Best Green Global Brand 2013 - Toyota

Toyota confirmed its position of constant leader, for the third consecutive year, at the annual Interbrand report. The 2013 Best Global Green Brands award was won again by the Japanese automaker. The key methodology of the award determines the distance between the medium friendly performances of certain brands in comparison to the current average practices regarding protecting the environment.

Over 10.000 consumers from around the world have given Toyota credit not only for their commitment to gaining the leader spot when it comes to responsibility and protection regarding the environment, but also for their investment in innovative products like the pioneer model Toyota Prius. Toyota also invested a lot in various programs which have the objective to reduce the energy and water consumption in the entire operational process of making their cars as well as lowering the overall carbon dioxide emissions for their models.

Currently, the Japanese automaker has sold over 5.22 million Toyota and Lexus hybrid cars worldwide, which lead to an estimate reduction of carbon dioxide emissions, in comparison to regular cars, of about 35 million tones. Currently, Toyota is on a worldwide three year cycle of product launches which will lead, by the end of 2015, to the introduction of 21 new, modernized hybrid models.

The current lineup for the European markets includes 12 Toyota Hybrid models and 1 Lexus hybrid model. Currently, hybrid vehicles represent 18% of the total sales for the Toyota Motor Europe branch.

By 2015 Toyota aims to sell a hybrid models with the fuel cell technology based on hydrogen. The Japanese automaker’s commitment towards developing sustainable operations and obtaining the leadership position when it comes to protecting the environment leaves its mark on the entire life cycle of the Toyota products.

The Toyota Motor Manufacturing United Kingdom (TMUK) is the first foreign production unit of the Japanese automaker and the first automobile factory in Great Britain to obtain an ISO 14001 certificate for its environment management systems. In 2011, the largest solar panel park in the Great Britain hooked up to an industrial unit was accomplished at the TMUK and is currently composed of 16.800 solar panels. At its maximum capacity, the solar park can offer enough energy to build 7000 cars per year.

Last year, thanks to the fact that the Toyota dealership network in the Great Britain reduced the carbon emissions by 15%, there was a reduction of carbon dioxide emissions of 3700 tones.

30 million Volkswagen Golfs

The extremely popular Volkswagen Golf has reached the 30.000.000 units produced in the entire world. The first generation of the German popular vehicle was launched in 1974. During its entire existence, the Volkswagen Golf received numerous awards both at European level as well as around the world.

In its 39 years of existence, Volkswagen sold in the entire world no less than 30.000.000 units of their Volkswagen Golf model. The anniversary one, the exact 30 millionth Golf, is a Volkswagen Golf TDI BlueMotion, the most efficient model in the history of the German compact model. After the official unveiling of the car, scheduled to take place tomorrow, the car will be on display at the Volkswagen museum.

The seventh generation of the Volkswagen Golf was launched last year at the International Auto Saloon of Paris. The Volkswagen Golf earned the World Car of the Year 2013 award, one of the most prestigious distinctions in the auto industry.

The 2013 Volkswagen Golf is available starting from 15.578 Euro for the Trendline equipment level with the 1.2 TSI engine capable of developing 85 horsepower. For 18.720 Euro the Volkswagen Golf comes with the same level of equipment but with a 105 horsepower engine.

The cheapest diesel version of the Volkswagen Golf comes with a 1.6 TDI engine capable of developing 90 horsepower available starting from 18.004 Euro. With the Highline equipment package the Volkswagen Golf comes with a 2.0 TDI engine capable of developing 150 horsepower for a price starting from 22.639 Euro.  

2013 Opel Insignia revealed

Opel officially revealed a series of photos and information of Insignia model. The 2013 Opel Insignia has gone through a facelift process and will be launched later this year, in the autumn, at the International Auto Saloon in Frankfurt. The new Opel Insignia will be available with a new petrol unit with a turbocharger that will have outputs ranging from 170 and 250 horsepower. Another new powerhouse will be the turbo diesel engine that will have an output of 140 horsepower and an average fuel consumption figure of just 3.7 liters per 100 kilometers.

The German automaker revealed that the facelift version of their model will officially be launched in Frankfurt later this year. The Opel Insignia will benefit from a series of new equipment levels and a new design.

A new generation infotainment system will be available for the new Opel Insignia. This new system integrates a lot of features that will help out smartphone users. More than that, it will be easily and intuitively accessed thanks to the 8 inch touch sensitive interface on the central console.

The 2013 Opel Insignia will be powered by three different types of fuel, more precisely each buyer will have to choose between a diesel propulsion, a petrol unit or a LPG unit with the final output ranging between 110 horsepower and 325 horsepower.

The new Opel Insignia 2.0 CDTI is available in both a 120 horsepower version and a 140 horsepower version. The 140 horsepower version of the 2.0 CDTI engine of the Opel Insignia has an average fuel consumption of 3.7 liters per 100 kilometers.

The most powerful diesel unit available is the 2.0 BiTurbo CDTI which has an output of 195 horsepower. The high performance diesel engine with bi-sequential turbochargers has a torque of 400 Nm and offers a very prompt response for a large of revs.

Extremely impressive are the petrol units. More precisely, the 2013 Opel Insignia comes with two turbocharged direct injection petrol units: the 1.6 SIDI Turbo engine, a new generation unit, with an output of 170 horsepower and 260 Nm (up to 280 Nm thanks to the amplification system, hence the SIDI name) and the real muscle unit, the 2.0 SIDI Turbo petrol engine with 250 horsepower and 400 Nm. For those of you wondering, SIDI stands for Spark Ignition Direct Injection.

Both of the petrol units can be coupled with a six speed manual transmission and a Start/Stop system or the new six speed automatic transmission with reduced friction. Along with the front wheel drive version, the 2013 Opel Insignia 2.0 turbo SIDI version is also available with all wheel drive.

13th Edition of "Best 4x4" Romania

The “Best 4x4” Romania competition wants to award the automobiles with the best results in both off-road and on-road. It is interesting to mention that all the participating automobiles have the same equipment levels as those found in the showrooms.

At the start of the 13th edition of the competition there were four automobile categories: Pickup, Off-road, SUV Premium and SUV. The on-road stages took place on the National Road 73A, between the Mateias mausoleum and the Holcim factory. The off-road stages took place on two mountain tracks set up around the Leresti county.

In order to be eligible for this competition, all the models must have been on sale in Romania in the first half of the year 2013. All the models in the competition had only factory equipment, homologated by the automakers for normal road use. No improvements or modifications of the drive train, body, transmission or engine were allowed. The tires were those mentioned as being the official equipment of each car.

The Best 4x4 Pickup category was won by the new Ford Ranger. The Ford Ranger managed to defeat other experienced models in the segment like the Nissan Navara, the Mitsubishi L200 and the Isuzu D-MAX. The Ford Ranger impressed the jury with its off-road qualities, its extremely safe driving behavior as well as the decent fuel consumption. It is important to mention that the downhill assistance system worked very nicely, despite the manual transmission on the Ford Ranger.

The Best 4x4 Off-road category was dominated by the new generation Range Rover, which also won the award. The British SUV convinced the members of the jury with its exquisite qualities, both on tarmac and on the off-road tracks, where the Range Rover combines the comfort offered to the passengers with the remarkable easiness in going over any obstacle. The Range Rover clearly beat its contenders at the off-road category, the Suzuki Jimny and the Volkswagen Touareg.

The Best 4x4 Premium SUV award was won by the Audi Q3 thanks to its out of the factory high quality, dynamic behavior and polyvalence in exploitation. The Audi Q3 managed to defeat the Land Rover Freelander 2 and the Audi Q5.

The most important award, the Best 4x4 SUV was won by the Mitsubishi Outlander. The Japanese SUV had important competition, including the Nissan X-Trail, the Kia Sorento, the Hyundai Santa Fe, the Honda CR-V, the Ford Kuga and the Dacia Duster. The members of the jury appreciated the mix between the on-road qualities of the Mitsubishi Outlander and the off-road abilities.

Kia recalls a number of models for brake pedal issue

Kia has announced through its dealership chain that it is launching a recall campaign for a number of models, including the Kia Carnivel (2006 – 2007 model), the Kia Soul (2010 – 2011), the Kia Sorento (2007 – 2011) and the Kia Sportage (2007 – 2010). The reason for the recall is the preventive replacement of the electric contactor of the breaking pedal. Kia has announced a couple of thousands vehicles in Europe are being recalled for this reason.

The automobiles which have this flaw can develop a number of malfunctions because of the intermittent operation of the brake pedal contactor. Some of the flaws that can show up include the braking lights which won’t turn on or off. Another malfunction that can appear, but only depending on specific levels of equipment on the Kia models, is the ESC light on, the malfunction of the Cruise Control system, the malfunction of the START button, not being able to move the gear shifter from the P position in the automatic gearbox. In Europe, there were no accidents caused by one of these flaws until now, but the South Korean automaker is looking to fix it before that is a case.

All of the costs of the recall will be supported by Kia Motors Company, without any financial involved from the customer side. Starting this month, owners of the vehicles that might be affected by the above mentioned flaws will be informed, by letters, to take their car to the nearest Kia authorized service unit. The entire operation of replacing the contactor lasts about 45 minutes on average, depending on the exact model.

SsangYong shows its new lineup

Wallis Automotive Europe will launch this summer the new range of models for the SsangYong automaker. Amongst the newcomers we can count the SsangYong Actyon Sports, the SsangYong Rexton W and the new SsangYong Korando. Later this year, towards the autumn season, the new MPV model named SsangYong Rodius will make its debut.

The new compact SUV SssangYong Korando is the first of the new models in the European lineup of the South Korean automaker. The design of the compact terrain vehicle was done by the famous Italian stylist Giorgetto Giugiaro. The SssangYong Korando is a landmark for the South Korean company as it is the first car to feature a monocoque chassis in the automakers’ entire history. The new SsangYong Korando will be available with one petrol engine and two diesel units as well as a choice between a manual gearbox and an automatic six gear one. Customers will also have a choice between the advanced all wheel drive traction and the front wheel drive option.

The completely new SsangYong Rexton W, a large terrain premium vehicle, will be available as a seven seat version. The body is independent from the chassis. The SsangYong Rexton W comes with a non permanent all wheel drive system with a lockable reductor. Thanks to all of these qualities, the SsangYong Rexton W will offer a great price to quality ratio for its class.

The new SsangYong Actyon Sports, in contrast to the traditional pickup trucks, is not just a vehicle used for labor, as it can be very nicely used as a family car or a recreational vehicle as it offers total comfort for a maximum of five people. These qualities are possible thanks to the fact that the SsangYong Actyon Sports uses an independent rear suspension with five arms, offering a level of comfort which one could normally find in regular road cars. Other pickup trucks normally use leaf springs which severely reduces the ride comfort.

Volkswagen Canyon - a SUV based on Polo?

In the most recent number, published at the beginning of this month, the French magazine Auto Journal concentrates its attention towards the future models that will be launched in the years to come in the Volkswagen SUV range of models.

Leaving aside the new generations of the existing models, like the Volkswagen Tiguan, there will some all new models in the lineup of the German automaker.

One of the big surprises should be the new Volkswagen Canyon, a SUV based on the Volkswagen Polo. The car is not an official project of the German automaker, but more likely what the French auto magazine is imagining it should be like.

The Volkswagen Canyon should be of the same size and class as its potential French rivals, the Peugeot 2008 and the Renault Captur. The Volkswagen Polo based SUV should be an urban crossover, meant to make its debut at latest at the end of the next year with a starting price of 15.500 Euro for the western markets.

The Volkswagen Canyon should be followed by its sibling, the Volkswagen Taigun, as the last new SUV model in the range of the German automaker along with the second generation of the Volkswagen Tiguan and the Volkswagen Touareg.

Photo via: Auto Journal

Cavalli modified MINI - 150.000 Euro

Admired by tens of thousands of spectators, the 2013 Life Ball MINI by Roberto Cavalli had its first appearance on the red carpet at the Life Ball. With Roberto Cavalli at the wheel and his wife, Eva Cavalli, on the right seat, the 2013 Life Ball MINI symbolized the spectacular ending to the costume parade that preceded the show in the Market Hall in Vienna.

The Italian designer interpreted the most recent MINI model (the seventh) in his own distinctive way. The car has golden elements both at the interior and the exterior, paint which glows from black to brown depending on the angle of the light and the traditional animal prints. Thus, that particular MINI Paceman became an authentic Cavalli creation. With a couple of hours before the official showing, the Cavalli modified MINI Paceman was auctioned for a record amount of money – 150.000 Euro. The money was redirected for projects fighting against HIV/AIDS, as the auction took place at the AIDS Solidarity gala.

Since the beginning of the partnership in 2001, no less than 13 one of a kind MINI models were created and the money obtained at the auctions, a grand total of over half a million Euro, was used for projects dedicated to fighting HIV/AIDS. Along with Roberto Cavalli, numerous other world renowned designers have modified a MINI model for this cause. Amongst these designers we name Donatella Versace, Renzo Rosso (Diesel Company), Dean and Dan Caten from the DSQUARED company.

Under the “1001 Nights” motto, the 2013 Life Ball gathered together numerous celebrities, including Fergie, Erwin Schrott, Anna Netrebko, Bill Clinton, Carmen Electra, Melanie Griffith, Hillary Swank and Sir Elton John. All of these celebrities were invited in order to raise the awareness regarding the HIV/AIDS virus and its consequences.

WRC Acropolis - first win for Volkswagen

The Finn driver Jari-Matti Latvala won the Acropolis Rally, a WRC (World Rally Championship) stage. This is an important achievement both for the Finn driver and the car he was driving. The win at the Acropolis Rally was the first with the new Volkswagen Polo R WRC model.

This result comes one decade after the debut of the experience Finn driver at the Acropolis Rally. At that time Jari-Matti Latvala was driving a Ford Focus RS model. At that time aged 18, the Finn was the youngest driver to compete at a WRC race with a factory WRC car.

At the 2013 Acropolis WRC Rally the second place was occupied by Dani Sordo (Citroen) while the podium was completed by Thierry Neuville (Ford).

A remarkable performance was the one of Andreas Mikkelsen, who managed to finish in the fourth position after a duel with Al-Attiyah. Sebastian Ogier only just managed to get an overall position which rewarded him with points but he added three extra points thanks to his win in the Power Stage.

The next WRC stage will take place in Sardinia, Italy between the 20th and the 23rd of June.

Here are all the results of the 2013 Acropolis Rally:

Final standings – Acropolis Rally 2013:

  1. Jari-Matti Latvala - Miikka Anttila (Volkswagen) 4h31’01”2

  2. Daniel Sordo - Carlos Del Barrio (Citroen) +1’50”0

  3. Thierry Neuville - Nicolas Gilsoul (Ford) +2’14”1

  4. Andreas Mikkelsen - Mikko Markkula (Volkswagen) +3’55”1

  5. Nasser Al-Attiyah - Giovanni Bernacchini (Ford) +4’12”6

  6. Mads Ostberg - Jonas Andersson (Ford) +5’48”7

  7. Mikko Hirvonen - Jarmo Lehtinen (Citroen) +8’00”7

  8. Martin Prokop - Michal Ernst (Ford) +8’01”2

  9. Evgeny Novikov - Ilka Minor (Ford) +8’11”1

 10. Sebastien Ogier - Julien Ingrassia (Volkswagen) +10’10”3

Power Stage – Acropolis Rally 2013:

 1. Sebastien Ogier - Julien Ingrassia 20’38”5

 2. Evgeny Novikov - lka Minor +9”9

 3. Andreas Mikkelsen - Mikko Markkula +11”6

Overall team standing in the 2013 WRC Championship until now:

1. Volkswagen Motorsport 180 points.

 2. Citroen Total Abu Dhabi 162 points.

 3. Qatar M-Sport 83 points.

Overall driver standings in the 2013 WRC Championship until now:

 1. Sebastien Ogier 126 p.

 2. Jari-Matti Latvala 74 p.

 3. Sebastien Loeb 68 p.

Skoda Octavia RS - Czech beauty

Skoda officially launched today the first images and official information about its new generation Skoda Octavia RS model. The third generation of the Skoda Octavia RS is the fastest one in its history. The sporty sedan will make its official appearance next month at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

As usual, the top of the line Skoda Octavia will be available both as a sedan/limousine version as well as a break/estate version with both diesel (TDI) and petrol (TSI) engine options. The Skoda Octavia RS with the six speed manual gearbox and the 2.0 TDI diesel engine with an output of 184 horsepower will take the sporty Czech model from 0 to 100 km/h in 8.1 seconds and to a maximum speed of 232 km/h. When equipped with the 2.0 TSI petrol unit capable of developing 220 horsepower, the Skoda Octavia RS (with the same six speed manual gearbox) will be able to go from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.8 seconds and up to a maximum speed of 248 km/h. In comparison, the previous generation Skoda Octavia RS went from 0 to 100 km/h in 7.2 seconds and had a maximum speed of 242 km/h. For both of the engine options, optionally, there is the DSG transmission available with a double clutch.

Despite the increase in power (14 more horsepower for the diesel version and 20 more horsepower for the petrol unit) the Czech automaker announced a decrease of the average fuel consumption by 19% for the Skoda Octavia RS. The start & stop system as well as the energy regeneration while braking system are offered as standard while the sport suspension contributes to the lowered height of just 12 millimeters (13 millimeters for the estate version). 

Styling features include a double exhaust system, a back spoiler and 17, 18 or 19 inch wheels offered optionally.

The Skoda Octavia RS will make its debut in July. Pricing details have yet to be announced.

Skoda Rapid Spaceback - images and info

Just like at the end of the last year in the case of the Skoda Octavia RS, the Czech automaker mistakenly (or not) leaked a new model in its online car configuration utility, allowing everyone to see a lot of details of a yet to be announced model. This time we are talking about the new Skoda Rapid Spaceback which showed up in the online car configuration utility on the Dutch version of the Skoda website. Thus, everyone could get a good look at the new break model of the Czech automaker.

The Skoda Rapid Spaceback looks quite a lot like the Audi A3 Sportback (hence the name similarity Sportback – Spaceback). Still, we must keep in mind that the name shown on the website could just be a prototype version of the name and the official stage name to be different.

The Skoda Rapid Spaceback will use the same platform as the Volkswagen Polo, only longer, with a couple of borrowed elements from the MQB which is the new platform of Volkswagen. The MQB platform was the base for a lot of new models from the German automaker like the Audi A3, Volkswagen Golf, Seat Leon and the Skoda Octavia.

There are no official technical details yet, but it is expected that the Skoda Rapid Spaceback will have the same engine options as the sedan version. More details will most likely be revealed at the International Auto Saloon in Frankfurt which will take place later this year, in the autumn.

Photos via: autoforum.cz

Sibiu Rally 2013 - 228 kilometers, 14 special stages

With a month and a half before the start of the 2013 edition of the Sibiu Rally, the seventh stage of the European Rally Championship, the organizers revealed the official track where a lot of top drivers will be competing. The Sibiu Rally, the most important auto event in Romania, will have 14 special stages of which 8 are distinct, with a total length of 228 kilometers.

In 2013 the Sibiu Rally Romania will have a similar course as the one from last year, which was part of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge. One of the differences is the growth of the tarmac percentage to approximately 20% of the total length of the track. More than that, there will be a special stage which will be on 100% tarmac. The rest of the special stages will be the same as last year, only a couple more of them will have some parts of complete tarmac.

Because the super special stage attracts a lot of audience, the organizers decided that it will be covered twice by the drivers. The length of the super stage is of 3.8 kilometers. The Gatu Berbecului special stage has a length of 32 kilometers, being longer than last year. The organizers mentioned that they have done a lot of efforts in order to raise the quality level of the track, this being one of the requirements received from Eurosport, the promoter of the European Rally Championship.

The official opening for the Sibiu Rally will be on the 22nd of July but the actual racing will be done between the 25th of July and the 27th of July. 

Those interested in participating can register between the 7th of June and the 13th of July.

BMW Group Romania has a new boss

BMW Group Romania has a general director in the person of Alexander Milanov. He will be keeping in the same time the position of BMW Group Bulgaria general director, which is occupied by him since 2007, at the launch of the group.

Alexander Milanov comes with a 20 year experience in the premium auto industry, having been in other responsibility positions in the marketing and sales departments. The Bulgarian will take lead of the BMW Group Romania in the context of a volatile auto market caused by the national and international economic climate, but is supported by an important schedule of new important model launches.

The former general director, Marco Schulz, leaves BMW Group Romania after three years for a management position in the BMW Germany division. During the time he was in charge in Bucharest, the German automaker managed to obtain constantly the first place in the premium segment.   

Canada Grand Prix 2013: Again, Vettel

For the second racing weekend in a row, the qualification session was held in mixed weather conditions. In the qualifying session, Sebastian Vettel managed to obtain the best time and thus obtained the pole position. The second place on the starting grid was obtained by the Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton while the third best time in the qualifying session was obtained by the surprise driver from Finland, Valtteri Bottas. The young Finn driver made a great impression during the qualification session in Canada, as his previous best result was a 14th place as a starting position on the grid.

On Sunday, at the actual race, the Formula 1 World Champion Sebastian Vettel showed his superiority, as he managed to win the race without much fuss. It was the third win of the season for the talented German. Another point of interest in the 2013 Canada Grand Prix was Fernando Alonso. The Spaniard managed to finish in the second place after starting from the sixth. The Ferrari driver took the cannons out to play in the second half of the race, managing a real spectacle of overtakes; including an impressive overtake of the former British Formula 1 Champion, Lewis Hamilton. The British Mercedes driver managed to finish third in the race, behind Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton.

An interesting observation: Only the first five drivers managed to finish in the same lap, the rest of the pack was a lap or more behind the winner.

The next Grand Prix will take place on the 30th of June in Great Britain, at the famous Silverstone track. Below you have the current standings in the 2013 Formula 1 Championship and the race results of the Canada Grand Prix.

Canada Grand Prix 2013 final results:

 1. Sebastian Vettel (Red Bull Racing-Renault)

 2. Fernando Alonso (Ferrari)

 3. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)

 4. Mark Webber (Red Bull Racing-Renault)

 5. Nico Rosberg (Mercedes)

 6. Jean-Eric Vergne (STR-Ferrari)

 7. Paul di Resta (Force India-Mercedes)

 8. Felipe Massa (Ferrari)

 9. Kimi Raikkonen (Lotus-Renault)

10. Adrian Sutil (Force India-Mercedes)

Drivers’ championship standings:

1. Sebastian Vettel 132 p.

2. Fernando Alonso 96 p.

3. Kimi Raikkonen 88 p.

4. Lewis Hamilton 77 p.

5. Mark Webber 69 p.

Constructors’ championship standings:

1. Red Bull Racing-Renault 201 p.

2. Ferrari 145 p.

3. Mercedes 134 p.

2013 Toyota Corolla - dignity above all

After being withdrawn from the market in the favor of the Toyota Auris hatchback model, the Toyota Corolla has continued its long lasting career on certain markets on the globe, in the form of a compact sedan model. In the USA the Toyota Corolla continues to be a reference when it comes to the Japanese automaker and its range of models. Actually, according to the statistics of the Japanese automaker, the Toyota Corolla claims the unofficial title of the car with the largest numbers of sales in the world in 2012.

For 2013, the Toyota Corolla is getting a fresh start, thanks to its eleventh generation. Toyota will be making three versions of the compacts sedan – two for the European market and one for the American market. The differences will be mainly aesthetic ones, being mostly the same model when it comes to the technical details.

In comparison to the previous generation, the 2013 Toyota Corolla has a dynamic, daring design which was inspired from the Toyota Furia concept. Without a doubt, the new Toyota Corolla will be a worth opponent for the competitors in its range like the Volkswagen Jetta or the Honda Civic.

For the European market, the Toyota Corolla will basically have the same engine options as the Toyota Auris hatchback. For the American market, the Japanese automaker will offer an all-new atmospheric four cylinders 1.8 liter engine capable of developing 132 horsepower. The Eco version, named “LE”, will come with a CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) while the standard versions of the Toyota Corolla will have the older automatic transmission with four gears. Toyota has announced it has a lot of work in trying to reduce the weight of the car to the maximum. Thus, the LE version weighs only 1315 kilograms achieving average fuel consumption of 5.8 liters per 100 kilometers.

Kia sales on the rise

The South Korean automaker, Kia, has announced a rise in sales for the European market.

Kia has managed to sell a total of 110.337 cars until now in 2013 on the European markets, which represents an increase of 4.1% in comparison to the similar period of 2012.

In the month of April 2013, Kia has managed to sell a total of 29.490 units, which is an increase of 7.2% in comparison to the similar period of 2012. Thanks to these great results, the South Korean automaker has managed to slow down the falling figures when it comes to sales of new cars on the European markets and the EFTA (European Free Treaty Association) states. The overall status in terms of car sales for these markets was a decrease of 7.1% in comparison to last year.

The best sold model in 2013 for the South Korean automaker is the Kia Cee’d. The popular hatchback managed to sell in a total of 31.942 units until now on the European markets, excluding the EFTA states.

The Kia Sportage also managed to achieve good commercial figures, as in the first four months of the year it was sold in 31.772 units in Europe.

Thus, the Korean automaker continues its tendency to obtain great results in terms of sales on the European continent despite the overall tendency of the market to plummet. The sales of Kia are growing on markets which are continuously declining, like Germany, Italy or France while good performances are obtained on markets which are not that bad overall in terms of sales, like Great Britain, Belgium or Norway.

Thanks to these good results, Kia has a market share of 2.7% in Europe. The large number of sales was obtained thanks to more recent versions of the models Kia Cee’d and Kia Pro_Cee’d but also thanks to the overall positive brand awareness the South Korean automaker is enjoying, thus obtaining large number of sales for models like the Kia Picanto, Kia Rio or Kia Sportage.

Maybe the most important edge the South Korean automaker has is the 150.000 kilometers or 7 years warranty for all the models in its range.

Mercedes - the official TIFF car in the past 6 years

For the sixth consecutive year, from the 31st of May to the 9th of June, Mercedes Benz will bring top brass from the movie industry to the red carpet of the TIFF (Transylvania International Film Festival). The movie festival, currently at its twelfth edition, is being held in Cluj Napoca, Romania.

The partnership between TIFF and Mercedes Benz, as the official car of the festival, shows the common values: attention to details, constant innovation, and inspiration along with excellence. The new Mercedes Benz E-Class, along with the Mercedes Viano, Mercedes Vito and the Mercedes Sprinter are at the disposal of the guests during the entire film festival for an as pleasant and comfortable as possible experience.

Until now, there were movie projections and concerts, in locations in Cluj Napoca and at the Bontida and Banffy castles. More than that, until the 9th of June there will be more movies on display, as there are over 20 sections of the TIFF.

Mercedes will award excellence during the festival, as it will offer the TIFF Excelence Award on the 8th of June to a personality who has special credits for promoting the Romanian movie industry. This is a tradition, as Mercedes Benz did the same thing even since 2008, offering awards to famous personalities like Radu Beligan (2008), Mircea Albulescu (2009), Liviu Ciulei (2010), Lucian Pintilie (2011) as well as Iosif Demian and Helmut Sturmer (2012).

The partnership between Mercedes Benz and the TIFF is a part of the Excellence Guide promoted by the German automaker.

Citroen DS - a success story

The modern Citroen DS range of models, which was revealed one year ago in China, the biggest auto market in the world, was a real success story for the French automaker. Positioning itself as a premium line of models for the Chinese market, the French cars got all the attention at the International Auto Saloon of Shanghai. The major point of interest was the Citroen Wild Rubis concept car. The French concept was the quintessence of technology, having a refined and powerful style. Thanks to these features, the Citroen Rubis received the Best Revealing Car Award from the Chinese auto magazine BitAuto. The Netease auto magazine also gave two more awards, one for Best Service Agency for the DS World, the first DS showroom in the world, opened in Shanghai and the Best Concept Car Award.

In Europe, the Citroen DS3 received the 2013 Best Supermini award in Great Britain, after the satisfaction level poll done by JD Power amongst the owners of supermini cars in Great Britain, for the What Car? magazine. Occupying the overall forth position out of 116 models, the Citroen DS3 received five stars for performance, services and running costs.

The Citroen DS line of models registered great success since the rebirth of the line, in modern shape, one year ago. It was a success from a commercial point of view too, achieving 350.000 sold units and enjoying good reviews from auto journalists. Both in China and Europe, the Citroen DS line of models along with the concept versions certainly impresses auto lovers. The most recent distinctions include the All-terrain Hybrid Car of the Year 2013 from the Auto Bild Allroad (German magazine), the most well known 4x4 auto magazine in Europe. The award was given in April 2013 in Germany.

The Citroen DS3 is available at prices starting from 11.109 euros. The Citroen DS4 is available starting from 15.901 euros while the top of the line Citroen DS5 is available starting from 22.008 euros.

Complete list of awards at 2013 International Engine of the year

I previously wrote about how Ford was the big winner, getting the grand award at the 2013 International Engine of the Year award thanks to its 1.0 liter three cylinders petrol engine.

I also wrote about BMW two managed to obtain two awards for the 1.6 liter category and the 2.0 liter category.

Now, it is time for a round-up and a clear listing of all the awards at the prestigious event.

Thus, Ford has done it again with its three cylinders EcoBoost engine, managing to get the award of the International Engine of the Year for the second time in a row. The decision was made by the vote of 87 auto journalists from 35 countries. It is just the third time in the history of the award when an automaker manages to achieve consecutive wins.

Here is the complete list of awards:

Under 1.0 liters:

Ford 999 cc three cylinders petrol engine.

1.0  – 1.4 liters:

Volkswagen 1.4 liters TSI Twincharger engine.

1.4 – 1.8 liters:

BMW-PSA 1.6 liters turbo engine

1.8 – 2.0 liters:

BMW 2.0 liters four cylinders twin turbo engine

2.0  – 2.5 liters

BMW 2.0 liters four cylinders twin turbo engine

2.5 – 3.0 liters

Porsche 2.7 liters diesel engine

3.0  – 4.0 liters

McLaren 3.8 liters V8 engine

Best Performance Engine 2013

Ferrari 6.3 liters V12 engine

Best Green Engine 2013

Fiat 875 cc two cylinders turbo CNG engine

Best New Engine 2013

Volkswagen 1.4 liters turbocharged petrol engine

2013 International Engine of the Year

Ford 999 cc three cylinders turbocharged petrol engine

Two new awards for BMW at International Engine of the Year

The BMW Group extended its award portfolio with two new distinctions received at the International Engine of the Year Awards. More precisely, they got the award at the 1.6 liter engines category for their engine used on the Mini Cooper S. They also won the 2.0 liter award for their BMW TwinPower Turbo petrol engine.

Since the debut of the competition in 1999, BMW has always won at least one award each year. In the past 15 years the German automaker managed to win a grand total of 60 awards, becoming the most successful automaker in the history of the International Engine of the Year Awards.

It is the seventh consecutive year when the 1.6 liter, four cylinders, petrol engine which is used on the Mini models receives an award at the International Engine of the Year awards. The engine comes with a unique combination in its segment between the twin-scroll turbo system, with a turbine separately powered from every two cylinders, and the Valvetronic, which is the electronic control system of the opening level of the admission valves. The result is an engine with an excellent response at the lowest revs per minute. More precisely, it has an output of 240 Nm of torque between 1600 revs per minute and 5000 revs per minute.

The entire Mini range of models benefits from this 1.6 liter petrol unit, with excellent results in terms of dynamics and power consumption. More than that, the Mini Paceman and Mini Countryman are available along with the ALL4 all wheel drive system.

For the second consecutive year, the BMW 2.0 liter TwinPower Turbo petrol engine, with four cylinders, is awarded with the International Engine of the Year award for its category. The BMW Valvetronic system and the twin-scroll turbo-charging system is completed by the HPDI (High Precision Direct Injection) system for excellent response times at low rpm for better efficiency and sporty behavior.

The engine is available on a large range of models from the German automaker, being impressive thanks to the BMW specific combination of low power consumption and dynamic performance. The models available with the 2.0 liter petrol unit include the BMW X1 xDrive28i, the BMW X3 xDrive28i, the BMW Z4 sDrive28i, the BMW 528i and the BMW 328i.

First spy images of new Dacia Duster

The Dacia Duster is getting ready to receive a facelift, as a prototype spotted during a test session shows. The new 2014 Dacia Duster will be officially launched until the end of the year 2013.

After the styling upgrade on the Dacia Sandero hatchback and the Dacia logan sedan / estate, it seems like the Romanian automaker is getting ready to apply the same treatment to its only SUV in its range of models. It seems that the stage of things is quite advanced, as a prototype was spotted on camera during a test session a few days ago.

Even though the prototype is heavily camouflaged, a series of modifications brought to the frontal area, as well as the rear part can be easily observed. The headlights, grill and spoiler are covered in order to mask the completely new design of the Dacia Duster. At the rear end of the SUV the Romanian automaker has done a few minor tweaks for the stoplights and rear bumper.

The interior of the Dacia Duster will be refreshed too, as the 2014 model will get new seats, MEDIA NAV multimedia system as well as a new design for the dashboard. The new Dacia Duster is expected to make its debut in the autumn of this year, perhaps at the International Auto Saloon in Frankfurt which is scheduled between the 12th and 22nd of September.

Foto credits go to Autoblog.it .

Porsche shows its green face

Porsche hosted an event for the international auto press. During this event, 42 auto tests were conducted using the new Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid. The total distance covered during these tests was of 1200 kilometers and the average fuel consumption was recorded at just 4.4 liters per 100 kilometers.

The best result of the hybrid Porsche Panamera, the luxury class hybrid car with a power outlet recharging mechanism, was registered on the racing track. Thus, the Porsche Panamera registered an average fuel consumption of only 2.8 liters per 100 kilometers.

These results proved that, in day to day usage, it is very likely that someone driving this car will obtain similar fuel consumption results as those registered during the NEDC tests, which were of 3.1 liters per 100 kilometers. The performance was achieved by four series models of the Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid, in each of them being three or four people, the climate system was on and having accelerated up to 230 km/h on a section of highway of the course.

The test circuit had a total length of 28.7 kilometers and included a journey around the city of Hockenheim along with 6.5 kilometers of driving in the city, 9.2 kilometers of driving in the rural area along with 13 kilometers of German highway – no speed restrictions on some parts.

An important part of obtaining such results is the 9.4 kWh lithium ion battery. The Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid has a range of 36 kilometers using the electric engine alone. These figures were confirmed during real life tests, the car registering 0.0 liters/ 100 kilometers and 0 carbon dioxide emissions for a 30 kilometers range at an average speed of 54 km/h. Thus, these real world results are better than those achieved at the NEDC tests that were completed on the test probe with an average speed of only 33 km/h.

The Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid has a combined total power of 416 horsepower being able to go from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.5 seconds and managing to achieve a maximum speed of 270 km/h. The new Porsche Panamera S Hybrid will be available starting with the end of the month July 2013.

Kia Venga is every buyer's dream

That is what the famous German magazine Auto Bild claims.

After an endurance test of 100.000 kilometers, Auto Bild described the Kia Venga as being “the dream of any car owner”. During the thorough endurance test there were no notable technical problems.

After testing a 1.4 CWT EcoDynamics Kia Venga (petrol unit) for over two years, the editors who were in charge of the project appreciated the Korean model’s spacious interior, perfectly fit for a family. The German auto magazine also appreciated its tall driving position, easy access at both at the front and rear, the rear seats versatility and the silence of the engines, especially during urban usage.

During the entire period of the test there was no need for extra engine oil between fixed revisions, the transmission functioned without any hesitation and the Kia Venga braked in adequate parameters, even if it was still equipped with the original disc brakes and plates, the ones with which it came out of the factory.

After reaching the 100.000 kilometers target, the Kia Venga was disassembled entirely to pieces under the guidance of German experts of the DEKRA organization. The editors of Auto Bild examined each component very carefully to discover any potential faults. The only piece which had to be replaced was the socket of a fog lamp. The cost of replacing that component cost only 60 euros!

The Kia Venga managed after such a great result to get the second place out of 97 different models tested in the last 13 years by the reputable German auto magazine. Thus, the Kia Venga is bound to get at least a slight sales boost.

Honda Civic gets a new diesel engine

Following the European trend, Honda decided to come to the market with a new diesel engine unit for its popular Honda Civic model. The diesel engine is 1.6 i-DTEC engine capable of 120 horsepower and 300 nm of torque.

The Honda Civic powered by the 1.6 liter diesel engine offers the same driving pleasure as the petrol units. The specific agility of the popular Japanese model can be found in the version with a diesel unit thanks to the 300 Nm of torque available from 2000 revs per minute. The six speed manual gearbox is a bit on the short side but it works perfectly with the engine leading to average fuel consumption, on the highway, of 6.1 liters per 100 kilometers. The Honda Civic, thanks to its aerodynamic shape, is a car suited for anyone, having the “technical wisdom” to help drivers in hard situations. The braking system is prompt while the electric power steering is precise and offers a good feedback.

Exterior features include a “shark like” wing on the roof used for the multimedia system, aerodynamic wings in the back part of the car with aerodynamic features, to stabilize side air turbulences at high speeds. These features along with the inferior part of the back window shaped as a fin help the car to have a negative lift which comes with a stability gain at high speeds, keeping the car stable and offering a relaxed ride.

At the interior of the Honda Civic, the high tech dashboard, known from the petrol powered models, reveals a green button named “ECON”, which is usually found on hybrid, environmental friendly cars. At the pressing of this button, the diesel unit of the Honda Civic, along with the other energy consuming parts, is configured to start working more efficiently, reducing the carbon dioxide emissions and lowering fuel consumption.

The aluminum throttle along with polished aluminum elements at the interior give the driver the sensation he is in a cockpit, the Honda Civic diesel having an appealing design on the inside.

The Honda Civic five door 1.6 i-DTEC model in the Lifestyle version with HDD Navigation costs 26.028 euros, taxes included.

International Engine of the Year - 1.0 liter Ford Eco Boost

The 1.0 liter petrol engine, the Ford EcoBoost, was awarded with the title of International Engine of the Year 2013, being the second consecutive year when it receives this distinction.

Ford’s EcoBoost engine benefits from the mix formed by the variable distribution, supercharged turbo and direct injection. Thus, the Ford EcoBoost has low fuel consumption without sacrificing power. The magazine Engine Technology International also awarded the three cylinder engine the “Best engine with a capacity of less than 1.0 liters”.

Ford has confirmed its plan to double the production of the engine at its factory in Koln, Germany. Starting with the second half of August this year, in order to cope with demand, the German factory will pump out over 1000 engines per day.

A group formed of 87 auto journalists from 35 different countries from around the world has been the jury in this competition. The criteria which were under analyze of each engine included refinement, fuel consumption, performance, maneuverability and advanced technologies implementations.

Ford is one of the three automakers in history to have achieved consecutive wins in the 15 year history of the award. The Ford EcoBoost 1.0 liter petrol engine also won a number of other awards, including the 2013 Paul Pietsch International Award for technology innovation given by the German magazine Auto Motor und Sport, the Dewar Trophy from the Royal Automobile Club of Great Britain and the technological discovery award from the Popular Mechanics magazine in the USA.

The 1.0 liter Ford EcoBoost engine is currently in production in Craiova, Romania and Koln, Germany. It was developed by the research and development centers of Ford from Aachen and Merkenich in Germany and the Dunton center in Great Britain.

The American automaker is planning to offer the innovative engine for models like the Ford Tourneo Connect or Ford Tourneo along with other commercial vechiles like the Ford Transit Connect and Ford Transit Courier. Currently, the three cylinder engine is offered on models like the Ford Mondeo, Ford C-Max, Ford Focus, Ford Fiesta and Ford B-Max.

Ford plans to triple the annual production of vehicles equipped with the petrol EcoBoost engine to approximately 480.000 units until 2015, from 141.000 in 2011. In the first trimester of 2013, the EcoBoost 1.0 liter unit was used in 42% of the Ford B-Max models produced along with 30% of the Ford Focus cars.