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Cadillac ATS, compact luxury sedan targets the Germans

January 9, 2012 at 12:27 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Cadillac, Cars, International News

This is the new Cadillac ATS, the GM luxury brand’s compact premium sedan challenger to the BMW 3-Series and Mercedes C-Class. To debut at the Detroit motor show, it will go on sale this summer in the US.

Targeting “spirited drivers”, the rear wheel drive ATS had Nürburgring as one of its key testing grounds, along with additional roads, racetracks and laboratories around the globe. “Designed with quick, nimble and fun-to-drive dynamics, ATS expands Cadillac’s portfolio into a crucial global segment. More than just another new entry, the ATS aims to change the status quo of the European-dominated segment,” said Don Butler, VP of marketing for Cadillac.

In the driving department, Caddy dangles nearly 50/50 weight balance, its first five-link independent rear suspension, multi-link double-pivot MacPherson-strut front suspension with direct-acting stabiliser bar, driver-adjustable FE3 sport suspension with Magnetic Ride Control, underbody aerodynamic shields, electric variable-effort steering gear from ZF, four-channel ABS with available Brembo brakes and AWD as an option.

Engine wise, there are two four-cylinders and a V6, including an all-new 2.0L turbo four-pot rated at 270 hp/353 Nm and Cadillac’s 3.6L V6 with 318 hp/362 Nm. A diesel is in the works. The ATS will offer both six-speed manual and automatic transmission options. An aluminum hood, magnesium engine mount brackets and even lightweight, natural-fiber door trim panels, are among the weight saving measures.

ATS comes with CUE, which stands for Cadillac User Experience. CUE pairs entertainment and information data from up to 10 Bluetooth-enabled mobile devices, USBs, SD cards and MP3 players with a vehicle infotainment system that reduces complexity through customised info, voice commands and fewer buttons and larger icons. Caddy says that most of today’s luxury cars have around 20 buttons controlling the radio and entertainment functions. CUE has only four.

Cadillac has been using this Art & Science design language for quite awhile now, and while it’s a new model, the ATS doesn’t appear very fresh, for me at least. The sporty slant sounds good, though.

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Dodge Dart, American ‘Alfa Giulietta Sedan’ looking good

January 9, 2012 at 9:15 am By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, Dodge, International News

Previously teased, now fully released – this is the all new 2013 Dodge Dart, the American brand’s C-segment sedan to take on the likes of the Corolla, Civic, Cruze and Elantra. To be officially unveiled at the upcoming Detroit show, the Dodge Dart shares underpinnings with the sexy Alfa Romeo Giulietta. Fiat owns both brands.

The 2013 Dart is the first Chrysler Group vehicle based on Fiat architecture. Not just plug and play, but the Giulietta’s platform has been lengthened and widened to deliver segment-leading cabin space, according to Dodge.

The “Compact U.S. Wide” architecture underpinning the Dart comprises of 68% high-strength steel, a figure said to be segment leading. The outer skin is quite outstanding, too, featuring Dodge’s trademark split-crosshair grille and full-width LED “racetrack” tail lamps.

Inside the cabin, one can see a similar “racetrack” theme on the dash, which has a centre stack angled towards the driver, old BMW style. All displays are colourful and hi-res, and there’s a cool storage area under the front passenger seat base.

There will be three engine options at launch, a 1.4-litre MultiAir turbocharged unit or two “Tigershark” mills – a 2.0L and a 2.4L MultiAir.

Three transmission choices will be available, a manual, a Fiat-sourced six-speed dual-clutch transmission and at a later date, a nine-speed automatic gearbox by ZF. The latter is supposed to boost fuel economy by 10 to 16% over the DCT, which is very impressive. By the way, there’s no typo, it’s NINE speed!

The Dodge Dart will be built at Chrysler Group’s Belvidere Assembly Plant in Illinois. This local boy with Italian blood poses some hard questions at the Asians dominating the show – it has the tech and looks to challenge, that’s for sure.

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Tata Safari Storme – updated SUV debuts in New Delhi

January 6, 2012 at 1:40 pm By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, International News, Tata


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Tata has unveiled the Safari Storme at the Auto Expo 2012 in India. The new-generation SUV’s exterior has been reworked, with a new front grille, side cladding, new projector headlamps and all-new rear looks heading the list.

Elswhere, the bonnet has also been given a restyling job to include a ‘power bulge’ to lend the Storme a sportier look, and the spare tyre has been relocated to under the vehicle. Other fresh items include new pull-type door handles and side footsteps, as well as newly-designed roof-rails, side cladding and a new tailgate trim, replete with an ergonomically-designed grab handle.

The Safari Storme is powered by a 2.2 litre DiCOR diesel with a Variable Geometry Turbo, and has 140 PS at 4,000 rpm and 320 Nm at 1,700-2,700 rpm for numbers, with a five-speed G-76 Mark II manual transmission in attendance. There’s electronic shift-on-the-fly (ESOF), enabling switching from 2WD to 4WD mode while on the move, and the Storme offers a generous 200 mm of ground clearance, handy for those off-road moments.

Tata has dressed up the Safari Storme’s cabin with the inclusion of beige seats matched with a leather-wrapped steering wheel, chrome highlighted gear knob, wood-accented dashboard and door trim, a new instrument cluster, chrome-lined speaker grilles and inside door handles.

Other interior kit includes tilt-adjustable steering, dual air-conditioning with a separate integrated roof mounted blower for rear passengers and integrated 12V-gadget charging points across all three rows of seating.

Safety-wise, there’s four-channel ABS with EBD, dual front airbags, disc brakes throughout and an Inertia Switch, which automatically cuts off the fuel supply to the engine, unlocks all the doors and switches on the hazard warning light in the event of a crash.

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Peugeot 107 gets reworked for 2012 – hatch gets new face, upgraded interior and enhanced equipment

January 6, 2012 at 11:02 am By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, International News, Peugeot

Peugeot has given its 107 a restyling job for 2012, and the update includes a new face and an upgraded interior, with enhanced equipment also in the mix.

Leading the way in for the rework is a new front styling job, with a deeper lower front panel that includes a housing for the front fog lights, LED daytime running lights and a redesigned front bumper.

Three trim levels are on offer, these being Access, Active and Allure, and within these trim levels, features such as Peugeot Connect Bluetooth, USB and daytime running lights are now to be found for the first time on the 107 range.

In addition to the new equipment available, the second facelift for the car (it was originally facelifted in 2009) also sees better equipment being offered across the model range, which continues on in both three- and five-door form.

In its petrol form, no change mechanically – the 107 carries on with the 1.0 litre three-cylinder unit as found previously, still offering 68 hp at 6,000 rpm and 93 Nm at 3,600 rpm. Performance specs for the five-speed manual transmission version is a 160 km/h top speed and a 0-100 km/h time of 14.2 seconds.

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Tata Indica Vista Concept S2 – sporting things up, again

January 6, 2012 at 10:34 am By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, International News, Tata


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The party at Auto Expo 2012 in New Delhi wouldn’t be complete without Tata Motors, and as expected, the Indian manufacturer has brought a number of new wares to the show, one of them being the Indica Vista Concept S2.

The car is a reinterpretation of the form, as previously seen on the Indica Vista Sport, which came about at the last Auto Expo in 2010. The Concept S2 has a wider and wedge-like stance, and the design features a central volume that’s encased by two arrow-like flanks. A two-tone paint scheme – a matte metallic dark shadow and bright silver combination – and the use of aluminium and red accents helps highlight the shape further.

Dress-up kit includes a metallic brow for the headlamps, a lower grilled with a polished black lip surround and signature LED daytime running lights at the front, while the rear gets a spoiler, restyled rear bumper and a stylised LED tail lamp cluster. The inclusion of side skirts completes the picture.

Inside, the Vista Concept S2 gets a black-themed cabin, with sporty race bucket seats clad in black leather and a smaller diameter, sportier steering wheel among the cue changes.

On the mechanical front, the car wears a turbocharged 1.4 litre petrol engine offering 140 PS at 6,000 rpm and 188 Nm of torque at 3,500 rpm, mated to a five-speed Fiat C510 manual gearbox with revised gear ratios. With disc brakes all around and a retuned and beefed up suspension, as well as 17-inch alloys and 205/40 series rubbers, Tata says this one is every bit the handler as it looks suggest.

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Dacia Lodgy – first images of Geneva debutant

January 6, 2012 at 9:01 am By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, Dacia, International News


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Dacia has released the first images of its new MPV called the Lodgy, which will make its debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March. The vehicle’s name is derived from the English word ‘lodge,’ and refers directly to the model’s ability to comfortably accommodate a family and its luggage, so goes Dacia.

The vehicle, which is set to come into the European market later this year, will be available in both five- and seven-seater forms, though the decision on commercialisation of the vehicle in right-hand drive form has yet to be finalised.


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The company isn’t saying much about the upcoming vehicle, beyond the point that the 4.5 metre-long Lodgy promises a roomy interior catering to everyone on board, even third-row passengers, as well as an exceptionally large boot. More on it when the Swiss show comes, undoubtedly.

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DC Avanti – 2.0L Ford Ecoboost-powered Indian sports car

January 6, 2012 at 8:32 am By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, India, International News

Indian design house DC Design has come up with a sports car. Called DC Avanti, the red flat nosed two-door was unveiled at the India Auto Expo by Bollywood legend and car buff Amitabh Bachchan. DC plans to put India’s first sports car to production in 2013.

“We intend to produce 300 units of the Avanti in 2013-2014 and if all goes well we could ramp up the production to go into four figures per annum,” DC Design founder Dilip Chhabria said.

No big engine here, the mid engined DC Avanti will powered by a Ford 2.0L four-cylinder turbocharged EcoBoost engine with 261 bhp. A V6 variant with 394 bhp will follow. Both mills can be had with a 6 M/T or a six-speed dual clutch transmission. The Avanti, which uses aluminium extensively, weighs 1,560 kg, and 0-100 m/h will take less than seven seconds.

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Volvo XC60 Plug-in Hybrid Concept to debut in Detroit

January 5, 2012 at 7:51 pm By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, International News, Volvo

Volvo is set to unveil its XC60 Plug-in Hybrid Concept at the North American International Auto Show next week. The company touts the vehicle as an electric car, a highly economical hybrid and a powerful high-performance car all rolled into one.

It’s powered by a four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine from the forthcoming VEA (Volvo Environmental Architecture) engine family, with 280 hp and 380 Nm on tap, mated to a newly-developed eight-speed automatic transmission driving the front wheels.

The rear axle of the vehicle is driven by an electric motor producing 70 hp and 200 Nm, with juice provided by a 12 kWh lithium-ion battery pack installed under the floor of the load compartment. The battery pack is rechargeable from a regular power outlet, and at 220V and 12A takes just 3.5 hours for a full charge, while at 110V/12A this goes up to 7.5 hours.

The XC60 Plug-in Hybrid Concept’s electric all-wheel drive system is activated by pressing the AWD (All Wheel Drive) button, but instead of the mechanical power transfer of conventional four-wheel drive, the central control unit distributes power between the petrol-driven front wheels and the electrically-driven rear axle.

Three operation modes are available for the car – Pure, Hybrid and Power. In Pure mode, it runs on fully electric mode, with a driving range of 45 km. Hybrid is the standard setting, while Power delivers the maximum power through combined powertrain operation.

The driver can choose to save battery power for later in order to drive on pure electricity at a chosen point. When Save is activated, the generator charges and tops up the battery pack, if necessary, ensuring that there is always sufficient battery power for about 20 km of driving on electricity.

The Detroit debutant, which will carry a “T8″ badge to emphasise the combined 350 hp of the four-cylinder engine and the electric motor, will come dressed in a special white colour and wear 21-inch wheels.

Inside, the cabin will feature unique detailing and colours such as sober dark-blue leather upholstery and inlays of blue-grey wood. Meanwhile, the instruments have been tailored to give the driver all the necessary information about petrol and electricity consumption, battery charge level, remaining range and so on.

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GALLERY: More pics of the Lexus LF-LC Concept surface

January 5, 2012 at 5:31 pm By Danny Tan Filed Under Cars, International News, Lexus

More images of Lexus’ LF-LC Concept have emerged, showing off a sports coupe looking sexy in red. With a recent leak by a US mag, there’s nothing left to hide now, so Lexus has contributed a pic or two to the collection.

The LF-LC is a 2+2 sports coupe that takes the company’s design direction a step further. Conceived as a design exercise to explore the future of Lexus design, the LF-LC was created at the company’s Calty design studio in Newport Beach, California. for They worked on it for a year and a half. Apparently, Akio Toyoda himself wanted the LF-LC to “have the ‘wow’ factor”.

“Crafted from a clean sheet of paper at the request of Lexus headquarters in Japan, the LF-LC blends both high technology and organic shapes to connect the driver to the machine,” said Mark Templin, Lexus group vice president and general manager. “The clean lines of the vehicle emphasise motion, creating a distinctive look for this futuristic sport coupe.”

The LF-LC will showcase Advanced Lexus Hybrid Drive. Nice interior, too.

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Hyundai HND-7 Hexa Space concept makes Delhi debut

January 5, 2012 at 4:59 pm By Anthony Lim Filed Under Cars, Hyundai, International News

Yet another world premiere at the Auto Expo 2012 in New Delhi, and this one is from Hyundai. The Hexa Space is a multi-purpose vehicle concept showcasing how you don’t need to have big to get plenty of interior space.

Indeed, this one rides on the same platform as the company’s compact ix20, and is only slightly wider. The HND-7, as it’s codenamed, measures in at 4.3 metres long, 1.82 metres wide and 1.65 metres tall, and is powered by a Kappa 1.2 litre turbo GDI engine, mated to a six-speed automatic transmission.

Targeted at young urban families in their 30s and 40s, the Hexa Space, which rides on 19-inch wheels, is a machine able to serve many roles, given a unique seat design and layout. It features eight slim, hexagonally-shaped seats that fit together like puzzle pieces, maximising internal space while minimising vehicle width. The choice of the hexagon is simple enough – from honeycombs to architecture, it’s known as an optimum shape in terms of space efficiency.

The seats offer multiple configurations for seating. The centre seats fold flat for greater comfort, while the second row folds flat to create a limousine function and the back row can be folded flat for light-cargo use. Additionally, seven seats can be folded flat for heavy hauling and all eight can be stored away for camping.

In the first two rows of the Hexa Space, the centre seats are positioned slightly behind the seats on either side, allowing passengers to sit three-abreast without feeling cramped. Ingress and egress out of the vehicle is easy due to an innovative door design – the rear doors lift out and slide back, creating wide-open entry on each side.

Other mod cons in the concept are a touch-screen centre console, a push-button shifter and a cluster ionizer air purifier, and storage spaces are tucked throughout the interior.

Live images of the Hexa Space from Auto Expo 2012 courtesy of Motorbeam.com.

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