Fiat releases new official images, a video (after the jump) and more info about their new Punto, which is just about to debut on the market. The revamped 2012 version of the Fiat Punto is something more than a mere restyling: the term ‘restyling’ in fact wouldn’t do justice to the sort of heavy upgrade that the long-running Fiat hatchback has just endured, which affected the model in both shape and content. The new range comes with a new engine line-up too, making it even clearer that the new range represents a huge step forward in the comparison to the outgoing Punto Evo series. From an aesthetic point of view the new Punto for the year 2012 retrieves some elements of the more successful Grande Punto series, that debuted in 2005: the rear bumper in fact loses the contrasting insert, the indicators move closer to the air intake and the redesigned front bumper is now painted in the same color of the fairing. By the way, three new exterior colors have been added to the paint options: Blu Profondo (Deep Blue), Rosso Elegante (Elegant Red) and Grigio Affascinante (Fascinating Gray). Besides, the car now rolls on new 15″ alloy wheels.

As for the engine range, the 2012 Fiat Punto (which has no ‘Grande’ or ‘Evo’ tags attached to its name) will be made available with the following petrol options: a new 0.9-litre TwinAir unit delivering 85 hp at 5,500 rpm and 145 Nm from 2,000 giri/min; a 1.2-litre producing 69 hp; a 77 hp 1.4; a 1.4-litre MultiAir engine producing 105 hp and 1.4 MultiAir Turbo producing 135 hp. On the diesel side we have a brand new 1.3-litre Multijet II unit available in three power configurations - 75, 85 and 95 hp - while for the bi-fuel team we have petrol/LPG and petrol/methane powertrains combined with the aforementioned naturally aspirated 1.4-litre engine. All these engines will come with standard Start-Stop system and gear shift indicator.

The newly added 0.9-litre TwinAir unit boasts an average fuel consumption of 24 km/l, with CO2 emissions rated at 98 g/km only. The customer that will choose this engine will also be given an extra option for color of the livery, the exclusive Verde Energetico (Energetic Green), which can be mated to a black rooftop. The whole range will be available in three versions - Comfort, Sport and Fun to Drive - each one of which will be available in six different trims: the more traditional ‘Pop’, ‘Easy’ and ‘Lounge’, the dynamic ‘Racing’ and ‘Sport’ and, for those more focused on the ‘green’ side of things, the ‘TwinAir’.

Continue reading: 2012 Fiat Punto: pictures, video and info

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The commercial starring the new Kia Soul that got aired during the recent XLVI SuperBowl was nothing new as it was honored by the Nielsen Automotive Advertising Awards as“Automotive Ad of the Year” last June. This ad is staged in a modern day metropolis populated by hamsters, where a few of them dressed up as hip-hop stars hang around in the city with their new South Korean crossover, with a background tune blasting off the speakers. Surely a nice ad that deserved a re-run.

The Kia Soul was unveiled at the latest New York Motor Show and is available with either a 122 hp 1.6-litre engine coupled with a 5-speed manual transmission or a 2.0-litre unit producing 142 horsepower that can be mated to a the same 5-speed manual or a 4-speed automatic transmission.

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A 5-door version of the Seat Mii will become available this summer, joining the already marketed 5-door variants of its twin sisters Volkswagen Up! and Skoda Citigo. In the same fashion as its two siblings, the new model gets an extra set of pillars at the back that do not alter the overall style of the car, buy surely add up to its practicality. Unfortunately the rear windows cannot be wound down as there’s just a clip to pop them out. The size of the 5-door Mii is exactly the same as its 3-dooor counterpart, meaning 3.56 meters in length and 1.64 meters in width, with 2.42 meters of wheel base. Trunk capacity varies between 251 and 951 litres (with the rear bench folded).

The Seat Mii with the 5-door body-type will come with only one engine option, a 1.0-litre 3-cylinder unit available in power steps of 60 and 75 hp. Average fuel consumption for the model is rated between 4.5 and 4.7 l/100 k, figures that can be improved when choosing the Ecomotive variant, which makes use of start-stop system, KERS and a set of low-resistance tyres. This configuration allows the Mii to consume only 4.1-4.2 l/100 km, with CO2 emissions of 96-98 g/km.

View the full Seat Mii 5-door photo gallery

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During the imminent XLVI Superbowl, Chevrolet is going to show the TV audience a new ad featuring a few extreme stunts performed by the Sonic, the recent subcompact model known as Aveo on the European side of the pond. The commercial shows some of the crazy numbers arranged by Chevy for the model’s commercial launch, including the recent, breathtaking kickflip, bungee jumping, sky diving and also a few glimpses of another brand new ad, that will be premiered during the ‘big game’ as well and featuring L.A. rock band OK Go. Just as a quick reminder, Chevrolet Sonic/Aveo’s engine range is made of a 1.2-litre petrol unit available in two power configurations (70 hp or 86 hp), a 1.4 petrol delivering 100 hp and a diesel unit, a 1.3-litre available in power steps of 75 and 95 hp.

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Fiat has released the first official images of the new 500L, giving us the chance to check out the new compact MPV from the Italian manufacturer in its definitive form. The model is of crucial importance for Fiat as it is expected to make a significant impact on both home and foreign markets.

The Fiat 500L will be available in 2 version, a ‘regular’ and a ‘long-wheelbase’ one, capable of hosting up to seven people, driver included. The former will measure 4.15 meters in length while the latter will be only 4.25 meters long. As for the engine range, there will be 3 petrol and 2 diesel options: available gasoline units will be a 85 hp Twinair and a 1.4-litre in power steps of 77 and 105 hp, for the diesel side there will be a 1.3-litre Multijet in power steps of 75 and 95 hp.

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These new spy shots provide us with more details about the BMW i3, an electric small city-car which is expected to hit the showrooms in 2013. The model will probably share the same size of the prototype it derives from, while the passenger compartment will be able to host up to five people, driver included, and the trunk will have a capacity of about 200 litres. The large use of carbon fibre and other high-tech materials should keep its weight down to a minimum and making it more functional, as we see expect it to come with closet-like side doors and no B-pillar.

The new BMW i3 is being developed on the equally new DriveLife platform, with an aluminum frame holding both engine and battery pack, and carbon fibre used for most of its bodywork. This solution will allow the car to weigh about 1,270 kg, which is not much at all considering that the i3 will have to carry a quite heavy lithium-ion battery. At this moment it seems quite likely that the new model will end up using the same electric motor equipping the original prototype, credited with an output of 170 hp and 250 Nm of peak torque. The opportunity of having a traditional engine working as electric generator on the model has not been ruled out.

View the full BMW i3: new spy shots photo gallery

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Dutch website Autoweek.nl has published the first images of the facelifted Smart ForTwo. In comparison to the outgoing model, the revamped ForTwo features slight but significant changes such as its new front grille with the Smart logo placed right in the middle and newly designed front bumper. Front and tail lights have been left untouched as they had been modified when the model year 2010 came out.

The Smart ForTwo 2012 will come with three engine options: a 1.0-litre 3-cylinder unit available in power steps of 71 and 84 hp, and the new 54hp 800cc diesel engine. The car is expected to make its debut at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show, in March.

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Skoda releases the first image of the 5-door Citigo (above), which will be officially unveiled at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show (March 8-18) alongside the Volkswagen Up! with the same body-type. The two city cars have been developed on the same platform and - unlike their 3-door variants - the side views are basically identical.

The 5-door version of the Skoda Citigo will be available with a 1.0-litre 3-cylinder petrol unit available in power steps of 60 and 75 hp, while the addition of a RS edition equipped with the 1.0-litre TSI unit of the GT Up! has not been confirmed yet. The eco-friendly Green Tec variant instead has already been confirmed, boasting an average fuel consumption of 4.1 l/100km and CO2 emissions of 96 g/km.

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It is known that Opel is currently working on a small car that, in the intentions of the carmaker, will be positioned in its current range right below the Corsa. The project has been known until now as ‘Junior‘, but apparently the new car will adopt the ‘Allegra‘ name by the time of its official unveiling, which is expected to happen in some motor show toward the end of the year in view of its commercial launch in early 2013.

This time a mule of the next Allegra has been spotted during some cold weather testing. The model is expected to measure around 3.70 meters in length and should become available with a 3-door body-type only. At the moment it is still unclear whether the car will rival against the likes of the new Volkswagen Up! in the super mini-car segment or will go for a more upmarket target, battling against such competitors as the Mini squad and Fiat 500. Insiders report that Opel is also developing a whole new family of engines for the Allegra/Junior, that we are likely to see transplanted in the next generation of the Opel Corsa.

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Here are the latest spy shots of the next Fiat Panda 4×4, which allow us to make a first comparison with the ‘regular’ front-wheel drive version. Quite understandably, there are not going to be any radical change in respect to the current model as it just needs a little restyling to make it more appealing for the next couple of years. The new all-wheel drive version of the Panda can be recognized by the newly designed front and rear bumpers, the increased ride height and the several raw plastic inserts that have been added here and there on the exterior, most notably the bars on the sides.

The new Panda 4×4 should get a new suspension at the back and an AWD system with a viscous coupling unit. There should be three engine options: a 1.2-litre delivering 69 hp, a 0.9-litre Twinair producing 85 hp and a 1.3-litre Multijet diesel unit producing 95 hp. The model will be officially introduced to the world at the forthcoming 2012 Geneva Motor Show, in March.

View the full New Fiat Panda 4×4 spy shots photo gallery

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