Car News
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Combining elements of both a scooter and a car, the HYmotion3 Compressor is the latest concept to come out of Peugeot. Featuring the carmaker’s new 'HYmotion' hybrid technology, the result is a three-wheel-drive vehicle that features an electric motor in each of its two front wheels and a petrol engine in the rear. While Peugeot is calling the HYmotion3 compressor a scooter, the concept was created in conjunction with teams from both Peugeot’s motorbike and car divisions and has resulted in a strange amalgamation of both scooter and car-like features. Its design is based on a...
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Peugeot RC HYmotion4 concept makes Paris Motor Show debutPeugeot has joined sister-brand Citroen by releasing yet another concept vehicle based on PSA Group’s new HYmotion4 AWD hybrid system. The new concept is called the RC HYmotion4 and according to Peugeot it is a ‘Touring Car Coupe’ that features a number of engineering and...
Kenneth Hall -
2009 production date for Pininfarina B0 EVPininfarina first announced plans to design and build its own electric vehicle when it debuted the striking Sintesi fuel-cell concept vehicle at the Geneva Motor Show. The Italian design firm and coachbuilder was to partner with France’s Bolloré Group to source the advanced lithium-ion...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Toyota's Avensis sedan finally revealedThe third-generation Avensis sedan has been released at the Paris Motor Show, along with the Urban Cruiser compact SUV. The Avensis will continue to be built at Toyota’s Burnaston plant in the UK, and is set to go on sale in January next year. Like the Urban Cruiser, the Avensis will focus on...
Ralph Hanson -
Peugeot Prologue joins HYmotion family of conceptsPeugeot's Prologue Concept, revealed today at the Paris Motor Show, is a preview of the 3008 compact crossover vehicle expected to be launched next year. With one eye to the future and the other on the present, the Prologue combines characteristic Peugeot styling with tomorrow's direction. The...
Ralph Hanson -
Lexus to sell Prius-based vehicle in EuropeWe've known for a while that Toyota is planning an update to its blockbuster Prius hybrid, but word has just leaked out today that Lexus may be getting a Prius-based 'lifestyle' wagon. The concept is expected to be on display, alongside the new Prius, at the 2009 North American International Auto...
Nelson Ireson -
Billed as the first WRC rally car to be equipped with a hybrid energy recovery system, the Citroen C4 WRC HYmotion4 features an advanced adaptation of the HYmotion4 AWD hybrid system found in a number of Peugeot and Citroen concepts at this year's Paris Motor Show. This particular implementation of the HYmotion4 system features a 2.0L turbocharged four-cylinder good for 320hp (238kW) on its own, but also equipped with a parallel electric motor capable of delivering 167hp (125kW) through the rear axle. Given the variability of use a rally car sees on any given stage, there are a number of...
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Toyota's Urban Cruiser hits the show floor in ParisAlways one to capitalize on trends within the consumer market, Toyota has revealed its latest foray into the urban vehicle scene in the form of the Urban Cruiser. Targeted at buyers that want rugged, SUV-type looks in a small and efficient package, the Urban Cruiser also packs a fair amount of...
Nelson Ireson -
Renault Sport Clio R3 racing range gains new Access versionThough the brand isn't sold in the U.S., Renault is known the world over for its Renault Sport brand and rally-bred hot hatches. The Clio Renault Sport R3 Maxi is one such vehicle, and now the French company has developed a lower-cost Access version to make entry into rally racing even easier...
Ralph Hanson -
Renault announces new Fluence sedan for 2009, electric plug-in expected by 2011Just yesterday Renault hinted at its intention to build a mass-produced electric vehicle with its Z.E. concept, and now the French manufacturer has confirmed that they will launch a lower-medium sedan next year with an electric variant arriving in 2011. The new sedan will go by the name 'Fluence'...
Kenneth Hall -
Peugeot debuts HYmotion4 all-wheel-drive hybrid systemThe Paris Motor Show is rife with Peugeot concept cars today, and nearly all of them feature the new HYmotion4 all-wheel-drive hybrid diesel-electric drivetrain. Designed for both performance and efficiency, the HYmotion4 system delivers on both accounts - on paper at least. Rated at 68mpg and...
Nelson Ireson -
Mitsubishi's new Colt does away with diesel, gains Ralliart editionLate last week Mitsubishi revealed details about its planned lineup for next month’s Paris Motor Show, announcing the debut of three new vehicles including one never-before-seen model. The lineup was to include the upcoming Lancer Sportback, first revealed back in June, the new Racing Lancer...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
The World Series by Renault (WSR) is a single-seater competition held in Europe since 2005 that allows enthusiasts to run and compete with their own privately funded race teams using a Renault-backed factory race car. One of the cars that has starred in the competition since its inception is the Megane Trophy, which has now been updated for next year’s season. The most visible change concerns its new body design which takes its inspiration from the lines of new Megane Coupe. The front and rear light units and windscreen are lifted straight from the road car, while the body has been made...
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Citroen releases more details for Hypnos conceptLast month Citroen revealed a few sketchy details for its new Hypnos hybrid crossover concept, and now following its debut at the Paris Motor Show the French carmaker has released the full gamut of information about the car and its high-tech powertrain. The new concept is called the Hypnos, and...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Renault joins electric fray with Z.E. conceptRenault has announced its intentions to build and market a mass-produced electric vehicle with the unveiling today of the Z.E. concept at the Paris Motor Show. Renault’s electric efforts thus far have consisted mainly of signed agreements with a number of different companies and countries to...
Alex Kaufmann -
Nissan previews future EV with Nuvu ConceptNissan’s new Nuvu Concept has made its world debut at the Paris Motor Show, revealing a friendly-looking design that previews the styling for the Japanese carmaker’s next-generation minicar. Nissan has confirmed that the Nuvu will enter production in the middle of the next decade, and...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Renault adds sporty Coupe to Megane lineupLess than a month after the reveal of the all-new 2009 Megane, Renault has released the first details and images for the coupe version of the car which makes its world debut today at the Paris Motor Show. Simply called the Megane Coupe, the new model is positioned as a sportier option to the...
Kenneth Hall -
Citroën finally unmasks mysterious GT conceptCitroën, together with the makers of the Gran Turismo video game series, has created a new concept car dubbed the GTbyCitroën. The French automaker will display the concept on its stands at the Paris Auto Show this week. The concept was developed as part of the promotion for the 5th title...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Hot on the heels of Nissan’s Nuvu eco-friendly city car concept comes Mazda’s take on the increasingly popular theme. Following in the footsteps of previous concepts, such as the Nagare, Ryuga, Hakaze, Taiki and Furai, Mazda’s latest design is also modeled around a central theme of nature, with the focus being on water. The concept vehicle’s new name is ‘Kiyora,’ which in Japanese translates to ‘clean and pure.’ Mazda describes the Kiyora as representing the harmony between driving pleasure and environmental and safety features, and in keeping...
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Volkswagen upgrades Phaeton for 2009Despite the weak performance of the Phaeton, Volkswagen has persisted with the car in the belief that there is a place for it in the lineup. Less-than-inspired styling, high pricing and nagging quality issues are in part to blame, and VW hopes to cure these in the next iteration of the car. Until...
Ralph Hanson -
Lincoln MKS first to market with THX II Certified stereoAudio and video entertainment are becoming more and more central to the way we use our cars, and as such features gain importance, the race to build the best stereo or DVD system becomes just as important as fuel efficiency, horsepower and handling to many buyers. Lincoln's inclusion of a THX II...
Nelson Ireson -
NHTSA delays new roof strength standards once againThe car industry has been dreading increases in the required roof strength of their cars for years now. The current regulations are holdovers from decades past, and safety advocates are calling for new standards that would dramatically improve safety, though the industry fears the high costs that...
Nelson Ireson -
2009 European Car of the Year finalists revealedEurope’s annual Car of the Year awards are on again and the finalists have been revealed. Whittled down to just seven front-runners from a field of 38 candidates, the competition is expected to be exceptionally close - there is no run-away favorite. Last year’s winner - the Fiat 500 minicar -...
Ralph Hanson -
Skoda updates Octavia range with 2009 faceliftSkoda is using this week’s Paris Motor Show to debut the facelifted version of its middle segment Octavia sedan, which receives new styling both front and rear, an updated interior, and several new engines as part of its 2009 model year update. When looking from the front, the key changes...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran