Automobile News

ISOfix or International Standards Organization Fix is a standard for installing child seats into cars. ISOfix points in the car are drilled during the manufacturing of the car that facilitates users to easily fix the baby car seats into their car whenever they desire. ISOfix baby car seats are meant for providing a proper sitting arrangement for your baby, as your baby can’t seat properly on the normal seats. It saves you from the hassle of always carrying your baby in your lap and is quite safe for the baby when you are driving with your baby. The isofix baby car seats save your baby from falling when you exert sudden brake and even your baby would enjoy the ride on his seat. Due to these facts more and more car manufacturers are adopting this new car seat fitting system. You should always be careful while you install these seats and should check that these seats are approved.

There are many isofix baby car seats available in the market, but the best of them are Maxi-Cosi Tobi Black Reflection, Britax Safefix Plus TT Benno, Maxi-Cosi EasyBase, STM Starlight SP Pink-Flower, Britax Duo Plus Robbie, and Britax Evolva 1-2-3 plus Robbie etc. These baby car seats have multi point safety harness and are fit for baby from 8 moths to 4 years old. It can easily withstand weight of the baby ranging from 8kg to 36 kg depending on the type of isofix baby car seats that you purchase. They have got small seat belts to protect your child from falling and have got adjustable leg support. Even the headrest of these seats is adjustable so you can easily adjust the headrest of your baby as per his/her size. All these features of isofix baby car seats make it worth buying.

Companies from all over the world are engaged in manufacturing a wide range of bargain roof boxes. These are in great demand and are available at pretty low prices as well. The roof boxes are available in a variety of designs and sizes which you can choose according to your preference. These are built using ground breaking technology and quality raw material which ensures durability and optimum performance. The roof boxes  and roof racks are pretty easy to install and you can easily do that by following the instructions given in the user manual.

Some of the biggest companies engaged in manufacturing a wide range of bargain roof boxes include Fiamma and Thule. These companies are manufacturing world class roof boxes for the past many years which make them one of the most trusted brands in the market as well. The Thule Pacific 200 is a roof box that is available with a maximum capacity of 50 kg. The device weighs around 14 kg and can be easily carried and stored as well. It efficiently fits on your car’s roof and does not damage your car in any context. The Thule Atlantis 600 is one of the best bargain roof boxes available in the market.

The maximum load bearing capacity of this Thule load carrier is around 75 kg and it weighs around only 16 kg. It is pretty easy to install and will provide a hassle free long functioning life. Additionally it also has a sleek design which gives it a stylish look. You can easily find world class bargain roof boxes at a store near your home.

Safety of children remains an area of concern while travelling in a car. These days new trend of Pram With Car Seat. This new combination ensures dual purpose of a pram and a car seat for kids. The pram can be converted into comfortable car seat to offer comfortable sitting posture. This is the best option for all the kids and a great relaxation for the parents.

These prams are made from the soft foam material and have five point harness system ensuring the child’s safety. The seat can easily be removed from these pram and attached to the car seat. These Pram With Car Seat are easily adjustable according to one’s need. Many companies offer a complete range of this product including MacLaren Juicy Couture which is a great combination of buggy and a car seat with five point harness system. The seat can easily be removes and washed also.

The Chicco Trio enjoy Evolution Fuego is a complete travel system with recline position and folding mechanism. The padded seat and armrests is the biggest advantage as it promises greater comfort. Some other prams and pushchairs with Car Seats include the Obaby Xi Tandem Black/Green, ABC Design 3 Tec Cognac, I’coo Vario Red Pink and Hauc Apollo RS Plus Charcoal. These dual purpose prams come in various designs, colours and sizes.

The BabyStyle Oyster Stroller Green can be folded and ensures better portability. This is meant for all those who are looking more stylish seats. It comes with fitted apron which is an additional feature and very useful for the kids. Interestingly the seat is reversible and can be used in two different designs.

Travelling involves carrying luggage and other essential items. Bike is one such item which needs to be carried while going for trekking, camping, mountaineering or any other outdoor activity. But carrying a bike is not easy because of its heavy weight. The Bike Roof Racks makes it convenient to carry bikes along. These racks can be easily attached to the roof of your car or sport utility vehicle.

The Bike Roof Racks are big in size and ensures greater capacity to carry the travel items. It has the ability to carry heavy bikes luggage which was earlier a tough task. There are certain roof racks which can accommodate more than one bike at one time and this is the most preferred way to carry bikes while travelling long distances. Carrying skateboards, snowboard and surfboards has also become easier by the roof racks.

Some of the strong and efficient Bike Roof Racks include the OutRide 561 Thule bike carrier which is a wonderful rack with maximum capacity of 17kg and it weighs just 2.5 kg. If you want something with more capacity, then you can select the Mont Blanc Easygrip H3 which can carry weight up to 45 kg which means you can also think of carrying heavy bikes. The Fiama Carry-Bike which weighs 7.9 kg can even carry 60kg bike and the similar items.

Other options of Bike Roof Racks to choose from are the Mont Blanc EasyGrip S2, Twinny Load Quattro, Mont Blanc Quickball and Elite San Remo. These bike racks can be fitted on the roof of car and bus and allows you to carry your bike along with you.

Halfords are the globally renowned leaders in the bicycle retail field. This U.K. based company is a retailer king which manufactures bicycle parts and car enhancements. Halfords has recently launched electric bikes in 2009 as a contribution to solve the global warming issue. They offer a spectrum of products including in car technology, bikes, car maintenance, car styling, camping and caravanning and a lot more. They also offer children’s car seat, prams and pushchairs, trailers and accessories and the list is endless.

From the range of travel and touring products, the Halfords 580L Silver Roof Box 2009 is an exclusive roof box. This silver coloured roof rack is meant to store heavy items and is placed on the roof of the car. It can carry bicycles, skis and various other carriers. It is a modern roof rack with aerodynamic design and it hardly affects the fuel consumption. Though its huge but can be easily mounted on the car roof tops without much hassles.

The Halfords 580L Silver Roof Box 2009 has the capacity of 580 litres and prevents from any scratches or crack with the help of scratch resistant ABS material. The Halfords 580L Silver roof box 2009 can manage 60 kg of weight and is the family size box which can accommodate many big things. The UV protected material used in this silver roof box prevents from any kind of damage to the box and does not make it a brittle thing.

With central locking system, the Halfords 580L Silver Roof Box 2009 becomes even more secure and safe. It has one side opening to load the required items. The Halfords roof box is a practical solution for extra storage space without additional fuel consumption.

The much awaited wonder Peugeot 3008 has finally been announced. All the biggies of the automobile industry and the car lovers had witnessed this inevitable beauty in the Paris Motor Show last year, in the shape of the Prologue Hybrid 4. According to the company, the Peugeot 3008 is mainly meant to allure modern families, sport loving couples, senior citizens and those who are turnoff by hatchbacks and MPVs.

In terms of appearance the car lives up to the expectations and its unique complexion guarantees to turn you on. In the Peugeot 3008 more stress is laid on secondary safety which is noticeable via its intelligent design and structure. Clearly, the 3008 is intended as more of an environmentally friendly car, than, say, the Peugeot 907 V12 Evolution. Deliberately, the weight of the car is kept to a minimum to reduce the emissions and, therefore fuel consumption and running costs. To deliver more finished appearance the makers have utilized the laser welding technique replacing the normal spot welding. The glass roof of the Peugeot 3008 contains merely 5mm panoramic glass, assuring the similar level of security as promised by the current roofs fitted to the 308 SW etc. Generally, the traditional engine is located under the bonnet and powers the front wheels whereas under the load area an electric motor is placed in adjacent to the rear suspension. Apart from these finalized attributes there are some not finalized attributes as well under which the engine’s model and its BHP rate come. According to the sources, this is the group’s first Hybrid 4 technology equipped vehicle.

Volkswagen has recently come up with what it has been hinting for the last couple of months, the second generation Golf Plus, which was unveiled amidst much fanfare at the Bologna Motor Show, Italy. The design of the car happens to be an updated version of the new Golf Plus and bears a certain resemblance to the sixth generation Golf hatchback as far as body style is concerned. Nevertheless, the car has its own distinctive and dynamic style.

The front panel of the gadget is replete with a horizontally aligned band of the radiator grille, in addition to two high-gloss black cross-bars and an integrated Volkswagen roundel placed smartly between the newly renovated headlights.

The engines that are used in the Golf Plus are yet to be confirmed, but an advanced range of petrol and diesels features are incorporated in the unit making the model really cool. Moreover, fuel efficiency happens to be another of the many attractions of the car, and there is also low level of CO2 emission making it a darling with the environmentalists.

The New Golf Plus will be available in both the petrol and diesel versions, and will be linked to either a five- or six-speed manual or a six- or seven-speed DSG gearbox. The car is capable of being outfitted with any in-car entertainment system of choice, including high-end speakers and car stereos like the Fusion CA-IP500. According to company sources, one petrol option could be a 1.4-litre 122 PS TSI engine whose estimated CO2 emission stands at 146 g/km, and will have a top speed of 124 mph.

Tags for this article: bologna, car, model, new, volkswagen

Keeping tab of changing economic times and various other issues confronting the automobile industry, Japanese car giant Toyota has come up with a band new model, namely the Avensis. Speaking on the sidelines of its release at a glittering ceremony, Toyota UK corporate affairs director Clive Bridge said that the current economic situation is the most opportune time to come up with a new model, and also stressed that the model in question is one of the company’s better products and should go down well with the discerning public.

It is important to note here that the this new model has come barely two months after the company has abruptly suspended the production of the night shift making the Auris, albeit temporarily. The production of the model is scheduled to take off again from March, 2009. Meanwhile, the workers working at the unit have been redeployed on community projects.

Toyota seeks to employ more than 4000 people for the production of this third generation Avensis, to be built at Burnaston, Derbyshire.

The company has a lot at stake with the launch of the new model as it by its own admission for the last few months has been going through tough times. Its quarterly profits were far from satisfactory forcing it to redraw its earning forecast for the current fiscal year. Most notably, it took a pounding in the three months leading to September as its net profits shrunk by a dreaded 69%, which was a clear case of economic slowdown in the US influencing customer spending.

Mr. Bridge however, exuded confidence that the model would do well and appeared to be pretty upbeat considering the warm reception it garnered at the recently concluded Paris Motor Show. The years of toil and sacrifices made by the workers to develop the advanced model fully stocked with extras, like high-powered car speakers, will bear fruit, he hoped.

With the global economic recession and a debit crunch hitting the UK hard, good news is few and far between. The Automobile industry was also not left unaffected and it for the record witnessed a slump of 23% in unit sales compared to that of 2007. Nevertheless, car manufacturing companies are back in business mode and are ready to face these difficulties in style. First out of the blocks is Japanese car giant Toyota, which making a strong statement of character and resilience has revealed its latest innovation the all new 1.33-litre Dual VVT-I petrol engine.

The unit delightfully incorporates the increasingly popular start/stop technology, claimed to be the first of its kind in the world, which can go a long way in improving fuel efficiency and reduce CO2 emission. While sat navs, and in-car DVD player entertainment systems are also very useful, neither help to improve a car’s fuel efficiency. The new specifications look impressive enough, with 17 percent lower emissions and 19 percent improvement in fuel consumption compared to their previous 1.4 litre VVT-I unit.

The Stop and Start technology apart, the unit has also been inscribed with the intuitive Toyota Optimal Drive technology, consequently wearing the hat of being the first model to be released in the UK with these new engineering and design.

Toyota for the time being has decided to import these new Auris’ engines until October 2009 directly from Japan, with its Deeside plant subsequently taking over the reigns after that date. Meanwhile, Toyota is likely to pump in substantial investment to get the factory ready in time to start production.

The Opel Insignia managed to take away the crown of the best European car of the year award. Interestingly, Insignia’s score was just one point more from the new Ford Fiesta.

While the Opel won with 321 points, the Fiesta scored 320 points, which was followed by VW Golf’s 223 and Citroen C5’s 198 points. Representing 23 European countries, this contest featured 39 latest models of this year. The results were based on the votes of 59 monitoring journals, out of which 20 choose Insignia (giving top points to the car).

The best seven were picked up for the final award and it was mandatory for every contender to be available for sale in minimum of five European countries. The Insignia has brought lots of pride to the Vauxhall family by scooping the award.

Well! It was a tough competition but the winner is worthy enough to carry the award with pride. Insignia is an amazing model that can be compared with much-popular Vectra. In fact, Insignia is 5 cm wider and 21 cm longer than Vectra, while offering an extra of 35 mm. The Insignia can also easily pack a full fledged entertainment system, such as the Kenwood KVT-729, in addition to featuring a versatile engine. The engine also contains a pair of oil burners along with the three petrol lumps. Along with the Fiesta, Golf and C5, the Insignia has also left behind Alfa Romeo MiTo, Skoda Superb and Renault Megane.