Daily Archives: December 3, 2016
3 Pointers You Need To Know About The 2018 Ford Fiesta
Ford Motor Company unveiled its new redesigned seventh-generation Ford Fiesta last Tuesday. The car is expected for a market launch in the United States by late next year.
There are no extensive details released yet about the new Fiesta as Ford is saving the remainder of the information for the sedan’s formal debut at the Geneva Auto Show in March. What we do know for now is that the new Fiesta will be available with a turbocharged inline-3 and cylinder deactivation in some markets.
1. “Evolutionary” Design
In terms of design, the new Fiesta has clearly evolved from the current model. It has a more upmarket look and feel, probably to compensate for the very basic looks of its predecessor. This is especially true for some models confirmed for the European market like the Vignale. Ford has also confirmed a soft-roader model called the Active while the sporty ST model is still in the works. Overall, the new car is slightly wider and more squat than the current Fiesta.
2. Elegant Interior
The interior is nothing to rave about, except for the fact that it’s a major improvement from the outgoing model. The dashboard used soft-touch materials for that sophisticated feel. In the middle, you can find a large touchscreen display for the Sync 3 infotainment system. Ford said the new Fiesta will even come packed with an available B&O PLAY sound system.
3. Cylinder Deactivation
As mentioned above, the car’s inline-3 will come with cylinder deactivation. This means that during low-load situations, the engine can “switch off” one of the three cylinders by stopping valve operation for that particular cylinder. Fuel delivery will stop, too. This ability can be done in just 14 milliseconds. It can turn the cylinder back on at the same amount of time. And because the car is also designed to counteract the vibrations, this switching on and off of the cylinder is imperceptible to the driver.
Fuel savings for the new Fiesta is pegged at around 6 percent.
4 Things To Know About The 2018 Volkswagen Arteon
Volkswagen confirmed on Monday that it now has a successor for the CC sedan. Called the Volkswagen Arteon, the automaker has been testing prototypes for the car for close to a year now, but assured that it will be more handsome (design-wise) than its predecessor.
1. Concept
The design of the Volkswagen Arteon will be slightly similar to the Sport Coupe GTE concept that was revealed during the 2015 Geneva Auto Show. Based on the concept, the German automaker is planning a more dynamic look for the Arteon so it can stand on its own despite almost coming very close to looking like the more mainstream Passat.
The flexible MQB platform will be stretched to an overall length of 190 inches and a wheelbase of 119 inches to accommodate the Arteon. This means we can expect a more spacious cabin compared to the CC, which only measures 189 inches in length and has a wheelbase of 107 inches.
2. Powertrains
If you are familiar with the Passat being sold overseas, then you’ll find the same powertrain options for the Volkswagen Arteon. It’s a series of turbocharged inline-4s with the range topper being an Arteon GTE plug-in hybrid model.
It can be recalled that the Sport Coupe GTE concept also featured a plug-in hybrid that combined a turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 engine with a pair of electric motors. Like many other automakers, VW hopes this would create a “through-the-road” hybrid all-wheel-drive setup. The Arteon GTE, however, will most probably come with a turbocharged 1.4-liter inline-4 and single electric motor.
3. Release date
The 2017 Geneva Auto Show in March would most likely be the place where we’ll finally get to see the 2018 Arteon. Currently, VW isn’t sure yet if this will be brought to the US or if it will stay in European shores since the CC was never really a big hit in the US. Still, the German automaker needs to fill the sedan segment in the country.
4. Spy Shots
Here are some spy shots from Autoblog of the upcoming car:
4 Things To Check Out About The 2019 Toyota Supra
Toyota has yet to confirm the arrival of another Supra, specifically for the 2019 model year. But if the new spy shots are to be believed, it looks like the Supra name is making a comeback for this sports car, which will particularly be marketed in Europe.
In 2011, the Japanese automaker announced that it signed a deal with BMW to develop a sports car platform. This is supposedly that car. BMW, for its part, is using the platform as replacement for the Z4, which is believed to be a new model called the Z5.
1. It Is Smaller Than The FT-1 Concept Car
These spy photos reveal that the 2019 Toyota Supra will be relatively smaller than 2014’s FT-1 concept car, which already previewed the design. It did borrow a host of other elements from the concept, mainly the double-bubble roof, the protruding nose, the muscular rear fenders, the jet-fighter style glasshouse, and the ducktail trunk lid.
In some of the shots, there is also a glimpse of the new liftback. There are still few details about the Supra, seeing as there’s still plenty of time before Toyota takes this to the 2017 Tokyo Motor Show.
But what we do know is that the new platform features a front-midship layout and a low center of gravity based on the very low hood and roof. It might also boast of a multi-material construction, probably using more carbon fiber to take off the weight and boost speed and strength.
2. There Will Be At Least Two Powertrains
The Supra might have two powertrain choices. The range-topper is a hybrid powertrain that combines a twin-turbocharged V-6 engine with an electric motor or two. There is still no confirmation about the base model. The V-6 engine will be able to power the rear wheels while the electric motors will bring power to the front wheels. This should create a “through-the-road” hybrid setup. We saw this same setup in Toyota’s Hybrid-R concept back in 2013.
3. It Will Have A Mid-$50K Price Tag
The system might sound good on paper, but it also means a hefty price tag of mid-$50,000 for the base model. That is higher than a Corvette, the standard of classic sports car in the US. That price will quickly rise with modifications and a higher-range model.
There is a fear, of course, that the price tag will pull the sales down, so Toyota may offer an entry-level powertrain that will pack either a twin-turbo V-6 engine or a turbocharged inline-4.
4. Spy Photos
Check out the spy photos of the car below, which were provided by Car and Driver:
