Automotive News Europe - March 2, 2009 - 16

PAGE 16 · www.autonewseurope.com March 2, 2009 Geneva auto show Fiat Fiat will take the top off its popular 500 minicar. The 500 C is not a traditional convertible. Only the fabric roof panel can be folded toward the rear, similar to Fiat’s original 500 models of the 1950s and ’60s. 500 C The softtop, including its glass rear window, is electrically operated. The convertible retains the same interior space for four occupants as the standard 500. A stop-start system is standard equipment on the 500 C, which shares its powertrain lineup with the 500: A choice between 1.2-liter and 1.4-liter gasoline engines, or a 1.3-liter diesel. All are available with a manual or automatic transmission. The 500 C will be made in Fiat’s Tychy, Poland, plant. The car goes on sale in May. The price premium over comparable 500 trim levels should be about €2,000. Fiat also will debut its variable-valve-timing system, called Multiair. The technology improves torque and horsepower by about 10 percent, and reduces fuel consumption by 10 percent and CO2 emissions by half. The Multiair technology could be applied to normally aspirated and turbocharged gasoline engines, from two to six cylinders. Its first application will happen this year on a 1.4-liter gasoline engine. Fiat says Multiair could also be adapted to work on diesel engines, doing this would reduce NOx emissions. Fiat hopes that eventually the technology could allow two-cylinder engines to take the place of four-cylinder engines in small cars. The system works with a new application of intake-valve operation, which uses an electronic/hydraulic valve actuation instead of a mechanical throttle valve. Fiat claims the system is less costly than BMW’s similar VANOS variable-valve solution. Wim Oude Weernink & Luca Ciferri Citroen gives DS a new twist Looking to benefit from past successes, Citroen will unveil the Inside DS, a threedoor hatchback concept that closely resembles a near-production version of the planned DS3 small car. The new DS3, which goes on sale across Europe in early 2010, will be the first model in Citroen’s planned three-car “near-premium” range. The DS badge stands for Distinctive Series. The first DS was Citroen’s iconic executive sedan during the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s. However, the Inside DS concept bears little resemblance to the classic DS. Instead, its design, size and general feel draw immediate parallels with BMW’s Mini, whose buyers Citroen executives say will be one of the principal targets for the DS3 small car. The DS3 will be built on the same platform as Citroen’s existing small-segment car, the C3, as well as sister brand Peugeot’s top-selling 207. The DS3 will offer higher-quality features than its less-expensive cousins, as well as numerous ways to personalize the interior and exterior. These will include a popular option Inside DS among Mini buyers – the choice of different paint colors for the body and roof. Citroen plans to launch six new models over the next three years, part of a plan to extend the French brand’s profile and market share. Lawrence J. Speer Ford Much like Ford did with the Iosis (2005) and Iosis X (2006) – concepts that were preludes to the production Mondeo and Kuga respectively – the automaker will show a multi-activity vehicle concept that hints at the replacement for the C-Max medium minivan, or a vehicle similar in size and packaging. The concept will also show phase two of Ford’s kinetic design philosophy. Although some sources believed the concept would show the replacement for the Fusion minivan, Ford denies it. The concept will be unveiled on March 2, the evening before the show opens. At the IAA in Frankfurt in September, Ford is expected to present a model that is closer to production. Wim Oude Weernink & Luca Ciferri Hyundai unveils Tucson replacement Three new vehicles will make their debuts on the Hyundai stand: The HED-6 medium SUV concept, i20 threedoor, and i30 Blue with stop-start technology. The HED-6 hints at the replacement for the current Tucson. The new crossover arrives at the end of this year. The concept’s name is an acronym for Hyundai European Design, which created the car. It is the sixth concept done by Thomas Burkle and his team at Hyundai’s design center in Rüsselsheim. The production model will be built at the Kia factory in Zilina, Slovakia, and will take the new name IX-35. Hyundai will use the IX prefix for all of its SUVs in the future. The exterior features a hexagonal grille, angular style lines and back-swept front headlamps, LED daytime running lights and 21-inch alloy wheels. The three-dimensional, sculpted shape of the HED-6’s rear window is achieved using Lexan high-performance plastics instead of standard safety glass. The concept is powered by a 175hp, 1.6-liter gasoline direct-injection turbocharged engine. The three-door version of the new i20 small car also will be shown for the first time. It replaces the Getz threedoor. It was designed by Hyundai’s European studio. The i30 Blue lower-medium car will showcase the first application of stop-start technology on a Hyundai production car. This technology will contribute to a significant cut in both fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. John Revill HED-6 Infiniti Infiniti will unveil the Essence concept, a high-performance car that executives describe as “a 20th birthday present to ourselves.” The car will hint at the design and technology direction Nissan’s luxury brand will introduce to new models starting in 2010. Styling will be akin to the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren or the Aston Martin Vanquish. The stylish and sporty car will have a massive engine, possibly generating more than 500hp. Sources were secretive about the possibility of a gasoline-electric hybrid powertrain. The Essence features fitted luggage from Louis Vuitton. Essence Lawrence J. Speer Modular powertrains arrive with E class Mercedes-Benz gave a sneak peek of the redesigned E-class sedan to journalists in Detroit in January, but Geneva will mark the public debut of the car, as well as the world debut of the E-class coupe. The new E class focuses on passive safety, with standard features including a hood that actively cushions against pedestrian impacts, and a “pre-safe” brake system that anticipates sudden, sharp application of the brake pedal. The E class is the lead vehicle for Mercedes’ modular powertrain strategy, which requires any four-cylinder Mercedes engine to work with any Mercedes car model, from the A class’s transverse mount to the S class’s longitudinal layout. A new range of smaller, fuel-efficient four-cylinder gasoline and diesel engines are part of the E class’s engineering package. The coupe shares most of its equipment and powertrain packages with the sedan. For this reason, Mercedes-Benz has decided to price the coupe at the same level as the sedan. The E-class sedan goes on sale this month, followed by the coupe in June. In 2010, the sedan also will be offered with an extended wheelbase in China. That version will be produced there. In September, at the IAA in Frankfurt, Mercedes will present both the E-class wagon and cabriolet. Sales of the wagon will start after the show, while the convertible will reach dealers in November. Wim Oude Weernink Namir Italdesign Giugiaro “Fast and furiously clean” is perhaps the message envisaged by Italdesign Giugiaro’s new concept car debuting at the Geneva auto show. The Namir two-seat coupe will be able to reach a top speed of 300kph and accelerate from 0 to 100kph in less than four seconds, yet still be capable of traveling 50km on a single liter of gasoline. This miserly fuel consumption equates to about 50 grams per kilometer of CO2. By comparison, the third-generation Toyota Prius will be the first production hybrid vehicle to achieve CO2 emissions of less than 100g/km. In creating what it claims is the fastest hybrid concept car in the world, Giugiaro teamed up with UK-based Frazer Nash Research Ltd. Giugiaro will announce technical details of the hybrid powertrain at the show, but a source said that a Wankel rotary gasoline engine powers a generator. The Namir’s traction comes from electric motors that power each axle, creating a permanent all-wheel-drive setup. The wedge-shaped coupe features a body made entirely of aluminum and carbon, sitting on a carbon fiber chassis. Luca Ciferri E class
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Automotive News Europe - March 2, 2009

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