Auto Community

The Fleet

noreply@blogger.com (Tomauto) — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 17:28:00 +0000

Fiat have found a rather amusing way of advertising their vans and commercials with new 3 minute sitcoms. Episodes 1 & 2 are already out with 11 more to come.

My favourite is the salesman. What's yours?

Upgraded Hyundai i30 U At Geneva

noreply@blogger.com (Tomauto) — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 16:43:00 +0000

Hyundai will reveal an updated version of its highly successful i30 hatchback at Geneva.

The revised i30 builds on the strengths of the current i30 range, whilst taking styling cues from the 2010 MY i30 Edition to further accentuate the car's dynamic design.

Hyundai will seek to launch the upgaded i30 (2011 MY) this summer. Specification, pricing and launch timings will be confirmed in due course.

Hyundai Go Blue

noreply@blogger.com (Tomauto) — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 16:33:00 +0000

On the eve of Hyundai's Geneva debut, where the all new Hyundai iX35 will be revealed, the Korean giant will also showcase a plethora of eco-focused Blue Drive vehicles.

The i10, i20 and i30 will undergo a number of tweaks to transmissions, tyres and aerodynamics, aided by ISG technology, in order to achieve to the sub-100g/km range.

The i10 will employ a new efficient 1.0 petrol engine, emitting CO2 of just 99g/km, whilst the i20 with 1.4 CRDi engine will be mated to a new 6 speed manual transmission and produce just 98g/km of CO2. The i30 uses the 1.6 CRDi 90PS engine and produces CO2 emissions of just 98g/km and 99g/km for the hatchback and estate models respectively.

Kia Release New Venga Specification

noreply@blogger.com (Tomauto) — Thu, 14 Jan 2010 17:59:00 +0000

As expected, Kia announced prices, specification and colours on its all new Kia Venga supermini/MPV.

Kia Venga Details

noreply@blogger.com (Tomauto) — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 13:57:00 +0000

Kia are holding their first dealer conference today so we should see more detailed specs on the forth coming Kia Venga MPV.

The conference will also discuss the all new Kia Sorento SUV with prices, specs, colours etc.. to follow.

Both are due to launch 1st February.

In other Kia news the Korean car maker has shown its determination to have another great year by announcing its industry leading 7 year warranty across the entire car range. If that doesn't have the likes of Ford and GM quaking in their boots then nothing will.

Hyundai Announce New 'Editions' For 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Tomauto) — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 17:42:00 +0000

Hyundai will release a slurry of special editions in 2010 based on their popular i10, i20 and i30 models.

Badged 'Edition' each will deliver unique enhancements with eye catching style and added value within the range.

With VAT due to revert back to 17.5% in January, Hyundai are keen to keep their 2009 sales success going by offering better value, high spec versions through styling enhancements to both interior and exterior, based on it's mid range Comfort models.

i10 Edition
By far and away Hyundai's most popular model in 2009 was the Hyundai i10. Selling over 25,000 models or three times it's projected target in 2009, Hyundai simply ran out of stock but recently announced an improvement in the supply chain.

For just £50 more than a Comfort, the i10 Edition offers fantastic value for money and a real stand out package. A comprehensive specification list is complemented by stylish extras to create a more desirable package and a real incentive to up-sell from the Comfort. Key highlights include:

Air conditioning
14" alloy wheels
Remote central locking
Electric windows
Leather steering wheel and gear knob
Body coloured bumper and side mouldings - the first time offered on i10
Coloured interior trim

The 1.1 engine ensures that i10 Edition is offered at the most competitive price possible while still providing additional specification over the Comfort. Edition also boasts the lowest insurance costs of any i10 at 2 (1-20 Groups) or 9 (1-50 Groups).

i20 Edition
The new arrival had a slow start to 2009 due to early supply problems but soon set the pace and proved extremely popular with previous owners of the outgoing Hyundai Getz.

The i20 Edition is aimed at the individual who wants an eye catching and stylish car. Offered as a 1.2 petrol and based on the Hyundai i20 3 door and 5 door body styles, it is positioned between the Comfort and Style trims. To really complete an already competitive package, the interior has received special attention, and is now finished with bespoke upholstery featuring high quality genuine leather inserts and contrast stitch detail. Now combining elegant style inside and out, the i20 Edition offers:

Air conditioning
15" alloy wheels
'Edition' leather and cloth seat trim with contrast stitching
Electric windows
ESP
Leather steering wheel and gear knob
Front fog lights
Remote central locking
Steering wheel audio controls
USB and Aux connections

A price walk of £405 over the Comfort 1.2 offers genuine value for money, and as a final measure to promote even more showroom appeal, we are also offering this special edition in two new colours exclusive to Edition, Ice Blue and Crystal White.

i30 Edition
Completing the group, the i30 Edition is instantly recognisable, featuring a sporty body styling package including all new bumpers, front grille and side skirts. Based on the 2010 MY Comfort, it provides a bridge to the top of the range Premium, and gives customers the option of a dramatic exterior makeover, unique interior details, and some high value extras included in the package:

'Edition' exterior styling package
16" alloy wheels
Air conditioning
Privacy glass
Electric windows
ESP
Steering wheel audio controls
USB and Aux connections
Front fog lights
Interior styling package - sports pedals and dials, chrome finished gear knob

Available in a range of popular colours and including Crystal White paint, exclusive to this version in the Hyundai i30 range, the stylish package will provide real showroom presence and stand out appeal. And, offered with 1.4 petrol, 1.6 petrol and 1.6 CRDi 115PS engines, the i30 Edition will provide something for all levels of driver from the value seeker to those that demand more performance.

Scrappage
Hyundai will offer all 'Edition' models onto its successful scrappage scheme. Prices will start from £6,325 for the i10, £7,915 for the i20 1.2 3dr and £9,995 for the i30 1.4 manual.

The new Edition range goes on sale on 4th January 2010.

Kia Strike With New Ceed Special Editions

noreply@blogger.com (Tomauto) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 15:17:00 +0000

As well as announcing it's new 2010 pricing structure Kia also launched two special edition models based on the Ceed 5door and sporty 3dr Pro Ceed hatch.

The new Ceed Strike 5dr will be available in three colours including a unique Byte Blue metallic paintwork.

Based around the entry level Ceed 1 with a 1.4 petrol engine, the Strike Limited Editions will include additonal equipment such as 16inch 'Dark' grey alloy wheels as well as Bluetooth and iPod connectivity. Other key features include remote central locking, body coloured door handles and air conditioning. Prices start at £10,995 OTR.

The Pro Ceed Strike will feature the same equipment as the 5dr hatch but with the addition of a rear boot spoiler. Available in unique Byte Blue metallic, Infra Red and Arctic white the Pro Ceed Strike will set a new entry price point for the Ceed range at £10,695 OTR.

With the VAT rising back to 17.5%, car manufacturers are desperately trying to keep the cost of vehicles down. To ensure they remain competitive Kia have set the Ceed Strike's price point by fixing the dealer margin, and like all its special editions, will not be supported by additional bonuses. As much as its network of dealers would like to make money, a lot are in favour of this strategy as it prevents desperate discounting which ultimately hurts the resale value. Not that Kia need any help shifting metal right now.

As they always say in motoring circles 'today's discount is tomorrows depreciation'.

Mazda 3 Gets High 5

noreply@blogger.com (Tomauto) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 17:43:00 +0000

The all new Mazda 3 has achieved a 5 star EuroNCAP safety rating.

Meeting a more stringent evaluation system that awards a single overall vehicle safety rating, the new Mazda 3 achieved maximum scores in four key areas of assessment: Adult Occupant Protection, Child Protection, Pedestrian Protection and Safety Assist.

Mazda 3 is the second Mazda model to be awarded the five-star maximum rating under the new Euro NCAP evaluation system. The new Mazda 6 received five stars in February 2009. Mazda 2 and Mazda 5 received a maximum ranking of five stars for Adult Occupant Protection from Euro NCAP in December 2007 and 2005 respectively.

The new Mazda 3 inherits and evolves these characteristics and, with this recognition from Euro NCAP, is among the safest cars in the important European compact segment.

Hyundai Announce 2010 i30

noreply@blogger.com (Tomauto) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:12:00 +0000

Hyundai released details of its new 2010 Hyundai i30 hatchback today.

Due to be launched on the 4th January 2010, Hyundai will streamline the range offering a new entry level price point, better equipment levels and consistent price walks between trim levels.

The repositioning includes the introduction of a Classic trim as well as deletion of the Style and adjustments to the specification of the Comfort and Premium trims. The new i30 Classic will be the entry model to the range, and will be available with the existing 1.4 petrol engine and a new 1.6 CRDi 90PS diesel engine.

The Classic 1.4 petrol will be available from £12,000 OTR, positioning it at a lower price point than the 2009 MY Comfort whilst retaining a competitive level of standard specification such as ESP, air conditioning and electric front windows.

The i30 Classic 1.6 CRDi 90PS will be available from £12,950 OTR, reducing the price entry point of the diesel range by £1,140.

In between the Comfort and Premium will sit the 2010 special edition, designed to broaden i30's appeal, generate showroom interest and act as a bridge between the volume and top specification levels.

Cost of ownership

The i30 continues to offer unrivalled value for the retail customer, delivering competitive pricing combined with very low total ownership costs, competitive fuel economy and CO2 emissions plus the benefit of a 5 year unlimited mileage warranty.

For the company car driver, the 2010 model year range is an equally attractive proposition, with low P11D values and competitive CO2 emissions. The Comfort 1.6 CRDi 115PS will cost the 40% tax payer £723 per year, £466 less than a similarly specified Citroen C4.

Introduction of Intelligent Stop & Go technology

Available from the 2010 model year, Intelligent Stop & Go technology (ISG) will be introduced as a special order option on all models with manual transmission. This technology will reduce CO2 emissions and lower VED taxation for selected models. Highlights include:

CO2 emissions of the new Classic 1.6 CRDi 90PS reduce from 115 to 110 g/km, allowing businesses a 100% year one capital write-down allowance
CO2 emissions of the Comfort 1.6 CRDi 115PS Estate reduce from 124 to 119 g/km, saving the customer £85 per year in road tax
Improvements in fuel economy of up to 10% on the Hatchback and 14% on the Estate

The new Hyundai i30 range goes on sale on 4th January 2010.

Hyundai i10 Supply Chain Improving

noreply@blogger.com (Tomauto) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:58:00 +0000

Scrappage has had a massive impact on Hyundai sales this year. In fact it's given the Korean car maker such a boost that it would have taken years and millions more pounds in advertising to have achieved the sort of market share that it has gained from the Government backed scheme.

Hyundai have sold almost two years of production in a matter of months and the sheer magnitude of this success has had a knock on effect. In fact it's a credit to the logistical mastery of the Korean's that they've been able to even manage it.

At the beginning of the year Hyundai provided a sales commitment to the factories which totalled 32,500 vehicles, by the end of the year that figure will reach in excess of 55,000 vehicles.

The best selling model in particular is the Hyundai i10 where Hyundai set a target of 8,000 cars but sold in excess of 25,000. That's almost three years of production in a few months.

With 13,000 back orders it's only natural that customers & dealers are getting frustrated. Some customers are calling the dealerships to complain, some are even calling Hyundai directly.

However the situation is improving with commitment from the factory to secure additional allocation of i10 and i20 derivatives for December production. This means that Hyundai will be able to supply these vehicles for January delivery.

So if your a customer who's still waiting to pick up your new Hyundai, just hang on a little longer, it'll all be worth the wait in the end.

Kia's New GDi Engine

noreply@blogger.com (Tomauto) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 15:00:00 +0000

88 million pounds and 46 mths later enter the new GDi engine from Kia.

Putting the Kia & Hyundai brands at the cutting edge of engine design and management the GDi needed to achieve three seemly incompatible goals: lower emissions while raising power output and improving fuel economy.

Based on the new Theta II family of units, the first engine to go to market is the 2.4 litre four cylinder unit with a compression ratio of 11.3:1, delivering 201ps at 6300rpm and 25.5kg.m of torque at 4250rpm in its initial Korean domestic market specification.

It's likely that the new 2010 Sorento & Santa Fe from Hyundai will get these engines when full production gets underway by the end of 2010.

GDI explained

One serious limitation of conventional fuel injection systems is that as engine revolutions increase, the valve opening and closing times get progressively shorter, thus reducing the time available to inject fuel. GDI avoids this problem altogether by positioning the fuel injector in the most optimal location, directly inside the combustion chamber to offer unparalleled precision. With this shorter and more direct path, far greater control is attained over the combustion process: A high pressure fuel pump injects the fuel at pressures of up to 150 bar, in precise amounts and intervals.

The injection is split into two phases to achieve optimum combustion: in the first phase, the pilot injection and ignition trigger the piston's downward power stroke. Then, in the main injection phase, during the piston's descent, more fuel is injected and is ignited.

This split-injection technique reduces loading on the catalytic converter and helps lower emissions. This is particularly beneficial during cold starts when emissions are highest because the catalyst has not reached its optimal operating temperature. Split-injection enables the catalytic converter to reach the optimal operating temperature faster thus reducing emissions by 25 percent during cold starts and meet’s California Air Resources Board’s ULEV-2 and PZEV standards.

Mazda's i-Stop Is A Show Stopper

noreply@blogger.com (Tomauto) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:02:00 +0000

Idling stop technology has been around for sometime albeit in more expensive cars. Now it's finding its way into more afordable transport thanks to friends of the earth and people obsessed with lowering emissions.

Mazda introduced their all new Mazda 3 with i-stop technology this year, as part of its future green technology strategy, and now its won an award.

The 2009 Automotive Researchers' and Journalists' Conference of Japan (RJC) presented Mazda with the Technology of the Year award for developing a system which restarts in just 0.35 seconds, that's twice as fast as other competing systems.

The new Mazda 3 with i-stop offers approximately 15 percent improved fuel economy compared to the previous model when tested under Japan’s 10-15 mode test cycle. Mazda 3 models with i-stop also qualify for Japan's eco-car incentive program as well as tax reductions of 75 percent under the government’s eco-car tax reduction program. Almost half of the total Mazda3 sales volume in Japan to date has been i-stop models.

The Automotive Researchers’ and Journalists’ Conference of Japan, a non-profit organization (NPO), was established in 1990. It aims to contribute to the development of the automotive industry through various activities, including the recognition of outstanding vehicles and technologies by the Car of the Year selection committee.

Automotive technologies eligible for the 2009 RJC Technology of the Year competition must be introduced to the market in vehicles sold between November 1, 2008, and October 31, 2009. This is the third time that Mazda has won the RJC Technology of the Year award. Previously, Mazda won for its Miller-cycle engine (used in the Eunos 800) in 1993 and for the RENESIS Rotary engine (for the RX-8) in 2003.

Couple Name Baby Kia

noreply@blogger.com (Tomauto) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:23:00 +0000

When an expectant mother started going into labour at 2am in the morning, a quick call to her mother had them racing up the motorway en-route to hospital in her Kia Carens.

With a nervous dad onboard things had progressed somewhat and at 04:30am Samantha gave birth to a healthy baby girl weighing in at 6lbs 7ozs in the back of the Carens.

When Kia UK found out they presented the couple with a brand new shiny top of the range Carens. Nice gesture i have to say.

But that's not all. They also threw in two sets of waterproof seat covers and two car-car bags to keep their new Carens, and Grannie’s, nice and shiny.

And the new baby's name? Kia of course!!

New Peugeot Dealers Add 107 Accessories

noreply@blogger.com (Tomauto) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:03:00 +0000

SG Petch, the new name for Peugeot in Darlington, County Durham, have begun adding a range of genuine Peugeot Accessories to their online store.

The family run company has now expanded its portfolio to 12 manufacturers with Nissan coming earlier in 2010. Peugeot have always had strong representation in Darlington but after Williamson's Motors relinquished the franchise the french manufacturer hasn't had any real presense other than a brief spell with the Evans Halshaw group.

John Sedgwick, General Manager at SG Petch Darlington said: "Although it's still early days we've been inundated with customers enquiring about the Peugeot range and aftersales facilities. Work on the new showroom will begin soon giving us more of a visual presence from passing traffic. And adding the Peugeot accessories range to our online store now, will help new and existing Peugeot customers find what they want after normal working hours."

The company are still in the process of adding the full accessory and parts range but new visitors to the site can take advantage of a 10% discount on Peugeot 107 Accessories.

Its Scot To Be The Mazda 3

noreply@blogger.com (Tomauto) — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:39:00 +0000

While the car industry is trying to tempt motorists south of the border with weird, wacky and wonderful designs, the frugal Scots know that if your going to reach into your sporan and part with your cash, it needs to be a safe bet.

That safe bet comes in the form of the Mazda 3. A car that for the past 5 years has scooped the ‘Best Family Car’ category at The Association of Scottish Motoring Writers (ASMW) Scottish Car of the Year Awards 2009, held in the golfing playground of St Andrews on Friday 13th November.

Now in its 12th year, the Scottish Car of the Year is judged by members of the AMSW, comparing in the region of 60 different models launched between September 2008 and September 2009 across eight categories.

The all-new Mazda 3 impressed judges with its quality, style and driving experience tipping it ahead of its rivals including the Volkswagen Golf and Skoda Yeti in the family car category.

But it's not only the judges that have been impressed. Owners of the previous Mazda 3 have flocked into the showrooms to trade in their old models proving that Mazda commands brand loyalty. In fact 16 European countries exceeded their sales projections in September, resulting in a European retail volume that was 8 per cent above objective which was primarily down to the success of the all new Mazda 3 range.

All-new Mazda 3 is offered with a choice of four petrol and three diesel powertrains, all fine‑tuned to use less fuel. The 20-strong model line-up (16 hatchback and four saloon cars) is available in a choice of nine body colours and five equipment levels; S, TS, TS2, Sport and Sports Luxury. Each highly specified and includes Dynamic Stability Control (DSC) and an Emergency Stop Signalling (ESS) System as standard on all models.

Mazda6 Tamura Reintroduced

noreply@blogger.com (Tomauto) — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:34:00 +0000

Mazda reintroduced its special edition Mazda6 Tamura with a host of additional goodies at no extra cost.

Taking a leaf out of the top of the range sport model, the 6 Tamura offers big 18" alloy wheels fitted with low-profile tyres, alloy pedals, privacy glass and clear rear light bezels for for superb dynamic road holding.

To give it striking looks they've also thrown in a sports pack which includes front and rear sports bumpers and sports grille, side skirts and rear spoiler. Metallic & Mic paint is also Free of charge.

All this at a modest £17,200 makes the Mazda6 Tamura better value than it's mid-range 2.0 TS cousin.

Stocks are strictly limited with Stormy Blue Mica or Sunlight Silver the only two colours available. All Mazda6 Tamura's come with a 3yr 60000 mile warranty and 3 yrs European Roadside Assistance.

Peugeot Reports Strong Sales

noreply@blogger.com (Tomauto) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 10:11:00 +0000

Sales of new Peugeot cars increased by 36% in October over the previous year.

Van sales also saw an increase of 24% over the previous year.

Strong performances for Peugeot 207 (up 64%) and 308 (up 21%) helped this significant growth. Retail sales leapt by 53% and Fleet sales increased by 22%.

In October the new Peugeot 3008 also arrived in showrooms. Priced from £15,995 on-the-road, it is the perfect choice for customers who are looking for something different. Whether they drive a conventional saloon car, MPV, SUV or a hatchback, the 3008 will provide a new alternative which spans all these different vehicle types. It has the flexibility and space of an MPV, the rugged looks of an SUV and the vehicle dynamics of a family hatchback.

To keep momentum going Peugeot introduced a comprehensive range of new sales offers to maximise opportunities in until the end of the year, including 0% finance, low rate finance passport offers and equipment upgrades.

Peugeot Add 3008 Accessories

noreply@blogger.com (Tomauto) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:29:00 +0000

Shortly after the 3008's official launch in the UK, the french car maker added its official line of Peugeot 3008 Accessories.

Known for its passion and commitment to aftersales service, Peugeot didn't take long in offering a wide range of accessories from car seats to car mats. This process usually takes most car makers months to get around to doing leaving new buyers frustrated that they can't purchase a simple set of mats for their new vehicle.

Unfortunately they have removed their discount voucher but it's dealer network are set to continue with that promotion (see above link) until the end of the year.

Peugeot 207 Driving The Lions Share

noreply@blogger.com (Tomauto) — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 16:07:00 +0000

Peugeot saw its September sales increase 18% on last years total thanks to it's revamped Peugeot 207 supermini.

The recent restyling of the Peugeot 207 and new low emission engines has clearly won favour with today's environmentally conscious car buyer.

Continuing to be in the Top Ten best selling cars, the Peugeot 207 performormed well in not only the retail sector but the Fleet markets as well. A strong performance by the Peugeot 308 in September saw it retain its position as one of the UK’s Top Ten Fleet cars and was the highest placed French car.

With the announcement of the extension of the scrappage scheme Peugeot has introduced a comprehensive range of new sales offers to maximise the opportunities in October, through to the end of the year.

Kia Hyundai Rebrand Parts

noreply@blogger.com (Tomauto) — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 16:05:00 +0000

As the Korean car giants 10 year plan to dominate global car sales starts to take hold, Kia & Hyundai are set to rebrand its car parts division.

In a strategic move to reduce costs and streamline operations all genuine parts from both Kia and Hyundai will be now come in the same box.

With literally thousands of parts sharing the same part numbers and fitting the same vehicles it makes perfect sense and will save on wasteful materials.

Prices will also realign where the part is the same for both vehicles. For example under the current price system an oil filter for a Hyundai Coupe costs more than an oil filter for a Kia Rio even though it's the same part but come in different boxes.

The new strategy will help those dealer networks who support both franchises and save on customer confusion over pricing.

Relevant links: Kia Parts, Hyundai Parts

Ceed Gets Driver Power

noreply@blogger.com (Tomauto) — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 09:15:00 +0000

You know times have changed when so called 'lesser brands' like Skoda and Kia beat more established and posher marques from VW and Mercedes-Benz for driverbility.

Of course we all know the Skoda is really a Volkswagen but the Kia Ceed story is one deserving of merit.

In the latest AutoExpress Driver Power survey the Ceed came 6th overall and number one in the C-Segment class beating the VW Golf which came in at a lowly 22nd.

The Driver Power survey measures the views of over 21,400 new car drivers across the UK. The cars they drive are scrutinised and scored on their performance in a number of key areas, including practicality, build quality, reliability, and running costs.

The Kia dealer network was also under scrutiny and, amongst others, was measured on helpfulness and attitude, standard of workmanship and value for money.

In these hard economic times drivers are looking at alternative vehicles which give more value for money and the likes of VW can't rest on their laurels and assume brand snobbery will win the day. The bottom line is the Kia Ceed has a dynamic design, high build quality and frugal engines, all backed by a seven-year 100,000 mile warranty and all for much less wonger.

Kia Find Plenty Of Soul Mates

noreply@blogger.com (Tomauto) — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 08:50:00 +0000

Despite a lack of heavyweight advertising the new Kia Soul is already proving popular with drivers across Europe.

Early figures show over 5000 units have been sold across Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, France and here in the UK. This puts the Soul 13% above Kia's expected target of around 4425 units in the first quarter of 2009.

The lack of mainstream advertising has been down to slow production output and a high demand for other Kia products like the Ceed which is at the heart of Kia's global sales growth. However marketing of the Kia Soul gets underway in the USA and Australia this month and with the Soul’s monthly sales rate accelerating, with 1,334 cars delivered in January, the keys for a further 1,485 cars handed to customers in February and an additional 2,172 units being driven away from Kia dealer showrooms in March, Kia will be confident of supply and will throw more money at going to market.

Already a multi-award winner, the Kia Soul was the first Korean car ever to receive the prestigious recognition of a design award from the world renowned reddot product design competition. Here in the UK Fast Car magazine named Soul the ‘Best New Model for 2009’ and this week in the USA, Ward’s AutoWorld announced the winners of its annual ‘Interior of the Year’ awards. Soul was named ‘Grooviest Interior’ winning its class when looks, value, safety, comfort and convenience were assessed.

Aero Soul

noreply@blogger.com (Tomauto) — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 12:47:00 +0000

With April fools day just around the corner car makers are trying to lift the industry gloom by offering mockups of their latest inventions.

First up is the Kia Soul with its bolt on spoiler known as the Air Propulsion and Retardation Installation Line.

Designed to reduce fuel consumption and exhaust emissions this simple and low cost system relies on small sensors built into the front and rear bumpers which monitor external wind speed and deploy panels when the wind is sufficient to provide additional directional impetus according to the car’s behaviour.

The system is code marked A.P.R.I.L. for those Soul owners wishing to add it to their accessory list.

Dealers Finally Get Their Soul

noreply@blogger.com (Tomauto) — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 16:42:00 +0000

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

noreply@blogger.com (Tomauto) — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 13:25:00 +0000

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!!