Auto Express 1741

CAR company bosses come in all shapes and sizes. Elon Musk is probably most famous of them all, including exploits away from Tesla. Then there’s this year’s Brit List number one, Ford’s Stuart Rowley, who says he’s more of a businessman than a car fan, while Stellantis’s CEO Carlos Tavares would get into a racing car every weekend if he had the chance. This week I’ve met with the bosses of two new firms with different plans to make it big in the car world, starting with David Dicker (above), founder of New Zealand-based track car specialist Rodin. Dicker is an Aussie bloke who made his fortune in his homeland selling computers. His passion for cars and driving – he’s a race winner himself – led him to launch Rodin…

Steve_Fowler@autovia.co.uk @stevefowler ● We get behind the wheel of new Ioniq 6 prototype in South Korea ● Uses same platform as Ioniq 5; prices expected to be similar, too THE building blocks for Hyundai’s latest all-electric model, the Ioniq 6 saloon, could not be better. It uses the brand’s E-GMP (Electric Global Modular Platform) architecture that underpins the Ioniq 5, 2021’s Auto Express Car of the Year and the 2022 World Car of the Year. It’s no surprise then that the new model had more than a whiff of Ioniq 5 about it when we took to the roads near Hyundai’s Namyang R&D base in South Korea for a short drive of a pre-production model. That curvy shape (penned by SangYup Lee, above) is part Audi TT, part Mercedes CLA…

sean_carson@autovia.co.uk ● New large executive EV saloon will crown Alfa’s range in 2027 ● Exclusive petrol-powered sports car to break cover first in 2023 ALFA Romeo looks set to steal sales from the BMW 5 Series with a large electric car that will be on sale by 2027 – by which time Alfa’s line-up will be fully electric – according to the firm’s CEO, Jean-Philippe Imparato. Despite the large SUV sector’s profitability, the new flagship model will take a more traditional shape. Asked by Auto Express if the brand was developing a larger model as part of its future all-electric portfolio, Imparato told us, “We [Alfa Romeo] have a vocation to be a worldwide premium brand so I have to be in the view of the premium E segment [large…

Steve_Fowler@autovia.co.uk @stevefowle ● 1,160bhp and 1,026Nm ● Brit firms heavily involved NEW Zealand-based track car specialist Rodin has revealed its first bespoke model, the FZero, which founder David Dicker says will be the fastest car on earth. Although the first 30 FZeros will be trackonly, Dicker has confirmed that a road-going version will arrive soon after, along with Rodin’s first all-electric model. With an expected price around £1.8m and a top speed of 223mph, Dicker said of the FZero: “It’s built for the track, it’s built to be quicker than an F1 car. There are no limits, no rules.” The car is being built to Dicker’s own specification, with a twin-turbo V10 hybrid powertrain offering a total of 1,160bhp and 1,026Nm of torque, and developed by British firm Neil Brown…

THE next-generation Suzuki Swift has been spied testing for the first time. It’s expected to go on sale next year, once again rivalling the Ford Fiesta and Vauxhall Corsa. The current Swift received a mid-life refresh only last year after a 2017 launch. It sits on Suzuki’s HEARTECT platform (which made its debut in 2014 with the Alto) and this has supported the Swift’s switch to mild-hybrid power in 12-volt and 48-volt form. The new Swift is likely to continue using this platform, so don’t expect a fully electrified version to rival the Vauxhall Corsa-e or Peugeot e-208 just yet. Suzuki has partnered with Toyota to provide plug-in hybrid versions of its Swace estate and Across SUV (both of which are rebadged Toyotas), but it’s highly unlikely this partnership will…

BARGAIN-hunting EV buyers are about to have another model to choose from with the arrival of the MG 4, because the brand has announced prices for its VW ID.3 rival. The hatchback 4 will start from £25,995 for the entry-level SE Standard Range model, which has a 51kWh battery for a claimed range of 218 miles and a 167bhp motor. It features MG Pilot advanced driver assistance, automatic LED headlights, rear parking sensors, 17-inch alloys, adaptive cruise control, automatic climate control and a 10.25-inch infotainment screen, along with a seven-inch digital dash. Long Range SE models feature a 64kWh battery for a range of 281 miles, and 135kW rapid charging tech that will top up the battery from 10 to 80 per cent in 35 minutes. Prices start from £28,495.…