Dealers Finally Get Their Soul

Kia started distributing the first batches of its all new Kia Soul urban crossover vehicle to its dealer network.

The official launch is April but Kia will want their dealers to start preparing the Soul for the showrooms, registering demonstration models and getting the cars in customers faces.

Kia have high hopes for the Soul. It certainly looks the part and won't go unnoticed when it passes you on the other side of the road. It's highly customisable and like the Fiat 500, will go on sale backed up with a plethora of different accessory packs offering something unique and catering for every taste.

The first Soul models will have the suspension set up for those bound for the US and Europe. To cope with UK road surfaces Kia drafted in Lotus to redesign the Soul's suspension which also required alterations to the front and rear bumpers. Mazda did a similar thing with the CX7 SUV which was originally designed for the US.

The Soul range starts from £10495 for the Soul 1 which is available in 1.6 petrol only and rises steadily up the top-of-the-range Soul Burner at £14995.

We expect the Kia Soul to do massive things for Kia this year and think the car will be a huge success. The internet has made the world a much smaller place and made it much easier for cars like the Soul, which are a little different from the norm, more accessible to the main stream motorist.

In fact we'd go as far as to say that it's more risky for a car maker to design and produce another Ford Fiesta these days, than it is to get creative and produce a car like the Kia Soul.

Abarth 500 In Showrooms Now

Whilst its not exactly breaking news that the much anticipated Abarth 500 pocket rocket has hit the UK, it is that dealers have finally got some stock to sell.

Early orders of the 500 Abarth went into overdrive when it was first announced leaving dealers an allocation headache trying to fulfill orders. Soon after the official launch dealers were left frustrated that no actual stock had been allocated to them and again spent most of the time gathering names and addresses of potential customers.

Now that's all changed as Abarth have finally put the production pipeline into overdrive and dealers are finally seeing a good range of colour variants as well as demonstration vehicles out on the road.

Most popular of the all the Abarth 500 range is the Bossa Nova white pastel variant with optional 17-inch 10-spoke alloy wheels, Red Abarth side stripes and mirrors and chequered roof (pictured above).

However the most anticipated of all the models is the Abarth 500 Esseesse or SS for short.

Owners who want to take their 500 Abarth onto another level can purchase the £2500 "Esseesse" kit either at time of purchase or within 12 months or 20,0000 km of the cars 1st registration and can only be undertaken by Abarth's skilled network of technicians.

The process of adding more power starts with replacing the ECU or Electronic Control Unit which forces the engine to pump out 160bhp at 5750 rpm from the standard 135bhp. Of course with all this extra power you need to be able to stop so off come the standard brake discs on on go new specially drilled and ventilated 284mm x 22mm brake discs and and new pads.

Next comes the suspension with uprated springs on the front and rear and to give it an even racier look a nice set of 17-inch White or Titanium coloured alloys and 205/40 R17 tyres. Nice!!

Lastly but not least a tyre pressure monitoring system and unique key cover add to the final touches for the ultimate road going 500 Abarth.

After the kit has been fitted the supplying dealer sends on the high quality wooden crate as a memento. Nice!!

Facelift Mazda MX5's On Sale April

Following changes to the all new Mazda 6, Mazda 2 and soon to be launched Mazda 3, it seemed only fair for the Mazda engineers to give its most famous son a make over.

Introducing the upgraded Mazda MX5.

Both the Soft Top and Roadster Coupe have been upgraded to form an 8 car strong line up which includes exterior, interior as well as performance and chassis improvements.

Exterior & Interior

The 2009 upgrade means that every MX-5 comes with alloy wheels, a leather steering wheel, gear knob and hand-brake, plus an MP3-compatible audio system with six speakers and a new auxiliary (AUX) input jack for MP3 and iPod connection.

All 2.0i models (from £17,345), delivering 160ps, feature DSC (dynamic stability control), TCS (traction control system), a Limited Slip Differential (except PowerShift models) and side airbags. Climate control air conditioning is a £550 option on these models.

The Roadster Coupe differs slightly from its soft top stablemate with a new mesh-type front grille which is surrounded by a chrome-look edge trim, the headlamps feature chrome bezels and the exterior door handles have a chrome finish. The front fog lamps have silver inner bezels and there is a clear lens for the high-mounted rear stop light. The cabin is also better insulated with interior noise reduced by a significant 2.7dB at 37 mph.

Performance & Chassis

For 2009, Mazda MX5 customers will now have a choice of four powertrains, all fine-tuned to use less fuel – the 126ps 1.8i or higher-revving 160ps 2.0i with five-speed gearbox, the 160ps 2.0i with a smoother-shifting six-speed manual gearbox and the new 160ps 2.0i ‘PowerShift’ six-speed sequential paddle-shift transmission with full-auto mode. The engine fine-tuning and aerodynamic drag reductions have resulted in significantly lower CO2 (from 167 g/km for the 1.8i, down from 174 g/km) and enhanced fuel consumption (from 40.4 mpg for the 1.8i, up from 38.7 mpg).

The new PowerShift transmission delivers an even more sporty drive for the Mazda MX5, with gear changes achieved by operating the paddles behind the steering wheel – just like an F1 racecar – so the driver does not have to take his, or her, hand off the wheel. PowerShift makes B-road cross-country driving in the MX5 even more thrilling and when road, traffic conditions or the driver’s mood demands, the full-auto mode gives the option of fully automatic operation for easy city driving and motorway cruising.

A choice of seven body colours will be available – including two new colours (Aluminium Silver Metallic and Metropolitan Grey Mica). Aluminium Silver Metallic contains aluminium particles that diffuse light and cause diverse kinds of reflections and shadow, depending on light conditions. Carried over colours are Copper Red Mica and Stormy Blue Mica and solid colours Brilliant Black and True Red.

Prices start from £16,345 to £21,695 (on-the-road). Zoom-Zoom

Hyundai Bucks The Trend

Just like we predicted back in Decemember when Hyundai launched its all new Hyundai i20 in the UK, the Korean car giant has seen car sales grow a massive 33% in January where other manufacturers have been falling by the wayside.

The key to its success lies in its value for money image. Consumers these days are doing far more research seeking out products that offer real value in terms of quality and price.

Coupled with a slurry of new eco-friendly products like the i10 and i20, consumers are simply flocking to showrooms for a closer look where they've discovered Hyundai is no longer the poor mans alternative to Ford but a huge global brand with European designed cars, industry leading warranties and prices and specification that put the likes of Ford and Vauxhall to shame.

The Korean company registered 1,885 cars in Britain last month, a 5.66 percent increase over 2008’s figures. The increase wasn’t bulked out by massive ‘fire sale’ cut-price deals to big fleet buyers either, as 1,352 of those cars total went to private customers. This represents a 33.7 percent rise in sales to this sector compared to 2008 and gave Hyundai a 2.5 percent share of the retail market.

Managing Director of Hyundai UK, Tony Whitehorn said: "They are reading press reports and comparing specification, prices and warranties before making a commitment. Hyundai is coming out on top and it means we are attracting customers who have never considered the brand before. They really like what they find and it’s translating into genuine sales."

Unlike Ford and Vauxhall, Hyundai did not increase its prices in January either, making the company’s products look even more competitive.

Hyundai are set to launch a second wave of eco-friendly models later in the year. The i30 Blue, which uses an advanced technology called ISG (Idle Stop & Go) which turns the engine off when the vehicle is stationary, makes it's debut alongside the all new three-door Hyundai i20 and a concept SUV codenamed HED-6.

Hyundai Start Production On i30 Blue

Hyundai has started production of its next generation eco friendly i30 hatchback at its European factory in Nosovice, Czech Republic.

Instead of something obvious like "green" Hyundai decided on a global strategy to name all low emission vehicles to be launched, starting with i30, under the sub-brand "blue".

Hyundai have made massive investment in R&D and are committed to lowering vehicle CO2 emissions and reducing costs for consumers. The first technology to come out of this investment is ISG (Idle Stop and Go) technology which Hyundai is bringing to one of its production cars for the first time.

The first glimpse of this new technology will be at the Geneva Motorshow on March 3rd where the i30 Blue will be showcased alongside the three door version of its all new Hyundai i20 supermini as well as a new SUV concept codenamed HED-6.

Ideal for city driving, the i30 blue will automatically switch the car’s engine off when stationary.

The ISG system uses an advanced starter motor connected to the ECU, which monitors the car’s status at all times. Remarkably, this technology applied to Hyundai’s 1.6-litre petrol engine reduces fuel consumption by 7% on the official combined cycle, while achieving a lower CO2 rating of 142g/km, compared to 152g/km on the regular i30 1.6.

Available in UK showrooms by the autumn, the i30 blue will come in both five-door hatchback and estate body styles and with a choice of 1.4-litre and 1.6-litre petrol engines. Other i30 engine derivatives will progressively be offered with ISG technology, followed by more models in the Hyundai range.

Boxer Diesel Impreza: Pure Genius

In the last article we touched on how the luke warm reaction to the new Subaru Impreza changed as more powerful versions like the WRX & STi entered the market place.

Given the current ecomonic climate and more customers turning to vehicles with lower emissions, it seems the arrival of Subaru's all new Impreza Boxer diesel couldn't have come at a better time.

The Revolutionary Subaru Boxer Diesel

In 2008 the Boxer diesel engine made its debut when Subaru announced the all new Legacy and Outback models at the Geneva Motorshow.

Hailed by the motoring press as being one of the smoothest, most refined diesel engines with petrol-like throttle-response and torquey power delivery, the new Boxer diesel engine set class-leading fuel economy and emissions, recording almost 50 mpg on the Combined Cycle with 151 g/km CO2 for the Legacy Sports Tourer.

Add to that the 350Nm of torque in the 1800 - 2400 rev range and 150 PS of power, this Boxer engine is no slouch, which is just as well given the Legacy and Outback are not your typical lightweight town cars. In the Impreza this engine is going to be a hoot.

The unique layout of the Boxer diesel engine means a smooth and quiet power delivery. In a Boxer engine the cylinders are positioned 180 degrees apart on both sides of the crankshaft and move in the opposite direction to inline or V-type engines, this dramatically counteracts vibrations and noise.

In tests the Impreza diesel acheived 1,000 kilometers on one tank of fuel, 48.7 mpg with 152 g/km making it one of the most environmentally-friendly cars in its class. Mated to a six-speed manual transmission, the new Impreza Boxer diesel clearly offers outstanding fuel efficiency.

An essential element of the Subaru DNA is handling and grip. This is acheived through Symmetrical AWD which positions the transmission, transfer to propeller shaft and rear differential in a straight line behind the engine. This simple design provides supreme grip and balance on all four sides of the car and when its combined with the equally balanced Horizontally-Opposed Boxer diesel engine, the Impreza offers stability and assured handling.

The new Impreza diesel should be in showrooms before the spring and offered in R, RC and RX variants. No prices have been announced as of yet but expect the Impreza diesel to start around £15,000.

Subaru Impreza Diesel Coming Soon

Subaru dealers have received the first launch brochures of the much anticipated Boxer Diesel version of the all new Subaru Impreza.

Available in three trim levels, the new oil burner sets history by becoming the first Impreza ever to be powered by a diesel engine.

The reaction to the new Impreza split opinions wide open when it first arrived on the scene. Out went the wide arches, big alloys and aggressive looks and in came what can only be described as a bland looking 5-door hatchback with skinny wheels and an ugly front grille.

However, that all seemed to change when the WRX and STi models arrived and journalists got behind the wheel. That's when the Impreza started to grow on you. Suddenly the pitch forks and torches where put away and the excuses that all Impreza's never really looked stunning anyway, came to the fore.

Of course things didn't help when it's Nemesis arrived from Mitsubishi in the form of the new Lancer with it's aggressive 'Sharks' nose, 'Jet Fighter' style spoilers and even more super car slaying power trains. The Impreza suddenly looked doomed to history until they went head to head on Top Gear and the Impreza's well thought out chassis and world beating 4WD and handling characteristics managed to tame the Lancer in a head-to-head around the test track.

Since then the sales have started to flow and things are looking rosy again.

With the world's ecomony slowing down to a trickle, consumers are now starting to think long and hard about their next car purchase. Car tax bandings and lower emissions are high on the agenda and all of a sudden we're becoming a little less fussy about what we drive as long as it contributes the minimum to Gordon Browns coffers.

Enter the Boxer Diesel and all of a sudden Subaru's Impreza strategy doesn't look that bad after all. Maybe they knew something we didn't because Lancer sales aren't that good at the moment and their oil burners are looking a little pricy right now.

In the next article we'll take a look under the hood at the new Impreza's 'Boxer' diesel engine.