pumadog

Cladding on the dashboard? 🙃

As every new Renault looks different at the moment I wonder if Renault has a common design identity at all. In contrast the interiors of R5, R4 and this are quite similar. A little bit strange that the soft/cloth parts of the Clio's dashboard and door cards are where you don't touch normally and not at the arm rests.

The open (and double rear) lights are interesting and cool but might be a pain to keep clean with all the cracks and holes. Overall the car looks ok, but the front is very busy, anonymous and – for me – plain ugly. Too bad the Clio got 6–7 cm longer without offering more wheelbase or space. They cheapened the car in some elements, like the missing adjustable boot floor.

The next Corsa on STLA Small will come electric-only in 2027. It's planned to start under 25k Euro to rival the upcoming VW ID Polo. The current generation might be sold alongside as ICE/HEV, at least in south Europe. Top Gear had an interview with CEO Florian Huettl: https://www.topgear.com/car-news/electric/next-vauxhall-corsa-will-be-electric-only-cost-ps22k-and-look-a-bit-gse

IAA seems to be only Opel and Leapmotor.

I know, my second sentence belongs to that thought. 😀 There's also the possibility that they continue with the 2.0 T4 in the new models. Upcoming T4 EVO version (with enhancements from T6 "Hurricane") seems to be still in test phase.

But they need to continue Giulia/Stelvio in North America if they don't want to give up there. And I guess the low production makes more sense when they have additional sales from Europe. Also, the next generations will have a better start with continuity until then. So it's a mixed calculation.

List price is only 1000 € cheaper than the hybrid in Germany. Quite strange if equipment is the same. You really have to dislike hybrid or automatic to go for it. Edit: Hybrid got 1000 € more expensive, Turbo takes its price point.

Rather Smart Car. AFAIK all upcoming VW cars will get real names again.

I think that plant is at full capacity already with C3, Aircross and Frontera. They moved (or wanted to) some C3 capacity to Kragujevac in April. Maybe GPs will also produced in Marocco next to the bigger Fiats if Serbia can't handle it?

The original TT was likeable. This looks cold and repellent like a WWII bunker.

Why are the interest charges so high in Italy? Don't know about Fiat, but I can get a Junior in Germany with 0,99%. https://www.alfaromeo.de/angebote/auto-kaufen/junior-finanzierung#Junior

It's fascinating that these top managers have really bad portrait so often. Also at Stellantis with that fake aluminium background. What's so hard to get them photographed by a professional in a constant style?

I think the handle is simple impractical or even unreachable for small persons in that high corner of the window of a 165 cm SUV. I‘m sure it‘s much better to reach on the Junior, let alone Giulietta. main problems are wheelbase and stance. I actually prefer the front of the production car to the concept, but it lost with the absence of alu/chrome frames.

Yes, I should have differentiated. But it's the end goal. I think currently there's no market or rules to aid disabled or elderly people with this. Either they are allowed to drive a car (maybe with physical help like a knob or hand-gas) or not. Who would pay for it as an 2–3,000 € extra? Who admits "my reaction, vision and/or vitality is too bad, I need it"? Or should carmakers build it in as standard to spread costs and make cars even more expensive?

I read it that they pause the program and don't implement it in the near future. But not that they completely stop it like hydrogen. A little bit logical since Alfa Stelvio and Giulia were supposed to introduce it. I think the most useful applications are self-driving taxis and busses, not private cars.

And who was responsible for the image-changing products? Jean-Philippe Imparato. 🙃

But the FIRE were made by robots. If I look at the 1.6 FHEV press material, everything looks like handmade in a greasy workshop. 🤡 How much human work is in the 2.0 GME?

What's the benefit of MHEV compared to FHEV? Cheaper? Battery sizes of 1.2 MHEV and 1.6 FHEV are pretty similar.

The V6 and V8 are hybrids? I thought – if at all – the new T6 Hurricane aka SIXPACK. There's also an upcoming RAM 1500 REEV: range extender.

Exterior got better without the teeth. No clue what changed in the cabin. High beams in the 2nd row? But I still think the standing lion logo was better, more recognisable. They could have just made that 2D, black & white

I'd think most money for DS went into the interiors, which are really more premium – if you like the style or not. I don't understand votes to kill Vauxhall or Chrysler. Vauxhall is just a local badge without overlap to make it a home brand for UK. Chrysler is one of only two STLA "mainstream" car brands in North America and there should be more than enough room for it. It simply needs product. If Lancia survives, I'd expect it to be the local DS version for some markets (if that survives on its own). To succeed as a brand alone, there's no business case for it if you don't pump billions over decades into it.

When integrated, they could reduce the range to C3 (+ Aircross), C4(+ Aircross), C5 Aircross, DS7, DS8. No C/DS sister cars. And add a C1/2 as a Pand(in)a sister.

Not everything that appears like a frame on the leaked graphic is a frame. Much of it is exaggerated light edges. Just look how current Alfas appear on the dashboard screens. The Tonale front might appear more flat/homogeneous in real life. I love the aluminium bars, want them on the Junior as well!

Maybe true. Same should be done with Abarth, that doesn't even have exclusive models. Lancia? Well, imagine they did a Punto instead of the Ypsilon …