New Saab 9-5 SportCombi Spotted Strolling Out in the Open

Saab recently gave us our first taste of the new 9-5 SportCombi with the release of a single teaser photo, but today, Saabsunited member Djup Strupe spotted the station wagon model out in the open, apparently somewhere near the firm's headquarters in Trollhättan, Sweden. The specific example is said to be an Aero TTiD model, which probably means it's powered by the same 190HP 2.0-liter turbo diesel engine found on the sedan version. The more practical and dare we say more Saab-ish version of the 9-5, which will also be known as the SportWagon in some markets, will receive its world premiere at next month's Geneva Salon before it arrives in dealerships this Fall.

Source: Saabsunited

_______________________________GALLERY_______________________________

Geneva Preshow: Renault's New Monaco GP Limited Editions

Apparently, last year's limited run Laguna Coupe Monaco GP special edition was a success as Renault has just announced three new models featuring the same styling recipe, including the Megane Coupe, Megane Coupe R.S. and the 2011MY Laguna Coupe. The new Monaco GP special editions will go on sale in Europe right after their world premiere at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show in March.

All three models share common styling treats such as a bespoke pearlescent white paint developed accentuated by Etoilé black body components including the side mirrors, rear diffuser and fog-lamp surrounds, black headlight masks and “Monaco GP” badge work on the sides. Inside, the Monaco GP treatment adds pearlescent white cabin details (console, strip, door handles), “Monaco GP” stitching on the seats, a numbered plate and “Monaco GP” protective mats.

The Megane Coupe Monaco GP model, which is available with a choice of five engines, including 110HP, 130HP and 160HP diesels, and 130HP and 180HP petrol units, also gets 17-inch gloss black rims, GT front and rear bumpers, fabric upholstery with special stitching, rear park assist and power-folding mirrors.

The 250HP Megane Coupe R.S. Monaco GP benefits from 18-inch Keza gloss black rims, leather upholstery with special stitching, plus gray overstitching on the steering wheel and gearstick handle.

Finally, the Laguna Coupe Monaco GP returns for 2011 and will be available with five engines, depending on the country (2.0 dCi with 150HP, 180HP and 175HP + Auto Box, and 2.0 Turbo with 205HP and 170HP +Auto Box). Aside from the exclusive pearlescent white body paint, buyers of the special edition will also be able to opt for a pearlescent black.

_______________________________GALLERY_______________________________

2011 Chevrolet Cruze Hatchback: Production Model to Debut at Geneva Motor Show

Chevrolet today announced that the production version of the Cruze hatchback will make its world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show in March. Considered to be a critical model for Chevrolet in Europe, the 5-door Cruze was first teased at last year’s Paris Motor Show with a pre-production study.

“Hatchbacks play a critical role in many markets. The total compact segment in Europe represents over a quarter of the total market, with hatchbacks representing around 65% of that volume”, said Wayne Brannon, president and managing director of Chevrolet Europe. “The new Cruze hatchback cements that Chevrolet's claim for a place among the mainstream brands in Europe, and it's a vehicle that will bring new levels of value against some of the more established competition”.

With its sweeping lines, short overhangs and, in our opinion, better looking rear quarter compared to the sedan, the hatchback is said to be “particularly well suited to European driver tastes”. To achieve this, it uses the same body-frame integral system (BFI) chassis complemented by some fine-tuning and the four-door model’s engine range, plus new additions, such as the Orlando MPV’s 163HP 2.0-liter diesel powerplant.

From a practical standpoint, the new model loses 50 liters of cargo space for a total of 400 liters, but the large liftgate and 60/40 split rear seating should compensate in terms of practicality.

The Cruze hatchback is due in Europe in mid 2011 and prices will be announced closer to the launch date. It will also be available as a Holden in Australia.

By Csaba Daradics

_____________________CHEVROLET CRUZE 5D STUDY____________________

_______________________________________________________________________

___________OFFICIAL DESIGN DRAWINGS OF PRODUCTION MODEL________

Geneva Preshow: New Renault Wind Receives the Gordini Touch

Renault's funky looking little coupe-convertible, the new Wind, is next up on the French automaker's list of models to receive the Gordini styling treatment. More of a posh version of the standard Wind than anything else, the Gordini-badged model bears the in-house tuner's traditional colors with a Malta blue bodywork and two white stripes. It also gets Glacier white door mirrors, grille trim and rear wing, and a glossy black roof, while the 17-inch diamond alloy wheels and a badge marked with a “G” completes the look.

Inside, the cabin features special “Gordini” black and blue leather upholstery, blue and white door straps, a blue leather steering wheel with white stripes at the top, and a gear lever with a leather gaiter and metal knob with the Gordini name.

There are no mechanical changes over the standard Wind models.

The Wind Gordini will receive its world premiere at the forthcoming Geneva Motor Show in early March, and go on sale across Europe shortly after.

_______________________________GALLERY_______________________________

Volvo V60 Diesel-Electric Plug-in Hybrid Returns 125 MPG, will Debut at Geneva Show

* Standard 2011 Volvo V60 shown in photos

The 2011 Geneva Motor Show will host the world premiere of the Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid, a near production-ready model that is said to return a very impressive 125 mpg US (1.9 lt/100 km), with CO2 emissions under 50 g/km. In order to achieve this, engineers entered a new variable into the plug-in hybrid equation: a diesel engine.

The V60’s front wheels are driven by a 2.4-liter 5-cylinder turbo diesel powerplant capable of 215HP and 440 Nm (325 lb-ft) of torque, mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. At the back, there's a 70HP electric motor that powers the rear wheels and a 12kWh lithium-ion battery pack.

According to Volvo, the V60 Plug-in Hybrid “features the very best properties from three different car types in one sports wagon”, including an all-electric driving mode with a range of up to 32 miles (52 km).

“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-in Hybrid has all the traditional properties of a genuine sports wagon. What we've done is to spice it up with spearhead technology”, said Stefan Jacoby, President and CEO of Volvo Cars.

Jointly developed by Volvo and Swedish energy supplier Vattenfall, the V60 Plug-in Hybrid is scheduled to enter series production in 2012.

By Csaba Daradics

_______________________________GALLERY_______________________________

2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Sedan and Estate: First Official Photos

This is the 2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG, the performance version of the facelifted C-Class, which will make its official show debut at the 2011 Geneva Salon in early March. Available in both sedan and estate body styles, the C63 AMG receives a styling makeover as well as a series mechanical and chassis tweaks.

On the outside, the C63 AMG sports the same design changes as the rest of the range including the new L-shaped headlamps, adding to the mix a new aluminum hood, restyled bumpers with LED day time lights up front, a revised grille and specific alloy wheel designs. We don't have any photos of the interior yet, but the cabin will feature the standard model's revised dashboard spruced up with AMG-specific trim.

For the 2012 model year, the C63 AMG keeps the pre-facelift's naturally aspirated 6.2-liter V8 engine with 457HP and 600Nm or 442 lb-ft of peak torque, but gets the firm's new AMG speed-shift MCT 7-speed sports transmission, which helps improve fuel consumption by around ten percent to 12lt/100km [19.6 mpg US] for the sedan and 12.3 lt/100km for the Estate. The four door model completes the 0-100km/h [62mph] sprint in 4.5 seconds, while its Estate sibling in 4.6 seconds.

An available performance package pushes output to 487HP, allowing the sedan to reach 100km/h [62mph] in 4.4 seconds and the estate in 4.5 seconds.

AMG engineers have also tweaked the suspension settings promising improved handling characteristics.

The revised C63 AMG is expected to go on sale this summer.

_______________________________GALLERY_______________________________