AUTHENTIC CARS

Audi has unveiled the new A3 saloon. The A3 saloon sits below the A4 and will compete with the new Mercedes CLA saloon. A potent 296bhp Audi S3 version of the new four-door will also be part of the global A3 line-up, seen here officially for the first time ahead of its Shanghai motor show reveal next month. Although the cars are pictured here in America, it will not be shown at the New York motor show. A3 saloon, which has the Mercedes CLA as its chief rival, is 4460mm long, 1796mm wide and 1416mm high, with a wheelbase of 2400mm. This makes it 150mm longer, 11mm wider and 9mm lower than the A3 Sportback on which it is based, with the pair sharing the same 2636mm wheelbase. These dimensions also make it 170mm shorter, 19mm wider and 19mm lower than the Mercedes CLA. The wheelbase of the CLA is 63mm longer than the A3 saloon’s. "This is a car that will attract young professionals to the brand, people with their first managerial job, perhaps with only young chil...

Over the weekend, the Shanghai auto show featured plenty of high-profile reveals, joint venture initiatives between established names and local manufacturers and an array of launches by Chinese manufacturers. Here are the highlights of the show: MG CS SUV The Geneva motor show earlier this year proved beyond doubt that the next few years are set to be dominated by new SUV launches, but few would have anticipated MG would enter the fray with such a confident offering. The production model is still two years away - at least - for European buyers, but if it retains the concept's looks (as MG says it will) then it will be quite worth it.   Maserati Ghibli We can debate long and hard whether a BMW 5-series rival really has a natural fit in Maserati's line-up, given the Italian firm's reputation, but few can argue that the car itself is anything other than supremely good looking. If it drives decently, and the (Ferrari co-developed) diesel is good, it ...

Audi is looking to dramatically expand its SUV line-up, and a large new luxury model above the Audi Q7 could crown the range. It is likely to be badged the Q8 and sources suggest that it would combine a Range Rover Sport-style sporting look with a very luxurious interior, on par with the company's A8 limo. "SUVs are our biggest priority," Audi technical chief Wolfgang Durheimer told Autocar UK at the Shanghai motor show. "And an SUV bigger than the Q7 is one we could do. It would fit in our offerings. Bentley has shown what can be done with a car of this size. I pushed for the Bentley SUV and I'm pushing for Audi to make something in this segment also. I could see Bentley and Audi both making SUVs, and Lamborghini also; in my job [Lamborghini is under the control of the Audi brand] I'm trying to encourage the Lamborghini SUV project to progress." Durheimer said internal competition was encouraged and that the models wouldn't overlap. "There...

VW’s Taigun is likely to be the first car on the Up platform (codename: PQ12) to come to India. The Taigun concept, based on a stretched version of the VW Up’s NSF (New Small Family) platform, made its debut at the Sao Paolo International Motor Show in October last year and previews VW’s future SUV face. Measuring 3859mm (just under the crucial four metre mark) in length, the concept features a 108bhp, three-cylinder, turbocharged 1.0-litre petrol motor. The engine bay of the Up is currently not wide enough to take a four-cylinder engine, but it could be modified to recieve the new 1.5-litre four-cylinder diesel that VW is developing for India.  However, it’s also likely that by the time the Taigun is launched in India VW will have launched a new range of state-of-the art compact diesel engines which would include a compact three-cylinder unit. VW’s R&D boss, Dr Ulrich Hackenberg told Autocar India. “A future three-cylinder 1.4-litre diesel is a possibility for the Ta...

The famous Ford Escort name has made a comeback at the Shanghai motor show as a new compact saloon concept that's strongly tipped to make production. The compact saloon segment is worth more than five million unit sales per year in China. As such, it's a segment Ford is keen to extend its presence in with a model developed specifically for the local market. And the Escort name has been chosen as it's one that holds resonance with Chinese buyers; old Escorts are regularly popping up at auctions to be bought by Chinese buyers, and classic models are regularly imported. There are no plans for the name to make a comeback elsewhere however, including in the UK. The styling of the concept is familiar from Ford's recent design language, with its large Aston Martin-style grille. The concept is described by Ford as offering Chinese customers, "a fun driving experience, high level of technology, exceptional roominess, uncompromised functionality and sophi...

The Volkswagen iBeetle will be the first VW Group product to fully integrate with the Apple iPhone 5. The new model was unveiled at the Shanghai motor show. The iBeetle edition will be supplied with the new iPhone interface, as well as 18in alloy wheels, iBeetle badging, leather seats and a chrome pack when it goes on sale early next year. Volkswagen’s iPhone integration allows the unit to be ‘snapped’ into the dashboard and all iPhone functions can be used. A Volkswagen app is also under development. The ‘Volkswagen Car Net The Beetle’ software allows the car to use the phone’s data connection, letting users stream music from Spotify, listen to friend’s Facebook or Twitter updates, or upload photos to the social network. It also turns the iPhone into a piece of extended on-board instrumentation, offering displays showing G-force readings and oil and coolant temperatures, as well as a chronometer and a compass. Information and tips displayed about driving times and...

A glut of new models unveiled by Toyota at the Shanghai motor show include a local version of the Yaris and a funky six-seater compact crossover concept designed to appeal to younger Chinese buyers. The Yaris five-door hatchback – and a saloon version called Vios – are production versions of concepts shown by Toyota at last year's Beijing motor show. Despite the Yaris name for the hatchback, both models are unique for the Chinese market and they will enter production there later this year. Versions localised for other emerging markets could also be produced. The six-seater concept called FT-HT Yuejia gets a hybrid powertrain, a dramatic pillarless scissor door design and a simple, elegant cabin with three rows of two individual seats. Although it is a concept, Toyota has hinted that it "will be sold exclusively in China" as a production car. Other Toyota concepts on the stand include the Yungdong Shauangqing II, a model with a new "hybrid sys...

Hyundai has unveiled a new concept vehicle at the Shanghai motor show that previews forthcoming saloon destined solely for the Chinese market. The Hyundai Mistra concept, a joint project between Hyundai Motor Group’s R&D Center and the Beijing Hyundai Technical Center, offers significant insight into the styling of the production version, which is scheduled to go on sale later this year and will bear the same model name. Hyundai says the Mistra, which is positioned between the Sonata and Elantra, is expected to boost Hyundai’s presence in China’s mid-sized segment. The mid-sized saloon concept is 4710mm long, 1820mm wide, 1470mm and has a wheelbase of 2770mm. It rides on 19in alloys. The four-door features bold front end styling incorporating a wide radiator grille and a long hood. The sleek side windows and body shape are supposed to accentuate the Mistra's sporty shape. The main target customers for the Mistra (which goes by the name Mingtu in China) are ...

A production version of the striking Mercedes-Benz Concept GLA is poised to enter the booming compact SUV segment. The Concept GLA is one of the stars of the Shanghai motor show that gets under way on Saturday, and is described by insiders as being as much as 90 per cent representative of the GLA production car that will go on sale early next year. It's also the latest model to be spun off Mercedes’ latest front-drive MFA architecture, following the latest A-class and B-class models and the CLA saloon. The concept is 4383mm long, 1978mm wide and 1579mm high — dimensions that are understood to be almost identical to those of the production car. The wheelbase of the concept has not been given, but it’s believed to be the same 2699mm employed by its siblings. These dimensions closely match the Audi Q3, BMW X1 and Range Rover Evoque — the three chief rivals that the GLA will face when it reaches the UK market next year. We’ll get to see the finished production ca...

Bugatti can now claim to have created the fastest open-top car in the world. The Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse clocked 254.04mph (408.8kph) on a run at the Volkswagen Group’s Ehra-Lessien proving grounds at the hands of Chinese racing driver Anthony Liu. "It was amazing speed, a pure adrenaline rush. Incredibly stable and surprisingly comfortable. It's an amazing feat of engineering. I'd do it again anytime, anywhere," said Liu. The Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse, on sale since 2012, has now spawned a special World Record Car (WRC) Edition, which will be limited to eight units. It will be officially unveiled at the Shanghai motor show. "The Chinese love Bugatti so we invited a Chinese driver to attempt the record; we will build eight as eight is a lucky number for China," said Dr. Wolfgang Schreiber, boss of Bugatti. The WRC is an otherwise standard Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse, save for a black and orange paint scheme. Pow...

Detroit Electric, revived in 2008 by former CEO of the Lotus Engineering Group Albert Lam, has unveiled its first creation, the all-electric SP:01 sports car. It will make its first public outing at the Shanghai motor show. It's based on the Lotus Elise platform, like the Tesla Roadster. The big difference is that the SP:01 claims to be the fastest pure electric production car so far. 0-100kph takes just 3.7sec — the same as the Tesla Roadster Sport’s — but its top speed is an impressive 250kph, 48.2kph more than its closest relative. These numbers are courtesy of an air-cooled electric motor that makes 201bhp and 22.95kgm of torque, while the transmission is a four-speed manual that helps improve the SP:01’s performance. The gearbox is the six-speed unit from the Elise, with fifth and sixth gear blocked off. The electric motor’s instant torque means that swift progress will be made in any gear; using the clutch isn't necessary when stopping or moving off as a ...

BMW has revealed the look of its new X4 with a concept car that will be premiered at the Shanghai motor show. Called Concept X4, the car’s design is heavily influenced by the design of the four-year old X6. The two share the same basic silhouette and proportions, with a bluff front, large wheel houses, high waistline, shallow glasshouse, and a near vertical rear. Styled under the guise of Karim Habib, head of BMW design, it attempts to combine the aesthetic of a traditional coupé with the visual robustness of a high riding off-roader. This look, says Habib, will be reflected in all of BMW’s upcoming X models. Certain elements of the concept’s design will be altered before it reaches BMW showrooms. Among them are the internal headlamp graphics, front bumper, mirror housings and door handles. The rear side window will receive an additional quarter window in the style of the BMW X6. At 4648mm long it’s 227mm shorter than the X6. It’s also 68mm lower (standing 1622mm...

Volkswagen will make public its plans for a second new SUV model at the Shanghai motor show this weekend, with the unveiling of a so-called coupé variant of the CrossBlue – a Toyota Highlander-rivaling SUV the German car maker plans to take into production at its plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee in 2015. The overtly sporting four-wheel drive SUV, pictured here in a series of official photographs for the first time, is said to closely preview a new five-seat model that is being developed as a sister car to the original seven seat CrossBlue unveiled at the Detroit motor show back in January. “We’re looking to cover a broader section of the market with our next generation of SUV models,” a Volkswagen official revealed to Autocar on the eve of the Shanghai motor show, adding, “There is definite customer demand for a more sporting model alongside the standard car we hinted to with the earlier BlueCross concept, and we’re airing our ideas on how it might look in China”. Both ...

This Rolls-Royce Ghost Alpine Trial Centenary car has been unveiled on the eve of the Shanghai motor show. The car has been created to commemorate the company’s finish on the 1820-mile Alpine trial event 100 years go. Rolls-Royce has not said how many Alpine Trial Centenary cars will be built, but says it will be a "limited edition". Its styling takes cues from James Radley's Silver Ghost which took part in the event. Inspiration includes the two-tone exterior with a black grille and black alloy wheels. Inside, the car’s veneer is inlayed with a graphic that expresses the topography and distances of the Alpine route. Other features include rear picnic tables and an alternative clock that shows the timing of each stage of the original rally. Such limited edition cars are a tradition for high-end car makers at Chinese shows, where buyers intent on getting the most exclusive models money can buy can often be found wandering the show floor, looking t...

The LP720-4 50 Anniversario will be limited to 100 cars and has been revealed prior to its official debut through a set of leaked images. As its name implies, the Anniversario model boasts more power than the standard car, up 19bhp from 691bhp to 710bhp, although it uses the same 6.5-litre V12. Given the small power gain, the performance of the Aventador LP720-4 is unlikely to improve significantly on the standard LP700-4. The latter is capable of 0-100kph in 2.9sec and has a 351kph top speed. The bright yellow paint of the Aventador Anniversario is 'Giallo Maggio', or 'Yellow May'. But perhaps more striking than the paint is the bodykit applied by Lamborghini to the limited-edition Aventador.

The BMW Group has announced that the BMW plant near Chennai will start producing the Mini Countryman here, for the first time outside of Europe. The move comes barely a year after the brand made its entry into the Indian market.  Following a drop in demand for premium priced cars, the company aims to lower production cost through local manufacturing and consequently, offer the Mini at a more affordable price point. This will be the first instance of the British brand’s cars being rolled off the assembly line outside of Europe.    The locally produced Mini Countryman will be offered in two diesel variants – Mini Cooper D Countryman and Mini Cooper D Countryman High – which are currently not on sale in India. A new petrol version, Mini One Countryman, will also be produced locally.    Other models like the petrol Mini Cooper Countryman, Mini Cooper, Mini Cooper S and Mini Cooper Convertible will continue to be imported here through the CBU route....

BMW’s 7-series has always been a strong contender in the luxury saloon segment. However, the current model does have certain shortcomings and the German giant has addressed these issues with the latest avatar. The new 7-series is slated to arrive at our showrooms on 25 April.  The new car gets revised detailing on the nose, new fog lamps, a more upright kidney grille and the option of adaptive full-LED headlights. At the rear, it gets a thick chrome strip running across the bootlid. With regard to design, the carmaker hasn’t tampered much, the new model getting a better rear seat experience and added equipment.   On the inside, the front seats are now smaller, making for a better view ahead for rear seat passengers. It also gets more sound insulation to improve cabin experience.      New equipment comes in the form of new digital displays for the dials which change colour as one toggles between the different driving modes. There’s also the optio...