Cars & Concepts: New or refreshed offerings from Porsche, BMW, VW, Cadillac and M-B

Porsche has added a new performance hybrid to top the Cayenne utility vehicle lineup. The 2024 Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid, above, pairs a twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V-8 engine with electric assist for a net 729 horsepower, 59 more than the outgoing Turbo S E-Hybrid. According to Porsche, the new model can hit 100 km/h from rest in 3.7 seconds and tops out at 295 km/h. It starts at $174,050 in Canada, including $2,850 delivery. Customers can order now, but shipments aren’t scheduled to begin until the second quarter of 2024.

BMW NEUE KLASSE CONCEPT

The “almost monolithic” body and pared down styling of the Neue Klasse concept will be a building block for BMW’s next generation of electric vehicles, the automaker said. BMW previewed the vehicle at the IAA Mobility auto show, Sept. 5-10 in Munich. The Neue Klasse retains some classic BMW styling features, such as the Hofmeister kink in the rear pillar and the split grille.The concept also has new cylindrical battery cells that increase range 30 per cent over the automaker’s current technology.

2024 VOLKSWAGEN GOLF GTI 380

It’s the end of an era as the Golf GTI 380 is the last GTI to get a manual transmission. There will be two trims that go on sale in Canada this fall, starting at $38,845, including $1,950 delivery. The 380 in the name refers to the vehicle’s internal model code. A seven-speed paddle-shift automatic can also be specified. Driving the front wheels is a 241-horsepower turbocharged four-cylinder. But as the book closes on the manual transmission, Volkswagen is prepping the GTI for the electric era; the company revealed an ID-concept of the hot hatch at IAA Mobility, Sept. 5-10, in Munich.

2025 CADILLAC ESCALADE IQ

After testing the EV waters with two new models, Cadillac is electrifying the Escalade — likely its best-known nameplate — for the 2025 model year. The Escalade IQ is set to go into production next summer, riding on an Ultium battery platform that will provide the full-size utility vehicle with an advertised maximum range of 724 kilometres. Front and rear drive motors will produce up to 750 horsepower in Velocity Max mode. Canadian pricing has not been released, but in the United States it will start at about $130,000.

MERCEDES-BENZ CONCEPT CLA CLASS

At the recent IAA Mobility auto show in Munich, Mercedes-Benz offered a preview of a new family of electric vehicles expected to take on Tesla and emerging EV brands at the entry end of the luxury market. The Concept CLA Class adapts technology from the automaker’s earlier Vision EQXX concept, such as long-range batteries, high-speed charging and high-efficiency motors made in-house. The concept is also underpinned by a new modular EV platform expected to lend itself to a coupe, a wagon and a pair of crossovers. The first production CLA could arrive by mid-decade.