Hey, Your Top Automobile News for January 07, 2021

Your Daily Automobile updates From Around The World [img]  [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( [img]( [The Automobile News]( [New FCA Detroit Plant to Produce Jeep Grand Cherokee L]( Detroit’s newest auto assembly plant will produce a larger, three-row version of Jeep’s most popular vehicle, and it will be called the Grand Cherokee L. Combining the utilitarian tradition of the Grand Cherokee with advancements in technology and premium options, the 2021 Grand Cherokee L seeks to tap into up to 75% of the large SUV segment — much of which is currently unexplored by Jeep without a three-row option, Christian Meunier, global head of Jeep, told The Detroit News. “This is chance to expand the Grand Cherokee nameplate and volume and take care of our customers and make them happy,” Meunier said. “It’s a big opportunity to also keep the customers in the family because when you get kids or you expand or you need more space, now between this and Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer, we’ll have everything needed to keep them in the family.” Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV formally will unveil the vehicle during a virtual event at noon Thursday on YouTube. The vehicle launches at the east-side Mack Assembly Plant in Detroit at the end of this quarter. It will start hitting dealers in the second and be exported worldwide. Pricing has not yet been announced, but will be “premium” in the segment, Meunier said. Details on the redesigned two-row Grand Cherokee and its 4xe plug-in hybrid version will come in the second half of 2021. Long one of the best-selling, two-row, mid-size SUVs in the U.S. market along with the Toyota Highlander, the Jeep Grand Cherokee adds a third row that should expand the midsize ute’s reach to take on three-row competitors like the Ford Explorer and Chevy Traverse. The Grand Cherokee L grows over a foot in length compared to the current model, but is not as large as the forthcoming Jeep Wagoneer. The three-row Grand Cherokee is longer than class leaders Traverse or Dodge Durango. A rare mainstream brand that is cross-shopped with luxury makers, the Jeep may also get a look from luxury shoppers of Audi’s three-row Q7, for example. “It’s really remarkable with the Grand Cherokee today and it will be even more with the new one,” Meunier said, “that duality between the premium appearance, the sophistication, appearance and the charm, but also the ruggedness. It’s strong off-road, but it’s also very, very good on-road.” The redesigned Grand Cherokee features a new architecture shared by both the two-row and three-row versions. Sixty percent of the vehicle is steel with aluminum making up the closures like the hood and tailgate. It was designed from the bottom up, Meunier says. That’s in contrast to Jeep’s first attempt at the three-row with the three-row Commander that debuted in 2005 and ended in 2010, said Sam Fiorani, vice president of vehicle forecasting at AutoForecast Solutions LLC. The Commander was just 2 inches longer than the Grand Cherokee, comprising space in the back rows.”Since the Commander, the market has blossomed for three-row crossovers,” Fiorani said. “There are so many Grand Cherokee owners out there that there’s likely a large number that have families and could appreciate that third row and extra space and a larger model.” The standard 3.5-liter Pentastar V-6 engine offers 290 horsepower and 257 pound-feet of torque. It can pull up to 6,200 pounds and has a driving range of nearly 500 miles.For even more power, the 357-horse V-8 comes optional. Future performance variants of the Grand Cherokee may come with even more capability. The current Grand Cherokee Trackhawk boasts 707 horsepower and a $100,000 price tag that challenges the BMW X5 M. The Grand Cherokee L comes with four trims: Laredo, Limited, Overland and Summit. It offers three available 4×4 systems, five terrain modes and up to 10.9 inches of ground clearance and 24 inches of water fording. The Grand Cherokee L’s design took inspiration from Jeep’s original full-size SUV, the Wagoneer. One example is the forward-tipped grille that further lengthens the already longer hood and cab from the current Grand Cherokee. The openings in the seven-slot grille are wider, and the front fascia is larger than in previous generations. The LED headlights also get a slimmer design. The Grand Cherokee L is the first production Jeep to offer a fully digital rearview mirror and a windshield Head-up Display that shows speed, navigation and other information without having to look away from the road. “If you’re building a high-volume family vehicle, it has to have pretty aggressive technology,” said Karl Brauer, an analyst at auto search engine iSeeCars.com. “Buyers are looking for that entertainment capability and technology.” The vehicle also is the first Grand Cherokee to have a front axle bolted to the engine for better noise and vibration management as well as a front-axle disconnect that automatically switches between two-wheel and all-wheel drive. [Read More]( The post [New FCA Detroit Plant to Produce Jeep Grand Cherokee L]( first appeared on [TheAutomobileNews.com](. [Read Full Story]( [Luxury Car Segment Expanding in India With New Launches]( Luxury car makers including Audi and Mercedes-Benz among others are rolling up their sleeves for a double-digit growth are launching new models in the current year.Despite all the negatives witnessed in the last year, the new year 2021 seems to have started on a positive note for the automotive sector. With companies reporting a year-on-year growth in sales for the month of December on the back of high demand for personal mobility, an increased focus is also witnessed on the luxury car segment. Luxury car makers including Audi and Mercedes-Benz among others are rolling up their sleeves for a double-digit growth are launching new models in the current year.Recently, German luxury car maker Audi launched the Audi A4 at a price of Rs 42.34-46.67 lakh (ex-showroom, India), kick-starting Audi’s product offensive strategy for 2021. It is set to launch a new product every other month, the company said. Over half a dozen product launches are lined-up for the next 12 months by Audi. “We are aiming to grow in double-digits this year with the planned new launches. We will have models covering all the segments,” Balbir Singh Dhillion, head, Audi India reportedly said. German luxury car brand Mercedes-Benz also on Tuesday launched the 2021 Mercedes me connect on its flagship model, the S-Class Maestro Edition.The tech distinctively brings Alexa and Google Home integration with Mercedes Me on the S-Class, as well as Parking Solutions with navigation. The connected car technology has been seen on the brand’s recent spur of launches through 2020 and will be more actively available on new and existing products in 2021, according to the company. The global luxury cars market size is projected to reach USD 655.0 billion by the end of 2027. The rising disposable income across the world will contribute to the growth of the market in the coming years. According to a report published by Fortune Business Insights, titled “Luxury Car Market Size, Share & COVID-19 Impact Analysis, By Vehicle Type (Hatchback, Sedan, and Sport Utility Vehicle), By Propulsion Type (ICE and Electric) and Regional Forecasts, 2020-2027” the market was worth USD 449.7 billion and will exhibit a CAGR of 9.3% during the forecast period, 2020-2027. Meanwhile, luxury car maker Lamborghini is also bullish on 2021 and has new product launch in the pipe line. Lamborghini will first launch the Huracan EVO RWD Spyder. This will be followed by Huracan STO. More launches will soon follow, the company said. Going ahead it looks like 2021 holds a lot more for not just the car manufacturers, but also the biking enthusiasts. Italian superbike maker Ducati revealed its expansion plans in India and it is gearing up to launch as many as 12 new BS VI-compliant models this year. Ducati saw its launches getting held up in 2020 due to the coronavirus-induced disruptions. However, they got back on track with the launch of three BS IV-compliant bikes in December. The new offering from Ducati’s stable includes all-new models like Multistrada V4, Streetfighter V4, Monster, SuperSport 950, Scrambler Nightshift with the updated versions BS-VI engines. [Read More]( The post [Luxury Car Segment Expanding in India With New Launches]( first appeared on [TheAutomobileNews.com](. [Read Full Story]( [Ferrari 312P Gets Aggressive Cyberpunk 2077 Rendering]( Artist Le Yang Bai imagined what a futuristic Le Mans hypercar could look like.Cyberpunk 2077 has taken the gaming world by storm recently, even though players on Xbox One and Playstation 4 have not had much to smile about. Yet aside from the gaming itself, it allowed people to roam around in rather crazy cars. And that got a lot of talented renders thinking this: What if we create real-life cars for the Cyberpunk world? Well, artist Le Yan Bai has uploaded this project of his onto Behance, and this it’s an amazing Ferrari that could well be perfect for the Cyberpunk world. A Mix Of Le Mans And Cyberpunk This what Le Yan Bai says about his own design: “This was a straightforward project mostly intended to test the features of Blender. The FerRAR.EXE is a mixture of a Ferrari 312P homage and the style Cyberpunk 2077, imagining what a LeMans hyper-car may look like in that world and that year.” When you look at the upcoming Le Mans hypercars that are set to debut in the World Endurance Championship next season, you have to agree that this is pretty close to that, except with that Cyberpunk edge to it. And there have been a few supercars and hypercars rendered to look like they are Cyberpunk worthy as well. Aggressive Styling What can we see then ourselves from the renders? Well, let’s just take a quick look at the basic exterior. Holy wow, this thing looks great. Painted in this dark gray with blacked-out windows, it looks epic. It has aggressive-looking headlights at the front and then the splitter too, adding a whole ton of downforce no doubt to negotiate Le Mans’ legendary curves. Then there are the wheels without traditional rims. Close Up Shots Then again, they have the be out of this world to fit into the Cyberpunk universe! Le has also added some close-up shots that can be found on the project page for this car. These focus mostly on the rear, specifically where the taillights are. They are encased in this rather aggressive-looking surround and stick out from the inner bodywork of the car. The whole thing really does look like it should be added into the game. From the back, you can really see the classic lines of the Ferrari 312P, one of the all-time classic Le Mans racers. [Read More]( The post [Ferrari 312P Gets Aggressive Cyberpunk 2077 Rendering]( first appeared on [TheAutomobileNews.com](. [Read Full Story]( ------------------ You Might Like [Learn more about RevenueStripe...](        ------------------ Connect with TheAutomobileNews on Facebook and Twitter [fb](  [tw]( ------------------ You received this email because you operate or create content for a website/service and based on your website it seemed like this could be important information to you and your users. TheAutomobileNews daily newsletter is managed by [Postbox Consultancy Services Pvt. Ltd.]( C-4/5, IBD Emporia, Kolar Road, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, INDIA, 462042 Want to change how you receive these emails? [Update your preferences]( or [Unsubscribe]( Â