Although Citroen revealed the official details about the reviving the DS line back in February, it used the Geneva Motor Show to give the car its first public showing. The DS3 will be joined by two other larger model’s in Citroen’s future lineup. The technical detail is not available yet for any of the DS line.
What was shown in Geneva was just a concept preview. The production version will be revealed in 2010, and Citroen has set cars like the Audi A3 and Alfa Romeo 149 as its main competition. Eventually the DS3 will be joined by large siblings currently known as the DS4 and DS5.
The original DS was referred to as "Goddess" because of its strange and beautiful styling (also the French pronunciation of D-S, “deesse”, translates to goddess). Now Citroen says it wants DS to stand for “Different Spirit”. From what we’ve seen so far, the new DS is dead-on stylish, but as for different from the competition, the Mini may have something to say about that.
Press release after the jump.
Full story
Does something look familiar? Do these pictures look a lot like something we saw in September?
Opel and Vauxhall get their own versions of the Chevrolet Volt called the Ampera. Usually when cars are developed for other markets and other countries, there are some major changes, but that not the case with the Ampera. The electric car with a gas backing powertrain from the Volt (now called Voltec) was developed to recharge on 110V (standard U.S.) or 230V (standard Europe).
All the other major components of the Volt/Ampera, including the 1.4-liter gas engine, are also utilized in the Chevrolet Cruze, which was designed to be sold around the world. The most notable changes on the Ampera are the visual touches on the front fascia to give the car a family resemblance to GM’s other European offerings.
For journeys up to 60 km, the five-door, four-seat hatchback runs on electricity stored in the 16-kWh, lithium-ion battery, and emits zero CO2. When the battery’s energy is depleted, the gasoline engine will then be used to recharge the battery, and extend the Ampera’s range to more than 500 km. We didn’t bother to convert these figures because we wanted to give our metric-loving friends a break, and they are the same as already reported on the Volt.
Press release after the jump.
Full story
Mitsubishi officially unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show the iMiEV SPORT AIR - a concept for a sporty electric vehicle that gives an indication of the direction EVs may take in the future.
i MiEV SPORT AIR employs the same rear-midship layout as i MiEV but uses a more powerful version of the permanent magnet synchronous electric motor that powers the base model, generating 60 kW of power (against i MiEV’s 47 kW) and 230 Nm of torque (180 Nm.) The car also exploits its long wheelbase to locate the large-capacity lithium-ion battery system under the floor deck.
To lower the center of gravity and increase driving stability the main EV system components (battery module, inverter, battery charger) are located as low as possible. The roof panel is made of lightweight plastic to facilitate fitting and removal as well as to further lower the car’s center of gravity. i MiEV SPORT AIR ’s modular body structure uses tailgate panels and plastic body to reduce weight around the rear axle where the powertrain and EV system components are installed and thereby achieve an ideal 50:50 front/rear weight distribution.
Press release after the jump.
Full story
Aston Martin revealed today its concept that will bring back the Lagonda brand. The concept’s styling seems to blends elements of a traditional sedan, SUV and others cars from Lagonda’s history.
Aston Martin CEO Dr. Ulrich Bez sees the Lagonda brand as a way for Aston Martin to branch out into other markets. “Aston Martins are pure sports cars… they are limited in their usability mainly because of the low ground clearance.” Bez says the rebirth of Lagonda must be suitable for or countries that do not necessarily include traditional urban areas. That also means the Lagonda will be geared less for all-out performance, and more about multiple terrains. “We do not intend to claim a lap record around the Nurburgring because there is no point in doing so.”
We shouldn’t be too shocked by the direction Aston Martin is taking on the Lagonda. Back in September when the car was first announced, Bez said, “The revival of the Lagonda brand would allow us to develop cars which can have a different character than a sportscar.” This may be most evident in the chassis considering that it is based on the Mercedes GL. The Lagonda will also be a place for Aston Martin to use powertrains it has not explored before such as flexfuel, diesel and hybrid systems.
There are currently plenty of emerging and established countries with well-heeled individuals who do not have access to proper roads. By making the Lagonda into an SUV/crossover vehicle, this enables Aston Martin to compete in more markets around the globe (there are 100 countries where Aston doesn’t currently operate) without having to tarnish its pure sports car image.
Press release after the jump
Full story
The 200EX has been call the "Baby Rolls-Royce" throughout it’s development, and it actually lives up to the name when seen in person. The look is unmistakably Rolls-Royce, but in a much friendlier package. Where the Phantom’s tall presence makes it seem unobtainable, the 200EX’s average sedan proportions make it seem more approachable.
All recent concept cars from Rolls get the "EX" (for experimental) designation. But there is very little that’s experimental with the 200EX. The car shown in Geneva is a very accurate representation of the sedan expected to hit the streets in 2010 (possibly using the historic Silver Ghost name.)
200EX has a length of 17.7 feet (5399mm) - that’s more than half a foot longer than a long wheelbase BMW 7-Series, but almost a foot and a half shorter than its Phantom sibling (5830 mm). Keeping in line with Rolls-Royce’s current design philosophy, the 200EX keeps the tall and straight body work of the other cars in the Roller family. The 200EX also features the suicide doors that are found on the Phantom.
The interior also has the tall and flat look borrowed from the Phantom, but once again, the 200EX goes more for everyday usability. Where the Phantom seems to want to use the front seat to show off how much wood it can fit into its cars, the 200EX seems to keep a lower interior line, which should give the driver better sight lines and make the 200EX easier to maneuver.
Rolls-Royce did confirm that the 200EX is a fully functioning car with a V12 engine. It did not release power figures, but than again, that is not the Rolls-Royce way. This is the same company that does not use a tachometer, but a “power reserve” gauge instead.
Press release after the jump.
Full story
