World Concept Cars

Renault's UK division has released pricing and specification details for its Wind Coupé-Roadster. Customer ordering for the Wind, which is offered with the choice of two engines, a 133HP 1.6-liter or a 100HP 1.2-liter turbo, opens in May for first deliveries in July with prices ranging from £15,500 to £18,200.

In addition, the new two-seater model will be available to pre-order later in April in an exclusive, range-topping "Collection" limited edition guise, of which only 200 examples will make their way to Britain.

The standard range is offered in two trim levels. The base Dynamique comes equipped with ABS with EBD (Electronic Brakeforce Distribution), front and lateral driver and passenger airbags, brake assist, ESC, immobiliser and electric retracting hard top roof as standard

Moving up to the Dynamique S adds 2x35W radio CD MP3 reader with fingertip remote control, 17-inch alloys, auto lights and wipers, alarm system, Bluetooth connectivity and multi-functional TunePoint (USB connection).

Finally, the limited edition Collection includes several more standard goodies such as electrically adjustable and heated chrome effect door mirrors, carbon black leather-faced heated seats, gloss black retractable roof, red and chrome dash inserts, leather sport wheel and gearknob, aluminium pedals, subtle 'Collection' side and boot badges, plus double chrome roof cover cowls.

Full pricing for Wind Coupé-Roadster is outlined below. Insurance groups have yet to be finalised, but are expected to be competitive.

Version	Engine	OTR Price
Dynamique	1.2 TCe 100	£15,500
	1.6 VVT 133	£16,400
Dynamique S	1.2 TCe 100	£16,400
	1.6 VVT 133	£17,300
Collection limited edition	1.2 TCe 100	£17,300
	1.6 VVT 133	£18,200

Source: Carscoop

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During last week's press days of the 2010 New York International Auto Show, Kia took the veils off the all-new 2011 Optima mid-size sedan that will carry the same name in all markets outside Korea.

While the new Optima will arrive in Kia's U.S. showrooms this fall, European buyers will have to wait until Spring of 2011 to get their hands on the Korean firm's D-segment sedan that will compete with the likes of the Ford Mondeo and Citroen C5.

For Western Europe, the new front-wheel drive Optima will be available with a choice of 2.0-litre CVVL gasoline and 1.7-litre VGT turbo-diesel engines, with output and performance numbers to be released at a later date.

In Russia and some Eastern European markets, Kia will also offer the new Optima with a 2.4-litre MPI gasoline engine producing 178-horsepower.

Oddly enough, Kia's initial plans for Europe do not include the firm's new 2.0-liter turbocharged unit with 278-horsepower that will be offered in the U.S. along with a 203HP 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine with direct injection.

Depending on the model, European customers will have the choice of a six speed manual gearbox or a six-speed automatic transmission featuring Kia's "Sport-matic" clutchless manual shifting or fully automatic operation.

Source: Carscoop

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Infiniti, Nissan’s upmarket wing, can finally have a serious stab at the European luxury car market after launching its Renault-based turbodiesel V6. Its pleasingly idiosyncratic range of cars – ultra modern, finely crafted and mostly fun to drive – have been hamstrung in the showrooms by a range of V6 and V8 petrol engines which have been designed for customers in Los Angeles or Boston, not London or Berlin. Of a diesel, there has been no sign. Until now.

New M Line takes on 5-series and E-class

The Japanese maker also launched its handsome new M Line saloon at Geneva, a swoopy curvy E-class or 5-series rival that boasts excellent space and a stylish cabin. The new 238bhp V6 diesel will naturally be the big seller – although actual Euro volumes, from this budding brand, are still tiny. The big news at Geneva was its hybrid engine.

This is the first hybrid powertrain developed by Nissan – previous US-focused Nissan hybrids have been licensed from Toyota – and there are a number of technical improvements compared with the competitor Lexus GS hybrid. The whole hybrid unit is more compact – not least because it uses one electric engine, not two – and lighter (by 30 kg). Its lithium ion batteries are also more compact than the Lexus’s nickel metal hydride units and, says Infiniti, will last longer. Their compactness means boot space, in the hybrid M, is still generous. Rear leg room is positively capacious, close to class best.

Infinitis are supposed to be sporty cars. Is the M hybrid a slug or a sportster?

As Infinitis are performance biased, the hybrid is more sports saloon than street slacker: 0-60 in 6.0 seconds, and it can do 62mph in electric drive alone. The seven-speed dual clutch semi-auto box removes the torque converter, helping throttle response. Even in electric mode, it drives through the seven-speed ‘box, so you can play with the paddles even when you’re purring on battery power.

The hybrid is clearly aimed at the US, easily Infiniti’s biggest market, but even in diesel-obsessed Europe, bosses expect the hybrid to account for a third of M sales.

Source: Carmagazine.co.uk

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Citroën's Brazilian arm has released the first official photos of a new model called the AirCross, essentially a crossover version of the C3 Picasso MPV with a jacked up suspension and a body kit around the bottom of the body to give it a more rugged, off-road look.

Styling tweaks include the relocation of the spare tire to the rear hatch, newly designed front and rear bumpers, a new grille up front, wheel arch extensions, roof rails, faux aluminum trim and larger alloy wheels.

Details remain scarce for now, but it is believed that the AirCross will be offered as a two-wheel drive model only sharing the same engines and transmission options with the standard C3 Picasso.

Source: Carscoop

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