More nice stuff Americans can't have
Hey!
Of course they can't be sold in the US.
They aren't monster pick-ups.
These aren't really on my shopping list. I had a hot hatch many years ago - great fun! We had only a single child, but we had a seven-passenger wagon into which my wife could pack an entire basketball team.
The Dacia is a bit small (or maybe I'm a bit big...) The Scenic looks like a great choice for price and comfort... but there are only two of us now, and no basketball team, so it's a bit big.
VW ID.3 GTX and ID.7 GTX Tourer debut as a hot hatch and wagon for Europe
These are some sweet-looking performance EVs
It’ll come as no surprise that Europe is once again enjoying some unique European cars that the U.S. sadly won’t. Today, those two pieces of forbidden fruit are the Volkswagen ID.3 GTX and ID.7 GTX Tourer. In case you weren’t familiar, “GTX” means performance for VW ’s EVs, so we’ve got one hot hatch and one hot wagon to cover.
VW ID.3 GTX
Starting with the ID.3 GTX (that you’ll see in the gallery at the top of this post), it’s essentially a spicier version of the ID.3 electric hatchback on sale in Europe today. Power is goosed up to 282 horsepower, or 322 horsepower if you opt for the “Performance” model of the GTX. That power is doled out exclusively to the rear wheels, resulting in a rear-drive hot hatchback that can do 0-62 mph in just 5.6 seconds. We like the sound of that.
VW also tosses in a unique suspension with its DCC adaptive dampers; the battery pack is slightly larger for more range than the base ID.3, and it gets a unique front fascia, glossy black trim aplenty and 20-inch wheels to set it apart on the road. Inside, the GTX adds high-bolstered sport seats, red trim and stitching all over and a model-specific steering wheel.
Moving on to the wagon, this ID.7 GTX Tourer ups the ante on the electric long roof over and above the standard ID.7 Tourer . It features a dual-motor all-wheel-drive powertrain good enough for 335 horsepower, making it the most powerful wagon VW’s ever produced, narrowly beating out the slick Arteon R Shooting Brake for the crown.
ID.7 GTX Tourer
Design changes include a GTX-specific front bumper and honeycomb grille along with black-painted accents everywhere and unique light graphics. You get special 20-inch wheels, GTX-specific seats and steering wheel. Red accents similar to those found in the ID.3 GTX can be seen throughout the cabin of the ID.7 version, too.
Volkswagen says these two GTX models will be launching in Europe soon, but don’t expect either to make it stateside. It’s too bad, because we could definitely use some affordable hatchback and wagon options in the performance EV space.
The New Dacia Spring Redefines “Cheap” Electric Cars
Imogen takes a first look at the radically refreshed Dacia Spring EV, and reveals its shockingly reasonable UK price. Could this finally be the ultra-basic affordable family EV we've been waiting for?
FIRST DRIVE: New Renault Scenic electric! Has Renault won the space race?
You’ve heard of the Renault Scenic, right? It was something of a household name through the nineties and noughties, having been a phenomenal success as an affordable and brilliantly utilitarian, if rather boring MPV. Then the family crossover-SUV came along, and the MPV died off – so much so that the Scenic was discontinued altogether in the UK by 2019. But now it’s back and – you guessed it – it’s morphed into a stylish crossover-SUV that’s out to topple the popular Peugeot 3008, Skoda Enyaq iV and Nissan Qashqai.
See that, Buzz? One of them is just text!
As a side note I see where BYD is looking at building a EV plant in Mexico, the EV wars are heating up.
Import duties from China?
Ha ha ha ha.....
Exactly.