Hear the Aussie growl!...
Hear the Aussie growl! In the May 16 issue of Auto Express, we’re putting Vauxhall’s new VXR8 through its paces. The V8-powered four-door from down-under is sure to set pulses racing, but if you can’t wait to experience what it’s got to offer have a listen to this! The 6.0-litre engine provides 414bhp, and with a soundtrack like this we can hardly wait to get behind the wheel.
Bosses at Kia have confirmed...
Bosses at Kia have confirmed that the firm will build an eco-friendly version of the Ceeò€™d ò€“ but buyers will have to wait more than a year for the first models to arrive!
All the technologies seen on the Eco_ceeò€™d concept at last monthò€™s Frankfurt Motor Show will make it to the roadgoing car. Yet production at Kiaò€™s Slovakian plant wonò€™t start until December 2008, with deliveries expected a few months later.
The eco model will be available in a choice of three-door, five-door and estate bodystyles. Power comes from a 1.6-litre CRDi diesel engine that returns fuel economy of 60mpg and emits only 104g/km of CO2.
This impressive efficiency is achÒieved partly by a raft of aerodynamic enhancements. These include lowered suspension, a flatter underbelly and wheelarch linings to smooth air flow around the rims. In addition, low-rolling-resistance tyres are fitted.
Reduced turbo boost pressure on the engine, along with improved fuel injection timing and low-friction internals, also helps maximise effiÒciency. The green Ceeò€™d will ditch the standard modelò€™s five-speed gearbox for a set-up with six ratios, the top three of which have been lengthened to improve consumption on motorways. Stop-start technology is included, too. Called Idle Stop and Go, it cuts the engine when the car comes to a halt, and incorporates regenerative braking for charging the battery under deceleration.