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?

Suzuki Regina concept renamed G70, production version coming? originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 04 Feb 2012 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments
Autoblog Concept Cars

No related posts.

One very unusual electric car has debuted in Brussels. The Hiriko EV uses a hub-mounted electric motor at each wheel, though that’s not the most interesting aspect of the vehicle. According to The Telegraph, the Hiriko uses an interesting rear suspension design that allows the vehicle to fold up, rotating the cabin vertically, to take up less space while parking. The partnership behind the vehicle say the car consumes approximately one third the parking space of a Smart ForTwo. Occupants enter from a single front door, and the Hiriko ditches the traditional steering wheel in favor of a joystick.

The vehicle is set to begin production in Spain next year, and the partnership behind the vehicle’s development aims to use several European and American cities as testbeds for the bubble machine. The two-seater has been co-developed by a collection of Basque businesses, the Spanish government and the MIT media lab (you may remember the concept, from 2007). A total of 20 test vehicles are currently being built, and each vehicle is said to cost ,253 to manufacture. No final price tag has been set, nor are there solid details on range, power or charge times.

Hiriko folding electric car headed for production originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 25 Jan 2012 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments
Autoblog Concept Cars

No related posts.

Those of us on this side of the pond in the market for a luxury crossover should be familiar with the gargantuan Audi Q7 and its little brother, the Q5. Overseas the German automaker also offers an even more compact Q3. Today on the floor of the Detroit Auto Show, Audi announced it will be bringing the Q3 to the North American market, and this is the show car with which they broke the news.

Called the Q3 Vail, what we have here is a concept version of the overseas-market crossover with some added off-road trim. Named for the Colorado ski resort, the Q3 Vail has lower body cladding similar to the treatment on Audi’s Allroad wagons, in matte grey to contrast with the glossy red paint job. The theme is further accented by aluminum underbody guard plates and extra lighting, with 20-inch wheels to round out the package. The red, black and grey color theme carries into the cabin, and there’s a 314-horsepower, 2.5-liter turbo five-cylinder powering all four wheels through a seven-speed automatic for an impressive 5.5-second sprint to 62 mph.

There’s more to digest in the press release after the jump, and both stock and live images in the dual galleries. But what interested customers need to know now is that Audi is targeting a U.S. market launch for the existing production Q3,which will continue to be built by Seat in Spain, sometime next year.

Continue reading Audi lifts veil on Q3 Vail concept, confirms production Q3 for North America

Audi lifts veil on Q3 Vail concept, confirms production Q3 for North America originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 09 Jan 2012 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments
Autoblog Concept Cars

No related posts.

Toyota is bringing a new concept to the 2012 Detroit Auto Show. The company calls its NS4 showcar an “advanced” plug-in hybrid, though it hasn’t shared any more information beyond the vehicle’s name. While we can’t say for certain, odds are the concept will give us a glimpse of what the company has planned for future hybrid design instead of boasting any tangible next-generation technology. As you may recall, Toyota and BMW recently partnered up to create a new lithium-ion battery pack, so it may be some time before we see the tech debut, even in a concept vehicle.

Toyota has also made it clear the company will bring along the Prius C, which will make its North American debut at the Detroit show (see gallery below). The Prius C rides on a platform about the same size as the Yaris, but comes packing a hybrid drivetrain. Word has it the vehicle will come with Prius-besting EPA fuel economy figures, too. Hit the jump for the brief press release, and stay tuned for more information as we get closer to the Detroit show.

Continue reading Toyota confirms NS4 plug-in hybrid concept and production Prius C for Detroit

Toyota confirms NS4 plug-in hybrid concept and production Prius C for Detroit originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 20 Dec 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments
Autoblog

No related posts.

Imagine your dream car. What might it include? Lightweight carbon-fiber construction, high-tech engine behind the seats, legendary Italian badge on the nose…. The thing is, that usually means a big fat price tag that runs well into the six figures, if not seven. But while this latest Italian sports car is set to include all those ingredients, its price point is set decidedly lower.

We’re talking about the Alfa Romeo 4C, the nimble-looking little number that debuted in delicious matte red at the Geneva show last year, and in liquid-metal finish in Frankfurt just a few months ago. Rumors have been circulating of its imminent production ever since its debut, but now the blokes over at Top Gear say that have the final details on good authority.

According to the report, Fiat has crunched the numbers and figured out how it can produce the 4C while neither breaking the bank nor spoiling the formula. And so the supercar is set to begin testing in the new year and hit the market in the next. And the price? £45,000, according to TG, which equates to about K at today’s exchange rates. To put that into perspective, consider that is the same starting price in the British market as the Porsche Cayman S – a model which starts here at K.

The Cayman is an ambitious target, but the 4C promises to be both smaller and lighter. A new direct-injection turbo four will drive 230 horsepower to the rear wheels via a dual-clutch gearbox for a 4.5-second sprint to sixty, but is tipped to yield more powerful versions with as much as 300hp on tap and even a roadster version later on.

That last bit promises to be easier to pull off thanks to the carbon-fiber tub – engineered by Dallara – to which aluminum sub-frames will be attached front and rear. The Italian chassis constructor is best known for its racing cars, but also developed the KTM X-Bow, which could in and of itself give us the best idea of what to expect if and when the 4C assumes the place originally reserved for the 8C Competizione in finally heralding Alfa’s return to the North American market.

Alfa Romeo 4C speeds into production with £45,000 price tag originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 16 Dec 2011 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments
Autoblog

No related posts.