We publish a ton of car news stories during the working week, and it can be tough to keep up with everything – which is the rationale behind this weekend list.

In short, here are some key articles from our news desk since Monday of this week summarised, just in case you missed them at the time.

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Five-star Atto rating

The BYD Atto 3 has cleared one of the last stumbling blocks in its Australian rollout, receiving a five-star rating from safety authority ANCAP that applies to the budget electric vehicle locally.

It had received a five-star rating from ANCAP for New Zealand, but no rating was applied for Australia.

This was due to an issue with the placement of child restraint anchor points that had also led BYD’s local distributor, EVDirect, to suspend sales of the vehicle from October 21 until earlier this month.

FULL STORY: BYD Atto 3 receives five-star ANCAP safety rating for Australia

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Ultra exclusive Bimmer

BMW has revealed its exclusive two-seat 3.0 CSL, commemorating 50 years of the M division by resurrecting an iconic nameplate from its early days.

Just 50 units will be produced of the 3.0 CSL over three months by a team of 30 technicians, with carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) components produced by hand. Each model will take up to 10 days to roll off the production line.

It’s unlikely any of these will come to Australia. BMW hasn’t revealed the price, but it’s rumoured to be between €600,000 to €700,000 ($A923,610 to $A1.07 million).

FULL STORY: 2023 BMW 3.0 CSL revealed

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Volkswagen branches into specialist vans and trucks

Volkswagen Commercial is rolling out a range of ‘turn-key’ specialist vehicles such as a wheelchair-ready Caddy, and Crafter-based tippers, cold storage trucks, and luxury motorhomes.

Rather than needing to buy base vehicles and take them to a specialist converter, these for-purpose commercials are (or will be) available ready-to-go from VW dealers – with warranties.

The conversion work is being done by Volkswagen-approved (OEM level) third-parties in Europe and the UK with longstanding VW dealings, or by partner organisations in Australia such as Jayco, Walkinshaw and ARB.

FULL STORY: Volkswagen rolling out specialist conversion models with factory backing

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Toyota accepts the need to trim its outlook

Toyota this week cut its financial year production outlook by 500,000 cars, citing ongoing supply chain issues.

The company downgraded its Japanese FY2023 production forecast from 9.7 million units to 9.2 million units – having stuck to its original target for months.

Toyota did hint at an incoming revision to its production plan in late October, when it was announcing another monthly cut.

FULL STORY: Toyota cuts global production outlook by half a million cars

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Jeep delays Grand Cherokee

The launch of the shorter, five-seat version of the new WL-series Jeep Grand Cherokee has been pushed into next year.

A spokesperson for Jeep Australia has confirmed it will now launch locally in the first quarter of 2023, instead of at the end of this year as had previously been announced. Delays have also pushed the launch of the 4xe variant, Jeep Australia’s first plug-in hybrid offering, into the second quarter of 2023.

While a specific reason for the delay wasn’t cited, CarExpert understands it’s due to the same kinds of supply chain issues affecting myriad automakers. Jeep has also cited supply chain issues as one of the reasons for recent price increases across its range.

FULL STORY: Jeep Grand Cherokee two-row delayed to early 2023

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Amended EV tax cuts enter law

The Albanese Labor Government has secured the support of the Australian Greens and Senate independent David Pocock for its electric vehicle (EV) incentives bill, though not without a couple of amendments.

The Greens, Senator Pocock and the Government have agreed to the following amendments to the Treasury Laws Amendment (Electric Car Discount) Bill:

• Sunsetting support for plug-in hybrids on April 1, 2025
• Prioritising electric vehicles in the Australian Government’s fleet procurement policy by removing plug-in hybrids except in “exceptional circumstances”

FULL STORY: EV discount bill set to pass with amendments regarding PHEVs

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Plug-in pickup’s eye-widening price

China’s LDV has carved out a presence in Australia’s huge ute segment with its diesel-powered T60, offering a rough-but-ready alternative to a used HiLux backed by a new-car warranty.

Now though, LDV wants to go from follower to leader, and has beaten all its competitors to the punch when it comes to going electric.

No, the dual-cab market won’t shift away from diesel overnight. But there are a lot of fleet operators in particular keen on starting to get their heads around battery-powered workhorses.

FULL STORY: 2023 LDV eT60 price and specs

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Aussie-built Raptor shows its Baja chops

A largely Australian-developed new-generation Ford Ranger Raptor using mostly stock components blitzed the iconic Baja 1000 off-road race over the weekend.

Granted, the event’s ‘Stock Midsize’ category comprised one entrant, but from a promotional and marketing perspective – which is sort of a key point to this exercise – it’s the finish that counts. A full results rundown is here.

The Ranger Raptor Baja racer used the road version’s 3.0-litre twin-turbo petrol V6 – fed by a lower-carbon biofuel – 10-speed automatic transmission, driveline, and suspension.

FULL STORY: Ford Ranger Raptor finishes Baja 1000, thereby tops stock category

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Spark Pug: Peugeot preps EVs

Peugeot Australia will introduce its first electric vehicle in 2023 in the form of a van, but it might not be alone.

Electric versions of the 208 hatchback and 2008 crossover could also be headed Down Under before the end of next year, the company has confirmed.

Peugeot Australia managing director Kate Gillis hinted to CarExpert the e-208 and e-2008 are likely to be the next two cabs off the rank following the electric commercial vehicle that’s slated to kickstart the French brand’s EV assault.

FULL STORY:
Peugeot e-208, e-2008 could hit Australia in 2023

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Jolion gets a boost – literally

The GWM Haval Jolion is getting a performance boost.

Following the introduction of the efficiency-focused Jolion Hybrid earlier this year, the Chinese brand is introducing the 2023 GWM Haval Jolion S, a more powerful sports variant complete with a more sophisticated independent rear suspension system priced from $36,990 drive-away.

Bridging the gap between the Jolion Ultra and the Jolion Ultra Hybrid, the Jolion S gets a 130kW/270Nm version of the base car’s 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine – increases of 20kW and 50Nm – and swaps out the torsion beam rear suspension of other Jolion models for a multi-link rear setup.

FULL STORY: 2023 GWM Haval Jolion S on sale from $36,990 drive-away

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Silent pocket rocket

Abarth, the performance arm of Fiat, has unveiled its first electric model – the 500e hatch and cabriolet – after it was leaked last month.

It’s due here late in 2023, following the local launch of the related Fiat 500e early next year. That’s a much shorter delay than the Fiat is experiencing, having first launched in Europe in 2020.

Abarth says the 500e provides more performance than the petrol 695, with improved responsiveness in city driving that sees it go from 19 to 40 km/h 50 per cent faster thanks to “improved weight distribution, better torque, and a wider wheelbase.”

FULL STORY: 2023 Abarth 500e EV revealed, in Australia late 2023

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Mazda makes a few big statements about its plans

Mazda has confirmed it’ll increase its electric vehicle (EV) development budget, revealed alongside a slinky sports car concept.

As part of its revised “mid-term management plan” Mazda now intends to invest ¥1.5 trillion ($16 billion) to develop electric vehicles as part of a three-phase strategy.

In the first phase (2022 until 2025) Mazda will develop a new dedicated EV architecture, while releasing hybrid and plug-in hybrid vehicles to reduce carbon emissions.

FULL STORY: Mazda confirms $16 billion EV announcement, reveals slinky concept

The upcoming Lamborghini V12 hybrid set to replace the 12-year-old Aventador, which ended production this year, is likely to start at a higher cost – but the Italian brand insists that has more to do with the increasing cost of materials than hybridisation.

Set to be unveiled early 2023, the new flagship Lamborghini V12 will be utilising an all new chassis, V12 engine and a hybrid system that the Italian brand says is entirely in house. The new model already has over 3000 orders.

Speaking to CarExpert at the opening of the revised Lamborghini dealership in Brisbane this week, the brand’s regional director of Asia Pacific, Francesco Scardaoni, said the new model will have a price rise due to the rising cost of materials.

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“The cost price will be slightly higher than Aventador, but not because of the hybrid but because of the materials, the cost of material, cost of parts,” Scardaoni told CarExpert.

The new V12 will kick start the new Lamborghini model onslaught which will also be followed by the Huracan replacement in 2024.

“2023 is the year where we start the phase two of our electrification, our plans to kick off the hybridisation phase of Lamborghini,” Scardaoni said.

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“Of course, it’s a huge transition, a huge change for the company and we wanted to do it with the flagship and that’s the V12. The masterpiece that the company started with in 1963 and carried over all those years and it’s our legacy. It’s important to start a new era with the V12.”

When the Aventador launched in 2011, it became the first series production car to feature a carbon-fibre monocoque chassis. Its replacement is also set to bring a list of firsts to market and Lamborghini says it will be best in class, which suggests it should take the fight to Ferrari’s ballistic SF90 V8 hybrid. We anticipate some of the technologies from the hypercar realm to make it to the ‘mainstream’.

“The new Aventador has to create another successful story line like we did in 2011. It will be a very important car and you will see the car soon and we are sure it will be a success. It’s more performance than the current one.”

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In better news for interested buyers, Lamborghini is set to increase production of the new V12 over the Aventador with Scardaoni admitting that the factory will likely have higher capacity than before.

The Italian brand has also fixed the airbag compliance issue it has had with its race seats affecting markets like Australia and Canada. The new models will all be optionable with race seats unlike the Huracan STO and Tecnica.

Customers looking to order now will likely see their new V12 Lamborghini In the first half of 2024.

According to Lamborghini Australia boss, Peter Crombie-Brown, the average Lamborghini buyer in Australia is 45 years old and is 91 percent likely to be a male. Most are entrepreneurs and very tech savvy.

Lamborghini is set to replace the popular Huracan supercar in the middle of 2024 with an all-new model that will share very little with sister brand Audi and have a unique hybrid powertrain and platform.

The current Huracan has been around since 2014 and will finally be replaced in Q2 2024 with the first of the new cars likely to arrive in Australia by 2025.

CarExpert believes the new model will still carry a V10, but it will be an all-new Lamborghini-designed powerplant with a hybrid system.

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Speaking to CarExpert at the opening of the revised Lamborghini dealership in Brisbane this week, the brand’s regional director of Asia Pacific, Francesco Scardaoni, confirmed the new powertrain will be hybrid and may have inadvertently admitted that it will also be a V10.

“That will be a new V10, the new Huracan, up to now we can not disclose what engine will be fit to the car. But it will be a hybrid. Because our hybridisation phase, the Huracan will be 2024 where we will release the hybrid version of the new Huracan, mid 24, we will release the new car.”

The most exciting news for Lamborghini fans, apart from the possibility of the V10 living on in hybrid form, is that the new Italian supercar will not share its heart with an Audi, as was the case with the Huracan and R8.

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“Lamborghini became one of the most profitable brands within the group this year, we set another record year in terms of operating profit…. and because being the brand with the highest profitability, of course you have the power to ask certain things and also to self-fund the project.”

The new Huracan will follow the V12 flagship hybrid. This will also be joined with the hybrid Urus SUV before the all-electric 2+2 Lamborghini arrives in 2028.

Don’t expect Lamborghini to follow Ferrari’s lead in creating a near endless number of new models based on similar platforms, either.

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“We want to have a pretty clear differentiation between the range, our customers are asking to keep the models pretty differentiated, we are building dreams and we need to make sure customers are dreaming of Lamborghini.”

Customers ordering a new Huracan Tecnica now will see their car in 2024, around the same time we are likely to see the Huracan replacement.

According to Lamborghini Australia boss, Peter Crombie-Brown, the average Lamborghini buyer in Australia is 45 years old and is 91 percent likely to be a male. Most are entrepreneurs and very tech savvy.

Audi has been snapped testing the sportier-looking version of its Q6 e-tron SUV, ahead of its reveal in 2023.

The Q6 e-tron Sportback is built on the same bones as the regular Q6, but subs its more practical wagon tail for a sloping roofline.

Built on the new Premium Platform Electric (PPE) architecture that’s been jointly developed by Audi and Porsche, the Q6 e-tron will share its underpinnings with the next-generation Porsche Macan.

Both the new Macan and regular Q6 e-tron are set to debut in 2023, and will be the first production vehicles to use this platform.

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Autocar reports the electric Macan will feature electric all-wheel drive making up to 450kW of power and 1000Nm of torque.

Its platform will also support rear-wheel drive powertrains with less grunt, however. It’s not clear how much will be shared between the Macan and the Q6, given they’re likely to be pitched at slightly different customers.

We have spied what looks like an RS Q6, suggesting Audi will dip into the top end of the shared parts bin.

Jalopnik reports the car will use a lithium-ion battery pack with around 100kWh of capacity. An 800V architecture allows for charging at up to 270kW. That’s good for a 25-minute charge from five to 80 per cent.

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With less camouflage than before, we can see the split headlight arrangement that will feature up front. Down back, the set of lights has plenty in common with those on the RS3.

Previous images have revealed the Audi Q6 e-tron will feature what looks like a large, freestanding screen behind the wheel.

It looks larger than the integrated display that currently features across the e-tron SUV range, and is more in keeping with the display in the smaller Q4 e-tron revealed during 2020.

The steering wheel appears to be the same as the Q4 e-tron’s, with touch-capacitive switchgear – evidently Audi is sticking with this controversial feature, even as the Volkswagen brand moves away.

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Kia’s rival to the top-selling Toyota RAV4 Hybrid is still not a confirmed starter for the Australian market, despite the local arm’s best efforts.

The Kia Sportage Hybrid (HEV) is one of two hybridised options available globally, alongside the Sportage Plug-in Hybrid. Kia also sells 48V mild-hybrid versions of the short-wheelbase Sportage in Europe and the UK as well.

But why can’t we have it? Yes, Australians are slow to jump on the EV bandwagon but Toyota has been selling hybrids in meaningful amounts for years. We quizzed the brand’s local boss for product planning, Roland Rivero, at the recent launch of the updated Kia Seltos crossover.

“It’s fundamentally just R&D and allowing it to be produced in right-hand drive out of the Gwangju factory [in South Korea],” Mr Rivero told CarExpert.

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“So, left-hand drive is ticked and all happening. Obviously, if we wanted a short-wheelbase model out of Slovakia there’s a potential right-hand drive source there, but we don’t want to go short wheelbase and we don’t want to have to go to Slovakia where there’s no free trade agreement as well.”

“We’re working on the Korean-produced version, and hopefully we have an update on that in the near feature.”

Further to Mr Rivero’s comments, hybrid (HEV) and PHEV versions of the Sportage for North America are also produced in Gwangju, despite petrol versions being assembled locally.

So, while the US’s move to produce Sportages locally helped free up production spots for other long-wheelbase markets like South Korea and Australia, clearly there’s enough demand for the hybrids that Kia’s global parent isn’t willing to tool the facility to make right-hand drive Sportage Hybrids as yet.

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The Kia Sportage Hybrid is powered by the same 1.6-litre turbocharged hybrid system as the larger Sorento, as well as the Hyundai Santa Fe and Tucson. System outputs are quoted at 169kW and 350Nm, with both front- and all-wheel drive options available.

Meanwhile, Australia makes do with an entry-level 115kW/192Nm 2.0-litre MPi naturally-aspirated petrol with FWD, a 132kW/265Nm 1.6-litre T-GDi turbocharged petrol with AWD, as well as a 137kW/416Nm 2.0-litre CRDi turbo-diesel with AWD. All local powertrains wear Kia’s latest efficiency-focused Smartstream branding.

CarExpert understands that Australia’s current lack of fuel efficiency and emissions standards puts less pressure on Kia’s global head office to prioritise more efficient and electrified powertrains for our market.

For reference, South Korean models run Euro 6 powertrains with cleaner exhaust systems and tech like idle stop/start – Australian models retain older, less advanced EU5 emissions control systems.

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The latest Kia Sportage is proving mighty popular with Australian new car buyers.

In its first full calendar year on sale, the Sportage has seen 15,497 registrations in 2022 as of 31 October, marking growth of 141.1 per cent compared to 1 Jan-31 Oct 2021.

Further, the Sportage reset its all-time Australian monthly sales record in June 2022 with 2044 units, the first time the nameplate has achieved over 2000 sales in a single month. October 2022’s monthly result of 1877 registrations was a huge 404.6 per cent improvement on the same month the previous year.

The Sportage is currently fourth in the medium SUV yearly sales race, behind the Toyota RAV4 (30,370 units), Mazda CX-5 (23,476 units), and narrowly tailing the Mitsubishi Outlander (15,619 units).

Given the Toyota and Mitsubishi offer hybrid and plug-in hybrid options respectively, there’s no doubt a Sportage Hybrid could add solid volumes to put Kia in the segment’s Top 3.

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MORE: Everything Kia Sportage

Volkswagen believes it’s on track to make autonomous driving mainstream by the end of the decade, despite global chip shortages, regional legislation, and stunted economic growth all causing delays in development. 

The push towards autonomous driving will be led by the Volkswagen Group’s commercial division for fleets such as ride-sharing taxis and delivery vehicles, and will eventually trickle down to personal vehicles. 

Volkswagen brand CEO, Thomas Schafer, spoke to Autocar about the Group’s ambitions to stay ahead of competitors in the race to make autonomous driving commonplace. 

“You have to put focus on [autonomous driving] and that is why we are pushing so hard in the CV division because once it happens it opens up profit pools and opportunities,” he told Autocar.

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“I wouldn’t say the winner takes it all but it’s a game that you need to be in early. You can not wait and then fast forward so that’s why we’re totally focusing on it.”

This continued commitment to developing autonomous driving comes despite the recent news self-driving startup Argo AI is shutting down, even after US$2.6 billion (AU$4 billion) of investment from Volkswagen. 

Volkswagen says it’s not phased by the closure of Argo AI, and intends to continue its efforts in the autonomous driving space, saying it “will hire talented engineers from Argo AI as that company is wound down”.

“The Group is consolidating its development partnerships,” Volkswagen said, reassuring its “goal is to offer customers the most powerful (AD) functions at the earliest possible time and to set up development as cost-effectively as possible”.

Schafer admits there are still roadblocks in bringing this technology to market.

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“The technology is available and we are driving in Hamburg and Munich autonomously. The cost of the car is still prohibitive because so little of it gets manufactured,” he said.

“And there’s always the need to prove that the system drives better than a human. The legislation for it is enormous. It’s totally different from country to country.”

Not wanting to minimise the undertaking of bringing complete autonomous driving to passenger vehicles, Schafer told Autocar.

“It’s not as trivial as it seems. It’s the legislation, the camera systems, the chips, the energy consumption and the speed of calculation. The car will be the biggest data collection device there is. It’s really complex.”

Volkswagen is continuing to prioritise development with its software division Cariad and Horizon Robotics in China, while Bosch is its selected partner for the rest of the world.

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The initial reveal of autonomous technology born from these collaborations is planned for 2023. 

It was also recently reported that Volkswagen is planning to expand its partnership with Intel’s Mobileye, a company that already has a working relationship with Cariad, to incorporate its autonomous driving process. 

Volkswagen is spearheading its autonomous driving efforts with the ID.Buzz, which is scheduled to be available to customers in Hamburg in 2025.

The ID.Buzz AD made its first public test drive back in April of this year and Volkswagen aims to outfit the vehicle with SAE Level 4 autonomous driving technology fit for use in Europe and the U.S. 

BYD has released images of a camouflaged prototype of its upcoming off-roader, which will be sold under the new Yangwang brand.

The premium brand will be launched in the first quarter of 2023, with the first model reportedly wearing the R1 nameplate.

Photos reveal the first Yangwang model to be a bluff, upright SUV in the vein of a Land Rover Defender, Mercedes-Benz G-Class or GWM Tank 300. Like those models, the spare tyre is located on the tailgate.

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Patent images published by Car News China reveal the Yangwang model will also feature an intricate grille and running lights that sit atop the front fenders, plus three raised bumps atop the windscreen which may contain either lights or sensors.

It’s also rumoured to feature four electric motors with one driving each wheel, like the upcoming Mercedes-Benz EQG.

Chinese outlet Yiche also reports the R1 will have a tank turn function, like on the Rivian R1T and R1S, and refers to a patent BYD has filed for a “floating” mode that can help it wade at greater depths.

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Though BYD is best known in Australia for its Atto 3, one of Australia’s most affordable electric vehicles, the Yangwang R1 will be priced closer to the an EQG.

In a statement reported by Reuters, Yangwang vehicles will be priced between 800,000 and 1.5 million yuan (A$171,850 to $322,219) – making them the most expensive vehicles produced by BYD – and the brand’s first model will be an off-roader.

As BYD has ceased production of conventional combustion-powered vehicles, Yangwang will offer electrified vehicles – though whether it offers a choice of plug-in hybrid or battery-electric vehicles or just the latter is unclear.

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Unlike those models – or indeed any BYD vehicle – there appears to be a distinctive, dual-cowl-type dashboard with an expansive and seemingly curved portrait-oriented touchscreen.

Yangwang models’ pricing will put them well above BYD’s current flagship offerings, the Han sedan and Tang crossover.

BYD is enjoying record sales, with volumes tripling in the first 10 months of this year to 1.4 million. That’s despite its discontinuation of combustion vehicle production in March 2022 in favour of an exclusively PHEV and EV line-up.

It wouldn’t be the first Chinese automaker to spin off a more upmarket, SUV-focused brand.

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Great Wall Motor has two: Wey for (mostly) crossovers, and Tank for more rugged, body-on-frame SUVs. Models from the latter are expected to launch here next year, albeit with GWM Tank badging.

Chery has its Jetour brand, and is also readying a new, blocky off-roader called the T-1 with particularly Defender-esque styling.

It’s due in 2023, and will offer petrol, hybrid and electric powertrains. It’ll be the first in a range of T-Series vehicles for the Jetour brand.

Mercedes-Benz’s new mid-sized coupe and convertible range is getting closer to being revealed, with prototypes wearing less and less camouflage.

The Mercedes-Benz CLE, as it may be called, will reportedly replace the outgoing coupe and convertible models in the C-Class and E-Class ranges.

Set to also offer higher-performance Mercedes-AMG variants, the CLE will allow Mercedes-Benz to still field a rival to the BMW 4 Series and M4 and the Audi A5, S5 and RS5.

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Design-wise, the new model retains the company’s signature soft, rounded look, although there’s also a resemblance to the sharper Mercedes-AMG SL.

Our photographers have now spied almost the entire range, including coupe and convertible body styles and plug-in hybrid and AMG 43 and 63 variants.

It’s likely the CLE will use the new MRA-2 architecture and feature a range of electrified four-cylinder powertrains, as with the redesigned C-Class.

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At the top of the range will likely be a CLE 63 AMG, with the high-performance plug-in hybrid all-wheel drive set-up from the AMG C63.

This model uses a re-engineered version of the AMG A45’s 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine with total system outputs of 500kW and 750Nm.

Slotting below the C63 is the C43, featuring a version of the mild-hybrid turbo four-cylinder engine used in the SL 43 convertible and producing outputs of 300kW and 500Nm.

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There will be more affordable, less powerful versions below these AMG-fettled models, naturally.

One likely option is the turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder mild-hybrid powertrain of the C300, which produces 190kW and 400Nm.

Previous spy photos have revealed the interior features a similar triple vent design to the C-Class, and we expect a similarly large portrait-style touchscreen infotainment system and free-standing digital instrument cluster to that model.

Mercedes-Benz research and development head, Markus Schafer, told Auto Express it effectively had three convertibles – the SLC and C-Class and E-Class Cabriolets – occupying a part of the market that isn’t particularly profitable.

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He conceded, however, that it’s important for a luxury car brand to continue to offer coupe and convertible models.

As Mercedes-Benz expands its range of electric vehicles to include models like the EQE and EQS built on a dedicated EV architecture, it’s cognisant its model range can’t get too large and unwieldy.

The low-volume SLC has already been axed and no coupe or convertible versions of the redesigned Mercedes-Benz S-Class have been announced.

Merging the two-door C-Class and E-Class ranges is reminiscent of the days of the CLK.

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Sold for two generations from 1997 to 2010, the CLK used the C-Class’s platform but with E-Class styling cues, and was available with a range of engines ranging from four to eight-cylinder configurations.

It was replaced by the E-Class Coupe and Cabriolet, which continued to use C-Class mechanicals but was quickly joined by a C-Class Coupe and Cabriolet.

In 2017, Mercedes-Benz finally returned an E-Class-based coupe and convertible to the E-Class line, while the C-Class range continued to offer two-door variants.

Volkswagen and Walkinshaw’s fettled first-generation Amarok ute has officially reached the end of the road.

The 2600th example of the W-Series Amarok this week rolled off the production line in Clayton, Victoria, ahead of the next-generation Amarok’s arrival Down Under early in 2023.

The final car was a W580SE, of which 99 were produced.

In total, Volkswagen and Walkinshaw produced 1419 examples of the W580S, 458 of the W580, 599 of the W580X, 99 of the W580SE, and 25 pilot and development cars.

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Although they haven’t confirmed the partnership will live on into a new generation, Volkswagen and Walkinshaw have signalled their interest in doing a version of the second-generation Amarok.

“This relationship has been hugely successful,” Volkswagen Commercial Australia director Ryan Davies has previously told CarExpert.

“[Walkinshaw is] a great partner to deal with, there’s a lot of mutual respect, and I think we can definitely make something the market wants with the new generation,” he said.

The first Walkinshaw-tuned Amarok didn’t appear until 2021, a decade into the outgoing car’s life cycle.

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But Mr Davies said this time, Walkinshaw-fettled models could appear within in the first few years.

“These things take time, we definitely wouldn’t be looking at 2023, probably late 2024 would be the earliest we could consider having something like that in market,” he said.

As for the outgoing model? Priced from $86,990 before on-roads, the final W580SE features a 75W LED light bar, a spray-in tub liner, and Nappa leather seats with Walkinshaw headrest branding.

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That’s atop the following equipment, which is standard on the W580S:

• Walkinshaw tuned suspension (incl. front lift)
• 20 x 9-inch ‘Clayton’ alloy wheels
• Pirelli scorpion 275/50 R20 tyres
• Moulded sports bar painted in body colour
• Unique decals – bonnet & sides
• Wheel arch extensions
• Tuned twin exhaust system
• Walkinshaw grille
• Interior W580 branding including plaque with build number
• LED fog lights
• Unique front grille
• Unique lower bumper inserts and fog light surrounds
• Walkinshaw-branded headrests
• W580 carpet mats
• Bonnet protector
• W580 decal pack

• Branded exhaust tips
• Bonnet decals
• LED fog lights with cornering function
• Sail plane with styling bar
• Front underbody styling element
• Five-piece protective tub liner
• Vienne leather interior trim
• 14-way power-adjustable ErgoComfort front seats
• Front seat heating
• Satellite navigation
• Electric folding side mirrors
• Colour driver’s multifunction display (MFD)

MORE: Everything Volkswagen Amarok