Preview: Lots of power, more displacement and less car
With the A290, Renault subsidiary Alpine is presenting the sporty offshoot of the equally new Renault 5 E-Tech Electric. With an output of up to 160 kW (218 hp), the small electric car already promises plenty of driving fun on paper. At just under 1.5 tons, the small hot hatch is also quite light for an electric car. Next week, our author Guido Borck will report on the driving dynamics and what else the Alpine has to offer.
The letters RS have stood for "Rallye Sport" at Skoda for 50 years. In the meantime, the abbreviation has become a sports badge for the most powerful versions of each model series. This is now also the case with the new Octavia RS, which has been given a small performance boost in addition to more extensive equipment. We drove the enhanced family sports car.
Already a car or more of a mobility aid? The Nanocar Silence S04 plays in the same league as the Opel Rocks Electric, Citroën Ami or Fiat Topolino. As an exclusive partner, Nissan has taken over the nationwide distribution of the electric car, which is just 2.28 meters long and weighs 425 kilograms, and invited customers to take the first test drive.
More displacement instead of more power - this is the principle behind the Mazda 3 and Mazda CX-30 with a new entry-level engine for the 2025 model year. The e-Skyactiv G 140 with four cylinders and 2.5-liter displacement in combination with a hybrid system should deliver significantly more torque in the lower and medium speed range than the previous 2.0-liter petrol engine. Frank Wald has tried it out. We also drove the new, five-door Mini Aceman: What can the all-electric Mini "Made in China", which is offered at an astonishingly low price, do?
The basic vehicles for motorhomes are built less for comfortable traveling than for carrying heavy loads. This can be a real pain on a vacation trip. But there is a remedy. Chassis tuning by professionals like Goldschmitt teaches Ducato and co. some manners.
In recent years, all-terrain vehicles, or ATVs for short, have become increasingly popular in this country too. They can still go further where other vehicles have long since had to give up. Fire departments and emergency services, for example, have come to appreciate this. BRP has just refreshed its Can-Am Outlander.
Of course, the Lucid Air is a more comfortable way to get around. This time, the premium electric car with a long range is not a Chinese manufacturer, but an American start-up with funding from Saudi Arabia. We were out and about in Germany and Switzerland to test it in practice.
Stellantis is rebuilding the traditional Lancia brand. This also includes a return to rallying.
As usual, we will also keep you up to date with the latest news from the colorful world of mobility. (aum)
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Alpine A290 GTS Vision Blue.
Photo source: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Alpine
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Skoda Octavia RS.
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Photo source: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Silence
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Photo source: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Mazda
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Photo source: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Mini
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Companies such as Goldschmitt teach van chassis manners for use as camper vans.
Photo source: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Kirchberger
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Photo source: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Lucid
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Photo source: Autoren-Union Mobilität/Stellantis
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