The Audi A3 saloon is the firm’s response to the Mercedes-Benz CLA - a car based on a hatchback, styled like a coupe but having four doors and a boot.

It’s aimed primarily at Chinese and American markets where hatchbacks aren’t very popular.

At 150mm longer than the five-door A3 Sportback it's based on, the cabin is larger and the boot has an extra 45 litres of boot space.

On the road it actually performs very well indeed. It’s quiet and refined on the move and feels pretty comfortable too.

In terms of looks, the A3 saloon is likely to appeal to those who traditionally would have been stuck with a hatchback. If you want a ‘big Audi’ then this is the cheapest way to get into one.

One diesel and two petrol engines

There are three engines available upon the launch of the A3 Sportback – two petrol offerings coupled with Audi’s excellent seven-speed S Tronic semi-automatic gearbox and one diesel option available with a six-speed manual ‘box.

In terms of running costs, the cheapest will be the 2.0-litre diesel engine. It offers 148bhp and 320Nm, which means a sprint to 62mph in 8.4 seconds with a top speed of 132mph. Fuel economy is this car’s main advantage, with a claimed 68.9mpg possible while CO2 emissions are 107g/km. That means road tax will be cheap and it’ll also be favourable as a company car.

Next up is a 1.4-litre petrol engine which thanks to clever cylinder-on-demand technology (which shuts down two of the four cylinders when not in use, saving significant amounts of fuel) boasts similar statistics. It’ll hit 62mph in 8.4 seconds with a top speed of 135mph. CO2 emissions are 109g/km while claimed fuel economy is slightly less than the diesel at 60.1mpg.

Best performance comes from a 1.8-litre petrol engine which produces 178bhp and 250Nm for a sprint to 62mph in 7.3 seconds and a top speed of 144mph. Claimed fuel economy for this one is 50.4mpg and CO2 emissions are 129g/km, meaning it’ll be a bit more expensive to tax.

Long list of equipment

As standard on all A3 saloons will be alloy wheels, air conditioning, digital radio with a seven-inch folding display screen, iPod connectivity, Bluetooth hands-free preparation with voice control and a multi-function steering wheel to control multimedia functions.

Being a premium German car, you can also expect a huge range of optional extras available for the A3 Saloon. Audio system upgrades, LED front lighting systems and a host of additional safety features are likely to prove popular with buyers.

 

At the launch of the 997-generation 911 Turbo in 2006, Porsche faced a daunting future. Anti-car chatter from EU legislators proposed banning anything that produced more than 241g/km of CO2 and exceeded 101mph. ‘We’ll have to close if the European Commission decides that every carmaker must reach [these targets],’ a Porsche exec told CAR.

Yet Porsche is not a company to take things lying down. It responded with the hybrid Cayenne and Panamera, and with the tech-laden 918 Spyder that’s waiting in the wings. Now there’s another model tasked with keeping the brand’s overall CO2 emissions down: Porsche’s first plug-in, the Panamera S E-Hybrid. 

The Porsche Panamera S E-hybrid's petrol-electric heart

Porsche’s 410bhp Panamera S E-Hybrid is powered by the 3.0-litre supercharged V6 used in the previous Hybrid, but now has 328bhp and a water-cooled electric motor-generator. The new electric motor-generator produces 94bhp and a handy 229lb ft torque – 47bhp more than the unit used in the existing Panamera Hybrid. In EV mode, the E-Hybrid’s capable of 84mph and a range of 22.4 miles.

The combo meets 2014 EU6 emissions regs, yet is still good for 0-62mph in 5.5-seconds, only 0.4sec behind the Panamera S, and its 167mph top speed is only 11mph down. Where the E-Hybrid wins is efficiency, of course: official figures of 91mpg and 71g/km of CO2 (helped by the battery charge) are far better than the S’s 32.5mpg and relatively whopping 204g/km.

Multi-mode electrified driving

There are three driving modes: E-Power, E-Charge and Sport mode, selectable via the Panamera’s centre console. The E-Hybrid will move off the mark in electric mode, with E-Power prioritising electric-only drive unless the driver accelerates hard or battery charge diminishes. E-Charge mode tops up the battery fully, which is a great way to set this car up for an indulgent session of Sport Mode, which switches the Panamera’s character back to ‘full-on Porsche.’

With none of the above selected, the Panamera runs in Hybrid mode, balancing use of the electric motor against battery charge. There are no surprises when it comes to driving manners: this is still pure Porsche.

 

Though we’ve seen new the BMW i3 in full production trim, and had a ride in the carbonfibre electric city car, there’s still a short wait before anyone can get behind the wheel of a showroom-spec example in the UK – or is there?

BMW has launched a smartphone and tablet app – ‘BMW i3: Become Electric’, which it claims allows users to virtually test drive the new i3 without so much as setting foot outside their front door, yet alone finding the time to head to a BMW dealership. It’s available now on the Apple App Store, and from 26 September 2013 on Google Play.

Test driving a BMW i3 on an iPhone? Sounds preposterous…

BMW says the app ‘invites users to assume the position of the driver and supporting actor in a dramatic, fast-paced race to save the world… [the app is] shot in 360-[degree] detail using complete surround sound’. CAR fancied saving the world and trying out one of 2013’s most hotly anticipated cars, so we’ve downloaded the app and given it a go.

What’s it like?

Better sampled on a tablet than a phone for a start – the bigger the screen, the better. As for the actual driving experience, you’ll only control the i3 once: tapping the screen to ‘press’ the accelerator pedal. Users can operate the sat-nav when prompted too, but mostly you’re just a passenger in the storyline.

The ‘show-your-friends’ feature is the 360-degree interactivity of the app. Using the accelerometer in your device, you control the viewing aspect by tilting and turning your phone or tablet. Want to turn to face your excited, world-saving passenger? Simply tilt to the right and look across at the agitated chap who’s inexplicably chosen a 168bhp EV as a do-or-die getaway car. Then look left to spot the hooded figures chasing your mission down. Why Harry Potter’s Dementors are after a BMW i3 we’re not too sure…

What do we learn about the i3 from the app?

In terms of facts and figures, nothing you can’t glean from our original news story. The cabin looks rather smart at night, and visibility looks decent thanks to the elevated driving position. That’s about it for this novelty app, though. Why not incorporate some sort of driving level where the idea is to avoid draining the battery and firing up the range-extender engine, BMW?

Still, the 360-degree panning vision is fun, and it’s a free app, after all – worth checking out as a preview of the future of new car promotion, and then consigning to the Recycle Bin. We’ll wait with interest for the real-life test drive of BMW’s potentially revolutionary city car – and its i8 supercar sibling. In the meantime, if you’ve downloaded the BMW i3 Become Electric app, tell us your thoughts on BMW’s virtual test drive idea in the comments below.

BMW is buddying up with Toyota on an all-new sports car platform, set to underpin the replacements for the Z4, 6-series and GT86. The unlikely collaboration stems from an alliance that began in 2011, where BMW and Toyota agreed to co-develop next-generation lithium ion batteries, and for Toyota to use BMW’s fourpot diesels in its European cars. An engineering team is beavering away on the project, with the clock ticking: the suits want to outline the car’s specification before the end of 2013. 

What does BMW get out of the bargain?

BMW wants a flexible platform that can underpin a likely two-seat roadster and a bigger, high performance coupe. It’s a pressing matter for Munich: Z4 sales have dried up, with just 15,249 sold in 2012. And the current flagship sports car – the M6 – is deemed too much of a chunky gran tourer compared with the Audi R8 and Mercedes’ 911 rival due in 2016. It’ll be fascinating to see if the Z4 and 6-series evolve into very different propositions as the project firms up.

And what's in it for Toyota exactly?

Meanwhile Toyota could use the platform to revive the MR2 and perhaps the Supra, as well as replace the GT86. Regardless, the move looks very bad news for Subaru, Toyota’s junior partner in today’s GT86/BRZ coupes.

How is the new BMW-Toyota sports car shaping up?

BMW and Toyota want a lightweight, rear-drive platform, with the engine mounted up front but pushed back as far as possible. The sports car will incorporate carbonfibre composite technology, to boost agility and handling – two areas where Toyota wants to go to school on BMW know-how. The project team is assessing the costs/benefits of a hybrid element to the drivetrain too.

Unsurprisingly, politics is causing friction behind the scenes at BMW, where a growing number of GT86s on Belgian plates and Auris Verso MPVs powered by BMW diesels are invading the car parks, along with a solitary Lexus LFA. BMW’s old guard are racking up a list of grumbles: first, eco-brand Project i swallowed around €2.6 billion of investment they’d have preferred funding ‘Ultimate Driving Machines’, now an unwelcome Japanese connection might put off die-hard BMW customers, they fear.

The M Division also frets it could lose out if Toyota ends up leading the sports car project; tensions are already running high after BMW chairman Norbert Reithofer put the on/off M8 supercar back on ice, throttling the plan to unveil the 650bhp mid-engined coupe on BMW’s 100th birthday. Reithofer is far more excited by halo cars such as the hybrid i8 supercar, and he’ll be fascinated by the fuel cell and hybrid learning that can be gleaned from Toyota, to help feed the i brand.

 

This behemoth is the Brabus B63S 700 6x6, a six-wheel drive G-wagen with 690bhp that’s been revealed at the 2013 Frankfurt motor show.

Is the Brabus B63S just pie-in-the-sky concept car?

No, it’s a real Brabus production vehicle, based on Mercedes AMG’s own mad G63 6x6. That AMG Merc is powered by a 536bhp twin-turbo 5.5-litre V8 engine, but Brabus has increased the power output of the B63S to a Lamborghini Aventador-rivalling 690bhp. And there’s a monstrous 708lb ft (produced between 2000 and 4500rpm) instead of the standard 561lb ft. All six of the rear wheels are driven by a seven-speed automatic gearbox.

That extra 154bhp comes courtesy of two Brabus-spec turbochargers which raise the boost pressure, new high-performance catalysts, and gold leaf-trimmed intake and turbo pipes to lower the temperature of the air entering the engine. There’s also a stainless steel, side-exit sports exhaust system with butterfly valves to control the noise of the V8, so you can switch between ‘Coming home’ and ‘Sport’ modes. And Brabus B63S comes with a three-year/62,000-mile warranty.

How on earth will the Brabus B63S handle? In fact, will it handle like the Earth?

The standard Mercedes G63 AMG 6x6 already has six-wheel drive, a low-range gearbox, five differential locks and a tyre pressure control system that can adjust the 37-inch tyres, so the Brabus’s extra power will only make ploughing through muddy tracks even easier.

Yet all that power has to fight against nearly four tonnes, so the B63S hits 62mph in /only/ 7.4 seconds and even Brabus has been sensible enough to limit it to 100mph because of the huge off-road tyres.

And would you even want to take the Brabus B63S off-road? That carbonfibre bonnet scoop and carbon wheelarches, polished underbody protection and black paint will show up scratches a treat. Then again, the red leather and Alcantara interior might look better covered in mud.

Yours from about £400k…

The five most important memorable cars in attendance at the world’s biggest motor show

Audi Sport Quattro concept

Nothing is as controversial as irritating your core enthusiasts, and the Audi Sport Quattro concept risks doing just that. Its name and styling riff off one of the most iconic cars in Audi’s back catalogue – and in WRC history – yet the new yellow version unveiled at the 2013 Frankfurt motor show has abandoned the five-cylinder engine, manual gearbox, and respectable kerbweight of the 2010 Quattro concept. In its place, we’ve an RS7-based coupe with the power of a Lamborghini Aventador (691bhp), twice the claimed economy of a Golf GTD (113mpg), but only because of a twin-turbo V8 mated to a hefty hybrid powertrain, and that means this new Sport Quattro weighs as much as a Bugatti Veyron Super Sport (1845kg). Blimey.

Setting aside our cynicism with the retro theme – and horror at the obesity of its hybrid powertrain – we should be grateful the Quattro is back. It’s been revived to rejuvenate enthusiasm in the idea of a rally-inspired flagship, sitting above the R8 in the range and made in limited numbers for high-performance Audi enthusiasts. And despite our reservations over its new petrol-electric philosophy, we still want to see it built, and to drive one. Time to put your Vorsprung Durch Technik where your mouth is, Ingolstadt.

BMW i8

This is brave. Whether or not punters are truly ready for all-electric superminis is hardly proven, yet BMW has gone and built them one: the i3. And not content with that technical headache, here’s a matching supercar stablemate, the i8. You can’t deny BMW’s got ambition, and it’s not just us watching with interest: you can bet everyone from Audi and Mercedes, to Tesla and Ferrari will be keeping a close eye on the i8’s on-road and sales spreadsheet performance.

The i8 costs as much as an Audi R8, at £95,000 or so, and will keep up with a the outgoing BMW M3. It’ll also be more eco-friendly than a 320d, thanks to lightweight carbonfibre construction, and a petrol three-cyinder/electric powertrain. BMW could’ve invested a fraction of the i3 and i8's development budget in a conventional (and more profitable) supermini and supercar (M5 V8 in something suitably wedgy, anyone?) but instead it’s put its chips down on range-extenders and spun the wheel. This could be the Frankfurt motor show we look back to in two decades’ time and recognise as the moment BMW changed the face of mass-market and high-performance motoring in one coup – or at least set the ball rolling.

Ferrari 458 Speciale

The world’s (and CAR's) favourite modern supercar gets lighter, louder, and faster – and it’s supposedly even more adept at making ham-fisted drivers look like oversteer heroes, thanks to the new Side Slip-angle Control function. The bodywork changes are a bit awkward from some angles, and the optional National American Racing Team-inspired stripe won’t be to all tastes either. But, you can’t deny a near-600bhp horsepower V8, revving to 9000rpm with nary a turbo in sight is going to be anything other than utterly exceptional. McLaren and Porsche have tried, but it could be that the only car to beat a 458 is a better 458.

Honda Civic Type R

Honda didn’t reveal the new Civic Type R is physical form at the show, but it did give us this video, and a mountain of confident bravado that it’s on the verge of creating an all-time great hot hatch. If it’s to be faster around the Nurburgring than the current class benchmark, the Renaultsport Megane Cup, and do justice to the Type R badge, it’ll need to be just that.

It’s been officially confirmed that the new Civic Type R will have a turbocharged (wince) 2.0-litre petrol engine, a manual gearbox, front-wheel drive, and use a mechanical limited slip differential. Power will be ‘at least 280PS’ (or 276bhp, identical to the Vauxhall Astra VXR’s output), and the car will beat the RS Megane’s 8min 7.97sec front-drive Nurburgring lap record. A sub-eight minute hot hatch? It could be on the cards…

Jaguar C-X17

Almost certainly the star car of the 2013 Frankfurt show – even though Jaguar’s official party line is the C-X17 is by no means a production dead-cert. After the reaction it’s garnered this week, it’s impossible to imagine Jag dealerships not clamouring for the things – likely to be named QX – come 2015.

Compare the C-X17’s reception to the last time a well-respected sporting British marque unveiled a mould-breaking SUV: the Bentley EXP 9F. Even with Asian buyers ready to pay through the nose for a Flying B-badged mud-plugger, reaction was so vitriolic a full redesign was ordered. By contrast, Ian Callum and his Jaguar design team looks to have pulled off another crowd- and customer-pleasing masterstroke with Jag’s 4x4.

If you’re still convinced a Jaguar crossover is sacrilege, take solace in the knowledge that at least a year before the purported QX arrives, the show car’s 'iQ-Al' aluminium architecture will be used to underpin a cheaper, more agile sports saloon to rival the BMW 3-series. And it'll banish thoughts of the X-type faster than that ‘neuralyser’ memory erasing gadget from Men In Black.

Honourable mentions:

• Caterham Seven 160 – Space-saver tyres, 660cc three-pot engine, 80bhp, less than £17,000. Set to punch way above its (sub-500kg) weight

• Porsche 918 Spyder – yes, we’ve seen Porsche’s 875bhp hybrid supercar before, but no-one really saw that sub-7min Nurburgring lap time coming – least of all McLaren

• Renault Initiale Paris concept – new Espace gets some design joie de vivre and real-world F1 engine tech

Dishonourable mentions:

• Brabus B63S-700 6x6 – 690bhp V8 six-wheeler single-handedly undoes all the planet-saving work done by VW Bluemotion, Greenpeace, and Al Gore

• Bugatti Veyron Vitesse ‘Jean Bugatti’ Legend Edition – we thought it impossible to make an 1183bhp, 265mph hypercar boring, but with another meaningless ‘special edition’ Bugatti manages it

• Lexus LF-NX concept – posh crossovers are hot property, but the LF-NX’s eye-popping design robs it of being taken seriously

 

Formula E, the new elite racing series for electric single-seaters, has got the FIA’s backing, confirmed the major cities that will host the races, and now we've finally seen the crucial racecar. This is the Spark-Renault SRT_01E, a joint project developed between Renaultsport and Spark Racing Technology (SRT) which has just been unveiled at the 2013 Frankfurt motor show. There’s also been input from F1 legends Williams and McLaren, plus Dallara (which builds all the cars for the IndyCar series in the US).

Last time I saw an electric racing car, it lived on a Scalextric track…

The Spark-Renault SRT_01E is a bit more serious than your average bedroom floor toy. The 200kg battery, enclosed in a puncture-proof safety cell, powers a 200kW (268bhp) electric motor, which drives the rear wheels. Like in F1, the cars will be at their fastest in qualifying, when the full 268bhp is on tap. During races, 178bhp will be the standard output, with a momentary boost up to 268bhp unlocked via a steering wheel-mounted ‘push to pass’ button.

Each of the twenty drivers (split two to a team, as per F1) will use a mechanically identical Spark-Renault SRT_01E, which must weigh a minimum of 800kg with a driver on board. The identical racers will hit 62mph in 3.0sec, and are limited to a 125mph top speed because of the urban race environments. Conjecture that a similar limiter has been accidentally fitted to Max Chilton’s Marussia is now rife.

So there’s going to be lots of overtaking in Formula-E?

That’s the plan. Not only do drivers get a go-faster button to nail passes, but the cars’ aerodynamics have been designed to encourage close racing. And higher-than-usual ride height for single-seaters should mean the cars won’t be deflected too badly by the bumpy street circuits Formula E is destined for.

Where will Formula E races be held?

The inaugural season, which kicks off in September 2014, has a ten-race calendar. Confirmed city race venues include London, Berlin, Rome, Los Angeles, Miami, and Rio de Janeiro, and the series is backed by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA).

You mentioned McLaren and Williams helped develop the Spark-Renault SRT_01E?

Indeed. Renault’s duty was designing and integrating the high-performance electric drivetrain, which is then built by McLaren Electronic Systems – yes, that’s an arm of the same McLaren Group which builds the 12C and P1 supercars, and Jenson’s F1 car. Meanwhile, Williams has been in charge (sorry) of designing the ultimate racing battery.

SRT designs the suspension and aerodynamics, and completes the final assembly, once the main carbonfibre monocoque has been manufactured by Dallara, the Italian outfit responsible for IndyCar, Formula 3 and GP2 chassis.

 

This is the new Nissan X-Trail, which goes on UK sale in 2014. By offering a seven-seater option and an adaptive four-wheel-drive powertrain, Nissan is sounding the death-knell for its Qashqai+2 model: there’s to be a new, five-seater Qashqai next year. So, it better be good, the new X-Trail.

Is the new Nissan X-Trail more family crossover than SUV?

Yes, mostly. New features such as rear doors that open outwards by 80 degrees for easier rear seat access, and a split cargo area with an extendable shelf, are designed to make life easier for families drawn to the new X-Trail by its seven-seater capacity. There’s a remotely operated auto-open tailgate as well.

There’s a bigger focus on connectivity tech inside the new X-Trail too. The X-Trail is the first Nissan to enjoy the brand’s new ‘NissanConnected’ infotainment, which incorporates navigation, vehicle information and entertainment controls. Smartphone app integration is also included, all accessed via a 7in touchscreen surrounded by VW Group-style shortcut buttons.

The speedometer and rev-counter dials are bisected by a 5in screen, which shows the driver information about the car’s speed, navigation directions, audio settings and a torque graphic showing the status of the all-wheel-drive system. In total, the instrument binnacle screen can display 12 different handy functions.

Tell me more about the all-wheel-drive X-Trail

The 4x4 X-Trail uses an electronic AWD set-up, allowing a choice between two- and four-wheel drive via a rotary switch on the car’s centre console. In auto mode, the car senses slip itself, and directs torque to the rear wheels as necessary, at speeds of up to 49.7mph. In ‘Lock’ mode, the X-Trail remains in permanent all-wheel-drive mode.

Any other drivetrain highlights?

Nissan’s making a big noise about the suite of adaptive systems integrated into the new X-Trail. First off, there’s Active Ride Control, which monitors the road surface and adjusts damping depending on the surface. Active Engine Brake enhances engine braking via the ‘Xtronic’ automatic transmission when braking, so the car requires less pedal effort to bring it to a halt.

Active Trace Control is another new innovation for Nissan: it monitors the X-Trail’s speed, steering angle, throttle position or braking effort at any given moment, and brakes individual wheels to trim understeer on slippery roads. Hill-descent and hill-start gadgets are also fitted.

More details about the new X-Trail, including the engine line-up and prices will be released closer to the car’s European launch in early 2014. Bodes well for the UK-favorite Qashqai, we reckon…

 

The new Honda Civic Type R will, for the first time in Type R history, be powered by a turbocharged engine. That’s the news confirmed today at the 2013 Frankfurt motor show by Honda's European president, Manabu Nishimae, who announced the new hot hatch would employ a turbocharged 2.0-litre engine.

What has Honda officially announced about the Civic Type R at Frankfurt?

Just a teasing hint of the car's performance: 'We have recently spent a week at the Nurburgring, carrying out extensive testing and we are on target, and have already set a time approaching the lap record' said Honda boss Nishimae.

What do we know about the new Honda Civic Type R’s specs?

The 2.0-litre, four-cylinder engine will be turbocharged and use direct-injection fuel technology, giving better power delivery and economy than the revvy but torque-light VTEC cars. The power output will be at least 276bhp, all of it being entrusted to the front wheels via a mechanical limited-slip differential. Glimpse the rev counter in the video below and you'll spot the redline is set at 7000rpm: good for a turbo car, but nothing special for a Type R...

We expect trick anti-torque steer front axle hubs (as on the Renaultsport Megane and Ford Focus RS) to be employed to reign in all that poke. As you'll see in the video below, a six-speed manual gearbox is preferred to a paddleshift transmission.

There’s going to be racing driver input too, as per Infiniti’s coup to employ F1 champ Sebastien Vettel as ‘Director of Performance.’ Honda’s veteran World Touring Car Championship driver Gabriele Tarquini is helping to set up the new Type R: Tarquini has won British, European and World Touring Car titles during his career, so clearly knows a thing or two about how to get the best out of a mega-powered hatchback. Honda has already secured the 2013 WTCC constructors' title, with Tarquini winning the American round of the series earlier this month. Bodes well for the road-going version…

Why all the serious hardware for the new Civic Type R?

Fed up of hearing how it’s lost its mojo, Honda is bouncing back with its next hatch by aiming to nick the Nurburgring lap speed record from Renaultsport. The RS Megane 265 Cup is the current front-wheel drive benchmark at the ‘Ring, having established a 8min 7.97sec time back in 2011. Much of Honda’s development work of the new Civic Type R has been taking place on the Nordschliefe, as seen in our spy shots gallery.

Cheekily, Renaultsport took a pot shot at the Civic Type R’s lap time bravado by popping over to Japan with a Megane 265 earlier this month, and setting the front-drive lap record around Honda’s ‘home circuit’ of Suzuka. You can be sure Honda will be back in 2015 to test its mettle.

What’s new cosmetically for the 2015 Civic Type R?

Barely a panel of the regular Civic will be left untouched by the Type R makeover. There’s a new front bumper, with wider air intakes, plus deeper side skirts and blistered wheelarches – there looks to be a sizeable wheelarch vent aft of the front wheels. Larger alloys wrapped in low-profile robber host upgraded Brembo brakes, gripped by sporty red-painted calipers.
Quad exhausts dominate the rear, and there’s a bookcase of a rear wing, like the old £40k Civic Type R Mugen. Unlike every previous Civic Type R, the new model will be available as a five-door only.

When will we see more of the Honda Civic Type R?

Honda has confirmed the new turbocharged Civic Type R will reach European showrooms in 2015.
It’s likely to sport of a price tag of more than £25,000, putting it on a par with the less powerful Renaultsport Megane and VW Golf GTI, but undercutting the 316bhp BMW M135i and 296bhp Audi S3, which both retail for around £30,000.

 

The Suzuki iV-4 – and the production-ready SUV it previews – reveal Suzuki’s plan to marry two of the most popular recent automotive trends: customisable small cars and trendy urban compact crossovers.

What’s the Suzuki iV-4’s name all about?

A lower case ‘i’ has become a modern naming cliché thanks to Apple, but here it stands for ‘individuality – a nod to the iV-4 concept's potential for personalisation. The ‘V’ is for a far more mundane ‘Vehicle’ and the ‘4’ suffix denotes four-wheel drive.

So it’s another supermini-on-stilts variation?

In short, yes. Although the iV-4 has typically garish show car touches (a laser sensor in the roof, illuminated grille bars, 20in wheels), the production model is going to be far more sensible.

For one thing, Suzuki is targeting the lowest CO2 emissions in the compact crossover class for the production-spec iV-4. That’ll mean ousting the Clio-based Renault Captur, which coughs out as little as 95g/km when specced with the least powerful 1.5-litre diesel engine and manual gearbox.

What else is unique about the Suzuki iV-4?

Unlike almost all of its road-biased competitors, the iV-4 will also make a decent stab at heading off-road. Suzuki has confirmed its new model will use the brand’s new generation of all-wheel-drive powertrain technology, titled ‘Allgrip’.

Likely to be a part-time four-wheel drive system offering best-of-both-worlds economy and roadholding, Suzuki says ‘Allgrip’ ‘will offer a combination of design and off-road performance that goes beyond a typical city SUV’.

An Evoque for the masses? We’ll find out in 2015 when the showroom-ready iV-4 lands in European showrooms.

 

The Renault Initiale Paris concept previews the next-gen Espace, with a view to shifting the new MPV upmarket. Whether a Renault people carrier can be taken seriously as an upmarket proposition is up to you, but there’s no arguing with some of the exceptional attention to detail dotted around the Initiale Paris.

What’s under the Renault Initiale Paris’s bonnet?

Renault’s idea of the ultimate diesel engine. Based on humble 1.6-litre dCi architecture, the engine has been tuned to develop 295lb ft – up from 236lb ft in the standard version. It emits 40g less CO2 per kilometre travelled, and burns 25% less fuel than an equivalently powerful diesel, says Renault.

Inside the engine, Renault has used hollowed-out, low-friction steel pistons, employing the same design techniques used in Renault’s championship-winning Formula One V8s. The Initiale Paris’s engine is mated to Renault’s six-speed dual-clutch transmission, operated via steering-column-mounted paddleshifters, as per the new Renaultsport Clio 200 Turbo and Renault Clio GT.

What are the design highlights of the Renault Initiale Paris?

The wheels and cabin floor are fashioned from an intricate matrix of lattice-like framework, inspired by the Eifel Tower’s structure. It’s also a nod to old-school aeroplane frames – a theme continued with the tailfin-aping C-pillar. Inside, the seats and centre console are affixed with hidden joins, to give the impression it’s all floating in mid-air.

The roof is a particularly cool feature: milled directly into the Initiale Paris’s aluminium bodyshell is a street map of Paris itself. It’s not as useful as a sat-nav, mind, but points for imagination all the same.

Other design delights? How about the LED running lights which ‘blink’ periodically, giving the impression the Initiale Paris is alive? Or the bespoke 32-speaker Bose surround-sound system, which plays a 'tailored ambient sound' when passengers enter and exit the car? It’s all here, along with unpolished walnut cabin trim, rear-view cameras instead of door mirrors, and motorised running boards which extend from the car’s sills to help you enter and exit the private-jet-like cabin.