06-16 FastNews.indd - Automobile Association of Singapore

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e charged via a conventional household electrical wall socket. Think of the internal combustion engine as a sort of backup, allowing the A1 E-tron to be driven without the charge anxieties normally associated with EVs. WILL EVERYTHING BE LIKE THIS IN THE FUTURE? It will be, but not in the near future, at least. This is due to the lack of infrastructure (charging stations and the like); whether the automaker or governments should make a move first; and concerns about the vehicles (regarding range and so on), said Freudenhagen. In the meantime, he thinks diesels — not hybrids — are the way to go, and cites the example of the Audi A3 TDI, the reigning Green Car of the Year. The A3 enjoys a 10 per cent improvement in efficiency over regular petrol engines, versus hybrids that offer a seven to nine per cent improvement. More significantly, Freudenhagen confirmed that “E-tron” will be a complete sub-brand for Audi, and will produce performance EVs that are faithful to Audi’s sporting DNA. The name “E-tron” already refers to an R8-like supercar (above) with a 0-100km/h time of just 4.8 seconds and a 248km range. It is a potential rival to other electric sports Audi E-tron cars currently on the market, such as the Lotus Elise-based Tesla. We say potential because, while the Internet rumour mill is rife with speculation on whether Audi will put the car into production, there has been no official confirmation from the automaker.
Sport on! BMW’s 6 Series gets a scheduled second quarter 2011 debut HIGHWAY 16 FAST NEWS BMW will debut its new two-door 6 Series in the second quarter of 2011 in Singapore. Production on its main production line has already started in Dingolfi ng, Germany, and the 6 Series will be manufactured alongside the 5 big sedan and 7 Series limousine — both of which the 6 Series shares common basic architecture with. The folding fabric roof will be a first for the 6 Series cabriolet. (The coupe will follow in the fourth quarter, although no official photographs of it have been released, as the car is in the design concept stages.) Its basic form takes cues from the rest of BMW’s lineup. For instance, there’s a prominent oversized and upright double kidney grille. The rest of its design is inspired by boats moving through water. It will handle like a boat too, or at least in terms of how a speedboat accelerates. Engine options available at its launch will include a 320bhp 3.0-litre six-cylinder and a 407bhp 4.4-litre V8. Both powerplants will be turbocharged and will be linked to eightspeed automatic transmissions. Naturally, the car will come with an optional active body roll control system to keep things fl at and pointed through corners. It will also inherit the clever four wheel-steering system first seen on the 7, then 5 Series. At low speeds, it works to decrease the car’s turning radius and at higher speeds, allows for more deft turn-in. Other innovations include a full-colour heads-up display with three-dimensional graphics, a first for BMW’s cars. Honda’s hybrid hatchback takes on Toyota’s Prius One of the first commercially-available hybrid vehicles on the modern market was the first-generation Honda Insight back in 1999. Most people know the Prius, thanks to its fame as the world’s best-selling hybrid car. Now however, the Insight has a bigger hill to climb, as the Prius is currently Japan’s most popular car in terms of monthly sales. Honda’s strategy with the Insight is to offer a cheaper package overall, even if it doesn’t perform as well in terms of fuel economy. Honda is also trumping up the fact that it’s been tuned for drivability too. The Insight features the same “Integrated Motor Assist” hybrid system as the Civic hybrid (which is being phased out, coincidentally), but that system is now in its fifth iteration and, Honda claims, is smaller and lighter, and even better at fuel-saving than before. The system is a parallel hybrid, meaning the engine cannot be totally disconnected. Neither can it run entirely on electric power. It consists of a 1.3-litre inline fourcylinder engine with 88bhp mated to a 16bhp, 78Nm electric motor, both driven through a continuously-variable transmission. Fuel efficiency is quoted as 21.7km/L, compared to 25.6km/L for the Prius. The battery pack is a nickel metal-hydride pack located beneath the boot and in between the wheels. 0-100km/h should take around 12 seconds, with a maximum speed of about 180km/h. A major new feature of the Insight is the “Eco Assist” mode. Unlike regular “eco” buttons, the changes it enforces to minimise fuel consumption are not limited to the drivetrain. Not only is total system output limited, but the system also smoothens out the CVT shift pattern, as well as the throttle inputs, thanks to drive-by-wire tech. The air-conditioning pattern is also modified, as is the Start-Stop function. The Insight’s trump card is pricing, though. At last count, it retails for $116,900 with COE, compared with the higher-priced Prius at $139,488 with COE. Bookings for the Insight are being collected by official dealer Kah Motors, with the offi cial launch and first deliveries in January.
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06-16 FastNews.indd - Automobile Association of Singapore

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