Hyundai i30 goes "green"

Hyundai is all set for the production of its new green version of i30 hatchback in January 2008. The low-emission version ships the 89bhp 1.6 litre diesel engine, which has been tailored from the 113bhp 1.6 liter diesel unit currently in the array.

The changes embrace detuning and an addition of a particulate filter over the standard car. The carbon emissions have been reduced from 125g/km to 119g/km. The green i30 will be placed in the B group for VED, which costs £35 a year.

It has been publicized that the business drivers will go down from 18% to 13% under new regulations, which cut tax for business drivers of diesels emitting less than 120g/km. This latest i30 would not apply the congestion charge under new proposals, at least in the near future.

The new model would be available for £13,000 with ESP, air conditioning, stability controls and alloy wheels as standard on all versions. The green version is also covered by the company’s five year unlimited mileage warranty. The outlay for the new i30 CRDi will be announced as soon as January next year, official launch date of the green version

Nissan X-Trail proves popular (JP)

The new Nissan X-Trail has proven itself to be a hot seller in Japan.

In the first month of its launch in Japan, the Japanese seem to have taken a good interest in the vehicle. 10,000 orders were booked in the first month.

Hyundai i20 undisguised

The Hyundai Getz is reaching the end of its life-cycle and Hyundai is working hard to replace it with the new i20 by the summer of 2008. We caught up with the new i20 in the Southern European mountains and although we only snapped a picture of a five-door prototype we do expect a 3-door version to follow in early 2009.

The Hyundai i20 will be positioned below the recently launched i30 which debuted at the Frankfurt Motor Show and is destined to take on the VW Polo.

Power is expected to come from a variety of petrol engines ranging between 70 and 110 bhp and turbodiesel engines ranging between 88 and 110 bhp.

Mercedes CLC; Clearest spy photos yet

One of our spy photographers caught the upcoming, all-new and almost undisguised Mercedes-Benz CLC out in the open in Southern Germany undergoing some road testing. The current model underwent a facelift in 2004 and is rapidly approaching its end of shelf life.

The Mercedes C-Class Sport Coupe almost got axed but thanks to new Daimler boss Zetsche the sport coupé has been revived and will be making it to the Mercedes-Benz range in 2008. The styling is completely new but the underpinnings are based on the current C-Class platform, just as it was in the previous generation too. The C-Sport Coupé will have to compete against some strong and established rivals, namely the BMW 1 Series Coupe and the Audi A3 amongst others.

Don't be fooled by the large rear lights either. As with the Mercedes C-Class wagon, Mercedes used fake tape to make the rear lights look bigger. We've clearly marked out on the second picture how the rear light cluster could look like

New Car: 2008 Fiat Grande Punto Abarth

The first of the new Abarths will be the Punto, as previewed at the Frankfurt motor show. It goes on sale in Italy later this month, in Switzerland before the end of 2007 and in the rest of Europe in 2008.

The souped-up supermini will come with a 1.4-litre turbocharged four-pot good for 153bhp and 152lb ft. With a standard six-speed manual gearbox, that's enough to push it to 62mph in 8.2sec, and on to 129mph. There's also a 'power boost' mode that increases torque to 170lb ft and makes the steering quicker. The brakes are uprated, with dual-piston Brembos up front.

Wider bodywork, along with new bumpers that provide enhanced cooling, house a 6mm wider track, and the slightly blistered arches house 17-inch alloys.

The car has been lowered by 10mm, 20 per cent stiffer springs are fitted and the anti-roll bar is now thicker.

ESP is standard, and can't be switched off. Fiat says that the car is aimed at young drivers who may well need a safety margin.

Inside you get Abarth Scorpion badges on the dash and new sports seats, a logo that's repeated on the outside of the car.

An even hotter Abarth:

If the standard Punto Abarth isn't hot enough for you, a Super Sport kit will be available as an aftermarket add-on from early 2008.

This will only be available through official Abarth service centres, up to a year after purchase, or after 20,000km (12,500 miles) on the road.

This pushes the power of the Punto Abarth to 178bhp and torque to 201lb ft. That cuts the 0-62mph sprint to 7.7sec and the top speed to 134mph.

The suspension gets even further lowered (20mm down in total), 18-inch wheels are fitted and the brakes further uprated, with perforated front discs and high-performance pads.

Naturally the SS also comes with stickers bearing the 'SS' logo and a chequered flag logo. That ought to make it look quicker, if nothing else.

New Car: 2008 Skoda Fabia Scout

Skoda is about to go exploring again. This is the Fabia Scout – a rugged version of the new Estate. As with the Octavia and Roomster Scout variants, it has protective body mouldings and a raised ride height. To that it adds a handy, fold-out rear ledge and a system of luggage straps in the boot. With more room than a Volvo V50 and chunky looks, it should prove popular when it goes on sale next year, priced from around £12,000.

New Car: 2008 Honda CR-V (JP)

Honda has revised the  CR-V for the JDM (Japanese Domestic Market).

Upgrades include new exterior paint colours, new seat fabrics and interior finishes.