Automobile News

The 2008 Bologna Motor Show has witnessed some very interesting developments in the automobile industry, with the latest being the display of the new Mazda 3, the Mazda Motor Corporation’s latest offer.

Mazda has finally come up with the full details of the car, expected to go on sale in spring 2009, which appears lighter than its older cousin and boasts of a completely overhauled interior and exterior design. Moreover, the car will also have a new diesel among its engine range.

The latest addition to the Mazda series caps an impressive journey of five eventful years of the series, and the designers of the latest edition are convinced that the new Mazda 3 looks more expressive and dynamic. The car for the record has a new front end accompanied by a 5-point grille, along with intakes at the front corners and the sculpted shape of the bonnet intended to give it a more powerful look. The interior of the car also looks brilliant as it has been incorporated with a new multi-information display that can be readily complimented by a high-end in car entertainment system. Comfort is another buzz word as it has been fashioned with seats that have been carefully designed taking into consideration various health aspects in mind. Nevertheless style has not been compromised, and they are also delightfully easy to use. Meanwhile, the engineers need to be complimented for fine-tuning the overall look of the car, as well as ensuring that you have a trouble free time while handling it.

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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 BMW 3 Series is getting updated with new engine combinations, as well as a slightly different interior and exterior design. The revamped limousine and estate car are starting in September, while the coupe and cabriolet remain unchanged.

The facelift is immediately recognisable with the larger ventilators on the front grill, new headlights, an expanded wheel alignment on the rear axle, and two new indents on the front engine bonnet. The interior gets remade with new colours and materials, while the iDrive interface has received additional buttons and its menu has also been restructured.

The six cylinder diesel motor from the BMW 330d has been redeveloped. Compared to its predecessor, the engine offers 14 additional horse power with a total of 180 kW/ 245 HP, while the fuel consumption has dropped by 0.4 litres to 5.7 litres per 100 kilometres. Nine other engines are also available: five petrol engines with a performance range of 105 kW/ 143 HP to 225 kW/306 HP, as well as four additional diesels with 105 kW/ 143 HP to 180 kW/ 245 HP.

There are more available transmission options than before. The entry level petrol model is also available with a six gear automatic starting September. The otherwise unchanged coupe and cabriolet variants can be ordered with a seven gear double-clutch transmission. Furthermore, the BMW 320d four cylinder diesel engine can now be combined with all wheel drive for the first time. Prices have yet to be released, but will probably start at around £21,700.