EVERY WEEK, WE bring you all the latest news you need to know from the motoring world. The big reveals this past week came from one of the biggest events in the car enthusiast’s calendar.
The Beijing Motor Show ran for a week with many cars unveiled that may never make it to these shores. However, there have been some world debuts by European brands including Audi, Porsche, Renault and Volkswagen that will indeed come to Ireland in some form.
Audi whipped off the covers of its most powerful TT to ever enter series production. The Audi TT RS is the first recipient of an updated version of the old TT RS’ five-cylinder 2.5 TFSI powerplant, which now produces 400hp with 480Nm of torque available from 1,700 to 5,850rpm, and is mated to a seven-speed dual-clutch S tronic transmission, sending power to all four wheels.
Two variants of the TT RS were unveiled, the Coupé and Roadster. Both models have a top speed of 280km/h (174mph) with the Coupé doing the 0-100km/h dash in 3.7 seconds and the Roadster doing it in 3.9 seconds.
Irish pricing will be released later in the year.
Porsche chose the Chinese show to unveil its new 718 Cayman. This two-seat mid-engined sports coupé is powered by a new four-cylinder ‘boxer’ turbocharged engine, the same engine found in the 718 Boxster. This 2.0-litre engine produces 300hp and 380Nm of torque between 1,950 and 4,500rpm.
The 718 Cayman S is powered by 2.5-litre engine, which produces 350hp (up 25hp on the previous model) and 420Nm of torque from 1,900 to 4,500rpm.
In terms of speed, the 718 Cayman can reach 274km/h (170mph) and the Cayman S 285km/h (177mph). If equipped with Porsche’s twin-clutch PDK gearbox and optional Sport Chrono Package, the 718 Cayman can do 0-100km/h in 4.7 seconds and the 718 Cayman S can do it in 4.3 seconds.
The 718 Cayman costs €64,932 and the 718 Cayman S costs €82,898 and both models are available to order from Porsche Centres.
Renault revealed the third addition to its SUV family, which sits above the Captur and Kadjar in the Irish range.
The Koleos is a large, imposing car with a wheelbase of 2,710mm, an overall length of 4,670mm, width of 1,840mm and ground clearance of 213mm. It has a whopping 624-litre boot capacity with Renault claiming “class-leading cabin space, including 289mm of rear knee room”.
Up front, the Renault Koleos adopts the family face with a broad chrome grille incorporating a prominent central Renault logo. Notable styling cues are lifted from the Megane, especially at the rear which is dominated by long taillights that stretch across the boot. With its large size and chrome embellishments, including strips running from the head lights along the full length of the wings, the Koleos is no wallflower.
Based on the Renault-Nissan Alliance’s CMF-C/D architecture, which is shared by several vehicles, including the Renault Kadjar and Nissan Qashqai and X-Trail, the Koleos also features All-Mode 4×4-i technology, which allows for two-wheel drive (front-drive) and four-wheel drive Auto modes.
Depending on individual markets, a two-wheel drive version will also be available as will a choice of two petrol and two diesel engines with power outputs ranging from 130 to 175hp mated to either a six-speed manual gearbox or X-Tronic automatic transmission.
The new Koleos will be available here in early 2017.
The star of Volkswagen’s stand at Beijing was this new SUV concept with plug-in hybrid powertrain and all-wheel drive.
However, what we are undoubtedly looking at is the new Volkswagen Touareg, which is due to hit our shores in 2017.
The Touareg is Volkswagen’s biggest SUV and the new one is planned to share the same long wheelbase, MLB2 platform as the Audi Q7 and Bentley’s first ever SUV, the Bentayga.
However, at 5,069mm long and 2,000mm wide the T-Prime Concept GTE is longer and wider than the current Touareg, which has led some to believe that the next-gen Touareg will offer a third row of seats much like its Audi stablemate. Only time will tell…
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