The new Maserati Quattroporte Sport GT S sets yet another milestone in terms of sportiness in the high performance luxury saloon segment of the automotive market. Conceived and developed as “a real driving machine in the guise of a luxury saloon”, the Quattroporte Sport GT S is the ultimate expression of Maserati’s sportiness in the Quattroporte range. (more…)
Category: Auto News
Auto news – automobile industry news. Articles about all the latest car models and concepts. Breaking news, uncovered secrets.
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New Quattroporte Sport Gt S To Make International Debut At The 2009 Naias
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GM Holden To Build Small Carline Alongside Best-Selling Commodore
GM Holden will build an all-new small car in Australia alongside the country’s best-selling Commodorerange. The second carline will start in the third quarter of 2010 with support from the Federal and South Australian Governments. (more…) -
Audi Sets Prices on the New and Upgraded A6 / S6 Lineup for MY 2009
Audi of America today released pricing for the updated 2009 model-year Audi A6 sedan, A6 Avant and S6 sedan, which are scheduled to arrive in U.S. dealerships by the beginning of January.Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price for the Audi A6 3.2 sedan Premium will start at $45,100. The Audi A6 3.0T quattro sedan Premium will start at $50,100. The Audi A6 3.0T quattro Avant Premium will start at $53,310. The Audi A6 4.2 quattro sedan will start at $60,950, and the Audi S6 will start at $75,900. Prices do not include a destination charge of $825, taxes, title or dealer charges. (more…)
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The SEAT Altea is one of the most reliable models on the market
For the second consecutive time, the SEAT Altea has been singled out by the German vehicle certification body DEKRA, which has just published a study on the most reliable models on the market in a total of seven categories. (more…) -
Spend wisely, buy a Lotus!
The latest money saving advice comes from British sportscar maker Lotus, and is very simple – buy a Lotus and save money! (more…) -
Superb Reverses Into Another First Place
The new Skoda Superb has added another award to its already impressive collection in the form of Sky Motoring’s Best Gadget honour. Skoda’s innovative Parking Assistant beat off opposition from BMW and Renault to scoop the honour in the motoring website’s annual awards. Sky Motoring’s judges praised the Superb’s Parking Assistant system for its ease of use and commented. “It sounds destined for a slot on ‘It’ll never work’, but we tested it several times and, shock horror, it actually works.” (more…)
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The new SLR Stirling Moss
Mercedes-Benz and McLaren are adding the crowning glory to the model family of their highly successful SLR super sports car with a new, uncompromisingly spectacular car. There is neither a roof nor a windscreen to separate the driver and passenger from the outside world; they enjoy unadulterated high-speed excitement with all the attributes of a speedster. The new SLR Stirling Moss is also characterised by the most sophisticated technology and a breathtaking design which reinterprets the SLR legend. (more…) -
Volvo Cars maps driver behaviour in advanced research project
About 100 Volvo V70 and XC70 cars, equipped with cameras and computers are included in a huge European field test project. (more…) -
Four Wheeler names HUMMER H3T 2009 Pickup Truck of the Year
Four Wheeler magazine, America’s oldest and most prestigious four-wheel drive enthusiast magazine, has named the 2009 HUMMER H3T the winner of its coveted Pickup Truck of the Year award. The in-depth competition has been held annually since 1989, and this year marks HUMMER’s first-ever win.
The 2009 competitors’ list included four new four-wheel-drive pickup trucks: The H3T, the Dodge Ram, the Ford F-150, and the Suzuki Equator. To qualify, each vehicle had to be entirely new, or sport substantial mechanical revisions from a previous model year, in addition to using a two-speed transfer case.
“The competition this year was fierce, with any of the four competitors capable of taking home the trophy, but in the end, it was the HUMMER H3T that emerged from the dust as our 2009 Pickup Truck of the Year,” said Four Wheeler Technical Editor, Sean P. Holman. “Not only was the Hummer highly competent and the staff favorite on the trail, it also has the added pluses of on-road comfort, distinctive looks, and a usable pickup bed. HUMMER has done its research to provide the four-wheeling enthusiast with a vehicle that has been designed around their needs from the beginning, rather than offering an off-road version of an existing product and it shows in the final product. Congratulations to HUMMER’s 2009 H3T, our Pickup Truck of the Year.”
“The new H3T is perfect for the person who has to have a pickup to tow and haul, but can’t live without above average off-highway capability,” added Senior Editor Ken Brubaker. “The H3T is the Alpha male in its segment. Nothing else comes close.”
The HUMMER won the competition’s prestigious Off Highway Performance category, and performed strongly in all other scoring categories. The week-long Pickup Truck of the Year test consisted of a 1.500 km curriculum on streets, highways, rocky trails, desert sand dunes and steep hills. Elevations ranged from sea level to over 2.000 meter, and the H3T excelled in virtually every type of driving environment.
Two powertrains are offered for the new H3T. The GM Vortec 3.7L, inline five-cylinder engine with dual overhead camshafts and variable valve timing delivers 180 kW (245 hp) at 5,600 rpm and 328 Nm of torque at 4,600 rpm. A new 5.3L V8 engine adds an extra dimension in performance and towing capability, performing 224kW (305hp) at 5,200 rpm and 432 Nm of torque at 4,000 rpm. During 2009, this V8 engine will become E85 bio-ethanol capable.
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New Mazda6 prices to start from just £14,891 on-the-road
When the expanded 26-strong line-up of 2009 new Mazda6 models goes on sale in January, prices will start at just £14,891 (OTR). Mazda is taking the opportunity presented by the arrival of its all-new MZR-CD 2.2-litre turbo diesel engine, with a choice of three power outputs, to also introduce some specification upgrades and one additional diesel model – offering both the low power (125ps) and mid power (163ps) engines in the TS hatchback. (more…) -
7-Seater Qashqai+2 Now Starts At Less Than £15,500
Qashqai+2 ownership has just become even more affordable with the introduction of two new wallet-friendly engines to the range. Nissan’s award-winning seven-seater crossover can now be specified with 1.6-litre petrol and 1.5-litre diesel power, in addition to the 2.0-litre petrol and diesel units already available.
Starting at £15,495 for the 1.6 Visia, and £16,995 for the 1.5 dCi Visia, the new models deliver the same winning combination of SUV-influenced styling, ‘command’ seating position and genuine driving enjoyment that ticks all the right boxes for families seeking great practicality and plenty of style.
Punchy performance and strong economy make them all the more cost-effective. The 103 PS 1.5-litre dCi models, complete with diesel particulate filter and six-speed manual transmission, are capable of an attractive 49.6 mpg combined, while 149 g/km CO2 means annual VED of just £120 – not bad for a car capable of transporting seven and clocking a 0 to 62mph time of 13.3 seconds while delivering driving flexibility in spades, thanks to 240 Nm of torque at 2000 rpm.
Those who prefer petrol power can instead opt for the feisty 115 PS 1.6-litre unit with five-speed manual which sees 62 mph coming up in a crisp 12.9 seconds and a top speed of 108 mph. It still achieves 40.4 mpg combined and 165 g/km CO2 places it in tax band D for annual VED of £145.
The top notch equipment levels of these latest Qashqai+2s are virtually identical to 2.0-litre models. In Visia spec that means a huge fixed panoramic glass roof complete with powered sunshade, privacy glass and roof bars plus power windows, air conditioning, drive computer, Bluetooth hands-free, four-speaker CD audio system, six airbags and front seat active headrests. 16 inch alloys are fitted in place of the 17 inch items of 2.0-litre Qashqai+2s.
Acenta models gain 17 inch alloys, a leather trimmed steering wheel and manual gear knob, a centre rear armrest and a choice of interior trim colours. The audio system is upgraded to an in-dash six-disc autochanger, six speakers and steering wheel controls and the air con becomes dual zone and climate controlled. Automatic wipers and headlamps, cruise control and rear parking sensors complete the package.
Top of the range Tekna gives you the luxury of heated, leather seats with contrasting stitching, the convenience of the Intelligent Key, and the added safety of xenon headlamps and an auto-dimming interior mirror. ESP is an option on all 1.5 and 1.6 models.
And of course Qashqai+2 – named MPV of the Year in the Scottish Car of the Year Awards 2008 – is all about family-friendly practicality. The ingenious third row seats are ideal for children or occasional use by adults and, when completely folded flat, open up 550 litres of luggage space.
The car’s extra length over the standard Qashqai means second row passengers enjoy increased knee room, while the centre ‘20’ portion of the backrest can be folded forward to act as a large multi-function armrest, complete with two cupholders, a lidded storage box and a power outlet.
QASHQAI+2
1.6 petrol 1.5dCi Visia £15,495.00 £16,995.00 Acenta £16,995.00 £18,495.00 Tekna £18,120.00 £19,620.00 
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Suzuki Splash To Make Greener Impact
Suzuki is introducing a new entry-level variant of the Splash GLS mini-MPV model which was launched earlier this year, as motorists increasingly face pressure to downsize and shift to models which offer low CO2 emissions and high fuel economy. The Splash GLS will feature a 68 bhp 1.0-litre three-cylinder petrol engine producing 120 g/km of CO2, which makes it the third model in the Suzuki range to benefit from emissions of below 121 g/km, and annual road tax of only £35 as of April, 2009. (more…)
