Renault will soon market the new Twingo Mauboussin, a limited special edition conceived to celebrate Valentine’s Day. Available in a Tourmaline Brown metallic paintwork, this model displays some elegant decals that make the Parisian jeweler’s touch immediately recognisable. Needless to say, this exceptional Twingo is all about luxury and of course, it comes with 15′’ Dark Gunmetal Pirate alloy wheels.

On the inside, Mauboussin’s signature style is even more evident and the logo appears on the seats - made with a mix of fabric and leather - and on the floor mats. To make the deal even more exclusive, customers will also receive a Mauboussin pendant watch called “1960, je t’aime”.

The Renault Twingo Mauboussin is fitted with either 1.5 l turbodiesel dci eco2 (85 hp) or a petrol 1.2 LEV 16V eco2 (75 hp) and it’s going to be marketed only in France, Italy, Austria and Marocco at a starting price of €15,800 (including VAT) for the turbodiesel and of €13,500 (including VAT) for the petrol.

Check out the full Renault Twingo Mauboussin photo gallery.

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Mercedes has released the first pics and info of the Smart Fortwo Cdi Teen. This version of the popular city-car is powered by a 54 hp 0.8-litre diesel engine and is aimed at the young drivers, boasting a power-to-weight ratio of 55 Kw/Ton. The car goes from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 16.8 seconds, with a top speed of 135 km/h (84 mph). Average fuel consumption is rated at only 3.3 l/100 km, with CO2 emissions of 86 g/km.

The Smart Fortwo Cdi Teen comes with an all-black paint job, sat-nav and 15″ alloy wheels courtesy of Brabus, which will also be available in white as an optional extra. The model is based on the Pulse version and will come with a price tag of 11,900 €.

View the full Smart Fortwo Cdi Teen photo gallery

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The new, facelifted Renault Twingo RS is about to enter the market. The most sporty model of the range has been administered the same kind of treatment of the other ‘quieter’ versions, thereby it boasts a new front end with four separated head lights and two extra lights at the back. Besides, the ‘RS’ receives a front spoiler inspired by Formula 1 cars, a trunk spoiler, a little diffuser, diminutive air outlets on the wheel arches and 16″ ‘Emotion’ alloys. Renault will also offer a Design Pack Dark Grey which adds gray/Dark Metal accents on the front spoiler, on the wing mirror shells and a chrome strip on the foglight frames.

In the cabin we have yellow stitching on steering wheel, seats and instrument panel covering, Brilliant Black inserts for dashboard, console, radio, tachometer and side air vents and then white elements for the upper steering wheel, seats, rev-counter and air-conditioning controls. The model comes with the same 1.6-litre petrol engine of the previous version, credited with an output of 133 hp at 6,750 rpm and a maximum torque of 160 Nm at 4,400 rpm, while average fuel consumption is rated at 6.5 l/100 km and CO2 emission at 150 g/km.

The technicians of the Renault Sport division have also developed two kinds of chassis: the one called ‘Sport’ comes as standard while the one called Cup, available upon request, provides for a ride height reduced by 4 mm. A Gordini version of the Twingo RS is also in the cards and will be available with the following color options: Malta Blue, Ice White, Nacrè Black and Bright Red.

View the full Renault Twingo RS facelift photo gallery

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The model you see in these pictures is the last special edition based on the Smart ForTwo, called ‘Sharpred’. The main distinctive feature of this model is its unusual back & red color scheme, that includes glossy black 15″ rims and grille, and will be available in both hard-top and convertible configurations. Under the bonnet will pulse the well-known 1.0-litre 3-cylider petrol engine, which is available for this model in power steps of 70 and 83 hp.

The black/red theme continues in the cabin, where we find black leather seats with contrasting red stitching and unique floor mats. The Smart ForTwo Sharpred comes with all the features of the Passion trim and will be produced in 1,800 units, all of which will come with standard panoramic roof, heated seats, sat-nav, audio system and air conditioner. The Smart ForTwo Sharpred is already available for order, with the first deliveries scheduled for May.

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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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