What you see above may appear to be a 2-door hatchback but instead it is the SEAT Leon Cupra R 4-door hatchback (yes, look closely there are actually 4 doors) that was recently showcased at this year’s Frankfurt Motor Show.

Other than its awesome green paint job this vehicle utilizes a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine capable of producing 265hp and a sprint from 0-60mph in a none-too-bad 6.1 seconds. What’s even better, while maintain a decent horsepower output the SEAT Leon Cupra R still manages to maintain right around 29mpg.

Couple all of that with 19-inch wheels, low profile tires, R badges and beefy brakes and you have yourself a very interesting vehicle.

via autoblog

Continue reading...

BMW has recently come forth to talk about the Gentleman Function that will be included with this 7-series vehicles. Apparently, when you activate it the lights will dim, a nice scent will come out of the air ducts and music will begin playing to set the mood.

Only joking, the Gentleman Function does nothing more than allows the driver to control the passenger’s seat. Prior to this function, the seat memory buttons were located right on the middle console but with the updated series hitting these buttons will be moved to the driver’s door.

This function will apparently cater to those using the new vehicles to chauffeur others around. Instead of having to fuss with the buttons on the center console if the rear passenger needs some leg room the driver can subtly press the buttons right on his door. Un-needed? Probably, but remember BMW is all about luxury.

via Jalopnik

Continue reading...

The once struggling Seat brand is developing a range of new models, with no fewer than four different vehicles planned for production within the next three to four years. The launch of the Ibiza hatch last year was just the beginning as the Spanish carmaker is also working on a new minicar and compact SUV, in addition to the recently revealed Exeo Sedan and Exeo ST wagon. 

Soon they will be adding to that list the new Ibiza ST wagon.  This new wagon will be made alongside the regular Seat Ibiza five and three-door variants at the company’s Martorell plant sometime in 2010.

Continue reading...

Pioneer has a new navigation system for your car which also doubles as a multimedia device. The NavGate AVIC-F9110BT will offer you the following features:

• 5.8-inch WVGA touchscreen display
• GPS navigation for 44 European countries (TeleAtlas maps)
• SD memory card slot
• USB port
• CD/DVD playback support
• iPod connectivity
• 50W x 4W MOSFET amplifier
• Three RCA outs

The Pioneer AVIC-F9110BT will be available from July 2009 for an undisclosed price and it will fit well inside of 18 VW, Skoda and Seat vehicles.

via Pocket-lint

Continue reading...

The 2010 Toyota Crown Majesta promises a re-designed full-size premium luxury sedan that will likely feature the Amerigon Climate Control Seat. Sold only in Asia, the flagship Crown Majesta, the Toyota brand’s top sedan, is expected to be in showrooms this summer.

The Crown Majesta is designed with distinctive interior and exterior styling, unparalleled comfort and an ultra-luxurious interior which includes CCS.

CCS, the premier actively heated and cooled seat system in the global automotive seat market, delivers year-round comfort to automotive seat occupants by providing both active heating and cooling. The system is completely independent of the automobile’s heating and air conditioning system and does not reduce power available to the engine. It also emits no CFCs or other gases and is completely friendly to the environment.

CCS, the premier actively heated and cooled seat system in the global automotive seat market, delivers year-round comfort to automotive seat occupants by providing both active heating and cooling. The system is completely independent of the automobile’s heating and air conditioning system and does not reduce power available to the engine. It also emits no CFCs or other gases and is completely friendly to the environment.

(Source) Press

Continue reading...

SEAT Ibiza

The 2009 Seat Ibiza, a tiny Spanish super-subcompact manufactured by the Volkswagen Automotive Group, is being hailed as the most fuel-efficient economical car in the world. The Seat (pronounced Say-aht I-bee-tha) Ibiza is not available in the United States because of more stringent safety standards, but in Europe it is expected to be the next hottest mini car. The 105-hp, 1.6 liter engine gets a zero to 60 pick up rating of 10.6 seconds, but that’s not the point. The point is the incredible 74.3 MPG the tiny car delivers in fuel efficiency, along with the tiny new price of right around $15,000.

In Europe, China, and India, very small cars have been legal for years and they are wildly popular for their economy and accessibility. In the U.S., with so many huge trucks and SUVs on the road, and with multilane city driving a daily reality, most super subcompacts still do not pass safety standards and cannot be imported.

Continue reading...