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  • Audi A6 L e-tron concept reduces emissions, not luxury

    In Audi, Cars, Concept Cars, International News / By / / 12 comments


    Audi shows China how it could help the nation reduce carbon emissions without sacrificing the want for luxury at the Beijing Motor Show. Enter the A6 L e-tron, a concept based on the A6 L that is produced at the Changchun plant in a joint venture with FAW.

    The A6 L e-tron employs a parallel hybrid system that matches a 2.0 TFSI (with 211 hp) and an electric motor capable of producing 70 kW (95 hp). Electricity is drawn from liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery located in a collision-protected space at the rear of the car. The A6 L e-tron can travel with electricity alone up to 80 km with a constant speed of 60 km/h. But the hybrid system will choose the best mode to suit the driving situation.


    To differentiate between the un-electrified A6 L, the e-tron version is fitted with massive 21-inch wheels and a special rear diffuser. To emphasize on its status, the A6 L e-tron is measured to be 5,020 mm long, 1,870 mm wide and 1,460 mm tall (or short?), with a wheelbase of 3,010 mm.

    More differentiation points coms from the tachometer, which is a powermeter in the A6 L e-tron. It indicated the total drive system power on a scale of zero to 100. Also, coloured segments indicate the current operating state of the car together with an auxiliary instrument that visualised the charge state of the lithium-ion battery. The energy flow indicator tells the driver the current operating mode and which hybrid drive components are currently active; it is displayed on the MMI.


    In spite of it being a hybrid, the Audi is still fully decked out in all the necessary luxury equipment. So there’s ventilation and massage functions, Bose surround sound, auto air-conditioning with air ioniser and ambient lighting. Also featured inside is the MMI navigation plus that recognises 29,000 Chinese characters, all developed at the Audi Infotainment Tech Centre (ITC) in Beijing, where German components are adapted to suit the wishes of Chinese customers.

     

  • Audi Q3 jinlong yufeng concept SUV rolls out in Beijing

    In Audi, Cars, Concept Cars, International News / By / / 4 comments


    We’ve already seen Audi dropping the veil on the Beijing-bound Q3 RS. Now, here is another that is also based on the Q3 and this one comes with a Chinese twist. Its full name is the ‘Audi Q3 jinlong yufeng’. For those who don’t understand what it means, Audi says ‘jinlong yufeng’ stands for ‘Golden Dragon in the Wind’.

    This concept is based on the fast-moving sport of kite surfing. So, mounted on the hood of the Q3 jinlong are two carbon fibre-reinforced kite boards, which can be stowed in a kite pouch specifically designed for the vehicle. The designers also developed a flat outdoor pouch as a special cargo floor liner that protects against dirt and stows away wet things. It can also be used as a sun umbrella or a seat cover.


    In addition, jinlong also comes with two sport cameras, dubbed Audi Cams, and it is stored on the left sidewall of the cargo area. Kite surfers can mount the Audi Cams to the sail bar, or strap it to their equipment or helmet. Images are transmitted to the car via WLAN router connection. From there, the images can be sent with Bluetooth car phone online to any UMTS receiver.

    Where the Q3 RS is blue, Q3 jinlong is painted Liuli Yellow to express a zest for life and high energy. To play up more on its ‘off-road vehicle for the young’ positioning, the jinlong features the off-road package that is currently available for production cars and an aluminium underbody guard to protect the engine and the exhaust system. The exhausts are actually integrated in the diffuser, which acts as the said underbody guard.

    Three colours dominate inside – black, gray and yellow. Roof liner is lined with titanium gray Alcantara, the instrument panel is wrapped in black Fine Nappa and is decorated with yellow seams. Steering, seats and door cards are also treated with skin in colours dictated by the three-colour scheme.


    A 2.5 litre five-cylinder TFSI engine gives 310 hp to the jinlong. The engine is paired with a seven-speed S tronic that sends power to the quattro system. Century sprints are accomplished in 5.5 seconds and its speed tops out at 250 km/h.

    Five-spoke alloys are chosen for the jinlong, with a size of 8.5 J x 20 and wrapped with 255/45 off-road rubbers. The front and rear track is made 40 mm wider than the production version and its height is raised another 30 mm, to accommodate for its off-road capability.

     

  • Bentley reveals powertrain options for its EXP 9 F concept

    In Bentley, Cars, International News / By / / 10 comments

    We’ve seen this before, Bentley’s SUV experiment. Shown at the Geneva show last month, the EXP 9 F is described by Bentley as “a vehicle that feels equally at home at an opera gala performance, on the sand dunes and the overtaking lane of the autobahn”. Make no mistake, this “concept” is a future model line alongside the Mulsanne, Continental and Flying Spur.

    “A Bentley Grand Tourer doesn’t necessarily have to be a coupé, a convertible or a saloon – it could equally well be an SUV. What’s important is that it should be true to Bentley’s brand values and in line with the desires and needs of our customers,” said Alasdair Stewart, Member of the Board, Sales and Marketing.

    Any luxury SUV has to target China, a goldmine full of new money, and Bentley is showing the EXP 9 F off at the Beijing show now, where the British brand also revealed powertrain options for the SUV. The showcar’s hood hides a 6.0L twin-turbocharged W12 engine, developing 600 bhp and 800 Nm of torque. This petrol engine is coupled with an eight-speed close-ratio transmission.

    A range of other engines are also under consideration. This includes Bentley’s recently launched 500 bhp, 4.0L V8 as well as a V6 plug-in hybrid. With a potential 30 km range in full electric mode and CO2 emissions of 130 g/km, the V6 hybrid would still be capable of a 0 to 100km/h sprint time of less than five seconds. This sounds very promising, and in tune with the times.

    See our previous post for more details and images.

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  • SEAT Ibiza Cupra close-to-production concept in Beijing

    In Cars, International News, SEAT / By / / 3 comments

    UPDATE: Gallery now has pictures from the show.

    So, the SEAT Ibiza Cupra you see in these pictures will look very close to the car that will be running on the road later. SEAT summarised the car as ‘a sports car for everyday use, combining agile driving fun with a high degree of functionality.

    The concept car displays a new face with its broad grille and air intakes. Bi-xenon headlamps configuration gain a sophisticated design. It incorporates the LED daytime running lights, which traces the line of the headlamps, to give the car its own signature look.

    Ibiza Cupra’s firepower comes from a 1.4 litre TSI, the same you’ll find in the Polo GTI, Audi A1 and Skoda Fabia VRS. The direct-injection, twin charged engine produces 180 PS and 250 Nm. The engine is mated to a seven-speed DSG with paddle shifters. Ibiza Cupra also gets the XDS electronic differential lock and high-performance brakes.

    New to the car is the SEAT Portable System. It is essentially a five-inch screen that you can remove from the car for mobile use. Some of its functions include sat-nav, hands-free phone system with voice control and an on-board computer. This system will be available, as an option, for the entire Ibiza family.

    The SEAT Ibiza Cupra will be arriving into showrooms sometime later in the year. It’s just too bad that SEAT does not have a showroom in Malaysia.

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  • Volkswagen E-Bugster – electric bug let loose in Beijing

    In Cars, International News, Volkswagen / By / / 3 comments


    Volkswagen has switched on the company’s electric beetle, called the E-Bugster, at the Beijing Motor Show. We last saw this at Detroit in its coupe form. For Beijing, Volkswagen has sawed off the metal lid to hint at how the future Beetle Cabriolet would look like.

    The E-Bugster is strapped with an electric motor that provides 85 kWh (115 PS) of power. The motor is capable of launching the E-Bugster from standstill to 60 mph (97 km/h) in 10.9 seconds. The motor draws power from the 28.3 kWh lithium-ion batteries that offer a range of at least 177 km.


    Hungry E-Bugsters can recharge to full within 35 minutes from a specialist DC source. If feeding from an AC source such as a 230-volt domestic outlet, then expect to take a little while longer for the E-Bugster to be fully charged.

    The E-Bugster also has the ability to transform kinetic energy into electricity then stores it into the battery when the driver’s foot leaves the accelerator pedal. Stepping on the brakes increases makes the electric Beetle recharge quicker. The E-Bugster wears important indicators that allow the driver to constantly monitor the power. The instruments include brake-regeneration intensity, driving range, state of the battery and a meter that shows how much energy the driver is demanding from the car.


    Volkswagen’s electric car measures 4,278 mm long and 1,838 mm wide, giving the E-Bugster the standard length of a Beetle but 30 mm wider. It is also 90 mm lower, created partly by the windscreen. The E-Bugster complete its sporty look by sitting on 20-inch alloy wheels wrapped with 235/55 tyres.

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  • F1: Seb, Kimi and Romain makes an all Renault podium

    In Cars, Formula 1, International News, Motorsports / By / / 19 comments


    After the domination of Mercedes-powered cars in China, it is now Renault’s turn to have a clear sweep of the podium. But I’m running ahead of myself for what was definitely an uncharacteristic Bahrain Grand Prix.

    Recall that Bahrain did not host the Formula One GP last year due to civil unrest in the nation. This year, however, the show continued in spite of what was happening beyond the boundaries of the racetrack.


    Politics aside, Bahrain is also infamous for being dry in overtaking opportunities, as exampled so clearly during the 2010 season. Then again, the cars did not run with DRS in the 2010 season and KERS was not widely used till last year. I don’t have to say that this year was different. With both technologies in full effect, we now have four different winners in four different races; no one have a firm grip on the throne yet.

    Red Bull Racing looked to have lost the momentum at the start of the season. And it took the Austria-licensed team with Sebastian Vettel three races before they could sit on pole, and continued on to grab the chequered flag. No mean feat because his rear view mirrors were kept frozen by the avalanche-like pace of the Iceman. Only a well-placed race strategy and crisp pitstops kept Vettel constantly in the lead. His teammate was not as fortunate. Mark Webber, who started third on the grid, lost his position to Grosjean and finished fourth.


    Surprising finishers on the podium came from Lotus F1 Team – Kimi finished in second and Romain was placed third. This is the Frenchman’s first podium finish in Formula One. Blistering pace off the starting grid and pure hard work through the first set of corners set a beachhead that both drivers could mount an assault on in the later stints.

    Romain started in seventh and meteorically shot into second position. Kimi gained four places up to seventh before clinically carving through the pack and found himself behind his teammate. A few laps later, Kimi swapped places with Romain. From then on, Kimi kept hounding the young German, never letting him rest his pace right till the chequered flag.


    While McLaren-Mercedes started strongly, Hamilton in second and Button in fourth, things went horribly wrong for them. Hamilton suffered wheel nut problems in two of three pitstops, costing him precious seconds and even more valuable positions. He finished eighth. Jenson had a stronger race but a puncture at the closing forced him to pit, only to have an outlap that picked up what seems to be a problem with the exhaust at Lap 55 made the Brit park his car in the garage permanently.

    Even Rosberg reported issues with his Mercedes but kept moving and secured fifth. Schumacher started in 22 due to a gearbox change and finished in seventh. For Rosberg, the story does not end. In two separate occasions during the race, Rosberg forced Hamilton and then Alonso experience the excursions off the racing track. The stewards will investigate the racing incidents after the race.


    It could be said that Ferrari had an interesting race. Alonso, who started ninth, improved two places to finish in seventh. But it took the former world champion to squeeze every bit of performance from the car, to find tenths of seconds from the racing line and drive to the limit of the rules. Massa also found some speed in Sakhir. He started in 14 and finished in ninth.

    Paul di Resta of Force India finished sixth, making a two-stop strategy work in his favour.

    The 2012 Formula 1 season now takes a break before the Spanish GP in Catalunya starts on the second week of May. The break is important because it gives the teams the chance to update their cars with new parts that they hope could earn them a few extra seconds.

     

  • Maruti Suzuki Ertiga launched in India – it’s a Swift MPV

    In Cars, India, International News, Suzuki / By / / 21 comments


    Last week saw the launch of the Maruti Suzuki Ertiga in India. First shown at the Delhi Auto Expo earlier this year, Ertiga is the production version of the Concept rIII show two years earlier. Sitting on a extended Swift platform, the Ertiga is a seven-seat MPV with a 2-3-2 seating configuration, pretty much like a Toyota Avanza.

    But it’s a bigger car than the Toyota MPV. The Ertiga measures 4,265 mm long, and has a 2,740 mm wheelbase. Both figures shade the Avanza’s 4,150 mm and 2,655 mm. The second row of seats can slide back and forth, and there are 135 litres of cargo room with all seats in place, rising to 735 litres with two rows of seats folded down.

    The Ertiga also debuts a new K-Series, 1,373 cc VVT engine. This K14B unit makes 95 PS and 130 Nm of torque at 4,000 rpm. Indians also get a diesel option, the proven 1,248cc MultiJet engine with 90 PS and 200 Nm of torque at 1,750 rpm. Both are mated to a five-speed manual gearbox. The oil burner is claimed to be good for 20.77 km/l, over 4 km/l better than the petrol unit.

    There are six trim levels in India, from the 5.89 lakh LXi (RM34,726) to 8.54 lakhs (RM50,353) for the range topping ZDi. India’s auto market leader has collected 10,000 bookings for the Ertiga in five days following the launch, so it’s a big hit. The majority of those orders were for the diesel engine, despite it being more expensive variant.

    Exports to Indonesia will start next month. Is Malaysia in the plans somewhere down the line? Click here for a live gallery of the Ertiga from the Delhi Auto Expo.

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  • Mercedes-Benz Citan – Kangoo with a three-pointed star

    In Cars, International News, Mercedes Benz / By / / 24 comments

    This is the Mercedes-Benz Citan van that will debut at the IAA Commercial Vehicle Show in Hanover in September. The Citan – coined from the words ‘city’ and ‘titan’ – is an urban delivery van that succeeds the discontinued Vaneo line. In MB’s van lineup, this is the younger brother of the Vito and Sprinter.

    The Citan is based on the Renault Kangoo, which makes sense. The Kangoo is one of Europe’s leading small vans, and the duo will take on usual segment suspects such as the Volkswagen Caddy, Citroën Berlingo and Fiat Doblo.

    By the way, Mercedes-Benz parent company Daimler has an ongoing partnership with Renault-Nissan that will also see Renault provide small car engines to Mercedes/Smart, in exchange for Merc powerplants for Nissan’s Infiniti. Both parties will co-develop the next-gen smart fortwo/Renault Twingo and are already jointly building engines in the US.

    The Citan will be available in three different lengths: 3.94 m, 4.32 m and 4.71 m. There will also be a five-seat Citan Mixto with folding rear seat bench, wire mesh partition separating the load compartment, and two sliding doors. The Mixto is based on the longest body. The third basic design is the Citan crewbus, also a five-seater based on the long wheelbase van.

    There are also three different weights ranging up to a maximum permissible gross vehicle weight of 2,200 kg. As an alternative to the standard tail doors, is also offering a wide-opening tailgate. Optional roof rails boost flexibility as does the optional ladder hatch for the panel van to facilitate the transportation of extra-long items.

    Three turbodiesels (from 75 to 110 hp) and a 115 hp supercharged petrol engine are the engine choices. All oil burners have a particulate filter as standard, while the petrol comes with a BlueEfficiency package as standard – it includes start/stop, battery and generator management and low rolling resistance tyres. Five and six-speed transmissions send power to the front wheels.

    Economy is a major factor in such vehicles, and the Citan has long service intervals of up to 40,000 km or two years.

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  • Mercedes-Benz Concept Style Coupé to debut in Beijing

    In Cars, International News, Mercedes Benz / By / / 15 comments

    Another Beijing debutant comes in the form of Mercedes-Benz’s Concept Style Coupé. The four-door coupé study is, as the company says, nonconformist, provocative and masculine – it features frameless side windows, and has no B-pillar.

    The car, finished in an Alubeam exterior shade, is powered by a 2.0 litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol unit with direct injection, good for 211 hp. The mill is combined with a 7G-DCT dual clutch transmission and a 4MATIC all-wheel drive system.

    Plenty of novel cues, aside from that of the exterior lines, and this includes a striking headlamp design featuring innovative indicators. In standby mode, the headlamps shine red, like – as MB puts it – the wary, intimidating eyes of a predatory animal. As for the indicators, individual points of light light up in succession, rather like a piano keyboard.

    The Concept Style Coupé – which rides on 21-inch five-spoke turbine design wheels – seats four, with integral seats and integrated head restraints, the last already seen in the Sports version of the new A-Class. There’s an electroplated insert in the upper part of the seat, which is illuminated and adds to the impression of lightness.

    The rest of the light grey and anthracite-coloured cabin features a mix of materials and lines. The instrument panel is upholstered in white nubuck leather, contrasting with the anthracite-coloured Alcantara on the upper section of the panel, and the steering wheel is wrapped with suede leather.

    Neon green piping and topstitching, which appear on the instrument panel, steering wheel, seat and door centre panels, provides further contrast. The air vents, like that on the Concept A-Class, are backlit and change colour according to the temperature.

    When cool, fresh air is being brought into the car, they are blue, but light up in red when the airflow is warm. At a mid-range temperature setting, the vents light up in fluorescent yellow, matching the colour of the piping perfectly.

    Meanwhile, the chrome trim elements and control panels are done in a black anodised finish, as seen on top-of-the-range limited Sports Edition chronograph watches, and black anodised aluminium adorns the surfaces around the HMI control panel.

    Elsewhere, there’s a carbon-fibre trim panel spanning the full width of the dashboard fascia, and the centre console flows back in a long, continuous wave from the instrument panel, with an intricately designed fan module for the two rear seats neatly embedded in it.

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  • MINI introduces Hyde Park and Green Park design themes

    In Cars, International News, MINI / By / / 6 comments

    Something new from MINI, in this case new design models with exclusive colour schemes, equipment and fittings. It’s available worldwide for both the MINI and MINI Clubman body styles, in this case the MINI Cooper, Cooper S, Cooper D and Cooper SD as well as the respective Clubman variants.

    The themes are called the MINI Hyde Park and MINI Green Park, the suffixes named after the recreational areas in London. The Hyde Park features a Pepper White body colour, combined with Hot Chocolate contrasting paintwork – available for the first time – on the roof and exterior mirror caps. For the Clubman, the lower sections of the C-pillar are finished in the body colour.

    Also to be found, bonnet and side stripes in Hot Chocolate, while another highlight is indicator lenses done in transparent white – along with the direction indicators integrated in the headlights, this lends the side indicators and rear lights a markedly individual look as well.

    Meanwhile, the traditional British passion for sporting competition is expressed in the MINI Green Park. The roof and exterior mirror caps display British Racing Green paintwork, as do the bonnet stripes, and the body of this one is also in Pepper White. Again, the lower C-pillars of the GP Clubman are done in body colour.

    Inside both the Hyde Park and Green Park models, you’ll find contrast surfaces in Pepper White, reflecting a cabin design that takes its cue from the exterior. Those into these park homages can take their pick from seats in cloth/leather or leather, in black or Polar Beige, with the MINI Yours dashboard lined in leather in a black/Polar Beige combination.

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