2009 Holden Cruze is the Safest Small Car

The all new 2009 Holden Cruze is ready for sale from June this year and this is one of the best equipped and safest of small cars that ply on the roads of the US. The cute car combines five star ANCAP safety features with exceptional handling and riding fuel efficiency, and styling design. The model is available for two specified models with features like electronic stability control, six speaker CD system, six air bags, steering wheel mounted controls of music, and other features and cruise control across all ranges.

The stylish car has stylish 2009 chassis and body structure that are equipped with sophisticated technical chassis system, standard to deliver tight, confidence handling, maximum responsiveness, enhanced accident avoidance capability, and wonderful control. Such features provide maximum handling to drivers and a level of comfort while driving. More than 65% of Cruze's unique body structure is made of high strength steel that provide the strength which provide maximum protection if there is collision. The other features enabled in the construction of the body include tailor welded blanks and materials bond at critical points for maximum yield strength and full-length frame rail that makes the car a safety cage.

Besides that the car has comfortable unique and silent environment. The exceptionally quite cabin provides a soothing ambience with acoustic thermal fiber roof liner, triple layer cycling, and composite backed carpets. According to Managing director of Holden Mark Russ this is a world class small car that delivers excellent performance, style, value for money and safety. He said, "We're excited by the potential for Cruze in a key marketplace for Australian buyers. There are no excuses needed for this car. It has five-star safety, handles beautifully, looks great and provides high quality and low fuel usage."

Exterior styling of the car too is superb and the long wheelbase of the Cruze make is a perfect family sedan that delivers performance of upscale mid size sedan in small price bracket.

The Holden Cruze is equipped with two engines 1.8 liter petrol and 2.0 liter diesel Turbo engines that match the choice of five speed manual or six speed automatic transmission with Active Select. The 1.8 Liter ECOTEC petrol engine produces about 104 KW of power and 176Mn of torque that is available between 2200 to 6200rpm quality drive even at low engine speeds. The 2.0 liter common rail turbo charged engine is available as CD trim and it adds another model of energy diversity in Ecoline. It is capable of producing 110 KW and 320 Nm of Torque that is available with 1750 to 3500 rpm.

It boasts of one of the most comfortable interiors that are available in small car in the market. Fit and Finish is emphasized with contoured sport seats that has dual cockpit design and house advanced integrated center panel having graphic information display. The car has generous rear passenger leg and offers head and shoulder room for space with five adult seats.

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Ferrari to Start Building Hybrids?

A green hybrid from an Italian icon? It seems a bit ludicrous, but the question of whether Ferrari is going to start building hybrids is not a joke. Ferrari may have no choice.

The joke about high end sports cars is that if you have to ask how many miles to the gallon they get, you can't afford them. Put more directly, the top end performers are designed from performance. Fuel efficiency and emissions are not just downplayed, they are utterly irrelevant. At least they were.

Ferrari is the classic high end sports car builder. It builds beautiful cars that simply blaze along the road. Of course, the cost of that is horrifically bad mileage and terrible emissions. Neither Ferrari nor the people buying the car really cared. Now they have no choice thanks to the new emission rules coming into place in the European Union.

The EU is taking pollution seriously as part of its efforts to curb global warming. The practical effect on cars is the emissions being produced by them are being cut by law. The EU is demanding a cut to rough 130 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer driven. Most Ferrari models produce about four times that amount, so you can see the problem.

The question for Ferrari is how it can continue to produce high performance cars and yet still comply with the EU emission requirements. This is particularly an issue since the requirements are expected to become even more stringent in the future. The answer by the company seems to be rooted in its F1 team.

The Scuderia, the Ferrari Formula One team, is well versed in making cars as light as possible while producing massive power and performance. The technology used there is being transferred to future Ferrari designs. The company seems bent on meeting the new standards by making the cars much lighter, more aerodynamic and even returning to a turbocharged engine. This will account for huge improvements in fuel efficiency, particularly the light cars, but a hybrid electric engine is going to be an inevitable result.

Perhaps most interesting is the potential use of the KERS system in street cars. Ferrari uses the system in F1 to some effect. KERS stands for Kinetic Energy Recovery System. It essentially produces electricity from the braking system and stores it. The driver can then push a button to add the power to the drive system when needed. It produces an additional 80 odd horsepower in the F1 cars, which is a nice jolt when needed.

Ferrari is nothing if not very inventive. The future is clearly a challenging place for low mileage sports cars. Given the prowess of Ferrari in Formula One, expect it to come out with some amazing green vehicles in the future. Prius beware!

Thomas Ajava writes for HybridCarDealerDepot.com - where you can get more hybrid car information and articles.

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The Honda Jazz Review

Honda Jazz has finally launched and has put to rest the speculation on its pricing. Jazz is offered with a price tag of Rs 7 lakh, the same as the price quoted when Honda Motors announced that a small car for India was on the anvil.

Honda Jazz is set to redefine the small cars segment in India. It is the first of the super hatchbacks to be launched in India this year. Honda Jazz, is marketed in 130 countries across the world and has arrived in India eight year after it was first launched in Japan. Honda has sold more than 25 lakh units of the cars on the globe.

When Honda decided to bring the car to India, it made sure that car has a new engine that delivered higher fuel economy and better performance. They called it the "Made for India Engine". What is significant about Honda Jazz is that it is venturing into a segment that has strongly support cars with value. Earlier, when Skoda launched their small car Fabia with a price of Rs 7 lakh onwards it received a limited response. Now Honda brings in Jazz with the same price tag. It was called the superhatch due to its pricing which is second most expensive after the costliest Fiat 500.

After Honda Jazz, four other super hatchbacks - Volkswagen Polo, Hyundai i30 and Renault Sandero are set to roll into the country. Fiat Grande Punto will hit the stands next week. All these cars are priced between Rs 6 to Rs 8 lakh bracket, these are larger, more spacious and offer typical hatchback comfort. However, these super hatches are promise multi-airbags, anti-lock brake system, climate controls, high quality audio system and sunroof options. These features were only seen on luxury cars like the Hyundai Sonata, Toyota Corolla Altis and Skoda Octavia.

The car manufacturers are looking to aggressively market their products by showcasing their features and technology. Honda has given Jazz a 1.2litre i-VTEC engine which will be widely publicized in India. Volkswagen too has given the Indian bound Polo a 1.2 litre petrol powertrain and a 1.6 litre diesel engine to make it appealing to a wider section of society. Volkswagen promises more fun and more style with the Polo.

The car manufacturers are expecting small car owners upgrade to premium hatchbacks segment. Most of these are expected to be owners of Maruti Suzuki and Hyundai small car owners. They are also targeting people who would mind the cost of its ownership.

In the last fiscal year only 10,000 units of the premium hatchbacks including Skoda Fabia, Ford Fusion and Chevrolet SR-V were sold. The new superhatch launches are expected to push the sales to 40,000 to 50,000 units annually. A large portion of these sales will be Honda Jazz.

Honda has a reputation for comfort and performance through its sedans. This is likely to play a key role in the sale of Jazz.

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Lamborghini Gallardo Or Ford Focus?

Every single driver will obviously have differing categories and stipulations regarding what makes the perfect car. Some will be of the opinion that power, speed and performance are the mark of a truly great car and suggest that the Bugatti Veyron or something similar is the perfect car. Others will hold esteem in a more aesthetic nature and put forward cars such as the Bentley Continental and the Aston Martin Vanquish as the real purveyors of automotive perfection. I have always held the opinion that the truly great cars don't focus on one thing, but try to encapsulate the needs and desires of everyone into their designs and engineering. This is precisely why my favourite car is the brand new Ford Focus.

Now you may be laughing or deriding me for saying that I would rather own a Ford Focus than a Pagani Zonda or a Koenigsegg, but that simply isn't true. I would love to own one of the many supercars or hypercars that are available on the market and if you gave me £1 Million to spend on a car I wouldn't disappoint you. All I am trying to say that in a practical world the new Ford Focus is a lot less likely to frustrate you than a supercar. Let me explain.

First of all you have fuel efficiency to take into consideration. Ford have become synonymous with engineering which seems to sip very frugally at the fuel reserves and the Focus is no different. With economical driving disciplines in place it is possible to get supermini standard fuel economy from a Ford Focus. This leaves you with more money in your wallet and having to spend less time stood at the pumps, refilling every few hours.

Secondly the issue of practicality has to be addressed. Everybody has to do a weekly shop, or pick up comestible goods from town. In a Ford Focus this is a relatively painless task. Parking is very easy, boot space is magnificent and thanks to the Ford Focus' 'understated' beauty, it won't attract vandals to pull it to bits. Adversely, if you choose to do your food shopping in your new Ferrari 599, you are going to find parking excruciatingly difficult, discover you only have the luggage space to fit a small punnet of Satsumas and the vandals will tear your Ferrari badge and wing mirrors off before you can even say "hands off my car!"

I will admit, owning a supercar would be a dream come true, I have a very soft spot for the Lamborghini Gallardo myself, but in an increasingly practical world, it becomes almost impossible to think of an apt time to use one. With the cost of petrol, the congestion on the roads and the increasing number of uninsured drivers on the road, why would any drive for pleasure?

Take my advice and get the best practical car money can buy; the brand new Ford Focus. You will get great performance and fantastic economy, just don't expect 0-60 in under three and a half seconds.

Pete Ridgard has been a writer and a car enthusiast for many years. Here he discusses the competition between the Ford Focus and Supercars, with unexpected results.

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Top 10 Fastest Cars on Earth

This is the top 10 list of the fastest cars on earth. Shown below are their top speeds and horsepower. As you'll notice some of the cars are to close to call so they will remain tied. As you can see...Some of the cars are not new models ie. Jaguar XJ220 yet they hold there position amongst the worlds finest more modern automobiles. In fact, the Mclaren F1 was originally a race car that was converted into a street car.

1. SSC Ultimate Aero TT - Tied *
TopSpeed: 257 mph
1146 Horsepower

2. Bugatti Veyron - Tied
253 mph
1001 Horsepower

3. Koenigsegg CCX - Tied
259 mph
806 Horsepower

4. Saleen S7
250 mph
550 Horsepower

5. McLaren F1
240.1 mph - (Is that .1 really that necessary)
627 Horsepower

6. Ferrari Enzo
221 mph
800 Horsepower

7. Jaguar XJ220
217 mph
550 Horsepower

8. Pagani Zonda F - Tied
210 mph
600 Horsepower

9. Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 - Tied
211 mph
630 Horsepower

10. Porsche Carrera GT
205 mph
558 Horsepower

Currently there are a number of cars that are in development that show promising signs of being in the above list and one in particular is expected to be at the top of this list. Keep an eye out for them. You will see them soon.

* The SSC Ultimate Aero TT is thought to be the current #1 fastest car in the world; however, do to conflicting information we will call it a tie with the Bugatti Veyron and the Koenigsegg CCX. On top of that... some manufacturers and testers often use high octane that can obscure the true results.

Please note that these numbers are not necessarily the manufacturers' max speed or horsepower rating

Did you find this article useful? If so, then take a look at the hottest Bugatti Veyron Videos and Pictures here!
http://VeyronBugatti.com

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The Skoda Fabia VRS

When we think of the Austrian car-makers Skoda our mind automatically jumps to the Superb, a sort of upper middle class vehicle. But, not much hype or fan-fare follows their lower models like the Fabia. The topic for discussion here is the "Skoda Fabia vRS", Skoda's latest attempt at introducing a rally car on the roads.

Let's start off with the most important part of the vehicle, the engine. This particular engine has been used in everything from the Golf to the A6 and is, to be fair, far better than anything else it has ever produced in this class. The 1.9 liter, 4 cylinder, OHC, turbo charged diesel engine might not be the fastest car around but it sure does try really hard.

130 bhp at 4000 rpm doesn't sound like much, but keep the car between 1500 and 2700 rpm and you feel the full effect of the 310 nM of torque under the hood. It does 0-60 mph in approximately 9.6 seconds. Quite normal for this class of vehicle but the crucial pick up from 50 to 75 mph can be achieved in around 10 seconds in 5th gear which sounds very contenting when you think of the vehicle class. It tops out at a maximum speed of 127 mph which isn't very fast, but, it is good for its class. This car can easily complete 40 mpg, but, hit the motorway and you will be touching 60 miles to the gallon. The steering wheel (a three spoke sports steering wheel) gives terrific feedback and the performance of the car is far superior to any other ones in its class. The vRS moves on 16 inch aluminium alloy wheels through which you can spot green brake calipers.

When it comes to looks, the Fabia, has very little on offer whether it is on the inside or the outside. Skoda's chief designer, Thomas Ingenlath was in charge of designing the vRS and he has done a decent job in raising the bar for its down-market siblings. The front has been equipped with a pleasant front bumper, encasing the usual mesh-vent between two fog lamps. Around the back, you will find a deeper bumper with a chromed tail pipe which is a little off-centre, a boot spoiler and some discreet badging. This all sounds real nice, but, it is not even close to the stunningly fashionable World Rally Car.

The interiors have the same feeling as most of the cars from the Volkswagen group. The switch gear (made of aluminium) is well laid out and the dials are clear and easily readable. The seats (monogrammed RS grey and black fabric sports seats) are actually, very comfortable and move in every possible way which makes finding a comfortable position relatively easy. A couple of vRS logos on the dials complete the look.

Skoda has gone all out when it comes to specking the vRS. ABS, MSR and ASR all help with the handling while ESP can be added at an extra cost. On the comfort and safety front, air-conditioner, electric front windows, single-slot CD player, alarm, remote central locking and driver and passenger airbags all come as standard.

Now that everything has been discussed let's come down to the price. At £12000 it is far better priced than any of its rivals and it has a good re-sale value as well.

All-in-all, this car is good without being great. It is very reliable, economical too and it can still turn heads. Really. .

For more reviews, images and videos on the Skoda Fabia vRS visit http://www.skodafabiavrs.com

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3rd Generation 2010 Toyota Prius

King Toyota presents the third generation Toyota Prius i.e. the much awaited 2010 model with upgraded amenities and features. King Toyota was established in 1968 and over forty years later, King Toyota is still known as one of the leaders in the automotive industry. King Toyota's mission is to focus their entire organization in delivering outstanding customer service that exceeds the customer's expectations. Hence King Toyota believes in getting the latest models of their customers' favorite cars to them at the earliest.

Celebrated as the benchmark for cars of the future, the midsize third-generation 2010 Toyota Prius hybrid car will offer

• Better mileage ratings,
• Enhanced performance, and
• Innovative design features.

It will be quieter, roomier, and equipped with advanced standard and available features such as a moon roof with solar panels, four driving modes, Intelligent Parking Assist (IPA) and steering wheel touch controls that display on the instrument panel.

The Prius extends its record of continuous improvement in fuel economy. Using a combination of technologies, fuel efficiency was increased to an estimated 50 miles per gallon for the new Prius. A larger and more powerful 1.8-liter Atkinson-cycle, four-cylinder engine will power the new Prius. Being a hybrid, the Prius can run on engine alone, battery alone, or a combination of both.

The redesigned exterior of the new Prius has front and rear corners that are sharp, sporty and aerodynamic. Strong side character lines, rising from front to rear, define the glazed geometric shape. The solar powered ventilation system uses an electrically powered air circulation fan that does not require engine assist. This prevents the interior air temperature from rising while the vehicle is parked, making the cool-down time shorter when the driver returns to the vehicle, thus reducing the use of air conditioning.

When the driver touches the audio or info switch located on the steering wheel, a duplicate image is displayed on the instrument panel, directly in front of the driver. This system, called Touch Tracer, is the first system in the world to allow steering wheel controls to read out on the instrument panel. The ECO indicator on the Multi-Informational Display (MID) provides driver feedback and guides the driver to optimize their skills for lower fuel consumption.

Dynamic Radar Cruise Control system, using advanced millimeter wave radar, is an available option. The system also enables Lane Keep Assist, which helps the driver stay safely within the lane. Next-generation Intelligent Parking Assist features simplified settings to help guide the car into parking spaces. Bluetooth Technology and Navigation System are some of the many other options that add to the comfort and convenience features in the Prius.

For more information on this efficient vehicle, or to put your name on the Wait or Preorder List visit the website http://www.kingtoyota.com/campaign/third-generation-2010-prius.jsp

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