Volkswagen Polo sedan to be re-badged (IN)

VW will be reviving the Vento nameplate as using it on their forthcoming Polo sedan in India.

VW engineers will be extending the Polo's wheelbase by 50mm over the hatchback variant in order to provide more head and legroom for rear seat passengers and make the Vento one of the more competitive compact sedans in the segment.

Mitsubishi to share ASX/RVR with PSA

Mitsubishi has reached an agreement to share the ASX/RVR with Peugeot-Citroën.

While details are limited, the Peugeot and Citroën models will be launched in early 2012 in Europe. They will feature unique styling and available in both front an all-wheel drive. The deal has benefits for both companies: PSA gets an already-developed vehicle for a growing market segment, while Mitsubishi benefits from economies of scale resulting from the 100,000 extra cars it expects to make for Citroen and Peugeot each year.

Alfa Romeo Giulietta pricing announced (UK)

The Alfa Romeo Giulietta will start from £16,995, rising to £24,495 for the range-topping 1750 TBi 232bhp Cloverleaf. Entry-level Giulietta Turismo will be powered by a 1.4 litre 118bhp petrol engine. Standard features will include air conditioning, electrically adjustable/heated door mirrors, remote central locking, electric front and rear windows, Start&Stop, VDC, LED front and rear lights, Electronic Q2, Alfa’s DNA system that allows the driver to tailor the car’s responses to changing road conditions and 6 airbags. The options list will include alloy wheels, bi-xenon headlamps, metallic paint, panoramic glass sunroof and more.

Subaru Impreza receives free upgrades (UK)

Subaru is offering complimentary performance upgrades worth £3,200 to buyers of its top Impreza models.

The Subaru Impreza WRX and STI Type UK will come fitted with the popular Prodrive Performance Pack, which cuts 0-62mph acceleration times from 6.5 seconds to 5.9 and 5.2 seconds to 4.8 respectively.

Toyota to build new factory for Prius hybrid

Toyota Prius production is to be ramped up, with Toyota building a third factory in Japan despite falling sales caused by the recent global recalls.

Demand in Japan has outstripped supply since the car was launched - the car is built at two factories and waiting lists were at six months - and while Toyota will have to cut production by about 10%, it predicts demand will rise again.

Seat Ibiza Ecomotive set to beat Toyota Prius CO2 emissions (UK)

SEAT's next-generation Ibiza Ecomotive could beat the Toyota Prius to become Britain's lowest polluting car.

Sources at SEAT say it will use the Polo Bluemotion's 1.2 TDI 75bhp to achieve its target 85mpg fuel economy figure while emitting less than 89g/km of CO2 - all without relying on a complex hybrid drivetrain.

Nissan Pathfinder pricing announced (UK)

Nissan has altered its Pathfinder SUV with additional equipment and a new look. The Pathfinder now gets re-designed alloy wheels, new bonnet, grille, rounded bumpers and reshaped headlights.

The interior has also been upgraded with revised door trims, new seat fabric and new instrument dials. Practicality has also been improved due to new door storage bins that can now hold an A3 map book and a 1 litre drinks bottle at the same time.

Nissan is also offering a new integrated navigation, communication and music system called Connect Premium. It's an optional extra costing £1,300 and features live traffic updates and points of interest.

There will be a choice of two diesels; the revised 2.5 litre dCi and an all-new 3.0 litre V6.

The 2.5 litre engine now produces around 190bhp, while pulling power increases to by 47Nm to 450Nm. Nissan claims CO2 emissions have fallen by 40g/km to 224g/km, which drops it two tax bands from the most expensive band M to band K. It also means showroom tax drops from £950 to £550 at current rates.

Nissan has stated the 3.0 litre V6 diesel will produce around 231bhp and will have a maximum pulling power of 550Nm. The engine will be available from June on 2011 MY Pathfinders.

The Pathfinder range starts from £28,495 on the road and is on sale now.

New Car: 2011 Audi A3/Q7

Audi has revised the A3 for the 2011 model year. The car, which was facelifted in 2008, will see changes to all the variants.

New features on the car include glossy black B-pillars and grille, chrome air intakes, door handles, and side mirrors and a redesigned rear diffuser. Tail-light lenses are tinted on 3dr models.

New exterior colours, like Amethyst Grey, Dakota Grey, Scuba Blue, and Volcano Red will feature. Customers may also choose from two new 17” alloy wheels, and a new 18” alloy wheel design. Inside, the driver will find a redesigned leather wheel and gear lever, black gloss trim elements, aluminium trim inserts, and grey back grounded instruments.

Engines will stay the same. Audi has not yet disclosed when they will take orders on the 2011 Audi A3 and S3.

Audi has announced several mechanical changes for the Q7. For the 2011 model year, the 276bhp 3.6 litre V6 and 345bhp 4.2 litre V8 engines have been replaced by two versions of Audi’s supercharged V6 unit which debuted in the S4.

The lower powered version offers less power than before, at 268bhp, but 40Nm more torque. This powers the Q7 from 0-62mph in 7.9 seconds - 0.6-seconds faster than before - and gives it a top speed of 140mph. The more powerful version that takes over from the 4.2 litre engine, delivering 328bhp and 440Nm of torque. This allows the Q7 to reach 62mph from rest 0.5 seconds more quickly than the V8 at 6.9 seconds, and to continue to a top speed of 152mph.

Both versions return the same fuel economy figure of 26.4mpg (10.7 l/100km) and 249g/km of CO2, representing a mpg improvement of 12% over the old V6 and 16% over the V8, and a 40g/km and 55g/km step up respectively.

Also available is an all-new 237bhp 3.0 litre V6 TDI engine which features start-stop technology. The unit returns 38.2mpg (7.4 l/100km) making it 19% more fuel efficient than the previous unit. The engine also powers the Q7 from 0-62mph in 7.9 seconds – 0.6-seconds faster than before.

All models benefit from the new 8 speed automatic gearbox which debuted in the new A8. Prices range from £40,135 to £54,055 and the newcomer is available to order now.

Porsche rules out a smaller SUV

The Porsche Cayenne will be the smallest SUV built by the manufacturer, as it fears a smaller SUV would pinch sales from the Cayenne’s sales.


Company insiders have said that they believe that there is strong evidence of the Audi Q5 taking sales from the Audi Q7, and are not willing to follow a similar route. The Cayenne accounts for up to 50% of the firm’s profits, and the new model is due to go on sale on the 29th May. The range will feature a diesel and, for the first time, a hybrid with a V6 petrol engine.

The two petrol models, the S and the Turbo, both use a 4.8 litre V8, with 395bhp and 493bhp. Porsche claims 27.6mpg for the Turbo.

Prices for the new car start at £41,404 for the entry-level model. The diesel costs £44,178, while the S costs from £53,693. The new S Hybrid is the second most expensive Cayenne, at £57,610, while the flagship Turbo reflects on an £81,589 price-tag.

Citroën 2CV returns as a modifed Citroen C3; first spy picture

Update: 01/04/10: It turns out that this spy-shot is indeed an camouflagued C3 supermini, intended as an April fools joke by Greek car magazine '4 Wheels'. Click here for more.

Spy photographers have caught what seems to be a test mule for the second generation 2CV supermini. Snapped undergoing chassis testing outside Citroën's HQ in Belchamps, France, the mule seems to be based on the C3 supermini - suggesting the newcomer will underpin the C3 platform.

The original 2CV was famous for its comfortable ride and low fuel consumption, so using the C3 platform will allow Citroën engineers to tamper with the suspension and use fuel-efficient engines. Whilst also being quite modern, the 2CV won’t forget it roots; a chiselled bonnet leading down the top radiator grille and over-sized rear fenders will remain.

Set to be unveiled at the Paris motorshow in 2012, the 2CV could have a name change. Names like DS2 and DS2i have been rumoured, hinting the car will be more upscale compared with the 62 year old original, which was known for being 'cheap and cheerful'. This potential change will leave space for Citroën's forthcoming Cactus supermini as the firms budget car and gives Citroën a rival to the Fiat 500, Volkswagen Beetle and Mini Cooper as an affordable, retro-styled, must-have car. Closer inspection indicates that the car is very likely to feature a roll-back canvas top, rather than a panoramic glass roof. Whether the fabric top will be electrical remains to be seen.

Powering the ‘Tin Snail’, ‘The Duck, ‘Little Freak’, ‘Two Horses’, whatever you want to call it, will be a range of 3 & 4 cylinder petrol and diesel engines; 1.0 litre 68bhp, 1.4 litre 75bhp & 95bhp, 1.4 HDi 70bhp & 1.6 HDi 90bhp. However, speculation reveals that a diesel-hybrid or an EV could be in the pipeline.

The 2CV will feature modern safety equipment like ESP, ABS, x2 airbags, seatbelt pre-tensioners, active headrests and lots more. We also expect a wide-range of options and accessories to be made available to customers. Prices could start at £8,000 when the car its UK shores in 2013.

Via SecretNewCars.com