Plug-in Electric Scooter Concept

This is Plug-in Electric Scooter Concept , ftom Daimler's Smart unit that was only in the business of making tiny city cars (well, aside from the short-lived Fourfour), but that may soon change as the company which was founded by the late Nicolas Hayek of Swatch fame is looking into the possibility of adding an electric scooter to its lineup to broaden its reach and increase sales.

To give us a taste of what their working on, Smart will unveil a concept version of the pure electric scooter at the upcoming Paris Motor Show, which opens to the members of the press on September 30.

The auto -and soon to become moto -maker released a few teaser sketches of the two-wheeler, but Smart is still holding back on the details. More to come as we get closer to the Paris motorshow.

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JAGUAR Launches XJ Sentinel sports saloon Moscow International Motor Show

Jaguar is rounding out the all-new XJ series with an armored special protection version called the Sentinel, which will be revealed for the first time in public at the upcoming 2010 Moscow International Motor Show (Aug. 25-29). The new XJ Sentinel is aimed at those who for whatever reason fear for their life, promising to stop attacks ranging from .9mm hand guns to explosives.

The XJ Sentinel is beefed up with extra high-strength steel with Kevlar backing that was engineered in partnership with armoring specialist, Centigon, offering ballistic protection up to B7 level (BS EN 1522 level FB7 and BS EN 1063 BR7-), blast protection against 15kg (33 pounds) of TNT equivalent detonated within close proximity of the vehicle, and substantial under floor grenade protection.

It rides on strengthened 19-inch Aleutian Alloy Wheels with 245/45 19" Dunlop Self Supporting Technology Run on Flat tires.

Despite the added protection, Jaguar says the Sentinel is "virtually indistinguishable" from the standard XJ model.

The car is based on the long wheelbase version of the XJ saloon with power coming from a 385HP 5.0-litre V8 petrol engine paired to a six-speed automatic transmission. According to the company, it completes the 0 to 100km/h (62mph) sprint in 9.7 seconds and achieves a top speed of 195km/h (121mph).

To cope with the increased body weight (the Sentinel tips the scales at 3,800kg or 8,377 lbs), the firm's engineers up-rated and re-tuned the suspension and steering wheel systems, and added a more powerful braking system sourced from the 510HP Supercharged (non-armored) XJ model.

"The XJ Sentinel is the ultimate armoured luxury limousine," said Mike O'Driscoll, Managing Director at Jaguar Cars. "It offers governments, security organisations and private individuals, the highest level of security, with advanced design, refined performance and a beautifully-crafted cabin. The XJ Sentinel will be the vehicle of choice for the most discerning," he added.

PHOTO GALLERY

XJ Sentinel Specifications 

ENGINE 5.0-litre V8 Petrol AJ-V8 GENIII
Maximum power EEC-PS(kW) 385 (283)
Maximum torque EEC-Nm (lb ft) 515 (380)
Transmission 6-speed automatic
PERFORMANCE
Acceleration 0-100km/h – sec 9.7
Top Speed km/h 195
WEIGHT
Weight kg 3,300
Gross vehicle weight kg 3,800
DRIVING DYNAMICS
Up-rated suspension with active dampers front and rear
Jaguar High Performance Braking System
Strengthened 19" Aleutian Alloy Wheels with 245/45 19" Dunlop Self Supporting Technology®
Run on Flat tyres (RoF)
PERSONALISATION
An extensive range of exterior paint colours, interior colours themes and optional equipment is available. 

2010 Volkswagen Golf TDI Two-Door

Volkswagen actually re-christened the car "Rabbit" from 2006-'09, evoking the original U.S.-market Rabbit hatchback of a few decades ago, but for 2010 the Golf is back -- and if you'll forgive the cliché, it's better than ever. Perhaps the biggest news is under the hood, where the carryover 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine is joined by the excellent "TDI" turbodiesel four-cylinder from the Jetta sedan. Paired with one of two six-speed manuals -- a conventional unit or a dual-clutch automated version (DSG) -- the TDI delivers a punchy 236 pound-feet of torque and an estimated 34 mpg in mixed driving. The sixth-generation Golf also features a redesigned interior with even nicer materials than before, along with subtly altered sheet metal that clearly conveys the car's sophisticated character.

Underneath, the two- or four-door Golf shares its 101.5-inch wheelbase and basic suspension layout with the previous-generation car, but that's fine with us. The Rabbit already had some of the most sophisticated driving dynamics of any compact car, thanks to a stiff body structure, a multilink rear suspension and autobahn-bred confidence on the highway. The Golf TDI enjoys an edge in this department thanks to its standard sport suspension, which improves the base Golf's rather soft stateside tuning. Inside, the TDI also offers a few exclusive optional luxuries, including xenon headlamps, a Dynaudio sound system and a navigation system.

The Golf's principal competitor is the Mazda 3, the only other compact car that offers comparable performance, four doors and a hatchback body style. This race is too close to call -- the Mazda has more responsive handling and a nice interior in its own right, but the Golf counters with its excellent diesel option and superior solidity and refinement. Also of note are the Mini Cooper and its Clubman variant, both stout rivals to the two-door Golf. Other compact sedans may merit consideration due to the Golf's steep price, particularly in TDI trim. But like the sport, the 2010 Volkswagen Golf offers a unique array of virtues that justify its added expense.

Car Dunia: Nissan doubles Micra production; order backlog at 2,500 units

 Japanese car major Nissan today said it has almost doubled the production of its small car Micra to 500 units per day in order to clear an order backlog of about 2,500 units. 

The company's wholly-owned subsidiary -- Nissan Motor India Private Ltd (NMIPL) -- had launched the Micra in July and priced the car between Rs 3.98 lakh and Rs 5.29 lakh (ex-showroom, Delhi). 

The firm also said it will commence overseas shipments of the car from next month, starting with Europe. 

"In order to cater to the huge demand, we have begun second shift of production... The average daily production is over 500 units, which is expected to increase in near term," an NMIPL spokesperson told. 


In a single shift basis, the company was producing 255 units every day till last week, he added. 

"We have a progressively increasing order book and so far received more than 3,400 bookings. Last month we achieved sales of 928 units since delivery began on July 15," the official added. 

The latest offering from Nissan has witnessed waiting period of over two months depending upon different variants. 

"This has been primarily due to the higher than expected demand for the same from the market. We are taking necessary steps to manage and balance out the delivery period by next month," the spokesperson said. 

Commenting on export plans, he said the first shipment will go to Europe from next month onwards. 

Nissan had stated that it will export the Micra to over 100 countries. It had planned to produce 80,000 units in the first year, of which only 20 per cent will be for the Indian market and rest will be exported. 

The car, which has Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor as brand ambassador, is produced at the Chennai plant of its joint venture with French parent Renault -- Renault Nissan Automotive India. The JV is investing Rs 4,500 crore on the plant, which will have an annual capacity of 4 lakh units. 

The Indian car market is at present pegged at about 1.5 million units annually, over 70 per cent of it is accounted for by compact cars. 

Nissan had announced that it plans to have nine models, in India by 2012, out of which five would be made locally. It had said that it aimed to achieve a market share of 5.5 per cent in India in the future, which is equivalent to the global market share of Nissan. 

Besides Micra, the Japanese automaker also sells sedan Teana, sport utility vehicle X-trail and sports car 370Z in India.
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