The Polestar 2 has been around for some time, and we’ve reviewed both the single motor and dual motor variants. In time to come, the Polestar 4 is set to join the ranks as the company’s second SUV offering in Singapore.

“With Polestar 4 we have taken a fundamentally new approach to SUV coupé design. Rather than simply modifying an existing SUV, giving it a faster roofline and as a result, compromising elements like rear headroom and comfort, we have designed Polestar 4 from the ground up as a new breed of SUV coupé that celebrates rear occupant comfort and experience,” said Thomas Ingenlath, Polestar CEO.

The most notable element of the Polestar 4 is the elimination of the rear windscreen. Instead, a giant panoramic sunroof is installed, and a camera feeds the rear-view mirror on the inside.

It’s also built on the premium Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA) developed by Geely Holding. The result is an SUV coupe with a large body and 2,999mm long wheelbase, which means more legroom for occupants. Overall length is 4,840 mm, width is 2,139 mm and height is 1,534 mm.

True to the company’s name, Polestar, more celestial bodies are introduced to the interior courtesy of ambient lighting themes. Choose from planets such as Earth, Jupiter and Saturn to change the interior ambient colour scheme to your solar system-based preference.

The interior materials are based on recycled polyester-based knit textiles along with bio-attributed MicroTech vinyl.

Optionally, animal welfare-secured Nappa leather will also be offered, along with ventilation, massage and headrest speakers for the front seats, and rear comfort headrests for the back passengers.

Two colour schemes will also be on offer for the soft-touch interior materials, namely Zinc and Charcoal, and a new colour called Mist. New exterior colours will also be on offer, including Gold, Storm and Electron.

The Polestar 4 also offers a much larger battery pack, to the tune of 100kWh for both Long Range versions. This is right up there with premium and luxury brands’ offerings in the market.

Needless to say, this Swedish SUV coupe has the new electric Porsche Macan firmly in its sights.

The Long-range Dual motor features 544 hp and 686 Nm of torque, with a preliminary WLTP range of up to 590km. A disconnect clutch allows the car to disengage the front electric motor when not needed, to maximise range and efficiency.

The Long-range single-motor version features a 272hp and 343Nm motor at the rear and preliminary WLTP range of up to 620km.

Up to 200 kW DC and 22 kW AC charging is included for both versions, and the charge lid is motorised. Bi-directional charging hardware is also included.

The infotainment system is powered by Android Automotive OS and the Snapdragon Cockpit Platform now utilises a 15.4-inch landscape-oriented screen. Over-the-air updates will keep the infotainment system current, with new features being added when available.

A Harman Kardon audio system with 12 speakers and a 1,400-watt channel-hybrid amplifier comes with the Plus Pack as standard.

Seven airbags are included as standard. Further aiding safety are twelve cameras, one radar and twelve ultrasonic sensors that come standard-fit. This includes a driver monitoring camera, which only relays data and does not record video, to monitor the driver’s eyes and head movements to help avoid incidents related to fatigue or incapacitation.

A 10.2-inch driver display is mounted ahead of the steering column and includes speed, battery and range information. To reduce distraction, a head-up display (HUD) with a 14.7-inch projection area in front of the driver relays key vehicle, telephony and navigation information to the windscreen.

Enhanced Pilot Assist with lane change assist, initiated by the driver tapping the indicator stalk in the desired direction is also available in the Polestar 4 SUV.

The vehicles coming to Singapore will be highly specified, with Pilot and Plus Packs as standard. The optional Pro Pack includes 21-inch wheels and subtle design details such as seat belts with a Swedish gold stripe & valve caps.

For customers looking at the fire-breathing version of the Polestar 4 Long-range Dual motor variant, the optional Performance Pack offers 22-inch rims, four-piston Brembo brakes, Polestar Engineered performance chassis tuning and Swedish gold details for the brakes, seat belts and valve caps.

Indicative pricing, excluding COE, for the single motor variant is from $195,000, and $245,000 for the dual motor version, both as long range models. Deliveries in Singapore are expected to commence from Q3 2024. Contact Polestar Singapore for more information.

Photo Credits: Sean Loo (@auto.driven)

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Stepping back in time to 1975 saw the launch of the first Renault 5, a unique car renowned for its avant-garde design, versatility and fuel frugality.

It addressed the challenges of its times for millions of families, responding to the oil shock, changing lifestyles, and the need for a second car.

However, in later years, different versions were spawned, including some hotted-up performance and racing variants of the Renault 5.

Fast forward to 2021, and the world witnessed the unveiling of the Renault 5 prototype.

This then brings us on to the present day with the Renault 5 E-Tech electric. Renault says “It represents the ‘Renaulution’ recovery strategy, as well as the industrial renewal and electric shift of its iconic brand.”

Boy, does Renault need a recovery, and this appears to be a great start.

Developed through innovative working methods, this production model has all the magic and charm of the aforementioned prototype. It was developed in just three years, compared with the usual four.

Packed with electrical and digital technology and entirely manufactured in France, it is also competitively priced, starting at around €25,000.

To achieve this result in the small, affordable city car segment, the Renault Group drew upon its full range of expertise, and particularly that of Renault, Ampere, the group’s entity specialising in electric vehicles and software, and Mobilize.

“Renault 5 E-Tech Electric is a car unlike any other. Its release coincides with a major shift by millions of Europeans towards new mobility which is electric, connected, and sustainable. It also triggered the transformation of Renault Group into a next-generation automotive company. To develop this car in just three years in France, to the highest technological standard, all our decisions had to be disruptive, and our organisation as agile as possible.”

“We were the first ones to make a bet on a 100% electric platform for a small European car, to optimise costs across the value chain, to relocate our industrial ecosystem… Only an iconic car could bring our teams together in this way and move the needle internally. In the face of significant change in our industry, this car paves a new way for Renault. It’s at the heart of the battle to reinvent European industry against competition coming from the East and the West. With this vehicle we’re proving that production in Europe, in France really is possible!” said Luca de Meo, CEO of Renault Group.

When the original Renault 5 was launched in 1972, it turned heads with its original and modern design. It was a breath of fresh air, symbolising freedom and joie de vivre. So does the Renault 5 E-Tech electric. I mean, just look at it! Doesn’t it make you feel all warm and tingly within?

The design team took a deeply emotive approach to their work, adopting a ‘retrofuturistic’ style. Bright colours, headlamps with a cheeky look, vertical rear lights, sculpted wings, a coloured roof trim, a vent grille on the bonnet and more.

Renault 5 E-Tech Electric makes many nods to the mischievous style of its predecessor. The idea was to give a fresh twist to the details that live on in people’s minds, in keeping with the 21st century and the electric transition.

This is the first vehicle to be designed entirely on AmpR Small, Renault’s new Ampere platform dedicated to B-segment electric vehicles. This offers real competitive advantages including a flat floor, a long wheelbase of 2.54 metres, optimised interior space and boot capacity of 326 litres, lower centre of gravity and reduced weight of less than 1.5 tons.

A new AC bidirectional charger compatible with V2L (vehicle-to-load) and V2G (vehicle-to-grid) technologies features here. Thanks to its 11 kW AC charger, its 80 or 100kW DC charger and its battery of up to 52kWh, the Renault 5 E-Tech electric offers a range of up to 400km WLTP. It can even tow a smaller trailer, with a towing capacity of 500kg.

The emotion inspired by the exterior design is mirrored inside. The interior features a large 10.1″ multimedia touchscreen with a bright, flowing interface. The graphic and sound design of the welcome sequence was developed in collaboration with the Ircam Institute of Music and Sound and with Jean-Michel Jarre.

The Renault 5 E-Tech electric is touted as a high-tech car packed with cutting-edge innovations.

It has the latest generation OpenR Link system with Google built-in, along with over 50 apps and practical services such as integrating electric recharging in the planned journey.

Alongside the connected services of Google is the debut of Reno, the official Renault avatar that serves as “an intelligent, helpful and endearing travel companion.” Reno is said to have a “real personality,” and is designed to respond to user queries and commands while giving “the vehicle a relational signature that is full of empathy.”

Sound comfort is optimised with the patented smart cocoon soundproofing system and an acoustic windscreen, a feature borrowed from further up the market. For thermal comfort, an economical heat pump saves battery energy.

Driving aids (ADAS) borrowed from further up the market, including intelligent adaptive cruise control that reads the road, and Active Driver Assist, a level 2 automated driving technology, also features here.

The official launch is expected to be in September 2024.

Renault Group is committed to producing the Renault 5 E-Tech electric and its battery in France from summer 2025. Vehicles and batteries will be assembled at the Douai plant, which was one of the production sites for the original Renault 5.

The motor will be manufactured at Cléon and the modules produced by the Douai Gigafactory from summer 2025. By 2030, Renault says the carbon footprint of the modules will be 35% smaller than for the Renault ZOE.

Photo Credits: Renault

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The latest Maserati GranTurismo was launched in 2023, along with the announcement of the GranTurismo Folgore, the first Maserati to go with a 100% battery-electric drivetrain and three electric motors.

However, throw Fuoriserie, Maserati’s bespoke artisan arm, into the mix and you’re sure to end up with something eye-catching and special. And that’s exactly what’s happened with the GranTurismo Prisma, a Fuoriserie one-off created to celebrate the history and future of the GranTurismo.

The GranTurismo Prisma’s bodywork features a chromatic interplay of 14 different colours that are all hand-painted.

Two of these colours “look ahead to the future, whilst the other twelve have been selected from the hues of the most popular GranTurismo models of the past, such as the characteristic Amaranto from the 1947 Maserati A6 1.500, and the Oro Longchamps that brightened the 1973 Maserati Khamsin.”

On top of that are 8,500 letters hand-applied and hand-varnished one by one, making up the names of Maserati cars.

The hand-painted Maserati Tridente emblem stands proud on the B-pillar, reminding everyone that Neptune is always nearby.

On the inside, the GranTurismo adopts the twin central display for infotainment and climate controls, first seen in the Grecale.

A digital instrument cluster is standard fare, and a heads-up display (HUD) is also available optionally.

Although it may seem that the GranTurismo is a 2+2 coupe, it was actually designed from the get-go to truly fit four adults comfortably.

The GranTurismo is available in three versions internationally. Two versions feature internal combustion with the three-litre twin turbo Nettuno V6 engine putting out 490hp in the Modena version, and 550hp in the Trofeo. Both come with all-wheel drive.

A full-electric Folgore is fitted with three electric motors offering over 760hp, also in all-wheel drive format.

Naturally, the Fuoriserie bespoke program is available to GranTurismo customers to customise their coupes to their hearts’ content. Expect to pay a pretty penny for the privilege though.

For those who wish to catch the car in person, the Maserati GranTurismo Prisma will be available for public viewing from 20 January to 25 February 2024 at 26 Dempsey Road.

Satiate your palette with Italian cuisine as you take in the artisanal bodywork of the Prisma.

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On Wednesday 12 July 2023, Aston Martin previewed its brand new fist-bitingly gorgeous “Super Tourer” DB12 to local media. You know, because the term “Grand Tourer” just isn’t adequate.

This DB12 will no longer be offered with a V12 engine. Instead, a twin-turbocharged four-litre V8 is mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission and puts down 680hp and 800Nm of torque via an electronic rear differential, that can react much quicker than a mechanical differential, to the rear wheels only.

And what alluring wheels they are. 21-inch forged alloy rims, 9.5J- and 10.5J-width front and rear respectively, wear 275/35ZR21 and 325/30ZR21 AML-mark Michelin Pilot Sport S 5 tyres in the first OEM application for this brand new tyre.

Together, they enable the DB12 to dispatch the 0-100km/h sprint in just 3.6 seconds, and on to a top speed of 325km/h. Stopping duties fall to 400mm steel brake discs which are clamped by six-piston calipers up front, with 360mm discs and four-piston calipers at the rear. Plonk down cash for the optional carbon ceramic brake (CCB) option, and the front discs increase in size to 410mm.

Aston Martin wanted its customers to still be able to do long distances in comfort like DBs of yore, while also being able to tear up the tarmac during track days. Suspension partner Bilstein worked to fine-tune the dampers to allow the DB12 to cruise like a grand tourer, and yet with a press of a button, sharpen up and perform like a supercar. Hence the new terminology “Super Tourer.” This is said to be the sharpest handling DB ever.

On the inside, Aston Martin has upped the game with a new level of technology. An optional 15-speaker 1,170-watt Bowers & Wilkins audio system is controlled by a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system featuring Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, both in wireless guise. The instrument cluster is digital too, but thankfully, Aston Martin has seen fit to retain physical controls where they matter, such as the climate controls for instance.

The interior is trimmed in high quality leathers and Alcantara, fitting for a “Super Tourer” of this stature. The craftsmanship is exquisite and customers will no doubt have a wide variety of materials and trims to choose from to customise their DB12 and make it their own.

More to come when we drive the DB12. Watch this space. In the meantime, this “Super Tourer’s” next preview stop is Malaysia.

Photo Credits: Joel Tam (@r129_365)

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