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Five Euro-Ncap stars for the new Superb
The Skoda Superb has achieved five stars in independent crash tests performed by Euro-NCA. ONe didn’t expect less from a company which wants to compete with the best brands on the market.
Superb has received five stars in independent crash tests performed by Euro-NCAP which points out that the protection of the occupants’ knees and thighs is excellent. The Superb has achieved the highest possible scores also in side impact and pole impact simulations, receiving 35 points for the protection of adults and 40 points for the protection of children. The quality of pedestrian protection is very high, too.
“The new Superb has been developed to provide the occupants with maximum possible safety. The Euro-NCAP results confirm that we have managed to produce a top-quality vehicle in terms of performance, user comfort, as well as safety, one of the key aspects from the customer’s perspective, and I am indeed very pleased about that”, said Dr. Eckhard Scholz, Škoda Auto Board Member responsible for Technical Development.
May 31, 2008
Hyundai Genesis sedan to start at $33,000
Hyundai has finally announced the pricing for its luxury saloon, the Genesis. The entry level will start at a competitive $33,000/£16,500.
If this news doesn’t really concern us as the Genesis won’t likely be brought to Europe, it still shows us how Hyundai plans to move upmarket in the future. The Korean carmaker will compete on the value for money to convince people to buy a luxury saloon without any brand image.
For $33,000/£16,500, the entry-level is powered by a 290bhp 3.8-litre V6 petrol engine hooked up to a six-speed automatic gearbox. Equipment includes 17in alloy wheels, fog lamps, heated side mirrors, heated leather seats, cruise control, parking sensor and dual-zone climate control.
The upper version is powered by the Tau V8 petrol engine which delivers 375bhp. It is hooked up to a six-speed automatic gearbox. in addition to the equipment found on the V6 version, it comes with 18in wheels, chrome exterior moldings, a leather wrapped dash, premium upholstery, tilt and slide glass sunroof, power tilt and telescoping leather-wrapped steering wheel with memory function, a 15-speaker Lexicon premium sound system, power rear sunshade and rain-sensing wipers. V8 engines and huge equipments are given for $38,000/£19,000.
May 30, 2008
Mitsubishi admits it is developing micro-car to battle Smart, Toyota iQ
Mitsubishi has confirmed that it is currently developing a city car set to compete with the Toyota iQ.
The Japanese carmaker has confirmed the rumour about a future small city model. In order to rely on its expertise, the carmaker will build the car according to the Kei car standards. In Japan, this special category has fiscal incentives, but must respect some strict standards. Length must be less than 133in, width less than 58in and engine displacement must be less than 660cc. Output power must also be less than 63bhp. However, for the European markets, the car will be powered by the same 1.0-litre petrol engine as the Smart ForTwo.
The car will be a rear-engined and rear-wheel drive model. The architecture is similar to that of the i model. In the previous post, we explained how the idea to build a global city car complying with Kei cars standards was a really bad idea. Compared to an iQ or a ForTwo, a Kei car won’t be innovative enough. However, a competitive price might be a major asset. Innovative small cars or exported Kei cars? Market will deicide the outlook.
May 30, 2008
Nissan to build new Chinese vehicle assembly plant
In a previous post, Petrol-Head reported how the Chinese market is a top priority for Nissan. The Japanese carmaker has announced it will build its fifth production facility in China.
Nissan will team up with Dongfeng Motor Co to set up a new joint venture which will be intended to build light commercial vehicles. Located in China’s Henan province, the new facility will have a production capacity of 120,000 vehicles and will cost £73 million to build.
What’s interesting about this new facility is that the produced vehicles will also exported outside China. Until now, when a foreign brand vehicles built in China are reserved to the growing Chinese market. With this move, Nissan is sending a strong message to European, American and Japanese workers. In the future, Nissan will be bale to build anywhere, where the production cost is the cheapest.
May 30, 2008
Honda number 3 in the US
After being overtaken by Toyota, Ford leaves the Top 3 on the American market as Honda has sold more cars than Ford.
Honda is taking profit of its lineup by increasing its sales on the American market in April and overtaking Ford there. Honda sold 437,102 vehicles last month, While Ford delivered 421,000 units. This trend will likely be confirmed next month and in the future as long as gas prices are rising.
Honda lineup features small vehciles such as the Fit, CR-V and Civic will enables the carmaker to increase its sales by 3.6 per cent since the beginning of the year, while the market has decreased by 9.2%. Ford suffers from a lineup focused on large vehicles. Often criticized for not selling V8-powered models, Honda might be the winner of the economic downturn. Chevrolet only sells 30,000 units more than the Japanese carmaker. At this pace, Honda will likely become the second brand in the US by the end of this year.
May 30, 2008
Jaguar & Land Rover readying hybrid versions
Jaguar and Land Rover are currently working together on adapting hybrid technology on two engines: a 3.0-litre diesel unit and 5.0-litre V8 engine.
The 3.0-litre diesel engine is derived from the 2.7-litre V6 unit sold in the Discovery 3, Range Rover Sport and Jaguar XF. The diesel engine is combined with a hybrid system and will feature the stop and start technology. Despite hybrid technologies, both companies expect to boost fuel efficiency by 10 per cent. As part of the Ford/PSA Peugeot Citroen agreement, will the French group get this new engine?
The petrol engine will be an upgraded version of the current V8. With an increased displacement to 5 litres, the V8 will use the hybrid technology in an attempt to increase its green credentials. However, the main revolution will start in 2012 when both British carmakers will off full-hybrid models. If Jaguar’s approach remains unknown, Land Rover will use a rear-mounted electric engine which will power the rear wheels.
Source: Autocar
May 30, 2008
Next Ford Ka unveiled
Here are the first clear pictures of the eagerly-awaited next-generation Ka, which will debut at the Paris Motor Show in October.
Ford’s attempt to replace the Ka is like Renault replacing the Twingo. The Ka has been on sale for the last twelve years and it has been a top-seller since then. The next model will share its underpinnings with the Fiat 500, but will feature a unique interior and exterior styling. If the overall shape is similar to that of the 500, the body panels look unique. On the inside, while the Fiat 500 features a retro-charming design, the next Ka will promote the Ford’s design with a dashboard similar to the Fiesta’s.
The next Ka will be uilt on the same assembly lines as the 500 at Fiat’s Tychy facility, located in Poland.
May 30, 2008
Mini Crossman Concept to be unveiled at Paris
The future Crossman will be unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in October before hitting the showrooms in 2009.
The latest information suggest that the future Mini SUV will be previewed at the next Paris Motor Show. Called Crossman, the future variant will be longer than the current Mini and higher by 80 mm than the Mini (Estate). The Crossman will be available with of choice of two transmissions, front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive. it will get the usual off-road treatment with raised suspension and body-protective molding. However, the Mini SUV will be engineered for on-road manners than mud-plugging abilities.
The Crossman will be built by Magna which will lose the X3’s production in 2010. Mini plans to sell 80,000 units per year.
May 30, 2008
Improved Infiniti models for Europe
Infiniti is readying its models before launching them in Europe.
It appears that Infiniti is going to town on a meal for Europe. After a reservation list on the internet, the luxury brand is improving the quality of its cars intended to be sold on the European market. Engineers will make 300 to 500 changes per model to ready for the launch in October.
In addition to the traditional handling improvements including new stabilizers and bigger brakes, the Infiniti models will come with new heated-seat system, new windscreen wipers and heavier window seals. The biggest visual changes will concern the interior. The European models will feature knobs in replacement of the pushbuttons favored by American customers.
May 30, 2008
Audi R8 V10 for sale?
A German website might have revealed the future specs of the long-awaited V10-powered R8.
The German website Mobile.de features an interesting R8 powered by a V10 petrol engine. The engine is reported to deliver a power output of 552bhp. This is 20bhp less than the rocketing-estate RS6 which offers 572bhp. The price tag is rather high for the R8 with a reported price of £100,000.
On the same page, the launch date is announced in February 2009 before hitting the showrooms in the second quarter of next year.
May 30, 2008