| This year, at Paris, there have been launches of some fantastic new cars; you may have read over the past couple of weekends in these pages about the gorgeous new Ferrari F430, the smashing Peugeot 907 supercar concept, the all-new Ford Focus, the European-looking Hyundai Sonata, the to-be-launched-in-India Suzuki Swift, a more butch Honda CR-V, the facelifted Daewoo Matiz (with a four-cylinder engine and badged the Chevrolet M3X) and the capable Fiat Panda 4x4. Here then are other machines we haven't told you about. |
| New Classes for the masses |
| A new Mercedes-Benz R-Class and a B-Class? Heck, you never know. At Paris, Mercedes showcased two 'sports tourer' concepts, the Vision R and the Vision B "� you know, the kind of 'all-new' vehicle you get when you meld an estate, van, SUV, sporty saloon and a racoon. Just checking if you're paying attention. |
| The Vision R is the Europeanised version of the Grand Sports Tourer that was shown at Detroit. Powered by a newly developed 218 bhp V6, the Vision R is spacious inside, offering 4+2 seating in luxury, and boasts 4WD, air suspension and the new 7G-Tronic seven-speed automatic gearbox. |
| The Vision B compact sports tourer, on the other hand, borrows the sandwich construction from the A-Class, where the drivetrain is partly in front and partly beneath the passenger cell. |
| The Vision B gets motive power from a new four-cylinder 140 bhp diesel. By the way, can you see another exciting new feature that Mercedes is previewing here? It's a brand new extremely high luminance paint finish. |
| Numbers game |
| The Mazda5 mid-sized MPV is the fifth all-new product from this Ford-owned Japanese car maker, after the Mazda2, Mazda3, Mazda6 and RX-8. Back of the envelope calculations by our Newtonian geniuses suggest that a Mazda1 and a Mazda4 should also be part of the line-up. |
| Completes it, don't you think so? Back to the 5. Based on the MX-Flexa concept shown at Geneva this year, the seven-seater Mazda5 promises car-like driving dynamics with that of flexible interiors. It will have four powertrain choices "� two petrol units and two common-rail turbodiesels. |
| Astralogy |
| After the five-door and the estate versions, comes the much sportier three-door Opel Astra "� grandly dubbed the Astra GTC for Gran Turismo Compact. Lower than the five-door version with revised front and rear bumper treatment, the Astra GTC will come with a choice of five petrol and three CDTI common-rail diesels, with outputs ranging from 90 to 200 bhp. |
| The Astra boasts maximum technology for a car in its class, which includes electronic Continuous Damping Control and steering-linked Adaptive Forward Lighting headlamps among others. Oh, there's also the SportSwitch which regulates damper adjustment as well as throttle, gearshift and power steering response. Go ahead, hit the road. |
| GTHigh |
| What started as a 5,000-unit limited edition in June 1976, has over the years, across four generations, translated to sales in excess of 1.5 million. Ladies and gentlemen, say hello to the fifth generation Volkswagen Golf GTI. |
| First previewed at Frankfurt last year and now a production reality at Paris, the GTI stands apart from the standard Golf through its large black honeycomb grille framed in red, GTI badging, 17" alloys, red brake callipers, deep air dam, twin exhaust pipes and a rear roof spoiler. |
| Available in three- and five-door formats, the GTI has sporty bits and pieces inside, including the classic three-spoke steering wheel. A turbocharged 200 bhp 2000cc FSI direct injection petrol, with a massive 28 kgm of torque that starts from as low as 1800 revs, powers the Golf GTI "� which means 0 to 100 kph in 7.2 seconds and a top speed of over 230 kph. The DSG direct shift gearbox will be available as an option. |
| It works! |
| Not getting enough from your Mini? Well, a new John Cooper Works tuning kit for the Mini Cooper S was shown at Paris. |
| The new kit generates 210 bhp and 25 kgm of turning force. Which takes the Mini Cooper S from standstill to 100 kph in just 6.6 seconds and onwards to a top speed of 230 kph. The magic is thanks to changes in the air filter system, new fuel injectors and engine management calibration. A host of new accessories for customising your Mini has also been introduced at Paris. |
| Racing improves the Hybrid |
| That smashing looking car is greener than any other conventional race car around. And it's quick too, attaining 100 kph in just 8.7 seconds. That's the Toyota Prius GT, which made a stylish debut in the UK at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, no less. |
| Though the 1500cc petrol engine/electric motor in the Hybrid Synergy Drive system is unchanged, power is up by 147 bhp, as against the regular 110 bhp of the production Prius. Since it's a race car "� doesn't matter how it develops power "� the Prius GT's suspension system has been upgraded and it borrows the Celica's rubber for better grip. |
| The hybrid battery has been moved towards the rear to achieve near-perfect weight distribution. Don't be surprised if you see it at a touring car championship soon. Toyota also unveiled its D-4D Clean Power concept car at Paris, which showcases a dramatically clean and powerful diesel engine. |
| Oil burning, top turning |
| You want one of those refined BMW diesels and you want a drop-top. Well, BMW is giving you just that in the form of the 320Cd convertible. Its 2000cc powerplant produces 150 bhp at 4000 rpm and an impressive 33 kgm at just 2000 revs. The 0 to 100 kph dash is dispatched in 9.7 seconds, while top speed is 210 kph. |
| Based on the recent 320Cd coupe, the 320Cd convertible gets a fresh engine management unit, a shorter final drive and a modified exhaust system. Standard equipment includes Dynamic Stability Control and Park Distance Control, while the Sport option comes with M aerodynamic body styling, sports seats, sports suspension and 18-inch alloys. All this and fuel efficiency too! |
| Supportage |
| You didn't even know it disappeared from the scene, right? After two years, comes the all new Kia Sportage. Now smarter looking, the new Sportage will be powered by either a 2000cc or 2700cc V6 petrol or a 2000cc diesel. |
| The same powerplants that are found in the Elantra and the Sonata. If Hyundai can't keep up with the demand for the Tucson, a Sportage badged Hyundai should do well in our country. Better than the Terracan, that's for sure. |
| S3X machine |
| General Motors is making a new thrust into the European market with Daewoo vehicles, but branded Chevrolet. Our own Optra is already on sale in Europe, and the revamped Matiz will be launched there as the M3X. |
| 2006 will see a new SUV called the Chevrolet S3X built on GM's Saturn Vue platform. Shown at Paris as a hybrid concept, the seven-seater S3X compact SUV, when launched, will be the first diesel Chevy in Europe. It will be manufactured in Korea by GM-Daewoo. |
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