The new FG Ford Falcon has been unveiled in Australia, and it comes in three rim levels: the baseline XT, the G and the top of the range sporty XR. Other than the different exterior kit that each trim level comes with, the biggest difference between the cars is under the hood.

The baseline Ford Falcon XT comes equipped with a 4.0 liter normally aspirated inline-6 producing 261 horsepower and 391Nm of torque, mated to a 5-speed automatic gearbox with sequential manual shifting, or an optional ZF 6-speed automatic. The other engine option is an LPG engine that produces 209 horsepower mated to a 4-speed auto, likely to be the choice of Australian taxis.

The Ford Falcon G is pretty much the same as the XT with the 5-speed, except it has the G series front bumper, fog lamps, 17 inch wheels and a more luxurious interior. The suspension is also tuned for a sportier drive compared the more comfort oriented suspension of the XT. The Falcon G6E adds the ZF 6-speed gearbox and more interior luxuries like Bluetooth mobile phone integration, a premium audio and DVD system, leather seats, power driver seat and dual-zone climate control.

The top of the range G is the Falcon G6E Turbo which features a turbocharged inline-6 engine producing 363 horsepower at 5,250rpm and 533Nm of torque between 2,000rpm and 4,750rpm, mated to a 6-speed ZF automatic. The G6E Turbo also has iPod integration with its audio system.

The Ford Falcon XR series comes in either XR6, XR6 Turbo or XR8 trims. The XR6 features the normally aspirated inline-6 with similiar gearbox options as the XT, but you also get a Tremec 6-speed manual option. The XR6 Turbo shares the G6E Turbo’s turbocharged engine, but adds a limited slip differential. The top of the range XR8 has a normally aspirated 5.4 liter Ford Boss V8 that produces 389 horepower at 5,750rpm and 520Nm of torque at 4,750rpm.

So the performance Falcon enthusiast will be quite spoilt for choice really, on one hand you get a delicious sounding normally aspirated V8, but on the other hand a mega large and wide torque curve inline-6, and they both make about the same power and twisting action, just delivered differently. Being a Falcon and for the Australian market, the car is naturally large and rear wheel driven.

More photos after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of New FG 2009 Ford Falcon XT, G and XR

Ford has released a promotional video of the new 2009 Ford Fiesta, the production version of the Verve Concept. Watch the video after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of Ford releases 2009 Ford Fiesta video

Ford’s production version of the iosis X concept will make its debut at the Geneva Motor Show as the Ford Kuga. The Kuga, which some consider essentially a CrossFocus, will come with a 2.0 liter Duratorq TDCi engine making 134 horsepower and 320Nm of torque at 2,000rpm, with an overboost function which raises boost levels at short intervals to 340Nm for overtaking or whenever that extra power is needed. This engine is mated to a 6-speed manual.

Two versions are available - one front wheel driven and the other with an intelligent Haldex full-time AWD version. Other safety features include Electronic Stability Programme (ESP) with combined Anti Rollover Mitigation (ARM), ABS brakes with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD), and Trailer Stability Assist (TSA).

The Ford Kuga seats 5, and the second row splits 60:40 to extend boot space from 360 liters to 1355 liters.

More photos after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of Ford Kuga to debut at Geneva 2008

Peugeot owners now have a new Blue Box to go to in Glenmarie, Shah Alam. The new 20,000 square feet Glenmarie Peugeot Blue Box in Shah Alam set up by new Peugeot distributor Nasim Sdn Bhd was renovated at a cost of more than RM2 million, and features 11 service bays out of which 4 are fast service bays, serviced by 11 highly trained technicians. These technicians are equipped with the latest state-of-the-art Peugeot Planet System (PPS) diagnostic equipment. The PPS comes with an internet feed to a 24-hour call center that is able to ‘communicate’ with Peugeot vehicles when plugged in to analyze and look into any problems that may occur.

Nasim Sdn Bhd also houses RM3 million worth of spareparts in its main parts warehouse. Tan Sri SM Nasimuddin SM Amin said that Nasim Sdn Bhd has already reduced parts prices by up to 20%. Other than the flagship Blue Box in Glenmarie, there are already 21 service centres nationwide that are able to handle the 206 Bestari and out of which, 12 are fully equipped to handle the full range of Peugeot vehicles.

Nasim also announced that local assembly of the Peugeot 407 (to be badged as a Peugeot) will begin soon, and bookings will begin to be collected from March 15 2008 onwards. Peugeot owners and interested parties may contact Nasim at the Peugeot careline at 03-26177777.

Related Links:
Peugeot Malaysia Service Network
Peugeot Malaysia
Nasim takes over the Peugeot brand in Malaysia
Naza secures Peugeot distributorship for 2008

Ford toyed around with the Verve name abit for its new B-segment hatchback contender, but has decided to stick to the Ford Fiesta name for the production version of its very well received Ford Verve Concept.

The Ford Fiesta series of cars have sold over 12 million units since the first generation Fiesta made its debut in 1976. It will conceived during the times of the global fuel crisis in 1973, and the project was originally known as Project Bobcat. The Fiesta name was picked out of a list of 50 potential names in 1974. With over 30 years of investment in the Fiesta brand, it makes sense for Ford to just stick to it.

The new 2009 Ford Fiesta was designed and developed in Europe for customers in Europe, Asia, South Africa, Australia and the Americas between 2008 and 2010, and is Ford’s global product development process’s first major product.

The car’s first production debut will be at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show, and the new hatchback will go in sale in fall 2008 onwards in both 3-door and 5-door guises. By 2010, the new Ford Fiesta will be in the rest of Europe, Asia, South Africa, Australia and North America, though they will not be exactly the same car, but regionally tailored models derived from a common platform. Expect a sedan variant too.

The European Ford Fiesta will be the “most sophisticated Fiesta ever”, according to Ford Europe CEO John Fleming. It will feature capless refueling, USB connectivity, a driver’s knee airbag and ambient interior lighting, features that are usually only available in cars higher up in the segments. The Fiesta’s interior even keeps the concept version’s mobile-phone lookalike center dash control layout.

More photos of the new Ford Fiesta after the jump.

Related Posts:
New American Ford Verve Sedan Concept Unveiled
Ford Verve Sedan Unveiled In China
Ford Verve Concept previews 2009 Ford Fiesta

Click here to read the rest of Ford Fiesta based on Verve Concept for Geneva 08

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Toyota has unveiled a single photo of the production version of the small three-seater Toyota iQ, and it will be shown to the public for the first time at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show in March 2008. Unlike the Tata Nano, the iQ is aimed at the premium city car market instead of the affordable city car market.

The Toyota iQ will take 3 adults, and 1 additional child if the boot space is sacrificed for a child seat. The driver will have gadgets like a heads up display for important information like vehicle speed and satellite navigation instructions.

Safety is provided by a strong safety cell, which functions much like smart’s tridion safety cell. No information on the drivetrain has been provided at this time.

Wait for Geneva to roll by for more information on the production Toyota iQ.

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As reported in November last year, Toyota will be displaying a compact SUV destined for the European market at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show, and it will be called the Toyota Urban Cruiser. At that point I mentioned that the new small SUV would be based on the Toyota ist/Scion xD underpinings, but what I did not expect Toyota to do was to give Europe a copy with minimal exterior styling differences and a jacked up suspension!

Expect either a 1.5 liter VVT-i from our Vios or a 1.8 liter Dual VVT-i engine to be slotted in the new Toyota Urban Cruiser SUV. Only one front three quarter photo have been released by Toyota at the moment, so wait for more photos and details to be revealed when the vehicle is displayed at Geneva 2008.

Related Posts:
Toyota to develop new small SUV for Europe
Scion xD 5-door urban subcompact

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Porsche has just unveiled the new Porsche 911 GT3 RSR, an extensively modified motorsports version of the Porsche 911, powered by a normally aspirated 3.8 liter boxer engine and a 6-speed sequential gearbox. It weighs approximately 1,225 kg complying with A.C.O. regulations, and 1,200 kg complying with FIA regulations.

The 6-cylinder boxer engine is an all-aluminium unit that makes its 465 horsepower at 8,000rpm, but the rev needle goes all the way up to a maximum engine speed of 9,400rpm, approaching superbike territory. Each cylinder has a bore of 102.7mm and a stroke of 76.4mm. Peak torque of 430Nm which exceeds the usual 100Nm per liter ratio is achieved at 7,250rpm. The engine uses dry sump lubrication, individual throttle butterflies, and requires RON 98 fuel.

The transmission is a 6-speed sequential with a jaw-style shift. The gearbox was developed with the know how gained from the RS Spyder sports prototype. The gearbox features a oil/water heat exchanger, a single mass flywheel, a hydraulic disengagement lever, a three-plate carbon-fibre clutch, and a 45:65 LSD. It is considerably lighter than its predecessor with reduced internal friction, and the flat angle of the drive shafts allow racing teams a wider range of suspension settings.

The GT3 RSR suspension consists of McPherson strut design at the front with Sachs four-way gas pressure dampers, double coil springs (main and ancillary spring), camber adjustable front axle arms, and an adjustable swordtype anti-roll bar on both sides. The rear suspension uses a multi-arm axle with rigidly mounted axle sub-frame, Sachs four-way gas pressure dampers, double coil springs (main and auxiliary spring), a reinforced and an infinitely adjustable rear axle tie-bar. The suspension is infinitely adjustable in the height, camber and track variables.

Brakes are single-piece six-pot aluminium fixed calipers at the front with 380mm discs and racing brake pads, while the rear uses 355mm discs with four-pot calipers. Wheels are three-piece BBS light-alloy wheels measuring 11J x 18-34 at the front and 13J x 18-12.5 at the rear.

The race-spec body of the GT3 RSR is made of hot-galvanised steel. The front bumper, underfloor and rear wing are aerodynamically optimised. It uses a fast filling function for the 90 liter safety fuel tank. On the inside there is a welded-in roll cage, a bucket-type racing seat on the driver’s side with a flame-resistant seat cover, a six-point HANS seatbelt, and an electric fire-extinguishing system.

More photos after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of Race-spec Porsche 911 GT3 RSR

The new Lancia Delta will be unveiled at the 2008 Geneva auto show and it will be the first Lancia to be launched since the Lancia Musa minivan in 2004. It will go on sale in 2010. Lancia intends to sell 70,000 Lancia Deltas annually, with 50% of that in Lancia’s homeland of Italy. It will be produced in the Cassino plant, along with the Fiat Bravo and Croma models. Both right hand drive and left hand drive models will be produced.

We first saw signs of the new Delta in the Delta HPE Concept shown before, and this production version has softer lines but still generally looks like the concept. From photos especially the side profile you can see it looks very much like a Fiat Bravo, and in reality the Delta is in fact based on a stretched Fiat Bravo platform, which is 100mm longer at 2700mm. The car is 4500mm long, 1800mm wide and 1500mm tall.

The interior also is obviously a restyling of the Bravo’s interior. You get a Bose Hi-Fi radio incorporating a CD player and MP3 file reader with steering-wheel mounted controls, and of course the Blue & Me in-car entertainment controls developed with Microsoft that was also in the Bravo.

The Lancia Delta will come with a range of turbocharged engines producing power outputs ranging from 120 horsepower up to 200 horsepower, and these engines are mix-matched to a range of manual, automatic and computer-controlled clutch manuals.

More photos after the jump.

Related Posts:
Lancia Delta HPE Concept
Fiat Bravo GT 1.4 T-JET 150hp Short Test Drive

Click here to read the rest of New Lancia Delta: first new model since 2004

The latest principal to enter the Malaysian market with stakeholding is Suzuki Motor, which has just acquired 40% of Suzuki Malaysia Automobile, previously a DRB-Hicom company. Suzuki will pay RM 14 million for the 40% stake, and another 20% stake will be taken up by Japanese trading form Itochu, which will pay RM 7 million. The remaining 40% is held by DRB-Hicom.

“The proposed joint venture displays Suzuki’s strong commitment to strengthen its relationship with DRB-Hicom in the marketing, distribution and assembly of Suzuki vehicles in Malaysia and to widen its product range and models in Malaysia,” said DRB-Hicom in a statement.

The new JV will be complete by end Q1 2008, and will involve subscription of new ordinary shares of RM1.00 each in SMA. SMA will issue and allot a total of 21 million new ordinary shares of RM1.00 each in SMA, through an increase in issued and paid-up capital from RM14 million to RM35 million. DRB-Hicom is expected to realise an estimated gain of RM5.2 million from the Proposed Joint Venture based on SMAs audited financial statement for the financial year ended 31 March 2007.

This could mean faster time to market for new Suzuki products in Malaysia as well as perhaps better allocation of stock to reduce waiting times.