Electric cars and crossovers: Here's what we expect in the next 5 years

Almost every brand has some kind of plug-in vehicle headed to U.S. dealerships in the next five years, if not a bunch of them.

Many are versions of gasoline-powered nameplates, but automakers are increasingly seeing the need to roll out dedicated electric vehicles or vehicle lines as well.

Daimler AG is spending more than $11 billion to bring at least 10 new EVs to market under its new Mercedes-Benz EQ subbrand by 2022.

The motive isn't short-term profits; BMW CEO Harald Krueger told reporters in Frankfurt that EVs generally will have lower margins than vehicles with internal combustion engines.

But in the long run, automakers want to ensure they don't get left behind their competitors as more consumers decide that an EV or plug-in hybrid can work for their lifestyle. By 2021, it's clear that consumers will have an abundance of such choices to consider, in a broad spectrum of segments, body styles and price ranges.

Here is what Automotive News has reported to be in the pipeline so far.

2017

BMW i3: The compact electric car is updated this year with a new 33 kilowatt-hour battery, increasing the range on a single charge to 114 miles from 81. A new sporty i3S model, unveiled last month at the Frankfurt auto show, arrives by year end. The i3S has more power, minor styling tweaks and a slightly lower ride. The new battery will go into the i3 REx range extender model with a two-cylinder engine, expected in 2018.

Honda Clarity: By year end, Honda's Clarity lineup of plug-in hybrid, electric and fuel cell models will be available in limited markets. Whether each version gets a successor is another question. The electric model could be replaced by a stand-alone EV in the next decade, while plug-in versions of several Honda models could make a Clarity plug-in hybrid moot.

Hyundai Ioniq: Hyundai's dedicated green-car line gains a plug-in hybrid this fall. What comes next will depend on consumer appetites. The next-gen Ioniq line could switch to a crossover body style; Kia's Niro hybrid crossover, which shares the Ioniq's underpinnings, is outselling the entire Ioniq line this year.

Kia Niro: A plug-in version of the hybrid crossover arrives late this year as a 2018 model. It will have a 1.6-liter gasoline engine and an electric motor and offer about 34 miles of pure EV driving. A freshening should land in 2020.

Mitsubishi Outlander: A plug-in version of the current-generation Outlander will go on sale by year end as a 2018 model with a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and a pair of electric motors. U.S. sales volumes will be small, likely on the order of 2,000 a year.

Nissan Leaf: The second generation Leaf, unveiled last month, has a more conventional body style and provides a greater battery range. The current-generation Leaf's range is rated by the EPA at 107 miles on a fully charged 30 kilowatt-hour battery. The new generation can go about 150 miles, narrowing the gap with new entrants from Chevrolet and Tesla but still trailing noticeably, as Nissan went more for a value play.

Smart ForTwo: A redesigned electric coupe and convertible went on sale this summer as 2017 models. The electric coupe costs $24,550 including shipping, $1,200 less than the 2016 version. The redesigned models have improved range, more power, a roomier interior and additional standard features. The cars could be freshened in 2020.

Tesla Model 3: After its launch in July, the Model 3 will begin deliveries in October, starting with the higher-priced long-range battery edition. With its basic yet sleek design, the Model 3 likely won't undergo any big changes for the next five years, minimizing complexity while Tesla focuses on production. The headlights or taillights may be freshened around 2020, analysts say.

Volkswagen e-Golf: The e-Golf EV will be the first model to show off the Golf family's freshened exterior. It will have its battery range raised to about 125 miles from 85 miles.

Volvo XC60 T8: A plug-in hybrid variant of Volvo's redesigned midsize crossover is arriving this fall with a 20-mile battery range, 400-hp rating and starting price of about $53,000.

2018

Acura RDX: A hybrid or plug-in version of the RDX will join Acura's lineup after a 2018 redesign for the gasoline-powered model.

Audi Q8: The five-seat, sportback crossover arriving in late 2018 will offer a plug-in hybrid powertrain.

Bentley Bentayga: Bentley's first crossover will be the brand's first nameplate to get a plug-in hybrid powertrain, based on a 3.0-liter V-6.

Bentley Continental GT: The Continental GT's third generation goes on sale in 2018 as a 2019 model, followed by a plug-in hybrid version that likely uses a 3.0-liter V-6 engine paired with the electric system.

BMW i8: The i8 plug-in hybrid sports car coupe will be freshened in 2018, getting a longer range and more power. A new roadster variant, expected to be unveiled next month at the Los Angeles Auto Show, will go on sale in the U.S. by midyear.

BMW X3: A plug-in hybrid version of BMW's small crossover is expected in early 2018.
Chevrolet Volt: Sales of the plug-in hybrid have been steadily rising even with the Bolt EV in the mix. Some styling improvements should be on tap around mid-2018.

Honda Civic: A hybrid or plug-in hybrid Civic is expected in 2018 or 2019 based on Honda's promise to introduce such versions of its core models.

Hyundai Kona: An all-electric Kona has been promised for Korea in 2018; bet on that arriving in the U.S. for the 2019 model year with a range of around 250 miles on a charge.

Jaguar I-Pace: The five-seat crossover arriving next summer is Jaguar's first battery-powered vehicle. The I-Pace is built on an aluminum-intensive platform by Magna Steyr in Austria and has a range of 220 miles from its 400-hp twin electric motors.

Mercedes-Benz GLC350e 4MATIC: A plug-in version of the compact crossover will go on sale in late 2017 or early 2018.

Mercedes-Benz S560e: A re-engineered and renamed plug-in hybrid version of the S-class sedan will arrive by the end of 2018.

Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid: A more powerful plug-in hybrid family of the redesigned Panamera is coming early next year, later than initially announced because of certification delays. The Turbo S E-Hybrid, which starts at about $185,000, is the most powerful model in the Panamera line at 680 hp and has a 31-mile battery-only range.

Subaru plug-in hybrid: A plug-in hybrid will debut in 2018, though it remains unclear as to which nameplate Subaru will choose for the designation. Given the new platform's design, the likely bets are the Impreza, Crosstrek or Ascent.

2019

Acura MDX: The redesigned MDX, landing in 2019 as a 2020 model, likely will include a plug-in hybrid version.

Aston Martin RapidE: Aston Martin's four-door model will get an all-electric version called the RapidE in 2019, with a run of just 155 cars. The RapidE, expected to have around 200 miles of range on a charge and around 800 hp, will use a powertrain developed in conjunction with Williams Advanced Engineering.

Audi e-tron crossover: Audi's electric crossover, similar in size to a Q7, is expected to hew closely to the concept's 310-mile range and serve as Audi's answer to the Tesla Model X.

Bentley Continental Flying Spur: Like all Bentley nameplates, the four-door version of the Continental GT will get a plug-in hybrid version after a 2019 redesign.

Bentley Mulsanne: A redesign of Bentley's king-kahuna sedan is due in 2019 or 2020 and will include a plug-in hybrid. Whether that incorporates the same V-6-based powertrain as lesser Bentleys or one that uses the 4.0-liter turbo V-8 of the Panamera E-Hybrid remains to be seen.

Ford Escape/Lincoln MKC: A late 2019 redesign of Ford Motor Co.'s compact crossover pair will include a plug-in hybrid variant. Ford discontinued the original Escape hybrid in 2012.

Ford Model E: Tesla famously made overtures to Ford to buy the rights to the Model E name, to add to its Model S and X lineup. Ford refused to give it up and is now expected to use the name for an electric crossover with a 300-mile range due in late 2019. It will be built in Flat Rock, Mich., and sold in North America, Europe and Asia.

Genesis GV80: Genesis' first crossover, due in 2019 as a 2020 model, could have a hydrogen fuel cell or plug-in hybrid version.

Kia Optima: A freshening of Kia's popular midsize sedan, which got a hybrid and a plug-in hybrid option for the 2017 model year, is due in 2019.

Lamborghini Urus: A plug-in hybrid version of the new Urus will launch in 2019 with a V-6 engine. The gasoline-powered Urus, loosely based on the same platform as the Porsche Cayenne, Audi Q7 and Bentley Bentayga, will have a 4.0-liter twin-turbo V-8 when it arrives next year with a starting price just under $200,000.

Mazda EV: Mazda has said it plans to introduce an EV in 2019, though it's unclear how large the vehicle would be and whether it would be a crossover or a car. Expect Mazda's partnership with Toyota to play a role here as Toyota itself plans an EV around 2019 (particularly in China) or 2020.

Mercedes-Benz EQC: Mercedes plans to sell at least one EV per segment under its new EQ subbrand. The first, a compact crossover called the EQC, arrives in 2019.

Mini EV: An electric Mini will go on sale in the U.S. in late 2019, though officials haven't said what it will look like. A new body style isn't expected though, because Mini wants it to be a core vehicle and contribute meaningful volume.

Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross: A plug-in hybrid version of Mitsubishi's Outlander Sport replacement is expected to debut in 2019, a year after the gasoline model arrives.

Tesla Model Y: Tesla has said its upcoming small crossover will begin production in late 2019 or early 2020. It will be built on the Model 3 platform, despite earlier comments by CEO Elon Musk to the contrary. At Tesla's shareholder meeting in June, Musk said the company may have to find a new manufacturing site for the Model Y because the Fremont, Calif., plant is "bursting at the seams."

Volvo EVs: Volvo Cars kicked off the flurry of electrified product announcements in July, when it said all new vehicles introduced starting in 2019 would be a hybrid or an EV. The statement included plans to roll out five EVs from 2019 through 2021, three under the Volvo badge and two under the recently spun-off Polestar performance line.

2020

Acura TLX: Look for a hybrid or plug-in hybrid version of the TLX in 2020, when it joins the Accord and others on Honda's modular platform.

Audi A6/S6: Expect the redesigned sedans to arrive in 2020 with Audi's e-tron plug-in hybrid global powertrain available in the U.S.

Audi A7/S7/RS 7: A new generation of Audi's fastback sedan will arrive in 2020 with e-tron plug-in hybrid models to follow.

BMW i3: A redesign of the i3 is expected in 2020.

BMW X3: An electric version of BMW's small crossover will arrive in 2020.

Chevrolet Bolt EV: Chevy will look to update the Bolt, which offers an estimated 238-mile range per battery charge, in about three years.

Chrysler Pacifica: The well-regarded minivan, which comes in a plug-in hybrid version with a battery range of 33 miles, will be freshened in 2020.

Genesis GV70: The compact crossover bows in 2020 and should become Genesis' volume seller. Hybrid or plug-in hybrid versions are possible.

Maserati Alfieri: The concept two-seat coupe debuted at the 2014 Geneva auto show and was to arrive in 2016, followed immediately by a convertible. Now it looks like the Alfieri hardtop won't arrive until at least 2020, and it's rumored to be undergoing a redesign as an EV.

Mercedes-Benz E class: A plug-in version of the E-class sedan already is sold outside the U.S. but likely won't come here until after a 2020 freshening of the vehicle line.

Mercedes-Benz EQA: A production version of the EQA concept, a compact hatchback shown in Frankfurt, is expected to go to market around 2020.

Mini Countryman: Mini's largest nameplate, which gained a plug-in variant with this year's redesign, will be freshened in 2020.

Mitsubishi EV: With the electric i-MiEV getting the ax, Mitsubishi's replacement EV likely will come in the form of a rebadged or reconfigured second-gen Nissan Leaf. The body style remains unknown; it could be a crossover. Look for this to debut around 2020 with a range of more than 200 miles on a charge.

Tesla Model S: After giving its flagship sedan a new nose in April 2016, Tesla is expected to redesign the Model S in 2020.

Tesla Model X: Given the compact crossover's delayed launch, a redesign is unlikely until 2024 or 2025. The falcon-wing doors have proved to be a manufacturing headache for the automaker, and will probably stay for the short term to make the most of Tesla's investment. A mild freshening — such as the grille change the Model S received in 2016 — could come in 2020.

Porsche sedan EV: A production version of the 600-hp Mission E concept will go on sale in the U.S. in late 2019 or, more likely, early 2020, though with a different name. It's expected to have a higher level of autonomous driving features than Porsche has put in its vehicles to date and multiple variants with different levels of power. Porsche is targeting annual sales of about 20,000 vehicles.

Volkswagen EV: VW will launch the first EV based on its new MEB EV platform architecture in the U.S. in 2020. It is expected to be based on the I.D. Crozz crossover concept the brand showed at the Shanghai auto show.

Volkswagen e-Golf: A redesign of the Golf and e-Golf has been moved up a year to 2020.

2021

BMW iNEXT: BMW says it will introduce the iNEXT EV crossover in 2021, with semiautonomous driving capabilities and a range topping 310 miles. The iNEXT initially could roll out in a limited fashion to ride-sharing fleets before the general public, though some in the company want to take the vehicle straight to consumers.

Mercedes-Benz EQ sedans: Two EQ sedans are possible in 2021, a larger one earlier in the year and a smaller one after that.

Read more >> The 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio appears to be the SUV King of the ‘Ring

The 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio appears to be the SUV King of the ‘Ring

Putting the numbers into perspective, the Stelvio lapped the ‘Ring faster than the previous-generation Ford GT, an E60 (2005-10) BMW M5 and a Lamborghini Gallardo. That’s not bad if you need something to haul the kids around and then hit your local road course without swapping cars.
All that being said, there is some controversy surrounding the lap time: Popular racing website Bridge to Gantry points out the video is cut together from multiple laps. Now, that might not undermine the lap time itself, which was likely officially timed from one lap, but it does raise questions about how the numbers were achieved. Certain sections of the lap repeat on the video, while others are simply omitted. We've reached out to Alfa for comment.

With a slew of hot crossovers hitting the street soon, we imagine the revolving door of Nurburgring records will keep spinning. Until then, Alfa holds the record for the fastest production four-door sedan and the fastest SUV around the ‘Ring.
Check out the video above and see if you can spot the inconsistencies.

Read more >> McLaren's next hypercar will be an F1-inspired three-seater

McLaren's next hypercar will be an F1-inspired three-seater

McLaren revealed a bit more info on its upcoming Aston Martin Valkyrie- and Mercedes Project One-fighting hyper GT car. It’s codenamed BP23 and it “will be the most powerful and most aerodynamic road-going McLaren ever produced.”

McLaren says development is underway at the McLaren Special Operations division. The B in the name stands for bespoke -- only 106 will be made, all already sold out -- and the 3 stands for three seats. P2 is "project two." We’re expecting a McLaren F1-style road car with one seat in the middle and two set slightly back.

Dead center, the way man was meant to drive. 

This mule appears to use the 720S platform for testing. We’re not sure if that means it will continue using the Monocage II body structure or if the company is literally just testing the seat arrangement. It’ll also be a hybrid, says McLaren. We wouldn’t be angry with a P1 powertrain, a 720S body and an F1 seat setup.

With the advent of the BP23, we could be witnessing the next great triumvirate hypercar race, after the P1, Porsche 918 Spyder, LaFerrari showdown from a few years ago.

As always, it’s a great time to be an enthusiast, a great time to a rich guy and a great time to be alive.

This will be the fastest McLaren ever, so expect a top speed well in excess of 200 mph.

Read more >> We get inside Porsche’s secret museum

We get inside Porsche’s secret museum

“We ask that you not take any photographs of the outside of the building, or of the street, or that you say where this is…” said Porsche Museum leiter Alexander Klein.

This place was a secret and a pretty well-kept secret at that. You may know the public Porsche Museum in Stuttgart. This is not that. If you want to see cool old Porsches, you can see many, many cool race cars and production cars (and even a tractor) at the public Porsche Museum at Porscheplatzz 1, 70435 Stuttgart, Germany. We saw that place, too, on a recent visit, and it is well worth your time to stop by. The public Porsche Museum has everything from the 356/1, the very first 356 (and it is truly a thing of beauty), to race cars like the 550 Spyders, 917s and 962s, as well as modern production cars you may have lusted after. You may still lust after them.

But in all, Porsche owns 575 historic race cars, prototypes and early development mules that went on to become production cars, and it can’t keep all those at the public museum in Stuttgart. So it has about 300 or so cars at this secret warehouse in… well, we won’t say where. And we might not even be able to find it now; we went there on a shuttle bus and we were a little delirious from jet lag and dehydration.

But once we got inside, hoo baby!

We love the 908 and would love to drive one. Jerry?

The first thing you see are the race cars, which are parked near the front of the huge 9000-square-meter building (almost 100,000 square feet to you and me). There are 160 race cars here. Right there in front is a Jo Siffert/Derek Bell Gulf-liveried 917. Next to that is a Derek Bell/Hans Stuck/Al Holbert Rothman’s-liveried 962. Across from those is Jo Siffert’s 917-10 Can-Am in RC Cola colors. And a Gulf 908/3 from the 1970 Targa Florio. It goes on: A 906, a 917 with the prototype flat 16 engine that never saw competition, the 911 GT3R hybrid race car driven by American Patrick Long, Dan Gurney’s 1962 F1 car, Porsche Indycars stacked in wooden crates with plexiglass panels on the end so you could look in, and others too numerous to name.

But it isn’t all race cars.

“There are race cars, R&D cars, prototypes, all kind of steps from the first idea of a car and all the steps in between,” said Klein.

For instance, how do you make a four-seater Porsche? There was an early stretched 911 with back seats that look like they’d fit live adult humans, for one. There were some ideas that might have looked better than the current Panamera.

There was a 984 design study for a mid-engine roadster done 10 years before the Boxster came out. There was a 989 that ran around the Nardo oval with a 200-liter gas tank trying to set speed records.
There were rows and rows of 356s, 911s and 924/944/968 cars, some in prototype form, some in production trim. One section had 911s stacked in racks three high to the ceiling. There was a Cayenne convertible that could give the Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet a run for its ugliness.

It's all fascinating. And all very secret. Which it will stay.

Read more >> Lamborghini Aventador S track review: 730 hp and an aptly named ego mode

Lamborghini Aventador S track review: 730 hp and an aptly named ego mode

“We’re putting you two in your own run group,” said Dean DiGiacomo, Lamborghini’s Super Trofeo series factory driver and chief instructor for this event, as I anxiously awaited my stint on the Auto Club Speedway Sports Car Circuit. This would normally be joyous news to me, as smaller run groups in lead/follow lapping typically reduce the chances of the pace being held back by a colleague with less on-track experience. But the other journalist he pointed to was Justin Bell, a former FIA GT champion and 24-Hours of Le Mans class-winner, and it suddenly became clear that I would be the anchor in this equation.

But I’m getting a little ahead of myself here. That’s easy to do with 730 hp at the command of your right foot, and a naturally aspirated, 6.5-liter V12 singing behind your head.

The Aventador S replaces the new-in-2012 standard Aventador and, even at first glance, it’s clearly more track focused. For example, Lamborghini redesigned the front end to improve airflow to the engine’s radiators and enhance aerodynamics, which also ratchets up the visual aggression.

Paired with a revised rear splitter, Lamborghini says the S is now 50 percent more aero efficient while providing 130 percent more downforce than the outgoing model. Some of the additional downforce comes from a new active rear wing, which varies between three different positions based on speed and selected drive mode. Speaking of drive modes, the S gains a much-needed (though perhaps questionably named) “ego” mode, which adds a fourth option alongside strada, sport and corsa that allows the driver to create a preset which brings together their preferred traction, steering and suspension settings.

“You’re going to feel a big difference between this car and the standard Aventador out on the track,” DiGiacomo assured us during the technical briefing. Among the various updates, its handling revisions are, perhaps, the most crucial, including revised suspension geometry, a real-time variable damping system, and a new four-wheel steering system.

Originally debuted last year in the $2 million, ultra-exclusive Centenario, this setup functions similarly to most other four-wheel steering systems currently available. At low speeds the rear wheels turn in the opposite direction of the front wheels, while at higher speeds -- above roughly 82 mph -- all four wheels move in the same direction. Lamborghini’s implementation is particularly aggressive, offering up to 1.5 degrees of counter steering, which effectively reduces the wheelbase by 700mm and extends it by 500mm when all four wheels turn in unison.

The system is most evident at lower speeds, where the car’s eagerness to turn in can actually take a moment to acclimate to. That four-wheel steering system is teamed with a particularly quick rack that makes the Aventador S more willing to change direction than its size might suggest. It also improves the car’s turning radius, which is nice around town.

If anyone ever considered the Aventador a one-trick pony, those days are over. In corsa mode with minimal intrusion from the electronics and a 20/80 torque split biased toward the rear wheels, a midcorner throttle application can kick the back end out and set the car into a modest four-wheel drift. The chassis feels surprisingly lively, yet it’s easy to manage at speed. It takes ham-fisted inputs to make the Aventador S understeer.

Justin Bell certainly wouldn’t be ham-fisted. Would I be able to keep up? At first, I assumed my ego would be saved by the lead car keeping us corralled during the session for the equipment’s sake. Though it lacks elevation change, this 2.8-mile circuit makes use of about half the superspeedway. Cars like the Aventador S flirt with 170 mph by the end of the main straight before scrubbing off speed for turn one. Surely Lamborghini would guard their coveted, $421,000 flagship model from any abuse. Wouldn’t they?

They would not. The first hint came to me from DiGiacomo’s suggestion to switch the drive mode to corsa (race), before we headed out of the pits. Confirmation came shortly thereafter, when Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo series champion Shinya Michimi set our speed at “let’s see what you’ve got.”

With Bell sent out behind me, I was essentially sandwiched between a pair of motorsport champions. Auto Club’s sports car course is fast and certainly favors high horsepower cars like the S, but the infield also offers a few surprises, like the late apex at turn 9 and the kink that essentially comprises turns 11 and 12, the latter a section which can be taken flat out in this car but will keep you on your toes as the new suspension setup allows the back end to step out for half a breath. I’ve long said that what I lack in talent I do my best to make up for in courage, and the generous back straight allowed me to mash the throttle to put a little bit of distance between myself and Bell, who was likely falling asleep behind me. But we’re hard on those big carbon ceramics again for 13, and the start of another technical section gathered our trio back together.

Once we’d reached the oval portion of the track, Lamborghini’s latest party piece could really be uncorked. As the infield course funneled traffic out on to the wide banking, I dipped back into the seemingly endless wealth of grunt on tap from the V12. The single-clutch seven-speed automated-manual that so often felt out of sorts at low speeds seemed to find its calling here at wide open throttle, delivering upshifts with recoil akin to a 12-gauge shotgun as the digital speedometer rapidly climbed past 160 mph. With the baritone wail of the V12 behind me and my body reflexively bracing for each shunt of the gearbox, the experience was genuinely visceral

Midway through our session, Bell and I switched positions and I was left to trail this particularly quick pair. I looked at this as a free coaching session and did my best to replicate Bell’s line and braking points, but inevitably the gap widened, particularly through the technical sections. I managed to reign them back in on the fast stretches to some degree -- perhaps my confidence in the capability of the Aventador S allowed me to momentarily forget that the car I was pounding on retails for nearly half a million dollars.

It’s clearly a capable track car, but a heavy one. The new exhaust system is lighter, but that’s offset by the four-wheel steering system. Overall, the Aventador S lugs around roughly two-tons of weight in U.S. specification. That mass is particularly evident when stomping on those near-infallible brakes from high speeds, as the substantial amount of hardware situated behind you starts to wiggle around a bit. And while the new steering and suspension bits do indeed bolster the car’s cornering prowess, ultimately there’s only so much that engineering can do to fight the realities of physics.

While imperfect, there’s no shortage of things to lust over when considering the Lamborghini Aventador S. We live in an era that increasingly favors small-displacement turbocharging and the prioritization of civility over emotion. The fact that this car can leave just about anyone, even jaded auto journalists, breathless and giggling like children after driving it is irrefutable proof that Lamborghini’s approach to supercar building remains a worthwhile endeavor.