Car News – Page 48 – Autoprova

The Renault Trezor wins French prize of most beautiful concept car of 2016

February 2, 2017Posted in Car News, Future car technology, Future technologies, New Models, prototypesLeave a comment

The French have a gift for elegance and beauty. And we must admit that the Renault styling department is going from strength to strength lately. The 32nd Festival Automobile International at the Hôtel des Invalides in Paris, France, has singled out on January 31^st the Renault TREZOR as the most beautiful concept car of 2016.

“I would like to thank the jury for this award which will inspire us to pursue our design strategy,” says Laurens van den Acker, SVP Corporate Design, Renault. “The TREZOR’s powerful, sensuous lines pave the way for the styling and technologies that will be features of our upcoming models. It also marks the beginning of a new cycle of Renault concept cars which will be revealed soon.”

“The jury decided this award should go to the TREZOR because of the extreme beauty, sensuality and elegance it exudes,” observes Rémi Depoix, President of the Festival Automobile International. “It is the epitome of a concept car and we were notably won over by the cohesion of its overall design and the attention that has been paid to the details. It is a fine creative work which, we hope, will inspire Renault’s future roadgoing models.”

A harbinger of the styling language of future Renaults

The lines of the Renault TREZOR are warm, sensuous and refined, while its assertive front end incorporates signature C-shaped lights. In terms of their styling, Renault’s upcoming models will draw their inspiration from the TREZOR’s DNA as their forms become even more fluid and mature.

The TREZOR’s interior design, meanwhile, places the emphasis on driving enjoyment and features a large enveloping touchscreen display that reinforces the cockpit feel. This customisable, connected interface juxtaposes warming, prestige materials like wood and leather. The interiors of upcoming Renault models will take their inspiration from these increasingly refined styling trends and connected technologies.

For the duration of this year’s Festival International de l’Automobile, the Renault TREZOR will be on display at the Hôtel des Invalides alongside other concept cars selected by the jury.You will have to hurry though: this display will be open to the public from February 1-5, 2017. For further information, go to www.festivalautomobile.com/gb/index.php.

In the meantime, just have a look at this beauty…

Hans Knol ten Bensel

New Porsche 911 GTS models give you more power…

January 29, 2017Posted in Car News, Car presentations, New ModelsLeave a comment

911 Targa 4 GTS, 911 Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet und 911 Carrera 4 GTS

Porsche is expanding the 911 model line with five new GTS models: from March 2017, the following versions will be available: the 911 Carrera GTS with rear-wheel drive, the 911 Carrera 4 GTS with all-wheel drive – both available as a Coupé and Cabriolet – and the 911 Targa 4 GTS with all-wheel drive. The newly developed 3.0-liter flat-six cylinder with larger turbochargers delivers 450 horsepower, which is 30 horsepower more than the current 911 Carrera S and 20 horsepower above the previous, naturally-aspirated GTS model. All GTS variants are equipped as standard with a seven-speed manual transmission. The seven-speed Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK) dual-clutch transmission is available as an option, with the manual seven speed gearbox being standard equipment.

Interieur 911 Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet — Interior 911 Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet

…delivering even greater performance

550 Nm of torque further improves acceleration and responsiveness. Maximum torque is available between 2150 and 5000 rpm. Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM) is included as standard on all GTS models. The GTS Coupés still feature the PASM Sport Suspension, which drops the ride height by 0.39 inches (10 millimeters)compared to the PASM suspension, which is standard on all 911 models including the Cabriolet and Targa variants of the GTS.

When equipped with the optional PDK (Porsche Doppelkupplung) transmission, the Carrera 4 GTS Coupé takes just 3.6 seconds to reach 100 km per hour. This is what we call superfast!

The 911 GTS Coupé with manual transmission and rear-wheel drive is capable of 312 kph, but rest assured, all GTS models are faster than 300 kph…

Typically GTS: Black elements mean business…

The GTS models distinguish themselves within the 911 model line not only in terms of technology, but also in their design: All GTS variants are based on the Carrera 4/4S body, which measures 72.9 inches (1852 mm), even on the rear-wheel-drive models. The new Sport Design front end with a spoiler lip painted in black emphasizes the high-performance character.

Combined with an increased rear spoiler extension height, it reduces lift on the front and rear axle compared to the Carrera S models. Tinted tail lights, rear lid grill strips with a satin black finish and tailpipes in high-gloss black, which are part of the standard Sport Exhaust system, give the GTS a particularly striking appearance. A new black trim strip between the tail lights is featured on the rear-wheel-drive variants. A light strip between the tail lights is reserved for the all-wheel-drive models. Sport Design exterior mirrors, 20-inch center lock wheels painted in satin black, and black GTS logos on the doors represent further visual enhancements.

The characteristic Targa bar, is black with a satin finish for the first time, also gives the 911 Targa 4 GTS a very sporting look.

New Porsche Track Precision app included with extensive standard equipment.

The GTS offers a unique interior. The stopwatch of the standard Sport Chrono Package is now integrated as a central component of the dashboard. The included Porsche Track Precision App has been further enhanced for the market launch of the GTS models. Its features include automatic recording as well as a detailed display and analysis of driving data for smartphones. Just to make you a better driver…

Standard Sport Seats Plus with GTS logos on the headrests provide that lateral support you need for the serious high speed work. They are fitted with a combination of leather and Alcantara® that is highlighted with a new seat stitching. Alcantara® can also be found on the standard GT Sport steering wheel, the gear lever and the armrest, all for that extra grip. The brushed aluminum interior trim is anodized with a black finish.

Good economy…

The GTS remains a feul-efficient automobile. The GTS with the PDK transmission consumes 8,3 l/100 km according to the NEDC. This corresponds with CO2 emissions of 188 g/km.

Prices in Belgium, including VAT:

911 Carrera GTS 128.139,00 €

911 Carrera GTS Cabriolet 141.449,00 €

911 Carrera 4 GTS 135.641,00 €

911 Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet 148.951,00 €

911 Targa 4 GTS 148.951,00 €

Hans Knol ten Bensel

Kia Stinger, or the shape of things to come…

January 26, 2017Posted in Car News, New ModelsLeave a comment

The most powerful, sleek and fast production car of Kia made its entry into the stylish car scene: indeed, it has been honored with an EyesOn Design award for Production Car Design Excellence at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit.

The EyesOn Design Awards honours the best production and concept vehicles making their worldwide auto show debut at the NAIAS.

Peter Schreyer, Chief Design Officer at Kia Motors, is justifiably proud of the style and proportions of this car. Judge for yourself by the photos…

He was assisted by and Gregory Guillaume, Chief Designer at Kia Motors.

The car is also quite roomy and has a clean interior styling with a TFT screen between two beautifully designed circular dials. The aeronautical air vents are also present, noblesse oblige in this car class.

Besides style, power is also abundant with a standard 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged ‘Theta II’ engine, good for 258hp at 6,200rpm and 353Nm from 1,400- to 4,000rpm. The Stinger GT will get optionally a twin-turbo 3.3-litre V6 petrol ‘Lambda II’ engine, more athletic with 370hp at 6,000rpm and 510Nm from 1,300- to 4,500rpm. All this is good for supercar performance…

The Stinger I set to go on sale across Europe in the fourth quarter of 2017. In the meantime, just admire the photos…

Hans Knol ten Bensel

Brussels Motor Show has interesting news – part 4

January 26, 2017Posted in Car Events, Car News, Car presentations, New ModelsLeave a comment

Here comes the final part of our Brussels Show report. We just let you enjoy all this again, as the show is also soon coming to its end…

Hans Knol ten Bensel

Armed with our faithful compact Canon PowerShot G9 X, which takes amazing pictures even with low light, we strolled further to the Nissan stand, where the all new Micra was on display. Nissan expects a lot from this urban gem, which has the all round and versatile qualities you expect from a compact car like this. It is quite agile and downright sporting, delivering lots of driving pleasure for the young at heart. It has good looks too. Soon we come back to this car and are of course keen to drive it soon.

Peugeot was presenting not only a boldly styled, angular lion, it also had its new 3008 compact SUV on the show. Mind you, this angular lion is a work of outstanding craftsmanship: the design center created the shapes of this new interpretation of the iconic lion, but the craftsmen of the firm LA FABRIK worked more than a month to execute the design. The sculpture is made of hardened polystyrene, covered with layers of wax and glass fibre. The used the most modern techniques like digital cutting along not less than five axes, and a lot of sanding by hand was also deemed necessary. The lion was then finally chromed via an electrolysis process, which took not less than 10 days…

The 3008 is restyled and has (almost) the panache of a show car, both inside and out. It must of course also be good to drive, economical and reliable if it is to be competitive in its class. The three cylinder 128 HP petrol engine looks promising on paper, and we expect it to deliver good performance. We look forward to drive it soon… It comes of course with a wide engine choice, both petrol and diesel, and also 6 speed manuals and auto boxes are available.

DS presented on the Brussels Show a new edition on the DS4 Crossback, with a new matte color. The car, dubbed DS 4 Crossback Moondust (due to its grey Platinium matte color) follows here the spring/ summer design trend of the big French fashion houses…

There is also the “Performance Line” available on all DS models, it has a black roof in combination with specific colors for the bodywork and glossy black wheels.

For Citroën, the DS3 took centre stage, an interesting car we also look forward to drive…

Honda presented its new Civic, it was first seen as an engineless prototype in Geneva last year, and it is now, Brexit or not, built in Swindon, UK, by the 3,600-strong workforce for 70 markets around the world… The sporting Type R version is a Nürburgring record breaker, and of course we are also keen to drive the Civic soon…

Kia comes on strong…

In these columns, so far Kia has not appeared so far, and it is about (high) time it does. You all have noticed how well styled they are, thanks to designer Peter Schreyer, now Chief Design Officer at Kia Motors.

Did you know also that Albert Biermann – the man who used to head up BMW’s M Division – is in charge of vehicle testing and high performance development for Kia?

We looked on the show at the compact Rio. Highlight was also the hybrid crossover Niro, which made its Belgian debut at the show.

There was also the EV Soul and last but not least the Optima plug-in hybrid. We will soon take a closer (test drive) look at these cars, and have booked for now a test with the cee’d 1.6 CRDI SW. Kia is coming up strong, did you know that they have 435,316 cars sold in Europe last year, representing year-on-year growth of 13.1%?

Slovakian-built Kia models are now accounting for 55.7% of Kia’s European sales. Kia Motors Slovakia produces three model lines at its Žilina plant: the Sportage, Venga compact MPV, and the cee’d family (comprising five-door cee’d hatchback and cee’d Sportswagon, and the three-door pro_cee’d).

Recently, the top of the range Stinger took centre stage in Detroit: it received an EyesOn Design award for Production Car Design Excellence at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit. More on this Stinger in a separate report.

Of course, there is still a lot more, as things go very fast. We suggest you look click on the “car news” category on our site for more news,

and keep an eye on our comments on the forthcoming auto shows…in the meantime, just look at the photos…

Hans Knol ten Bensel

Brussels Motor Show has interesting news – part 3

January 22, 2017Posted in Car News, Car presentations, New ModelsLeave a comment

Further car news and novelties to be enjoyed, and beautiful styling and bodywork shapes to be admired, as well as to be tasted… we just lead you further on our tour…

Hans Knol ten Bensel

La bella Giulia… and amazing Fiats

The thoroughbred Giulia which turns eyes comes on the Brussels Show with a sporting “Veloce” versions, but also the MiTo and Giuletta have been refreshed. We recently drove the 170 HP “Veloce” version of the MiTo with the dual clutch auto box, and we enjoyed every meter we drove it. Read our test report soon…

We are presently driving again the formidable Fiat Tipo, a car which documents impressively the “savoir faire” of the Fiat group in building harmonious and flawless cars coming at an attractive price. We drove both the 1,6 and 1,3 liter MultiJet Diesel versions, with the hatchback body, and they are nothing less than the benchmarks in their (price) class.

There is of course also the stunning Abarth 124 Spider, a car which is also very high on our test drive list.

Renault unpacks the Koleos and delights the senses…

Centre stage at the Renault stand was taken by their new Koleos, which has gained immensely in styling and panache. We already told you time and again that the styling people conducted by Laurens van den Acker are doing a great job, and this shows again in this latest Renault SUV, which will be available in spring this year in our country. In Brussels, the top equipment version “Initiale Paris” makes its debut.

Electric cars are also quite important for Renault and the Alliance for that matter, and Renault presents the ZOE with an extended range to not less than 400 km. The car is immediately available by the way… The new Kangoo Z.E has also a 50 pct bigger range.

Renault in good tradition delighted our culinary senses again with a heavenly luncheon on press day at the salon, with Wout Bru as Chef. Wout has done this for Renault at the show now already for 10 years…

We show you here a photo of him on the left, with a smiling Karl Schuybroeck, Director Communication at Renault Belgium Luxembourg to the right.

Last but not least, the Scénic is also to be admired, which has won in our country the VAB Family Car of the Year, and this for good reason…

Sporting news for the good three pointed star…

At the Brussels Show, Mercedes unveiled its GT-R Coupé, with 585 Horses to hurtle you down winding roads at record breaking speed. It has of course the suspension to take all this in safely, and awaked the (safe) driver in you. It looks also stunning indeed. There is also a cabriolet version of the AMG GT, and of course the E-class is present “en force”, with a break and also a crossover version, dubbed the “all-terrain”, which is the 4WD version of the break.

The C 180 Coupé adds also a touch of elegance as a debut at the Brussels show…

The range of crossovers has been facelifted, and there is also the rejuvenated GLA to be admired, a few days after its premiere in Detroit…

Soon more here, we just say good bye for now together with a charming biondina leaning on her shining Maserati… just dream away!

Hans Knol ten Bensel

Brussels Motor Show has interesting news – part 2

January 18, 2017Posted in Car News, Car presentations, New ModelsLeave a comment

Further on our visit we stood eye to eye with some more fascinating cars and novelties. Indeed, many brands put their best feet forward, just read further…

Hans Knol ten Bensel

Jaguar presented a world premiere on the show, an upgrade of the F-type. Its looks are refreshed, and this feline beauty is now also equipped with a state-of-the-art Touch-Pro infotainment system, which allows to combine vehicle data with GoPro HD videos via the ReRun app. Celebrating the introduction of the new F-TYPE, Jaguar also brings for one year the exclusive 400 SPORT edition.

The revamped F-type will go on sale in our country in the first quarter of 2017. We can’t wait to get our hands on one!

The new Discovery takes centre stage on the Land Rover stand. The fifth generation of this versatile SUV will be in the dealer showrooms in March. Range Rover also shows the SV Autobiography Dynamic. Needless to say that we will plan for you these SUV’s in our test calendar for 2017.

A short stroll took us then to the Skoda stand, where the Kodiaq took centre stage, alongside the new Octavia sedan and station wagon. The Octavia gets a high-tech update with a new three cylinder 1.0 TFSI engine, and a revised suspension with adjustable damper settings now also available, dubbed by the manufacturer “Dynamic Chassis Control.” It is also redesigned, has a wider radiator grille – enhanced even further by additional crystalline headlights – reminiscent of the tradition of Czech craftsmanship in making Bohemian crystal glass. The car has halogen headlights as standard, which are complemented by LED daytime running lights.

The Octavia has now not less than nine engines ranging from 1.0 to 2.0 l: four TSI, four TDI and one CNG; power output ranges from 63 kW (86 PS) to 135 kW (184 PS). We are keen to drive these new versions soon, faithful readers know that we were very impressed by the Octavia when we took the car to the French midi last summer. Just look further on our site, we give you here again the link: http://www.autoprova.be/2016/08/09/a-sporting-grand-tour-with-the-skoda-octavia-combi-rs-184-hp-2-0-crtdi-dsg6-4×4/

More Brussels Salon news to follow!

Hans Knol ten Bensel

2017 Brussels Motor Show has interesting news… Part 1

January 16, 2017Posted in Car Events, Car News, Car presentations, New ModelsLeave a comment

Futuristic dashboard and instrument cluster of the Tesla Model X… are promises kept by E-cars?

Our beloved Brussels Motor Show is now in its 95^th edition and focuses this year on light commercial vehicles, motorcycles, but also on the passenger car front there is much interesting news… We report here on our tour of the show, focusing on what’s new and interesting, and let you also enjoy the photos!

Hans Knol ten Bensel

We started our tour on the Tesla stand, where we stood eye to eye with their interesting Model X. A good occasion to get acquainted with the brand, as we have never driven a Tesla so far. We had a long and lively in depth discussion with a charming Tesla representative about the merits of E-power, stressing again the need for a dense recharging network to make E-cars a thoroughly practical proposition. It is a well known fact that the “official” range of E-cars is virtually halved in winter conditions, making them rather difficult to use regularly without frequent recharging.

They promised to get in touch with us, and we are looking forward to drive a Tesla – and use one for a few days to test out their range, which is impressive on paper at least.

We strolled further to the BMW stand, where E-power is also very much in the spotlight. We drove the “long range” i3 recently, and soon we will report you about our findings. Star of the show here was the latest generation 5 series. The new car has the looks, and indeed is, as BMW puts it, “the embodiment of the modern business saloon.” It is quite athletic, well proportioned as is crammed with state of the art technology, delivering on top of all that the so legendary driving pleasure so typical for BMW.

Virtual instrumentation is also the rule at BMW… but retains the typical lettering of the brand…

We admired again the high-quality setting of the interior, and the driver is pampered with all the modern driving aids, inboard electronics and connectivity.

The big centrally placed screen keeps the BMW 5 series driver informed…

Needless to say that we are anxious to drive one in the coming months…

There was also the European Premiere of the Mini Countryman, and here on the photo you see the Plug-in hybrid version, the Mini Cooper S E Countryman all 4. The Mini is an all time hit, and BMW succeeds in combining ever more interesting technology with the iconic panache of the Mini, making it a very desirable car indeed. Driving a Mini is also synonymous to tons of driving pleasure, and this, we would say, throughout the range. So this one is also on our list for driving this year!

Dramatic both in styling and technology is the Lexus LC 500h, a sophisticated and luxurious coupé. Lexus states it is built by Takumi craftspeople, with 20+ years of experience…

It has the 3,5 litre V6 Hybrid engine, coupled to world’s first 10-speed Multi Stage Hybrid transmission, a powerful electric motor coupled to Lithium-ion battery pack, and sprints in about 5 seconds to 100 kmh. Available around mid 2017, and it will certainly be one of the test drive highlights of the year…

We also spotted the Toyota CH-R, remarkable with its adventurous styling, a very interesting hybrid crossover which we will drive for you end of March. Stay tuned!

There were quite a few stars to be admired at the Audi stand, with the new Q2, the still newer Q5 and last but not least the world premiere of the S5 cabrio.

We just show you here some photos, and you agree that the restyling is very well done and the already well proportioned cabrio stays stunningly attractive for years to come.

Audi Import Director Didier Willems and PR Officer Sofie Luyckx are unveiling the elegant S5 cabrio…

The A4 Avant g-tron and TT RS Coupé are having a Belgian première, with the Audi S5 Coupé, A5 Sportback, Q2 en Q5 making in Brussels their Belgian show debut. We saw a lot of smiling faces at the Audi stand, as the brand has done very well last year on the Belgian market.

More to come in following reports…

Hans Knol ten Bensel

VW at CES Las Vegas: Your profile travels with you in any VW you drive…

January 12, 2017Posted in Car News, Car presentations, Future car technology, Future technologies, prototypesLeave a comment

Experiencing your personal digital world in a vehicle is made possible by VW at the latest CES.

In the future, your own profile and preferences will always be with you – regardless of which Volkswagen model you’re driving. Volkswagen presents the next milestone in ease of use Visionary I.D. electric car being shown for first time in the USA.

We just tell you here somewhat more about Volkswagen’s show highlights…just read on!

Hans Knol ten Bensel

Continue reading “VW at CES Las Vegas: Your profile travels with you in any VW you drive…” →

Audi shows at 2017 CES piloted driving with artificial intelligence…

January 9, 2017Posted in Car News, Car presentations, Future car technology, Future technologies, prototypesLeave a comment

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a key technology for piloted driving – that’s why Audi and strong partners from the electronics industry are jointly developing game-changing know-how in the field of machine learning. At the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas Audi is presenting the Audi Q7 deep learning concept, a piloted driving car made possible thanks to collaboration with NVIDIA.

Hans Knol ten Bensel

Renault launches new Scénic and Grand Scénic with dramatic looks…

September 11, 2016Posted in Car NewsLeave a comment

Twenty years after inventing the world’s first compact MPV (multi-purpose vehicle) with the Scénic – which has since sold to the tune of almost five million units and which was named European Car of the Year in 1997 – Renault has completely overhauled its offering in this segment with the fourth generation of its iconic model. It is of course a very important model for Renault, with compact SUV’s gaining ground in the buyer’s hearts and MPV’s becoming less attractive. But designer Laurens Van den Acker gave it a go and endowed the Scénic with stunning looks, and wants the practical people carrier to be a winner – once again.

The new SCENIC carries over the hallmarks that helped to forge its success, namely versatility, space, user-friendliness and travelling enjoyment.

The new SCENIC is a benchmark in the MPV segment as a vehicle that is , practical, efficient and high-tech, while also meeting the needs of families.

It is attractive with its svelte silhouette, its two-tone colour scheme and the fitment of large 20-inch wheels as standard across the range – a global first for the segment.

It is also practical, thanks to the biggest stowage capacity and boot space in its class, and efficient, with a broad range of powerplants comprising six diesels and two petrol engines. Last but not least, the core range diesel version incorporates Renault’s new Hybrid Assist technology.

The Scenic is of course also quite high-tech thanks to a raft of driving aids and other features, such as its Active Emergency Braking System (AEBS) with Pedestrian Detection – a standard feature across all equipment levels.

In both its short and long guises, the fourth-generation SCENIC is of course firmly focused on winning over again loyal owners of its three previous generations who have long been drawn by the innovative features of the model which introduced the first sliding centre console.

We hope to lay our hands on one soon…in the meantime, just look at the photos!

Hans Knol ten Bensel