NIO unveils its B-segment electric sedan
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NIO unveils its B-segment electric sedan
- NIO is a very young Chinese carmaker as it was created in 2014, but already has a wide range of cars, all being fully electric. Indeed, NIO has two sedans (ET5, ET7) and five SUVs (EC6, ES6, EC7, ES7, ES8). These models are meeting some success in China, as NIO's production volume reached 195,000 units in the first 11 months of 2024, which augurs a volume of 210,000 units for the whole year, compared to 157,000 in 2023, 136,000 in 2022 and 93,000 in 2021.
- For its 10th anniversary, NIO presented a high segment model (the ET9 sedan) and an entry-level model (the Firefly sedan) that could be marketed in Europe.
- The case of the NIO Firefly is interesting as the Chinese B-segment cars are rather rare in China and Chinese carmakers do not offer this type of car in Europe. This vehicle was also developed in Europe (in Germany) for Europe, which is a first for a Chinese car. The rather classic design of the Firefly is indeed very different from the NIO models currently in the catalogue. It evokes a Honda E, a Fiat or an Opel.
- Its success in Europe will depend above all on its sale price. It could be between 25,000 and 30,000 euros, which would make it a direct rival of the Renault 5 E-Tech and the Fiat 500 e. It would also be less expensive than a Mini E or a Smart #1. The carmaker plans the arrival of the Firefly in Europe in the fall of 2025. Its mission would be to revive NIO sales there, which have stabilized at 2,500 units over the whole of 2024, compared to 2,371 in 2023 and 1,204 in 2022.
Hyundai and Kia are now entering the upper segment of BEVs
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Hyundai and Kia are now entering the upper segment of BEVs
- The Korean brands Hyundai and Kia, which have been united for 25 years in the Hyundai-Kia group, have each recently launched their largest battery electric models (E segment), which are also based on the same e-GMP platform (shared by the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Ioniq 6, Kia EV6 and Genesis GV60). These are large SUVs that can each welcome seven people, the Hyundai Ioniq 9 is 5.06 m long and the Kia EV9 is 5.01 m long, these two models each weighing more than 2.5 tonnes in running order. Due to their dimensions, these two large SUVs are more intended for the American market, which is fond of this type of model, even if the BEV market is not yet well developed.
- Due to their electric motorisation, the Hyundai Ioniq 9 and Kia EV9 have practically no competitors on this market for the moment. The only model that could be opposed to them seems to be the large 5.04 m long Tesla Model X SUV with a very different but equally massive design.
- The Hyundai Ioniq 9 and Kia EV9 are equipped with the same electric motor delivering a choice of 204 hp (150 kW), 218 hp (160 kW), 313 hp (230 kW) or 434 hp (319 kW). The NMC battery offers a choice of 76 kWh, 100 kWh or 110 kWh, allowing a range of 500 km to 620 km according to the WLTP cycle and depending on the type of battery.
- Both models are assembled in South Korea and in the United States. Production of the Kia EV9 began in early 2024 and that of the Hyundai Ioniq 9 will begin in early 2025.
Will the Jaguar brand enter a new era?
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Will the Jaguar brand enter a new era?
- For four years, the British luxury brand Jaguar (owned by the Indian Tata Motors) has been put on hold since no new models have been presented during this period. This pause was voluntarily decided by the company's management to prepare the transition to a new era for the brand, characterized by a new, more upscale positioning, between the German Premium Audi, BMW, Mercedes, Porsche and the British Super Premium Aston-Martin, Bentley, Rolls-Royce, i.e. in a price range between 150,000 and 200,000 euros. In addition, this new positioning is accompanied by a generalization of fully electric motorization.
- Finally, the style of future Jaguars wants to differentiate itself from everything that currently exists, just as the old XJ6 launched in 1968 differentiated itself from its competitors by its innovative lines. Let's remember that Jaguar's first market is China and that this country attaches a lot of importance to the style of automobiles in general. In December 2024, Jaguar gave a first glimpse of its new style by unveiling its 00 concept, a battery electric two-door coupe whose square lines with a low roof and removed rear window are unlike anything known. A battery electric sports sedan inspired by this concept should be unveiled in 2025 and marketed in 2026.
- The sales figures announced by the brand for the years 2026-2030 will no longer have anything to do with those of the years 2005-2025, given its new positioning and should be around 10,000 units per year.
- Until 2026, the current Jaguar range, reduced to the E-Pace, F-Pace, I-Pace SUVs, will continue to be marketed to the public with no doubt heavy discounts to be able to sell off stocks more easily since their production will cease at the end of December. The British factory in Solihull, which is being reconfigured, will be the production site for the future battery electric Jaguars, the first one being a 4-door GT.
A Honda-Nissan-Mitsubishi group would become the world's third largest carmaker
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A Honda-Nissan-Mitsubishi group would become the world's third largest carmaker
- The Nissan group, which had approached the Honda group at the beginning of 2024 to collaborate in the electric vehicle, in order to compete more efficiently with the Chinese carmakers who are very advanced in this market, has decided to go further in this collaboration with a view to a merger of the two carmakers that would allow the creation of the third largest carmaker in the world (by integrating Mitsubishi, of which Nissan holds 24% of the capital) behind the Toyota and Volkswagen groups.
- The negotiations currently underway to achieve this merger follow only a few weeks after Nissan's announcement concerning the cutting of 9,000 positions in its global workforce and the reduction of 20% of its production capacity. This is the reason why this merger project between Honda and Nissan seems to be an act of rescue of Nissan by Honda, which the president of Honda denies. The fact remains that this merger project could put a definitive end to the partnership that still exists between Nissan and Renault.
- The two Japanese carmakers are not complementary in that their vehicle range is relatively similar and their main markets are the same (Japan, USA, China). It seems obvious that neither Honda nor Nissan will abandon one of these markets in favour of its partner. But we also observe that both carmakers are losing ground on the Chinese market, as on the European market. It is therefore time to join forces to negotiate the shift to electric, an area in which they are still almost absent and which is dominated today by the American Tesla (16th largest carmaker in the world) and the Chinese BYD (8th largest carmaker in the world), not to mention the other Chinese carmakers that are progressing rapidly. Honda and Nissan wish to conclude a definitive agreement by June 2025 with a view to creating a single holding company that would be joined by Mitsubishi.
The new battery electric Toyota Urban Cruiser will be produced in India
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The new battery electric Toyota Urban Cruiser will be produced in India
- The Japanese carmaker Toyota, following the agreements signed with Suzuki, has just presented its own version derived from the Suzuki e-Vitara unveiled last month. It is called Urban Cruiser, a traditional name at Toyota. Its engine is battery electric, like the Suzuki e-Vitara. This 4.29 m long SUV (1 cm more than the e-Vitara) is thus a competitor to the Kia EV3, Renault 4 E-Tech, Peugeot e-2008, Citroën e-C3 Aircross and Opel e-Frontera. It is located in the B segment, but at the limits of the C segment, as a Toyota Yaris Cross hybrid in the same segment is 14 centimeters shorter. Its wheelbase is 2.70 m like the Suzuki e-Vitara. Its weight is of the same order as that of its twin brother and competitor, namely 1,700 kg in front-wheel drive and 1,900 kg in all-wheel drive (incorporating a second electric motor and a larger battery).
- The entry-level Urban Cruiser model uses a 49 kWh LFP battery and a front-mounted electric motor delivering 144 hp. This version will offer nearly 320 km of autonomy according to the WLTP cycle. The mid-range Toyota Urban Cruiser uses a 61 kWh LFP battery, as well as a 174 hp electric motor that drives the front wheels. The top-of-the-range Toyota Urban Cruiser, meanwhile, combines the same 61 kWh battery with two electric motors (one on each axle) delivering 184 hp that drive all four wheels. This version would offer 400 km of autonomy according to the WLTP cycle. These are nearly the same characteristics as the Suzuki.
- The Toyota Urban Cruiser – which is the brand's fourth battery electric vehicle after the BZ4X, ProAce and ProAce City – will be produced in India from spring 2025, in the same factory as the Suzuki e-Vitara. It is in fact a Suzuki factory, the one located in Gujarat, which assembles the Baleno, Ignis, Jimny, Vitara and whose production capacity reaches 750,000 units per year.
- Like the Suzuki e-Vitara, the Toyota Urban Cruiser is intended for international markets, including Europe.
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