Let’s talk about the VW T Roc R
Image courtesy Autocar
It seems like nobody is taking performance SUVs more seriously than VW who have finally delivered unto us, an R-badged derivative of their compact SUV – the T Roc. And they’re doing it properly if recent Nurburgring sightings are to be believed. The car is reported to produce 228kW and 400Nm as per the Golf R, sports some meaty brakes and exhaust outlets, performance hatchback de rigeur. Now I know what you’re thinking. “What the hell is a T Roc?” and it’s true – VW haven’t released this smaller-than-a-Tiguan SUV here just yet, but there’s a chance they will. Let’s watch this and see what develops, shall we?
Say hello to the new Range Rover Evoque
Well, well, well… look who just rocked up to the 2019 Chicago Motor Show, and without Victoria Beckham on its arm? I guess good fashion is timeless, and the former Spice Girl’s influence will live on in the new Evoque which looks a lot like its predecessor if we’re honest – plus some style lines and lamp jewellery updates to keep it in line with the newer Land and Range Rover models – most notably the gorgeous Velar. Neat. Tech-wise, you can expect 3-cylinder and hybrid drivetrains for the first time too.
The new Mazda 3 is a slippery devil
This is Mazda’s KODO style language set free. Look at it. It looks ‘melty’, and mouthy thanks to a wide and deep grille. It comes in both hatchback and sedan flavours and will be powered by naturally aspirated 2.0 and 2.5 litre petrol engines. There’s been a big push towards simplicity, and it shows, especially in the driver-centric cabin. It’s somewhat minimalistic compared to the multimedia powerhouses of some of its rivals – good, we’re glad to see the focus return to driving.
30 Year Anniversary Mazda MX-5 sells out in 4 hours
So, that’s impressive performance right there. Also unveiled at the Chicago Motor Show, the limited edition received bespoke forged RAYS alloys, anniversary badges with model serial numbers listed (out of just 3,000 units) and the groovy Racing Orange paintjob seen in these pictures. You also get RECARO bucket seats and Bilstein dampers so, proper little track toy this. But you can’t have one.
Porsche Cayenne not Coupe enough?
Image courtesy Autocar
Mercedes-Benz and BMW revealed their sporty hunchback iterations of the GLE Coupe and X6 respectively (and since then the GLC Coupe and X4), the logical step was to compare it to the sportiest SUV under the sun, the Porsche Cayenne (and later the Macan). So, they're about to be scratching their heads in unison at the realization of this, a Coupe iteration of the Cayenne. The result is a svelte 911 in the sky, so that’s nice. You can expect the existing Cayenne’s architecture, technology and powertrains to carry over.
The News in Photos
This is the facelifted VW Passat
But sadly it probably won’t make its way to Mzansi, but then neither will this;
VW Jetta GLI is a performance sedan of note
In fact – you’re essentially looking at a Golf GTI with a boot, so it’s sad we’ll miss it in South Africa.
The Range Rover Velar gets a 408kW V8
And unlike the cars mentioned above, IS inbound for SA! I’m sorry but this is just a terribly, horribly desirable car.
