Volvo Wagon VS Renault Sub-Compact

Amazing video clip from 5th Gear. In a brutal 40mph (80mph closing speed) offset frontal crash, a newer Renault sub-compact just mauls an old Volvo wagon. Not the result I expected. This shows that maybe mass isn't everything, maybe it is better to buy a newer car with more modern design than an old "tank"!

Motorshow: Geneva 2008

This is my first posting on a motorshow and it certainly won't be my last. I will certainly be at the upcoming British motorshow were the Vauxhall Insignia will have a world debut. The Geneva motorshow started today and will last for 4 more days. Without further a-due, I'm going to list some of the car firms that attended:

Mitsubishi uncloaked one of their most important cars to hit Europe; the Prototype S. Despite the car being 95% production ready, it will go on sale in the U.S in 2009. Mitsubishi UK is expecting anything upto 65% of the sales going towards this. The Lancer sedan is offered in a diesel variant but will a diesel be available in the hatchback?

Audi is there with 3 diesel cars including the R8 V12 TDI and the Q7 Coastline.

Toyota showed 2 new cars; IQ and Urban Cruiser. The 4WD Urban Cruiser pollutes 140g/km and will go on sale in the UK in 2009 alongside the Smart-rival IQ. Emissions on both cars are class-leading. Carbon dioxide emissions are claimed at 99g/km for the IQ so it should be excluding owners from paying any road tax. At 2985mm makes the IQ the worlds shortest 4 seater car. Toyota is predicting 100,000 sales by the end of 2009 for the IQ but no word on U.S sales. Expect 5 star EuroNCAP safety rating and a £10,000 price tag!

Bentley announced that their range of cars will pollute under 120g/km by using flex-fuel and petrol. Apparently, the flex-fuel should cut fuel consumption by 40%. Cars are expected to go on sale in 2012.

Volkswagen unveiled the new Scirocco coupé along with the Golf diesel-hybrid which can return upto 83mpg. The Golf Hybrid is likely to reach production within the next year or so.

Nissan announced at the Geneva show that the GT-R will go on sale in 2009 with a price tag of £52,900. Alongside the GT-R was the revised Murano crossover, which goes on sale in early 2009.

FIAT showed their ultra-clean 500 Aria which emits 98g/km. The engine has been tweaked. The show car has a diesel particulate filter, stop-start technology and FIAT's very own Dualogic manual transmission. Its believed the car will go on sale in the UK at the end of 2008.

The European GLK was shown. Thomas Weber, head of research and development for Mercedes-Benz called the new Mercedes-Benz GLK Bluetec Hybrid a “Sustainable Utility Vehicle”.

He was referring to this GLK's diesel electric drivetrain which combines a 2.2-litre diesel engine with what Mercedes described vaguely as a “hybrid module”. It delivers 38.8mpg according to Mercedes-Benz but more importantly, the hybrid module uses lithium ion batteries. Mercedes says a similar system will make its production debut in the S400 Blue Hybird next year. If that goes as planned, the Mercedes-Benz S400 Blue Hybrid would be the first production hybrid car to use lithium ion battery technology, but don't expect it to arrive in the UK anytime soon despite the HUGE demand for the £88,000 Lexus LS600h.

Ford revealed the European Fiesta today in both body variants; 3dr & 5dr. The car is based off the recently launched Mazda2 which exceeded 100,000 sales in 8 months. Power will come from a choice of 1.25 and 1.4-litre Duratec petrol engines alongside a new 1.6-litre Ti-VCT unit, while diesel fans will be offered 1.4-litre and 1.6-litre TDCi engines. Later in 2008, a new ECOnetic version, capable of producing less than 100g/km of CO2 will be announced.

The Meriva had a world debut today with suicide doors or as Vauxhall/Opel call them, Flex-doors. Unlike anything else in its class, it'll offer style and practicality. Sales start in early 2009.

Diesel powered Cayenne on the way...

Porsche is being put under enormous stress in order to produce lower CO2 emissions from their cars. The London congestion charge will affect sales of all Porsches in London.

A 3.2 litre V6 diesel twin-turbocharger producing over 300bhp will be used and Audi will be developing it but during this time, Porsche will be producing their second Cayenne due for the 2010 model year. Other more powerful engines (V8, V10, and V12) were also considered, but eventually called off due to their heaviness.

2 Hyundai coupes arrive in 2009 (UK)

Hyundai will launch two new coupes by 2009. The first will be front wheel drive and will replace the current Coupé SIII. This is be based off the i30 and will look alot like the Veloster. Expect the same radical design, including the shooting brake-style rear end and squat, wide body, although the glass roof may be lost for safety reasons. Engine options will include the 1.6 and 2.0-litre engines also used in the i30, with a diesel model still being considered.

As part of Hyundai’s new brand restructuring, the next Coupé will remain in the same price range as the current model (which starts at £15,700) without compromising the level of quality which has been set by the new ‘i’ cars; it hasn’t yet been decided if that nomenclature will appear on the coupé.

Hyundai is confident that the new, more premium coupé’s price won’t rise because it will not come with a V6 engine option — as the current model does.

The second coupe is likely to be the Genesis Coupé. The plan is to introduce an entirely different, more performance-focused coupé based on the rear-wheel-drive, 350bhp V6 Genesis coupé concept that was unveiled at the 2007 Los Angeles show. This would be Hyundai’s answer to the Nissan 350Z, and would be available with the concept’s V6; the V8 from the Genesis saloon concept is also being considered.

The Genesis coupé has not yet been confirmed for the UK, but Tony Whitehorn, MD of Hyundai UK, maintains that Hyundai “must have a sports car as its halo model”.

Odd-looking Mazda6 spied (U.S)

Meet your new Mazda6, provding you are in the U.S. This pre-production car was spied in the snowy state of Detroit.

The vulgar headlamps are part of the car right down to the Jaguar XF looking exhausts. A 3.5 litre V6 is likely to be used but the 3.7 litre V6 used in the CX-9 is unlikely.

Look for the official debut of the Mazda6 in the next few months with sales beginning sometime this year.

Related link:

Spied: 2009 Mazda6 sedan

Subaru Forester pricing announced (U.S)

Last month, Subaru debuted the Forester SUV and this month, they have revealed the pricing for the new compact SUV.

Priing will start at $19,995 which which undercuts its predessor by $1200 but thats without the $665 destination charge. The PZEV (Partial Zero Emissions) model will start from $20,195 and the XT Limited will be priced from $28,195 excluding destionation charge.

The crossover is what Subaru calls a "more SUV-like" look, in part due to its 3.6-inch-longer wheelbase, now up to 103.0 inches.

Power will come from a 2.5 litre petrol normally aspirated and turbocharged engines. The turbo models will be mated with an automatic transmission. VDC (Vehicle Dynamic Control) and traction control will be standard across the range. It will go on sale in April.

Related links:

New Car: 2009 Subaru Forester

Subaru Forester uncloaked

2009 Subaru Forester

Video: Caterham Skills

Guy can really drive.


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