Latest news with #Macan
NZ Autocar
8 hours ago
- Automotive
- NZ Autocar
Alpine A390 electric SUV has three motors, gobs of power
Alpine's first electric SUV we previewed earlier this year, and now the A390 has disrobed in all its glory. Hardly the shy and retiring type, the Alpine A390 is a Porsche Macan competitor. It features a 'Sport Fastback' look, three motors, active torque vectoring and up to 346kW. Alpine says it will have similar dynamics to its lightweight sports car, the A110. And it will have the speed of an A110R. This has plenty of traits first expressed in the concept vehicle, including a full-width light bar and slim DRLs. Air openings are less obvious than before while styling is classically attractive. Up front is a black badge while headlights are part of the bumper. Alloy wheels and sill cladding are like those of the concept car. Front door handles are flush while those at the rear are within the C pillar. Behind the tailgate is a 532L boot, similar to Macan's. In profile the A390 has a fastback roofline. It rides on the AmpR Medium platform shared with Scenic and Ariya. The A390 measures up at 4615mm long, 1885mm wide and 1532mm tall, similar but smaller all round than Macan. Other rivals include Cupra Tavascan, Ioniq 5 N and Kia EV6. All models feature an 89kWh battery good for up to 546km of range. DC fast charging up to 190kW is possible, meaning a 15-80 per cent top up in less than 25min. Up to 22kW of AC charging is possible. GT and GTS models have 295kW/650Nm and 346kW/808Nm, respectively. Claimed 0-100 times are 4.8sec and 3.9sec, outsprinting a Macan 4S. A dual-motor version may arrive later. Alpine says the A390 is a 'true five-seater sports car', albeit one that weighs in at over 2.1 tonnes. One of the five drive modes is a Track setting dedicated to dynamics (stability systems in the background only). With 'Alpine Drive Sound' engaged there are two distinct soundtracks, neither of which attempts to replicate ICE power. There are no fake gear changes either. Helping with the drive is a 49:51 front:rear weight distribution, and a low centre of gravity afforded by the low mounted battery pack. Suspension is a passive system while there are performance brakes. Four-wheel steering was ruled out to enhance driver focus. Inside, the A390 features a Scenic-inspired dashboard design, with twin screens angled towards the driver. There's also Google-based infotainment, and data showing lateral and longitudinal G-forces. A hexagonal F1 steering wheel gets an OVR overtake button and adjustable regenerative braking dial. Sabelt bucket seats covered in Nappa leather will be standard on the GTS. Prices are expected to start at around $NZ135,000 in models with three motors and active torque vectoring. First deliveries are expected in Q2 of 2026. he A390 is another of seven new EVs that Alpine is hoping to launch by 2030. A290 launched recently. Two more SUVs are due in 2027 and 2028, the largest of which should rival the Porsche Cayenne. Also on the way is the next iteration of the Alpine A110 sports car, which will be followed by a roadster version and a Taycan-teasing four-seat sports coupé (A310). The latter and the new A110 will evidently use in-wheel motor technology and an aluminium platform for significant weight reduction (less than ICE power designs). Design chief, Laurens van den Acker said: 'With a motor in the wheels, you have more room for either luggage or footwells or for sliding your seat backwards or forwards.' n-wheel motors for Renault/Alpine will debut in the R5 Turbo due next year. It evidently boasts almost 5000Nm of torque from its dual in-wheel rear motors. No production car yet has in-wheel motor tech but Protean and Yasa are both developing systems for sale.
The Sun
2 days ago
- Automotive
- The Sun
‘Groundbreaking' AI can save motorists £1000s on repair bills as it detects faults before they happen
A 'GROUNDBREAKING' piece of AI could save motorists thousands of pounds as it detects faults before they happen. The impressive piece of software sends data to an app, which alerts drivers to any potential problems. 1 Currently only available in the Porsche Macan, the tech works by sending real-time diagnostics data to the cloud which is then analysed by artificial intelligence. Any irregularities or problems are then sent to an app which the owner can check for any looming issues. Motorists will then be advised to take their vehicle to the local garage. The technology has been dubbed the first-of-its kind with manufacturers traditionally reacting to problems rather than catching them early on. Speaking to Auto Express, Porsche's head of data-driven quality Nora Lobenstein, said: "up until now, [manufacturers] have been reactionary to problems. "With this preventative concept, we can detect a problem, even if for the customer it's not possible.' 'It's really interesting what we learn from all of this. Especially in how high-voltage cells and battery systems behave. It's not something that we could monitor before.' Whilst the feature is only available in the Macan for now, rumours suggest it might soon come to the Taycan too. Lobenstein also suggested it could come to ICE Porsche cars such as the 911 but said for now the company is "concentraiting on high-voltage battery technology." This comes just days after it was revealed that millions of car owners will soon be able to have conversations with their vehicle, through Google's new artificial intelligence (AI) assistant. Heartstopping moment self-driving car smashes into van parked in driveway as driver is slapped with a ticket Gemini, as the assistant is called, is soon being injected into Android Auto - the infotainment system built into over 250million cars. "The future of driving is getting a whole lot smarter with Gemini, your AI assistant from Google, coming to your car soon," Patrick Brady, vice president of the Android for Cars division, wrote in a new blog post on Google's website. It means drivers will be able to use natural spoken language to ask Gemini to fulfil requests, such as sending a message to a friend, finding an on-route restaurant and even sorting through emails. Drivers won't have to remember specific phrases, or press any on-screen buttons, to pull up apps or find new stops on their journey. "Sending messages to a friend who prefers another language? You can tell Gemini to remember to always send messages to Joe in Spanish," explained Brady. "Then later, when you message Joe, rather than just transcribing verbatim what you say, Gemini can help craft the perfect message for you. "You can edit that message without having to start over and then even have it translated in over 40 languages."
Scottish Sun
2 days ago
- Automotive
- Scottish Sun
‘Groundbreaking' AI can save motorists £1000s on repair bills as it detects faults before they happen
Bosses say the technology could be revolutionary AI SAY 'Groundbreaking' AI can save motorists £1000s on repair bills as it detects faults before they happen Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A 'GROUNDBREAKING' piece of AI could save motorists thousands of pounds as it detects faults before they happen. The impressive piece of software sends data to an app, which alerts drivers to any potential problems. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 1 AI could save drivers thousands of pounds in repair fees Credit: Getty Currently only available in the Porsche Macan, the tech works by sending real-time diagnostics data to the cloud which is then analysed by artificial intelligence. Any irregularities or problems are then sent to an app which the owner can check for any looming issues. Motorists will then be advised to take their vehicle to the local garage. The technology has been dubbed the first-of-its kind with manufacturers traditionally reacting to problems rather than catching them early on. Speaking to Auto Express, Porsche's head of data-driven quality Nora Lobenstein, said: "up until now, [manufacturers] have been reactionary to problems. "With this preventative concept, we can detect a problem, even if for the customer it's not possible.' 'It's really interesting what we learn from all of this. Especially in how high-voltage cells and battery systems behave. It's not something that we could monitor before.' Whilst the feature is only available in the Macan for now, rumours suggest it might soon come to the Taycan too. Lobenstein also suggested it could come to ICE Porsche cars such as the 911 but said for now the company is "concentraiting on high-voltage battery technology." This comes just days after it was revealed that millions of car owners will soon be able to have conversations with their vehicle, through Google's new artificial intelligence (AI) assistant. Heartstopping moment self-driving car smashes into van parked in driveway as driver is slapped with a ticket Gemini, as the assistant is called, is soon being injected into Android Auto - the infotainment system built into over 250million cars. "The future of driving is getting a whole lot smarter with Gemini, your AI assistant from Google, coming to your car soon," Patrick Brady, vice president of the Android for Cars division, wrote in a new blog post on Google's website. It means drivers will be able to use natural spoken language to ask Gemini to fulfil requests, such as sending a message to a friend, finding an on-route restaurant and even sorting through emails. Drivers won't have to remember specific phrases, or press any on-screen buttons, to pull up apps or find new stops on their journey. "Sending messages to a friend who prefers another language? You can tell Gemini to remember to always send messages to Joe in Spanish," explained Brady. "Then later, when you message Joe, rather than just transcribing verbatim what you say, Gemini can help craft the perfect message for you. "You can edit that message without having to start over and then even have it translated in over 40 languages."
The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- Automotive
- The Irish Sun
‘Groundbreaking' AI can save motorists £1000s on repair bills as it detects faults before they happen
A 'GROUNDBREAKING' piece of AI could save motorists thousands of pounds as it detects faults before they happen. The Advertisement 1 AI could save drivers thousands of pounds in repair fees Credit: Getty Currently only available in the Porsche Macan, the tech works by sending real-time diagnostics data to the cloud which is then analysed by artificial intelligence. Any irregularities or problems are then sent to an app which the owner can check for any looming issues. Motorists will then be advised to take their The technology has been dubbed the first-of-its kind with manufacturers traditionally reacting to problems rather than catching them early on. Advertisement Read more on Motors Speaking to "With this preventative concept, we can detect a problem, even if for the customer it's not possible.' 'It's really interesting what we learn from all of this. Especially in how high-voltage cells and battery systems behave. It's not something that we could monitor before.' Whilst the feature is only available in the Macan for now, rumours suggest it might soon come to the Taycan too. Advertisement Most read in Motors Lobenstein also suggested it could come to ICE Porsche cars such as the 911 but said for now the company is "concentraiting on high-voltage battery technology." This comes just days after it was revealed that Heartstopping moment self-driving car smashes into van parked in driveway as driver is slapped with a ticket Gemini, as the assistant is called, is soon being injected into Android Auto - the infotainment system built into over 250million cars. "The future of driving is getting a whole lot smarter with Gemini, your AI assistant from Google, coming to your car soon," Patrick Brady, vice president of the Android for Cars division, wrote in a new Advertisement It means drivers will be able to use natural spoken language to ask Gemini to fulfil requests, such as sending a message to a friend, finding an on-route restaurant and even sorting through emails. Drivers won't have to remember specific phrases, or press any on-screen buttons, to pull up apps or find new stops on their journey. "Sending messages to a friend who prefers another language? You can tell Gemini to remember to always send messages to Joe in Spanish," explained Brady. "Then later, when you message Joe, rather than just transcribing verbatim what you say, Gemini can help craft the perfect message for you. Advertisement "You can edit that message without having to start over and then even have it translated in over 40 languages."
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
3 Luxury SUVs That Will Have Massive Price Drops in Summer 2025
Luxury vehicle buyers are about to witness some incredible deals as high-end SUVs face unprecedented depreciation challenges this summer. Check Out: Try This: According to Lauren Fix, automotive expert at Car Coach Reports, many luxury SUVs will experience massive price drops due to delivery inventory issues, declining demand and elevated insurance rates. Summer 2025 represents an ideal window for purchasing these sophisticated vehicles as dealers become increasingly motivated to clear inventory. The depreciation trends affecting luxury automotive brands stem from shifting consumer preferences, economic pressures and evolving market dynamics. Smart buyers who understand these patterns can capitalize on exceptional opportunities to own premium SUVs at a fraction of original prices. The Alfa Romeo Stelvio faces severe depreciation challenges as this Italian sports SUV struggles to maintain competitive positioning against rivals. According to CarEdge, the Stelvio depreciates approximately 67% after five years, resulting in a resale value of just $18,957. Recent auction results demonstrate the dramatic value decline, with a 2024 Stelvio Veloce selling for $32,500 after originally costing $53,120, per Carscope report. Fix explained that Stellantis ownership has contributed to declining sales alongside concerns about average interior quality and reliability issues. The Stelvio was designed for curvy roads but faces steep competition from established luxury brands offering superior value retention. Consumer awareness regarding high starting prices and questionable long-term reliability continues to impact demand significantly throughout American markets. Be Aware: Jaguar's F-Pace experiences substantial depreciation problems as the British luxury brand struggles with declining consumer interest and weak sales performance. The F-Pace depreciates 57.7% after five years, resulting in a resale value of approximately $24,090 according to iSeeCars. Fix noted that Jaguar's recent commercial campaign for their all-electric vehicles has fallen flat with American consumers. The brand's transition strategy has created confusion among buyers, leading to significant inventory accumulation and aggressive pricing incentives from dealers. Jaguar's historically weak resale values compound current market challenges, making the F-Pace particularly vulnerable to steep price reductions. Dealers are offering substantial deals to move inventory as consumer attention shifts toward more reliable luxury alternatives. The Porsche Macan faces unique depreciation pressures following the brand's controversial decision to electrify their most popular SUV model completely. While the Macan typically depreciates 42.5% after five years — with better value retention than competitors — electric versions are struggling significantly, per iSeeCars. Fix explained that Porsche's transition to all-electric Macan resulted in minimal sales, forcing the reintroduction of gas-powered variants. The Macan handles like a true sports car, but electric vehicle sales have fallen flat among traditional Porsche enthusiasts. EV Macans are accumulating on dealer lots with prices dropping massively as consumer demand remains disappointingly low nationwide. This situation creates exceptional opportunities for buyers interested in electric luxury SUVs at substantially reduced prices. More From GOBankingRates The New Retirement Problem Boomers Are Facing Mark Cuban Tells Americans To Stock Up on Consumables as Trump's Tariffs Hit -- Here's What To Buy This article originally appeared on 3 Luxury SUVs That Will Have Massive Price Drops in Summer 2025
