Saab are famous for mixing amazing technologies with sytlish shapes and curves, but the new Saab 9-3X is much more than that. Expected to hit the floor in Geneva next month, the lifestyle vehicle is directly competing with Audi’s Allroad, Subaru’s Outback or Volvo’s XC70. With options of a a 2.0-litre petrol turbo with 210hp or a 1.9-litre TTiD turbo diesel worth 180hp, the new Saab 9-3X uses a 6-speed manual or automatic transmission, runs on 17-inch five-spoke alloy wheels an features a set of dark grey rear bumpers and side arches for protection. We’d definitely love a closer look, but we’ll have to wait for a whole month to learn more.
In most parts of the world, winter has arrived and snow is already present and causing problems. However driving a Mercedes GL-Class could really change it. It looks powerful and to be honest, it is, so before you decide if you’re going to buy one of these muscle cars, we’ve just heard that it’s going to get a minor facelift. Front headlamps will uses LEDs for day driving and full LEDs for the rear lighting, features newly shaped air intakes, new front and rear bumpers, and some interesting exhaust pipes. Doesn’t look like a bad option if you can afford it. Check out the pics below for more details. – via
There is something about SUVs today. First I told you about the Ssangyong C200 SUV then we took on Hyundai’s SantaFe blue Hybrid. Well this also a SUV and a Hyundai, too, but it’s the new ix55. On the floor in Paris, the new Hyundai ix55 looks similar to the Veracruz that gets sold in North America but has some significant changes to make it more attractive.
Take the 3.0-litre V6 CRDi turbo diesel engine that outputs 240 hp and 451 Nm of torque on Hyundai’s first six-speed automatic transmission, doing 0 to 100 km/h in 10.4 seconds. With a top speed of 200km/h don’t expect to consume less than 9.4l/ 100km (combined cycle). One last thing that may get you interested is the returned suspension that offers better handling and maneuverability.
Ssangyong – the company who’s trying to come up with a lot of new models in the next few years to get a bigger slice of the market share, partnered with Shanghai Automotive Industries Group and showcased their newest compact SUV, dubbed C200, at the Paris Motor Show a few days ago. The design was done by Giugiaro because his ItalDesign styling house is in charge with the looks of the new models to be built.
“The car is very, very important for us as it’s the first demonstration of the new strategy that was announced at Geneva,” says SsangYong UK managing director Paul Williams.
I really like the way it came out. Looks big and aggressive.
It was about time to get some full specs on the new Mercedes-Benz GLK and to many people’s surprise it’s actually shorter than the 7-seat GL-Class. It measures 4.528 mm in length, 1.840 mm width and 1.689 mm height which makes it a great compact SUV that fights head to head with the likes of BMW X3, Audi Q5 or Volvo XC60.
As an incentive Mercedes will offer the Edition 1 model with 20-inch wheels, privacy glass, black-white nappa leather on the sporty interior, EASY-PACK tailgate, AMG leather steering wheel, aluminum trim, black roof lining and Comand APS System.
The first specs I’ve been able to read these days are summarized below:
Dacia officials just announced today that they are preparing for the first SUV in their history to compete with Korean rivals Hyundai Tucson or Kia Sportage, with price its main argument. Jaques Daniel with Dacia said that the company will release the SUV by the end of 2009 and it will be built on the Logan version we know.
Rumors also say that it may also be built on the Dacia Logan MCV version that could use Renault Kandoo technology and 4 x 4, but this may not be that cheap as opposed to using the Nissan Qashqai platform.
Ladies and gentlemen it’s official. We no longer need to speculate and listen to rumors about the new Volvo XC60, because the Swedish car manufacturer announced they will show it off during Geneva Motor Show starting March 4th. Can you remember the first Volvo XC60 spy shots we’ve told you about last month?
I’m not sure if you’re as excited as I am with XC60, but all those lines and the beauty mixed with the sporty looks make me believe that this is going to be a success for Volvo. Do you like it?
During Detroit 2008, Volvo presented their latest idea of a SUV. XC60 was still a concept but I can tell you that it’s going to materialize into something that you can touch. At Geneva this year, in March, Volvo is going to make it official. This is going to be the most popular Volvo SUV from what I’ve heard, and by the time we can put our hands on it, here are the first spy shots of the new Volvo XC60.
The car will come with a DOHC 3.2 liter inline-6 derived engine, comes with standard front wheel drive but gives the option of all wheel drive, goes on sale late fall this year in Europe and early 2009 in the US.
The main competitors are BMW X3, Mercedes-Benz GLK and Acura RDX. Here are two more pictures.
Not that there aren’t enough concepts on the market right now but this one deserves attention, Ford Explorer America Concept, the fuel-efficient SUV with 20-30% improvement. In the United States, Explorer is the top-selling SUV with more than 400,000 units sold each year.
The perception in America has changed for the last few years. A good car is one that can increase the mpg and Jim Farley, Ford’s VP of Marketing and Communications said that “Customers are smart. They value vehicles – the more efficient, the better”. It all depends on the engine you choose and Ford has a few to offer:
4-cylinder 2-liter engine with EcoBoost that can deliver 275hp and 280 lb/ft of torque
3.5-liter V6 engine that boosts 340hp
There are a few other things that will reduce the fuel consumption like changing from body-on-frame to unibody construction that will reduce weight and better dynamics, 6-speed transmission with auto-control or the fuel saving electric power assisted steering (EPAS).
Here are a few more pictures of the new Ford Explorer America Concept.
At the Detroit Auto Show next year (next month to be precise), BMW will come up with their latest X6 Sports Activity Coupe model. A combination of a SUV, a SAV and CUV, this is a crossover version of a very powerful but elegant large BMW coupe.
BMW X6 Sports Activity Coupe will have two twin-turbo engines, first a 3.0-liter with 6-cylinder that sport 300hp and a 4.4-liter V8 engine that goes up to 400hp. All versions will include the xDrive all-wheel-drive technology for better stability, agility and steering precision. It should be available from the second quarter of 2008 (with rumors say end of 2008) and meanwhile you can watch the video.
During Detroit 2008, Volvo presented their latest idea of a SUV. XC60 was still a concept but I can tell you that it’s going to materialize into something that you can touch. At Geneva this year, in March, Volvo is going to make it official. This is going to be the most popular Volvo SUV from what I’ve heard, and by the time we can put our hands on it, here are the first spy shots of the new Volvo XC60.
