This week's gossip from the automotive industry has news of Lamborghini's growing bespoke service, Nismo's importance, the future of Seat and Jaguar's orders for the pure electric I-Pace.
Lamborghini goes bespoke
About 60% of Lamborghini’s customers are now making use of the firm’s Ad Personam customisation service, underlining elite car buyers’ increasing tendency to personalise their cars. Options range from bespoke stitching colours to fully customised styling and colouring packages that can be ordered only after visiting the factory.
Read more: 2018 Lamborghini Urus SUV launch triggers new corporate look
The importance of Nismo
Nissan UK boss Alex Smith has hailed the role of the Nismo sub-brand – whose products include performance variants of the Juke crossover, 370Z sports car and GT-R supercar – in creating interest for the wider marque. “The latest-generation GT-R Nismo is a wonderful halo product,” he said. “Nismo is valuable for us in the UK… It is an excitement generator within the Nissan brand.”
Read more: 2018 Nissan Leaf - specs leak shows new drivetrain will have 148bhp
Seat's future plans
Seat has to submit its plans for the next five years to the Volkswagen Group in October. The firm will launch six new cars between now and 2020, but Seat CEO Luca de Meo said it would go right up to the deadline to look at models beyond that, particularly electric cars, to ensure its limited resources are best spent.
Read more: Seat EVs to lead upcoming model offensive
I-Pace hits 500 pre-orders
The production version of the all-electric Jaguar I-Pace hasn’t been revealed yet, but 500 people have already reserved the model, according to Jaguar UK boss Jeremy Hicks. He confi rmed that 50% of its model line-up will be all-electric or hybrid by 2020 and said the expense of all-electric powertrains means it’s “simple logic that these models start higher up in the model range”.
Read more: Jaguar I-Pace: new video footage shows electric SUV in Monaco
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SEAT - VW group's Alfa Romeo
SEAT - VW group's Alfa Romeo - any chance of a sports saloon or coupe? (And no, a 3 door Leon is *not* a coupe)
WallMeerkat wrote:
Not in the next 3-5 years, IMO! As the brand fights for survival, expect to see more SUVs of all shapes and sizes, and some small cars. Once (and if!) volumes have been established and the challenges of electrification and hybridisation dealt with, the 1990s dream of Seat being the Alfa of the VW group can be revisited.