Good morning and welcome to our weekly digest of automotive news from around the globe, starting with…
Ram 1500 Revolution BEV Concept Has Third-Row Jump Seats, Will Follow Walking Owner Like A Pet Dog
Stellantis stormed the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas with a preview for the much-anticipated rival to the Ford F-150 Lightning, Chevy Silverado EV, and Rivian R1-T. The Ram Revolution 1500 BEV Concept will be followed by a production version in 2024, but it gives us a very good idea of the design and technology of the latter. The pickup is based on the new STLA Frame architecture, with dual electric motors offering all-wheel-drive, a fast-charging 800-volt battery, four-wheel steering, and air suspension. The futuristic exterior is matched by a tech-filled cabin with steering wheel-mounted displays, a removable infotainment screen on the dashboard, and advanced ADAS features.
BMW i Vision Dee Hints At Radical Redesign For Next Electric 3-Series
Another big surprise at this year’s CES is the debut of the BMW i Vision Dee (Digital Emotional Experience) concept – a fully electric sedan with retro-futuristic styling and a color-changing livery. This is not just a design study though as it shows us the future of BMW sedans including the EV successor of the 3-Series set to be based on the Neue Klasse architecture from 2025 onwards. The concept with the three-box silhouette incorporates elements from older BMW models in a modern way, combined with BMW’s signature E Ink technology for the color-changing bodywork. Interior highlights include a full-width head-up display, the “Mixed Reality Slider” on the dashboard, and the steering wheel featuring a vertical spoke and gaming-style controls.
2024 VW ID.7 Electric Sedan Comes To CES With Up To 435-Mile Range
Volkswagen is getting ready to unveil its first fully electric sedan, dubbed the ID.7, which is the production version of the ID. Aero concept from last year. The model, which is expected in the second quarter of 2023, was previewed at CES covered with an illuminated camouflage wrap although we have already seen most of the bodywork in our scoop stories. The interior was fully revealed, including a 15-inch free-standing infotainment touchscreen, and the “Smart Air Vents” which automatically distribute the air for optimal heating/cooling. The VW ID.7 will compete with the Tesla Model 3 and the Hyundai Ioniq 6 featuring a slightly longer 116.9 inches (2,969 mm) wheelbase, and offering up to 700 km (435 miles) of WLTP range thanks to the upgraded MEB+ underpinnings.
Peugeot Inception Concept Is A 671-HP EV With Video Game Steering
The Peugeot Inception concept introduces an evolved styling language that will be applied to a new generation of EV models starting in 2025. The futuristic body retains the three-claw lighting signature combined with illuminated emblems, digital panels, and a massive windscreen diving into the bonnet. Inside, the latest evolution of Peugeot’s i-Cockpit has a Hypersqare rectangular steering wheel that looks like a video game controller, Tech Bars on the doors, and a circular screen that is called Halo Cluster. The four-seater EV sedan is based on the STLA Large architecture and comes fitted with dual electric motors producing a combined 671 hp (500 kW / 680 PS). The 100 kWh 800-Volt battery is good for a 500-mile (800 km) range and supports fast charging.
Honda And Sony Announce Afeela Car Brand, Unveil New Prototype
Sony has been teasing us with concept car debuts at CES in the past two years, but this time it brought an evolved prototype in collaboration with Honda, previewing their upcoming production EV under a new car brand called Afeela. The jointly developed model looks more advanced compared to the previous Vision-S 01 and 02 concepts and sports a minimalist design measuring 4,895mm (192.7 inches) long. The high-tech interior features a full-width display, a yoke steering wheel, and a floating center console with a rotary dial. The final production version is expected to debut in 2025, with a North American launch scheduled for 2026.
Check Out All Of The Premieres At CES In Las Vegas
The IAT T-Mad Is China’s Version Of The Tesla Cybertruck
The IAT T-Mad that debuted at the Guangzhou Auto Show is a Chinese fully electric pickup with sci-fi looks, suicide doors, a configurable cabin, and a massive 5,878 mm (231.4 inches) long body. China’s answer to the Tesla Cybertruck is expected to evolve into a production model with an estimated range of up to 621 miles (1,000 km).
BYD’s New YangWang U8 Is A Defender-Style Electric Off-Roader With Over 1,100 Hp
YangWang, the latest member in BYD’s brand portfolio, unveiled its first model, the U8. The 5,300 mm (208.7 inches) long luxury off-roader is based on a ladder-frame architecture and features BYD’s Blade batteries and quad electric motors with a combined power output of over 1,100 hp (820 kW / 1,115 PS). The sophisticated torque vectoring system allows it to do 360-degree tank turns and a crab mode, while a floating water mode is made possible by the waterproof and sealed body. YangWang’s models will be priced between ¥800,000 and ¥1,500,000 ($116,272 – 218,011), with the U8 estimated to cost around ¥1,000,000 ($145,340).
This Week’s Scoops
Bigger, Rounder 2024 Volkswagen Tiguan Looks Like A Shrunken Touareg
New Electric 2024 Toyota C-HR Spotted Testing For The First Time
VW ID.7 Spied During Winter Testing After CES Preview
Kia Carnival Getting A Facelift Inspired By The EV9
2024 Electric BMW i5 Is A 5-Series Touring Without Tailpipes
What Else Is Making The News
Lenovo-Owned Motorolla Reveals The First ThinkPhone
Lenovo is known for the ThinkPad and ThinkBook series of laptops so it is no surprise that the company thought of capitalizing on a ThinkPhone series produced by its sub-brand Motorola. The new smartphone is focused on “businesses of every size”, bringing increased security, durability, and clever features that could come in handy in a workplace environment.
The red button is reminiscent of the signature trackpoint mouse pad of the ThinkPad laptops, although it doesn’t have the same functionality on the phone. Still, you can program it to do certain things like start a screen recording or boot a specific application. As reported by Gizmodo, the ThinkPhone has a 6.6-inch screen, a 5,000 mAh battery, 32 Mega Pixel and 50 MegaPixel cameras, and a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 processor combined with 8 or 12 GB of RAM.
Razer Edge Cloud-Based Handheld Gaming Console Debuts On January 26th
Gaming fans rejoice as the Razer Edge handheld will be released on January 26. The cloud-based gaming console is powered by the Snapdragon G3x Gen 1 platform and features a 6.8-inch AMOLED display running on the Android 12 operating system, 8GB of RAM, 128 GB of storage, a 5,000 mAh battery, and more. The Wi-Fi model retails for $400 while the 5G costs $600, although if you combine it with a new smartphone and a Verizon contract you can buy it for as low as $180. As reported by Engadget, the device will come with preinstalled launchers for Epic Games, Xbox Cloud Gaming, and NVIDIA GeForce Now.