Katya Mikova – Page 13 – Automobiles Review

2016 Audi Q7 Scoops the “Best Designed Interior” Award

Do you remember the 2016 Audi Q7? Of course you do, because it continued to be one of the most discussed SUVs ever since it was mentioned for the very first time. Now, the story is repeating itself for all eyes are on the new Audi model again. Earning the EyesOn Desig Award at North American International Auto Show, the vehicle confirms that it has something which no other car in this range has. Precisely, an award-winning interior design!

What is interesting is the fact that this is the first-ever vehicle to be praised with the “Best Designed Interior” award . But it isn’t surprising really because the new Audi Q7 exhibits inherited sportiness mixed with advantageous technology.

The question is what exactly has grabbed the attention of the jury? The all-new Q7 offers more interior room for up to seven passengers as well as more technological controls than the outgoing model. With significantly fewer buttons, the easiness of driving is complete. There are improved infotainment, connectivity and driver assistance systems. For example, the new MMI all-in-touch control unit with a large touchpad makes operation much more simple. On top of this, the smartphone integration with Google Android Auto and AppleCarPlay further contribute to the range of technological tweaks.

Just to remind you some performance characteristics, the 2016 Audi Q7 can be powered by the 3.0TDI which boosts 272 HP (200 kW) or by the 3.0 TFSI with 333 HP (245 kW). They enable the car to accelerate from 0 to 62.1 mph (100 km/h) in 6.1 seconds (TFSI) and 6.3 seconds (TDI), respectively.

Source: Audi

January 19, 2015

Next-generation Audi R8 with 400-km-plus Range

Audi has confirmed that the second generation Audi R8 will finally make its long-awaited debut at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show in March. The car is said to receive an all-electric transmission which promises a range from 400 km (248 miles) to 500 km on a single charge. Not bad at all taking into consideration the fact that the previous all-electric R8 e-tron range was 220km.

The mid-engine platform is shared with that of the Lamborghini Huracán. In order to reduce mass, it features an aluminum frame and carbon-fiber pats. There are rumors which point to a 5.2-liter V-10 naturally aspirated engine , able to produce around 600 horses. Audi is said to offer its naturally aspirated V-8 generating around 450 HP for the 2016 Audi R8 as well.

Additionally, the second-generation supercar won’t get a manual transmission, because, as Audi board member for technical development Ulrich Hackenberg acknowledged: “double-clutch gearboxes are extremely sporty, and if you want to drive extremely sporty and fast, for the record of your personal lap time, you will need a double-clutch.”

Prices and official performance figures are yet to be announced.

Source: CarAdvice

January 19, 2015

Fiat 500 1.2 Pop: Suitable for 18-Year-Old Drivers

Statistics show that about three quarters of young drivers cannot afford a car that is good-looking as well as affordable because of the amount of money spent on car insurance. For this reason around 35 percent of 17-25 year old drivers find the costs too prohibitive so they choose not to have a car. On the other hand, those who take their chance and decide to own a vehicle spend up to 30 percent of their income on their automobiles just to keep them alive.

Things are about to change so attention, please, youngsters! Thanks to Fiat 500 i-Deal powered by Carrot, younger drivers can afford the new Fiat 500 1.2 Pop for a fixed monthly payment of £239 per month over a three-year period. The compact car arrives with a compact list of usefulness, including Easy Care Servicing Maintenance and fully-comprehensive insurance cover from Carrot, underwritten by Zurich Insurance.

Each vehicle is fitted with an i-box, created by Crewe-based telematics service provider Trak Global in the UK. The device helps young drivers attain valuable experience behind the wheel with Carrot’s cash rewards programme for they are encouraged to develop safer driving habits from the very first time when they set foot on the pedal.

What is more, from now on every Fiat 500 will feature ESC (Electronic Stability Control) and seven airbags as standard, with fuel-saving Start & Stop and low-tax emissions which reduce running costs even more. Offering more than 500,000 variations in colors, wheels, decals, options and accessories, Fiat 500 owners can customize their vehicle so it can fit their tastes and personalities.

Initially, there are two engines available for the Pop trim, a 1.2-litre petrol that is capable of 59 mpg and a more powerful 1.3-litre Multijet diesel that produces 72mpg.

Source: Fiat

January 19, 2015

Graffiti Skoda: Looks Worse Than a Picture Painted with Two Left Hands

Arriving with a simple and plain design on the outside, the new Skoda Fabia gives a venue for different possible customizations, modifications and interpretations. But there are times of doing it right and times of doing it not-so-right. The Art Version of the Fabia is an example of how it should not be looking.

If the goal was delivering a form of… “Art” which is emotional, touching, effective and pleasing, weeeell, the car is going slightly pass that line. Maybe I know nothing about this expression of human creativity called graffiti. Or maybe, this expression of human creativity called graffiti knows nothing about cars and just does not fit in the automotive world. Apart when there is an already rotting rusty vehicle sent to its death in a scrapyard and in order to look less dreadful, there is a graffiti-made flower painted on what is left of the car.

It is true that the Skoda Fabia Street Art receives a sort of individuality. But I bet that no other car would like to be punished like this. A life in a junkyard would be a life in heaven compared to a life with such bodywork.

This Skoda, the creation of the hardest to comprehend fine art, was completed in several stages. Firstly, Armando Gomes, the artist, laid the groundwork by applying the lines and geometrical shapes to the body of the car. After that, the surfaces were sprayed in different colors.

The art project took place in Lisbon at the end of October as part of the new Skoda Fabia’s international presentation to the press.

Source: Skoda

January 16, 2015

The All-new Vauxhall Corsavan Offers a Variety of Engines

Making its global debut at the Brussels Motor Show today, the new Vauxhall Corsavan will reach the showrooms in UK in February. The small car has fresh exterior, refined chassis and simple but effective interior. Replacing its award-winning predecessor, the new model is 4.02 meters long and 1.94 meters wide.

Power is produced by a high-class range of economical Euro-6 compliant petrol and diesel engines. The offer up to 83.1mpg fuel economy and CO₂ emissions as low as 90g/km. The full list of Corsavan models with different engines includes: 2015 Vauxhall Corsavan powered by 1.2-liter engine that delivers 70PS. This model is priced at £11858.33. Vauxhall Corsavan which takes its power from the 1.3CDTi (75 PS) Start/Stop unit comes for the price of £13108.33; the model with the more powerful 1.3CDTi Start/Stop version which generates 95 PS will cost £13558.33 and, finally, the Corsavan Sportive that takes advantage of the 1.3CDTi (95 PS) Start/Stop has the price tag of £14558.33.

Furthermore, the driving environment has been improved thanks to the seats that offer better support, durability and extended travel. Additionally, the reduced levels of noise, harshness and vibration contribute to the pleasantness of having this car. Other extras include electronic climate control, Winter Pack with heated seats and heated steering wheel, IntelliLink with 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system with Bluetooth and DAB, 16-inch black alloy wheels and rear parking sensors.

Source: Vauxhall

January 16, 2015

2016 Maserati Levante Still Looks Strange

Before the official launch of Maserati’s new crossover, it has been spotted once again but this time in the cold lands of Scandinavia.

Despite the good-looking concept SUV, Kubang Concept, which was shown some time ago and which seemed to be ready for production, the automaker is still teasing and postponing the official reveal of the new vehicle. The 2016 Maserati Levante crossover is based on the Ghibli sedan but with some significant modifications.

Even though there are no specifications announced, powertrains are expected to be similar to the ones found on Ghibli and Quattroporte. Precisely, the base engine will be a V6 producing 350 HP with a 425 HP V6 version following after the first one. In order to thrill customers even more, Maserati is planning the production of a V8 performance model which will be capable of delivering 560 HP.

Some of the alterations mentioned above include increased ride height and wider tracks. Most probably there will be an all-wheel drive system. As it seems, the age of the SUVs has arrived, for last week, Jaguar teased with a video about its most recent F-pace model which is set to go on sale in 2016.

More information will come soon.

Source: Autoevolution

January 16, 2015

The Car of the Future Will be Able to Avoid All Accidents

Every vehicle should be a combination of attractively-crafted design and ultimate safety, the latter, of course, being the key factor in every automotive industry. In attempts to create a car which is “capable of avoiding accidents totally in the future”, the experts from Seat Technical Centre are working hard, running a number of tests which serve to push them closer to the development of a smart and accident-preventing automobile.

Going into some details, Henrico Puttenstein, one of the engineers at the Technical Centre’s Department of Passive Safety explains that; “We launch different impact elements against the car, mimicking parts of the human body, such as a leg, hip or head.“ He, then continues and says;” The tests we carry out reduce the probability of serious injury in accidents to 20%.”

Interestingly enough, the start of the safety-measures began in 1970’s with the development of the safety-belt. But there is more than just safety-belts and airbags in the car when it comes to secure driving experience and environment. For instance, there is a specially-designed energy-absorbing area along with foams of different densities which are integrated behind the front bumper and the bonnet. Their function is to help reduce the force of the impact.

Still, the biggest ambition of Seat engineers is to craft a vehicle which is fitted with systems and technologies that are able to detect accident in advance and as a result “can change the speed and direction of a car autonomously” in order to avoid collision.

Source: Seat

January 16, 2015

BMW 1-Series Models Receive A Bunch of Unnecessary Features [VIDEO]

BMW has prepared a new facelift for its entry-level model, BMW 1 Series but it isn’t the best of what we have seen by the automaker. It becomes a little boring when we already have a comprehensive range of revised engines that got, wait-for-it… additional power units. Are they the latest-generation petrol and diesel engines? Yes. Do they have three and four cylinders? Yes. Is this really exciting? No. This time around, the updated line-up of engines include three- and four-cylinder power units coming from the BMW Group’s new engine family. And honestly, the last additions shouldn’t be existing. It is also true that the model arrives with some exterior and interior changes, but they are barely something exclusive. It feels like we have seen it already. And we weren’t really impressed even the first time.

The new power-provider is the BMW 116d EfficientDynamics Edition which produces 116 HP (85 kW) and average fuel consumption of 3.4 litres/100 kilometres (83.1 mpg imp). The combined CO2 emissions are rated at 89 g/km in the EU test cycle.

But wait! There’s more to it! The six-cylinder in-line engine allows the new BMW M135i to move with 326 HP (240 kW) with an average fuel consumption of 8.0 litres/100 km (35.3 mpg imp) and combined CO2 emissions of 188 g/km. Additionally, the BMW M135i that benefits from an all-wheel drive system xDrive sprints from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 4.7 seconds.

The exterior couldn’t have been less imaginative than this. You know the feeling when you are expecting something, but you are hoping it won’t happen? Well, this is the situation with the “improvements” now. The styling answered our expectations… in a bad way! We have foreseen what the model would look like so there wasn’t any surprise to increase our excitement. The “meeh”-effect is just unavoidable. There are now newly designed BMW kidney grille and larger air intakes, headlights which come with LED daytime driving lights, remodeled rear lights which show the typical BMW L shape… Only this time, the L equals “Lame”.

Inside the cabin, the facelifted BMW 1-Series receives another bunch of necessary features that are rotting in desperation to shape something nice. They fail though. For example, the 6.5-inch central display and a Controller unit mounted on the center console do nothing apart from producing the same effect as Captain Jack Sparrow’s jewels – the effect of tasteless insipidity which is there but shouldn’t really be there.

Here’s one unnecessary video too. Yo-ho-ho!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8jh5dFj1Is

Source: BMW

January 16, 2015

Toyota Aygo X-Wave Open Top for Ultimate Driving Fun

Are you looking for something that will make driving your Toyota Aygo even more fun than it is now? Well, you better stop searching. Toyota is introducing a new retractable x-wave canvas roof for a classic open-top enjoyment.

Launching the x-wave as an additional option on the five-door Toyota Aygo x-pression model, the automaker really knows how to prepare its customers for the upcoming warmer days. The new factory-fitted roof is electrically operated, pressing on a switch next to the map light control in the headlining. It comes in black finish and is full length which makes sure that those who travel in the rear seats can also enjoy the same “wind-in-the-hair experience.”

With the new addition, the Aygo x-pression receives more appealing and attractive look. The compact cart also benefits from 15-inch alloy wheels, front fog lamps, projector headlights with LED daytime running lights, x-touch multimedia system with DAB and Bluetooth, as well as reversing camera and air conditioning.

What is more, the small automobile makes a not-so-small statement thanks to the gloss black accents in the bodywork and the cabin. Those elements are completed by the choice of White Flash, Electro Grey, Silver Splash, Red Pop and Deep Blue Buzz paint colors.

The x-wave roof is priced at £895 (including VAT). It can be ordered along with the x-tra convenience pack, as well as all other features available for x-pression, apart from the roof decals.

Source: Toyota

January 15, 2015

2015 MEC Design Mercedes E-Class Cerberus Arrives from Hell

MEC Design has finally revealed their new wide body kit, named Cerberus, for the Mercedes-Benz E-Class Coupe and Convertible. In Greek mythology, “cerverus” means a 3-headed dog that guards the entrance gates to the underworld. It is a symbol of death and endless darkness. Choosing such name, MEC Design has definitely succeeded in giving us a perception of something unusual and different.

Even though the 2015 MEC Design Mercedes E-Class Cerberus does not have three heads, it is fitted with four massive fenders which are part of the new body kit. The package is comprised of: a new front bumper, a front lip spoiler and wider fenders. Other components include: a new hood, sportier side skirts (optional with LED lights), a five-piece rear spoiler and a rear bumper that arrives with an integrated diffuser.

For a stronger and more aggressive appearance, the Mercedes-Benz W207 E Class vehicle has a lips black gloss finish inside as well as on the outside. It also benefits from re-tuned suspension and 20-inch alloy wheels from the meCCon series with 245 + 325 tires. In terms of the interior, there is an Alcantara-wrapped steering wheel, piano black trim and MEC-branded floor mats with Nubuck Leather edging.

Source: MEC Design

January 15, 2015

Smart Fortwo Perfect for the Urban Traffic

The economical Smart Fortwo rated at 71 HP (52 kW) is now available for ordering with a twinamic dual clutch transmission. Gear shifting, then, becomes possible to be carried out automatically or manually.

Thanks to this twinamic transmission, the changing of gears becomes smoother, easier and without any interruptions in tractive power. What is more due to the twinamic, the small Fortwo is cabaple of speeding up from 0 to 60 mph (100 km/h) in 15.1 seconds, reaching a top speed of 151 km/h. The combined fuel consumption is 4.1 litres of petrol per 100 kilometres, which equals a CO2 figure of 94 grams per kilometre.

Crafted out as a 3-shaft dual clutch manual transmission, the twinamic automatic transmission has six forward gears and one reverse gear. The clutch actuation and gear changing are automatic. Nevertheless, the choice of manual or automatic shifting is a way of offering a more convenient driving, especially in urban traffic. Taking advantage of the manual shifting becomes possible by using the selector lever in a separate gate or by the shift paddles which are part of the Sports package. Customers, as excepted, should pay additional sum for the twinamic. For instance, in the standard version it will cost 1275 euros (RRP, incl. 19% VAT); in combination with the passion, prime and proxy lines 1000 euros (RRP, incl. 19% VAT).

The first Smart Fortwo models with twinamic will be delivered in March 2015.

Source: Smart

January 15, 2015

Infiniti QX70 with a Head-turning S Design

2015 Infiniti QX70S Design Front Infiniti QX70S Design which premiered last year at the Paris Motor Show has received a new S Design in dark chrome. This is a way to reveal the dark side of the luxury crossover and to extract more powerful virtues out of it.

Unlocking bigger provocativeness, dynamism suitable for a typical sports car as well as more sophisticated stance, the new Dark chrome Infiniti is able to make people turn around and gaze with amazement. The special S Design polishes the grille, fog light surrounds, side air scoops, side sills and rear number plate surround. Moreover, the prevalent use of dark chrome gives the nicely-shaped body somewhat more serious look which adds up to the seductive nature of the car. Meanwhile, the headlights are also touched by this smoked finish which complements the overall elegance. There are also 21-inch six-spoke alloy wheels finished in black, which represent a perfect addition to the black roof rails and black mirrors.

Inside the cabin, the S Design is found on the centre console in black lacquer finish. Contrasting this darkish theme, there is a purple stitching for the seats, steering, wheel, armrest and door trims.

Power derives from V6 engines in either petrol or diesel versions. This means that the power unit of the redesigned Infiniti QX70 can produce 325 HP and 267 pound-feet of torque. As a result, the reworked crossover wis capable of accelerating from 0 to 60 mph in 5.8 seconds, thus going with a top speed of 155 mph.

The 2015 Infiniti QX70S Design is on sale now and can be bought for £49,620 for the diesel or £49,775 for the 3.7-liter petrol engine.

Source: Infiniti

January 15, 2015

Author: Katya Mikova