VW Passat Alltrack 4motion (2012)

VW Passat Alltrack 4motion (2012)

 

Volkswagen is launching its own cut-price rival to those mud-loving Allroad models from Audi in May 2012 – the new Passat Alltrack 4motion.

It's a Passat estate in a Barbour and green wellies, its ride height hoiked up and with 4motion all-wheel drive boosting traction for soft-roading and pulling horseboxes over slippery grass.

VW quotes a two-tonne towing capacity – 200kg greater than an equivalent Passat estate.
VW Passat Alltrack (2012): the lowdown

The Passat Alltrack comes only in diesel trim – with two different power outputs for its 2.0-litre TDI engine. It can be specced in 138bhp form or 168bhp. The lower-powered diesel comes with a six-speed manual transmission; the higher-powered model gets a six-speed DSG twin-clutch 'box.

Prices start at £28,475 for the entry-level car, the higher-powered Alltrack costs £31,025.

That compares favourably with an Audi A4 Allroad, which starts at £31,475 for a 2.0 TFSI Quattro, rising to nearly £37k for a 3.0 TDI. You can't currently buy an A6 Allroad in the UK, but a Skoda Octavia Scout with an identically powered 138bhp 2.0 TDI looks a tempting alternative at £22,720.

It's interesting that most competitors in this field are from the VW fold. Volvo and Subaru offer beefed-up estates with SUV pretensions, but it's arguably the Volkswagen empire which has exploited this niche most aggressively.
VW Passat Alltrack (2012): what do I get?

All new VW Passat Alltracks come with Alcantara upholstery, climate control, touchscreen sat-nav, DAB radio, cruiser control and 18in alloy wheels.

Both models achieve nearly 50mpg on the combined cycle, the lower-powered diesel model topping 49.6mpg, the 168bhp version 47.9mpg.
The welly-booted Passat goes on sale in UK dealers on 28 May 2012.

Rolls-Royce's revised Phantom meets bloggers

Rolls-Royce's revised Phantom meets bloggers

 

'Rolls-Royce only embraces new technology where it enhances the overall experience.' Reassuring words delivered calmly but assuredly in Germanic English by Jörg Bause, director of manufacturing for the Goodwood-based prestige car manufacturer.

Somewhat surprisingly this wasn’t a crowd pleasing-speech designed to rouse an audience of loyal clientele, but rather to a small congregation of seasoned Southern journalists, television news reporters and... bloggers?
A car launch free from professional motoring writers? Surely not...

For a marque as steeped in tradition as Rolls-Royce, the notion of it embracing the chattering Twitterati as a means of conveying its message sounds as incongruous as discovering your grandmother’s just uploaded a video clip of herself pulling off some sick parkour moves to YouTube via her iPad. The reality is that it was a shrewd manoeuvre for the pinnacle of the motoring hierarchy, acting as a pilot event for the whole BMW empire.

The event itself was a simultaneous unveiling of the subtly tweaked Phantom Series II: whilst the eager throng at the British headquarters observed the silk wrapping being peeled away from what is to become the centrepiece of Rolls-Royce’s Beijing motor show stand, a thousand kilometres away in Geneva, another Series II saloon was revealed to a larger crown of experienced motoring journalists.

Inviting enthusiastic amateurs and wannabe car scribes wasn’t a hollow concession as a favour to a select band of online scribblers who had happened to blog about Rolls in a positive light either. This was a genuine attempt to connect with a potentially powerful new outlet and measure its success.
Presumably there was a ‘look but don’t you dare touch’ policy?

Upon arrival, in addition to an appreciated flute of champagne, business cards were slipped into hands bearing the legend #PhantomSeriesII, the all-important hashtag to determine the tweet-reach of the 140 character musings and enthusings of the day.

Following Herr Bause’s dust sheet removal and positive encouragement from corporate communications manager Andrew Ball to explore the black Extended Wheelbase model before us, the process was simple: sit, touch, photograph, attach and tweet.

You would be forgiven for assuming that faced with the prospect of an eager swarm poring all over just the second example off the line of the Series II Phantom, Rolls-Royce staff would be wearing pained expressions and doing their utmost to hide their nerves. Not a bit of it. Smiles of encouragement, supported by queries of 'have you seen what this does?' ensured that every polished fillet of walnut, chromed lever, leather-enveloped surface and electrically-assisted feature was sampled and reported almost instantaneously on Twitter, much to the chagrin of dextrous thumbs and iPhone batteries struggling to cope with the volume of messages over a half hour burst.

Within minutes, the small group of bloggers had beamed into the timelines of over 25,000 tweeters, whereas the Rolls-Royce news from Geneva was considerably quieter by comparison; the shine of the Phantom’s launch in Switzerland vying for online attention from a wealth of other global debutants.

Maybe Herr Bause is onto something..

Hyundai Santa Fe (2012)

Hyundai Santa Fe (2012)

Hyundai will unveil its new Santa Fe SUV at the New York motor show in April 2012. The Koreans have committed to the Santa Fe name for its full-sized SUV, following on from its DM codename.

That's no surprise: Hyundai has shifted 2.6 million Santa Fes since launch in 2000.
What do we know about the new 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe?

Not a huge amount yet. Hyundai waxes lyrical about a new sub-division of its Fluidic Sculpture design language, dubbed the opaque Storm Edge.

As no real details are available about this design philosophy (beyond it 'captures the strong and dynamic images created by nature during the formation of a storm'), we'll grab a large pinch of salt and put that down as one of the trashier labels attached to a company's stylistic influence.
Still, looks quite smart in a Euro kind of way…

The third-generation Hyundai Santa Fe adopts the company's latest hexagonal grille and a barrage of styling lines along the flanks to make it stand out more.

Hyundai promises 'refinement, smartness and practicality' too, but otherwise, we'll have to wait until the New York auto show for more details.

Its April unveiling in the US points to a UK debut in showrooms here in autumn 2012.

Expect its market positioning to reflect today's model, which starts at just shy of £24,000 for a five-seat model. But many buyers in this segment plump for the seven-seat option, making these SUVs a viable alternative to a people carrier.

Toyota FT-Bh concept at 2012

Toyota FT-Bh concept at 2012

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.

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

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?

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.

Helping achieve that low drag figure – and that tip-toe stance – are slender 145/55 R18 low rolling resistance tyres.

Ford B-Max (2012)

Ford B-Max (2012)

 

Ford hopes a less-is-more approach will lure punters to its new B-max MPV, unique in the supermini segment for having a big hole in the central cockpit instead of a structural pillar. The result is a flexible people mover that's a doddle to load with kids or cargo, Ford claims, thanks to its pillarless opening and sliding rear door.

The novel doors landed the £12,500 people mover in the same must-see company as Bentley's grotesque SUV concept and Ferrari's beautiful F12. Engineers from Chevrolet, Nissan and Opel were all spotted sliding, sitting and climbing out of B-maxes. Not very genteely in the case of one Japanese engineer, who tripped over the car's side sill, one so vast as to make a Lotus Elise feel anorexic. Its girth hides the door rail and provides side impact protection, bolstered by boron steel incorporated in the doorframe.

The rear doors are heavy to slide, and there's an ugly plastic umbilical cord visible, which houses the wiring for the electric rear windows. CAR wag Anthony ffrench-Constant said it reminded him of the cable tied bundle behind his TV stand; B-max chief engineer Klaus-Peter Tamm described it as the 'Mazda' solution, which makes us wonder why his team couldn't find a neater 'Ford' solution.
Other B-Max tricks: Sync and auto-braking

That said, it's all a far cry from the days where Ford innovation began and ended with new tailgate hinges on the fifth-generation Escort. The B-max will be the first European Ford with the Microsoft Sync system, which wirelessly hooks up 'phones and MP3 players. They're voice-controlled, or from 2013, operated via a touch screen. Sync is capable of sending an emergency signal in the event of a crash, although optional active city safe – a radar-based system which hits the brakes if it anticipates a rear-end shunt – should eliminate the need for some of those automatic 999 calls.

The B-max, which is just 110mm longer than a Fiesta, also has another ace up its sleeve: it'll be available with the punchy, economical 1.0-litre Ecoboost, which has impressed CAR in the Focus. It’ll be available in 100PS and 120PS versions, the latter returning 57.6mpg.

Other engines include a new 75PS 1.5-litre diesel, capable of 68.9mpg and 109g/km. The 95PS 1.6 TDCI, and 1.4- and 1.6-litre petrols will also be offered.

Company executives are peeved that Ford's brand equity still lags Volkswagen's, and RVs on cars like the Mondeo are pegged to anvil-off-a-cliff depreciators like the Insignia, rather than the floatier Passat. The hope is that, long-term, innovative cars like the B-max will help lift Ford above the shark pool of Korean, French and other rivals.

Ferrari F12 Berlinetta (2012): new video released

Ferrari F12 Berlinetta (2012): new video released

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=v5ML9ET7GJ0
Fresh from its world debut at the 2012 Geneva motor show, Ferrari has issued this video of the new F12 Berlinetta supercar to whet our appetite for what the 599 successor sounds like.

The new F12 Berlinetta is an extraordinary car on paper: its 6.2-litre V12 packs 730bhp and 509lb ft – all of which you'll hear deployed in this official Ferrari video.

CAR will get to drive the car over the coming months, but for now you'll have to watch this video of the car demonstrating its 3.1 second 0-62mph capability. We can but drool…

Click here for CAR's full story on the new Ferrari F12 Berlinetta.

Nissan Hi-Cross Concept at 2012

Nissan Hi-Cross Concept at 2012

 

Nissan made constant reference to being ‘owners’ of the crossover concept during their Geneva press conference. From the Murano to the Juke, via the Qashqai, rugged urban transport has been one of its big success stories (alright, maybe not the Murano).

The seven-seater Hi-Cross Concept, premiered here, showcases some of the styling ideas that Nissan could filter through to future production models and also features a hybrid drivetrain and new version of its CVT gearbox.
What’s in a name?

Even more so than full production models, car manufacturers love to attach as much significance to a vehicle’s name as it can. So, ‘Hi’ here means high-riding, high innovation, high excitement and high extended value. I think you can work out what the Cross stands for yourself, hmmm?
It’s a bit of a softened-up Juke isn’t it?

Perhaps, although there’s also hints of the Infiniti FX range in that pronounced arched bonnet along the flanks. Is it a bit Mazda CX-5 as well? That V-shape front grille is perhaps the most likely cue to make it through to future models, while those shallow triangular headlamps are a first on a Nissan – standing next to it, they’re somewhat Evoque-like.

From the outside, you wouldn’t guess that the Hi-Cross is a seven-seater would you, but there’s a compact pair of seats behind the C pillar. Up front, there’s a ‘T-Wing’ shaped dashboard, with a large display dominating its centre.

Concepts are supposed to be clever – so what does the Hi-Cross have to crow about?
Design aside, that will be the hybrid HEV powertrain, which uses advancements gleaned from the LEAF. Coupling up a 2.0-litre direct injection engine to a compact lithium-ion battery will give you, says Nissan, the performance of a 2.5-litre, yet with all the emission and economy benefits of the smaller unit. The battery is charged by using regenerative braking.

Nissan continues to be a flag-bearer for CVTs, and the Hi-Cross uses a revised version of the compact Xtronic unit, which sends power to all four wheels.