Volvo, from 2019, will end cars that have only an internal combustion engine.

Volvo Cars, the premium car maker, has announced that every Volvo it launches from 2019 will have an electric motor, marking the historic end of cars that have only an internal combustion engine (ICE) and placing electrification at the core of its future business. 

The announcement represents one of the most significant moves by any car maker to embrace electrification, and highlights how, over a century after the invention of the internal combustion engine, electrification is paving the way for a new chapter in automotive history. 

“This is about the customer,” said Håkan Samuelsson, President and Chief Executive of Volvo Cars. “People increasingly demand electrified cars, and we want to respond to our customers’ current and future needs. You can now pick and choose whichever electrified Volvo you wish.” 

Volvo Cars will introduce a portfolio of electrified cars across its model range, embracing fully electric cars, plug-in hybrid cars and mild-hybrid cars. 

It will launch five fully electric cars between 2019 and 2021, three of which will be Volvo models and two of which will be high-performance electrified cars from Polestar, Volvo Cars’ performance car arm. Full details of these models will be announced at a later date.

These five cars will be supplemented by a range of petrol and diesel plug-in hybrid and mild-hybrid 48-volt options on all models, representing one of the broadest electrified car offerings of any car maker. 

This means that there will in future be no Volvo cars without an electric motor, as pure ICE cars are gradually phased out and replaced by ICE cars that are enhanced with electrified options. 

“This announcement marks the end of the solely combustion engine-powered car,” said Mr Samuelsson. “Volvo Cars has stated that it plans to have sold a total of 1m electrified cars by 2025. When we said it we meant it. This is how we are going to do it.” 

The announcement underlines Volvo Cars’ commitment to minimising its environmental impact and making the cities of the future cleaner. Volvo Cars is focused on reducing the carbon emissions of both its products as well as its operations. It aims to have climate-neutral manufacturing operations by 2025. 

The decision also follows this month’s announcement that Volvo Cars will turn Polestar into a new separately branded electrified global high-performance car company. Thomas Ingenlath, Senior Vice President Design at Volvo Cars, will lead Polestar as Chief Executive Officer. 

TMW - The Suzuki Ignis, another brilliant small car from Suzuki, the brand that specialises in small cars.

Well, today seems to be the era of SUV and small cars, an area that Suzuki dominates, the small car range is one of the best that you can buy, from the Celerio, Swift, Baleno and this the Ignis, a name that’s from its past, but placed onto a brilliant new car, and one that deserves to take the sector to new heights.

This car is not very big from the look of it, but it is really like a TARDIS, for those Dr Who fans, there seems to be so much room inside, that five adults CAN sit in reasonable comfort, or four adults for a longer journey, at less than 4m long and less than 1.8 m wide, you can quite clearly see that it is a small car, but that’s not just its IP.

This car can come with a mild hybrid system, and a four wheel drive set up too, with auto and manual, and a 1.2litre engine as fitted to our car.

Let’s start with the exterior, it is different, and vastly likeable, it looks chunky and capable, which it is, the oversized headlights, LED projector are like a pair of eyes, the lines of the car flow through to the back where there is a louvered look to the C-Pillar, it gives the car a different look and one that suits it very much.

it then follows around to the back where the boot is sharply cut off, which unfortunately gives the boot a small amount of room, an extra inch or two would have made all the difference, but this is what you get for the money, and at £14,464 for the top of the range with optional paint, you get a lot of car for that money.

The nice and well suited black alloy wheels along with the white paint really go together very well, once inside, the dashes of orange break up a dark interior, an interior that's well positioned with lots of toys and kit.

The seats we found are very comfortable, but our only concern is the side bolsters are not supported, they feel like they are just shaped foam, which over time will go flat and make the seat covers floppy, but as a loan car, they are very suitable and comfortable.

You can manoeuvre the seats and steering wheel enough to get you a near perfect position, once there everything is at hand, you do not need to stretch for buttons or switchgear, and the touchscreen tablet, which is similar to Mercedes, in the way it is just attached to the dash rather than be a full part of the dash, has everything near and handy, and very easy to use.

The sat nav is a little slow; well to be honest the entire tablet is very slow with PIONEER on screen for ages before it comes to life, once there all is good, with plenty of options onscreen to play with.

The rear seats are suitably comfortable, and four can sit there in comfort for longer journeys, with five able to sit for shorter ones, anything longer and the three adults in the back would get uncomfortable, quickly.

The boot space is ok, it can take a couples weekly shopping, or with the seats down you get far more room to put bigger amounts of luggage etc.

Once on the road the 1.2 litre can easily keep up with motorway traffic and can overtake with ease too, the car has a top speed of 106mph, but at 11.4 seconds to 62mph, it is a tad slow, but once wound up, it’s a great car, it has a raspy engine note that sounds very sporty, but once in top gear, and you are cruising, that note seems to disappear and it becomes a nice quiet environment, the fuel consumtion of the 1,2 litre is

·       Urban 57.6mpg

·       Extra Urban 70.6mpg

·       Combined 65.7mpg

Are these achievable, well, no, no matter how I drove the car I could not get the in-car display to get anywhere near the indicated figures, but I did get an over all of 50.4mpg, and that included local, city and motorway driving, as well as a long distance journey to the SMMT event at Millbrook.

The clutch is very, very, light, I struggled for the first couple of days to get the biting point just right without slipping it too much, but by the time it came to give the car back, I was able to change gear nicely.

The car has a vast array of standard kit and equipment, to make it a safe and easy car to drive, these include but not limited too

·       AllGrip Four Wheel Drive

·       16” Black Gloss Alloys

·       Rear Privacy Glass

·       Wheel Arch Extensions

·       Navigation System

·       Bluetooth

·       Steering wheel Controls

·       Auto Air Conditioning

·       Automatic Light

·       Automatic Wipers

·       LED Daytime Running Lights

·       Double height luggage area floor

·       DAB Radio

·       Twin USB Socket

·       Electric windows all round

·       Information Display

·       Keyless entry and start

·       TPMS

·       Engine auto Start/Stop

·       Cruise control

·       And far, far, more

The Ignis is a brilliant car; there is no getting away from that, Suzuki really does know what they are doing when it comes to design and implementation of small cars and SUV’s, the Ignis generated a number of comments from other journalists and even one of my neighbours come across to enquire about it, and thought it was a really nice car.

CONCLUSION

Ok, it’s not short of issues, with the main one being the tablet, it is just far too slow, ignore that and you have a car capable of doing everything you need of it, even going off road, not in the style of a Land Rover but its able to take rough ground in it’s stride and just waft over it.

It’s a car that will suit a number of people, from the single person, couples, or even with kids, its not a full five up long distance cruiser, the rear seats passengers would not be that comfortable for long.

I have had a number of cars and the Ignis is one I miss, it was fun, even when the car stopped it’s self because some moron walked out into the road, the car braked and stopped before I had the opportunity to think about it, and that was amazing, all cars should have this fitted as standard, it would stop a lot of rear end shunts and pedestrian accidents.

GENEVA - The next Q model from Audi has arrived, the Q8 Sport Concept, and the range continues to grow.

• 3.0 TFSI V6 engine with mild hybrid technology
• Eight-cylinder performance with the consumption of a four-cylinder
• Electric Stop&Go and parking

At the 2017 Geneva Motor Show advanced Electrically Powered Compressor (EPC) technology first used by Audi in the SQ7 TDI will flex its muscle in a TFSI petrol engine for the first time in the Audi Q8 sport concept. 

Demonstrating the vision Audi’s developers and designers have for the dynamic yet efficient SUV of tomorrow, the latest Q8 study combines its EPC with a six-cylinder TFSI and a mild hybrid system – a world first that enables it to deliver an exceptional 476PS output with the efficiency of a four-cylinder equivalent.

Augmented by the compressor and Mhev system the 3.0 TFSI engine powers the Q8 sport concept from 0 – 62mph in just 4.7 seconds and keeps going until it reaches its top speed of 170mph. 

Meanwhile, its range of more than 745 miles ensures it is also suitable for long journeys. Thanks to the superb recuperation performance of 20 kW, this imposing SUV holds a considerable fuel economy advantage over a model equipped with a regular TFSI six-cylinder engine without mHEV system, and its CO2 output also shows a 25 g/km improvement.

“The drive system of the Audi Q8 sport concept is a major step towards optimising efficiency and sustainability in large-volume series production. The combination of mild hybrid technology and a TFSI engine sets a new benchmark for the synthesis of electromobility and combustion engines. In the future, this combination will be used in many Audi models,” says Rupert Stadler, Chairman of the Board of Management at AUDI AG.

Highly efficient power package: the drive system

The architecture of the drive system in the new Audi Q8 sport concept is revolutionary: for the firsttime ever, Audi is combining a 450PS 3.0 TFSI six-cylinder engine with an electric powered compressor and an effective mild hybrid system for recuperation. The starter generator positioned between the crankshaft and the transmission handles recuperation and, if required, can work in the opposite direction as an additional electric motor. The 48-volt electrical system assures the supply of electrical power.

For the customer, this approach has a number of advantages: the energy recovered as part of recuperation can, if required, be used to increase performance. During boost operation – where the combustion engine and electric motor are used simultaneously – the electric motor’s additional 20 kW of output and its torque of 170 Nm (125.4 lb-ft) open up a total of 350 kW of power to the engine and bring its total torque up to 700 Nm (516.3 lb-ft). The result is forceful acceleration at any speed and any point in the rev range.

Positioned at the rear under the luggage compartment, the lithium-ion battery with an energy storage capacity of 0.9 kWh makes it possible to keep moving slowly in stop-start traffic with the combustion engine switched off, as well as allowing for manoeuvres and parking under electric power alone. During braking, efficient recuperation using the 20-kW-strong starter generator quickly recharges the battery to ensure that the vehicle can regularly be driven under electric power.

In addition to the two exhaust gas turbochargers, the electric powered compressor provides the Q8 sport concept with an additional kick by supplying the three-litre six-cylinder engine with fresh air. The electric powered compressor supports the turbochargers at times when the exhaust gas is insufficient for rapid development of power. It therefore opens up delay-free acceleration to the V6 petrol engine – something previously only known to diesel engines and electric motors. It’s a recipe for success which already works impressively in the series production Audi SQ7.

The electric powered compressor is positioned in a bypass downstream of the intercooler, i.e. close to the engine. Instead of the turbine wheel, it integrates a compact electric motor. It accelerates the engine’s compressor wheel up to 70,000 rpm in less than 250 milliseconds. With the support of the electric powered compressor, the power of the 3.0 TFSI is always rapidly available as soon as the accelerator is depressed, even at low engine speeds. When driving off, the SUV immediately takes a lead of several metres ahead of the competition. During comfort-oriented driving, the electric powered compressor technology prevents unnecessary downshifts and thus keeps the engine speed at a low level. Meanwhile, keen drivers will appreciate the instantaneous delivery of power when exiting corners.

The Q8 sport concept drive system with its V6 TFSI and additional electric motor supplies the performance of a true eight-cylinder engine, yet with the fuel consumption of a frugal four-cylinder. That’s because, compared with a similar engine without mild hybrid system, the consumption reduces by more than a litre per 100 kilometres, despite serving up 20 kW of additional power. The total range of the Q8 sport concept equipped with an 85-litre fuel tank is more than 745 miles.

When driving, the drive system management controls the operating states of the Audi both intelligently and flexibly: the luxury SUV can boost, coast and recuperate as appropriate for the situation. The predictive efficiency assistant is a standard feature which supports the driver by supplying greatly detailed information on the vehicle surroundings to the control unit. Route data from the navigation system and Car-to-X services from Audi connect are also taken into account.

High-tech from production models: drivetrain and suspension

In the Audi Q8 sport concept, the quattro permanent all-wheel drive system transfers the power of the drive system to the road with supreme control. Even for its wide-track chassis, the technology study makes use of the latest high-end solutions from the luxury-class product portfolio. The adaptive air suspension sport – an air suspension system with controlled damping – allows for a broad spectrum of ride characteristics, ranging from cushioned cruising to firm and tight handling. Furthermore, it sets the ground clearance in five levels with 90-millimetre height differences, selecting the ideal level in each case. The front and rear axles are engineered as lightweight five-link constructions.

Audi mounts 305/35 tyres on the large 11J x 23 wheels. The five intertwining Y-spokes project a powerful image. Ceramic brake discs measuring 20 inches in diameter effortlessly decelerate the Audi Q8 sport concept.

Dynamic lines and high-tech design details

At first glance, it is clearly a highly dynamic and luxurious Audi – that’s how the Audi Q8 concept study was received at the 2017 Detroit Motor Show. The debutant in Geneva is an even more sporty variation of this composition and is also an elegant alternative to the robust presence of a classic Sport Utility Vehicle. The Q8 and Q8 sport concept are synonymous with prestige and technology in all areas.

At 5.02 metres long, the Audi Q8 sport concept makes an impressive mark on the luxury class. Thanks to a wheelbase of three metres, the show car offers plenty of space for passengers and luggage. Despite the sloping, coupe-like roofline, even the rear-seat passengers enjoy ample head and shoulder room. The new operating concept uses large touchscreens in the cockpit, rounded out by an expanded version of the Audi virtual cockpit and a contact-analogue head-up display. The latter uses intelligent augmented reality technology that merges the real and the virtual worlds.

Viewed from the front, the 2.05 metre wide Audi Q8 sport concept looks imposing. A distinguishing feature here is the octagonal Singleframe grille. It is a sculpted piece and is significantly wider than in today’s Audi production models. Its surface has a honeycomb lattice structure overlayed with aluminium segments, whilst the surround is painted in a contrasting colour. As is typical of Audi Sport models, the outer air inlets are much larger compared with the basic model – a sign of the greater air requirements of the high-performance power unit. A distinctive body-coloured blade forms the bottom edge of the bumper.

The flat, wedge-shaped headlights of the Audi Q8 sport concept are integrated into the front end and, from a design perspective, are connected with the adjoining air inlets. The individual light elements have a glass cover, but the entire headlight units are not enclosed. This creates the impression that they are free in space. Their aluminium housing carries over the sculpture of the Singleframe. An x-shaped, blue laser light signature accentuates the digital Matrix laser technology used for the low and high beams. Broken down into more than one million pixels, their light can illuminate the road in high resolution and with precise control. Located below the edge of the bonnet is a narrow LED light guide that emits the light for the dynamic turn signals and the daytime running lights. It wraps around the outside of the headlights, where its ribs create an innovative e-tron signature. All lighting functions are dynamic.

Powerful: the side view

The silhouette of the Audi technology study also evokes tautness. The doors have no window frames and thus contribute to the flat roofline. The Audi Q8 sport concept is 1.70 metres tall. All lines on the body climb upward dynamically toward the rear – the bottom edge of the side windows, the shoulders, the dynamic line and the sill line. The surfaces of the fenders, doors and side panels are athletically curved. The lower section of the doors form a deep fillet. Other design features are the quattro logo milled below the rear doors as well as the carbon-fibre exterior mirrors with their multifaceted edges. The doors are opened using touch elements: as soon as the sensors in the Audi rings on the B or C pillar are touched, the door simply pops open to a defined position.

The extremely flat and very wide C-pillar is reminiscent of the original Audi quattro from the 1980s, as are the strongly flared shoulders over the wheels. This places the concept car in a logical line with the show cars of the Audi Prologue series. The balanced proportions of the Audi Q8 sport concept emphasise the front and rear wheels equally – that, too, is typical quattro. Compared with the Q8 show car from Detroit, the wheel housings have been widened by a further 12 millimetres. The strongly accentuated wheel arches feature a double design. The sill region of the doors shines in brushed aluminium, ensuring an intriguing contrast to the show car’s krypton orange paint finish.

Flat and compact: the rear

A long roof edge spoiler shades the extremely flat rear window of the Audi concept car. A doubly-shaped spoiler lip below it forms a distinctive contour on the power luggage compartment hatch. The light strip extending over the entire width of the rear end is part of the distinctive light signature. It serves as both the tail and brake lights as well as the dynamic turn signals.

The outer light elements are edged by aluminium blades whose inner strut is drawn broadly into the rear of the vehicle. The individual elements of the tail lights are also designed to be open, and all lighting functions are dynamic.

The license plate on the Audi Q8 sport concept is located under a black trim strip between the lights. The diffuser is made of aluminium, while its crosspiece is in high-gloss carbon fibre. Set in the diffuser, the oval exhaust tailpipes are equally striking in their design thanks to their brushed aluminium surface.

Luxury lounge for four: the interior

The interior of the Audi Q8 sport concept offers opulent spaciousness for four persons and their large suitcases. The luggage compartment has a capacity of 630 litres. Widely stretched lines lend the cockpit an elegant ambiance. Virtually floating above the centre tunnel is a console for the shift-by-wire lever with which the driver controls the eight-speed tiptronic transmission purely electronically.

The wrap-around begins in the front doors. This large, horizontal arc runs along the lower edge of the windscreen and frames both the driver’s and front passenger’s seats without hemming in the occupants. The sport seats as well as the two individual seats in the rear are made up of segments that appear to be separate geometric bodies, from the pronounced side bolsters to the head restraints. A horizontal aluminium trim piece divides the backrests at the height of the window belt line.

The instrument panel with its distinctly horizontal character descends in steps toward the interior. The central control and display surfaces are integrated into the “black panel” – a glossy black strip framed by an aluminium surround. When switched off, the screen is invisibly embedded in the surface and the lines flow harmoniously. When the display is in operation, it assimilates perfectly into the design line. In the front passenger area, the black panel features a graphical quattro badge. The arrow-shaped inlays in the doors pick up the expressive design. Filigree aluminium bars integrated into them serve as door openers. When dark, LED light guides illuminate the interior with white light.

The colours and materials in the Audi Q8 sport concept provide for a cool and dynamic atmosphere. One highlight is the three-dimensional, engineered grain on the instrument panel, doors and floor. High-gloss carbon-fibre applications with a new, abstract woven structure, as well as aluminium strips and frames set accents. Their brushed finish is comparatively dark. Brightness increases gradually from the headlining to the centre console in graduated grey tones from steel grey to pastel silver.

The technical materials in the Audi Q8 sport concept contrast with the soft surfaces. The seats are covered in a combination of Fine Nappa leather and Nubuk leather, both in pastel silver. The upholstery is pulled around the trim piece that divides the backrests – here, the inside becomes the outside. The head restraints are covered with a structured textile of a colour similar to that of the leather elements.

New ways: controls and displays

The elegant interior architecture of the Audi Q8 sport concept merges with a ground-breaking control and display concept. Information and commands are passed primarily through touch displays augmented by the Audi virtual cockpit future and a contact-analogue head-up display. All displays feature a new “digital design” that concentrates systematically on only the most important things.

The contact-analogue head-up display projects important displays onto the windshield in the driver’s direct field of view, seemingly placing them in the real environment. A navigation arrow, for example, appears in the same position as an actual arrow on the road – an intelligent application of augmented reality. The notifications from the driver assistance systems also merge the virtual and physical worlds.

The Audi virtual cockpit future is even more dynamic thanks to new functions and, with a resolution of 1,920 x 720 pixels, it displays graphics with more detail than ever before. In “auto” display mode, the 12.3-inch TFT display offers generous space for maps, lists and additional information. The top-down map view visualises the selected route. When zooming in, the current position and surroundings are displayed in 3D. Through the buttons on the steering wheel, the driver can switch to “performance” mode. The needles of the speedometer and powermeter now appear in a three-dimensional perspective display.

All other screens in the Audi Q8 sport concept are touch displays. The great strength of this principle is the direct, fast and intuitive operation. Drivers select each function exactly where they see it. By implementing touchscreens, Audi was also able to further reduce the number of buttons, switches and levers. The interior now appears even neater and more streamlined.

The MMI display in centre of the dashboard is used to control the infotainment system and vehicle settings. A display for the climate control system is integrated into the diagonally sloping section of the centre console. While using this display, the driver’s wrist can be rested comfortably on the low selector lever of the eight-speed tiptronic.

If the sensors in the seat detect a front-seat passenger, the touchscreen shows their climate control settings. If the driver is alone, this function is deactivated. Another smaller touchscreen to the left of the steering wheel is reserved for the lighting functions.

JLR reveals unique electric Drive Module (eDM) tech that could be used to create low & zero-emissions vehicles.

• Jaguar Land Rover reveals unique electric Drive Module (eDM) technology that could be used to create future low and zero-emissions vehicles
• Three ‘Concept_e’ research demonstrators showcase potential future Battery Electric Vehicle, Plug-In Hybrid and Mild Hybrid technologies

Jaguar Land Rover has revealed some of the new and innovative low and zero emission powertrain technologies it is researching at this year’s CENEX Low Carbon Vehicle event.

Three Concept_e research demonstrators showcase this far-reaching future research, which includes a new unique high performance, modular electric drive module (eDM) developed in-house by Jaguar Land Rover. 

These are capable of producing twice the power and torque of any electric motor-generator in production today. These can be inserted between any engine and transmission to create MHEV or PHEV, or used alone for a BEV.

The Concept_e technologies are the output of an advanced powertrain research programme for state-of-the-art, next-generation hybrid and battery-electric powertrain technologies which began in 2013.

Led by Jaguar Land Rover, this two year £16.3m research project is part-funded by the UK’s innovation agency, Innovate UK¹ and involves 12 UK technology partners². It has brought together leading engineers and technologists from academia, the supply chain and industry to create a number of unique and innovative solutions.  

Dr Wolfgang Epple, Director of Research and Technology, Jaguar Land Rover, said: “This is a long-term Jaguar Land Rover research project exploring all aspects of future hybrid and battery electric vehicle technology. 

The three Concept_e vehicles will allow us to test and develop exciting new potential technologies that could form part of our low and zero emissions vision beyond 2020.

“The project is also helping to develop the UK’s skills and capabilities in alternative powertrains. We are serious about helping the UK become a world-wide leader in powertrain technologies.  

Collaborative research programmes like this allow us to multiply the effect of our own R&D investment and nurture the UK’s technology supply chain.  This approach is helping to develop the skills and technologies that will make the UK even more competitive in the future.”

Dr Ruth McKernan, Chief Executive at Innovate UK said: “The world-leading results of this collaborative R&D project not only justify our investment in the project, but promise significant economic benefits for the UK automotive industry and its supply chains. 

Our £230m investment in the sector over the past 8 years has helped the industry complete a remarkable turnaround, with the UK now seen as the pre-eminent global hub for automotive innovation.”

The three Concept_e research demonstrators include:

• Concept_e MHEV. The Mild Hybrid is based on a Range Rover Evoque donor vehicle and features a prototype diesel engine (90 PS) and a 48V electrical system. It incorporates a 15 kW crank integrated motor with disconnect clutch within a hybrid module sandwiched between the engine and 9 speed transmission. The motor-generator is powered by an advanced 48-volt electrical system and 48-volt lithium ion battery pack.
• Concept_e PHEV.  The Plug-In Hybrid employs a similar architecture to the MHEV but with a prototype petrol engine (300 PS) and 8 speed transmission longitudinally mounted within a Range Rover Sport donor vehicle. The electric motor is capable of up to 150 kW and also takes up the function of the starter motor. The motor draws electrical energy from a 320-volt lithium ion battery packaged in the boot. The hybrid powerplant drives through the conventional automatic gearbox normally fitted to the Range Rover Sport and the full time four-wheel drive system is retained.
• Concept_e BEV is a bespoke research demonstrator based on Jaguar Land Rover’s aluminium vehicle architecture. The underbody has been modified to mount the 70 kWh HV lithium ion traction battery and electric axle drive (EAD) units. The front drive unit features a single speed transmission coupled with an 85 kW electric motor. The rear drive unit features a twin speed transmission coupled with a 145 kW electric motor.

Dr Epple added: “Environmental Innovation is at the heart of our business. We have a wide-ranging low emissions technology strategy, which has created innovations like our Ingenium engine family and lighter vehicles. 

Technologies like these have already helped us reduce our fleet CO₂ average by 25 per cent in recent years.

“Our future vision is to continue to reduce emissions and improve fuel efficiency while still delivering the luxury, performance, refinement and comfort our customers expect. 

Whether it’s optimising the internal combustion engine, advanced hybrid and battery-electric propulsion systems, the introduction of new, lightweight materials or the improvement of energy conservation through more efficient heating and ventilation technologies, we are leaving no stone unturned to ensure Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles emit significantly less emissions in the future.”