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BMW Is Testing a New Quad-Motor M xDrive Electric Powertrain
BMW Is Testing a New Quad-Motor M xDrive Electric Powertrain
BMW announced Wednesday that it is developing and testing a new M xDrive four-wheel drive system with four electric motors -- one for each wheel -- using a modified BMW i4 M50 four-door coupe as the test bed.
The compact size of electric motors makes dual-motor setups -- one for each axle -- fairly commonplace among premium and high-performance electric vehicles. Three-motor setups are more rare, but can be found on certain Audi E-Tron, GMC Hummer EV and Tesla Model S models. Ford even built a seven-motor, gymkhana-spec Mustang Mach-E 1400 that still has me scratching my head. However, BMW's four-motor system is noteworthy not just because it ups the motor quantity ante, but also because it all fits inside a sedan.
The i4 M50 chassis is normally a dual-motor affair, so BMW has modified the body with wide wheel arches to fit twice as many electric motors inline with the specifically manufactured, high-performance front and rear axles. The prototype's front suspension and the EV's cooling hardware have both been adapted from BMW M3/M4 components and also required modification. BMW hasn't released specs for the motors themselves, but the standard i4 M50 outputs a combined, rear-biased 536 horsepower from its two motors, so presumably the prototype is packing more than that -- though probably not twice as much.
The primary benefit of the new system is control. A central control unit reads road conditions, pedal position, steering angle, G-forces and more. It can send precisely the right amount of torque "via a multi-plate clutch and differentials to the four motors" and onward to each contact patch with millisecond-precise variability.
That bit with the clutches and diffs is odd -- you'd think that dedicating a motor to each wheel would do away with the need for such hardware. We'll have to wait for BMW to tease out more info to learn exactly how they're being used.
BMW says that this "extremely precise, extremely variable" M xDrive four-wheel drive system allows for an unprecedented level of agility, with highly flexible torque vectoring keeping understeer in check and boosting control right up to the grip limit. The system also reaps benefits in low-traction conditions. The automaker states that the sensitive application of drive torque without latency permits significantly higher cornering speeds, even on rain-soaked or snow-covered roads.
And because each motor can also function as a regenerative braking generator, the prototype is able to feed electricity back to the battery right up to the limits of dynamic driving, which should at least help to preserve some range and keep the performance party rocking.
Testing has only just begun on the concept, following virtual and then bench testing, so it may be some time before we see an electric BMW M car powered by M xDrive four-wheel drive. BMW's M performance division turns 50 this year and is looking toward electrification as the future of high-performance driving, beginning with the dual-motor i4 M50 and iX M60 -- which both hit the road earlier this year -- and the i7 M70 electric luxury sedan, expected next year.
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2023 VinFast VF 8 First Drive Review: Testing Vietnam's First EV for America
2023 VinFast VF 8 First Drive Review: Testing Vietnam's First EV for America
In the wake of Tesla's industry-shaking success and the future promise of electric, autonomous mobility, would-be electric car companies are sprouting up everywhere. The floodgates have opened, with the last decade seeing more startups get off the ground than at any time since the dawn of the automobile. Most are already finding out the hard way that car building is a terrible way to make money. Developing and selling cars is a hugely cash-intensive business, and automobiles are the world's single most complex consumer goods, subject to the most numerous and varied global regulations and operating environments. It all adds up to a world where an overwhelming majority of intenders will fail, most without ever having delivered a single vehicle.
Despite such dire conditions, if I had to place my chips on a single new automaker to escape the mire, it's Vietnam's VinFast. In fact, there's ample reason to believe the company won't just survive, it will likely shortly emerge as a global force, including right here in America. I say this after having flown to Asia to learn about the company and drive its first US-bound model, the 2023 VF 8 electric SUV. My trip quickly turned out to be as much of a test drive of VinFast itself as it is of its forthcoming battery-powered compact crossover.
While my very brief drive of VinFast's electric future took place in a preproduction prototype, you won't have to wait long to have your chance to buy a VF 8 -- plans call for initial examples to land in US driveways by year's end. In fact, the young automaker even expects to deliver the first units of its larger sibling, the handsome three-row VF 9 EV, before 2023. These are hugely ambitious goals, but the company already has an established track record for accomplishing the nearly impossible, thanks in part to an executive team made up of industry veterans. VinFast started in 2017, and just 21 months later, it had three different passenger cars in production in a massive, fully modern factory complex in Haiphong, about two hours east of Hanoi. Those first models were admittedly based heavily on tech purchased from other automakers like BMW, but even so, the accomplishment can't be overstated.
Vingroup corporate power
While CNET isn't normally in the habit of test-driving prototypes from startups, there's ample reason to believe VinFast will buck the trend and find success. For one thing, this company has the financials to see things through. It's part of Vietnam's Vingroup, a mega corporation that owns and operates dozens of businesses, including luxury resorts, amusement parks, hospitals and even massive housing developments that are more like small cities, replete with skyscrapers and malls. More to the point, Vingroup also appears to have a slew of helpful related technologies in its portfolio, including divisions focused on AI, cybersecurity and cloud computing. The organization even built a new university from scratch to cultivate homegrown talent. All of this illustrates that not only does this company have the resources to become a global automotive player, it develops businesses at a breakneck clip. At 28 years young, Vingroup is barely out of corporate adolescence.
Given VinFast's damn-the-torpedoes corporate pace, it should come as no surprise that the two VF 8 prototypes I'm testing are decidedly unfinished. In fact, they're not even operating on the same development software versions, and many of the vehicles' software functions... don't. Combine that with a makeshift drive loop that's perhaps a couple of kilometers long, and it's all but impossible to draw concrete conclusions about whether or not this EV belongs on your shopping list. Having said that, what my drive points out clearly is the promise baked into the VF 8. There's a lot of work to be done in a very short time, but critically, the fundamental ingredients are all present.
For starters, the 2023 VinFast VF 8 is the right vehicle at the right time. North America's compact electric crossover SUV segment is rapidly blooming, and this five-seat model is sized and designed to establish a beachhead in the heart of this emerging market. That strategy may sound basic and obvious, but it's worth noting that it took literal decades for Japanese automakers like Honda and Toyota to introduce the right types of vehicles for the vast majority of Americans to take them seriously (let alone deliver vehicles with styling acceptable to the masses). Ditto for Korea's Hyundai and Kia, both of which admittedly managed the trick significantly more quickly.
The VF 8's exterior is contemporary, with standard LED illumination and a V-shaped grille with integrated daytime running lamps that echo the brand's logo. The nose is the single most expressive and potentially controversial aspect of the exterior, but even if the face isn't your favorite, the design isn't so out there as to be a turn-off for most buyers. In profile, the VF 8 looks rather nondescript -- its most interesting details are the tapered indentation along the door bottoms and a raked rear window.
VinFast promises a full range of connected services, including e-commerce functions and gaming.
VinFast
Cabin tech and features
Inside, the VF 8 is clearly a modern EV. Its dashboard is dominated by a landscape-oriented 15-inch infotainment touchscreen. There's a color head-up display, but notably, there's no traditional gauge cluster -- you either look at the HUD or glance at the main screen to see how fast you're going. The center console is dominated by a push-button gear selector, and the three-spoke steering wheel's most noteworthy feature is a tiny driver-facing camera atop the column, a hint that VinFast plans to offer some kind of hands-free driving assist. It's too early to judge the VF 8's fit and finish, as there are some preproduction and ill-fitting parts in evidence (including a power seat controller wired in reverse).
It's worth noting that VinFast is hinging much of its success on its ability to offer a full range of connected services and infotainment features, including everything from a sentry mode and an e-commerce tool to the ability to play games and videos on the center screen (sound familiar?). These features are not functional in the test vehicles I'm sampling. Further, attempts to cajole the voice control into opening and closing the panoramic moonroof meet with limited success, and when I tell the virtual assistant I am cold, it raises the temperature by a single, miserly digit. A subsequent attempt sees the system jump directly from 65 to 90 degrees. If VinFast delivers all of the conveniences it claims it will, the VF 8 ought to have an extremely competitive feature set.
At 187 inches long, 74.8 inches wide and 65.4 inches tall, the VF 8 is the same length as a Tesla Model Y and only around an inch separates their width and height. Interestingly, chief engineer Huy Chieu tells me that in developing the VF 8's driving performance, the company recently benchmarked Hyundai's excellent Ioniq 5 EV, a great bogey. Like many of his fellow executives, Chieu joined VinFast recently after decades in the business at established automakers (Chieu worked at General Motors from the late 1990s). Importantly, VinFast is stacked with veteran industry talent from top to bottom -- people who know how to design and build cars in volume. With all that said, we'll need to have to wait for a final-production VF 8 to figure out if Chieu and Co. have hit the mark with the VF 8's dynamics and tech, because it's clear that engineers are still dialing in the vehicl e's performance as it rushes toward production.
The five-seat VF 8 will compete against EVs like the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Tesla Model Y and Volkswagen ID 4.
Chris Paukert/CNET
Power and performance
VinFast will build two VF 8 models, with dual-motor Plus trims like the ones I'm sampling delivering up to 402 horsepower and 457 pound-feet of torque. With standard all-wheel drive, official estimates call for 0-to-60-mph time of 5.3 seconds -- quick, but about a half-second shy of what we've seen from the aforementioned Tesla and Hyundai models. (A lower-power Eco model with 348 hp promises 60 mph in 5.9 seconds.)
My drive is limited to quick acceleration blasts up and down a road between factory buildings, with a U-turn on one end and a keyhole loop return on the other. Signage suggests our tests are to be capped at 80 kph (50 mph), but the engineer sitting in my passenger seat allows me to go far more quickly, touching 100 mph before braking hard into the left-handed keyhole. Being an EV, acceleration is predictably smooth, but with the 19-inch Goodyear Eagle Touring tires under load in the final turn, the steering's power assistance has brief moments where it feels oddly nonlinear.
Further, regenerative braking was notable by its absence. VinFast engineers say a one-pedal drive model is under development and will likely be released to early vehicles via an over-the-air update. I also noticed inconsistencies in power levels between the two test vehicles (likely attributable to different software versions), and at least one other media member reported a momentary total loss of power during their test drives after coming off the brakes. These sorts of experiences are relatively common in early prototype vehicles, but given that VinFast plans to hand over production models to expectant owners in a little over six months, engineers clearly have their work cut out for them.
VinFast built a highly automated plant and churned out 3 different models in only 21 months. As a startup.
VinFast
Pricing and range
Strangely, VinFast plans to release two different battery sizes in both its Plus and Eco variants. I say "strangely" because the separate ranges and prices aren't well differentiated. For the base Eco Battery Version 1, the company is targeting 260 miles on Europe's more-lenient WLTP test cycle at a cost of $40,700 (plus a yet-to-be determined destination fee). The enhanced-range Battery Version 2 Eco is slated to deliver 292 miles for $41,000 -- just $300 more. The more luxurious (and consequently heavier) VF 8 Plus is expected to achieve 248 miles of range in Battery Version 1 guise ($47,700) and 277 miles in its $48,000 Battery Version 2 spec. US mileage estimates on the EPA's more-stringent test cycle figure to be somewhat lower.
While VinFast has yet to disclose exactly how large the Samsung-celled packs are in the Battery Version 1 models, the larger packs are 90 kilowatt-hours. On a DC fast charger, Version 1 models can go from 10% to 70% full in 24 minutes, while vehicles with the larger packs take 31 minutes.
Batteries not included
There's one other key point regarding the batteries mentioned above: You pay extra for them. VinFast will become the first automaker in North America to offer cars with a separate battery lease/subscription and charging plan. Because batteries are the biggest fixed cost in EVs, the company is betting that by subtracting the cost of the pack, it will be able to make pricing more attractive. Officials also hope to temper concerns about power pack longevity and reliability by assuming responsibility for such variables. It will eventually also offer a more traditional car-with-battery pricing option, but not until 2024.
VinFast has already announced that Electrify America will be its preferred charging partner in the US, and costs range from as little as $35 per month on the Flexible plan for up to 310 miles of range (plus $0.11 per mile for overages) to $110 per month for the unlimited-range Fixed battery lease plan. For the full details, check out our explainer feature. The math is complicated, but for now, you should know that even if gas prices come down substantially, the value equation looks promising (if obscure).
Nothing if not ambitious, VinFast plans to have models in US customers' hands by year's end.
Chris Paukert/CNET
As you can plainly see, there's a lot of promise in the 2023 VinFast VF 8, but there's also a lot of work to be done -- and that's before taking into account the company's ambitions around advanced driver-assist systems (the VF 8's spec sheet calls for automatic lane-change and summon tech among other advanced skills). It will be interesting to see if officials can reach their self-appointed on-sale deadline, and it will be telling if the company manages to deliver a quality product right out of the gates -- with or without most of the features it's promising.
Of course, simply delivering those vehicles on time isn't enough for a company with VinFast's vast ambitions. Not by a long shot. Even before the company has sold a single vehicle in the US, officials have already announced plans for a multibillion-dollar EV plant and battery factory outside of Raleigh, North Carolina. The brand quickly followed this news by disclosing it has filed for a US IPO.
It will be very interesting to watch this new company from Vietnam as it finds its footing in the US. If VinFast can manage to tick all of these items off its to-do list in anywhere near their promised timeframes, I humbly suggest it considers renaming the company "VinFaster."
Editors' note: Travel costs related to this story were covered by the manufacturer, which is common in the auto industry. The judgments and opinions of CNET's staff are our own and we do not accept paid editorial content.
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2022 Kia Stinger GT Review: One of Our All-Time Favorites
2022 Kia Stinger GT Review: One of Our All-Time Favorites
We don't always agree on everything, but the entire Roadshow staff concurs that the Kia Stinger is totally rad. Our love affair with the Korean sporty liftback sedan started with our 2018 long-term tester and has endured through multiple followups over the years. For 2022, the new base GT-Line model sees a new engine and substantial upgrades, but V6-powered GT models only see modest improvements and tweaks. Even so, this top-spec 2022 Kia Stinger GT2 is still as good as I remember -- better, even -- and is easy to recommend for sport-sedan shoppers looking to maximize value without compromising driving enjoyment.
Power and performance
The Stinger's engine bay is home to the same 3.3-liter, twin-turbocharged V6 that's powered GT1 and GT2 models since this model's inception. With a mild bump to 368 horsepower (just 3 more than before) and 376 pound-feet of torque on tap, the V6 remains a fantastic powerplant boasting excellent responsiveness and thrust for days to go along with the rich sound piped through its valved exhaust system at full chat. An 8-speed automatic is standard equipment and is about as good as I could hope a torque-converter transmission could be, delivering quick, smooth shifts and fairly responsive paddle shifters.
Shoppers have a choice between rear-wheel drive with a limited-slip differential or brake-based torque-vectoring all-wheel drive. Having driven both configurations, rear-drive is the more fun of the two and the way to go, unless you live in an area where the climate calls for the extra stability of AWD. The rear-wheel-driven Stinger just feels much more alive during dynamic driving thanks to a combination of a slightly lighter chassis and a simpler, more direct drivetrain. The way the RWD Stinger puts its power down -- squatting slightly onto its drive wheels and digging in as I roll onto the throttle at corner exit -- creates a more dramatic feeling of rotation and a more direct connection with the road than the more neutral AWD performance. Plus, being able to scoot out the rear end a touch with the right pedal is just fun.
Two fewer drive wheels also pays off with a slight boost in efficiency, though the difference is subtle enough that your driving style probably makes a bigger difference in the real world. The RWD Stinger GT1/GT2 returns an EPA estimated 18 miles per gallon city, 25 mpg highway and 20 mpg combined or 17 city, 24 highway and 20 mpg combined with AWD.
The twin-turbo V6 makes three ponies more than before, but not much else has changed.
Antuan Goodwin/Roadshow
Selectable drive modes -- Sport, Smart and Eco -- each feel distinct, allowing me to customize the responsiveness of the throttle and the behavior of the electronically controlled suspension to the task, whether that be commuting or carving corners. However, even at its sportiest, the Stinger never feels harsh over the bumps and cracked asphalt of my favorite Bay Area backroad and it still exhibits a bit of body roll when pushed. Track-day bros will likely frown at that aspect of this car's dynamics for its perceived performance compromise, but drivers enjoying the grand touring aspects of the Stinger's performance on the road will appreciate it for helping boost comfort and defining the limits of this car's performance envelope.
Personally, I think a little body roll isn't a bad thing -- it certainly didn't take away from my enjoyment. However, I wish Kia had upgraded the Stinger's brakes. As is, the GT's Brembo performance brakes do a fantastic job shaving off speed, but still heat up quite a bit when driven hard, causing just a hint of fade and triggering memories of the brake shake that came and went during our 2018 model's long-term testing.
Cabin and safety tech
The Stinger's design hasn't changed much for this 2022 mid-cycle refresh. On the outside, you'll find Kia's new logo between newly standard LED headlamps. Out back, the Kia badge has been dropped for a large, scripted "Stinger" that fits beneath the new light bar that connects the redesigned taillamps.
Inside, the biggest change is the move to a 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment, which replaces both the old 7- and 8-inch systems, standardizing the cabin tech for all Stinger models and making choosing one of the lower trim levels less of a compromise. The updated interface is responsive and smartly organized and comes standard with onboard navigation and wired Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity.
Now that all 2022 Stingers come standard with 10.25-inch navigation, choosing a lower trim is less of a compromise.
Antuan Goodwin/Roadshow
Surrounding that dashboard is a handsome cabin featuring standard leather upholstery. The cockpit's simple design has, so far, stood the test of time and doesn't look too dated, especially with the enlarged display and the GT2 spec's upgraded Nappa leather seats. The GT2 also adds ventilation and improved articulation to the standard heated front seats and heated surfaces for rear passengers as well. The heated steering wheel option, however, is oddly bundled with AWD for all trim levels.
A touch large for its class, the Stinger offers plenty of leg and shoulder room, but its low-slung, fastback profile somewhat compromises headroom for taller passengers, especially on the second row. Of course, the liftback is also one of the Stinger's strongest points, opening wider than a conventional trunk to reveal a massive 23.3 cubic foot rear cargo area (40.9 cubes with the rear seats folded) that rivals even some small SUVs.
Kia's Drive Wise suite of driver assist technologies is also standard, rolling in forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking and pedestrian detection, lane departure warning with lane centering assist, driver attention monitoring, automatic high beams, rear cross traffic alert and blind spot monitoring.
The Stinger's liftback design adds an extra twist of practicality and utility to this excellent sport sedan.
Antuan Goodwin/Roadshow
Perhaps the most compelling reason to upgrade to the GT2 trim is the addition of adaptive cruise control, which works even in stop-and-go traffic. Stepping up to the top spec also enhances the standard rear camera with surround-view 360-degree camera coverage and upgrades to Kia's Blind Spot View Monitor system that drops a camera feed of the adjacent lane into the enlarged 7-inch instrument cluster display whenever the turn signal is activated.
Fantastic sport sedan
The 2022 Kia Stinger starts at $37,365 (including $1,075 destination charge) for the base GT-Line model -- which is more compelling than ever thanks to its more potent turbo four-cylinder powertrain -- with the GT1 model upgrading to the twin-turbo V6 for $44,965. This top-spec GT2 steps up the creature comforts for $52,565 or $53,110 as tested with Hichroma Red paint and floor mats. If you want or need all-wheel drive, factor in $2,200 more.
I've found that the price tag is what gives pause to most people I talk to about the Stinger; the prospect of paying over $50K for a Kia that isn't an SUV is just too much for some to swallow. However, the Stinger GT2 punches above its station, competing with the likes of Audi's S5 Sportback (a prior Editors' Choice pick) and BMW's M440i Gran Coupe where performance and features are concerned, and it does so for around $10,000 less when comparably equipped. Viewed through that lens, the GT2 is a bargain, though I'd probably still recommend the sweet-spot GT1, which boasts all of the performance while only missing a few bells and whistles.
The 2022 Kia Stinger continues to be an excellent choice for a daily driver and the GT1 and GT2 models' balance of performance, comfort and value leave little to be desired. If you're shopping in America's shrinking sport sedan corner of the market, the Stinger should definitely be on your shortlist.
