AUTHENTIC CARS

Jaguar has added a new top-end variant to its XJ range in India. The new variant called the XJ Ultimate gets additional features added to an already loaded XJ saloon. It gets distinctive styling tweaks which include unique lower front air-intakes and a grille with chrome finish and LED day-time running lamps. The XJ Ultimate gets 20-inch Margoa alloy wheels with a dual-tone shade, the rear gets oval tail-pipes and there is an Ultimate badge on the boot-lid along with side air-vents on the front fenders.   The Interiors get detailing such as wood veneer crafted from ebony that form into a Herringbone pattern with mirror image upper and lower halves, separated by a strip of piano black veneer.   The dashboard-mounted clock also has special detailing which is unique to the XJ Ultimate. Three leather surfaces are on offer - Jet on Jet, Ivory seats and lower surfaces with either Mineral or Bordeaux uppers. The standard rear bench has been replaced with two bucket s...

This is VW’s radical, lightweight XL1 which promises an EU-certified economy of 111.16kpl and 21g/km CO2 emissions when it goes into limited production later this year following its Geneva motor show reveal next month. Powered by a 47bhp two-cylinder 800cc TDI engine backed up by a 27bhp electric motor and 5.5kWh battery pack, the two-seat car is claimed to have a Cd rating of just 0.189. First shown as a running concept two years ago, the XL1 is being built at the VW-owned Karmann factory in Osnabrück, alongside the VW Golf cabriolet and the new Porsche Boxster. The XL1 has a carbon-fibre body, weighing in at just 795kg and is some 3.8m long and 1.66m wide, only marginally smaller than a VW Polo supermini. However, it is only 1.15m high, some 129mm lower than a Boxster. VW says the XL1 has its top speed limited to 159.9kph, but that it can hit 100kph in just 12.7seconds. It uses aluminium double wishbone front suspension, a semi-trailing link suspension at the rear; c...

Set to get its first public outing at the Geneva motor show in early March, the new RS Q3 crowns the popular Q3 line-up with performance that puts it at the sharp end of the compact SUV ranks, ahead of competition such as the 242bhp turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder BMW X1 for outright straight line pace. The RS Q3 is distinguished from lesser Q3 models by a series of traditional RS design elements. Included is a high-gloss black honeycomb grille insert, matt aluminum grille frame, deeper front bumper with sizeable air ducts for the engine bay and front brakes, coloured keyed wheel arch flares, deeper sills underneath the doors, matte aluminium-look exterior mirror housings, a more prominent spoiler atop the tailgate, a deeper rear bumper with an integral diffuser unit and larger chrome tailpipe. At the heart of the new go-fast SUV is Audi’s turbocharged 2.5-litre five-cylinder petrol engine. In the RS Q3, the transversely mounted unit kicks out 306bhp at 5200rpm along with a stu...

Italian design and coachbuilding firm Bertone has created this exclusive shooting brake concept version of the Aston Martin Rapide. The concept known as Bertone Jet 2+2 has been created for the Geneva motor show to celebrate both Aston’s centenary and 60 years of collaboration between Aston Martin and Bertone.   The Jet 2+2 follows the Jet 2 concept car from 2004, which was a shooting brake version of the Vanquish. It has been commissioned as a strict one-off by an Aston Martin collector and has the Gaydon firm’s approval.    The elegant Jet 2+2 retains the same mechanicals as the Rapide, and the same dimensions as well. Power comes from a 470bhp version of Aston’s 5.9-litre V12 taken from the current Rapide, rather than the more potent 550bhp version from the upcoming Rapide S. That model also makes its debut in Geneva.   The biggest change from the Rapide to Jet 2+2 is its altered shooting brake-style body. Stretched, muscular lines help accentu...

General Motors India has begun regular production of the petrol Chevrolet Enjoy MPV at its Halol manufacturing facility. The car is slated for launch in the first quarter of this year.  The petrol engine will be a 94.6bhp, 1.4-litre unit and the diesel motor will be an evolution of the 1.3-litre Fiat-sourced Multijet engine. This version is likely to use a fixed-geometry turbocharger (FGT) and will be rear-wheel driven.   The Enjoy will be more spacious than the Maruti Ertiga; it will offer a lot more storage space as well, since the second- and third-row seats of the seven-seater can be folded flat or removed altogether. GM India is targeting a price similar to the Ertiga’s, so there should be pretty tough competition in the MPV segment once it is launched. The Ertiga sells about 5,000 units a month and is a major success in its category.   The Enjoy, which marks an important role in GM India’s product roadmap, is actually a Chevrolet-badged Wuling CN-1...

These are the first official pictures of the new Jeep Cherokee - the first Jeep-branded product to be created from the ground up by the Fiat-Chrysler alliance. It is slated to be officially unveiled at the New York motor show in March, and will replace the company’s smaller SUV, the Liberty, internationally. Not to be confused with the Grand Cherokee, which is a full-size luxury SUV, the Cherokee is an entry-level crossover that will rival the likes of theHonda CR-V and Nissan X-Trail In Europe. This could be one of two future smaller Jeep offerings for India and will be positioned below the Wrangler and Grand Cherokee. The new Jeep Cherokee is based on a version of Fiat’s ‘Compact Wide’ platform, which underpins the US-market Dodge Dart saloon, the Alfa Romeo Giulietta and the Fiat Viaggio. The platform is capable of accommodating a four-wheel-drive system, V6 engines and diesels, all of which will be available in the new Jeep. The petrol V6, which is unlikely to make it ...

Mercedes has given its new Mercedes CLA45 AMG an early reveal in digital form, ahead of the hot new saloon’s official debut at the New York motor show next month. This sole image of the CLA45 AMG was revealed by Mercedes to promote its involvement in the new DriveClub racing game franchise on the upcoming PlayStation 4 gaming console. Mercedes has officially confirmed the CLA45 AMG will use the same running gear as the A45 AMG hatchback, which was recently shown ahead of its Geneva motor show reveal later this month. Power will come from a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine with 355bhp. All four wheels will be driven through a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.