Last autumn, when we went to Paris to get acquainted with the new Duster facelift, Dacia also introduced us to a special equipment, which would be available only in 2022.

The long-awaited moment has come and Dacia unveils the new Duster Extreme, a limited series, characterized as Duster’s “best equipped option”. To support this claim, Dacia announced that Extreme benefits from all the equipment of the Prestige equipment level, to which is added the function of hands-free access, 360-degree view camera and blind spot monitoring.

The details that make the difference are mostly aesthetic. On the outside we see orange inserts in the upper part of the grille, on the rearview mirror housing and at the level of the flag bars. New alloy wheels, called Full Black, with a size of 17 inches, have also appeared.

The limited series also includes a new body color, called Urban Gray, which is used on the release image.

Inside, the Duster Extreme Limited Series features heated front seats with specific upholstery and orange design elements.

Both the steering wheel and the gear lever are covered in leather.
The new Dacia Duster Extreme will be available with two engines: a 115-horsepower diesel and a 1.3-liter petrol with 150 horsepower. Prices start at 21,900 euros for the 1.3-liter, 150-horsepower version with EDC automatic transmission. Diesel is only 200 euros more expensive.

2022 Dacia Duster Extreme (Limited Edition) – Photo Gallery:

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The car made its debut yesterday, during an online event. The Mercedes Vision EQXX is a pretty good-looking e-sedan and not only impresses with its looks, but also with the fact that it is dangerously close to, if not exceeding, the performance of Tesla on the autonomy side. Vision EQXX is a true power ride that boasts a range of 1000 kilometers, thanks to the solutions offered by Mercedes engineers and their partners.

Ola Källenius says that this is what the future of electric cars would look like. The design for the Mercedes Vision EQXX is the result of work that started relatively early (a year and a half ago), but which offers tangible results. The sedan in question is intended to be the most efficient Mercedes ever produced, due to its low consumption of less than 10 kWh per 100 kilometers and a range of “over” 1000 kilometers, ensured by even a single battery charge that it is also surprisingly compact.

Under the hood of the Mercedes Vision EQXX

Model-S’s so-called rival is the result of the company’s work, in collaboration with various specialists, such as those behind the Formula 1 and Formula E programs. These partnerships have led to the development of an electric car powered by almost 50% less volume and 30% less weight than the 108 kWh battery of the previous version, ie Mercedes EQS. Even so, the EQXX’s battery has a capacity of almost 100 kWh.

This is due to a clever design, made of special materials and strategically placed elements to reduce in size and weight. Thus, a battery of less than 500 kg was obtained, ie the 495 kilograms of the total mass of 1750 kilograms of the car. Thus, we are talking about a powerful vehicle, but with a weight of less than two tons.

Finally, the battery is accompanied by a 900-volt electric motor with 201 horsepower, and this set works in harmony with the materials used in the production of the transmission system and wheels. Yes, we are dealing with a car that is surprisingly light, aerodynamic and compact, but spacious.

The roof of the Mercedes Vision EQXX houses 117 discreetly built-in solar cells that offer about 25 kilometers more in a single day, in ideal weather conditions. This system is mainly used to charge a small LiFePO4 auxiliary battery, ie the one responsible for the operation of the air conditioning system in the passenger compartment, the infotainment system, the lighting and the rest of the suite of secondary electrical equipment. However, Mercedes is working on a way for the cells to charge the car’s main battery.

An interesting choice of materials for an even more interesting design

The whole ensemble has a futuristic and elegant look, largely due to the design and choice of materials. The aluminum construction is designed to give up any excess material, offering a one-piece composition, in the style of a spider’s web.

The interior is not inferior either. It’s classy and luxurious, and the interesting part is that a lot of the materials used in the cabin are made of recycled and / or 3D printed materials. So we can say that the Mercedes Vision EQXX is not only a top electric car, but also an “eco” car: carbon fiber doors and windows, recycled plastic upholstery, non-animal materials, eco-friendly leather handcuff fiber (whatever it is) and all that!

But one of the main attractions is the infotainment system, located on the entire board, along its entire length, in the form of a 4.7-inch 8K mini-LED display. Dimming technology ensures low power consumption, and the intelligent navigation software knows when to switch from detailed 3D display to a two-dimensional overview when the car leaves the city and enters the highway.

In addition, the system also provides assistance by increasing real-time driving efficiency and offering a variety of customized tours depending on where you pass. All this is “vocalized” by a cleverly placed 4D audio layout.

Sure, the Mercedes Vision EQXX made its momentary debut only as a concept, but that doesn’t mean the carmaker isn’t close to making a version that can reach the assembly line in the not-too-distant future. It could be an interesting competitor for Tesla, not just on the autonomous side

World Premiere:

Mercedes Vision EQXX – Photo Gallery:

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That shouldn’t be considered an excuse for all the marketing ploys that certain companies do. If you take a look at campaigns to promote certain products today, you may often notice words like “sustainability”, “green” and “recycled”. Yes, it’s fashionable to want to save the planet. But is it worth sacrificing old symbols on the altar of this new trend?

Many people said they were upset when Ford decided to use the name Mustang to bring their first real electric car into the world. Yes, there was another effort in 2011, with an electric Focus, but the Mustang Mach-E comes with a completely different proposal.

And, no matter how upset some may be, the Mustang brand (because this is a stand-alone brand right now) is strong enough to ensure that the new electric SUV gets the attention it deserves. The question is: was it worth the sacrifice?

Ford Mustang Mach-E Photo Gallery:

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The Pebble Beach Elegance Contest is one of the most important car events on the American continent. Aston Martin has chosen this year’s edition to present the new Valhalla to the overseas public, but the British have other surprises for the fans.

They will launch a new model here, and the teaser image next to it shows that it would be the convertible version of Valkyrie. Named the Valkyrie Roadster, it is expected to debut on August 12.

Aston Martin did not provide further details. Certainly, however, the technical specifications will remain unchanged, compared to the usual version of the Gaydon hypercar.

Thanks to a hybrid propulsion system, which also includes a 6.5-liter V12, naturally aspirated, Valkyrie has 1,176 hp and 900 Nm of torque, enough to reach 100 km / h in about 2.5 seconds.

Also at the Pebble Beach Elegance Contest, the Aston Martin booth will include other models such as the AMR21 Formula 1 car, V12 Speedster and a 1964 DB5.

2021 Aston Martin Valkyrie Roadster Photo Gallery:

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The 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz brags a bold yet ultra-modern design, potent powertrain options, state of the art connectivity and a highly adaptable all-wheel drive platform that is perfect for both urban and adventure-focused environments. The new Hyundai Santa Cruz will turnout in Montgomery, Alabama this summer among high hopes from fans.

Hyundai will invest $410 million in upgrades at its plant to make way for the Santa Cruz. The flow-on effect at suppliers and logistics companies is expected to add a further 1,000 jobs in the region. That’s a big relief after the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the economy.

The 2022 Hyundai Santa Cruz will be based on a modified version of the unibody chassis that can be found on the new Hyundai Tucson. Loaded or not, the Santa Cruz should ride more comfortably than a typical body-on frame, ridge line, live-rear-axle truck, thanks to what we expect will be a fully independent suspension.

The Hyundai Santa Cruz will possibly get a 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-4 engine that is good for 290 hp. The powertrain currently comes in the N-line Hyundai Sonata. However, it is expected that the Santa Cruz might be offered with more power and torque. Front-wheel drive will be standard along with an optional all-wheel-drive system.

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The news is sourced from the Korean Car Blog and the website reports that the information is reliable. It is backed by Kia so there is no margin for error.

The new Stinger is going to get the exciting 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-4 that purges out a fairly decent 300 hp. The new powertrain option is more potent than the previous one, improving the horsepower output by 45 units.

However, the fresh engine offering beefs up the price tag taking the starting price of the base model to $37,135. The all-wheel-drive variant is even more expensive at $39,335.

Moreover, the GT trim will not reappear for 2022. Instead, the GT1 and GT2 models will fill-up the roster. The two GT variants will come packed with the twin-turbocharged 3.3 liter V6 that has been better tuned to produce 368 hp. The major difference between the two models is cosmetic, which means mechanically they are identical.

Talking about upgrades, the Kia Stinger GT models will have ventilated seats, a better sound system, an electronically-adjustable suspension, and a memory foam seat for the driver. What’s more, the 2022 Kia Stinger gets remote start functionality, interior ambient lighting, leather inside the cabin, and larger 18-inch wheels that are upgradeable to 19-inches.

The Safety features also take precedence and as such the Stinger comes with a host of modern tech equipment like the blind spot monitoring system, lane following assist, highway driving assist rear passenger alert and more.

The 2022 Kia Stinger will come late in 2021 dubbed as the next year’s model.

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Currently, all the Rivian vehicle orders are made online on their website. The method works best but it seems that the EV startup wants to make an impact in the conventional market as well. The more it is able to penetrate the contemporary market the more it will increase its sales. The 10 new showrooms will provide buyers with a hands-on experience with Rivian cars. Such an experience was not possible before.

However, Rivian doesn’t want their space to be called a showroom as they believe in providing a satisfying customer experience at their locations. Hence, the ‘showrooms’ will be based more on providing a top-notch retail experience. What this entails is yet to be known but it is true that Rivian has thought of doing something unconventional.

The first of ten dealerships will open in Chicago, Illinois. The showroom will open up near the Fulton Market inside the city. The Chicago location was not chosen at random, but rather there is a reasoning behind it.

Tony Caravano, Rivian’s Senior Director of customer experience has said, “As we prepare to deliver our first vehicles this summer, we’re working to establish physical locations where people can experience Rivian in person. With a high concentration of Rivian pre-order customers, Chicago is a key location for us, and Fulton Market is a vibrant neighborhood and a great fit. Our vehicles are Illinois-built and we’re looking forward to sharing them with this community.”

The first batch of Rivian vehicles will roll out in June starting with the pickup truck. The SUV deliveries will soon follow.

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The base K5 will get the 1.6-liter turbo engine with an interesting continuous variable valve duration (CVVD). This system is somewhat similar to the VVTi system found in Toyota engines. This technology makes it possible for the ECU to control the valve timings depending on the driving situation thus improving efficiency. The engine will make 180 hp and 195 lb-ft of torque while the power will be delivered to the front wheels via an 8-speed transmission.

The K5 will be available with an all-wheel-drive system that will result in better traction in slippery conditions as well as improved performance delivery. The Normal, Sport, Smart, and Custom are the five modes available.

The GT trim comes next in line with a bigger 2.5-liter turbo engine. This engine produces a whopping 290 hp and 311 lb-ft of torque paired to a dual-clutch eight-speed transmission. This setup will allow the Kia K5 to accelerate from naught to sixty in 5.8 seconds.

The Kia K5 looks the part too with stylish design elements that mimic that of the Kia Stinger GT. The design DNA of Kia has always focused more on the front-end and that is what can be seen in the K5.

Inside, there is an 8-inch infotainment system that has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto support, voice recognition.
The price and other details will be revealed as soon as the release date comes closer.

2021 Kia K5 Photo Gallery

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Not every concept car becomes a reality. Some of them are just designed as a demonstration of what may be possible in the future. Others turn out to be impractical during testing, and end up on the scrapheap. Only the best-designed and most-appealing of them actually end up on the road. We think we might have seen a few cars that meet that description at the recent Frankfurt Motor Show. There were many vehicles which caught people’s eyes at the show – the BBC was particularly impressed with the range of electric cars – but our attention was grabbed by these five mighty-looking cars in particular – and we hope they make it all the way to the showroom!

The BMW M Next

Nobody could look at this car and tell us it doesn’t belong in a James Bond movie. It somehow manages to look old and classic, and yet new and exciting at the same time. This is the BMW Next, which the German manufacturer believes will make a worthy successor to the 1978 M1, which is generally thought of as being among the best sports cars of all time. We’re not completely in love with the silver-and-red color scheme, but we’re going to go ahead and assume that’s optional as opposed to being a requirement. It’s chunky in all the right places, and has the type of winged door design that was briefly all the rage during the 1980s. There’s nothing wrong with bringing old features back if there’s a demand for them, and we can’t imagine there wouldn’t be a demand for this beauty. The whole body is made of carbon fiber, which means it’s a lot lighter than it looks. The drivetrain inside it is revolutionary – 591 brake horsepower, and a petrol-electric hybrid. This car is currently scheduled for release during the early years of the next decade.

The Mercedes-Benz EQS

Mercedes are extremely excited about this car – so much so that they already have a whole section of their website dedicated to it, in which they refer to the project as ‘Vision EQS.’ Approximately two years away from launch if all goes well, this is the Mercedes take on the next generation of saloon cars – and it’s all-electric. It may not be a petrol-driven car – or even a hybrid – but that doesn’t mean it will be short on power. There’s 470bhp available under the hood. At the show, Mercedes officials were touting the EQS as the most advanced road vehicle they’ve ever built. The design team has been carefully monitoring the progress of Jaguar’s SJ and Audi’s E-Tron GT, and they believe they have them both beaten with this car. The clever door design makes it look almost as if it hovers over the ground; this is one handsome vehicle.

The Audi AI: Trail

This looks like a car that’s been driven in straight from the set of a science-fiction movie. It looks more like a moon buggy than the kind of SUV you might have parked in your garage, but Audi is completely serious about making it available to buyers. They might just have to wait a little while before they can purchase one. To say that this doesn’t look like any other SUV we’ve ever seen would be stating the obvious, but there’s more to this package than just the other-worldly design. When you buy the Audi AI: Trail, you don’t just get the car. You also get a set of companion drones, which can be launched at the push of a button from within the car, and then fly ahead of the vehicle to light the way. That’s perfect for long drives down dark roads at night, and it’s a completely new idea to us. Will it be successful? We’re probably four or five years away from finding out.

Hongqi S9 Concept

For a long time, Chinese car manufacturers have had a (sometimes deserved) reputation for making clones and copies of cars built elsewhere in the world. Hongqi – a sister company of the huge Chinese car manufacturer FAW – are trying to change that impression. We do think we’ve seen this car before, though, and so might anyone else who’s ever spent time on a mobile slots website or related casinos. There’s a popular futuristic driving-themed mobile slots game called Light Racers which features vehicles which look very similar to the proposed Hongqi S9, and we can’t help but wonder if the game influenced the design team. Given that it’s a Chinese-made car, we can at least be hopeful that you wouldn’t have to win too many mobile slots jackpots to pay for it. The S9 is all-electric, and is the brainchild of Giles Taylor, who Hongqi tempted away from Rolls Royce last year. This is what you might call a ‘statement car.’

The Cupra Tavascan

Forget every grill design you’ve ever seen. If you focused solely on the very front of the Cupra Tavascan, you might for a moment think you’re looking at the Batmobile. You’re not, but that doesn’t make this car any less exciting. Cupra – an offshoot of Seat – have named this promising-looking EV concept car after a popular skiing destination in Catalonia, close to the French border. That gives you an idea of the type of ‘feel’ they’re going for with the Tavascan – exclusive, and sophisticated. During its presentation, Cupra spoke of a desire to provide drivers the sleek style of a sports coupe with all the presence and power of an SUV. Based on this unique-looking vehicle, we think they might have done it. Which of these cars are you looking forward to the most? Did you spot any other concept cars at the motor show? Let us know your thoughts down in the comments!

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Looking at the upcoming future generation of vehicles, performance is an important factor in who will stand on top, and Audi recognizes this. Within the core of the 2020 S7, Audi places the more than capable 2.9-liter twin-turbocharged TFSI V6 engine which generates a powerful 444 horsepower and 443 lb-ft of torque. According to Audi Wilmington (DE) this new engine improves on the A7 Audi model by adding on an additional 109 hp and 74 lb-ft of torque to blitz from 0-60 mph in 4.5 seconds! All new with this powertrain is a 48V electric motor that will enable low-end torque that is desirable to transfer power throughout the vehicle.

Complimenting this powertrain to be able to interact effectively with the road is what makes the overall performance of the S7 spectacular. Coming in standard is an eight-speed Tiptronic automatic transmission that works with a Quattro all-wheel drive system eliminating lag generated from the twin-turbocharged powertrain. This configuration offers instantaneous response times to further enhance acceleration the moment you push on the gas pedal. We also see available with the S7 the S sport package which adds driver settings to adjust the acceleration settings between a sporty or comfortable and smooth feel giving adaptability to the car’s powertrain and suspension systems to taper to your needs.

The design of the German-engineered 2020 S7 shows Audi’s attention to detail and luxury. At the front end of the S7, we see a prominent HD-Matrix-design LED headlights with Audi laser light and high-beam assist that illuminates your travels more effectively and efficiently. The S7 works in a modern look with the front hood and platinum double-slat Singleframe grille with smooth accents that flow up across the hood and side of the sedan working in the wheels fluently. The exterior draws attention towards the rear accentuated by the side sills meeting the rear bumper and bold quad exhaust outlets.

The interior of the S7 continues this trend with standard Valcona leather S sport seats with diamond stitch accents and available dual-pane acoustic glass offering a tranquil interior environment. Technology is well incorporated throughout the vehicle, offering modern features that enhance comfort and convenience such as quad-zone automatic climate control, top-view Virtual 360 camera, and the award-winning MMI Navigation system featured on a high-resolution touchscreen display.

With the upgraded powertrain and overall drive system, the upcoming 2020 S7 offers a smooth and responsive system with enough throttle to dynamically conquer every roadway. The number of styling details in this new 2020 generation from Audi is clear, with the smooth and bold design elements with sophisticated interior working in technology to further enhance the look and performance of the S7 driving experience.

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