Lidia Todorova – Page 215 – Automobiles Review

Suzuki Introduces The Eco Karimun Wagon R In Indonesia

The production of Suzuki Karimun Wagon R started and the news was announced at the Jakarta Motor Show. The passenger car is a 1000cm3 five seater which aims to suit the Indonesian government’s Low Cost Green Car (LCGC) policy, which means that it offers low fuel consumption.

In order to meet the growing vehicle market in Indonesia, Suzuki is already making investments to enhance the internal production rate at the Tambun Plant. Furthermore, the internal production rate of the engine and transmission plant will be largely enhanced by partially moving the engine production of the Cakung Plant.

The new plant is scheduled to open and start operation in February 2014 and eventually will become a complete production structure in November. Suzuki Karimun Wagon R is planned to be produced there. With the launch of this vehicle the brand aims to enhance of production ability in Indonesia, and in addition will work on efficient production and sales increase.

As a result, thanks to the new engine and transmission plant and the new assembly plant in operation, the production ability in Indonesia aims to be 250 000 units in 2015.

Source: Suzuki

September 20, 2013

Daihatsu Exhibits Eight Concept Cars At The Indonesia Motor Show

Daihatsu is currently exhibiting at the Indonesia International Motor eight concept vehicles that will make their world premiere. In addition, the brand will also present new AYLA Technology. This year, Daihatsu is exhibiting under the slogan: “Daihatsu is our best friend”. The goal of the brand is to capture the attention of the audience by demonstrating the craft of making fuel-efficient and affordable cars.

The first concept car is the Daihatsu UFC 2, which is an evolved version of UFC that was designed primarily by ADM. The car embodies convenience and has a compact body that makes it easy to drive. At the same time, the UFC 2 has a large enough interior to seat seven people.

Next, the Daihatsu CUV Concept is a dream-inspiring Cross-over Utility Vehicle, which however has an extremely sporty exterior. The CUV has a split rear door that opens upward and downward. In addition, there can be created more space via the rearrangement of the rear seats.

The third concept is the D-R Estate, which is also an evolved version of D-R. The car offers both joy of driving and fuel efficiency, as it is outfitted with a high-quality material interior, while equipped with a 660 cc engine.

Going further, is the AYLA World which addresses the future possibilities of AYLA through the three concepts, namely the AYLA GT, AYLA X-track and AYLA Luxury. In addition, NC-Y and NC-Z are concept cars that were developed in two ways in pursuit of an even more compact form than the AYLA. In fact, AYLA is a model which has inherits fuel efficiency and affordability, while the NC-Y adds a sense of practicality and the NC-Z – one of dynamism.

Source: Daihatsu

September 20, 2013

Honda Unveils Mobilio Prototype At Indonesia International Motor Show

In July Honda has teased it future project on a new MPV vehicle, which now has been revealed at the 21st Indonesia International Motor Show held in Jakarta. The car is a prototype and carries the name Honda Mobilio – a multi-purpose vehicle developed exclusively for Asian markets.

As the Datsun model, the Mobilio will be Honda’s first vehicle in the lower priced MPV category. The MPV offers spacious interior with three row seat configuration for seven people. However, it has compact-size and a ground clearance as high as 185 mm.

What is more, this Honda model is equipped with a 1.5L i-VTEC™ 4-cylinder gasoline engine, which will deliver to its customers both great driving performance and fuel economy. The production of the vehicle will be held in the second plant of HPM and will begin with the start of the new year.

The other car, which was presented at the Show is Honda Brio Satya. It is equipped with a 1.2L i-VTEC gasoline engine and delivers more than 20 km/L low fuel economy. The model will be also produced locally at the Karawang plant of HPM.

Source: Honda

September 19, 2013

TEASER: Ford Special Service Police Sedan Hero

Ford has just released a teaser image of a non-pursuit-rated special service police sedan. The vehicle will be equipped the 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine which will generate 240 horsepower (176 kW) and 366 Nm (270 lb.-ft.) of torque. The aim is that this special service police vehicle will combine the durability of Ford’s Police Interceptor sedan with the fuel efficiency of its 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine.

As a matter of fact, the engine will help make this special service police sedan the first law enforcement vehicle to achieve 30 mpg in EPA highway ratings. The car is a modified 2.0-liter Ford Taurus which achieves 22 mpg city, 32 mpg highway and 26 mpg combined when coupled to a six-speed automatic transmission.

To be more precise, the new 2.0-liter EcoBoost special service police sedan is expected to return 20 mpg city, 30 mpg highway and 23 mpg combined. And even more, the same engine in Ford Taurus has been awarded at first place at Ward’s 10 Best Engines Competition.

However, the Police Interceptor sedan will be still offered with a 3.5-liter V6 with front-wheel drive, a 3.7-liter V6 with all-wheel drive and the powerhouse 3.5-liter V6 EcoBoost engine with all-wheel drive.

Despite the fuel economy differences, the new special service police sedan retains safety and durability features, and will offer Active Grille Shutters that manage airflow to optimize the balance between engine cooling and aerodynamics.

Source: Ford

September 19, 2013

KW Automotive BMW 3-Series GT With Sportier Characteristics

The new BMW 3-Series Gran Turismo (GT) is higher, longer and wider when compared with the famous 3-Series station wagon. For this GT model, the tuners at KW Automotive have developed coilovers made of stainless steel.

There is a choice of adaptive KW DDC “Plug & Play” coilovers with electronic damper control KW coilovers Variant 1, Variant 2 and Variant 3. These four kits allow a continuous lowering of 30 to 55 mm at the front axle and 15 to 40 mm on the drive axle via the rear-axle height adjustment. In addition, the KW coilovers can be individually adjusted.

The KW coilover kit Variant 1 has fixed damping characteristics with a sporty and harmonic setup, while the BMW driver can adjust the rebound damper settings with his Variant 2. With the KW coilover kit Variant 3 has special adjustment technology, which regulates the compression damping separately with twelve clicks to influence potential rolling motion of the F34 body.

The overall length of the new BMW 3-Series GT is 4,824 m, which makes it even longer than the 3-series Long version (4,734 m). The adaptive KW DDC “Plug & Play” coilovers are compatible with the BMW electronics, and only for those BMW models which are equipped with optional adaptive series suspension. With only a BMW button in the center console, drivers can still choose between the BMW driving dampening modes.

Source: KW Automotive

September 19, 2013

2014 Datsun Go+ Unveiled

Datsun was brought to live in the beginning of July with the 2014 Go model. Now the brand is expanding its global footprint with the reveal of the 2014 Datsun Go+. This world premiere represents Datsun’s model line-up debut in Indonesia.

The new model is a 5+2 MPV which was created to be suitable for families. It has modern image with sleek and dynamic silhouette and strong shoulder line. The Go+ has compact dimensions with an overall length of 3,995 mm, width of 1,635 mm and a height of 1,485 mm. Its wheelbase is 2,450 mm, the key to its spacious interior.

The car is five-door and three-row MPV with smart front-seating configuration. In addition, there are also available extra two seats in the back or an additional cargo space.

Furthermore, the vehicle is equipped with 1.2L engine coupled with a five-speed manual transmission. The latter was refined for fuel efficiency and good acceleration, while at the same time delivers perfect agility.

With launch of Datsun Go and Go+ on the Indonesian market, the brand aims to account for up to 50% of the total Nissan Motor sales in 2016 in Indonesia. Both cars will be priced below 100 Million Indonesian rupia, which is circa $ 8864 USD.

Both 2014 Datsun GO and Datsun GO+ models will be locally produced at the Nissan Motor plant in Purwakarta, and will go on sale during next year.

Source: Datsun

September 19, 2013

Riley Technologies Dodge Viper GT3-R Continues Preparation For 2014

When the United SportsCar Racing (USCR) season opens in January, Riley Technologies and racer Ben Keating will debut the Dodge Viper GT3-R. The vehicle was built as the first mass-produced GT3-based car designed and manufactured by Chrysler Group’s Street and Racing Technology (SRT).
The first one to purchase the SRT Viper GT3-R was Keating and he also wishes to compete full-time in the USCR’s GT Daytona Class in 2014. He will manage a team next to the vice-president of Riley Technologies – Bill Riley. The racing car will carry the number 33.

In fact, the last Viper GT3 car was officially unveiled in 2005 and went on to win two GT3 championships and a World Challenge GT title. Back then the car was based on the GTS-R program, which dates back to 1996.
Currently the team prepares for the first official USCR test in November, while the first time that a car will be put on track will be in October. A public debut of the car is expected at the USCR official test in November.

Riley Technologies is looking forward to building several Viper GT3-Rs over the next several months.

Source: Dodge

September 18, 2013

Pricing Announced For 2014 Acura TSX Model Range

2014 Acura TSX will be offered in three trim grades: Sedan, Sport Wagon and Special Edition. The vehicles will deliver comfortable space for five passengers and compact exterior dimensions.

The first model in the line-up is the four-cylinder TSX Sedan which will be equipped with Sequential SportShift 5-speed automatic transmission. As an option this Acura model is offered with Technology Package which adds a range of desirable features.

Next, the TSX Special Edition Sedan will be available with either a six-speed manual transmission or a Sequential SportShift five-speed automatic transmission. It is equipped with ebony interior with red stitching, red instrument illumination and other upgrades. At last, the TSX Sport Wagon hides under its hood 4-cylinder engine coupled with a Sequential SportShift automatic transmission. A Technology Package is available for both trim grades as well.

To go even further into details, the new TSX model has bold lines and a wide, powerful stance. The features included here as a standard are Xenon High Intensity Discharge (HID) headlights and a glass moonroof.

The TSX Sedan and Sport Wagon run on standard 17-inch, 5-spoke aluminum wheels, when equipped with 2.4 liter 4-cilinder engine. At the same time when the Sedan is powered by the 3.5-liter V-6 engine, it will run on split 5-spoke, 18-inch aluminum wheels.

Inside, the TSX offers comfortability and style. The standard leather seating is highlighted by contrasting-color stitching. As a standard here come the 8-way power driver’s seat with adjustable lumbar support and a passenger seat with 4-way power.

Furthermore, the aforementioned Technology Package includes an LED backlit full VGA navigation screen, rearview camera, Song By Voice (SBV) user interface, and Acura/ELS Surround Premium 10-speaker Sound System.

More importantly, 2014 TSX Sedan model range is offered with two engine choices: the 201 horsepower (148 kW) 2.4-liter inline 4-cylinder engine and the 280 horsepower (206 kW) 3.5-liter V-65.

Both engines are matched with a Sequential SportShift five-speed automatic transmission with steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters. Only the 4-cylinder TSX Special Edition Sedan can be optionally equipped with six-speed close-ratio manual transmission as a no-cost option.

At last, the standard safety equipment for all grades feature: Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) with traction control, ABS, dual-stage/multiple-threshold front airbags, front-side airbags, side curtain airbags for all outboard seating positions, front seatbelts with automatic tensioning system and load limiters, Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS), and Daytime Running Lights (DRL).

2014 Acura TSX Pricing:

TRIM	MSRP	EPA Fuel Economy Rating (city/highway/combined)
TSX	$30,635	22/31/26
TSX Special Edition	$31,635	22/31/26
TSX Special Edition with 6-Speed Manual	$31,635	21/29/24
TSX with Technology Package	$33,735	22/31/26
TSX V-6 with Technology Package	$39,275	19/28/23
TSX Sport Wagon	$31,985	22/30/25
TSX Sport Wagon with Technology Package	$35,635	22/30/25

Source: Acura

September 18, 2013

Hamann Transforms BMW M6 Into Mirror GC

Hamann BMW M6 Gran Coupe Mirror GC has been shown for the first time at Frankfurt Motor Show. Typical for the four-door car is the widebody, which has been further enhanced by four part tailor-made suit comprising from front bumper spoiler with large air intakes, new front wings, side skirts, wing extensions at the rear, rear spoiler and three-part centre rear panel and rear wing.

What is more, the tuners at Hamann have given the bonnet a complete treatment made from black carbon fibre. There has beena also added new rear spoiler for additional downforce at high speeds. The result is that the widebody is with 40 mm wider than before.

This transformed BMW runs on new light-alloy wheels in sizes 9×21 inches at the front and 11×21 inches on the rear axle. They are matched with ultra-high performance Vredestein Ultrac Vorti R tyres from their in the sizes of 265/30 and 305/25.

In addition, the sports exhaust system delivers combination of great appearance and performance. The exhaust muffler with the four black anodized tail pipes has reduced back pressure which delivers sophisticated dissipation of the exhaust gases in all engine speed ranges. The interior of the Mirror GC has also been upgraded. There are present pedals made of

aluminium along with footrests, as well as the floormat set with the company emblem.

Source: Hamann

September 18, 2013

2014 Kia Sportage Facelift Gets New Engine And Redesigned Grille

2014 Kia Sportage Facelift will include a wide range of design enhancements as well as a host of comfort and convenience features. The car is based on the platform of Sportage and now will offer to its customers enhanced efficiency via the new 2.4L GDI I4 (LX and EX) unit and the updated 2.0L Turbo GDI (SX) powertrain.

The model will be offered in three trim levels LX, EX and SX. This Kia model includes a high beltline, sweeping angles and pronounced wheel flares, which express an untamable road presence and aggressive stance.

The available HID headlamps and LED tail lights are connected via a spearing shoulder line throughout the length of the car. Together with its lowered body, this line creates a sense of precision. At the same time, the pronounced C-pillar forms a feeling of an air of solidity and balance. What is new here is the updated grille and new fog lamps on the EX trim, which follow the new Kia design language.

In terms of comfort, across all trim grades there has been added a telescopic steering column. In addition, all trims include standard rear ventilation and reclining outboard seats. The EX trim adds as a standard heated front seats, Infinity Premium Audio, auto-dimming mirror with Homelink and heated outside mirrors.

There is also available a Premium package which comprises of ventilated front seats, navigation with SiriusXM TrafficTM, leather-trimmed seats, panoramic sunroof, smart key with push button start, and power-folding outside mirrors.

Moreover, standard on the EX and SX models and available as a package on LX, is the in-car connectivity with UVO eServices. This system features a new telematics suite which delivers in-vehicle connectivity including diagnostics capabilities.

UVO is an abbreviation and stands for “Your Voice”. To be more precise, through Advanced Voice Recognition technology, it allows the occupants to control music and mobile phone operations only with voice commands. If the 2014 Kia Sportage is equipped with UVO eServices, then it will also include a Rear Camera Display with a Back-Up Warning System and auto headlamp system.

Source: Kia

September 17, 2013

2014 Nissan Quest Goes On Sale

2014 Nissan Quest is currently going on sale around the United States. The surprise here is that his price tag remains unchanged from the one of the MY2013. The minivan will offer its customers a wide range of standard features as well as versatile optional equipment.

Quest‘s bold styling includes a full surround glass which provides an airy, open interior environment. The doors here are sliding and open only with one-touch. In addition, the interior features quick-release fold-flat 2nd and 3rd row seats, Advanced Climate Control System and always-available rear storage well.

For the 2014 model range two new exterior colors are added: Titanium and Gun Metallic. Other key features of the Nissan Quest minivan include standard Nissan Intelligent Key with Push Button Ignition and optional one-touch power-sliding doors, which unlock and open the side door with the simple touch of a button; quick-release fold-flat 2nd and 3rd row seats; and the optional Advanced Climate Control System (ACCS). As standard there is also included Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) with Easy Fill Tire Alert.

2014 Quest models are equipped with a standard VQ-series 3.5-liter DOHC V6 engine. The unit generates 260 horsepower (191 kW) and 372 Nm (240 lb-ft) of torque, and it is coupled with Xtronic CVT® transmission that provides a smooth driving experience.

The fuel economy here is rated at 19 mpg city and 25 mpg highway. In addition, the new Quest also includes 4-wheel independent suspension, 4-wheel disc brakes and vehicle-speed-sensitive power steering. This Nissan model will be offered in four trim grades: S, SV, SL and LE.

2014 Nissan Quest Pricing:

Quest 3.5 S	$25,990 USD
Quest 3.5 SV	$29,740 USD
Quest 3.5 SL	$33,520 USD
Quest 3.5 LE	$42,640 USD

Source: Nissan

September 17, 2013

Kahn Teases Range Rover Vogue RS600

A. Kahn Design is famous for its exhilarating blend of bespoke design and fashionable accessories. The British tuning company has teased a transformed Range Rover Vogue, which will be added to the long list of fashion statements.

Kahn Range Rover Vogue RS600 is scheduled to make its official premiere in late 2013, nonetheless the brand has released several teaser sketches of it. The RS600 package will comprise of an exceptional 16 piece wide wheel arch kit, rear spoiler and deep chin spoiler, created using state-of-the-art high quality composites.

To be more precise, the wide arch wheel package features front and rear vents, plus sump guard detailing. The latter has elegant and at the same time muscular design. Furthermore, an imposing front grille which is made of the highest quality injection moulded ABS ad has four paintable areas.

Of course, the Range Rover will run on special wheels: Kahn RS600, which have simple and clean lines, and soft organic surfaces on the edge of the spoke and a purposeful mechanical centre. At last, A. Kahn Design has also disclosed that a second edition of this vehicle with the name Black Label Edition will be released in 2014.

Source: A. Kahn Design

September 17, 2013

Author: Lidia Todorova