Concept points to Chevrolet’s future
You don’t see too many strictly design exercises at auto shows these days, but that’s exactly what Chevrolet showcased recently when it unveiled the FNR-X (Find New Roads Xperimental). The swoopy five-passenger four-door appears to be roughly the size of a Chevrolet Equinox, only with a lower roofline and exaggerated fenders. The designers envision the all-wheel-drive vehicle having a plug-in hybrid powertrain (and/or pure electric drive system) plus a fully adjustable suspension that increases ground clearance when clambering over rough ground. It will be interesting to see if at least some of the show vehicle’s characteristics carry over into future Chevys.
Audi’s new Q-ships are in the works: The Sleuth’s operatives are whispering news of three upcoming tall wagons from Volkswagen’s up-level subsidiary, arriving over the next couple of years. The largest of the trio, the Q8, is expected sometime in 2018. It will use the same platform as the current Q7, but apparently will be slightly wider and will sacrifice some interior space for a lower roofline. The Q8 will be joined the following year by the smaller Q4. Its quasi-hatchback design resembles the Audi TT Offroad concept first shown at the 2014 Beijing Auto Show. The Q4 will also form the basis for an all-new e-tron Quattro electrically powered model that will replace the current A3 e-tron. Clearly, Audi thinks that the tallwagon/utility trend will continue for some time to come.
Are changes in store for the CR-V? Honda’s Civic-based compact wagon is only into its initial year of production, but already sources are hinting that a couple of changes could be coming for the 2018 model year. The first one, a virtual certainty, is the addition of a hybrid powerplant that has already been announced for the market in China. Secondly, rumours persist that buyers will be able to order their CR-V with an optional third row. With fierce competition in this segment — especially from Nissan and Toyota — the Sleuth expects Honda will pull out all the stops to keep the CR-V competitive.
Honda Civic Type R sets a new record at the Nürburgring: The automaker can now lay claim to having the quickest frontwheel-drive car to cover the 19.5-km Nordschleife section of the Nürburgring racetrack in Germany. The 306-horsepower Type R’s time of 7:43.8 was more than six seconds quicker than the previous class record established in a Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport S. The Type R goes on sale in North America this summer.