Outlook 2017: Top aluminium-intensive car brands of 2017 model year

Aluminium dominates the “material of choice” for automakers globally as it offers vehicles lighter, more fuel-efficient and strong. In the previous year, the use of aluminium in auto industry increased significantly, one of the key reasons being its endless recyclability. Top brands like BMW, Jaguar, Aston Martin, and Ford have used aluminium in their vehicles in the recent years. They are planning to use more of the light metal in future as well.

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According to the Aluminum Association, “When applied to an optimized automotive body structure, aluminium can provide a weight savings of up to 50 per cent compared with traditional mild steel structure.”  It says the content of aluminium of a typical car is expected to double by 2025.

Aluminium intensive vehicles are likely to show stable growth in sales in the near future. Let’s look at the refreshed cars awaiting their debut in the 2017 model year:

FORD

F-150 RAPTOR:  Ford is set to reposition its Raptor series car with the launch of F-150 Raptor with aluminium body panels, which make it 500 pounds lighter. F-150 Raptor has a 3.5-litre V-6 engine with new feature terrain management system for driving on rocks, sand or snow. Ford says F-150 has a high-powered EcoBoost engine that is ideal for sport-car racing, including a new aluminium block. The Raptor, priced at US$50,000, will be available later this year.


SUPER DUTY: The aluminium-bodied 2017 Super Duty truck comes with the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 engine. This is the first time Super Duty model features an aluminium body. Super Duty uses high-strength, military-grade, aluminium alloy which slashed the weight of the car body by 350 pounds. Other distinctive upgrades that have adorned the new pickup truck include 17 segment-first features, big LED lights and an adaptive cruise control for better on-road performance. Ford says, the price of the Super Duty truck will vary depending on the model.

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BMW

BMW is launching new SUVs and saloons in their seventh generation 5 series. The all-new exec saloon is longer and wider than before, sits on a new chassis and, with more liberal use of aluminium, weighs up to 100kg. A 530e plug-in hybrid version of the saloon will also be introduced in 2017, which is claimed to return up to 141.2mpg and emit 46g/km of CO2. The BMW 5 series will be available in February 2017 starting at £33,000.


ASTON MARTIN

Aston Martin's DB11 is the most powerful production of DB ever with a 5.2-liter, twin-turbocharged V12 engine that produces 600 horsepower. A top speed of 200 miles per hour and a zero-to-62 mph time of 3.9 seconds. DB11’s structure is made from bonded aluminium and the body panels are also from aluminium. DB11 is available in aluminium, black or body colour. The car is set to go on sale later this year at $211,955.


INFINITI

Infiniti is set to launch its new 2017 Q60 high-powered sports coupe car. It is powered by a V6 twin turbo petrol engine that can hit 62mph in five seconds and on to a top whack of 155mph with four-wheel drive and a seven-speed auto box. The Q60 comes with a 2.0-litre or 3.0-litre petrol engine and 19-inch aluminium alloy wheels. Infiniti says its LED headlights with ‘light guide’ technology spread light evenly on the road ahead. Q60 models offers leather seat which are multi adjustable with all around brushed aluminium and black wood inserts. The price of the car starts from $38,950.


MARUTI SUZUKI BALENO RS

Maruti Suzuki plans to launch Baleno RS in between February and March 2017. The Maruti Baleno RS will derive power from Suzuki's 1.0-litre BoosterJet turbo petrol engine developing 110bhp and a maximum torque of 170Nm. The Baleno RS will have better interior and improved minimal chrome inserts, an all-black theme, sporty front seats with cross stitched upholstery and aluminium finish pedals. Maurti Suzuki Baleno is likely to debut with price tags ranging from INR 8 lakh to INR 9.5 lakh.
 
JAGUAR F-PACE

Jaguar’s 2017 F-Pace is powered by a standard 340-hp or optional 380-hp supercharged V-6, each with an eight-speed automatic and all-wheel drive. The aluminium construction of the vehicle creates a rigid structure with sharp steering and superb body control. Jaguar’s interior is roomy and cargo space is ample; an updated infotainment system offers fast responses. Jaguar’s body structure is 80 per cent aluminium and 20 per cent high-strength steel, and weighs around 655 pounds.  

ALFA ROMEO

GIULIA: Giulia, a luxury sports sedan car has a triangular grille and a 276-horsepower, a2-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine that takes the car from zero to 60 mph in 5.5 seconds. Quadrifoglio goes from zero to 60 mph in 3.8 seconds with a top speed of 191 mph, propelled by a 505-horsepower 2.9-litre twin-turbo V-6. It comes with carbon fibre and aluminium accents. Giulia falls in the price tag of around $40,000, while the Quadrifoglio starts at around $70,000 (U.S.).

CHEVROLET
 
General Motors had been working on The Chevrolet Bolt EV throughout 2016, starting with the announcement that the 2015 concept electric car would become a reality in 2017 model year, and ending the year with its first deliveries and coronation as Motor Trend’s Car of the Year.

General Motors shipped the first Bolts to California and Oregon in December and would expand sales to “Northeast and Mid-Atlantic States including New York, Massachusetts and Virginia … this winter.” The OEM said other metropolitan areas would receive the car in the first six months of the year, and Bolt-certified dealerships nationwide would follow by “mid-2017.”

After hitting on Ford for the use of aluminium in Ford 150 pickup truck, GM is using as much aluminium in its body as advanced high-strength steel. Bolt’s exterior would be largely aluminum, and as confirmed by the company, the hood, front fenders, doors, and liftgate outer are made of aluminium.  

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