Infiniti has announced a convertible version of the Infiniti G range, which will join its sedan and coupe siblings at the 2008 Los Angeles Motor Show in November.
The Infiniti G range currently consists of the G37 Sedan and G37 Coupe. All-wheel drive versions are also available in the form of the G37x, but don’t expect it to exhibit the same performance as the high-tech version in the Nissan GT-R.
After a low resolution leak yesterday, Volkswagen has decided to just release the initial info for the Mark 6 Golf, with full details to be revealed at the Paris Motor Show. The new Golf carries over the design language that made its debut with the Scirocco. The front grille is now slimmer and wider extending all the way to a headlamps, which is kind of like a modernised Mk4 Golf. This gives the Golf the effect of a more low-slung look. This means the upcoming Mark 6 GTI will likely look so much more sportier as well.
In the engine bay, the turbodiesel line-up is now fully common rail direct injection instead of the Pump Duse system and is available with various output levels: 90 PS, 110 PS, 140 PS and 170 PS, while the TSI petrol engines put out 80 PS, 102 PS, 122 PS and 160 PS.
The dashboard uses a dual-cowled design with white backlit dials. The interior shows use of aluminium and chrome highlights, kind of like an Audi’s dash but without all the red backlighting. The new Golf also promises to be quieter. It has a special damping film in the windshield and a newly developed seal for the doors and side window guides to reduce noise. The wing mirrors are also aerodynamically shaped to reduce wind noise. Other NVH tricks include new engine bearings, quieter tyres fitted as standard and sound proofing for the engine bay.
The Golf now features an optional Volkswagen Adaptive Chassis Control (similiar to Audi drive select) which is standard on the Scirocco and an option on the Passat CC. With ACC, the driver will be able to select between normal, comfort and sports modes which will vary the suspension, steering and accelerator behaviour accordingly. The car’s cruise control system has also been enhanced, now using a series of sensors to reduce the vehicle’s speed automatically if there is an obstruction in its path. The system can bring the car to a complete halt if necessary.
Safety enhancements include a more advanced ESP system, seatbelt sensors for the rear passengers and a new head restraint system designed to reduce whiplash injuries.
Look after the jump for more hi-res photos. Click here to read the rest of 6th Generation Volkswagen Golf Details and Photos
India’s DNA Money reports that the Proton Saga and the Proton Persona have been spotted on test on the Greater Noida Expressway in India. These may be Proton’s initial model range in the Indian market which is good as niche cars like the 3-door Satria Neo do not make sense at the moment. Interestingly the same report also considers Proton vehicles “high-end” but with quality and finishing issues. When contacted by DNA Money, officials from Proton and rumoured partner Argentum declined to comment.
Okay, so we’ve seen the Japanese market Honda Fit and Fit RS with the 1.3 liter and 1.5 liter engines, and the UK market Honda Jazz with the 1.2 liter and 1.4 liter engines and i-SHIFT gearbox. Before we see the Malaysian/ASEAN spec Jazz introduced here sometime this month, Honda has also unveiled the US version of the Honda Fit.
If you notice they are all basically the same car but with different engine and transmission options as well as minor styling changes here and there. The Japanese, UK and American models all have different front bumper designs. If you exclude the Japanese Fit RS, the American 2009 Honda Fit definitely has one of the more sportier styling elements out of the whole international range.
While the Japanese and UK cars have similiar tail lamps, the tail lamps of the US version have the same shape but a different lense design. The Thai version also has a different tail lamp design with more red than crystal as compared to its twins from the other regions, which is likely the version we will get.
Only one engine options is available in the US - a 1.5 liter i-VTEC inline-4 engine with either a 5-speed manual or a 5-speed auto, although it’s expected that a next generation 1.3 liter IMA gasoline-electric hybrid will be dumped into the Fit at a later date. Paddle shifters are available, and Honda also offers a sat nav system with the car.
More images after the jump. Click here to read the rest of 2009 Honda Fit for US market unveiled!
Proton sold 2,500 cars in the UK last year, but Proton Cars UK managing director Brian Collier is making efforts to improve performance including expanding its dealer network from its current 78 to a total of between 100 to 110 dealers. Proton sales in the UK was at a peak in 1992, an estimated 15,000 cars a year.
According to Collier, Proton enjoys one of the highest brand loyalties in the UK, currently standing at about 70%. Simon Park who is in charge of Proton Cars sales and marketing in the UK says that Proton has fiercely loyal customers and once they have someone as a customer they usually stay with Proton.
I suppose the problem is getting new customers then.
Electric cars or hybrid cars running on fully electric mode can pose a risk to pedestrians as there could be some people, especially those with hearing impairments or the blind, who are not aware of an approaching vehicle because they are just so silent. In fact, there was a bill in the US recently to require a minimum level of sound for vehicles sold in the US.
As an engineering consulting company and component designer/supplier, Lotus is tackling this issue with its new “Safe and Sound” Hybrid demo car. Lotus used a Toyota Prius as a demonstrator vehicle and applied its new Sound Synthesis system to it. The new technology combines Active Road Noise Cancellation, Engine Order Cancellation and Sound Synthesis.
A road speed signal is obtained from the vehicle and a waterproof speaker is positioned near the radiator to emit a realistic sound based on the throttle and speed of the car, projected towards the front of the car. The sound was designed to be instantly recognisable by the human brain, allowing it taking into account pitch and frequency and process it to enable us to identify vehicle speed and distance. The synthesized sound automatically stops if the hybrid car’s combustion engine kicks in.
The sound can be configured to sound like various types of engines. For example, you could drive a fully electric Tesla Roadster and enjoy the lovely rumbling sound of a flat-6 or a V8. Look after the jump for a video of the new technology. Click here to read the rest of Lotus Sound Synthesis technology can give electric cars the rumble of a V8
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Despite being only just recently introduced, the 1.8 liter EA888 TFSI has been phased out from the Audi A5, and replacing it is a 2.0 liter EA888 TFSI. These days manufacturers usually replace engines with ones with downsized displacement, so this move seems odd. But Audi says the larger displacement engine is better than the smaller engine.
The 2.0 liter engine produces more power and peaks earlier (180 PS at 4,000rpm versus the 1.8 liter’s 170 PS at 4,800rpm), is less polluting (154g/km CO2 versus the smaller engine’s 169g/km) and is more fuel economical (42.8mpg versus 39.8mpg). Peak torque is higher too - 320Nm between 1,500rpm and 3,900rpm versus 250Nm.
This 180 PS 2.0 TFSI slots in below another existing more powerful 2.0 TFSI model featuring Audi Valvelift and a higher 211 PS power output.
Now the question remains whether the A4 will receive a similiar upgrade. The A4 1.8 TFSI using the same engine that was replaced in the A5 has only just been introduced in our local market. Look out for a test drive report soon.
Hyundai has revealed that a gasoline-electric hybrid version of the Avante will be launched in 2010, followed by larger hybrid vehicles. But before that, Hyundai will be launching a Hyundai Avante Hybrid (or Hyundai Elantra Hybrid) in the Korean market next year.
The 2009 car will run on a hybrid system that combines a combustion engine fueled by LPG instead of petrol. The electric motor will be powered by lithium ion batteries. Sales of at least 50,000 units annually are expected in Korea alone.
Kah Bintang is currently marketing the Elantra based on fuel economy. If the Malaysian government amends tax structures to encourage the use of hybrid vehicles, there is a possibility that the Elantra Hybrid will make a debut in our local market. More details to be posted when the car is launched in Korea.
Chrysler has updated the Jeep Cherokee for the 2008 model year with a new suspension, new steering system, and an updated interior. The new interior features leather, heated front memory seats, automatic climate control, power windows and cruise control as standard. The leather interior adds leather wrapping to various parts of the cabin including the seats, handbrake lever, gear shifter, door panels and center console.
The Cherokee is only available with a 2.8 liter third generation common rail direct injection turbodiesel inline-4 engine, producing 174 bhp at 3,800rpm and 410Nm of torque between 2,000 to 2,800rpm.
Most manufacturers encourage fuel efficient driving behaviour by rewarding the driver with a little indicator whenever the driver is driving in a fuel efficient manner. Honda uses a little green ECO light, and BMW has the classic real time fuel consumption analog meter to show how much fuel you’re using.
Nissan Motor Co is taking this one step further by developing an “ECO pedal”, which is an accelerator pedal that will push back the driver’s foot when it senses excess pressure according to driving conditions that could lead to poor fuel economy. This may annoy the driver if he is really in a hurry to go somewhere so this ECO pedal feature will have an option to turn it off.
According to Nissan, the ECO pedal combined with a real time fuel consumption display on the instrument cluster could reduce fuel consumption by between 5 to 10 percent depending on driving conditions, purely by encouraging better driving habits.
