The Nissan 370Z sports car, one of the most wanted cars to date, will be launching in India in 2010. This move, announced by Hover Automotive India Vice Chairman G M Singh, aims to bring more variants to the Indian market despite a limited demand for now. But showing much optimism on the car demand market trend, he expects the demand to increase after some time.

The target date is January 2010 where the Nissan 370Z Sports Car is expected to be priced around Rs 35-38 lakh. At the same time, another car was likewise unveiled in the Micra hatchback which will become available in petrol and diesel. The price range for the Micra is expected to play around Rs 5 lakh.

Nissan is aiming to introduce nine new variants in India by 2012.

(Source) BS Motoring

Tags: car one, diesel, India, lakh, market trend, Nissan, nissan 370z, optimism, petrol, Sports Car, vice chairman, wanted cars

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There is something about the Toyota Urban Cruiser that makes it tick in the UK market, especially during these times when people are whittling down their transport needs. We are all aware that many are putting into consideration a lot of factors, fuel consumption which is perhaps the prime one.

However, new as it may seem, the new Toyota Urban Cruiser seems to possess something that is drawing attention. It is built in the same infrastructure as the Toyota Yaris and boasts of clever spacing for the family trips.

The car is for those who want the rugged four by four feeling without the ‘Chelsea Tractor’ image and is a softer alternative to the Toyota Land Cruiser. Aimed at singles and couples in their thirties and forties, rival models include the Suzuki SX4, the Kia Soul and the much-publicised Nissan Qashqai.

Two models are currently available; the two-wheel drive 1.3 litre petrol and the four-wheel drive 1.4 litre diesel. Both models produce around a humble 130g/km of CO2 and with the Toyota ‘Optimal Drive’ feature, official fuel figures are an impressive 51.4-mpg for the petrol and 57.6-mpg combined for the diesel.

(Source) Press

Tags: co2, diesel, drive feature, family trips, forties, four wheel drive, fuel consumption, KIA, MPG, Nissan, pentagon, petrol, publicised, rival models, suzuki sx4, thirties, toyota land cruiser, toyota yaris, waves

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If you happen to see a new hatchback type of a vehicle at the next Toyota showroom you happen to come across, don’t be surprised. It is probably the Toyota Urban Cruiser, the new town-friendly crossover released as Toyota’s bet against the Nissan Qashai, Kia Soul and Suzuki X4.

The new Urban Cruisers are pick up from the RAV4, the previous 4×4 vehicle that Toyota has in the market. With the new Cruisers, it aims to provide an off-roader look with hatchback for city driving.

The Urban Cruiser offers impressively green motoring. Both its powerplants emit less than 130g/km of CO2 – the petrol assisted by a standard-fit stop/start system. It’s priced from £14,500 for the two-wheel drive 1.3-litre petrol version, or £16,400 for the 1.4 D-4D turbodiesel with four-wheel drive.

(Source) Which

Tags: 4x4 vehicle, Crossover, cruisers, four wheel drive, KIA, Nissan, petrol, powerplants, Suzuki, suzuki x4, Toyota, toyota showroom, turbodiesel, wheel drive source

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Remember that challenge Ford put themselves up we heard about a week ago? You know, that one where they were attemping to go 1,000 miles on just one tank of gasoline in a Ford Fusion Hybrid? Yeah, that one.

Well apparently, the team embarked on their mission and just recently passed the 1,000 mile mark but here’s the catch; they still have 1/3 of a tank left. That means they have averaged over 80 mpg and for comparison, they originally intended to average 57 mpg.

In leui of this, the team plans on driving the Fusion Hybrid until their gasoline supply is completely exhausted. Any bets on how far they can go before they run out of gas?

Read (AutoBlog)

Tags: 1000 miles, challenge, fusion hybrid, gasoline, petrol

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It seems that United States President Barack Obama is really kicking his green campaign into high gear, recently explaining to the public that we desperately need to form a greener society.

Apparently, Obama thinks America is ready to “be part of a mission” to end our dependency on foreign oil and move towards a cleaner energy source. But how?

Well, enforce a CO2 cap & trade program, of course! Not to mention the need to move away from those damn gas guzzling vehicles. Let’s hope America believes in the President enough to follow his words because if not, it could cost us our future.

Read (HybridCarBlog)

Tags: Barack Obama, cap and trade, clean energy, co2 emissions, foreign oil, petrol, President Obama, program

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Ford really wants to get the word out there that their new 2010 Fusion Hybrid is a force to be reckoned with, recently announcing a campaign to put the vehicle’s fuel efficiency to the test.

Apparently, the above car is set to be driven over 1,000 miles for 43 consecutive hours from Mount Vernon, VA to Washington, DC, all on a single tank of gas. Ford is saying that the car needs to average 57 miles per gallon, a task that may actually be accomplishable given the fact it has reached as high as 70 miles per gallon.

And to top it all off, the drive will raise money for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. You get em’ Ford!

Press release after the break. (more…)

Tags: 1000 miles, campaign, fuel economy, fusion hybrid, Gas, mileage, one, petrol, Tank

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It was recently announced that the 2-year heavyweight champion Wal-Mart was knocked from the top spot of the Fortune 500 list and replaced with Exxon Mobile.

But why? Well, due to the recession Wal-Mart’s enticing low prices and other marketing ploys helped revenue boom to over $406 billion alone.

However, due to the sharp increase in oil sales Exxon Mobile managed to bank almost $443 billion. I wonder, if and when we make the change to alternative energy, will companies like Exxon Mobile be facing a grim future like the once-great GM?

Read (CNNMoney)

Tags: exxon mobil, gasoline, Oil, petrol, walmart

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Remember when gas prices were over $4 a gallon? Not only did it have America going broke, it sparked a green campaign of epic proportions that had car makers far and wide working towards more fuel efficient vehicles.

Well, it looks like the times have changed as the U.S. Energy Information Administration has recently released a statement predicting that gas prices will peak at $2.30 this summer rounding off the year in the range of $2.23 to $2.42.

This sure is good news for everyone, considering the state of the economy, because every penny counts during these tough times.

Tags: energy department, energy information administration, fuel, gas prices, petrol, prices, united states

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Among the thing to watch out at the upcoming Geneva Auto Show is this new engine concept from Lotus. Lotus will be unveiling its Omnivore Flex-Fuel Engine concept engine that will run quite happily on standard petrol or alcohol-based fuels.

Lotus will display the single-cylinder mono-block unit at the Geneva Motor Show next week. Among its claims, Lotus says that the engine has been designed for high thermal efficiency regardless of fuel type used. This is an important aspect to note as much of the energy a combustion engine produces is lost as heat.

A variable compression rate also means the two-stroke mill can operate at peak efficiency throughout the rev range. The absence of poppet valves allows the variable compression system to be implemented with greater ease than on a conventional two-stroke engine. The design of the block is such that no cylinder-head gasket is required, meaning less weight and greater durability.

(Source) The Motor Report

Tags: combustion engine, cylinder head gasket, fuel engine, fuel type, geneva auto show, geneva motor show, Lotus, peak efficiency, petrol, thermal efficiency

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In a move that was perhaps forced by the continued decline in car sales today, Honda has announced the shelving of some high-end models in its fold. Among the vehicles that have been axed included the Acura brand, a proposed V8 engine, a successor to the Honda S2000 and a convertible based on the forthcoming Honda CR-Z coupé.

Honda likewise announced that its main focus at the moment is to shift to hybrid cars manufacturing to address the growing demand for alternative cars that are more conventional and economical to the common motorists today.

It aims to build 500,000 hybrids by 2012, including the new Honda Insight and the world’s first hybrid supermini, a petrol-electric Honda Jazz due next year. It should be capable of 80mpg and emit just 90g/km of CO2.

(Source) Autocar

Tags: Acura, alternative cars, car sales, Honda, honda cr, honda insight, honda jazz, honda s2000, hybrids, motorists, petrol, v8 engine

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