Mercedes to be flexible with right-hand drive markets

Mercedes has promised to be 'fully flexible' with its next generation of cars so that anything available in left-hand-drive models can also be fitted for right-hand drive markets like hybrid technology and 4-Matic.

'We know we have maybe not done enough in the past, but in future there will be no restrictions,' said Dr Thomas Weber, the company's head of research and development. The head of Mercedes UK, Wilfried Steffen said with the next generation of cars, you will be able to have everything. We will prepare our vehicles for all markets.'

For many years, British buyers have been without the 4-Matic available on many cars sold in Europe and America because it was never engineered to fit into right-hand-drive models. The GLK compact SUV is not sold here for the same reason. That left Mercedes UK missing a rival for the BMW X3, Land Rover Freelander, Infiniti EX, Cadillac SRX and Audi Q5, as well as a series of cars that could compete with Audi's Quattro range.

The change of heart is particularly important with greater hybridisation of the range on the way. With countries all around the world targeting lower fuel consumption and CO2, none would want to miss out on technology that could help achieve those goals.

Dr Weber says there will be a hybrid version of every Mercedes 'above the C-Class', so that includes the E-Class, GL-Class, GLK, SLK, SL-Class and Viano and the flagship S-Class – at the Frankfurt show last Autumn the company announced it would offer a 90mpg, 74g/km hybrid version of the next-generation model, but that's at least two years away. A S-Class hybrid is already available.

In the meantime, the current car is to get a 4 cylinder diesel engine because of demand from markets where there are CO2-related motoring taxes. This will be badged S300 CDI and will be powered by a high-power version of the company's 2.2 litre turbo-diesel engine. Despite the relatively small capacity, it shouldn't be short of muscle – Dr Weber promises it will deliver 370lb ft of torque.

2010 Nissan Qashqai compact crossover will be offered with three engines

2010 Nissan Qashqai Compact Crossover

Nissan has given its European market compact crossover, the Qashqai, a mid-life makeover for 2010 to prolong its appeal to consumers. Most of the cosmetic changes concern the front end as hood, bumper, fenders, grille and headlights have all been revised giving the Qashai a much more aggressive look.

The Nissan Qashqai is an auto that’s better gazed upon than mentioned. It has a difficult and queer-sounding name that’s pronounced as Cash Kai but it does not mean you need plenty of cash to get it. Guess what, this car was tested and is the recipient of the highest ever EuroNCAP crash rating making it a small but one of the safest cars in Europe if not the world.

Excellent safety features aside, the Nissan Qashqai is good-looking and can match the looks of the mini. It may be small but it looks bulky with a distinctive front thanks to the large front lights. It has 16-inch alloy wheels but you can opt for the 17-inch wheels at an additional cost of £700 but if you’re opting for the higher-end Tekna trim then the 17-inch wheels come as a standard feature.

2010 Nissan Qashqai Compact Crossover

In the 2010 model, there are also two new exterior colors, revised tail lights with LED technology, and newly designed 17-inch alloy wheels. These styling changes together with a series of other improvements are said to have reduced the Qashqai’s drag coefficient from 0.34 to 0.33.

The Nissan’s interior is logically laid out – if a little plain – and the build quality is top-notch, with soft-touch plastics and well damped switchgear. There is plenty of storage, too, with a large glovebox and decent door pockets.

The car will be offered with three engines when launched in February. There are two petrol units – an 113bhp 1.6-litre and 138bhp 2.0-litre – and one diesel, the 105bhp 1.5 dCi. The 148bhp 2.0 oil-burner will arrive in June.

While the smaller petrol unit is expected to account for the majority of sales, it’s the larger diesel which is our pick of the line-up. The Renault-sourced unit is punchy, responsive and superbly refined. Its 320Nm of torque peaks at only 2,000rpm, but it doesn’t run out of breath further up the rev range.

2010 Nissan Qashqai Compact Crossover

Price of diesel cars set to soar (UK)

If you think the premium for diesel cars is expensive now, wait until 2015 – when it will run into many thousands of pounds.

That's the prediction of Dr Thomas Weber, head of Group Research and Mercedes-Benz cars development, who says diesel vehicles will need expensive adaptation to meet Euro VI emissions standards being introduced in 2015. The move to Euro V emissions standards has already added costs to the production of diesel cars, with the need for costly fuel injectors and, in many cases, particulate filters.

Weber says: 'Exhaust treatment for Euro VI will add thousands to the cost of diesels in the factory. If, as a manufacturer, you want to be the market leader, you'll need to have a hybrid, too, which will add thousands more.'

The costs that diesel-car production will have to absorb means alternatively fuelled vehicles, such as Mercedes' B-Class F-Cell hydrogen fuel-cell will become more affordable when compared with diesel-powered vehicles.

Although questions remain over the production, transportation and storage of hydrogen, Weber says: 'We are deeply convinced it's an important technology and the right way forward.' While Weber does not rule out other technology, he believes that, in the long term, hydrogen will become cheaper than fossil fuels.

He predicts hydrogen will eventually fall from €8 to stabalise at around €3 (£2.70) a kilo which is enough to travel approximately 60 miles. There are no immediate plans to bring the fuel cell Mercedes to the UK, but 100 customers will soon lease the new Smart Electric Drive in this country.

The Smart is another strand of Weber's future fuel strategy.

2009 BMW X1, which is sold strictly with a diesel engine in the UK

2010 Volvo C30 Facelift HEICO SPORTIV

2010 Volvo C30 Facelift HEICO SPORTIV

The new Volvo C30 stands for individualism and ecologi-cally friendly driving. Volvo tuner HEICO SPORTIV is sharpening this profile… in every respect.

“The future of our business model lies in the intelligent combination of performance-oriented products and ecological sustainability,” explains HEICO SPORTIV general manager, Holger Hedtke.

A philosophy that accompanies every step of the new Volvo C30 product development process. With the Volvo C30 1.6D DRIVe, HEICO SPORTIV will be launching the economy model as the basis for the extensive individualization program.

2010 Volvo C30 Facelift HEICO SPORTIV

The standard factory specifications of the Volvo C30 1.6D DRIVe already offer a wide range of innovative technologies such as start/stop driving with brake-energy recovery, reducing fuel consumption to 3.9 liters/100 km* (* Combined, in accordance with prescribed measurement technique (RL80/1268/EWG)). The Volvo C30 1.6D DRIVe covers the classic zero to 100 km/h sprint in just 9.2 seconds, beating its series-produced counterpart by 2.1 seconds! A maximum speed of 200 km/h is also attainable, 10 km/h faster than the series version.

“This is our basic starting point for proving that ecologically friendly action and the pleasure of driving don’t need to be mutually exclusive,” says Holger Hedtke. “In doing so, aerodynamically optimized components such as the radiator grille or under-floor intentionally remain untouched.”

2010 Volvo C30 Facelift HEICO SPORTIV

The HEICO SPORTIV Volvo C30 1.6D DRIVe features a remodeled design elements at the front and rear. The HEICO SPORTIV front spoiler – which replaces the original lower base section of the bumper – consists of fiber-strengthened polyurethane and is fixed using the existing anchorage points. The same applies to the rear valence which mimics the front spoiler’s laterally arranged air vents and has a centrally placed diffuser element. The rear valence serves to accommodate the HEICO SPORTIV four pipe stainless steel exhaust system.

The Volvo C30 1.6D DRIVe is available from HEICO SPORTIV with a starting price tag of ca. EUR 29,900; the parts will naturally also be deliverable individually from spring 2010.

2010 Ford S-MAX with all-new 2.0-litre Ford EcoBoost SCTi engine

2010 Ford S-MAX with all-new 2.0-litre Ford EcoBoost SCTi engine

When the S-Max was launched back in 2006, the model was a winner for Ford of Europe from the start. It promptly took the European Car of Year Award prize and went on to be a sales success and a favorite of consumers and auto journalists alike. Now the S-Max is due for a mid-generation facelift and Ford needs to keep the model fresh without compromising its hard-won credentials with the public.

The 2010 Ford S-MAX will be available with significant detail changes to the exterior including a strongly sculptured bonnet and all-new front fascia, emphasised by the bolder graphic of the gloss black lower front trapezoidal grille. This gives Ford S-MAX a distinctive new presence on the road and a new lower front bumper which, on high series models comes with distinctive LED daytime running lights (optional for Trend series), further strengthens the car’s purposeful stance. From the side, Ford S-MAX is instantly recognisable and now stands out even more with its window profile enhanced by a chrome strip, which surrounds the whole glass area to enhance the car’s sleek and sporty lines.

2010 Ford S-MAX with all-new 2.0-litre Ford EcoBoost SCTi engine

The rear of new Ford S-MAX has also been re-designed with a more dynamically profiled tailgate, a lower fascia, and new LED tail lights that extend deep into the rear side flanks, creating an even stronger athletic appearance. Peer at the nose and slightly repositioned air intakes with adjacent foglights coming into view. Above them, a shapelier hood with twin design lines adds a sporty flavor to the otherwise bland van. Boosting its premium appeal while further distinguishing the new car is a horizontal satin chrome bar, which runs between the LED tail lights and is embossed with the distinctive S-MAX logo.

2010 Ford S-MAX with all-new 2.0-litre Ford EcoBoost SCTi engine

The Ford S-MAX offer an all-new 2.0-litre Ford EcoBoost SCTi engine. Featuring lightweight all-aluminium construction, the latest-generation high-pressure direct injection system, low-inertia turbocharging and twin independent variable cam timing. The 2.0-litre EcoBoost SCTi engine has a maximum output of 203 PS (149kW) at 5,500 rpm, combined with maximum torque of 300 Nm, which is delivered across a broad 1,750-4,500 rpm range. With this new powertrain, the Ford S-MAX achieves 0-100km/h (0-62 mph) acceleration in 8.5 seconds and a top speed of 221 km/h (137 mph).

Mini E trials kick-off (UK)

The Mini E electric car trial kicked off in Oxford yesterday as 40 customers picked up their cars from the factory. The first phase of the project will run for 6 months and is designed to evaluate the psychological, social and technical aspects of living with an electric car.

More than 500 people applied to take part in the trial through Mini's website, and the 40 successful applicants (hailed as 'the pioneers' by Mini) have all had special charging points fitted at their homes.

Every Mini E is fitted with a data-logger, with the information collected over the coming 6 months by Oxford Brookes University, and then shared with governments and other car makers across the globe. The aim is to improve the design and the infrastructure of electric cars.

The Mini E is based on the Mini hatchback, but it has just two seats because the space usually reserved for rear passengers is needed to store batteries.

The 35kWh lithium-ion battery powers a 201bhp electric motor, so performance is impressive. In fact, the 'E' accelerates faster than a petrol-powered Mini Cooper, even though it weighs around 300kg more. If you charge it at home, the overall CO2 impact equates to roughly 68g/km.

That's around half the CO2 emitted by a 1.25 litre Ford Fiesta and will reduce over time as more of the UK's electricity is generated from renewable energy sources, such as wind- and solar power.

BMW charges £550 a month for every Mini E, but thanks to a helping hand from the Government's Technology Strategy Board, each of the 40 UK customers has to find only £330 a month. That's about the same cost as leasing a Volkswagen Golf, and includes all servicing, insurance and maintenance bills.

The only other cost to Mini E drivers is for the electricity and, by charging it overnight at home, that equates to about a penny a mile – that's £1.50 for a full charge from empty. During peak hours, the cost rises to about £4.00.

To sign up for the second stage of the trial – due to start in mid 2010 – log on to www.electricmini.co.uk.

About the Mini E:

Top speed – 95mph (electronically limited)

0-62mph in 8.5 seconds

Maximum range – 155 miles

Charge time – 4.5 hours

Power – 201bhp

Torque – 162lb/ft

Battery – 35kWh, Lithium-ion

Weight – 1,465kg

Ford Focus & C-Max recalled (EU)

Ford is recalling 30,000 of its Focus and C-Max models in the UK because of a safety problem.

The American car maker has warned salt from gritted roads could damage its cooling system and cause the engine to catch fire. The safety recall affects all 1.8 litre and 2.0 litre Ford Focus and C-Max TDCi diesel models built between 20th February 2004 – 31st May 2006.

The problem was first identified in the Summer, but many owners are only now receiving recall letters. The Winter gritting season has also made it more urgent for owners to react. Ford said there was a risk of corrosion build-up in the cooling system from salt and grit put on roads during the Winter months. Recalled vehicles will be fitted with a water shield to prevent the car's fan control module from corrosion.

Owners are being urged to book their car in for a short service free of charge. Up to 65,000 models could be affected in Europe, with 29,451 of them in the UK.

Owners who are unsure whether their car is affected or not can call the Ford customer relationships centre on 0845 841 111.

Bentley Mulsanne pricing announced (UK/U.S)

Bentley's flagship Mulsanne begins production at the Crewe plant next Spring 2010. First deliveries of the Mulsanne will happen in Summer 2010 in the UK, while U.S deliveries will begin in fall. The Mulsanne has a £220,000 price-tag and that’s before you start adding in your options. For the U.S, the MSRP of $285,000 excludes taxes and delivery charges. Over 1,000 potential customers from the Europe and the U.S have been given a live preview of the car.

Said to be the most luxurious Bentley ever built, the Mulsanne puts its occupants in the very cusp of luxury motoring. Buyers will be offered a choice of 114 paint colours or a unique colour of their own making, 21 carpet colours, 24 interior leather hides tanned using a decade-old process and a total of 9 wood veneers. It takes about 9 weeks to complete one Mulsanne from scratch.

Though classic in its general approach, the uber-limo will also get very modern features such as Bluetooth connectivity, SIM card reader, iPod connection, 3G MMI system and what Bentley says is the world's most powerful sound system installed in a production car – a 20 channel 2,200w mobile music station.

Power is supplied by a lightweight 6.75 litre twin-turbo V8 producing 500bhp and 1,000Nm (740 lb-ft) of torque. It comes with a cylinder de-activation and variable cam phasing feature to help cut fuel consumption and C02 emissions.