Spy Shots

...although it is still officially only known as the Global Small Car. The Malaysian maker believes its next effort could be the car to finally give it traction in countries where it is struggling for acceptance, including Australia.This reporter is on Twitter: @paulwardgover 

The seven seater four wheel drive will likely be named ‘Everest’. Like the Ranger ute it’s based on, it’s developed by Ford Australia, whose design, research and development capability is expected to continue operating locally beyond manufacturing close down in 2016.The Territory rear end on this production test mule disguises a shorter wheelbase than the Ranger, which should make the Everest more manoeuvrable and agile on and off road. Like its rival, the Holden Colorado 7, the Ford is expected to upgrade the Ranger’s leaf springs and drum brakes to a live axle coil suspension setup and rear disc brakes.This should make the ride more passenger friendly, with the possibility of Ford adopting an independent rear suspension setup also an option. This would make the development more costly, but would favour passenger comfort and handling on road.A passenger version of the previous generation Ford Ranger has been in production in Thailand for several years, carrying the Everest name in that local market. But this is the first time the Everest SUV, which will be assembled in Thailand, will feature a smaller wheelbase and the expected suspension, brake and cabin refinement and passenger safety updates to make the SUV a competitive product in the global Ford portfolio.Like the Ranger, the Everest will be sold in European, American and Asia-pacific countries. No details have been revealed about engine and powertrain options, but expect little or no change to Ford’s 147kW 3.2-litre 5 cylinder Turbo diesel unit and 6 speed manual and automatic transmissions for our market. Ford’s 110kW 2.2-litre Turbo diesel, and 122kW 2.5-litre petrol may also feature in overseas models, but both are unlikely to make it to Australian showrooms.Low range is almost certain to continue too, making the Everest the most off road capable passenger four wheel drive offered by Ford Australia since the late 80s Maverick. A rear wheel drive model may also be on the cards, lowering the entry level price for families who don’t need the extra off road capability.Expect the Everest to launch in the second half of 2014, when the new model will need to win over the hearts of families and off road enthusiasts alike. The segment is currently dominated by the Toyota Prado with over 1000 sales per month, but it’s the soft roaders like the Ford Territory, Toyota Kluger, Holden Captiva 7 and Hyundai Santa Fe that make up the majority of sales combined, making passenger accommodation an important success factor.However, it’s the other ute-based passenger SUVs that will feel the heat of increased rivalry, with the Holden Colorado 7, Isuzu MU-X and Mitsubishi Challenger squarely on Ford’s radar. Ford may gain some sales from Territory buyers too, once manufacturing of the local SUV stops in 2016. Territory’s likely replacement, the Ford Edge, is not available with a Diesel engine, meaning customers wishing to buy a diesel four wheel drive Ford will need to turn to the Everest. 

The Volvo XC90 SUV is one of the oldest vehicle designs still for sale as a current model. It has gone largely unchanged since its introduction in 2003, while its German rivals have been completely redesigned several times since then.However a brand new XC90 is finally expected to be unveiled at this year's Paris Motor Show featuring design language previewed in Volvo's recent concept cars – the Concept Coupe and XC Coupe.And the second-generation XC90 will be a landmark vehicle for Volvo, as it's the first one to utilise the new Scalable Platform Architecture that will underpin every new large Volvo in the future. The Swedish manufacturer has also teased the new model before, revealing small details about its front-end styling.A large rectangular grille with round edges dominates the second-generation XC90's front with a pair of headlights incorporating 'T'-shaped LED daytime running lamps on either side. The new model also features sharp 'kicked-up' strakes in the lower front fascia.These latest spy shots taken by Carsguide's spy photographers give us a first glimpse at the actual vehicle during cold weather testing in Volvo's homeland – Sweden. While they aren't giving much detail away as to the car's design, the images give clues about the new model's overall proportions and size.Similar in size to the new BMW X5, the new XC90 features a raked windscreen and high beltline which rises further towards the rear of the car giving a sportier overall appearance compared to the current model. The front is also bluff and square which should equate to a strong and dominating appearance.When it goes on sale the new Volvo XC90 will be one of the safest vehicles on the road. The new 'SPA' chassis architecture that the XC90 rides on blends a mix of different steel grades giving the passenger cell greater strength and rigidity over previous generation Volvos.The XC90 will also feature adaptive cruise control with steering assist, smart seat-belt pre-tensions, plus new camera and radar systems designed to detect and prevent accidents. The XC90 will even be equipped with a pedestrian airbag. It's all to help Volvo achieve its aim of having zero fatalities or serious injuries in its vehicles by 2020.Rumours also suggest the new XC90 may use a new 1.5 litre three-cylinder engine currently under development, because of the new car's lower overall curb weight compared to the outgoing model.

Audi's third generation TT sports car has been locked in for a March unveiling at the Geneva Motor Show, but we're getting to see increasingly more of the new car in the lead-up to its global debut. We saw the sports coupe's stunning air-craft inspired interior at this year's Consumer Electronics Show, and now a prototype TT has been spotted by Carsguide's spy photographers wearing almost no camouflage during an evening drive.Predictably, the next generation TT's design is evolutionary rather than revolutionary. Like the current TT, the new model's design incorporates a low, sleek roofline with a rear hatchback and flared wheel-arches. New design cues include more aggressive, angular headlights, a sharper, larger grille and LED taillights. The rear of the car also appears to have been influenced by the R8 supercar with a similarly short overhang and clean design.Beneath the metal, the new TT utilizes the Volkswagen Group's highly versatile 'MQB' platform – the same chassis architecture used by the Audi A3 and Volkswagen Golf. Thanks to increased use of aluminium in the vehicle structure, the new TT will be lighter than the outgoing model – an improvement that is likely to bring increased efficiency and performance.The entry level TT will likely carry a 132kW 1.8-litre TFSI engine powering with front wheels alone, while quattro all-wheel drive models powered by a 2.0-litre TFSI engine tuned to 162kW or 221kW in TT S trim are expected to complete the launch model line-up. It is believed a TT RS will also debut at some stage, potentially with a 300kW version of Audi's 2.5-litre five-cylinder engine.Gearbox options are tipped to mirror those of the current A3 range, meaning a standard six-speed manual or optional seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox will be available. After its Geneva unveiling, the new TT will go on sale in overseas markets towards the end of the year, and arrive here some time in 2015. 

With the new BMW M4 Coupe out in the open it's only a matter of time before its convertible counterpart is unveiled. Carsguide spy photographers have captured the new M4 Convertible in minimal camouflage, leaving little to the imagination.The front-end design is, logically, identical to that of the M4 Coupe. BMW's new 'connected' headlight design – integrated with the wider kidney grille -- features with large, aggressive-looking air intakes below. Like the M4 Coupe, the Convertible also features a bonnet bulge, more aerodynamic door mirrors, 'gills' in the front fenders and quad exhaust tips.The M4 Convertible is also considerably wider than standard 4 Series Convertible models with flared front and rear wheel arches housing wider wheels and tyres that give a sportier stance. A metal folding hardtop that exaggerates the convertible's hip width has also replaced the Coupe's long sloping roof so the M4 Convertible looks especially aggressive when viewed from the rear.And with a 3.0-litre twin turbo straight-six engine under the bonnet, you'll probably be seeing a lot of the M4's rear. Peak power is up from 309kw to 315kw and torque has risen from 400nm to 550nm compared to the old M3 Convertible, which the M4 replaces. Power is sent to the rear wheels via a standard six-speed manual transmission or optional M-DCT double clutch system. The M4 transmits its power to the road through an electronically controlled limited slip differential dubbed 'Active M-Differential.'In Coupe form the M4 takes just 4.1 seconds to reach 100km/h if the M-DCT gearbox is optioned or 4.8 seconds for the three-pedalled car. But the convertible is expected to be slightly slower due to its extra curb weight. Like the new M4 Coupe the latest topless M car is expected to be significantly lighter than the M3 model that it replaces thanks to increased use of aluminium and carbon fibre in the body. The new model will also be more fuel-efficient than the old V8-powered M3.Expect the new BMW M4 Convertible to debut at the Geneva Motor Show next month and go on sale in overseas markets shortly afterward, possibly reaching Australia at the end of the year or early in 2015. 

An all-paw version of Jaguar’s F-Type could be being readied as a British antidote to Audi’s drop-top quattros, if these recent spy photos are anything to go by.Unlike the current rear-drive F-Type Coupe and Convertible, this prototype’s front wheel is spitting snow from its tread at such a rate that suggests a loss of drive traction.Look closely at the tyre tracks behind the front wheel, and it’s pretty clear that the car has travelled about 2 metres since stopping, yet is throwing snow like a bogged front-driver.This is the first tangible hint of a possible all-wheel drive variant of the long-awaited successor to the E-Type, which could make use of the all-wheel drive system currently available in its XJ sedan platform sibling.The AWD XJ is available only with a version of the F-Type’s supercharged 3.0-litre V6, but the cobbled-together bonnet of this prototype suggests something else could be lurking within the engine bay.The quad exhausts at the rear suggest it uses the 5.0-litre supercharged V8 range-topping engine, but the same bonnet was sighted on other prototypes during the European summer, this time with the twin central exhaust tips used on V6 models.This suggests that the mule could preview the rumoured four-cylinder F-Type, which could undercut the current $138,645 base supercharged V6 to bring the model closer to the Porsche Boxster’s $101,500 starting price.The Jaguar Land Rover group (JLR) currently offer a 2.0-litre petrol turbo in the XF, Freelander and Evoque models, which is based on Ford’s 2.0-litre EcoBoost engine. A four cylinder F-Type would probably make use of the group’s new ‘Hotfire’ engine under development, which is slated to appear first in Jaguar’s new 3 Series competitor in 2015.Another long shot could be a version of the Range Rover Hybrid’s petrol electric drivetrain, which integrates a 35kW electric motor within the ZF eight-speed auto also used by the F-Type. However, anyone who’s seen the size of an F-Type Convertible’s boot will wonder where the requisite battery system could hide. 

Carsguide's spy photographers have captured one of the most talked-about future cars, the smaller sports car that will replace the SLS AMG 'Gullwing' in the Mercedes-Benz range. The German carmaker launched the Final Edition variant of the Gullwing at the Los Angeles motor show in November, and we're expecting its successor to be launched later this year.Reportedly codenamed the C190,iIt's been the subject of several working titles during development, including SLC, but is tipped to be launching as the GT AMG and to share little with the SLS -- a previous project based on the SLS was reportedly scrapped because Mercedes wanted to roll out a more affordable car. The current SLS AMG starts here at $468,320 and tops out at $639,000, whereas the GT AMG is targeting a price of around 110,000 euros (equivalent to $169,800, but you can expect import taxes and duties to raise the local price well above that level).Rather than the naturally-aspirated 420kW/650Nm 6.2-litre V8 that powers the Gullwing, the new sports car is likely to have an AMG twin-turbo V8 -- either their latest 5.5-litre or a 4.0-litre rumoured to be in development, with the possibility of two levels of tune indicated by the prototypes' different exhaust systems, with the lower around 370kW and the higher of which could be close to 500kW according to Motor Authority. However the new car will carry on with the SLS's seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission mounted at the rear to aid weight distribution -- and also looks to be borrowing some styling cues. There are no gullwing doors in evidence, but the same long nose and proportions.  The GT AMG will be smaller and lighter than the SLS, with a new aluminium spaceframe structure able to shave a reported 80kg off the current car's 1736kg. A convertible is a certainty to follow the coupe, and there are also rumours of a subsequent Black Series version with range-topping outputs.This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott 

The new BMW X5 hit the showrooms late last year, and a new X6 is coming up behind it. Spy photographers have caught the X6 testing in the freezing temperatures close to the Arctic Circle, and even with parts of the vehicle wrapped in camouflage, it's clear that the design echoes that of the X5 on which it's based.The headlights and LED daytime runnng lights are more visually integrated with the kidney grille, giving a stronger horizontal presence to the nose. However the X6 roofline continues with signature steeper rakes front and rear -- looking to be even more pronounced in the coming model.It will likely carry the same engine line-up as the X5, which means for us at least the three engines offered for the X5 roll-out: a 330kW V8 petrol, a 190kW six-cylinder turbodiesel and a 280kW triple-turbo six-cylinder, with other  engines set to arrive later (including possibly the plug-in hybrid that has been presented as the eDrive concept). Australian models are expected to continue with the eight-speed automatic driving all four corners with constant all-wheel drive.We'll see the new generation X6 here either in the final quarter of 2014 or early in 2015, with prices likely not to move a great distance from the current $111,045 entry level and topping out at $191,045.This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott 

Jeep has a new arrival on the way to create a lower entry point to the brand, and reported to be christened Jeepster in a salute to the heritage of the original Jeepster produced by Willys-Overland in the late 1940s.The new version will be based on the Jeep's Fiat-Chrysler stablemate, the Fiat 500X, and will share the engine line-up from the Fiat 500L sold overseas: a 74kW 0.9-litre TwinAir Turbo, 119kW 1.4-litre MultiAir Turbo and an efficiency-focused 74kW 1.6-litre MultiJet II turbodiesel. It will slot into the Jeep family as a replacement for the Compass and Patriot, both of which start around $25,000 in Australia.Expected to make an appearance at the Geneva motor show in March, the Jeepster will carry the Jeep barred-grille and family face, and be given a respectable ground clearance, but will be produced in both front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive variants -- and it remains to be seen how much offroad ability it offers.This reporter is on Twitter: @KarlaPincott 

BMW will use the 2 Series badge for both rear-drive coupe and front-drive five door compact MPV models, as these recent spy photos suggest.The upcoming production version of BMW’s Active Tourer concepts – and BMW’s first front-drive model – were expected  wear 1 Series nomenclature, but this undisguised prototype was spotted wearing a 225i moniker on its tail.Styling appears little removed from the most recent Active Tourer Outdoor concept shown in Germany earlier this year, and this prototype was spotted while filming promotional footage ahead of its expected public debut at the Geneva motor show in March.To distinguish the new model from the upcoming 2 Series Coupe, the new five door is expected to carry the title of ‘2 Series Active Tourer’, building on the naming used for the concepts.The new compact MPV will be BMW’s answer to the Mercedes-Benz B-Class, and is also expected to spawn an elongated seven-seat version later on.Under the skin, the new 2 Series five-door will ride on a version of the BMW Group’s new UKL platform, which is also shared by the new Mini Cooper and at least 11 other upcoming BMW and Mini models.The platform uses a transverse engine layout and native front-drive, but will also accommodate all-wheel drive for some models.The 2 Series MPV will draw on the new three and four cylinder engines used by the new Mini Cooper, with entry models expected to use the 100kW/220Nm petrol and 85kW/270Nm diesel turbocharged 1.5 litre three, with a version of the new Cooper S’ 141kW/280Nm 2.0-litre petrol four likely to top the range.Hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions are also in the works, with the possibility of a pure-electric version like the original Active Tourer concept.This reporter is on Twitter: @Mal_Flynn