All Hyundai models sold in UK will get special chassis setup

According to Hyundai Motor’s Managing Director, Tony Whitehorn, a special chassis arrangement will be given to every single unit of the new-generation Hyundai models that were sold in the United Kingdom. All of these units will also be tested on local roads.

p12 Hyunda ix20

Last year, the Korean automaker released the Hyundai ix20. It was the first Hyundai model whose chassis has been tweaked ready way before it went on sale to fit the development work done on UK roads. Likewise, the same practice has been done for other Hyundai product lines like the Veloster and i40 models.

In the Hyundai press release, Managing Director Whitehorn expressed that the UK roads are distinctive and therefore the automobiles need technical changes to fit the newly redeveloped roads. Whitehorn said that the Korean brand will ensure that every single Hyundai model that comes to UK will get a special chassis setup to comply with the UK roads.

Morever, Whitehorn expressed that the UK market is the brand’s second biggest market in Europe. In 2008 alone, Hyundai has sold about 28,000 cars in UK. The numbers jumped to 65,000 cars this year alone.

The Scrappage program, a government program wherein you trade your old car for new ones, has made it possible for Hyundai to emerge as competitive brand in the UK. Whitehorn said that the best advertisement they could ever have were having all those Hyundai models on the road. This time around, Hyundai’s focal selling point is quality, money value, and automotive refinement.

Holden introduces 6 new models in Australian International Motor Show

Holden took the Australian International Motor Show by storm as it unveiled the ClubSport R8, Maloo R8, and the Clubsport R8 Tourer SV Black Editions.

p12 HSV-SV-Black-Edition

The new vehicles are aiming for those who have a finer taste when it comes to their vehicles as they make use of accents in matte black, sport tuned suspension, ventilated hood, and 20 inch allloy rims. The interiors comes with some class too as the seats come in leather, sill plates exclusive to the special edition, unique plaque, and revised trim.

The SV Black Editions will depend on a V8 engine with 6.2L displacement that can output 425 horsepower and a torque of 406 lb-ft. The powerplant is linked to a six speed manual gearbox but consumers also has an option to get an automatic transmission.

The special edition vehicles will officially roll out this September with productions limited to just a hundred for each variant.

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Small car concept to be unveiled by Honda in Thailand Expo

p12 Honda Small Car ConceptJapanese carmaker Honda will be introducing a production version of their small vehicle concept car during the 2010 Thailand International car expo at the end of the month. This compact hatch is set to roll out in the Indian and Thai markets by 2011 and will go on sale for about 500,000 Rupees or roughly $10,000.

The car manufacturer has not revealed details about the new small car concept, not even the name of the new vehicle when it hits the production line.  There are speculations that Honda will come up with a series of small engines with the biggest at 1.2L displacement running on gasoline.

Basing it on the prototype, the car will be introduced in two models. The one for Thailand will have the specs to meet the high efficiency requirements of the country while the one for India is designed to meet the demand for the growing market for small cars.

We are still waiting for information if this small car from Honda will also be released in other markets.

Honda will also put on display the other members of their line up like the Accord, Civic, City, CR-V, and the Jazz. There will also be the CBR250R and the PCX, a motorcycle and scooter being exported to Thailand.

The international car expo in Thailand will run from December 1 to 12.

Chevrolet announces pricing for the 2011 Cruze in the US

Cruze 1Chevrolet will start rolling out the Cruze sedan to the US market this coming September with sticker prices kicking off at $16,995 including destination for the LS trim. This model will have the 1.8L Ecotec engine that will have an output of 103kW coupled with a six speed manual gearbox. Other features will include 10 safety airbags, ABS, traction control, power windows, and air conditioning among others.

Another variant will be the LT that makes use of a 1.4L turbo Ecotec engine paired with 6-speed automatic transmission. This one is fitted with 16-inch wheels. The LT is priced starting $18,995.

The Cruze Eco will have the 1.4L Ecotec engine coupled with sexi-speed manual gearbox. The fuel efficiency of this variant tops all the models at 40 mpg while on the highway. It comes standard with 17-inch alloy rims and enhanced with an aerodynamic package.

The LTZ starts at $22,695 and makes use of the LT setup but with additional features like leather seats, shift knob, and steering wheel. The driver seat also comes with power features. The LTZ will also have cruise control, USB port provision for the audio interface, Bluetooth, audio controls on the steering wheel, and remote starting of the vehicle. Other standards include rear view mirror with auto dim feature, auto climate control, and rear parking assist technology.

The major options for the Cruze will include Pioneer entertainment system, navigation system, 40GB hard drive, RS styling package, and the ultrasonic parking assist.

2011 Infiniti G25 getting the V-6 but not the Turbo

Infiniti G25 BackLike other auto shows, the recent Detroit Auto Show created a lot of rumors and concepts. It was all over the net that the 2011 Infiniti G will be released with a turbo charged V-6 2.5L variant that will be marketed below the G37 or 3.7L version. Apparently, the information that buzzed around car websites was not entirely correct.

The 2011 Infiniti will be rolling out the assembly line with a G25 variant but sources from Japan are saying that this will not be a turbocharged engine.

The Infiniti G25 will sport the naturally aspirated V-6 2.5L power plant that is also found on the Japanese release of the Skyline 250GT sedan branded under Nissan. The engine has double overhead cams that have a pretty good output of 210 horsepower and a torque of 195 pound-feet. The numbers are enough to challenge the 230 horsepower 328i sedan from BMW.

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Nissan’s Work on Alternative Car Fuels

Nissan is one of the best selling auto makes in the world and just like all the other major automakers also has been actively working on models that run on alternative car fuels. Although with just one exception, Nissan has not introduced any alternative cars to market whereas other major automakers have options available, such as hybrids, ethanol cars or flexible-fuel models. As of today, the only one alternative fuel powered car available on the market is a hybrid vehicle, the Nissan Altima. Nissan may not have a lot of alternative fuel powered cars on the market, but it has at least been actively developing other alternatives, such as the self-charging car, electric cars and hydrogen fuel powered cars.

Nissan until now has no cars on the market that are powered by alternative fuels, but the Nissan Corporation has had positive developments in the field of alternative car fuels and has even been awarded green loans to continue their work so that these alternatives hit the market as soon as possible. One promising model would be the electric car that uses a lithium ion battery and which will need only eight hours to recharge completely.

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GM and Ford Report Biggest Sales Decline

Things are far from getting any better for the major car manufacturers as the auto industry reports its sixth straight month of drop in sales of over 30%.

The figures are tumbling down for the major players in the car industry as the March sales reports come in. The drop in sales were reported by Ford at 42%, GM 44.7%, Chrysler LLC 39.3%, Nissan North America 37.7%, Honda in the US 36.3%, and Toyota USA by as much as 39%.

Experts have predicted a drop in annual sales which will mark a 27-year low. They are foreseeing sales to hit just below the 9 million mark. The uptick in demand may still be seen before the end of 2009.

Economists are seeing some signs of hope as the economic decline may be moderating but still it is a nothing is for sure game. Restructuring of the auto industry will still play a big factor in the next several months.

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Consumer Reports: Ford, Honda, Toyota Top Choices of Consumers

consumer reportsA recent survey conducted among consumers name Ford, Honda, and Toyota as the top choices for 2008.

Toyota remains the number one choice of buyers for three consecutive years. This was the result after asking 1700 U.S. adults last December.

The perception though was not reflected in the books of Toyota which had a drop in December sales of as much as 36.7%. The US light vehicle sector posted a lost of year over year 35.6%.

In terms of being environment friendly, Toyota still ranks No. 1 while Honda finished second. In terms of value, Honda outclassed the other brands.

The rest of the top 5 brands was a joust between giant car makers Ford, Mercedes-Benz, and Cadillac. Mercedes-Benz landed on the top five for design while Cadillac placed among the best in technology. The two brands also made it to the best in quality topnotch.

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Fiat Negotiates with Chrysler

The Fiat Group is talking about a deal with the Chrysler LLC to seal a deal and establish strategic bond that may include a Fiat stake in the struggling U.S. car manufacturer.

The partnership will allow Chrysler to fast track and improve its restructuring plans and efforts.

A reliable source revealed that the Fiat group may allow Chrysler to access its line of car platforms, transmissions, and engines. This move will allow Chrysler to come up with a new range of small and mid-sized vehicles that have low emissions.

Chrysler has linked with Nissan for the production of small cars using the platform of 2010 Dodge Hornet.

In exchange for the range production, Fiat will gain a 30% to 35% stake in the company. A European newspaper published that the two companies have signed a memorandum of agreement to formalize the alliance.

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Honda Reveals 2010 Insight for Younger Car Buyers

In order to make the hybrid car technology accessible to Generation Y, Honda unveiled at the Detroit Auto Show the 2010 Insight, which more compact and less expensive than the Civic hybrid and Toyota Prius.

2010 Honda InsightInsight’s 1.3-liter four-cylinder engine produces 88hp alone, and a joint 98hp with the electric supplement with a rate of 5.75 Amp-Hours. It produces 58 lbs-ft torque initially and a total of 123 lbs-ft. during maximum velocity.

Honda Insight is a five-seater sedan that would most likely appeal to older consumer and baby boomers. With a relatively smaller battery pack (seven nickel-metal hydride or NiMH cell modules) and an electronic control unit packed under the rear floor, at the back the 10.4-gallon gas tank, Honda Insight has a foldable rear seats and a compact cargo area at the back.

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