Chevrolet gets hot down-under

After weeks of hype surrounding the Camaro, we finally get some decent pictures of a pre-production mule.

Caught testing just outside of Melbourne, Australia, a group of Camaro prototypes were accompanied by some Ford Mustang's.

The Camaro is set to go on sale early 2009 followed by the Camaro convertible in mid 2009.

Peugeot 207 SW Outdoor pricing announced (UK)

Peugeot’s 207 SW range gets a new brother this month in the shape of this new flagship Outdoor version of its junior estate.

Planned as the most desirable 207 SW, this car gets a full length glass roof and suspension raised by 16mm at the front axle and 21mm at the rear. Peugeot’s 4x4 makeover doesn’t run to four-wheel drive but does include grey plastic wheelarch and sill extensions that now seem compulsory for any faux-4x4.

Inside, the 207 Outdoor got electric windows all round, tinted side glass, washable floor mats and black or brown upholstery and trim.

The Peugeot 207 SW Outdoor comes with a choice of 1.6-litre petrol or diesel power and is priced from £13,650. It’s designed to go head-to-head with the Skoda Fabia Scout which hits the market next year.

Pontiac Vibe pricing announced (U.S)

Pontiac today confirmed pricing for the 2009 Vibe will start at $15,895 when it arrives in dealer showrooms in February 2008. Also returning to the Vibe family for the 2009 model year, an all-wheel drive model will start at $19,495 and the performance-oriented GT model will start at $19,895.

All prices include a $585 destination and freight charge. “Our goal with the new Vibe was to enhance its style and performance without sacrificing functionality and fuel economy,” said Craig Bierley, Pontiac marketing director.

“Every Vibe model now comes with a bold new look, increased engine power and a host of standard safety features, but still gets up to 32 miles per gallon.” The Vibe is powered by a 1.8-litre engine and five-speed manual transmission that can be upgraded to a 2.4-litre engine.

Standard safety features include four-wheel disc brakes with ABS, StabiliTrak electronic stability control, six airbags and OnStar. All-wheel drive and GT models come standard with the 158 hp 2.4-litre engine.

Audi's car schedule leaked

This top-secret document of upcoming Audi models has been leaked onto the internet. The document includes release dates for all the vehicles listed and where they will be built.

2008:

The A3 Cabrio, A4 Avant, A3 facelift and Q5 will be making their way to dealers. In the second half of the year we should be seeing the Audi TT-S, R8 with V10 engine and the Q7 Hybrid.

2009:

As we go through the years, the list becomes more interesting. 2009 kicks off with the Audi A5 Cabrio, followed by flagship Audi RS5 with a possible Detroit debut and R8 Targa which could have a Geneva debut. Later in the year, we can now expect the Audi A7 Coupe which rivals the Mercedes CLS, the Q3 small SUV, a higher spec TT-RS and A5 Sportback. The year ends with the introduction of the brand-new Audi A1 which showed its face as the Metroproject Quattro in Tokyo.

2010:

Audi will take the foot off the pedal in 2010 with only three new models but it will definitely be quality over quantity with the revealing of the new Audi A8 and Q5 Hybrid followed by the new Audi A3.

2011:

Life will be good in 2011 and we expect Audi sales to really go through the roof with the introduction of a brand new Audi A6 & A6 Avant but no A6 based Allroad? The A1 Cabrio is set for release late in the year. But the real news for 2011 the Audi A7 Cabrio and sporty R4, which could be a TT successor.

2012:

Maybe a little too far in the future to really lay down concrete plans but Audi has an A4 facelift in the planning.

The list in short:

September 2007 - B8 A4
September 2007 - C6 RS6

2008:

January 2008 - A3 Cabrio
March 2008 - B8 A4 Avant
June 2008 - A3 Facelift
July 2008 - Q5
August 2008 - TT-S
September 2008 - R8 V10
December 2008 - Q7 Hybrid

2009:

January 2009 - A5 Cabrio
February 2009 - RS5
March 2009 - R8 Targa
June 2009 - A7 Coupe
July 2009 - Q3
August 2009 - TT-RS
September 2009 - A5 Sportback
December 2009 - A1

2010:


February 2010 - Q5 Hybrid
June 2010 - New D4 A8
October 2010 - New A3

2011:

January 2011 - A7 Cabrio
January 2011 - New C7 A6
May 2011 - C7 A6 Avant
June 2011 - R4
October 2011 - A1 Cabrio

2012:

January 2012 - A4 Facelift

Cadillac CTS arrives in Australia (AU)

GM is bending over backwards to gain more ground outside of the USA resulting in substantial sales increase in Europe, Asia Pacific region, Latin America, Africa, East Europe and Australia is its next target. While GM's Holden division is starting to export Pontiac G8's of various kinds to the US, Cadillac is in turn preparing its new CTS sedan for an Australian debut in the fourth quarter of 2008.

Jim Taylor, Cadillac general manager said: “We’re confident that this CTS will meet the discriminating tastes and demands of luxury customers, no matter where they live.” The car has definitely won the hearts of Motor Trend who awarded the car with their popular COTY award.

The Australian Cadillac CTS will be powered by a 3.6-litre VVT direct injection Global V6 engine, generating 227kW / 304 hp and 370Nm of torque. A 2.9 litre diesel is rumoured but GM hasn’t mentioned it yet.

GM Holden Chairman and Managing Director Chris Gubbey said: “Cadillac is undergoing a brand renaissance and global expansion driven by dramatic design and technical innovation. With cutting edge design, serious performance and luxury appointments, Cadillac will appeal to Australian prestige car buyers and quickly establish itself in a segment traditionally dominated by European brands.”

Vauxhall Agila pricing announced (UK)

Vauxhall's new Agila will go on sale next April in the UK with a starting price of £7,595.

The Agila city car comes with five doors as standard and enters the range below the larger Corsa.

The petrol engines range from a 1.0-litre, 64bhp three-cylinder unit or a 1.2-litre, 84bhp which will come with an automatic transmission as an option.

Only one diesel engine will be offered in the form of the 1.3-litre CDTi 74bhp unit.

There's plenty of reason to buy the Agila, including annual road tax of only £35 and 120g/km C02 on the entry level models, cute looks and luggage space to equal the Corsa.

The larger Corsa has a very broad target market, whereas the Agila is specifically aimed at city-dwellers who rarely venture past the local shops.

That's not the only homegrown competition the Agila faces. The Suzuki Splash city car arrives just before the Agila at a lower price for exactly the same car.

Suzuki hasn't announced prices for the Splash and Vauxhall won't release any more detailed pricing quite yet, so we'll have to wait until next year to find out just how close the competition really is.

Volkswagen Up! to be built in India

Volkswagen has given away its future model plans for India, including a wide range of models, from an all-new small car that's still on the drawing board to the super-luxurious Phaeton.

The German carmaker is deadly serious about its venture into the market, which it kicked off in November with the launch of the Passat. In the next five years, a slew of models could see VW producing as many as 240,000 units a year in this market by 2012.

Key to VW's India plans are to mass-market models that will be produced in large volumes in the company's upcoming factory in Chakan. The first is the sixth-generation Polo (A06) hatchback that is under development and is expected in 2009. The Polo will be positioned in the hatchback segment alongside the Skoda Fabia and Honda Jazz. A sedan version of the Polo is also a possibility that would put it smack into Honda City and Suzuki SX4 territory.

The bigger-selling model will be an all-new small car based on the Up! microcar concept that VW revealed in September at the Frankfurt motor show. VW will build a four-door hatchback off this new platform (code named MHB) which, like the Tata super-low-priced car, follows a rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout. Dubbed the A000 in VW's platform hierarchy, the new microcar will be built in three different markets of the world from 2010. Production of the new microcar in India could begin by 2011. With a length of only 134 inches, the microcar is shorter than a Suzuki Alto, but a longer wheelbase is under development.

According to the industry rumour mill, VW has set an aggressive price target of under $7,500, but a lot depends on the level of localization and cost management of the program. VW has been in talks with Indian companies including Bajaj Auto to help develop the car.

The next-generation Jetta, which will be spun off the future Golf platform (A6), is expected in India sometime in 2009 soon after its global launch. This three-box sedan will compete with the Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla and Skoda Octavia.

All the new Volkswagens will come with state-of-the-art direct-injection petrol engines with a new range of common-rail diesel engines still under development.

Toyota Sequoia pricing announced (U.S)

Toyota announced that it has increased the price on its base 2008 Sequoia SUV by $990 over the outgoing model. The 2008 Sequoia will start at $34,835, including a $685 destination charge, when it goes on sale in late December.

The flagship 2008 Toyota Sequoia Platinum 4x4 model carries a Lexus like price tag of $56,285, including shipping. Toyota did not offer a Sequoia Platinum model in 2007. The range topping model last year was the Sequoia Limited 4x4, which started at $46,345, including shipping. For 2008, the Sequoia Limited grade with the standard 5.7-litre V8 starts at $45,910 for the 4x2 model.

The Platinum model includes deluxe items like 20-inch diamond-cut-finish aluminum wheels, rear load-leveling air suspension, a power front seat memory package, heated and air-conditioned ventilated front seats, heated second-row seats, a power rear door, a tilt and slide sunroof, headlamp cleaners and a navigation system with a back-up camera.

Renault Sandero launches in Brazil (Brazil)

Renault has launched the new Renault Sandero in Brazil, and is readying itself for a February move into Argentina. Later in 2008, Dacia will also start building the car for the European market and the Maghreb (north west Africa). In 2009, South Africa can welcome the Renault Sandero too, more markets are currently under review by the Renault board.

The Renault Sandero is a 'roomy and robust top-end compact car' according to Renault. The Sandero shares its platform (B0 platform) with the Dacia/Renault Logan which took Europe by storm (worldwide sales of Logan MCV and Van have totalled at 700,000 in just three years), selling out in most countries.

The Renault Sandero has been co-developed by the Brazilian RTA (Renault Technologies Americas) since 2005 and the early prototypes were built and tested in Brazil. With all the Brazilian expertise on flex-fuel engines, Renault developed a flex-fuel version of the 1.6 litre 8V engine which complements the engine range (1.0 litre 16V and 1.6 litre 16V).

If the price is right, we can see this car conquer some hearts.

Citroen C4 Notchback confirmed for Europe

We previously reported that Citroen might bring the C4 Notchback into Europe. After our spy photographers sighted a black Citroen sedan testing in France, it seemed almost certain and now it is. Ever since mid-2006, the C4 Triomphe has been on sale in China and since mid-2007 the C4 Pallas has been on sale in the South American Mercosur region (Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay).

Plans were to sell the C4-Triomphe overseas in Europe to offer an substitute to the ever-popular C4 hatchback, but today word came that this plan has been deferred due to high demand in South America. Over 10,000 units have been sold to date (production started in April) and export is now planned for mid-2008, allowing PSA to increase capacity at their Palomar plant in Argentina.

Vincent Rambaud, head of PSA's South American operations, said: “The Pallas is selling well because it is the first non-European PSA car adapted to meet the needs of car buyers in the Mercosur region. It is an example of how we will increase sales in Mercosur by developing new cars adapted to the local market.”

Citroen C4-Triomphe spy photo