Hamilton equals Schumacher's Record - Weekly News Roundup

This week saw an influx of new models for 2021, with the growth in the EV market becoming more apparent as the years progress. Approximately 375,000 plug-in cars are registered on the road in the UK, and with new sales figures showing that EV’s are tipped to account for 10% of all car registrations in 2021. Plus, with the technology quickly developing, these vehicles are becoming more and more practical and usable every day, meaning they are more desirable with a much smaller impact on your wallet in the long run than regular combustion engines.

Moving over to the German Car of the Year Awards (GCOTY), where Honda has stolen the show with the all new Honda e being named the first ever Japanese car to win the prestigious GCOTY award. Not only that, but the Honda e also won the ‘New Energy’ category. Since its launch in spring this year, the little Honda e has picked up accolades from almost everywhere. To name a few:

· Autocar – Best in car technology 2020

· Red Dot – Best of the Best 2020

· The Motor Awards 2020 – City/Small car of the year

Add the GCOTY to that list and this little car seems to be making quite a name for itself.

Moving to Ford now, as the new Kuga Hybrid SUV starts production. The manufacturers continuing to grow Ford’s line up of hybrid vehicles. This new Kuga will switch seamlessly between petrol and electric and has a huge 600-mile range. The battery is a 1.1kWh battery automatically being refreshed by the 2.5-litre Atkinson cycle petrol engine, using regenerative charging when coasting or braking. Together this produces 190PS.

If you like the sound of the new Kuga Hybrid, prices start from £33,600.

Last week we saw the news that the brand new, futuristic, all-electric BMW iX was nearing production stage. Along with that news we got a sneak peak into what this new generation of BMW’s would look like. First off, they impress with the capabilities of the battery alone. BMW claim that the one powering the iX is not only more compact than earlier models, but it also has a 376-mile range! Furthermore, if you have the right equipment you can charge from 0-80% in just 40 minutes.

This new BMW will also have around 500hp produced from its 100kWh battery, and all of that instantaneously! Don’t expect a 0-60 challenging a Tesla, as this car will probably weigh quite a lot, but it will still go in less than 5 seconds. The futuristic design continues in the cabin, with a hexagonal steering wheel, and very non-BMW lack of buttons… something doesn’t feel right! We will all have to wait to have a look though as they won’t be hitting dealers for another 12 months.

Moving from one German manufacturer to another, Audi, and their announcement about the new SQ2 range. Yes, Audi have decided the SQ2 needed a facelift for 2021, and I think they were right judging by the last few. It gets a new grille, front and rear bumper, headlights and diffuser, while keeping the four tailpipes, and still slightly boxy feel to it.

The interior receives a refresh with new technology and driver comfort such as leather and Alcantara sports seats and a 12.3-inch binnacle display and fully virtual cockpit. Now the interesting bit, the power. It comes from Audi’s 2.0 TFSI producing around 300bhp, and with the intelligent Quattro system distributing the power between the axles this car won’t have any issues keeping a grin on your face going round your local roundabout! Starting at around £38,700 the new SQ2 will be available to order from next month.

For more detailed reviews of the Audi SQ2 or the BMW iX, we have done individual blogs for them! Why not have a look?

Our final news story is big one! Lewis Hamilton won the Turkish GP on Sunday to become World Champion for the 7th time, equalling the great Michael Schumacher! In treacherous weather at Istanbul Park, Hamilton took poll position with Perez and Vettel taking silver and bronze respectively. We want to extend our congratulations to him and Mercedes on another successful campaign.