Volvo has officially unveiled its next hybrid vehicle for the mass market at the Geneva Motor Show. The Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid will introduce several new technological innovations that Volvo Car has been developing. Development of the V60 Hybrid has taken place at the same time as the full electric C30 model and with production of that ready to begin, the V60 is not far behind.
This new model will be capable of driving 32 miles on full electric power and produce only 49g/km of carbon dioxide emissions. This car features a unique system of a diesel engine powering the car in some situations and the electric motor kicking in for others. Multiple driving modes can be selected by the driver depending of he would rather use full electric power or the two in conjunction – this differs from many hybrids because the car will usually make the decision when to use electric power. In order to develop these technologies quickly and efficiently Volvo formed a partnership with the Swedish energy supplier Vattenfall in 2007 and has been working on plug in technology ever since.
"In order to get true car enthusiasts to think green, you have to offer them the opportunity to drive with low carbon dioxide emissions without taking away the adrenaline rush that promotes genuine driving pleasure. The V60 Plug-inHybrid has all the traditional properties of a genuine sports wagon. What we’ve done is to spice it up with spearhead technology," says Stefan Jacoby.
Hit the jump to read more about the Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid.
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Saab’s entry level compact car has received a refresh for the 2012MY, and it also has a new name to go along with it. Now called the 9-3 Griffin for the US version, the hot hatch will be getting some interior and exterior modifications, as well as a couple of new engines.
Starting off with the exterior, the 9-3 Griffin will be receiving new front bumpers and signature Saab ‘ice block’ headlamps to differentiate itself from the earlier versions of the second generations. This is followed by a new metallic trim for the interior, as well as updated leatherette seats and unique storage pockets on the sides of the front seats.
More engine options will also find their way into the 9-3 Griffin, alongside the usual mix of 1.9-liter TTiD twin turbo diesel engines producing either 130, 160, 180hp. These new engines will come in 2.0L petrol flavors with 163hp or 220hp.
Hit the jump to read more about the 2012 Saab 9-3 Griffin.
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Back in July of last year, we were introduced to the BMW Alpina B5 Bi-Turbo at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Well, now it looks like the Geneva Motor Show is going to be the stage for the touring version of the Alpina B5 Bi-Turbo to make its debut.
Not a lot of information was bared on what kind of aerodynamic changes the station wagon is going to come with, but we do know that it will offer the same powertrain as that of the sedan version, which will be a 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine that produces 507 horsepower and 516 lb/ft of torque and mated to an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission.
The only difference - albeit a pretty small one - is that the sedan version posts a slightly faster 0-60 mph time - 4.7 seconds to 4.8 - compared to the touring version of the B5 Bi-Turbo. Likewise, the sedan version peaks at a slightly higher top speed of 191 mph compared to touring version’s 187 mph top speed.
The good thing is that the Geneva Motor Show will open its doors in less than a week so whatever curiosities we may have of this car we’ll be answered sooner than later.
G-Power knows BMWs like the back of its hand, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise to us that the German tuning firm took a shot at working up a BMW M5 Touring with some highly impressive performance packages.
With a 5.0-liter V10 engine already under its hood, G-Power gave it a massive performance boost, courtesy of the tuning firm’s SK III RS twin-turbocharger system. The result is a car that produces 750 horsepower and a top speed of 224 mph, a record-breaking speed that netted the car the title as the world’s fastest estate sedan.
Now that we’ve made this vehicle oh-so desirable for anybody who enjoys the BMW M5, it’s worth noting that there’s a certain level of exclusivity for G-Power’s M5 Hurricane RS Routing. Of all the BMW M5 Touring models, only 1,025 units of this model will be equipped with G-Power’s performance upgrade, which means that scooping up a piece of this car is going to be a mighty task, even for the lofty standards of the BMW M5.
If you can’t afford or find a way to bring home this car, then you’ll be just like the rest of us. Don’t worry, though. Misery loves company, anyway, right?
Details on the G-Power M5 Hurricane RS Touring after the jump.
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Hyundai has announced the debut of the new i40 in March at the Geneva Motor Show. With the new i40, Hyundai will launch the new brand slogan "New Thinking. New Possibilities." The station wagon version will be the first body version to be launched and will be followed by a sedan version later this year.
At the car’s official launch Allan Rushforth, Senior Vice President and COO of Hyundai Motor Europe said: "Offering more for less has always been a fundamental principle at Hyundai, and now we are advancing this with our new brand direction under the ‘New Thinking. New Possibilities.’ slogan. The i40 is a perfect example of how we are offering the best and making it accessible to everyone. From stunning design and specification, to industry-leading technology and aftersales care – the i40 sets itself apart from its competitors."
Hit the jump to read more about the 2011 Hyundai i40.
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Alfa Romeo may not be one of the most wide-reaching brands in the world, but that’s not to say that the Italian automaker isn’t one of the better brands out on the market today.
Despite not having the reach of brands like Toyota and Volkswagen, Alfa Romeo still boasts of a fairly impressive line-up of cars, one of which is the 159 model.
Recently, Alfa released a special “Super” edition of the 159, a model that comes loaded with loads of new aesthetic features on both the exterior and interior of the car. While the engine was left untouched – it has the standard 2.0 JDTM engine with 136 horsepower - there are still plenty of additions done on the car to make it worth a second, third, and fourth look.
The “Super” designation isn’t actually a newly conceived concept from Alfa Romeo. Back in the 70’s, the same tag was used for a sports version of the Giulietta.
A little over 30 years later, the Alfa Romeo "Super" designation is back and ready to roar into action.
Details on the Alfa Romeo 159 Super after the jump.
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Saab has unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show a station wagon version of the new 9-5 sedan. The new model will share the same AeroX-inspired exterior look and will feature an extended, falling roof-line which culminates in a steeply raked rear screen flanked by signature Saab wraparound window glazing.
The new SportWagon version will be offered with the same all-turbo petrol and diesel engines the 9-5 sedan version and, XWD all-wheel-drive system and advanced features such as: Saab DriveSense adaptive chassis control and adaptive cruise control starting late 2012.
"The launch of the 9-5 SportWagon is a much-awaited next step in the roll-out of our new product offensive," says Saab Automobile CEO Jan Åke Jonsson. "It will take Saab back into the large estate segment where we have established a strong presence in many key markets with our previous offering."
Sale on the US market will begin later this fall.
Hit the jump to read more about the Saab 9-5 SportWagon.
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As is the norm with AC Schnitzer, better performance and aesthetics are developed with the highest quality and precision for any BMW. The new F11 5 Series Touring is no exception, and today we introduce to you the latest offerings from Aachen, Germany scheduled to be unleashed at the Essen Motorshow. The 5 Touring is built and designed for practicality and ease of use. Now, thanks to AC Schnitzer, practicality has a pretty face and the show to match the go.
In their usual fashion, the German tuners have developed a tasty list of aftermarket options for the otherwise mundane 5 station wagon. Packages are currently only available for the 5 series diesel derivatives – petrol upgrades are currently being developed. At the center of the new options are the AC Schnitzer performance upgrades that include a stainless exhaust, modified ECU, and stiffer lowering springs. After the conversion, the BMW 530d develops an impressive 286 HP and the uprated 535d now produces an impressive 360 HP, whilst the 520d and 525d develop a powerful 218 HP and 245 HP respectively.
Full story and press release after the jump.
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When you have a Volvo V60 that you’re looking to have tuned-up by an aftermarket tuning company, the first place you need to go to is Heico Sportiv. As the authorities in modified Volvos - they recently did one for the S60 luxury sedan - the auto tuning house has provided an array of packages for a number of Volvo models throughout the years. With the new 2011 Volvo V60 wagon, Heico Sportiv isn’t about to let up.
Scheduled to debut at the Essen Motor Show, Heico Sportiv gave the V60 an interior and exterior facelift that has effectively turned the V60 from plain and simple to sexy and aggressive-looking. Who would’ve thought that was possible with Volvos?
Heico Sportiv improved the V60 wagon’s exterior by introducing front spoilers made from flexible polyurethane plastic and mounted on the original bumpers, ensuring that the latest pedestrian protection guidelines are met. The same material can also be found in the rear skirt enfolding the left and right oval end-pipes of the quad outlet exhaust system. If you’re not satisfied with this, the tuning firm is also offering matching carbon or alternative stainless steel inlays and a dual-pipe exhaust variant that’s arranged in a ‘left-right’ arrangement.
The interior of the V60 gets high-grade leather on the car’s dashboard, door trims, and center console that’s complimented by aluminum add-ons on the pedal set, gear shit knob, and the footrest. Finishing off the package for the Volvo V60 is the inclusion of sport springs and a set of 18-20” VOLUTION sport wheels.
Press Release after the jump.
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Welcome to the most beautiful wagon in the world. We know that might be hard to read as wagons are seldom thought of as beautiful, but with the new Mercedes-Benz CLS Shooting Brake, those thoughts might need some additional pondering.
Unlike the old wagons, or even the current ones for that matter, the CLS Shooting Brake takes some of the four-door coupe design elements and translates them for wagon use. It might seem like an odd concept at first, but perhaps it’s genius. Wagons have long provided practicality, but that hasn’t exactly helped them fly out the door now has it? So, instead of pushing cargo space, Mercedes will be pushing style and that seems to work well in the automotive market place, just look at those terrible creations from BMW called the X6 and the future X1. These two are as useless as just about everything, but they’re going to sell.
So, has Mercedes done the same thing with this CLS wagon?
Updated 10/27/2011: The upcoming CLS Shooting Brake has been caught testing wearing little camouflage and revealing a design language similar to the concept.
Updated 02/03/2012: The upcoming Mercedes CLS Shooting Brake has been caught testing again, this time during winter conditions. Enjoy!
Hit the jump to find out.
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