VW puts Tiguan through final tests

Volkswagen has released pictures of its new small 4x4, the Tiguan, undergoing final testing in Namibia, and the word is that it will be a serious 4x4, not just a leisure-based SUV.

VW is planning to sell two versions of the Tiguan. One, called 'Trend & Fun' will have a low-slung front end and is intended to be a strict on-roader. But the 'Sport & Style' version will have a reworked front end that will increase its slope approach angle from 18-degrees to 28-degrees, significantly enhancing its off-road capability.

The Tiguan will also have an electronic system similar to Land Rover's Terrain Assist, which at the push of a button will pre-set all the electronic chassis systems to work better in=off-road conditions. Hill descent and hill start controls will be standard.

VW will also offer Park Assist on the Tiguan, which uses parking sensors and electronically-controlled steering to automatically steer into a parking space while you just work the clutch and throttle.

Five engines will be available on the Tiguan. 150bhp, 170bhp and 200bhp petrols and 140bhp and 170bhp diesels. It will go on sale shortly after its official debut at the Frankfurt motor show in September.

Toyota forced to withdraw Prius ad

Toyota has been forced by the UK Advertising Standards Authority to withdraw a television advert for its Prius hybrid car because it made erroneous claims about the car's environmental performance.

According to the ASA, Toyota's claim that the car produced around 1-tonne less of CO2 per year than a conventional car was based on the figures relating to the US market and were not indicative of European driving conditions, or, for that matter, the diesel-powered European competition.

According to a report in this morning's Guardian newspaper, the ASA agreed the Prius emitted "significantly less" CO2 than some other cars with greater engine capacity, but added that "we did not consider their evidence demonstrated that it emitted one tonne less than equivalent vehicles with diesel engines or that it took into account the average annual distance driven by private cars in the UK".

Toyota has pulled the ad from UK airwaves, but it's not known if it will have to alter its Irish advertising yet.

Anniversary Rolls-Royce

One would have thought that Rolls-Royce would never have to stoop so low as to offer Special Editions of its models, but then, a Special Edition Rolls is a wee bit different to a Rip Curl Clio (no disrespect to Renault implied).

This then is the Rolls-Royce Phantom Silver, built to celebrate the 100th birthday of the original 1907 Silver Ghost, the car that established Rolls' reputation for quality and engineering prowess by driving non-stop between London and Glasgow. 27 times. in a row.

A journey that would be entirely easy in the modern Phantom, what with that whisper quiet 6.75-litre V12 doing to driving. To distinguish the Phantom Silver from lesser (if that's the right word) Phantoms, Rolls-Royce has added silver paint (obviously), a solid silver Spirit Of Ecstasy mascot, unique leather and straight-grained wood inside and a specially commissioned solid silver Conway Stewart fountain pen. Which would be handy for signing the €550,000+ cheque you'd need to land one of these remarkable cars on Irish soil.

Let us know how the saving goes...

First pics of new 308

Peugeot has released the first pictures of its crucial new 308 hatchback, the car that the PSA group hopes will move it back into contention with the Ford Focus, Opel Astra and VW Golf.

And despite middling reviews for the 308's predecessor, the 307, it still sold well, shifting more than 3-million units in its lifetime, and winning European Car Of The Year. But it was criticised for bland styling, so-so handling and poor quality.

Certainly, the new 308 couldn't be accused of being bland. It takes the basic proportions of the 307 and adds the detailing seen on the 207 to it. It's not beautiful, but it's certainly distinctive.

Inside, the news is better again, and it looks like Peugeot has been working hard to ward of criticism of its cabin quality in recent models. The surfaces all look soft-touch and expensive, and the centre console and HVAC controls all look much better integrated than on the 307.

Whatever it's like to drive, the 308 will be a landmark car for Peugeot. PSA bosses have already promised that this will be the last car they make that's heavier than its predecessor (by around 150kg model for model). All future cars will be lighter than before to the benefit of fuel consumption and emissions. Even so, Peugeot is claiming that the new 308 will be a very environmentally friendly car, which could mean that we'll get to see the production version of PSA's diesel stop-start system, which brings exceptional economy and Prius-beating emissions to the table.

The 308 will go on sale before the end of the year, with 1.4, 1.6 and 2.0-litre petrol engines, and 1.4 and 1.6 diesels.

Renault debuts new Laguna

This is the all-new Renault Laguna which will go on sale in all major European markets before the end of this year. Renault is claiming it represents a dramatic step forward in the saloon car market, bringing new levels of quality, refinement and environmental frendliness.

That last claim is certainly borne out by the performance of the 1.5dCi diesel model, for which Renault is quoting and emissions figure of just 136g/km of CO2. That's a remarkable level for a large, comfy executive express.

So far, just four engines have been announced. The 1.5 diesel and its 2.0-litre sister oil-burner, and two petrol engines, a 2.0 and a 2.0 Turbo. There's no word yet on whether capacity-sensitive Ireland will get a 1.6 or 1.8 petrol, but if the oft-discussed new CO2-based VRT import tax finally gets the go-ahead, then we'll all be driving the 1.5 anyway.

Just as significantly, Renault is claiming that the new Laguna represents a major leap in quality for the French car maker. Renault boss Carlos Ghosn spoke of matching Toyota levels of quality with this new car, and from what we've seen so far of the gorgeous, soft-touch interior, he may not have been too far from the truth.

One thing though; if this car is such an improvement, why does it look so much like the old one?

VW ditches Proton deal

Volkswagen has reportedly pulled out of a long-mulled deal to buy Malaysian car maker Proton. Proton, which is still state owned, has suffered in recent years because of the deregulation of the Malaysian car market, which has seen other makes muscle in on its former protected turf.

The VW deal had been working away in the background for some months, and it was thought a couple of weeks ago that an announcement was imminent. But the Malaysian Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Haji Ahmad Badawi issued a statement last week that read: "I have decided, since Volkswagen is not interested in the proposal that Proton wants in terms of equity, Proton needs to talk to other people."

VW was reckoned to be interested in Proton for its low-cost far-east manufacturing base as well as its access to burgeoning Asian markets. And that's without taking into account Proton's ownership of Lotus, whose expertise in vehicle dynamics and hybrid technology would have been very useful to VW.

Now the Germans and the Malaysians are looking elsewhere. VW may return to its South American bases in Mexico and Brazil, as it looks to produce a cheap, rear-engined car for low-cost markets (which could also be sold in Europe as a rival to the Mini and the Fiat 500). Proton is rumoured to already be having behind-the-scenes talks with Hyundai-Kia about a possible takeover.

Newly-independent Chrysler announces massive investment

The divorce from Mercedes may only just be over, but Chrysler isn't hanging around to argue over who gets to keep the Franklin Mint limited edition collectors' plates. Oh no.

The firm has just announced a massive investment in new engine and gearbox technologies, to the tune of $3-billion. A new factory will be built in Mexico to construct a new family of V6 engines that Chrysler says will push the limits of fuel-saving technology, as Detroit readies itself for a legislative onslaught on its gas-guzzling products.

Philately will get you nowhere

The Italian Post Office has honoured Lamborghini by putting the Sant Agata firm's famous charging bull logo on a stamp.

The 84c stamp was launched in a limited edition first day cover, that came with a signed history of Lamborghini and it will go into circulation as a regular stamp with a print run of around 3.5-million.

The good news is that you'd only have to buy 193,000 of them to have saved up for a new Gallardo.

M3 to get seven-speed DSG 'box

According to an internal BMW communications document, the new M3 will be available from the spring of next year with a VW-inspired dual-clutch paddle-shift gearbox that will provide near-seamless gearshifts.

Designed and built for BMW by legendary 'box builder Getrag, the new gearbox will be known as M-DCT and is being seen as a response to heavy criticism of the jerky, awkward sequential manual gearbox fitted to the M5 and M6. It's expected that the super-efficient new gearbox will make the M3, which goes on sale in September, significantly quicker and more fuel-efficient to boot.

There will also be a DCT version of the gearbox, designed for less extreme applications than M-Series cars, and will form part of BMW's Efficient Dynamics programme, that seeks major gains in fuel consumption and CO2 emissions without resorting to heavy, expensive hybrid technology.

MG returns to Birmingham

Two years on from the traumatic close-down of MG-Rover, TF roadsters are once again coming off the lines at the (in)famous Longbridge factory, once Europe's largest car plant.

Chinese owners Nanjing Automotive Company has restarted limited production of the sports car (originally designed in 1995) and also plans to use Longbridge as a base for its plans to commence sales of the China-built MG 7 saloon (formerly MG ZT, neé Rover 75).

Seat scoops itself

Seat has taken the rather unusual step of releasing an initial sketch of a car that is at least 18 months away from production.

The so-called Seat B-Segment car will be the Sapnish firm's first foray into the Mondeo-Passat-Avensis end of the market. No technical details of the car are available yet, other than that it will be built at Seat's main Martorel factory near Barcelona.

It's pretty safe to assume that it will use engines and running gear from the VW Golf and Passat, although it's too early to tell just how big a car it will be. Full size saloon on a Passat chassis? Or stretched Golf platform to straddle the Focus-Mondeo sized footprint, a la Skoda Octavia.

We'll know more closer to the as-yet unnamed model's launch date in 2009.

Mini beats Prius

BMW has announced details of a Mini Cooper that matches the Toyota Prius for emissions levels, but does without the need for a hefty battery stack or expensive hybrid engine.

The new Mini Cooper D will use the same stop-start and regenerative braking technology that BMW has recently debuted on the updated 1 Series diesel. By shutting off the engine when stationary in traffic and using scavenged energy from braking and coasting to run the car's electrical systems, BMW is claiming that the 110bhp diesel Cooper will return an exceptional 3.9-litres per 100km fuel economy (72.2mpg) and emit just 104g/km of CO2.

7-Up for VW's DSG

Volkswagen's now-famous DSG paddle-shift gearbox has just received a seventh gear, and it will be slotting into various Polo, Golf, Jetta and Passat models shortly, as well a numerous other Audi, Seat and Skoda products.

Like the first generation six-speed DSG, the new gearbox is as much about improving efficiency as it is about providing the driver with some F1-style gearshift thrills. The new 'box takes advantage of its extra cog by shortening the first six gears for better acceleration while a long, stretchy seventh takes care of improving economy on long runs.

Remarkably, the new DSG is actually 7kg lighter than the old six-speed version and VW isn't expected to raise the price, either.

Incidentaly, VW has also confirmed that its new 1.4 TSI 120bhp engine (which uses the same technology as the 140bhp and 170bhp versions but makes do with just a turbocharger and does without the more powerful versions' supercharger) will gradually replace the long-lived 1.6-litre naturally aspirated petrol engine. The TSI version is more powerful but also more economical and emits less CO2.

New face for Picanto

Kia's Picanto small car has just had its mid-life facelift, which brings a new grille, lights and bumper to the Picanto party. The new bumpers (front and rear) mean that it's now 40mm longer than before, but the wheelbase remains unchanged so there's no improvement on interior space.

In spite of which, the interior has had a major makeover, with a new fascia, new instruments and new steering wheel meant to ape the look of its bigger brother, the Ceed. It'll arrive on Irish shores by the autumn, with the same 1.0 and 1.1-litre petrol engines, and prices should remain pretty much the same.

VW Ireland boosts GOAL charity funds

Volkswagen main dealers from all parts of Ireland have donated some
€33,800 to the Irish charity GOAL. The money, made up from dealer
donations backed by matching funds from the Volkswagen organisation, will
go towards funding work being undertaken by the Third-World relief agency
amongst disadvantaged children in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa.

Under this programme, the money provided by Volkswagen and its dealer
organisation - whose purchasing power on the ground in Ethiopia is
calculated at more than twenty times its face value - will help finance a
programme that supports up to 700 children in the 5/17 years age group in
any given year.

As part of an even larger budget, it will help provide basic needs such as
shelter, food, health care and primary education plus the provision of life
skills training, sports and recreation facilities aimed at reintegrating
street children back into their communities.

A second strand of the programme focuses on older boys and girls living on
the street through the development of their entrepreneurial skills or
vocational skills training and the provision of peer housing accommodation
and a small living allowance.

Pictured presenting the cheque to GOAL founder John O’Shea were (left to
right) Tom O’Connor, sales manger Volkswagen, with dealer representatives
Ron Hogan (Frank Hogan Limited, Limerick) and James McCormack (Western
Motors, Galway).

Nissan wins NCAP's highest-ever score

Nissan's compact SUV, the Qashqai, has scored the highest-ever marks for adult occupant protection in the Euro NCAP crash test programme.

The Qashqai scored maximum points for the side impact and offset pole tests, and a near-enough maximum score in the frontal impact test (above) giving it a total score of 37 points, five stars for adult occupant protection, four stars for child occupant protection and two stars for pedestrian protection.

Euro NCAP’s Secretary General Adrian Hobbs said ‘Congratulations Nissan! This is a particularly impressive result for this manufacturer since the Qashqai is a new vehicle in this category. Nissan’s last entry into the small family class was in 2001.’

The Kia Carens MPV, tested at the same time, scored a respectable four stars for adult occupant protection, three stars for child protection and one star for pedestrian protection.

California clamps down on car makers

Surprisingly, considering that 'The Governator' Schwarzenegger is still in charge, the state of California has applied to the US Congress for permission to create new state laws that will compel car companies to hit stringent new emissions and fuel economy laws before they are allowed to sell cars within the state.

If permission is granted (and would you say no to Ah-nuld?), then other US states such as New York and Virginia are expected to follow suit. The move comes as Congress is mulling over a plan to increase the federally-required CAFE (Corporate Average Fuel Economy) barrier from 25mpg across a manufacturer's range to 35mpg.

Needless to say, this has sent shudders of doom through Detroit boardrooms, with both General Motors and newly-independent Chrysler claiming that such moves will force them to pull out of selling cars in the states that apply them (and California is the biggest single state market for cars), and may bankrupt them entirely if the 35mpg CAFE regulation is introduced.

There could be a loophole though; Washington insiders are saying that the CAFE limit will be waived if t a sufficient number of a manufacturer's range is bio-fuel compatible.

As to what that means for European cars? Not a lot on a technical level, as almost every European maker already meets or beats such standards, but let's not forget that Opel, Jaguar, Saab, Land Rover and Volvo are American-owned, and that's leaving aside such obviously-American brands as Ford, Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge and Cadillac. California's moves, just as they did in the early Seventies, could have dramatic implications for all the cars we drive.

Yellows go green

New York's famous yellow taxis are going green, as mayor Michael Bloomberg wants to convert all the city's public hire cars to hybrid engines by 2012.

At the moment, only 375 out of 13,000 New York cabs run hybrid engines, but it's planned to increase that number by 20% every year until all cabs are converted.

The New York mayor's office reckons that this move will cut the city's CO2 emissions by 200,000 tons a year.

Seat's first 4x4

As previewed by the Freetrack concept car at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year, here is the production Seat Altea Freetrack, the Spanish company's first ever four-wheel-drive vehicle.

Based on the Altea XL MPV, it uses a Haldex-designed electro-mechanical four wheel drive system that sends all power to the front wheels in normal driving conditions, but diverts power aft if it detects the rear wheels losing grip.

Outside, plastic panels and aluminium bash-plates under the nose distinguish it from lesser Alteas, as does the extra 40mm of ground clearance. Engines will be at first limited to the 2.0 TFSI petrol turbo with 200bhp or the 2.0 TDI diesel with 170bhp, but if sales take off, you can safely expect to see other, more affordable, engines entering the range.

No word yet on Irish prices, specs or arrival dates.

MG to re-open Longbridge factory by end of the month

In a statement that reads a bit like a script page from Night Of The Living Dead, the resurrected, Chinese-owned MG has stated that it will restart production of the MG TF roadster in the mysterious cemetary... sorry, MG Rover's old factory in Longbridge tomorrow week, Tuesday May 29th.

Nanjing, the Chinese company that bought the MG half of MG Rover (Shanghai Auto got the Rover 75 saloon but not the Rover name. (confused? You should be.) has said that TF production is just days away and that 98 dealers across the UK have shown an interest in taking on the (re)revived sports car brand. No mention has been yet made of Ireland or Irish dealers, but you can bet that someone, somewhere wills how an interest.

Nanjing has already shown production of its MG 7 saloon (neé MG ZT, formerly Rover 75) which is being built in China, and which is also likely to make a return to Europe. Lotus Engineering has worked for Nanjing on getting the creaking, ancient K-Series petrol engines to meet Euro IV emissions standards, and it's likely that MG will approach Volkswagen for supplies of its 140bhp 2.0-litre diesel engine.

Meanwhile, Shanghai Auto has gotten its ex-Rover 75 into production and it's now known as the Roewe 750. Shanghai was prevented from using the Rover name because Ford bought the rights from BMW to prevent anyone trying to produce a potential Land Rover rival with the word Rover in the name. It's thought that Shanghai Auto will also try to enter the European market with the car, probably through Ssangyong dealers, which Shanghai has a stake in.

Got all that? Good. Now go have a lie down.