Designers can make you dream, and at BMW this is no exception. It brought to this year’s Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este a unique design study: the BMW Concept Skytop. It has clearly athletic proportions, and Adrian van Hooydonk, head of BMW Group Design, commented: “It offers a combination of driving dynamics and elegance at the highest level, comparable to its historic ancestors, like the BMW Z8 or BMW 503.”
Indeed, it does, its lines, surfaces and volumes breathe the classic proportions of its iconic predecessors. Is it a harbinger for future BMW styling? It certainly has interesting details, like winglets integrated into the door shoulders replace conventional door handles. Light-alloy wheels with precise lamellas are also adding elegance and drama.
We like the impressive long bonnet and the classic kidney grille, and also the retracted rear end and the pronounced central spline, which runs over the bonnet through the interior and ends an aluminium trim positioned on the tailgate, add both panache.
The LED headlight units, positioned on milled aluminium carriers, were custom developed for the BMW Concept Skytop, utilizing the latest technology and design for automotive headlights with the slimmest profile currently available.
We also love the leather-finished roll-over bar behind the BMW Concept Skytop’s two seats, as it is combined with side fins on the B-pillar and a fully retractable rear window. The setup is quite practical: the two removable roof parts, also finished in leather, can be stored in a special compartment in the luggage space.
Color harmonies…
The colour scheme ensures a smooth transition from interior to exterior, regardless of whether the roof is open or closed. In the rear section, the reddish-brown tone of the roof flows into the muted silver with chrome shadow effect of the exterior paintwork. The technically elaborate colour gradient was crafted by an experienced master painter at BMW Group Plant Dingolfing (!)
…and luxury in brogue-style leather…
The leather seats in the interior carry brogue-style accents. The reddish-brown tone of the leather gives the whole interior a sense of luxury and spaciousness. Chrystal elements and further are artfully embedded in the gearchange lever and the cockpit, adding to the overall impression. The interior surfaces of the BMW Concept Skytop were crafted in the traditional saddlery of the BMW Group plant in Dingolfing.
The spirit of the Z8 reigns also in this concept car: under the hood roars the most powerful V8 engine in the BMW drive train portfolio.
Of course there is much more news on the BMW front: the new 3 Series Sedan and Touring, the new 5 series Touring and the first BMW i5 Touring, to say the least. Stay tuned!
Volkswagen has gained over the years already quite some experience in designing, developing and building EV’s with its already iconic ID series. All this know how is now brought together in the ID.7, the big EV limousine at the top of their ID range. The result is manifest: this car is full of good qualities, and earns indeed top marks in virtually all aspects. We found it clearly one of the best bigger EV’s we have come across lately. Just read further…
Hans Knol ten Bensel
Imposing and well proportioned
The ID.7 has the same styling and form language as the smaller models in its ID range, but its proportions are even better, not in the least because of its longer weelbase. The overall length of 4,97 meters lets the lines and contours flow more gradually and elegantly and indeed, this ID.7 looks good from any angle. The ID.7 is also very aerodynamic, with a Cw value of merely 0,23. This is very crucial to reduce energy consumption at higher cruising speeds, and to achieve longer ranges on long distances. But there is more: the VW engineers gave the ID.7 also a brand new electric motor. It drives like in the other ID models the rear wheels and develops 210 kW or 286 HP.
Plenty of power, to say the least, and this ID.7 is very agile indeed. It sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in merely 6,5 seconds and overtaking becomes the proverbial breeze. The ID.7 behaves also wonderfully when you drive it more quietly, and the car then rewards you with a very reasonable consumption. We achieved during our test an average of 17.60 kW/100 km, and we think that this tells the whole story. Indeed, VW succeeded in giving their flagship EV an impressive range of close to 500 km. Of course, the usable range varies with outside temperatures and driven speeds, but let’s say that this ID.7 has its merits as a long distance Gran Turismo. This good range is achieved with the 77 kW battery which is also found in the other cars of the ID range, and all this is due to the improved motor and the better aerodynamic qualities. Of course, as you already know by now, EV cars just LOVE slow driving. The slower the (constant) speed, the further you go. Even to very slow speeds, like say 40 km/h, EV’s are frugal, where IC engined cars need to revert to lower gearing to keep the revs up and are therefore less efficient. Also the outside temperatures are relevant. So at a nice springtime outside temperature of 20 degrees and at a cruising speed of say 90 km/h, you will drive far beyond 600 kilometers with your stylish ID.7. Top speed is sensibly limited to 180 km/h.
This electric flagship will also recuperate its kinetic energy nicely. If you put it in Eco mode, it will also decelerate smoothly and anticipate for bends and crossroads.
Comfort and space…
We found the suspension of the ID.7 actually “just right”, offering excellent comfort in all circumstances and under all driving styles, with outstanding handling and agility. A superbly balanced car indeed.
But it is not only the suspension which stands out, the generous dimensions in the cabin do the rest. Indeed, this is a limousine fit for the very tallest. Even when the front seats are put back to accommodate 1,95 meter tall front passengers, you will still enjoy ample legroom in the back. Indeed, this is a car to fit four basket ball players, and this is pretty unique. Your servant is barely 1,70 m tall, so you can imagine that I was absolutely spoiled.
Climate comfort
The seats itself also merit superlatives. The front seats are optionally equipped with so-called ’Adaptive Climate Control’. It has to be felt to believe it. Humidity sensors in the backrest will prevent transpiration, small jets will cool or heat the seats for optimal comfort. Besides this, the seats will also spoil you with an array of massage functions.
The light atmosphere in the cabin can be changed almost at will, 10 different colour shades are standard, and can optionally be as many as 30…
Our test car came with a panoramic roof, which has a layer of polymer dispersed liquid crystals, so you can control the transperance with a simple touch.
Heating and ventilation are controlled on the immense central touchscreen, although there is an illuminated control bar at the base of the screen which lets you adjust with sliders the basics like air temperature and airflow volume. The direction of the airflow through the vents can only be adjusted on the touchscreen however. Your servant is very sensitive to colder airflows, and was very surprised to feel an intermittent air stream on his face. Indeed, the airvents can be set to turn constantly on a horizontal axis, like a stand ventilator in your home…
A range of well over 500 kilometers is quite possible with the ID.7..
On a public charging point it will accept power up to 11 kW, and the battery will be 80 pct charged in about 4 hours…
Touch controls…and clear instrumentation.
Again the haptic touch controls are the hallmark of this VW, as is typical for the entire ID range. It takes some getting used to, and for instance you are well advised to set the voice command sensor on the steering wheel properly, otherwise she will ask you what she can do for you at every turn of the way.
What we loved is the very clear and concise driver information the instrument display puts in front of you. Indeed, less is more. There is also a very readable head up display. It informs you about speed, the direction you should take and energy consumption.
Practical
In good VW tradition, the boot space is enormous. When you fold the back seats and load until the window openings, you can store 888 liters… There is even a small separate 25 litre storage space for the charging cables.
The ID.7 is rather wide for urban traffic, but its turning circle is a modest 10,7 meters, and indeed the car is thanks to the driving aids also a breeze to park.
Fast charging is a strong point of the ID.7. It will accept up to over 180 kW charging power, and under these conditions it will take little more than half an hour to recharge this flagship from 10 to 80 pct. On a public or wallbox charger it will typically accept 11 kW, and you have to reckon with a charging time of some 8 hours.
Conclusion
The ID.7 is indeed a totally convincing limousine EV. It is hard to find any weak points, and it is therefore not surprising that it earns many top laurels in the international motoring press. Notably it was given the very best note ever for an EV by the German ADAC in their test.
Quality doesn’t come cheap, but then this is a rather formidable EV, and we sincerely regretted to part with it…
Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxemburg have always been “home” for Lancia. Indeed, our roads were marked 4 to 5 decades ago by the presence of the elegant Fulvia’s, and connoisseurs were at the wheel of the Flaminia’s, not to speak of the beautiful Superleggera’s and later, last but not least, the 4WD Lancia Delta “Integrale”, which still makes the hearts of aficionados beat faster.
The rear lights of the new Ypsylon are reminiscent of the legendary Stratos, with also the “Y” Calice symbol worked in…
Even your servant fell for the brand with the elegant chromed “calice” on its radiator, namely a Dedra 1,8 i.e. By then, Lancia was already part of the larger Fiat concern, and it proved to be an utterly reliable and pleasant companion for four years in my stable, and I still remember it fondly. It already had the beautiful dark blue body paint and equally blue Alcantara interior and seats.
Given this enthusiasm, it is hardly surprising that Stellantis decided to pick the Benelux as one of the ideal places in Europe to have the renaissance of the brand, in line with the “Stellantis Dare Forward” strategic plan.
The Lancia Ypsilon is the much loved debutante…
The Ypsilon has maintained the brand alive in Italy, and has been highly popular there over the years. Not that the new Ypsilon has anything in common with its predecessor. It carries the Lancia Pu+Ra Design (the name a combination of ‘pure’ and ‘radical’), the one-of-a-kind Lancia design language with a timeless touch. The new Ypsilon It is available as a pure EV and in hybrid form. The 156 HP EV with a 51 kW battery has a WLTP measured range of 403 kilometers, the 3 cylinder, 100 HP 48 V hybrid caters for a wide(r) public and can be bought at an attractive base price of 24,000 Euros. The EV has the same technical basis as the Peugeot e-208 and the Opel Corsa Electric, but it certainly has quite different looks.
Lancia presented us their Ypsilon at the launch in a very attractive top notch “Edizione Limitata Cassina” version, whith an iconic “Lancia Blu” color for interior and bodywork, ”panno” wool upholstery for the seats executed in “cannelloni” pattern and as icing on the cake, one is seduced by an iconic “tavola” or small round table in the centre of the dashboard, sitting on top of the centre console. This brings you in the unique S.A.L.A. or “living room” atmosphere, which the Lancia designers created in collaboration with Cassina.
The abbreviation S.A.L.A., meaning living room in Italian, actually stands for Sound, Air, Light, Augmentation and is the new name used for the infotainment system. Its command module sits as a disk on top of the dashboard. We will come back on this system more in detail when we will get acquinted with the Ypsilon, hopefully soon…
This Cassina edition is exclusive: only 1906 units will be produced, and the number is actually also quite symbolic, as 1906 is the year Vicenzo Lancia was born…
The Benelux customer can now order this Ypsilon, and besides the top Cassina and the “base” version, one can also opt for the premium LX version. LX is also symbolic, as it is the Latin acronym for 60, created in 1966 to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the brand.
Even the base version is well equipped, with multifunctional steering wheel, automatic airco and keyless entry/start/lock. There is also one 10,25 inch digital instrument screen and an equally big central touchscreen. Of course Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is also provided.
A new dealer and sales network
The renaissance of Lancia comprises also an all-new network made up of 9 new showrooms in Belgium, 6 in the Netherlands, and 1 in Luxembourg, with 12, 6, and 1 after-sales service points respectively. You can order also your new Ypsilon online, if you wish.
Should you opt for a “pure” EV, it is good to know that Lancia offers “Free2move Charge”, a simple, complete, and integrated ecosystem that allows worry free charging at home and gives you access to 600,000 charging points across Europe. Lancia offers also the Easy Wallbox Home Charging solution and has interesting financial renting offers in store, worked out in collaboration with Stellantis Financial Services.
Last but not least, we had at the presentation an interview with Barbara de Mol, Marketing Director for Lancia and Alfa Romeo, about Lancia’s dealer/sales and marketing approach in our country. It to be published soon, so stay tuned!
Nissan is carving itself a wonderful niche in the electrified SUV world, with both its popular Qashqai and the all new X-Trail.
It offers a bold technological solution for these two popular models by decoupling the engine entirely from the proper drivetrain, letting it act solely as a generator to one (and in this case two) electric motors.
The idea behind it is obvious: it offers the pulling power and mechanical refinement of the electric motor and at the same time it avoids the inefficiency of the combustion engine when it operates under low charge situations combined with relatively high revs, like in urban stop start traffic.
It lets the engine do its charging work under ideal thermal working conditions and loads, and uses a small(er) battery to deliver the extra electric energy when needed in specific driving situations, like starting off from standstill or engaging in fierce acceleration. Ideal? Let’s find out…
Hans Knol ten Bensel
Smooth…
The driving impressions are indeed very convincing: progress is silky smooth, and indeed the X-Trail is delightful to drive in town and slow traffic.
The ample torque of both electric motors inspires confidence, and lets you master every driving situation. The combustion engine, a 1,5 litre three cylinder, is well insulated and hardly audible. Its recharging task depends of course on how much e-power you want it to deliver, and therefore the more relaxed your driving style, the less you hear it. Whether it will rev higher depends also on the driven speed, soo clever! The Nissan engineers did a very good job here, as this gives a very “natural” impression to driver and passengers.
Total power of our top op the range e-Power e-4orce X-Trail is not less than 213 HP, and the torque is even more important with 330 Nm at the front and 220 Nm at the rear. Smooth performance is the result: the 1,9 tonne 7 seater will sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in 7 seconds and the top speed is an impressive 180 km/h. Indeed, this X-Trail will never feel underpowered.
Geared for comfort…
Does the X-Trail awaken the sporting driver in you? Well, rather not. Its utter smoothness puts you rather in a “Zen” mood, and the comfortable suspension does the rest. The car is well balanced and stable in all circumstances, and this adds to the overall relaxing character of the car.
Well being is also found in the cabin. Of course, the top Tekna+ equipment version spoils your senses. The interior is also well laid out, stylish and the designers did keep wisely an array of knobs so you quickly find your way intuitively to all the functions of this X-Trail. We also liked the look of the digital instruments and screen display.
The X-trail e-4ORCE AWD is with its dual motors and 4WD very well at home off- road too…
… but also for economy?
The Nissan engineers had first and foremost the mechanical smoothness of e-propulsion in mind, and combined this with range comfort. Consumption seemed not to be an absolute priority. Nissan opted for a smaller battery, not least because it would cost room, make the car heavier and pricier. This means that the engine has nowhere to dump its generating power when the battery is full. Of course, the drivetrain software will shut the IC engine down as soon as possible, or let it turnover purely on e-power. Having said this, if you adopt a relaxed driving style, it is quite possible to achieve a consumption between 7,5 and 8 litres, which is quite efficient for a car weighing close to two tonnes. Official figures indicate an average consumption of 6,4 litres/100 km, and 146 g/km of CO2 emissions.
A seven seater…
Indeed, this X-Trail will transport two youngsters on the third row seat, but this is not meant to be for super long trips. But a short run to the supermarket or football club is always in the cards, and this can be quite practical on more occasions than you would expect.
Conclusion
This Nissan X-Trail e-4ORCE is a very well balanced, refined car which offers you all the sophisticated “Zen” pleasures of electric driving combined with the range and long distance cruising panache of IC engined cars. It is very well finished, is lavishly equipped and offers more than adequate space.
We were so seduced by all its good qualities that we decided to join a Nissan e-Power e-4ORCE to our stable of cars, so soon we will inform you regularly about how it behaves in long term use…
Mr. Philippe Dehennin pleaded passionately for a change in EU Commission decarbonization policies in the interest or European car industry, its workers and its consumers…
Recently I assisted at an interesting luncheon conference held by Philippe Dehennin, Chairman of BEHVA and honorary Chairman of Febiac after a lifelong career at BMW, at the premises of Autoworld and organised by the dynamic Royal Historical Vehicle Club.
He talked about the one-sided approach of the present EU commission and parliament in drafting the path to carbon neutrality of our automotive mobility.
He passionately pleaded for a neutral stance by the EU political decision makers concerning the technologies which are to be used in reducing carbon emissions. This is in the interest of both consumers and the European automotive industry, which is under pressure and economical risk due to one sided technological solutions (i.e BEV) which distort competitive balances in the global economy. Here I present to you an extensive report of his conference.
On the subject mentioned in our title, we will regularly report on what the captains of automotive industry have to say, and the adjustments they bring to their corporate strategies in these turbulent times of energy transition… Just read further!
Hans Knol ten Bensel
The lunchean conference was held at Brussels Autoworld…and organised by the Royal Historical Vehicle Club.
After illustrating the broad evolution of our (Belgian and European) mobility from the early fifties to the present day, Mr. Dehennin described, amongst others, the positions of ecologists on our future mobility.
In terms of preference, these ecologists adhere to the following pecking order: walking, biking, metro, bus, and finally the individual car. They see further carpooling and car sharing as the only viable use for cars. They see the latter solution also ideal for bikes, like cargo- or tandem bikes for example.
However, all studies show clearly that in all everyday life situations, the car remains the preferred means of transport. This situation is somewhat less outspoken in cities, but the preference is even more outspoken on the countryside and suburbs. For many families and households, the car remains an outright necessity.
In terms of reducing the ecological footprint, car manufacturers have made a quite remarkable progress over the years and have convinced many car owners and users not to give up what they have acquired in terms of individual mobility. The car will have a bright future ahead, unless the EU commission maintains its stance to forbid the sale of cars with IC engines from 2035 onwards.
The private car buyer hesitates…
Do we have to fear that this will happen? Studies on the behavior of average, modest households, which represent the majority of our consumer base, clearly show that they are largely opposed to the electrification of their cars. This situation now starts to have an impact on our politicians.
In the EU, only 1 in 10 of private car buyers opt for an electric vehicle. In Belgium, this is only one household on 20. The EV’s are just too expensive for the majority of average households. Many would just be forced to postpone the purchase of a new car and face the consequences of driving around illegally in (urban) low emission zones. Cities are aware of this and are starting to mitigate and loosen their emission regulations.
But the trend is changing. There are also several countries who do not forbid anymore the sale of IC engine cars within their borders. The same goes for the use of heat pumps, etc. EU countries are now more than ever on the issue of decarbonization.
No place for climate skepticism…
I want to stress here that I am not a climate skeptic. I am convinced that reducing carbon emissions is an absolute necessity, but it has to be done with the support of the larger public, within the boundaries and limitations of their purchasing power. Now, EU and national politicians are increasingly becoming aware of this.
The actual and invasive consequences of the socially utopian obligations and regulations are seen and felt by the EU public, and one can indeed ask oneself whether these measures are deemed necessary, taking into account that Europe represents merely 8 pct. of global CO2 emissions. Since 1990, these EU emissions have dropped by 50 %, whereas the emissions of China and India have increased over the same period by 300 %.
Saving the European car industry… through adopting a wider array of technologies.
Of course, the BEV is useful for many applications, notably in cities. But I also believe in the future of “thermal” or IC engine cars. 8 European countries, housing the majority of the not less than 13 million jobs tied to the automotive industry, have not said their last word. Nobody wants to open a free road to chinese imports. Germany obtained formal guarantees to be able to develop and use synthetic fuel for IC engines from 2026 onwards.
Jean Dominique Sénard, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Renault Group, has repeated the strategy of Renault to go further on the path of electrification, but he thinks also that the combustion engine has still many good years ahead of it, thanks to the use of synthetic fuels, which he expects to go down in price in the coming years.
Oliver Zipse, chairman of the board of management of BMW AG, sees also hydrogen having a place in a diversified energy strategy to meet the varied needs of users the world over. In his latest statement, Zipse said “There is no “one size fits all” when it comes to mobility. Markets, customer wishes and conditions develop differently. This is a fact. As a global company, we take this into account. We are continuing to develop all powertrain technologies, including further researching the potential of hydrogen with our BMW iX5 Hydrogen pilot fleet.” (Added by editor).
Of course, hydrogen offers freedom of mobility with very short recharging times. BMW also believes in the future of thermal engines. Because the IC engine will live on for at least a century…And indeed, thermal engines are a crucial sector of European engineering excellence, whereas battery technology is a sector of Chinese engineering prowess.
If we are driven by the political authorities in only one direction, i.e. BEV, without certainty of the geopolitical developments, nor the certainty of access to the necessary raw materials, without having the necessary “green” E-power and the corresponding adequate charging infrastructure, we will not be able to offer what the customer wants, nor will we be able to guarantee employment in the automotive sector.
A brief for the new EU commission: to adopt a neutral technological stance…
We need to convince the EU Commission to adopt a neutral stance on the technological level. The commission cannot dictate to the industry the technological path to follow. This has never been done in the past and should not be done now.
The CO2 neutral mobility has to be adapted to the diversified realities of the broad consumer base. Also the Diesel engine has not told its last word with the appearance of “clean” synthetic fuels on the market..
The new commission has to steer our European industry in an intelligent manner through this energy transition. If we need EV’s for our needs, we should also invite Chinese manufacturers to open factories also on our shores; because only employment will generate the necessary prosperity and purchasing power.
Of course, the challenge for our manufacturers lies in offering also models for the average consumer besides the premium segment, where our European presence is already well established.
Only a combination of technologies will offer the proper solutions to the very diverse mobility needs of the EU consumer. The consumer should have the necessary freedom of choice, the liberty of selecting the ideal technology for his purposes.
Europe is a continent of liberties, the result of the declaration of human and citizen’s rights, like the freedom of speech, thought, opinion, property, the freedom to move when and how he or she wishes.
It is difficult to understand the complacency of a part of public opinion for those who seek to constrain us towards a single solution, i.e. the BEV and the bycicle. We need a technologically neutral, ecologically responsable mobility, respecting and preserving our economical prosperity. This will allow us to co-finance, together with the major powers, the decarbonization of the African continent.
Europe has to be again the home of automobiles with passion and style…
One last word about design. It is time that the European car industry starts to offer intense and passionate automobiles, incarnating a (design) culture proper to each brand. This trend is now (thankfully) growing… concluded the speaker.
In our age of energy transition, things indeed have to change. So with the (urban) emission regulations coming along, we had to give up 5 years ago a truly excellent car, our Volvo 850 Estate, with its marvelous 2,5 litre five cylinder petrol engine.
We had to part with our beautiful “as new” Volvo 5 years ago, due to urban emission regulations, for the price of 250 Euros…yes, EU citizens DO pay a MASSIVE PRICE for the energy transition…
Before parting with it, we took it on a last long trip,from the Volvo factory in Ghent to the Volvo plant in Swedish Torslanda, where the sedan version of the 850 rolled of the assembly lines. Just look at the links of these articles on our site:
Before parting with our Volvo, we drove it to the Swedish Torslanda Volvo plant, where it was driven on the assembly line… note the difference in license plate. The original was stolen…
Where it was given its final control tag as a totally perfect Volvo!
We have to blame here our EU AND also our local politicians which make very one sided decisions away and above social considerations and consequences. The beautiful Volvo had to go, as it was now politically declared an urban outcast.
And despite its excellent ’as new’ condition, it fetched… 250 Euros, and that was it.
So go now, dear citizen! Go and enlarge your ecological footprint and buy a NEW BEV car! While the European electric grid still has to be adapted to the pan-EV reality, let alone the infrastructure, we have to plunge for this, with the EU and certainly global electricity production still being far from “clean”. Of course, we are still creating the extreme dependencies of raw materials and global markets as we did before…
Still going strong, and now not an “urban outcast”
But soon enough, we understood already five years ago, that the answer lies not (yet) there. Today finally even economy expert journalists admit that they did not see all the benefits of the hybrid solution which Toyota offered with the Prius now decades ago. The present market evolution now lets them see the light.
Just look at the excellent averages we achieve presently with our Lexus. Even in urban traffic, the consumption does not rise over 5 litres…
Now it is already five years with us, and it still hasn’t missed a beat. It passed the latest technical inspection with flying colors, and had last month its major service. It continues, as the photo shows, to consume well below 5 litres/100 km…
In urban “stop and go” and slow traffic, the Lexus runs very often on EV power…
On the last photo you see the remote “mouse” control for the functions on the central screen display, which we still find ideal…
It is a significant trend: the major automotive brands in our Belgian market organize targeted events to approach their customers in the absence of a Belgian Motor Show this year.
So from March 12 onwards, Mobility Solutions by D’Ieteren, formerly Group Mobility Solutions, immerses its B2B audience in an exclusive experience that focuses on innovative solutions and the leading trends in sustainable mobility.
“Developing seamless and sustainable mobility for everyone by offering our customers a connected mobility ecosystem: that is, in a nutshell, what we stand for,” says Joris Spigt, director of Mobility Solutions by D’Ieteren. “During our Mobility Experience by D’Ieteren, we therefore invite the B2B audience to get up close and personal with all the novelties within the entire ecosystem of mobility solutions that D’Ieteren has to offer today.”
News from the VW Group car brands…
There is quite some news. For example, Volkswagen and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles will not only be showing the new Tiguan e-Hybrid at this event, the ID.7 Tourer will also be present, just like the ID. Buzz with long wheelbase and seven seats. One can also see the latest generation ID.3 and the ID.2 all-concept: a design study of a compact, fully electric model that will have a base price from € 25,000.
Škoda, for its part, is presenting two Belgian premieres: the new Superb Combi and the Kodiaq iV.. The latter is now available as a plug-in hybrid, further strengthening its B2B potential.
CUPRA presents the new Tavascan, the brand’s very first fully electric, sporty SUV. It is flanked by the also fully electric, compact UrbanRebel concept car that provides a glimpse of the future of CUPRA, and by the current Formentor and Born models.
Audi’s long-term vision is given concrete form by the camouflaged prototype of the Q6 e-tron that will be unveiled very soon. A new SUV that perfectly embodies the electric DNA of the four-ring brand with even more autonomy thanks to the new Premium Platform Electric technology platform.
Finally, Porsche will be showing its latest Panamera Turbo E-Hybrid, which with its combination of power and emotions guarantees an unparalleled driving experience.
Seamless mobility offered…
In addition to the product novelties, Mobility Solutions by D’Ieteren will make time and space available during this show for all the mobility services it offers. The best known are probably the financial solutions of VDFin and the mobility sharing service Poppy/MyPop, but providers such as Joule, Taxis Verts/Husk, My Way/Audi Approved+, EDI/Go Solar and Mbrella are also present.
Finally, Wondercar is part of the mobility ecosystem in its own way and highlights this with a creative activation that tests the stress level of fleet managers when someone damages their company car.
Interactive workshops are also organized…
“But with our Mobility Experience by D’Ieteren we go one step further,” explains Joris Spigt, “by also strategically familiarizing our B2B audience with the mobility of today and tomorrow. In four interactive workshops we inform them about how they can integrate new transport modes into their policy, how new technologies can provide guidance and how they can tailor a mobility strategy to the ambitions of their company and the expectations of their employees.”
We show you the photos here, and needless to say that we are keen to test for you the numerous novelties D’Ieteren has in store for us…
On February 21 I attended an interesting dinner conference organized by the Royal Historical Vehicle Club Belgium, where Sebastien de Baere, managing director of Autoworld Museum Brussels presented the impressive turnaround he achieved for this iconic museum, which is now more popular than ever.
Michel Van Eesbeek, president of the Royal Historical Vehicle Club Belgium, introduced the speaker Sebastien de Baere…
This evening conference was of course held in the restaurant of the Autoworld museum.
Sebastien told us at length about the very positive evolution the museum went through since he became its Managing Director in January 2011. His previous professional experience as event organizer (he was Director of SAP Lounge, situated in the historic setting of the ‘Tuchthuis’ in Vilvoorde, which offers a high class meeting and event facility to catalyze business interaction) helped him to revitalize and effectively transform the museum.
“I first started to transform the sleepy, dusty image of this museum in its stately premises at the Cinquantenaire, also literally”, Sébastien starts his conference. I drew up a five year plan, and indeed started with removing unnecessary old artifacts which did not contribute to the essence of the museum and then we began to restructure the collection of exhibits and display areas.
2024 started already magnificently with the end-of-year exhibition “Porsche – Driven By Dreams,” from December 8th 2023 until February 25th 2024. We reported about this outstanding exhibition on our pages…
Then we got to work on improving the image of the museum with a new logo, introduced up to date marketing and last but not least started organizing events, at a very frequent rate. (Not less than 150 annually). These events established close ties between the museum and companies and industry in the automotive sector as well as the whole Belgian and international car world.
The results are there: In 2023, the museum welcomed no less than 235,000 visitors, a spectacular achievement especially if you take into account that this number doubled in a mere five years.
The 2024 events calender will be very busy indeed…
The year started already magnificently with the end-of-year exhibition “Porsche – Driven By Dreams,” from December 8th 2023 until February 25th 2024. We reported about this outstanding exhibition on our pages…
Autoworld further honors 50 years of the Volkswagen Golf from March 1st to April 28th. The most successful European car is now in its 8th generation, having received a facelift again this year.
Many members of the Royal Historical Vehicle Club Belgium attended the conference…
It will be followed from the 60th anniversary of the legendary Ford Mustang, a retrospective on the history of Formula 1, and, of course, a few more surprises that Sebastien de Baere would like to keep secret until further notice…
Soon we will visit the VW Golf exhibition at Autoworld – stay tuned!
Premium brands are nowadays sparing no efforts to establish customer satisfaction and loyalty.
Audi Belgium follows suit, and is taking a new step by launching personalized home deliveries. This service is offered in collaboration with Mobvious and is valid for both private customers and self-employed persons, for a fixed price of €300 incl. VAT.
“Customer experience is high on the agenda at Audi Belgium,” emphasizes Emanuele Bolacchi, Managing Director Audi Belgium. “Thanks to this new delivery choice, our customers no longer have to travel to receive their new Audi. We offer the opportunity to optimally fit the delivery of their new Audi into work-related life balance, which is becoming more important for more and more customers.”
Bolacchi is joined in this by Dieter Hannes, District Manager Audi and also the driving force behind this project;
“As a brand, we want to leave a lasting impression. To achieve this, we look beyond the sale of the car and create a unique and unforgettable experience that matches the luxury and quality that Audi guarantees.”
Thanks to this new partnership with Mobvious, Audi Belgium is able to offer a high-quality, personalized delivery service. Customers can now enjoy the comfort of receiving their new Audi at a place and time that is most convenient for them. Whether at home, at work or another location in Belgium. This aims to fully tailor to the unique needs of each customer.
Mobvious, which is part of D’Ieteren’s mobility ecosystem, is the first driver platform that takes care of the entire car delivery process. To achieve this, it relies on a team of intensively trained drivers, who always guarantee professional home delivery with a customer-oriented approach.
Kamal M’Rabet, CEO of Mobvious, commented:
“At Mobvious, our focus is always on the optimal customer experience. The distribution model is also evolving in the automotive sector, driven by the purchasing behavior of consumers who increasingly shop online and need home service. Mobvious is part of this transition and helps automotive professionals such as Audi Belgium.
On the one hand, we do this with advanced technology for digitalizing the entire delivery process, and on the other hand, there are our professional drivers who can provide customers with all the necessary explanations.”
Audi Home Delivery service is currently available on Audi Q4 e-tron, Audi Q8 e-tron, Audi e-tron GT, Audi Q5, Audi Q7, Audi Q8, Audi A6, Audi A7 and Audi A8 models.
After this first phase, in which 50 Audis are expected to be delivered to your home, this service will be expanded to the rest of the Audi range.
We don’t have to wait much longer now, the New Abarth 600e is undergoing final tests and will soon be making its first public debut in Milan, where shooting is going on at the moment of writing for its commercial film debut.
Here you see already a first picture, revealing instantly the “evil” or “pur sang” character of the Abarth 600e Scorpionissima launch version, which will be produced in a limited-edition of 1,949 units.
Equipped with 240 HP, the New Abarth 600e Scorpionissima is fiercely competitive and powerful. There has never been a more powerful Abarth. Made to be unique in the field of electric cars, the Abarth 600e will feature a mechanical limited slip differential that guarantees excellent driving stability, improved handling, and traction.
The exceptional performance of the limited slip differential takes the car to new heights, especially when combined with its high-performance tires which were jointly developed with the supplier for Formula E to ensure maximum grip and guarantee excellent racing dynamics in all kinds of conditions. A harmonious equilibrium is attained by balancing performance and limited resistance, ensuring an improved range in an electric vehicle.
Looking at the car you can see it is clearly an Abarth! The exclusive Hypnotic Purple, the launch color inspired by the post-puncture hypnotic effect, highlights its aggressiveness, while the aerodynamic rear spoiler is designed to maximize performance.
It also has expansive wheels, a low profile, and 20-inch wheels designed to accommodate an extensive brake system.
For collectors and Abarth aficionados, the New Abarth 600e Scorpionissima will come with an authenticity certificate. And of course, there is more to come….like the Abarth 695 75° Anniversario limited edition, we will tell you about it also soon!
Autoprova - for the Connaisseur 