The New Peugeot 3008 Hybrid Crossover

The new 3008 crossover will lead Peugeot's future electric plans by gaining an all-wheel drive plug-in hybrid version in 2019. Peugeot's smaller models like the 208 and 2008 will be offered in all-electric versions shortly after, with bigger cars in the range to gain a plug-in hybrid version, Autocar reports.

"For the smaller cars, like the 208 or 2008, we will launch electric versions of them," said Peugeot boss Maxime Picat during the reveal of the new 3008. "It will be electrification for smaller platforms, smaller cars, and plug-in hybridization for the bigger segments."

PSA has recently announced their 'Push-to-Pass' growth plan, which includes the launch of seven PHEVs and four all-electric models by 2021.

The plug-in version of the new Peugeot 3008 will feature an electric motor mounted on the rear axle, making it effectively an all-wheel drive model with an electric range of up to 31 miles (50km).

Following the introduction of the PHEV 3008, Peugeot will debut more autonomous-driving features across its range starting from 2020, according to Laurent Blanchet, the company's product director.

The new 3008 will feature adaptive cruise control with stop function, with Blanchet saying that is just the beginning. "That's the first step, to be at the same level as the best brands on the market," he says. "The next step will be later, around 2020, with a second, third, fourth step of autonomous driving system."

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Range Rover Evoque Sport Coupe

Codenamed L560, the new model is expected to be dubbed Range Rover Evoque Sport Coupe. Quoting sources within the company, Autocar states that while most of its details remain a secret, the new addition to the Range Rover family is expected next year.

It will reportedly use the same chassis and suspension as the Jaguar F-Pace, coming with a lightweight aluminum body. With a length of approximately 4.7 meters long, it will be slightly shorter than BMW X6 and Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe (4.9 m), slotting between the Evoque, which is 4.4 meters long, and the 4.85 meters Range Rover Evoque Sport.

While its size will put it close to the BMW X4 (4.6 m), its price tag, stylish exterior and an interior benefiting from the newest materials and finishes, will position it closer to the bigger German competitors. Its cabin is expected to offer seating for four, but a 2+1 rear seat, with a fifth seatbelt, should make its way to the options list.

The British magazine believes an all-electric powertrain might eventually join the lineup, made out of six and 8-cylinder petrol and diesel engines. It's not known at the time whether the four-pot mills available on the Jaguar F-Pace will make it to he new Range Rover. A hybrid powertrain is also in the cards, possibly based on the SDV6 HEV in the Range Rover Evoque Sport, while the 5.0-liter supercharged V8 is available for a range-topping SVR.

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2017 Kia Niro Hybrid Crossover

The dedicated hybrid crossover uses a 1.6-liter "Kappa" GDI engine, with 105 PS (104 HP) and 147 Nm (108lb-ft) of torque, paired to a 32 kW electric motor and a 1.56 kWh lithium-ion polymer battery pack, for a total output of 141 PS (139 HP) and 264 Nm (195lb-ft) of torque. Power is transferred to the road through a six-speed double-clutch transmission, with Kia claiming that peak torque is available in first gear.

Engineered from the ground up as a dedicated hybrid vehicle, the new Kia Niro promises high levels of practicality and comfortable interior dimensions, despite its reduced size, with "class-leading headroom" and a cargo capacity of 421 liters. A full-size spare wheel can be fitted beneath the boot floor, depending on the market.

To help the driver achieve better fuel economy numbers, the Korean maker has fitted the Niro with what it calls Eco-DAS(Driver Assistance System) incorporating the brand’s first application of Coasting Guide and Predictive Energy Control that utilize the navigation system and cruise control to anticipate topographical changes on the road ahead and actively manage energy flow.

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Lamborghini Urus Hybrid Version

Initially, the final version of the SUV is expected to be offered with a 4.0-liter twin-turbo petrol V8 instead of the V10 and V12 naturally aspirated units from the Huracan and Aventador, which in itself is a break with tradition. Further down the road, a a plug-in hybrid variant is a very likely candidate for expanding its line up, as Autocar reports.

"When you add a 200kg battery to a super-sports car, you immediately change the weight distribution of the car. You destroy the DNA of the car", said the automaker's research and development boss, Maurizio Reggiani, who continued to talk about the LM002's spiritual successor: "In the Urus there will be a bigger luggage compartment, so you have the space where you can install batteries in a position that is good in principal for an SUV, and you don’t need a complete redevelopment or repackaging of the car."

Regiani pointed out that achieving less than 100g/km of CO2 is extremely challenging because 200kg (441lbs) of batteries have to be added to the vehicle due to the hybrid system, and then the engineers will try to cut down this weight again by using materials such as carbon fiber, titanium and magnesium.

Lamborghini's president and CEO Stephan Winkelmann is not convinced yet that this is the right path: "If you really want to have a hybrid car with, for example, an electric range of 50km, but you want to also maintain a good power-to-weight, you are raising the bar to a million-pound car", he said. "It is something that we cannot allow without then charging it back to the customers, and this is not a market that is so large it can last for seven or eight years. It will be dead after a couple of years."

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