2014 Volvo XC60

It all started as a concept in the year 2007 as a preview of what was to be produced as far as the Volvo XC60 is on the picture. The concept provided for a glass roof and a newly styled grill which had a larger Volvo logo along with the 'V' shaped on the Volvo- this was the first DNA which they were to slowly implement through out the model range. The same model also included a new shifting mechanism, electronic bootlid and 20 inch wheels; all these was unveiled at the 2007 North American International Auto Show.

The first generation of the XC60 debuted in 2008, with the production vehicle being unveiled at the 2008 Geneva Motor Show leading to the beginning of its sales in Europe in the third quarter of 2008 as North American models went on sale in early 2009 as a 2010 model.

The XC60 shares technology with the Land Rover Freelander of 2007 and uses a modified version of the Volvo Y20 platform. The Land Rover Discovery 4/LR3 was to set the stage for these corporate siblings to enter the market since the engineering and tuning of this CUV, at least much of it, was done by Volvo in Sweden and only offroad capabilities were done at Land Rover in England

An R-Design variant of the XC60 became available in April 2010 featuring a color-matching body kit, stiffer chassis and damping, plus other unique exterior and interior trim.

Volvo XC60 concept

Volvo XC60 interior

  Volvo went on to produce a refreshed version of the XC60 in February 2013, which was to be released for the 2014 model year. The model comes with exterior changes to the grille and front driving lights, loss of black cladding along the lower doorsills and minor changes to the exhaust tips and taillights-the changes are majorly cosmetic. The interior facelifts include: new materials and dashboard trims- the dash is now wrapped in leather on most models and lifts the already pleasant cabin even higher, but otherwise the interior follows the outgoing model’s blueprint, with the exception of the new adaptive digital display(7" touch-screen display) and a peddle shifter is available on the T6 model.

In order to boost the promotion of the XC60, Volvo used the 2009 film: The twilight Saga: New Moon plus an online contest to give away models identical to the one the lead character Edward Cullen drove. Volvo had to think very hard about the XC60 upgrade since fixing something that its customers don't think is broken is a terrific way of driving them away.

While the revised XC60 is just one in a huge campaign of updates- the largest in the history of the brand, most changes are hardly spotted externally. The mild styling refresh can be spotted by the slimmer, wider headlamps, subtle vertical LED running lights, the new wheels and a strip of LED lights in the signature rear light cluster- the shape that has been wisely left well done. other small refinements include:Color-coding of some parts, hidden windscreen washer nozzles and new designs for the R-Design bumpers and interiors. The XC60 also comes with a new steering wheel, revised interior trim and a torque-vectoring stability control system.

ENGINE:
 With the exception of the previous naturally-aspirated 3.2-litre in-line six, the engine line-up carries over the current two five-cylinder D4 and D5 diesels and two petrols – four-cylinder T5 and turbocharged six-cylinder T6.

The 2.0-litre D4 puts out 120kW and 400Nm of torque while the 2.5 D5 rises to 158kW and 440Nm. Both have a claimed fuel usage of 6.9l/100km on the combined cycle and make it to 100 in 10.3 and 8.3 seconds respectively. Volvo expects the D5 all-wheel drive Luxury to be the top-selling model.
The T5 is a 2.0-litre turbo petrol, good for 177kW and 320Nm while the T6 is the 3.0-litre straight six with 224kW and 440Nm of torque.

The D5 and T6 can both be specified with the Polestar optimization in the R models. That boosts the D5's power by 11kW and torque by 30Nm, shaving two tenths off the 7.1 second 0-100km/h time. The T6 jumps 18kW and 40Nm to 480Nm, again knocking two-tenths of the sprint to 100, down to 6.6 seconds. All apart from the T5 are equipped with six-speed automatic transmissions while the T5 ships with a six-speed double-clutch Powershift.

Manufacturer	Volvo Cars
Production	2008–present
Assembly	Ghent, Belgium (by Volvo Cars Ghent factory) Daqing, China
Body and chassis
Class	Compact executive crossover SUV
Body style	5-door SUV
Layout	Front engine, front-wheel drive / all-wheel drive
Platform	Volvo Y20 platform
Related	Land Rover Freelander Ford Mondeo Volvo V70 Volvo S80
Powertrain
Engine	3.0 T6 Turbo Petrol I6 2.0 T5 Turbo Petrol I5 3.2 NA Petrol I6 2.5 D5 Turbo Diesel I5 2.0 D3 Turbo Diesel I5
Transmission	6-speed AWTF-80 SC automatic 6-speed manual
Dimensions
Wheelbase	2,774 mm (109.2 in)
Length	4,628 mm (182.2 in)
Width	1,891 mm (74.4 in)
Height	1,715 mm (67.5 in)

SOURCES:

WIKIPEDIA

AUTO TRADER  

CARS GUIDE

 

 

Subaru BRZ

It was built at the company's Ota plant in Japan as a joint venture with the company's part owner Toyota; the BRZ sales were launched online and due to the improved supply from the Japanese factory, the sports coupe is now being retailed by dealers. The two companies engaged in a division of labor strategy where, according to Cars Guide; Toyota took part in the product planning and styling while Subaru did the engineering development and build.

The Subaru BRZ breaks new ground for the Australian company by coming in a Rear-Wheel-Drive since all the other models sold have been All-Wheel-Drive (AWD) still baring in mind that Subaru does make Front-Wheel-Drive (FWD) cars too.

According to Cars Guide , Nick Senior, the managing director of Subaru Australia said that, production efficiencies at Fuji Heavy Industries- the maker of Subaru cars, had presented an opportunity to expand BRZ sales in their retail networks and that it is also great for dealers that had the opportunity to display one of Australia's most popular sports cars in their show rooms. The car's popularity was so intense that on the launch, the initial allocation of 200 cars were sold out just three hours after going live on the web according to Cars Guide; Subaru has sold 1800 since its online launch 18 months ago.

As mentioned earlier, the BRZ is a Rear-Wheel-Drive sports car that features a horizontally-opposed boxer engine which is positioned even lower than other Subaru models granting it the trait of having one of the lowest possible centers of gravity on the current market; this allows production of an astonishing handling character and combined with its light-weight chassis the BRZ realizes Subaru's aim for "Pure Handling Delight."

The overall height of  BRZ is 1300mm in line with Net Car Show provisions, and has a wide and low body of  a stylish coupe at 1775mm but still allows for 2+2 seating and possesses a trunk with ample space. Net Car Show has it that, the  BRZ is not only a sports car but also a suitable partner for long tours with its unexpected utility.

The Net Car Show  puts it that, Subaru was aiming for a sports car design that informs the car's fun-to-drive character and to top on that, it is detailed to be instantly recognized as a Subaru. The "ultra-low center of gravity" package allows a low hood design and bulging front fenders that raise the expectations for the Subaru BRZ's drivability. And to produce the Subaru's identity, the six star ornament, headlights and hexagon lower grille follow the Subaru design pattern common in new Subaru models. According to Cars Guide the rear is tall and aggressive and has an additional brake light positioned between twin large tail pipes.

Cars Guide puts it that, the Subaru BRZ is powered by a 2.0litre horizontally-opposed petrol engine that generates 200hp (147Kw) at a very sporting 7000rpm, producing a torque of 205Nm but in order to attain this , the engine must make up to 6600 revs; at the beginning it has about 2500rpm-a descent spread. The BRZ come in both six speed manual and automatic transmissions specifically designed for the Subaru BRZ.

This car comes with safety equipments like:dual front, side and curtain airbags, ABS brakes with Electronic Brake-force Distribution and Brake Assist, Vehicle Stability Control and a retractor brake pedal plus a five star ANCAP rating.

 For purity and driver entertainment, the BRZ is the best in class. Its simple approach brings a connection not often found in modern cars- TOP GEAR.

Source:
  Cars Guide
Net Car Show
  TOP GEAR.

BMW i8 PHOTOS AND MODEL DESCRIPTION (Born Electric)

Debuted as the BMW Concept Vision Efficient Dynamics, the i8 is a plug-in hybrid sports car developed by the BMW themselves. The 2015 model year 2015 i8 possesses a 7.1 lithium-ion battery pack that produces an all-electric range of 37 km and has has a fuel efficiency of 2.1 litres per 100km and emits only 49g/km of carbon: all those statistics are as tested by the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC)
     BMW i8 Concept includes an electric motor located in the front axle powering the front wheels rated 96 kW (131 PS; 129 hp) and 250 N·m (184 lb·ft), a turbocharged 1.5-liter 3-cylinder gasoline engine driving rear wheels rated 164 kW (223 PS; 220 hp) and 300 N·m (221 lb·ft) of torque, with combined output of 260 kW (354 PS; 349 hp) and together with the positioning of the motor and engine over the axles, the result is an optimum 50/50 weight distribution.

A turbo-diesel concept car was unveiled at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show and the production version of the i8 was unveiled during the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show. the Model i8 was released in Germany in June 2014. Deliveries to the United States were scheduled to begin in August 2014. 

GENERAL OVERVIEW

Manufacturer:	BMW
Also called:	BMW Concept Vision Efficient Dynamics
Production:	Leipzig, Germany
Designer:	Mario Majdandzič (Vision Efficient Dynamics) Benoit Jacob (production i8) Richard Kim (2011 i8 Concept)
Body and chassis
Class:	Sports car Grand tourer
Body style:	2-door coupé
Related:	BMW i3
Powertrain
Engine:	1.5L turbocharged Inline-3 gasoline
Electric motor:	98 kW (131 hp)
Battery:	7.1 kWh lithium-ion battery
Range:	500 km (310 mi) in Comfort mode 600 km (370 mi) in Eco Pro mode
Electric range:	37 km (23 mi)
Dimensions
Wheel base:	2,800 mm (110 in)
Length:	4,700 mm (190 in)
Width:	1,940 mm (76 in)
Height:	1,300 mm (51 in)
Curb weight	1,485 kg (3,274 lb)