The C30, S40 and V50 DRIVe models and the V70 2.5FT and S80 2.5 FT (bioethanol powered) have all been nominated for World Green Car of the Year 2009. The winner will be announced at the New York International Auto Show in April 2009. Volvo Cars is the manufacturer with by far the largest number of candidates in the
Small vans with low running costs have never been more popular – and according to leading light commercial vehicle magazine What Van?, the Vauxhall Corsavan is the best of the lot. The prestigious publication awarded Corsavan the title of ‘Small Van of the Year 2008’ – the second year in succession that it has taken the accolade - citing its road manners, fuel economy and modern, streamlined styling as the key features that made it more attractive than rivals. What Van? Editor Neil McIntee
Opel now offers the Antara with front-wheel drive for active people and families who seek space and high seating and prefer the look of a crossover. By opting for a 4X2, buyers have a cost savings on a car that already offers high value for money. The Antara front-wheel drive is available with the Common Rail Turbo diesel 2.0 CDTI with 93 kW/127 hp as well as the 2.4 liter gasoline engine with 103 kW/140 hp. Regardless of the motor chosen, the
A Pagani Zonda is never shy of a drive at the racetrack, a fact that was undermined numerous times in the past with records for production vehicles at the Nurburgring Nordschleife. With the input of its avid track focused customers, the Pagani team has created the Zonda R using bespoke engineering solutions to meet the performance demands for a trackday version of the highly popular Zonda F. The central monocoque is made of a Carbon-Titanium composite, increasing rigidity while reducing signi
The editors at NADAguides.com, a leading vehicle pricing and information website based in Costa Mesa, California, have named the Saab 9-3 Aero SportCombi a "Top 5 Wagon". An important contributor to the award was the availability of Saab's "Cross-Wheel Drive" (XWD) system, new for the 2009 model year as standard equipment in the 9-3 Aero SportSedan and SportCombi and available on 2.0T models. "When they say engineered from jets, they mean it," said Don Christy, president and CEO of NADAguides.com. "The 2009 Saab
Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc., announced manufacturer's suggested retail prices (MSRP) today for the 2009 Highlander Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) equipped with an all-new 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine. With improved fuel efficiency and performance, and an array of standard convenience and safety features, the new four-cylinder model will carry the lowest MSRP in the Highlander lineup at $25,705, offering buyers an excellent value. Pri
Mazda Motor Corporation today announced the launch of the freshened Mazda Roadster (known as the MX-5 overseas) into the Japanese market. Mazda’s updated iconic lightweight, open-top sports car goes on sale today (December 9, 2008) at all Mazda and Mazda Anfini dealers throughout Japan. Manufacturer’s suggested retail prices (including consumption tax) range from 2,330,000 to 2,600,000 yen for the soft top models, and from 2,680,000 to 2,950,000 yen for the Power Retractable Hard Top (RHT) models that feature Maz
Hyundai’s all-new 4.6-liter Tau V8 engine, which debuted in the premium Genesis sedan this year, has been named one of the “Ward’s 10 Best Engines” for 2009 by Ward’s Auto World. This marks the first time a Hyundai engine has appeared on the prestigious “Ward’s 10 Best Engines” list. Ward's Auto World editors tested the Tau V8 engine in Hyundai’s all-new Genesis sedan this fall and concluded, “The engine’s velvety power delivery, competitive p
KTM, one of the newest car manufacturers in Europe, celebrated triple honours at the TopGear.com 2008 awards last night.The stunning ‘Ready to Race’ KTM X-Bow is Top Gear’s ‘Sports Car of the Year’, while KTM’s CEO Stefan Pierer, and X-Bow Chief Chassis Engineer, Loris Bicocchi, are both recognised among Top Gear’s ‘Men of the Year’. Made in Austria, the KTM X-Bow (pronounced crossbow) is a minimalist two-seater mid-engined sports car - featuring a state-of-the-art carbon fibre monocoque - that delivers a pu
Audi is launching the next variant of its top-of-the-line model. With the R8, the brand has established itself at the forefront of high-end sports cars from the very start – and now comes the R8 V10. Its 5.2-liter, ten-cylinder engine churns out 386 kW (525 hp) and 530 Nm (390.91 lb-ft) of torque, which makes for breathtaking performance. With superior Audi technologies such as quattro all-wheel drive, the lightweight aluminum body, the innovative all-LED headlights, and its striking design, the R8 V10 takes pole p
As production of the European specification Nissan GT-R begins in its Tochigi plant in Japan this month, a raft of small but significant changes have been made to the car as part of its kaizen – continuous improvement – philosophy. The GT-R’s hand-built 3.8-litre V6 twin-turbo engine has gained 5PS thanks to some fine tuning of its electronics, taking power output to 485PS, while torque remains unchanged at 588Nm. Additionally, Dunlop SP Sport 600 DSST tyres will be fitted as standard. The ty
Ford's latest C-MAX MPV delivers the lowest CO2 emissions in its segment. Engineering developments to Ford C-MAX 1.6 TDCi models have resulted in emissions of just 119g/km of CO2. As a result vehicle excise duty (VED) for these models reduces immediately from £120 to £35. There will be a further reduction to £30 from April 2009, when new VED bands come into force. The official European Drive Cycle combined fuel consumption figure for these models is improved to 62.8mpg*. C-MAX is one of
