Automotive News - May 6, 2019 - Retail - 6

6 * MAY 6, 2019

cars&concepts
Front: V-shaped Dynamic
Shield - designed with
broad horizontal and vertical
elements to convey protection
and performance - will migrate
across the Mitsubishi lineup.
Standard LED headlights and fog
lights, not available previously,
provide optimal lighting for safety.
2019

2020

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2019

The Land Rover Defender's Tusk prototype

Rear: Horizontal LED lamps are designed to accentuate stability. T-shaped
lights are intended to be more visible to a driver behind the vehicle.
Mitsubishi's
Nate Berg

A clearer look
at Land Rover's
new Defender
Jay Ramey

A
Stance: Though it has the same
chassis and dimensions as its
predecessor, the 2020 appears taller
and wider. 18-inch wheels will be
standard.

2020
2019

'20 Outlander Sport
will lead Mitsubishi's
design evolution
Omari Gardner

2020 MODEL PHOTOS BY OMARI GARDNER

he redesigned 2019 Audi A6 has all-wheel
drive, a 335-hp, 3.0-liter V-6 engine and a
48-volt mild-hybrid system. A mix of aluminum and steel has resulted in a more rigid
chassis that helps increase the car's agility, Audi
says. Here are A6 review snippets.


"The Audi A6's updated V-6 is punchy, but
you really have to squash the right pedal, even
in dynamic mode. Otherwise, it's butter-soft
torque delivery all through the rev range. It's a
quiet mill without much turbo noise."
- Jake Lingeman, Autoweek

s the Land Rover Defender marches toward an
official reveal, 4x4 fans are getting the best look
yet at the SUV.
Defender prototypes have reached 1.2 million kilometers in testing. To mark the milestone, the brand has revealed an image of a far less camouflaged Defender clad
in graphics of Tusk, a conservation group that has partnered with Land Rover for 15 years. The prototype will
join Land Rover's Defender testing program and work
in the Borana Conservancy in Kenya.
So far, the Defender has passed more than 45,000
tests in various climates and terrains, including temperature extremes of 122 degrees Fahrenheit in the
desert and minus 40 degrees in arctic regions. When it
comes to elevation, Land Rover has tested the new Defender in locations 10,000 feet above sea level.
The minimal camouflage on the prototype gives a
better view of the Defender's profile. The best part of
this image is that the prototype no longer wears the
fake hood, which was recognizable as a false surface
feature designed to preserve the secrecy of the final
design. As expected, the real hood and front fascia profile are much more Discovery-like. Another bit of surface camo that was ditched was the squared-off roof,
which also looked like a false surface feature. The real
roof is far less boxy and more aerodynamic. a

2020

2020 Corvette badge
also gets redesigned

2019

ogardner@crain.com

NN ARBOR, Mich. - To see the future of Mitsubishi design, look
no further than the 2020 Outlander Sport.
The Japanese brand, working to regain traction in the U.S., selected its No. 2 seller to showcase its new Robust & Ingenious design philosophy. A factor in that decision, said Mitsubishi Motors North America
CEO Fred Diaz, was the subcompact crossover's sales growth, particularly among millennial customers.
Outlander Sport sales in the U.S. rose 18 percent in 2018. But they
cooled through the first four months of this year, dropping 11 percent to
13,925.
During a press briefing here, Diaz and Nate Berg, director of product
planning, pointed out highlights of the new design elements on the
freshened 2020 model, which arrives in showrooms in September. n

jramey@autoweek.com

Interior: There are more upscale touches,
including new seating materials and an
8-inch touch screen with silver-painted volume
and tuning knobs.

The eighth-generation
Chevrolet Corvette has
been redesigned so
completely that even its
famous badge is getting a
new look. The revised badge's
three main elements - the
Chevrolet bow tie, the checkered
flag and the fleur-de-lis - remain, but
they have been recast. Chevrolet will
produce two versions of the badge, dark
and light. You can see the evolution of the Corvette
badge since 1953 in 12 seconds at autonews.
com/corvettebadge.

Critics weigh in on 2019 Audi A6
"Paired to the V-6 is a 7-speed twin-clutch
transmission, which is slightly unusual because
Audi has been veering back to conventional
torque converter automatics that can be shifted
rapidly and controlled better than prior
conventional automatics. No matter,
though; the 7-speed operates
very smoothly when
needed and rapidly
when hoofing it.
Quattro all-wheel

drive sends the power to all four corners."
- Jim Resnick, New York Daily News


"The sedan is enjoyable to drive on
winding roads, but it's equally
comfortable traveling at
highway speeds. Its
turbocharged V-6 engine is powerful and
delivers immediate

power, and the interior is roomy, luxurious, and
comfortable for four adults."
- Jon Linkov, Consumer Reports


"In many ways, the 2019 Audi A6 performs
much like its predecessor, and that's a good
thing. We've praised the former for its powerful
engine and optimal balance between performance and comfort. This latest evolution is just
as deserving. Acceleration is smooth and effortless, though the engine noise doesn't sound
as refined as competing V6s when you floor it."
- Mark Takahashi, Edmunds

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Automotive News - May 6, 2019 - Retail

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