Hot Cars

Chevy Offers Kalos-Ally Good Value

Chevrolet has introduced a new entry-level five-door version of its popular Kalos hatchback, offering great interior space and even better value for money.

The new 1.2S costs only £7,695, making it cheaper than some rivals’ smaller, three-door city cars, yet it comes comprehensively equipped, with central locking, electric front windows, a Blaupunkt CD system, tinted glass and body-coloured bumpers as standard.

Other kit included in the price includes twin front airbags, ISOFIX child seat mountings, power steering, cup holders and a remote fuel filler release.

Styled by famed Italian design house Italdesign, the Kalos has a sleek, modern appearance, complemented by its smart horizontal indicator lamps and a range of vibrant colour schemes.

Inside, the well-made interior benefits from great space, its raised rear bench and tall body giving enough room for five fully-grown adults when needed, while the driver’s seat and steering wheel are fully adjustable to ensure a comfortable driving position.

The cabin also features lots of clever storage ideas, including extra map pockets on the sides of the seats, a large console tray and clever shopping hooks beneath the headrests.

The 1.2S is powered by a surprisingly lively 72PS, 1,150cc engine, which delivers 104Nm of torque at 4,400rpm and features a sophisticated multi-point fuel injection system.

Although small, the powerplant gives the Kalos 1.2S the ability to accelerate from 0-62mph in a fairly nippy 13.7 seconds, while its 98mph top speed means it will happily cruise all day at motorway speeds. What’s more, the frugal engine means fuel economy of up to 54.3mpg on the extra-urban cycle.

A three door Kalos 1.2S is also available, priced at just £7,195.

2007 Peugeot Expert Tepee To Be launched In January

The third generation of the Peugeot Expert family of commercial vehicles will arrive to European dealerships on 18 January 2007. Together with the new Peugeot Expert van, completely new Peugeot Expert Tepee combi vehicle will be offered to the European customers.

The new Peugeot Expert Tepee comes in three trim levels: Comfort, Leisure and Premium. Depending on the trim, the vehicle may have up to six air bags (front, side and curtain) and such elements of luxury as a unique interior color scheme for the fascia panel, seat covers, trim in the rear and the design of the door handles, WCF reports.

The vehicle is able to carry from two to nine people, and features individual seats for all passengers ensuring the maximum level of comfort. Access to the seats is made even easier using the sliding side door and the “easy entry” system, which lets you tilt the outer seat to get to your favorite place. The sliding door is placed on the right side by default but it can also be duplicated on the left-hand side of the vehicle.

There is still no info on the 2007 Peugeot Expert Tepee pricing and technical specs.

Mitsubishi Motors To Unveil All-New Lancer Sports Sedan At 2007 NAIAS

Ninety years after starting car production (with the 1917 Model-A), Mitsubishi has embarked upon its most ambitious automotive project ever through the launch of its first global platform. Known as “Project Global,” and already successfully previewed with the second generation Outlander, it will be showcased at the 2007 North American International Auto Show in Detroit by its highest volume variant: the all-new 4-door Lancer sports sedan.

Dynamic

Designed at Mitsubishi Motors studios in Europe and Japan, the Lancer sports sedan shares its stunning design language with the much-acclaimed Mitsubishi Design Europe-penned 2005 Concept-X and Concept-Sportback show cars.

Its low stance, long hood / short deck proportions, wide track, trademark “shark nose” and distinctively deep set “eyes”, all bring a new meaning to the concept of sports sedans - very much in line with both Mitsubishi’s “Japanese Modern” design philosophy and its peerless credentials within 45 years of racing.

To be launched progressively in world markets from Spring 2007 (North America), the Lancer sports sedan will form a full family of cars with dynamic qualities to match their looks all across the range: from entry models (1.5 liter 110 ps engine in Europe) right up to the all-new Lancer Evolution supercar, including diesel power (Europe), a high performance 2.0 liter turbo gasoline version and other variants.

Global

Representing a multi-million dollar investment, “Project Global” will support the launch of several new Mitsubishi vehicles over the next few years, designed from the outset for world markets, i.e.: with the built-in flexibility required to accommodate regional needs and regulations as well as market trends and new customer demands in markets as diverse as Japan, North America, Russia, Asia-Pacific and Europe.

As a further evidence of its adaptability, models from business partners DaimlerChrysler A.G. - with which it was co-developed - and P.S.A. Peugeot Citroen* are / will also be based on this global platform.

Along those lines, “Project Global” will also enable the introduction of the “World Engine” family of powerplants. Co-engineered with DaimlerChrysler and Hyundai Motor Company, the engines to be used in Mitsubishi vehicles have been modified by the company for individual market and model use.

Hummer H3 Got A Safari-style Open-top

GM and ASC have partnered to turn a metrosexual Hummer H3 mini-SUV into an open-top lion-hunter’s dream. The safari-style Hummer H3 is equipped with a special unidirectional sliding-fabric “Infinivu” roof system, which is supposed to provide the vehicle’s passengers with heroic visions while keeping them in comfort, whether it’s sunshine or a tropical rain outside.

The H3, Inside Line is reporting, is also sporting 20×9-inch Rozzi EGO chrome wheels and Mickey Thompson Baja Claw 20-inch tires. The vehicle is painted in a Silver Spectra Flair tri-coat paint job with blackout wheelwells.

Inside, the Hummer H3 Open Top concept features custom Townsend lambskin leather upholstery with Gatsby green accent stitching and other examples of useless luxury, including the OnStar navi.

“Golden Steering Wheel” To The C30

Volvo Cars CEO and President Fredrik Arp accepted the golden steering wheel at a distinguished ceremony in Berlin.

“We are very proud of this award. It is proof that our cars hold a prominent position, even in the toughest competition,” says Fredrik Arp.

The C30 won the “Compact Estate” class. The jury, which consisted of 25 automotive experts from different countries, put Volvo’s smallest model in first place in six of the fifteen categories. The C30 took second place in five categories.

Das Goldene Lenkrad is organised by the Bild am Sonntag newspaper, which has a circulation of 2.3 million. Volvo Cars has previously won the award on two occasions − in 2004 with the V50, and in 2000 with the S60.

The C30 has also won a major design award in Germany: the Auto Bild Design Award. The automotive magazine Auto Bild asked its readers what they thought was the world’s most beautiful car. The Volvo C30 won the “small and compact-size cars” class ahead of the Opel Corsa and Honda Civic. The Audi Q7 was the overall winner, with the Aston Martin V8 Vantage in second place.

The Volvo C30 has also achieved success in Italy. In the Italian poll for the world’s most beautiful car, L’Automobile più Bella del Mondo, the choice went to the C30 in the “midsize two-volume saloons” class, ahead of the Nissan Note. In the same poll, the S80 won the category “midsize three-volume saloons.” The award will be presented in Milan, in March of next year.

2007 BMW M5 Gets Optional 6-Speed Manual

For 2007, BMW M has introduced a 6-speed manual transmission for the M5. This no-cost optional transmission has been developed for and will be offered exclusively in the North American market. It is the perfect enhancement for those driving enthusiasts who want to enjoy the 500-horsepower V-10 engine with the level of driver-car interaction only a manual transmission can offer. Of course, as with any M car, the pedals are arranged to provide smooth and quick heel-and-toe downshifting.

The M5 equipped with the manual transmission features the same M Dynamic Mode (MDM) stability system as the Sequential Manual Gearbox (SMG) car. M Dynamic Mode enables enthusiastic track driving with greater longitudinal and lateral acceleration on dry road surfaces, however, with limited vehicle stability, corrections by the driver may be required. With the M Dynamic Mode activated, stabilizing interventions occur at a reduced level.