Sunday, 7 January 2018

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2018 Hyundai i20 Reviewed, Likened To OnePlus Smartphones

Posted: 07 Jan 2018 03:46 AM PST


If you want to get the most value for money car in the supermini segment, you might want to include the 2018 Hyundai i20 on your shortlist.

According to Carwow's review, buying an i20 is a bit like buying a OnePlus phone, in the sense that it generally performs just as well as a Samsung or an Apple phone, but costs a lot less.

Despite it being cheaper to purchase than rivals such as the VW Polo, the i20 still comes with a reasonably roomy interior, featuring loads of storage areas, massive door bins front and rear, as well as good knee and headroom for all passengers.

While the infotainment system proved easy to use, there's no Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, which is something you would have in the all-new Ford Fiesta, for example.

On the road, this 1.0-liter petrol-powered i20 proved easy to drive, boasting super light steering around town, and decent handling characteristics for country roads, although on in this aspect it's still not on the same level as the Fiesta.

Yet, not all customers at this have sporty handling high on their priorities' list and the i20 has a lot to offer, so you might want to check out the video that follows for a more comprehensive look at Huyndai's supermini.

VIDEO

Seat UK Has Sold Out Its Allotment Of Leon Cupra R Hot Hatches

Posted: 07 Jan 2018 02:37 AM PST


Are you a hot-hatch enthusiast in the UK who hoped to get your hands on the new Seat Leon Cupra R? Well, too bad, because it's all sold out.

The Cupra R is the most hardcore version of the Spanish brand's top performance model. It packs a 2.0-liter turbo four good for 310 metric horsepower, channeled to the front wheels through a six-speed manual. It also features wider wheel arches, a full carbon aero kit, 19-inch alloys, and copper trim inside and out.

Seat committed to making just 799 examples, only 24 of which were allocated to the UK, one of the world's top hot-hatch markets. So, despite a sticker price of £34,995, it sold out "in a matter of weeks," according to the automaker.

That represents an approximate £5k premium over the "standard" Cupra, which is available in three- or five-door hatchback forms or as an estate. The Cupra R is offered exclusively as a five-door hatch, in either grey or black.

That kind of money, in case you were wondering, would land you in an M140i hatch or M240i coupe. The Volkswagen Golf R, by comparison, packs the same-spec engine as the Cupra R but with all-wheel drive, and retails in the UK (on the road with tax) between £32,850 (for the manual three-door) and £34,790 (for the dual-clutch five-door).

"As soon as we saw the Leon CUPRA R for the first time, we knew it would appeal strongly to British performance car enthusiasts, but, we've simply been blown away by the amount of interest shown its generated," said Seat UK director Richard Harrison. "I'm delighted, and not the least bit surprised, that the UK-bound cars all found homes in such a short space of time. I'm sure their lucky owners will enjoy many years of great driving in this exclusive series."

Photo Gallery

2018 VW Passat Gets More Standard Features, £22,605 Starting Price In The UK

Posted: 07 Jan 2018 01:23 AM PST


Volkswagen has updated the entire Passat range slightly for the new MY by adding new standard features both inside and out.

Pricing starts at £23,625 ($31,978) for the entry-level saloon powered by a 1.4-liter TSI petrol engine that makes 125PS (123hp) and works together with a 6-speed manual gearbox, whereas the most affordable estate adds a £1,020 ($1,381) premium.

Changes operated across the range include the addition of LED headlights at no extra cost on the SE Business, GT, Alltrack, and R-Line trims, and the brand's App-Connect system, offered as standard on all versions of the car, which mirrors the screen phone onto the infotainment system after users link it via a USB cable.

Elsewhere, the SE Business now benefits from three-zone climate control, color multi-function display, multi-function computer, and heated front seats as standard, with the latter also added to the R-Line and Alltrack models.

Volkswagen's challenger to the likes of the Ford Mondeo and Opel/Vauxhall Insignia continues to be offered in two body styles, saloon and wagon, and with a wide variety of petrol and diesel engines, mated to either a 6-speed manual and a 6- or 7-speed DSG dual-clutch gearbox.

The top-of-the-line GTE Advance model exceeds the £40,000 ($54,143) mark in Britain, and comes with a plug-in hybrid powertrain that makes a combined 218PS (215hp).



PHOTO GALLERY

Electric And Hybrid Vehicles Now Account For Over Half Of Norway's Car Sales

Posted: 07 Jan 2018 12:16 AM PST


Last year, electric vehicles and hybrids accounted for 52 per cent of all new car sales in Norway, a significant 12 per cent increase over 2016, Reuters reports.

The key reason for such high demand stems from the generous incentives the Norwegian government offers to EV buyers. Included among these incentives are a variety of tax breaks, free use of many road tolls and often free parking and charging services.

"No one else is close. For the first time, we have a fossil fuel market share below 50 percent," Norwegian Road Federation (OFV) chief Oeyvind Solberg Thorsen said. "The shift has gone faster than we'd thought, and the big car makers say they're going all in to produce non-fossil cars."

According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), which excludes hybrid vehicles with small electric motors that can't be plugged in from its figures, electric car sales in Norway accounted for 39 per cent of the automotive market, easily putting Norway ahead of any other country. In fact, the Netherlands scored second with just 6.4 per cent of its vehicle sales being EVs.

PHOTO GALLERY

Jeep Driver Spins On Black Ice, Somehow Avoids Hitting Anything!

Posted: 07 Jan 2018 03:17 AM PST


Because black ice is pretty much invisible to drivers it is extremely dangerous, as the person behind the wheel of this red Jeep Grand Cherokee found out.

Normally, people who lose control of their vehicles tend to consider themselves unlucky. In this case though, spinning like that without leaving the road or impacting other cars was actually pretty fortunate.

From what we can tell, as the Jeep crossed over in front of the dashcam car, its driver had already the brakes, which tends to make matters worse when you're driving on slippery surfaces. Anyway, the SUV spun around 360-degrees twice before the driver managed to regain some sort of control, gently sliding the car back towards the first lane, and continuing on their journey.

According to the description, the incident occurred on New Year's Eve in Abilene, Texas, where temperatures have dipped below freezing a few times in recent weeks.

VIDEO

Alpina B4 S Bi-Turbo Makes For An Elegant M4 Alternative

Posted: 06 Jan 2018 11:51 PM PST


As awesome as the BMW M4 is, if you're craving exclusivity, opting for an Alpina-tuned 4-Series should help you stand out more among the crowd.

The best part is that you wouldn't be sacrificing any performance, as the B4 S Bi-Turbo puts out 9 PS (9 HP) and 56 Nm (41 lb-ft) more than the stock M4, for a total of 440 PS (434 HP) and 660 Nm (487 lb-ft).

This white model resides with BMW Abu Dhabi, featuring Alpina's body kit, which includes the custom front splitter, side skirts and boot lid spoiler. It also has multi-spoke alloys, blue calipers and the tuner's decals.

Other mods include the adaptive Alpina sport suspension and the revamped 8-speed automatic transmission with Alpina Switch-Tronic tech.

Inside, it's mostly leather and carbon fiber, which can be found across the dashboard, on the center console and on the door panels. The cabin is both sporty as well as elegant, which is often the case with Alpina products.

PHOTO GALLERY

Porsche Sets U.S. Sales Record In 2017 Shifting 55,420 Vehicles

Posted: 06 Jan 2018 04:15 PM PST


Porsche has posted record sales figures in the United States for 2017, as last year it sold a total of 55,420 vehicles, a 2.1 per cent increase over the previous year.

The brand's most popular model in the U.S. was, once again, the Macan, with 21,429 sales, a significant increase over the 19,332 sold in 2016. The Cayenne was the second-most-popular vehicle with 13,203 examples delivered, followed by the 911 with 6,731 sales.

As for Porsche's premium sedan, the Panamera, 6,731 examples were sold last year, while the Boxster and Cayman duo racked up 5,087 sales.

In a statement, Porsche Cars North America president and chief executive Klaus Zellmer said this is the brand's eighth consecutive year of increased sales in the United States.

"Demand for four-door and two-door Porsche sports cars allowed PCNA to achieve another annual record in 2017, making it the eighth consecutive year of increased sales. The Macan and Panamera model lines posted double-digit growth, and we can expect an additional boost with the arrival of our all-new Cayenne in the second half of the year."

PHOTO GALLERY

Tesla Introduces Trip Planner To Give Potential Customers A Real Look At Ownership

Posted: 06 Jan 2018 02:59 PM PST


With the release of the Model 3, Tesla is finally expanding into a fully-fledged manufacturer that appeals to a significantly higher number of buyers. While the more affordable price tag of $35,000 before tax incentives surely is a major factor in drawing in customers, the automaker's trying out new things, including launching a trip planner on its website, as Fortune reports.

Up until now, only Tesla owners could plan a trip out in one of their electric vehicles through the car's built-in navigation system. The company has added the new planner in an effort to provide drivers with a realistic view on what taking a trip with its all-electric vehicles would be like.

The website allows users to choose between the Model S, Model X, and Model 3, and it's available on all of the Model S and Model X's versions, namely the 75 kWh, 100 kWh, and 100 kWh ones. The Model 3 is only available with the long-range battery pack, which was confirmed to have a range of 310 miles (500 km). After choosing a vehicle, users can plan their trip by entering their location and intended destination.

The nifty thing about the trip planner is that it shows users where and how long they'll have to charge their electric vehicle for on the journey. Your truly, for instance, messed around with a trip from Detroit to Washington, D.C., which is a trip I made multiple times last year.

With a Model 3, I would have to make three stops to get to my destination: one in Macedonia, Ohio, another in North Huntingdon, Pa., and an additional stop in Breezewood, Pa. The stop in Macedonia would be the longest at 40 minutes, while the one in North Huntingdon would be a quick one at 25 minutes and the last one in Breezewood would be for 30 minutes. The trip, including the necessary stops, would take 10 hours and 17 minutes and span 548 miles.

The trip planner also provides an estimated gas savings amount. For the aforementioned trip, Tesla believes it would save me $23. That figure's on the safe side, as I know my 2002 Toyota 4Runner would take about $75 in fuel on that exact trip.

Being able to see exactly where you have to stop and for how long is a nice touch for Tesla customers. Fortune, though, claims that the in-car navigation system is, for now at least, better than the website, as it provides more details.

PHOTOS

Plymouth Superbird Inspires Dodge Challenger Rendering

Posted: 06 Jan 2018 01:59 PM PST


Dodge Challengers have grasped a good chunk of the internet these days, especially in Hellcat and Demon guises, unleashed on drag strips, but this rendering is truly something different.

Inspired by the iconic Plymouth Superbird of the 1970s, RainPrisk has imagined it with an almost identical front end and a gigantic rear wing. Moreover, this Dodge Challenger rendering has other mods too, such as the double-vented hood with quick-release, new front bumper with repositioned fog lamps, side exhaust tips, and a set of very special wheels.

For a car made four decades ago, the original Plymouth Superbird had an impressive amount of power: 425 horses, to be more precise, coming from a 7.0-liter supercharged HEMI V8.

Nowadays, the most extreme version of the Dodge Challenger almost doubles it, being good for 840hp in the range-topping Demon model, with race fuel in the tank and the powertrain control module. This allows it to sprint from naught to 60mph (96km/h) in just 2.3 seconds, or 3.2sec faster than the Superbird.

Now, if you're interested in an unrestored Plymouth Superbird, then you should get ready to spend a huge chunk of cash on it, because these examples usually retail in the neighborhood of $200,000, while properly maintained ones tend to double that price. This makes the $84,995 starting price of a new Challenger SRT Demon seem like a bargain, doesn't it?

PHOTO GALLERY

McLaren Senna Spotted In Gas Station, Doesn't Look That Bad In Black

Posted: 06 Jan 2018 11:35 PM PST


The McLaren Senna, a 798-horsepower (800PS) hypercar that just happens to be street legal, was unveiled earlier last December with some impressive figures. But more than a few people, including us, thought it was too ugly to do justice to Ayrton Senna's name, especially when compared to other hypercars on the market.

The automaker didn't give the Senna a fighting chance, either, as the first pictures of the hypercar revealed a ghastly orange and black paint job that, somehow, made all those curves, scoops and edges look disconnected, as if different teams who didn't talk to each other designed different parts of the car.

Since then, more images have come out, but the hypercar still isn't doing it for us. However, this all-black one that Luke Papworth, an automotive photographer and YouTuber, spotted at a gas station has us rethinking the way we feel about the Senna. The black paint scheme manages to hide some of the hypercar's busy lines and makes it look that much more menacing.

The photos, which were posted onto Papworth's Instagram account, hampshirephotography, were taken at a gas station. With only 500 units of the Senna scheduled for production and Woking planning to start building them in the latter half of this year, managing to snap a few pics of one refueling is a rare opportunity.

While McLaren is still keeping some of the Senna's specs to itself, it claims the hypercar is the most extreme street-legal car to wear the brand's badge. All 500 units of the hypercar are spoken for already, with the automaker auctioning off the last unit for £2 million (roughly $2.67 million). Taste is, of course, highly subjective, but for us the old adage that you can't go wrong with black certainly applies to the Senna.




Photo Gallery

Watch A Mercedes E63 AMG Estate Race A Porsche 911 And Audi R8

Posted: 06 Jan 2018 07:54 PM PST


Last August, Doug DeMuro purchased a 2012 Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG for $44,000. The YouTuber claimed that the 520-horsepower (525 PS) wagon would become his daily driver and promised to do all sorts of fun things with the machine.

Well, he's taken a break from reviewing cars, like the Tesla Model 3, which he called the coolest vehicle of 2017, to take his E63 AMG wagon to a drag strip.

DeMuro's wagon was joined by an Audi R8 and a Porsche 911 at Atco Dragway in Atco, N.J. to see if the E63 AMG could keep up with them. While it certainly isn't a sports car like the other two, the E63 AMG can get to 62 mph in 4.4 seconds, so it had more than a fighting chance against them.

On the other hand, the wagon may have more power than the R8 and the 911, but it's heavier and compared to the R8's all-wheel-drive layout and the 911's rear-engine setup, is down on traction, as well. So, it wasn't really surprising when (spoiler alert) the Merc lost a quarter-mile drag race against the R8. The times were pretty close though, with the E63 AMG wagon setting a time of 13.293 at 109.12 mph. The R8 was a little quicker, with 13.120 110.23 mph respectively.

DeMuro claimed that the Mercedes was in Eco Mode and in its comfort settings. The second time around, he chose the proper go-fast settings and things turned out better.

We won't get into too many details, as that's what the video's for, so if you want to find out whether a super-estate can outrun bona-fide sports cars in a drag race, just click the play button.

Video

Professional BMW Driver Tries Tesla Model 3, Compares It To An M3!

Posted: 06 Jan 2018 11:34 PM PST


The Tesla Model 3 was one of the most anticipated electric vehicles since... well, since we can remember. With a confirmed EPA range of 310 miles (499 km) and a starting price tag of $35,000 before incentives, it could really be a viable option to gasoline- and diesel-powered cars.

However, so far we didn't have any info about the way it drives. A professional BMW driver manage to get behind the wheel of a Model 3 and had good things to say about the sedan.

The lengthy review, if you can call it that, was posted on BMW Car Club of America, and while it doesn't feature a lot of details, it does provide some juicy tidbits. The placement of the headlight switch, for instance, isn't on a stalk or a knob like a regular car, but is accessed through a menu on the massive center screen. That sounds like it would incredibly annoying.

The switch for the hazard lights was in an even more precarious position. For the majority of cars, it's a button located somewhere on the dash, usually in an easily-accessibly area. That's not the case for the Model 3, though, which has a hazard switch that's located in an overhead panel next to the rearview mirror. Again, not the best of ideas.

These are minor quibbles that don't provide any information on the car itself. But the author managed to drive the Model 3 in a spirited manner that revealed its sportier side.

"Despite my lack of seat time in the car, it did what I asked with ease; it was communicative, composed, and surprisingly neutral, despite my not being able to figure out how to defeat the stability control. The steering, brakes, and balance were all on par with my expectations of a sport sedan – think E46 M3…"

Comparing a vehicle, any vehicle, to a BMW E46 M3 is high praise. For those that forgot about one of BMW's purest M3's, this video should freshen up their memories.

Despite being a diehard BMW fan, BMWCCA's reviewer managed to like the Model 3.

"This car is a game-changer; it will be relatively attainable compared to its predecessors, and it was even able to satisfy the driving bias of an old-school BMW-lover like me. I really didn't want to like it, but I found little to complain about."

If an old-school BMW fanatic liked the Model 3, we have a feeling that the rest of the Press will do the same, too. Heck, if it's quirky enough for Doug DeMuro and sporty enough for a BMW fan, then it's going to be very interesting indeed.

PHOTOS

Move Over, Porsche Macan; The Alfa Stelvio QV Wants The Sportiest SUV Crown

Posted: 06 Jan 2018 09:56 AM PST


It's no secret that Alfa Romeo is marketing the new Stelvio Quadrifoglio as the sportiest model in the premium compact SUV segment.

Powered by the same powertrain with the Giulia Quadrifoglio, the range-topping Stelvio has to prove that it's not just another really fast SUV, but also one that offers real fun behind the wheel.

Straight-line performance is great, thanks to the 505hp of the twin-turbo 2.9-liter V6, with 0-60mph coming in an impressive 3.9 seconds and a top speed of 177mph (285km/h).

The chassis also features the same torque-vectoring rear differential used in the Giulia, while the adaptive dampers offer the necessary handling and ride an SUV with such high aspirations must have.

Autocar reviews the new Stelvio Quadrifoglio on a twisty mountain pass in the UAE and deliver their verdict in the following video.

VIDEO

Aston Martin To Roll Out Ferrari 488 GTB Rival In 2021, CEO Says

Posted: 06 Jan 2018 09:02 AM PST


Give or take a year or two, Aston Martin plans to roll out a mid-engined supercar in 2021. The as-yet unnamed Aston is slated to go after the likes of the Ferrari 488 GTB, Lamborghini Huracan, and McLaren 720S - or, in case anyone has been replaced, their successors.

The company's CEO Andy Palmer revealed the news to Motorsport while discussing plans for an F1 engine program. It's that initiative which Aston hopes will give it the credibility to extend beyond the front-engined GTs for which it's known and enter into the realm of mid-engined supercars.

"With all of this stuff in F1, you have to factor in intangibles because you're talking about a marketing return, not necessarily a physical return," Palmer said. "Marketing return hopefully turns into sold cars, which is why we're doing this."

"This is to seed the soil for when we bring a mid-engined car to compete with the Ferrari 488, which is what the Valkyrie was about," he added. "It's about creating credibility ready for when we go mainstream face-to-face with Ferrari, Lamborghini and McLaren on the road. The timing of the 2021 regulations work really well, because it is about the time we'll be bringing that car out."

Photo Gallery

Can The New Volvo XC40 Beat The Germans At Their Own Game?

Posted: 06 Jan 2018 08:02 PM PST


Volvo's latest SUV is called the XC40 - and it's their smallest one to date, after the XC90 and XC60, and potentially the biggest seller as it is more affordable.

Coming as a Scandinavian alternative to the well-established Audi Q3, BMW X1, and Mercedes-Benz GLA, it's underpinned by the brand's new CMA architecture, which was co-developed with Geely, the brand's parent company, specifically for compact cars.

Depending on the market, consumers will be able to choose from several powertrain options, including the D4 diesel with 190hp, and the T5 gasoline that makes 247hp. More importantly, Volvo will make the new XC40 even more affordable with a new T4 option, and it appears that the range will be expanded further with plug-in hybrid and electric versions, although it's unknown when they might arrive.

The XC40 is a nice place to sit in. You get comfortable seats at the front, an infotainment system that can take some time to get used to, and the same overall feel that you get in the larger XC60 and XC90. Space at the rear is quite good too, even with the optional sunroof that shaves some of the headroom, and there are plenty of storage spaces - even a waste bin.

However, not everything is great with the XC40, as there is some road and wind noise coming into the cabin, which is more than you'd expect from a Volvo, as Edmunds pointed out in their review.

But is this the only drawback, or are there some other things that consumers would need to know about? Let's see what the publication's senior writer had to say about it, after driving it on the roads of sunny Spain.

VIDEO

Hyundai Creates World's First Panoramic Sunroof Airbag

Posted: 06 Jan 2018 07:02 AM PST


Panoramic sunroofs have become the latest must-have for new car buyers and Hyundai is looking to answer any and all safety concerns about these glass roofs. Thus, the South Korean automaker has recently created a panoramic sunroof airbag, which it says is the first of its kind in the industry.

Hyundai's solution involves an airbag being installed inside the sunroof mechanism of the tempered glass roof. If an on-board sensor detects the vehicle about to roll over during a crash, the airbag is deployed forward from the rear of the car and covers the entire roof surface in a mere 0.08 seconds.

The automaker claims that its sunroof airbag system prevents passengers from spilling out of the vehicle in a rollover, thus greatly reducing the risk of them sustaining serious injuries, although they didn't provide any info about when they intend to introduce it to its production vehicles.

PHOTO GALLERY

New Audi RS4 Avant Is All The Performance Car You'll Ever Need

Posted: 06 Jan 2018 09:07 AM PST


Audi's RS5 has not been very well received by the press, which found it able, yet too anodyne for something wearing an RS badge, so what are the chances the RS4 Avant will fare any better?

Henry Catchpole's perspective on the new RS4 Avant does it great justice, as the super-fast all-weather RS wagon was always considered as one of the best one-car-to-do-it-all performance models out there and the latest generation shows up improved on every area.

The new twin-turbo 2.9-liter V6 may offer the same 444hp (450PS) with its naturally aspirated predecessor, but it's also lighter by 30kg (66lbs), and offers a massive improvement in torque, which sits at 443lb-ft (600Nm).

For the 0-62mph (0-100 km/h) sprint it needs just 4.1 seconds, while the traditional 250 km/h (155 mph) top speed limiter can be lifted up to 174mph (280km/h) if you tick the right box on the options list.

The Quattro all-wheel drive system has a rear-biased torque-split of 60/40 further helping the dynamics of the new generation RS4, while the longer wheelbase compared to the RS5 Coupe makes the whole car feel more entertaining and accomplished.

You can watch Carfection review the latest RS4 Avant on the beautiful roads of Spain in the video linked below.

VIDEO

Lamborghini's Jalpa Could Be A Classic Worth Bidding For

Posted: 06 Jan 2018 04:51 AM PST


It may not be nowhere as famous as the iconic Miura or Countach, but the Lamborghini Jalpa remains an important piece of the automaker's history.

Built in only 419 examples, including 34 in right-hand drive, from 1982 until 1990, it was Lamborghini's answer to the Ferrari 308, and it came with a 3.5-liter V8 engine, rated at 255hp, a five-speed manual transmission and independent suspension.

Pictured here is the 46th unit that rolled off the line in early 1983, which had four previous custodians until being purchased in 2001 by its fifth owner, a Lamborghini enthusiast who took great care of it. During this period, the Jalpa went through a full restoration, which included finishing its targa top in body color and fitting a radio/cassette player, Carello fog lamps with covers, and baby Vitaloni mirrors.

In 2013, this Jalpa was passed on to its sixth owner, who is now looking to part ways with it, listing it for sale at the Silverstone Auctions event, which takes place on February 23, at the Race Retro International Historic Motorsport Show 2018, at Soneleigh Park, Coventry, UK.

The auction house states that the sports car has 85,500km (53,437 miles) on the clock, and that it's "eminently driveable", expecting it to sell for £65,000-£75,000 ($88,090-$101,653).

PHOTO GALLERY

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