New Vehicles Debut at Moscow Car Show

MOSCOW–Carmakers descend on Moscow this week to show off new models to a Russian public whose soaring incomes are fast making Russia the largest car market in Europe.
The Moscow International Auto Salon will witness eight debuts, including new models from BMW, Audi, Lexus and Renault, and a trend away from budget cars toward the more expensive machines that Russians increasingly can afford.
"If a few years ago we saw the $10,000 level as the most popular, people now are buying cars for $19,000 and over," said Ivan Bolchev of Ernst & Young in Moscow. "Growth in disposable income is pushing this up, and that's supported by the growth in the economy, thanks largely of course to oil exports."
Sales of foreign car brands in Russia rose 46 per cent in January through July to 1,256,869 units, compared with the same period of 2007, according to figures released on Monday by the Association of European Businesses.
Some foreign carmakers are targeting up to 50 per cent sales gains again this year, though volumes are already high and the pace of growth is becoming difficult to maintain.
Ford sold 175,000 cars here last year and is targeting 200,000 in 2008 and General Motors has said it hopes to sell 400,000 cars this year, up from previous estimates of 300,000.
"And the market is far from saturated. We're seeing growth in every segment, including the supercars," Bolchev said.
Mazda will debut its new concept car, the Kazamai, a futuristic coupe whose name means 'swirling crosswinds' in Japanese, while Renault will bring out its Symbol hatchback.
RUSSIA TO OVERTAKE GERMANY
Growth in Russia's banking system has supported the expansion of the auto sector, analysts say, as Russians feel secure enough to borrow against incomes which have grown at a steady clip of around 10 per cent per year for almost a decade.

MINI Cooper S

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Andy Enright on the next generation Mini Cooper S
Its fair to say that the success of the original New MINI caught everyone on the hop even paymasters BMW but now that the MK1 new MINI is old hat, its time for a new New MINI. To be honest, it looks much like the old New MINI but here in Cooper S guise, its even more refined, economical and, most importantly, powerful.
Thats down to a completely different engine providing the motive force. Where the old Cooper S used a supercharged 1.6-litre Tritec engine designed by Chrysler and produced in Curitiba, Brazil, the latest S uses the Prince engine developed in conjunction with PSA Peugeot Citroën. After all, buying in engines designed by what is now part of BMWs biggest rival, the Daimler Chrysler Group, was never a political position the senior suits at Munich were particularly happy with. Boardroom prestige aside, the 1.6-litre turbocharged Prince unit has a lot going for it. 
Chrysler 300 GrillsAnybody who owned one of the old Cooper S models would laugh aloud at its claimed 33.6mpg consumption figure, since driving the vehicle as it begged to be driven would often send average fuel figures dipping below 20mpg. The contemporary turbo engine is a lot easier on the juice, with a combined figure of nearly 41mpg, although this too will dip significantly if youre getting a bit enthusiastic. The old engine wasnt exactly a unit that would win any green awards either, churning out 202g/km of carbon dioxide.

The turbo engine does far better at 149g/km, putting it on the shortlists of company car buyers who wouldnt countenance the wallop in the wallet the old car delivered when the taxman came to call. The best bit is that you get more go. Okay, so the power output is up by only five more horsepower which doesnt mean a whole lot in a vehicle as heavy as the Cooper S but what is key is that torque rises from 162lb/ft to 177lb/ft. Its worth reiterating that a turbocharged engine and a supercharged engine deliver their performance in quite different ways.
What was particularly exhilarating about the old car was the low-end grunt from the always-on supercharger. The turbo power delivery is less dramatic down low but in the midrange and upper reaches of the rev band, it provides even more brutal shove.
"There is vast potential for after market tuning with this Cooper S"
As such, the on-paper figures for the benchmark 0-60 sprint and top speed only show a minimally incremental improvement, the latest Cooper S shaving 0.3s off the sprint at 7.1s and tacking a couple of miles per hour to the top speed: this car is all in with the needle pointing at 140mph. Communicating that this is indeed a very different Cooper S could well be quite the challenge. It takes a keen eye to spot the bodywork differences, despite this car and its progenitor sharing not one piece of sheet metal. The good news for British industry is that the car will continue to be built at what is now known as Plant Oxford (Cowley to us old timers), this factorys output being upped to 240,000 cars per year, more than double what it was when the first MINIs rolled off its lines in 2001.

The body panels and sub assemblies hail from Plant Swindon and the BMW-designed engines roll out of the Hams Hall plant in the Midlands. Despite the German bankrolling, this MINI wears its Union Flags with pride. So how can you identify the latest car? Although the stance remains the same, theres been a loosening of the belt. This Cooper S model, for instance, is 60mm longer.

The front grille is tidier and the indicators are now housed in the headlight pod. The cars shoulder line is 18mm higher than on the former model, giving the latest version a more hunched, powerful appearance. Its inside the MINI that more obvious improvements have been wrought. Gone are those indicators that felt like you were snapping a biro every time you used them.

The centrally mounted speedometer now houses entertainment and, if specified, navigation functions. The slimmed-down centre console offers more space in the footwells, while the key has been replaced by a round signal sensor that slots next to the steering wheel. A start/stop button is also fitted as standard. One of the most intriguing, albeit frivolous, aspects of the interior is the optional lights package which features custom ambient illumination.
A panel of toggle switches in the roof lining allows the driver to switch the colours of the lights in said roof lining, the door storage pockets and the grab handle recesses. These can be changed at any time in five stages from warm orange to sporting blue, depending on personal taste - quite mad, but undeniably funky. Rear seat space, a big grumble amongst MINI customers, has been improved with recessed knee cut-outs in the fabric-trimmed front seat backs. Electromechanical power-assisted steering (EPAS) debuts on this version of the MINI and aims to reduce parking effort (a factor which turned off a proportion of mainly female potential customers) but still retain pinpoint accuracy at speed.
Although keen drivers will at first lament the loss of the old system, the latest setup at least features a Sport setting that increases the steerings heft and gives the throttle a more aggressive map. Also fitted as standard on Cooper S versions specified with the 16-inch alloy wheels are run-flat tyres. These tyres have a range of at least 90 miles in the event of a puncture and also mean that valuable space in the car isnt taken up with packaging a spare wheel. Pricing remains competitive, with the Cooper S giving the Renault Clio 197 something to think about at £16,025 (or £17,210 for the Clubman estate version).
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2010 Opel Insignia Sport Tourer

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Expanding the breadth of the Opel Insignia sedan, General Motors says it will show an Insignia “sport tourer” or wagon at the 2008 Paris auto show in October.

Like the sedan, the wagon shows the next generation of Opel design—which by extension is the new look of Saturn in North America. The Insignia sedan will be sold in the U.S. as the 2010 Saturn Aura and North America may also get a hatchback Aura.

The Insignia wagon goes on sale in Europe in the spring of 2009—but we do not expect a Saturn wagon to come here. GM already has the Cadillac CTS wagon for the U.S., which will test the waters for a segment that is about 250,000 units strong in Europe, but is only about 30,000 or 35,000 vehicles in the U.S.  Cadillac escalade toppers best details.

The styling goal of the new Insignia is bold, dynamic, and crisp. The signature of sorts is the blade line sweeping the sides and a wraparound look around the tailgate as well as inside the cockpit.
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GM to cut 5,000 jobs by November 1

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According to Wall Street Journal General Motors plans on removing about 5,000 employees by November 1 as a part of its cost-cutting strategy. The Detroit giant’s total revenue is expected to fall about 3% in the quarter and an operating loss of $1.49 billion as GM relies on strong international operations to offset bleeding in North America. The head count move is part of a 20% reduction GM plans for its North American white-collar cost structure this year. It plans to shave $10 billion over the next 17 months. GM will also suspend the dividend, cut capital spending and trim retiree benefits to meet its target.
GM hopes the early-retirement incentives will persuade workers to leave voluntarily. The company is expected to roll out offers soon that will include both cash incentives and the chance for some to leave early with full pension benefits. GM has cut its white-collar work force 40% since 2000, to about 32,000 employees.
The auto maker also confirmed plans to scale back its vehicle-leasing operations, which could further crimp U.S. sales. While GM plans to continue to offer subsidized leases in the U.S., it is adjusting some of the lease terms and will exclude certain vehicles. GM is likely to have lease-related losses of its own when it reports earnings. A glimpse of the extent could come Thursday when GMAC LLC, its financing unit, reports. Lehman Brothers estimated Tuesday that GM had a $2.45 billion loss in the quarter. As of March 31, GM had $24 billion on hand. GM has a plan to shore up liquidity by $15 billion by the end of 2009 by implementing the $10 billion cost-cutting plan and raising $5 billion through asset sales and collateralized loans.
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BMW Updates its 3 Series.2

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The heavy line-up is basically uncdrapeed, though the 330d receives a new six-cylinder engine putting out 241bhp and 384lb.ft, which sees it knocking on the door of the formidable 335d. The new 330d also income about 50mpg on the mutual series and CO2 emissions of 152g/km is not at all bad when you realise that this story of the 3 sequence hits 62mph in just 6.1 seconds and can top 155mph.

Should I call the lean director? You'll have to sit tense for the flash, as BMW has not actually free pricing information, though we mistrust there'll be a significant escalate over the outgoing car. Best to drape on though awaiting you extent up the quantity of some of the tempting new options.

If you liked the first section of this article, stay tuned because we have more to follow in the next section!


Along with the glossy new iDrive procedure for case is the possible BMW ConnectedDrive item, which allows Internet access via the dash-mounted shield, though your lean director may be happy to heed that it only workings while the car is stationary. He'd like to get his money back after all... rushed . On the face of it, the 3 sequence has normal a modest collection of updates, but the mutual produce is to guarantee that it relics competitive and as wanted as ever. With sharpened up looks and dynamics, an enhanced interior, some variety new options and a superb new diesel powerplant we'd have to say that BMW has been successful.

If you thoroughly examine each part that we have discussed, you will see a common thread of which to explore.
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BMW updates its 3 Series.1

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What is it? Obviously you know it's a BMW 3 Series from the pictures, but unless you really know your cars you'll be forgiven for not noticing that this is in fact a new model, officially a mid-life facelift of the best-selling 3 Series. The updates are modest, but extensive. On the outside, rear lights are the most obvious differentiator, though the headlamps are new too and they also utilise LED technology to give the car a distinctive appearance. Sharp sculpting on the bonnet combines with a more aggressive front bumper to give the 3 Series' face a sportier look.



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This is agreed through to more distinctive profiling of the body sides and a new rear bumper. Inside, the cdrapees are even more delicate, adding up to new supplies and colours, more use of chrome on the switchgear and modest updates to the reins and instruments themselves. The largest heedsay is the adoption of a completely revamped iDrive infotainment procedure. Its new graphics are very glossy and though navigating through the menus still takes patience to learn it, the procedure is nearer witted than the preceding force and added buttons make accessing mutual skin earlier than before.


However, lacking iDrive fixed, the floor is wholly simple, if very well put together. Is it any good? BMW barely took one of the session leaders and made it inferior than before, did they? The new 3 sequence has been enhanced in most areas, and though gains are modest they tally in a segment where the 3 sequence is compared with other German kudos brands, as well as cheaper and better equipped alternatives such as Ford's Mondeo and the Honda Accord. order cdrapees apart though, the 3 sequence has forever stood out as one of the best cars to force of its extent and BMW has enhanced on that too with a wider marks aiding stability and cornering.
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Kia's Soul debuts in Paris

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One of the stars of the Kia stand at the Paris Show next month will be the new Soul. Kia has revealed the first engine details for the new model.
Of most interest to the UK market will be a brace of 1.6-litre four-cylinder units, both petrol and turbodiesel versions boasting 124bhp. The petrol engine produces 115lb.ft, which is somewhat eclipsed by the diesel's impressive 188lb.ft of torque. A 2.0-litre petrol model will be sold in some markets, but probably not the UK.
The Soul straddles the compact hatchback, MPV and SUV categories with distinctive styling in a similar vein to the Skoda Roomster. Despite its chunky appearance, the Soul is front-wheel drive only, with no plans at this stage for four-wheel drive.

Following its premiere at the Paris Show, the Soul will go into production in November, with right-hand drive markets receiving their first cars in March.
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4-cylinder Cadillac compact sedan to come to the U.S. in 2010.

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Cadillac’s General Manager Jim Taylor recently confirmed that the next generation BLS sedan, which currently is available only in Europe will make it also be available to US customers in 2010. So far, Cadillac hasn’t decided on a name for the car, which will be placed right under the CTS in the range and it also hasn’t decided whether to offer the car with a V6 unit besides the 4-cylinder engine.
“There is a big debate as to whether it is four only. I think that is a bridge too far,” Jim Taylor said, quoted by Automotive News. “There is a piece of the team who is thinking, ‘Well, with this whole fuel economy and gas thing, we ought to go all the way, say, to fours.’ We are resisting that at this stage.”

The current BLS is not very successful in Europe, first of all because it’s built on the outdated Saab 9-3 platform and because Cadillac suffers from poor brand image compared to its German rivals, the BMW 3 Series or the Audi A4. The upcoming BLS will probably be based on a rear-wheel-drive shortened version of the Zeta platform and will be available in Europe too.

Read More: "4-cylinder Cadillac compact sedan to come to the U.S. in 2010"
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