If you were watching the news out of Wörthersee last year, you may recall the Volkswagen Golf GTI Cabriolet concept pictured above. The show car debuted at the annual Volkswagen fan-fest in Austria, alongside an even hotter Golf R Cabriolet and a whole mess of other machinery from the burgeoning German auto empire. But that was the last we heard of it ... until now.
Reports coming in from across the pond indicate that Volkswagen is planning to actually build the GTI Cabrio, and that it will unveil the production version at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show next month. Although Volkswagen has offered the GTI's engine in versions of the Golf Cabriolet and Eos in some markets, this would only be the second time that a full-on GTI convertible will be offered from the factory, complete with the suspension and other bits that go along with it.
Word has it that the GTI Cabrio would be the final swan song for the current sixth-generation Golf before it's replaced next year. But if that's not enough, VW is also tipped to be preparing the hotter 268-horsepower, all-wheel-drive Golf R Cabrio for production as well. Chances that either of these would be offered on this side of the Atlantic, however, don't look good.
On this side of the Atlantic, one Volkswagen division's new product may not have a significant impact on those of another. That's because the German auto giant's brands are kept quite separate in North America. Less so, however, back in Europe, where a new VW is likely to reappear in due time as a Seat or Skoda.
Case in point: the new Up! city car, which is also sold overseas as the Seat Mii and Skoda Citigo. And, true to form, with the Volkswagen brand having enlarged its city car to a five-door, its Czech cousin has followed suit.
And so, starting in May (after its debut at the Geneva Motor Show), European buyers will be able to get their hands on a five-door Citigo, offering the same 1.0-liter three-cylinder engine (in either 60- or 75-horsepower guise) as the Up, Mii and three-door Citigo. Details in the press release after the jump.
Continue reading Skoda up!grades with five-door Citigo
We record Episode #268 of the Autoblog Podcast tonight, and you can drop us your questions via our Q&A module below. Check out our discussion topics or chime in to help determine what else the crew chats about this evening. Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes if you haven't already done so, and if you want to take it all in live, tune in to our UStream (audio only) channel at 10:00 PM Eastern tonight.
Discussion Topics for Autoblog Podcast Episode #268
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Fiat 500L previewed
Honda loses Civic Hybrid lawsuit
Driverless cars in 24 hrs of LeMons
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Nissan is headed to the Geneva Motor Show in March with a brand new hatchback concept. Called Invitation, this five-door should give us an idea of what the Japanese manufacturer has planned for its next B-segment contender. The concept borrows a bit from the likes of the Honda Fit, though that's no bad thing. With a clean, athletic design, the Invitation is a refreshing break from some of the automaker's more questionable exteriors.
Nissan hasn't divulged any drivetrain details as of yet, though the company has said each of the Invitation derivatives will be eligible to wear the company's Pure Drive badge. That means the production-version Invitation will be among the most efficient and economical vehicles Nissan produces. We do know the hatch will boast the ever-cool around-view monitor system along with a full slate of tech goodies. Hit the jump for the full press release and be sure to keep an eye open for our Geneva show coverage of the concept's official unveiling.
Continue reading Nissan Invitation Concept peeks out ahead of Geneva debut [w/video]
The Suzuki Regina concept shown at the 2011 Tokyo Auto Show was an unusual little car. We don't want to get our hopes up about production (especially since we'd probably never get it in America anyway), but the Regina will return to the spotlight at the Geneva Motor Show with some tweaks that have us wondering if Suzuki plans to actually build the French-looking runabout. Despite its bold styling, the Regina's drivetrain seems plausible enough; it's powered by a conventional three-cylinder gasoline engine.
The Regina will apparently be renamed G70 when it's shown in Switzerland. Tokyo publicity for the car centered around the five-door as "an idea for a 1,600-pound sedan that gets 75 miles per gallon." Suzuki has officially pegged the weight of the G70 at 730 kg, or 1,606 pounds. The "70" in the name likely comes from its 70g/km of carbon emissions, but Suzuki hasn't divulged its numbers yet. Follow the jump for a press release on the G70 concept.
Continue reading Suzuki Regina concept renamed G70, production version coming?
We've gotten various peeks at the Mercedes-Benz A-Class for a few months now, from the patent drawings to spy shots to QR-coded teasers. Then, of all things in all places, a cyclist with a handlebar-mounted camera gets a full-on shot of the real deal while riding in Lanzarote, Spain for what we assume is a photo or video shoot.
If you liked the look of the patent drawings, then you'll be happy with the glimpse here. It even looks close enough to the Concept A for us to give Mercedes props for truth-in-concept-car designing. There's debate as to whether this is the AMG A-Class, but regardless, the final version will be shown at next month's Geneva Motor Show. Until then, watch the video after the jump.
Continue reading Production Mercedes-Benz A-Class spotted undisguised
Infiniti has named its electric concept car headed for next month's Geneva Motor Show the EMERG-E. The company says that its showcar will be a coupe powered by a 1.2-liter gasoline engine with a range-extending electric motor. The powerplant will be mounted amidships for superior weight distribution, and the Japanese automaker promises the concept will offer impressive performance.
Infiniti has released very few details beyond saying the car's pure-electric range will be "respectable." The vehicle also promises zero-emission driving in most urban settings, so there's a good chance the concept will show off some advanced charging tech as well. The automaker is intent on making us wait until the vehicle's full unveil in Geneva before it drops any more clues, though a few more teaser images have surfaced to whet our appetite. Check them out in our gallery below.
Fiat has finally tipped its hand on the 500L. After months of watching painful renderings of the five-door hatchback float to the surface, the company has dished a few official details ahead of the vehicle's debut at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show in March.
The 500L is 162.9 inches long, a smidge over 70 inches wide and 65.3 inches tall. Fiat says the four-door 500 combines an SUV driving experience with B-segment fuel efficiency and could easily serve as a first car for those who like the 500 but need a little more functionality. The Fiat 500L will begin production in Europe in the last quarter of this year. When it does, two gasoline engines and a turbo-diesel will find their way behind the headlights.
The Italian automaker isn't saying much about the company's plans for the 500L in the U.S., but we've previously heard American buyers will be able to sample the five-seater soon. Believe it or not, a seven-seat version is also planned for Europe. Follow the jump for the full press release and stay tuned for the unveil on March 6.
Continue reading Fiat 500L previewed ahead of Geneva Motor Show
You've seen the S-Max. You've seen the C-Max. Now get ready for the B-Max.
The latest European-focused mini minivan from Ford was previewed in concept form at last year's Geneva Motor Show, but has now been confirmed for production release at the 2012 edition of the same expo this March. Based on the Fiesta (the C-Max is based on the Focus), the new B-Max will arrive into a highly competitive segment overseas, so it will need to offer some alluring features to make its mark.
The edgy design should help, but the party piece for this diminutive people carrier is that it has no B-pillars. And we don't mean that the windows have no frame: we mean the entire pillars are incorporated into the doors themselves, so that when you open the doors there's no encumbrance to loading and unloading of passengers and cargo alike.
Motivation is provided by a 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine, with Duratorq diesels also on offer. After its unveiling in Geneva, the new B-Max will go on sale at dealers across Europe later this year. Follow the jump for the full press release and click the thumbnails below to view the pair of images released thus far in high resolution.
Continue reading Ford previews 2012 B-Max MPV ahead of Geneva debut
Downsizing? What downsizing? While rivals may be replacing cylinders with turbochargers - heck, even Audi itself has done that with the twin-turbo V8 succeeding the V10 in the S8 and such - the new RS4 is reportedly on its way in full-fat 4.2-liter V8 FSI trim.
The report comes courtesy of AMAG, the importer for Audi in Switzerland, which has confirmed that the RS4 Avant (oft spied in prototype guise) is scheduled to debut at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show this coming March. Along with it, we're told to expect a series of new TSFI engines and an upgraded TT-RS with 360 horses.
As for the RS4 Avant, we're looking at 450 horsepower with all-wheel drive and enough cargo capacity to make any luxury crossover buyer reconsider (much like the S4 Avant pictured above, only more so). That is, buyers in Europe, anyway, as we're not expecting the RS4 to make the trek across the Atlantic.
