Sunday, 9 February 2014

Citroen C4 Cactus (2014) first official pictures ... - Car Magazine

Citroen C4 Cactus (2014) first official <b>pictures</b> <b>...</b> - <b>Car</b> Magazine

Citroen C4 Cactus (2014) first official <b>pictures</b> <b>...</b> - <b>Car</b> Magazine

Posted: 05 Feb 2014 11:00 AM PST

By Ollie Kew

First Official Pictures

05 February 2014 19:00

Well done to Citroen: its arch-funky Cactus crossover concept has makes it into production unscathed, ‘Airbumps’ and all. The production version’s called the Citroen C4 Cactus as it’s based on the C4 hatch, but it’s had the funk turned up to 11.

If you’re arriving this late to the compact crossover party, you need to make a splash â€" good job the new C4 Cactus is head-turning enough to cause the Nissan Juke and Ford EcoSport nightmares.

Let’s get right to the Citroen C4 Cactus’ acne…

We were sceptical of C-Cactus concept’s ‘Airbumps’: would the production car bin them? No, as it turns out! Fitted along the flanks, tailgate and wheelarches, the Airbumps are essentially polyurethane sections dotted with air-filled capsules.

Not only is the C4 Cactus kinder to jaywalking pedestrians, but your new £13k pride and joy won’t be hurt by parking dings or runaway supermarket trollies. Want to highlight your car’s bubble-wrap? The Airbumps can be specced in four contrast colours (black, grey, ‘dune’ and ‘chocolate’). Alternatively, have them matched to the ten exterior paint choices. No word yet on how easy the Airbumps are to puncture â€" or why Citroen named its cuddly car after something spikey and sharp.

Is the Citroen C4 Cactus just a one-trick pony?

The C4 Cactus has more to shout about than just the squishy panels. Doubtless the rounded-off moon buggy styling â€" with split light clusters and a ‘floating’ roof panel â€" will prove polarising, but it’s certainly a breath of fresh air in the increasingly overpopulated family crossover segment.

At first, it sounds far from cutting-edge under the skin. The C4 Cactus is based on PSA’s ‘Platform 1’ from as far back as 2004, rather than the brand’s new ‘EMP2’ template. Citroen claims that despite the creaky underpinnings, the C4 Cactus is impressively light: basic models weigh in a massive 200kg less than a C4 hatch, at 965kg.

Wow, that is light!

Yup, and it comes about via some pretty canny dieting. The sound-insulating panoramic sunroof, for example, uses the same sunlight and UV-ray protection technology as high-end sunglasses. Citroen says this means the C4 Cactus doesn’t have to include a sunblind, saving 6kg and lowering the car’s centre of gravity a smidge.

There’s also high-strength steel and aluminium crash structures, such as the bonnet, cutting kilos too. Shunning roll-down rear windows for cheaper pop-out panes saves a further 11kg, while a single-piece folding rear bench seat saves 6kg. The front seats use a bench arrangement too, albeit with individual squab adjustment for legislative and comfort reasons.

Thanks to the minimalist dashboard, complete with Peugeot 308-pinched 7in touchscreen and ‘luggage strap’ door handles (Pagani, anyone?), the C4 Cactus’s cabin seems pleasing pared-back, without appearing stingy. It’s certainly the best-looking cabin of any Citroen right now â€" DS5 included. Here’s hoping it’s built with the same attention to detail as it’s been designed with. Those twin screens look very BMW i3 to us...

Should be cheap to run then?

That’s the idea â€" and not just because of the C4’s engine family having less mass to lug around. Insurance and repair costs should be lower than the C4 Cactus’s rivals, thanks to the Airbumps, and Citroen’s push to reduce the total number of components used within the car.

While it’s coy on engines, the C4’s 1.4-litre petrol engine should make it into the Cactus, as Citroen claim a 92g/km CO2 rating for the most efficient Cactus, with a diesel model, most likely the 1.6-litre from the C4, offering as a claimed 91.1mpg.

Anything else?

Hate topping up your car’s washer fluid? Citroen reckons you’ll use half as much in the C4 Cactus. Washer nozzles located in the wiper blade tips give a more accurate spray, reducing wastage. They also slash the time you’ll spend with your vision obscured.

It’s a small point (and one that Mercedes has had on the SL since 2012) but another example nevertheless of Citroen paying attention to the little things that make car ownership that bit more painless.

When can I buy one?

In October 2014, with prices starting at £13k and rising to around £20k for then higher-specced models you see pictured here.

This isn’t just a new car for Citroen â€" it’s a new direction of the ‘C-line’ range. On first impressions, we like where it’s heading â€" the question is: will buyers?

>> Has Citroen been overambitious with the C4 Cactus, or is this 2014’s hottest new family car? Tell us your thoughts by clicking ‘Add your comment’ below

Audi RS4 Avant Nogaro (2014) first <b>pictures</b> of RS2 <b>...</b> - <b>Car</b> Magazine

Posted: 05 Feb 2014 04:20 AM PST

By Ollie Kew

First Official Pictures

05 February 2014 12:20

Audi is congratulating itself on inventing the super-estate by building a special edition version of the RS4 Avant, in tribute to the classic RS2. The RS4 Nogaro edition will be revealed at the Geneva motor show in March 2014.

How does the Audi RS4 Nogaro riff off the legendary RS2?

Retro cosmetic tweaks, inside and out. Chief among them is the ‘Nogaro blue’ pearl-effect paintwork: it recalls the blue shade the 2908 original RS2s were offered with. The colour is named after the Nogaro racing circuit in south-west France, where Audi scored two French Touring Car Championship victories in 1993.

Other RS2 cues coms in the form of matt black roof rails, a blacked-out front grille, and red brake calipers.

>> Click here for CAR’s first drive review of the 444bhp Audi RS4 Avant

Inside, the RS4 Nogaro’s cabin pays tribute to its ancestor once again, with shiny plastics and a tape deck. Only kidding. In fact, there’s a choice of two trims: all-black, or part-blue contrasting inserts. Blue stitching and piping also mark out the Nogaro RS4 from a regular version.

Nothing’s new mechanically, but the RS4 Avant has never exactly lacked in that department. You still get a naturally aspirated 4.2-litre V8, revving to 8000rpm and developing up to 444bhp, connected exclusively to a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox, the RS4 Avant sprints from 0-62mph in 4.7sec, and can run on to 155mph, 174mph, or 189mph, depending on how much you pay to have the speed limiter raised.

>> CAR ran an Audi RS4 Avant on its long-term fleet in 2013: click here for the complete report

Remind me why the RS2 is worth celebrating…

The RS2 was based on the humble Audi 80 Avant, but was actually built by Porsche. Stuttgart’s finest developed the turbocharged 2.2-litre five-pot engine, brakes and suspension, and even equipped the RS2 with the 911’s brake callipers and door mirrors. The RS2 makes 315bhp, 302lb ft and weighs 1595kg â€" 200kg less than the current RS4.

The result was a £45,705 estate car than could hit 62mph in 4.8sec (just a tenth slower than the 2014 RS4!) and 162mph flat out. Famously, the Quattro all-wheel drive system made the RS2 quicker to 30mph than the McLaren F1, making the RS2 the world’s fastest off-the-line road car during its 1994-1995 production run.

These days, used RS2s start at around £12k â€" though with only 180 right-hand drive examples ever produced, they’re a rare find.

How much?

The RS4 Nogaro starts at €87,300 (£72,475) in Germany. That’s a €10,100 (£8400) premium over the standard RS4 Avant. UK sales are still being considered, but with no mechanical changes and the UK being the second-biggest market for RS products, it makes perfect sense.

BMW X3 facelift (2014) first official <b>pictures</b> <b>...</b> - <b>Car</b> Magazine

Posted: 05 Feb 2014 03:00 PM PST

By Ollie Kew

First Official Pictures

05 February 2014 23:00

The revised BMW X3 plays spot-the-difference with, on the outside at least, BMW having done a pretty convincing job of turning it into an X5 lookalike. The new X3 goes on sale in June 2014, costing from £31k.

The facelift looks subtle â€" let’s concentrate on the BMW X3’s engine tweaks.

The X3 has an all-diesel line-up, teamed with either a six-speed manual gearbox or an eight-speed automatic. Rear-wheel drive (sDrive, in BMW-speak) is available on the most basic model with 4x4 ‘xDrive’ standard on the rest of the range.

It’s no surprise that the least powerful, slowest X3 is also the cheapest. The X3 sDrive18d only has 145bhp and 265lb ft, but BMW claims it’ll do as many as 60.1 miles per gallon of diesel burned, and only emits 131g/km of CO2. That makes it more efficient than the diesel XC60, Audi Q5 or Land Rover Freelander.

At the other end of the scale, there’s the X3 xDrive35d. Okay, it’s no M Division monster, but with 309bhp and 465lb ft on tap from its turbocharged straight-six, it’s no slouch. Who needs to do 0-62mph in 5.3sec and 155mph in an X3?

If that sounds like your sort of SUV, you’ll have to stump up around £41,000. Even if you’re more pragmatic, the entry-level X3 has seen a £2020 price hike, starting at £30,990. That means it’s a few hundred quid more than the XC60’s starting price, but you’ll have £600 change against a diesel Q5.

How is BMW justifying an extra two grand for an X3?

You now get heated seats, an automatic tailgate and BMW ‘business’-spec sat-nav on every model. That’s in addition to leather seats, climate control, cruise control, DAB radio, 17in alloy wheels, front and rear parking radar, automatic wipers, and automatic lights.

For every model except the top-spec xDrive35d, there’s now an optional 17in ‘aero’ wheel design, which helps shave another 7g/km off your CO2 emissions, and, indirectly, your tax bill.

What exactly has changed, visually?

Reprofiled headlights, extra chrome, bigger ‘kidney grille’ nostrils, and massaged front and rear bumpers. Naturally, there are new alloy wheel designs to choose from, myriad leather and trim finishes, and even a new ‘xLine’ trim level for a more butch, utilitarian look (as seen in our gallery).

So, it’s more efficient and better kitted out, but looks more like the ugly X5 and costs a chunk more than before too. Would the BMW X3 be your pick of the family SUV class? Add your thoughts in the comments below.

BMW 4-series Gran Coupe (2014) first official <b>pictures</b> - <b>Car</b> Magazine

Posted: 01 Feb 2014 03:01 PM PST

By Ollie Kew

First Official Pictures

01 February 2014 23:01

BMW has either just created the next big thing, or officially run out of ideas. This is the 4-series Gran Coupe. Of course, it’s not actually a coupe at all â€" it has four doors â€" but being part of the 4-series family, it’s sleeker than the 3-series saloon.

It’s the third and final 4-series model (following the two-door coupe and folding hard-top convertible). Best of all, a 424bhp M4 Gran Coupe is waiting in the wings for 2015…

How the heck do you pigeonhole the BMW 4-series Gran Coupe?

The 4-series GC follows a trail blazed by the Audi A5 Sportback, which looks like (and is priced as) an A5, but offers four doors and similar cabin space to a cooking A4. Sales have been too strong for BMW to ignore â€" even if it means risking the wrath of angry enthusiasts fed up of niche-within-niche car-making. Before you start frothing at the mouth, be aware the more practical 4-series Gran Coupe costs exactly the same, spec-for-spec, as its two-door counterpart.

Are you sure it’s not a 3-series?

Damn sure â€" the unique 4-series front and rear ends are present, and the Gran Coupe is exactly the same length, width, and wheelbase-size as the 4-series coupe. The roof, however, is 12mm higher. Although it swoops more severely than a 3-series, we’re seeing hints of the 3-series Gran Turismo’s silhouette here â€" and that’s no good thing. Do you agree? Comment below…

Is it palpably more practical than a 4-series?

Yes, says BMW: ‘The functionality of a saloon car with the silhouette of a coupé’ is the official party line. BMW says the boot is now 435-litres: 35 litres bigger than the two-door and, you guessed it, the same size as the boot of a 3-series saloon. That hatchback tailgate allows easier cargo access than any 4-series or the 3-series saloon, and it boasts an automatic close function as standard.
The rear bench has a ‘2+1’ configuration, with improved headroom versus the 4-series coupe.

All very well, but a 3-series a pinch across the rear seats too. BMW is so busy justifying the 4-series Gran Coupe next to its two-door sister, it may have overlooked the fact it appears to be rendering the poor old Three obsolete.

Will the 4-series Gran Coupe be much of an ultimate driving machine?

BMW has adjusted the suspension for what is expected to be a less stiff body than the two-door 4-series. No official number have been disclosed, but BMW admits the Gran Coupe is heavier than a 4-series coupe, but claims it will still weigh in lighter than any other car in its class. Not that there’s much in the way of competition, of course.

Which engines can I have in my 4-series Gran Coupe?

There’ll eventually be a choice of seven â€" the halo model being the as yet unseen M4 Fran Coupe. Most economical is the 418d four-pot diesel version: you get 141bhp, 236lb ft and up to 61mpg for £30,995. There’ll be both rear- and all-wheel drive xDrive versions of the 182bhp, 280lb ft 420d. Curiously, both have an identical 7.7sec 0-62mph time (7.5sec when specced with the eight-speed automatic transmission.)

Until the M4 Gran Coupe, petrolheads can choose between a 420i, which costs £29,420, a 428i for £32,815, or the fastest 4-series Gran Coupe at launch: the £41,355 435i. Power outputs for the petrol cars are 182bhp, 242bhp and 302bhp respectively. The hot 435i manages 0-62mph in as little as 5.2sec.

The 4-series Gran Coupe range goes on sale on 21 June 2014, with the choice of five trim levels: SE, Sport, Modern, Luxury and M Sport. The premium over a 3-series saloon? Around £2000 on like-for-like models. As ever, you pays your money…

>> Is this 4-series Gran Coupe the sweet spot of the BMW range, or niche one-upmanship gone mad? Click ‘Add your comment’ to sound off

Think You Can Tell Us Which <b>Car</b> Was Spied in This <b>Picture</b> <b>...</b>

Posted: 07 Feb 2014 04:42 PM PST


We're regularly surprised and delighted by the new automotive discoveries our readers make while out and about, especially when they catch us off guard and have us looking up photos and manufacturer websites to decipher hidden models.

Carscoops reader and founder of the (Buick) Reatta Rally, Ervin Mezey, nabbed this particular prototype, which we're not really sure what it is, with a cell phone in Beverly Hills.

"On Olympic Blvd in Beverly Hills and Los Angeles, I came across this masked car in the afternoon," said Mezey. "I have no idea what it is. Did my best in getting these pictures taken from my cell phone through a misty windshield. Some photos were taken using the driver's side mirror of my car. Driver did her best avoiding me. Her luck in bumper-to-bumper traffic and by bad luck in the same crappy traffic resulted in these lackluster photos."

If you're asking me for my first thought of what this sedan could be, I'd answer the Ford Fusion, possibly a facelift, but I wouldn't place a bet on it… Care to share your thoughts in the comments?

By John Halas

Hat tip to Ervin!

PHOTO GALLERY


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