Kia continues its dramatic design makeover with the all-new 2011 Sportage SUV. Slated for a world debut at the 2010 Geneva Auto Show next month, this compact SUV is lower, longer and wider than the current model.
No other details were released, but it's safe to assume it will have four-cylinder power and a choice of front- or all-wheel drive. Worldwide sales are expected to start late this year.
Continue reading 2011 Kia Sportage Headed for 2010 Geneva Auto Show.
Photo Illustration by Nick Wilcox, automotiverenderings.blogspot.com
So now that the 2011 BMW 5 Series is out in the open, it's time to move on to the really good stuff. We're referring to the next BMW M5, of course, you know the one we spotted on the Nurburgring late last year?
Now that we know the final shape of the standard model it's not too hard to fill out the details on the Motorsport-tuned M5. Unlike the M3, the M5 is always a bit more subtle. A deeper front air dam, extended side skirting and four pipes out back are the obvious cues along with lightweight wheels and a quarter-panel badging.
The big inlets up front are needed to feed the twin-turbo power plant that will reside under the hood. We received confirmation on that one from a BMW executive last year, so the only real question at this point is the final output. The 4.4-liter V8 will be the same motor used in the current X5/X6M models, so the M5 is guaranteed at least 555 horsepower. And the chances of BMW leaving it at that are slim, so something more in the range of 570-590 horses is a good bet.
Various rumors have also indicated that BMW is considering some type of electric assist for this M5 e.g. a production KERS system of sorts. That may have changed in the last year or so now that BMW is no longer participating in Formula 1. We asked our sources inside BMW anyway and they didn't have much to say. So either it's not going to happen or it hasn't been fully approved at this point.
One thing that is for certain is the use of BMW's M Double Clutch Transmission (DCT) in place of the current SMG setup. It could gain a gear over the M3's seven-speed setup, but either way it will be a huge upgrade over the single-clutch SMG.
Given that the standard 2011 BMW 5 Series is scheduled for its debut at the 2010 Geneva Auto Show, don't expect to see the 2012 M5 until either late this year or early in 2011.
As usual the U.S. market is a few steps behind when it comes to Mazda. This refreshed version of the Mazda6 is headed for a debut at the 2010 Geneva Auto Show in March. The Japanese get to sample it even earlier as it's just gone on sale in Japan as the Atenza.
Other than a few minor styling updates, the biggest news emerging from this update is the installation of Mazda's new "Sky G" a new four-cylinder engine which delivers both improved mileage and lower emissions. No word yet when the U.S. will get in on the action, but it shouldn't be long.
UPDATE: Mazda officials confirmed that the new DISI 2.0-liter engine is not part of the Sky-G engine family.
A report in the British magazine Autocar notes that Mini is already close to giving the go ahead to a John Cooper Works version of the Cooper Countryman revealed yesterday.
When asked whether such a vehicle was in the works, Mini's general manager in the U.K., Jochen Goller, responded, ""It's definitely under consideration," he said. "JCW has been a big success and we'll look at doing it again here."
Mini official announcement of the Countryman already noted that various JCW parts would be offered as stand alone options.
First Look: 2011 Mini Cooper Countryman
The next-generation Mazda5 was unveiled on the internet today prior to its auto show debut in Geneva in March. As you can see, the configuration of Mazda's small van hasn't changed much, but it's styling now incorporates some of the "Nagare flow" language from Mazda's various concepts.
It's still a 7-seater and has sliding doors on both sides. The European version will feature a direct-injected 2.0-liter four-cylinder and a 1.8-liter base engine, both available with a six-speed manual. Expect to see the 2.0-liter in U.S. version with both manual and automatic transmissions.
After yesterday's leak, Mini decided to just go ahead and let the rest of the information out on the upcoming Countryman four-door. None of the info will surprise anybody that has been following the Countryman's development.
Yes, it offers optional all-wheel drive called ALL4. There's no two-speed transfer case or anything serious like that, just a electrohydraulic differential that splits power between the front and rear wheels.
The U.S. engine lineup hasn't been announced yet, but judging from the European lineup our Countryman will probably offer the same 1.6-liter four-cylinder options as the current Mini lineup. One notable change is the addition of full variable valve timing which bumps the horsepower numbers up a bit.
The normally aspirated engine is rated at 121-horsepower and 118 pound-feet of torque while the turbocharged engine now generates 181-horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque. Both will come with a six-speed manual transmission standard. A six-speed automatic is optional.
All Countryman's will come standard with bucket seats in back that both recline and slide forward and backward. A bench seat will be optional along with a panorama roof and a full-length center console. A sport suspension, wheels up to 19-inches in diameter and various John Cooper Works pieces will also be on the options list.
Yesterday Mitsubishi announced that it would unveil the ASX crossover at the 2010 Geneva Auto Show in early March. It's a compact utility vehicle that's set to go on sale next month in Japan as the RVR.
In years past, a vehicle like the ASX/RVR would have had little chance of making its way to the U.S., but tougher fuel economy rules are forcing automakers to reconsider their lineups. So it came as no surprise when a report out of Japan said Mitsubishi was considering sales of the ASX/RVR in the U.S. Sources in Japan subsequently confirmed the rumors and told us it would not only come to the U.S., but it would be sold under the Outlander Sport name.
We couldn't dig out any additional details, but we're guessing the Outlander Sport will stick with four-cylinder power only. Hopefully, the Sport moniker will guarantee something interesting in the way of turbocharging or suspension tuning. Don't hold your breath though, this is a fuel economy play more than anything else.
Audi's marketing machine is clearly firing on all cylinders these days. The latest evidence? A reader's choice award from U.K. magazine What Car? for the Audi A1 subcompact hatchback.
You see, the Audi A1 has yet to be shown in production form, so all those kooky Brits voted the Audi A1 the "most exciting car of 2010" before they've even seen the vehicle. According to the editor of What Car?, "Although we haven't seen the finished car yet, a new, small car with an Audi badge on the nose can't fail to succeed."
So there you have it, Audi hatchbacks are now the big banks of the automotive world -- they cannot fail.
According to UK magazine AutoExpress, these are official pictures of the Mini Countryman or Crossman, whatever. It's scheduled for an official debut at the 2010 Geneva Auto Show in early March, but these pics reveal pretty much all you need to know.
All the drivetrain hardware will carryover form the current Mini range except for the all-wheel drive system. As you can see, it's not a true off-roader, more like an all-season compact utility vehicle.
The Evora Cup doesn't have much relevance to you unless you're going to move to Europe and race in Lotus' 2010 GT4 manufacturer series. Actually, though, with a prize fund of "at least 100,000 euros," maybe you should look into it if you have some skill.
Full details on the Lotus Evora Cup car won't be released until the 2010 Geneva Auto Show in March, but already we know it will have an enlarged 4.0-liter version of the Toyota 2GR-FE V6 with dry-sump oiling.
Lotus estimates the mid-mounted V6 will develop about 400 horsepower at 7,000 rpm and about 295 pound-feet of torque at 6,000 rpm. Redline will be 7,250 rpm. The Cup car is supposed to weigh under 1,200 kg (~ 2,645 pounds). The transmission will be a Cima 6-speed dog box with paddle shifters.
The car will have an aero package with a carbon fiber front splitter, diffuser and rear wing developed by Dallara. Running gear will include adjustable dampers and more serious brakes with two-piece aluminum rotors, and six-piston calipers up front and 2-pots in back.
This concept car called the Peugeot SR1 has taken the Web by storm today after media photos began showing up on UK Web sites. Peugeot hasn't had many distinctive concepts touring the auto show circuit since the 908 RC, but the SR1 makes up for that by looking like an Aston Martin.
You'll notice the seating configuration of this convertible is an odd 2+1 arrangement. The drivetrain isn't any less weird with a 218-hp version the of the BMW/PSA 1.6-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder (you know, the Mini Cooper S engine) motivating the front wheels and a 95-hp electric motor driving the rears. Peugeot is calling it all-wheel-drive, apparently, but obviously, that's not quite exactly true.
Still, Gilles Vidal, Peugeot's new design director, says the SR1 is a statement of design intent for all Peugeot production models of the near future. Reports indicate that that the Peugeot SR1 convertible will be on display at the Geneva Auto Show in March -- a good guess given the Francophile ambience of that show.
The cavalcade of goofy, little cars continues unabated here at Straightline. First there was Mini's re-imagined Mini Moke/Fiat Jolly Detroit-show silliness, the Beachcomber. Then this morning saw the reveal of Aston Martin's little dinghy, the Toyota iQ-based Cygnet concept.
Now Swiss-Mister Frank Rinderknecht of Rinspeed released renderings of the UC Mobility Concept that he will bring to next year's Geneva Auto Show. Where the Beachcomber is a life-size Barbie vehicle that will see production and the Cygnet is essentially a $20,000-plus bumper sticker that says "My other car is a real Aston Martin," the UC is an idea. The rather uninteresting white electric city car is incidental to Rinspeed's scheme.
The idea is that one would drive drive the 8-foot long "lovebug" via "a central joystick" around town for short trips. For longer trips, one would drive the little bugger to the train station, where waited a special rail-car loading system onto which you would drive your UC (something like on a ferry). When the train arrives at its destination, off you go in your UC. We've heard of a similar concept, which is widely known as a "taxi." Somehow, Rinspeed expects that something called the world wide web would be involved too.
Oh, the name? It stands for Urban Commuter and is also a play on the English-language for "You see?" It is also but one letter from the exclamation "uck!"
The concept is about 80 percent down on whimsy compared to just about any concept Rinspeed has ever done before.
Audi announced today that it will show the production A1 at the 2010 Geneva Auto Show on March 2.
In the days leading up to that debut, the company is planning all sorts of partial unveils of various design elements of the A1. We'll also see the plant in Brussels where the car will be built, and hear from pretty much everyone in the company about the development, manufacture and marketing of this car. Audi is planning to put one of its DTM drivers behind the wheel of a prototype as well.
Today Audi designer, Dany Garand, and brand design chief, Stefan Sielaff, have the floor. They discuss the car's exterior design as it relates to the 3-door and 5-door A1 Sportback concepts shown at Tokyo (2007) and Paris (2008) respectively in a video after the jump. There's also a video that shows the creative process for this A1 painting -- it's krylon-intensive.
As part of its effort to build up mystique for the A1, which Audi bills as the first-ever premium car in the subcompact statement (a doubtful claim given all the smaller, lighter luxury cars that existed in previous decades), the company has set up a Facebook page. And you can follow the Audi A1 on Twitter. Of course.
Continue reading 2011 Audi A1 Headed to the 2010 Geneva Auto Show.
Volvo has released these two images of the upcoming S60 sedan that it will reveal at the Geneva auto show next spring.
Keen to draw a connection between this production 2011 model and the concept car that previewed it earlier this year at the Detroit auto show, Volvo has chosen to at least paint the car the same coppery-orange color as the stunning concept. (Can we finally put to bed the old nonsense about boring Volvos? It's been more than a decade of attractiveness now).
Anyway, the new S60 brings an Audi A5-like undulating shoulderline to the party in place of the current S60's characteristic stiff-shouldered look. The nose of the S60 shares a strong family resemblance to the XC60 small crossover -- no surprise there.
The company isn't revealing much else about the vehicle, other than that it will be "sporty," that it will go into production in Ghent, Belgium early next summer and that it will be offered with a Pedestrian Detection system.
Wait, a what? In a bid to make the S60 as safe for those who happen to be in front of the car as those in it, Volvo has pioneered a system that detects the position of pedestrians in front the car and can commandeer the brakes if the driver doesn't in timely fashion. We would recommend turning this system off when driving the S60 in Manhattan unless you like just sitting at the same intersection all day.
The BMW 5 Series hasn't had a full redesign since 2004, and Inside Line learned today that a fully revamped 5 Series sedan and wagon will be unveiled at the 2010 Geneva Auto Show. Most likely, then, we're talking about the 2011 BMW 5 Series. That's a current 5 Series sedan pictured here just for reference.
Look for an overhauled 6 Series coupe and convertible one year after that.
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