Autoblog

Rendered Speculation: Ford Fiesta to get racy coupe variant?

Chris Shunk — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 10:02:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Ford, UK

Our time with the Euro-spec Ford Fiesta proved to us that the Oval has one heck of a B-segment hatch on its hands. Since Americans tend to prefer traditional sedans, we're likely to have three-, four- and five-doors here in the US, but what about a coupe?

Auto Express wondered the same thing, and the UK publication commissioned an artist to craft a two-door rendering of the popular Fiesta. AE's imaginary Fiesta coupe looks very much like the car presently in production, with a trapezoid grille, unique headlamps that stretch all the way to the front wheel wells, and the Kinetic-design surface treatments that make the Fiesta look wider than it really is. In the land of make-believe, the coupe gets rectangular fog lights that lend it a fancier look than the plain-Jane round lights on the existing Fiesta.

Out back, the theoretical Fiesta coupe adds some visual flair with a swoopy roofline that stretches all the way to the Fiesta's rear hatch. Chrome trim arounf the side glass that stretches from the A pillar to the C pillar looks a bit like that of the good-looking Mondeo. We'd love to see a slick Fiesta coupe here in the States, and would be more than OK if it looked just like the Auto Express rendering. Throw an EcoBoost 1.6 under the hood, give us the keys and get out of our way, because this little whip's a looker. Now, if only it were real....

Gallery: Review: 2010 Ford Fiesta (Euro-Spec)

[Source: Auto Express]

Rendered Speculation: Ford Fiesta to get racy coupe variant? originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 26 Jul 2009 10:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rendered Speculation: Jaguar C-Type draws its claws

Noah Joseph — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 14:30:00 EST

Filed under: Convertible, Jaguar, Rendered Speculation, Rumormill

Jaguar's owner Ratan Tata has made it clear that he wants to expand Jag's sportscar offerings beyond the scope of the current XK, and this is what the British rumormill has cooked. Dubbed the C-Type, the renderings depict a compact two-door roadster to rival the likes of Porsche's Boxster, BMW's Z4, Mercedes' SLK and Nissan's 370Z. With a lightweight aluminum chassis and powertrain options to potentially include a 235hp V6, 380hp V8 and 3.0-liter turbodiesel, the C-Type could offer exciting performance in a compact package, like Aston's Vantage, but at a fraction of the price. Although in the present climate Jaguar would do well to take things one step at a time, the report speculates that the diminutive C-Type could come in addition to a 911-rivaling E-Type successor and an R8-battling supercar. Likely? Not quite. Exciting? Most definitely. Hat tip to Mo for the news!

[Source: Auto Express]

Rendered Speculation: Jaguar C-Type draws its claws originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 03 Jun 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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More of the Same: Volkswagen Polo GTI rumormill swirls

Noah Joseph — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 18:59:00 EST

Filed under: Hatchback, Volkswagen, Rumormill

Click above to view the current Volkswagen Polo GTI in our hi-res image gallery

The interwebs were all alight like Times Square last night with reports of a new Polo GTI on the way. According to Auto Express, the mini-GTI will upgrade on the upcoming replacement for the current Polo with all manner of GTI-trademarked upgrades, from sport seats to the black grille with red stripe, with power provided by the same 1.4-liter twin-charged TSI four as the upcoming SEAT Ibiza Cupra and driving 178hp through a six-speed manual or seven-speed DSG to reach sixty in about seven seconds.

Sounds good, though we're not likely to get the Polo in the American market, in regular or sport versions, for the foreseeable future. What the reports apparently neglect to mention, however, in their enthusiasm for a revived Polo GTI, is that Volkswagen already makes one. The current Polo GTI revived the model in late 2005 with a 1.8-liter turbo four offering up 148hp. Because that didn't measure up against the competition, VW came out with the Cup Edition that boosted output up to 178hp, the same output which Auto Express pegs for the new version. If the new Polo GTI does indeed bow this year in Frankfurt, we'll be on hand to bring it to you live, but one thing's for sure: Wolfsburg will hardly be reinventing the wheel if and when it does.

[Source: Auto Express]

More of the Same: Volkswagen Polo GTI rumormill swirls originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 01 Jan 2009 18:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: Volvo XC60 out playin' in the snow

Dan Roth — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 14:07:00 EST

Filed under: Spy Photos, Geneva Motor Show, Crossover, Volvo

Volvo is working hard to finish development on the production version of its XC60 CUV before it goes on sale later in 2008. We'll see the official unveiling in Geneva most likley, and the concept has certainly whetted our appetite. Aimed at the smaller end of the premium CUV market, the XC60 will take on comers like the BMW X3 and the upcoming Mercedes Freeside, as well as the Land Rover LR2, with which the XC60 shares pieces and corporate parents.

AutoExpress has posted spy shots of an XC60 dressed for modesty cavorting in the snow. Comparing the mule to shots of the concept shows that the major points of the design are headed for the showroom after some tweaking. The changes are pretty minor, the door handles change, the roofline appears to be a little higher, though still with the same profile, so you might actually be able to load things in the production car. It does look like the curvaceous taillights are headed for reality, only slightly changed, too. The pictures don't offer any insight as to whether the trick two-piece hatch from the concept will make it to the public, and we're going to bet that the all-white interior will be ditched for something less cleaning-intensive, too. For the most part, what we saw in the concept is what we'll be able to buy in early 2009.

[Source: Auto Express]

Gallery: Volvo XC60 Concept

Spy Shots: Volvo XC60 out playin' in the snow originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 25 Jan 2008 14:07:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford Mondeo named Car of the Year by Auto Express

John Neff — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 17:32:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Europe, Ford

click above to see more high-res pics of the new Ford Mondeo

We believe it's that time of year again when every automotive media outlet and its sister (publication) begin giving out its Car of the Year (COTY) award. Auto Express in the U.K. is kicking things off by awards its respective COTY statue to the new Ford Mondeo, as well as the honor for best family car and estate car. The editor's don't mince words when they say the Mondeo is "Ford's finest ever car". We'd like to agree, except we probably won't ever get a chance to drive the new Mondeo, at least not this generation of the car. Hopefully, Ford CEO Alan Mulally will have his way and the next-gen Mondeo will merge with our Fusion sold in the U.S. Perhaps then we can corroborate the opinion of Auto Express that the Mondeo is a COTY caliber sedan. Until then, however, we'll just congratulate the car from afar.

[Source: Newspress]

Gallery: 2008 Ford Mondeo

Continue reading Ford Mondeo named Car of the Year by Auto Express

Ford Mondeo named Car of the Year by Auto Express originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 24 Jul 2007 17:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Auto Express drives the Peugeot 207 GTi

Alex Nunez — Sat, 25 Nov 2006 17:18:00 EST

Filed under: Europe, Hatchback

The UK's Auto Express snagged some seat time in the yet-to-be-released Peugeot 207 GTi. The new Pug hot hatch -- one of many that our overseas friends are able to choose from -- sports the same 175-horsepower turbo-4 found under the hood of the Mini Cooper S, one of the car's key market competitors along with the RenaultSport Clio 197. Save for the metallic rearview mirros and the rear spoiler, the 207 GTi is visually identical to its more sedate bretheren in the lineup -- a fact the Auto Express chaps lament, noting that the RenaultSport Clio has a look all its own. They're not crazy about the car's 5-speed manual either, as 6 forward gears have pretty much become the norm in this segment. Other than those quibbles, they're impressed with the car. Sadly, no manufacturers save for MINI, Mazda and VW have really stepped up to the plate to offer us Yanks fun, sporty hatchbacks like this. With any luck, GM will take advantage of this opportunity in our market when it brings the Astra to Saturn dealerships next year. All together now: Astra/Ion Red Line! Please, General.

You can read the full Auto Express preview and check out more photos at their website.

[Source: Oliver Marriage/Auto Express]

Auto Express drives the Peugeot 207 GTi originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 25 Nov 2006 17:18:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Scirocco blowing back into showrooms

Alex Nunez — Sun, 08 Oct 2006 10:05:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Hatchback, Volkswagen

Click for Photo Gallery

In perhaps the least surprising move in recent automotive histroy, Volkwagen has essentially confirmed that the production version of the IROC concept will revive the Scirocco nameplate. We'd have never guessed, what with "Scirocco" already clearly emblazoned across the concept's grille. Anyway, Auto Express reports that at the Paris motor show, a Veedub spokeswoman said, "It now seems that we will be using the Scirocco name."

It now seems? Lady, did you see the concept car before Paris? I mean, come on. Anyway, mark your calendars: the warm desert wind blows back into showrooms in 2008.

[Source: Auto Express via German Car Blog]

Gallery: Volkswagen IROC

Continue reading Scirocco blowing back into showrooms

Scirocco blowing back into showrooms originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 08 Oct 2006 10:05:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Massive UK owner survey crowns Honda S2000 as top 'hero'

Chris Paukert — Tue, 28 Mar 2006 18:03:00 EST

Filed under: Maintenance, Trends, Europe, BMW, Honda, PSA, Volkswagen

A new UK Driver Power survey conducted by Auto Express Magazine surveyed 46,000 car owners on their choice for the nation's automotive Heroes and Villains. Criteria included driving enjoyment, running costs, reliability, build quality, and so on.

The 'super' Hero? Honda's S2000 roadster. In fact, Honda placed three cars in the top ten, as did VW AG property Skoda and BMW. In a 'shades of Consumer Reports' finding, the British publication's survey found that 11 of the top 12 most reliable vehicles were Japanese, and 9 of 11 of the most problematic were of French and Italian descent.

The biggest villains? Peugeot's 206, Mercedes A-Class and the not-so-dearly departed Rover 25.

A summary of AE's findings and criteria can be found here, and a more comprehensive vehicle-by-vehicle ranking here.

[Sources: Auto Express, The Independent, Honda Motor Co.]

Massive UK owner survey crowns Honda S2000 as top 'hero' originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 28 Mar 2006 18:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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