Fuel- and cash-conscious consumers in Europe will have a new runabout to choose from in April when the Hyundai i20 three-door hits dealers. The lowest rung of the i20 range will be unveiled at next month’s Geneva Motor Show, packing either a 78-hp, 1.2-liter “Kappa” four-cylinder or a 1.4-liter diesel. Both engines can be mated to either a four-speed automatic or five-speed manual gearbox, and the trim levels – Classic, Comfort and Style – will carry over from the five-door model. Hyundai is offering a limited number of available options, including a multi-function steering wheel and keyless entry, along with power windows and mirrors. Pricing starts out at £8,195, or £450 less than the current five door model. Make the jump for Hyundai’s press release.
PRESS RELEASE

HYUNDAI REVEALS THREE-DOOR i20

* New body style to be revealed at Geneva show
* Aimed at younger buyers
* Priced £450 lower than five-door, starting at £8,195

Hyundai has revealed the first picture of the new i20 three-door, ahead of its official unveiling at the Geneva motor show on March 3rd.

Building on the success of the recently launched Hyundai i20 five-door, the new body style will broaden the i20′s appeal to the fastest-growing sector of the car market in Europe.

In addition to a stylish new look, the three-door model offers a lower price entry point for the i20 line-up with prices starting at just £8,195 for the 1.2 Classic model – that’s £450 less than the five-door.

Positioned between the successful i10 and i30 models, the i20 three-door shares many of its styling features with the five-door. In fact the front and rear remains unchanged, but the distinctive crease lines that run along each side are enhanced by the longer front doors and the sporty, upswept shape of the rear-side window.

Built on the same 2.525mm wheelbase and weighing 10-kilograms less than the i20 five-door, the new model offers an equally well proportioned exterior and spacious interior that will comfortably accommodate adult passengers in the front and rear seats.

The larger front doors create a wide entry aperture, and Hyundai’s quick-release memory seats with walk-in functionality provide easy access to and from the rear. The system enables the front-seat backrests to be tipped and the whole seat to slide forwards. This simple-to-use system returns the front seat to the originally selected position without the need for readjustment.

Safety is always at the forefront for Hyundai and the i20 has an extensive list of active and passive equipment. This includes six airbags on all models – front, side and curtain – as standard, plus active head-restraints.

Hyundai expects i20 buyers will make the 1.2-litre petrol engine – dubbed ‘Kappa’ – the best-selling power plant in the range. The new, all-alloy unit combines miserly fuel consumption with low CO2 emissions to produce a compelling package with exceptionally low running costs.

Kappa is the latest example of the company’s expertise in developing lightweight, low-NVH, super-efficient engines. With a displacement of just 1,248cc, Kappa unit develops an impressive 78PS and a class-leading torque figure of 119Nm endowing the i20 with responsive acceleration and excellent driveability.

The three-door i20 is available to order now, with the first examples arriving in UK showrooms in April.

[Source:Autoblog]

The Fiat 500C has leaked out ahead of its Geneva Motor Show debut, and as suspected, the open-top retromobile is equipped with a sliding canvas roof that continues the traditional set by the original 500.

Unlike it’s closest competitor – the MINI Cooper Convertible – the 500C retains its roofline and arching C-pillar, which should keep its structural rigidity intact while keeping blind spots at bay. However, with the canvas roof retracted, it looks like rearward visibility is seriously compromised. The power-operated cloth-top will reported come in three colors – ivory, red and black – and a new spoiler, incorporated into the retractable roof, keeps the third brake light visible whether to the top is up or down. Both the 1.2- and 1.4-liter engines will carry over, along with the 1.3-liter Multijet equipped with Start-Stop technology. Expect sales to begin later this year in Europe, with U.S. distribution likely in 2010.

[Source:Autoblog]

With Europe’s other major international car show alternating to Frankfurt in 2009, the upcoming Geneva Motor Show is as close to home turf as the French automakers will get this year. Along with the new concept its Romanian budget brand Dacia is tipped to unveil at the show, Renault will be descending on the lakeside Swiss city with an updated version of its bread-and-butter Clio. The modest facelift draws on cues from the larger and newer Megane and Laguna models, with a small air inlet on the nose and a larger one integrated into the front bumper. The rear bumper as also bee mildly revised, while the updated cabin features a new sat-nav unit which Renault has developed together with TomTom to offer the cost-effective and web-upgradeable benefits of a standalone aftermarket GPS with the integration of a factory nav unit.

The updated Clio will debut with a new GT trim level that slots in below the hot Renaultsport version, with some of the aggressive cues but without the go-fast bits that make Renault’s hot hatches the king of the hill. Renault has released a slew of photos of the new Clio ahead of its debut, which you can check out in the gallery below, along with the details in the press release after the jump.

PRESS RELEASE

NEW RENAULT CLIO
THE NEW BENCHMARK

* New Renault Clio opens a new chapter in the Clio saga which began in 1990 and which has since seen the model go from strength to strength.
* New Renault Clio stands out as a versatile, balanced package which carries over the same qualities that saw Clio III take the ‘Car of the Year ‘ award in 2006, namely benchmark cabin space, safety, comfort and roadholding, as well as the same rigorous build quality that has made it one of its segment’s most reliable models.
* Renault’s new compact hatchback features:
o renewed styling which incorporates the same dynamic cues as those which have become the hallmarks of New Renault Mégane’s front end,
o a new GT version, enabling Renault Clio customers to sample the world of sporty motoring. New Renault Clio GT boasts racy looks and ‘fun to drive’ handling.
o Carminat TomTom, the first fully integrated and affordable GPS navigation solution. Renault’s latest navigation solution has been co-developed with TomTom and will be dual branded. The navigation solution, easily updateable on the internet, has a large colour screen, and will include traffic and speed limit information, as well as safety camera locations, at a price of less than €500.
* The motoring public will get a chance to take a closer look at New Renault Clio at the forthcoming Geneva Motor Show.

A compact hatchback which reinforces Clio’s family ties with New Renault Mégane

New Renault Clio sits squarely on the road and boasts more streamlined styling, with the lines of the headlamp modules now extending down to the lateral upturns of the front air intake. Indeed, the broad air intake in the lower part of the front bumper sets off the dynamic frontal styling which are also suggested by the presence of gloss black protective mouldings. The revised design of the rear lights prolongs the waist line across the hatch, while the uncluttered approach to the design of the central part of the rear bumper further emphasizes New Renault Clio’s dynamic stance. The reversing lights and foglamps are positioned low down and to the extreme right and left of the bumper.

The choice of the new interior trims and equipment was guided by a desire to produce a sense of well-being and perceived quality, and the screen of the Carminat TomTom GPS navigation system is perfectly integrated into the upper part of the centre console.

New Renault Clio GT: an unprecedented version with genuine character

As with other Renault models, a GT version forms part of the New Renault Clio range. The compact and racy New Renault Clio GT hatchback features an exclusive body colour, Malta Blue. Its frontal styling is more aggressive and includes a gloss black grille, while the side sills hint at the performance of the GT version’s specific suspension. New Renault Clio GT is easily recognizable from the rear thanks to its twin exhaust tailpipes and lip spoiler.

There are eye-catching sporty details inside the car, too, including drilled aluminium pedal covers and extra side support for the seats, plus GT-badging for the front seats.

Carminat TomTom: the first fully integrated, updatable and affordable navigation solution

Renault’s latest GPS navigation solution, Carminat TomTom, is the fruit of the carmaker’s partnership with TomTom to bring affordable integrated navigation solutions to Renault customers. Ready to start working from the moment you start the car and particularly easy to use, the solution will give Clio drivers a safe and stress-free driving experience.

Some of the features the Carminat TomTom will have are:

* an easy-to-read 5.8 inch (14.7cm) colour screen (larger than that of removable systems) for the display of detailed birds-eye view maps,
* reliable, updateable navigation complete with traffic, safety camera locations and speed limit information,
* at a price of less than €500

All the fundamentals of Clio III

New Renault Clio boasts the same qualities that saw Clio III earn the ‘Car of the Year ‘ award in 2006, namely:

* benchmark interior space and comfort,
* acclaimed ride comfort,
* a wide choice of responsive, environmentally friendly engines,
* a range of equipment from the next segment up, including a hands-free card and cruise control with speed limiter,
* outstanding safety credentials,
* the same rigorous build quality that has made it one of the most reliable cars of its segment.

The motoring public will be given the opportunity to take a more detailed look at New Renault Clio at the forthcoming Geneva Motor Show.

[Source:Autoblog]

A report by AutoBild states that BMW’s designers are hard at work on the next iteration of the 1 series and that five different body styles are under review, with only one headed for production.

The variations include a three-door shooting brake, a five-door wagon, a “Progressive Activity Sedan” smaller than the X1, a lifted “Sports Activity Coupe” with a glass roof and, coinciding with an earlier report, a more traditional “sports tourer” that could be the spiritual successor to the 2002.

According to AutoBild, no matter which model makes the cut, BMW plans to downsize the displacement of its engines and begin the wide-scale implementation of turbocharging and direct injection across the 1 series range. The 116i model will make use of a 136 hp, 1.3-liter turbo, the 118i will use a 1.3-liter turbo tweaked to produce 177 hp, the 120i will get a 218 hp 2.0-liter turbo and the 3.0-liter turbocharged inline six will put out an estimated 326 hp. Both new diesel engines and mild hybrid variants are also planned, and BMW’s dual-clutch gearbox will be available on more sport-oriented models, while a standard slushbox will be employed on the rest of the range.

The new 1 series is expected to hit Europe in 2011, with a the Super Sport model debuting in 2012 and a convertible variant arriving a year later.

[Source:Autoblog]

Looking to all the world like the modern reinterpretation of the classic Karmann Ghia body shell with the addition of a shooting brake-style rear hatch is a new electric car concept from Swedish automaker Mindset. Unlike that rear-engined machine based on the seminal Volkswagen Beetle, Mindset’s first car has a fully modern drivetrain in the form of a 94-horsepower electric motor with an accompanying lithium-ion battery pack that’s reportedly capable of offering an electric-only range of over 100 miles per six-hour charge. Need to go further? A single-cylinder gasoline-fed engine is also present to extend the car’s range.

Besides the intriguing shape of the passenger compartment, which features spindly 22-inch wheels that look like they came off of a carbon-fiber stagecoach, we also dig the minimalist interior design with its front and rear benches that could have come straight out of a Beetle from the 1930s. All of these Volkswagenesque hints may be intentional – the man behind the Mindset EV, Murat Gunak, was previously the head of design at the German marque, most notably for the recent Scirocco revival. Drivable prototypes are already invading the streets in Germany, and if the company gets adequate funding, Gunak hopes to sell 10,000 units in the first year of production for 50,000 euros ($65K) each.

[Source:Autoblog]

With the announcement that the Honda S2000 will cease production after the 2009 model year and its successor in doubt, Honda decided to give the high-revving roadster a special send-off before it shuffles off this mortal coil.

The Honda S2000 Ultimate Edition retains the 2.0-liter VTEC-equipped four-cylinder putting out 237 hp and 153 lb-ft of torque through a six-speed manual transmission, but benefits from a new set of wheels and an optional hard-top. “Grand Prix White” coats the exterior, while a red leather interior, color-matched stitching and numbered doorsill plaques sets it apart from the standard model. Honda will debut the S2000 Ultimate Edition at the Geneva Motor Show this March, with sales beginning in Europe shortly thereafter. Honda hasn’t announced if the U.S. will get its own version special edition S2000, but if the automaker can save a few bucks that can go towards the development of the new model, we’ll be okay with missing out on the “Ultimate.”
PRESS RELEASE

Honda has announced that the Honda S2000 Ultimate Edition will go on sale from March 2009 in Europe. This limited edition has been produced to mark the end of production for the award winning sports car.

The Ultimate Edition retains its highly acclaimed 2.0 litre 9000 rpm VTEC engine and combines it with a Grand Prix White body and graphite coloured alloy wheels. The shade of the paint evokes the colour first used on Honda’s 1964 F1 car and many sporting models since. The exterior colour combination with the dark metal alloy wheels and unique black S2000 badging gives a fresh look to the timeless shape of the roadster body.

The white exterior will be matched with a red leather interior and complimented by unique red colouring for stitching on the gear lever gaiter. Ultimate Editions will be marked out by their unique numbered plaques on the kickplates, denoting their position in the series.

The 2-seater sports car may now be almost 10-years old, but its 240PS 2-litre is still one of the highest output per litre and highest revving engines ever made. In recognition of its incredible power output, the Honda S2000′s engine has won the International Engine of the Year category for 1.8 to 2.2 litre engines five times in its lifetime.

As the name suggests, the Honda S2000 Ultimate Edition will be the last version before global production of the model ceases altogether at the end of June 2009. Since the introduction of the Honda S2000 in 1999 until the end of 2008, Honda has sold 110,673 units worldwide – 19,987 of those in Europe.

The first viewing of the Ultimate Edition will be the 2009 Geneva International Motor Show starting with the press day on the 3rd March.

[Source:Autoblog]

Somebody get the record player out and put on Al Stewart, because this is turning into The Year of the Cat. The English marque just showed off the new XFR and XKR, a slightly modified XFR broke the company’s speed record formerly held by the Jaguar XJ220, and chatter suggests that the automaker is working on a new supercar. On top of all that, the Jaguar XF 2.7 V6 Diesel Luxury has won the What Car? magazine award for Best Executive Sedan for the second year in a row.

The XF didn’t just beat cars from its own class, it beat the best buys among executive sedans in higher and lower price brackets. The other challengers were the best sedan buy under £30,000 (around $42k USD), the BMW 520d SE, and the best buy over £35,000 (around $49k USD), the Mercedes Benz CLS 320 CDI. The Jag walked it for being “beautiful to look at, brilliant to drive, an event to be in, and worth every penny of its running costs.” Which means that if the 2.7-liter could take the award two years in a row, with the new 3.0-liter coming on line this year the XF might be a good bet for the trifecta come 2010.

[Source:Autoblog]