New BMW X1 Compact Crossover Priced from £24,660 in the UK,

The facelifted BMW X1 will go on sale in Britain this July priced from £24,660 for the X1 sDrive18d. The Bavarian company's Audi Q3 rival features minor exterior styling tweaks combined with a subtlety-refined cabin, a new flagship diesel model and two new trims, Sport and xLine.

Proving the popularity of oil-burners in the UK, the X1 will be offered exclusively with diesel engines topped by the new X1 xDrive25d, which is only available in four-wheel drive.

The 25d is powered by a twin-turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder diesel producing 215hp (218PS) at 4,000rpm and 450Nm (331 lb-ft) at 1,500rpm for a zero to 62mph (100km/h) time of 6.8 seconds and a top speed of 142mph (229km/h). The xDrive25ds returns a combined fuel consumption figure of 51.4mpg UK (42.8mpg US) and CO2 emissions of 145g/km.

The other diesel engine options for the X1 are a 141hp (143PS) 2.0-liter unit for the 18d models, plus a 181hp (184PS) version of the same four-cylinder for the 20d version.

The most fuel efficient model in the range is the sDrive20d EfficientDynamics available only in rear-wheel drive form with a manual gearbox. Its 2.0-liter unit delivers 161hp (163PS) and 380Nm (280 lb-ft) of torque, while returning a combined fuel economy of 62.8mpg UK (52.8mpg US) and CO2 emission of 119g/km.

Aside from the existing SE and M Sport trim lines, the 2012 X1 gains two more grades.

The new Sport specification sits above the SE models adding 17-inch wheels, a dark chrome exhaust pipe finish, while the kidney grille slats, bumper trims and side sills, along with the roof rails are all finished in a high gloss black. Inside, it gets sport seats in Anthracite with Coral Red highlights, high gloss black decorative trim accents along with sports leather steering wheel, gearshift gaiter with red stitching and floor mats with red piping.

The second new trim level is the more premium xLine specification, which brings 18-inch wheels, a chrome finish for the exhaust tail pipe and kidney grille slats, and a silver finish for the all exterior trim sections, side sills and roof rails. The xLine's interior features Nevada leather seats, Dark Copper trim, switchable ambient lighting and floor mats with matching piping.

Video Shows the Styling Evolution of the Audi A3 Hatchback O

We will not blame you if you think that each new Audi A3 is a facelift of the previous model, as truth to be said, with a few exceptions over the years such as the late 1990s C5 series A6 and the 1998 TT Mk1, Ingolstadt's designers generally prefer change through evolution rather than by revolution.

The three generations of the A3 compact hatchback are a typical example of this design philosophy, something that you can see for yourself in the short clip that Audi prepared in order to highlight the changes through the years.

The first A3 was presented in 1996 and remained in production until 2003 when it was replaced by the Mk2 model based on the VW Group's newer PQ35 platform shared with the Golf.

The current, third generation of the A3 made its world premiere just this March at the Geneva Motor Show. While it looks a lot like the refreshed Mk2 model, it's actually brand new sporting the VW Group's modular MQB platform that will be used on dozens of new models including the next Golf hatch.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUpsQMSXScQ&feature=player_embedded

Toyota FT-Bh concept at 2012 Geneva motor show

Toyota's news at the 2012 Geneva motor show was the world premiere of the FT-Bh small car – a Yaris-sized supermini that's 25% lighter than the existing supermini. The FT-Bh weighs in at 786 kilograms.
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And if you're wondering about those smoothed-off looks, it's all down to aero. This small car has an admirable 0.235 drag coefficient.

The FT-Bh is basically the epitome of everything Toyota knows about small cars. While it has no immediate production intent, its thinking will help shape the superminis of tomorrow. We'd certainly look twice at a Yaris shaped like this, we reckon.
Toyota FT-Bh: the lowdown
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This is another hybrid Toyota – naturally – and its 1.0-litre Atkinson cycle petrol engine is paired to a full hybrid powertrain like on the Yaris hybrid for an average consumption of 135mpg and just 49g/km of CO2.

Considering this car is close in size to a Yaris (3985mm long, 1695mm wide, 1400mm tall), its emissions are roughly half that of a trad supermini, says Toyota.

Mated to a CNG engine, this powertrain would cut CO2 to just 38g/km, says Toyota. Add a plug-in element to the battery charging, and that tumbles to 19g/km. That's some claim.
How come the FT-Bh is so lightweight?
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Thankfully, it's not down to exotic materials lurking on the pricey end of the periodic table. Toyota has cleverly stuck to existing materials to achieve that flyweight 786kg mass.

Thin pillars abound, to aid visibility and cut flab, and many of the learnings of the iQ are applied to this model. The engineers ended up in a virtuous circle where everything from climate controls to engines and suspension components could become lighter.
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Helping achieve that low drag figure – and that tip-toe stance – are slender 145/55 R18 low rolling resistance tyres.

Mitsubishi's Budget Mirage Supermini Enters Production, Laun

The all-new Mitsubishi Mirage, a no-frills supermini that we first saw at last year's Tokyo Motor Show, has entered series production at the company's brand-new factory at Laem Chabang in Thailand.
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The Japanese automaker's "global compact car" will first go on sale in Thailand next week before it is exported to other Southeast Asian countries followed by Japan, Europe and other markets around the world later this year.

"I am pleased to present the Mirage first in Thailand," said Osamu Masuko, President of Mitsubishi Motors Corp.
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"The Mirage is an all-new compact car focused on premium fuel efficiency and low CO2 emissions just right for the times where demand for superior fuel efficiency and eco-friendliness are increasing all over the world."

At 3710 mm long, 1,665 mm wide and 1,490 mm tall, the new Mirage falls between city cars like the Fiat Panda and superminis like the Ford Fiesta.
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It is powered by a new 1.0-liter three-cylinder MIVEC gasoline engine that can be equipped with Auto Stop & Go (AS&G) system linked to a CVT driving the front wheels. Mitsubishi claims a combined fuel efficiency of 30km/L (equal to 3.3lt/100km or 70mpg US) on the Japanese test cycle.

The Thai-market Mirage will be priced between THB 380,000 to 551,000 (US$12,300 to US$17,900 or €9,400 to €13,600) depending on trim level, and Mitsubishi's plans are to sell approximately 2,500 units per month in Thailand.

R&T Pits 2013 Lexus GS 350 F Sport Against Audi A7 Sportback

Lexus has high hopes for its brand new 2013 GS sedan in the highly competitive executive segment, or at least it does in the North American market because Europe is a different story.
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While one would consider the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, the BMW 5-Series or the Audi A6 more direct opponents for the GS, Road & Track magazine chose a different adversary in the form of the Audi A7 Sportback.
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Audi's A7 may split the difference between a traditional saloon and a hatchback offering an in-between body style, but it in essence, it remains an executive model, so R&T's test is not too far off.

The Audi A7 is more expensive than the GS, but not as much as you'd expect. Not including a destination and handling fee, the base A7 with a 310hp 3.0-liter supercharged V6 starts at $59,250, while the Lexus GS 350 with a 306hp 3.5-liter V6 costs $46,900 plus $5,690 for the base F Sport package, which brings the total to $52,590.
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You can watch the comparison in detail in the video that follows after the break.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=QLfWVolO29c

2013 BMW X1 Facelift to Debut at New York Auto Show, U.S. Sa

The BMW X1 will launch in the United States sooner than what the Bavarian company has led us to believe the last time we reported about the matter, as the automaker today announced that the facelifted X1 would receive its world premiere at next month's 2012 New York International Auto Show and go on sale in the States this summer.
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When the German automaker introduced the X3's smaller sibling back in the summer of 2009, it said that it would offer the X1 in the States in early 2011, but that never happened with BMW constantly delaying its launch.

Back to the present, BMW said that the revised X1 will be offered in America with its new 2.0-liter TwinPower Turbo 4-cylinder gasoline engine. The automaker did not release any other details nor any photos of the facelifted model.
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Our most recent spy photos suggest that BMW will polish up the X1 compact crossover's looks, with most styling tweaks taking place up front with the headlamps and grille along with some minor changes at the rear.
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Also making its world premiere at the New York Auto Show will be the new M6 Convertible powered by a 553hp (560PS) 4.4-liter twin turbo V8, which will be joined by the new M6 Coupe and X6 M facelift, both of which will receive their North American debuts.

Mercedes-Benz Shows Off the New SL65 AMG V12 in Motion

Mercedes-Benz Shows Off the New SL65 AMG V12 in Motion

 

To keep the masses interested in its new 2013 SL65 AMG until sales start in September, Mercedes-Benz has offered up a pair of videos that walk us through its design details and show it in action on the road.
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You can read all about it in our previous post here, but if you want the skinny, the flagship model of the new SL series employs the use of a tweaked 6.0-liter twin-turbocharged V12 engine that's good for 621hp (630PS) and a peak torque of 1,000Nm (737 lb-ft).

Mercedes quotes a zero to 100km/h sprint time of 4.0 seconds (0-60mph in 3.8 seconds) and a limited top speed of 250km/h in Europe and 186 mph (299km/h) in the States.
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The new SL65 AMG will make its first public outing at next month's New York International Auto Show.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Z3XMbPf_uD4
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