Success and Failure

Last week's good and bad car news

Sunday afternoon, having a nice fresh curry-puff and...., ready for some exciting car news. At Greenchoicess we look back on a week in which Renault delights us with a hot hatch with Porsche power and minister Madlener serves us a dead bird. Success and failure.

Success - Renault 5 Turbo 3E is also a monster in real life

The Renault 5 E-Tech has only just gone on sale and Renault has already announced a new version. The Renault 5 Turbo 3E with more power than a Porsche 911 Carrera 4S. The only question is what added value the Alpine A290 will have ...

The Renault 5 Turbo 3E pictured here is not the cheapest Renault 5 under 25,000 euros that many buyers are looking forward to. It will be on the market sometime in 2025. For the 5 Turbo 3E you will have to dig a little deeper into your pocket, although we do not yet know the price. While you will lose 2 doors, because it is a 3-door.

The 5 Turbo 3E looks so crazy and over the top that it seems like it will never go into production, but really, it will be on the market. That is what Renault promises, although the French are not revealing much more yet.

500 hp

For example, it is not yet known when exactly the Renault 5 Turbo 3E will be for sale. Renault is talking about 'various events where more details about the car will be released'. These will not be flea markets in French rural villages. Race events in fashionable cities are more likely. After all, the Renault 5 Turbo 3E delivers 500 hp.

That power is a lot more than the 160 hp of the original 5 Turbo from the 80s. That iconic Renault can be seen in the James Bond film 'Never Say Never Again' in a famous chase scene with the beautiful, but oh so bad Fatima Blush behind the wheel.

Not exactly anonymous

If Fatima had had the electric successor under her ass, she would undoubtedly have driven the snot out of 007's eyes; the 5 Turbo 3E accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.5 seconds. The car is not new-new, Renault already showed the 5 Turbo 3E E-Tech electric at the Paris Motor Show in 2022. That concept car looked even wilder, but the production version that Renault has now revealed is not exactly anonymous either.

Renault 5 Turbo 3E price

The two electric motors of the 5 Turbo 3E give their 500 hp to the rear wheels. The charging port can be found in the rear air intake. For the lowest possible weight, the body is made of carbon fiber. The colors are inspired by those of the rally versions of the old 5 Turbo. Renault does not yet make any statements about the top speed. The price is also still a guess, but it will of course be higher than 25,000 euros.

Success - Toyota pays the extra tax for you

Toyota believes that the choice for economical driving should be rewarded. That is why the importer will collect the bpm increase for 2025. At least if you order a hybrid or electric Toyo. In the case of Toyota's most expensive plug-in hybrid, it is only 95 euros. For other models, it is more. These are not shocking amounts, but we appreciate the gesture.

Many new cars will become more expensive from 1 January 2025. The bpm will increase and many car brands will pass this cost item on to their customers. Fiat is stubborn and has already indicated that it will not do this and now Toyota is following suit with a similar gesture.

The bpm is calculated on the basis of the official CO2 emissions. An amount in euros is linked to each gram and the higher the emissions of the car, the more expensive the grams become. For 2025, the amounts have been increased slightly, but even for economical cars it quickly amounts to hundreds of euros. In our review of the Subaru Forester, we come across a bpm increase of almost 2000 euros.

Only economical Toyotas are being matted

We immediately thought of the new Land Cruiser and what it would cost Toyota to compensate for the increased purchase tax on this 'dirty old man'... But no, Toyota Netherlands only pays the bpm increase for models that are hybrid, plug-in hybrid or battery-electric. So everything from the Yaris to the bZ4x. The Aygo X, the GR Supra, the Mirai and the Land Cruiser are excluded.

The plug-in hybrids are the least affected by the new rules, so the bpm saving costs Toyota little: from 95 euros in the case of the RAV4 PHEV to 355 euros for the Prius with plug. For the regular hybrids, it amounts to around 700 euros, apart from the Yaris. The price of that would only increase by 355 euros in 2025.

The battery-electric Toyota bZ4X will be subject to the new basic bpm rate of 667 euros, but will still cost 45,995 euros.

Success - With this cheap EV you can really do something

Finally, Chinese brands are coming to the Netherlands with cheap electric cars. The Dongfeng Box offers a lot of value for its modest price, although there is a catch.

What stands out about the Dongfeng Box?

This is the car we expected from China earlier. As a Chinese manufacturer, you don't tempt European buyers with big electric SUVs, but with cheap stuff. Normally we only discuss the costs in question 4, but with the Dongfeng Box it is too important to leave it for so long. With a price of 23,400 euros, it is not the cheapest electric car, but you do get an EV that is really generous in its stuff. Although there is a catch (see question 4).

Does the name Dongfeng not ring a bell? In China, it is a large car company that has been building cars and trucks since 1969. In its own country, Dongfeng works with brands such as Honda, Peugeot, Citro?n and Kia via joint ventures.

The Dongfeng Box is just over 4 metres long, beating the poppy Leapmotor T03 (3.62 metres) and Dacia Spring (3.70 metres). For your information and entertainment, we'll rattle off some more specs: the range is 310 kilometres and the top speed is 140 km/h. The boot holds an acceptable 326 litres. It charges quickly at a leisurely pace, taking you 30 minutes to fill the 42.3 kWh battery from 30 to 80 percent.

What's good about the Dongfeng Box (2024)?

We are a bit skeptical when we receive the keys. What would Dongfeng have cut back on to get the price so low? But when you get in, some of the suspicion disappears. For example, the space is excellent; we know middle-class cars where you sit worse. Four adults fit perfectly in this car, which trumps the much tighter Dacia Spring and Leapmotor T03.

It gets funnier when we discover the lounge function. The front seat can be completely reclined, so that it connects to the back seat. If you sit in the back, you can watch a series on the large screen in the middle of the car while charging or waiting. You can also take a beauty nap or eat a bag of chips.

The dashboard looks good: simple and tidy, but definitely not cheap. You look for buttons, as in many other Chinese cars (unfortunately), in vain. The two straps above the sliding glove compartment are a nice find. Incidentally, only a laptop fits in it.

We put the automatic transmission in D via a lever on the steering wheel. We immediately drive into a residential area with high speed bumps, which the Box manages to master nicely. This Dongfeng also handles short bumps and small irregularities in the highway perfectly. We cannot do an extensive range test during the short introduction, but the consumption is given a graceful curl for the time being. During a ride on the highway and the back roads we stay below 17 kWh/100 km.

What could be improved on the Dongfeng Box?

The Box does not look very original, from the front it looks exactly like a Smart #1. And there is really no experience in the Box. Steering is numb and while driving you miss the power that is so obvious with most EVs. It seems as if the Box weighs 2500 kilos, instead of 1355 kilos. You do not feel the urge to challenge petrol cars for traffic light sprints.

We are therefore curious about the 0-100, but Dongfeng is not only silent about that in Chinese, but in all languages. Only the sprint time from 0 to 50 km/h is revealed and that takes 4.6 seconds. Perhaps the technicians secretly have a diesel fetish, because that is what the engine character reminds us of. Above 100 km/h the electric motor does not nail, but whistles. That sounds a bit terrifying for a moment, but you get used to it.

In other areas, refinement at a detailed level is lacking. One pedal driving is not possible. You can set the degree of braking energy recovery, but even in the most powerful mode you always have to brake.

Furthermore, the car does not have a navigation system. You can easily connect your smartphone wirelessly to the car, so that you can navigate via Google Maps, for example, but you do not get extensive advice on whether you will reach your destination with the battery charge. Such reassuring service is not common in cheap cars, but because Dongfeng is otherwise so generous with options, we still find it a pity.

What is the price of the Dongfeng Box?

As mentioned, Chinese brands have to peak in this area to free Dutch buyers from their chauvinistic European glasses. Dongfeng does this very cleverly with a Launch Edition. With it, you get all possible luxury that is not always self-evident even in expensive mid-range cars.

Even seat heating and ventilation, a 360-degree camera and adaptive cruise control are included in the price of the Dongfeng Box Launch Edition. V2L, or vehicle to load, with which the car can supply power back to your electric bicycle or household appliances, is also possible. Provided you pay 319 euros for a discharge cable. More importantly, you do not get a free charging cable from Dongfeng either; you pay 206 euros for that.

The Dongfeng Box Style Edition will be launched later in 2025. That version has a smaller battery (31.4 kWh) and therefore a more limited range (230 kilometers). Furthermore, it is less lavishly equipped. The price is also lower, but it only differs by 1000 euros. That's the catch of question 1. If you really want to sit in the front row for a dime, then you should go for the Launch Edition.

Not unimportant: Dongfeng gives a five-year warranty, which is more than Leapmotor and Dacia (both 3 years).

Failure - Tesla Model 3 from 14,000 euros, but not the version you want

Is this the time to buy a used Tesla Model 3? There are almost 1000 for sale on Marketplace and the prices are going through the floor. The question is whether you should want such an early Model 3 ...

The cheapest Tesla Model 3s on the internet cost between 14,000 and 17,500 euros. This usually concerns the Standard Range version, with a WLTP range of 415 kilometers. If you look at the power (238 hp), the hundred sprint (5.6 s) and the rich standard equipment, then such an early Model 3 is an attractive deal.

Tesla Model 3 Warranty

Disadvantage: in the 14,000 euro class, almost all Models 3 date from 2019 and have around 200,000 kilometers behind them. This means that both the general factory warranty (4 years or 80,000 km) and the warranty on the battery pack have expired. Incidentally, the battery warranty differs per version. For a Model 3 Standard Range this is 8 years or 160,000 km, for a Model 3 Long Range or Performance, Tesla guarantees the battery pack for up to 8 years or 192,000 kilometers.

Poor finish Tesla Model 3 (2019-2020)

Another problem with many Tesla Model 3s from the first year of production was the sloppy finish. Many Model 3 drivers complained about crookedly mounted panoramic roofs, loose sealing rubbers, leaking headlights and taillights and poor paint quality.

If you are not bothered by nit-picking and just want a cheap Model 3, we will not stop you. Be alert to the above-mentioned finishing issues, and listen carefully to see if the wear-sensitive wishbones produce any nasty noises. A battery degradation test at Aviloo or Dekra shows how good the battery pack still is and prevents nasty surprises.

Facelift version 2021 greatly improved

Perhaps it is better to go for a Tesla Model 3 from after the first facelift (model year 2021). It came on the market at the end of 2020 and is easiest to recognize from the outside by the matte black door handles, logos and window frames. If you look closer, you will also see slightly modified headlights.

More important are the greatly improved finish and the smart heat pump, called the Octovalve by Tesla. It uses a lot less energy than the old electric heater. That is especially nice in winter. The battery pack also became more efficient, which slightly increased the range, while the power also received a significant upgrade. That amounts to no less than 325 hp from the facelift.

In addition, the front side windows were given double glazing, which made the car quieter on the inside. The materials in the interior were also upgraded. For example, the metal buttons on the steering wheel feel higher quality than their plastic predecessors. And there are many more small changes that make life on board more pleasant.

Prices second-hand Tesla Model 3 from 2021

Another advantage is that Models 3 from 2021 often still have a general warranty. And because they have also been driven less, the battery warranty also still applies. However, every advantage has its disadvantage: a Tesla Model 3 from after the first facelift is in a completely different price range than the cheapest models. Expect prices starting around 27,000 euros. Below are 3 examples of Models 3 Standard Range Plus, with 325 hp and a WLTP range of 448 km.

Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Plus - 2021 - 85.000 km - € 26.999

"You'll stay with a white one," car salesmen used to say. That old adage didn't apply to the Tesla Model 3, because it was the standard color for a long time. This one still has a 75,000-kilometer battery warranty.

Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Plus - 2021 - 59.871 km - € 27.900

This blue Model 3 will set you back a bit more than the white one above, but it has two advantages. First of all, the colour: you won't see a blue Tesla Model 3 like this on every street corner, so you won't get tired of it as quickly. In addition, this February 2021 car still has a small factory warranty of about two months or 20,000 kilometres. You can even still rely on the battery warranty until 2029 - unless you have exceeded 180,000 kilometres by then.

Tesla Model 3 Standard Range Plus - 2021 - 57.983 km - € 27.950

Dark red should be your color, but it is at least less boring than white. Furthermore, this Model 3 offers the same advantages as the blue car above compared to the almost 1000 euros cheaper, white example. The factory warranty of this red one lasts even a bit longer: until April 2025.

Failure - This is how expensive cars became from 1970 to 2024

Has a new car become very expensive or is that all in our head? We compare the average purchase price of a new car between 1970 and 2024.

Price of a new car in 1970: 3389 euros

If you walked into the showroom in 1970, 7455 guilders (3389 euros) was usually enough to buy a new car. That was the average price that Dutch people paid for their car at the time. The Citro?n SM had just been introduced in 1970 and attracted many curious people to the showroom. Not that you got it for 7455 guilders. You had to empty your savings bank account for an SM: at 36,900 guilders, it was one of the most expensive cars in the 1970 price list. For half that price you 'already' had a DS 21.

But the Godin was also too expensive for most people. The salesperson could perhaps convince you of the basic version of the also brand new Citro?n GS while enjoying a cup of coffee and a Roxy cigarette. This GS Confort (in French, so with an 'n') cost approximately 7,455 guilders.

Average price of a new car in 2024

In 2024, you won't make it with 3389 euros. The average price of a new car has risen to 48,118 euros. An electric car is still slightly above average with its purchase price of 52,439 euros, but there is a good chance that this will change with the arrival of all affordable EVs next year. Diesels and plug-in hybrids are well above average, LPG and petrol are actually below average.

Has a car become more expensive?

Of course, you can't just compare the price of 1970 with that of 2024. You have to apply a huge inflation correction and take into account that cars nowadays have to meet much stricter safety requirements. For example, the GS Confort from the example doesn't even have headrests, which cost 75 guilders each and were reserved for the more expensive Club model.

Let's not get too nostalgic about the time when you could still drive on the road with a hangover and without a seat belt. In 1970, no fewer than 3,250 people died in traffic, in 2023 that number had dropped to only 684. And that while the Netherlands had 13 million inhabitants in 1970 and only 2.4 million passenger cars. In 2024, exactly 9,413,692 cars have a Dutch license plate.

Price of new car increases

At the same time, everyone who complains that a car has become so expensive is right. In 2010, the average purchase price was still 24,096 euros, in 2020 it had already risen to 38,373 euros. The average income rose less rapidly; from 32,500 euros in 2010 to 42,000 euros in 2024.

Bovag and RAI Vereniging, who collect all the figures, confirm the trend: "The average purchase price of a new passenger car rose by 4.1 percent in 2024, to 48,118 euros. This increase fits in with the trend of recent years, in which prices have consistently increased."

Average car price 2024

• Gasoline 35,373 euros
• Diesel 92,117 euros
• LPG 23,646 euros
• Hybrid 39,944 euros
• Plug-in hybrid 74,553 euros
• EV 52,439 euros

Extra - Who knows, you might soon be driving a Honda Qashqai or Nissan Civic

Honda and Nissan are considering joining forces. If a merger happens, they will become the third largest car manufacturer in the world. Will you soon be driving a Honda Qashqai or Nissan Civic?

Insiders at the two brands are adamant to the Japanese media. Nissan and Honda will work closely together and possibly even merge. If the latter goes through, an automotive giant will be created with a turnover of over 51 billion euros, good for an annual production of 7.4 million vehicles. This would make the new group the third largest automaker in the world, after Toyota and Volkswagen.

According to Japanese analyst Sanshiro Fukao, the deal seems to be primarily intended to help the struggling Nissan out of the fire, as we read at the Reuters news agency. Although Honda also needs to watch its step, according to Fukao. That is partly due to the disappointing sales of electric Hondas.

Electric Hondas not a success

With the concept models preceding the Honda e, the brand seemed to have a hit on its hands. The car looked nice, had a special interior and the chassis with rear-wheel drive promised a lot for the driving characteristics.

But when the production version came on the market in 2020, the price turned out to be far too high and the range far too small. No matter how attractive the car looked and how nice it drove, it was a failure. And within four years, the Honda e kicked the bucket. Then it took too long for Honda to come up with new EVs and they are not selling like hotcakes either.

In the United States, Honda's hybrids and ICE models are doing well, but in Europe the brand is now selling far fewer cars than four years ago. Honda is also not doing well in China. For example, Dongfeng Honda recently closed a production line, which reduced the total Chinese production capacity from 1.49 million to 1.2 million cars. In short, Honda could also use some reinforcement.

Nissan share price up

The news about a possible merger did not leave the stock market untouched: Nissan saw its shares rise by no less than 24 percent, while Honda had to take a slight drop of 3 percent. Mitsubishi, in which Nissan has a stake of 24 percent, also profited considerably and recorded an increase of almost 20 percent.

Together against Toyota

The talks, which were first reported by the Japanese newspaper Nikkei, focus on more cooperation in technology development and a stronger competitive position against Toyota. One of the options on the table is the establishment of a joint holding company.

But insiders are also whispering about a full merger, in which even Mitsubishi would be involved. An interesting follow-up question then becomes what would happen to Renault. After all, that brand is still in the Alliance with Nissan and Mitsubishi. But the French brand would then - together with Dacia - suddenly become a much smaller player. And this while Renault still supplies one-to-one clones of the Clio and Captur to Mitsubishi, which markets them as the Colt and ASX.

Although Honda, Nissan and Mitsubishi emphasize that there is no concrete deal yet, something is definitely brewing. The three Japanese car manufacturers are expected to give a joint press conference in Tokyo on Monday.

Pressure from China and Tesla

Interestingly, Taiwanese tech giant Foxconn (the company that probably also assembled your iPhone) made an attempt to take over Nissan earlier this year. However, that attempt was rejected. It shows how much the changing automotive world – and the growing pressure from China and Tesla – is forcing companies to take drastic steps.

Good news for Japanese car industry

According to analyst Seiji Sugiura, this possible merger is not only good news for the parties involved, but also for the Japanese car industry in a broader sense. According to him, a second major player is needed alongside Toyota to compete with Chinese brands such as BYD and pioneers such as Tesla.

However, experts say a merger between Honda and Nissan remains a logistical and cultural challenge. Honda's focus on technology and the associated pride in their engines would clash with Nissan's current situation. Don't forget that Max Verstappen, Formula 1 world champion, also drives a Honda professionally.

But long before that, a model like the Honda Civic Type R brought special feats of engine technology to the streets. Perhaps the two will find each other at the bar table when the Nissan negotiators bring up the Skyline and the GT-R ...

In short: a lot is in motion. But the question remains whether you will actually be driving a Honda Qashqai. Or a Nissan Civic.

Bonus - Porsche is struggling with its electric Boxster and this is the culprit

You would think that Porsche would know how to put together a great car. And they would, but the next category of cars is causing even the sports car brand from Zuffenhausen headaches.

Porsche is struggling with the electric successors to the Porsche 718 Boxster and Cayman. That's not so strange, because the development of the electric Porsche Macan didn't go smoothly either. But hey, that car is here now and it's impressive.

Behind schedule

We have every confidence that things will turn out well with the electric Boxster and Cayman, but to say that things are going smoothly: no. Porsche is behind schedule. It's so bad, in fact, that the debut may have to be postponed.

The culprit is the battery placed in the middle of the car. It comes from the supplier Valmet Automotive and they are almost going crazy with the adjustments that Porsche keeps asking for.

Bickering and fuss

Valmet always obediently does what Porsche wants, but incurs extra costs as a result. Money that was not foreseen. And Porsche reportedly does not want to cover all costs. In short: bickering and fuss. That takes time. So much time, in fact, that it is uncertain whether the electric sports cars will come onto the market in 2025, as previously promised.

Well, then you'll just keep driving on petrol for a little longer, you might think. But no, the current Boxster and Cayman will soon disappear from the price list. This has to do with stricter cybersecurity measures from the EU that are making even more victims. The danger now is that you will no longer find any Boxster and Cayman at the dealer, because the electric successors are not ready yet.

2 pain points

The fuss about the electric Boxster and Cayman is just the tip of the iceberg for Porsche. There are rumors that the electric successor to the Porsche Cayenne will not be ready in time (2026). But that has a completely different reason, namely that Porsche is less in a hurry with EVs than before.

If we look at the models, we see two pain points that hit Porsche hard. First of all, the Porsche Taycan is struggling with a major decline in markets where demand is no longer growing, such as Europe and the US.

In addition, the Taycan is facing increasing competition in China, by far the largest market for electric cars. As if that wasn’t enough, the Taycan already debuted at the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show, meaning it’s been on the market for five years – an eternity in the automotive world.

More interesting car news next time!

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