All posts by Francis Mitterrand

News

Renault cuts Arkana SUV in 2025

Renault Arkana was introduced in 2021 and quickly became very popular in the compact SUV market, but four years later the French manufacturer decided to end production of this car.

During the short production period, more than 250,000 examples left the production lines, including the XM3, which is the name of the model for the South Korean market. It stood out the most for its coupe SUV style and competitive price, and the decision to end production is surprising because the car was recording good sales results. It also managed to hold its own against rivals like the Peugeot 3008, which helped Renault strengthen its presence in the compact SUV segment.

Following the moves of other manufacturers, the French company also decided to give Arkana its place on the market, as well as the production lines, to some other models. So far, Renault has not announced a direct successor to the Arkana, so there could be a gap in Renault’s range of coupe SUVs, potentially an opportunity for competitors in this popular segment.

At the Busan plant, the new cars will use the platform of Geely, which owns a 34 percent stake in Renault Korea (formerly known as Renault Samsung Motors).

Source: Renault

News

2025 Škoda Elroq will be premiered on October 1

With a new teaser, Škoda announces the arrival of the successor to the Karoq model, the Elroq. It is an electric compact crossover, one of six new electric cars that the Czech manufacturer intends to launch on the market in the next two years.

With this car, Škoda enters a new era of minimalist, lean and functional design. In March, a short video was published showing the silhouette of the SUV with distinctive LED daytime running lights and an illuminated Skoda logo adorning the hood. It will be 4.5 meters long and “an ideal family car with a spacious and very practical interior”.

Elroq is the first Škoda model with a new design under the slogan “Modern Solid”, and it will have its world premiere on October 1 at 19:30 CET. It will be broadcast live on Škoda’s Instagram and TikTok profiles, and the presentation of this model will take place in the center of Prague.

With this model, Škoda is trying to compete with the Peugeot E-3008 and the upcoming all-electric successors of the Citroen C5 Aircross and Opel Grandland. Both models are expected this year.

Source: Škoda

News

XPeng P7+ is coming soon

After the XPeng G9 SUV and the XPeng P7 sedan arrived on the European market at the beginning of the year, the Chinese company could soon expand its fleet with a new car, the XPeng P7+.

A few days ago at a conference in the city of Hangzhou, the director of Xpeng came in P7+ Prototype. It is a 5,056 mm long car with a wheelbase of 3,000 mm. That means it’s 168mm longer than the P7 sedan (4,888mm) and has a 2mm longer wheelbase.

When it comes to design, the P7+ has a sleek and low profile, with two small air intakes, individual headlights and separate LED daytime running lights joined by an illuminated line. At the rear, the lift-up rear window in particular appears to match the boot lid, and there are intriguing LED taillights and a blacked-out bumper that matches the black roof and pillars.

The first photos were published by the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, but for now there is no technical information about the car. It is speculated that it will use a 60.7 kWh and 76.3 kWh lithium-iron-phosphate battery (flagship version) developed by Eve Power, which will provide a range of 575 and 685 kilometers, respectively. The car will be powered by an electric motor with 245 hp (180 kW) and 313 hp (230 kW) in the more powerful version.

The car will use the new Eagle Eye self-driving system that uses AI technology and is based on a visual system similar to the one used by Tesla. Some information says that the new XPeng P7+ should be launched in October.

Source: Reuters

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XPeng P7+ is coming soon