August 24th, 2008 — electric vehicle, energy news, hybrid vehicle, nissan, toyota
Both Nissan and Toyota have been working hard to come up with eco-friendly car programmes in a bid to become the ‘green’ brand of choice for modern consumers.
The companies are working on battery electric, hybrid and fuel-cell programmes, but the rivals are taking a different approach to one another.
Toyota, for example, sees hybrids are the future, building on the success of the Prius. Nissan, on the other hand, is concentrating on battery technology, working closely with NEC to achieve its goal.
Miguel Fonseca, managing director of Toyota UK, said future hybrids would continue to use petrol rather than diesel for the internal combustion element of the drivetrain.
“Petrol has better efficiency at high RPM than diesel, while electric motors are better at low revs,” he said, offering a different view to Volkswagen and Peugeot, who are both going for diesel hybrids instead of petrol.
Toyota is still working on a miniaturised hybrid drivetrain for its new iQ city car, which will go on sale before the end of the year with conventional petrol or diesel engines.
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August 19th, 2008 — nissan, spyshot
- Source from Mag-X magazine
According to Nissan design director Shiro Nakamura, the new Nissan Micra, which is already in the design stage, will adopt a more conventional and aggressive or sporty look that will appeal to the male buyers.
“There will still be a strong family look, but we do need to attract more male buyers,” Nakamura said.
Micra will be sold in five leading competitive countries (LCCs) including India and Thailand.
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August 18th, 2008 — Auto show / Motor Show, Renault
NEW RENAULT SYMBOL:
ELEGANCE AND SEDUCTIVE APPEAL:
Renault will shortly be releasing a new three-box model which features expressive, flowing lines. New Renault Symbol exudes an elegance that is underpinned by the status-enhancing design of its front end, as well as by its harmonious styling which is worthy of that of a prestigious saloon. Inside, the driver and passengers will appreciate the comfortable, carefully-appointed cabin. The range of sprightly petrol and diesel engine is at the market’s leading edge when it comes to low fuel consumption, while the suspension and running gear have been engineered for comfort and efficiency.
The public will be given an opportunity to see New Renault Symbol at the
forthcoming Moscow Motor Show which opens on August 26.
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August 18th, 2008 — nissan
Nissan Motor Co. wants to double its market share in Germany to 3 percent by 2012 to shift focus from a falling U.S. market, Handelsblatt reported, citing unidentified people close to Chief Executive Officer Carlos Ghosn.
The carmaker plans this year to hire 55 of the 120 additional dealers it needs to achieve that goal, the Dusseldorf, Germany-based newspaper said. Nissan currently has 400 partners retailing its brand in Germany, Handelsblatt reported.
Nissan will offer two new models in Europe in coming years, including a smaller version of the Qashqai crossover for 15,000 euros ($22,100) and an Indian-built budget car for 8,000 euros, Handelsblatt said, citing unidentified people close to the Tokyo- based company. Nissan aims to sell more than 10,000 of each model in Germany, Handelsblatt said, without providing a timeframe.
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August 16th, 2008 — ford
James Bond may be a hard-nosed secret agent with a licence to kill and an eye for the ladies, but in this age of booming oil prices it appears he too has developed a concern for the environment.
After fighting off villains in an invisible BMW, a high-performance Mustang, and numerous Aston Martins, Bond could now find himself combating international crime in a tiny Ford Ka.
The US manufacturer has confirmed that the upcoming Bond film Quantum of Solace will feature a metallic gold version of the minicar.
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August 6th, 2008 — GM, Opel, chevrolet
General Motors Corp. plans to sell a version of its Volt plug-in hybrid vehicle in Europe by late 2011 and may need sales incentives because of the high cost of the new technology, the automaker’s chief for the region said.
The European version initially will be under the Opel and Vauxhall brands and then later as a Chevrolet, Carl-Peter Forster said in a posting on a GM blog. Chevrolet Volt production is to begin in late 2010 for the United States, he said.
“This assumes that we will continue to attain all of our goals and milestones for the battery and integration of the power electronics,” Forster said in the posting.
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July 30th, 2008 — honda
Honda will follow-up one of the most successful models in supermini history when its all-new Jazz goes on sale this Autumn. At a time of rising fuel prices and financial instability, a range of low emission, high economy petrol engines makes the new model an attractive option for the increasing number of motorists looking to downsize.
By enhancing its strongest qualities, Honda engineers have taken the innovative design and versatility of the current Jazz to the next stage. Greater flexibility, more interior space and lively, but economical engines raise the bar even further in a class that’s struggled to match the Honda Jazz for customer satisfaction and reliability.
The hugely-popular Jazz was always going to be a hard act to follow – simply because of the resounding success of the current car. As well as attracting consistently strong demand from customers in every year since its 2002 launch, the Honda Jazz europe 2008 has also won over 30 industry awards, making it one of the most celebrated models ever.
The sequel builds on this success, with a more stylish, contemporary exterior design to appeal to a broader audience. A slightly larger body style brings better visibility and means Jazz is even more spacious.
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July 10th, 2008 — Uncategorized
June 11th, 2008 — Auto show / Motor Show, mitsubishi
Mitsubishi Motors Corporation will unveil, for the first time at an international motor show, the Lancer Sportback at the Le Mondial de l’Automobile 2008 (Paris Motor Show 2008) being held in Halls 1-8 of the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles from October 2 (October 4 for the general public) through October 19. The Lancer Sportback will have its European launch this fall with a phased introduction into the various countries in the region.
The company will also be displaying the Lancer Ralliart and Lancer Sportback Ralliart models that are based on the Lancer*1 sports sedan and Lancer Sportback. These models are powered by a turbocharged engine mated to Mitsubishi’s Twin Clutch SST (Sport Shift Transmission) and delivering power to all four wheels through an Active Center Differential.
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June 9th, 2008 — chevrolet
A spokesman for the division’s UK office has told AutomotiveWorld.com that Chevrolet Europe’s next generation Lacetti/Nubira is to have its world premiere at the Paris motor show on 2 October.
The current model, which is built by GM Daewoo at its Kunsan plant in South Korea on the former Daewoo Motor’s J200 platform, is a rebadged version of the six-year old Daewoo Lacetti/Nubira.
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