New Details Emerge on Fiat's 500L Wagon that will Debut in Geneva and go on Sale in the U.S. in 2013

We had heard earlier this month that Fiat was preparing a new five-door variant of its 500 city car but we didn't know much else about the Italian firm's plans.

Today, Autonews has the inside scoop on the new model reporting that it will allegedly be called 500L with its world premiere to take place at the Geneva Salon in March.

We also learn that while it will keep the 500s familiar face and styling cues, it will be based on the same architecture as the larger Punto to improve passenger and luggage space.

The 500L is said to measure around 4,150mm long (163.4-inches) or about 60mm (2.5-inches) more than the three-door 500 hatchback, while it will also be taller and wider than the original.

In Geneva, we'll see a five-seater version but the report goes on to say that in the following months, Fiat will launch a seven-seater variant with an additional 10mm (0.4-inches) in length (though we reckon this is probably a typo with the author meaning to say 100mm).

The 500L will effectively replace Fiat's aging Idea in the small MPV segment targeting the likes of the Opel Meriva and the upcoming Ford B-Max.

European sales of the 500L are expected to start as early as July while the five-seater model will be offered in the States from 2013. The report indicates that Fiat has no plans to sell the 7-seater variant in the U.S., as it believes American consumers won't buy such a small seven-seater model.

The 500L will be manufactured at the former Zastava site in Kragujevac, Serbia, that Fiat acquired back in 2008.

Toyota TS030 Hybrid Le Mans Racer Sounds Like the Batmobile when it Takes Off

The first thing that came to mind upon viewing the videos of Toyota's brand-new TS030 Hybrid Le Mans Racer as it was leaving the pits at the Paul Ricard circuit in France for its first test run was the Batmobile – well, that or Anakin Skywalker's podracer from Star Wars Episode 1.And no, we're not referring to the racecar's shape and styling but the sounds emitted by the hybrid powertrain which starts off with the electric motor before the V8 engine kicks in like an afterburner – yes, it's that cool.
After that, you get the usual screaming sounds produced by race-prepped engines.
Toyota's racing team is still developing the TS030 Hybrid as it has yet to decide whether it will combine the all-new 3.4-litre normally-aspirated V8 petrol engine with an electric motor from Aisin AW powering the front wheels or an electric motor from DENSO driving the rear axle (regulations stipulate that electric motors can only power two wheels).
The TS030 Hybrid will make its racing debut on May 5 in the Six Hours of Spa-Francorchamps for the second round of the FIA World Endurance Championship.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7L4LWgGMf18&feature=player_embedded 

New BMW ActiveHybrid 5 Priced from $61,845, Nearly $10k more than the 535i [130 Photos]

If you want a little more power (but slightly worse performance) and a little better fuel economy and don't mind paying US$9,345 over the price of a regular 535i, then you may want to take a look at BMW's new ActiveHybrid 5 sedan. If you live in Europe or in any other region where BMW offers diesel variants of the 5-Series, then you're probably better off with one of those models – we'll explain why later on.
BMW today announced that the ActiveHybrid 5 will go on sale in the States in March with a base MSRP of $61,845 (€47,800), which includes an $895 destination and handling fee.
The ActiveHybrid 5 brings together BMW's 3.0-liter turbocharged inline 6-cylinder gasoline engine with 300hp and 300 lb-ft (EU-spec: 306hp and 400Nm), an electric drive system producing 54hp and 155 lb-ft, and an 8-speed automatic gearbox.
The hybrid drive system generates a combined output of 335hp and 330 lb-ft (EU-spec: 340hp and 450Nm), which allows the car to be driven on electric power alone up to 37mph (60km/h) for 2.5 miles (4km), and accelerates the sedan from 0 to 60 mph in 5.7 seconds (0-100km/h in 5.9 seconds).
In comparison, the 535i completes the 0-60mph sprint in 5.6 seconds (0-100km/h in 5.8 seconds) and returns up to 31mpg highway EPA.
While BMW has not yet announced EPA estimates for the U.S. model, across the pond, the ActiveHybrid 5 is claimed to return between 6.4 and 7.0lt/100km on the combined European driving cycle (33.6 - 37.8 mpg US).
The European market 535d that's powered by a 3.0-liter turbocharged straight-six diesel delivering 313HP and 630Nm (465 lb-ft), does the 0-100km/h sprint in 5.5 seconds and returns a combined fuel consumption of 5.4-5.6lt/100km (42 - 43.6 mpg US) with CO2 emissions of 142-148g/km.
So basically, the 535d is not only faster, but also more fuel efficient and with lower CO2 emissions than the EU-spec ActiveHybrid 5 (149– 163g/km) – which is why we said before that the Europeans are better off looking at BMW's diesel range.
You can chip in your thoughts in the comments section below.

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