Our reporters empty their notebooks to round up this week's gossip from across the automotive industry
Hybrid powertrain for Lotus SUV
Lotus CEO Jean-Marc Gales doesn’t think a hybrid powertrain is appropriate for the company’s sports cars because the batteries run down too quickly in high-performance driving and add too much dead weight.
However, a hybrid system with a very small internal combustion engine and quickly chargeable batteries is on the agenda for the company’s upcoming SUV, which will be designed for such a powertrain from its inception.
It’ll be on sale, at first exclusively in China, from 2020.
Read more: Lotus SUV full details, Lotus Evora 400 review
Toyota Burnaston plant to be adapted
Early exploratory work has begun at Toyota’s Burnaston plant to investigate how it can be adapted for manufacturing cars built on the firm’s innovative New Global Architecture system.
The first cars to sit on the platform are the new Prius and C-HR SUV, but the Auris, which is currently built in the UK, will switch for its next generation, expected to be launched around 2018.
Read more: Toyota Auris review, Toyota C-HR SUV full details
No Honda HR-V Type R
Honda UK’s head of cars, Leon Brannan, insists that there “won’t be an HR-V Type R in a million years”.
There will be style packs made available on the HR-V to emphasise a rugged or sporting look, but Honda is keen to avoid watering down the Type R reputation.
Read more: Honda HR-V review, Honda Civic Type R review
Adaptive dampers tweak for Superb Estate
Skoda is to tweak the settings of the optional adaptive dampers available on its new Superb Estate, in order to improve body control in Comfort mode.
This softest setting has been criticised for being overly sloppy, but company execs claim they’ve made alterations to improve rear damper rebound in particular.
The changes will be implemented on cars built after September.
Read more: Skoda Superb Estate review, Skoda Superb Saloon review
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