WheelTronix

Suzuki is altering its Grand Vitara 4×4 with a larger 2.4-litre petrol engine.

This engine cedes 166bhp in the three-door model and 169bhp in the five-door. While it is bigger and more dominant than the old model’s 2.0-litre, fuel spending and emission are only slightly enlarged; carbon dioxide output is 208g/km from the five-door and 205g/km from the three-door.
The Grand Vitara receives minor revisions to its front-end styling, chrome and wood interior trim, new door mirrors with integrated indicators, and some new dashboard controls.

Standard tools now includes stability control, ventilated rear disc brakes, an MP3-compatible CD player, rear tinted glass, 17″ wheels and additional shock-absorbing elements fitted to the bonnet, wings and front bumper. Five-door models get leather seats, heated front seats, xenon headlamps, cruise control, 18″ wheels and a glass sunroof.

Deliveries of this model start on October 1, with prices from £14,499 for three-door manual.

French coachbuilder Heuliez has exposed its Friendly – a plug-in electric city vehicle with a range of up to 140 miles and a top speed of 70mph.

The pint-sized car has three motors to choose from – 16, 18 and 25kilowatt – and they are  powered from a nickel metal hydride battery which can be charged from a household electricity supply. It is planned for city use but San Franciscans need not apply: the motor will not cope with any more than a 17% gradient. It can, however, be driven on motorways.
There are three versions available – short (2m 10cm), standard (2m 50cm) and long (2m 90cm). All variants are three-seaters with the front seat located dead centre, and the two rears set in the traditional way to form a triangular arrangement. The rear seats can be removed to create a larger load bay. With the rear seats folded down, the Short offers 850 litres of space, while the Long offers 1650 litres.

Skoda’s most triumphant model is receiving an modification with new headlamps, a new front grille and bumper, new tail lamp covers and a rear bumper with cat’s eye reflectors.

A new engine alternative links the range, the 1.4 TSI, and the turbo charged 1.4 and 1.8-litre petrol engines can be prearranged with the seven-speed automated-manual Direct Shift Gearbox transmission.
New upholstery fabrics are on put forward in all models, and the steering wheel, dashboard, trim, central console and ventilation controls have all been restyled. Front whiplash-reducing head controls are now standard, and adaptive xenon headlamps are available.

Renault has been campaigning its World Series saloon-car championships since 2005 and has modified its particularly-built Megane Trophy racer for the 2009 season.

The new Megane Trophy is motivated by the latest Megane Coupe. Its front and rear light units and windscreen are similar to those of the road cars, but its ground-effects dynamics and aerodynamic sweetening are formulated strictly for track use. The butterfly-opening doors and complex body panels ponder those of GT and sports car racers.

Renault’s V6 3.5 24V power plant – mid/rear-mounted – now bears a charring 360bhp. The tubular chassis, semi-automatic gearbox with steering wheel-mounted paddle shifts, double-wishbone suspension with adjustable dampers, 18-inch wheels and Michelin tyres remain the same.

The New Mégane Trophy is to go on sale at the end of the year in the class of a kit that will permit subsisting cars to be promoted; the essential changes to adjust the chassis to the new bodywork will be carried out by the Alpine factory in Dieppe.

Mazda will uncover its next-generation 3 in saloon form at the Los Angeles Auto Show next month.

The 3 is being exposed at first as a saloon to charm the US market, but a more European-suited produce will follow shortly after.
Both versions dump the old car’s curves for a more angular appearance. The 3 is also lighter than before, with improvement in economy and performance, and includes Mazda’s new stop-start technology.

Star of the low-polluting engine series is accepted to be the new 2.2-litre diesel that will also be applied to power the Mazda 6 from the start of next year. The new engine is tipped to be obtainable in altering states of tune from 125bhp to a powerful 185bhp, which might star in a follow-up to the sporty GTI-style MPS.

The new Mazda 3 goes on sale early next year.

The Project One-77 is ‘the final expression of what Aston Martin stands for’, blending modern technology with craftsmanship and exclusiveness.

It marks the first appearance of a new Aston Martin engine, a 7.3-litre V12 to give over 700bhp and a top speed of over 200mph. A two-door, two-seat coupe with a new carbonfibre monococque body structure, the One-77 is to feature active aerodynamics and ‘deliver breathtaking levels of power and performance.’
The ‘Project One-77′ name is just a working title, says Aston, but it does symbolize the planned production run: just 77 will be made. Customer deliveries will start late next year.

The shooting brake-style Concept Fascination coupe predicts sportiness and practicality, with its munificently-sized load-bay.

It’s founded on the next-generation E-Class platform, and trailers the new-look face of Mercedes, with its remolded headlights and fiber-optic daytime running lights.
Its ultra-luxurious cabin is equipped with deep-pile carpets, lavish leather covering, wood finish, and aluminium and chrome trimmings and also includes a super-baling pop-up, fold-out smoked glass table housing a refrigerated compartment for drinks, champagne flutes and a cigar humidor.

This perception points to the titling of the next-generation E-Class, and also clues at a new type of CE-Class coupe. The 204bhp, four-cylinder 2.2-litre diesel engine will feature in the approaching E-Class range.

The Mazda Kiyora is a sample of the Mazda 1 city car, planned for manufacture early next decade.

The ultra-aerodynamic and super-efficient Kiyora also presents Mazda’s next-generation, four-cylinder, and direct-injection petrol engine with stop-start technology.
The Kiyora uses an all-new lightweight platform deduced from that of the Mazda 2 supermini, and predicts fantabulous crash safety. It has an assortment of gadgets and gizmos to charm to younger buyers in particular.

Chrysler is screening special-edition Jeep Compass and Grand Voyager models at this week’s Paris Motor Show, in addition to the Jeep Patriot Back Country.

The Compass Overland, like the Commander and Grand Cherokee Overland edition models already on sale, is a top-specification model.
Additional communications kit, a high-spec stereo, special styling details and unique embroidered seats are all included. Chrysler is also celebrating 25 years since the launching of its first Voyager MPV with a 25th Anniversary Edition Grand Voyager model.
This comes with special badging, a dark grey interior with black wood trim, satin-finish details and leather upholstery, 17″ alloy wheels, chrome side moldings, and a roof-rack with crossbars.
Chrysler has also declared that its dual-clutch transmission will now be available in Europe in the Avenger and Sebring. It works in combination with the 2.0-litre diesel engine, and offers better fuel economy than a traditional automatic gearbox.

Honda will renew the Insight name, but this most recent model will be more practical than the original two-seat Insight.

The proposal is to make this a true challenger for the Toyota Prius. It’s an appropriate small family-sized five-door, five-seater, with cabin space uncompromised by its battery pack, which is put on underneath the boot.
The new, protuberant-bodied Insight looks a lot like Honda’s FCX Clarity fuel cell car, and even though it’s not much of a looker it does have one very alluring selling point – it’s going to be priced ‘extensively lower than any other hybrid car on the market,’ says Honda, which hopes to sell 200,000 a year.