Who knows whether Porsche will have the “courage” to ornate the back of the Cayenne with the word ‘diesel’? Probably, given that the choice to adopt a diesel motor has not been considered by the German manufacturer as an embarrassment from which to hide, but as a first and necessary step in the process of beating emissions (and increasing sales).

A shame though, to listen to Emg, that the Cayenne diesel will not count on the monstruous V12 6.0 of Audi origin, but will be sacrificed in favour of the greater lightness of the V6 3.2 biturbo at 300 horsepower. Notable is the single terminal exhaust encased in pipes too large for their relatively smaller size.

Continue reading: Spy photo: Porsche Cayenne diesel

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BMW will be showing in Geneva their BMW Vision EfficientDynamic, a concept car based on the BMW X5 with a novel hybrid propulsion system based on the recent 2.0 litre Variable Twin Turbo diesel engine.

The diesel engine outputs 204 ps / 400 Nm, while the electric engine contributes a maximum of 15 kW of power and a torque of 210 Nm, which makes it possibile to accelerate from 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 8,9 seconds, with an average fuel consumption of just 6.5 litres/100 km on the EU test cycle.

The generator used in the brake energy regeneration system is directly integrated in the gearbox housing and feeds a lithium-ion battery housed in the luggage compartment. Most vehicle functions are powered electrically and the Auto Start/Stop function should act seamlessy to avoid needless idling. There is also a 1 square meter solar cell on the roof which generates up to one kilowatt.

Continue reading: Geneva 2008 - BMW X5 hybrid concept

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The pictures of the new Volvo XC60 are officialy out. The new mid-sized SUV from the Swedish Brand will be shown to the public on March 4th in Geneva.

At first the XC60 will be available with three different engines: the T6 with a turbocharged inline-6 gasoline engine that produces 285 hp and two variants of the D5 turbodiesel (with respectively 185 and 163 ps). All models will have four-wheel drive, but during 2009 a FWD version with a Euro5 version of the D5 engine will be available.

Continue reading: Geneva 2008: Volvo XC60

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Our dutch friends over at Autoblog.nl have discovered these first official images of the Volvo XC60, out a couple of days before the embargo date (20 febbraio).

The Volvo XC60 is the new mid-sized SUV from the swedish brand, from which much is expected in terms of sales. At the moment there are no technical details available and nothing is known about when sales will start.

Via | Autoblog.nl

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After the new Fiesta, Ford will be showing in Geneva another incarnation of its “Kinetic Design” style, the Ford Kuga.

The Kuga, Ford’s mid-size SUV/Crossover, was first shown as a concept car in Frankfurt last year (the Kuga concept (itself derived from the Iosis X Concept).

The Ford Kuga, based on the Ford Focus’ platform, will be equipped with the 2.0 TDCi common rail Duratorq engine with power output of 136 ps and torque of 320 Nm at 2,000 rpm (a transient overboost to 340 Nm is possible).

The Kuga will be available both with front-wheel drive (”Trend” equipment level, 6.2 l/100 km average fuel consumption) and 4-wheel drive (”Titanium” equipment level, 6.4 l/100 km, 169 g/km CO2). ESP, Anti-Rollover Mitigation, ABS and EBD (electronic brake distribution all come as standard). The Kuga can seat five person and has a luggage compartment with a capacity of 360 liters (1,355 with the rear seat folded).

Continue reading: Geneva 2008 - the Ford Kuga

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In an interview with Automotive News, Joel Weinberger, head of Audi’s dealer council, revealed some interesting information about the next Audi Q5. When questioned about the position of the market in the USA he replied, “The Q7 is a really big vehicle. Just size-wise you have to look at the (Lexus) RX 330 as your target. The Q5 will fit into that niche and it should not
cannibalize the Q7. It will be bigger than the (BMW) X3 and (Acura) RDX. Smaller SUVs tend to be more female-oriented.”

Other interesting news on the engine front: in the American market the hybrid variant will arrive first and only afterwards will the diesel version be released, “The Q5 will go hybrid first and not diesel. Audi has told me the unit cost of a diesel is $4,000 more but they realize they cannot sell it for $4,000 more - the premium will be half of that. We’ll sell them if they can keep pricing in line.”

Continue reading: Audi Q5 - first a hybrid version then a diesel for the US

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The new cars announced by Toyota should be a truly important addition to the forthcoming Geneva Motor Show. On display will be the IQ urban car and the brand new model, the Urban Cruiser. The IQ was first seen in concept form in Frankfurt in September 2007 and time-wise in terms of development it has beaten the Volskwagen UP!, which was displayed only a few stands away at the same show.

Three passenger spaces have been confirmed, despite the length being less than three metres. Also confirmed is the shape of the prototype, with large wheels and a smoother drive. Even though the glimpses we have had of the IQ seem to be similar in concept to the Smart For Two, Toyota insists that the technology, the security and the design research represent an automotive revolution. As of yet, the specification details and performance stats, as well as the pricing have not been released, but we do know that the car will not be available on the market before the end of 2008. As for the engine, on
the Italian site we recently covered a possible collaboration with Yamaha.

Continue reading: Geneva 2008: Toyota IQ and Urban Cruiser

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Today Auto Motor und Sport published the first official images of the Land Rover LRX Concept that will be shown for the first time at the 2008 NAIAS in Detroit.

The LRX is a two-door crossover with a coupè-like body that previews the future small Land Rover, which will be positioned under the Freelander. The production version is expected to make its debut in spring 2009.

The car measures 435 cm in length and 155 in height, being shorter but, above all, quite a bit lower than the Freelander. The concept has aggressive air intakes, 20″ rims and narrow head lights. In the side view there is a notably high belt line which creates along with the sloping roof profile a small glass surface, similar to a sports car one.

Continue reading: Land Rover LRX Concept: first official images

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Volkswagen has announced that il be showing 8 world premieres at the next IAA in Frankfurt. The most important premiere will probably be the new VW Tiguan, the mid-size SUV. The Tiguan will be equipped with a new 1.4-liter Twin Charger engine (150 ps), a 2.0-liter TSI turbocharged engine (200 ps) and two new 2.0 liter Common-Rail turbo-charged engines, with respectively 140 and 170 ps. The new diesel engine will both comply with the new Euro 5 emission regulations.

VW will also show a “non convenzional” prototype, of which they say: “The heart of this sensationally flexible City Expert will beat where the flat-four boxer engine once did in the Beatle”. The fact that the press release talks about a “heart” and not an engine makes one think that it’ll be something different from a normal internal combustion engine.

Last but not least, the BlueMotion model offensive, with 6 world premieres. The “low-emissions, low fuel consumption” denoted by the BlueMotion range will thus grow from two to eight models, to which another one will be added during 2008.

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Our reader Piso sends us these two spy videos of the BMW X6, shot on an Italian motorway. The X6 is the upcoming SUV-coupè from BMW: it will be based on the same platform as the X5 E70, but it will be lower on the ground and it will have a sloping rear. It is supposed to be both sportier and more luxurious than the X5 (and, obviously, pricier!).

See this spyshot to get an idea of the true form of the rear of the X6.

Continue reading: BMW X6 - spy videos

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