Daily Archives: May 21, 2016
2017 Nissan Micra Is Almost Ready To Roll
Nissan is already on the testing phase for its fifth generation Micra, which should be due sometime next year. It might be under heavy camouflage and padding, but it should receive some dramatic design changes from the current model.
Sources are saying that the new Nissan Micra will be using the CMF B platform, which was developed within the Renault-Nissan alliance—also to be used on the next generation Nissan Juke. The new Micra will borrow some design cues from the Nissan Pulsar and the Nissan Sway concept that we saw at last year’s Geneva Motor Show.
Based on the spy shots, the new Micra will be longer and the rear hatch has a new shape with more angle on it than the current model. The headlights will probably be longer, too, and less bug-eyed than before. It extends further into the front grille, which looks smaller. The front fascia, front grille and fog lights will likely be changed too.
We will be expecting the body itself to be wider below the waistline. Some changes will be made on the side skirts too. Overall, the new Micra should have a sportier look than its predecessor.
Inside, not much was photographed. The current Micra already has a pretty upscale interior for an economy car, so Nissan might not change so much in this department. There should be the same basic design—functional—with the basic center console and majority of the controls placed on the center stack.
The new Micra should be offering a range of three- or four-cylinder gasoline engines. The current model has a 1.2-liter engine that manages 78 horsepower for the base option and 97 horsepower for the high-end unit.
Currently, the Micra starts out at £7,995 for the base model. It climbs all the way to £15,115 for the range-topping Tekna trim with a 1.2-liter and a CVT transmission. The new Micra should be priced somewhere between $11,499 and $21,739.
Updated 2017 Subaru Forester Is A Bargain
The Subaru Forester made a name for itself in the past years, especially with the completely revised 2014 version. For next year, Forester is getting a few updates for a mere $200 on top of the current prices according to a report.
It’s a bargain from Subaru considering that the 2017 Forester is getting these slew of new features: a revised front grille, bumper, and new headlights.
Also upgraded is the EyeSight system. It now includes a Lane Keep Assist while Blind Spot Detection, Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Reverse Automatic Braking have become standard.
In particular, the Forester 2.0XT Touring offers an available Active Torque Vectoring system.
Basically, we can expect everything in the 2014 Forester being carried over, except it’s so much better. The engines and transmissions remain unchanged, too.
Base models still get the 2.5-liter flat-four mated to a six-speed manual transmission, which is good for 170 horsepower and 174 pound-feet of torque. CVT is optional.
There’s the more powerful 2.0-liter turbocharged flat-four engine too that is capable of 250 horsepower and 258 pound-feet. If you want the turbo, you have to choose the CVT option.
Trim levels still include 2.5i, Premium, Limited, and Touring for the 2.5-liter while the more-upscale 2.0-liter turbo is adorned with the Premium and Touring trims.
In all, the new Forester is a kill in terms of performance, although you have to look pass the very generic exterior.
There are a few changes on the front end—grille, lower fascia, and the headlights with LED accents main beams. The taillights also have that C-shaped LED element to tie it together with the headlights.
On certain trim levels, there are new alloy wheel designs that contribute to the Forester’s more mature and sculpted look.
Both wheel designs have a high-contrast black and machined finish look. The 2.5i Premium models get the 17-inch wheels while the 2.0XT receives the 18-inch rollers.
The base model 2.5i starts at $22,595 while the 2.0XT Touring begins at $33,295, both including an $850 destination charge.
Choosing the CVT in either the 2.5i or 2.5i Premium costs $1,000 or $500 more, respectively. Otherwise, the CVT’s cost is included in the other 2.5i trim packages.
Spy Shots Of 2018 Land Rover Range Rover Sport are Out
Spy shots revealed that Land Rover is currently working to update its Range Rover Sport for a 2018 launch. This was proven when photos were taken of the new Range Rover Sport roaming in camouflaged prototypes in Europe.
This is an upgrade car experts have been talking about for months as rumors fly around the industry of a new Range Rover Sport getting ready to wow us all. It will likely be the second-generation model’s mid-cycle update, so the changes will be minimal.
As revealed in the prototype, the model has a new bumper design and a new shape for air intakes and license plate support.
The spy shots also revealed revised grille surround and a more likely new hood, one that would probably fit the revised grille in terms of design.
So, how did we know the prototype we just saw is for the 2018 model year? The second-generation Range Rover Sport was released back in 2014. The original model had a lifespan of eight years. Assuming the second-gen model has the same lifespan, this prototype—an updated model—is just in time for a 2018 model year.
Of course, we should also take note that a 2016 Range Rover Sport was just announced, and it received a number of updates such as a new diesel-powered HSE Td6 variant and some new technologies for the cabin.
The same updates you’re currently seeing here are set to be the same ones that are going to be installed in the flagship Range Rover SUV, the current generation of which was launched a year before the second-generation Range Rover Sport.
Speaking of that, the high-performance Range Rover Sport SVR was also spotted in updated form.
More details are bound to come out as developments continue, and as Land Rover tests more of these prototypes on the road.
Source: Motor Authority
BMW Upgrades M235i, Gets New M240i Moniker
BMW is set to update the six-cylinder M235i coupe and its convertible sibling for the year 2017. It will reportedly receive an upgrade of a 15-horsepower increase through an all-new turbocharged inline-six engine.
And since BMW is at the habit of changing their vehicles’ names once it adopted a new engine, the M235i is expected to be called the M240i once it gets fitted with the 3.0-liter inline-six engine that debuted in 2016.
We don’t have much information about the coupe, but we’ve got a couple of expectations about the convertible, which will have a new infotainment system and slightly revised exterior.
For the most part, the BMW M240i should look like the outgoing M235i, especially on its sexy waistline, the signature kidney beam grille, the aggressive air dam, and corner air inlets.
Expected changes, however, would include slightly reshaped headlights, taillights, and the front and rear fascias. On the side, BMW might tweak the side skirts a little.
The convertible will most probably sit a little lower (by half an inch) because of the M Sport suspension, and it will ride on 18-inch M light-alloy wheels with double-spoke design.
For the interior, we shouldn’t be expecting too much. It will have the usual three-spoke M-branded steering wheel, as well as brushed metal inserts on door pull handles, trim inserts on steering wheel spokes, and trim on the center console and dashboard. If you don’t like metal inserts, you can opt for the wood and carbon fiber inserts.
The seats would be finished in Alcantara with blue contrast stitching, the same used on the leather wrapped around the steering wheel.
The M240i is rumored to have a new infotainment technology. The screen size would be the same, but it should come with a Wi-Fi hotspot, along with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration.
The M240i will have a starting price at around $50,000, a mild increase from the M235i.