Dodge Nitro 2007

Dodge is entering the midsize SUV market for the first time with the all new Nitro. This car will also stage Dodge’s product “attack” in the difficult European market along with the strange compact-SUV-MPV, Caliber
Press release: Dodge introduces all-new 2007 Dodge Nitro:The Dodge brand -- which is no stranger to creating innovative automotive products and features -- is spicing up the mid-size SUV segment with the 2007 Dodge Nitro, a new sport-utility vehicle whose bold and aggressive styling matches its dynamic performance.

"The Dodge Nitro's styling delivers something extra; that little something mid-size buyers are still searching for -- attitude," said George Murphy, Senior Vice President - Global Marketing. "In addition, the Dodge Nitro offers many features that are not typical of a mid-size SUV, such as two V-6 engines, 20-inch tires and chrome-clad aluminum wheels and a performance suspension."
The 2007 Dodge Nitro is the first mid-size sport-utility vehicle for Dodge and complements the brand's current lineup of cars, minivans, trucks, commercial vehicles and a full-size SUV.
"Being the first mid-size SUV for the brand, Dodge Nitro had to personify the bold, powerful and street-smart attitude of Dodge," said Murphy. "In a world of mostly bland SUVs, the 2007 Dodge Nitro has the design, engineering and performance to inspire consumers and ignite the mid-size SUV market."
Three models are available: Dodge Nitro, Dodge Nitro SLT and Dodge Nitro R/T. Available on the Dodge Nitro and Dodge Nitro SLT is a 3.7-liter SOHC V-6 engine. It produces 210 hp (157 kW) @ 5,200 rpm and 235 lb.-ft. (319 N*m) @ 4,000 rpm. The Dodge Nitro R/T features a new 4.0-liter V-6 engine that delivers 255 hp (190 kW) @ 5,800 rpm and 275 lb.-ft. torque (360 N*m) @ 4,000 rpm. Standard on the Dodge Nitro R/T and optional on the Nitro SLT is a new performance suspension and 20-inch tires and chrome-clad aluminum wheels, providing performance-oriented drivers with fun-to-drive handling and a firm ride.

Three transmissions -- one manual and two automatic -- will be offered. The Dodge Nitro comes with a standard six-speed manual or optional four-speed automatic. The Dodge Nitro SLT has a standard four-speed automatic. The Dodge Nitro R/T has a standard five-speed automatic. All U.S. models offer 4x2 and 4x4 capability. The new mid-size SUV boasts excellent acceleration, braking, handling and towing capacity of 5,000 lbs. when properly equipped.
Standard on the Dodge Nitro SLT and Dodge Nitro R/T is a new Chrysler Group feature, the LOAD 'N GO(TM) cargo floor that slides 18 inches rearward for easy and convenient loading and unloading of packages, and can hold up to 400 pounds. It is made of a heavy-duty plastic for easy cleaning. A compact utility table is an available option on the Dodge Nitro model.
The Dodge Nitro also includes many standard safety features, including Electronic Stability Program, Anti-lock Brake System, Electronic Roll Mitigation and side-curtain airbags.
Available options include a DVD-based navigation system with traffic data update, rear-seat DVD entertainment system, AM/FM/6-disc/DVD/MP3 audio with premium speakers with a subwoofer, remote start, UConnect, and Sirius Satellite Radio.
"With its performance-oriented 4.0-liter engine and LOAD 'N GO cargo floor, the Dodge Nitro continues the brand's history of creating new and game- changing products and features," said Murphy.
There was the 1992 Dodge Viper, for example. The outrageously sculpted and brutishly powerful sports car turned heads, palpitated hearts and became the icon of the brand.
In 1994 the big-rig design of the Dodge Ram pickup truck instantly made every other pickup truck in its class boring.
And the Stow 'n Go(R) seating system, introduced in the 2005 model year Dodge Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country minivans, reasserted Chrysler Group's leadership position in that market.
"Just like those innovations, the 2007 Dodge Nitro will reinvigorate its segment, the mid-size sport-utility market," said Murphy.
Chrysler Group previously announced that the Dodge brand will expand to Europe and volume markets overseas, and the Dodge Nitro will be part of that expansion. The vehicle will be available in markets outside North America, in both left- and right-hand drive, by the first quarter of 2007.
The 2007 Dodge Nitro will be built at the Toledo (Ohio) North Assembly Plant alongside the Jeep(R) Liberty. Dodge Nitro will arrive in U.S. dealerships later in 2006 as a 2007 model year vehicle.

Technorati Tags: Dodge, Nitro, 2007

VOLVO FH16

OKAY, has little to do with Carscoop blog, but I thought id lighten up with all those Geneva Car & Concept presentations coming one after another, with a new truck from Volvo that call itself the most powerful in Europe. Its got a 16litre diesel engine with a 660 hp and….316 kgm or 3.100 NM of torque. Maybe some crazy enthusiast could come up with a contender to the Viper….:)

EUROPE’S MOST POWERFUL PRODUCTION TRUCK
With its 660hp 16-litre D16E engine, the new Volvo FH16 – launched today – is Europe’s most powerful production truck. Now equipped with a newly-developed engine brake (VEB+) - which increases braking power by 15 per cent – and Volvo’s I-Shift, the celebrated automated gearchanging system, the FH16 is now dimensioned to handle gross combination weights of 60-tonnes and more.
"With the new Volvo FH16, we’re extending our lead in the prestige segment. We are combining top performance with intelligent resource utilisation, economy, comfort and safety," says Roar Isaksen, European director of Volvo Trucks.
The Volvo FH16 is more competent than ever and provides the necessary prerequisites for high average speeds even in the most demanding transport operations. Intelligent power utilisation means using energy when the power is really needed. This is the approach that characterises the Volvo FH16 that is now being launched with the higher power outputs of 660hp and 580 hp (3100 Nm and 2800 Nm respectively). Maximum torque sector is available over a wide rev range, with 90 per cent of the torque available within 2 seconds.
Power and torque give strength and driveability. Irrespective of whether we are talking about difficult starts when hauling timber on a muddy forest track, or forging ahead up a mountain pass towing a fully loaded trailer, the immense pulling power makes the driver’s job so much easier.

Hyundai HED-2 Genus Concept

NO OFFICIAL information given yet, but by the looks of it, Hyundai’s HED-2 Genus concept could be the base for the next generation Elantra.

Technorati Tags: Hyundai, HED-2, Genus, Concept, Geneva

Lotus APX Concpet

APX Concept by Lotus Engineering
LOTUS will present an all new concept at the at the 76th International Motorshow at Geneva. Created using Lotus Engineering's revolutionary Versatile Vehicle Architecture (VVA), and designed by Lotus Design, the APX also features a new 3.0 litre supercharged V6 producing 300hp. The British company noted that the APX concept is not indicating a strategic direction of Lotus Cars; but a brilliant demonstration of VVA, the skills of the team from Lotus Engineering and what is regarded as the future of niche vehicle manufacture.
Technorati Tags: Lotus,, APX,, Concept,, Geneva

Lancia Haizea Concept

IED- “Istituto Europeo di Design of Turin”, a well established car design school, will be presenting a concept car, for the third consecutive year, at the Geneva Motor Show. The Haizea concept is a car designed by its students in Transportation Design. The students, led by Hernan Charalambopoulos, Course Coordinator and Head of IED Automotive, came up with a concept car that highlights the brand's sporting essence
The full scale model (length 4.965 mm, width 1.935 mm, height 1.420mm & wheelbase 2.720 mm) has been developed around a frame devised in such a way as to provide the utmost level of both active and passive safety. The mechanical parts of the rear wheel drive engine are housed in a central-rear position, and together with the addition of two electric motors placed above the front wheels, an excellent compromise in terms of distribution of weight, traction and mass has been reached.
The passenger compartment, designed around a central chassis developed lengthwise and to which the seats and the instrumentation panel are anchored, absorbs energy in case of a head on collision and provides the structure with both an aesthetic and a functional purpose, not just a load bearing one. This particular chassis structure, “dressed” externally in such a way as to highlight the vehicles architectural values, plays on the asymmetrical disposition of the vehicle’s masses in order to induce a strong sense of movement in the viewer. This movement recreates a feeling of speed thus arousing the sensation of an encounter with a wind (Haizea: “wind”, in the Basque language).

Technorati Tags: Lancia,, geneva,, cocnept,, Haizea, ,, IED

Opel GT Roadster 2007

BASED on the American, Saturn Sky, Opel’s proposition in the popular compact roadster category revives the famous GT name of the 60’s. In Europe, the GT will be offered with a 2.0 Turbo Ecotec engine that produces 260 hp, enabling the car to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in less than 6,0 sec while the top speed exceeds 230 km/h. In the near future the range will be enriched with more engines from Opel so as to compete with its main rival, the Mazda MX5 aka Miata. According to Opel, the GT will be available in spring 2007.

OFFICIAL PRESS RELEASE
A great name doesn’t have to be long. Indeed, for many automobile fans, the Opel GT is the cult sports car of the 1970s. Now the legendary name is making a comeback in the form of a stunning two-seat roadster that could also make automobile history. Opel will present the all-new GT to the international public for the first time at the Geneva Motor Show (March 2 to 12, 2006). With exciting, sharply-cut lines, rear-wheel drive, and a potent four-cylinder turbo engine with gasoline direct injection, the new sports car echoes the successful concept of the original GT, which was built between 1968 and 1973.
“The GT is a powerful addition to our range of attractive niche products, and thereby further enhances the appeal of the Opel brand”, says Carl-Peter Forster, President of GM Europe. “The Tigra, the Astra TwinTop, and the new GT mean that we will have three very different models, all of which deliver top-down driving excitement. Moreover, the GT is a perfect example of how GM uses and applies its worldwide resources for the good of the individual brands.”
The new Opel GT is fun to drive thanks to its front engine and rear-wheel drive, which together ensure a balanced weight distribution, and its 260-hp 2.0-liter ECOTEC turbo engine with gasoline direct injection. This accelerates the new GT from zero to 100 km/h in less than six seconds, and enables a maximum speed of over 230 km/h.
Another fun factor is the fabric roof, which folds down to provide open-air enjoyment denied to the owners of the first GT. The roof disappears completely beneath a cover, further underlining the GT’s sporty silhouette with short overhangs and widely spaced 18-inch wheels.
The development of the new Opel GT is an excellent example of transcontinental collaboration within GM. The design was inspired by the VX Lightning concept car, which was conceived by the GM Advanced Design Studio in Birmingham, England in May 2003 for the 100^th anniversary of the Vauxhall brand. The new GT will be built in Wilmington/Delaware, in the USA, where its sister models, the Pontiac Solstice and the Saturn Sky, are also produced. The Opel GT is scheduled to hit the markets in spring 2007.
The original Opel GT owed much to the USA – in several respects. Its breathtaking lines were inspired by a new American design style, the so-called “coke bottle shape”, which also defined the Corvette Stingray. Furthermore, two thirds of all Opel GT cars built have been exported to the United States.

Technorati Tags: Opel, GT, Roadster, 2007, Geneva

Nissan Terranaut SUV Concept

NISSAN AT THE GENEVA MOTOR SHOW 2006

Nissan Europe will present two innovative concept cars at the 2006 Geneva Motor Show. The most significant of the two is the world premiere of the Terranaut, a 4x4 vehicle which give us clues for the next X-Trail SUV. The Pivo on the other hand, is a battery-powered city car, which was first seen at the Tokyo Motor Show in October 2005 and its making its European premier in Geneva

The Terranaut was conceived to serve as a mobile working environment for scientists, geologists, archaeologists or other adventurers who travel to the most challenging environments on the planet either for their work – or pleasure.
Its cabin is designed to accommodate three people – a driver, a passenger and, in the rear, where a scientist or specialist is well served with a computer console, as well as communication and analysis equipment to support them in their work.
A creation of London-based Nissan Design Europe, the overriding theme behind the concept is one of function. Project leader Felipe Roo Clefas, Assistant Chief Designer, NDE, says: “Terranaut has been designed for observation and communication in all four corners of the world.”
To accommodate the laboratory area within the cabin, the co-pilot’s side of the car has just one door, while the other side has a pair of swing doors and no central B-pillar. By hinging the doors at the front and rear respectively, ingress and egress is made easy.
Nineteen-inch wheels are covered by tyres specially constructed for Terranaut by Goodyear. Puncture proof, they function as conventional road tyres when the vehicle is being driven on metalled roads but, by changing air pressure, transform themselves into chunky off-road tyres.
Inside the vehicle, the spherical science laboratory dominates the entire cabin area behind the two front seats. A single revolving seat with an integrated computer keyboard is situated beneath the glass roof dome and gives the scientist complete 360-degree access to the various workstations found in Terranaut.
Technorati Tags: Nissan, Terranaut, , SUV, Geneva