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Mazda’s CX-7 SUV is set to ditch its highly polluting petrol engine for a diesel powerplant featuring groundbreaking exhaust-cleaning technology.
The revamped five-seater is fitted with a special catalyst system that uses an additive called AdBlue to reduce the amount of poisonous oxides of nitrogen it emits. The Japanese firm says this will help it to meet tough Euro V regulations.
The 171bhp 2.2-litre diesel is also much better on economy and CO2 output than the old turbocharged petrol engine, recording a combined 37.7mpg and 199g/km. That halves the annual road tax to £205 a year.
The CX-7’s swift but comparatively thirsty 2.3-litre petrol unit has been dumped in favour of the new diesel taken from the 6 range. A single, highly specced model will be sold, with equipment likely to include xenon lights, heated leather seats, cruise control, parking sensors and a nine-speaker Bose sound system.
The CX-7 diesel will make its debut at next month’s Frankfurt Motor show, before going on sale in October. Prices are set to start at around £25,000, a rise of £1,000 over the petrol model.
Source: Auto Express
To find out more about the Mazda CX-7 why not visit our Dealerships in Sussex based at Manor Royal, Crawley, 53-55 Bishopric, Horsham or Lottbridge Drove, Eastbourne
We have a number of exclusive offers currently available and can also offer the Government Scrappage Incentive across the entire Mazda range of models. We are a one-stop-shop for all things Mazda, including Parts and Accessories, Aftersales including Service and Accident Repair, Motability Car Sales.
Visit www.lifestylemazda.co.uk or call Horsham – 01403 254 331, Crawley – 01293 845 000 or Eastbourne – 01323 737 233 today.
It’s back to basics for sportscar legend Mazda – the Japanese firm will premiere a super-light version of its best selling MX-5 sports car at next month’s Frankfurt Motor Show.
Dubbed the Mazda MX-5 Superlight, the concept celebrates 20 years of success with an open-topped, no-frills design focusing on affordable driving fun.
Created by Mazda’s studio in Oberursel, Germany, the two-seat roadster has been pared back to the bare essentials.
As these official Mazda pictures demonstrate, the Superlight concept is a roofless speedster offering only minimal protection from the elements. The cabin is a race inspired affair in keeping with the radical exterior.
A spiritual successor to the dramatic Renaultsport Spyder, Mazda claims that the Superlight concept takes the lightweight nature of the MX-5 to a whole new level, so expect extensive use of exotic materials amongst other weight saving measures.
Engine output has not been revealed, however the radical weight loss alone would make faster than your regular MX-5. Options open to engineers include the turbocharged 2.3-litre unit that offers up to 260bhp in the Mazda 3 MPS
In addition to the performance benefits of lightweight construction, Mazda is keen to stress the fuel saving and emission reductions possible with a lighter vehicle.
More details will be announced early next month.
Source: Auto Express – By Christopher MacLean
To find out more about the Mazda MX-5 why not visit our Dealerships in Sussex based at Manor Royal, Crawley, 53-55 Bishopric, Horsham or Lottbridge Drove, Eastbourne
We have a number of exclusive offers currently available on the award-winning roaster and can also offer the Government Scrappage Incentive across the entire Mazda MX-5 range of models. We are a one-stop-shop for all things Mazda, including Servicing, Accident Repair, Motability and New and Used Car Sales.
Visit www.lifestylemazda.co.uk or call Horsham – 01403 254 331, Crawley – 01293 845 000 or Eastbourne – 01323 737 233 today.
Ford sold 26 percent more Fiestas in July – and, again, it’s scrappage that’s to thank for the increase.
44 percent of Fiesta sales have now come under the scrappage scheme – from a total of nearly 4000 scrappage Ford sales in July.
So far, the brand has recorded 16,500 new car scrap scheme registrations.
But it’s not just the Fiesta that’s doing well, he added. Sales are ‘soaring’ for low-CO2 Fords. Registrations for sub-120g/km variants are up 92 percent year-to-date.
‘Ford’s performance demonstrates how strong products can build sales, even in the toughest trading climate,’ said Ford of Britain MD Nigel Sharp.
‘Scrappage is benefitting the whole Ford range, but especially Ford Fiesta and Ka.
‘These are good looking, highly specified cars, competing well above the scrappage entry-level heartland.
There’s even more to come, he reckons: ‘Ford is bracing itself for a bumper September to welcome the new ‘59′ plate.’
Source: Car Dealer Magazine
If the Impreza WRX isn’t tough enough for you… then Subaru may have the answer!
The Japanese firm has announced a new, rally-bred Spec C variant of the all-wheel drive hatch.
Power is boosted to 304bhp thanks to the use of smoother ball bearings in the turbocharger, while retuned suspension and a reinforced chassis means it’ll provide an even more extreme driving experience.
Sadly, just 900 models will be made, meaning the car is unlikely to make it to British roads.
Source: Auto Express
Firm’s radical Frankfurt Motor Show preview has no petrol or diesel models in sight
Prepare yourself for a shock! Renault is set to be crowned the king of electric cars when it unveils an entire family of EVs at the IAA Frankfurt Motor Show, Auto Express has learned.
The French firm’s show stand will make history – as the first from a mainstream car maker to only feature battery-powered cars. The company is set to take the covers off an unprecedented four never-seen-before electric concepts
Renault has its sights set on becoming the world leader in electric vehicle technology. And heading the line-up is a new supermini-sized offering. Designed from the ground up to be fitted with a compact lithium-ion battery pack and high-performance motor, it’s the first in a new wave of purpose-built electric cars, rather than a retro fit to a combustion-engined model.
Sharing a platform with Nissan’s Leaf EV will keep the price down, while packaging tricks such as placing the battery pack under the floor will maximise interior space.
An all-electric conversion of the current Mégane will break cover, too – marking a significant step for the firm. The converted hatch will be the first Renault to go on sale in Israel, a country with a rapidly developing EV infrastructure. Completing the Frankfurt stars will be an updated version of the Kangoo Be Bop EV mini-MPV.
The electric motors will range from 50kW to 100kW, or 70bhp to 140bhp in more conventional terms. That means acceleration should be comparable to a 1.6-litre hatchback, delivering 0-60mph in around ten seconds. More intriguing, though, is Renault’s claim that the top speed of each electric car sold will be specific to the country in which it’s registered. UK cars, for example, will be capped electronically at 70mph.
Depending on the weight of your right foot and whether you call the air-conditioning into action, the range on a full charge for all these models should be in the region of 60 to 110 miles.
By Renault’s calculation, even when you factor in the cost for hiring the battery pack, running one of its EVs will cost 20 per cent less than a petrol or diesel model, based on driving 9,000 miles a year. But of course, the major benefit is zero emissions. Even when you consider the air pollution caused in producing the electricity, these are cleaner and more efficient machines.
However, the public will have to wait until 2011 before they can pick up a battery-powered Renault. But you might just spot one on the road as soon as 2010, when the firm will be testing them in the UK.
Source: Auto Express. Text: Jack Rix
Family Ford that promises to revolutionise the MPV market takes its first steps.
Here’s the proof that Ford is taking people carriers to the MAX! These are the first spy shots of the forthcoming new C-MAX, which will make its worldwide debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September.
Taking inspiration from the Iosis MAX concept – revealed earlier this year at the Geneva Motor Show – the new C-MAX gets a sleeker look with a steeply raked windscreen, sporty sloping rear window (much like its bigger brother, the S-MAX) and a new front end with re-designed trapezoidal grilles.
Available in five-seater and seven-seater form for the first time, the new C-MAX is seeking to go straight to the top of the sales charts, knocking the Vauxhall Zafira (which will be replaced in 2010) from the top spot.
Helping its cause will be a new high quality cabin with a reversing camera on flagship models while under the bonnet, the new C-MAX will be the first Ford to debut the company’s direct injection turbocharged EcoBoost engines.
The new C-MAX will get a 1.6-litre unit in 148bhp and 178bhp form. It is also likely to feature new diesel engines too. Sales will start later this year.
Source: Auto Express. Text: Sam Hardy / Photos: Lehmann
Amazing pictures show Renault is readying radical battery model. Called the Twingo ZE, it’s set to charge in at Frankfurt Motor Show.
It’s the all-electric supermini that’s set to change the way we own and drive our cars. This is Renault’s three-seat green machine, the Twingo ZE.
Auto Express’s French sister magazine, Auto Plus, published these amazing scoop images – which reveal a top-secret clay model at the firm’s Paris HQ.
Set for an official debut at September’s Frankfurt Motor Show, the newcomer is aimed at Vauxhall’s imminent Trixx – which we unmasked in Issue 1,062. The Renault goes on sale next year, starting at £13,000.
According to our sources, it will be powered by a simple electric engine and an advanced battery pack. This set-up is similar to that already fitted to the Be Bop ZE concept, but as the Twingo ZE is smaller it should be able to go further.
The estimated range is an ambitious 100 miles on each charge. However, what’s most interesting is that the design is so focused on making the most of the electric powerplant, no conventionally fuelled variant will be offered.
The drivetrain offers 59bhp, which should mean a 0-60mph time of around 10 seconds and a top speed of 80mph. Taking cues from the Be Bop show model, the Twingo ZE will have smooth bodywork surfaces to improve aerodynamics.
Drivers can also expect regenerative braking, while other energy-saving kit is set to include high-performance insulation – this is designed to reduce the demands on the air-conditioning system.
As with other electric models, there will be a charger that works with conventional household plug sockets. This promises to revive the battery incredibly quickly – in around four hours – and means owners should be able to keep their car topped up for commuting using a combination of public and private charging points.
Most radical of all, however, is the way the company plans to keep drivers on the road for longer runs. It’s setting up an innovative ‘Quick Drop’ scheme. Dedicated sites – most likely to be Renault’s network of dealers – will allow owners to exchange flat batteries for a fresh, fully charged set.
At the heart of this is the concept that drivers will merely lease the batteries for the car, rather than own them outright. This will help keep the costs of the Twingo as low as possible – matching Renault’s stated aim that all of its electric cars will cost the same as, or less than, the equivalent petrol models.
Source | Auto Express | Text: Alex Goy | Photos: Auto Plus
Mazda’s CX-7 SUV is set to ditch its highly polluting petrol engine for a diesel powerplant featuring groundbreaking exhaust-cleaning technology.
