2016 Lexus RX 450h Hybrid Unveiled At New York Auto Show

When it first appeared back in 1998, the Lexus RX practically invented the luxury crossover-utility segment. In 2005, it also became the first vehicle of its type offered with a hybrid powertrain--and Lexus has been bullish on the RX Hybrid ever since. More than 15 years later, the fourth-generation 2016 Lexus RX has appeared at the 2015 New York Auto Show--and a hybrid model is once again part of the lineup. DON'T MISS: Lexus LF-SA Concept: Tiny Smart-Like Luxury Car At Geneva Show The 2016 RX adopts more-aggressive styling, similar to that of the compact NX crossover, with a large "spindle" grille and angular sides that look like they could be used to grate cheese. That new sheetmetal conceals a chassis that uses significant amounts of aluminum to save weight, although Lexus isn't discussing specific figures. The chassis itself is related to that of the current-generation Toyota Highlander.

Unlike the Toyota, the RX will launch with seating for five only, but a seven-seat option may appear later for the first time in the model's history. Despite the dramatically-different body, the 2016 RX 450h hybrid powertrain appears largely unchanged from the current model's. CHECK OUT: 2015 Lexus NX 300h Hybrid: First Drive Of Luxury Compact Utility Vehicle (Jul 2014) The RX 450h still employs a 3.5-liter Atkinson-cycle gasoline V-6 and the two-motor Toyota Hybrid Synergy Drive system for propulsion in front-wheel drive applications. Lexus estimates total system output at around 300 horsepower, while the current model makes exactly 295 hp

Expect an all-wheel drive version with an additional electric motor powering the rear wheels some time after launch. In addition, the non-hybrid 2016 RX 350 features a standalone 3.5-liter V-6 with the same 300-hp output as the hybrid, coupled to an eight-speed automatic transmission and either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive. READ THIS: Lexus To Launch Hydrogen Fuel-Cell Powered LS Sedan: Report (Dec 2014) The interior also gets an update to bring it in line with current Lexus design conventions, meaning less wood trim and more technology. That includes an optional head-up display and 12.3-inch screen in front, as well as a rear-seat entertainment system with dual 11.6-inch screens mounted to the backs of the front headrests

The 2016 RX also features the new Lexus Safety System+, which bundles several electronic aids, including Lane-Departure Alert, Automatic High Beam, Dynamic Radar Cruise Control, and a Pre-Collision System. Parent Toyota introduced its own version of the package--dubbed Toyota Safety Sense--on its 2016 RAV4 Hybrid in New York. The 2016 Lexus RX 450h is expected to go on sale later this year. Pricing and EPA gas-mileage ratings will be published closer to the on-sale date. When it does go on sale, the new RX will be a crucial model for Lexus. The current version provides close to half of the brand's U.S. sales. For more from the 2015 New York Auto Show, head over to our dedicated news page.

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2016 BMW M3: M-inor Updates for the Quintessential M Car

The BMW M3 is a true performance icon. A weaponized version of the regular 3-series on which it is based, it gets its own development code (F80) and its own name. On the road, the effort pays off. But the competition doesn't sleep. Since the current M3 debuted, Daimler has launched its all-new Mercedes-AMG C63, and Cadillac is taking on BMW directly with the ATS-V. Both cars are incredible machines, and therefore BMW needed to refresh the M3 in addition to the changes made to the regular 3-series for 2016. The alterations are less extensive with the M3. The head- and taillights receive a sharper, more angular contour, and up front, the M3 now illuminates the road with icy, LED beams. The taillights look more aggressive as well. There are also two new (extracost) exterior paint colors.

Like the regular 3-series, the M3 gets a tweaked interior, although we wonder if this ultrasporty derivative really needs more chrome inside. At least the upgraded iDrive and navigation setup will be more responsive. Everything else carries over—and that's not a bad thing. The new M3 retains the structural changes, unique suspension components, lightweight seats, and the carbon-fiber pieces that set it apart from the regular 3-series. The M3's S55 engine is loosely based on the N55 engine that is being dropped from the regular 3-series, but the S55 deserves to live on unchanged. Rated at 425 horsepower and 406 lb-ft of torque, the twin-turbocharged straight-six is mated to either a six-speed manual or a Getrag-sourced seven-speed dual-clutch automatic, the latter of which is not available on any other 3-series.

While the regular 3-series gets a somewhat stiffer chassis, the M3 doesn't need more stiffness. And it keeps the electronically controlled rear differential that makes drifting easy—and fun. Although not extensive, the tweaks to the M3 should help it keep pace with the entries from Stuttgart and Detroit. We would have wished for only one additional change: The piped-in sound that aims to create the impression of a V-8 might have been reprogrammed to bring it closer to the true character of the S55 inline-six. Maybe next time.

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See How The 2016 Audi A4 Is Different From The Old A4 (Not Much)

There’s a new Audi A4 for 2016, and it’s bigger and lighter and better. Every body panel has been redesigned, yet you can tell instantly that it’s an Audi A4. As always, Audi has taken the evolutionary approach, and you can tell each little change was handled with as much gravity and focus as each footstep of a tightrope walker who really has to pee. Before we go further into the design dissection, let’s discuss the important changes, of which there are a few. The new A4 uses a revised version of the old car’s platform so that it’s some 264 pounds lighter while being a bit bigger. The interior has been totally revised. And for the first time ever, you get a real dual-clutch gearbox for the front-wheel drive model, not the lame CVT. That’s good!

But it’s definitely evolution over revolution on the outside. Just to give an idea of the mentality behind this, here’s Audi’s press blurb, found on the site with all the PR photos of the new A4: The new-generation Audi A4* and A4 Avant* are a fascinating synthesis of technology and esthetics. All the technology in the brand’s bestselling family has been redeveloped so that it yet again defines the benchmark in the segment. During the development work, high priority was placed on the reduction of CO2 emissions. All technologies were focused on reducing drive resistance. Audi’s done a commendable job of avoiding the usual breathless PR mentions of “passion” and bad analogies to cars as sculptures or soul-fellating metal gods. Still, it is a little bloodless, with the emphasis on CO2 emissions and “reducing drive resistance.” But, that’s Audi — they’re detail-minded perfectionists, and while they’d, collectively, probably make a horrible roommate, they do make a handsome, well-engineered car. The Audi design language is also maturing steadily, and this seemingly subtle facelift of the A4 is a good opportunity to scrutinize what’s going on.

The A4 still has the best drag coefficient in its class (0.23) and the aerodynamics are still the primary motivator for the car’s basic shape, which, not surprisingly, hasn’t changed much. The side glass profile and silhouette are sort of the iconic design element of the car, and that may be the part that changed least.

If we compare the two cars (use that slider for this — it works great) we can see that the overall design direction for the new car is a greater embracing of edges, of crispness, of the idea of sharp. Where the previous A4 had character lines, like, say, the crease that runs lengthwise across the car right below the beltline, from headlight to taillight, the current A4’s take on that same basic line is much more dramatic. Where the previous A4 settled for a slightly-softened crease, the new A4 incises that line, with a firm, constant pressure, down the whole length of the car. You can almost picture the pointed stylus digging into the clay on the styling model of the car, being pulled down the length, a small coil of gouged clay exiting behind the designer’s hand. The new A4 takes the tentative ideas of the previous A4 and commits to them. The front end received a lot of subtle attention as well. The now-familiar Audi hexagonal grille is back, but more angular, with no apologetic rounding of the corners. There’s more and more prominent horizontal grille bars, and it looks like Audi’s designers took the time to better obscure the horizontal bumper beam that bisects the grille — I always thought it looked half-assed on the old one, and I’m pleased to see that this was addressed.

The headlights are more committed too, with internal bulb shapes mirroring the car’s angular design aesthetic as opposed to the last A4’s round lenses, and the daytime running LEDs have a shape that feels less gimmicky, and more harmonious to the whole car. The rear follows the same basic ideas — take the shapes established in the last A4, but commit to them harder, be less ashamed of the angularity, and keep things clean. Like most Audis, the results make for a handsome, rational, well-designed car. They’re not especially exciting or endearing or emotionally charged, perhaps, but I’m not sure an Audi A4 really needs to be. It’s a solid, well executed update. And they do seem to offer it in yellow. I hope lots of people buy it in yellow.
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Mercedes Hybrid

2016 Mercedes-Benz C350 Plug-In Hybrid: 20 Miles of EV Range, Cushy Luxury

 Hybrid technology is doing great—for Toyota. For European carmakers, not so much. The hybrid derivatives of German premium vehicles can hardly be called smashing successes. The BMW ActiveHybrid X6 was quickly yanked from the market, although the brand still does offer ActiveHybrid versions of its 3-se
ries, 5-series, and 7-series. The Audi A6 hybrid—which never made it to the United States—sold a depressing 4000 units globally over its entire run. And what about Mercedes-Benz? At the moment, it has just the E400 Hybrid in America, but by 2017, the brand plans to launch 10 plug-in-hybrid models. One of the first will be the C350 you see here. This derivative of the C-class is a response to the growing trend of electrification, which is driven largely by the prodding provided by tightening fuel-economy and emissions standards.

The hybrid C-class is based on the Europe-only C250, which is powered by a 208-hp version of the same 2.0-liter four-cylinder that makes 241 horses in the U.S.-market C300. Combined with an 80-hp electric motor, the powertrain is good for 275 horsepower and maximum torque of 443 lb-ft. Zero to 60 mph comes in 5.9 seconds, according to Mercedes, and top speed is governed at 130 mph. But these are the stats that matter more: This hybrid can reach 80 mph on electric power alone, and it can travel 20 emissions-free miles on a charge (although likely not at 80 mph). In addition to the expected Economy, Comfort, Sport, Sport Plus, and Individual modes for the seven-speed automatic transmission, there are four operating modes for the powertrain: electric only (dubbed E-mode), hybrid (um, Hybrid), a mode that maintains the present level of battery charge and therefore limits electric driving (E-save), and another that uses the engine to recharge the battery (Charge). The last two are not very efficient, but they can spare the driver the trouble of plugging the car into an electrical outlet at the end of the trip.

The electric energy is stored in a high-voltage, liquid-cooled, lithium-ion battery. Packaging this 220-pound unit diminishes trunk space by less than 10 percent. Is it worth it? If your driving involves a lot of short distances, and if you’re good about plugging in, you will be able to sharply increase your mileage and lower your fuel costs, although you likely won’t get anywhere near the 112 mpg Mercedes claims for the car using the ridiculous European testing standards for plug-in hybrids. Offered in base and Luxury trim levels with rear-wheel drive only, the plug-in C350 will be positioned between the C300 and the C400 in the C-class lineup. It will be sold only in the California-emissions states, beginning this autumn.


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Audi Q8

company confirmed Audi in the former German SUV it will produce a new car competed by both the BMW X6 and Mercedes GLI , but recently announced a date for the appearance of the Audi Q-8 - Audi Q8.


 According to official information available to our team Auto Super Sport will be unveiled Audi Q-8 in 2019, God willing, contrary to expectations that the press likened the appearance of this car in 2017.

It Almtof to provide Audi Q8 many choices of V6 and V8 engines that run on gasoline and diesel, will be available as a copy of a hybrid electric version. It seems that Audi is seeking to expand its production of crossover, where it expects that this category constitutes 50% of its sales during the period from 5 to 10 years, God willing.

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BUGATTI

The BMW i8 with eDrive. (Coming Soon)

Sometimes it is time to leave the city. Escape the restrictions of everyday life. The BMW i8 is an icon of progress. It combines the energizing performance of a sports car with benchmark efficiency.

Mercedes-Benz To Follow Tesla With Its Own Home Batteries

Tesla Motors [NSDQ:TSLA] may be the first automaker to try selling standalone battery packs for powering homes and businesses, but it may not be the only one for long. Mercedes-Benz could soon enter the energy storage business as well. A division of parent company Daimler has been testing battery packs that can power houses or store excess electricity from the grid, and plans to launch commercially in September, according to Australia's Motoring. Called ACCUmotive, this division was created in 2009 to develop lithium-ion batteries. Like Tesla before its recent announcement, the Daimler arm has been testing energy storage systems under the radar for some time. It recently built an energy storage array operated by German electricity joint venture Coulomb. The array consists of 96 lithium-ion modules that together boast a combined 500 kilowatt hours of storage capacity, which is used to stabilize the Saxony Kamenz power grid. There are plans to expand it to 3,000 kWh of capacity. ACCUmotive has reportedly delivered more than 60,000 lithium-ion cells to customers—which may include Mercedes itself—and employs more than 250 people. Now it appears ready to expand even further. Mercedes, together with ACCUmotive, says it is testing battery packs for "light industrial, commercial, and private" applications, in sizes ranging from 2.5 kWh to 5.9 kWh. Individual packs can also be combined to provide more storage capacity for a given site, the company says. While Tesla's decision to get into energy storage seems somewhat logical given the connection to its existing electric car business and Elon Musk's SolarCity, Mercedes' decision appears less straightforward. Tesla's plans are partially fueled by the massive battery 'Gigafactory' it's already building in Nevada, primarily to provide lithium-ion cells for the upcoming Model 3 electric car. Mercedes offers the B-Class Electric Drive, Smart Fortwo Electric Drive, and a growing range of plug-in hybrids, but it probably isn't aiming for the same volumes. It also doesn't have a Gigafactory of its own to churn out large numbers of cells for both electric cars and energy storage. But given its high-profile brand name, Mercedes could offer some competition for Tesla in the growing energy-storage market.

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