CA R NEWS
CAR NEWS MAY 2020
By Dhiren Ganesh
IN THIS MONTH’S ARTICLE WE LOOK AT NEW VERSIONS FROM M A N U FACT U R E RS , T W O A REFRESHED VERSION OF CLASSIC CAR AND ONE A NEW SUV.
2020 Audi A3 saloon – this is based on the recently launched A3 with a swoopier roofline and an extended tail to create the executive saloon car. It will provide 2cm more headroom in the front and more elbow room. On the dashboard many of the buttons have been replaced with a comes a 10.1in touchscreen. Standard equipment includes a wi-fi hotspot, online traffic information and a voice control system that understands natural speech. On the outside you get digital daytime running lights, made up of 15 LEDs. At launch there will be a 148bhp 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol, which is available with mild hybrid technology to improve efficiency and 148bhp 2.0-litre diesel auto.
First UK deliveries are expected in July, with prices starting at £26,870.
2020 Skoda Octavia family car – this is the allnew, fourth-generation version of the Octavia. It includes even more interior space, a bigger boot, new technology and better connectivity. Plus, there will be a plug-in hybrid model to sit alongside the petrols and diesels. The new Octavia is longer and wider than its predecessor, it has a lower roofline in an effort to give it a more coupé-like side profile. The plug-in hybrid model, which is called the Octavia iV, uses a turbocharged 1.4-litre petrol engine and an electric motor to deliver a combined output of 201bhp and provide an official electric-only range of 34 miles. New interior features includes a two-spoke steering wheel and a free-standing central infotainment touchscreen. Prices are expected to be around £22,000 when launched in June 2020.
2021 Toyota Yaris Cross – the new Toyota Yaris Cross will be the brand’s smallest and most affordable SUV. This car gets its own distinct look however if derived from the fourth-generation Yaris model. It will have an hybrid engine with the only engine option a 1.5-litre petrol that works in conjunction with an electric motor to produce a combined 114bhp. This will be one of the few small SUV cars to be a four-wheel drive. On the inside you get a gloss black plastic look and similar features to the Yaris such as the air vents and the metallic strip running across the upper dashboard. You can also have a powered tailgate that opens automatically when you aim a kick beneath the rear bumper – useful for shopping. To be launched in early 2021 prices are expected to be around the £21,000 mark.
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