The fourth generation Kia Rio made its world debut at the Geneva Motor Show and will be put on sale in five-doors version from September with the all-new 3-door model on sale from early 2012. Both versions will be manufactured exclusively at Kia’s Sohari plant in Korea.
Compared to the previous generation the new Rio model is longer by 20 mm, wider by 25 mm, and lower by -15 mm and features a wheelbase extended by 70 mm to 2,570 mm – greatly enhancing passenger space and cargo capacity.
The new Rio will be offered with a choice of four highly efficient three- and four-cylinder engines with power ranging from 70-to-109 HP. When powered by the 109 HP version, the new Rio will sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 11.5 seconds and will hit a top speed of 112 mph.
UPDATE 09/26/2011: Kia has announced that the all new Rio will go on sale with prices starting from under $14,000. On the US market, prices for the all new Rio will start from $13,600 for the 5-door manual version, $14,700 for the 5-door A/T and will go up to $18,000 for the top of the line SX.
Hit the jump to read more the 2012 Kia Rio.
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Yet another brand that’s looking into breaking in a new design language for their future models, Opel will be introducing the second model that will be carrying the company’s new styling cues at the Geneva Motor Show. Following the Opel Ampera, get ready to be introduced to the Zafira Tourer Concept.
Like with most concepts being designed these days, the Zafira Concept has plenty of new features that may or not make it to the production version. Since it’s all about show-and-tell with cars of this variety, Opel made sure to give the Zafira Concept plenty of eye-catching digs. On the outside, the tourer’s design language is similar to the features found on the Opel Ampera, including a front fascia that also comes with a boomerang-style character line with LED daytime driving lights, bi-xenon headlights, a glass roof with integrated ambient lighting, and a panoramic windscreen.
Meanwhile, the Zafira’s interior comes with what Opel describes as a “lounge on wheels”, highlighted by electrically-powered headrests that swivel 90 degrees horizontally, ensuring passengers of experiencing “pure wellness”. In addition to the spa-like atmosphere, the Zafira Concept also has three rows of seats with the second-row center seat capable of being folded down to make room for an armrest. Meanwhile, the third-row seats can also be manipulated with a simple press of a button, where it automatically folded into the floor.
There’s still no official word on what kind of powertrain the Zafira concept will have, but the most likely of all options is a1.4-liter turbocharged engine with a likely output of 138 horsepower and 148 lb/ft of torque.
Now that the 2011 Geneva Motor Show has come and gone, it goes without saying that the event was arguably the biggest and most successful auto show since the 2009 IAAs in Frankfurt, Germany.
Some might contend that, but as far as we’re concerned, its been a while since we had an auto show that has been as widely attended by almost all automakers in the world quite like what we saw in Geneva.
And while we may have been introduced to a lot of the cars that were launched in Geneva beforehand, there were still some models, mostly of the concept variety, that took us by surprise.
Most of these models weren’t previewed before the event so when the Geneva Motor Show opened its doors, just about everybody in attendance and those keeping tabs over the Web didn’t see these cars coming.
But now that they’re here, we can take a look at the models that made the 2011 Geneva Motor Show that much more interesting.
Check out the list after the jump
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Poor Tata.
On any other motor show, their cute little concept vehicle called the ’Pixel’ would have gathered its fair share of attention. Unfortunately, it’s the Geneva Motor Show, where every automaker and their mother are all looking to put their best feet forward in all their attempts to showcase their latest rides.
So the Pixel has gone on largely unnoticed. So we’re here to show some love to our buddies over at India and give the Pixel its just do.
For starters, the Pixel Concept has got a few features that will surely endear Tata to futuristic city-car lovers, including the set of scissor doors that opens all the way up to save external ergonomic space. It also has a new transmission called the "Zero Turn toroidal traction-drive Infinitely Variable Transmission" (IVT). What it does, apart from all the standard items on its list, is rotate one rear wheel forward and the other backward that when combined with acute angles on the front wheels, allowing the car to have a turning circle of just 8.5 feet.
As for the engine, there’s nothing exciting about. It’s a 1.2-liter turbocharged diesel engine that carries an estimated fuel consumption of a pretty efficient 69 miles per gallon.
Say what you want about Tata and the Nano, but you have to give the Indian automaker some credit for thinking way out of the box with their Pixel Concept.
It’s cute, charming, and stylish - three qualities that you can’t say about the Nano.
As expected, Aston Martin brought its latest iteration of the Vantage to the 2011 Geneva Motor Show. Aston has been designing rolling works of art for a very long time and has recently retaken a stance as a racing power as well. The company’s GT4 racecar won its class in two of the most important races of the year, Nurburgring 24 and Spa 24 hours, and have begun fusing racecar technology into the road cars with more fervor than ever before. The top-of-the-line V12 Vantage has the motor from the larger DB9 shoehorned into its engine compartment, making it a true hot rod. That formula may work for some, but others were seeing a lapse between the V12 model and the base V8.
At the beginning of Summer 2011, Aston Martin will introduce the V8 Vantage S, hoping to squeeze some more profit out of its best selling model line and please enthusiasts at the same time. Increases in engine performance, transmission, chassis, and aerodynamics will all further the appeal of an iconic sports car.
According to Dr. Ulrich Bez, CEO of Aston Martin, “The Vantage S epitomizes every attribute of the V-8 Vantage and pushes the driver experience beyond what we have offered before.”
UPDATE 03/11/2011: Aston Martin has revealed an amazing video of the V8 Vantage S showing the car in action. Just listen to the music of that engine! Video after the jump.
Hit the jump for more details on the 2011 Aston Martin Vantage S.
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