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1:15 AM
2016 Nissan Leaf price and range


The 2016 Nissan Leaf EV will look the same inside and out, but the new option of a larger battery will deliver a 27 percent increase in range.PHOTO BY NISSAN








A 27-PERCENT BOOST IS GOOD, BUT THE UPCOMING 2018 MODEL PROMISES TO MORE THAN DOUBLE THE RANGE


Nissan has announced pricing for the 2016 Leaf, the top trim levels of which now feature an upgraded battery that yields a greater range. Sales of the the automaker’s pure electric hatch have been on a roll for the past couple of years, though the model itself is due for a complete redesign for the 2018 model year. The 2016 model, therefore, can be viewed as a placeholder until an improved Leaf arrives with a greatly enhanced range.


The upgraded 30 kWh battery is the major update for the 2016 model year, arriving standard on the SV and SL trim levels, and will yield an estimated 107-mile range. That’s a 27 percent improvement over the standard 24 kWh battery that’ll still be offered in the base Leaf S. The motor output remains the same regardless of which battery buyers choose: 107 hp and 187 lb-ft of torque.


The base Leaf will start at $22,360, after the application of a $7,500 federal tax credit. The mid-range SV trim level, with the new battery standard, will start at $27,550, while the range-topping SL model will be available from $30,140.


issan has also shuffled Leaf equipment, adding NissanConnect with Mobile Apps as standard, coupled with a 5.0-inch screen for the base Leaf S, while the two upper trim levels will receive NissanConnect with navigation and Mobile Apps coupled with a 7.0-inch screen and voice recognition. The Leaf also gains three new colors for 2016 for a total of eight: Forged Bronze, Coulis Red and Deep Blue Pearl.


The Leaf continues to be the best-selling pure-electric in those markets which have any kind of electric cars, but given the tremendous increase in range predicted it may make sense to wait until the Leaf’s replacement arrives. The 2018 model is expected to have a 200-mile range, at the very least, courtesy of a 60 kWh battery. These aren’t official figures for now, but everything seems to be pointing in that direction.


Source : http://autoweek.com/




2016 Nissan Leaf: Here"s what you"ll pay for longer EV range
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1:10 AM
Sixth generation Elantra more space, more tech


A large grille for a large car: Hyundai’s new generation of Elantra looks more grown up than previous models. It’s called the Avante in South Korea.








NEW HYUNDAI COMPACT SEDAN GETS MORE TECH, MORE SPACE


Hyundai revealed the newest generation of its cost-effective Elantra sedan this week. The sixth generation of the compact is completely redesigned — aiming for more comfort and style. In that vein, the Elantra gets increased cabin space thanks to a body that’s a bit longer and wider. Despite being larger, the use of lightweight high-strength steel helps keep the curb weight down, according to Hyundai.


Hyundai also made the push to include all the new tech at its disposal inside the updated Elantra. Autonomous emergency braking, auto-dimming high-beams and blind-spot detection are just some of the available safety technologies. Luxury options like a driver’s memory seat and a hands-free opening trunk are also offered.



 


A 1.6-liter direct-injection gas engine moves the base model, but a 2.0-liter four is also available for upgraded models. There will also be a 1.6-liter diesel, but don’t expect it in the U.S. Hyundai says that the power will be up for the new model year, but they’re not offering specific figures yet. The current 1.8-liter and 2.0-liter fours make 143 hp and 175 hp, respectively. The new gas engines will be backed by either a six-speed manual or a six-speed auto.


Trailing the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic in sales, Hyundai is making moves to shrink the gap with the Elantra. The base model currently starts around $18K and we expect the new model to arrive at about the same price point.



2017 Hyundai Elantra: The next generation
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9:38 PM

2016 Porsche Boxster



The Porsche 718 Cayman and 718 Boxster will now be closer together in Porsche’s model range.PHOTO BY PORSCHE


2017 COUPE AND ROADSTER TO RECEIVE NEW ENGINES, NAMES


With the debut of the next-generation Porsche Cayman and Boxster, the two models will receive more than just a new turbocharged flat-four engine — they’ll have new names as well. The mid-engined duo will be known as the 718 Cayman and the 718 Boxster, with Porsche adopting the historical name first carried by the 1957 718 race car, a descendant of the 550 Spyder.


“Whether it was at the 12-hour race in Sebring in 1960 or the European Hill Climb Championship which ran between 1958 and 1961, the Porsche 718 prevailed against numerous competitors with its powerful and efficient flat-four cylinder engine,” the company said in a statement. “The 718 took first place twice between 1959 and 1960 at the legendary Italian Targa Florio race in Sicily. At the 24 Hours of Le Mans race in 1958, the 718 RSK with its 142-hp four-cylinder engine achieved a significant class victory.”




2014 Porsche Cayman

The Cayman and Boxster will receive new boxer engines with the 2017 model year redesign.PHOTO BY PORSCHE







The coupe and roadster will now have more in common with each other, with Porsche bringing them closer together stylistically and mechanically — even though they didn’t start out that way. And the automaker is taking the opportunity to reshuffle the pricing, too; Zuffenhausen wants to position the Boxster just above the Cayman in price to present a clearer price ladder for buyers.


Perhaps even bigger news than the name change, the upcoming 718s will be powered by a new turbochaged flat-four engines — a development which former chief executive Matthias Muller has hinted at in the recent past — with the engines expected to displace 2.0 and 2.5 liters (though the displacement figures have not been confirmed). Muller has also indicated that the powerplants could spread to the rest of the range, with the Macan possibly being the next in line to receive the new boxer engines.


As for output, Muller has suggested that the top version of the new boxer engine could produce up to 395 hp, which would make it an easy choice for the Macan should Porsche decide to go in that direction.


The 2017 Porsche 718 Boxster and 718 Cayman are scheduled to debut in 2016, so get your naturally aspirated mid-engined Porsches while you still can.


Source : http://autoweek.com/




Porsche Boxster and Cayman renamed 718, get turbocharged four-cylinder power
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9:31 PM
2016 Chevrolet SS


The Chevrolet SS has been a niche seller in the U.S., though outside the country, GM still needs large rear-wheel-drive sedanPHOTO BY CHEVROLET








REPORT SUGGESTS STAND-IN FOR GLOBAL REAR-WHEEL-DRIVE SEDAN


The Chevrolet SS, a car so American it had to be imported from Australia, is on its way out after making a series of cameo appearances on the medians of U.S. interstates. The impetus for the model’s impending departure will be the 2017 closure of the Holden factory that produces the SS Down Under.


But will the Commodore, which is what the SS is called in its home country, go the way of the thylacine?


GM’s Australian division may not be giving up on the concept of a large, affordable rear-wheel-drive V8 sedan. In an interview with Australia’s Motoring, Camaro chief engineer Al Oppenheiser indicated that the demise of the Holden Commodore may not spell the end for this type of vehicle within GM’s global lineup.


“We haven’t announced an end date to it,” Oppenheiser told Motoring.


Read more: http://autoweek.com/article/car-news/will-chevy-ss-be-replaced-after-2017#ixzz44pS9zwjJ


“We know that there are some decisions made on Zeta that are imminent, but right now we are just focused on the new ’17 model, which is great,” Oppenheiser said, referring to GM’s global rear-wheel-drive architecture.


A replacement for the SS based on the Alpha platform, which currently underpins the Chevrolet Camaro, the Cadillac ATSand the Cadillac CTS, has been tipped as a candidate, though Oppenheiser did not explicitly confirm such plans.


“I am not at liberty; I am going to leave you hanging,” Oppenheiser told Motoring in response to a question about the global sedan with a V8.


The SS has been a niche model within Chevrolet’s North American lineup. The current model has been on sale since late 2013, and replaced the Pontiac G8, which was based on the previous-gen Commodore.


Source : http://autoweek.com/




Will Chevy replace vaunted SS after 2017?
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9:27 PM
2016 Audi S3 review: Four expensive rings


European version shown.








SPECTACULAR POWERTRAIN MAKES US FORGET PLAIN INTERIOR


I only had a chance to use this S3 for quick ride, but I’ve driven them before, though, and I’ll repeat: MQB platform plus the 2.0-liter turbo-four plus AWD equals some good fun. The car is quick — from the seat of my pants, I believe Audi’s sub-five-second 0-60 claim. The engine is a joy; the little bugger turns out 292 hp! Here’s how old I am: I remember it was a big deal when the VW Group 2.0-liter turbo-four’s hp cracked 200. Anyway, the power and torque come on smoothly. Turbo lag? Doesn’t exist. The dual-clutch snaps off gear changes quickly. This truly is a car that’s fun to pitch around town. It lets you fling it into corners with some oomph without giving up grip. Conversely, you can truck down the freeway quickly and comfortably. It’s all just so nice.


The cockpit is, well, Audi-like in terms of quality, and the layout is nice and simple — few buttons/switches gumming it up. I dig the S3 stitching and brushed aluminum inside.


I dig it.


— Wes Raynal, editor




2016 Audi S3 drive review with photos, specs and price

The S3 gets a 2.0-liter turbocharged DOHC I4, a six-speed automatic, 292 hp @ 5,400-6,200 rpm and 280 lb-ft @ 1,900-5,300 rpm.







OTHER VOICES:


Methinks Raynal is letting the S3’s inherent driving goodness cloud his judgment. This interior is Audi-like in its layout only in the sense that it contains instruments, a screen and a badge with the word “quattro.” Otherwise, this is the bizzaro-Audi, the one where my only real bone of contention is its bleak, spartan interior.


I’ve been critical of highly tuned turbo-four/DCT combos, but much like the CVT, time is making these powertrains vastly better. There’s very little jerkiness when creeping in traffic in the S3, and once you’ve got room to open it up, this little bastard is stupid quick as it spits lovely DTM blatting sounds from the exhaust on shifts.


Thing is, a Golf R will do that for $12K less and give you a far nicer cockpit in which to sit. I suppose if you must have a sedan (and it’s a good-looking sedan at that), the S3 might be worth the extra coin, but it won’t be a contender for me until Audi fixes the interior.


— Andy Stoy, digital editor




2016 Audi S3 with photos specs and price

European model shown.







If I’m getting into an S-badged Audi for somewhere in the 40k range, I’m not complaining. This is the new paradigm. The Mercedes CLA45 AMG, granted it has a good bit more power, is 50k! If you compare it to a Subaru WRX STI, it’s about the same price, about the same power, ‘cept you get that Audi badge on your hood. And sure, the same chassis/engine combo can be had in theGolf for less, but there is something to be said about brands and appearances, for better or worse.


This car rips on the street. Audi smoothed out most of the dual-clutch jerkiness and it’s basically smooth sailing from there on out. Once the gears mesh, this thing takes off like a rocket, and shifts don’t slow it down in the least. And like Andy said, you even get a little brap-brap out of the exhaust when going full blast.


Steering has a good, mechanical feel as do the suspension and brakes. The ratio is quick and chopping apexes is almost required. It’s a fun little game to play, try to straighten out your ride to work, knocking tenths of a mile off at a time.


The interior is Spartan, but that’s what you get with the least expensive go-fast Audi in the bunch. The dash is extremely clean and easy to understand, and it all works well together, as long as you’re not looking for A8 levels of refinement. Seat comfort is medium, lateral support is good, but remember, this is the hardest and most uncomfortable these seats will ever feel. After a year or so, these babies will be nicely broken in.


At $44k-$48k this S3 probably wouldn’t be my first choice in the small, sport-luxury sedan group. I’d probably want something rear-wheel drive, and with a manual, though those are getting harder to find, but it would definitely be on my list. And I’ve said this before, but it’s really the key. Manufacturers know to price these semi-niche cars right next to their competitors, and they’re all very good. Test drive them all, you can’t go wrong.


— Jake Lingeman, road test editor




2016 Audi S3 with photos specs and price i2

European model shown.







Options: S3 technology package including 1 CD/DVD-player with HD radio, Audi MMI navigation plus with voice control, Audi MMI touch, Audi connect with online services and Audi side assist ($2,600); S Sport seat package ($1,450); mythos black metallic ($575); red brake calipers ($400)


Read More :  Volvo XC90 T8 review


Source : http://autoweek.com/




2016 Audi S3 review: four expensive rings
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9:13 PM

Range Rover Sport SVR review


In the market for a bonkers SUV? This is the best of the lot

 





Land Rover has arrived late to this game.


Porsche and Mercedes have been producing ludicrous-speed versions of their SUVs for almost a decade, and BMW and Audi almost as long.


Not all have been good – for every brilliant Cayenne Turbo there are at least two alternatives that drive like weaponized sideboards – but, thanks to prodigious price tags, they almost always succeed in turning their makers a massive profit – and, bizarrely enough, carmakers quite like that.


Before now if you wanted a jacked-up Land Rover you’d have had to turn to third-party tuning companies such as Overfinch and Kahn, but JLR has recently seen sense and created Special Vehicle Operations (or SVO) – the department specifically set up to stop the money falling through its fingers. The SVR-badged Range Rover Sport is their first go at a properly monstrous volume production model.











THE MOST POWERFUL LAND ROVER EVER






 








No matter what you think of performance SUVs as a genre of car, there’s really only one way to do them: loud and massively proud. Therefore the good men and women of SVO have been right not to pull their punches – this is nothing short of the most powerful Land Rover ever.


There’s a 542bhp supercharged V8 upfront. But just as importantly, it looks like there’s a 542bhp supercharged V8 upfront. The Sport’s handsome front end has been given the gaping mouth of a lunatic, with massively enlarged intakes and the black bumper treatment.


At the back there’s quad-pipes sticking from a new rear diffuser, and a peaked cap of a spoiler jutting from the roof.


And of course there are big wheels; the SVR sporting 22-inch alloys – the kind of diameter you could serve a wedding buffet on. What’s interesting though is what’s wrapped around them; traditionally Land Rover sends its cars – all its cars – out into the world shod in mud & snow tyres. Not the SVR – it gets ContiSportContact5s, which is an early indication of how serious things are about to get.












 





Opulent on the inside






 




 




 








Inside, the first thing you’re going to notice are the seats. Where a standard Sport comes with a set of comfy pews that you’d happily sit on through a season of Breaking Bad, the SVR gets the kind of buckets you’d find in Old Trafford’s dugouts. There’s an additional pair in the back, too – and almost no room in between for your fifth-favourite mate. Even they won’t complain though because, like all big-money Land Rovers, the cabin is incredibly opulent and styled to make a statement.


The infotainment, it must be said, is not quite up to the same standard. It seems like a long time ago that we all fell about in amazement at the dual-zone touchscreen that allows the front passenger to watch TV while you blat up the motorway. Now, the resulting reduction in pixels just makes the display seem blocky – and the interface behind it remains chronically muddled (a system JLR is in the process of replacing).


Nevertheless, the SVR I drove did have one trump card up its tailpipe; namely the optional Meridian Signature Reference Audio system, which with 23 speakers and the firm’s Trifield 3D sound processing, almost justifies its £5000 premium over the standard audio setup.













Loud, proud and ludicrously fast






 








Despite 1700W of muscle, the Meridian system turns out to not be the defining soundtrack of the SVR. That’s still very much in the hands of the engineers at SVO, who have tuned the V8 – or, more specifically, the valves in the exhaust – to sound as if its gargling petrol in the cylinder banks, and then discharging it via musket fire on the overrun. With the right button pushed (and you will push it, frequently) it’s very nearly anti-social – in the way that holding a Prodigy concert in your front room would be considered anti-social.


Of course, that pretty much says it for the way the car goes, too. Underneath the SVR is fundamentally a tweaked Range Rover Sport – most of the hardware; the air suspension, the eight-speed automatic gearbox, the heavyweight four-wheel-drive system, etc, are the same. A fact that leaves you all the more incredulous when all two-and-a-half tonnes of it catapults to 60mph in 4.5 seconds – which is as preposterous as saying I’ve just read Gravity’s Rainbow on my way down the stairs.












And handling to match






image: http://images.cdn.stuff.tv/sites/stuff.tv/files/styles/big-image/public/brands/Land_Rover/Range_Rover_Sport_SVR/range_rover_sport_svr_20.jpg?itok=v_dA9zQj




image: http://images.cdn.stuff.tv/sites/stuff.tv/files/styles/big-image/public/brands/Land_Rover/Range_Rover_Sport_SVR/range_rover_sport_svr_12.jpg?itok=kiqG97a6




 








The quality of the caterwauling thrust is matched only by what the SVR does when it arrives at a bend – namely turn into it like no other Range Rover ever could or would have, and then cling on manically until you’re safely out the other side.


Predictably the secret is in SVO’s conscious decision to compromise a tiny bit on Land Rover’s legendary ride comfort by having the bed of air you sit on be more orthopedic mattress than memory foam – but it’s hard to complain, especially when the adhesion, verve and heftiness have coalesced into something so rewarding and usable.


Thanks to the permanent (and rightly legendary) all-wheel-drive system, the power always feels like an accessible commodity – and, because it is still a Range Rover below decks – the whole world is still accessible to you. Even on those same tarmac-chewing tyres, the SVR will continue to do stuff on muddier bits of the world that would make your head spin before the wheels do.












Range Rover Sport SVR Verdict






 








The Range Rover Sport SVR is a savage, splendiferous and rather superb thing, all round. It is also, arguably, both ‘loadsamoney’ brash in image, and, verifiably, actually, really loads of money to buy – the car I tested rounding out at £108,450.


Still, as so often happens with latecomers to the party, of all of the performance SUVs available the SVR is easily the most fun to be around, and absolutely the one to buy if you’re lucky enough to be able to afford it.


 


Next:  Volvo XC90 T8 review


Provious: BMW i8 review









 



Range Rover Sport SVR review
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9:01 PM

Volvo XC90 T8 review


It’s got more horses than a Wild West pony ranch, but Volvo’s tech-filled new SUV is a green machine at heart

 





There are certain sections of the car-buying public that wouldn’t be seen dead in anything but a posh SUV, and there are others that wouldn’t touch one with their sustainably sourced eco-bargepole.


Volvo wants to satisfy both the Chelsea set and the badger set with the XC90 T8 – a full-blooded SUV with more tech toys than the top floor of Harrods, but a hybrid engine that keeps refueling prices low and polar bear numbers high. It could just be the coolest, most crowd pleasing-est 4×4 there’s ever been.











TOO MUCH STYLE FOR THE SCHOOL RUN






 








There’s no getting away from the fact that the XC90 is designed to transport well-heeled families to and from polo practice but the latest version appears to be aimed at residents of Silicon Valley rather than Sloane Square.


A thorough exterior makeover includes’ Thor’s Hammer’ daytime running lights at the front, sharper flanks and a re-designed badge for the front grille.


But the techy tweaks inside are even more extreme, with a fresh touch-screen infotainment system nestling in the centre of a dashboard that takes Swedish design to the next level.












POWER TO THE PEOPLE






 








Average XC90 buyers will no doubt gravitate towards the more affordable 2.0-litre petrol and diesel offerings, which start at £45,550 and offer impressive performance and fuel consumption figures. But the most exciting of all is the T8 model, which is what I’m testing here.


The same 2.0-litre petrol engine found in the T6 model combines with a powerful electric motor to produce just shy of 400bhp and an impressive 0-62mph sprint of 5.9 seconds. It’s expensive at £59,990, but customers won’t have to pay road tax, can drive for around 20 miles on battery power alone and experience a warm, environmentally friendly glow due to the fact it produces just 59g/km of CO2.












Read more 2016 10Best Cars





Tactile tablet tech






image: http://images.cdn.stuff.tv/sites/stuff.tv/files/styles/big-image/public/brands/Volvo/volvo-xc90-4.jpg?itok=1gwgbiEQ








The new XC90’s interior is an extremely stylish and comfortable place to be, with plenty of leather and deep carpets adding to the opulent aura.


The brain of the operation is in a new Sensus Connect infotainment system that replaces the old buttons and dials with a large 12.3-inch touch-screen display. Mounted vertically, the Sensus system is navigated much like an iPad in so much as you pinch, swipe and touch to access menus.


The main screen features a tile menu system that drops down to expand information and allows the user to jump backwards and forwards without having to wade through menu after menu. It takes a few minutes to get used to but is extremely easy to use once fathomed and can be operated via voice command so eyes never have to leave the road.












Constantly connected






 








Smartphones can be tethered to this new system via USB, Wi-Fi or Bluetooth, which means all manner of online functionality can be accessed on the move. Sensus Connect will also run Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, although both require a software update – the Apple one will come in “late 2015”, while the Android Auto tweak hasn’t yet been dated.


I did manage to get a look at Volvo’s CarPlay integration, though. It appears as one of the Sensus home tiles – simply tap it and CarPlay drops down, allowing access to online radio, Apple Maps and the still-limited number of CarPlay-specific apps. You get access to Siri through CarPlay, too, but Volvo’s own voice command system is also there to help you make phone calls, read messages aloud and reply to emails.









The Sensus Connect system looks great and is very slick when up and running, but the initial load time is slow. It takes around 10-seconds for everything to boot up but the navigation system can take twice that long. It’s nothing to worry about but trying to adjust the climate control via the touch screen in a hurry during this boot up process can make everything grind to a halt.












Swedish details






 








There are loads of hidden touches in the new XC90 that catapult the interior from ‘quite nice’ to ‘really stunning’. The Swedish flag labels stitched into the leather seats, for example, or the gear shifter that’s made from handmade Swedish crystal.


There are also seven seats, with the final row large enough to fit small adults or children comfortably, and loads of room in the boot for dogs and shopping. In fact, all rear seats can be folded individually, which transforms the XC90 from stylish family cruiser into a luxurious Transit van in which to transport even the largest items.









 





Drives like a dream






 








The plug-in hybrid T8 model I’ve been driving is a pre-production version – and it isn’t without a few minor niggles. The brake pedal feels a bit nervous and ‘grabby’, while the gearbox gets a little muddled when rushed. These issues will quite possibly have been ironed out by the time the first XC90s hit showrooms, though, and elsewhere there’s nothing to complain about.


The ride is extremely comfortable, especially with the optional air suspension added, and the XC90 eats miles with little fuss or noise. The T8 hybrid also features various driving modes, which are toggled via a stylish switch on the centre console, to cope with every situation.


Hybrid cleverly switches between all-electric and internal combustion power for the most comfortable ride, Pure Electric allows for emissions-free motoring for around 20-miles and Power Mode pumps all horses to all wheels for a sporty drive.


Drivers can also hit the AWD mode, which raises the suspension and readies the traction control for slippery off-road driving, while a Save mode charges the battery and preserves juice levels for later in the journey.












Volvo XC90 T8 verdict






 








The new XC90 is a vast improvement on its ageing predecessor and features some of the most impressive interior tech seen on any car today.


It also looks great, rides beautifully and can tackle the twistiest routes with little complaint; particularly impressive considering it weighs over two tonnes.


Volvo also remains the safest marque on sale, with the latest XC90 boasting pedestrian and cyclist detection tech, front collision and lane departure warning systems and a radar-based cruise control system that is one step away from full autonomous driving.









Read more Bmw i8 review









 



Volvo XC90 T8 review
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