Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com Autoblog http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.autoblog.com/media/feedlogo.gif Autoblog http://www.autoblog.com en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[REPORT: Volkswagen Touareg successor headed for Detroit]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/12/report-volkswagen-touareg-successor-headed-for-detroit/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/12/report-volkswagen-touareg-successor-headed-for-detroit/http://www.autoblog.com/2009/11/12/report-volkswagen-touareg-successor-headed-for-detroit/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

2011 Volkswagen Touareg - Click above for high-res image gallery

January's North American International Auto Show (Detroit Auto Show) is expected to host the debut of Volkswagen's all-new third-generation Touareg SUV (the facelifted "second-gen" arrived in the States as a 2008 model). While details are few, rumor has it that VW will introduce its new Touareg with a variety of powerplant choices during its first model year, including a hybrid variant.

As previously reported, the hybrid is expected to combine the supercharged 3.0-liter TSI V6 from the Audi S4 mated to a 38 kW electric motor. An all-new eight-speed automatic transmission wraps up the package. Total combined power is 374 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque. With an all-wheel drive powertrain, the Touareg Hybrid should sprint to 60 mph in less than seven seconds and return a combined EPA fuel economy figure of about 26 mpg. While it debuts in just two months, the new Volkswagen Touareg isn't expected in showrooms until the second half of 2010.


Gallery: Spy Shots: 2011 Volkswagen Touareg


[Source: Autocar]

REPORT: Volkswagen Touareg successor headed for Detroit originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2011 volkswagen touareg2011VolkswagenTouaregall-newDebutDetroitTouaregunveilunveiledunveilingVolkswagenVolkswagen SUVVolkswagen TouaregVolkswagenSuvVolkswagenTouaregVW TouaregVwTouaregThu, 12 Nov 2009 14:32:00 EST<![CDATA[Eye on the Prize: Williams opts against big unveiling for new car]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/02/eye-on-the-prize-williams-opts-against-big-unveiling-for-new-ca/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/02/eye-on-the-prize-williams-opts-against-big-unveiling-for-new-ca/http://www.autoblog.com/2008/01/02/eye-on-the-prize-williams-opts-against-big-unveiling-for-new-ca/#commentsFiled under:


Williams tests its new car at Jerez on December 7 (click to enlarge)

After McLaren decided to hold an official unveiling of its new car after all, another British grand prix team has decided against it. Hard at work on the new FW30, Williams F1 has opted instead to focus on the car's development rather than making a big spectacle, as is expected of most of its rivals.

Show or no show, you have to admire Williams' dedication to getting back to the top. The team is entering its 30th season in F1, but while it was once a championship-winning team - it has taken the constructors' title nine times and the driver's crown seven - Williams hasn't won either since Jacques Villeneuve in 1997. Since then, the team has gone downhill, having to resort to buying customer engines after longtime engine partner Renault left F1 (only to return years later with its own team), and again after BMW defected to Sauber.

Last season Williams placed a respectable fourth in the constructors' championship, behind Ferrari, BMW Sauber and Renault, beating out its engine provider, Toyota's own (considerably better-funded) works team, in the process. Having failed to finish grands prix four times in 2007, Williams plans on improving its reliability in pursuit of an even better 2008 on a path back to the top. As for the new FW30, racing fans will have to check out the off-season test sessions for a glimpse of what the once-famous Williams engineers have been working on before the season kicks off on March 16 in Australia.

[Source: Autosport]

Eye on the Prize: Williams opts against big unveiling for new car originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 02 Jan 2008 20:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>f1launchunveilingwilliamswilliams FW30WilliamsFw30Wed, 02 Jan 2008 20:35:00 EST<![CDATA[Daimler blocks debut of Chinese smart clone]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/12/01/daimler-blocks-debut-of-chinese-smart-clone/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/12/01/daimler-blocks-debut-of-chinese-smart-clone/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/12/01/daimler-blocks-debut-of-chinese-smart-clone/#commentsFiled under: , ,



Daimler's not taking the close resemblance of a Chinese minicar to a smart fortwo lightly. The German automaker has gotten a court order forbidding Martin Motors, the European distributor for China's Shuanghuan Automobile, from displaying the Shuanghuan Noble at the upcoming Bologna Auto Show. This is the second time Daimler has blocked the Noble from being displayed, having taken similar action at the Frankfurt show.

Martin Motors is calling the Noble the Bubble in Europe, since there's already another Noble. Martin contends that the Bubble is not a copy of the fortwo, citing the four seats and front engine configuration among the differentiating details. Martin Motors has also demanded in Italian courts that Daimler prove its exclusive rights to the design of the smart. If a resolution can be reached, the Bubble will go on sale for about $10,000 euros across Europe. The resemblance is striking, but copying the look isn't the same as cribbing the underlying engineering. We haven't had the opportunity to crawl over, under, or through the Bubble, so we can't comment on whether it's better or worse than the smart, but from the looks of things in the video we've posted after the jump, the Bubble is hardly a premium vehicle. Shuanghuan also sells the CEO, a midsize SUV that borrows an awful lot from the BMW X5's looks. The appearance similarities between Shuanghuan's vehicles and those of well respected competitors may not help the Chinese automaker avoid having its European sales bubble burst.

Check the jump to see a video of the Noble/Bubble in action.

More shots from Autoblog China.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

Continue reading Daimler blocks debut of Chinese smart clone

Daimler blocks debut of Chinese smart clone originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 01 Dec 2007 15:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>auto showAutoShowbolognabubblechinacopycourtfortwofrankfurtinjunctionlegalmartinmartin motorsMartinMotorsminicarnobleordershuanghuansmartunveilingSat, 01 Dec 2007 15:34:00 EST<![CDATA[Hyundai i10 revealed in India]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/11/01/hyundai-i10-revealed-in-india/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/11/01/hyundai-i10-revealed-in-india/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/11/01/hyundai-i10-revealed-in-india/#commentsFiled under: , , ,



Hyundai's rolled out a new city car, the i10, which they feel is so good that it will double Hyundai's sales in that segment. Manufacturer propaganda always ladles on the glowing prose, but after reading through the specs, we were nodding in approval, too. A quick glance at the pictures had us thinking "modern day Excel," but that's not the case. Comprehensively equipped, the i30 comes standard with air conditioning, power windows, six-speaker stereo, and four airbags. The 1.1 liter four cylinder, providing about 60 horsepower, returns fuel economy in the 50 miles per gallon (US, 60 mpg Imperial) range, and low emissions.

Styling, well, it's in the very small car idiom, and it's not breaking any new ground. Tall and short, the i10 is not ugly, and in these days of $90-plus per barrel oil prices, small is ever more beautiful. The i10 will be exported from India, which will be the sole manufacturing base for the car. With the tight supply of Honda Fits, we could use another A-class ride for low dollars on these shores, maybe if we ask real nice?

[Source: Hyundai]

Gallery: Hyundai i10

Continue reading Hyundai i10 revealed in India

Hyundai i10 revealed in India originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 01 Nov 2007 17:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>hyundaihyundai indiaHyundaiIndiai10indiamininew delhiNewDelhismallsubcompactunveilingThu, 01 Nov 2007 17:34:00 EST<![CDATA[Montreal Auto Show: Locus Plethore supercar unveiled...almost]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2007/01/19/montreal-auto-show-locus-plethore-supercar-unveiled-almost/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/01/19/montreal-auto-show-locus-plethore-supercar-unveiled-almost/http://www.autoblog.com/2007/01/19/montreal-auto-show-locus-plethore-supercar-unveiled-almost/#commentsFiled under: , ,


Click on the image above to jump to our gallery of 25 high-resolution images

The centerpiece of the 2007 Montreal auto show was supposed to be the Plethore, a supercar being developed in Quebec by HHT Locus Technologies. As we reported previously, the car nicknamed "the Quebec Bomb" employs carbon fiber construction and an 8.2-liter V8 to produce a high power-to-weight ratio driving from behind a three-passenger cabin with a center-line driving position, an innovative layout employed in the record-shattering McLaren F1 supercar (and in a 1966 Ferrari 365 P prototype), but not replicated since.

Unfortunately, as is often the case with such ambitious projects, the car was far from ready to be unveiled when the auto show opened. Instead, designer Luc Chartrand and company took the wraps off a non-functioning pre-production prototype, essentially a mock-up for display purposes. Next to the prototype they displayed the 8.2-liter GM-sourced V8 that is anticipated to propel the Plethore to mind-boggling speeds, if and when it finally gets rolling.

Locus Technologies anticipates its creation will be ready for delivery in the fall, when a limited annual run of no more than 400 will each sell for $330,000 CDN. They can call it the Plethore, the Quebec Bomb or whatever they'd like... we'll call it blind ambition.

We've got 25 high-resolution images of the Plethore from the show floor. Click on any of the images below or right here.

Gallery: Locus Plethore


Montreal Auto Show: Locus Plethore supercar unveiled...almost originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 19 Jan 2007 15:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>autobombcanadadebuthhtlocusmontrealplethorequebecsalonshowtechnologiesunveilingFri, 19 Jan 2007 15:03:00 EST<![CDATA[Chrysler Sebring official pics and press release]]>http://www.autoblog.com/2006/06/22/chrysler-sebring-official-pics-and-press-release/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/06/22/chrysler-sebring-official-pics-and-press-release/http://www.autoblog.com/2006/06/22/chrysler-sebring-official-pics-and-press-release/#commentsFiled under: ,



Here's the nitty gritty on the 2007 Chrysler Sebring straight from the automaker's mouth. Aside from the expressive styling inspired by the 2003 Airflite concept, the interior of the car is packed with unique and high-end available features. Most notable is the Harmon/Kardon nav system that features a 6.5-inch touchscreen display, a 20gb hard drive with Music Juke Box software, a USB port to download songs and pictures, a mic in the rearview mirror to record up to three-minute voice memos, Sirius satellite radio and hands-free Bluetooth phone connectivity.

We're psyched about the Sebring's cupholders, however, which can cool drinks to 35 degrees F or heat them up to 140 degrees F. No more warm, flat Pepsi on road trips for us. Heated seats are also available as on option, but no cooling function for the posteriors.

Also available after launch will be LED interior lighting with high-focus white lights for both the front and rear seats. Chrysler didn't forget the obligatory auxiliary audio input jack to connect MP3 players, either.

Available safety equipment includes up to six airbags, ESP with Brake Assist, Traction Control, ABS and a tire pressure monitoring system.

As mentioned in our previous post, engine choices are a 2.4L four-cylinder (172 hp), a 2.7L V6 (190 hp/190 ft-lbs) and a 3.5L V6 (235 hp/232 ft-lbs). In combination with Chrysler's new six-speed auto, the 3.5L should rival the acceleration of the segment's leaders according to the company.

Three trim levels of the Sebring will be available: Sebring, Sebring Touring and Sebring Limited. It will be built at the Sterling Heights Assembly plant in Michigan and be on dealer lots by the fourth quarter of 2006.

All the official images and Chrysler's press release can be found after the jump... We may have video of the press conference for you later, as well.

[Source: Chrysler]

Continue reading Chrysler Sebring official pics and press release

Chrysler Sebring official pics and press release originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 22 Jun 2006 14:49:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>launchreleasesebringunveilunveilingThu, 22 Jun 2006 14:49:00 EST