AD #3061 – Lincoln Unveils Zephyr Concept; Audi A6 e-tron Revealed; Toyota Shows Off bZ4X Concept

This is Autoline Daily, the show dedicated to enthusiasts of the global automotive industry.

There’s a ton of new products being shown at the Shanghai auto show and that’s where we’re going today.

LINCOLN UNVEILS ZEPHYR CONCEPT
While Ford pretty much gave up on selling sedans in the U.S. market, that’s not the case in China. It unveiled this concept of the Lincoln Zephyr, but it sure looks production ready to us. The grille is a dominant part of the front-end design, but doesn’t look gargantuan. The headlamps are super thin and are connected with a horizontal line that runs across the top of the grille and behind the Lincoln badge. Note the bone line that sweeps up from the outer ends of the headlamps and runs all the way to the rear. Inside, the top of the dashboard is dominated by a giant screen that runs the width of the car. Note, too, how the top and bottom of the steering wheel are blacked out, to almost give it the look of a steering yoke. This is a design concept that is said to hint at the production model, which is scheduled to debut later this year. We wouldn’t get too attached, unless you live in China. This car was designed solely for the Chinese market.

AUDI A6 E-TRON REVEALED
Audi unveiled a concept car as well, the A6 e-tron. It’s built on the group’s PPE platform, which stands for Premium Platform Electric. It’s a flexible platform that will be used for B-, C- and D-segments and SUV sized vehicles. It’s also shared with Porsche. Audi says the A6 e-tron will go into production late next year, with up to 700 kilometers of WLTP range, or about 434 miles. Thanks to two electric motors with a combined 350 kW and a torque of 800 Newton meters, it will go from 0 to 100 kilometers an hour in under 4 seconds. That translates to 470 horsepower and 590 pound feet. One way Audi is getting good range is with a 100-kWh battery. Another way is with aerodynamics. The coefficient of drag is only 0.22. Also, the paint is super reflective, so Audi claims, in many situations the passengers may not need to use the air conditioning.

NEW VW ID.6 LOOKS LIKE BIGGER ID.4
VW showed off the ID.6, which looks a lot like the ID.4, only bigger. It’s built on the group’s MEB platform, it’s specifically aimed at Chinese customers, and there are two versions. The ID.6 X and ID. 6 Crozz, which can be configured for 6 or 7 passengers. There are three motor choices: 132 kilowatts, 150 or 225. That’s 176 horsepower, 201, and 301. VW says it will go from 0-100 kilometers an hour in 6.6 seconds with the big motor, which is pretty decent, but with the smaller motors it accelerates at only 9.1 and 9.3 seconds, which in our book is kind of pokey, especially for an electric vehicle.

TOYOTA SHOWS OFF BZ4X CONCEPT
Toyota is arriving late to the BEV party. And maybe you’d even say ‘fashionably late’ based on the bZ4X that just debuted. It’s an SUV that rides on a new dedicated BEV platform that was co-developed with Subaru, BYD, Suzuki and Daihatsu. 15 models from those various brands will come off the platform by 2025, 7 of which will be Toyotas. Toyota will call that series of vehicles bZ, the first being based on the bZ4X concept, which is scheduled to come out in the middle of next year. While we don’t know much about the powertrain yet, it will be all-wheel drive capable and have some sort of solar panel to provide power to the battery. The interior is clean with simple materials and an infotainment screen that seems to bend and grow out of the center console. But it’s also a bit futuristic with a cockpit-like area for the driver that features a racecar-inspired steering wheel and deep set instrument cluster. Toyota says it plans to make the bZ4X in both Japan and China.

HONDA E:PROTOTPYE DEBUTS
And Toyota’s hometown rival, Honda is also at the BEV party and only arrived a few minutes before Toyota. But it’s finally here and has the all-new SUV e:prototype to show off. There’s not a whole lot of information on this model yet. We do know it’s supposed to go on sale in China in the spring of next year. That would leave us to believe this is not an Ultium-based SUV that GM will make for Honda.

 

MERCEDES EXPANDS EQ LINEUP WITH NEW EQB
Mercedes revealed the latest vehicle in its EQ family of electric vehicles, the EQB, a compact SUV. The company didn’t share too many details about the powertrain, other than in Europe, several models will be available in front and all-wheel-drive with various power levels. And the usable capacity of the batteries in Europe is 66.5 kWh. A longer-range version will also be available. Despite being a compact SUV, it has the option for three rows but only children or small adults will be able to fit back there. The EQB will be built in both China and Europe, it launches in both of those markets this year and arrives at U.S. dealers in 2022. Mercedes will reveal U.S. specs closer to its launch next year.

VOLVO PARTNERS WITH DIDI TO TEST SELF-DRIVING CARS
Volvo is partnering with DiDi, which is like the Uber of China, to test autonomous vehicles for DiDi’s network. Volvo will provide XC90’s equipped with built-in backup systems and safety features, such as steering and braking. DiDi will integrate its latest generation self-driving system into the vehicles. DiDi’s goal is to add autonomous vehicles to its fleet without having to have safety drivers on board.

GENESIS ELECTRIFIES THE G80
Genesis brought the electric version of its G80 sedan to Shanghai. It’s only available in all-wheel-drive and its two electric motors generate a combined 272 kilowatts and 700 newton meters. That’s 364 horses, and 516 pound feet. It’ll do 0-60 miles an hour in 4.9 seconds. Genesis did not divulge the size of the battery pack but says it accommodates 800-volt fast charging and delivers a driving range of more than 500 kilometers or 310 miles. But that’s based on the NEDC test cycle, which as Autoline Daily viewers know, is not reflective of real world driving.

BUICK UPDATES THE ENVISION & VERANO
Here’s a better look at the long wheelbase version of the Buick Envision we teased earlier this month. Styling carries over from the shorter version of the SUV, which was just updated last year. It also features GM’s new electrical architecture, which offers OTA update capability as well as a new 2.0L turbo with 48-volt tech mated to a 9-speed automatic. But that’s not all Buick had to show. The new Verano sedan dropped as well. While it has things like updated exterior styling, we’re more interested in that giant display screen. It merges two 10.25-inch screens into one unit. In our opinion, you don’t come out with a screen like that and just offer it in one sedan that’s sold in China. So, we’d expect it to make it to other models as well. 

XPENG REVEALS NEW P5 SEDAN
Chinese EV startup, Xpeng, took the wraps off its P5 sedan. It’s the first vehicle with built-in Lidar, which helps enable the next-gen version of its XPILOT driver assistance system. The previous system offered hands-free driving on certain highways. It’s now able to change lanes and overtake cars and operate on specific city roads. Powertrain details aren’t known yet but it’s expected to be offered with both rear and all-wheel-drive and have a range of 600 kilometers or about 373 miles but, again, that’s based on the NEDC test. And for comparison, the P5 is a bit longer than a Tesla Model 3 but has a shorter wheelbase. The P5 will launch in China at the end of the year.

But that’s all for today, thanks for watching.