Author: yoann besnard

GM to build a Mini competitor?

During a presentation of the Volt’s progress, GM left drawings of what could be a future new Mini competitor sold under the Saab label.
The car was a three-door hatchback with two different designs and varied colour schemes. One design featured a B-pillar with a rear end similar to the famous Chevrolet Nomad’s while the other didn’t feature any B-pillar but a spoiler at the rear end. One of the car is presented as a future Saab model while the other features the Saturn badge.
On the renderings realized by Motor Trend, both cars feature large wheel arches and small side windows like the Mini does. The supermini success generates a lot of interests from other car makers. Alfa Romeo will join the fight at the end of the year, while Mercedes will likely launch its competitor in 2011. The recent success encountered by the iconic Fiat 500 showed there was enough room on the segment for new contenders. But, with more actors on the field, there will be a fierce struggle for a share of the pie and GM might once again arrive after everybody and might just sweep up the crumbs.
Click here to see all the drawings
February 14, 2008
Toyota to unveil the Urban Cruiser at Geneva

Along with the eagerly-awaited iQ at Geneva, the Japanese car maker will also reveal the new Urban Cruiser, a small SUV based on the Ist sold in Japan.
While observers expected an all-new small SUV destined for the European market, Toyota just imports the Ist model. The car maker has the cheek to call it a ‘urban all-road vehicle’ in the press release. The Ist’s design won’t likely please European consumers with its dull design and the paint scheme, although trendy in Japan, won’t help matters.
No information is available regarding the engines, but it is a fairly safe bet that the Urban Cruiser will feature the 1.5-litre petrol engine used in the Ist. It has an output of 108bhp at 6000rpm and a torque of 101 lb ft at 4400rpm.
My advice to Toyota: next time please avoid sending us your worst domestic models.
February 14, 2008
Rendering of the future baby Alfa by Quattroruote

The Italian magazine some spyshots and renderings of the future small Alfa due to be launched at the next Paris Motor Show.
Internally known as 955, the three-door supermini will based on the Grande Punto platform. A wide range of engines will be on offer, starting with a 105 bhp 1.4 litre Multiair four with variable valve timing, followed by a selection of turbocharged 1.4-litre and 1.8-litre units with outputs of 135, 180 and 230 bhp. The baby Alfa will also come with diesel engines, including the 1.2-litre JTDm with 120 or 150 bhp.
It hasn’t been yet confirmed if the car will be called ‘Furiosa’ after the naming contest organized last year or will be christened with another name.
Alfa Romeo expects a lot from the three-door supermini in term of sales. The company aims at selling 100,000 units per year.
Click here to see all the pictures
February 14, 2008
Aston Martin to open a test center on the N?rburgring

Aston Martin has announced that it will open a new engineering test centre at the N?rburgring circuit in Germany at the end of May of this year.
Along the testing purpose of the new centre, Aston MArtin also considers using the facilities for future customer activities. Everybody can pay £12 to run on the circuit but having a support team not far is always welcome.
Aston Martin’s CEO, Dr Ulrich Bez, said: “When we open the Aston Martin N?rburgring Test Centre at the end of May this will be our second major new facility in less than 12 months since the company entered new ownership.” Two months ago, the company opened a new design studio in Gaydon.
It is rumoured that Aston Martin development program has suffered from its independence. Under Ford ownership, the British car maker was able to use the Ford facilities to test its future models.
February 14, 2008
CAW president: “I have a dream. Banning imported cars in North America”

Canadian Auto Workers president Buzz Hargrove is the kind of guy you’re not sure you want to to have as a friend as you get the feeling he would blame you for all the problems occurring in his life.. Indeed He wants the Canadian prime minister to make a public statement saying Canada will no longer allow car imports from Japan and South Korea unless they open their markets to North American vehicles. Why don’t American car maker make proper car for a try that people want to buy for once?
“I’m very fearful. Every month when I look at the numbers, the market share losses just keep growing. [For] Ford and GM I think there’s only one scenario if you don’t stem the market share losses,” he said, following a meeting with Prime Minister Stephen Harper in Ottawa. He blamed the number of imports from Asia and Europe that far exceed the number of vehicles shipped there from Canada.
The reality is that the cars the Canadian factories build are not designed for European and Asian roads. Too large and too thirsty, the American cars also suffer from a poor build quality, a poor reliability and a poor ride, except for a few models which meet a certain success on our shores.
The Canadian Auto Workers also wants the Prime Minister to help persuade the United States to take the same action in a new North American auto pact. Sometimes, utopia is a nice refuge.
February 14, 2008
A Daimler plant in Romania

Daimler is seriously considering opening its new factory in Romania instead of Poland as it was initially planned. The future factory will aim at building the next-generation A-Class and B-Class models.
Daimler executives seem to have set their heart on Romania to build the company’s plant which would be located in the city of Jucu where Nokia inaugurated its latest factory last week.
Poland seem to have been moved away due to higher production costs than in Romania. A Romanian worker’s hourly rate can be £26 less expensive than a German worker’s. Daimler would invest £297 million to build the new factory which will be able to produce between 130,000 and 150,000 vehicles per year.
February 14, 2008
GM to recall 180,000 Chevrolet HHR

General Motors has announced the recall of 181,516 units of the HHR model due to a head injury risk. The problem occurs only with vehicles not equipped with the optional head curtain side air bags.
The concerned vehicles don’t meet the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard No. 201, ‘Occupant Protection in Interior Impact.’ Only 2006-2008 model year HHRs seem to have te defect. GM will install an energy-absorbing plastic piece to the headliner trim on all affected models. The recall is expected to start next month.
The HHR is a retro-styled estate launched in 2006. It is available with a choice of three petrol engines, a 149bhp 2.2-litre unit, a 172bhp 2.4-litre engine and the topping 260bhp turbocharged 2.0-litre unit.
February 14, 2008
New markets to count for half of car sales in 2012

George Magliano, Insight’s North American automotive research director, said at the NADA that emerging markets such as India and China will count for half of all car sales by 2012.
At this moment, Western Europe and the US account for 75 per cent of all global car sales but with the recession in the US and slowly growing market in Western Europe, the fast growth recorded by emerging markets will change how the pie of car sales is shared in the world.
China, India, but also Brazil, Russia and Eastern Europe will be the winner. According to Insight’s forcasting, car makers will build 82 million vehicles in 2012.
Source: Just Auto (registration required)
February 14, 2008
Subaru to unveil the world’s first boxer diesel car at Geneva

Subaru will display the world’s first boxer diesel-engined passenger car in the form of the Legacy varied variants, saloon, estate and Outback.
The new 2.0 litre horizontally-opposed turbo-diesel will have an output of 148bhp and will emit 151 g/km CO2. The engine is reported to be extremely compact and light with a low centre-of-gravity which will likely make the Legacy one of the most pleasant diesel to drive on the market.
The new engine will help the Japanese car maker to boost its sales in Europe where it has been rather quiet and not to rely only on the Impreza WRX model anymore.
February 13, 2008
The Peugeot 308 travels round the M25 on less than a ‘tenner’

The day has gone when you can drive very far on a tenner’s worth of fuel. With the average cost of fuel going well beyond £1.00 a litre, drivers are constantly reviewing their driving lifestyle. Fortunately, Peugeot is our savor thanks to the 308 HDi 90 which consumes petrol like a camel needs water.
A five-door Peugeot 308 S HDi 90 has just travelled the 117 miles round the M25 on less than a ‘tenner’ – £9.95 to be exact. Complete with two passengers and starting with the weight of a full tank of diesel fuel, the 308 returned an impressive 58.8mpg. And the car averaged slightly over 50mph.
The 308 S HDi 90 costs less than £15,000 and thanks to its CO2 emission figure of 120g/km is exempt from Congestion Charging. Suddenly, the frugality takes over the Gallic roots and the camelish 308 appears to be a tempting offer.
February 13, 2008