Infiniti Q80 Concept Debuts In Paris – To Go Into Production

The Infiniti Q80 concept car has been introduced at the 2014 Paris Motor Show and is said to make into production in three to five years, hinting at future Infiniti design language and smart powertrain technology.

The Q80 Concept detailed

Borrowing some styling cues from the Q30 concept unveiled at the 2013 LA Motor Show, the aggressively proportioned Infiniti Q80 concept car measures 2.1 metres in width, 5 metres in length and 1.34 metres in height.

“The Q80 Inspiration concept was born to disrupt the premium sedan category,” said Francois Bancon, Infiniti Vice President, Product Strategy. “We aim to do this with elegance, style, and emotion.

“Q80 Inspiration is how we see the future in terms of moving people in the higher end of our portfolio. This car is making a statement. Q80 Inspiration is a precursor of a production model in this segment and, as such, integral to our future.”

Inside, the car is furnished with quilted leather and alcantara, together with leather and metal finishes. The driver and passengers get four individual seats, with rear passengers getting a touch screen. The cabin also features a simplified driver interface and unique head-up display (HUD) which keeps the complex algorithms of the intuitive technology hidden from view, showing only the information the driver needs.

The Q80 additionally features an autonomous technology system which uses cameras, lasers and sensors, and can be employed by the driver when needed through a button on the left-hand side of the steering wheel. The system emits tones suggesting a course of action for the driver in heavy traffic or in highway mode. The final decision – whether to accelerate and overtake or whether to brake and fall in behind the car ahead – always rests with the driver.

“As part of our creativity and exploration philosophy, Infiniti considers that autonomous driving is an integral part of a premium car of tomorrow. In our case, we have taken the approach that autonomous driving should empower and enhance the driving experience, not do the driving. Our path of development is not taking us into the area of self-driving vehicles,” said Bancon.

Performance

Power comes from an all-new, downsized twin turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 petrol unit and electric motor hybrid with a claimed 410 kW and is capable of returning 5.5-litres/100 km with CO2 emissions of about 129 g/km. This engine supposedly offers an insight into the Infiniti engine portfolio due to be unveiled over the next two years.

“Q80 Inspiration is a concept vehicle, but there is a production intent associated with it,” added Bancon. “The naming of the car indicates that something like the Q80 Inspiration will be in our portfolio of the future. This vehicle will inspire all of our future products.”

Opel Adam S Becomes a Reality in Paris

Opel has delivered its top-of-the-range Adam to the public at the Paris motor show. The Adam S is a sportier, more powerful version of Opel’s quirky and fun hatchback. We recently drove the standard Adam in Germany and were quite impressed with it.

Adam S gets Turbocharged

Beefing up the power is the first step in creating an Adam S so it’s equipped with a 1.4-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine. The Adam S is capable of 110 kW and 220 Nm and that equates to a 0-100kph time of 8.5 seconds and top speed of over 200 kph. Fuel economy is said to be 6.4L/100km.

The exterior has been made to look like a performance hatch with aggressive styling. The front spoiler, side sills and an extended rear bumper cut-out with a visible tailpipe are the main attractions. A total of ten body paint choices and four further roof combinations are available with the‚ ‘Red ‘n‘ Roll‘ roof design reserved exclusively for the Adam S. Those who want an even more impressive entry can individualise the roof and bodywork with additional special ‘S’ graphics.

The interior has been given some sports treatment too. You can choose Recaro performance seats in Morrocana or nappa leather if you wish. The interior is rounded off by small details such as special Adam S floor mats or the key in the grey-black-red Adam S design.

Handling Upgrade

Handling has been enhanced by performance-tuned chassis, developed especially for the Adam S, and direct, sharp steering. Large OPC S brakes, custom-made for the various wheel sizes, ensure improved braking characteristics. The 18-inch wheels with propeller-design rims are fitted with 225/35 tyres and the red brake callipers can be seen.

Renault Espace Brought Back to Life (Update)



The legendary people carrier from Renault has been restored to a full running machine. Revealed at the 2014 Paris Motor Show the Renault Espace has been given the crossover moniker.

Espace Design

Most of us know it as an MPV or people carrier, but Renault obviously sees an advantage in crossover. The Espace will be available in both five and seven-seater options with a practical and modular interior. No doubt the rear seats will be flexible in arrangement opening up a cavernous amount of loading space.

The Initiale Paris version of the new Espace is available with the exclusive Améthyste Black exterior paint and offers two trims for the interior: a graded Lune Grey/Dark Brown or simply Dark Brown finish. Notable exterior features include specific 19-inch wheels, exterior Initiale branding beneath the Renault logo and at the rear replacing the Espace badge, as well as Initiale Paris badging on the door sills.

Much thought has gone into the Espace’s interior design as designers worked on integrating fluid lines with the floating centre console which fits seamlessly with the design. There’s also an addition of a BOSE premium sound system with BOSE Surround Sound and the Visio System Pack for enhanced visibility including front-facing camera, lane departure warning, automatic lights, road sign recognition and over speed warning. There’s also an Advanced Safety Pack which includes safety distance warning and emergency brake assist.

Engine line-up

The Espace engine lineup will include the Energy TCe 200 EDC petrol unit delivering 147 kW and 260 Nm of torque and the Energy dCi 160 EDC diesel with 119 kW and 380 Nm. There will also be a 1.6-litre Energy dCi 130 engine with 97 kW with 320 Nm.

The engines will respectively be mated to the six or seven-speed automatic EDC (Efficient Dual Clutch) transmission.

 

Audi TT Sportback Concept Unveiled



The Audi TT Sportback concept has been officially unveiled at the 2014 Paris Motor Show.

Redesigned sportiness of the Audi TT

Designed as a fast sports car with four seats and four doors, the TT Sportback differentiates itself from the road-going TT with a new front bumper and a revised wider hexagonal grille with honeycomb mesh inserts, as well as redesigned headlights with a unique LED signature and laser high-beam headlights, a dual exhaust system and 21-inch alloy wheels.

The rear view of the Audi TT Sportback concept is sleek and sculptural with five horizontal lines that emphasize its width. The one-piece rear lights – also with the R18, inspired by vertical dividers – form an independent body while the two large, elliptical exhaust tailpipes are embedded into the diffuser.

Sitting at 4470 mm long, 1890 mm wide and 1380 mm tall, with a 2630 mm wheelbase, makes the concept longer and wider, but lower, than the TT Coupe. Its wheelbase has further been stretched by 12 cm to sit at 120 mm.

“With the TT, Audi created one of the automotive design icons of the last 20 years,” said Dr Hackenberg, Audi Board Member for Technical Development. “In the years since, we have designed our sporty and elegant five?door Audi A5 Sportback and Audi A7 Sportback. In our Audi TT Sportback concept show car, we are now fusing both concepts to form a new member of a potential TT family.”

Interior design

On the inside, the Audi TT Sportback is finished with premium leather upholstery, dark aluminium trim and gloss black accents. There are also two individual rear seats with integral head restraints which are further separated by a small centre console, and 12.3-inch virtual cockpit display as well as gauges and infotainment functions grouped in a cluster ahead of the steering wheel, and a slender, wing-shaped dashboard.

The drive

Power is provided by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder TFSI engine that packs 294 kW and 450 Nm of torque. All that power goes to all four wheels thanks to a seven-speed S tronic transmission and a quattro all-wheel drive system, which enables the model to complete the 0-100 kph task in 3.9 seconds.

According to Audi, the high performance engine is limited to an average of 7.0-litres/100 km, with CO2 emissions of 162 g/km.

2015 Fiat 500X Unveiled at Paris Motor Show

Fiat has taken the covers off of its 500X – a Fiat 500-based crossover which will go on sale globally.

The 2015 Fiat 500x is built in the SATA factory in Melfi (Potenza), Italy and more than 100 countries, including the United States, will receive the 2015 Fiat 500X.

Details

There’s a range of efficient diesel and petrol engines and there’ll be three gearboxes to choose from too, with either a manual, 9-speed automatic or twin-clutch six-speed transmission doing duty. There’ll be front-wheel drive, four-wheel drive as well as front-wheel drive with Traction Plus to choose from. That’s a lot of variety and personally I’m glad you have the options to choose.

There are two versions available. The first is for the fashion brigade and the car offers distinctive, elegant detailing and the second is for the outdoor/offroad enthusiasts as the car has more of a 4×4 look to it. In terms of size, it’s 4.25 metres long (2 cm more for the version suited for leisure), 1.8 metres wide and 1.60 metres in height (with roof bars or 4-wheel drive the figures are 161 and 162 cm respectively). Wheel sizes range from 16-, 17- and 18-inch alloys.

The interior can be configured in no less than seven different ways, with various types of fabric, leather and colours coming together. The luggage compartment sits at 350 litres, and thanks to the multiple seat adjustment possibilities, this can be expanded.

2015 Fiat 500X engines

Powering the 2015 Fiat 500X are a range of engines from the Fiat family. From the launch there’ll be a 1.4 Turbo MultiAir II with 105 kW (with front-wheel drive and 6-speed manual gearbox), the 90 kW 1.6 MultiJet II (also with front-wheel drive and 6-speed manual gearbox) and the 105 kW 2.0 MultiJet II (with 9-speed automatic transmission and 4-wheel drive). These engines will be joined by the 82 kW 1.6 “E-torQ” (5-speed manual gearbox and front-wheel drive), the 126 kW 1.4 Turbo MultiAir II (9-speed automatic transmission and 4-wheel drive) and the potent 137 kW Tigershark 2.4 (9-speed automatic transmission and 4-wheel drive).

For the diesel fans, there will be a 70 kW 1.3 MultiJet II (with 5-speed manual gearbox and front-wheel drive) and the 104 kW 2.0 MultiJet II (with 6-speed manual and 4-wheel drive).

Offroad ability

With four-wheel drive, the 2015 Fiat 500X can venture offroad. The car features a clever rear axle disconnection system that allows a reduction in energy wasted through drag when four-wheel drive operation is not required, thus ensuring greater efficiency in terms of consumption. It shares the technology with its sibling from the America, the Jeep Renegade.

The Drive Mood Selector gives you three car behaviours. Auto is claimed to be the best for comfort and consumption, Sport favours performance, while All-weather gives you maximum stability in bad conditions. If you’re driving the four-wheel drive version, then All-weather is replaced by traction, which speeds up the transmission of torque to the rear axle.

Uconnect infotainment

The 2015 Fiat 500X comes with new technology in terms of comfort and infortainment. The new UconnectTM system has either a 5″ or 6.5″ touchscreen and both come complete with Bluetooth, Aux-in, USB port, SD port and voice commands. The Uconnect 5” Radio Nav device offers TomTom navigation, while the Uconnect 6.5″ Radio Nav features satellite navigation with 3D maps, progressive route guidance and ‘One Shot Voice Destination Entry’ to enter addresses with voice commands.

Nissan Pulsar Nismo Rolls in at Paris


Whilst Nissan South Africa hasn’t yet seen fit to bring the Pulsar into the country, we still think that this Pulsar Nismo is worth an introduction. Nissan South Africa has given us the Almera and the Sentra recently, but we would swap both of those for a Pulsar if we had the choice. The Pulsar is a VW Golf–sized hatchback that does duty in Europe and areas in the East including Australia.

Pulsar Nismo Concept Details

This Pulsar Nismo Concept is a sports version of the standard Pulsar and makes the Pulsar a more aggressive, boy-racer stanced hatchback. Whilst just in concept form, Nissan says it is ‘committed to developing its Nismo line-up with the ambition of delivering bold new performance models to a new generation of drivers’.

The front bumper features larger, optimised air intakes and brake cooling vents. Nismo has added deeper side skirts, a lower ride height and 19-inch wheels with 235/35 wide rubber, while the diffuser-style rear bumper and the central twin exhaust pipes, further reinforce the Concept’s motorsport feel.

Further design features on the Pulsar Nismo Concept is the addition of chrome trim around the side windows painted in black as well as a carbon fibre finish and Nismo red decals down the door mirrors.

The interior has been sported up as well with generous use of Alcantara on the sports seats and a Nismo specific steering wheel.

The engine details have not yet been released, but the figure swirling around the Internet as that Nissan could extrapolate around 180 kW from the 1.6-litre turbo motor. Handling has been enhanced with a revised suspension system that incorporates settings honed on the racetrack. In addition to a lower ride height, the Pulsar Nismo Concept incorporates revised spring and damper settings.

Aston Martin Vanquish Carbon Black Announced



The stream of cars coming out from the 2014 Paris Motor Show is thick and fast, and showing very little sign of abating.

Vanquish Carbon Black details

Aston Martin has taken the wraps off another special edition. This time its the Aston Martin Vanquish which receives the Carbon Black treatment. The Aston Martin Vanquish Carbon Black is the British sports car company’s ultimate GT and is claimed to offer ‘a powerful road presence to match its 320kph-plus performance.’

There’s a strong dark theme to the Aston Martin Vanquish Carbon Black and there’s quite a bit of carbon fibre thrown into the mix. There’s two colours available: Stratus White and the menacing black you see here. While you may be forgiven for being confused by this and the Aston Martin Carbon Edition from not so long ago, there are some subtle differences between the two. The Vanquish Carbon Black features black window surrounds and ten-spoke gloss black non diamond turned alloy wheels, while on the interior, the black theme continues with a choice of accent colours and materials that showcase a combination of standard carbon fibre features and black hardware.

If this gets too confusing, then do what we do and just admire how pretty the Vanquish Carbon Black looks. It’s certainly striking.

Lamborghini Asterion Concept Unveiled At Paris 2014



The mysterious Lamborghini Asterion LPI 910-4 concept teased in a rather peculiar line drawing last week, has been unveiled at the Paris Motor Show.

First plug-in hybrid from Lamborghini

The concept is the company’s first plug-in hybrid developed with the help of Volkswagen and sports a new drivetrain which links the V10 5.2-litre naturally aspirated engine with 449 kW with three electric motors delivering a combined 220 kW, and are mated to a seven-speed DSG. This setup enables the Lamborghini Asterion concept to sprint from 0-100 km/h in just three seconds and reach a top speed of 320 km/h.

Lamborghini claims the vehicle can hit 125 km/h when running solely on electric power, and can travel for up to 50 km with a combined fuel consumption of only 4.2 litres/100 km and CO2 emissions of just 98 g/km.

Exterior design

Design wise, the Lamborghini Asterion LPI 910-4 concept boasts Elektra blue paintwork infused with flecks of glitter, 20-inch front and 21-inch rear carbon fibre shod in Pirelli tyres alloys, as well as delicate carbon-fibre wishbones and a lit tricolore flag beneath the wing mirrors.

The interior of the Asterion features a minimalistic layout with two seats positioned higher than those in Lamborghini super sports cars – ensuring comfortable every day cruising rather than extreme performance and handling.

The cabin is further furnished in Bianco Celaeno (ivory) and Marrone Attis (brown) leather, including aluminium, carbon fibre and titanium materials which go on to clothe the iconic three spoke steering wheel design drawn from the Miura. The steering wheel also includes three buttons from which the driver selects his engine driving mode: Zero – for zero emissions/full electric; I for ‘Ibrido’ (hybrid); and T for ‘Termico (thermal) power, while a portable tablet allows the car’s occupants to manage climate control and other functions including GPS and in-car infotainment.

The Lamborghini Asterion LPI 910-4 name explained

“Asterion” is an inspiration from the mythical Minotaur hybrid figure from Greek mythology which tells a story of the powerful fusion between intellect and instinct, part man and part bull, creating an ever powerful archetype. As far as LP goes, it stands for ‘longitudinale posteriore’, the position of the conventional engine, I stands for ‘ibrido’, while the 910 is for the system power and 4 for the permanent 4WD system.

There are currently no plans to put the Lamborghini Asterion concept into production, but should it ever see the light of day, expect it to go head to head with the McLaren P1, Ferrari LaFerrari and Porsche 918.

Ssang Yong Finalising XIV SUV Details



During September 2014 Ssang Yong revealed a teaser of the new XIV Concepts that have been shown at recent motor shows. Nearing its completion the XIV concepts have been shown in more complete form at the Paris motor show. The two concepts are of the same B-segment crossover/SUV, but one is a convertible with a Targa-style roof, the other a more rugged looking adventure machine.

XIV Catching up with Tech

The XIV Air and Adventure is a Nissan Juke–sized compact SUV that Ssang Yong hopes will drive major sales growth in the future. The XIV will use modern tech such as a Stop/Start fuel saving system and three mode smart steering with electric power assistance, in addition to an optional all-wheel drive system.

The XIV is equipped with a newly designed audio system. A USB/AUX port enables users to use external audio devices and there’s Bluetooth to connect your mobile phone to. Passengers can also use their iPod and iPhone thanks to the iPod connection, with information displayed on the high-res LCD screen.  A mirroring function on the audio system allows you to share content on your smart phone with others by synching devices and then viewing on the screen. Ssang Yong has also added a rear-view camera to the XIV.

XIV-Air and XIV-Adventure are powered by either a 1.6-litre petrol or 1.6-litre diesel engine, and both meet the latest Euro 6 emission standards. There’s a choice of six-speed manual and automatic transmission, two-wheel drive and all-wheel drive.

New Car Sales in South Africa for September 2014


New car sales in South Africa has continued to show resilience in September 2014 despite slow economic growth and pressure on consumer disposable income. The National Association of Automobile Manufacturers of South Africa (NAAMSA) reports strong increases across all sectors when compared to the same period last year.

Here is a new car sales summary for the month of September 2014.

New  Car Sales Summary – August 2014

  • 60 854 aggregate new vehicle sales up by 11.5% (6 283) compared to September 2013
  • 30 778 export sales up by 258% (22 180) compared to September 2013
  • 42 918 passenger cars up by 7.5% (2 997) compared to September 2013
  • 15 179 light commercial vehicles up by 24.7% (3 009) compared to September 2013

Click here for August 2014 New Car Sales Report

Top Selling Car Brands in South Africa for August 2014

Brand Total Sales Market Penetration %
  1. Toyota
 12 363 20.4%
  1. Volkswagen
 9 967 16.4%
  1. Ford Motor Company
 7 640 12.6%
  1. GMSA
 5 513 9.1%
  1. Nissan
 4 155 6.9%


Top Selling New Cars in South Africa for August 2014

Model Total Sales
  1. VW Polo Vivo
 4 263
  1. Toyota Hilux (LCV)
 3 907
  1. Ford Ranger (LCV)
 2 629
  1. Toyota Corolla
 2 320
  1. VW Polo
 2 152

New Car Sales Outlook

Although September 2014 new car sales figures look promising, the trading environment for the balance of the year could be compromised by slowed economic growth, interest rate increases and inflation. The market is expected to decline by between 4-5%, in volume terms, compared to 2013. However, improvements in export numbers is expected for the duration of 2014 and into 2015.