The Fruit of Knowledge
Posts tagged geneva motor show
First Drive: 2014 Fiat 500L
Jun 19th
Filed under: Wagon, Hatchback, First Drives, Fiat
Unexpectedly, This Opposite Attracts
Back in 2007 when the Fiat 500 was launched, I was unrepentantly nuts about the thing. From the first time my eyes clapped on the Nuevo Cinquecento at the Geneva Motor Show that year, I wanted one. Since there were no plans for a North American model at the time, I had to settle for purchasing a 1/18th-scale diecast at the expo. When Fiat finally returned to the US and the Cinquecento went on sale in 2011, I was no less excited.
And then I drove one, and the bloom was off my little Italian rose. Oh, I still appreciated its size and high style, but I found it wholly unsatisfying to drive, something that wouldn’t be rectified until the Abarth arrived. It wasn’t that the standard 500 was slow – I expected that – it was that its wonky driving position, lackluster transmissions and ropey steering all stood in the way of appreciating its other virtues. The Abarth’s characterful powertrain would eventually come along to alleviate most of those pains, but not all of them.
Now with the advent of the 500L for 2014, it appears I’m living the same scenario, albeit in reverse. My first encounter with this new, larger Fiat was also at the Geneva show, only this time, when the sheet was yanked off its flanks in 2012, I didn’t like what I saw. The Italian marque hadn’t just name-checked the Cinquecento with this larger five-door, it attempted to appropriate its amusing and iconic design by repeating key styling elements like its circular light fixtures and simple chrome bar grille (collectively known as the “whiskers and logo face”), along with rounded interior forms painted in body colors. To my eyes, the design just didn’t work, yet I was still intrigued about the promise of a larger 500 and more polished driving experience.
Continue reading 2014 Fiat 500L
2014 Fiat 500L originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 19 Jun 2013 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Report: Lamborghini Pregunta Paris concept offered at $2.1M [w/video]
Apr 14th
Filed under: Concept Cars, Classics, Convertible, Performance, Etc., Videos, Lamborghini, Design/Style, Luxury
When the Lamborghini Veneno was introduced at the Geneva Motor Show, there were those who connected dots from it to the Lamborghini Pregunta concept from 1998, and also to the Pagani Zonda that arrived one year later. Near the end of the turmoil that was Lamborghini’s ownership through the mid-nineties, an order was placed with the French Carrosserie Heuliez for a one-off concept car that was “new, original and impossible to confuse with any other car’s shapes,” that would be built on a Diablo chassis. The result was the Pregunta.
It was an aerospace-influenced supercar with carbon fiber bodywork, a 530-horsepower V12 and a claimed 207-mile-per-hour top speed. It employed rear-wheel drive instead of the Diablo’s all-wheel drive, was coated in the same paint used on the French military’s Dassault Rafale fighter jet and had fiber optic lighting, rear-view cameras and a GPS system. It was shown to the world at the 1998 Paris Motor Show, and again at the 1999 Geneva Motor Show.
Thought to be the last concept built on a Lamborghini body before Audi bought the company in 1998, AutoDrome, a French specialist in vintage exotics, has the Pregunta for sale for 1.6 million euros ($2.1M US). You can watch it hit the runway with a Rafale in the video below, then give AutoDrome a call if you’re interested.
Continue reading Lamborghini Pregunta Paris concept offered at $2.1M [w/video]
Lamborghini Pregunta Paris concept offered at $2.1M [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 14 Apr 2013 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Spy Shots: Honda Civic Tourer caught testing ahead of 2014 launch
Apr 8th
Filed under: Spy Photos, Wagon, Europe, Honda
Honda showed off its Civic Tourer concept at the Geneva Motor Show in March, and at that time, we were told that a production version would be coming to market in the very near future. Obviously, the sleek lines of the concept car will be dumbed down slightly for consumers, but that doesn’t mean the Civic wagon will be a bland machine. The Euro-spec Civic’s angular front end looks like it will blend nicely with the rakish rump that we saw on the concept.
Our sources suggest that not only will the Civic Tourer be a class-leader in terms of cargo capacity, but it will likely be a pretty engaging car from behind the wheel, as well. Honda is hoping that the Tourer will account for roughly 20 percent of all European Civic sales after it goes on sale.
Expect to see the production car debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show this September, with the first customers taking delivery in early 2014. In the meantime, have a look at the camouflaged swoopy wagon from all angles in our gallery above.
Honda Civic Tourer caught testing ahead of 2014 launch originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 08 Apr 2013 14:16:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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First Drive: 2014 Mini Cooper Clubvan
Apr 8th
Filed under: Minivan/Van, Europe, Work, Mini, First Drives
A Premium Van For The Modern-Day Milkman
We first saw the Mini Clubvan at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2012, then in December again at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Based on a stock Mini Clubman, the Clubvan’s dimensions are identical, while all side windows aft of the middle pillar are blocked out from the inside with handy polycarbonate liners (read: fancy plastic) and have body color skin on the outside, while the rear windows are tinted to boot. It looks like a van and works like a van, so it must be a van. A Mini-van, though.
Where is Mini going with this relatively low-cost (to the company) product line extension? The chief market for this nimble little hauler is cities in Great Britain where they were frequently in bygone days identified as milk delivery vans. These days, though, there are – even in the US now – lower cost smaller urban delivery vans from Ford, Ram and Nissan. Therefore, the spin is that the Mini Clubvan is designed to cater to smaller boutique firms in need of making a fashionable impression while delivering the goods to people living in penthouses and such. Think: Florists, caterers, and so on.
Continue reading 2014 Mini Cooper Clubvan
2014 Mini Cooper Clubvan originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 08 Apr 2013 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Report: Range Rover Evoque convertible unlikely to see production
Apr 7th
Filed under: Concept Cars, Convertible, SUV, Geneva Motor Show, Land Rover, Luxury, Off-Road
From the time when all we had were rumors of a Range Rover Evoque convertible, to the grainy spy shots of said topless SUV in some English alley, to the time it rolled out on the floor of the 2012 Geneva Motor Show, nothing could keep people from asking, “Is this really happening?”
To be fair, there were a number who asked in anticipation, enthused about the prospect of getting both a commanding driving position and wide open sky in a more toothsome package than the Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet. Nevertheless, the number wasn’t enough to recommend the concept for production: A report in Car and Driver says the prospects aren’t “as bright as we were led to believe when the crossover cabrio debuted,” and that instead an Evoque with a panoramic roof that opens is a better bet.
Elsewhere in the rapidly evolving Land Rover line-up, platform harmonization and more cowbell aluminum is the way forward. From the recent use of four platforms supporting six vehicles, there will soon be only two: the EUCD architecture for the LR2 and Evoque; all else will be built on a modified version of the D7 platform created for the new Range Rover. That puts not only variants like the Chinese-market long-wheelbase Range Rover in the aluminum game, but also models like the next Defender and LR4. That latter model is expected to bow next year, the Defender might need more time while the design department moves on from the DC100, which wasn’t warmly received.
Range Rover Evoque convertible unlikely to see production originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 07 Apr 2013 17:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Report: Lexus to debut small hybrid CUV at 2014 Geneva Motor Show
Apr 5th
Filed under: Concept Cars, Hybrid, Geneva Motor Show, Tokyo Motor Show, Crossover, Lexus, Luxury
Following rumors that Lexus has been working on a small crossover to slot below the RX (pictured), Automotive News Europe reports that the production-ready CUV will bow at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show next March. Later this year, Lexus will preview this new crossover by way of a concept car at the Tokyo Motor Show in November.
According to the report, this new crossover will be a hybrid, and will ride on the smaller architecture that underpins the Toyota RAV4. Specific details have not been confirmed, but AN states that the entry-level CUV will be powered by the same 2.5-liter gasoline-electric drivetrain found in the Lexus ES 300h. Since Toyota will evidently be taking the time to hybridize the platform, we can’t help but assume that it will eventually build a second-gen RAV4 EV.
Either way, with the small luxury CUV segment heating up, Lexus is likely smart to offer a player in this space. Until now, there has not been a Lexus crossover below the RX, and this new model will compete with other new players in the class including the BMW X1 and Audi Q3.
Lexus to debut small hybrid CUV at 2014 Geneva Motor Show originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 05 Apr 2013 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Lexus to debut small hybrid CUV at 2014 Geneva Motor Show
Apr 5th
Filed under: Concept Cars, Hybrid, Geneva Motor Show, Tokyo Motor Show, Crossover, Lexus, Luxury
Following rumors that Lexus has been working on a small crossover to slot below the RX (pictured), Automotive News Europe reports that the production-ready CUV will bow at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show next March. Later this year, Lexus will preview this new crossover by way of a concept car at the Tokyo Motor Show in November.
According to the report, this new crossover will be a hybrid, and will ride on the smaller architecture that underpins the Toyota RAV4. Specific details have not been confirmed, but AN states that the entry-level CUV will be powered by the same 2.5-liter gasoline-electric drivetrain found in the Lexus ES 300h. Since Toyota will evidently be taking the time to hybridize the platform, we can’t help but assume that it will eventually build a second-gen RAV4 EV.
Either way, with the small luxury CUV segment heating up, Lexus is likely smart to offer a player in this space. Until now, there has not been a Lexus crossover below the RX, and this new model will compete with other new players in the class including the BMW X1 and Audi Q3.
Lexus to debut small hybrid CUV at 2014 Geneva Motor Show originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 05 Apr 2013 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Report: Lexus to debut small hybrid CUV at 2014 Geneva Motor Show
Apr 5th
Filed under: Concept Cars, Hybrid, Geneva Motor Show, Tokyo Motor Show, Crossover, Lexus, Luxury
Following rumors that Lexus has been working on a small crossover to slot below the RX (pictured), Automotive News Europe reports that the production-ready CUV will bow at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show next March. Later this year, Lexus will preview this new crossover by way of a concept car at the Tokyo Motor Show in November.
According to the report, this new crossover will be a hybrid, and will ride on the smaller architecture that underpins the Toyota RAV4. Specific details have not been confirmed, but AN states that the entry-level CUV will be powered by the same 2.5-liter gasoline-electric drivetrain found in the Lexus ES 300h. Since Toyota will evidently be taking the time to hybridize the platform, we can’t help but assume that it will eventually build a second-gen RAV4 EV.
Either way, with the small luxury CUV segment heating up, Lexus is likely smart to offer a player in this space. Until now, there has not been a Lexus crossover below the RX, and this new model will compete with other new players in the class including the BMW X1 and Audi Q3.
Lexus to debut small hybrid CUV at 2014 Geneva Motor Show originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 05 Apr 2013 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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A3 Sportback E-Tron plug-in hybrid confirmed for US
Mar 27th
Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Audi
We got our first look at the new Audi A3 Sportback E-Tron concept at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show earlier this month. Today, Audi confirmed that a production version of the plug-in hybrid five-door will go on sale in the US at some point.
Audi calls PHEV technology a “practical first step towards electrified driving” because having a gas tank on board “mitigates the range anxiety concerns associated with most full battery electric vehicles.” While not exactly transferable to the production version, the A3 E-Tron concept had a powertrain that offered 204 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. Fuel economy figures, even early estimates unverified by the EPA, were not discussed this time around, but an earlier press release said the concept’s turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine burns 1.5 liters of fuel per 100 km (156.81 US miles per gallon) using a six-speed dual-clutch transmission.
Last year, Audi discussed how it was testing the A3 E-Tron in Golden, CO with employees it called E-Pilots. You can watch the feel-good video – noticeably lacking details on the car itself but full of information about people’s pets – here.
Continue reading A3 Sportback E-Tron plug-in hybrid confirmed for US
A3 Sportback E-Tron plug-in hybrid confirmed for US originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Wed, 27 Mar 2013 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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Official: A3 Sportback E-Tron plug-in hybrid confirmed for US
Mar 27th
Filed under: EV/Plug-in, Hybrid, Audi
We got our first look at the new Audi A3 Sportback E-Tron concept at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show earlier this month. Today, Audi confirmed that a production version of the plug-in hybrid five-door will go on sale in the US at some point.
Audi calls PHEV technology a “practical first step towards electrified driving” because having a gas tank on board “mitigates the range anxiety concerns associated with most full battery electric vehicles.” While not exactly transferable to the production version, the A3 E-Tron concept had a powertrain that offered 204 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. Fuel economy figures, even early estimates unverified by the EPA, were not discussed this time around, but an earlier press release said the concept’s turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine burns 1.5 liters of fuel per 100 km (156.81 US miles per gallon) using a six-speed dual-clutch transmission.
Last year, Audi discussed how it was testing the A3 E-Tron in Golden, CO with employees it called E-Pilots. You can watch the feel-good video – noticeably lacking details on the car itself but full of information about people’s pets – here.
Continue reading A3 Sportback E-Tron plug-in hybrid confirmed for US
A3 Sportback E-Tron plug-in hybrid confirmed for US originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Wed, 27 Mar 2013 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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