Two official images of Volvo’s new V40 five-door hatchback have emerged online, offering a look at the updated exterior the new model receives.

From the pictures you can see that the V40 conforms to Volvo’s current styling tendencies, with fluid lines sweeping the body and a sharp-looking front end. Grille design remains unchanged, but raked-back headlights have been added along with a panoramic glass roof that blends into the windscreen.

Further details, such as powertrain options, will be revealed at the Geneva Motor Show on March 6.

Expect the V40 to go on sale here in Australia early next year.

Toyota has revealed the first details of its new FT-Bh concept car that debuts at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show in March. A radically lightweight hybrid supermini, the Toyota FT-Bh concept promises CO2 levels around 50% lower than the current class average.

The name stands for Future Toyota B-segment hybrid. Which is commendably no-nonsense even if it is also rather underselling the proposition – a spacious five-door supermini that weighs under 800kg.

Achieving low weight is easy enough if you turn to exotic – expensive – materials such as carbon fibre and magnesium, but Toyota has chosen to use “commonplace, economically viable production methods and technologies.”

These technologies include a “downsized” full hybrid powertrain – presumably even smaller than the already downsized version in the Toyota Yaris Hybrid that also gets its debut at the 2012 Geneva show – and optimised aerodynamics.

Here Toyota claims to have made an astonishing 30% gain. Although at this stage it hasn’t said what aerodynamic benchmark it was working from.

Like Mazda’s “Skyactiv” method with the new CX-5, Toyota has taken a “total vehicle” approach to the FT-Bh concept in order to achieve that 50% CO2 reduction – so in addition to the low weight, aerodynamics and powertrain efficiency, it has also focused on thermal energy management and electricity saving.

With only two teaser shots released so far, what we don’t know at this stage is what on earth it actually looks like. But our initial perspective suggests the word ‘weird’ may prove appropriate.

But following on from the appealing Toyota NS4 concept and the gorgeous Lexus LF-LC concept at the 2012 Detroit Motor Show, not to mention its most exciting production car in years, the GT 86 coupe, it seems the Japanese giant is really on a roll.

The behemoth that is the Bentley Mulsanne isn’t exactly the most obvious choice for a performance car, but that isn’t about to stop the British luxury brand from unveiling a sporting variant called the Mulliner Driving Specification at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show in March.

Featuring unique 21-inch alloy wheels, ‘Flying B’ wing vents and a Sport setting for the suspension for the first time, the Mulliner Driving Specification is certainly going to make an impression – even if it doesn’t get any upgrades in the raw power department.

The new Sport aspect of the chassis comes into play as a new setting for the Mulsanne’s Drive Dynamics Control system. Operated via a rotary knob positioned next to the gear lever, the Sport setting makes changes to the adaptive systems under the big Bentley’s skin to deliver a more focused drive.

To be specific, Bentley says it provides “enhanced grip, body control and steering accuracy without compromising ride comfort” – which will be some trick if it can pull it off. After all, the Mulsanne weighs no less than 2.6 tonnes.

This is the Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse – an 883kW monster that brings Veyron Super Sport coupe performance to the Grand Sport roadster, and debuts at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show in March.

With every major international motor show Bugatti manages to roll out a slightly different version of its world-first 736kW production car, the Veyron. So with Geneva 2012 set to kick off next month, the news of another addition to the family doesn’t come as much of a surprise.

The Grand Sport Vitesse is based on the standard open-top Veyron but receives a healthy 147kW power hike, upping the 736kW output to the same 883kW as the Veyron Super Sport coupe, the vehicle that holds the current production car world speed record at 431km/h.

Torque now stands at 1,500Nm thanks to four enlarged turbochargers and intercoolers while accompanying chassis modifications – Bugatti isn’t releasing exact details of the tweaks – have been made to ensure the Vitesse can cope with 20 per cent more power.

However, according to Bugatti, the Vitesse is also “optically aligned to the Veyron Super Sport”, which presumably means refined aerodynamics and increased engine breathing.

Bugatti President, Wolfgang Durheimer:

“The rapid success of the Super Sport convinced us to increase the performance of the Bugatti roadster. Once again our engineers worked hard to demonstrate that Bugatti is able to constantly redefine the boundaries of what is technically feasible.

“We gave our all to transfer the achievements of the Super Sport over to the Grand Sport, thereby turning open-top driving itself into an extraordinary experience at high speed.”

With the hardtop in place, the Vitesse should at least approach the coupe’s top speed, and certainly the 2.5-second 0-100km/h time is likely to be basically identical. Remember though, if you’re forced to use the roadster’s emergency targa roof, maximum speed is just 130km/h.

It could prove a little embarrassing if you forget.

There are five main corners at Broadford raceway, north of Melbourne, and the new Suzuki Swift Sport will do lift-off oversteer at every one of them. Hatchbacks need to be safely-understeery shopping trolleys, but a hot hatchback must kick its tail out after a big mid-corner lift of the throttle. It’s what makes them agile and fun.

So there’s an early tick for this, the second-generation Swift Sport, a car which Suzuki claims to have improved by tweaking, rather than overhauling, the first-gen’s formula. Similar styling matches an identical pricetag – $23,990, or Fiesta Zetec/Hyundai Veloster money – but there’s an extra ratio for the manual (now six-speed), an extra 8kW liberated from the 1.6-litre naturally-aspirated four (now 100kW) and, for the first time, a $2K-optional CVT with steering-wheel-mounted paddleshifters.

On the road, the Sport maintains a raw attitude, with screwed-down body control and a vocal engine that revs to 7000rpm. Yet, like the regular Swift range, there’s a refined veil that covers that rawness. Thanks to extra sound deadening, the new Sport is quiet, and a stronger body and suspension tweaks results in ride quality that never turns unbearably harsh – unlike the first-gen model’s.

If only the Swift Sport had the steering of a Fiesta. The electric-assist set-up is decently reactive on centre, but completely numb and overly light as lock is wound on. It’s certainly no equal partner for the sharp front-drive chassis. Drive the Suzuki properly – instead of looking for lift-off histrionics – and turn-in, outright grip and overall balance all impress.

It would be cruel to point out that a standard Rio 1.6 has more power, but the Swift Sport is some 119kg lighter, at 1060kg. The trim body allows the small four to feel responsive enough for buyers to forfeit doing their hot-hatch shopping based on the kiloWatt count. If only Suzuki provided a spare wheel – only a goo-kit is supplied, and after tearing a sidewall after the track session, it left us waiting for Suzuki to fetch a new wheel…

In isolation, the new Swift Sport is an impressive entry level hot hatch. But we’ll be putting it up against some very stiff competition in the May issue of Wheels magazine, so stay tuned for the final verdict…

Mercedes-Benz has revealed the flagship version of its most luxurious roadster – the SL63 AMG.

With the new SL’s all-aluminium body contributing to an overall weight reduction of 125kg compared with the outgoing generation, and Merc’s 5.5-litre twin-turbo V8 engine under the bonnet, the SL63 AMG uses up to 415kW and 900Nm to shift a roadster that weighs as much as an HSV GTS.

Those outputs are the most we’ve seen from Merc’s fresh 5.5-litre (employed in E63, CLS63 and CL63) yet its 1845kg kerb weight is also significantly less than that of those AMGs. The results are staggering – 0-100km/h in 4.2 seconds, and 200km/h in 12.6sec.

However, buyers will now need to option a ‘Performance Pack’ to access those outputs and achieve that pace. While the PP is expected to replace today’s thirsty, V12-engined SL65 AMG as the range flagship, the standard SL63 AMG gets ‘only’ 395kW/800Nm.

Both are claimed to achieve 9.9L/100km combined, and utilise AMG sports suspension with active dampers, speed-sensitive variable-ratio steering, high-performance compound brakes and a seven-speed automatic transmission.

As with the entire sixth-generation SL range, the folding hard-top lid (with optional sunroof) drops in 20 seconds. Mercedes claims the SL is the world’s safest roadster, with ultra-high-tensile A-pillars, two automatic rollover bars, separate side thorax and head airbags, and a full arsenal of PRE-SAFE active safety systems protecting the well-heeled sun-loving occupants.

The all-new SL63 AMG will be previewed at the Geneva motor show in early March. Australian deliveries are expected late-year, with a (gulp) circa-$500K pricetag expected.

We don’t want to get our hopes up too much but there’s been more than a whisper that Peugeot might have finally cracked its GTi conundrum.

Our ears pricked up after an announcement that a GTi concept will be showcased in Geneva with ‘regeneration’ being Peugeot’s buzzword for the latest model. Its no-nonsense look will inevitably lead to comparisons with the 205 and in an attempt at nostalgia Peugeot has added features reminiscent of the legendary car, such as positioning the concept logo within the grill and rear panel windows.

It gets more power via a 1.6L THP whilst also shedding 100kgs compared to the 207. With a sporty red to black interior that includes aluminium pedals, and sports leather stitched steering wheel and gear lever the 208 is making all the right noises. Despite no official date it is almost certain to go into production within a year to compete against the market leading VW Golf GTi.

Even today, all hot hatches are to an extent judged against the legendary 205 and the 208 will be no different. To emulate the success of its predecessor will be tough – if not impossible – but the early evidence on display is generating a healthy interest.

Holden has revealed its new range of factory-fitted LPG Commodores which replace the retiring petrol-LPG models in the current line-up.

Competing with Ford’s EcoLPi Falcon, the Commodore LPG package’s extra cost of $2,500 can be reduced via a $2,000 government rebate to just $500.

The LPG package is available on Commodores with Holden’s 3.6-litre V6 engine, and is capable of producing 180kW and 320Nm of torque. Although this is not as powerful as the Falcon EcoLPi (198kW and 409Nm), fuel consumption is significantly less at 11.8 l/100km vs. the Falcon’s 12.3 l/100km.

The new LPG Commodores are also able to maintain most of their boot space – unlike regular LPG conversions – as the tank will now be located behind the rear axle instead of in the boot.

Fiat has revealed a limited edition tribute model to Maserati called the Abarth 695 Tributo Maserati.

Unlike the previous closed-top Ferrari tribute model, the Tributo Maserati is based on the convertible Fiat 500C.

It will be powered by the same 1.4-litre turbocharged engine as the Ferrari Tributo, which produces 132kW and 250Nm, and will be mated to a five-speed robotised manual gearbox with paddle shifters.

The limited run of 499 cars will debut at the Geneva Motor Show on March 6.

The 2013 Maserati GranTurismo Sport will be revealed in the metal at the Geneva Motor Show next month. Tweaks to the new model include boosted performance and numerous styling upgrades.

Exterior changes see the GranTurismo Sport receive a redesigned front bumper to optimise air flow and cooling for the engine and brakes, as well as LED daytime running lights and darkened taillights.

On the inside are completely redesigned front and rear seats, plus a reshaped steering wheel for a chunkier feel.

The new GranTurismo Sport will arrive on Australian soil towards the end of the year.