Autoblog

It's been no secret that a facelifted VW Golf Plus has been in the works for a while. It's just that the Euro-market hatch wasn't supposed to be formally revealed quite yet. The car will be introduced on Wednesday with the usual fanfare at the Bologna Motor Show, but media at this week's Essen Motor Show got a sneak preview when they picked up the Golf Plus brochure at the VW stand. The error was apparently corrected in short order, but once something's out, it's out. Dutch paper De Telegraaf, which was also the first outlet to run official Panamera photos a week or so ago, was among those who grabbed a copy of the new Golf Plus materials. Their scan is what's shown above. As you can see here, it looks pretty much like the old Golf Plus, except it has the new Golf's front-end theme. We'll see the whole thing when VW releases more images and specs next week. If you click the photo you can read a Babel Fish-translated version of the Telegraaf article. Thanks to Jelle for the heads-up.

[Source: AutoTelegraaf]

So, the Essen Motor Show is coming up. For those of you unaware, it's basically a Euro SEMA. All the tuners will be there, showing off stuff that's both decent and dreadful, proving that yes, Europeans can do bad taste as well as anyone this side of the Atlantic. ABT is entirely capable of serving up either dish, but in the case of their Scirocco, they manage to stay on the better side of decent. You know the drill: body kit, wheels, suspension, brakes. They have power upgrades, too -- bumping the wee 1.4 TSI to 200 horses, and the 2.0 TSI to 240. Unfortunately, a look 'round back indicates that this whole stacked-tailpipes thing recently adopted by Lexus and Ferrari is on its way to becoming a fad. We love this shade of green, which looks to be the same as that used on the original VW IROC concept, but ABT's car wins because it doesn't have a face that looks like it was inspired by something on a Pokemon card. Still interested in reading more? The PR's pasted after the jump.


[Source: ABT Sportsline]

Hyundai has decided not to wait until 2020 to get its fleet average fuel economy up to 35 mpg, aiming instead for 2015. That will provide several advantages for the Korean manufacturer, including earning credits for being ahead of the curve. Perhaps more importantly now that Democrats are controlling both Congress and the White House, there is a strong possibility that California may get its waiver for CO₂ standards from the EPA. If that happens, Hyundai and everyone else will have to get well beyond 35 mpg. By targeting that amount by mid-decade, Hyundai will be a lot closer to the stricter targets.

Hyundai's strategy to get to 35 mpg is officially called Blue Drive. Blue Drive kicks off in 2009 with new "Blue" editions of the Accent and Elantra that will get better fuel economy at a lower price than current models. The following year, Hyundai's hybrid system will debut in the next generation Sonata along with a lithium-polymer battery. At about the same time a new CUV based on the HED-5 concept will go into production with a new 2.0L turbocharged direct injection engine. Over the following years, downsized turbo DI engines will also appear in other Hyundai models. You can read more about Hyundai's plans over at AutoblogGreen.

[Sources: AutoblogGreen, Hyundai]

The market for luxury cars is slipping, and stalwarts like Mercedes-Benz are not immune. The German automaker's current projections indicate that overall sales will drop by about 10% for 2008, and '09 isn't shaping up to be any better. On the other hand, one of the few bright spots in the U.S. auto market has been the sales of small cars, which have at least sustained level sales and in some cases increased tremendously. While Daimler has no basis for comparison since 2008 was the first year that the fortwo was sold here, sales of the smart brand have greatly outpaced the automaker's projections.

The success of small but premium cars has prompted MB USA to take another look at its A-Class and B-Class cars. This compact duo are sold in other countries, but have been deemed too diminutive to be widely accepted here in the States. That all may change in 2012. By then, Daimler will have had a chance to rework the two cars for the American market, bringing them more in line with the brand's U.S. aspirations, and that's a good thing since the big concern would be whether the two models would devalue the three-pointed star in the fickle eyes of us Americans.



[Source: Auto Motor und Sport - translated]

It's just a matter of time before Volkswagen begins offering a hotter, harder version of the new Scirocco, and according to CAR, the range-topping three-door will be packing the same 265-hp, 2.0-liter turbo as the Audi S3. The VW Scirocco R20T will be heavily influenced by the Scirocco GT24 racer that campaigned at the Nurburgring earlier this year, but without the vented hood, massive rear wing and aggressive front splitter. The sprint to 60 should be easily dispatched in under six seconds and a top speed of 155 mph is almost assured. Grippier seats and a stiffer ride that makes use of V-Dub's active suspension system are likely part of the package, and sales are expected to begin abroad in January for around £25,000. An R32 variant packing the VR6 is likely off the drawing board due to emissions and fuel economy, and if VW is actually considering bringing the Scirocco to the U.S., the R20T would be the perfect variant to distance itself from the equally competent GTI.



[Source: CAR]

BMW's 1 Series is stuck between a rock and a hard place, neatly slotting in between BMW's perennial best-selling 3-series and the FWD wunderkind, MINI. Loaded-up Coopers pass the $30K mark with ease and the base 3-Series model starts in the same neighborhood. This doesn't leave much wiggle room with the 1 Series, but BMW is looking to make the most of what little extra market share is available. One segment that the Bavarian automaker is looking to explore is the "shooting brake" body style (think 2-door wagon) that would add a dose of practicality to the small coupe in the form of a rear hatch.

This type of vehicle has historically fared rather poorly in the style-conscious United States, but Europeans seem more apt to choose practical hatch-like styles, so we'd expect the new model to debut across the pond for sure. BMW is expected to launch a new version of its entry-level model that will be larger and offer downsized engines with direct injection and forced induction burning both gasoline and diesel fuel.

[Source: Auto Bild via Motor Authority]

The Mazda3 hatchback will be unveiled next week at the Bologna Motor Show, and Mazda has released five photos to help get everyone excited. The Euro backdrop means that the 5-door's engine lineup will include a 2.2L turbodiesel that's guaranteed to keep the EU carbon nannies placated. Up front, it wears the same moderately unnerving perma-smile as its sedan brother. Look for more info next week, and feel free to start mentally transforming it into the next Mazdaspeed3. We have.


[Source: Mazda]

Click above for a hi-res gallery of the Fiat Panda 4x4 Glam edition

You might think that Mercedes and McLaren have been busy churning out new editions of the SLR supercar like madmen (you know, aside from winning the world championship), but they're just taking a page out of the Fiat playbook. The Italian automaker has once again unveiled a new version of its diminutive Panda.

Called the Glam Edition, the special version starts with the Panda 4x4 and updates it with a new pearl white paint job complimented by aluminum roof rails and a new set of 15" alloys, but the Panda 4x4 Glam differentiates itself further inside with denim-style upholstery that should bridge the gap between the hip Diesel edition 500 and the maternal Panda Mammy. We've got more images in the gallery below, but something tells us this isn't one of those European hatchbacks we'll be pining for Stateside.

[Source: Fiat]

Click above to view the Renaultsport Clio Lux in high resolution

Renault makes a hot hatch for every taste. Some burn gas, some burn diesel. Some are track-biased, some are great for hauling around the family. Some are flyweights, and some are luxurious. The latest version is the latter, upgrading the Clio Renaulsport 197 with a host of luxury amenities for those who want it all.

Called the Lux, the new package is being offered to British customers from the beginning of the new year, packed with £2,000 of equipement for only £1,000 over the standard price. Included among those amenities are leather upholstery, automatic lights and wipers, cornering lamps, black tinted rear windows, an upgraded 60W MP3/CD sound system, brushed alloys and satin-chrome trim touches. Electric folding mirrors, electric panorama sunroof, xenon headlamps, Speedline rims in white or black and tightened-up Cup suspension are also available as optional extras. But if this is all sounding a little familiar, you're not experiencing deja vu: Renault introduced a similar package, called "Luxe" (the extra is for "Europe") to continental customers a year and a half ago. Details in the pess release after the jump.

[Source: Renault]

"Cao, nema više" reads the piece paper affixed to the tailgate of the red Serbian hatchback, as a small throng of proud workers gathered around the car to bid it "Goodbye, no more" this week. After a 20-year run, the last Zastava Koral, #794,428, quietly made its way to the Zastava museum and the scrappy Eastern European automaker has wound down production on all but one of its models. The very last Zastava, a Skala 55, will be the last of its kind when it makes its way down the production line on November 20th. After that, the proud, tenacious people who have been working at the Kragujevac factory aren't sure of what the future holds. Zastava has long been linked to Fiat, and when the lines restart, the Zastava 10 will be badged as a Fiat Punto, which it is.

Make as many Yugo jokes as you'd like, but Zastava has a long and fascinating history, and the company has managed to produce automobiles through several periods of war, even after the factory sustained bombings. The now classic Zastavas will live on; the company is working on setting up Skala 55, Koral In, and Florida In production lines in Africa and the Zastava 128 is still being produced in Egypt. In those climates, we figure they won't need to come with defroster grids to keep your hands warm when pushing.

[Source: Zastava]