All-New Hyundai i20

Hyundai has released the first images of the All New i20, ahead of its world premiere at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show this week.

The new model features refreshed styling, enhanced standard vehicle equipment and the lowest CO2 emissions of any conventional powertrain car on sale today, at 84g/km.

The new 1.1-litre, 3-cylinder ‘U-II’ diesel engine generates 75 ps and when mated to Hyundai’s Blue Drive technologies, this derivative emits just 84 g/km of CO2 - a figure lower than any other car with a conventional powertrain. 

This ground-breaking new engine will also be offered alongside another sub-100 g/km diesel and with Blue Drive technologies, the upgraded 1.4-litre ‘U-II’ 90 ps engine emits 96 g/km.

Hyundai releases first images of All-New i20

The All New i20 sees the introduction of Hyundai’s fluidic sculpture form language to this popular supermini and includes the company’s signature hexagonal grille and new headlamp units.  The All New i20 gets a more contemporary profile for the front and rear bumpers, a new sculpted bonnet and new wheel designs as well.

Allan Rushforth, Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Hyundai Motor Europe commented, “The i20 has been very popular with European buyers since it came to market in 2009, thanks to its combination of efficiency, quality, practicality and value.  With an enhanced engine line-up that includes the lowest CO₂ emissions for a conventional powertrain, and sharper styling influenced by fluidic sculpture, the All New i20 will appeal to a broader range of buyers, including younger consumers.  The assurance of our industry-best, comprehensive Five Year Triple Care package makes the All New i20 an even more attractive proposition.”

VolkswagenCross Coupe Concept

Volkswagen is unveiling its new Cross Coupe Concept at the Geneva Motor Show this week. The Cross Coupe has been shown previously at the Tokyo Motor Show but this latest model has an even more frugal plug-in hybrid drivetrain.

The Cross Coupe Concept is powered by a turbodiesel direct injection engine (TDI) and two electric motors with a combined fuel consumption around 157 mpg.

This translates into CO2 emissions of just 46 g/km, which is remarkable in a powerful SUV that has a top speed of 137 mph, 306 PS of power and a kerb weight of 1,858 kg.

Hyundai i-oniq concept car

Hyundai’s new i-oniq concept car will debut at Geneva Motor Show in March and is the most powerful demonstration of Hyundai’s ‘New Thinking’ design strategy to date

The i-oniq is an electric sports hatchback with a range-extending petrol engine and evolves the company’s fluidic sculpture form language. Other design elements include a ‘penthouse roof’ and LED headlights.

The i-oniq is 4.4 metres long and has space for four occupants with high-tech equipment in the driver interface and controls reflecting future electronics technology.  

The concept is powered by a 1.0-litre, 3-cylinder petrol engine coupled to a lithium ion electric motor which produces 109 ps.  In electric-only mode, the i-oniq has a range of 74miles. With help from the petrol engine it can travel up to 434 miles, producing just 45 g/km of CO2.

Toyota Yaris Hybrid

Fleet News, the organisers of Company Car in Action, are offering fleet decision makers an exclusive opportunity to drive the full range of new Toyota hybrids on a variety of road courses at the Millbrook Proving Ground.

Vauxhall, Honda, Seat and Citroen are among other manufacturers already signed up for the two-day event Company Car in Action event which takes place on June 26th-27th. 

The Toyota Yaris Hybrid will offer industry leading low CO₂ emissions of 79g/km and also promises to be the most affordable hybrid car on sale in the UK, at less than £15,000 on the road.

The 99bhp Yaris Hybrid achieves 80.7mpg on the combined cycle, equal fuel consumption to that already achieved by the efficient 74bhp Kia Rio 1.1 CRDi, although the lower pump price of petrol (currently) should mean reduced fuel costs compared with the Kia.

Other Toyota hybrids on show include the latest version of the Prius, the Prius Plug-in, the seven-seat Prius+ and the Auris hybrid, as well as the new Lexus GS450h high-performance executive saloon.

Vauxhall, the biggest manufacturer in the UK fleet market in 2011 will have a full range of its cars and vans available to test as well. They will have the revolutionary Ampera, the first extended range electronic vehicle to be available in the UK, alongside driving debuts for the Astra GTC coupe and the new Zafira Tourer MPV.

Honda’s show cars will include the latest version of the Insight, as well as the Jazz and CR-Z, plus examples of the latest Civic, with its class-leading low CO₂ emissions, while SEAT will also bring the revised Ibiza in hatchback and ST variants, as well as the new Mii.

Fleet decision makers who want to register for Company Car in Action can do so via the link below;

http://www.fleetnews.co.uk/company-car-in-action/view_page.asp?s=online_registration/

Kia Ria EcoDynamics emits 85g/km of CO2

Car CO2 emissions continue to fall as manufacturers strive to produce even more low-CO2 cars. If you are looking for a low-CO2 car then we have 230 hatchbacks currently on the site that fit the bill, all available to lease  now. It is also worth noting that CO2 emissions and fuel efficiency go “hand-in-hand” so the chances are low-CO2 cars also have very high fuel efficiency too.

The easiest way to find the best low-CO2 cars on the site is to use the Vehicle Type Leasing Shopper. Just select the body type of vehicle you are looking for i.e. saloon, hatchback, estate, and then choose the CO2 range to show up to 100g/km of CO2. The CO2 ranges can also be adjusted by 10g/km if you find that there are not that many results in the body style you are looking at.

This should help you narrow down your vehicle choices so that your new car has a low CO2 figure, high fuel efficiency and also using the budget range on the Vehicle Type Leasing Shopper, also shows you the best car you can drive for your money.

Renault Kangoo Van Z.E.

The news that the Government is to introduce an £8,000 plug-in grant for electric vans is a good reason for fleet operators to visit this year’s EV & Low CO2 Fleet Show at Silverstone, on April the 18th. There will be a complete line-up of electric vans available for driving around the racing circuit and on the open roads around Silverstone, with experts on hand to answer any of your questions.

Visitors to the Show, which is being sponsored by the Energy Saving Trust, will be able to listen to a presentation from construction specialists, Willmott Dixon Group, on their progress in “de-carbonising” their business. They have adopted a wide range of low-emission strategies for their light commercial fleets and will be sharing their experiences.

The commercial vehicles available for test driving will include the new Edison and Newton models from Smith Electric Vehicles, plus Renault’s 100% electric Kangoo Van Z.E.. Renault claims the Kangoo Van Z.E. can be more economical to run than a diesel powered van, when the plug-in van grant is taken into account.

The EV & Low CO2 Fleet Show is being organised in association with the British Vehicle Rental & Leasing Association, (BVRLA) the trade association of the UK’s leasing and rental industries.

For more details please phone 01727 739160 or see http://evfleetshow.co.uk/

Volvo C30 Electric

Volvo is one of the partners in the research project ELVIIS (Electric Vehicle Intelligent Infra Structure) that develops a smart on-board concept for controlling, measuring and paying for electricity when charging via any outlet.

ELVIIS is a consortium involving Volvo Car Corporation, Ericsson, the utility company Goteborg Energi and the Viktoria Institute. The research project works across several industries and aims to bring together mobile connectivity to electric cars. It also aims to remove any barriers for using electrical vehicles in daily life so that motorists will adopt using more EVs.

Smart charging concept

The driver chooses to charge the battery pack via any ordinary power outlet and the following happens;

• The outlet is identified via a GPS system.
• The driver pre-sets the timing and the charging amount on the touch screen or remotely via a smart phone or tablet.
• Using the mobile network, the car communicates with the grid and sets the charging scheme in order to support optimal utilisation of the grid and the most favourable energy price available.
• Any interruption in the charging process is directly reported to the driver’s mobile phone.
• The system then directs the cost for each charge to the car owner’s personal utility bill.

The Volvo C30 Electric has been used as a test car in the project and is equipped with an integrated 7-inch colour touch screen, offering smooth charging at the driver’s fingertip. Five C30 Electric cars will now be used for testing and evaluating the technology during one year.

Lennart Stegland, Vice President Electric Propulsion Systems, Volvo Car Corporation, commented, “Our basic view is that the owner of an electric vehicle shouldn’t have to sacrifice any of the properties he or she expects from a luxury car. This smart technology for charging in any outlet, and paying automatically via your own electricity bill, is an excellent example of how we do everything to make the daily use easier for the customer.”

Renault Kangoo

The first vans eligible for the Government’s new Plug-in Car Van Grant, have just been announced by Transport Secretary Justine Greening and Business Minister Mark Prisk, with van buyers now being able to receive 20% (up to £8,000) off the cost of this first wave of 7 plug-in vans.

The way that vans are used today and driven make them ideally suited to the switch to electric as they often have a standard route and distance to travel each day, plus they make frequent stops and many return to an overnight base where they can be easily recharged.

Business Minister Mark Prisk said:

“Vans are essential to the smooth running of so many businesses and contribute enormously to the UK economy. An upfront purchase grant, when combined with lower running costs and tax benefits, can make switching to an ultra low carbon van an attractive choice for those businesses. Now there are seven different models eligible for that support van buyers should be able to choose one they find easy on the eye as well as on the wallet.”

If you are thinking of running an electric van you can benefit from reduced refuelling costs, as these vans will be exempt from the van benefit charge and also receive a 100% discount for the congestion charge in the London.

The first seven vans to be made eligible for the Plug-in Van Grants are;

• Azure Dynamics – Transit Connect Electric
• Daimler Mercedes-Benz – Vito E-Cell
• Faam – ECOMILE
• Faam – JOLLY 2000
• Mia-electric – Mia U
• Renault – Kangoo ZE variants Kangoo VAN ZE, Kangoo Van Maxi ZE, and Kangoo Van Maxi Crew ZE
• Smith Electric – Smith Edison variants SE2 and SE3

The Transport Secretary also announced that the Mia Electric (Mia and Mia L models) has become the eleventh vehicle now eligible for the Plug-in Car Grant, which still offers a grant of up to £5,000.

For further information on the new Plug-in Van Grant follow the link below.

http://www.dft.gov.uk/topics/sustainable/olev/plug-in-van-grant/

Ford B-MAX - Easy Door Access System

Ford has announced that its new B-MAX compact multi-activity vehicle will deliver best-in-class fuel economy in both diesel and petrol categories, when launched in September this year. The new B-MAX with a 1.0-litre 120PS EcoBoost petrol engine will offer you 114g/km CO2 emissions and fuel economy of 57.6mpg, potentially saving £387 per year compared with some of the B-MAX’s petrol rivals Citroen Picasso and Vauxhall Meriva), which have fuel consumption figures under 50mpg, according to Ford.

The new B-MAX powered by a 1.6-litre TDCi engine will deliver 104g/km CO2 emissions and 70.6mpg and this compares with 119 g/km CO₂ figures from other competing multi-activity vehicles on the market.

Barb Samardzich, vice president, Product Development, Ford of Europe,said,“Our goal with B-MAX was to redefine the segment through technology and ingenuity – and that includes delivering the very best fuel economy,”  

B-MAX Green Features

The B-MAX features plenty of green technologies including Auto-Start-Stop, which automatically shuts down the engine when the vehicle is at idle, Ford Eco Mode driver information system, which helps drivers adopt a more economical driving style and Gear Shift Indicator, to highlight the most efficient gear changing points.

In addition the B-MAX has Smart Regenerative Charging, which charges the battery at the most economical points in a journey.

Yaris Hybrid

Toyota will unveil its production-ready Yaris Hybrid, Europe’s first full hybrid supermini, at the Geneva motor show in March. Also on show will be the superb GT 86, a world debut for the FT-Bh concept and the European premiere for the NS4, FCV-R and diji concepts.

Yaris Hybrid

The Yaris Hybrid will go on sale in June this year and is powered by a re-engineered Hybrid Synergy Drive and is set to be Europe’s first full hybrid supermini. It will promises a quiet, smooth performance with the lowest emissions in its class, while still maintaining the internal space for which the Yaris is renowned.

GT 86 coupe

The GT 86 is Toyota’s all-new sports coupe, and is due to reach the road this summer. The GT 86 rediscovers the pure passion and thrill of sports car driving, at an affordable price and has already been highly acclaimed by many motoring journalists. 

GT 86 coupe

FT-Bh concept

The FT-Bh makes its world debut at Geneva and is an ultra-lightweight, full hybrid city car study, designed to achieve low emissions within an economically viable production framework, using materials and manufacturing processes that are already commonplace in the automotive industry.

NS4 and FCV-R concepts

Toyota’s NS4 and FCV-R concepts are also being shown in Europe for the first time, at the Geneva auto show. The NS4 is a next-generation plug-in hybrid vehicle and the FCV-R represents Toyota’s next step towards mass production of hydrogen-powered vehicles, pioneering the way for the launch of a saloon-type fuel cell vehicle by 2015.

Toyota diji

The Toyota diji concept, previously shown at last year’s Tokyo motor show as the Fun-Vii, is all about personalising your car. The entire body of the diji concept, inside and out, serves as a display, with the driver being able to change the colour and content at will. The process of displaying images or information is as simple as downloading an app to your phone and the car can also link to nearby vehicles to create an even more connected driving experience.