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Scheduled to make its world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show this week is Ford's brand-new B-MAX concept that previews the firm's upcoming small MPV, designed to replace the current European Fusion and rival the Opel Meriva. Based on the Fiesta platform, the almost production-ready minivan has some striking features, the most obvious being the new door concept. It has no B-pillar and the twin doors have a conventional opening system in the front and a sliding system in the back.By eliminating the traditional B-pillar, Ford promises best-in-class access to the cabin without compromising safety. With both front and rear doors open, the aperture measures 1.5 metres, around twice the width offered by competitors, according to Ford. “With its unique door format and dynamic design, the B-MAX sends a strong message that customers looking for a compact, stylish and versatile vehicle will soon have an exciting new choice,” said Stephen Odell, CEO of Ford Europe. Another highlight is the lack of door handles, with the opening system being remote-controlled. The B-MAX measures is a little over 4 meters in length, and is 110mm longer than and 110mm taller than the Fiesta five-door hatch, with Ford promising enough room for five passengers. With the rear seats folded 60/40, the car offers a flat load floor that extends up to 2.35 meters in length when the front passenger seat is folded.The B-MAX is powered by an all-new 1.0-liter three-cylinder engine that uses EcoBoost technology and is equipped with Ford's Auto-Start-Stop system. The 3-cylinder unit uses turbocharging, direct fuel injection and twin independent variable cam timing to achieve significant reductions in fuel-consumption and CO2 emissions. This engine is set to replace larger conventional four-cylinder units in the future and is now undergoing the final development phase.A production version of the B-MAX is expected to launch within the next two years.photos
Toyota's FT-86 II pre-production concept car displayed at the Geneva Motor Show last week attracted a lot of attention, with many viewing the car's styling as a step back from the FT-86. However, as Toyota explained, these changes were not imposed only by designers, but by the company's test drivers and safety regulations as well. More precisely, the feedback received from the test drivers after the early development stages had the biggest influence on the look of the FT-86 II. The most important change requested was to move back the A-pillars by around 100 mm at the base, which led to a more vertical windscreen. “We had feedback from drivers who felt that the angle of the A-pillars created a type of ‘tunnel vision’,” Akihiro Nagaya, head of Toyota design division, told Autocar. “This could sometimes make the car hard to place on the road, particularly at higher speeds. The theory behind this car remains that of the ‘86’ (the original Corolla AE-86), which was easy and pure to drive, so we had to change it,” Toyota’s official added.Another important change from the original FT-86 Concept is the taller nose, adopted in order to comply with pedestrian impact regulations, a modification which alters the sharp profile of the original concept. Toyota's designers complicated things even more with overly aggressive styling on the front and rear ends.So, how many of these changes will we see on the production car? According to Nagaya, the road car will share around 50 to 70 percent of its looks with the FT-86 II. Another interesting statement made by Nagaya was that Subaru's version of this car will look very much like the Toyota, with the approach being similar to the S-Verso/Trezia rebadging work.photos
Volkswagen has released a new set of accessories for its best selling model, the Golf MK6. The most important of these is a new aerodynamic package, which includes slightly redesigned bumpers, side skirts and a larger roof spoiler. Other than making the Golf look sportier, VW claims these new components improve the car's aerodynamics. Other accessories for the Golf's exterior include two new sets of alloy wheels, both 17-inch large and painted in different hues of silver: the 15-spoke “Silex” and the 5-spoke “Onyx”. For the interior, Volkswagen's aftermarket division prepared a decorative trim set that consists of five pieces finished with a carbon look. The parts are destined for the instrument panel and door panels.Volkswagen Accessories also offers new gear for utility purposes, such as a roof-box available in three different sizes that uses the DuoLift system, allowing the opening and loading of the roof-box on both sides. Another accessory is the luggage compartment tub made of washable plastic that can be divided into different sections according to needs.All accessories are available through VW's dealer network.photos
There’s been a lot of hype surrounding the U.S. launch of the Fiat 500, with many predicting a commercial success for the Italian mini even before it landed on this side of the Atlantic. However, there’s one industry executive that doesn’t believe in Fiat’s retro-penned hatchback. We’re talking about Ford CEO Alan Mulally. When asked about the market prospects of the Fiat 500 in the United States in an interview with Italian-language news magazine Panorama, Mulally said: "I do not see large market in the U.S.A. for a smaller car than the Fiesta. Those that tried failed.” Even though Mulally did not elaborate, it is believed that his reference to “failure” was aimed at Dailmer’s Smart ForTwo which saw its U.S. sales plummet from 24,622 cars in 2008 to a mere 5,927 units last year.The Chrysler Group recently celebrated the the production launch of the American market Fiat 500 at the Detroit firm's Toluca plant in Mexico. The starting MSRP for the Italian mini, which is offered with a 1.4-liter four-cylinder producing 101HP, is $15,550.photos
