Should I or should I not get the eco friendly Golf. Here is CARMAGAZINE UK sharing their opinion :Eco-friendly cars are often grim, hair-shirted things that you suffer as penance for your emissions, even though they pump out less CO2 than their standard brethren. But the new VW Golf Bluemotion is none of that. It doesn’t look funny (it runs alloys and a lowered ride height), it’s not made of egg cartons inside (splash out £120 on leather wheel and gearknob for the full, plush Golf effect), yet it sneaks below 100g/km for free road tax, and promises 74.3mpg.Even better, the new 2010 Golf 1.6 TDI Bluemotion offers start/stop tech, regen braking, sill extensions (plus those alloys and lower suspension for better aero) for just £785 more than a similarly trimmed standard S 1.6 TDI – and it offers 11.5mpg more than that car.Surely there’s a catch?
If there is, it isn’t immediately obvious. Really you just have to alter the way you drive to suit the green tech. And that’s not hard.The start/stop system works seamlessly, so long as it’s not below 5deg C outside (when it switches out), so you soon get used to the engine petering out while you wait at the lights only for it to thrum into action again as you depress the clutch and go for first. You won’t catch it out and find yourself stranded at a junction unless you’re really clumsy.Having only five ratios at your disposal might sound a bit old-tech, but they’re really long ratios, so you surf the 1.6 diesel’s torque instead of ragging it towards the redline, which is quite mollifying yet makes for smooth, and still satisfying progress.Hmm, mollifying. Do you mean the Golf Bluemotion’s slow?
Not at all. While 0-62mph in 11.3sec means this is no hot hatch, in practice you never feel shortchanged. Torque peaks at 185lb ft, all from just 1500rpm, and so long as you’re in that band there’s ample shove.The gearshift indicator isn’t always on at you to shift up either. Chugging away in too high a gear is no more economical than slamming into the red-line, so the Golf’s dash display will remind you to drop a cog if you’re in danger of bogging down.Add that slug of torque to the long fifth gear and you’re in for loping motorway refinement too. This is a very relaxed cruiser.Refined. Relaxed. Boring, then?Get straight in this after a cross-country thrash in a Golf GTI and you’ll miss the pace, there’s no doubt. You’ll miss the reactions and sharpness too, but you’ll recognise the genes. Face-off a set of B-road bends in the Bluemotion and you’ll be rewarded with excellent poise and balance. Don’t mistake low-rolling-resistance for lack-of-grip, either.The Golf Bluemotion will cling on and bites deep into sharp corners. You might wish there was a little more feedback from the wheelrim, but you won’t be plagued by roll or early wash-outs. Fun? It’ll certainly raise a modest smile.
How about that Golf quality of finish?
All present and correct. There’s no compromise on space, obviously, but if you want easier access to the back seats, splash out an extra £585 on the five-door.What really sets out the Golf from the mid-sized hatch pack is refinement, and the Bluemotion scores big-time here. It’s genuinely hushed, keeping wind, road and engine noise to a minimum – the latter remarkably so. Feels and sounds quite premium in here.Read The verdict here
Audi R8 White
Audi R8 White
Ailing Swede company which nobody wants to buy finally found a 'compasionate' owner in the form of Spyker Automobiles. As part of the plan to revitalize the company the are going to launch the all-new Saab 9-3 in 2012. Autocar has the final outcome below :The company will investigate the possibility of launching the entry-level 9-1 in due course, although this would require additional funding to the $1 billion (£627 million) currently set aside. Saab Spyker will also make a 9-5X in addition to the saloon and estate models, and the 9-4X will be added to the range early in 2011.Saab Spyker will pitch itself as an “independent, performance-orientated niche car company with an industry-leading environmental strategy”. It has also confirmed it intends to remain as a direct rival to BMW and Audi.Trollhattan will be used to produce all models except the 9-4X, which will be built by General Motors in Mexico, and Saab Spyker will produce and sell between 100,000-125,000 vehicles per year.GM will continue to provide support to Saab Spyker with funds and supplies, although the company intends to rely less and less on this support in the future. Saab and Spyker cars will share components in future models.Spyker cars will be sold throughout Saab’s 1100-strong worldwide dealer network and the two will also share marketing, sponsorship, promotion and sales activities. They will be run as separate brands, however.Saab Spyker intends to return to profit by 2012. It has managed to secure a 400m euro (£350m) European Investment Bank loan, which has been guaranteed by the Swedish government.On another note, will be repositioned as a performance marque, based on a core group of three or four models. The , 9-4X, and 9-5 are confirmed members of that lineup, and there's also talk of launching the 9-1, an entry-level compact aimed at the Audi
According to WorldCarFans :
Infiniti has unveiled the FX Limited Edition for the United Kingdom.Featuring a sinister Black Obsidian (or Moonlight White pearl metallic) exterior, the Limited Edition boasts 21-inch ‘Turbine' design wheels, dark graphite accents, and smoked headlight surrounds.Inside, the FX has graphite leather seats, an Alcantara headliner, carbon fiber trim, illuminated entry guards, and a Connectiviti+ technology package (with GPS navigation, an 11-speaker Bose Premium Sound System, iPod connectivity and a 10GB music box). Other goodies include heated and ventilated front seats, an electric sunroof, and a keyless entry system.
Like the standard FX, the Limited Edition can be ordered with a 320PS 3.7-liter V6 or a 390PS 5.0-liter V8. The V8 allows the FX50S LE to accelerate from 0-62 mph in 5.8 seconds, while the FX37S LE takes 6.8 seconds.
Only 18 units will be available in the UK, and the FX37S LE will be priced £55,855 while the FX50S LE will cost £62,035.
The 207CC has a competing partner in a form of a Renault Wind. Autocar shine some light on the new vehicle :This is the Renault Wind, a two-seat coupé-convertible that will go head to head with the Peugeot 207CC when UK sales start in June.The Wind, which will be launched at the Geneva motor show next month, shares its platform and much of its front-end styling with the Twingo. Renault is keen to differentiate the two models, however, and will offer the Wind with its own unique interior featuring components borrowed from models higher up the Renault range.Unlike most retractable hard-top roofs, which use a hinge system, the Wind’s set-up uses a central pivot, a technique inspired by the Ferrari 575 Superamerica. This ensures that the Wind’s boot space remains at 270 litres regardless of whether the roof is up or down. That figure is 40 litres more than the standard Twingo hatchback’s.At the Wind’s launch, the car will be offered with two of the Twingo’s petrol engines: the 133bhp 1.6-litre unit from the Renault sport model and the Twingo GT’s 100bhp 1.2-litre engine. The latter will be the entry-level unit.
Despite having the Twingo’s most powerful engine, Renault is pitching the Wind as a sports model and not a sports car. No Renaultsport or Gordini Wind variants are planned, but they could follow in the future.The Wind is a little larger than the Twingo, too; its 3830mm overall length makes it 230mm longer.Full details of the Wind will be confirmed at the Geneva motor show, where it will be displayed alongside Renault’s other new coupé-cabriolet, the Mégane. It will be priced to compete head on with the 207CC, from around £17,000.
Peugeot combines emotion with the pursuit of perfectionThrough the Peugeot SR1, the Marque reveals the stylistic design trends for its future models. The concept car embodies the new world of Peugeot, reflected by the new Lion badge which adorns its body.Dynamic, balanced, sensual, with an exclusive high-tech interior, this "dream car" explores and reinterprets the theme of the "Grand Touring Car".The use of HYbrid4 technology allows the Peugeot SR1 to offer an engineering specification in keeping with its styling: 230 kW (313 bhp) with emissions of only 119 g/km of CO2 (0 in electric mode), 4 wheel drive and steering.... for an ideal blend of excitement and efficiency.Styling that predicts the futureElegance, purity, dynamism, allure, controlled power... these ideas find their fullest expression with the Peugeot SR1, the dream car par excellence. More than ever, the aesthetic traits of this concept show the general design trends of the Marque's future products, renewing Peugeot's strong stylistic identity.In short, this concept car creates a new design language.The Peugeot SR1 is a vehicle with timeless, ideal proportions, revisiting the great traditions of grand touring cars of the past: a large bonnet, flowing wings and a very low centre of gravity.The design of the body gives the car a new balance: a sculpted bonnet, sweeping sides and a chiselled rear design. At the side the styling lines merge into the side windows and the front windscreen, emphasising the design of the bonnet.This overall effect blends easily with the design detailing: the design of the lights and the air intakes, the shape of the door mirrors. these elements merge seamlessly with the vehicle's carbon "skin". In parallel, some features ("full LED" internal headlamp functions, radiator grille contour); stand out, as if suspended. The hard top echoes the feel of this intense, high-tech assembly: It uses preformed profile technology derived from the world of sailing. It blends with the body, creating the illusion of a Coupé. The SR1, however, radiates the same visual strength, with or without the hard top. Finally, the SR1 displays the new Peugeot Lion badge. Redesigned, finely worked and sculpted, it mirrors perfectly the perception of the vehicle as a whole.Overall the Peugeot SR1 concept car gives the impression it has been carved from a solid block of material, monolithic, protective, sculptural and dynamic. At every moment it makes a great play on contrasts: purity and technological sophistication, authenticity and advanced technologies, expressiveness and understatement. making it a car that is quite simply desirable!A modern and exclusive "2+1" interiorThe interior, too, promotes the idea of contrast. While the driver's seat and all controls are dedicated to out-and-out enjoyment for the driver, the passenger compartment is designed to provide optimum versatility and new sensations for all its occupants.There is room in the vehicle for three people as the third rear seat nestles in the middle, behind the two front seats. Entry to this seat is facilitated by the centre console, which can slide forward to improve access.The interior ambience blends colours and materials, with strong references to "a past motoring era" combined with "the latest advanced technology". Inside the vehicle, patinated leather and different grained wood are examples of the use of authentic and natural materials, warm, sensual and charged with history, that blend seamlessly with, "high tech" materials such as nickel and satin-finished chrome.The construction of the fascia panel, optimised to perfection, gives a visual prominence to certain mechanical components such as the steering column and a number of peripheral controls. Similarly, the instrumentation combines analogue and digital read-outs, giving clear emphasis to every item of information conveyed to the driver. This is the case for instantaneous fuel consumption and vehicle range, displayed on two glass crystal gauges directly in front of the driver.Another technological innovation is the creation of an exclusive wristwatch, designed in partnership with Bell&Ross®. This timepiece, with milled inserts of solid aluminium, slots perfectly into a dedicated housing on the fascia panel.Every component and every detail has, therefore, benefited from meticulous attention, both in terms of design and manufacture, to guarantee perfection and an unrivalled refinement of perceived quality.Technologies at the service of movementThe SR1 concept also blends styles in terms of its technical characteristics. For example, it incorporates HYbrid4 technology, which will be launched in the Peugeot 3008 in 2011. In the SR1, at the front, a 1.6 litre THP petrol engine with a power of 160 kW (218 bhp), is combined with a rear electric motor developing 70 kW (95 bhp). In electric only mode, the car becomes a ZEV (Zero Emission Vehicle), while its combined cycle fuel consumption is only 4.9 litres/100 km or 119 g/km of CO2.When the two power trains operate simultaneously, the SR1 develops a potential maximum power of 230 kW (313 bhp) and also benefits from 4-wheel drive.Using HYbrid4 technology, which will eventually become available on different models in the Peugeot range, the SR1 concept offers convincing proof that driving pleasure can be combined with environmental friendliness.Exploiting the best of existing technology to offer road holding worthy of this exceptional concept, the suspension consists of double wishbones with drop links both at the front and the rear. For even greater driving precision, the SR1 benefits from the adoption of 4-wheel steering. The turning angle of the rear wheels is controlled as a function of the vehicle speed, via motorised links on the rear wishbones, giving the vehicle superb agility under all circumstances.The Peugeot SR1 concept car will be unveiled to the general public at the next Geneva Motor Show, in March.Source : Peugeot Press Release
