In addition to the BMW customer sports models M4 GT4 and M240i Racing Cup, the M4 GT3 is also equipped with motorsport components from KW Automotive. Last weekend, the new GT4 racer competed as a pre-production M4 GT4 Concept race car at the 24 Hours of Portimão in Portugal and immediately took second place in the GTX class of Special GT Cars.

For production cars and racing cars
A close partnership has existed for years between the Bavarian carmaker and the Swabian suspension manufacturer. For example, KW Automotive manufactures BMW M performance components for selected production vehicles and also equips one or the other special model, such as the M3 CTR, the M3 GTS and the M4 GTS, with coilovers ex works.

M4 GT4 with motorsport dampers
A race car that complies with the GT4 regulations is fairly close to series production compared with race cars in the GT3 class. Depending on the balance-of-performance rating and the regulations, the turbocharged 3-liter inline six in the M4 GT4 produces up to 550 hp. Power is transmitted to the rear axle via a 7-speed automatic transmission, Drexler limited-slip differential and motorsport transmission software.

Nevertheless, one or two components, such as the rear wing concept or the carbon roof, are derived from the M4 GT3, BMW's big motorsport brother. BMW also attaches great importance to the new GT4 racer being maintenance-friendly for the teams and more cost-efficient than its predecessor.

Damping forces and characteristics
Fully in line with GT4 regulations, the M4 GT4 features dual power-adjustable KW Racing dampers. The displacement piston design (Solid Piston Technology) means that the working piston is no longer overflowed.

This alone allows much greater use to be made of hydraulics in the damper design than with other systems. Solid piston dampers generate completely different damping forces and characteristics than previous racing applications.

kwsuspensions.ch

With an attractive price-performance ratio, constant delivery capability and four new models, Dacia is continuously expanding its position on the Swiss market.

While the Swiss passenger car market shows a strong decline and loses a lot compared to the previous year with 109,600 units in the first half of 2022, the Dacia brand increases its sales figures from 2666 to 3091 new registrations and its market share from 2.14 percent to 2.82 percent.

Sandero is the most popular model
In June, 900 Dacia were delivered, of which 509 were Sandero (center gallery). This puts Dacia in ninth place in the overall market last month and advances it to the top 10 brand.

Claudia Meyer, Managing Director Renault Suisse SA and Brand Head Dacia Switzerland: "With this strong half-year result, we are underlining our position in the Swiss car market. The quality of our vehicles is high, delivery capability good, and with our young product range we show that price-conscious driving does not have to mean doing without."

New smartphone app helps with purchase
Recently, the new Dacia AR app for smartphones and tablets has made it possible to view all of the brand's models virtually from all perspectives and display them in the colors on offer.

Dacia AR enables prospective customers to get a picture of their desired vehicles even before visiting the dealer. But this app is also a valuable tool for the dealers themselves to show their customers their fully configured Dacia.

dacia.ch

Instead of camping, this year the trio decided to arrive in a Mercedes-Benz Marco Polo. Friends Adriana, Jana and Jazzy are Frauenfeld pros. But they didn't want to drive home by public transport every day after the festival closed, just to come back the next day. That's why they took the star to the stars

Jana: "Camping was no longer an option for me either That's what she did the last few times. Above all, I need a real mattress to sleep on after dancing for hours!"

50 000 hip-hop fans come every day
Twice the Openair Frauenfeld had to be cancelled because of the Corona pandemic. Fans are therefore hotter than ever to finally cheer on acts on the four stages again and dance off to hip-hop facets such as trap, German rap, UK drill, French rap, boom bap, horrorcore, mumble and lots of female power.

With OAForever Day, the festival even has an extra day this year. Instead of Thursday, it began the day before yesterday, Wednesday, July 6, and ends on Saturday, July 9. Every day, up to 50,000 spectators are expected at the Frauenfeld racecourse. Among them also the trio from Zurich.

Kitchen living with stove and fresh water

Adriana, whose small car feels only half as long as the Marco Polo, took over the steering wheel: "Thanks to the silky-smooth 9-speed automatic, the precise handling and the assistance systems, I felt very comfortable after just a few meters. Maneuvering on the terrain was also child's play thanks to 360-degree all-round cameras."

Arrived at the site, first the high roof was extended, (of course electrically), the windows covered with the textile mask against sunlight), the table folded up and the passenger seat turned 180 degrees to the rear - ready was the small kitchen-living room with gas stove, running fresh water and sitting area.

Jazzy: "What excites me most is the cooler. On these hot days, you have to drink a lot of water - and preferably chilled! Okay, a few energy drinks also found their way into the box, in addition to the vegetables."

Very much storage space in the hotel on wheels
The small sliding window in the pop-up roof is also great: it prevents heat buildup inside the hotel on wheels. The three hip-hop fans naturally took a lot of clothing and utensils with them for the four days. Thanks to various storage options, there is no space problem in the Marco Polo.

Very practical: the window of the tailgate can be opened separately if you just want to take something out quickly or stow it away again. So changing for the next act is no problem. And when the last beat has faded away, it's only a few meters to the feel-good oasis. Perfect.

The Marco Polo Activity (Vito-based, without kitchen) is available from 58 265 francs, the Marco Polo Horizon (V-Class-based, without kitchen) from 68 820 francs and the Marco Polo of Adriana, Jana and Jazzy is 76 574 francs.

mercedes-benz.ch/vans/en/marco-polo

The equipment, more than 20 new assistance systems, mobile online services as well as high-torque engines, two all-wheel drive concepts and customized accessories make the new VW Amarok a versatile pickup truck. The newcomer will be on the market in Switzerland from the beginning of 2023.

Longer wheelbase and more fording depth
Based on the Ford Ranger, the new Amarok is offered with a four-door double cab or two-door single cab. The semi-circular wheel arches and 21-inch alloy wheels are particularly striking in the silhouette.

At 5.35 meters, the new Amarok is almost ten centimeters longer than its predecessor, and the wheelbase of 327 meters represents an increase of 17.3 centimeters. This results in optimized proportions and larger slope angles. The fording depth increased from 50 to 80 centimeters.

Digital functions and ergonomic keys
The range of displays in the interior consists of digital 8- or 12-inch instruments and a touchscreen in 10- or 12-inch tablet format for the infotainment system. VW has implemented an intuitive mix of digital functions and ergonomically designed buttons and rotary-push controls in the Amarok.

Equipment elements such as the sound system from Harman-Kardon, which is used exclusively in the Amarok, also fit into the picture of high-quality details.

Three diesel drives and up to 1.16 tons payload
As with the predecessor, the loading area between the wheel arches offers space for a Euro pallet loaded crosswise. The single-cab version can even accommodate two pallets.

The load is lashed down via eyelets on the cargo bed, each of which can be loaded with up to 500 kilograms. In line with this high load capacity, the maximum payload has now increased to 1.16 tons. The static roof load of 350 kilograms is sufficient for a four-person roof tent, which will be available as an accessory.

Three turbodiesel engines with outputs of 170, 209 and 250 hp will be offered for the new Amarok in Switzerland. From an output of 209 hp, all Amarok versions will be launched with a new 10-speed automatic transmission as standard.

volkswagen-nutzfahrzeuge.ch

By 2025, more than 50 percent of new registrations in Switzerland are expected to be plug-in vehicles, and as much as 70 percent from 2030. Especially in cities, where space is scarce and rental density is high, many properties do not yet have enough charging points. This is where Amag's charging house concept comes in, offering a quick solution for tenants and condominium owners.

Various price models on offer
With the Utoquai charging station, Amag now offers residents the opportunity to park and charge their vehicles overnight in a protected area. The parking garage at Färberstrasse 6 has 150 parking spaces, 50 of which have been equipped with a charging station for a few weeks.

Customers and those who would like to become customers can choose a suitable offer from various price models. A flat rate including electricity and parking overnight and on weekends is available from 270 francs per month.

Around the clock access to the loading area
Customers can use a parking card to access the parking garage and the charging station at any time. There are no fixed parking space allocations; parking is possible in any free space with a charging station. The parking card, which is also a charging card, activates the charging process.

And solutions are also offered for the vacation season. Customers who have chosen a Night & Weekend subscription can park their car in the Utoquai loading bay for a maximum of four weeks per year and for CHF 12.50 per day. The offer can be cancelled monthly and paid by monthly invoice.

Further stations are planned
The next Amag car park will open as early as this month. In the Kongress parking lot in Zurich, the Night & Weekend rate will be available as a subscription. In the fall, the Messe multi-storey parking lot - in the Messe Zurich parking garage - will also expand Amag's range of services.

amag.ch

With the takeover of the former Delbrück-based sports car manufacturer Artega, Electric Brands has secured the e-clone Artega Karo of the BMW Isetta - and renamed the vehicle to star in the catchier Evetta designation.

The two-seater not only inherits the narrow rear track from its 1950s predecessor, but also the characteristic left-hinged front door. The 2.48 meter short city car is 90 km/h fast and is said to have a range of up to 240 kilometers. The trunk can hold 280 liters.

Roadster is available as a limited version
At the start of production, a total of around 2950 vehicles are initially planned as First Editions for dealers and customers. There will also be an Openair roadster version (center gallery), initially limited to 999 units. And the Evetta Cargo with flatbed will also be ready for series production by then. Prices for the Evetta are to start at around 16,000 euros, while the convertible will cost around 5,000 euros more.

The urban electric runabout will be available for pre-order from ElectricBrands' online store at www.Evetta.com on July 22, 2022

Large lying surface for two people
Electric Brands has already made itself known with the prototype of the X-Bus (AutoSprintCH reported). The cuddly mixture of VW T2 and Steyr-Puch Pinzgauer immediately arouses sympathy. The X-Bus, which is just under four meters and 1.70 meters narrow, is modular in design, so it can be used in a variety of ways.

A prototype camping version is now also available. Thanks to the pop-up roof in the middle and the fold-up rear seats, the small bus even offers standing room. However, the camping module mounted behind the front seats restricts the space on the rear seats somewhat. The highlight of the design, however, is the slideout in the rear, which creates a 2.10-meter-long and 1.40-meter-wide bed for two in the X-Bus Camper.

Maximum speed of 100 km/h
The engine of the X-Bus will have a continuous output of 15 kW (20 hp), with peak output of up to 56 kW (76 hp). More decisive is the targeted torque of around 1000 Newton meters. The top speed of the e-minibus will be around 100 km/h. A basic version for swap bodies, box vans, flatbed vans and panel vans - and the camper - are planned. As things stand at present, the standard version will cost 17,400 euros. The versatile X-Bus is scheduled to go into series production in the first quarter of 2024.

electricbrands.com

Merbag already supported the GC women's soccer team with sponsorship for the 2021/2022 season, and is now continuing this commitment for the 22/23 season, thus promoting the professionalization of the women's soccer section that Grasshopper Club is striving for.

In addition to a financial commitment as the official main sponsor and an associated jersey sponsorship, Merbag also promotes the mobility of the women's team as the official car partner.

Women's soccer gains in importance
As part of this commitment, Merbag is providing the team with Smart EQ Fortwo cars, with service and maintenance work and insurance also covered. Zurich Insurance contributes to the insurance of the cars.

Silvan Keller, President GC Football Section: "What I particularly like about the Smart EQ Fortwo is that it is purely electric. It's a fact that a new age of individual mobility has begun. This spirit of optimism is a great match for the sporting development at GC, because women's soccer will gain in importance at our club in the near future."

CO2-neutral mobility in the middle of Zurich

Lara Dickenmann, General Manager GC Women's Football: "Thanks to the Smart EQ Fortwo, we are now flexibly mobile and have another way to show the rebranding of our football team in a cool way. With these agile runabouts, we are supporting locally CO2-neutral mobility in the middle of Zurich - I think that's a great thing."

merbag.ch
gcz.ch

In 2018, the DS 7 Crossback was the first stand-alone model from Citroën's premium brand DS Automobiles. Now the DS bestseller is getting a comprehensive technical and visual update. As the DS 7 - without Crossback - it features a new radiator grille combined with a redesigned light signature.

A typical feature is the absence of chrome elements, which chief designer Thierry Metroz calls chrome detox. The bumpers and wheels have also been modified. With a length of 4.59 meters, a width of 1.90 meters and a height of 1.63 meters, the vehicle has become slightly larger.

Leaning on French fashion houses
For the interior, the DS designers have once again drawn inspiration from Parisian fashion houses. This has resulted in the new Opera interior, which, in addition to Basalt Black, is now available in Pearl Gray for the first time and represents the pinnacle of the equipment variants.

The second highest line is called Rivoli and offers intense diamond quilting combined with leather. The Bastille level has been freshened up with fabric wallpapering and grain in a scale pattern in basalt black. The Performance Line equipment line comes across as sporty. It is characterized by Alcantara in black with gold and red elements.

The infotainment system of the DS 7 stands out with the introduction of the DS Iris system. This is the natural voice recognition system that controls navigation, air conditioning and seat heating, for example, and also provides information about the weather. The Mirror Screen function for smartphones is now also available wirelessly.

Powerful 4×4 variant with 360 hp output
Three plug-in hybrids and a diesel version are available as drive options. There is a new addition to the engine options familiar from the DS 7 Crossback: the DS 7 E-Tense 4×4 360 delivers a system output of 265 kW (360 hp) with a gasoline turbo engine and two e-machines, which is transmitted to all four wheels. This version accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.6 seconds and drives up to 65 kilometers purely electrically.

The market launch of the DS 7 in Switzerland is planned for the fall, but prices have not yet been set.

dsautomobiles.ch

With 109,600 newly registered passenger cars in the first six months of the year, the decline compared to the previous year's figures was at least limited to twelve percent.

However, the market trend in June shows that the problems are far from over, with a drop of 18.2 percent to 21,277 vehicles placed on the market (previous year: 26,005). Every fourth passenger car that has hit the road since the beginning of the year can be charged via the power grid.

Christoph Wolnik of the Association of Official Automobile Importers auto-schweiz: "The half-year results are anything but satisfactory. However, given the challenging circumstances, it could well have been even worse."

Plug vehicles roll in trend
Around one in four new cars put on the road in the first half of the year is electric at least some of the time. Battery-electric vehicles now account for 16.4 percent of this total, with 17,992 units, while 9421 units are plug-in hybrids.

Albert Rösti, President of Auto-Switzerland: "Unfortunately, the growth in public charging infrastructure cannot begin to keep pace with the percentage increases in plug-in vehicles. The current discussion about a possible electricity shortage is also keeping many customers from ordering an electric model. "

car.swiss

The C4 X and ë-C4 X models are a new, elegant alternative to classic sedans and mid-size SUVs. In the tradition of the Citroën C5 X, the design of the new ones is intended to offer something innovative and distinctive...

Electric, gasoline or diesel as required
The ë-C4 X is sold exclusively as an electric car in many European markets. With its 100 kW drive and a range of up to 360 kilometers, as well as its trunk capacity of 510 liters, it is an ideal companion for everyday life.

At a 100-kW charging station, the battery of the ë-C4 X is charged at a speed of around 10 km/min, with 80 percent of the charge completed in 30 minutes. In addition to the electric version, internal combustion engines are also available for the C4 X. Pure-Tech gasoline engines (100 and 130 hp) and Blue-HDi diesels (130 hp) are supplied to those areas where electromobility has not yet gained a foothold.

The new C4 X models and the ë-C4 X will be produced for all markets at the Stellantis plant in Madrid. The market launch in Switzerland is planned for early 2023.

The ë-C4 X stands on a well-known platform
With a length of 4.60 meters, the ë-C4 X is positioned between the C4 and the C5 X in the Citroën range. The wheelbase of 2.67 meters is the same as for the C4 and ë-C4.

Like the C4 and ë-C4, the C4 X and ë-C4 X are based on the Group's CMP platform. With a cW value of 0.29, aerodynamic efficiency has been optimized thanks to the new roofline, which has a positive impact on consumption and electric range.

Infotainment interface My Citroën Drive Plus
The ë-C4 X takes connectivity and infotainment to a new level, featuring the My Citroën Drive Plus infotainment interface, recently introduced for the first time in the flagship Citroën C5 X.

This intuitive user interface has a 10-inch screen and can be personalized using a system of widgets. The voice recognition system - activated by "Hello Citroën" - understands 20 languages.

citroen.ch