Second-Generation Audi Q3 Expected To Arrive In 2018
Preliminary details about the second-generation Audi Q3 are starting to emerge as the car is set to launch in 2018.
MQB based second-generation Audi Q3 coming in 2018
According to the latest report from Autobild, the redesigned crossover will sit on the VW Groups MQB Platform (A3 and Golf 7) and will be larger than its predecessor to help distinguish it from the upcoming small Q1 set to go on sale in 2016.
Engine options are expected to be sourced from the Volkswagen Tiguan. It is also believed that there will be an eco-friendly Q3 Ultra which will make use of a three-cylinder 1.0-litre engine delivering 81 kW which is sent to the wheels through an optimized S-tronic gearbox. This setup is said to allow the second-generation Audi Q3 to deliver a “surprisingly low fuel consumption” rating.
The crossover is also rumoured to receive two high-performance versions including a Q3 RS rated at 294 kW and a Q3 RS TDI offering 190 kW or 200 kW.
The next gen Audi Q3 is expected in the market in 2018, while a facelift of the current generation will be unveiled late this year or early next year.
Note: Pictured is the 2014 Audi RS Q3.
Mercedes-Benz AMG GT Edition 1 Leaked Ahead Of Paris Debut
Two official images of the Mercedes-Benz AMG GT Edition 1 have been leaked online ahead of its expected 2014 Paris Motor Show debut.
Special edition features
The special Edition 1, said to be built in limited numbers, will feature alongside the recently launched GT and range topping GT-S versions which are expected to have a long-term showroom presence.
Visually, the car wears a matte grey paint and features carbon fibre trim on the front bumper and rocker panels, as well as modified side skirts. It also has 10-spoke alloy wheels and a fixed rear wing which replaces the automatically articulating spoiler seen on the new GT.
On the inside, the Mercedes-Benz AMG GT Edition 1 is adorned with exclusive Edition 1 badges on the steering wheel together with yellow accents on the speedometer and rev-counter.
Technical specifications are yet to be confirmed but its believed that the car will be powered by the same 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine found in the AMG GT S delivering 375 kW and doing the 0-100 kph run in 3.8 seconds with a top speed of 310 kph.
Full details and image spreads of the Mercedes-Benz AMG GT Edition 1 are expected at the 2014 Paris Auto Show, which runs October 4th through the 19th.
Chevrolet Trailblazer 2.8D LTZ 4×4 (2014) Review
Launched in South Africa in 2012 to take the fight to the successful Toyota Fortuner, the Chevrolet Trailblazer SUV has proven to be a tough contender in this segment. A boost in specification and engine offerings earlier in the year has put the ball squarely back in the Fortuner’s court, but will the Chevrolet Trailblazer reign supreme?
I recently had the opportunity to put the Chevrolet Trailblazer 2.8D LTZ 4×4 Automatic to the test and there’s no better way to do this than to get serious. A camping surf trip up the west coast to Elands Bay is by far the best way to test a vehicle of this caliber and the Trailblazer was up for the challenge…
2014 Chevrolet Trailblazer looks the part
Standing 4 878mm in length and 1 902mm wide with a ground clearance of 218 mm, the Chevrolet Trailblazer is a big vehicle with an imposing presence. The large 18-inch wheels, rear LED tail lights, chrome detailing and color-coded bumpers make the overall styling pleasing to the eye. From the outside then, Chevrolet has done the Trailblazer justice, so a thumbs up in the styling department.
Spacious Interior
The interior is where the Chevrolet Trailblazer excels. I made a point of packing just about all the camping gear I could muster up including larger items like cooler boxes and two surfboards. With both rows of rear seats folded down, the 7-seater Trailblazer swallowed all the luggage with one big gulp.
Apart from more than generous space, this Trailblazer in LTZ trim comes with comfy leather seats set in a new Dark Ash Grey interior colour scheme. Durable and hard-wearing plastic dominate the interior which is somewhat befitting for this type of car but some soft-touch materials would have been nice.
In terms of interior features, the Chevrolet Trailblazer has many. All models in the Trailblazer range now feature the Chevrolet MyLink infotainment system as standard, which is a big plus. The system takes care of all your infotainment needs via a 7-inch touch screen display. With video and picture playback, full audio capability, USB and auxiliary ports and Bluetooth, you won’t be left wanting, unless you need satellite navigation or other features, which can be accessed by downloading the MyLink App on your smartphone. A reversing camera is a handy addition to the range and helps with navigating the Trailblazer safely, but is only available in LTZ trim
The Drive
With the Chevrolet Trailblazer packed to the max, I set out for Elands Bay, a 221 km journey from Cape Town. To get me there was Chevrolet’s uprated 2.8-litre Duramax turbo diesel engine which offers 144 kW and 500 Nm of torque. In close-quarter driving situations the engine seemed to be a bit groggy with the 6-speed automatic transmission being particularly indecisive leading to jerky gear transmissions. On the open road however, the engine was admirable.
The drive can come across as mundane when cruising along, but put your foot down and the engine jumps to life, kicking the Trailblazer forward at pace. All that torque makes overtaking a breeze and a pleasure in the Trailblazer. Cruise Control makes long-distance driving that much more relaxing and with the Cruise Control buttons mounted on the steering wheel along with the audio controls, the drive was a pleasant one.
The steering feel was a bit lighter than I expected for a vehicle of this size, but the general ride and handling is smooth and the Chevrolet Trailblazer offers a comfortable ride over long distances. I also managed to do some light 4×4 driving in Elands Bay and this gave me the chance to test the various 4×4 settings. A rugged path with a relatively steep and bumpy incline lay before me. Using a dial, I was able to easily switch between 2-High, 4-High and 4-Low as needed and the Trailblazer had no problem conquering the challenging terrain, a pleasant experience indeed.
Chevrolet claims a combined fuel consumption figure of 9.5-litres/100km and I managed to average between 11 and 12-litres/100km which is good, considering how much stuff I was carrying.
Chevrolet Trailblazer – Verdict
I feel the Chevrolet Trailblazer is a good all-round product. It offers pleasing styling, a solid choice of engines and good dose of features too. As a lifestyle vehicle, the Trailblazer will appeal to many, particularly small to large families looking for a vehicle that can handle just about anything you can throw at it. The hardy interior is built to last and the space offering is commendable. I found the Chevrolet Trailblazer to be a solid lifestyle vehicle that is likely to please on many levels.
Second Opinion
The Chevrolet Trailblazer is an attempt by General Motors to break the market stranglehold held by the Toyota Fortuner. It may not be able to match the history and heritage of the Toyota, but it remains a solid and very capable offering which is able to match its rival in most departments. – David Taylor
Chevrolet Trailblazer – Price in South Africa
This Chevrolet Trailblazer 2.8D LTZ 4×4 A/T is priced from R526 900. The entry-level 2.5 4×2 LT manual derivative is priced from R402 100. All models come with a 5-year/90 000km service plan, 5-year Anti-Corrosion warranty and a 5-year/ 120 000km warranty and roadside assistance. Service intervals are set at 12 months / 15 000km.
Quick Specs
Price
R526 900
Engine
2.8 four-cylinder turbo petrol
Power
144 kW
Torque
500 Nm
Transmission
Six-speed automatic
Wheels
18-inch alloys
0-100km/h
10.6 seconds (claimed)
Fuel economy
9.5L/100km (claimed)
We like:
Lots of Space
Lots of standard features
Power on demand
We Don’t Like
Tiny interior trim issues
Indecisive, jerky automatic gearbox
Kia has added a new Sorento to its 2014 Paris motor show stand that already includes a facelifted Kia Rioannounced yesterday (29 Spetember). The introduction of the European spec third generation Kia Sorento promises to improve ride, handling and crash safety. Other aspects that have been looked at include improvements to NVH, a more quality interior and improved petrol and diesel engines.
2015 Kia Sorento Details
From the offset its easy to see that the new Sorento has taken on a more masculine physique. The current generation Sorento appeals to the minivan driver and airport shuttler, this new one has a much more butch, SUV stance.
The front of the new Sorento incorporates long, wrap-around headlamps and more prominent fog-lamps, as well as a larger, more upright tiger-nose grille, with a three-dimensional diamond pattern, first featured on the 2013 Kia Cross GT concept. The rear of the car features more prominent shoulders and a highly sculpted number plate surround.
The dimensions of the new Sorento change as follows: increased length (+95 mm to 4 780 mm), reduced height (down 15 mm to 1 685 mm) and extra width (+5 mm to 1 890 mm).
Kia says its interior is the biggest improvement on the new Sorento featuring a more luxurious cabin with significantly higher quality materials. One of the most distinctive interior styling features is the Swiss watch-inspired user interface, which incorporates Kias latest infotainment system surrounded by new silver-look border.
The Sorento will also see the debut of a few new pieces of tech. An Around-View Monitor, with four cameras helping the driver to manoeuvre when parking by displaying a birds-eye view of the vehicle on the dashboard display screen, and a Smart Power Tailgate. This system opens the tailgate automatically when the key is sensed in close proximity to the boot.
The Sorento has upgraded versions of both the petrol and diesel engines. The 2.4-litre petrol motor is now capable of 138 kW and 241 Nm. The entry-level 2-litre diesel sees it push out 136 kW a 402 Nm of torque. The top-spec 2.2-litre diesel pushes out a hefty 147 kW teamed with 441 Nm of torque.
Volvo V40 Cross Country Receives Powertrain Upgrade
Volvo has revealed that its V40 Cross Country will soon be available with a new 180 kW T5 Drive-E engine and an all-wheel drive system.
Volvo Cars is continuing to evolve the V40 Cross Country with this powertrain upgrade. The combination of the Drive-E T5 engine with AWD will give adventurous customers the power to explore, and all the control they need to be confident in all road conditions, says Dr. Peter Mertens, Senior Vice President Research & Development at Volvo Cars.
New Drive-E powertrain reduces the Volvo V40 Cross Countrys emissions
Expected to arrive in South Africa early next year, the models new Drive-E powertrain will produce 180 kW and 350 Nm of torque. In addition to the new powertrain, Volvo confirmed the car will have an eight-speed automatic gearbox with paddle shift and CO2 emissions of 149 g/km.
The zero to 100 kph task is said to be completed in 6.1 seconds before reaching a limited top speed 210 kph
The V40 Cross Country will also gain several other enhancements including an updated Sensus Connect system, a Power Blue paint option and 19-inch Damara-style alloy wheel with grey diamond-cut rims, as well as a new Power Blue exterior colour.
The Volvo V40 Cross Country T5 AWD Drive-E is expected to arrive in SA early next year. Full specification and pricing details will be confirmed closer to the time.
Kia Rio Enhanced Ahead of Paris Show
Kia has revealed its facelifted Rio ahead of the Paris motor show that kicks off on Thursday 2 October. The Rio is Kias best-selling car globally and by the looks of the update it has tried to stick to the winning formula by not changing too much on the Rio. The update intends to keep it relevant amongst its competitors.
Kia Rio Facelift Details
The Kia Rios design team has updated the Rios tiger-nose grille and given the car a newly-designed front bumper and fog lights. There is a new range of alloy wheels to choose from right the way from 15-17-inch sizes. Finally the subtle exterior update is completed with two new body colours to choose from Urban Blue and Digital Yellow.
The Rios cabin is brightened by the addition of chrome accents around the four dashboard air-vents, and the fitting of a newly-designed centre-stack around the audio system. There will also be the option to cover the interior in faux leather.
Engines for the new Kia Rio vary in power from 55 kW to 80 kW with a choice of five-or-six-speed gearboxes or a four-speed automatic. Start/stop technology is now an option for the engines as are low rolling resistance tyres. More details on this will come at the official launch later this week.
The Rio is set to go on sale in European markets in early 2015. Kia South Africa has been quite timeous with local introductions so we should see it quite soon thereafter.
Opel Adam: Driven in Germany
Stuart Johnston rented an Opel Adam while on holiday in Germany. Seeing as the Adam is coming to SA, he treated it like a normal press car and reviewed it for Cars.co.za.
I had signed up for an Opel Adam rental car via the net for a holiday in Germany, and been pleased to note just before I left on my trip that General Motors was indeed bringing this car to South Africa in 2015, despite saying back in 2013 that it had no specific plans for doing so.
Opel Adam is coming to SA
Its good to know the Adam is coming to South Africa. The Opel brand was one of the strongest of all amongst the youth market in the early 90s and sadly has been allowed to dwindle into obscurity here, despite the marginal presence of some potent cars like the OPC versions of the Corsa and Astra coupe.
The Adam has won countless style awards in Europe since its debut at the Paris Show back in 2012, and, importantly, readers choice awards in its home country, Germany, beating out the likes of Volkswagens Up! in the city-car segment.
The man at the counter, almost as sleepy as I was, said he didnt have an Adam on his books and I got grumpy so he made a phone-call and, yay, he had one in their wash-bay, and if I were to wait an extra 20 minutes I could indeed have an Adam. There it was, looking stylish in the bay, yellow with a black clam-shell roof. It had the 15-inch alloys (18-inchers are an option on the Slam Version) and a boot that was just big enough for my luggage.
I plugged my Garmin in, suckered it to the windscreen (at my bargain-basement budget level, my Adam didnt come equipped with the optional touch-screen) and set off for Dossenheim, a spot which gave me access to all sorts of motor-related museums and the Heidelberg Castle, which I wanted to visit.
Performance and Economy
My car was fitted with the 74 kW version of the 1.4-litre petrol engine, and a five-speed gearbox. I found this quite surprising as six-speeders are pretty common these days. And on Germanys autobahns, you need a six-speeder to save fuel. Cruising speeds can run up to 160 kph when allowed, while the fast boys and girls flash by in BMWs, Audis and Mercs, and even big vans at 200-plus.
I set the fuel consumption meter to zero, interested to see how it would fare. I have to say, it was pretty good. I started off in the 7.2L/100 region and eventually, with smooth, light throttle applications, massaged this down to an overall 6.8L/100 km for my entire trip.
Opel Adam Ride and Comfort
Once Id checked into my flea-bag hotel, I took the Opel Adam around the Baden Wurtenburg region, visiting the Speyer Museum, which specialises in military stuff, and testing my Garmin, which took me on some very strange routes until I had mastered it. The steering, like the systems fitted to just about every Opel Ive driven, feels a bit disconnected and mute, but the build quality on the chassis is great on the Adam. The seats are very comfortable, the driving position is fully adjustable thanks to a telescopic steering column, and there are six airbags.
What amazed me about the Adam was the admiring glances it received. Even when I visited the legendary Hockenheim race track and museum, the little Adam attracted attention. When parking down in the old town to reach Schloss Heidelberg, I was amused to find a parking bay reserved specifically for Smart cars. It even had a Smart graphic painted on the wall. I was delighted to discover that the little 3,7-metre long Adam fitted in, justifying its cred as a city car that is both happening and practical.
Quick Summary
The Adam continued to please me with its eye-catching dash display, and high-quality interior cladding throughout my tenure, which lasted for four days before I had to head for Italy. The motor was silky-smooth when I revved it past 6 000rpm on occasion, and its directional stability was good at speeds of up to 190 km/h (its so nice to write that, knowing that it is legal in Germany).
I must say, if I was a young guy or girl in the 20-something age-group Id consider the Adam. Judging by the splash it made in small-town Germany some 18 months after it went on sale, this little car pushes all the right desirability buttons. The Opel Adam should arrive in SA in 2015.
Volkswagen Passat GTE Revealed Ahead of Paris Debut
The covers have been lifted off the Volkswagen Passat GTE prior to its scheduled premiere at the 2014 Paris Motor Show next week.
Volkswagens latest plug-in hybrid
Taking inspiration from the eighth-generation Passat, the Volkswagen Passat GTE follows as the third plug-in hybrid from the German manufacturer after the limited-run XL1 and the Golf GTE and will be offered in both sedan and wagon body styles when it goes on sale across Europe during the second half of 2015.
Power is said to come from a petrol-electric hybrid system that comprises of a tuned version of the 1.4-litre TSI petrol unit with 115 kW and a 85 kW electric motor with 400 Nm. Together the two power sources send a total of 160 kW to the front wheels through a six-speed dual-clutch transmission.
The 2.0 TDI BlueMotion Technology is claimed to return 4.1L/100km on the combined European consumption cycle, CO2 emissions of 108g/km. With full 50-liter fuel trunk and lithium-ion battery fully charged, the Volkswagen Passat GTE has a range of 1000 km.
VW claims that the Passat GTE is capable of completing the 0-100 km/h sprint in no less than eight seconds before reaching a top speed of 220 km/h.
Visual modifications
The GTE is visually differentiated from the standard Passat with its blue accents on the radiator grille, a uniquely styled front bumper with low mounted C-shaped LED day time running lamps, GTE decals on the each of the front fenders and standard eight-spoke 17-inch “Astana” alloy wheels.
The interior benefits from a leather-trimmed flat bottom steering wheel with blue stitching, unique instrument graphics, a redesigned gear knob as well as standard aluminium and high gloss black plastic trim applications.
Honda Civic Type R Concept II Headed To Paris
The Honda Civic Type R Concept II has been unveiled ahead of its debut at the Paris Motor Show.
Honda Civic Type R Concept II boasts unmatched performance
According to the manufacturer, the car will “deliver unmatched performance compared to any previous Type R car” including the “Integra, Accord and even the NSX.”
Power will come from a turbocharged 2.0-litre i-VTEC four-cylinder engine from Hondas Earth Dreams Technology series, delivering more than 206 kW. Honda is keeping detailed specifications a secret for now, but has mentioned that the cars high-revving performance sits at 7 000 rpm, and that it will make use of a slick-shifting six-speed manual transmission.
All-new +R mode for enhanced on-track driving thrills
The Honda Civic Type R Concept II will also have a new steering wheel-mounted +R button that heightens the engine and steering response as well as the four-point Adaptive Damper System.
According to Suehiro Hasshi, Large Project Leader for the Civic Type R, the models appeal will be far greater than just a new high-performance engine fitted under the hood.
In default standard mode, the Civic Type R is exceptionally agile, an everyday sports car with an enjoyable and fluid acceleration.” He added, “The +R button brings out a more dynamic and athletic car for the driver, to set pulses racing. The difference in character is immense. The +R mode is extreme; the car is ideal for track use and will be appreciated by the genuine sports-driving enthusiast.
The Honda Civic Type R Concept II car will be on show at the upcoming 2014 Paris Motor Show, while the Civic Type R will go on sale in Europe in 2015.
World’s Greatest Drag Race (Video)
It’s called the World’s Greatest Drag Race and for good reason. It’s simply one of the finest pieces of petrolhead-fueled goodness on the Internet currently and it racks up the views. We at Cars.co.za enjoy a good drag race and have made our own version (check out the BMW X5 M50d take on the Range Rover Sport Supercharged here), but this video takes it to the next level.
Imagine taking 10 of the latest performance machines and lining them up against each other for a simple quarter-mile sprint? That’s exactly what the folk at MotorTrend have done for the past few years and the videos have been enthralling fans for ages. 2014 sees the World’s Greatest Drag Race reach its 4th version. It features the latest generation Nissan GTR taking on the latest version of Porsche’s fearsome 911 Turbo S. There’s a BMW M4 in there as well as the monstrous Jaguar F-Type Coupe R. Throw in an Alfa Romeo 4C, a hot hatch duo comprising the Ford Fiesta ST and Volkswagen Golf GTI, some American muscle and the extraordinary BMW i8 and you have the perfect recipe for the worlds greatest drag race.
Here are the past World’s Greatest Drag Race videos
