Citroën reveals first pictures of the new AirCross, the adventure version of C3 Picasso

Citroën has announced last year it intends to present a lot of new vehicles. Most of them will be versions of existing cars, such as the new AirCross, an "adventure" version of the C3 Picasso. The company will first present it in Brazil, possibly in the second semester of 2010, but its first official images have been presented today, through its Twitter. Check them below.



The AirCross, codenamed A58, is only different from the C3 Picasso due to a higher suspension and to some external aspects, such as the front grille, entirely new, the spare tire, fixed on the back door of the car, side skirts and inscriptions with the name of the car all around.

Due to the spare tire, its total lenght must be a little bigger than 4.08 m. The higher suspension must have also contributed to make it taller than the regular 1.62 m tall C3 Picasso, but it must still be 1.73 m wide. Its luggage compartment, able to hold 500 l, must be a little bigger, considering the space reserved for the spare tire must have been seized to carry small stuff.

Engines must be limited to one choice, the 1.6-litre 16V flex unit already in use in Brazil, if it is not a little bigger, or else, the 2-litre unit already in use by the C4 family, also capable of running on ethanol or gasoline in any proportion. We'll be sure about all data when the car gets its official presentation, in some months from now.



Source: Twitter

Tata presents Nano's version for Minibus, the Magic Iris

If the VW Beetle has managed to have its own van, the VW Minibus, why would not the future people's car, Tata Nano, come up with the same variety of bodies? This is what Tata intends to do with the new Magic Iris, a microvan built over Nano's platform in order to take rickshaws out of Indian streets.



Powered by a rear 611 cm³ diesel engine able to produce little more than 11 bhp, Magic Iris has a top speed of 55 km/h and carries five people (including the driver), what makes it a faster and safer option of public transport compared to rickshaws. If prices are as low as the ones charged for a Nano, soon there will be no more three-wheeled vehicles carrying people in India. Nor in other emerging countries of the world.

Source: Tata

Toyota introduces Etios, its EFC, to Indians in Delhi

Emerging countries have already become a focus of attention from automakers, but it has never been so intense as it is today. Besides Honda and Nissan, which are planning to develop and sell respectively the New Small Concept and the new Micra specifically for these markets, Toyota has also made an effort in this direction. And the effort has been named Etios.



Expected to be sold in India and Brazil by 2011, the car has been shown today at Delhi Auto Show in sedan and hatchback bodies. The new sedan resembles Dacia/Renault Logan very much, not only in appearance, but also in its construction, which has been planned to be cheaper and easier than that of other vehicles. The most evident example of this is the dashboard, mounted in the centre of the car, what will allow Toyota to sell it in right-hand drive and left-hand drive countries with minimum changes.

Equipped with a 1.2-litre engine, the hatchback has a sportier interior, in black, as you can see below. It is a paradox, we know, but the car will certainly have other engine options. It will be necessary for Toyota to achieve the goal of 70,000 sales in its first year of production in India.





One of these engines will certainly be the 1.5-litre engine that is under the hood of the sedan. More familiar, this car bears a white interior. Not that the production vehicles will reproduce these details, but they give us a clear idea of the intentions of Toyota for both cars.







Source: Toyota

Honda presents in Delhi its New Small Concept

Honda produces great reliable cars, but they are not very affordable, especially in emerging countries, where the company has built itself a premium carmaker fame. It all seems to be about to change with New Small Concept, a car that aims to be cheaper, but to keep the quality standards Honda is widely known for.



Expected to be presented in India and Thailand by 2011, the New Small Concept will also be sold in other emerging markets, such as China, Russia and Brazil in about the same time, maybe a little later. Honda does not want to be in the dust of Toyota, with its new Etios, nor of Nissan, with the new Micra.

Although technical specs are non-existent, the car is expected to have a 1.2-litre engine, possibly running on petrol.




Source: Honda via Paultan.org

Volkswagen presents the New Fox, not headed for Europe anymore

Normally, emerging country citizens are the ones that had a sort of envy of European and North American customers that manage to buy modern and affordable cars while old projects are produced and sold in Latin America, Africa and Asia. The new VW Fox, just presented in Brazil, may be the first example of the opposite: European customers willing to buy a car that, at least for now, will not be exported to the Old World, as the current version is.



There are some reasons why the new Fox will not be seen in Europe. The first one is that the new VW Lupo, still only known as up!, will be available in European countries in the next few years. The second one it that the new Fox, which borrows its visual identity and some parts from the Polo V, will not be shipped due to homologation costs. According to Volkswagen, they would not be worth the volume of the car that is currently sold in Europe.

As the pictures present, the car has a new front fascia that is very similar to the one Polo V uses. The tail lights have also been modified. All changes have made the car look tougher, what may make it appeal more to the male public. The previous Fox rounded body made it a hit among women.

Besides the exterior, the car has also improved its interior with a more upscale trim and a new dashboard, with four clusters and a small screen for the car computer to present information on fuel consumption and allow the consumer to configure his/her main preferences.

As for the engines, nothing has changed. We are still waiting for a 1.4-litre powerplant, but the car will only be sold in Brazil with 1-litre and 1.6-litre engines, both able to consume petrol or ethanol at the same time.

















Source: VW

LEAKED! - Bentley Mulsanne is revealed ahead of official launch

The name of the car Bentley has been calling Grand Bentley lately, while it releases lots of teaser of the vehicle, was expected to be revealed today at Pebble Beach. Anyway, German Car Scene has already obtained the first official images of the car and Autoblog.nl was quick to start spreading the news. The new car will not be called Arnage, as the previous flagship of Bentley. Its new name os Mulsanne.



Mulsanne is a name that has already been used by Bentley to refer to a big sedan. It was used in a model built from 1980 to 1992. It had a 6.75 litre turbo V8 engine and the new version, apparently, will use the same configuration, only more powerful and lighter, due to the twin turbochargers.

The official presentation will happen today in Pebble Beach. We will wait for it to bring you more detailed technical information. Meanwhile, check the pictures of Bentley's new flagship.





Source: German Car Scene via Autoblog.nl

Porsche will present the seventh generation of 911 Turbo in Frankfurt

Porsche has released today the first pictures and information about the seventh generation of 911 Turbo. The car has received important upgrades, the biggest one being an entirely new engine, a 3.8-litre six-cylinder boxer powerplant with direct fuel injection. Instead of the 420 bhp of the previous generation, this one can provide 500 bhp.



With this engine, the car is able to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.4 s and to reach a top speed of 312 km/h. Previously, its top speed was 305 km/h. Considering we are talking about an all-wheel drive car, this is quite a figure. Optionally, the car can be equipped with the PDK transmission, a dual-clutch automated manual seven-speed gearbox.

Although the car will be officially presented at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show, its sales will only begin in November 21, in Europe, with a price tag of 122,400 euros for the coupe version and 131,800 euros for the cabrio.








Source: Porsche

OFFICIAL! - Audi presents the first five-door coupe of the world, the new A5 Sportback

Audi will celebrate its centennial in 2009 and it is expected to present a lot of new products until the end of the year. R8 Roadster, A7 and, until these two machines decide to show up, the new A5 Sportback, the first five-door coupe of the world.



Although it looks like a coupe, it would be more accurate to call the A5 Sportback as a fastback, due to its rear door, but the fact is a fastback usually does not have such an elegant shape.

With prices that start at 33,650 euros, it has a 480 l luggage compartment and six engine options, three petrol units and three diesel powerplants. The petrol options are two 2-liter four-cylinder TFSI with 180 bhp (132 kW) and 211 bhp (155 kW) and a 3.2-liter V6 with 265 bhp (195 kW). As for the diesel units, there is a 2-litre four cylinder engine that generates 170 bhp (125 kW) and two V6 units, the first a 2.7-litre able to generate 190 bhp (140 kW) and the second a 3-litre that pumps out 240 bhp (176 kW).

The new A5 Sportback is 4.71 m long, 1.85 m wide and 1.39 m tall, with a wheelbase of 2.81 m. Tomorrow Audi will present another new car. We would bet on the R8 Roadster. Let's see if we are right.





















Source: Audi