Bentley’s 4,000 colleagues have once again directed their attention to the company’s Beyond100 sustainability initiatives.
Building on the “#Project1Hour” kick off day in April, #GoToZero focused on Bentley’s Beyond100 goal to become end-to-end carbon neutral by 2030, through an emphasis on colleague actions and awareness. The week long programme of knowledge-sharing and best practice was designed to drive long-term change by helping colleagues to better understand their own carbon footprint and identify actions they can adopt on a personal and professional level.
Activities included a knowledge sharing “Extraordinary Talk” from the decarbonisation team and interviews with key sustainability leaders within the business setting out key aspects of the Beyond100 strategy, including how Bentley’s site in Crewe became the first carbon neutral luxury automotive factory in the UK, being certified to PAS 2060 standards by the Carbon Trust.
Practical activities have seen the kick off of a plastics audit and a review of the progress made against the Go Paperless and Power Down initiatives launched in April. A “GEMBA” lean manufacturing walk through the CEVA logistics area highlighted the potential to significantly reduce plastic packaging on fuel and brake line parts. In a similar exercise earlier this year, the team also identified opportunities to eliminate over 1,000m of shrink wrapping per day and reduce outbound seat protection packaging from 13 items to six.
Colleague travel has also been a key focus point, with the upcoming launch of new facilities including a bike repair station to encourage more colleagues to cycle to work, alongside 30 new free to use colleague charging points under Bentley’s 7.7 MW solar array which partly covers the colleague car park. With colleagues now collecting Audi e-trons and Volkswagen ID.3s through the company car scheme, these are now in high demand.
Teams within the business have also played their part on a local level. Bentley’s logistics team have used the week to create a diverse program of activities designed to take their business area on a journey to zero. This has included daily quizzes and idea generation competitions, plastic and paper reduction challenges, litter picking and collections for a local food bank.
Bentley’s flying bees have not been forgotten, earlier in the summer a 5,600 square metre area was “bee bombed” to provide them with an enhanced natural habitat.
Bentley’s Member of the Board for Manufacturing, Peter Bosch, comments:
“#GoToZero is our vision of a zero-impact factory and generates momentum for our efforts to decarbonise our business, reduce waste, recycle and improve resource efficiency, and refocus everyone’s attention on our vision to become leaders in sustainable luxury and our journey to becoming carbon neutral by 2030.
“Our colleagues are key catalysts for change and harnessing their insights and proving opportunities for them to network and learn from one another is helping to drive further progress from the inside out. It has been great to see the creativity and interest the activities have generated and as board members, we got involved by holding our own workshop to review our programme and identify opportunities to accelerate our journey further still.
“It’s a journey that has gained additional pace with the launch of our second hybrid model, the Flying Spur Hybrid, in June and we are on track to deliver our first full BEV in 2025, before offering BEVs and hybrids only in 2026 and becoming BEV only by 2030. There is still much more work to do to get there, but I’m convinced that the passion, creativity and commitment our colleagues have shown this week will help us to succeed on our journey.”
BMW iX x Bowers & Wilkins
Bowers & Wilkins, the British loudspeaker company famed for bringing its knowledge and experience of acoustic excellence to the automotive industry, has extended its successful partnership with BMW, with the launch of the iX, the new luxury electric SAV from BMW.
The Bowers & Wilkins Diamond Surround Sound System in the iX features the most advanced sound quality found in a car, with the aim of delivering an audio experience that feels as though you are there with the artist in the studio, a concept that Bowers & Wilkins refer to as ‘True Sound’. This can only be achieved through close collaboration between the engineering teams from both BMW and Bowers & Wilkins, and by using proven technologies from Bowers & Wilkins’ core range of passive loudspeakers.
The BMW iX is the first fully electric vehicle to feature Diamond Dome tweeters, as found in Bowers & Wilkins 800 Series Diamond loudspeakers, the monitor loudspeaker of choice in Abbey Road Studios. The exceptionally accurate, low-distortion tweeters feature Nautilus™ swirls, spiralling channels behind the tweeter domes that dissipate reflected sound waves that emanate from the rear of the drive unit and limit distortion. In keeping with the minimalist interior of the BMW iX, the tweeters are covered with brushed stainless-steel covers with a laser-etched logo and a discreet lighting effect, and the door speakers are discretely hidden behind acoustically optimized fabric.
In total, there are two Diamond Dome tweeters, three Aluminium Dome tweeters and five Aramid Fibre midrange speakers mounted as high as possible within the light, spacious cabin. A further eight speakers are integrated into the front and rear headrests, which can be individually adjusted to create a truly personalised audio experience for each passenger. For the first time, four bass speakers are joined by 4D Shakers that are strategically positioned within the interior to produce a rich bass experience even at low volumes.
Passengers can engage with the sound system through four different sound modes, according to preference. The result is sound that’s superbly detailed and free from coloration, seamlessly integrated within the car design.
Re:Move demonstration prototype unveiled at IAA 2021
Polestar is part of a consortium of leaders in design, mobility and sustainable materials that have collaborated to rethink last mile delivery and how goods are transported in cities. The project, named Re:Move, is a fast-tracked reaction to surging online shopping and home delivery demands and the clear requirement to find more sustainable mobility solutions. The study strives to become a catalyst for change and the first working prototype has been revealed at IAA in Munich.
Revealed earlier in 2021, the project was born out of Wallpaper* magazine’s Re:Made series which engaged celebrated industrial designer Konstantin Grcic. But rather than the design study being the end of the project, it become the beginning, inspired by the shared convictions of a wider set of designers, mobility and sustainable material experts, hailing from Polestar, CAKE and Hydro.
“Good design is inherently sustainable design. Everyone involved in this distinctive project shares the belief that purity can be a driver for sustainability,” says Konstantin Grcic, Re:Move designer. “Over the last year we have worked together, engineers and designers, to create a versatile solution that has never lost sight of its purpose. Ultimately, its design is all the better for it.”
The multi-functional electric transporter is only 750 mm wide – perfectly suited to bicycle lanes – and is capable of carrying loads of up to 180 kg. The low-carbon aluminium chassis has an electric tilt mechanism, allowing the vehicle to ‘lean-in’ to turns, improving stability and manoeuvrability, and reducing its turning circle to less than seven metres. Disc brakes instil further dynamic confidence in the EV while a damped rear swing arm is designed for driver comfort and to reduce fatigue. Always-on lighting improves forward visibility for the driver, while brake lights, optional indicators and a horn help to ensure the vehicle is visible to pedestrians and traffic.
“The passion and expertise our partners have brought to this project shows the power of great design,” says Thomas Ingenlath, Polestar CEO. “Electrifying vehicles is the start point, not the end game. Our engineers have proven that this kind of open collaboration will accelerate innovation and the shift to truly sustainable mobility.”
With a limited maximum speed of 25 km/h (in line with e-bikes) and a 2.2 kWh battery as standard, Re:Move is equally fit for replacing delivery vans to radically improve city traffic flow or bringing cargo transportation to rural areas lacking developed infrastructure. The frame uses unique composite covers, a natural replacement for plastics and flax-based composites.
“With the obligation to inspire towards zero emissions, Re:Move defines a new vehicle category. We’re delighted to contribute with our high-capacity battery, hub motor and smart technology,” says Stefan Ytterborn, CAKE Founder and CEO.
Partners involved in the project worked together during a time when the global pandemic meant there was no opportunity for physical meetings. Nor, it was proven, was there a need for them. The use of online tools ensured that the programme continued on track with regular meetings and completely virtual collaboration.
Bjørn Kjetil Mauritzen, Head of Sustainability in Hydro, comments: “To stay within the 1.5-degree Paris Agreement target, we need fewer fossil-fuel vehicles on the streets, but we should also be striving to reduce emissions and harmful particulates in the air. Re:Move is not only a low maintenance vehicle with an electric powertrain, but it’s also fully recyclable and uses low carbon aluminium that is made with renewable energy.”
Re:Move aims to spark new thinking around urban infrastructure and mobility. It also goes to prove that working virtually need not hamper creativity, and that collaboration will unlock a more sustainable future.
