Volkswagen will next year become the first European automaker to enter the 1-tonne pick-up market with an original design. The pick-up was presented at IAA as a concept called SAR (Search and Rescue). It's a smart crew-cab 4x4 pick-up, giving a clear indication of what a 'lifestyle' VW pick-up will look like. More
As the van market fragments, manufacturers are looking for new niches. And an emerging niche at Hanover seems to be all-wheel drive versions of panel vans, with a number of manufacturers showing 4x4 vans. Ford announced the Transit AWD, which marries an all-wheel drive system to a 140PS 2.4-litre TDCi diesel and a 6-speed manual transmission. It is available for all different body styles, roof heights and wheelbases on Transits in the 3.3 to 3.5-tonne weight class. “The Transit AWD is mainly aimed at cust
What better way to advance the development of crash prevention technology than to mimic some of the best proponents of collision avoidance in the natural world? Bees. In a surprising project that will be unveiled at CEATEC, the humble bumblebee has given engineers at Nissan Motor Co.’s Advanced Technology Center a strategic hint at how to design the next generation of crash-avoidance systems. Based on joint research with the Research Ce
At the State Fair of Texas today, Dodge will introduce the all-new 2009 Lone Star Edition Dodge Ram 1500, a Texas-exclusive model in the 2009 Dodge Ram lineup. The new truck arrives this month with a truck-load of special equipment and enhancements. “Texas is the single largest truck market on the planet for Dodge,” said Mike Accavitti, Director – Dodge Division, Chrysler LLC. “Texans love their trucks, and Dodge gives them more to love with a
In 1976 the Mk I Golf GTI was launched as a low volume addition to the Golf range. Thirty two years, five generations and 1.7 million sales after that car established the breed, the sixth generation of the GTI has been unveiled in concept form ahead of its public debut next month at the Paris Motor Show. The core a
By adding an available manual transmission to the TL SH-AWD® model, Acura will further up its game for performance minded TL drivers who prefer the winding route over the direct route, Acura announced today. Available next fall for the 2010 model year, will be a TL SH-AWD® with 6-speed manual transmission and numerous
Ronaldinho, Gianluca Zambrotta, Fabio Cannavaro, Rafael van der Vaart, Andrij Shevchenko or Ruud van Nistelroy – the family of Audi drivers has been expanded by prominent members galore these days. AUDI AG handed over the new “company cars” to the players of its partner clubs Real Madrid and AC Milan. Since as early as 2003 AUDI AG has been the exclusive vehicle partner of the Spanish record champion Real Madrid and continuously adds new life to this partnership. This was again the case today: before the stars o
Seven versions of the all-new Kia Soul urban crossover passenger car will star in a special ‘Soul World’ as the new segment-busting vehicle makes its world debut at the Paris Mondial de l’Automobile from 2 October 2008. The eagerly awaited Kia Soul marks a revolutionary expansion of the Kia product line-up. A bold statement of Kia’s determination to succeed as one of the world’s top automotive companies, Kia Soul is destined to appeal to a whole new group of European and global consumers. Alongside the new Soul
One of the world's most advanced wind tunnels is Volvo's new tool in the quest to lower fuel consumption and reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Volvo Car Corporation is the first car manufacturer to own a wind tunnel that fully simulates the airflow around and underneath the car's body, combined with wheel rotation on a flat road surface. Volvo’s 27 square metre, wind-generating chamber is an in-house facility designed with a moving road simulat
The 2009 F-Series Super Duty line of trucks, the industry's most capable full-size heavy-duty work trucks, come equipped with even more capability, thanks to new standard features and offers even more choice with two new packages – a Cabela's FX4 for the outdoor enthusiast and for the first time, a Harley-Davidson™ F-450 pickup. All four Super Duty trim levels, XL, XLT, FX4, and Lariat, come with new standard features. The XL, the no frills wo
The Volkswagen Golf GTI was unveiled in 1975 at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The UK market had to wait a further two years for vehicles to arrive – 1977 saw 34 examples, all of them left hand drive, sold in the GTI’s first tentative year. The GTI was powered by a 1,588 cc four cylinder engine with K-Jetronic fuel injection it developed 110 PS at 6,100 rpm and 103 lbs ft of torque at 5,000 rpm. This allowed the GTI, which weighed 810 kg unladen, to hit 60 mph from standstill in nine-seconds before reaching a top sp
Infiniti announced pricing on the 2009 Infiniti QX56 full-size luxury SUV, which is on sale now at Infiniti retailers nationwide. Following extensive revisions for the 2008 model year, the 2009 QX56 features a new exterior color, Deep Garnet, and the addition of an automatic locking door function. The 2009 QX56 offers an array of standard technology and luxury equipment, including an Infiniti Hard Drive Navigation System with XM NavTraffic® with Real-Time Traffic information (XM® radio and X
