Archive for International News

Suzuki has just launched a turbodiesel 3-door variant of the Suzuki Grand Vitara in the UK. I thought I might cover it so you guys can see the 3-door version. Our local market has the 5-door version going for RM 143,738.60 on the road.

The Suzuki Grand Vitara 3-door turbodiesel is powered by a Renault 1.9 liter DDiS turbodiesel making 129 PS and 300Nm of torque peaking at 2,000rpm. Despite it’s cute appearance, it has offroad abilities as well, with a center diff lock and permanent all wheel drive with low range ratios. The 3-door turbodiesel joins existing 1.6 liter VVT and VVT+ models for the 3-door model.

More photos after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of Suzuki Grand Vitara 3-door

Mazda will be developing a new crossover CUV called the Mazda CX-5 based on the recent Mazda Hakaze Concept. Mazda says the CX-5 will be engineered to provide the fun driving experience of an MX-5 combined with the practicality of the CX-7 SUV. It will be a targa, which means roof panels are removable to create a semi-open top cabin. The 5-door small SUV will also have it’s rear doors installed RX-8 suicide-style.

I’ve tried out BMW’s 2.0 liter inline-4 turbodiesel engine used in the BMW 320d and have had good experiences with it, despite the noticable turbo lag. BMW has upped the ante once again with it’s second twin-turbodiesel engine after the 3.0 liter twin turbodiesel used in the 535d and 335d.

The previous 3.0 liter twinturbo was a record in production car turbodiesel application, making 91 horsepower per liter and ridiculously huge amounts of torque. This new 2.0 liter twinturbo inline-4 surpasses that, making roughly 100hp per liter - it’s power figures are 204 horsepower and 400Nm of torque! For comparison’s sake, it’s single-turbo sibling in the 320d I tested makes 163hp at 4,000rpm and 340Nm of torque between 2,000rpm to 2,750rpm.

The 400Nm figure is as much torque as what the new M3’s 4.0 liter V8 makes. All 400 Newton meters kick in at a low 2,000rpm, but that’s not the best part. Half of that, which is 200 Newton meters, is available from just 1,200rpm! That’s only slightly above idle!

The twin turbocharging system is a sequential one, instead of parallel like the 335i’s N54 Bi-Turbo. In this sequential system, a smaller turbo takes care of the low revs while a bigger one boosts power towards the redline. Despite all that power, fuel consumption is just 4.9 liters of diesel per 100 km.

Opel currently unofficially holds the record of the highest horsepower per displacement for a turbodiesel. It’s OPC division developed 1.9 liter ECOTEC CDTI twin-turbo makes 112hp per liter, for a total of 212hp and 400Nm of torque, which kicks in lower at only 1,400rpm. However, since it’s announcement in early 2004, it has not been used in any production car yet.

One more photo and a torque curve graph after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of New BMW 204hp, 400Nm twin turbodiesel inline-4

General Motors is developing a new V12 engine for Cadillac to be used in a new large luxury sedan to be built for the marque. The new Cadillac large luxury sedan will go against the likes of the Lexus LS, BMW 7-Series and the Mercedes Benz S-class.

The V12 powerplant is being built by joining two existing 3.6 liter V6 designs in tandem, making them share a single crankshaft. Thus, the new V12 will share the 3.6 liter V6’s technologies such as cylinder shut-off during low load for better fuel economy as well as direct injection. The new 7.2 liter V12 is expected to make over 600 horsepower and 732Nm of torque.

BMW is considering adding a small SUV called the BMW X1, positioning it below the BMW X3 and basing it on the BMW 1-Series platform, using 4WD components from the X3. Such a move echos announcements by other German automakers set to produce vehicles for the segment such as Audi’s upcoming Q3. Above is an artist’s impression of how it could look like. If it is to be produced, expect a debut in 2010.

One more shot of the rear after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of 2010 BMW X1 in consideration

Details of the revival of the Fiat 500 has been officially released by Fiat Automobiles SpA. The new Fiat 500 is 355cm long, 165 cm wide, 149 cm tall and has a wheelbase of 230 cm. Despite rumours of a two-cylinder turbocharged engine, we now know that the Fiat 500 will be conventionally powered by Fiat’s 69hp 1.2 liter 8 valve petrol and 100hp 1.4 liter 16 valve petrol engine, as well as a 75hp 1.3 liter 16 valve MultiJet turbodiesel.

More photos and videos after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of Fiat 500 previewed

How many of you go to motorshows not for the cars, but for the scantically clad ladies standing around the cars? I know that sometimes the intention can be split 50:50 between the two. If so, and you happen to be a Korean, or someone heading for the 2007 Seoul Motor Show in South Korea, you’re going to be in for a disappointment.

Hyundai and Kia wants to cut down on the number of models at the show, as well as switch to more modest dressing, hoping the attention will be focused more on the cars on display instead. “We would rather have the spectators’ attention on our cars than the attractive ladies,” said Jake Jang, a spokesperson for Hyundai Motor Company.

Renault Samsung Motors has already made a similiar move at last year’s motor show, where it’s usual skimpy models were given business suits and handheld computers to help them answer questions.

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Infiniti has updated their G Coupe with a new engine. Some might recognise this car as the Nissan Skyline V35, which carries the legend’s moniker but hardly any of it’s spirit. For one, the potent RB blown inline-6 is gone. Nevertheless, let’s have a look at Infiniti’s new luxury sports coupe.

The new Infiniti G37 is the world’s first application of Nissan/Infiniti’s new VQ37VHR engine, basically a stroked VQ35 with a new head and intake design as well as a higher compression ratio. It now makes 330 horsepower and 366Nm of torque, yet is expected to consume less fuel than the VQ35 on EPA’s fuel economy ratings. Why is that so?

Nissan has equipped with VQ37VHR with a variable valve timing and lift system called VVEL, or Variable Valve Event and Lift. It works similiar to technologies like BMW’s Valvetronic and Honda’s SOHC i-VTEC. VVEL removes the need for a throttle butterfly, improving the torque curve and fuel consumption at both the top and low ranges of the rev range. Nissan says VVEL has 32% quicker response, is 20% smaller and uses 52% less parts than BMW’s Valvetronic.

In the Infiniti G37, the VQ37VHR is mated either to a 6-speed manual or a 5-speed automatic, and will have a limited slip differential. The Infiniti G37 also has four wheel steering. Wheels are massive 18 inch units that hide the largest rotors in the segment behind it’s multi-spoke: 14 inch discs at the front and 13.8 inch discs at the rear, with four piston and two piston calipers respectively.

A convertible version of the G37 is also rumoured to be coming in 2008. More photos after the jump.

Click here to read the rest of Infiniti G37 features new VQ37VHR engine

Audi has three more completely new cars to add to it’s model range, in an effect to double it’s model line-up by 2015. Currently Audi has 22 cars in it’s line-up, and another 18 are in conceptual stages. I think by model, multiple engine variants of a single model are counted as multiple models.

The three more cars are two SUV models, a mid-sized Audi Q5 and another smaller Audi SUV which might be called the Q3, as well as a 4-door coupe ala CLS-style that might be called the Audi A7. The Q3 could be basically an Audi A3 with soft-roader looks and mild offroading capabilities.

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Related Posts:
2009 Audi A7 Coupe - New CLS contender
2008 Audi Q5 to be built in Ingolstadt
Audi Q3 and Q5 artist impressions
Audi goes SUV-crazy with possible Audi Q3

Many are concerned with the amount of pollutants that a car is expelling from it’s exhaust, and the harm it does to the environment. But strangely, there is not much focus on toxins inside the car, where it affects you directly the most.

The chart above shows results obtained with non-profit environmental group Ecology Center used a portable X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) device, which identifies the elemental composition of any material to look for known toxins such as chlorine, bromine, arsenic, mercury and others. The presence of these harmful chemicals were checked in the dashboard, steering wheel, carpet, armrests and other locations. You actually breathe in these toxins when you drive your car around, as they get released under heat over time.

Apparently the Nissan Versa has the most harmful interior of all the vehicles they tested. This is the same car Hiro Nakamura drives around in the TV Series Heroes, so perhaps mutation from these chemicals are what’s causing his time travelling powers. Just kidding. It’s also quite strange that the Volvo S40 and V50 would score differently since they are essentially sedan and stationwagon versions of the same car.

We should also be slightly concerned as the Versa is most probably coming to our shores as a Nissan Latio, since lightly camouflaged Latios have been spotted going about test routes in Genting.

There is also another list with vehicles separated according to class here.

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