Auto & Car Blog

Filed under: Euro, Paris Motor Show, Crossovers/CUVs, Ford, Special/Limited Editions

Click above for high-res gallery of the Ford Kuga Individual

When we put the production Ford Kuga next to its progenitor, the Iosis X show car, on our test drive in Belgium, we couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed. The Kuga is a fine looking cute-ute, but lacks the aggressive styling that made the Iosis X such a show stopper. Ford promised to close the gap a little with the Individual version of the Kuga, launched here in Paris.

The Kuga joins Individual versions of the Ford Mondeo, Fiesta, S-Max and Galaxy, offering overseas buyers a host of luxury options you’d normally find on higher-end automobiles. The interior trim in particular goes a long way towards addressing some of the incoherence we mentioned in our review as well. Along with the leather and stuff, the Kuga Individual gets a revised exterior package that evokes some of the touches from the concept car, like aluminum intake fascias, 20″ wheels and ground effects. The latter gives the Kuga a more road-skimming look as opposed to the Iosis X’s jacked-up stature, but it’s a nice touch all the same. The best part, however, could be the new engine option: the same Volvo-sourced turbo five from the hot Focus ST, albeit detuned to 200hp. Check out the photos in the gallery below to see the updated Kuga Individual from the Paris show floor.

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Filed under: Convertibles, Sports/GTs, Paris Motor Show, Supercars, Ferrari

Click either image to view the Ferrari California live in high resolution

It’s not every day that Ferrari unveils a new sportscar. And when it does, it’s almost invariably billed as a successor to the one that came before, or a version of something already on the market. But the Ferrari California is an entirely different beast, expanding the Prancing Horse’s line-up into a new segment, and it certainly looks the part when viewed up close. We’ll have to reserve our judgment for the time being on the California’s driving dynamics, but the Italians promise it’ll keep up its end and then some with its new direct-inject, 460-hp version of the company’s 4.3L V8. In the meantime, today was a big day for Ferrari, and we’ve got the pictures to prove it. Click the thumbnails below to see for yourself.

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Filed under: Concept Cars, Paris Motor Show

It’s about 6:00PM in the City of Lights and our rag tag team of bloggers is running on empty after having brought you the first day of debuts at the 2008 Paris Motor Show. Soon they’ll be attending after parties and getting drunk on champagne, so we’re here to run down the biggest unveilings of the day while you eat your brown bag lunch back in the States. Don’t fret, though, as we’ll be bringing you lots more from Paris throughout the afternoon and coverage of Day 2 will begin in the wee hours of tomorrow morning EST. (Photo by danorbit | CC2.0)

CONCEPTS
Lamborghini Estoque Concept - post | gallery
Citroen GT Concept - post | gallery
Aston Martin One-77 - post | gallery
Chevy Orlando Concept - post | gallery
MINI Crossover Concept - post | gallery
Audi A1 Sportback Concept - post | gallery
BMW X1 Concept - post | gallery
Mazda Kiyora Concept - post | gallery
Nissan Nuvu EV Concept - post | gallery
Audi A4 TDI Concept e - post | gallery

PRODUCTION VEHICLES
2009 Lexus IS250C - post | gallery
2009 Volkswagen GTI - post | gallery
2009 Mazda MX-5 - post | gallery
2009 Audi S4 - post | gallery
Ferrari California - post | gallery
Honda Insight - post | gallery
2009 Mitsubishi Colt Ralliart - post | gallery
Jaguar XKR-S - post | gallery

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Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Africa, Paris Motor Show

Optimal Energy is the latest company to announce that they are unveiling a new electric car at the Paris Motor Show this year and it’s one that should definitely impress. Coming all the way from South Africa, the Joule may very well be the world’s most practical electric car to date as well as one of the more stylish. Although it has been shown to a handful of journalists there haven’t yet been any published photos but it has been described as “an uncluttered mix of a Renault Scenic and a Citroen Picasso.” The Minister of Science and Technology, Mosibudi Mangena, had a chance to drive it last week and he called it “simply gorgeous.” If that’s not convincing enough, consider that the designer of this compact 6-seater is Keith Helfet who, while he worked for Jaguar, impressed many sets of eyes with the XJ220 and the F-Type Concept.

Of course, when it comes to all-electric cars, the range is of utmost importance and the head of the company, Kobus Meiring, has said that two lithium ion battery packs will move the Joule for 400 km (248 miles). Plugged into a 220 volt power source, a full charge is achievable in 7 hours. The body, said to be a mix of plastic and composites, sits on a steel space frame and is described as spacious and versatile. It has taken the company over two years to reach this point and it hopes to begin production by the end of 2010. If they can achieve the targeted retail price of R200,000 ($24,618), they should have a real winner on their hands. We’ll be watching.

[Source: IOL]

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Filed under: Audi, Paris Motor Show

After showing the A1 Metroproject concept at last year’s Tokyo Motor Show, Audi is reportedly planning to reveal a four-door variant in Paris next month. The production version of the A1 will go into production in 2009 at an Audi factory in Brussels, Belgium. Audi will be targeting the A1 at the premium small car segment to go up against the MINI. It’s unknown if the A1 will be offered in the U.S. market although the most recent reports have indicated that it would not. The A1 is also expected to form the basis for an upcoming electric car from Audi in the next few years.

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req’d]

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Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupes, Wagons/Estates, Euro, Videos, Paris Motor Show, Mercedes-Benz

If you find yourself in Paris at the auto show next month, you’ll see the Mercedes-Benz ConceptFASCINATION on the floor. (It’s so fascinating, it requires all caps, you see.) Chances are, the video embedded after the jump will be playing on a variety of screens behind it and around the Mercedes stand in general. It’s your typical car show stuff: light electronica over moving pictures in which the car itself never moves. Still, the panning camera gives you a better view of some of the lines likely to be found on the next E-Class family. Just dim the lights a little and imagine the car surrounded by watchful Germans who are, in turn, surrounded by a number of people speaking French. See? We just saved you airfare to Paris. Thanks for the tip, Guy.

[Source: YouTube via TheCarFanatic]

Continue reading VIDEO: Mercedes-Benz ConceptFASCINATION

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Filed under: Emerging Technologies, EV/Plug-in, Paris Motor Show

This year’s edition of the Paris Motor Show is shaping up to be quite a collection of ecological innovation, ranging from the presently practical to the futuristically fanciful. The just-announced vehicular offspring from a Michelin and Venturi collaboration is bound to fall into the later category. Venturi, the Principality of Monaco’s largest builder of très vert prototypes (and hopefully next June, seller of the Fetish) and Michelin, maker of tires, have teamed up to create an electric car that features the “most advanced technologies” in all the automotive realm.

Although they haven’t given us any sneak peeks yet, this latest showpiece features a design by Sacha Lakic and so should carry that distinctive Venturi “je ne sais quois.” We expect it will be a quite racy as it is referred to as “high performance” and is meant to showcase Michelin’s latest innovations. We are also told to expect unprecedented architecture which, with Venturi, could mean slightly bizarre. Whatever the case, we will all see it by 5:15 pm on the 2nd of October at a press conference hosted by the representatives from the two companies.

[Source: Venturi]

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Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupes, Wagons/Estates, Euro, Paris Motor Show, Mercedes-Benz

When the doors open at the Paris Motor Show next month, Mercedes-Benz will be giving everyone a sneak peek of the new E-Class front-end styling. No, not in the form of the new E-Class itself, which will be unveiled at a later date, but in the ConceptFASCINATION, an attractive shooting brake concept based on the upcoming E-Class Coupe’s architecture and featuring the new E’s front-end styling.

Gone are the round headlamps we’ve become accustomed to. In their place are new “rhomboid” lamps that, on the show car at least, incorporate fiber-optic driving lights. The grille will likely be the same one seen on the new E Coupe, while we’d expect the sedan to have the traditional grille-and-hood-ornament combo instead. Power comes from Mercedes’ new 2.2L, 204-horsepower BlueTEC (with AdBlue) 4-cylinder diesel, which will make its production debut this fall in the Euro-market C250 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY Super Verbose Prime Edition sedan.

The ConceptFASCINATION’s cargo area is covered in wood, and boasts such show-car goodies as a folding glass table that can be pulled rearward, a humidor, a chilled compartment (natch), and storage for binoculars and a camera. A pronounced rear fender arch lends some visual muscle to the whole affair. Hopefully, that’s also a hint at what the inevitable E-Class wagon’s rump is going to look like. As for the new front end, it’s a lot better looking here than spy shots have led us to believe. We’ll have much more next month from Paris. In the meantime, Mercedes’ extensive press release is pasted after the jump.

[Source: Mercedes-Benz]

Continue reading Mercedes-Benz ConceptFASCINATION previews new E-Class

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Filed under: Diesel, Hybrid, Renault, Paris Motor Show

Renault is taking the wraps off a new diesel hybrid crossover at the Paris Motor Show next month. The gull-winged Ondelios is described by Renault as an “environmentally friendly long-haul journey.” The nearly 16 ft-long, three-row six-seater has an interesting drivetrain layout with a 2.0L 205 hp, 332 lb-ft diesel engine as the primary power source. In addition there is a 20kW electric motor mounted at each axle in a mild hybrid configuration. Renault hasn’t yet provided any detailed information on how the system is mechanized but it is apparently not set up to drive the vehicle on electric power alone. Instead, the electric motors are used to provide some acceleration boost and regenerative braking capability. The energy from/for the motors is stored in a 4kWh lithium ion battery pack.

The diesel engine is equipped with a seven-speed dual clutch transmission and, combined with the electric motors, the Ondelios gets from 0-62 mph in 7.8 seconds. For such a large vehicle it has a comparatively low 3,200 lb mass although again Renault hasn’t released details on the vehicle’s construction. All of this yields a claimed 52.3 mpg (U.S.), which is pretty impressive for such a vehicle.

[Source: Renault]

Continue reading Paris Preview: Renault Ondelios diesel hybrid crossover, 52.3 mpg

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Filed under: Mazda, Paris Motor Show

Automatic start-stop systems for engines are becoming increasingly common on vehicles in Europe. However, these systems typically use the conventional starter motor to re-start the engines after a stop. This can result in slow re-starts and additional load on the starter. Mazda has devised a new system that they claim will provide quicker, more consistent re-starts. The Mazda system relies on direct injection to function. When the engine is stopped, sensors are used to stop the engine with the pistons in a precise location. This will allow one of the cylinders to have a known amount of air in the combustion chamber. When the time comes to re-start, fuel is injected directly into the cylinder and ignited. The expansion of the burning fuel is used to get the engine turning to re-start the engine. Mazda claims the engine can re-start in 350 milliseconds, about half the time of a conventional starter. The re-starts are indexed to consecutive cylinders so that the same cylinder isn’t used every time. Mazda claims a 10 percent reduction in fuel consumption on the Japanese urban test cycle.

[Source: Mazda]

Continue reading Paris Preview: Mazda introducing new, smarter Smart Idle Stop System

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Filed under: Chevrolet, Paris Motor Show

The compact MPV that we’ve been seeing spy photos of for the last several months and referring to as the Chevy Tacuma now has an official name and introduction date. What now looks more like a crossover will be debut next month in Paris as the Chevrolet Orlando. The Orlando is built off the same Delta compact platform as the new Chevy Cruze and the Volt. In fact, the Orlando is likely to be the MPV that was identified last fall to be built at GM’s Detroit Hamtramck plant alongside the Volt. If the Orlando pictured above looks vaguely familiar it’s because it draws a lot from the stying of the Chevy Sequel fuel cell concept, particularly in the side glass and the overall proportions. The Orlando has three row seating for seven (although that third row is likely to be very snug. GM hasn’t given any indication of whether the Orlando will be offered in the U.S. although the fact that it will likely be built here certainly points in that direction. If it’s built alongside the Volt, an E-Flex version would seem like a good choice as well.

[Source: General Motors]

Continue reading Paris Preview: Chevrolet Orlando MPV to debut, Sequel gets real

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Filed under: Ford, Paris Motor Show

Click on the Ka for a high res gallery

As we approach next month’s Paris Motor Show, Ford is releasing more details on its new baby, the second-generation Ka. We now know that it will be launched with a pair of engine options, one each running on gas and diesel. The gas engine will be a 1.2L 69 hp unit while the Ka gets a diesel for first time with a 1.3L unit that generates 75 hp. The gas engine reduces fuel consumption by 21 percent compared to 1.3L unit in the old Ka. The diesel goes even further getting a rating of 56 mpg (U.S.) and both powertrains get CO₂ ratings under 120 g/km. Like other European Fords, the Ka has been tuned for good handling including spending some development at the Nurburgring amongst the ZR1s and GT-Rs. Production kicks off alongside the Fiat 500 this fall in Tychy, Poland. Unfortunately, it’s unlikely we’ll see it here in the U.S., but you never know. The Ford press release is after the jump.

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading Paris Preview: Ford releases more details on the new Ka

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Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Nissan, Paris Motor Show

Click above for high-res gallery of Nissan’s Paris Motor Show lineup

Nissan is planning on showing three new cars at the Paris Motor Show next month. Two of them are conventional small cars that we’ve already got photos of. The third is a battery powered 2+1 seat micro-car called the Nuvu. We don’t yet know what the Nuvu will look like or whether it will give a hint of what to expect when Nissan introduces a production EV in 2010. The Nuvu is only three meters long which should make it an interesting challenger to the new electric smart.

On the conventional side, Nissan will launch the Pixo, a collaborative effort with Suzuki based on the latter company’s Alto. The Pixo and Alto are both being built at a factory in Delhi, India. The little four door, five seater is moved along by a 1.0L three cylinder. For those that need something a bit larger, Nissan will also show a refreshed edition of the Note. The Note gets an all-new front end to enclose the gas or diesel engines. With the 1.5L diesel, the Note gets a carbon dioxide emissions rating of just 119 g/km, exempting it from congestion charges in an increasing number of cities.

[Source: Nissan]

Continue reading Paris Preview: Nissan to intro new mini-cars, EV concept

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Filed under: Hybrid, Honda, Paris Motor Show

Click to enlarge the new Honda Insight

src="http://digg.com/api/diggthis.js">Honda has just released the first official photos of its eagerly-anticipated new dedicated hybrid car that will debut early in 2009. The car that until now had been referred to by Honda officials simply as the “Global Hybrid” will revive the popular Insight name from the company’s first hybrid model. Although Honda is officially calling the car that will be shown in Paris next month a concept, these concepts tend to be extremely close to the final production version. Given the similarity to the spy photos we’ve seen already we shouldn’t expect much to change before launch next year. The Insight does bear a strong resemblance to the larger FCX Clarity fuel cell car although as with most hybrids, the current Honda three bar grill design is actually a solid piece for optimized aerodynamics. Honda has already said that it has cut the cost of its IMA hybrid system in half for the Insight and the new Insight’s price is expected to start in the neighborhood of $18,500. Honda is expecting about 200,000 world wide sales of the Insight with half of those going to the U.S.

[Source: Honda]

Continue reading Paris Preview: Honda Insight concept to be new global hybrid

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Filed under: MPG, Mazda, Lightweight, Paris Motor Show

Click for a high res gallery of the new Kiyora concept

Mazda has just released renderings of its latest concept car that will be hitting the stage next month in Paris. Dubbed the Kiyora - which reportedly means “clean and pure” in Japanese - the new concept continues with the design theme seen on other Mazda concepts over the past two years. Based on the press release, the city car should be fairly compact with power coming from a new generation direct injected four cylinder engine. Continuing another recent Mazda theme from the 2 and 6, the Kiyora uses a new lightweight platform that still has the strength required for safety and performance.

Mazda will also be showing the 2 and 6 with new 1.6L and 2.2L diesel engines and an MX-5 Roadster with a new face that picks up the chiseled, flowing look of its stablemates. The press release is after the jump.

[Source: Mazda]

Continue reading Paris Preview: “Clean and Pure” Mazda Kiyora concept

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Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, Green, Hatchbacks, Honda, Paris Motorcycle Show

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Honda Insight Concept

Honda is reviving an old name for its new Global Hybrid that goes on sale next spring by calling it the Insight. The new five-door hatchback “Prius-Killer” will be the most direct competitor yet for Toyota’s iconic hybrid. Learning from the lesson that hybrid buyers apparently prefer their cars to be recognizable as such rather than being derivatives of existing models, Honda has modeled the new Insight after its low volume FCX Clarity fuel cell car and will be debuting it as a concept at the Paris Motor Show next month before it goes on sale as the least expensive hybrid in the world in 2009. Recent comments by Honda have hinted at a price starting at $18,500 for the Insight, which goes on sale 10 years after the original. Unlike the tiny two-seater that had limited appeal and utility, this new one is expected to appeal to a much wider audience. Honda is planning for worldwide sales of 200,000 units a year with 100,000 going to the U.S. market.

[Source: Honda]

Continue reading Paris Preview: Officially Official, Honda’s new hybrid is the Insight!

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Filed under: Concept Cars, Minivans/MPVs, Euro, Paris Motor Show, Crossovers/CUVs, Chevrolet, GM

GM has announced that it will unveil the Chevy Orlando show car at the Paris Motor Show next month. The compact 7-seat crossover has a 105-inch wheelbase, rides on the same platform (Delta II) as the Chevy Cruze and gets turbodiesel power from a 2.0-liter four. The Orlando and the Chevy Tacuma prototype caught testing in disguise would appear to be one and the same, and as the Tacuma spy shots hinted, instead of a traditional vannish MPV appearance, the Orlando show car demonstrates that the production vehicle will follow the CUV pack and adopt tougher-looking SUV styling queues (Quien es mas macho? Orlando.) A substantial split grille dominates the front end, along with headlights that sweep back onto the front fender. Inside, an attractive cabin blends styling elements from a number of modern Chevys and Opels. We’ll get the rest of the skinny and report back live from the Paris show next month.

[Source: GM via Autoblog Spanish]

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