Autoblog

The Mini is so 2006. VW's new Polo has yet to launch. Neither of those cars matter once you set eyes on the forthcoming hotness from Alfa Romeo. Alfa is coming back to the U.S. market, and while everyone's been ga-ga about the 8C Competizione, supercars just don't support the type of sales volume that Alfa is looking for. Dubbed the MiTo, Alfa's B-car might be the starter kit for the more aspirational supercars that the brand has to offer, but it's no less kickass when taken on its own. Alfa's styling will be new and fresh in the U.S., the brand having been absent from North American shores since the 1990s. There's a little retro in the nose as seen in these renderings from Winding Road, but it's not anywhere near the total homage to the 1960s that the Mini is.

What's underneath the sheetmetal that's alternately voluptuous and crisply creased is a versatile chassis developed before GM took their wad of cash home from Fiat. The MiTo actually shares its platform with the Opel Corsa and the Fiat Grande Punto, both of which have left favorable impressions with reviewers. Power units could run the gamut from a fire breathing turbocharged 1.4-liter gas unit to a 1.9-liter diesel, and a 2.0-liter that kicks out 280 horsepower is also a possibility if a Delta version comes to fruition. As excited as this news makes us, it's going to be a long wait until 2010.

[Source: Winding Road]

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UK car shoppers looking for a little extra pep in a subcompact, but who don't want to pony up for the high-zoot Vauxhall Corsa VXR (a.k.a. Opel Corsa OPC), now have another option: the Corsa SRi. This is simply the British-market version of the Opel Corsa GSi that made its debut in Barcelona this June. It's still worth mentioning again because it's a cool little ride. Powered by either a 150 HP gasoline-fueled turbo four or a 125 HP turbodiesel, the SRi delivers sporty looks and dynamics, respectable performance, and good fuel economy (30 mpg on petrol or 50 mpg on diesel). Add this one to the "Cars We Wish Were Saturns Today" list.

New pics are in the gallery below, and GM's press release/spec sheet are pasted after the jump.

[Source: GM]

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General Motors' Opel division will use the IAA in Frankfurt to push its ecoFLEX initiative, which will see the automaker leverage multiple technologies to help lower its offerings' CO2 emissions and fuel consumption. Headlining ecoFLEX for the automaker is the Opel Corsa Hybrid Concept, which mates a 1.3L diesel with the next-gen Belt Alternator Starter (BAS) light hybrid system (BAS is the mild hybrid setup used in the Saturn Green Line vehicles), which trades in the current system's NiMH battery for a lithium-ion unit. The arrangement is good for a claimed fuel economy rating of 62.7 mpg (3.75 L/100km). It also emits just 99 g/km of CO2 per km.

Joining the Hybrid Concept in Frankfurt is the Corsa 1.3 CDTI ecoFLEX, which has 75 hp, boasts fuel economy of 52 mpg and CO2 emissions of 119 g/km. In addition, Opel will showcase CNG-powered vehicles, promote its "Eco-Turbo" approach to using smaller turbocharged engines that match the power of larger units but are more efficient and cleaner-running. Finally, the Vectra FlexPower will be on display, which is powered by the 175 hp E85-compatible 2.0L turbo engine used in the Saab 9-5 BioPower models.

This puts Opel in line with other European competitors, which are also actively downsizing engines and embracing biofuels, etc.

[Source: Opel]

During this year's Frankfurt Motor Show in September, GM will be taking the wraps of its latest eco-minded concept, in the form of a new Opel-branded vehicle. The E-Flex-equipped concept will feature an electric motor that sends power to the wheels, which can be charged via either a household power outlet or the concept's ultra-efficient diesel mill.

Along with the aforementioned concept, GM will be unveiling a Opel/Vauxhall Corsa equipped with a 1.3-liter common rail diesel that produces 75 HP and releases 119 grams of carbon dioxide per kilometer traveled. The show stand will also hold the E85-capable Cadillac BLS and the HydroGen4, a Euro-spec version of the Chevy Equinox fuel cell vehicle.

[Source: Reuters]

Time is winding down for the chance to win a fully-loaded $29,000 Dodge Nitro, so get in when the getting is still good (Enter every day through June 14th by clicking here.) This week in pictures saw plenty of spy shots, new models, and some interesting videos. Among the many stories on Autoblog, we did a review of the Saturn Aura Green Line, we covered the Greenwich Concours d'Elegance, and Opel Corsa GSi.

The last week was a blast, and you only need three minutes to get an update by clicking on the above video. We've also added links below to some of the more significant galleries from the last seven days. This week, music comes from The Touch Ups with "Fast Food Rampage". Enjoy!

Bloomberg's Greg Bensinger penned an article Friday that's getting some play on the web. In it, he spoke to Saturn's product development director, Lisa Hutchinson, who said that the Saturn division is indeed considering the addition of the Corsa subcompact to the lineup. Hutchinson doesn't attach a timeframe to anything, but states that the American consumer's concern over fuel economy is what's driving this. Later in the day, the Detroit News' Autos Insider column picked up on Bensinger's story. Speculation about a quality American-marque subcompact will do that when gas costs three bucks and change.

We want to see the Corsa here as badly as anyone else, but if you think back to October '06 during the Paris Motor Show, you'll remember that none other than Bob Lutz himself confirmed then that the Corsa will be sold as a Saturn. In fact, the exact words he used, according to Automotive News, were that the Corsa "will very definitely go to the United States." The thing is, the Corsa we'll get will be the next-generation model, not the one shown above. Last October, the timeframe surrounding this, as relayed by the Automotive News' David Sedgwick, was reportedly five years -- meaning 2011, probably as a 2012 model, if we had to guess. AN also reported that the US version of the car would likely be built in Mexico.

We're sure that Jill Lajdziak would like nothing more than to hop out of a Corsa on stage during one of next season's US auto shows and announce that it'll be on sale in the near future, but based on what Lutz already said -- and he of all people would know -- it's probably not happening anytime soon. Bummer.

[Source: Bloomberg News]

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The Barcelona Motor Show kicks off today, and GM will use the Spanish venue to show off its new Opel Corsa GSi (its UK twin, the Vauxhall Corsa SRi, has also been announced). Positioned below the range-topping Corsa OPC, the GSi gets a detuned version of the OPC's 1.6L 192-horsepower turbo four In GSi guise, the little hatch is good for 150 horsepower. That'll still be enough to let it do 0-62 in 8.1 seconds and top out at 130 mph, all while pulling down nearly 30 mpg (US) in the combined cycle.

In the UK, the Vauxhall Corsa SRi will also be available with 1.7L CDTi diesel, which will drop the acceleration time to 9.1 seconds and increase fuel economy to over 49 mpg US.

Available in 3-door and 5-door variants, the Corsa GSi gets sporty bodywork, an attractive set of 17" five-spoke wheels, and two-tone seats. It goes on sale in Europe this September. We'll have to wait for the next-gen Corsa to arrive, which will be sold here as a Saturn.

[Source: GM]

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The annual Commercial Vehicle Show is set to kick off in Birmingham, UK, and GM's Vauxhall division has prepared two concepts that likely telegraph a pair of small-business-oriented cars coming sometime in the not-too-distant future. The Corsavan Sportive and Astravan Sportive SE are panelized versions of the new Corsa and Astra station wagon. In lieu of back seats, the cargo area is expanded to encompass the full interior aft of the driver and passenger seats. Both already exist in "van" form, but not in the level of trim the Sportive concepts display.

The attraction for small business owners is that the vans handle and perform like the cars they really are. As an added bonus, they feature creature comforts like A/C and heated mirrors, plus the Sportive concept trim decks the cars out with visual baubles such as alloy wheels, spoilers, and foglights. From the outside, they look like nicely-optioned versions of their standard car siblings, albeit with fewer windows (and, in Astra's case, fewer doors, too). Operating costs are kept down thanks to the use of diesel engines that allow for sprightly yet economical performance. Full details can be found in the press release after the jump.

[Source: Vauxhall]

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The new Opel/Vauxhall Corsa's a smart-looking little hatchback that our friends in Europe and the UK get to enjoy while we watch from the sidelines. GM hasn't seen fit to send the little Fit-fighter our way, but with Saturn and Opel tied at the hip now, our hopes for such a thing seem far less unrealistic. After all, at this time last year, the idea of seeing the Astra in the US was a pipe dream -- one that's been fulfilled with the confirmation that it's headed over as a 2008 Saturn.

The latest reason to want a Corsa comes as both divisions release their performance variants. Vauxhall's just pulled the wraps off the Corsa VXR while Opel unveiled the identical Corsa OPC - a three-door pocket rocket powered by a 192-horsepower turbocharged 1.6L. Before you scoff at its 6.8-second 0-60 time as being "slow," know also that it has a top end of 140 mph and reportedly delivers a fuel economy of around 30 US miles per gallon in combined use (35.8 imperial mpg). That's a pretty good set of numbers across the board, and it sounds like the turbo Corsa wouldd make for one seriously fun commuter car.



Follow the jump for our final thoughts as well as Vauxhall's press release, and check out additional photos in our gallery.

[Source: GM (OPC photos - GM via Autoblog Spanish)]

Here's the second video in our five-part series of booth tours at the 2006 Paris Motor Show, and this time we focus on General Motors. I'll say again this our first time producing video and I'm disappointed in myself that we didn't capture footage of more vehicles from General Motors and its brands sold in Europe, but we did get the big one, which is the Chevy WTCC Ultra Concept. We also padded the video with footage of the Opel Antara, Opel CorsaVan and the Cadillac SRX's new fancy interior. Hope you enjoy watching these as much as we do making them and keep your eyes peeled for more.

BTW – If you like the video and the work that we're doing, please support us by voting for the video on the new Netscape. All you have to do is click the up arrow at the top of the video window. If you aren't registered at the new Netscape, now is as good a time as any. Thanks!

Part 1: VIDEO: 2006 Paris Motor Show – VW / Audi / Lamborghini Booth Tour