Auto News 5

Russia's Association of European Businesses (AEB) automotive chairman, says it will probable be "sooner rather than later" that Moscow introduces incentives to kick-start the alarmingly falling market.

NEVS, which has been attempting to revive Saab, has announced that, while it fully intends to pay creditors, it has nonetheless entered administration so as "to create more time for negotiations" [with potential investors].

News 28 Aug, 2014

We give you a quick guide to car tax bands and costs

Tips & advice 18 Oct, 2018

Our guide to VED road tax for cars registered from 1 April 2018

After two concepts, Suzuki is now about to give the production version of a new B segment SUV its global debut at October's Mondial de l'Automobile.

Ford today officially launches production of the redesigned Mustang at its Flat Rock Assembly Plant in Flat Rock, Mich. With the 2015 model, Ford is making the Mustang to suit global tastes for the first time.

Ford will launch production of the redesigned Mustang today at a U.S. plant in Michigan. The automaker is making the Mustang to suit global tastes and will offer a first-ever right-hand-drive version.

Ford today officially launched production of the redesigned Mustang at its Flat Rock Assembly Plant in Flat Rock, Mich. With the 2015 model, Ford is making the Mustang to suit global tastes for the first time.

As German premium brands lose their exclusivity in a chase for volume, revived premium brands such as Jaguar, Land Rover, Volvo and Maserati are challenging the luxury-car market dominance of BMW, Audi and Mercedes.

AvtoVAZ says it will likely increase revenue 50% by 2017 as a raft of productivity and management improvement levels take their cumulative effect with break-even forecast this year.

Imposition of import restrictions into Russia on the automotive sector would "massively impact" business and could lead to dealerships being swamped says a major industy body in the country.

From GMM

Jenson Button has admitted for the first time that he might be forced to "retire" at the end of 2014.

As McLaren and Honda look ahead to their new works partnership beginning next year, it is clear the Woking based team is hoping to sign a truly top driver.

Disgruntled Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel have been linked with the seat, but so too has Ferrari's frustrated Fernando Alonso.

The Telegraph claimed the Spaniard could make an enormous $32 million per year with McLaren, Honda and also his sponsor Santander pitching in.

Williams' Valtteri Bottas and the Eric Boullier-linked Romain Grosjean are also believed to have been considered by McLaren, so while the situation remains unclear, the future of 15-year F1 veteran Button hangs in the balance.

Jenson Button, McLaren MP4-29-Mercedes, Spa-Francorchamps. (Photo: WRi2)

"We haven't sat down and talked about it," the 34-year-old Briton and 2009 world champion told the BBC.

"If I have to retire at the end of the season then so be it, but I feel I have so much more to give and I can't imagine life without motor sport and especially formula one," Button said.

From GMM

Sebastian Vettel is set to drive his third new chassis of the 2014 season, after suffering more mysterious handling problems in Belgium last weekend.

As the extent of the reigning quadruple world champion's issues this year became clear, Red Bull had already given Vettel a new chassis for May's Spanish grand prix.

Now it was at Spa-Francorchamps, a race the 27-year-old won a year ago, that Vettel notably struggled for pace alongside his on-form teammate and 2014 Belgian GP winner Daniel Ricciardo.

"I can't explain why my car could not compete with Daniel's at this race," Sebastian Vettel, referring to Spa, is quoted by Sport Bild. "But there must be something. Both cars are identical and so they should have the same performance."

Red Bull RB10 chassis. (Photo: WRi2)

Team official Dr Helmut Marko agrees.

"It is not normal for Sebastian to lose so much time to Daniel," he is quoted by Auto Bild Motorsport. "I can understand how frustrated he is, especially as his teammate won. We will build a new chassis for him as quickly as possible."

Meanwhile, Red Bull has confirmed reports Vettel's long-time race engineer Guillaume 'Rocky' Rocquelin has been promoted to chief engineer for 2015, as Adrian Newey takes a step back.

Vettel's new race engineer will be Gianpiero Lambiase, who is currently working with Sergio Perez at Sahara Force India.

"Seb has had a long chat with him (Lambiase) and they hit it off immediately," Marko said.

For some reason the wisdom of smaller-than-standard size vans evaded North America until mid-2009 when the first Transit Connect arrived. The vehicle immediately won North American Truck of the Year at the 2010 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) and has proven itself popular with buyers ever since.


What is a Ford Transit Connect?
The Ford Transit Connect first appeared (in Europe) in 2002 when it replaced the rather aging Ford Escort range of car-based vans that had been around in various forms since the 1960s. Of course, that wasn't Ford's first foray into the small commercial van market: the Ford Thames 300E light panel van based on the Ford Anglia saloon of the time had been around since 1954.

2015 Ford Transit Connect Prices & Specs
Pricing starts at $25,754, for which you get a well appointed, easy to park/maneuver, stylish and fuel card friendly (9.9L/100km City; 6.9L/100km Hwy) load hauler (Max Payload = 780kg).

The Transit Connect (cargo van) has a GVW rating of 2,458kg, which is fair for its size. However, while towing an occasional light trailer might be fine in theory, I wouldn't personally recommend this vehicle for regular day-in-day-out towing purposes (it is after all, front-wheel drive).

Driving the 2015 Ford Transit Connect
The small van concept originally evolved from panel-sided station wagons and is therefore designed to drive like a car. The new Ford Transit Connect follows this format to the letter. It's as nimble as a Ford Focus and burns roughly the same amount of fuel. Naturally, it's not designed to haul heavy loads, but for local delivery services, electricians, plumbers, and probably 1,000+ other small businesses, it's almost perfection!

Power comes from a 1.6L EcoBoost® DOHC I-4 which is coupled to a 6-Speed SelectShift® Automatic Transmission. Sprightly is probably a better description than lively, but then this is a commercial vehicle we're talking of and not the latest Ford Mustang.

Its road manners are surprisingly good, and the comfort of its suspension will astound those who have ever spent an 8-hour shift behind the wheel of a regular panel van.

Inside & Out of the 2015 Ford Transit Connect
These small vans have certainly grown substantially since I first drove one (my first road-going vehicle was a Ford Escort Mk1 van). The rear compartment is large enough for drywall sheets and the large side loading door, together with full fold-back rear doors, make loading a breeze. One thing that did strike me strange though was the amount of headroom above the driver and passenger seats, and the total waste of space this involved. Unless you're an Abe Lincoln impersonator (complete with the obligatory top hat) or are reliving your youth with one of those outrageous early Jackson 5 perms I mistakenly thought cool back in the ‘70s, then this headroom is simply pointless. Now, Ford may well have options available for this area, but thinking back to all the items I carried when I was in the building trade (warm/rain jacket(s), hats, coveralls, work gloves, maps, lunchbox, flashlight, etc.), there really needs to be some sort of shelf/cubby box/cargo net up there as standard fitment.

Comparing the 2015 Ford Transit Connect
A starting price of $25,754 might sound a tad steep when compared to the bargain deals often found today on standard-sized panel vans. Lately, certain commercial vehicle manufacturers have been pricing down their regular vans in order to compete with the new influx of super-size vans now entering the market (MB Sprinter/Ram ProMaster/Ford Transit) and this has produced a glut of “traditional” vans.

I use this word because we are talking of rather long-in-the-tooth designs going up against a bang-up-to-date product here. Example: You could purchase a Dodge Ram Cargo (basically, a panel-sided Dodge Caravan) for slightly less. However, you won't get the same fuel economy and you will be driving a basic old-school minivan simply lacking in windows and seats. Now, to be fair, courier guys (over the years) often purchased minivans and removed the seats as these were cheap to buy and served the purpose, but now there's a vehicle specifically designed to do the job, so why would you bother?

Competitors? Only the Nissan NV200 poses a direct threat. However, there are rumours of Chrysler bringing the Fiat Doblò over here in the very near future. This will certainly create competition for Ford. Word is (from family and friends still in the building trade back in the U.K.) that the Blue Oval still owns the commercial vehicle market, so take from that what you will!

From GMM

Mika Salo has added his voice to concerns about the 2015 debut of teenager Max Verstappen.

Finn Salo, who raced in F1 against the 16-year-old's father Jos, backed 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve who has questioned whether Verstappen's signing by Toro Rosso is good for F1.

"I think it's really bad for formula one," Salo, now a pundit for Finnish television, told MTV3.

"In my opinion, a guy that young should not be allowed to drive in F1. It should be the very top category of racing for which drivers train for years. F1 is not a junior series," he insisted.

Salo, who raced for Sauber and Toyota and even Ferrari, also said Verstappen risks being thrown into the deep end and having a promising career ruined early.

"What happens when it doesn't work out after two years? An unemployed F1 driver at the age of 19," he said.

The freshly F1-retired Mark Webber also weighed into the debate, laughing to Austrian Servus TV that Verstappen's 2015 debut rules out any hopes of a return to the category for himself.

"I had a wonderful career, but when I see that a 17-year-old is coming into formula one, I think it's not hard to see that it's over when you're 38!"

Dr Helmut Marko and Max Verstappen, Red Bull. (Photo: WRi2)

Red Bull, however, is strenuously defending its decision to sign F1's youngest ever rookie, with Dr Helmut Marko arguing that while other teams "talk about young talents, we make it a reality".

"I bet 100 euros that in his first race Verstappen will be able to compete with (Daniil) Kvyat," he is quoted by Germany's Auto Motor und Sport.

Meanwhile, Toro Rosso boss Franz Tost said that while Verstappen is ousting Jean-Eric Vergne in 2014, that doesn't mean the 24-year-old Frenchman is a bad driver.

In fact, "Of the drivers we have had, I think he (Vergne) is the best, although Sebastien Buemi also did a good job and has shown talent for Toyota (at Le Mans)," Franz Tost is quoted by Brazil's Totalrace.

"I hope he (Vergne) has the chance to develop and to show more, because for me, he deserves to be in formula one," he added.

PROs: When you're talking about a behemoth 550 hp V8, it becomes earbleedingly obvious that its restrained engine roar is a key quality for those who love this type of car. Plus, it must be said that the 2015 XF is niftily agile despite its hefty weight. And the integrated transmission offered on the V6 version is no stranger to this purring sleekness of the new 2015 Jaguar XF.

CONs: Certainly (and everyone knows it) a Jaguar, and especially the XFR-S, is not the type of cuddly beast that can be left in the hands of just anyone. Indeed, letting loose 550 horsepower from this rear-wheel-drive throroughbred makes it a risky proposition for winter driving.

Photo: Jaguar

2015 Jaguar XF Price: In 2015, Jaguar will be offering the XF in seven different versions: the XF 2.0T at $55,543, the XF 2.0T Luxury at $58,643, the XF 3.0 TI at $63,643, the XF 3.0 TI Luxury at $69,643, the XF 3.0 TI Sport at $71,143, the XF XFR at $90,643 and finally the XF XFR-S at $106,643.

Fuel Economy: At the time of publication, fuel consumption rates for the 2015 Jaguar XF were unavailable.

Improvements and Changes: This is a model that gets revised from one year to the next, but we see no major changes for the 2015 version of the XF.

2015 Jaguar XF Powertrain: Under the hood of the XF, Jaguar is offering four different engines. First, for the XF 2.0T and XF 2.0T Luxury, you get an inline 4-cylinders 2.0L turbocharged DOHC that develops 240 hp. Second, the XF 3.0 TI Luxury and 3.0 TI Sport models feature a DOHC force-induction 3.0L V6 generating 340 hp. Third, a 5.0L V8 supercharged DOHC produces 510 hp for the XF XFR. Fourth, the 5.0L V8 supercharged DOHC produces 550 hp for the top-of-the line XF XFR-S. All engines are coupled with automatic 8-speed transmissions.

Cargo Capacity: Whether you choose the least expensive or the most expensive, you can take advantage of a 500L trunk capacity.

Safety: Concerning safety issues, the 2015 Jaguar XF benefits from ABS, brake assist, electronic brake force distribution, electronic stability control, traction control, adaptive cruise control and side blind zone alert.

Comparing the 2015 Jaguar XF: In this prestigious luxury car category, the Jaguar XF competes with the likes of the Audi A6, BMW Series 5, Mercedes-Benz E-Class and the Cadillac CTS.

From press release

Kids will get to take the front seat at Scotia Speedworld this Friday for the second and final Kiddie Rides Night of the season.

Gather up the kids and kick-off the Labour Day long-weekend with one of Scotia Speedworld's most popular events - Kiddie Rides, where kids get the unique opportunity to go for a ride in a racecar with their favorite driver! Kiddie Rides get underway at 7pm sharp so be sure to get there early. Grandstand gates open at 5 pm.

The format for Kiddie Rides is simple and safe. Drivers bring their cars to the front stretch and park. Once all engines are stopped, the grandstand gate is opened and children come onto the track and climb into their favorite car.

When all children are safely in the cars the drivers are led around the track at a safe speed by the pace car. After a few laps, the cars are stopped; the children climb out and proceed back to their seats in the grandstand to enjoy the rest of the night's events.

Following Kiddie Rides fans will enjoy great racing action from five Weekly Racing Series divisions. First up are the Hydraulics Plus Bandoleros who will run a 20-lap feature. This race will serve as their INEX National Qualifer, which was originally scheduled for August 15th but was postponed due to rain.

The rain soaked August 15th date also cancelled the Thunder & Lightning Twin 50's, one of the biggest events of the season for these two divisions. This week the Thunder cars will run their 50-lap feature; the Lighting cars make up their 50 lapper on September 5th. The Lightning cars will run a 25-lap feature this week.

Also on the Kiddie Rides Night bill are the Strictly Hydraulics Legends and the Dartmouth Dodge Sportsman.

Admission for Kiddie Rides is just $12 for Adults; Youth (8-15) are $2 and children 7 and under are free. Tickets are available at the gate on race day (cash only).

For complete schedule and event information please visit www.scotiaspeedworld.ca

At the Black Hat security conference in Las Vegas, leading experts in computer hacking revealed which vehicles are the most vulnerable to hacker attacks.

The 2014 Jeep Cherokee and the 2015 Cadillac Escalade topped the list of the most hackable vehicles. Meanwhile, the 2010 Range Rover Sport, the 2006 Toyota Prius and the 2006 Ford Fusion were deemed the most secure.

The report also concluded that almost all models after 2010 have some potential vulnerability. Chrysler was rated the worst for security failings in all categories, including network architecture. The Infiniti Q50 also presents important security flaws, namely, hackers can remotely deactivate the vehicle's cruise control.

Meanwhile, the Audi A8 was praised for its secure gateway that separates the car's connectivity and communications from the driving systems, such as steering, brakes, and throttle.

Source : trucktrend.com

Photo: Cadillac

PROs: Kia Optima 2015 is a midsize offering plenty of space to all sorts of occupants. In terms of style, it's definitively in the groove with a very modern look. Here's a comfortable car that has a welcoming allure. Even after four years, the Optima doesn't look its age and stacks up nicely compared to other midsize sedans that have either gone under the knife or been given the chop. It goes to show just how sharply effective the pencil of design chief, Peter Schreyer, has always been. In terms of mechanics, two 4-cylinder as well as one hybrid powertrain models are all up for grabs. Better yet, the Optima behaves like a European thoroughbred on the road.

CONs: Nevertheless, it's not all cloud nine...the 2015 Kia Optima has some minor annoyances. For backseat passengers, head space seems a bit limited. On the driving side, let's just say that the turbocharged 4-cylinder will be a regular visitor to to the gas pump if you like putting the pedal to the metal. Finally, those opting for the hybrid version will find their trunk space somewhat curtailed by the battery pack.

Photo: Kia

2015 Kia Optima Price: For 2015, Kia will market the Optima in two configurations, as the Optima and the Optima Hybrid. You can choose from four versions: the LX at $24,795, the EX at $27,495, the EX Luxury at $31,495 and the SX at $33,195. As for the Optima Hybrid, its price was not known at the time of publication.

Fuel Economy: If you choose the 2.4L GDI engine, fuel consumption rates are 10.2 L/100 km for city driving and in 6.9L/100 km on the highway. For the 2L SX Turbo engine, the numbers are 11.7L/100 km in town and 7.7 L/100 km on the road. Finally, if you opt for the Optima Hybrid, you can take advantage of a parsimonious 5.4 L/100 km in the city and 4.9L/100 km out of town.

Improvements and Changes: With a silhouette that may well morph into another shape in 2016, the 2015 models are keeping up with current appearances, so no major changes.

2015 Kia Optima Powertrain: Under the hood of the 2015 Optimas, Kia offers a choice from the range of 4-cylinder all aluminum engines. First, a 2.4L DOHC delivering 192 hp and 181 lb-ft of torque. Second, a 2L turbocharged DOHC generates 274 hp and a torque of 269 lb-ft. Finally, the hybrid consists of a 2.4L 4-cylinder Atkinson cycle engine plus an electric engine whose combined power reaches 199 hp. All models come with automatic 6-speed transmission, so no CVTs for the 2015 Optima models.

Cargo Capacity: The Optima provides 487L of storage space. However, that drops to 305L if you choose the Hybrid (because of the battery pack).

Safety: In terms of safety the 2015 Kia Optima features 4-wheel ABS, brake assist, electronic brake force distribution, electronic stability control, hill assist system and rearview camera parking assist.

Oscar-winner Matthew McConaughey has just signed a multi-year promotion contract with Lincoln. A long-term lover of the brand, he will narrate upcoming Lincoln broadcast and digital campaigns.

Speaking about his passion for driving and for this American brand, McConaughey will start his promotional campaign with the 2015 Lincoln MKC.

“Authenticity is a word that kept coming up in our initial meetings. It was clear from the start they appreciated me as an individual first and foremost, and I would be able to be myself in this collaboration,” said Matthew McConaughey, a long-time admirer of Lincoln. “Lincoln is an iconic American brand and I like where they are heading with their transformation. I had the chance to drive the new MKC around Texas and I think they are doing a good job.”