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Paris 2010: Chevrolet is the busiest GM brand in Paris – Aveo, Orlando and Cruze hatchback get world debuts

October 5, 2010 at 6:28 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under 2010 Paris Motor Show, Cars, Chevrolet, General Motors

Chevrolet was easily the busiest GM brand in Paris with the world debuts of three models – the Cruze hatchback, Orlando MPV and the Aveo supermini. The former is Chevy’s attempt to swim with the big boys in Europe, where C-segment hatchbacks are favoured over sedans.

“Hatchbacks play a critical role in many markets. The total compact segment in Europe represents around 4.8 million units which is over a quarter of the total market, with hatchbacks representing around 65% of that volume. We therefore expect to see increased business in a number of regions, while sending out a signal that Chevrolet is now a serious mainstream player in Europe,” said Wayne Brannon, MD of Chevrolet Europe.

The official pics released before Paris didn’t show the Cruze hatch’s interior. We now know that it’s identical to the saloon’s, save for nicer seats that sport body colour design. The hatch will have 60/40 split fold seats and a 400-litre boot capacity. This Holden designed five-door will be sold in Europe from mid 2011.

Moving one segment down, the new Aveo carries over much of the Aveo RS show car’s (from Detroit 2010) looks including the huge headlamps, oversized grille and rear door handles that are hidden in the C pillars. This car is longer and wider than the current model. A sedan version will be launched alongside this five-door next year in Europe.

There are three petrol engines – a 1.2L (70 hp and 86 hp), 1.4L (100 hp) and a 1.6L with 115 hp. Europe will also get a 1.3-litre diesel (75 hp or 95 hp) featuring Start/Stop tech. Chevy’s 6-speed auto is an option on the 1.4 and 1.6.

Two years ago in Paris, Chevy showed off the Orlando Concept, this year the production model is displayed. While the lines and edges aren’t as sharp as the original concept, the Orlando is still unique in the class for having a square, butch shape which Chevy describes as “crossover style design”. The seven seater MPV has theater style seating and a “dual cockpit” dash design as seen on the Cruze. It will also share drivetrains with the C-segment car.

These are all global cars designed for markets as diverse as Europe and the developing BRIC nations, and should find their way here someday. Live gallery after the jump. Do you like what you see?
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BMW Malaysia to fix affected V8/V12 brake vacuum pumps

October 5, 2010 at 6:13 pm By Paul Tan Filed Under BMW, Cars, Local News

BMW will be conducting a ‘technical service campaign’ to work on defective Brake Vacuum Pumps found in certain V8 and V12 equipped cars built between 2001 and 2009. Affected vehicles may develop a leak in the braking system that could cause a vacuum loss, resulting in a decrease in brake power assistance.

The following are the models affected: 2002-2002 BMW 745i/Li, 750i/Li, and 760i/Li, 2007-2007 BMW Alpina B7, 2004-2010 BMW 645i and 650i, 2004-2010 BMW 545i and 550i, and the 2003-2010 Rolls-Royce Phantom.

“Our BMW cars here in Malaysia are largely not affected by the Brake Vacuum Pump issue as the majority – 98% – of our cars sold here run on four and six cylinder engines. The issue is also only limited to certain eight and twelve cylinder engines which were built between 2001 and 2009. We have identified these cars here and we will be running a campaign to further ensure our customer’s peace of mind. There have been no reports of any accidents having occurred as a result of the defective brake vacuum pumps,” said BMW Group Malaysia managing director Geoffrey Briscoe.

The problem will take approximately 1 day to fix and it will be at no cost to the customer. Customers who have purchased V8 and V12 vehicles through grey importers are also advised to bring their cars in to check if their cars are affected. We called BMW Malaysia up and checked and it seems that if the conditions of the grey import car fit the service campaign criteria, the fix will also be at no charge to the grey import car owner.

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Hyundai release i20 Sports Edition CRD model in Paris

October 5, 2010 at 4:24 pm By Jacob Alexander Filed Under 2010 Paris Motor Show, Cars, Hyundai, International News

Hyundai and its European R&D Centre in Rüsselsheim, Germany, has developed an i20 Sport Edition, in cooperation with German high performance tuning company Car Research and Development (CRD), a Brabus-related company.

Essentially a body kit package direct from the manufacturer, it adds exterior enhancements such as a body-coloured front skirt, flared wheel arches, a glossy radiator grille mesh insert and black bezel headlights with day time running lights. Housed under those flared wheel arches are 17-inch Brabus alloy wheels shod in Yokohama tyres, along with glossy B-pillars, smoked windows and dark red tinted rear lights.

Moving on inside, orange leather lines the Recaro seats, while a black leather gearshift cover with orange-colored seams, a chrome gear shift knob, a leather-wrapped center console, leather-covered door panels, and a 7-inch touch screen navigation are added to give an interior to match the exterior.

For more pictures look after the jump for a picture gallery.
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New Mazda BT-50 interior revealed

October 5, 2010 at 4:13 pm By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, International News, Mazda

mazda bt-50 interior

Following on the teaser sketch of its new BT-50 pick-up truck, which is slated to make its global debut at the 2010 Australian International Motor Show in Sydney later this month, Mazda has released a peek into the upcoming vehicle’s interior.

Mazda is tagging the BT-50 as an “active lifestyle vehicle” (a truck isn’t just a truck anymore these days, it would seem), so the interior reflects that focus with a layout presentation that falls in line with the company’s current passenger car standard.

Elements include a symmetrical dashboard that wraps around the front occupants, with lots of smooth, flowing lines throughout and plenty of silver-coloured accents to help offset the two-tone grey monotony. Features include climate control, a centrally located LCD info display panel and an enhanced legibility instrument meter cluster.

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Paris 2010: Renault Zoe previews new signature front

October 5, 2010 at 2:46 am By Danny Tan Filed Under 2010 Paris Motor Show, Cars, Hybrids and Alternative Fuel, Renault

The Renault-Nissan Alliance is dead serious about the electric revolution, and with the Nissan Leaf already creating waves, the Paris Motor Show saw Renault opening order books for the Kangoo Express Z.E. and the Fluence Z.E. electric cars. They will go on sale in mid-2011, and the Z.E. range will later expand to include the scooter-like Twizy and this cute Zoe.

The Zoe Preview is an accurate preview of the car that will debut in mid 2012. How true? Renault says that what you see here is 90% identical to the car that will roll out from Flins, France. This Zoe is also significant because it showcases Renault’s new brand identity for the first time, including the front look, so get used to it.

The Zoe is a Clio sized supermini that’s electric powered but has “everything expected of a B-segment car” including a roomy interior, spacious boot, manoeuvrable handling in the city and reassuring road holding for longer drives.

A lithium-ion battery powers the 80 hp/222 Nm electric motor with a combined range of 160 km. 0-100 km/h is done in 8.1 seconds on to a top speed of 135 km/h. Charging from your regular socket takes between 6 and 8 hours via a “Wall-Box” that comes with the car. For emergency situations, a public fast charge point will give 60 km range in less than 10 minutes or 80% battery capacity in 30 minutes.

The showcar also has some creative highlights. Billed as a “Spa Car”, the Zoe also has anti-dehydrating air con (good for skin), a toxicity sensor for cabin air, a stimulating or relaxing scent diffuser (created in conjunction with Biotherm, L’Oréal) and light therapy courtesy of Philips. Cute, just like the car.

Live gallery from Paris after the jump. For studio pics, click here.
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Passat BlueMotion sets world record run on a tank of fuel

October 5, 2010 at 1:13 am By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, International News, Volkswagen

vw fuel record

Nothing like one upmanship, indeed. In the latest round of cock a snook in the numbers game, a standard production model 1.6-litre 105PS TDI Volkswagen Passat BlueMotion has set a new Guinness World Record for the longest distance travelled by a standard production passenger car on a single tank of fuel.

The attempt, made in England by a team from The Sunday Times, involved taking the Passat BlueMotion from Maidstone, Kent to the south of France and back. After 1,526.63 miles, or 2,456.87km, the car finally ran out of gas near Calais.

The route comprised mainly French highways, but included some town driving, resulting in an average speed of just over 72.5 kph.

Gavin Conway drove the Passat BlueMotion during the three-day record-breaking journey, accompanied by a navigator and video crew. Following the entire drive in a van was a two-man team from the UK AA, there to witness the journey independently for the Guinness World Records organisation, which accredited the record.

The Passat BlueMotion’s fuel tank was drained before the record breaking journey and filled with 77.25 litres of standard diesel, and the end result was an overall fuel consumption of 89.83 miles per gallon, or if you prefer metric, 31.8 km per litre (3.14 litre per 100km). Which is quite a fetching figure.

Expect attempts by the Teutonic competition to break this record, and not too long in the future. It is, after all, undoubtedly about bragging rights, and right now it’s Veedub’s to rub.

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BMW introduces website for Project i

October 5, 2010 at 12:31 am By Anthony Lim Filed Under BMW, Cars, Hybrids and Alternative Fuel, International News

BMW Project i 1

BMW has launched its official Project i website, which is set to highlight information and developing news on how its think tank is going about addressing the subject of sustainable mobility of the future.

The company says that the website will provide an in-depth, up-to-the-minute insight into the various approaches and solutions it is employing, from the basic vision of e-mobility and test-beds such as the MINI E and the BMW ActiveE to the LifeDrive concept of the Megacity Vehicle.

bmw project i 2

The site will also provide an overview of the public discussion and general developments in the field of sustainable mobility, with commentary being provided by relevant voices from the web, video clips and blog posts from around the world.

There’s also a Facebook page and an integrated Twitter channel, where users can subscribe to receive the latest news, contribute their own relevant links, and join in the discussion.

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Peugeot HR1 – a new concept for the SUV category

October 4, 2010 at 10:21 pm By Jacob Alexander Filed Under 2010 Paris Motor Show, Cars, International News, Peugeot

Just as the SR1 was Peugeot’s concept that showcased the design of its future sedan or coupe models, the HR1 is the SUV/Crossover equivalent. Based on various body designs, the HR1 is created to appeal to young city dwellers, individuals and couples.

The HR1 is motivated by Peugeot’s Hybrid4 technology, which sees the use of a turbocharged three cylinder 110hp 1.2 litre engine that drives the front wheels, along with a 37hp electric motor, driving the rear. This gives a combined power out put of 147hp and a respectable 2.9/100km fuel consumption figure.

You can also expect to see the French company downsizing their engines to this three-cylinder engine in the future, in line with their environmental strategy. This model in particular gives a CO2 figure of just 80g/km.

Power is transferred to its four wheels via an electronically controlled 6-speed manual gearbox that has a full automatic or sequential option.

Design wise you can see a lot of the SR1 in the concept, especially in the headlights and single floating front grille. The HR1 gets full LED rear lights as does most new Peugeot models today. What will stand out is its electric scissor doors, which is said to come in useful in tight parking spaces, while roof design seems to have been inspired by the RCZ Coupe, with its double bubble shape.

Inside, apart from the slightly higher driving position, the interior gets Heads-up display and an intuitive “man-machine interface” in the form of a movement recognition system, that controls audio, satellite navigation and air conditioning systems.

Peugeot go on to say that in terms of space, the car has been designed primarily for young city dwellers without children. Thus you can keep all sorts in the back, which has a load space of 734 litre, apart from children.

Enjoy more of the concept after the jump.
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Nissan Townpod EV – Leaf technology in new segments

October 4, 2010 at 10:12 pm By Jacob Alexander Filed Under 2010 Paris Motor Show, Cars, Hybrids and Alternative Fuel, International News, Nissan

Nissan has revealed the Townpod EV at the Paris Motorshow, which looks very much like an electric Cube. The Townpod is said to cater to all manner of situations, be it the nuclear family off for a long weekend or the weekly visit to the supermarket.

Utilizing the same technology found in the Nissan Leaf, the car’s charging point is found on its nose. The showcar in Paris is covered in Stratosphere White paint, with electric blue hints visible behind the door handles, number plates, spokes of the alloy wheels and within the headlamp pods. The van will feature suicide doors as well.

Inside functions such as climate control and media playback are accessed with two centrally digital screens. The top screen provides information such as car speed, battery status, remaining range and navigation system, while the bottom touch screen provides controls for nav systems, audio system and allows users to perform system checks.

Other interesting features include a thing called the “Puck”, which is a rubber ball, with a wide groove cut into it. It is said to be able to accommodate drink holders and mobile phones. Easing loading issues, the Van’s boot features an interesting design, with doors hinged to either side of the back. The addition of a hatch-like sun roof, directly above the cargo area, allows Nissan Townpod to carry taller objects.

A picture gallery is available after the jump.
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Paris 2010: Hyundai’s new B-segment MPV, the ix20

October 4, 2010 at 4:58 am By Danny Tan Filed Under 2010 Paris Motor Show, Cars, Hyundai, Koreans

This is the Hyundai ix20 which made its world debut at Paris. Described by its maker as “MPV” and “B-segment”, one can see this as a Matrix replacement. It’s actually a restyled Kia Venga, which means it’s a still a five seater, but a large one that offers more space than Hyundai’s traditional B-segment supermini, the i20.

To give you a better idea on the size, the ix20 is 4.1 metres long and has a 2,615 mm wheelbase. The 3,920 mm long Honda Jazz, which is a very space efficient B-segment car, has a 2,500 mm wheelbase while the original Naza Citra (Kia Carens) had a 2,560 mm wheelbase. Sitting inside to snap the cabin shot you see here, I can confirm that the car does feel very spacious thanks to its tall roof.

It doesn’t look too gawky from the outside though. The ix20 features Hyundai’s “fluidic sculpture” theme so you see a lot of design lines all over the place. The face is prominent, thanks to the hexagon grille (check out the unique detailing) and large upswept headlamps, and is easily recognisable as the Tucson’s sibling. Hyundai says that this is a “friendly face” – what do you think?

All four engines – two petrol and two diesel from 77 PS to 125 PS – are Euro5 compliant. Every drivetrain combo except for the 1.6 auto will be available in Blue Drive form, which consists of Integrated Stop & Go (ISG) tech, low rolling-resistance tyres and an alternator management system. Hyundai expects a maximum 5-star Euro NCAP rating for the ix20.

Designed and developed at Hyundai’s R&D centre in Russelsheim, Germany, the ix20 will be made at the company’s newest European plant in Nošovice, Czech Republic. Perhaps Hyundai should locally assemble this model in Malaysia, too. Gallery after the jump.
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