Latest Car 2012 - New Honda City Facelift

New Honda City Facelift still use Honda’s SOHC i-VTEC 1.5L 4-banger, it still provides the best power output; 118bhp at 6,600rpm and 145Nm of torque at 4,800rpm, and comes in either the Grade S (Standard) or Grade E (Executive) variants with On-The-Road prices of RM85,980 and RM90,980 respectively. Honda City also comes with a longer 5-years unlimited mileage warranty. On top of that, Honda Malaysia is throwing in six (visits) free labour service, up to 100,000 km.




New Honda City gets the following additional features :
Adjustable rear headrest for all three passengers (previously only available on Grade E model)
Blue lit instrument cluster (previously amber)
ECO indicator on the instrument cluster that lights up when vehicle is driven in a fuel efficient manner
Electronic stability control (VSA in Honda's marketing definition) for the Grade E model
ISOFIX mounts for the rear seat
Three point emergency locking retractor (ELR) rear seatbelts for all three rear passengers (previously was 2-point lap belt for the middle rear passenger)



TripMeter



GearShift



The Grade E model gets paddle shifter controls.

The New City is now available in 5 stylish colours: Sparkling Brown Metallic, Alabaster Silver Metallic, Polished Metal Metallic, Crystal Black Pearl and Taffeta White.






Rear View and Spoiler

Latest Car 2012 Ford Focus Electric

 Pricing Information MSRP $39,200

Engines & Emissions
Extended Service Interval
ZLEV Emissions



 












Braking & Traction.
Traction Control
Front Power 320-mm Vented Disc and Rear Power 280-mm Solid Disc Brakes
4-Wheel Anti-Lock Brakes
Regenerative Braking System
AdvanceTrac(R) With Electronic Stability Control(R) (ESC) Vehicle Stability Control System

Transmission.
1-Speed Automatic Transmission With Floor Mounted Shifter

Wheels & Tires.
Unique Alloy Wheels, 17-In.
Inflatable Spare Tire Kit
SBRP225/50R17 BSW Tires

Suspension.
Independent McPherson Strut Front Suspension With Springs and Shock Absorbers
Control Blade(TM) Independent Multi-Link Rear Suspension With Springs and Shock Absorbers
Front Stabilizer Bar 
Anti-Theft & Locks.
Child Safety Door Locks Located On Rear Doors
Vehicle Anti-Theft Via Alarm, SecuriLock(R) Engine Immobilizer and Exterior Monitoring
Power Door Locks Operated Via Card Key and Internal Switch

2012 Volkswagen Touareg VR6 Sport

Pricing Information MSRP: $43375

Engines & Emissions 
Extended Service Interval For Distributorless Ignition
Roadside Assistance Warranty For 36000-Miles, 36-Months
ULEV II Emissions
3.6-Liter, 10.6 Degree V6, VVT 24-Valve, DOHC, SEFI Engine; Front/Longitudinal Mounted With Horsepower Of 280@6200, Torque Of 266@2500, Cast Iron Block and Alloy Cylinder Heads

  
















Braking & Traction 
4-Wheel Anti-Lock Brakes
Hydraulic Brake Assistance
Electronic Brake Force Distribution
Front Power 330-mm X 33-mm Vented Disc and Rear Power 330-mm X 28-mm Vented Disc Brakes
Anti-Slip Regulation (ASR) Traction Control
Brake Drying
Transfer Case
Electronic Stability Control (ESC) Vehicle Stability Control System
Torsen(R) Rear Limited Slip Differential
Locking Differential
4MOTION(R) All-Wheel Drive

  
















Anti-Theft & Locks 
Selective Locking/Unlocking Via Remote
Programmable Power Door Locks Operated Via Remote and Internal Switch With Automatic Locking
Radio Anti-Theft
Vehicle Anti-Lockout
Valet Lockout
Child Safety Door Locks Located On Rear Doors
Wheel Locks
Vehicle Anti-Theft Via Alarm, Immobilizer III Engine Immobilizer and Exterior Monitoring

 
















Remote Controls & Remote Releases. 
Multi-Function Remote Operates Anti-Theft, Door Lock/Unlock, Liftgate and Panic Alarm
Keyless Entry Operated Via Key Fob
HomeLink(R) Universal Garage Door Opener
Remote Liftgate Release Located Inside Vehicle and On Multi-Function Remote
Panic Alarm

Suspension. 
Independent Multi-Link Rear Suspension With Coil Springs and Shock Absorbers
Independent Double Wishbone Front Suspension With Coil Springs and Shock Absorbers
Front Stabilizer Bar

Transmission.  
Tiptronic(R) Manually Interactive Automatic Transmission
Adaptive Automatic Transmission
8-Speed Electronically Controlled Manually Interactive Adaptive Automatic Transmission With Overdrive and Floor Mounted Shifter

Wheels & Tires.
SBRP255/55R18 All-Season Tires
Tacora Alloy Wheels, 18-In.
Compact Spare Tire

Latest Car Updates - 2012 Toyota Tacoma 4X4

 




Engines & Emissions.
2.7-Liter, I4, VVT-i 16-Valve, DOHC, EFI Engine; Front Mounted With Horsepower Of 159@5200, Torque Of 180@3800, Cast Iron Block and Alloy Cylinder Head
Roadside Assistance Warranty For 25000-Miles, 24-Months
Extended Service Interval



Transmission.
5-Speed Manual Transmission With Overdrive

Wheels & Tires.
SBRP245/75R16 Mud and Snow Tires
Full-Size Spare Tire
Styled Steel Wheels, 16-In. X 7-In.
Underbody Tire Carrier

 
Suspension
Live Beam Rear Suspension With Leaf Springs and Gas Charged Shock Absorbers
Independent Double Wishbone Front Suspension With Coil Springs and Gas Charged Shock Absorbers
30-mm Front Stabilizer Bar

 
Braking & Traction.
Automatic Locking Hubs
2-Speed Transfer Case
Front Power 319-mm Ventilated Disc and Rear Power 254-mm Drum Brakes
4-Wheel Anti-Lock Brakes
Rear Limited Slip Differential
Part-Time 4-Wheel Drive
Brake Assistance
Electronic Brake Force Distribution
Traction Control
Vehicle Stability Control System

Storage.
Glovebox
Cargo Area Tiedown Hooks and Rails
4 Front; 4 Cupholders Total
Sheet-Molded Compound (SMC) Composite Bed and Bedliner
Seatback Storage Pockets
Front Door Mounted Storage
Straight Side Pickup Bed

2012 Dodge Dart Previewed: Return Of The Phoenix For Australia?

The Dodge Dart is back.The small sedan hasn't been seen in American showrooms since the 70s, but Chrysler is bringing it back with a muscly new look and Alfa Romeo underpinnings.
Teased here in a handful of close-up images ahead of next month's Detroit Auto Show, the new Dart borrows styling elements from across the Dodge range, including the new family grille design and the Charger-inspired back-end.

Chrysler says the new Dart will utilise technology borrowed from its friends at Fiat, including the Alfa Romeo Giulietta's underpinnings, a selection of turbocharged MultiAir petrol engines and a six-speed dual-clutch transmission.
According to Fiat and Chrysler boss Sergio Marchionne, the combination of its MultiAir technology and the six-speed auto will give the Dart a low fuel consumption figure of 5.8 l/100km on the combined cycle.
ZF's new nine-speed automatic will also join the range later on - news which marks one of the first confirmed applications of the new transmission in a production car.

Australia

Will we see the new Dart on our roads?
The Australian market has had to live without the Chrysler Group's more exciting models - the Challenger, Charger and Viper in particular - but with plans to increase global sales, Fiat may push for a more impressive line-up for its Australian customers.
The Dart has a history in Australia, where it was originally offered in the form of the Dodge Phoenix, while a version of the car was latter offered as the Chrysler Valiant.
The all-new Dart may share little with its forebears, but it could prove a welcome offering in Australia's strong-selling small and medium car segments.

 

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Mazda Gets Loopy With New Capacitor-Based KERS

Mazda has laid claim to developing the first capacitor-based regenerative braking system for a passenger vehicle, dubbed i-ELOOP - intelligent Energy Loop.
The technology has shown up in racing cars before (see Toyota's Supra HV-R), but Mazda's project marks its first appearance in a regular passenger car.
The system works like a regular regenerative braking system, but the energy is stored in a capacitor rather than the more common battery arrangement.
The i-ELOOP system is made up of a 12-24V variable voltage alternator, a low-resistance electric double-layer capacitor and a DC/DC converter.
Like most systems, i-ELOOP recovers kinetic energy as the vehicle is decelerating, which the alternator uses to generate electricity that is then sent to the capacitor.
The stored energy is used to power the vehicle's climate control, audio system and other electrical features. The system will also charge the vehicle's battery when necessary.

Mazda says the advantage to using a capacitor its ability to be charged and discharged rapidly, and, compared to batteries, a stronger resistance to deterioration.
The big win for the driver however is that because the system does not use a dedicated motor or battery to operate and is therefore using less power, the vehicle's fuel economy is improved by "approximately" 10 percent.
The system is designed to work alongside Mazda's i-stop idle-stop technology, allowing the engine to remain switched off for longer periods.
Mazda has yet to announce production plans for the technology, but expect i-ELOOP to appear in the next-generation Mazda6 or Mazda3.

• Mazda news and reviews

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Ford Australia Archive Opens In Melbourne

Ford Australia has opened a new document archive at its Melbourne headquarters this week, marking the carmaker's fourth such facility in the world. The other three are in the US, Germany and the UK.
The local archive hosts documents, photos and brochures from the company's 86 year history in Australia. Many of the documents were collected by the late Adrian Ryan, the Public Affairs worker to whom the centre is dedicated.
Described as a passionate car man, Ryan worked in Ford Australia's Public Affairs office for 15 years, coming from roles with Repco and the Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce.
After 40 years in the Australian car industry, Ryan passed away in 2009.
Speaking at the opening of the Ford Australia Archive, President and CEO Bob Graziano said that Ryan could often be found rummaging through dumpsters to recover items tossed away by the carmaker's staff.

“Adrian was instrumental in ensuring that not only did we collect the material but that we stored it appropriately too. He did his absolute best to keep the pressure on Ford, right until his last months, to find a proper location to store the archives," Graziano said.
“We believe he would be quite chuffed to see the archives treated with the respect they deserve.”

Graziano also gave a nod to employee Les Drayton, responsible for putting together many of the Archive's precious items.

"Les not only collected photos, documents and books, he was also instrumental in ensuring we did not lose some of our unique vehicles, which are now on display at the Ford Discovery Centre in Geelong,” Graziano said.

The Archive will function as a centralised historical information centre for the carmaker's local operations, and while it will not be open to the general public, a few lucky outsiders will get to take a peek from time to time.

"As resources permit, the archives team will also be able to serve individuals outside the company who have an interest in our history, including vehicle enthusiasts, the media, authors, video/film producers and a wide range of researchers, scholars and students,” Graziano said.

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Jaguar XF Sportbrake Wagon Spied

Jaguar's rumoured XF wagon is a rumour no longer, as these first photos of the carmaker's upcoming 'Sportbrake' reveal.
Whether the final model will wear the Sportbrake name is unclear, but its intentions are clear: combine the sleek lines of the traditional 'shooting brake' style with the familiar tapered roof of most 'sportwagons', and you've got yourself a Sportbrake.
The combination means that while the Sportbrake will help to maintain the XF's sports-focused styling, the car will also offer the practicality and capacious rear space of a proper wagon.
Although this is the first time the XF wagon has been spied on public roads, the minimal camouflage and production-ready rear-end suggests that the car's unveiling is not far away. March's Geneva Motor Show is a likely candidate.
The introduction of the Sportbrake will give the XF a much-needed rival for the wagon variants of its competitors, including the BMW 5 Series, the Audi A6 and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class.
The wagon will be especially welcome in Australia, where the XF's 441 sales so far in 2011 trail the E-Class (1177), the 5 Series (1109) and the A6 (590).

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New BMW M3 In Sedan Form Only, M4 Coupe Coming: Report

The current Coupe variant might be the last time you see the M3 name on a two-door, according to reports out of Europe this week.
Following reports earlier this year that BMW will shift its coupe and cabriolet models to an even-numbered badge (2 Series, 4 Series), Britain's Autocar is reporting that the next M duo will be the M3 Sedan and a new M4 Coupe.

While a new Coupe has yet to arrive - in either 3 or 4 Series guise - the recent unveiling of the 2012 3 Series sedan means that a four-door debut for the next M car could occur in the coming year.
The regular 4 Series Coupe and Cabriolet, built on the same platform as the new 3 Series, are expected to arrive in 2014. The M4 Coupe will supposedly debut in the following six months.
The differences will reportedly go beyond bodystyle and badges, with the M4 expected to be the more hardcore, performance-focused half of the M3 Sedan and M4 Coupe pair.
Both models are expected to utilise a twin-turbo six-cylinder engine, retiring the current 309kW V8 mill and boosting output to around 335kW.

Pictured above: the 2012 3 Series M Sport package.

 
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Mercedes-Benz Bringing Back The Straight Six: Report

More than a decade since the last example in its line-up was retired, Mercedes-Benz is reportedly developing new petrol and diesel straight-six engines.
Mercophiles will remember the carmaker's long history of straight-six powerplants. However, with the phasing out in 1997 of the M104 engine in favour of the M112 V6, rival BMW has become the better-known Euro brand for the straight-six design.
Now, according to Britain's Car magazine, Mercedes is understood to be planning a mid-decade debut for its new straight-six engines, including single- and twin-turbo versions.
The report adds that the arrival of the straight-six engines will signal the end of Mercedes' V6 offerings.
An unnamed source also pointed to a run of turbocharged 4.0 litre V8 engines to replace the larger units - although it is unclear if the still very-new 5.5 litre and 4.6 litre V8 engines will remain on duty.
An entry-level four-cylinder engine for "most" of the brand's large cars is also expected.
With a 2015 debut expected for most of these engines, it's likely that the upcoming 'MLC' SUV will be among the first cars to feature the new powerplants.