News in brief

2011 Ford Ranger preview

No 2011 Ford Ranger for America (U.S):

FoMoCo (Ford Motor Company) has recently confirmed that the ‘compact’ (large) Ranger pick-up won’t be heading Stateside, following several off-on changes. Ford said the decision comes from the fact the compact pick-up truck market in the U.S is shrinking fast and other rivals offer better vehicles.

Ford is likely to be shutting down its St. Paul, Minnesota assembly plant. The Ranger will be sold in 180 markets across the world with unveiling beginning on 15th October in Sydney, Australia. The Ranger will go on sale in the UK Autumn 2011.

KDM 2011 Hyundai Avante

Hyundai to built ’11 Elantra along with Sonata sedan (U.S):

Hyundai will be producing the 2011 Elantra compact sedan in Montgomery, Alabama, alongside the popular Sonata.

Production will start soon with a public debut at the Los Angeles Motor Show in November. Sales will follow in early 2011.

"Hyundai’s philosophy is to build our vehicles where we sell them, and with the addition of the Elantra to our U.S. production mix we now manufacture our three most popular models right here in the U.S," said John Krafcik, president and CEO, Hyundai Motor America.

Rolls-Royce penning new Ghost variants:

According to CEO Torsten Mueller-Oetvoes, Rolls-Royce is preparing a few Ghost variants.


“I’m quite confident that we’re going to see a Ghost derivative to come.” He added that there is still “a lot of potential in the market” for a more entry-level Rolls-Royce. We are just taking a measure of our customers' needs at the moment. Inevitably with a model like the Ghost there is plenty of potential for it to be developed. In terms of seeing a production model in 2011, 2012, 2013, it is unlikely," he added. "There are no firm plans as yet."

Rolls-Royce announced in February of this year that it would be experimenting with a sequence of Ghost concept cars. A coupé and cabriolet were tipped to be joining the new Ghost saloon and the concept versions would be produced in order to "gauge customer demand".

While the car won’t use the Ghost nameplate, such names as Corniche and Carmargue should soft-top and coupé variants see production are likely to be used. A long-wheel base Ghost is under consideration, while a hybrid is in the pipeline.

Subaru revises 4-cylinder Boxer engines:
 
Subaru has revealed its third-generation 4 cylinder petrol Boxer engines, in both 2.0 litre and 2.5 litre guises. It’s the first revision in 21 years and Subaru has invigorated the engines from top-to-toe.
 
The result? 10% better fuel economy, better smoothness and enhanced power band. The bore and stroke have been modified to allow for a more compact combustion chamber, as well as a longer stroke.

The 2.5 litre engine still has 170bhp with 230Nm (174lb-ft) of torque. The engine was designed to stay in a way that is as forward thinking as the original whilst still allowing engineers to alter the engine without a major redesign.

The 2.0 litre will find its way under the forthcoming FT-86 and is expected to produce 197bhp coupled to either a 6 speed manual or CVT gearbox.

Porsche working on 'Cajun' SUV:

According to VAG chief executive, Martin Winterkorn, Porsche is looking to produce a smaller SUV than the Cayenne after ruling it out.


Winterkorn said that Porsche would launch “a new SUV, a smaller brother to the Cayenne which might be named Cajun.”

Volkswagen wants to double Porsche sales in the medium term to 150,000 units and the new baby SUV, likely to be based on the Audi Q5 and be introduced by 2015, will play a important role.

Nissan X-Trail facelift pricing announced (UK):

The revised Nissan X-Trail compact SUV will start from £23,995 when it goes on sale this month.

The entry-level X-Trail Acenta, includes body coloured electrically adjustable/heated door mirrors, privacy glass, automatic headlamps and wipers, front fog lamps and 17” alloy wheels w/low-resisting tyres.

Flagship Tekna model starts at £27,495. Additional features above Acenta trim include electrically folding door mirrors, xenon headlamps, panoramic sunroof, electrically adjustable leather heated front seats, Connect Premium HDD satellite navigation system w/music server and USB port, rear view camera and a 9 speaker BOSE sound system.

Significant updates to the 2.0 dCi diesel engine result in Euro5 compliance. The manual gearbox has revised ratios for improved performance and better fuel economy, while the automatic has been modified to reduce friction. A gear change indicator is also added to help the driver optimise fuel economy.

Andy Connell, 4x4 Marketing Manager commented: “These changes make the X-TRAIL one of the most competitive compact SUVs available today. In terms of performance versus emissions, it could be considered the class leader. Our extensive upgrades will help maintain its position in the SUV segment as one of the few truly versatile and agile four-wheel drive vehicles on sale in the UK.”

Toyota updates iQ city-car:

Toyota has revised the iQ for 2011. The revisions are limited to the interior and engines.

The 1.0 litre VVT-i and 1.33 litre VVT-i have been improved to meet forthcoming Euro5 emissions standards.

Whereas engine performance and fuel economy hasn’t changed, the iQ 1.0 litre VVT-i still emits 99g/km of CO2 and combines 64.2mpg, while the 1.33 litre with stop/start returns 57.6mpg combined and emits 113g/km.

The interior changes have been to “raise the quality factor and give customers more choice”.

They include the introduction of a new grey interior with contrasting black upper trims on the doors and toning fabric upholstery. Kuru black leather upholstery is available as an option. This new cabin finish is available with Eclipse Black, Pearl White, Island Blue and Tyrol Silver exterior paint.

New soft-touch materials have been introduced and the “manta ray” motif panels on the door and centre console adopt a new black finish.

The 2011 iQ is already on sale in the UK, priced from £10,158.

Subaru to launch Impreza WRX STI saloon in Britain (UK)

Subaru to set to launch the 4dr Impreza WRX STI saloon ahead of Winter this year.

The car first premiered at the New York International Auto Show (NYIAS) in Spring. The saloon is designed to overturn poor demand for the cult performance classic, which changed to a 5dr hatchback body style in 2007.

The WRX STI saloon forthcoming arrival shine doubt over the future of the hatchback, which hasn’t been imported as new into the UK since the 2008 MY.

At the Impreza’s WRX STI saloon launch, Subaru America chief operating executive Tom Doll said the saloon “will expand the appeal of the iconic performance model” and its introduction was driven by “strong, loyal and vocal support from thousands of enthusiastic owners”.

It went through extensive development work at the Nürburgring circuit and has major suspension upgrades for the 2011.

Subaru describes it as the “best-handling WRX STI ever”; changes include a lower ride height, stiffer bushes, higher-rate springs and thicker front and rear anti-roll bars. New lighter 18” alloy wheels appear beside advanced Brembo brakes.

Externally, the fascia includes sharper creasing on the bumper, a new grille, lip spoiler, new headlights. The side features wider wheel arches and the rear gets a revised bumper.

Powering the car will be a turbocharged 2.5 litre, flat four petrol engine, kicking out 301bhp to all four wheels via a 6 speed manual gearbox. Three driving modes are available that change driving characteristics: Intelligent, Sport and Sport Sharp.

An internal source didn’t confirm whether the 5dr Impreza STi would now be killed-off.

Chrysler suspends several employees for disobedience (U.S)

A scandal involving several Chrysler LLC employees – who build the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee – has shocked the automotive industry.

The employees were stalked by Fox News Detroit for a number of weeks and were caught on video smoking marijuana/cannabis and drinking beer in a local park near the Jefferson North Assembly Plant during their lunch.

It's the same plant where President Obama stood in July, praising Chrysler workers and saying "I would bet on the American worker any day of the week."

The local TV station said it began following the workers just five days after Obama's visit. Chrysler went through a Government-led bankruptcy in 2009 and took $10.8 billion from the federal government. "The fact that we're standing in this magnificent factory today is a testament to the decision we made," said Obama in July.

A video shows the workers exiting the plant, heading into a local party store and then obviously drinking and smoking cannabis in a local park. "There ain't no party like a Detroit party," said the reporter during the video. He adds: "We saw this day after day after day. [They use their] lunch break to catch a buzz."

The workers have since been suspended until further notice without pay, according to Chrysler.

"I'm very, very disturbed about what I just saw in the video and I want to make it clear that we at Chrysler take it very seriously," Scott Garberding, Chrysler's senior vice president of manufacturing, told Fox News Detroit. "For us this behavior is totally unacceptable and will be dealt with swiftly."

The United Auto Workers also issued a statement saying that it opposes the use of controlled substances or alcohol on the job.

Via Edmunds.com

Cadillac recalls 2009 - '10 CTS AWD and CTS-V (U.S)

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has announced a call-back regarding 20,224 the 2009 and 2010 Cadillac CTS all-wheel-drive and CTS-V sedans.

The problem comes from the passenger knee airbag which may cause the front passenger injury. To repair the issue, dealers will change the glove box compartment assembly, and in various cars may also have to alter the instrument panel structure itself.

"In the event of a frontal vehicle crash, if a 5th percentile female is in the front passenger seat and is not wearing a safety belt, and the seat is adjusted full forward, the risk of injury to the thigh bone (femur) is higher than permitted under federal law," said GM's customer car and after-sales department. "In a crash test conducted by the NHTSA, the passenger dummy's knee hit the glove box door, resulting in a femur load 3 percent more severe than allowed by the safety standard."

The recall is likely to begin on 20th October. Owners can contact Cadillac on (866) 982-2339.

Peugeot 206 production terminated (EU)

Peugeot will see the production of the 206 end next year in Europe after 13 of service.

EU legislation will ultimately axe it, but it’s likely to continue to be made in Iran, South America and China.

It was first introduced in 1998 as a late replacement for the 205 which Peugeot had originally tried to avoid refreshing as they hoped the 106 and 306 models would fill the market suitably.

The 206 went on to become Peugeot’s best selling car, exceeding 5m units in 2005 before its replacement – the 207 – was introduced in 2006. The only other Peugeot to sell that amount was the 205, although this took significantly longer than the 8 years the 206 took to attain that milestone.

Land Rover Defender sales become sluggish

The Land Rover Defender sales aren’t bouncing back as well as its siblings. Land Rover sales nose-dived in 2008 with sales slow improving in 2009. Excluding the Defender, the rest of the line-up saw sales soar.

Defender figures depend on Government sales and these are the areas that are receiving new cutbacks, slowing the sales figure.

Land Rover sales for August 2010 were 12,432, a year-on-year increase of 28%. This has taken the swelling sales for the economic year to date (April 2010 to August 2010) to 67,840, an increase on 2009 of 52%. UK sales for the first five months of 2010 were up 60% year-on-year and rose by 64% year-on-year in May.

Sales of the Range Rover saw the biggest boost, up 121% on May 2009 with Discovery sales up 87%, Range Rover Sport sales were up 58%, Freelander sales rose 60% and Defender sales were up 32%.

Diesel engines unlikely to power Bentleys

For those who were hoping Bentley will sell one of their cars with a diesel engine will be disappointed, according to the company’s chairman.

Chairman and CEO, Franz-Josef Paefgen owned up some time ago that Bentley had tried out diesel engines and found them remarkable, but unfavourable market conditions make the move unlikely, Bentley claims.

Markets like Japan, U.S and China don’t seem to be too keen on the idea of a diesel-powered Bentley.

“The forthcoming Euro 6 clean-air regulations are likely to pile some big costs on to diesels,” says Bentley powertrain manager Brian Gush.

“And there’s a strong prejudice against them in the U.S and Japan, which are key markets for us. The attitude of Chinese buyers is going to have a big effect on cars like ours in future, too, and they are none too keen.

“Those of us who know diesels can see the benefits, but in large parts of the world the cars just wouldn’t sell."

PSA Peugeot, Citroen & Mitsubishi mid-sized SUV production launched (RU)

PSA Peugeot-Citroen and Mitsubishi have started production of their mid-sized SUV’s – 4007, C-Crosser & Outlander – for the Russian car market.

The Kaluga plant, located around 110 miles south-west Moscow, began production of the Peugeot 308 in April and of the Citroen C4 in July.

U.S market '07 Mitsubishi Outlander

PSA and Mitsubishi have spent over $600 million on the Russian plant, which will be fully operational by 2012.

KIA Sportage full-line-up pricing announced (UK)

KIA has announced full pricing and specifications for the all-new Sportage compact SUV, with prices starting at £16,645 for the entry-level 1.6 GDI ‘1’ 2WD, rising to a eye-opening £26,170 for the flagship 2.0 CRDi KX-3 AWD automatic.

A 2.0 CRDi diesel 'First Edition' special edition model went on sale last month for £20,777, with all of the 800 cars allocate for the UK already sold.

The full line-up comprises of a 1.6 GDI (gasoline direct-injection) and 2.0 litre petrol engines and a 1.7 and 2.0 litre CRDi diesels. The smaller engines are available with 2WD, while the 2.0 litre engines come with four-wheel-drive. The Sportage is available in 1, 2 and 3 trims with ‘KX’ regarding models with 4WD.

Entry-level ‘1’ models come with 16” alloy wheels w/ locking wheel nuts, front fog lights, LED day-time running lights, tinted glass, electrically adjustable/heated door mirrors, rear spoiler, body-coloured door handles, black side and wheel-arch mouldings, 6 speakers w/RDS radio/CD player/USB port/AUX-in and iPod cable, Bluetooth, tilt/telescopic leather steering wheel w/ audio controls, leather gearknob, cloth upholstery, air conditioning, 60/40 split folding rear seats, height adjustable driver’s seat, front & rear electric windows, rear centre armrest w/cupholders, metallic dash trim, silver-effect interior door handles, rain sensor, x2 cupholders, x2 12v power outlets (front & luggage compartment), x6 airbags, ISG (Intelligent Stop & Go), alarm and ESP w/hill start assist.

In addition to the ‘1’ spec, mid-spec ‘2’ and KX-2 feature 17” alloy wheels, chrome front grille, privacy glass, roof-rails, electric folding door mirrors w/integrated LED indicators, chrome exterior door handles, rear parking sensors, part cloth/part leather interior, panoramic glass sunroof, drivers lumbar support, leather door armrests, trip computer, illuminated vanity mirrors, luggage net and Intelligent all-wheel-drive (KX-2), ISG (‘2’).

Flagship ‘3’, KX-3, acquire 18” alloy wheels, xenon headlamps w/headlight washers, front-wiper de-icer, black leather interior w/heated front & rear seats, climate control w/cooled glove box, headlight sensor, auto-dimming rear-view mirror and premium vision instrument cluster. In addition to the ‘3’ trim-level, ‘3 Sat-Nav’ and KX-3 Sat-Nav receive an external amp & subwoofer and 7” touch-screen satellite navigation system w/reversing camera.

Combined fuel economy range from 34.4mpg (8.2l/100km) to 54.3mpg (5.2l/100km) with CO2 emissions varying from 135g/km to 188g/km. Optional metallic/mica paint adds £435 while the automatic transmission has an average price premium of £2,000 over the manual models.

Kia replaces Cee'd Strike special edition with VR-7 edition (UK)

Kia UK will replace the 3dr & 5dr Cee’d Strike special edition with the all-new VR-7 edition. The cars will be powered by a Euro5 compliant 1.4 litre petrol engine linked to a manual gearbox.

Equipment such as 16” alloy wheels, electrically adjustable/heated door mirrors, air conditioning, ESP, HAS (Hill Assist Control), VSM (Vehicle Stability Management), front electric windows, Bluetooth, 6 speaker sound system w/iPod cable, remote central locking, and leather steering wheel, gearknob and handbrake will come as standard.

Four colours are obtainable; Arctic White, Silver Storm, Phantom Black and Tempest Grey, with metallic colours costing £415.

Prices start from £11,695 for the Pro_Cee’d 1.4 VR-7 and £11,995 for the Cee’d 1.4 VR-7.