This is shown by statistics. The average vehicle value there is around CHF 63,000 - around a third more than the Swiss average of around CHF 47,000. Zug's preference for expensive cars is probably due on the one hand to the high level of wealth, and on the other to the large proportion of company vehicles.

In second place is the canton of Schwyz with an average vehicle value of almost 57,000 francs, closely followed by Appenzell Innerrhoden. The cantons of Graubünden, Basel-Stadt, Zurich, Nidwalden, Basel-Land, Valais, Aargau and Obwalden are also above average.

Cheap cars in western Switzerland

The cheapest cars can be found in the cantons of Neuchâtel, Jura and Fribourg. There, the average vehicle value is around 42,000 francs in each case. The ranking indicates the average prices of the insured cars, but the range is wide in all cantons.

Jérôme Pahud, head of mobility insurance at AXA, says, "The spectrum of insured cars ranges from 10,000-franc models to luxury cars often worth several million francs."

Older vehicles in three cantons

Canton Zug is also ahead in terms of vehicle age. The cars there are 8.9 years old on average - one year younger than the overall average. The people of Fribourg also seem to attach importance to new vehicles, as their cars follow in second place with an average of 9.1 years, followed by the people of Ticino with 9.2 years. The oldest cars are on the road with Schaffhausen, Bernese and Thurgau license plates. They have an average of 10.7 years under their belt. The evaluation was conducted in 2022 and takes into account all passenger cars insured with AXA.

axa.ch

Customers of the second-generation Hyundai Kona can choose between fully electric, hybrid and combustion engine variants. With a range of around 490 kilometers, the Kona EV is one of the most enduring electric vehicles in the B-SUV segment.

Jaehoon Chang, president and CEO of Hyundai Motor Company, said, "The Kona Electric will play an important role in strengthening Hyundai's position in electric vehicles alongside our Ioniq models."

Equipment for semi-autonomous driving

New features include two 12.3-inch displays, a digital key system, full over-the-air updates and a connected navigation system. Smart Sense driver assistance systems include equipment for Level 2 semi-autonomous driving, Front Collision Assist, Blind Spot Monitor, Automated Parking and Unparking, and Driver Status Monitor.

More space inside and for the luggage

Compared to the first generation, the new model has larger dimensions. Its length is 4.36 meters - 17.5 centimeters more than the previous generation. The wheelbase is now 2.66 meters, six centimeters longer. In addition, the new model is 2.5 centimeters wider and two centimeters higher.

With the larger dimensions, Hyundai was also able to realize more interior space. The fully folding second-row seat and the rear compartment offer up to 466 liters of cargo space. The drag coefficient c_W is a good 0.27.

hyundai.ch

The Honda CL500 Scrambler is designed for the city, but is equally well suited for excursions into lighter terrain. It adopts the Category A restricted compatible twin-cylinder engine from the CB500 family, combined with a new steel frame, long-travel suspension and 19-inch wheels at the front and 17-inchers at the rear.

Dynamic acceleration

The CL500 Scrambler combines retro charm with modern equipment and up-to-date technology. It brings with the 471-cm³-With its two-cylinder engine (43 Nm, 47 hp), the 6-speed transmission, the short gear ratio and the anti-hopping clutch, the bike offers exactly the right dose of dynamic acceleration, a lot of fun to ride and also tempts you to go off-road. Prices start at 7790 Swiss francs.

honda.ch

The team wanted to use the time at the official Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe test days to establish a basic set-up and understand the characteristics of the new cars. The team's five drivers had the opportunity to sit behind the wheel of the 296 GT3 for the first time.

Lorenz Frey-Hilti, Team Principal Emil Frey Racing: "Our team has been working hard in recent weeks with the support of Ferrari to prepare the cars for the first race. We were very excited to see how the cars would perform on the track. With the Ferrari 296 GT3 we have an excellent basis. The test results are very pleasing; and the team is happy with the results."

News on the social media channels

Splitting the test program between the two cars maximized the time available on track and allowed various settings to be tried out. Various tests were carried out on the mechanical set-up, aerodynamics and electronic systems.

Jack Aitken, who started the test season with car number 14 and did the first laps with the Ferrari: "The car feels very good, the handling and the overall ride are amazing."

Tip for fans: The team's respective progress can be followed on Emil Frey Racing's social media channels. There you will also find insights behind the scenes of the team and many updates on the performance of the Ferrari 296 GT3.

emilfreyracing.com

After the successful 2022 season, Ram and Red Bull KTM Factory Racing plan to continue their partnership on the race tracks. This includes the FIM Motorcross World Championship, the FIM Enduro World Championship and the FIM Hard Enduro World Championship.

Fully electric model available soon

The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing teams can count on four cars: two Ram 1500 TRXs, one Ram 1500 Rebel and one Ram Laramie. These cars will also be shown as show cars at some events. With its 6.2-liter supercharged V8 (709 hp) and 8-speed automatic, the Ram 1500 TRX accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in just 4.5 seconds. What's more, it can hook up to 3670 kilograms and wade through water up to 80 centimeters deep.

In the past year, however, a real drive revolution has also broken out at Ram. From the beginning of next year, the Ram 1500 REV will also be available as an all-electric model.

Young driver team fights for points

For the 2023 season, the KTM motocross team has hired new, young riders. Andrea Adamo, Sacha Coenen and Liam Everts (center gallery) will compete in the battle for points on a KTM 250 SX-F, while veteran Jeffrey Herlings will ride a KTM 450 SX-F. The Enduro team is made up of Josep Garcia on KTM 250 EXC-F and Manuel Lettenbichler on KTM 300 EXC TPI.

stellantis.com

Mitsubishi Motors Europe is expanding its product range upwards. Following the new ASX and the Colt, which will be launched next fall, the third model series, the Outlander, will be relaunched in 2024.

Frank Krol, president and CEO of Mitsubishi Motors Europe, said, "The launch of the new Oulander PHEV confirms Mistubishi's commitment to the European market and represents an important step in our product plan, bringing us back into the core European D-SUV segment."

Long experience with PHEV and all-wheel drive

The exterior of the new Outlander PHEV will express Mitsubishi's signature design language - with Dynamic Shield at the front, Sculpted Solidity at the side and Hexaguard Horizon at the rear. On the powertrain side, the new car features Mitsubishi's second-generation plug-in hybrid powertrain and all-wheel drive system. In addition, the latest driver assistance and infotainment systems will be part of the equipment.

Bruno Campino, Managing Director of Mitsubishi Switzerland: "With its advanced technology and 4×4 drive, it is certainly an asset for the Swiss market."

mitsubishi-motors.ch

Toyota and Undercover have redesigned the Aygo X as a showcase for the best of both brands. Inspired by Japanese fashion designer Jun Takahashi's philosophy of non-conformity, the Aygo X Undercover's design update features an exclusive two-tone paint scheme specially developed by Toyota - with gray bodywork as the base and coral red accents on the black 18-inch alloy wheels.

Undercover is known for playing with contrasts. Punk combines with avant-garde fashion, the digital with the analog. These principles are continued in the collaboration with Toyota. The world of fashion merges with that of the automobile. "It was the first time for me to collaborate on the design of a car. Since Toyota is such a renowned Japanese brand, the project had a deep emotional meaning for me," Takahashi says.

Fresh emotionality in the Car design

The interior impresses with specially branded seats and floor mats that feature a monogram pattern. Takahashi's motto - Chaos/Balance - is echoed on the roof. This is an unusual collaboration in the development of a car. By switching from a hatchback to a crossover body style, Toyota's designers in Europe have given the new Aygo X a fresh emotional appeal.

Unexpected from everyday details

Tadao Mori, head of design at Toyota Europe, says: "We were aware that Undercover could further emphasize the individual character of the Aygo X. We were interested to see how Jun's fashion language could be applied. We were curious to see how Jun's fashion language could be transferred to the automotive development process. And: fashion and car design have a lot in common. But Jun gave us a whole new look at colors and showed us new ways to create something unexpected out of everyday details."

toyota.ch

The successor to the A110 planned for 2026 will hit the road as a fully electric sports car (gallery above). At the same time, the model range will have grown to three electric models by then. In addition to the classic, a compact car based on the revived, electrically powered R5 is planned for next year and a crossover GT for 2025, which will be based on a Group platform but will be a completely independent model.

Typical DNA of the brand remains intact

The new models are being developed at Alpine's development center in Les Ulis near Paris. 200 experts are preparing the brand for the electric future, facing particular challenges in the electrification of the A110.

Head of Development Olivier Guintrand: "We definitely want to retain the typical Alpine DNA. That's why the engineers refrained from adopting the electric platform of the Mégane eTech. This would mean we would give up the ground clearance typical of the A110. The vehicle would then stand too high. That's why the 62 kWh energy storage system was split so that there are four modules under the front hood and eight in the rear."

Target for the E version 1320 kilogram weight

Power transmission of the currently 178 kW (243 hp) drive is handled by a two-speed gearbox developed by Alpine. As it stands today, the electric A110 accelerates to 100 km/h in 4.5 seconds, and the top speed is reached at 250 km/h. The two-seater currently weighs 1378 kilograms. The two-seater currently weighs 1378 kilograms, but the engineers are optimistic that the weight will be reduced to 1320 kilograms by the time it goes into series production. The combustion engine-A110-weighs 1120 kilograms and has a maximum speed of 260 km/h to 280 km/h, depending on the variant.

Range of the Stromer up to 420 kilometers

The distribution of the battery helps with the weight distribution. With a ratio of 42 percent at the front and 58 percent at the rear, the electric A110 almost matches the values of the combustion engine model (43/57). The engineers in Les Ulis provisionally state a range of 420 kilometers, although this is reduced to 260 kilometers at 120 km/h on the highway. By way of comparison, the combustion engine version covers 550 kilometers on a single tank.

Fresh air variant under homologation

While the electric A110 won't be introduced for another three years, an A110 with an open roof will probably be launched next year, because many customers keep asking for an open A110. The two halves of the roof can be easily removed and stored in the two luggage compartments. Homologation is currently underway for the fresh-air variant (gallery below).

In May there is a big celebration in Dieppe

The A110 is built at Renault's smallest plant in Dieppe, where the brand's history began in 1955. That was when Jean Rédélé developed his first sports car. The brand was later taken over by Renault. In 1973, Alpine celebrated its first major success by winning the World Rally Championship, which thousands of Alpine fans will celebrate over a weekend in Dieppe on May 19-21. The first electric prototype, the Alpine E-ternité, will also be on display there.

Rising sales also in Switzerland

2022 was another record year for Alpine, with registrations worldwide up by more than 33 percent. Launching sales in new markets, Alpine continues its international expansion and expands its dealer network by almost half. Sales in Switzerland rose 32 percent in 2022, making Switzerland the sixth-largest market worldwide, and the order backlog for 2023 will last for several months. So there are plenty of reasons for a hearty celebration,

alpinecars.ch

The Techart GT street R individualization concept transforms the Porsche 911 Turbo Coupé and Cabriolet models into super sports cars with road approval. The conversion offers an extremely wide range of individualizations, including aerodynamic improvements, exterior and interior styling, and performance enhancements.

Thanks to Techart's intelligent power kits, the GT street R has a maximum output of 800 hp and a top torque of 950 Nm. This enables it to reach a top speed of more than 350 km/h.

Whole edition sold out

Only 20 months have passed since the first GT street R based on the 992 was built. Considering that each of the 87 conversions took four to six weeks to build, depending on the degree of customization, an average of five vehicles were under construction at Techart and the partners at the same time, week after week.

Tobias Beyer, Managing Director of Techart Automobildesign GmbH "We are delighted that all 87 examples of the GT street R are sold out. This is a confirmation of the incredible craftsmanship and engineering that goes into every vehicle we refine."

Connection of two worlds

Since its introduction in 2001, Techart's GT street customization concept has gained worldwide recognition for perfectly combining two worlds - great everyday practicality and outstanding performance on the race track.

Each vehicle is custom built to the customer's specifications, with an unlimited choice of color and trim options available, and vehicles are carefully crafted to the highest automotive standards.

And now comes the good news for all Porsche owners and lovers of refinement and customization: Techart has announced a new world premiere for March 17.

techart.com

The film Pandelleria was shot on the Mediterranean island of Pantelleria, where it is said there are more Fiat Panda than inhabitants. It is a tribute to the Fiat Panda and the people who build it. As a brand icon, the small model will continue to play an important role in the brand's strategy.

Number one in the small car class

Located between Sicily and Africa, the island of Pantelleria is known for its natural beauty and is also considered the place with the highest density of Fiat Panda in the world. In the documentary Pandelleria, Panda models of all ages are shown - always as part of the daily life of the islanders.

The Fiat Panda is manufactured at the Giambattista Vico plant in Pomigliano d'Arco, around 15 kilometers from Naples. Together with the Fiat 500, it occupies first place in the city car segment throughout Europe.

Symbol of the Italian recovery

Olivier François, CEO of Fiat and Global CMO of Stellantis Group: "43 years after its debut, the Fiat Panda is one of the leading city cars in Europe and the best-selling vehicle in Italy. To celebrate this icon of Made in Italy and thank the employees at the Pomigliano d'Arco plant, we made the documentary film Pandelleria. The Panda is a symbol of Italian recovery, and it will continue to be so in the years to come."

Optimal versatility and functionality

The film shows residents of Pantelleria who tell of their passion for the three generations of the panda. Among others, a philosopher, a beekeeper, a farmer, a mechanic, a priest and a musician have their say. They are all united by their love for the island and for the Panda, which makes their daily lives easier thanks to its versatility and functionality.

fiat.ch