Genesis has started testing the next G80 on public roads, with a heavily disguised prototype being spotted by Carscoops spies. With the current G80 being essentially a rebadged Hyundai Genesis, the Korean premium brand had to completely change the mid-sized executive sedan, making it not only more modern but more appealing to the eye. The new generation of the Genesis G80 does look like its gunning for a sportier design, directly inspired by the smaller G70. The end result is expected to be a sleek, wide-hipped four-door sedan that will try to keep you away from a German dealership. The overhaul will continue inside, with Genesis expected to go with an impressive range of safety and comfort features, along with high-quality of materials and fit-and-finish. As the company鈥檚 new luxury executive sedan, the 2020 G80 will offer everything from a configurable digital instrument cluster and a last-gen connected infotainment system to the latest semi-autonomous systems. The current Genesis G80 is powered by a V6 in both naturally aspirated and twin-turbo guises, as well as a 5.0-liter V8. It鈥檚 no secret that Genesis has been working on a new generation of electrified powertrains, so it wouldn鈥檛 be a surprise if the V8 bites the dust and gets replaced by a plug-in hybrid powertrain. Genesis has been developing a mid-sized SUV as well, set to go against models like the BMW X5 and Mercedes GLE, among others. The Korean brand also plans to launch its first all-electric vehicle in 2021, which is said to have a driving range of at least 500 km.
109,500 excluding options and on-road costs. 130K Macan Turbo which takes the cake at 4.8 seconds (thanks to a bigger, more powerful engine). The GTS comes stock with black tipped exhausts (all four of them), and 20-inch alloys. The interior is specifically designed and stitched for the GTS, and 2016 models onwards will also have Apple CarPlay integration. The steering wheel also provides rolling menu buttons making life that little bit easier. The seven-speed gearbox provides smooth transitions, or if you鈥檇 like to take matters into your own hands (literally), the paddles behind the steering wheel will allow just that. With all-wheel drive and Porsche鈥檚 Active Suspension Management system, it holds itself well in corners and tries to minimise body roll where possible. 19K, but the standard brakes are impressive as it is. With a combined fuel consumption figure of 9.2L/100km, it stacks up quite well with other high performance SUVs. Whether you see it as a hatchback, an SUV, or a sports car, the Macan GTS ticks all the boxes.
Car company slogans, taglines, catchphrases - call them what you will - nobody pays any attention to them, right? At least they don鈥檛 when a firm such as Mazda devotes all of five minutes and a budget of a fiver, if that, coming up with a line as meaningless as 鈥淶oom-Zoom鈥? Then there鈥檚 Cadillac鈥檚 鈥渢he new standard for the world鈥?cry, which is much better, but plain wrong. 鈥淏elow standard鈥?would be more accurate. At Britain鈥檚 best-loved company, Jaguar, there鈥檚 much pain on the financial, employment, production, sales, and other fronts just now. And, with this in mind, the firm is resorting to TV advertising to deliver its latest, desperately simple message: Search Jaguar Offers. The chant is boring but strangely effective, because - for the first time ever - I found myself immediately following the instructions by searching on my phone. Sadly - and crazily on the part of Brit-based, Indian-owned Jag - the deals were largely underwhelming. Truth is, it鈥檚 got far more cars than customers, so I was expecting mega-discounts, zero-per-cent finance and similar temptations.
But all I found was mention of deposit contributions (on their own, not enough) plus interest rates of 5.9 per cent (far too high). If loss-making Jaguar is to achieve the improved health it so desperately needs, it has to hammer home the sermon that its cars are world-class premium products. And some are insanely good value. Be my guest, pay well over 拢30,000 for a high-spec SUV from the likes of Hyundai, Kia, Skoda or Volkswagen. But, if you do, you鈥檒l be stuck in mainstream territory, instead of upgrading yourself to the premium league your budget allows you to enter. It鈥檚 a similar story with the larger F-Pace, 2017鈥檚 World Car of the Year, which can still be yours for less than 拢40,000 (or 拢300-plus monthly), making it a real bargain. This is a big, proper Jag for high-spec Mitsubishi money, for heaven鈥檚 sake. Looking at one of Jag鈥檚 most obvious premium rivals - Porsche - I鈥檓 part horrified, part delighted that an E-Pace AND an F-Pace (each with lowish specs) can be had for around the same price as a mid-spec Porsche Cayenne. With all this in mind, I have no hesitation in saying Jaguar is armed with one of the finest, most internationally recognised, best-designed SUV ranges in the world. And, in terms of value for money, it鈥檚 not one of the best. You, dear car buyer with 拢30k-拢40k burning a hole in your pocket, don鈥檛 know how fortunate you are to be in the market for such Jags at such comparatively affordable prices. But why is it left to me to tell you all this? Why aren鈥檛 Jaguar and its highly paid advertising agency doing the same? Enjoyed reading Mike's latest column?
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