The next Genesis arrives in 2021
The new GV70 will join the larger GV80 in the spring as a 2022 model. In The Sleuth’s opinion, this competitor to the BMW X3, Audi Q5 and Infiniti QX50 is easily the best looking of the bunch. From the chain-link-style V-shaped grille to the curved rear end, the GV70 conveys high fashion.
For the U.S. market, a 300-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder is the base engine, with the GV70 Sport getting a 375-horsepower twin-turbo V-6. This model also gets a distinctive grille plus unique interior and exterior trim, paint and 21-inch wheels. No details are available for the Canadian market, but The Sleuth expects pricing to begin in low-$50,000 territory.
Is there an off-road-capable 911 in Porsche’s future?
That’s what The Sleuth believes after viewing images of the iconic sports car undergoing track testing with what appears to be a jacked-up ride height and fender flares. Previously, a company spokesman hinted at building a limited-edition 911 for fans wanting to venture farther afield than the street and/or the track.
Porsche has some experience with off-road models dating back to the mid-1980s when a number of all-wheel-drive 911 Safaris competed in rally-racing events, including the gruelling Paris-Dakar rally, which the car won. There’s no word whether such a specialized 911 will be available, but given the current off-roading craze, a welcome reception would seem virtually assured.
A new Land Rover is nearing completion
Word on the street is that the next generation of Jaguar Land Rover’s flagship utility vehicle is coming for the 2022 model year. This time, the Range Rover will be offered in both regular- and extended-wheelbase (by about six inches) sizes and will be built on a new platform that will also support the next Jaguar XJ sedan.
Range Rover engine choices will consist of a turbocharged 3.0-litre inline six-cylinder with electric-motor assist that will carry forward from the 2020 model. In the base P360, it will produce 355 horsepower and 365 pound-feet of torque. The P400 boosts that to 395/406. An eight-speed automatic transmission will be standard.
Ferrari’s upcoming utility vehicle is well into the development stage
A heavily camouflaged all-wheel-drive Purosangue has been spotted out and about, close to the Italian automaker’s home base near Modena. The new front-engine four-door model (Purosangue is Italian for thoroughbred) is most likely to run with a plug-in hybrid system as the primary power source.
The Sleuth is hearing it will be based on a twin-turbocharged 3.9-litre V-6 and have at least 610 horsepower and 560 pound-feet of torque. When it arrives for the 2023 model year, the Purosangue will have completed a trifecta of Italian luxury utility vehicles that includes the Lamborghini Urus and the Maserati Levante.
Mini plans for more electric vehicles
BMW’s small-car subsidiary has one battery-electric vehicle in play: The two-door Mini Cooper SE puts out 181 horsepower and has a range of 175 kilometres (110 miles). For 2022, there are reports that a new SE will boost that distance and will be followed by at least two more similarly powered models. One version will reportedly be about the size of the Countryman wagon, currently the largest Mini in the fleet. Another will be larger than the Countryman, roughly equal in size to the BMW X1 utility vehicle. Tentatively named Traveller, it will offer both battery-electric and plug-in hybrid powertrains. On the gasoline-powered front, the next-generation Mini Cooper is expected to debut sometime in 2023.
UPS AND DOWNS
Up: A 750-horsepower Ford Bronco
Texas-based Hennessey Performance Engineering has plans to sell a limited run of what it calls the VelociRaptor. All 21 will come with a supercharged version of Ford’s 5.0-litre V-8, replacing the Bronco’s factory twin-turbocharged 2.7-litre V-6. VelociRaptor prices will start at US $225,000.
Up: Kia’s version of the Hummer H1
The automaker’s new all-terrain vehicle, appropriately named the ATV, has been designed primarily for military use and will enter production in Korea for the 2021 model year. Based on the Kia Mojave (similar to the Borrego utility vehicle, which was briefly sold here) the six-passenger ATV is reminiscent of the Hummer H1, but with more style.
– written by Malcom Gunn, Managing Partner at Wheelbase Media
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