What Car? News

Kia Track'ster revealed

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 10:09:00 PST

The Kia Track'ster concept car has been unveiled at the Chicago motor show. The two-seat concept car previews how a sporty three-door version of the Soul might look. Powered by a 247bhp 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine, the four-wheel-drive Track'ster's aggressive styling is designed to make it look like a bulldog, according to its chief designer Tom Kearns. The Track'ster's lowered...

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Geneva 2012: Vauxhall Astra VXR

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 09:51:00 PST

New pictures of the Vauxhall Astra VXR have been released, ahead of its public debut at the Geneva motor show next month. The Astra VXR goes on sale in the spring and will go head-to-head with hot hatches such as the VW Golf GTI and the forthcoming Ford Focus ST. The VXR is based on the three-door Astra GTC. Its 2.0-litre turbocharged engine produces 276bhp and 295lb ft of torque, which is...

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Insurer to reward good, honest drivers

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 09:30:00 PST

Drivers can cut the cost of insurance premiums by having their driving style constantly evalauted by a black box-style tracking device fitted to their car. Tom Tom and Motaquote have teamed up to offer an insurance policy that's aimed at rewarding motorists who claim to be good drivers. Policyholders will have to install a Link tracking unit and a TomTom PRO 3100 sat-nav, which will give...

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Ford Focus Econetic Technology review

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 09:01:00 PST

The Ford Focus Econetic Technology is the most fuel-efficient conventionally powered family hatchback the world has seen. Or, put another way, it's a Focus with the same CO2 output as the cleanest Prius, better fuel economy and without a hybrid drivetrain in sight. Ford has employed a raft of measures to make sure the Focus dips under the 90g/km of CO2 mark. Although not yet a critical tax break...

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Geneva motor show 2012: Vauxhall Mokka

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 04:02:00 PST

The Vauxhall Mokka will be the star of Vauxhall's display at the Geneva motor show next month. The Mokka compact SUV - a rival for cars such as the Nissan Juke and Suzuki's SX4 - has been developed in Korea, alongside a Chevrolet-badged version that will also be sold in the UK. The Mokka is based on the same chassis as the Chevrolet Aveo; the set-up will also underpin the next generation of...

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Ford Focus 1.0 Ecoboost review

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 02:20:00 PST

The new Ford Focus 1.0 Ecoboost uses a tiny, three-cylinder petrol engine that replaces the 1.6-litre four-cylinder that has been a staple of the range since the car was launched in 1998. The all-new 1.0-litre engine has many technical tricks up its sleeve, including a turbocharger that helps produce the same 123bhp as Ford’s most powerful non-turbo 1.6. At the same time, fuel economy and CO2...

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Suzuki signs fuel-cell development deal

Wed, 08 Feb 2012 02:15:00 PST

Suzuki has signed a deal with a 'clean power' technology company to help develop zero-emission fuel-cell vehicles. The joint venture between Suzuki and UK-based Intelligent Energy (IE) is called SMILE FC System Corporation. Under it, Suzuki will get access to IE's fuel-cell technology, which will be integrated into its next generation of alternatively fuelled cars. Suzuki and IE have been...

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Jaguar XKR-S Convertible review

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:01:00 PST

The XKR-S Convertible is the most powerful – and fastest – open-topped production car Jaguar has ever built. At £103,000, it’s also the most expensive – costing £18,450 more than the XKR convertible on which it's based. This is our first drive of the car in the UK. Visual changes over the standard XKR model include a deeper front bumper, re-profiled side sills and a larger-than-life...

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3 Series Convertible to keep metal roof

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 08:27:00 PST

The next BMW 3 Series Convertible will have a folding metal roof, BMW has confirmed. BMW's 3 Series product manager Matt Collins revealed the decision was based on positive customer feedback on the current model. Customers liked the increased security, noise insulation and rigidity of the metal top. BMW will launch variants of the new 3 Series at six-month intervals, with the Touring model due...

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BMW 3 Series: three-cylinder engines due

Tue, 07 Feb 2012 08:20:00 PST

The new BMW 3 Series could get three-cylinder engines in the next couple of years, according to BMW’s head of engine development, Peter Nefischer. Nefischer told What Car? that BMW ‘is working on three-cylinder engines across the range, and they could make it to the 3 Series in the next couple of years'. Engine technology has gone almost as far as possible with the current standard internal...

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