Mercedes-Benz has today revealed the 2012 A-Class Concept, offering a first glimpse at what lays ahead for the reborn small car.Officially, the A-Class concept is a ‘prototype design study’ only, but as with many of Mercedes’ recent concepts, we can likely expect more than a few of its lines to appear in the production version next year.Scrapping the minivan styling of the current A-Class (no longer offered in Australia), the new concept brings a sleek coupe-like roofline, supercar wing mirrors and chracter lines reminiscent of last year’s Shooting Break concept.At the front and rear ends, the A-Class Concept features Mercedes’ most aggressive styling yet, putting even the SLS AMG and 2012 CLS on notice – although those high-powered flagships are unlikely to feel threatened.Power for the dimunitive A-Class concept is delivered by direct-injected and turbocharged 2.0 litre petrol engine, developing a Golf GTI-rivalling 156kW. Motivation is sent to the front wheels through a new dual-clutch automatic transmission.Reports in the past year have also pointed to a high-powered AMG variant, targeting the more top-shelf small offerings from the company’s competitors, including the Golf R and its Audi S3 sibling.Speculated power figures for the AMG version vary wildly however, with Britain’s Autocar claiming numbers upwards of 230kW – putting the front-wheel-drive A-Class AMG into Ford Focus RS territory.The A-Class Concept is set to debut at the Shanghai Auto Show later this month.
Jaguar has reportedly confirmed that a new entry-level sedan, smaller than the XF and the flagship XJ, is now in development.The new model will give Jaguar the means to compete in the mid-size prestige segment, where its rivals will include the BMW 3 Series, the Audi A4 and the Mercedes-Benz C-Class.According to British magazine Autocar, Jaguar’s Global Brand Director Adrian Hallmark has confirmed plans for a mid-size offering, describing the medium prestige market as “four times the size” of the market for larger luxury vehicles.While Hallmark remains tight-lipped on the specifics, company insiders have reportedly confirmed that the new model will be slightly smaller than the current XF, with the next-generation XF expected to grow in both size and luxury fittings.The current XF is nearing a styling update, with recent spy photos revealing an XJ-like update to the headlights and rear end.
Lexus has released a pair of teaser images for its upcoming LF-Gh hybrid concept, due to make its debut at the New York Auto Show later this month.The Japanese luxury brand has also cleared up the mystery of the concept’s name, revealing that LF-Gh represents ‘Lexus Grand Touring Hybrid’ – a concept Lexus says will “redefine the premium grand touring sedan.”While the G in its name officially represents ‘Grand Touring’, we could also be looking at a preview of the next-generation GS range.Technical details remain under wraps for now, but according to Lexus, we can expect a ‘bolder and more distinct’ take on the company’s L-Finesse styling language.In a press release today, Lexus said elements of the LF-Gh’s styling could appear on future production vehicles – particularly the “spindle” design of the front grille.More details will be revealed when the car is unveiled on April 20 in New York.
BMW has lifted the lid on its 2012 M5 Concept ahead of its Shanghai Auto Show unveiling later this month, offering the first official look at what we can expect to see on showroom floors later this year.The online reveal follows a series of leaked images that surfaced online yesterday, letting the range-topping M sedan out of the bag.On the styling front, the M5 Concept borrows a few key cues from its smaller M3 stablemate, featuring a trapezoidal air dam in the front bumper flanked by large intakes.The rear end sees dual tailpipe tips at each corner, sitting either side of a small diffuser. A subtle bootlid lip spoiler rounds out the rear tweaks.The most important details, output numbers and performance figures, remain a tightly-held secret. BMW has confirmed in recent months however that the new M5 will draw power from a version of the twin-turbo 4.4 litre V8 engine powering the the X5 M.Power figures for the new M5 are rumoured to be up around the 430kW mark – besting the X5 M by 22kW and the previous M5 by nearly 60kW.With the hefty X5 M able to sprint to 100km/h in just 4.7 seconds, we can expect almost supercar times from the new top-shelf M sedan.The new engine will be mated to a seven-speed M double-clutch transmission, with auto start/stop technology contributing to what BMW promises will be a significant improvement to fuel consumption.The new M5 will get the usual raft of M division upgrades, including suspension and brake upgrades. There is also a new Active M differential designed to optimise stability through locking torque between the drive wheels.More details will likely be revealed at Shanghai later this month, although a full rundown may have to wait until Frankfurt in September.
The earth-moving Veyron supercar will soon make room in the Bugatti stable for a production version of the 600kW Galibier concept, if reports out of Europe this week are to be believed.Debuting at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show, the 16C Galibier is a luxury four-door coupe concept that draws power from a frount-mounted and twin-turbo version of the Veyron’s quad-turbo 8.0 litre W16 engine.Full specifications for the Galibier have never been revealed, although the Veyron’s seven-speed DSG transmission is believed to have been swapped out for an eight-speed automatic.According to financial paper Bloomberg, Bugatti and Bentley chief Wolfgang Duerheimer has persuaded his bosses at Volkswagen to approve a production schedule for the Galibier.The report adds credence to rumours last year that the Galibier would soon be approved for production, with leaked trademark application images at the time hinting at its final form.The big luxury coupe will reportedly be built at the company’s Molsheim plant in France, where the Veyron is current built.As with earlier reports, deliveries of the Galibier are not expected to begin until 2013 or 2014, replacing the Veyron.A source within Volkswagen has reportedly confirmed that the big Bugatti will feature all-wheel drive, drawing power from the same twin-turbo W16 that drives the concept version.Volkswagen and Bugatti have yet to offer an official statement on the future of the Galibier, but reports claim that it will be priced at around 1 million euros (AU$1.37m) when it launches.
Reports out of Europe this week suggest Renault is working to bring three new SUVs to market. The new models will reportedly be based on the styling of Renault’s recent Captur concept and built on Nissan platforms.Revealed at last month’s Geneva Motor Show, the Captur is the latest in a line of Renault concepts that reveal future styling hints for the French carmaker. The Captur followed the DeZir concept, which previewed a potential Renault electric sports car.According to British magazine AutoExpress, Renault is developing a compact SUV, styled off the Captur and built on underpinnings that it will share with the next-generation Nissan Dualis.A medium SUV will follow, around the same size as the Captur concept – although it will likely launch as a Nissan Juke-like five-door model, rather than the three-door design of the Captur.Leading the trio at the top-end will be a larger SUV, which AutoExpress reports will have similar dimensions to Nissan’s X-Trail.The report adds that power for the new models will come from a range of 1.6 and 1.8 litre petrol and diesel engines, including 95kW and 120kW versions of the company’s turbocharged 1.6 litre dCi engine.The new CUV/SUV models are said to be scheduled for launches between 2014 and 2016.
Digital radio remains a relatively new technology in Australia, with the first services ‘switched on’ in Australia’s mainland capital cities in 2009.There are now around 18 new digital stations available nationally, but Australia’s car industry has been slow to adopt the technology in its new models.That’s set to change however, with BMW Australia announcing that from May, it will offer DAB+ digital radio systems as an optional extra.Offered as part of the BMW ConnectedDrive range of features, the technology will be offered for the 5 Series and 7 Series only, along with the 6 Series range when it arrives later this year.As for the company’s other models, BMW Australia’s Michelle Lang told TMR that sales and customer interest will determine wider availability.“Eventually the technology is likely to trickle down to other models, but we’ll monitor take-up of the option for the current models and and see which direction the technology takes,” Ms Lang said.The cost of the DAB+ option will vary from $900 to $950 depending on which model is purchased.
Motorists could see their annual fuel bill jump by more than $2000 as tension in the Middle East forces petrol prices towards $2.00 per litre, according to a new study by NRMA Motoring & Services.As part of its BusinessWise report, the NRMA report analysed the fuel costs of the Holden Commodore (3.0 litre petrol), the Ford Falcon, the VW Transporter (2.0 litre 132kW) and the Toyota HiLux (4.0 litre 4×4).The Transporter and the HiLux are two of Australia’s most popular fleet vehicles, while the Commodore and Falcon are popular both as fleet and family vehicles.The study looked at the increased fuel costs for a vehicle doing a return trip to Sydney’s CBD each weekday. Increased costs were calculated from a base of $1.35 per litre, studying 15 cent and 65 cent increases in unleaded fuel prices.Driving a HiLux and paying $2.00 per litre, daily return trips from Penrith to the CBD could see a spike in the annual fuel bill of almost $2500.The same scenario in a Ford Falcon could shock the pocket by nearly $2000 on top of the current annual costs. Similarly, Holden’s 3.0 litre petrol Berlina and Volkswagen’s 2.0 litre 132kW Transporter could see an increase of nearly $1700.“Since December 2008 we have seen the price of crude oil quadruple in price and unleaded petrol prices increase by almost 50 cents per litre, and only a strengthening dollar has saved Australians from prices going even higher,” NRMA Motoring & Services President Wendy Machin said.
Following news that the former NSW Labor government had abolished the state’s margin of error on speeding, the new Deputy Premier Andrew Stoner has moved to have the leeway reinstated.Mr Stoner has this week ordered the NSW Roads & Traffic Authority to reverse a decision to axe the leeway – a move which would have seen motorists fined for exceeding the speed limit by 1km/h.Although he did not reveal a new leeway, Mr Stoner also confirmed that the margin of error would be increased from the original 3km/h tolerance revealed in leaked documents last week.“A NSW Liberals & Nationals Government is determined to earn the trust of motorists by changing the culture of road safety,” Mr Stoner told Fairfax.“We will listen to road safety experts who understand the realities of driving and not make snap decisions simply because it will pull in a few bucks.”Mr Stoner added that the new NSW Government will launch a ‘Fair Go for Safe Drivers’ scheme, which will see licence renewal fees halved for motorists with a clean driving record for the past five years.
Its pretty shameful that out of more than 150 cities surveyed in the 2010 Colliers Report on global parking rates, TWO Australian cites are in the top 10 for priciest parking.Not only is Sydney and Perth more expensive than downtown New York but Brisbane is also closing in as one of the world’s most expensive places to park.Mixing it up with cities, airports and sports venues, we’ve found a range of jaw dropping jacked up charges that could make you think twice about living in, say Chennai India where daily parking is only 96 cents!So here is our latest shame list…
