Vauxhall has finally revealed there new Insignia estate which will be officially unveiled to the public at the Paris Motor Show in October. The new model called Sports Tourer, will go on sale in Spring 2009. Rivals of this new estate are the Ford Mondeo Estate and Honda Accord Tourer.
Room for up to five and “one of the best loadspace volumes in its class” - (exact volume to be revealed at Paris auto show.). Under the hood will be two new engines – a turbo diesel with increased power and a smaller turbocharged petrol engine as well as the 5 engines offered with the saloon and hatchback models.
Just like the saloon and hatch, the Sports Tourer will be offered with front or all wheel drive. The new estate model will also get Adaptive Forward Lighting (AFL) and a Front Camera System, which reads and memorises signs to alert drivers.
Inconsiderate parking is the latest excuse for traffic wardens to slap a fine on your windscreen.
New government parking rules mean leaving your car parked to far from the curb or in front of a dropped kerb even if there are no warning signs or road marking could lead to a fine. The Department of Transport are still waiting for the approval of these new penalties but it is expected to receive these new powers.
Also new rules in London means cars can now be towed even if parked legally. The new rules apply to cars which have 3 or more penalty charge notices. The new rules are intended to target repeat offenders.
Tuning specialists Alpina has shown its highly modified BMW 3-Series diesel called the D3 Bi-turbo. The coupe model like the original is powered with a twin turbo diesel engine used in the BMW 123d.
BMW already makes a 3-series diesel but the Alpina model has been replaced with a smaller engine which is highly tuned, lighter and produces 10hp improvement. These modifications get the car to 60 mph from 0 in only 6.9 seconds and a top speed of 152 mph.
It also has improved fuel economy compared to the non modified BMW diesel, delivering 43.8 mpg (US) with a manual setup, just 1.4mpg less that the standard 123d.
Availability is limited with only 100 available in the UK this year.
To be shown in the new James Bond movie, Quantum of Solace the Ford is hoping for the Ka to be a big hit.
Ford hasn’t released any interior pictures but expect the car to have an innovative new cockpit.
First revealed in 1996 at the Paris Motor Show, the Ka has sold over 1.4 million (480,000 in UK) over 12 years. The new model will be shown at this years Paris expo in October and will be in showrooms early next year.
Check back to Car Blog UK on Friday to see the latest interior shots of this car.
Source: Ford Ka
BMW's Mini brand plans to have electric cars on United States roads by next summer.
It has not been announced how far the electric car will be able to go on a single charge.
BMW has announced that it would ship 500 electric Minis to the US. The company is still deciding where the cars will be available and whether to lease or sell them. U.S. Mini sales were up a massive 34 per cent in the first six months of this year as consumer demand for more fuel efficient cars increases.
Mini would also like to offer a diesel engine if it can develop it to get at least 50 mpg on the highway in US environmental protection agency tests and meets stringent emissions standards in California and north-east states, said Jim McDowell, vice-president of Mini USA.
Source: Electric Mini
An electric car-builder from Norway is making a comeback at the British Motor Show. The company called Th!nk has unveiled its new City car which is the only fully crash-tested and highway-certified electric vehicle currently on offer.
This new model is a huge advance on the company’s previous model:-
These improved numbers make the car much more better able to handle everyday traffic conditions. continued
Get ready for the Ford Focus RS to be released at the British Motor Show.
Having been spotted at Nurburgring track getting its performance and handling fine-tuned to get that 296bhp to the tarmac. The increases of 84bhp over its predecessor will push the new Focus RS to over 150mph and launch the car from 0-60mph in less than 6 seconds.
Getting around the Nurburgring in 8:38 this car is seriously quick.
More details revealed when available.
Finally the Corolla Verso replacement has been spotted. The new Verso has the same engines as the Auris (3 petrol and 2 diesel engines) and is set to replace the Auris Verso.
To be on sale next year, the exterior of this car appears to share similarities with the Avensis more than the hatch. The name of this car has yet to be confirmed. More details to be revealed when available.
The new fiesta boasts impressive numbers compared to its outgoing model and thanks to the cars lower emission has a annual road tax bill of £120.
Ford Fiesta Zetec 1.6-litre Ti-VCT Numbers:
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