This is the new Ford Fiesta ST, just unveiled at the 2011 Frankfurt motor show. It’s just a concet car for now, but we know a production version of the new Ford Fiesta ST will be revealed at the 2012 Geneva motor show, and that sales will start in the UK in time for next September’s plate change. It’s the same format Ford followed with the Focus ST, revealing a near-production concept at the 2010 Paris motor show, and then pulling the wraps off the real thing last night.
Come on then, you seem to know a lot – what’s the engine in the new Ford Fiesta ST?
Bar the Renaultsport Clio and Suzuki Swift Sport, all the significant pocket rocket hot hatches use forced induction engines, and the new Fiesta ST is no different. Under the bonnet is a 1.6-litre Ecoboost engine (that means a turbocharger, direct injection fuel tech, and variable valve timing), producing 178bhp. That’s up from the standard 148bhp the 1.6 offers when ensconced in the Focus.
There’s 177lb ft too, power is sent to the front wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox, and Ford claims the concept will manage 0-62mph in under seven seconds, and reach at least 138mph. Plus the CO2 emissions are under 140g/km; the old Fiesta ST was a 148bhp/140lb ft warm hatch that took nearly eight second to do the benchmark sprint, and emitted 177g/km.
What else?
Of course there’s some beefier bodywork, which Ford is keen to claim is influenced by the WRC Fiesta, but we reckon is actually rather subtle, despite widened wheel arches. Other tweaks include new bumpers front and rear, 17in wheels, twin exhausts (alas it wasn’t possible to mirror the Focus ST’s central pipes), a faux diffuser, and a little roof-mounted spoiler. What isn’t subtle is the huge trapezoid front grille (a styling solution pinched from the new Focus ST), or the bright Molten Orange paint. Inside there are a set of Recaro seats for the driver and passenger.
‘The Fiesta has a rich history of high-performance models so a new ST performance model is a logical next step in our performance vehicle strategy for our global small cars,' said Derrick Kuzak, Ford's global product development boss. Jost Capito, Ford's director of global performance vehicles and the man behind the last Focus RS commented: 'The Fiesta ST concept shows in the most dramatic way possible that the qualities that define an ST are not limited to one model.'
Thứ Ba, 28 tháng 2, 2012
Land Rover DC100 Sport (2011) at Frankfurt motor show
Land Rover has unveiled a second Defender concept car at the 2011 Frankfurt motor show. We’ve already seen the DC100, and now there’s the DC100 Sport. Land Rover has built them both to gauge public interest and decide in which direction the next Defender – due in 2015 – should be engineered. Read on to find out about the DC100 Sport, and to learn more about the DC100
How does the new Land Rover Defender DC100 Sport differ from the DC100?
If we’re simplistic about it, the DC100 is a conventional three-door 4x4, and the new DC100 Sport is a pick-up. According to Land Rover, the DC100 ‘demonstrates the future of Land Rover capability and versatility’ while the DC100 Sport is ‘an active expression of freedom and leisure’.
Both concepts use the same lightweight, mixed-alloy platform with an identical 100-inch wheelbase, plus 2.0-litre four-cylinder engines driving all four wheels through a stop/start-equipped eight-speed automatic. The DC100 has a diesel engine, the DC100 Sport has a petrol engine, and LR says both are capable of being configured as parallel or plug-in hybrids.
The DC100 has an upgraded version of LR’s existing air suspension system, which can push the ride height up to 320mm, while the DC100 Sport uses a third-gen MagneRide adjustable damper set-up for better on-road handling.
Presumably both can still mud-plug?
Of course, and a transfer case provides both high and low ratios for on- and of-road driving, a new electronic torque vectoring systems aids both on- and off-road handling, and the Driveline Disconnect switches both DC100s to front-wheel drive running unless extra traction is needed. The rear propshaft is physically disengaged from the centre diff (rather than engine power being electronically diverted) and Land Rover claims this can improve fuel consumption by up to 7%.
Land Rover’s Terrain Response system lets the driver switch between different modes for sand, mud and gravel. These concepts also preview a future version of Terrain Response, which can identify potential hazards and advise safe routes around them. Cameras scan the terrain ahead, identify it, and adapt the electronics automatically – the system can also map the terrain in 3D, and present it on the display screen. A sonar system helps with wading, and there are on-demand spiked tyres, which inflate when a secondary air chamber in the carcass is inflated, filling pods moulded into the tread which contain the spikes.
What about the styling?
Iconic Land Rover stuff, updated for the 21st century (which is what was needed). There are slab sides, sharp shoulder lines and short overhangs, with references to existing LR products (the side vents, for instance), plus both concepts roll on huge 22in wheels. The DC100 has twin round headlamps, while the DC100 Sport treads a performance-orientated line not yet seen on a Defender.
The DC100 is designed as a rough and ready workhouse, with an upright windscreen, a winch, towing eyes built into each corner of the concept, while solar panels on the roof help power the on-board systems.
The new DC100 Sport is said to take its cues from early canvas-roofed Defenders, but it’s much more sporting, with a wraparound aero screen, cut-down speedster-style side windows, a double buttress roofline and a flat bed for all your ‘lifestyle’ equipment.
And inside?
‘Social seating’ is the phrase being banded about by LR, as both concepts sport three-abreast seating; the passenger seat can be folded down to increase carrying capacity, and the middle seat contains a storage area.
There’s also a new, centrally mounted touchscreen, which is both the instrument panel and the multimedia system. Buttons on the steering wheel control it, or you can swipe through it like an iPhone. And you can also remove it – it’s got a water-resistant silicon finish, has its own power source, camera and satellite connectivity, plus an internal hard drive to record both HD video and still images.
Both cars also feature aluminium inductive charging strips in the rear load bays, which in the DC100 is apparently for juicing up power tool, and in the DC100 Sport it’s for heating or cooling food or drink; the DC100 Sport also has a separate charging point for the removable Meridian speak system.
How does the new Land Rover Defender DC100 Sport differ from the DC100?
If we’re simplistic about it, the DC100 is a conventional three-door 4x4, and the new DC100 Sport is a pick-up. According to Land Rover, the DC100 ‘demonstrates the future of Land Rover capability and versatility’ while the DC100 Sport is ‘an active expression of freedom and leisure’.
Both concepts use the same lightweight, mixed-alloy platform with an identical 100-inch wheelbase, plus 2.0-litre four-cylinder engines driving all four wheels through a stop/start-equipped eight-speed automatic. The DC100 has a diesel engine, the DC100 Sport has a petrol engine, and LR says both are capable of being configured as parallel or plug-in hybrids.
The DC100 has an upgraded version of LR’s existing air suspension system, which can push the ride height up to 320mm, while the DC100 Sport uses a third-gen MagneRide adjustable damper set-up for better on-road handling.
Presumably both can still mud-plug?
Of course, and a transfer case provides both high and low ratios for on- and of-road driving, a new electronic torque vectoring systems aids both on- and off-road handling, and the Driveline Disconnect switches both DC100s to front-wheel drive running unless extra traction is needed. The rear propshaft is physically disengaged from the centre diff (rather than engine power being electronically diverted) and Land Rover claims this can improve fuel consumption by up to 7%.
Land Rover’s Terrain Response system lets the driver switch between different modes for sand, mud and gravel. These concepts also preview a future version of Terrain Response, which can identify potential hazards and advise safe routes around them. Cameras scan the terrain ahead, identify it, and adapt the electronics automatically – the system can also map the terrain in 3D, and present it on the display screen. A sonar system helps with wading, and there are on-demand spiked tyres, which inflate when a secondary air chamber in the carcass is inflated, filling pods moulded into the tread which contain the spikes.
What about the styling?
Iconic Land Rover stuff, updated for the 21st century (which is what was needed). There are slab sides, sharp shoulder lines and short overhangs, with references to existing LR products (the side vents, for instance), plus both concepts roll on huge 22in wheels. The DC100 has twin round headlamps, while the DC100 Sport treads a performance-orientated line not yet seen on a Defender.
The DC100 is designed as a rough and ready workhouse, with an upright windscreen, a winch, towing eyes built into each corner of the concept, while solar panels on the roof help power the on-board systems.
The new DC100 Sport is said to take its cues from early canvas-roofed Defenders, but it’s much more sporting, with a wraparound aero screen, cut-down speedster-style side windows, a double buttress roofline and a flat bed for all your ‘lifestyle’ equipment.
And inside?
‘Social seating’ is the phrase being banded about by LR, as both concepts sport three-abreast seating; the passenger seat can be folded down to increase carrying capacity, and the middle seat contains a storage area.
There’s also a new, centrally mounted touchscreen, which is both the instrument panel and the multimedia system. Buttons on the steering wheel control it, or you can swipe through it like an iPhone. And you can also remove it – it’s got a water-resistant silicon finish, has its own power source, camera and satellite connectivity, plus an internal hard drive to record both HD video and still images.
Both cars also feature aluminium inductive charging strips in the rear load bays, which in the DC100 is apparently for juicing up power tool, and in the DC100 Sport it’s for heating or cooling food or drink; the DC100 Sport also has a separate charging point for the removable Meridian speak system.
Vauxhall Rake concept (2011) at Frankfurt motor show
Alongside the Astra GTC and Zafira Tourer, Vauxhall (and thus Opel) is unveiling something a little more ‘out there’ at the 2011 Frankfurt motor show. It’s this tiny city car, known by Vauxhall as RAK e, and which we’re going to call the Rake. The name is a modern take on the Rak 2, a rocket-powered Opel that hit 140mph in 1928.
And this Vauxhall Rake concept car is what exactly?
A little electric car with Ampera-influenced stlying, which Vauxhall claims has both ‘production potential’ and could ‘revolutionise urban transport, especially for younger drivers and those on a very tight budget’. It’s designed to use a minimal amount of energy, and weigh as little as possible – the concept tips the scales just 380kg,
Think of it as something that offers a little bit more weather protection than Renault’s Twizy, and Vauxhall says it’s aimed at young (i.e. teenage) drivers. 'The Rake is inspired by our wealth of experience in the area of electro-mobility, underpinned by the Ampera,' said Vauxhall's British vice president of design, Mark Adams. 'This progressive concept is creating a new class of electric vehicle; we’re eager to see the reaction of customers at the show.'
What else do we know about Vauxhall's Twizy-rivalling EV?
The concept car has a 75mph top speed and is claimed to do the 0-60mph dash in under 13 whole seconds. Peak power from the electric motor is 48bhp, with 14bhp being constantly available; the 5kWh battery takes three hours to charge and means a 60-mile range .
There’s a steel spaceframe, with a (cheap) fully-recyclable synthetic material used for the body – there’s no expensive carbonfibre on the Rake. There’s seating for two in a tandem configuration, and Vauxhall claims the energy consumption per person in the Rake is ten times lower than that of a typical supermini. 'We want to develop electric vehicles that everyone can afford,' said Karl-Friedrich Stracke, Vauxhall and Opel's CEO. 'The Rake aims to deliver pricing that even younger customers can afford. It also has cool looks and production potential. In future, efficiency will be measured in money-terms, not litres per 100km.'
A canopy roof ensures the Rake's cabin is light and airy, the front seat, steering column and armrests automatically tip forward to aid your entry and exit, and both the steering wheel and pedals are adjustable.
Alongside a rival for the Mini and Fiat 500 being launched next year (it’s internally dubbed Junior), Vauxhall/Opel will also launch an innovative city car in 2014.
And this Vauxhall Rake concept car is what exactly?
A little electric car with Ampera-influenced stlying, which Vauxhall claims has both ‘production potential’ and could ‘revolutionise urban transport, especially for younger drivers and those on a very tight budget’. It’s designed to use a minimal amount of energy, and weigh as little as possible – the concept tips the scales just 380kg,
Think of it as something that offers a little bit more weather protection than Renault’s Twizy, and Vauxhall says it’s aimed at young (i.e. teenage) drivers. 'The Rake is inspired by our wealth of experience in the area of electro-mobility, underpinned by the Ampera,' said Vauxhall's British vice president of design, Mark Adams. 'This progressive concept is creating a new class of electric vehicle; we’re eager to see the reaction of customers at the show.'
What else do we know about Vauxhall's Twizy-rivalling EV?
The concept car has a 75mph top speed and is claimed to do the 0-60mph dash in under 13 whole seconds. Peak power from the electric motor is 48bhp, with 14bhp being constantly available; the 5kWh battery takes three hours to charge and means a 60-mile range .
There’s a steel spaceframe, with a (cheap) fully-recyclable synthetic material used for the body – there’s no expensive carbonfibre on the Rake. There’s seating for two in a tandem configuration, and Vauxhall claims the energy consumption per person in the Rake is ten times lower than that of a typical supermini. 'We want to develop electric vehicles that everyone can afford,' said Karl-Friedrich Stracke, Vauxhall and Opel's CEO. 'The Rake aims to deliver pricing that even younger customers can afford. It also has cool looks and production potential. In future, efficiency will be measured in money-terms, not litres per 100km.'
A canopy roof ensures the Rake's cabin is light and airy, the front seat, steering column and armrests automatically tip forward to aid your entry and exit, and both the steering wheel and pedals are adjustable.
Alongside a rival for the Mini and Fiat 500 being launched next year (it’s internally dubbed Junior), Vauxhall/Opel will also launch an innovative city car in 2014.
Suzuki Swift (2011) at Frankfurt motor show
Back in 2006, the Suzuki Swift took CAR GAMES Magazine’s Car Of The Year gong ahead of some pretty accomplished opposition. But, since then, it’s rarely featured in our pages while the Renaultsport Clio has stolen our small-car affections.
Suzuki’s star of the Frankfurt show, the Suzuki Swift Sport, hopes to put the model back on the radar.
Suzuki Swift Sport (2011): the lowdown
Shunning the turbocharged/downsizing tactics of so many other small cars, the Swift Sport builds on the old model’s naturally aspirated, 1.6-litre M16A engine to produce 134bhp at an eager 6900rpm and 118lb ft at 4400rpm – up from 123bhp at 6800rpm and 109lb ft at 4800rpm.
Improvements to the engine’s efficiency – and a new six-speed manual gearbox that replaces the old five-speeder – yield an increase in mpg from 39.8mpg to 44.1mpg while CO2 falls from 165g/km to 147g/km
A rollerskate on wheels?
There are also, claims Suzuki, big improvements to the handling, with enhanced toe and camber rigidity for the torsion beam (the rear suspension set-up) and greater lateral rigidity in the torsion-beam bushings. There are also stiffer springs all round and beefed-up wheel bearings to enhance stability under heavy cornering.
We’re not expecting the less powerful Swift Sport to nab the Clio’s mini hot-hatch halo, but it could be the Vauxhall Nova SR or Peugoet 106 XSi of our times: fun, compact and relatively insurance-friendly. Let’s hope so.
Suzuki’s star of the Frankfurt show, the Suzuki Swift Sport, hopes to put the model back on the radar.
Suzuki Swift Sport (2011): the lowdown
Shunning the turbocharged/downsizing tactics of so many other small cars, the Swift Sport builds on the old model’s naturally aspirated, 1.6-litre M16A engine to produce 134bhp at an eager 6900rpm and 118lb ft at 4400rpm – up from 123bhp at 6800rpm and 109lb ft at 4800rpm.
Improvements to the engine’s efficiency – and a new six-speed manual gearbox that replaces the old five-speeder – yield an increase in mpg from 39.8mpg to 44.1mpg while CO2 falls from 165g/km to 147g/km
A rollerskate on wheels?
There are also, claims Suzuki, big improvements to the handling, with enhanced toe and camber rigidity for the torsion beam (the rear suspension set-up) and greater lateral rigidity in the torsion-beam bushings. There are also stiffer springs all round and beefed-up wheel bearings to enhance stability under heavy cornering.
We’re not expecting the less powerful Swift Sport to nab the Clio’s mini hot-hatch halo, but it could be the Vauxhall Nova SR or Peugoet 106 XSi of our times: fun, compact and relatively insurance-friendly. Let’s hope so.
Volvo Concept You (2011) at Frankfurt motor show
The Concept You, says Volvo, combines a sleek coupe-like exterior with a high-tech interior that keeps the driver in command via intuitive smart-pad technology. It also gives us a first taste of Volvo’s design direction as it readies the next-gen S80.
Designed by Peter Horbury, Concept You builds on Concept Universe, which was shown at Shanghai 2011, and is based on Volvo’s new Scalable Platform Architecture. The fastback bodywork riffs on the Merc CLS and Audi A7 with, according to Horbury, ‘uncluttered, organic surfaces and superb craftsmanship that radiate timeless luxury’. These simple lines are augmented by Geog Jensen-inspired wheels (come on, the world-famous Danish design house), front grille and LED headlamps that mimic blocks of ice. Inside, meanwhile, buttons and controls are a thing of the past, replaced instead by iPhone and iPad-inspired touchscreens.
The Concept You control centre consists of four main areas; a digital Driver Information Monitor (DIM), a head-up display on the windscreen, a touch-screen in the upper part of the centre console and a touchscreen between the two individual rear seats. The touchscreen in the upper part of the centre console remains in sleeping mode until the driver looks at it. A hidden infrared camera registers the eye movements and information is displayed on the screen. Another sensor registers hand movements and, says Volvo, the whole system is intelligent enough to differentiate between passenger and driver – so the car will allow a passenger to access the internet, while keeping it out of bounds to the driver, for instance.
Meanwhile, steps have been taken to differentiate the front and rear of the cabin, with a darker, more dynamic front morphing into a calmer, more lounge-like rear. The four individual seats are trimmed in a blend of leather and ecological suede, the backs of the front seats and the door panels also receiving so-called ‘exclusive Italian fabric’ alongside designs from trendy Swede Oscar Jacobson. It’s probably best you remove your wellies too: the wooden floor is covered with hand-tufted carpet that’s dark and firm in the front and – got it yet? – light and soft in the back.
‘We are carving out a unique position among the luxury car makers with our special kind of Scandinavian Design,’ says Horbury. ‘It will be unmatched in performance, technology and craftsmanship, but without superficiality or complication.’
Could this be a much-needed tonic to the sombre German hegemony? Ask us again when the next S80 arrives.
Designed by Peter Horbury, Concept You builds on Concept Universe, which was shown at Shanghai 2011, and is based on Volvo’s new Scalable Platform Architecture. The fastback bodywork riffs on the Merc CLS and Audi A7 with, according to Horbury, ‘uncluttered, organic surfaces and superb craftsmanship that radiate timeless luxury’. These simple lines are augmented by Geog Jensen-inspired wheels (come on, the world-famous Danish design house), front grille and LED headlamps that mimic blocks of ice. Inside, meanwhile, buttons and controls are a thing of the past, replaced instead by iPhone and iPad-inspired touchscreens.
The Concept You control centre consists of four main areas; a digital Driver Information Monitor (DIM), a head-up display on the windscreen, a touch-screen in the upper part of the centre console and a touchscreen between the two individual rear seats. The touchscreen in the upper part of the centre console remains in sleeping mode until the driver looks at it. A hidden infrared camera registers the eye movements and information is displayed on the screen. Another sensor registers hand movements and, says Volvo, the whole system is intelligent enough to differentiate between passenger and driver – so the car will allow a passenger to access the internet, while keeping it out of bounds to the driver, for instance.
Meanwhile, steps have been taken to differentiate the front and rear of the cabin, with a darker, more dynamic front morphing into a calmer, more lounge-like rear. The four individual seats are trimmed in a blend of leather and ecological suede, the backs of the front seats and the door panels also receiving so-called ‘exclusive Italian fabric’ alongside designs from trendy Swede Oscar Jacobson. It’s probably best you remove your wellies too: the wooden floor is covered with hand-tufted carpet that’s dark and firm in the front and – got it yet? – light and soft in the back.
‘We are carving out a unique position among the luxury car makers with our special kind of Scandinavian Design,’ says Horbury. ‘It will be unmatched in performance, technology and craftsmanship, but without superficiality or complication.’
Could this be a much-needed tonic to the sombre German hegemony? Ask us again when the next S80 arrives.
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