Confidential car: Priority design Peugeot, Volkswagen hot EV reversal and more

Volvo XC90 - hero front Our reporters drive blank notebooks for a week into gossip from all over the automotive industry.

This week round up automotive gossip, we talk EU CO2 targets with Volvo and Kia, hear why Peugeot is a design priority and more.

Confidence CO2 Volvo

Volvo is confident it will meet its EU CO2 fleet average target of around 111-112g/km (95g/km is the industry benchmark, but this is adjusted for average model weight), thanks to increased sales of hybrids and the launch of its first electric car. So far, its PHEVs have generally been marketed as high performance gadgets, but this will add even more "standard" plug-ins.

Also KIA bovine

Kia also claims it will hit this year's looming emissions reduction targets. UK Managing Director Paul Philpott said: “The scale of fines and reputational damage [for missing targets] for a relatively new brand like Kia means we have too much to lose.” Kia will step up its electrifying mix this year to meet those targets.

Peugeot emphasizes design

“We delivered design first,” said Peugeot boss Jean-Philippe Imparato in describing why the Peugeot comeback has been so successful, with a string of recent sales hits from the 3008 and 5008 and now Car of the Year awards for the new 208. “At the top of all investment decisions, I defended the design,” he said. “Then the image is restored.”

VW in hot EV turn

Jost Capito, Volkswagen's head of r, said he was skeptical when his division was tasked with developing a hot ID electric road car. “I always thought that I would be retired when electric cars started because I am a real car enthusiast,” Kapiton said. “But they are fun to drive. At first, electric cars were something we had to do [in terms of emissions], but now they are something that we want to do.”

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