Articles by Viknesh Vijayenthiran

Kia's rolled out a string of concepts over the past 12 months, foreshadowing a new generation of stylish and--presumably--affordable models it has in the works. These have included standouts such as 2011’s GT and the funky Provo and Cross GT crossovers from earlier this year.Considering this cadence, it should come as no surprise that the Korean automaker has prepped a new concept for the upcoming 2013 Frankfurt Auto Show. Kia’s new concept is the Niro and previews a compact crossover that may be launched in the European market in the coming years. The concept’s unveiling in Frankfurt will be used to gauge potential customer interest, Kia tells us.Kia boasts that the Niro features elements not always associated with smaller cars, such as premium materials and new tech features, and has been created in Europe with European tastes and expectations very much in mind. It was penned by the automaker’s European design studio, located in Frankfurt. We still have much to learn as Kia also tells us that the Niro features an innovative powertrain that it will be announcing at the concept’s debut.www.motorauthority.com 

Ford is giving us a glimpse of its future styling and technology with a new MPV concept revealed ahead of its official debut at the 2013 Frankfurt Auto Show next month. The vehicle carries the S-Max name and previews the next generation of the popular people mover sold in overseas markets.The Ford S-Max concept features key styling details that will be appearing on Ford models, such as a high mounted grille, swept-back headlights and an indented lower spoiler. Additional exterior design cues include sweeping character lines running along the flanks to create an impression of length and speed, sculptured muscular shoulders, and LED elements for the lights.For the interior, designers have adopted a driver-focused layout and premium materials. Soft leather wraps the instrument panel, while more leather and even some carbon fibre can be found on the seats.Some of the S-Max concept's technologies include a wireless Internet hotspot, a tablet docking station, a SYNC AppLink that allows drivers to control their smartphone apps via voice activation, and even a health and well-being system. The latter consists of a heart-rate monitoring seat, glucose monitoring systems and a call function to get help from a medical practitioner.There are also some driving-related technologies including an environment monitoring system, Car 2 Car communications technology, a parking assistant and a collision warning system. Power comes from a 1.5-litre EcoBoost, which utilises turbocharging, variable valve timing and direct-injection technology to provide enough performance to cart around a family of five yet remain fuel efficient.While there are no plans to launch the eventual production version of its S-Max concept in Australia, we should see many of its styling elements and technologies here. The aim of the concept, Ford tells us, is to demonstrate just how wide a scope of technologies and style the company is preparing for future generations of its vehicles.www.motorauthority.com 

Infiniti is working on a new hatch to take on rivals in the burgeoning compact luxury segment, such as the Audi A3, BMW 1-Series, Lexus CT 200h and new Mercedes-Benz CLA. We were given our first taste of the car with the unveiling of the slightly odd Etherea back in 2011, but now we have a more definitive look thanks to reveal of the new Q30 concept car.Though its shape resembles that of a hatch, Infiniti is keen to stress that the Q30 is not a hatch. Rather, it’s a fusion of various body styles that includes elements of not only a hatch but also a coupe and a crossover, the automaker tells us. By combining the sportiness of a coupe, the roominess of a hatch and the higher stance of a crossover, Infiniti is hoping its Q30 will be able to stand out from the crowd.To further differentiate its Q30 from rival compact offerings, Infiniti will call on its official director of performance, reigning Formula One world champion Sebastian Vettel, to help develop the chassis. However, much of the development work is already done, as the Q30 shares the MFA front-wheel-drive platform found in Mercedes-Benz’s compact range.The Q30 makes its world debut on September 10 at the 2013 Frankfurt Auto Show and will spawn a production version due for launch sometime in 2015. Production will take place initially at Nissan’s Sunderland plant in the U.K. but will eventually be expanded to Mexico for delivery to the North American market. Shortly after the Q30 is launched, we may see a crossover version, which is likely to be called a QX30 in accordance with Infiniti’s new naming strategy.www.motorauthority.com 

We’ve been spying prototypes for Subaru’s next-generation WRX for months -- and also got a close look at the Subaru WRX Concept when it visited Australia recently --  but soon the wraps will be coming off the production version in its global reveal. That debut will reportedly take place at the 2013 Los Angeles Auto Show in November, where Subaru is confirmed to make a world premiere. According to Automotive News, we’ll see simultaneous debuts of the new WRX and its more extreme STI variant in LA. Both cars will then go on sale in the first half of next year, as 2015 models. It’s likely we’ll also see the cars at the 2013 Tokyo Motor Show, as this year's press days for the shows in LA and the Japanese capital take place on the same date: November 20. Though Subaru previewed its 2015 WRX with an aggressively styled concept at this year’s New York Auto Show, the production version will be considerably tamer, as confirmed by our spy shots. We hear the hatchback body will also be dropped. Look for the 2015 WRX to come with a conventional sedan body with a taller roof and narrower fenders than those found on the concept. The lower air intakes and rear diffuser will also be much smaller than those on the concept. Thankfully, the WRX’s signature hood scoop will remain. Power in the 2015 WRX is expected to come from a 2.0-litre boxer four-cylinder engine. The engine is closely related to the unit in the BRZ but will come with Subaru’s own direct-injection system and a turbocharger to match or surpass the output of the outgoing model’s 198 kilowatts and 330 Newton Metres of torque. The 2015 WRX STI will feature the same engine but with output dialed up to 227 kilowatss or more. While power levels aren’t expected to deviate much from current levels, performance of the new cars will be improved thanks to a lighter curb weight, improved suspension tuning and a more aerodynamic body. www.motorauthority.com  

French automaker Peugeot is launching a new generation of its 308 hatchback at the 2013 Frankfurt Auto Show, and to help build excitement will also roll out this performance-oriented concept version. Dubbed the 308 R, the concept hints at a hotted-up Peugeot 308 that if built would target the likes of the Golf GTI and Ford Focus ST. The 308 R concept is powered by a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine, which rates at 200kW and is found in the Peugeot RCZ R sports coupe, which also debuts in Frankfurt next month. Peak torque registers at 329Nm and is available from a low 1,900 rpm. Drive is channelled to the front wheels, via a six-speed manual transmission and a Torsen differential. The wheels are 19-inch light allows wrapped with 235/35 tires, and inside them sits four-piston brake calipers and Alcon discs. The concept gets a number of unique body panels, which are made out of carbon fibre and bolted directly to the regular 308’s lightweight platform. That platform is Peugeot’s new EMP2 modular set, which is also found in the latest Citroën C4 Picasso and is said to be around 135kg lighter than the platform in the previous 308. But to further improve dynamics, the 308 R also sports lowered suspension and a wide track--up to 30mm wider at the front. At the rear, there is a discreet roof spoiler and a bumper with an integrated diffuser. Also integrated with the rear bumper is a pair of square-shaped exhaust tips. Inside, there’s a driver-focused cockpit with a big 9.7-inch touch-screen display mounted in the dash. Peugeot explains that the dash was designed so that the displays can be viewed over and not through, helping to reduce driver distractions. Sales of the new Peugeot 308 commence in Europe after the car’s Frankfurt debut. Hopefully, we’ll see a production version of the 308 R in the not too distant future. www.motorauthority.com  

Formula One ace Mark Webber has virtually given away the identity of his replacement at Red Bull Racing next year, suggesting during a post qualifying interview at this past weekend’s 2013 Belgian Grand Prix that fellow Australian driver Daniel Ricciardo will get the seat.Asked who he would like to see race with Red Bull Racing alongside current world champion Sebastian Vettel from the 2014 season onward, Webber told Channel 10: "The decision's made. We all know who it is. I'm happy with that decision. It's good for him and good for Australia."Ricciardo currently drives for Red Bull Racing feeder team Scuderia Toro Rosso and has already been confirmed as one of the top contenders for the seat, along with fellow Toro Rosso driver Jean-Eric Vergne and Lotus’ Kimi Räikkönen. Jean-Eric Vergne is French while Räikkönen is Finnish, so the placement of either would not be good for Australia, as Webber hinted.Ricciardo has since responded to Webber’s comments, saying that to his knowledge nothing has been confirmed yet. Webber, as previously reported, is quitting F1 at the end of this season to join Porsche next year in its LMP1 campaign in the World Endurance Champion, which includes the 24 Hours of Le Mans.A formal announcement on his replacement may be made as early as the 2013 Italian Grand Prix in two weeks. Stay tuned for an update.www.motorauthority.com 

Chinese officials have given approval for Volvo to establish new plants in Daqing and Zhangjiakou. As a result, Volvo's full Chinese industrial base, including a current site in Chengdu, has been approved.An assembly plant in Daqing is under construction and is expected to be fully operational in 2014. The plant in Zhangjiakou will be operational by fall and will be used to build engines for cars being assembled at the Chengdu and Daqing sites.As is the requirement in China, the plants will be operated in the form of two joint venture companies formed with a Chinese automaker, in this case Volvo’s parent company Geely. However, Volvo’s ties with Geely will soon be deepening further.Back in February, Volvo and Geely confirmed plans to develop a next-generation small car platform together. The two said they would also establish a new R&D centre in Volvo’s hometown of Gothenburg, Sweden, which will be responsible for developing the small car platform.The first cars based on the platform are expected to launch in 2015. “We have entered into actual research and development stage and I believe we can see the new product in the year after next,” Geely CEO Gui Sheng Yue told Bloomberg.The increased capacity and improved access to the Chinese market is a key strategy in helping Volvo double its sales to around 800,000 units by the end of the decade. The carmaker hasn’t mentioned, however, whether its Chinese-built cars will be exported -- so there's no indication at this stage that we'll get Chinese-built Volvos here in Australia.Geely, too, is hoping to boost its sales by launching new models with much improved quality and safety by tapping into Volvo’s expertise. The automaker also plans to launch electric cars in China under its Emgrand brand. The powertrains for the cars will be developed together with American firm Detroit Electric, which Geely has also partnered with.www.motorauthority.com 

It’s been quite some time since we last heard about the newest car from Gordon Murray, designer of the McLaren F1, but we now have news that the car is slated for a market launch in 2016. Unfortunately, Murray’s latest creation isn’t a world-beating supercar but an innovative city car the South African designer and his eponymous design firm Gordon Murray Design is touting as a solution for congestion and pollution in the world’s major cities.That city car is the T25, or T27 in electric guise. For those unfamiliar with the project, it is basically a design for a new type and class of personal transport. It is more of a proof of concept than actual car, as Murray’s plan is to sell or license the T25 design to automakers. Murray also envisages a range of bodystyles for the T25, including a van, pickup truck, taxi, police car, convertible and even an MPV.Via his personal blog, Murray has now confirmed that the T25 and T27 designs have been sold to a customer, presumably an automaker, and that the cars will be on sale in 2016. “The T25 and T27 concept has now been sold to a customer and with a following wind a lot more drivers should be able to enjoy the centre drive experience in 2016,” he said.Along with the T25, Murray has also come up with a new way of producing cars, which is said to require 80 per cent less capital investment and uses less energy and space than traditional production means. Called iStream, Murray’s new production process requires cars that have completely separate chassis and bodies.The body panels are ‘married’ to the completed chassis near the end of the assembly process, helping to reduce paint damage normally associated with a standard assembly line. All external panels can be mechanically fixed to the chassis. Importantly, iStream allows the chassis to be scaled in size for different products with each new design requiring only low-cost tooling and software changes, helping to speed up lead times for new models. In his blog, he also said Gordon Murray Design was currently involved with five separate iStream customers.Targeted to weigh 400kg less than a standard small car, which would likely put it in the 800-1000kg range or less, the T25 is very lightweight, but not unsafely or impracticably so, as have been many of the carbon fibre-based design concepts of late.It features a 1+2 seating arrangement, with the driver’s seat mounted in the centre, ala the McLaren F1, and the powertrain sits up back and drives the rear wheels. There is only one door, which swings up and forward, allowing access from both sides, and the rear seats can be folded flat to help increase storage space.www.motorauthority.com 

With NEVS’ acquisition of Saab and some of the bankrupt automaker’s remaining assets complete, the consortium, made up of Chinese and Japanese interests, is now focused on the launch of its first model. The plan is to start production at Saab’s main facility in Trollhättan, Sweden and then eventually ramp up production in China as well.Speaking with Automotive News, NEVS spokesman Mikael Oestlund said the company had hired about 300 staff at the Trollhättan plant and that production could be restarted this year.Oestlund went on to reveal that the first car will be similar to the last 9-3, which Saab stopped building in 2011 just prior to its bankruptcy. He said it will feature a turbocharged engine and should be available with an electric drivetrain next year (NEVS had originally planned to turn Saab into an electric car brand). The batteries for the electric version are to be sourced from NEVS sister company Beijing National Battery Technology.If successful, NEVS will eventually launch a new generation of Saab cars based on the Phoenix platform that was under development at the time of Saab's bankruptcy and destined for the next-generation 9-3 and other future Saabs. The platform is mostly unique, though around 20 percent consists of components sourced from former Saab parent General Motors Company and will need to be replaced.The plan is to keep Saab a global brand, with a return to the Australian market hypothetically possible, depending on right-hand drive plans. Stay tuned for an update.www.motorauthority.com 

Range Rover is launching its first-ever hybrid models in the form of the new Range Rover Hybrid and Range Rover Sport Hybrid, which make their world debut next month at the 2013 Frankfurt Auto Show and go on sale overseas early next year. Both vehicles feature state-of-the-art diesel-electric hybrid powertrains.The powertrain is common to both: a 3.0-litre turbodiesel V6 paired in parallel with an electric motor integrated with the ZF eight-speed automatic already fitted across the line. Peak output of the system is 250kW of power at 4000rpm and 700Nm of torque, with the latter generated from as low as 1500 rpm and up to 3000rpm.Note, the electric motor by itself generates 35 kilowatts and 170Nm of torque. This allows the vehicle to travel at speeds of up 48kmh on electric power alone, but only over a distance of about 1.6km. This mode, which is selectable by the driver, is purely for stop and start driving around town. The motor also acts as a generator under braking.The total weight of the hybrid system, including the floor-mounted lithium-ion battery and inverter, is only 120kg, helping the vehicles maintain their strong performance and off-road capability. The Range Rover Hybrid weighs in at 2394kg while the Range Rover Sport Hybrid checks in at 2372kg.They’re not exactly light but that makes the performance of their new hybrid system all the more impressive. Land Rover claims a 0-100kmh time of 6.9 seconds for the Range Rover Hybrid and 6.7 seconds for the Range Rover Sport Hybrid. Top speed is 218kmh and 225kmh, respectively. Combined fuel economy for both models, based on the European combined cycle, is 6.4L/100km, with CO2 emissions of 169g/km.Importantly, both hybrids retain Land Rover’s peerless four-wheel drive system and work seamlessly with the computer-controlled Terrain Response 2 off-road system, and both offer uncompromised wading and ground clearance despite their floor-mounted batteries.To demonstrate this capability, three Range Rover Hybrids will embark today on an epic trip, from the home of Range Rover production in Solihull, UK to the home of Land Rover’s parent company Tata, in Mumbai, India. The journey, which Land Rover has dubbed the “Silk Trail 2013,” will see the vehicles travel some 16,000km across 12 different countries. They are expected to arrive in Mumbai on October 15.www.motorauthority.com