Every important car news story breaking today, in one convenient read
Thanks for joining us this Wednesday 7 August 2024. Notably in car news today: Kia has lobbed its next teaser trailer for its upcoming Tasman ute, this time filmed in Victoria, and the BYD Seal sedan is set to be updated in the coming months.
Kia Tasman teased yet again in latest official video
Kia has teased more of its Kia Tasman ute, albeit still very much covered up under camouflage.
As one segment of an eight-part teaser series, the latest video documents some of the testing Kia undertook for the ute in Australia.
What we know so far is that the Kia Tasman is almost certainly going to feature the 2.2-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine also found in the Kia Sorento. It produces 148kW/440Nm in most applications, however these outputs could be increased slightly to match or even exceed the Toyota Hilux’s150kW/500Nm outputs.
Also confirmed is a 3500kg towing capacity, at least one tonne of payload, single- and dual-cab bodystyles, and a live-axle rear suspension with leaf springs.
Although unconfirmed, once the Tasman goes on sale there could be the opportunity for Kia Australia to branch out and offer more powertrains choices as time goes on.
The update will see the introduction of Lidar for its intelligent driving system, a new rear BYD badge and new Sky Purple paint.
But the biggest changes will be inside and will consist of a new four-spoke steering wheel, an extended light-up display for the passenger, and different material finishes.
While the current Seal on sale in Australia is only available with a Thaumas Black interior, the updated Seal features the availability of a tan-coloured interior.
The updated Seal is likely to launch soon in Australia, with pricing not expected to increase much over the current Seal, which starts at $49,888 for the base Dynamic, $55,798 for the Premium, and $65,748 for the flagship Performance.
Fiat Grande Panda integrates charger cable into bodywork
The Fiat Grande Panda has its own AC charge cord
Fiat has become one of the first automakers to offer an integrated AC charge cable in an electric vehicle, with the upcoming Fiat Grande Panda disguising the cable inside its bodywork.
The 7.4kW charge cable is integrated into the front of the vehicle, almost like a retractable vacuum cleaner power cord.
Unfortunately, however, you won’t be able to do any fast charging through the front-mounted cable.
Instead, Fiat has confirmed it will also offer a DC fast-charge port on the side of the vehicle which can allow speeds of up to 100kW.
The upcoming Fiat Grande Panda has been confirmed for the UK market but remains under consideration for other markets, including Australia.
Rivian joins Ford with huge losses in second quarter of 2024
Rivian has lost a decent stack of money with its EVs
American automaker Rivian is feeling the pinch with its electric-vehicle sales after having reported a net loss in the second quarter of 2024 of USD$1.46 billion (AUD$2.2 billion).
Rivian currently produces the R1T ute and R1S SUV electric models and has more models to come, including the R2 and R3.
Rivian’s largest shareholder is Amazon, who owns a 16.04-percent stake in the automaker. Rivian unsurprisingly supplies delivery vans to Amazon.
The Ford Motor Company is another automaker that has suffered similar financial losses, reporting a USD$1.3 billion loss during the first quarter of this year.
The next issue of Car News Today will be published on Thursday 8 August at 4.30pm Sydney time.
