Mokka SUV

Vauxhall is set to unveil a brace of stunning new models at this year’s Geneva Show, including the world premiere of the Mokka SUV, Astra VXR and Insignia BiTurbo.

Astra VXR – the ultimate coupe

The Astra VXR is based on the GTC’s platform and powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged direct injection engine. This  stunning coupe produces 280PS of power which is enough for it to achieve a top speed of 155mph (where permitted).

Astra VXR

It has had a raft of bespoke chassis modifications and has a specially developed mechanical limited slip differential, which works on the front wheels. Working in conjunction with the GTC’s sophisticated HiPerStrut (High Performance Strut), the Limited Slip Differential (LSD) provides the new Astra VXR with exceptional grip and traction through bends.

It also features Vauxhall’s fully adaptive FlexRide system and in the Astra VXR, FlexRide features not only has a Sport button, but a VXR button, offering drivers the choice of two, more focused stages of damper, throttle and steering control.

Vauxhall’s Mokka – new SUV for the brand

Vauxhall’s new small SUV, the Mokka, will take the company into new market territory when it’s unveiled at Geneva and will enter the growing sub-compact SUV B-segment. Although it is only 4.28 metres long it can still accommodate five adults in comfort.

It will be available with a choice of front- or all-wheel drive, with the all-wheel drive system automatically transferring power to the wheels that need it most when grip levels are tested to the extreme.

The Mokka will come with three fuel-efficient engines, all equipped with fuel saving Start/Stop technology. The petrol range comprises a 115PS, 1.6-litre naturally-aspirated engine or a 140PS 1.4-litre Turbo or there is a diesel with a 130PS 1.7 CDTI turbo. Both the 1.4 Turbo and the 1.7 CDTI can be combined with either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission.

The Vauxhall Mokka also brings latest technologies to the SUV B-segment, for example the Advanced Adaptive Forward Lighting (AFL+) which increases driving safety and is based on the third-generation bi-xenon lighting system that includes High Beam Assist (HBA). Vauxhall’s front camera system is also available on the car, giving you access to a number of other functions including Lane Departure Warning (LDW), Forward Collision Alert (FCA) and Traffic Sign Recognition.

The Mokka has a muscular, rugged look about it and has a high ground clearance as well as a 1540mm track, with 18-inch alloy wheels standard on most models. It should be in Vauxhall showrooms by the end of 2012.

Insignia BiTurbo

The Vauxhall Insignia BiTurbo is Vauxhall’s most potent diesel car ever, producing 195PS and emissions as low as 129g/km and is available with a choice of five-door Hatch and Sports Tourer bodies in SRi, SRi Vx-line and Elite trims.

The twin-sequential turbocharged diesel is based on the existing 1956cc unit which powers key models in the Insignia, Astra and new Zafira Tourer range. However when in BiTurbo form, this engine produces up to 35PS more power and a significant 50Nm of extra torque, reducing the 0-60mph time by nearly one second, to 8.2 seconds (Insignia FWD Hatch). It has a range of eco features, including standard Start/Stop across the range, with the FWD Hatch achieving a combined 57.6mpg for example.

Vauxhall’s FlexRide adaptive damping is also standard on all Insignia BiTurbos and on four-wheel drive models, FlexRide is integrated with the car’s Torque Transfer Device (TTD) and the rear axle’s electronically controlled Limited Slip Differential (e-LSD), offering you exceptional levels of traction, grip and control.

The SMMT (Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders) has announced that new car registrations rose by 0.03% to 128,853 units in January. They also reported that diesel and alternatively-fuelled cars increased the percentage of sales volumes, up 6.3% and 17.7% respectively.

The SMMT is predeciting that the new car market is expected to remain stable in 2012, dipping just 1% to 1.92 million units in 2012, before recovering in 2013.

“The January new car market held firm with 128,853 registrations, marginally up on January 2011, a welcome sign of stability in uncertain economic times,” said Paul Everitt, SMMT Chief Executive. “2012 is set to be an exciting year with record numbers of new models coming to market filled with innovative technology that will save the motorist fuel, enhance comfort and further increase levels of safety and security. However, to maintain market stability, government must act decisively and deliver much needed confidence to businesses and consumers.”

Highlights from the January figures;

• January’s performance was boosted by the private market, up 2.7% on January 2011 and further growth in the fleet sector (fleets of 25 plus).
• January typically accounts for around 7% of annual registrations, ahead of the key March new plate.
• Demand for diesel cars continues to rise and its market share moved from 50.5% a year ago to 53.7%, as many motorists look to ensure increased fuel efficiency.
• Registrations of alternatively fuelled vehicles also rose by 17.7% in the month and accounted for 1.6% of the market.
• Yet again, the Ford Fiesta was the best selling model in January 2012.
• Four of the top sellers were Superminis and this segment showed the largest rise in volumes during January, with growth in demand also reported for Luxury cars, Dual Purpose, Executive and Sports cars.
•  The market is expected to grow to 1.98 million units in 2013.

Nissan INVITATION

Nissan has revealed the details of a new hatchback concept which previews the company’s next mainstream B-segment contender, to be sold alongside their Micra city car and the innovative Juke crossover. 

The concept is called INVITATION and is set to be unveiled at this year’s Geneva International Motor Show, with a UK launch date from 2013.

The side of the concept car has a distinctive character line, known internally at Nissan as the ‘Squash Line’, which adds a powerful dynamism to its profile ,with distinctive sculpted front and rear wings. Inside, the open cabin environment combines modern-day practicality with impressive levels of quality and technology features.

Inside INVITATION

Nissan is aiming for an ultra-low CO₂ emission target of under 100g/km for the most economical model in the range, with all versions eligible to wear Nissan’s Pure Drive badge.

Among the innovative features of the car is Nissan’s advanced Around View Monitor (AVM) safety technology. This will be seen for the first time on a B-segment car and makes reversing and parallel parking a vehicle as stress-free as possible. 

INVITATION also incorporates Nissan Safety Shield Technologies, keeping the driver aware of what is happening around the car.

New Peugeot Expert Van

The new Peugeot Expert Tepee will be unveiled as a world premiere at the forthcoming Geneva Motor Show in March and will be available in the UK, along with the new Peugeot Expert Van from around mid-March 2012. The new Peugeot Expert incorporates the new Peugeot style codes, has new equipment and a range of Euro 5 engines which position it as a market leader in its segment, for lowest CO₂ emissions.

New Peugeot Expert Tepee

The new Peugeot Expert will be available as a Compact Van or Combi (Tepee) and here are some of the headlines for this new model.

• The Peugeot Expert has a modern appearance, introducing a new front face
• It comes with high-performance and efficient Euro 5 engines
• Offers best-in-class low CO₂ emissions for the Expert Tepee – 172g/km
• The 2.0l HDi Expert Van delivers the best power/CO₂ emissions ratio -168g/km
• Introduces a 6-speed automatic gearbox on the 2.0-litre HDi 163bhp engine.

Skoda MissionL

SKODA’s is attending the 2012 Qatar Motor Show where it will be showcasing their MissionL concept saloon. This car is a close-to-production concept and reveals the future design direction for the SKODA brand. The visit to the Qatar Motor Show also demonstrates their future international growth strategy plans.

The new compact MissionL saloon will be launched in late 2012 and will extend the model range of the brand in a new segment between the Fabia and Octavia models. The MissionL is destined for Qatar as well and SKODA aims to substantially increase their global sales of all car models to at least 1.5 million units per year, by 2018. In addition to the MissionL, SKODA is also displaying the latest Fabia, Octavia, Yeti and Superb models at the show.

The MissionL concept saloon impresses with its clear and precise lines with the front showing SKODA’s new brand design. The revised and freshened-up SKODA logo is now prominently positioned on the bonnet’s rounded front end and the grille sports a chrome frame and is made of vertical plate fins. There is also a black transparent glass roof that spans across the car’s interior with the cockpit conveying its spaciousness thanks to its horizontal arrangement.  

If you are interested in leasing a brand new Skoda car then we have the full Skoda model range on the site on contract hire.

Continental GTC

Bentley Motors will unveil their new Continental GTC for the first time in Qatar at the Qatar International Motor Show, Doha. The all-new Bentley GTC Convertible features an even more spacious and sumptuous hand-crafted cabin, with soft-touch leather hides, plus an extensive range of wood veneers, cool-touch metals and deep-pile carpets. It now comes with a more powerful 575PS 6.0 litre, twin-turbocharged W12 engine, as well as a new QuickShift transmission, enabling faster gear changes than ever before.

Alasdair Stewart, Member of the Board for Sales and Marketing, Bentley Motors, said:

“We are delighted to be here in Qatar with the new GTC. It has always been the most emotional model in the Continental range and a showcase for Bentley design. With its tailored soft top, the GTC is a pure British convertible true to those classic Bentleys of the past. However, the technology, performance and overall design excellence invested in this model means that we are now writing a new chapter for the Bentley convertible driver.”

Mulsanne

The other Bentley featured car at the Qatar Motor Show is the Bentley Mulsanne, which continues to do exceptionally well in the Middle East. The new Mulsanne flagship is an elegant car, yet distinctly sporting in character and delivers effortless performance from the classic 6.75 litre V8 engine. It still represents the pinnacle of British luxury motoring which continues to attract substantial interest in the Middle East with the market now accounting for 15% of global sales.

Lexus LF-LC Hybrid Sport Coupe Concept

The stunning Lexus LF-LC Hybrid Sport Coupe Concept has been honoured with the annual EyesOn Design Award for the best concept car, at the Detroit Motor Show (NAIAS).

The Lexus Calty studio in California created the LF-LC and their aim was to create a future redefinition of Lexus design, with new and advanced technologies. Some of the features of the new design concept have already been introduced in the new GS 450h, for example the “spindle” grille shape and the rear architecture.

Lexus LF-LC concept

Kevin Hunter, Calty President,said,”The LF-LC was a dream car to design and a true collaborative effort at Calty. It is an honour to have that work recognised by our peers and to receive the award”.

The EyesOn Design Awards are one of the most prestigious awards a car manufacturer can receive, as the judges are made up of a group of world leading automotive designers and design academics. They evaluate Aesthetics and Innovation, Concept Implementation, Functionality and the Spirit of Industrial Design.

Toyota 2012 Land Cruiser V8

The new 2012 Toyota Land Cruiser V8 has just been launched and offers even higher quality, comfort, luxury and off-road performance than its predecesor. The car gets a new exterior and interior styling as well as a revised 4.8-litre V8 turbodiesel engine, which meets Euro 5 emissions standards.

The 2012 Land Cruiser V8 will make its debut at the Brussels Motor Show this week and will go on sale in the UK in March 2012, when full range prices and vehicle specifications will be announced.

The 2012 Toyota Land Cruiser V8 design changes include a new over-size bumper with integrated fog lights and a new grille that pairs chrome and silver finished vertical bars, to name some of the styling highlights.

Other advanced technologies for greater off-road driving capability include;
o   World-first Turn Assist, reducing vehicle turning radius when negotiating tight bends
o   Crawl Control with seven speed settings for steep incline climbs and descents
o   Multi-terrain Select with five modes to suit different off-road conditions
o   Multi-terrain Monitor providing 360-degree view of vehicle surroundings via four external cameras
o   Tyre Angle Display
o   Variable Flow Control power steering

The range will also offer Toyota Touch Pro advanced multimedia and navigation system with voice command control, Bluetooth and rear-view camera, new premium features including heated steering wheel, front seats with cooling and heating functions and memory settings, new-design 20-inch alloy wheels, powered upper tailgate section and bi-xenon headlamps.

New Kia c'eed

The new Kia c’eed is set to be officially unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2012 and in the meantime Kia has just released the first image of the new car.

The styling resembles a sporty coupe and has design features like chrome framed windows and muscular lines on the bonnet. The new Kia c’eed will be available in Europe from the second quarter of 2012 and in the UK by June.

Toyota Yaris Hybrid

Toyota has released the first pictures of Yaris Hybrid ahead of its public debut at the Geneva motor show in March 2012. The new model brings together the packaging and agile handling of the Yaris, with Toyota’s innovative Hybrid Synergy Drive powertrain.

Yaris is Toyota’s best-selling car in Europe and the Yaris Hybrid follows the launch of Auris Hybrid in 2010 as the second core Toyota model to feature full hybrid technology. The intention is to now introduce the powertrain to the largest volume segment in the European market. As the new flagship car of the Toyota Yaris range, it shares the same new-design “face” of Toyota but places greater priority on aerodynamic efficiency.

New Toyota Yaris Hybrid

Toyota has downsized its Hybrid Synergy Drive for Yaris, combining a new 1.5-litre petrol engine with a more compact electric motor, transaxle, inverter and battery pack and the result is a system that is 20 per cent lighter than that used in the Auris Hybrid.

The location of the fuel tank and hybrid battery is under the rear seat and the Yaris Hybrid offers the same occupant space and 286-litre luggage capacity as conventional petrol and diesel Yaris models. Automatic air conditioning and e-CVT automatic transmission are fitted as standard on the car, signalling that customers do not have to compromise on comfort in order to achieve low CO2 emissions performance.