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Lexus to unveil a Prius-based model next year
According to Motor Trend, Lexus will unveil a new hybrid model based on the next-generation Prius at the next Detroit Auto Show in January 2009.
It wasn’t a secret that Toyota planned to launch the next Prius at next year’s Detroit Auto Show. However, the Lexus version comes as a surprise and raises questions about the opportunity of such a specific vehicle in the brand’s lineup. It is rumoured that the future Lexus would be available under a sports wagon form. The former IS estate comes to mind and might be used as an inspiration for Lexus. It wasn’t a roomy estate, but its unique design was praised by the specialists.
Still, how would a unique hybrid model fit in the Lexus lineup? Well, the brand certainly needs to reinforce its portfolio at a time when the German clique expands its lineup with compact models. However, a Prius-based model might be too unconventional and bit tame for buyers used to buying 1-series and A3 models for their sportiness.
February 27, 2008
Tata to announce Jaguar and Land Rover takeover next week
Tata will announce the takeover of the two British carmakers, Jaguar and Land Rover, next week during the Geneva Motor Show.
Ford and Tata came to an agreement after the positive talks Tata executives had with British unions. Last week Tata confirmed that it won’t sell Jaguar as soon as the takeover is done and promised not to have redundancy plans at first.
The announcement will end a tumultuous bidding between Ford and the three bidders, among them, Tata and Mahindra and Mahindra, It will also mark the end of long history and tumultuous history between Ford and Jaguar.
Future will say whether Tata has enough money in the bank to develop Land Rover and give Jaguar the status it deserves.
February 27, 2008
SsangYong to unveil hybrid diesel at Geneva
South Korean carmaker SsangYong will unveil a new diesel hybrid powertrain at the Geneva Motor Show which it claims delivers a 30 per cent improvement in fuel efficiency.
SsangYong is held at a stake of 51 per cent by the Chinese carmaker SAIC. The company’s engineers likely took inspiration from the hybrid Buick Lacrosse model developed in partnership with GM.
Details are pretty scarce today and more information will be available at the show next week.
February 27, 2008
GM to build 10,000 Volt per year
The closer we get to the production stage, the less confident is GM about the Volt plug-in hybrid model. The carmaker decided to lower its production from 60,000 in last August to 10,000 units per year.
In an interview with the Canadian newspaper Globe and Mail, GM product czar Bob Lutz revealed that Volt production will start at just 10,000 units in the first year. "Volt will be about 10,000 units the first year, just to make sure we’re prepared for any issues that might come up, and then ramp up production from there," Lutz told a group of journalists, noting that there were still significant development issues to overcome before the technology could be optimized for mass market use. "So we’re not going to see a wholesale move to electric vehicles right away."
Due to be unveiled in November 2010, the Chevrolet Volt will be the first plug-in hybrid in the world but its development is not without stumbling blocks. Indeed, engineers struggle with aerodynamics and battery technologies.
The Volt will be sold at first with outdated battery technologies as the limited timeframe doesn’t enable the carmaker to use lithium-ion batteries. Toyota also encounters the same problem as the Japanese carmaker delayed the launch of the next-generation Prius due to problems generated by lithium-ion batteries development.
February 27, 2008
Berton won’t attend Geneva
The troubled Italian coachbuilder, Bertone, won’t attend the Geneva Motor Show next week and the BAT-11 might never be seen under the spotlights.
The future looks rather blurred for the Bertone which is in the middle of a tragic family business. In last December, Lili Bertone, widow of the company’s founder Nuccio decided to sell the coachbuilder to Domenico Reviglio, founder of Gruppo Prototipo who now runs a company called Keiper. She agreed to sell both the Carrozzeria and Stile Bertone to him in early January, even though she did not control all the shares she had negotiated in the sale. Indeed, her two daughters own 40% of the company and both hold a top position in the firm.
Disagreeing with the sale, they went to court to contest the sale. The sale was stopped by a Turin court, and Domenico Reviglio walked away from Bertone. The bankruptcy court has now appointed three commissioners to determine whether Bertone will indeed have a future.
This is the first time, Bertone won’t attend the Geneva Motor Show in 50 years.
February 27, 2008
Hummer to launch the H3 V8 at Geneva
Hummer will unveil the V8-powered H3 version at the Geneva Motor Show which will go on sale afterwards.
Hummer will add a V8 engine to the current lineup featuring only one engine, a 3.7-litre five cylinder petrol unit. The V8 is a 5.3-litre engine that has a power output of 305bhp at 5,200rpm in the H3. The torque reaches its maximum 319 lb ft at 4,000rpm. It is hooked up to a four-speed automatic transmission, which allows the H3 V8 to tow a trailer (braked) of up to 2268 kg.
Hummer will also unveil a limited edition to celebrate the launch of the eagerly-awaited V8 engine called Granite Edition. It will differ from the normal version by being painted in a Granite Black metallic colour. Only one hundred vehicles will be built.
February 26, 2008
Pictures of the C5’s prototypes
The design of the Citroen has been highly praised by specialists. The car looks modern with a bold and serious design positioning the model among the nicest car of its segment. The carmaker has released pictures of some early prototypes on the outside and on the inside.
Here are two pictures of the saloon in March 2004 and in August 2005. The first prototype was taking its styling cues from the C4 model while the second picture shows a car with an overall shape similar to the production version.
The C5 will also be available as an estate and the carmaker hesitated between a very modern design and an elegant, classic but still sporty styling.
On the inside, Citroen has released two pictures of the dashboard which are radically different from the final dashboard.
February 26, 2008
74% of Londoners believe the new congestion charge is unfair
In its fight with London over the congestion charge, Porsche GB has commissioned a survey about the 25£ tax on the highest polluting vehicles.
The poll revealed that 74% of Londoners believe the new scheme is unfair. What’s more interesting is the percentage of people who voted for Ken Livingstone at the last election: 65% also think the new scheme is unfair compared to 35% who believe it is fair and not high enough.
As usual, a new tax brings suspicion on its real purpose and the congestion charge doesn’t avoid it. 62% of Londoners think the Mayor only wants to raise extra money through the new scheme instead of cutting congestion and improving the city’s environment.
Reacting to the poll, Andy Goss, Managing Director of Porsche GB, said: “Londoners agree that the Mayor’s plans to introduce a massive new charge for larger vehicles is totally unfair and is more about squeezing money out of motorists than trying to help the environment. The Mayor should take the chance to reconsider his plans before he leaves us with a system that risks damaging London and irritating massive numbers of people.”
February 26, 2008
Top 10 in China in January
Petrol-Head reported the sales data for the month of January on the Chinese market. This time, here is the list of the top 10 sellers in China.
Volkswagen takes the frist and the second rank thanks to the Jetta and the antediluvian Santana. The Hyundai Elantra arrives surprisingly at the third rank, followed by the successful Buick Excelle which will be renewed in April. Toyota also put the ubiquitous Corolla and Camry in the top ten.
1. VW Jetta – 25,100 sales
2. VW Santana – 19,800
3. Hyundai Elantra – 18,000
4. Buick Excelle – 16,700
5. Tianjin Xia Li – 15,300
6. Chery QQ – 15,100
7. Toyota Corolla – 15,000
8. Toyota Camry – 12,600
9. Ford Focus – 12,300
10. VW Sagitar – 11,600
February 26, 2008
Mercedes to unveil the 4 MATIC CL-class coupé at Geneva
Mercedes will unveil a CL-class coupé with the in-house 4MATIC transmission at the Geneva Motor Show next week.
The 4MATIC will be available as an option on the 500 version and will be positioned between the two-wheel drives and the CL63 AMG in terms of price. It will be called CL 500 4MATIC and will be powered by the 388bhp V8 petrol engine.
The in-house transmission is an electronically controlled system which employs locking central and rear differentials to provide additional traction in slippery conditions. The centre differential contains an integrated multiplate clutch. Each clutch is controlled separately to allow for four modes of operation; 2WD where 100% of available torque is available to the rear axle, while the front axle is disconnected and three 4WD modes which allowed for 45% front/55% rear axle torque split or 50% front axle/50% rear axle torque split. The rear differential can also be locked if rear wheel slip is still present while in the 50/50 4WD mode. Mercedes claims that its system is the lightest all-whell drive transmission in the world, adding juts 70kg to the heavy CL-class.
The CL500 4MATIC should run from 0-62mph in about 5 seconds and still reach the top speed of 155mph.
February 26, 2008