Audi crossover concept turns into pickup at touch of button
Audi has presented yet another futuristic concept. The Audi Activesphere electric all-wheel-drive crossover is powered by four motors and a luxury coupe which can turn into a pickup truck.
Measuring 4.98m long, 2.08m wide and 1.6m tall, the Activesphere sits on 22-inch wheels. Its Sportback rear can turn into an open cargo bed at the touch of a button. It has a 2.97m wheelbase, with relatively short overhangs which bookend its monolithic design.
The car has 325kW and 720Nm of torque at its disposal, with the front and rear wheels connected via a five-link axle, and an air suspension with adaptive dampers.
BMW posts record year in Indonesia
BMW Group Indonesia achieved its highest sales ever in 2022 with 3,742 units – an increase of 21 per cent.
The record sales consisted of 3,023 BMW and 719 Mini vehicles, which translates into sales growth of 24.2 per cent year-on-year for BMW and 7.5 per cent for Mini.
BMW Indonesia is headed by Singaporean Ramesh Divyanathan, while Singapore-based Eurokars group is one of 18 BMW dealers in the country.
Premier buys 700 Kia hybrids for taxi, private-hire fleet
Kia agent Cycle & Carriage Kia will supply a fleet of Kia Niro Plus petrol-electric hybrid cars to taxi and private-hire company Premier, now owned by automotive megamart operator Carros.
The Kia Niro Plus is based on the previous-generation Niro. Targeted at the ride-hailing industry, the car has a significantly higher ceiling, wide-angle rear doors, grab handles on B-pillars and optimised stowage area.
The one for Premier, which belongs to Category A COE, is equipped with premium features such as adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, and connectivity to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Premier has placed an initial order for 700 units, which is estimated to be worth between $100 million and $120 million.
Number plate auction extended for unsuccessful bidders
Hyundai Motor’s auction of 100 special number plates for its first 100 assembled-in-Singapore Ioniq 5 electric cars has had a lukewarm response.
Originally scheduled to run from Jan 12 to 16, the auction – aimed at raising $400,000 for the President’s Challenge – has been extended and bidders can make their offers from from Tuesday to Thursday.
Hyundai says this is to cater to “unsuccessful bidders from the first round”. So far, Hyundai has collected 72 successful bids amounting to $228,400. The highest bid was $60,000 for “EVS1L”.
Electric Renault to be more winter-proof
Renault’s new electric Megane E-Tech is now better equipped to withstand winters – though that would not matter in Singapore when it arrives here in the third quarter of the year.
The French marque says the top Iconic variant has a heat pump and a wider palette. The pump captures and reuses “wasted heat” from the battery and electric motor to warm the cabin and optimise range.
Electric vehicles tend to suffer significant range degradation in low temperatures. Renault says the heat pump increases winter range by up to 9 per cent.
