The official premiere of the new Skoda Kodiaq will take place next week, and the company decided that it was time to declassify the exterior of the car. Before this, photos of a completely new Kodiaq had already been published on the Internet, but the car was in camouflage. Now the masks have been dropped.

True, Skoda did not publish photos of the real sample, but limited itself to renderings. However, they give a good idea of ​​the car’s design. In general, it will be made in the spirit of its predecessor, but will become much more modern: it will receive more developed bumpers, new LED matrix headlights and “split” taillights.

“The all-new Kodiaq is a modern and dynamic car with a surprising and unique look. In accordance with the principle of “form follows function”, we have embodied the first elements of the future design language Modern Solid“,” Skoda chief designer Oliver Stefani described the car.

With the change of generation, the Skoda Kodiak will not become larger – the wheelbase will be the same 2791 mm. The change in external dimensions is mainly due to new bumpers. The car will receive a digital dashboard with a 10.25-inch screen and a media system with a 12.9-inch screen, a projection screen, adaptive cruise control, wireless charging for a smartphone, etc.

Tesla is indeed working on upgrading its “gigacasting” technology, which allows all parts of the car’s underbody to be injection molded as a single unit, as reported on Wednesday, September 27, by Shanghai Securities News, citing its own sources close to the automaker.

The state-run Chinese newspaper, which published the data following a recent visit to Tesla’s Shanghai plant, did not say when or which plant would initially implement the update. We previously reported that Tesla is developing technology that will allow almost the entire lower part of the electric car to be cast.

Tesla pioneered the use of huge presses with clamping forces ranging from 6,000 to 9,000 tons to mold the front and rear ends of its Model Y in a “gigacasting” process, reducing production costs.

At the Shanghai plant, Tesla’s largest facility in the world, the company has been injection molding the Model Y’s rear end since 2020, allowing it to cut costs by 40%.

Chinese electric vehicle makers, including Xpeng and Geely Zeekr, are following Tesla’s lead and have adopted gigapressing technology in their production to reduce vehicle weight and reduce costs, Shanghai Securities News reported.

On Wednesday, September 27, the first production car BYD Leopard 5 or BYD Fang Cheng Bao Bao 5 rolled off the assembly line. This is the first car of the new sub-brand Fang Cheng Bao. The plug-in hybrid SUV, which according to official positioning will compete with the 2024 Land Cruiser Prado and Mercedes G-Class, is available for pre-order at a price ranging from $41,000 to $54,000.

Bao 5 is the first model to use BYD’s new Dual Mode Off-road (DMO) super hybrid platform and DiSus-P hydraulic body control system. Its all-wheel drive system includes a 1.5L engine and two motors. Total power is 680 hp. The car’s official 0-100 km/h acceleration time is 4.8 seconds and fuel consumption is 7.8 l/100 km. In addition, its 31.8 kWh Blade battery provides an electric range of 125 km on the CLTC cycle, and a total range of up to 1,200 km.

Dimensions will be 4890 x 1970 x 1920 mm with a wheelbase of 2800 mm. The all-wheel drive system in the new car will have three differential locks and a tank steering mode.

The triple screen consists of a 12.3-inch instrument cluster, a 15.6-inch 2.5K center control screen, and a 12.3-inch front passenger entertainment screen. There is also a head-up display. The cabin can comfortably accommodate five people.

The audio system consists of 18 Devialet speakers, including speakers in the driver’s headrests. According to BYD, the interior is available in three colors: Eclipse Blue, Beach Green and Storm Rice, inspired by rocks, lakes and deserts, respectively. In addition, there is multi-color interior lighting and a panoramic sunroof.

Fang Cheng Bao is BYD’s third sub-brand after Denza and Yangwang. It is expected that sales of the model will begin in the near future.