New Cars Sport Sport

The upcoming 2011 Geneva Salon will probably be the most important motor show in Lancia’s recent history, as the Italian brand is trying to start off its revitalization plan with a push of new models. However, the recently unveiled Flavia and Thema sedans and Grand Voyager MPV didn’t quite catch the public’s eye due to the fact that they’re all rebadged Chryslers, while the Delta hatchback hasn't even come close in repeating the first generation model's success.

This leaves the new Ypsilon to fend for the 105-year old company’s honor. The Italian firm's new small car is considered to be a “pocket flagship” and has been given a key role in Lancia's turnaround strategy, thoroughly emphasized during a press event that Carscoop was invited to attend at the Fiat Group’s Centro Stile design center in Turin, Italy.

Sales growth is critical to Lancia and in order to achieve this the automaker has repositioned the new Ypsilon, which for the first time in its 25 year-long history, is offered in a 5-door body style. According to Lancia Product Manager Claudio Nervi, this will help the new model to cover a much larger percentage of the B-segment than current 3-door only model.

Choosing the platform on which to build the Ypsilon was very important because Lancia wanted to accommodate up to five people, while keeping the overall length below 4 meters to avoid competition with larger B-segment cars. “Going to a Grande Punto platform also would have meant more competition”, said Nervi.

The Fiat 500’s platform came up as an obvious choice but it was stretched by 90 mm in length to improve passenger space. Nevertheless, Lancia considers that the main strength of the 3.84-meter-long model will be its stylish and not its practical side. “The Ypsilon emphasizes style. It’s not the rational customer’s choice”, said Lancia Communications Director Rino Drogo.

As for the Ypsilon's rivals, Nervi pointed out that “the main competitors are the Citroën C3, Ford Fiesta and Toyota Yaris”. He said that compared to the C3, the Ypsilon has “more innovative styling”, while he also claimed that it trumps the Fiesta thanks to “more personalization options and better quality”. Nervi added that Lancia’s new small car is also “more expressive than the Yaris and has more upscale optional equipment”.

Lancia aims to widen the customer base by targeting male customers as well. “The typical Ypsilon buyer is between 30 and 45 years old, technologically up to date, with a high social-cultural status and strong fashion sense”, Lancia officials said during the presentation.

The design will play a major part in attracting the aforementioned customers. The new Ypsilon has “evolved the styling language introduced by the Delta achieving better results due to the smaller size”, Claudio Nervi commented. Although it’s a 5-door model, Lancia wanted to keep the coupe character of the previous generation. To achieve this, the designers used hidden rear door handles and a sloping roof, along with a rising beltline. The choice of exterior colors will be the “wildest” in the segment, according to Color and Material Director Rosella Guasco, while the cabin will use high quality materials and various trim pieces that can be matched to the exterior finish.

To underline its “pocket flagship” status, Lancia said the new model will come with several exclusive features such as a large glass panoramic roof, the Magic Parking 2 semi-automatic parking system and a cap-less refueling system. These will be exclusive to the Ypsilon for at least one year.

Lancia expects to sell 122,000 examples of the Ypsilon annually from 2012, including the right-hand drive Chrysler version that will go on sale in the UK and Ireland in September. For this year, the Italians expect to shift up to 40,000 units with sales set to start in June, while the firm will also continue to offer the previous generation model as well.

By Csaba Daradics

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German coachbuilder Xenatec will bring the new Maybach 57 S-based coupe to Geneva for the car's first public appearance. Strangely enough, the place chosen for the reveal will not be the Geneva motor show at the Palexpo center, but a specially built pavilion in the gardens of “La Reserve” hotel on the banks of Lake Geneva. The company's decision might have something to do with Maybach being present at the show, but this has not been confirmed.

The car on display will be a customer-specified model, configured by Xenatec designer Fredrik Burchhardt and built exclusively for him. It has a special two-tone paintwork, with the matte finish being applied by hand in several layers to create a unique effect. The main colors are separated by a thin gray line, just like Maybach limousines.

To say that the interior of this bespoke coupe is exclusive would be an understatement: the upholstery is made of mid-brown buffalo hide combined with dark nappa leather, all hand-stitched. For the footwells, the owner specified Alcantara lining, while the headliner is finished in nappa leather. It all looks... very expensive, and it should given that the starting price for the world's longest coupe (5,73 meters) is set at €675,000 (US$929,000), before taxes.

Under the long bonnet sits the same 6.0-liter V12 engine from the Maybach 57 S, which develops 612-horsepower (603-bhp) and 1,000Nm (737 lb-ft of torque). Top speed is pegged at 275 km/h (171mph), while average fuel consumption is rated at 16.4 lt/100km (14.8 mpg).

By Dan Mihalascu

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Opel today revealed its plans to introduce a new convertible in 2013. The new model is part of the company's EUR11 billion investment plan which was announced last year and also includes the new Zafira and the Ampera EV. The droptop will be based on General Motor's compact vehicle architecture, which forms the basis for the current Astra hatchback, Astra SportsTourer and the upcoming Astra GTC, as well as Chevrolet's Cruze and Orlando.

Although Opel doesn't specify the name of the model, it will most likely be the next-generation Astra Convertible, currently produced as a coupe-cabriolet under the name of Astra TwinTop. The vehicle will enter production in 2013 at Opel's Gliwice plant in Poland, where other Astra models are also built.

“The new Convertible will be a great addition to our product lineup. It follows the long-standing tradition of highly emotional and legendary Opel/Vauxhall Cabrios that provided important halo effects on our brand. With its sleek and elegant design, our new Convertible will fully deliver on that same promise,” said Opel/Vauxhall CEO Nick Reilly.

It is not clear if the Astra Convertible will retain the retractable hardtop or switch to a soft top to rival the new VW Golf Cabriolet. This, along with other details, will be revealed closer to the launch date.

By Dan Mihalascu

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If you're tired of looking at the same batch of pictures of the Geneva motor show-bound 2012 9-5 SportCombi, you'll be happy to know that Saab has published the first video of its flagship station wagon model, and furthermore, the car seen here is finished in a shiny black hue.

As a quick reminder, the SportCombi will be backed by the same all-turbo gasoline, bioethanol and diesel powertrain line-up as the 9-5 sedan, and will also offer the option of the firm's XWD all-wheel-drive system. First customer deliveries of the 9-5 SportCombi are expected in September.

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After yesterday's presentation in Maranello, Ferrari released some new video footage of its V12-powered FF. The Prancing Horse's first four-wheel-drive car is shown on all kinds of roads in various weather conditions, as a statement of the shooting-brake's versatility.

We see the FF devouring the Fiorano track, then going downhill really fast on what looks like a ski slope, rushing on a winding gravel road and finally crossing the desert to arrive at the Ferrari World theme park in Abu-Dhabi. The only thing that can rival the superb images are the howling sounds from the FF's V12-engine. Enjoy the video after the jump.

By Dan Mihalascu

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What you see in these pictures is the production version of the thinly disguised Chevrolet Cruze 5-door hatchback study, which was presented at the 2010 Paris Motor Show. The more compact sized, hatchback version of the Cruze has lost some of the cool features of the concept car like the LED strips on the front bumper, the blue-tinted headlamps and the clear crystal tail lights, but other than that, nothing else has changed.

The new body style looks a bit sharper and sportier than the four-door saloon, but due to the shorter rear overhang, cargo capacity for the Cruze hatchback is close to 400 liters, which is some 50 liters less than the sedan.

The reason why Chevrolet decided to build a five-door version of the Cruze is because 65 percent of all compact cars sold in Europe are hatchbacks.

The Cruze 5d will share its engine lineup with the four-door model, which means buyers can choose between 1.6-liter and 1.8-liter gasoline units producing 124HP and 141HP respectively, while there's also a 163 horsepower 2.0-liter turbo diesel. Sales in Europe will start in mid 2011, with pricing to be announced closer the launch date.

By Dan Mihalascu

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Being the most traditional of British brands, it comes to no surprise that Morgan is looking into its past to find a way into the future. Revealed here for the first time in real life is Morgan's all-new 3 Wheeler, which comes some 58 years after the demise of the original model that was produced from 1909 up until 1953.

The new Morgan is fitted with a V Twin fuel injected motorcycle engine from specialist engine builder S & S. It produces 115-horses and is mated to a Mazda-sourced 5 speed transmission with a reverse gear. Morgan had previously stated that the 3 Wheeler would be fitted with a 100HP V-Twin Harley Davidson motor, but apparently the company's plans changed in the meantime.

The British automaker said that the bullet shaped three wheeler was designed to emulate the styling of an airplane -hence the WW2 military aircraft like graphics on the presentation model. Morgan said that buyers can choose from a variety of graphics including US military and British Air Force inspired logos, oval racing numbers and stripes, a shark nose, chequered winner’s bonnet, official national flags and the Morgan wings.

A polished engine, stainless steel tailpipes, cowl, polished cowl, headlamps and roll hoops are also extra cost options for those looking for a more classic look.

The airplane theme is continued inside with the leather padded cockpit complete with aircraft like instrumentation. The company offers several options including bespoke leather upholstery.

The new Morgan 3 Wheeler will receive its world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show with sales to follow shortly after. Base pricing is set at £25,000 before tax (US$40,600 or €29,600 at today's exchange rates), with Morgan stating that the car is approved by US and European road transport authorities for safety and emissions.

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