New Concept Car: Mini Clubvan

We didn’t expect Mini to start dabbling in commercial vehicles, but the new 2013 Mini Clubvan will debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March as a concept, and enter production by the end of the year.

A work-ready Mini seems a little odd, but it isn’t exactly unprecedented. The original Mini gave birth to a panel van variant in 1960, which in turn spawned the Traveller Wagon a year later. The Traveler itself inspired today’s Mini Clubman, which in turn serves as the basis of the Clubvan. History seems to be repeating itself, albeit in an inverted manner.

As you can likely glean from its name, the Mini Clubvan is essentially a van-like twist on the existing Mini Clubman model. The rear seats are eliminated in favor of a flat, carpeted load floor, which stretches from the split rear doors to an aluminum bulkhead affixed just aft of the front seats. The rear-hinged third door – located behind the passenger-side door – remains, opaque polycarbonate panels replace the Mini Clubman’s rear quarter windows. Dimensional data has yet to be provided, but we assume the Mini Clubvan’s cargo space is similar to that of the Clubman, which offers 32.8 cubic feet of space with the rear seats folded flat.

Would anyone put such a Mini to work? The automaker points out that many companies, including Red Bull and cosmetics giant Sephora, already use Minis in a commercial setting (the latter actually uses the Mini Clubman to deliver products in New York City). Like the Ford Transit Connect and the forthcoming Nissan NV200, the Mini Clubvan could appeal to small business owners looking for a nimble urban delivery vehicle – but unlike those vanlet, the Clubvan could provide an extra dash of style. Interestingly, officials tell us they suspect the Mini Clubvan will be seen as less of a commercial vehicle in the U.S, and more of a quirky, “sub-culture” personal lifestyle vehicle – the sort perfect for hauling bikes, surfboards, DJ equipment, and so on.

Those ideas will soon be put to the test: Mini officials tell us the Clubvan will go on sale in late 2012 as a 2013 model. Pricing is still unknown, but we wouldn’t be surprised if it runs near or just below the $25,000 base price of a 2012 Mini Cooper Clubman.

Thanks to: Motor Trend

New Car: 2012 Chrysler Ypsilon Black & Red

The special-edition Chrysler Ypsilon Black&Red has gone on sale in the UK with prices starting from £12,750. Chrysler is trying to lure a greater proportion of younger buyers with the Ypsilon Black&Red, which was first unveiled at last year’s Bologna motor show wearing a Lancia badge.

The Chrysler Ypsilon Black&Red gets a well-specced interior featuring black and red fabric seat upholstery, dashboard and door linings, aircon, Bluetooth connectivity and a hi-fi system.

The exterior of the car features black and red bi-colour paint, 16-inch multi-spoke alloys, fog lamps, black glass and body-coloured side skirts as standard.

The Ypsilon Black&Red is offered with three engine choices: a 1.2-litre petrol (£12,750), 0.9-litre litre Twin Air (£13,950) or 1.3-litre MultiJet (£14,950).

Chrysler is offering a zero deposit and £199 per month finance deal on the 1.2-litre version.

Thanks to: Autocar

Spied: 2013 Land Rover Freelander

These spy shots show Land Rover is preparing a mildly facelifted Freelander 2, which is likely to be unveiled at the Paris Motor Show later this year.

Having recently launched the eye-catching Evoque, it’s only fitting that Land Rover should be ensuring the rest of the range can keep up in the style stakes, so the Freelander 2 looks set to get a few visual updates.

The mild disguise on this mule shows there will be changes to the grille, the headlights and tail lights, but the visual changes are likely to end there.

The interior will get a few updates to quality and equipment, while there will be a few changes under the bonnet too, including making the 2.2-litre diesel engine slightly more efficient. For more details click here.
Thanks to: Auto Express

New Car: 2013 Kia C'eed

Kia’s reasonably-priced Cee’d is getting quite the makeover, and the Korean automaker has released shots of the new car ahead of a Geneva Motor Show debut.

The latest Kia Cee’d – which is likely to remain a European exclusive – remains a hatchback, but shares only its daylight opening shape with its forebear. The new Cee’d packs plenty of Kia’s latest design DNA into a compact vehicle: the corporate “tiger nose” grille is more prominent than ever, and flanked by long, tapered headlamps and a dramatically flared hood. As usual, the car also receives LED running lamps placed along the lower edges of the headlamp housings.

Further back, the new Cee’d shares a number of cues with the smaller Rio: taillights are mounted high up the curvaceous rear end, although the bumper cut echoes the shape of the hatch stamping itself. The lower diffuser is also a little more sophisticated, with raised accents surrounding the rear reflectors, license plate, and lower diffuser.

Inside, the interior is anything but drab. Like the Optima, the Cee’d’s instrument panel wraps into the center stack. Grey plastic materials used on the dashboard itself are broken up with strips of glossy piano black trim. Door panels are two-toned, and the leather seats shown here feature contrast stitching. The look is refreshingly high-end – which is welcome, considering the C-segment continues to move upmarket in around the globe.

As for the mechanicals, it’s still anyone’s guess: Kia has been tight-lipped about the car’s selection of engines. Currently, European models feature a range of gasoline and diesel engines that make anywhere between 89 and 126 horsepower, but it’s been rumored that the Procee’d, the three-door version of the Cee’d, could make use of the the same 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine used in the new Hyundai Veloster Turbo.

Also unknown at the moment is whether or not this car will make it to the United States. We wouldn’t be surprised if it didn’t: after all, the previous Cee’d was designed expressly for the European market, which left North America with the Forte. We may not see a Cee’d on our shores, but we can only hope the next Kia C-segment offering for North America looks this good.

Thanks to: Motor Trend

First Sketch: 2014 Porsche Macan

Meet the 2013 Porsche Macan. Chances are you previously knew this forthcoming small SUV as the Cajun, but the German automaker confirmed its official title before it officially launches in time for the 2013 model year.

What’s a Macan? Technically, it’s the Indonesian word for tiger, but Porsche suggests the name “combines suppleness, power, fascination, and dynamics.”

“The Porsche Macan combines all sports car characteristics with the benefits of a SUV, and is a genuine Porsche,” said Bernhard Maier, member of the executive board of sales and marketing at Porsche AG, in a prepared release. “The name of a new Porsche has to fit with the brand, sound good in very many languages and dialects, and evoke positive associations.”

The official rendering shown here, which was released this morning, echoes our previous illustrations. The Porsche Macan bears a close resemblance to its larger sibling, the Porsche Cayenne, but also appears to look a little more like its sports car siblings, especially in the front clip. We’re told the Macan and Q5 share hard points (i.e. pillar position, windshield angle, etc.), but the two share no exterior or interior body panel. The illustration shows a five-door model, although there’s also a chance the Macan will be offered in a three-door form to counter the Range Rover Evoque.

As previously reported, the Porsche Macan will share its architecture with Audi’s Q5. Powertrain offerings will likely include a 235-hp, turbocharged 2.0-liter I-4, along with a form of Volkswagen/Audi’s supercharged 3.0-liter V-6, possibly good for 333-350 hp. As we previously reported, a Macan Turbo S is also under consideration, and could use a hotter, Porsche-developed twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6. The driveline will be based off Audi’s Quattro all-wheel-drive system, but Macan models should receive Porsche-specific touches like launch control, optional carbon ceramic disc brakes, and a sport-tuned exhaust system.

We’ll likely see more details emerge shortly, as the Porsche Macan should launch in time for the 2013 model year. The automaker has invested nearly $691 million to add the Macan to its assembly plant in Leipzig, Germany; if all goes according to plan, Porsche hopes to sell nearly 50,000 units annually.

Thanks to: Motor Trend

First Sketch: Touring Superleggera Disco Volante Concept

Italian coachbuilding firm Touring Superleggera will launch a concept model called the Disco VOlante 2012 at the Geneva Motor Show next month. Based on Alfa Romeo 8C running gear, the concept car pays homage to the 1952 Alfa Romeo Disco Volante sports car.

The original Alfa, named for the Italian words for flying saucer, was an extremely aerodynamic sports car with bubble-shaped styling. Though it looked somewhat like a Jaguar E-Type of the same era, the Alfa Romeo had a drag coefficient of just 0.25 — less than modern-day eco cars like the Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Volt. The car was launched with a 158-hp 2.0-liter engine and could top 140 mph.

As previewed by this sketch, the DV 2012 will follow the car’s basic styling formula, with cues like raised bubbles over each front fender, a tapered nose reminiscent of a boat hull, and a narrow greenhouse. The bodywork will likely be hand crafted from both aluminum and carbon fiber. Beneath the sultry skin lurk the underpinnings from the Alfa Romeo 8C supercar, including that car’s 450-hp, 4.7-liter V-8 engine.

Not much else is known about the Disco Volante 2012. The concept shown in Geneva will reportedly only be a design study with no running gear, but Touring Superleggera is said to have already green-lit a production model. It’s certain that the car would be built in extremely limited quantities.

In previous years, Touring Superleggera has used the Geneva show to unveil a lightweight version of the Gumpert Apollo and a unique Bentley shooting brake.

Thanks to: Motor Trend

Unofficial Picture: 2013 Volvo V40

Volvo may have shown an official teaser image of the new V40 on Facebook, but now a Swedish magazine has leaked full photos of the new five-door Volvo. As was previously confirmed, the Volvo V40 will be officially revealed at the Geneva Motor Show on March 6.

The leaked images reveal that the Volvo V40 will adopt a considerably sleeker design than the old boxy model. A character line runs the length of the car, kinking up over the rear wheel wells. In profile, the five-door V40 looks like a less-tall version of the company’s XC60 and XC90 crossovers. The front fascia and headlights recall the Volvo S60 sedan, while the large glass liftgate mimics the opening on the C30 hatchback.

Volvo has previously said that the new V40 won’t be sold in the U.S. market. Overseas, the V40 essentially supplants the slightly larger V50 wagon. European buyers will reportedly be able to pick from engines displacing between 1.4 and 2.0 liters, with all-wheel-drive optional on all trims. Volvo’s anti-collision City Safety and Pedestrian Safety technology will be on board.

The Volvo V40 is said to measure 177.2 inches long, about a foot longer than a 2012 Volkswagen Golf. It’s built on Volvo’s new Scalable Platform Architecture, which allows for building cars of varying sizes on essentially the same chassis. The leaked magazine story also indicates that the V40′s 450-cm (177.2-inch) SPA platform could potentially underpin several other models: a C40 hatchback, an S40 sedan, and an XC40 small crossover.

We’ll see the Volvo V40 once it is fully revealed in Geneva, but so far these leaked images portend a stylish, attractive new small wagon.

Thanks to: Motor Trend