LA Auto Show: More Debuts Announced, Including Mazda Shinari, New Chrysler 200 Convertible and Hyundai Elantra

Automakers are planning to unload a raft of new vehicles at the rapidly approaching Los Angeles Auto Show. According to the event planners, the LA convention center will host 20 world premieres and more than 30 North American debuts.
We already know about several world debuts such and Nissan's completely redesigned Quest minivan, Murano Cross Cabriolet concept and Ellure sedan study, but today the organizers [officially] confirmed a few more premieres.
These include -in no particular order- the well-received Mazda Shinari sports sedan [read the full story here]; the five-door version of the Land Rover Evoque; Saab 9-4X; Kia Optima Hybrid; VW Eos facelift, and the U.S.-spec Hyundai Elantra compact sedan and Fiat 500
In addition, show planners said Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep will display a handful of new products such as the Chrysler 200 Sedan and it's yet-to-be-revealed, Convertible brethren.
Other models to go on show in LA include the all-new Audi A7 Sportback, BMW's redesigned X3 crossover, Porsche's new 911 Carrera GTS and Speedster, the Jaguar C-X75 study, and five concept sport models from Lotus that we first saw at the Paris Show last month.

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Fiat Debuts Uno Cabrio and Mio Concepts along with New Uno Sporting at Sao Paulo [Live Photos]

In addition to being one of Fiat's most important markets, the Italian automaker is also getting ready to celebrate its 35 years in Brazil next year, so it comes to no surprise that the company is exhibiting a total of 30 vehicles at this week's Sao Paulo Auto Show. The Uno Cabrio and Mio [or FCC 111] concept models and the new Uno Sporting and Bravo production models, are among the highlights of Fiat's display.
Beginning with the Uno Cabrio, this concept study is a two-seater drop top variant of the South American market Uno supermini. In addition to losing the Uno's top and rear seats, the quirky looking roadster model also sports an aggressive bodykit with newly designed front and rear bumpers and a set of 17-inch alloy wheels.
The engine of choice is the same one as of Punto T-Jet, a 152HP 1.4-liter turbo which is capable of carrying the Cabrio to a top speed close to 200 km/h [124mph].
Fiat's second concept car is the Mio or FCC 111, which is an ongoing project created through an interactive process via the portal www.fiatmio.cc. According to the company, from August 2009 to October 2010, more than two million people, from 160 countries, visited the portal, where 17 thousand registered users posted more than 10 thousand ideas.
The dimensions of the Fiat Mio are: 1,560 mm wide, 1,530 mm high and 2,500 mm long, meaning it's roughly the same size as the Smart Fortwo. Fiat says the city car concept has not yet reached its final form.
In the production model division, Fiat introduced a "Sporting" variant of the new Uno supermini. Powered by a 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine producing 85HP when running on gasoline and 88HP on ethanol, the Uno Sporting gets a subtle bodykit with front and rear aprons, side sills and a roof spoiler, plus chrome exhaust tips, special decals and 15-inch alloy wheels wrapped around in 185/60 R15 tires. The car also sits 20mm lower thanks to a new sports suspension.
Interior appointments include a leather sports steering wheel, modified instrument panel and sports seats in unique to this model cloth.
Finally, Fiat also showed the local market version of the Bravo hatchback.

Live photos credit: Sao Paulo Auto Show

EuroNCAP: Bravo, Corolla & Legend achieve 5star occupant protection; CR-V & Outlander get 4stars

Fiat’s new Bravo along with Honda’s Legend and Toyota’s new 4door Corolla received a top 5 star crash rating in occupant safety according to the latest results from Euro NCAP. The other two models tested, the new Mitsubishi Outlander and the Honda CR-V managed a 4star rating in the same test. However, EuroNCAP noted in the fine print (see the pics) that the CR-V scored enough points for a 5star rating, it didn’t achieve the minimum number of points needed in fontal impact. -Continued: Click “Read More…” below

Technorati: EURONCAP, crash+tests, auto+news, car+news, automobile, cars, automotive, vehicles, C

Euro NCAP: 5-star rating for 2008 Peugeot 207 CC & MINI Cooper

As anticipated, the 2008 Peugeot 207 CC and MINI Cooper models managed to obtain a five-star rating in adult occupant safety in Euro NCAP’s latest safety results which were released earlier today. That’s a 1-star upgrade for the MINI Cooper over its predecessor which was tested in 2002 (the previous generation 206 CC hadn’t been tested by Euro NCAP). -Continued: Click “Read More…” below Both cars achieved a poor two-star score in pedestrian protection. Oddly enough, the 207 hatchback has achieved a 3-star rating in the same safety test. Finally, the MINI Cooper obtained a mediocre 3-out-5 rating for child protection while the 207 CC didn’t get tested for child safety due to the fact that car was not large enough to fit the recommended child restraints on the rear seats, with the front seats in the normal position for average sized occupants.

Summary of Results

Superminis - Occupant Protection - Child Protection - Pedestrian

MINI Cooper - 5 stars - 3 stars - 2 stars

Peugeot 207CC - 5 stars -N/A - 2 stars

Technorati: Peugeot+207CC, MINI+Cooper, Euro+NCAP, Safety, auto+news, car+news, automobile, cars, automotive, vehicles, Carscoop, blogs, 2007

Euro NCAP: Poor Results From Electronic Stability Control Fitment Survey In The EU

We know it as ESP, ESC, DSC, DCS etc. We also know that Electronic Stability Control can turn potentially serious accidents into near misses and could reduce accident occurrence. Unfortunately though, according to a pan-European survey from Euro NCAP, there are huge differences in the extent to which ESC is offered as standard equipment to car-buyers across Europe. The EU wide survey places the UK, Netherlands, Greece, Malta and Ireland bottom of a country ranking with Denmark, Sweden and Germany topping the list in ESC fitment. -Continued after the Jump The results were released today. Tuesday, May 8, in association with the launch of the new ‘Choose ESC’ Campaign, led by eSafetyAware! and under the patronage of the European Commission, with the goal of raising awareness of ESC.
In presenting the results, Euro NCAP’s Secretary General Adrian Hobbs said ‘We must all do what we can to raise awareness of ESC’s importance. Car manufacturers respond to the demands of customers but customers will only demand ESC when they become aware of the benefits. The media and organisations such as fleet buyers can play a pivotal role in increasing this awareness and in helping to bring pressure to bear on manufacturers and distributors to fit ESC as standard on all new cars, in all countries.’
Basically, the problem is focused mainly in the A (mini) and B (supermini) categories, and less in the C (lower-medium) and D (medium) segments. We totally agree with Euro NCAP that ESC should be fitted as standard in all cars, even if that means a surcharge of around €500 to 800 to the base price. If you ask us, we believe that like ABS, ESC will be standard in nearly every car sold in the EU in a few years. However, Euro NCAP should also concentrate on finding a way to assess vehicle driving dynamics, because ESC by itself is not a panacea in every case. Try out a Chevrolet/Daewoo Lanos with ESC and a Ford Focus without ESC and you’ll see what we mean.

Euro NCAP: Nissan Qasqhai Receives Record Points For Adult Occupant Protection

Not only did Nissan’s new compact crossover get a maximum 5-star rating for adult occupant protection, but thanks to a near to perfect 36.83 points out of a maximum 37 points, the Qashqai achieved the highest ever recorded score in this test for any vehicle in Euro NCAP’s 10-year long history. In the other tests, the Qashqai received 4-stars (out of 5) for child protection and a mediocre 2 out of 4-star for pedestrian protection. Commenting on the Qashqai’s results Euro NCAP’s Secretary General Adrian Hobbs said "Congratulations Nissan! This is a particularly impressive result for this manufacturer since the Qashqai is a new vehicle in this category. Nissan’s last entry into the small family class was in 2001." -Continued below Euro NCAP Comments:
Front impact: Apart from the driver's chest, maximum points were scored for the protection offered to both the driver and passenger dummies. Double seatbelt pretensioners ensured that the driver's forward movement was very limited, keeping the knees and femurs well away from the dashboard.
Side impact: The Qashqai scored maximum points in the side impact and pole tests
Child-protection: The car scored maximum points based on the measurements recorded by the two child dummies in the front and side tests. The passenger airbag can be disabled to allow a rearward-facing child restraint to be used in that seating position. However, information provided to the driver regarding the status of the airbag is not sufficiently clear. The presence of ISOFIX anchorages is not clearly marked.
Pedestrian protection: The bumper scored maximum points for the protection it offered to pedestrians' legs. In contrast, the front edge of the bonnet scored no points. The bonnet was rated predominantly fair for the protection offered to the head of a struck child.

Euro NCAP: Dodge Caliber Receives 4-Stars In Adult Protection

A couple of years ago, four out of five stars for adult occupant protection would be something worth celebrating for, but today, when most new cars in the C-segment (Auris, Golf, Qashqai, Bravo, Focus etc) manage a maximum five star rating, 4-stars and 29 points isn't something worth bragging about. Not that the car us unsafe, but you get the general idea. In the other Euro NCAP tests, the Caliber was awarded with four (out of five) stars for child occupant protection and one (out of four) star for pedestrian protection. -Continued after the jump
Posted by Chris Front impact
There was insufficient pressure in both driver and passenger airbags to prevent the dummies from making contact with the steering wheel and dashboard respectively. Structures in the dashboard presented a potential hazard to the knees and femurs of both front seat occupants.
Side impact
The Caliber scored maximum points in the side impact and pole tests.
Child-protection
Dodge dealers can disable the front passenger airbag to allow a rearward facing child restraint to be used in that seating position. The dangers of doing so without first disabling the airbag were not clearly indicated in the warning labels. The presence of ISOFIX anchorages in the rear outboard seats was not clearly marked.
Pedestrian protection
Neither the bumper nor the front edge of the bonnet scored any points for the protection they offered to pedestrians' legs. Most of the bonnet scored no points and was rated as poor for the protection offered to the heads of adult and child pedestrians.

EuroNCAP: 4-Star Ratings For Honda Civic Hybrid & Skoda Fabia

In the latest batch of Euro NCAP crash tests, the new Honda Civic Sedan Hybrid and the Skoda Fabia didn’t manage to receive the maximum five-star rating expected in adult occupant protection by most consumers in Europe. Instead both models scored four out of five for adult occupant protection meaning that the Honda received the same ratings as the Civic 5d and the Skoda as the previous generation Fabia. -Continued after the jump In child occupant safety, the Honda Civic Sedan Hybrid achieved four out five stars while the Skoda managed a mere three stars. Similarly in pedestrian protection, the Civic was rated with a satisfactory three out of four stars while the Fabia was contempt again with a mediocre two out of four.

SKODA FABIA II

HONDA CIVIC HYBRID

Kia Amanti Outperforms BMW 5-Series In New Side-Impact Crash Test!

BMW’s 5-Series may buy you the “ultimate driving experience” but it won’t win you high performance quality in the new side-impact crash tests. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducted side impact crash tests on luxury sedans. The highest safety rating went to the Acura RL, Kia Amanti and Volvo S80 with second prize going to the Cadillac STS and Mercedes E-Class. The worst performer according to IIHS’s test was the 2008 BMW 5 series.
But, a KIA safer than a BMW?- Did we miss something? According to the IIHS, the air bags in the BMW 5 Series protected the head, but separate air bags designed to protect the chest and abdomen performed poorly. BMW has some explaining to do. In fact, they did just that. Except a spokesperson claimed that "the issue is that depending on the location of seat, the location of dummy, the location of the sled, the results could change, this was one test on one day on one car." The institute's test indicated the 5 Series has a strong body structure but the dummy was injured when it was “hit by the arm rest”. Well, in that case: Attention all BMW drivers, in case of an accident, beware of flying cup holders! -IIHS press release after the jump
Posted by Dani
Source: IIHS , Via: Detnews
PRESS RELEASE: New side tests of large luxury cars: luxury doesn't always buy safety
ARLINGTON, VA — Three of six large car models earn the top rating of good, but one is marginal in side impact crash tests conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Results show a range of performance in how well large cars are designed to protect people in serious side crashes.
Ratings of good, acceptable, marginal, or poor are based on a crash test in which a barrier designed to replicate the front end of a typical SUV or pickup truck strikes the tested vehicle in the side at 31 mph.
The best performers are the Acura RL, Kia Amanti, and Volvo S80, all 2007 models. The S80 also earns the Institute's 2007 TOP SAFETY PICK award for superior overall crash protection. The S80 qualifies because it's rated good in the Institute's front, side, and rear tests and has electronic stability control as standard equipment. The 2007 Cadillac STS and Mercedes E class earn acceptable ratings in the latest round of side tests. The worst performer is the 2008 BMW 5 series, which earns the second lowest rating of marginal for side impact protection. All 6 cars are equipped with standard side airbags that protect the heads of people in front and rear seats.
Side impacts are the second most common fatal crash type after frontal crashes. About 9,200 people in passenger vehicles were killed in side impacts in 2005. In crashes with other passenger vehicles during 2004-05, 49 percent of driver deaths in 1-3-year-old cars and minivans occurred in side impacts, up from 31 percent in 1980-81. During the same time, the proportion of driver deaths in frontal crashes declined from 61 to 46 percent.
"These changes are attributable to two effects," says Institute president Adrian Lund. "There have been significant improvements in frontal crash protection — standard airbags, improved structural designs, and increased use of safety belts, for example. At the same time, growing sales of SUVs and pickups have exacerbated height mismatches among passenger vehicles, thereby increasing the risks to occupants of many vehicles struck in the side."
High price doesn't always predict safety performance: The lowest priced vehicle in the group the Institute recently tested, the Amanti, was one of the best performers. One of the most expensive models, the 5 series, was the worst.
"The Amanti shows that you don't have to buy an expensive car to get good protection in crashes with SUVs and pickup trucks," Lund points out. The side structure of the Amanti allowed more intrusion than in the other cars in this group, but all of the injury measures recorded on the dummies were low. The standard head curtain airbags for front- and back-seat occupants kept the dummies' heads from hitting any hard structures including the intruding crash test barrier.
The head-protecting airbags in the BMW 5 series are tubular structures that differ from the curtain airbags in the Amanti but also are effective. However, torso protection is rated poor for the driver dummy in the 5 series, even though it has separate airbags designed to protect the chests and abdomens of front-seat occupants. Measures recorded on the driver dummy indicate that rib fractures and internal organ injuries would be likely to occur in a real-world crash of this severity. A pelvic fracture also would be possible.
Changes are made to improve occupant protection in side impacts: The Mercedes E class was re-engineered for 2007 with an emphasis on improving occupant protection in side crashes. When the Institute tested an early production model in 2007, the car earned an acceptable rating mainly because of high forces recorded on the driver dummy's torso. Mercedes changed the front door trim panels on cars built after May 2007 to try to fix the problem and asked the Institute to test the revised car. The result was a slight improvement but not enough to change this car's rating. The test of the revised design still showed high forces on the driver dummy that could result in rib and pelvic fractures in a real-world crash of similar severity.
"The E class earns the Institute's top rating of good for front and rear crash protection. If this manufacturer can improve side impact protection, this car will earn TOP SAFETY PICK," Lund says.
General Motors made changes to the Cadillac STS including reinforcing the B-pillars, changing front door trim panels, and modifying the side torso airbags. The car with these changes earns the second highest rating of acceptable.
The side impact test is only one aspect used to evaluate vehicle crashworthiness. The Institute also conducts 40 mph frontal offset crash tests and evaluates vehicles' seat/head restraint designs for protection in rear crashes. Nearly every passenger vehicle, including all of the cars in this group, now earns the highest rating of good for frontal crash protection. However, side and rear evaluations vary widely. Consumers shopping for safety need to be aware of these differences and choose vehicles that offer the best overall protection in crashes. For comparative evaluations of hundreds of passenger vehicles, go to www.iihs.org/ratings.
How side tests are conducted: A vehicle's side evaluation is based on performance in a crash test in which the side of the vehicle is struck by a barrier moving at 31 mph. The barrier represents the front end of a pickup or SUV. Overall ratings reflect injury measures recorded on two instrumented SID-IIs dummies, assessment of head protection countermeasures, and the vehicle's structural performance during the test. Injury measures obtained from the two dummies, one in the driver seat and the other in the back seat behind the driver, are used to determine the likelihood that a driver and/or passenger in a real-world crash would sustain serious injury to various body regions. The movements and contacts of the dummies' heads during the test also are evaluated. Structural performance is based on measurements indicating the amount of B-pillar intrusion into the occupant compartment.

EuroNCAP: 5-Star Rating For Fiat 500, 4-Star For The Renault Twingo

Oh boy, its coming; the earth will turn upside down and all hell will freeze: Renault developed a new model that achieved a “mere” 4-star rating in adult occupancy protection with an overall score of 28 points. Though that’s pretty ok (and better than the Twingo I’s 3-star rating), we’re certain that we can hear some “French” at Renault’s headquarters… Especially now that they found out about the new Fiat 500 's five star rating in adult occupant protection with an overall score of 35 points.

In the other tests, both the Renault Twingo II and Fiat 500 were rated with 2-stars (out of four) for pedestrian protection. While the Twingo II was not tested for child-protection as there was not enough space to fit Renault’s recommended child restraints in the rear seats with the front seats set to Euro NCAP’s test position for adults (…) the Fiat 500 managed a so-and-so 3-star rating (out of five). -Continued after the jump

EuroNCAP Fiat 500

Front impact: The passenger compartment remained stable during the impact. The driver's knees were well protected by an airbag. Fiat showed that the airbag would also protect larger and smaller occupants and those sat in different seating positions. There were no structures in the dashboard that presented a risk of injury to the passenger's knees and femurs.

Child-protection: In the side impact, the head of the 3 year old dummy was not contained within the child restraint and it contacted the side of the 18 month child's restraint. In the same test, the head of the 18 month was contained but experienced a high head deceleration caused by contact with the side of the restraint. The passenger airbag can be disabled to allow a rearward facing child restraint to be used in that seating position. However, information provided to the driver about the status of the airbag is not clear. The presence of ISOFIX anchorages in the rear outboard seats is not clearly marked.

Pedestrian protection: The front edge of the bonnet scored no points for the protection it offered to pedestrians' legs. The bonnet offered predominantly poor protection to pedestrians' heads.

EuroNCAP Renault Twingo II

Front impact: The passenger compartment remained stable during the impact. Structures in the dashboard presented a potential hazard to the knees and femurs of both of the driver's legs and to the passenger's inboard leg.

Child-protection: With the front seats set to the Euro NCAP test position (mid-position of fore-aft adjustment), the child restraints recommended by Renault could not be fitted in the rear seats. Therefore, it was not possible to establish the child protection rating of the Twingo.

Pedestrian protection: The bumper offered predominantly fair protection to pedestrians' legs. However, the front edge of the bonnet was rated as poor and scored no points. The bonnet surface was rated as predominantly poor for the protection offered to pedestrians' heads.

Euro NCAP: 5-Star Ratings For Peugeot 308 & Kia Cee’d

For first the time since Euro NCAP started testing the Korean automakers models in 2003, a Kia, the Cee’d, managed to achieve a 5-star rating in adult occupant protection with an overall score of 34 points. Peugeot’s on the other hand continued its strike of 5-star rating models (1007, 207 & 407) with the new 308 hatch. In the child protection tests both models were awarded with 4 out 5 stars while in pedestrian protection, the Cee’d got a mediocre 2-star rating (out of 4) and the Peugeot a 3 star rating. -Continued after the jump EURO NCAP KIA CEE’D
Front impact
The passenger compartment remained stable during the impact. Structures in the dashboard presented a risk of injury to the knees and femurs of the driver and the passenger. The clutch pedal moved rearward more than 100mm, but there was no rupture of the footwell.

Side impact
The Cee'd scored maximum points in the side impact and pole tests

Child-protection
The car scored maximum points for the dynamic performance of the 3 year old dummy in the frontal and side impacts. The front passenger's airbag can be disabled, allowing a rearward facing child restraint to be used in that seating position. However, information provided to the driver about the status of the airbag is not sufficiently clear. The label warning of the dangers of using a rearward facing child restraint in the passenger's seat without first disabling the airbag was not clear and was not permanently visible. The presence of ISOFIX anchorages in the rear outboard seats was not clearly marked.

Pedestrian protection
The bumper scored no points for the protection offered to pedestrians' legs. Protection of adults' heads was also rated as predominantly poor.

EURO NCAP PEUGEOT 308
Front impact
The passenger compartment remained stable during the impact. The driver's knees were well protected by an airbag mounted in the lower dashboard. Peugeot showed that the airbag would also protect occupants who were larger or smaller than the dummy used in the test, and those sat in different seating positions. The passenger was well restrained and his knees did not get close to the dashboard.

Side impact
The 308 scored maximum points in the side impact and pole tests.

Child-protection
The passenger airbag can be disabled to allow a rearward facing child restraint to be used in that seating position. However, information provided to the driver regarding the status of the airbag is not clear. The presence of ISOFIX anchorages in the front passenger seat and the rear outboard seats was not clearly marked.

Pedestrian protection
The bumper scored maximum points for its protection of pedestrians' legs. Also, the protection offered by the bonnet to the head of a struck child was predominantly fair. However, protection of adults' heads was mostly poor.

Euro NCAP: Hyundai i30 Achieves 4-Star Rating – Worse Than The Kia Cee’d!

Surprise, surprise… Kia Cee’d’s alter ego, the Hyundai i30 didn’t do so well at the European New Car Assessment Programme’s (Euro NCAP for short) latest tests as it scored a four star rating (out of five) and 33 points for adult protection. The Cee’d on the other hand, had achieved a maximum 5-star rating and 34 points (click here) .

Strange, to say the least, since we’re virtually talking about the same the car. There is an explanation however. According to Euro NCAP, the i30 did not achieve the minimum points needed in frontal impact for a 5-star adult occupant rating, despite scoring enough points overall because the driver dummy's right knee showed potential injurious. Euro NCAP says that this, combined with penalties for structures in the dashboard which could injure occupants' knees and femurs, gave an overall rating of 'weak' for protection of that body region. -Continued after the jump Additionally, the i30 achieved a mediocre 3-star rating (out of 5) and 34 points in child occupant protection when the Kia Cee’d was warded with 4-stars and 37 points! At least the Hyundai managed to equal the Cee’d’s 2-star rating (out of four) in pedestrian protection. Have in mind though that the i30 currently sold in Europe is manufactured in Korea. In 2008, Hyundai will transfer production for the European market i30 to its new factory in the Czech Republic. Wonder how the Korean carmaker will communicate the latest Euro NCAPresults.