This week's snippets of automotive news include news on the Volkswagen T-Roc Cabriolet concept, the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer, Toyota hybrid powertrains and Volkswagen’s low-cost project.
Volkswagen T-Roc Cabriolet concept:
The concept designs for the Volkswagen T-Roc Cabriolet, due in 2020, were so good that a production run was approved by the company’s board even though it didn’t make “rational sense”, according to VW sales boss Jürgen Stackmann. He said: “It’s a car we all wanted to make. There isn’t a huge market for it – that sort of car is only popular in a small number of countries – but we felt passionately we should do it.”
BMW 2 Series Active Tourer:
BMW believes its 2 Series Active Tourer and Gran Tourer models will remain strong sellers despite the continuing downturn in the MPV sector. A senior exec told Autocar that 75% of customers for those BMW models are new to the brand, coming from both premium and non-premium rivals.
Toyota hybrid powertrains:
Toyota expects many different types of hybrid powertrains within a car’s line-up to become the norm, in the same way that different petrol and diesel engines are offered now. “Hybrids will come with a combination of transmission systems,” said Toyota Europe boss Johan van Zyl.
Volkswagen low-cost project:
A final decision on the Volkswagen Group’s low-cost project in India, led by Skoda, will be made by the end of the year. If it gets the green light, the first cars on the MQB AO platform could be on sale at the start of 2021. Skoda boss Bernhard Maier said: “It’s not an easy undertaking because competition in India is fierce. It is a great challenge for Skoda but also a great motivation. We broaden our base with this project and it will create high-quality jobs.”
Read more
Volkswagen T-Roc review
Skoda Kodiaq review
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