Compact car is a largely North American term denoting an automobile smaller than a midsize car, but larger than a subcompact car. Compact cars usually have wheelbases between 2.54 metres (100 inches) and 2.67 metres (105 inches). Another definition specifies between 100 ft³ (2800 L) and 109 ft³ (3000 L) of interior volume.
If there was ever a point when milking a car for all its worth becomes a tad too much, Fiat may have just crossed that line with the 500 hatchback. Now, it’s completely understandable to produce special variations of certain cars; everyone is doing it and will continue to do it in the future.
Unfortunately, we have a car like the Geneva-bound Fiat 500 America, which is a cutesy 500 with some unique details, including a metallic shade America Blue exterior paint finish, a dedicated beltline, mirror covers with the "Stars & Stripes" graphic, a red cap edge, badges on the door pillar, and a new set of 16" alloy wheels.
All these details sound cool, except that we’ve actually seen something like it in the Fiat 500 Nation Limited Edition, right down to the "Stars & Stripes" graphic. Seems like this Fiat is a renamed model of a pretty similar special edition model. Confused already?
In any case, the Italian automaker will be building 500 three-door versions of this model to go with 500 cabriolet versions.
A few years after Abarth brought the 695 Tributo Ferrari to the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show, the Italian automaker is set to head to the 2012 Geneva Motor Show with another commemorative, limited edition model that pays homage to another Italian contemporary - the 695 Tributo Maserati.
According to Abarth, the 695 Tributo Maserati is the confluence of the things we love about Abarth and Maserati, particularly the combination of "the highest level of elegance combined with the comforts of a car, but with the handling that’s suitable for everyday driving. "
In terms of its design, the Abarth 695 Tributo Maserati comes with a "Pontevecchio Bordeaux" paint finish and matched with upholstery dressed in Poltrona Frau leather beige sand. True to its name as an elegant iteration of the popular Italian hatch, the 695 Tributo Maserati also comes with carbon inserts, as well as a matte finish and trim on the dashboard, a black tricolor leather steering wheel, door panels and rear panels that have been given a gray track treatment by UV-LUX, and a new set of 17" alloy wheels.
As far as powertrain is concerned, the Abarth 695 Tributo Maserati will be powered by a 1.4-liter Turbo T-Jet engine that produces 180 horsepower and mated to an electro-mechanical Abarth Competition transmission with steering wheel controls.
UPDATE 05/20/2012: Fiat has heard your pleas, people. When the Abarth 695 Tributo Ferrari was first introduced at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show, it was pegged as a prototype model. The Italian automaker didn’t say anything about the car’s production future, but now, they’ve finally come out and said that a production future - a limited one at that - for the Abarth 695 Maserati has been officially announced.
The French automaker has already bared the details of one of their concepts, the 208 GTi Concept, and now, we’re getting the first look at the second Geneva-bound concept, the 208 XY supermini concept.
The 208 XY Concept appears to be Peugeot’s entrant into what has become a pretty competitive sub-compact market, one that includes the Audi A1, the MINI Cooper, and the Citroen DS3, among others.
Based on the images of the concept we’re seeing, the 208 XY Concept looks like it’s received some fancy exterior and interior get-ups, highlighted by a bespoke "Pulsion" paint finish that, according to Peugeot, has the capacity to be chameleon-like and change colors depending on the how and where you look at it. On top of that, the 208 XY Concept also gets a panoramic glass roof trim, subtle wheel arch extensions, a special grille set-up with three horizontal chrome bars on the lower window edge and the quarter panel, and a new set of 18" alloy wheels.
Hit the jump to read more about the Peugeot XY Concept.
Toyota has a new concept planned for the 2012 Geneva Motor Show and while it doesn’t come with the same pizzazz as the recently unveiled GT 86 sports coupe, it still gives us an idea on what a future compact city car could look like with a Toyota badge on it.
The car is called the FT-Bh concept - the ’FT’ tag follows in the footsteps of the FT-86 - and its being touted as a compact urban machine that boasts of low emissions combined with a fully aesthetically-pleasing design.
According to Toyota, the lightweight FT-Bh will pack a full hybrid powertrain, which is pretty obvious considering that it’s a concept for the future and thus, possesses materials and techniques that are being developed for use on the company’s future vehicle line-up.
UPDATE 03/06/12: This review has been updated with official specs and photos.
Find out more about the Toyota FT-Bh Concept after the jump
You may think there are plenty of special editions for the Smart ForTwo already, but it seems Mercedes does not agree as they have unveiled a new one for their lineup. Called the Smart Fortwo Sharpred, the new edition will be offered in both coupe and cabrio. Prices will start from €14,490 ($19,200 at the current exchange rates) and sales will begin in May. Only 1,800 units will be produced.
The new Smart Fortwo Sharpred will be distinguished by a striking contrast of elegant black and extravagant red used on the tridion safety cell and door mirrors. The front apron and rear trim panel are grained and the side skirts boast a high-gloss black finish. The model will be offered with a special set of 15" 3-double-spoke alloy wheels also painted in black.
The interior also combines black an the seats with red double stitching on the seats and the instrument panel. The standard equipment includes the audio system basic and exclusive floor mats.
The run-up leading to the 2012 Geneva Motor Show is becoming fast and feverish and now, Chevrolet is joining the party with preparations for the unveiling of the Chevrolet Cruze Wagon.
They’ve just offered the first look at the vehicle, although it’s not much of a look considering that it’s one image of the rear end of the car. Nonetheless, it does give us a good idea of the extended wheelbase of the Cruze Wagon, as well as the accompanying new rear styling of the vehicle.
Not much has gone in the way of details, but the wagon variant does follow in the footsteps of the sedan and hatchback versions, which have become popular sellers since the model was launched a few years ago.
As far as aesthetics go, the Cruze Wagon measures 4,675 mm (184.1 inches) in length, with a total storage space of 500 liters (146.5 cubic feet) to the window line and nearly 1,500 liters (424.5 cubic feet) up to the roof top with the rear seats folded down. In terms of design, the Cruze Wagon has a remodeled front fascia, modified head-lamp interiors and fog lamps, new wheel styles, and as with most wagons go, there’s also the presence of roof racks. For the interior, Cruze models get refinements to the center console and a greater choice of seat finishes, as well as keyless entry and MyLink, a brand-new Chevrolet infotainment system. MyLink connects with your smartphone to display personal playlists, photo galleries, phone books, videos, and other stored media and data to a seven-inch diagonal high-resolution full-color touch-screen.
The Chevrolet Cruze Wagon, as with all of the Cruze variants, will be powered by a range of engines, including the current 1.6L and 1.8L gasoline engines, a new 1.4L turbo gasoline, a new 1.7L diesel, and an improved 2.0L diesel engine.
All the official numbers, as well as the full details surrounding the Cruze Wagon will be divulged at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show, so stay tuned!
Volkswagen already offers a Cabriolet version for their standard Golf VI model, but the 2012 Geneva Motor Show will set the stage for the unveiling of the GTI Convertible. In fact, this model has already been previewed with the unveiling of the Volkswagen Golf GTI Cabriolet Concept last year, but of course the production model does not look as aggressive as the concept.
The new GTI Convertible carries the typical visual trademarks of the GTI that include red framing at the top and bottom of the radiator grille, a large air inlet screen, a new rear diffuser and chrome tailpipes on the left and right under the rear bumper.
Under the hood you will find the usual 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine that delivers 210 HP and sprints the car from 0 to 60 mph in 7.3 seconds (0.4 seconds slower than the GTI hatch) and up to a top speed of 147 mph.
Updated 02/29/2012: This review has been updated with the official details, images and specs. Hit the jump to read more about the new Volkswagen Golf GTI Convertible.
Fiat is adding a new special edition to its 500 line-up. Called 500 ID the new version will only be offered to the German customers and will be limited to only 500 units. Prices will start at €13,500 (or about $17,600 at the current change rates).
The new 500 ID will be offered in two-tone exterior color theme combined with matching interior items. For the exterior customers can choose between three exterior combinations: white and red exterior with ivory and red interior, white and light blue exterior with ivory and blue interior, and light grey and gunmetal grey exterior with ivory and grey interior.
The model will be offered with a 1.2-liter petrol engine that delivers a total of 69 HP and sits on a new set of 15" alloy wheels. The list of standard equipment will include: air conditioning, leather steering wheel, a chrome kit, and Bluetooth-controlled hands-free Blue & Me with USB port.
While everyone is waiting for the Beetle TDI version to debut next week in Chicago, German tuner Je Design has prepared an upgrade package for the existing 2.0 TFSI version. The package includes a pretty cool exterior upgrade, as well as the addition of 40 HP under the hood.
The new Beetle already looks the part with its new, more masculine design, so the exterior didn’t need much. Je Design only added an attractive rear apron insert with a diffuser, a centered air duct, and a new steel muffler with a round 90 millimeter large twin tailpipe. The car now sits on a new set of 19" alloy multi spoke wheels painted in an exclusive black "Tornado" finish. The new wheels can be combined with new suspension springs with a progressive characteristic and a sporty spring constant.
Under the hood, Je Design has tweaked the ECU to increase the output from 200 HP to 240 HP and the peak torque from 206 lbs-ft to 228 lbs-ft. As a result, the Beetle will now sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 6.9 seconds (down from 7.5) and will hit a top speed of 138 mph.
If you thought two special edition MINIs were enough, then you probably don’t know the German automaker all that well. Known for their bombastic flair and penchant for the out-of-the-box, MINI has released another special edition vehicle, following in the trail of the Baker Street and Bayswater models.
This one’s called the Highgate Convertible, and comes with plenty of special edition goodies befitting MINI’s quirky personality. For starters, the car has been painted with a new metallic hue - Iced Chocolate - and contrasted by brown and black bonnet stripes with blue edging. Should Iced Chocolate not suit your tastebuds, MINI’s offering two other color options with equally irrepressible names: Midnight Black and White Silver. The Highgate Convertible also receives a brown soft-top to go with a new set of 17" Double Cross light-alloy wheels.
Interior modifications for the special edition MINI Convertible includes leather seats dressed up in Dark Truffle with light contrast stitching and light blue piping. Stainless steel pedals are also offered, as is a Suntouched Brushed Alloy interior trim, and last but not least, MINI’s Chrome Line Interior package.
The Highgate Convertible is being offered on four trims of the Cooper: the standard version, the Cooper S, the Cooper D, and the Cooper SD. Sales for the special edition convertible begin in April 2012.
