The king of the luxury 4WDs will go on a diet for it’s next generation, but it’s a diet plan that will take 15 years. A new lighter Range Rover is being proposed by Land Rover engineers for the 2012 model year, using stablemate Jaguar’s rivet-bonded aluminium monocoque chassis technology.

This construction technique will save the new L405 Range Rover nearly 500kg, improving it’s fuel consumption, power, and so many other variables. It will also have a shorter roof so that it’ll look less top heavy. A hybrid drivetrain is also in the works - we don’t really expect petrol prices to have improved much by 2012.

Suzuki has given it’s Suzuki Swift a mid-life facelift, and has added a new variant called the Suzuki Swift Style, giving it some minor changes such as a new grille with dual chrome bars across, as well as a slightly different foglamp insert design. One major technical difference is the base model gets a new 1.2 liter K12B engine option that’s mated to a CVT transmission. The new 1.2 liter K12B makes 90PS at 6,000rpm and 118Nm of torque a 4,400rpm, pretty respectable for a tiny 1.2 liter engine.

Other than that, everything else about the Swift seems pretty much the same. Since the design is pretty pleasant to look at in the first place, perhaps Suzuki is adopting the “if it ain’t broken, don’t fix it” methodology here.

The updated Suzuki Swift Sport gets an altered gear ratio, a new electronic stability control feature, plus it’s redline is increased from 6,800rpm to 7,200rpm.

More photos after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of 2007 Suzuki Swift Facelift

Even though first introduced ten years ago back in 1997, the Isuzu VehiCROSS still looks space today. The Isuzu VehiCROSS was never intended to be a mass production model, produced only as a halo car. In concept form, it was showcased with both 4-door and a roadster body, but only the 2-door version made it’s way into production. Underneath it lay mostly mechanicals from the Isuzu Trooper, and engine options were also the same 3.2 liter and 3.5 liter V6 petrol engines that make over 200 horsepower.

Despite it’s looks, it had real offroad capabilities, including a low ratio transfer case. It’s 4-wheel-drive system was also advanced for it’s time, using a Torque On Demand system from BorgWarner, using 12 independent sensors to detect wheel spin and redirecting power to the wheels with the most traction.

Now, why am I blogging about this? Well, there’s a 1999 model Isuzu VehiCROSS on sale on Ebay Malaysia, and the bid is standing at about MYR 108,000.00 right now. There are only 4309 units in the whole world.

Previously referred to as the BMW V3, it looks like BMW’s long anticipated crossover mini MPV vehicle will be called the BMW F3 instead, and the small 3-series based 5-seater gets the green light for production. The BMW F3 will be a 3-series-based product with a little more utility designed into it, think of it as BMW’s answer to the Mercedes Benz B-Class.

AutoWeek reported a BMW insider giving the following statement: “Weve looked carefully at prevailing market trends, and there appears to be a clear shift away from old-style multi-purpose vehicles. By combining the high seating position of a sport/utility vehicle with the space afforded by a traditional station wagon, crossovers appear to be providing an clear alternative to buyers.”

Most of it’s components will be shared with the 3-Series and the upcoming full model change BMW X3 which should arrive in 2009. The BMW F3 is expected to go into production somewhere in mid-2010.

Following this naming scheme, BMW’s RFK, or Raumfunktionales Konzept which means “space-functional concept” which is expeced to be a larger Mercedes Benz R-Class rival will likely be called the BMW F5.

I don’t know about you, but V3 and V5 definitely seems to have a better ring to it than F3 and F5. Besides, BMW is already going to use the F letter for it’s new chassis codes, since the E chassis codes are sort of running out of numbers.

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BorgWarner and Volkswagen has developed a new DSG (Direct Shift Gearbox) gearbox codenamed DQ200 which will succeed it’s current DG250 6-speed DSG gearbox from BorgWarner. One major difference relevant to the consumer would be it’s 7-gears compared to the first generation DSG’s 6-speeds.

The new 7-speed DSG now uses twin dry clutches, while the 6-speed DSG uses oil-submerged clutches. The new gearbox uses a pair of dry, organic bonded friction linings that do not require cooling, making the drivetrain more efficient through the extra ratio and the fact that less power is required for the gear selection and clutch servo system. The new 7-speed DSG weighs 79kg, compared to 75kg for the 6-speed unit, however despite being heavier, it is smaller. Oil volume has been reduced by 75% from 7 liters to 1.7 liters, thanks to the new dry clutches. This oil travels in two different circuits - one for the gear teeth, and the other feeds the gear actuators.

Since there are now more ratios to play with, the first gear of the new 7-speed DSG has had it’s ratio increased to provide stronger acceleration from a standstill, while the 7th gear acts as a high ratio overdrive to help ease on the fuel consumption on highway drives. Another feature would be the ability for the DSG gearbox to be mounted transversely. Thanks to it’s compact size, the DSG gearbox can now be mounted into smaller Volkswagens like the Polo as well as it’s larger siblings.

The new gearbox will first debut in 1.4 liter TSI and 1.9 liter TDI equipped Volkswagens. It only handles power outputs up to 170 PS and 250Nm of torque, so don’t expect it to appear in the more high performance models such as the Golf GTI.

In other Volkswagen news, the staple 1.6 liter FSI engine will be replaced by the recently announced 1.4 liter Turbo FSI engine. This is not the same as the 1.4 liter TSI engine - it only has a turbocharger without a supercharger and produces 122 PS maximum power and 200Nm of torque from as low as 1,500rpm, compared to the 1.4 liter TSI’s 140 PS and 170 PS ratings. All models using the 1.6 FSI engine will be replaced with a 1.4 Turbo FSI model, including the Golf, Golf Plus, Golf Estate, Jetta, Passat, and others.

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Click here to read the rest of Volkswagen announces new 7-speed DSG gearbox

Perhaps after finding out that most Golf Sport buyers have similiar profiles to the Golf GT’s and vice versa, Volkswagen decides to merge the Golf Sport and Golf GT trim levels, creating a single Golf GT Sport trim.

Positioned below the Golf GTI, the new Golf GT Sport has Volkswagen’s award-winning 1.4 liter TSI engine under it’s hood, providing both 140PS and 170PS output levels. A TDI version of the Golf GT Sport uses a 2.0 liter TDI turbodiesel with two different outputs as well - 140PS and 170PS. Gearbox options are either 6-speed manual or 6-speed DSG. These specs qualify it for “warm hatch” status.

You can differentiate a Golf GT Sport from other normal Golfs with it’s darkened grille section, 17 inch ClassiXs design alloy wheels, rear twin chrome exhausts on the 170PS models, GT Sport badges on the front grille and on the rear, as well as a pair of darkened headlamps.

Click to enlarge

Skoda has created this amazing Skoda Fabia cake for it’s latest TV advertisement campaign in the UK. They’ve swapped rivets for raisins, metal for marzipan and spark plugs for sugar. The video was filmed at West Londons Shepperton Studios, and Skoda even includes a recipe for the cake available online. You’ll find both the advertisement and the recipe after the jump. The recipe is really not that useful, more like a list of ingredients which gives you an idea just how big the Fabia cake is.

Click here to read the rest of Skoda Fabia cake!

We previously saw a glimpse of the upcoming Peugeot 308 when someone manage to snap photos of it while it was out on an advertisement shoot. Here, we get to see full images of the front, rear, as well as the interior, thanks to some leaked product photos that got out to the internet.

The base model will get a 1.6 liter normally aspirated inline-4 engine, the same one as found in the R56 MINI Cooper. 308SW stationwagon and 308CC coupe convertible versions are expected to be added to the model range later.

Click here to read the rest of Peugeot 308 Press Images Leaked

So you’ve seen a go-kart going out of it’s territory and entering the car’s playground - the empty highways of Quebec City in Canada. The cars have decided to twist this irony around the other way - after the jump you will find a video of a Lancia Delta S4 having some fun in a little go-kart track. Look at the way that little hatch changes directions!

The Lancia Delta S4 was a WRC car similiar to the Peugeot 405 T16 you saw in an earlier video. It had a 1.8 liter engine that used both supercharging and turbocharging, not unlike Volkswagen’s new award-winning 1.4 liter TSI engine. Output was more than 550 horses with minimal turbo lag thanks to dual forced induction.

Click here to read the rest of Lancia Delta S4 on go-kart track

SEAT is developing a new C/D-segment model, making the car one of the first few large sedans in the SEAT model range. SEAT’s model range currently consists of A-segment, B-segment and C-segment hatchbacks, with the only sedan being the B-segment SEAT Cordoba which is actually an Ibiza sedan.

The new sedan is codenamed the SEAT Protecto, and will offer SEAT customers who wish to upgrade from the B and C segments to something larger the option to stay within the brand that they’re so used to. The SEAT Protecto will come in both sedan and estate bodies, and will be built at SEAT’s Martorell plant in Spain. It’s expected to make it to production by the year 2009.

One more concept drawing after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of SEAT plans 2009 SEAT Protecto sedan and estate