Automobile Blog

Lexus plans for huge expansion

Lexus, Toyota’s prestige brand, is planning a rival to the Audi A3 and BMW 1-series as part of a major expansion plan. At this stage, the baby Lexus is more an intention than a reality — being at least five years away — but given Toyota’s record there’s a very strong chance that such a model will see the showroom.

Expect a classy, refined hatchback in the mould of the new IS (right) — though it’s not yet clear whether it will be front-wheel drive or rear-wheel drive like the rest of the range.

In the nearer future, Lexus is also planning an estate version of the new IS and, in two to three years’ time, diesel engines for the GS, RX and LS. From next April the new IS will be available with the company’s first diesel, a 2.2-litre four-cylinder unit with 174bhp, and Lexus is planning hybrid versions of all its cars except the IS. The next LS will be more dynamic, both to look at and to drive, in keeping with the marque’s new design strategy.
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Vauxhall Corsa Unveiled

The next Vauxhall Corsa will be bigger, bolder and much more interesting than today’s model. Spy photographs have exposed the all-new supermini 12 months before it appears on UK roads, and these pictures prove its maker’s intent to shake up the segment with an eye-catching model in the spirit of the 1993 original.

Vauxhall’s parent company Opel is currently shaking out the Corsa’s final gremlins in intensive cold-weather testing in Sweden. It has gone to great lengths to disguise the grille, head- and tail-lights, but despite the tape and cladding it’s clear that the new Corsa will follow in the footsteps of the Astra and Tigra in assuming Vauxhall’s new wedgy, sharp-edged design language.

Underneath lie the mechanicals co-developed with Fiat, which will also underpin next year’s new Punto. Although all the sheet metal and interior fittings differ, Vauxhall insiders have hinted that many of the cars’ hard points – wheelbase, track width and bonnet height for example – will be identical.

The new Vauxhall will be offered in both three- and five-door variants and engines will include 80bhp 1.2-, 90bhp 1.4-, 105bhp 1.6- and 140bhp 1.8-litre petrol engines. A GM-tuned version of Fiat’s excellent 70bhp 1.3-litre diesel will also be offered, alongside a 1.7-litre diesel with 100bhp.

The fastest model will be the VXR, built to take on Renault’s next Renaultsport Clio. This is expected midway through 2007 and should comfortably eclipse the 180bhp of the Meriva VXR, itself due next January.

Second innings of VW Scirocco

Riding piggyback atop a flatbed truck, cloaked only by the translucent dawn, a sunflower-yellow Scirocco recently arrived in Westmoreland County, Pa., sending a 1970’s ripple through the region.

The ‘75 Volkswagen may not have blown into town quite like the desert wind for which it was named, but at least one driver out at 5:30 a.m. took note. “Some kid in a hot red Honda pulled up beside the truck, and it looked like he was going to break his neck the way he was staring at the car,” said Trevor Hill, the Sirocco’s new owner. “Before the Hondas, these were big,” he explained.

Mr. Hill, 34, acquired his Scirocco on eBay after placing a last-minute $5,600 winning bid, then made an overnight trip to St. Louis to haul it home. “The more I looked at it, the more I wanted it,” said Mr. Hill, who runs a garage specializing in Porsches and owns and operates Subway sandwich franchises. He figures he has owned more than 100 Sciroccos and, at the time of the eBay auction, had three (if you count the sandblasted 1975 carcass leaning against a wall of his garage). But he couldn’t resist the yellow coupe. With its unblemished dashboard, a swinging-70’s yellow plaid interior, unworn pedal pads and a dealer-installed AM/FM/8-track player, he said it was the most nearly period-perfect Scirocco he had ever seen. For another $1,000 he plans to make it stock-perfect. “It’s a first-year car,” he said. “I’ve seen four of them in my life.” He owns two of those four.
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Preview: Volkswagen Jetta

Best-selling European nameplate in the States debuts as new, fifth-generation sedan that’s bigger, more practical than its predecessor.

Volkswagen’s compact Jetta sedan, which has long been a favorite of young college grads and singles as they start their careers, is big enough now to remain a part of their lives a lot longer.

The 2005 model arrived as the fifth-generation Jetta. It’s a substantial 7 inches longer, 1 inch wider and about a half inch taller than its predecessor—making the vehicle usable for small families, too.

The Jetta also is newly styled with a more rounded appearance up front and re-engineered throughout with new suspension, more powerful base engine and improved safety features.

“It has become more practical,” said Stuart Karp of Volkswagen of America Inc.’s marketing group.
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Toyota Innova

Toyota Innova is not just another new model from Toyota but the crowd before the showrooms shows that this car holds a lot of promise to Indian automobile market. Toyota Innova, the car that is coming after the production of Qualis stopped, could not be seen as a replacement of Qualis and is not going to attract only Qualis customers but is going to give run for money to other sedans in India.

After years of wrong sayings that Toyota is selling outdated MUV Qualis, Toyota Innova is a vehicle, which is more, advanced then its near rivals, Tavera and Scorpio. The looks of Innova indicates that it is a MPV and its going to give brand new look never seen before in the Indian auto scenario. The shape of the body gives it a drag coefficient of 0.35 which is going to be an advantage with fuel efficiency at higher speeds.
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Toyota: New Launches in near future

Toyota is always said to enter the market last and then make short work of the competition. The company’s track record has proved that Toyota’s strategy has been immensely successful and they are always within the top three in any country they work in.

Although relatively new to the Indian market, the company is already working on improving existing products and adding new product lines, even if it means doing away with a currently successful product.

Toyoshima-san says, “Times must change. What we are introducing to the market is the latest from our International Motor Vehicle development platform around the world, and the Innova is the first child of that platform.
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Toyota cuts Innova, Corolla prices

Toyota Kirloskar Motor on Tuesday announced reduction in prices of Corolla and the recently launched Innova models following customs duty cut announced in the Budget.

The reduction in price of Toyota Corolla is around Rs 32,000 on ex-showroom price while price of Innova has come down by about Rs 14,000, a TKM release said.

The price of Corolla will now range between Rs 9.73 lakh and Rs 11.76 lakh (ex-showroon Delhi).
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