New Car: 2008 Kia Pro-Cee'd

We previously reported about the Kia Pro-Cee'd. We were given teaser official images and now we have the official photos of the new sports car.

The Pro_cee’d will be offered with the same five engines as the Cee’d: 1.4 and 1.6 petrols, two different 1.6 diesels and a 2.0 diesel. There’s also the option of a ‘Sports Pack’ that comes with 17-inch alloys, stiffer dampers and stainless steel trim in the cabin.

Despite having two fewer doors than its sibling, the Pro_cee’d is 15mm longer, at 4250mm. It is also lower, giving a sleeker profile. Kia also claims that the Pro_cee’d has sportier handling.

More information can be found here.

New Car: 2008 Kia Sportage

Kia Sportage SUV now manufactured in Europe

Full 18-model Kia Sportage line-up produced in Slovakia

Choice of gasoline or diesel engines, with manual or automatic transmission

Improved build-quality, comfort, refinement and towing ability

Kia Motors will officially celebrate the start of full production of its popular Sportage compact SUV at the company’s ultra-modern Slovakia facility by holding the premiere of the 2008 model at the Frankfurt International Motor Show on 11 September.

Kia’s first-ever plant in Europe continues to be a burgeoning success as the Zilina operation has seamlessly added two new models – the cee’d Sporty Wagon and Sportage SUV– to its inventory, just a few months after making its very first cee’d hatchback cars last December. At the end of this year, the facility will add a fourth model to its repertoire, the Pro-Cee’d three-door hatchback. With a staff of 2,400 working two shifts, Zilina is already living up to its promise of becoming the most productive car manufacturing plant in Europe, aiming to build 100 cars per employee per year – when fully operational.

The handsome Kia Sportage SUV is little changed on the outside, but 2008 models will feature exterior enhancements that include a re-styled front grille, black bezel headlamps, enlarged door mirrors, new-style alloy wheels, a broader range of paint finishes and body-colour bumpers for all models.

“Made in Europe, the new 2008 Kia Sportage retains all the popular attributes of the original model and now offers customers an even better drive in greater comfort and refinement,” enthused Mr Jean-Charles Lievens, Senior Vice President Kia Motors Europe. “Since its launch in Europe during 2004, the Sportage has attracted more than 100,000 buyers and has played a key role, together with the larger Sorento SUV and smaller Picanto city car, in raising public awareness of the Kia brand across the broadest spread of European consumers.”

Technical improvements introduced simultaneously with manufacturing the 2008 Sportage in Europe begin with the power steering, which is re-tuned to be a little more direct. Sixteen inch diameter wheels with 215/65 R16 tyres are standard, the suspension dampers are stiffer for improved on-road handling and body roll has been reduced. Larger, 300 mm diameter front brakes now stop the Sportage in just 41.6 metres (from 100 kph), and place the Kia among the best-in-class.

Inside, the 2008 Sportage has improved front seats with longer (by 40 mm) and wider (by 20 mm) cushions for greater support and comfort. The rear seat cushion shape and firmness have been enhanced and the seat lowered by 5 mm to increase headroom.

Wind noise has been reduced by redesigning the door mirror housings and improving the seals around the electric sunroof. The 2008 Sportage has 12.5% more towing capacity than the previous model – now up to a maximum of 1800 kg.

Thanks to the unique Rotation Dipping Painting process at the Zilina plant, which rotates each bodyshell through a forward somersault while immersed in the electro-plating tank, and the built-in quality of Kia vehicles manufactured in Slovakia, all versions of the 2008 Kia Sportage are covered by a new 10-Year anti-corrosion warranty – an extension of four years.

Customers buying a 2008 Kia Sportage can choose from a range of 10 exterior colours and two interior colours – Flesh Beige and Saturn Black. Eight of the exterior colours are new to Sportage, with two solids and six metallics in common with the cee’d models produced at Zilina. Two of the most popular metallic colours (Greyish Silver and Smart Blue), are carried over from the 2007 model year.

Exposing your Soul

Its a triple whammy today. This is our 3rd Kia posting in one day.

Kia unveiled its Soul concept car at the 2006 Detroit Auto Show. Then at this year’s Detroit show they confirmed that the Soul was definitely headed to production with an expected arrival date of late 2008 as a 2009 model.

With boxy styling, somewhat similar to the Scion xB, the Soul is built to appeal to younger buyers with a muscular look on the outside and a high-end audio system on the inside. Engine will be a 2.0 litre four-cylinder gasoline engine mated to a 5-speed automatic transmission with manual shift capability.

These spy photos shows a Soul prototype of the production model hot weather testing in the Southwest of the U.S.

Volkswagen Passat Coupé Spied

The first unofficial photos of the 2009 Volkswagen Passat are now available, compliments of well-positioned spy photographers in Death Valley. Although the VW prototype clearly has four doors, the shapely new Passat is expected to be marketed as a "coupe" the same way Mercedes-Benz calls its four-door CLS a coupe.

Volkswagen intends to position this low-slung version as an upgrade from the traditional Passat, so expect a more luxurious interior and an MSRP that climbs above $40K.The Passat coupe is expected to go on sale in late 2008.

New Car: 2008 Honda Accord Sedan & Coupé

Here are the first official images of the new 2008 Accord. Unlike the previous model, there will be no hybrid but the petrol and diesel engines will stay and on the new Accord they will consist of;
268-hp 3.5-litre V6 capable of running on 6, 4 or 3 cylinders, 190-hp 2.4-litre inline four and 177-hp 2.4-litre inline four on the sedan and on the coupé; 273-hp 3.5-liter V6 and a 200-hp 2.4-litre inline-4 mated with a six-speed manual transmission.

Space isn't too short in the sedan either with 120 cubic feet of interior space. Pricing hasn't been officially revealed but Honda says some models will see no price increase while others will cost only between $200 and $500 more than the equivalent '07s. So figure that an LX will start around $21,000 and an EX V6 will begin at just a smidge over $30,000 for the sedan and coupé should start from $22,000 for the LX grade and an EX-L V6 with the six-speed and navigation system will start around $30,500. The 2008 Accord goes on sale September 12.

The VCM system can run the optional new 3.5-litre V6 on six, four or three cylinders, depending on driving conditions. Six is for uphill climbs and accelerating. Four-cylinder operation is for expressway driving. And the Accord becomes a three-banger for relaxed city cruising/coasting. To quell the inevitable vibrations while the engine was running on three or four cylinders, Honda uses active engine mounts and active noise control system. It's a similar system the company used for the ill-fated Accord Hybrid, a model for which there will be no replacement going forward. That we never heard or felt any additional raucousness when the engine was running on fewer than six cylinders is as high praise as we can offer. It also brings a 4 mpg increase in highway fuel economy. Tested by the EPA's new, stricter standard, the V6 with the five-speed automatic (the only transmission available in V6-powered sedans) should get 19 mpg city and 29 mpg highway. The new V6 is a half-litre larger than the motor it replaces to fortify it in the midsize-sedan horsepower war. At 268 hp at 6,200 rpm and 248 lb-ft of torque at 5,000 rpm, the new Honda V6 is essentially the equal of the V6s of its two main rivals, the Toyota Camry (268 hp) and Nissan Altima (270 hp) and it's smoother than either. Still, the updated 190 bhp 2.4-litre four in the EX trimline is more than enough engine to get the job done, particularly when bolted to the five-speed manual transmission. It delivers better fuel economy than the V6 (22/31) and, allied with the new Accord's bigger 18.5-gallon fuel tank, could provide more than 500 miles of driving between fill-ups which is more than the Toyota Camry Hybrid. The LX model Accord comes with a 177-hp version of the same four-cylinder but without the EX power train's high-flow muffler and more aggressive power train control module tuning.

Honda is eager to mention that the 2008 Accord is now one of the few midsize sedans that's actually a large car and by "large" Honda is referring to the EPA's classification, which is judged by adding the cubic volume of the interior and the cubic volume of the trunk. If the resulting number is 120 cubic feet or more, then the car in question is a "large" car. Assuming you don't order the moonroof, which Honda says steals 5 cubic feet from the interior, the Accord squeaks in with exactly 120 cubes. Does this really matter? Well, yes. If the fascination with big SUVs and full-size pickups proved anything, it is that bigger is still better in the minds of many consumers and surely the folks who get stuck in the backseat will appreciate the extra legroom the enlarged Accord brings. The 2008 Accord's 2.3-inch longer wheelbase (to 110.2 inches) and 1-inch-taller body yield noticeable, if not dramatic improvements in all measures of interior roominess. Overall the car is 3.2 inches longer. It's still no Chrysler 300, but neither will your head be brushing the headliner and Honda notes that it added more space between the driver and passenger and widened the center console to give a more expansive feeling to the interior.

Audi A3 blows its top!

Audi recently started testing on the new A3 Cabrio. Our latest spy photo shows a pre-production car undergoing high-speed testing in Germany on a autobahn.

Back in September 2005 Audi boss Martin Winterkorn confirmed that the Audi A3 Cabriolet was coming, but was also quick to mention that it wouldn't be available untill at least 2008. The new A3 cabrio is set to rival up against the upcoming BMW 1 Series Cabrio.

If we can believe the rumors, the A3 Cabrio will be built in Audi's Brussels, Belgium factory which Audi has just recently taken control over from Volkswagen. The factory is capable of producing some 30.000 A3's annually and is also scheduled to build the new A1 which is expected at the Tokyo Motor Show later this year.

The look of the A3 Cabrio is not very surprising, with the front looking like the current A3 generation but the rear end seems to have been styled after the new A5. We're expecting to see the car in the flesh at Frankfurt.

Concept Car: Citroen C-Airscape

The covers have well and truly been lifted off Citroen's four-seater concept car, the C-Airscape, soon to be unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show. These "official" photos, supposedly leaked previews the sleek lines and premium packaging of the upcoming Citroen C5, the finished product of which has itself already been leaked. We say "official" because it looks like some-one has taken the pictures themselves whilst the photoshoot was happening and that fact the photos are also low-quality.

The C5's debut was expected to be scheduled for Frankfurt, although a Geneva Motor Show unveiling is more likely. But exclusive of the 6 month advance on the C5's styling, the C-Airscape may very well have its roots in previewing a new convertible C5.

Following in the footsteps of sister manufacturer Peugeot and its 407 Coupé, the C5 is likely to spawn a production version of the C-Airscape concept car, not only introducing an entirely new model to the C5 range, but taking the firm upmarket. Front styling echoing Pininfarina's 406 Coupé and Audi-esque rear styling suggest Citroen want to take on the Germans with improved packaging and stunning good looks.

Rumors have suggested that a coupé-cabriolet version of the Citroen C5 could join the line-up in 2009 but judging by Pegueot 407 Coupé which failed, the CC seems unlikely.

Nissan Tiida sells in more EU countries

With the gap that's emerged between the discontinued Almera and Primera models, Nissan hopes that its 'Tiida' hot hatch, currently sold in Japan, Australia, Mexico, the U.S. and eastern Europe, will appeal to customers in Western Europe when it goes on sale in January 2008. The 'Tiida', the "ever-changing tide in Japanese, will offer three engines choices: a 1.6 litre petrol (110hp), a 1.8 litre petrol (126hp) and a 1.5dCi (105hp).While Portugal and Spain will only get the five-door version, Nissan will supply the Austrian, Swiss and German markets with both three- and five-door models. The 'Tiida' has been for sale in a number of central and eastern European countries since June and it will be launched in Russia in October.

A Nissan spokesman said annual European sales targets are set to "peak at 40,000 units," with 60% of buyers being previous Nissan owners. The 'Tiida' will be positioned between the medium-sized Qashqai SUV and Nissan's Note minivan.

NISSAN TO EXPAND TIIDA SALES:

· TIIDA to be launched in Germany, Spain, Switzerland, Austria and Portugal
· On sale from January 2008
· Four and five door models, three engines (two petrol, one diesel)

TRAPPES, FRANCE (August 16th, 2007) - Nissan Europe announced today that it will introduce the TIIDA model to a further five markets early next year, following its recent selective European launch.

As from January 2008, Germany, Switzerland and Austria will offer both the four and five door models while Spain and Portugal will launch the five door model. All three engines will be available; a 1.6 litre petrol (110hp), a 1.8 litre petrol (126hp) and a 1.5dCi (105hp).

The latest countries identified were part of the ongoing launch strategy for the TIIDA model in Europe, where Nissan studied market opportunities where there was a concentration of loyal customers of Almera and Primera who may consider purchasing a similar model in the future. Once fully rolled out, the total volume for the model will reach 40,000 units.

“Up to 60 percent of TIIDA customers will have owned a Nissan previously, so by expanding the launch across Europe we are allowing even more customers the opportunity to stay with Nissan for many more years. Equally, we are confident that TIIDA’s many strengths will also lead buyers to Nissan for the first time,” said Brian Carolin, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Nissan Europe.

TIIDA was launched in the Baltics, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and Slovenia since June and will be launched in Russia and Ukraine in October. The model is also sold in many global markets including Japan, the US (Versa) and in Mexico, where all TIIDA models for the European market are built at Nissan’s Civac plant.

The name TIIDA is derived from a word in a Japanese dialect meaning ‘ever-changing tide’ and sits between NOTE and QASHQAI in terms of price. It appeals to the customer looking for a more conventional type of car and places an emphasis on traditional values such as comfort, interior space and ease of use.

Fiat sports car coming up?

Fiat’s plans for reviving the Abarth name could include models unique to the brand, Cars Of The Future® has learned, and specifically a new, small two-seater roadster designed to rival the Mazda MX-5.

According to highly placed Fiat officials, plans are in motion within the firm to resurrect Abarth as a fully fledged sports car brand in its own right, and to develop a compact sporting roadster with which to launch it. In conversation with Cars Of The Future® journalists, Abarth boss Luca De Meo and ex-Fiat marketing chief Steven Norman have both mentioned the possibility of stand alone Abarth cars, and a small roadster in particular.

Potentially based on the 500 platform, such a car would fit perfectly with Fiat’s aspirations for the brand and with Abarth’s history. It would also dovetail with the brand's intention not to produce a Punto cabrio, as various Fiat officials have mentioned to Cars Of The Future®, as that decision leaves room for an affordable roadster in the group's model range - a successor for the Barchetta, which we also know won't be directly replaced.

The likeliest engine for the Abarth Roadster would be the turbocharged 1.4-litre petrol motor that will serve under the bonnet of the forthcoming 500 Abarth. That offers potential for up to 150bhp.

Abarth produced a series of small, light roadsters and coupes in the 50s and 60s, such as the 205 Vignale. Acclaimed for their looks and performance, the cars helped to establish Abarth as more than just a works race team.

Fiat showed a Punto Abarth at the Geneva motor show earlier this year that had been stripped of its Fiat badging. And although the first round of Abarth-tuned Fiats, starting with the 500 Abarth to be launched at the Tokyo show in October, will retain their Fiat badging, Cars Of The Future® has learned that they could be putting in the ground work for a family of Abarth-only sporting models - possibly hot hatchbacks, roadsters and coupes - based on Fiat mechanicals, but designed from the outset with sporting edge in mind.

A concept for a small Abarth roadster was also shown earlier this year at Geneva, by Italy’s IED design institute. Called the SS, it has no official connection with Fiat, but IED has worked closely with Fiat in the past on car design; could it have been operating on an unofficial brief from Turin? Italian industry watchers think it's more than a possibility.

No decisions have been made at Fiat over the future of such a car, but it could go from designer’s sketch to production-ready model in a surprisingly short time. By carrying out a lot of the 500 and Bravo development virtually, using computer models, Fiat has taken the two cars from concept to market in under two years. With this experience, it could bring a roadster based on the 500 to market in an equally short time.

Skoda Superb uncloaked

The current Skoda Superb has been on the market since 2001. Now a first prototype mule of this model’s replacement has been sighted in Germany.

It is clearly visible that the next generation Superb will grow considerably in overall length. The Volkswagen-owned Skoda company will also give the new Superb all new styling. This is the first spy photo of the rear end uncovered.

Nothing is not yet known about the engines, but most likely again it will use four and six cylinder petrol - and four and six cylinder turbo diesel engines.