Toyota’s new flagship
Sales of the new 16th generation Toyota Crown sedan have started in Japan; The car has been produced since 1955. As before, the sedan has a longitudinally mounted engine and torque is transmitted to the rear wheels. The Crown name is now also used by a crossover and a station wagon, but they are equipped with an engine with a transverse cylinder block and have front-wheel drive.
The new car turned out to be the longest in the history of the model – 5030 mm. The car is available in hybrid and hydrogen versions, the latter received a power plant from the Toyota Mirai and can travel up to 820 km when fully refueled.
The Crown sedan is intended for passengers in the second row, for them a screen for controlling the audio system, seat adjustments and other comfort options is installed in the center armrest, and there is a footrest on the floor. The hybrid version of the Crown sedan will be the most affordable – its price starts from 7.3 million yen (4.4 million rubles at the exchange rate at the time of publication).
Improved Kia crossvan
Orders have started for the modernized Kia Carnival in South Korea. The front and rear design of the model, which entered the market three years ago and was sold in Russia, has completely changed after restyling. A curved screen of the multimedia complex is installed in the Carnival cabin; The updated crossover is equipped with an enlarged head-up display and a fingerprint scanner for driver identification, as well as a lane change assistance system.
There is a TV in the cabin of the special four-person version of HiLimousine.
window blinds and two passenger seats with footrests, massage and electrical adjustment.
The powerful modification is equipped with a V6 engine that develops 294 horsepower (355 Nm), traction power is transmitted only to the front axle. In addition to naturally aspirated gasoline and turbodiesel, a hybrid version also appeared in the range. The cost of the most affordable Carnival starts from 26.4 thousand dollars (2.4 million rubles in conversion).
mini sport crossover
In February 2024, Mini will start selling the third-generation Countryman crossover in the John Cooper Works version, which receives a two-liter turbo-four engine with an all-wheel drive system and a clutch on the rear axle.
The new Countryman is the largest model in Mini history with a length of 4,433 mm. The 300-horsepower crossover accelerates to “hundreds” in 5.4 seconds, and the top speed is limited to 250 km/h.
The new model differs from the regular Countryman with stronger brakes and upgraded suspension, as well as different bumpers and red decor. There is one large round screen in the cabin, with a diameter of only 240 mm.
The multimedia system has a built-in voice assistant – virtual English bulldog Spike.
The cost of such a Countryman will be 56.5 euros (5.6 million rubles at the exchange rate at the time of publication).
Fourth Skoda Superb
Next spring, the Skoda Superb will enter the European market with liftback and station wagon body styles. The model is joined by the new Volkswagen Passat (B9) station wagon, with which it shares the modular MQB-Evo platform.
Both the liftback and the Superb station wagon are longer than the previous generation, providing more luggage space and a more spacious interior. The location of the transmission lever in the central tunnel was taken by wireless charging for smartphones, and the control of the DSG robot was moved to the right steering column switch. An interesting solution was the design of the climate control unit – three rotating “washers” with built-in displays that display the temperature and air flow density.
The Superb engine range includes two-liter turbodiesels (150 and 193 hp) and turbocharged gasoline units of the same volume (204 and 265 hp). The station wagon will also be offered with a 204-horsepower rechargeable hybrid system. Depending on the modification, the drive can be front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive.
BMW with wide nostrils
BMW has never updated the X2 since the model’s debut in 2017. Next spring, the second generation
The new product is built on the BMW X1 crossover platform and features the same interior with a miniature transmission selector mounted on the “floating” central armrest. With the X2 model, the Bavarian company continues to follow the trend with large radiator grille “nostrils” initiated by the brand’s chief designer Domagoj Dukec.
The most expensive versions of the X2 will receive a two-liter gasoline turbo-four (317 hp) and an all-wheel drive system. An electric modification of the iX2 with a 313 horsepower engine was also announced; It can travel almost 500 km on a single battery charge.
New Tiguan
Sales of the third generation Volkswagen Tiguan, which gained common design features with the electric cars of the ID series with the generation change, will start in Europe at the beginning of 2024. The length of the model increased by 3 cm compared to the second generation crossover, but the height, width and wheelbase remained the same.
Like a number of other new products of the concern, Tiguan transmission control has moved from the central tunnel under the steering wheel. In expensive equipment levels, a large 15-inch multimedia screen is placed in the center of the front panel.
For the first time, the crossover was equipped with matrix headlights, projection on the windshield and massage seats,
The range of driver assistance systems includes lane change assistant and remote automatic parking function using a smartphone. The list of SUV modifications includes versions with turbocharged diesel and gasoline engines, “mild” hybrids with a 48-volt starter generator and rechargeable hybrids that can travel up to 100 km on electric power. All-wheel drive is available only on crossovers with the most powerful units (193 and 265 hp).
Peugeot electric minibus
The Stellantis concern presented a redesigned version of the Peugeot Traveler model without an internal combustion engine. The electric E-Traveller is available in two versions (5 or 5.3 meters) and can accommodate up to nine people. The VIP version of the minivan has four passenger seats facing each other.
With the restyling, the E-Traveller has two 10-inch screens on the dashboard, a new steering wheel and adaptive cruise control. The single electric motor develops 136 forces (260 Nm). Buyers of the minivan will be able to choose between two batteries of different capacities: the first has a maximum range of 224 km on a single charge, and the second is 350 km. E-Traveller is the first model to feature a recovery system in which the energy produced during braking is used to recharge the battery.
Volvo’s first minivan
The first minivan in Volvo history, the EM90 is an electric car and is built on the same platform as its Chinese sibling, the Zeekr 009 (Zeekr and Volvo are part of the Geely concern). The body design of Volvo’s new product is the same as that of the Chinese minivan – the cars differ only in optics and bumper shape. Minivans have common overall dimensions; The Volvo interior features an original steering wheel and decorative elements.
Volvo EM90 is equipped with a 272 hp power plant. Zeekr 009 is rear-wheel drive, while it has an all-wheel drive system and a dual-motor unit that develops 544 horsepower.
In terms of range on a single battery charge, Volvo is inferior to the single-volume car with the same platform – 738 km versus 822 km.
Since Zeekr 009 is already unofficially supplied to Russia, EM90 may also appear in the country through the efforts of “gray” dealers. The cost of the Volvo electric minibus starts from 818 thousand yuan (10.3 million rubles at the exchange rate at the time of publication), which is 319 thousand yuan more expensive than its counterpart from Zeekr.