Automobiles Review – Page 920 – Car News, Car Reviews, Auto Shows, Car Photos, Car Videos

2013 MINI Countryman John Cooper Works

MINI has introduced the new 2013 Countryman John Cooper Works, which will make its official debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March. This is the most powerful member of the new generation.

The Countryman JCW has a 1.6 liter four-cylinder turbocharged petrol with 218PS (160 kW) at 6000RPM and 280Nm (207 lb-ft) of torque at 2000RPM, and 300Nm in overboost mode. The engine sends all that power to 6-speed manual gearbox an ALL4 AWD system to the road. There is an option for 6-speed automatic transmission. The Countryman is heavy, but fast – 0-100 km/h in 7.0 seconds flat and a top speed of 255 km/h (140 mph). Furthermore, it needs 7.2 l / 100km on combined cycle (39.2 mpg UK) with 167 g/km CO2. The automatic version is more thirsty – 8.0 l/ 100km with 187 g/km CO2.

The exterior comes with complete aerodynamics package including front and rear bumpers and a pair of side skirts. Of course, there are also some JCW badges. The ride is lowered by installing a sports suspension and sits 18” alloy wheels fitted with low-profile tires (19” light-alloy wheels are available as an option). There is also a high performance brake system and a sports exhaust system bringing deeper and sporty sound.

The interior boasts sports leather seats, a sports multifunction steering wheel and piano black or Chili Red trim. The instrument cluster is revised and there are John Cooper Works door sills.

The price list is not announced, yet.

Source: MINI

February 29, 2012

2012 Lexus GS Range – Pricing

Lexus brand is going to launch its all-new Lexus GS Range which includes greater specifications and exceptional value. The all new models of 2012 Lexus GS 250 and 2012 Lexus GS 350 are set to arrive at dealerships in April this year. More importantly they will feature sharp pricing of their three variants, starting from $77 900 for the GS 250 Luxury model. This means that there is around 20 percent improvement in the price. In addition, for this exclusive price, Lexus customers are going to enjoy new exceptional equipment, coming as a standard. There are included innovative features such as: Blind Spot Monitor, Tyre Pressure Monitoring, 8-sensor parking and clearance sonar, reverse camera, and Bi-Xenon HID headlamps with AFS. Further standard features include next generation Lexus Remote Touch (LRT), available metallic self-healing paint, Drive Mode Select, Rain sensing wipers, DAB+ Digital Radio, satellite navigation with live traffic alerts, four door smart entry with card key, advanced Bluetooth^TM with audio streaming and Lexus VDIM vehicle stability system.

To be more precise the new 2012 Lexus GS 250 range includes two new variants – Luxury and F Sport. They are expected to successfully join the existing Sports Luxury in the line-up. All three models are powered by an efficient, all-alloy, quad-cam V6 that develops 210 hp (154kW) of power. On the other hand, the new 2012 Lexus GS 350 models will mirror that of the GS 250 line-up and feature a best-in- class 317 hp (233kW), 3.5L petrol, all-alloy, quad cam V6. The starting price for the GS 350 is $89 900.

The efficient yet potent 2012 Lexus GS 450h hybrid model, delivers 345 hp (254kW) of power. The model will be available from June this year with a recommended retail price of $99 900. It will enter the market with a decrease in price of $20 000 (compared to the superseded model), but yet offering greater space, comfort, safety and specification. In details, the hybrid vehicle consumes just 6.3 litres of fuel per 100km. In addition, GS 450h will also be offered in three versions: Luxury, F Sport and Sport Luxury.

Additionally, to the standard specifications, come also 17-inch alloy wheels; 6-speed automatic transmission with paddle shift; ECO/NORMAL and SPORT driving modes; cruise control; leather accented interior; front fog lamps; LED Daytime Running Lights; dual-zone climate control; ventilated and heated front seats; 10-way electric seats with 3-position drivers memory and self dimming and heated exterior mirrors. The new GS 250, 350 and 450h F Sport models come equipped with sports suspension; sports pedals; Adaptive Variable Suspension (AVS); additional SPORT + drive mode; unique interior trim with 16-way driver’s sport bucket seats; unique sport body kit and grille and unique 19-inch alloy wheels. Furthermore, the GS 350 and 450h F Sport versions, include the Lexus Dynamic Handling System (LDH) with Dynamic Rear Steering (DRS); Advanced Pre-Collision safety System with Active Cruise Control; Variable Gear Ratio Steering (VGRS); larger front two-piece rotor brake package; VDIM Step 5 incorporating DRS and Head Up Display (HUD). At last, the Sport Luxury vehicles are also equipped with 12.3 inch multimedia system; Driver Fatigue Monitor with eye detection; Advanced Pre Collision safety System with Active Cruise Control; 20-way adjustable front seats; Head Up Display (HUD); 17 speaker Mark Levinson audio; Tri-zone climate control with rear controls and Nanoe technology; Automatic High Beam (AHB); semi-aniline leather accents; genuine wood grain trim and side and electric rear window sunshades.

All-new GS range pricing

Variant	Model	RRP*
GS 250	Luxury	$77,900
	F Sport	$85,900
	Sport Luxury	$99,900
GS 350	Luxury	$89,900
	F Sport	$99,900
	Sport Luxury	$109,900
GS 450h	Luxury	$99,900
	F Sport	$111,900
	Sport Luxury	$121,900

Source: Lexus

February 29, 2012

2013 Cadillac XTS Lighting – Luxury and Inspiration

The all-new 2013 Cadillac XTS luxury sedan boasts more than 20 separate light sources that “greet” the driver in a carefully choreographed sequence when the key fob is pressed. It includes embedded in the door handles, Cadillac-signature vertical LEDs in the headlights and taillights and ambient lighting in and around. The lighting provides convenience and helps provide additional security to drivers in parking lots at night. The interior also boasts cooler blue lights for the car’s controls and instrumentation, while warmer lights highlight passenger areas.

“The new LED offerings now provide a new palette of color to bring more dramatic lighting effects that have never been available before. We sketched each phase of the process to carefully choreograph how every important area inside and outside of the vehicle would come up and fade back down, similar to a production crew lighting a theater stage.” said Christos Roustemis, Cadillac interior designer.

“In cars, just as in architecture, lighting defines how we feel about a space. It is both artistry and user experience. For me, the beauty is in the blends, how you layer the affects, mix the light sources, and how you package it into the final product.” said Rosemarie Allaire, a California-based architectural lighting designer.

The 2013 XTS lighting choreography is timed to the fraction of a second by the car’s central control system. It is cued by various triggers, such as the key fob, the doors and ignition switch.

2013 Cadillac XTS Lighting

Source: GM

February 29, 2012

2012 Volkswagen Golf GTI Cabriolet

2012 Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet will be presented at the Geneva Motor Show, next week. It features four-seats, electrically powered fabric roof, performance and practicality.

The Golf GTI Cabriolet features all performance GTI design cues including radiator grille has a honeycomb structure with red edging and the GTI badge, a new front bumper incorporating incorporates a deep honeycomb air dam and distinctive vertical fog lights. There are also side sill extensions, a bespoke rear diffuser with a chrome tailpipe on either side. Last, but not least, the smoked LED tail lights complete the aggressive look. The ride is lowered and sits on 17” Monza alloy wheels.

The interior boats classic tartan Jacara cloth upholstery, while the Vienna leather is optional. There is a bespoke GTI multifunction steering wheel wrapped in leather as well as the handbrake and gear lever gaiter, all finished with contrasting red stitching. The pedals are in brushed aluminum and the doors and facia have black Edge decorative inlays.

The new GTI Cabrio is powered by the same 2.0 litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine found in the GTI hatchback. It is mated to a 6-speed manual as standard and there is an option for 6-speed dual-clutch DSG gearbox. The engine produces 210PS (154 kW) at 5300RPM and 280Nm (207 lb-ft) at 1700RPM. 0-100 km/h in 7.3 seconds and a top speed of 237 km/h (147 mph).

A standard EDS electronic differential lock and XDS transverse differential lock help to ensure that the power is easily transferred to the road and the driver has maximum traction at every conditions.

Like all Golf Cabriolet models, the GTI comes with automatically deploying rollover protection, front and side head/thorax airbags and a driver’s knee airbag as standard, all of which helped it to achieve a five-star (96%) rating for adult occupancy in Euro NCAP crash tests.

2012 Golf GTI Cabriolet will hit the UK market in the second half of the year.

Source: Volkswagen

February 29, 2012

Kia with an All-new K9 Flagship Sedan in Korea

Kia promised a flagship sedan and they gave a flagship sedan… to Korea. These are the first images of the K9, which is set to go on sale some time this year. And yes, it will be actually called the K9 in Korea while the naming of the batch of cars that are going to go on sale overseas is yet to be done. Euorope won’t get any of that action though.

The K9 will be the first ever RWD Kia sedan and is said to be the ultimate in 2012 design, performance and technology. At the domestic market, the “K” range consists of K5 (widely known as the Optima) and K7 (Cadenza – not seen in Europe again).

One would be surprised for how many thing can the “K” in the range stand for – Kia, obviously, but also Korea and Kratos, apparently – it means dominion, rule and power (from Greek). Some also call it the “Kinetic” which is rather self explanatory.

So then, many names to live up to. Hopefully, the K9 holds something more than a mere “high-tech luxury sedan image”. So far we know that it has a “tiger-nose-radiator grille” and LED headlights at the front, simple lines throughout the body and LED again formations at the back, complemented by some chrome and some mufflers embedded in the rear bumper.

Source: Kia

February 29, 2012

2012 Jaguar XF Sportbrake

Jaguar has unveiled the new 2012 XF Sportbrake, which will have its official debut at the Geneva Motor Show in several days. The manufacturer claims that the XF Sportbrake will be the most versatile Jaguar ever created.

The model has the same chassis like the XF saloon, but the overall length grows by just 5mm. Still, the weight is 70kg less, so the Sportbrake can closely match the acclaimed handling of the XF saloon yet offers a large and highly practical load space.

The exterior is entirely new meaning that every panel on the XF Sportbrake, from the B-Pillar rearwards is newly developed. Furthermore, the car’s C-Pillar is finished in gloss black, a trait shared with the XJ saloon. Slim rear light units extend into a strong chrome crossmember that dominates the rear of the car. The result is a car that blends style and function with the rear seat occupants benefitting from 48mm of extra rear headroom. The large, practical tailgate can be specified with power struts, opening to reveal a wide and highly versatile load space. Measuring 550 litres with the rear seats up, the boot is framed by a set of useful cubby compartments. With the seats folded, the total volume grows to whopping 1 675-litres.

The standard equipment includes a lot of practical touches like remote fold levers mounted within the boot to lower the rear seats, powerful LEDs and splitting boot floor into three sections.

Beneath the car there are extensive changes to the rear suspension. Self-levelling air suspension aids driving dynamics and means the Sportbrake can serve as an accomplished tow vehicle.

The 2012 XF Sportbrake is powered by the award-winning 2.2 litre four-cylinder diesel and a 3.0 litre six-cylinder diesel. Both send their power to the rear wheels via an advanced 8-speed automatic gearbox.

Price list and full specs will be announced soon. 2012 Jaguar XF Sportbrake is set to launch in the third quarter of this year.

Source: Jaguar

February 29, 2012

2012 BMW M550d xDrive [new pics]

BMW has released 98 new high resolution pictures of the 2012 M550d xDrive Saloon. The M-performance vehicle is expected to hit the European market in May. It is powered by the new updated tri-turbocharged diesel with staggering 127PS per liter.

The new N57D30 features three turbocharges, high pressure piezo injectors and a lot of aluminum elements. The result is 381PS (280 kW) and 740Nm (546 lb-ft) of torque. 0-100 km/h in 4.7 seconds and a Vmax of 250 km/h (155 mph). The fuel economy is 6.3 l/100km with 165 g/km of CO2. The power is put on the road through a ZF 8-speed automatic gearbox and the world’s most intelligent AWD system – BMW xDrive.

The 2012 F10 M550d xDrive is priced from €80 800.

You can check the HD pictures in the gallery. Almost all details of the vehicle are revealed including different gauge illumination, engine bay images, different angel eye lighting and some nice interior images.

Source: BMW

February 28, 2012

DMC Lamborghini Aventador Molto Veloce

DMC Design has announced their tuning package for the “space ship” – Aventador. The project name is Molto Veloce, which from italian is “very fast” and sure it is.

Lamborghini Aventador LP700-4 is powered by a 6.5 liter V12 with 700PS (515 kW) at 8250 RPM and 690Nm (509 lb-ft) at 5500RPM. It is mated to a 7-speed ISR gearbox specially supplied by Graziano Trasmissioni Group. Combined fuel consumption – 17.2 l/100 km (13.5 mpg). 0-100 km/h in 2.9 seconds and a top speed of 350 km/h (217 mph).

The DMC Aventador received a new front spoiler and a pair of modified side skirts. The body kit also includes a new rear diffuser and a nice wing replacing the original. The exterior also got a new stripe in the middle of the front, top and rear.

Still, there is no information about performance packages, but who need them, when the Aventador is already one of the fastest street legal vehicles in the world.

Source: DMC Design

February 28, 2012

Bertone Nuccio Concept

Bertone has released several pictures of their latest concept vehicle, which will be exhibited at the the Geneva Motor Show, next month. The project name is Nuccio and it reminds a lot to sports vehicles from the 1980’s like Lotuses, Lamborghini, etc.

The Nuccio vehicle is created to celebrate company’s founder and also to show the brand’s identity for the future, showing their new design language.

Nuccio Concept will be a mid-engine, RWD sports car with sharp design. More images and information about this interesting vehicle will be released in Geneva.

Source: Bertone

February 28, 2012

All-New Ford Fiesta PowerShift Automatic in India

Ford are going to delight the Indian market with a Fiesta that has a state of the art PowerShift automatic gearbox – a dual clutch system that helps with frugality and bets on efficiency and reliability. Ford are in fact so proud of it that they have placed a ‘seal-for-life‘ on it, rendering maintenance unnecessary… or impossible. Anyway. Ford argue that one does not need to change the fluids inside for 10 years or 240 000 km. A 2 year/100 000 km warranty is also provided.

The box can be found in two Fiesta trims – Style and Titanium+. The former will be generously equipped with enough technology such as auto AC, a leather steering wheel and some fog lights. The Titanium+ gets all of that plus leather seats, alloy wheels, park assist and electronically folding wing mirrors.

Power will come from an India special 1.5 L Ti-VCT engine unit that is fully compliant with the country’s emission standards. Working together with the lightweight (no torque-converters and oil sumps inside) PowerShift box, that engine will return around 38 mpg – A class leading fuel economy (the Fiesta in India is a sedan).

Other pearls of the Fiesta include the driver aids and safety features. It’s got Cruise Control, Hill-Assist and Grade-Assist (auto descent from a hill on a constant, comfortable speed), ABS, dual airbags and a thing called Creep Function. That sounds a bit disturbing but actually what it is, is a system that allows the car to move slowly without much effort from the driver when in traffic jam.

The car is sound, soundproof, rigid, compact yet spacious, technologically advanced and now, with the addition of the PowerShift automatic, it is also very easy to live with. Ideal for everyday life in India? Why not?

Source: Ford

February 28, 2012

Volvo V40 Premiere at 2012 Geneva Motor Show

Good news from Vovlo – the Swedish company that brings us everyday road safety and stability. At the 2012 Geneva Motor Show a new model will be revealed. Called the V40, it will be targeting a niche that goes under the category of “Premium hatchback”. What that basically means is that the V40 is expected to pock some big boy heat underneath a practical and sensible body.

When it comes to engine choice, one can go subtle and sensible. I am talking about Volvo’s first sub-100g/km CO2 diesel engine. Alternatively a turbocharged T5 unit will offer top of the range performance in terms of speed – 254hp good for a sprint from 0 to 60mph in a time of 6.7 seconds. Or anything in between will do just as fine No matter what engine and transmission, the cars will always carry a stop/start module and a brake energy recharging system.

Being Swedish, the V40 can’t roll out of the factory without ticking some safety technology features. The car is constantly aware of pedestrians and will automatically stop if it has to. The second line of pedestrian safety is the pedestrian airbag. A Lane Keeping Aid will keep you from veering in other people’s way while a City Safety low-speed collision detector will prevent bumps and crashes actually that occur within the 31mph range.

“The all-new V40 is the most intelligent and safe Volvo model so far. All its features are designed around the driver, helping him or her stay alert and well informed to avoid collisions and dangerous situations,” says Håkan Abrahamsson, Vehicle Line Director C Cars & V40 Vehicle Programme Manager. He adds: “With this class-leading safety package, including enhanced focus on pedestrian protection, the all-new V40 aims for a full star rating in the new, sharpened 2012 Euro NCAP safety tests.”

The company hopes to sell 90,000 V40 vehicles per year with as much as 85% of them going to the European markets. The debut is set for the Geneva Motor Show next week while sales are expected to start in May.

Source: Volvo

February 28, 2012

2012 Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid with the lowest CO2 emissions on the market

Toyota has just announced the exclusive news about the official EU CO2 emissions and economy figures for the new 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid and they are exceptional. The vehicle emits 49g/km of CO2 on the combined cycle and travel 134.5 miles on one gallon of petrol. These numbers makes it the most efficient Toyota on the market. The engineers in addition have improved the car’s EV driving range to 15.5 miles. This is an improvement of 24% versus the customer trial vehicle. Another thing which makes it unique is that it takes only 90 minutes to recharge the car, using a conventional plug. When the EV battery is depleted, the 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid automatically switches into HV mode. In this mode, the vehicle delivers CO2 emissions of 85 g/km and economy of 76.4mpg. This is an improvement on the emissions and fuel economy of the standard Prius. This leading performance helps to deliver a total driving range of 769 miles. The car continues to offer the same interior space as the standard Prius, with seating for five and 443 litres of bootspace. 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid will be launched in the summer of 2012.

Source: Toyota

February 28, 2012

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