This is the new Suzuki Swift Sport, a lovely little hot (well, warm) hatch that will be officially revealed at the 2011 Frankfurt motor show in September. And you can forget about the current crop of turbocharged and big power-chasing hot hatches – this Swift Sport uses a naturally aspirated engine good for just 134bhp…
134bhp! I know the last Suzuki Swift Sport wasn’t big on power but Minis and VXR Corsas boast over 200bhp…
Yes, but that’s not the point. The conventionally aspirated 1586cc four-cylinder has been upgraded from the old Swift Sport’s 123bhp at 6800rpm, to 134bhp delivered at 6900rpm. And 109lb ft at 4800rpm has become 118lb ft at 4400rpm. The 0-62mph time will be eight-seconds-something, so it’s err, swift rather than fast, but the six-speed manual ‘box and high-revving nature of the 1.6 will bring a smile to your face. Suzuki says the Swift Sport features a unique rear suspension design too.
Suzuki unveiled the Swift S-Concept at the 2011 Geneva motor show back in March, and while the wing and wheels on this white production car aren’t quite so big, bar those differences and the lack of side intakes, little else has changed. There are upgraded lights, new bumpers front and back (which add 40mm to the length of the Sport over and above the standard Swift), a bigger grille, plus side skirts and that aforementioned little spoiler.
The Suzuki Swift Sport will be unveiled at the 2011 Frankfurt motor show in early September and UK sales start in December. Prices have yet to be announced but expect to pay around £12k.
Thứ Tư, 29 tháng 2, 2012
Subaru XV production car at 2011 Frankfurt show
Subaru will show its new Qashqai rival, the XV, at the 2011 Frankfurt motor show. Not that you would have guessed it from this frustrating teaser sketch issued today.
Parent firm Fuji Heavy Industries confirmed the Subaru crossover will be shown on 13 September at the IAA German show - five months after the concept waded in at the 2011 Shanghai show.
Subaru XV: sounds like a rugby team!
Yes, but those roman numerals don't signify the number of seats; this will remain a five-seater.
'The XV is a rival for the Ford Kuga and Nissan Qashqai,' Subaru's then UK managing director Paul Tunnicliffe told CAR in May 2011. 'It's four-wheel drive only and we'll offer a 1.6 and 2.0-litre petrols and a 2.0-litre diesel. We are hoping for around 2000 XV sales in a full year.'
The new Subaru XV will go on sale in early 2012. It marks a planned resurgence in the Subaru brand, which has sunk to around 4000 sales a year in the UK.
The XV crossover isn't the only new Subaru arriving in 2012. It will join the new rear-wheel drive coupe twinned with Toyota's FT-86 and the replacement Impreza.
With that renewed range, Tunnicliffe claimed Subaru would be back to selling around 6000-7000 cars in the UK.
The brief Subaru statement about the XV
As well as this teaser photo, Subaru issued a brief statement about the XV. 'The final production version of the XV remains true to the Concept and Subaru is confident that it will bring something fresh, as well as a new level of engineering excellence, to the segment.
'Subaru also expects the XV will bring a new type of customer to the brand, people who are confident in the knowledge of the company’s AWD and engineering expertise and who are also looking for the flexibility and lifestyle statement that owning a crossover brings.'
Parent firm Fuji Heavy Industries confirmed the Subaru crossover will be shown on 13 September at the IAA German show - five months after the concept waded in at the 2011 Shanghai show.
Subaru XV: sounds like a rugby team!
Yes, but those roman numerals don't signify the number of seats; this will remain a five-seater.
'The XV is a rival for the Ford Kuga and Nissan Qashqai,' Subaru's then UK managing director Paul Tunnicliffe told CAR in May 2011. 'It's four-wheel drive only and we'll offer a 1.6 and 2.0-litre petrols and a 2.0-litre diesel. We are hoping for around 2000 XV sales in a full year.'
The new Subaru XV will go on sale in early 2012. It marks a planned resurgence in the Subaru brand, which has sunk to around 4000 sales a year in the UK.
The XV crossover isn't the only new Subaru arriving in 2012. It will join the new rear-wheel drive coupe twinned with Toyota's FT-86 and the replacement Impreza.
With that renewed range, Tunnicliffe claimed Subaru would be back to selling around 6000-7000 cars in the UK.
The brief Subaru statement about the XV
As well as this teaser photo, Subaru issued a brief statement about the XV. 'The final production version of the XV remains true to the Concept and Subaru is confident that it will bring something fresh, as well as a new level of engineering excellence, to the segment.
'Subaru also expects the XV will bring a new type of customer to the brand, people who are confident in the knowledge of the company’s AWD and engineering expertise and who are also looking for the flexibility and lifestyle statement that owning a crossover brings.'
Kia Picanto three-door (2011): first pictures
Kia is launching a three-door version of the Picanto for the first time. The new entry-level supermini arrives in showrooms on 1 September 2011, priced from £7795.
It's a wedgy, attitudinal hatch designed to broaden the appeal of the Picanto. Rather more cheesily, Kia says 'if the five-door Picanto is the small car, grown up, then the three-door is the same but with a twinkle in its eye.'
Kia Picanto 3dr: the background
The Koreans have faultless logic behind launching a three-door Picanto. It forecasts global demand for A-segment city cars to hit 2.4 million by 2014.
Yet within a year, that'll hit 3.3m by 2015 - and a third of those will be three-door city cars.
In the UK, city car buyers are split 55:45 in favour of five-doors.
Engines, figures…
The new Kia Picanto comes with a 1.0 or 1.25-litre petrol engine. Pick the most frugal, and you'll enjoy headline claims of 67.3mpg and 99g/km.
The 1.0-litre '1' spec three-door Picanto model costs £7795, rising to £11,695 for a 1.25 Equinox.
It's a wedgy, attitudinal hatch designed to broaden the appeal of the Picanto. Rather more cheesily, Kia says 'if the five-door Picanto is the small car, grown up, then the three-door is the same but with a twinkle in its eye.'
Kia Picanto 3dr: the background
The Koreans have faultless logic behind launching a three-door Picanto. It forecasts global demand for A-segment city cars to hit 2.4 million by 2014.
Yet within a year, that'll hit 3.3m by 2015 - and a third of those will be three-door city cars.
In the UK, city car buyers are split 55:45 in favour of five-doors.
Engines, figures…
The new Kia Picanto comes with a 1.0 or 1.25-litre petrol engine. Pick the most frugal, and you'll enjoy headline claims of 67.3mpg and 99g/km.
The 1.0-litre '1' spec three-door Picanto model costs £7795, rising to £11,695 for a 1.25 Equinox.
Lotus Evora GTE Road Car Concept (2011) news
Lotus will show the most sporting, toughest Evora yet - the GTE Road Car GAMES Concept - at the 2011 Pebble Beach car show this week.
As the name implies, it's borne out of the Evora GTE race programme, which sees Lotus's mid-engined 2+2 compete at races across the globe, culminating in the 24-hour race at Le Mans.
Lotus GTE Road Car Concept: the details
The roadgoing GTE show car has 420bhp from its race-fettled V6 petrol engine, driving through a sequential gearbox. A Lotus spokeswoman confirmed it was the roadgoing model's Toyota V6 modded to produce a wodge more power.
The exterior has been heavily fettled, too, with an aggressive front splitter and U-shaped rear spoiler sprouting from the boot. Wheels are forged alloy items shod in Pirelli P-Zero Corsa rubber.
Inside you'll find leather and carbonfibre trim galore: the seats are by Recaro, made from composite to trim weight and look the part for posing.
Although not yet confirmed for general sale, we hear Lotus has serious plans for a production run of the Evora GTE. Watch this space for more news.
Lotus at Pebble Beach 2011
The new Lotus Evora GTE Road Car Concept will be shown at the McCall’s Motorworks Revival event on Wednesday night at the Monterey Jet Center.
But Lotus will also show a US-only Exige Matte Black Final Edition to mark the end of American production. It gets a 257bhp power hike, a subdued black paintjob and matching Alcantara sports seats. Just 25 will be sold.
As the name implies, it's borne out of the Evora GTE race programme, which sees Lotus's mid-engined 2+2 compete at races across the globe, culminating in the 24-hour race at Le Mans.
Lotus GTE Road Car Concept: the details
The roadgoing GTE show car has 420bhp from its race-fettled V6 petrol engine, driving through a sequential gearbox. A Lotus spokeswoman confirmed it was the roadgoing model's Toyota V6 modded to produce a wodge more power.
The exterior has been heavily fettled, too, with an aggressive front splitter and U-shaped rear spoiler sprouting from the boot. Wheels are forged alloy items shod in Pirelli P-Zero Corsa rubber.
Inside you'll find leather and carbonfibre trim galore: the seats are by Recaro, made from composite to trim weight and look the part for posing.
Although not yet confirmed for general sale, we hear Lotus has serious plans for a production run of the Evora GTE. Watch this space for more news.
Lotus at Pebble Beach 2011
The new Lotus Evora GTE Road Car Concept will be shown at the McCall’s Motorworks Revival event on Wednesday night at the Monterey Jet Center.
But Lotus will also show a US-only Exige Matte Black Final Edition to mark the end of American production. It gets a 257bhp power hike, a subdued black paintjob and matching Alcantara sports seats. Just 25 will be sold.
Eterniti Motors: a new UK-built luxury SUV (2012)
A new British car company will launch at the 2011 Frankfurt motor show - Eterniti Motors - and its first car will be a luxury crossover.
Incredibly, the new bespoke manufacturer will be based in London, where it says it will design and assemble its new top-end cars.
The first model, which doesn't have a name yet, will be a crossover in the mould of the Lagonda SUV: a £150,000-200,000 luxury 4x4, based on the mechanicals of a mainstream crossover. We're not sure who yet, but who'd bet against the innards of a Range Rover/BMW X5/Merc ML?
Eterniti Motors: are they serious?
Apparently deadly so. The brief announcement today claims there is a suite of international backers to the enterprise, although no figureheads have been revealed yet. The full story will be announced on 13 September at Frankfurt, but there will be two further announcements before then.
A spokesman said: 'There are people with lots of experience of motorsport, luxury cars, high-performance road cars and driving experts involved. This is a fully UK project.'
Sounds to us like Eterniti Motors will be powered by some former bigwigs from the industry. People of the calibre of Martin Leach, ex-Ford of Europe and Maserati boss, perhaps.
The company was registered in September 2010 and is registered to an address in Stevenage, Hertfordshire.
The Eterniti Motors crossover in full
Apart from this design sketch, very little else is being said about the five-door Eterniti 4x4. The company vows first deliveries will be made in 2012 and says there will be a high level of bespoke manufacturing.
'The car will be very well equipped as standard, but we will do whatever personalisation the customer wants,' said a spokesman. 'If they want a diamond-encrusted rooflining, we will do it.'
The crossover is the first in a small range of cars and the official hinted that a high-performance model would follow the crossover.
Incredibly, the new bespoke manufacturer will be based in London, where it says it will design and assemble its new top-end cars.
The first model, which doesn't have a name yet, will be a crossover in the mould of the Lagonda SUV: a £150,000-200,000 luxury 4x4, based on the mechanicals of a mainstream crossover. We're not sure who yet, but who'd bet against the innards of a Range Rover/BMW X5/Merc ML?
Eterniti Motors: are they serious?
Apparently deadly so. The brief announcement today claims there is a suite of international backers to the enterprise, although no figureheads have been revealed yet. The full story will be announced on 13 September at Frankfurt, but there will be two further announcements before then.
A spokesman said: 'There are people with lots of experience of motorsport, luxury cars, high-performance road cars and driving experts involved. This is a fully UK project.'
Sounds to us like Eterniti Motors will be powered by some former bigwigs from the industry. People of the calibre of Martin Leach, ex-Ford of Europe and Maserati boss, perhaps.
The company was registered in September 2010 and is registered to an address in Stevenage, Hertfordshire.
The Eterniti Motors crossover in full
Apart from this design sketch, very little else is being said about the five-door Eterniti 4x4. The company vows first deliveries will be made in 2012 and says there will be a high level of bespoke manufacturing.
'The car will be very well equipped as standard, but we will do whatever personalisation the customer wants,' said a spokesman. 'If they want a diamond-encrusted rooflining, we will do it.'
The crossover is the first in a small range of cars and the official hinted that a high-performance model would follow the crossover.
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