The editorial car selection

DS 7 Crossback

A special model for President Macron

On the occasion of the Armistice celebrations of November 11, the President of the Republic Emmanuel Macron appeared in a new official vehicle. We had already seen him in the back of the DS 7 Crossback, the French brand's family SUV, but this time he was parading in a specially modified model. This DS 7 Crossback has full armor, as required by the State. It is equipped with the most powerful engine in the catalog, the 4 hp 300-cylinder plug-in hybrid. And like a luxury limousine, it increases the length of its wheelbase to improve rear habitability. Twenty centimeters more which, added to the removal of the rear seat in favor of two individual seats, allow the president to better examine his files in the car.

Lotus Type 132

The purists will choke

The name Lotus smacks of the ultralight sports cars dear to its founder, Colin Chapman. Even today, the range includes the essential Elise in addition to the Exige and the Evora. But while these three models must disappear within a few weeks and the GT Emira is preparing its launch, the Hethel manufacturer is preparing for a double revolution: after the Evija supercar, it will launch a second electric model with much lower pricing. affordable… and in the shape of an SUV! Yes, you read correctly. The brand known for its maxim “light is right” is preparing a 4×4 to compete with Porsche Macan with batteries with a capacity between 90 and 120 kWh. Suffice it to say that it will weigh well over two tonnes. Straight line performance promises dizzying acceleration, but in the corners, what will a Lotus SUV be like?

Subaru Solterra & Toyota bZ4X

The electric twins

A pioneer in hybrid technology for more than twenty years, Toyota has never before marketed a 100% electric model. The Japanese manufacturer is stepping into battery-powered engines with the bZ4X, a compact SUV whose name looks like a typo. And as for the sporty GR 86, the technical development of the model was carried out jointly with the Subaru teams. Its twin of the brand known for its four-cylinder boxer, in which Toyota owns 20% of the capital, is called Solterra and is essentially differentiated from the latter by a different front end. Count on 204 hp for the entry-level traction version and 218 hp for the top variant with all-wheel drive and dual motorization. Thanks to the batteries with a capacity of 71,4 kWh, the range could exceed 450 km.