Fiat 500 Fuoristrada and Jeep Jeepster baby 4x4s

An SUV version of the Cinquecento? A baby Jeep built in Europe? Makes no sense at all? It does to Sergio Marchionne and his team. And if the products are spot-on in terms of design, engineering and quality, Fiat and Jeep may actually have a pair of winners on their hands.

Until not too long ago, il capo grande and his team were of course pursuing a totally different strategy. The idea was to allocate capacity in the Mirafiori plant in suburban Turin for a compact Alfa crossover and for the Jeep Compass replacement. But not so anymore.

Instead, the production planners decided to transfer Alfa and Compass to North America, and to make room in Mirafiori for the next generation Mito and for two so-called CUVs - crossover utility vehicles - the 500 Fuoristrada (Italian for allroad) and the Jeep Jeepster (name still tentative).

Fiat 500 Fuoristrada and Jeep Jeepster - here by 2013

All three new arrivals are based on the so-called small wide components set. Small wide is about Polo-size, also serves the Panda and the upcoming 500 Multipla minivan, and does comply with all relevant US regulations. Which it must, because Fiat intends to increase its Cinquecento portfolio to seven different models all of which will eventually be available in North-America. Small wide is a modular all-steel front-wheel drive matrix with awd compatibility.

The Jeep Jeepster, or Jeep Scamp

The Jeepster will be the brand's first product priced under €15,000. The name rings a bell? So it should: the original Jeepster dates back to 1948, the Jeepster Commando was built between 1966 and 1971, and the marque also showed a striking V8-engined Jeepster concept in 2005.

But the real revival of the Jeepster idea was in fact known as project JJ. Kind of a baby Wrangler codeveloped with Renault under Francois Castaing back in the old days when the shadow of American Motors was still looming large over Motown, this Suzuki LJ rival turned out to be a touch too rudimentary even for Rubicon Trail addicts.

The all-new Jeepster - which may actually be badged Scamp when it comes to market in late 2013 - is more of a downsized, better looking Compass than a sequel of the JJ and the related 1997 Icon proposal.

Fiat replaces the Sedici with the 500 Fuoristrada

At Fiat, the Cinquecento CUV will replace the Seidici, which is a rebadged Suzuki SX4 built in Hungary.

At Jeep, the new family member will be positioned below the next Patriot which remains in the current price and size class. Both vehicles are four-door only with optional AWD, a choice of 1.4-litre Multiair petrol and 1.6-litre Multijet diesel engines and an available automated six-speed Dualogic transmission.

While Fiat is reportedly considering a stacked and rugged Cross version as well as a 160bhp Abarth Esseesse, Jeep may do a higher output SRT model and an off-road-biased Sahara variant. Despite the common platform and chassis and the related drivetrains, both brands are of course preparing bespoke exteriors and interiors.

Ford Focus RS (2014)

Ford’s third-generation Focus RS is shaping up, with an all-new four-cylinder engine good for 350bhp, and with clever tech to help the front wheels put that hefty power down.  

The bad news is that the RS is unlikely to surface before 2014-15, although Ford executives are considering unleashing it earlier in the car’s lifecycle than with previous generations. The good news is that executives are talking openly about the prospect of an RS, and drawing up the £27k super-hatch’s specification.

So what engine will the new Ford Focus RS have to produce 350bhp?

Its engine is set to be a 2.3-litre Ecoboost engine, which is under development in North America and tipped for the next Mustang sports car. ‘The 2.3 is coming but it’s not in use yet,’ said a Ford source. ‘300 to 350bhp is the range we should consider.’ The engine will feature direct injection and turbocharging, to boost power while optimising fuel consumption.

The Mk2 Focus RS mustered 301bhp from its wonderful 2.5-litre five-cylinder engine, which was then cranked up to 345bhp for the limited edition RS500. Expect RS Mk3 peak power approaching 350bhp but from four cylinders: Ford has moved away from that Volvo-sourced five-pot, and emissions regulations will kill it off once and for all in 2013.

Will the new Focus RS be four-wheel drive?

The flagship Focus will also stick to front-wheel drive, with Ford ruling out all-wheel drive. ‘I’m not sure it would deliver a better car,’ said our source. ‘It’s a significant weight increase, it impacts on the platform, and you can’t recover the additional cost of all-wheel drive [in the list price].’

The new RS will almost certainly redeploy the RevoKnuckle front suspension, used (with limited success) to counter torque steer on the last Focus RS. Inserting the knuckle into the front suspension helps suppress the steering wheel’s see-saw action on hard acceleration. The RevoKnuckle isn’t fitted to this year’s Focus ST. ‘But in my view, the Revoknuckle is not a one-off,’ said our Ford source, with a twinkle in his eye.

This new Focus ST – available in the UK this summer – will be more comfortable and refined than its five-cylinder predecessor, with Volkswagen’s Golf GTI a benchmark car for the development team. That smoother character leaves space in the portfolio for the no holds-barred, new generation Focus RS – and as there's no Focus three-door, the RS will come for the first time as a five-door model. While we wait for it, we’ll have Focus ST and Fiesta ST to keep us happy, with both cars set to be launched in 2012.

Hyundai i30 Tourer estate (2012)

Hyundai is on a roll with its Tourer estates. Have you ogled the svelte-looking i40 wagon recently? Many at CAR have, and Mark Walton will in fact run one as his next long-termer.

Today the Koreans unveil their next practical estate car: the new Hyundai i30 Tourer wagon. It's a polished, slick affair, judging by these first photographs issued ahead of its debut at the 2012 Geneva motor show.

Click here to read our first drive review of the five-door i30 hatchback.

What's new on the Hyundai i30 Tourer estate?

This is a very straightforward translation from hatch to estate. The body is stretched by 185mm to increase the boot space.

At 4485mm long, this new i30 Tourer is 10mm longer than its predecessor. Net result? A whopping 528 litres in the cavernous boot. That's pretty vast for a Golf-class car.

Tumble the rear seats forwards and that swells to 1642 litres. Hyundai claims access to the boot is easy-peasy, thanks to a low-cut tailgate opening.

Engines, spec on the new 2012 Hyundai i30 estate

As you might have guessed, it's i30 business as usual under the bonnet. There's a choice of three petrol and three diesel engines, stretching from 89bhp to 133bhp in output.

No prices or UK details have been announced yet, but all i30s come with Hyundai's watertight five-year warranty, breakdown cover and annual 'health checks'

Allan Rushforth, senior vice president of Hyundai Motor Europe, said: 'The New Generation i30 has been widely praised for its style, quality, and value. Our new wagon offers all of those attributes plus even greater load-carrying capacity. 

'We expect it to appeal strongly to those looking for stylish and flexible practicality, especially active families.'

Cue adverts with surfboards and mountain bikes and beautiful young families then...

Mercedes SL63 AMG (2012)

This is the new Mercedes SL63 AMG, a £110k roadster with 557bhp and 664lb ft of torque. Mercedes will reveal this monstrous open-top at AMG model at the Geneva motor show in March 2012.

I’m up with Mercedes’ tricks – this Mercedes SL63 AMG doesn’t have a 6.3-litre engine, does it?

It doesn’t – that ‘63’ designation has been a misnomer for years while the powerplant was actually a 6.2-litre V8.

But that wondrous naturally aspirated V8 is reaching pensionable age, so even though it’s still living on in the SLS AMG and C63 Black Series, the SL uses the latest 5.5-litre twin-turbo V8 that’s already been seen in AMG versions of the S-class, CL, CLS and E-class.

In the SL63 AMG that means 530bhp at 5500rpm, plus 590lb ft from 2000 to 4500rpm, all being sent to the rear wheels via a seven-speed MCT automatic gearbox. The run from zero to 62mph is dispatched in a brisk 4.3 seconds, 0-124mph takes a scant 12.9 seconds, the electronically limited top speed is 155mph, and if you drive with utter delicacy you might match the official combined fuel consumption figure of 28.5mpg. CO2 emissions are a mightily impressive 231g/km, especially up against the old 518bhp Merc SL63 which did 20mpg and 328g/km CO2.

And for those that want more, the AMG Performance Package pushes peak power up to 557bhp, while maximum torque becomes a huge 664lb ft from 2250-3750rpm. A tenth is shaved off the 0-62mph sprint, three-tenths disappear from that crucial 0-124mph benchmark, and the electronically limited top speed is increased to 188mph. The fuel consumption is unaffected, says Merc.

What else makes the SL63 into an AMG?

It’s not just direct-injection tech, a stop/start system and a downsized bi-turbo engine that help reduce the fuel consumption. The all-aluminium body of the standard SL trims around 110kg from the kerbweight, while AMG touches – like the carbonfibre bootlid support that saves 5kg – mean the overall weight of the new SL63 is 125kg less than the outgoing model. 

The diet will benefit the handling too, which is also helped by an AMG version of Mercedes’s Active Body Control suspension – a more aggressive AMG Performance suspension is an option. Huge 390mm front and 360mm rear discs sort the slowing down, again there’s an upgraded composite version pinched from the SLS as an option, and you can raid the AMG Performance Studio catalogue to spec red brake calipers and bigger wheel and tyres packages.

A bodykit takes care of the visual transformation, with ‘biturbo’ badges, a rear spoiler and quad pipes the most obvious giveaway that this isn’t just a cruiser. Standard SL touches remain, including the Magic Sky Control roof that can be switched from light to dark at the touch of a button.

‘The new SL63 AMG is yet another masterpiece from Mercedes-AMG,’ said AMG CEO Ola Källenius. ‘Be it driving dynamics, lightweight construction or efficiency – the SL63 AMG represents a giant leap forward. Following on from the SLS AMG Roadster and the SLK55 AMG, it now makes our unrivalled roadster family practically complete.’

UK sales start in summer 2012, and with the outgoing car cost £106,820, we expect the new Mercedes SL63 AMG to set you back at least £110k.

Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse (2012)

This is the Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse, and it’s quite possibly the world’s fastest convertible. It will be unveiled at the Geneva motor show in March 2012.

Effectively the Bugatti Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse is what you get when you cross the open-top body of the Veyron Grand Sport with the monstrous 1183bhp powertrain of the Veyron Super Sport.

Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse, huh?

Yes. Vitesse is French for speed, and it’s a catchier name than amalgamating Grand Sport and Super Sport. As for what it is…

Like all Veyrons the Vitesse has an 8.0-litre engine, with the cubic capacity split between 16 cylinders (in a ‘W’ formation) and fed air by four turbochargers (hence the 16.4 moniker).  If a Veyron can ever be called normal, then 987bhp and 922lb ft are outputs of a 'normal' Veyron.

But the Veyron Vitesse has had the same tweaks as the Veyron Super Sport, meaning enlarged turbochargers and bigger intercoolers, so peak power is now 1183bhp (1200PS) and maximum torque is 1106lb ft. Other Super Sport-influenced changes include a modified chassis to handle the extra power and new front and rear bumpers as part of a tweaked aerodynamic package.

Bugatti: the boss speaks

‘The rapid success of the Super Sport convinced us to increase the performance of the Bugatti roadster,’ said Bugatti president Wolfgang Dürheimer.

‘Once again our engineers worked hard to demonstrate that Bugatti is able to constantly redefine the boundaries of what is technically feasible. We gave our all to transfer the achievements of the Super Sport over to the Grand Sport, thereby turning open-top driving itself into an extraordinary experience at high speed.’

Bugatti only ever built 30 Veyron Super Sports, and we expect the Vitesse to be even more exclusive.

The Veyron SS holds the current world speed record for a road car (at 269mph, though it’s limited to 259mph to protect the tyres) but Bugatti has yet to release any acceleration or top speed figures for the Veyron Grand Sport Vitesse.

No word on prices either, but we’d reckon you’ll need about £2m for one of these. Start saving now...

Gavin Green on the fine new BMW 3-series

Just back from Spain, where I’ve been driving the new 3-series saloon on those magical winding roads of Andalusia. As expected, it is a terrific car.

The new one is a step-on from its predecessor, especially in cabin quality, handling and looks (leaner, sleeker, less multi-angle Bangled). The agility and balance of the new 3 – I drove both 320d and 328i – are outstanding. Ride suppleness is also excellent.

My only disappointment is the engines. The 320d has more clatter and chatter than I’d expected, although it is outstanding in other areas. Especially its delicious – both driver and tax friendly – meld of power and fuel parsimony: 62.8mpg (combined cycle) meets 118g/km CO2 meets 7.6 sec 0-62mph meets 143mph top speed. Those are automatic transmission figures. That makes them even more extraordinary.

Honestly, with internal combustion engines this efficient (and with city stop-start) you really wonder what is the point of pricey hybrids. As hybrid sales collapsed last year in America – the world’s biggest hybrid market – car buyers are clearly wondering about the point of them too. (European hybrid sales, of course, are still risibly low.)

The 328i: not quite the ultimate driving machine

The 328i also has a brilliant mix of speed and fuel sipping. On full turbocharged song this is an inspiring sports saloon. Trouble is, I’m used to those delicious straight-six-cylinder normally aspirated engines that have powered 328s (and 323s and 325s) over many generations; their smoothness; their snarl; and most important, their throttle response. I’m sorry, but this 2.0-litre four – despite impressive performance figures and brilliant economy – just doesn’t deliver the same mechanical driving enjoyment. It’s the mid-bend throttle response – where you steer the car as much with the accelerator as the steering wheel. It’s that instant crack! of power that’s just a toe twitch away. It’s that glorious yowling when the revs swing high.

That straight-six engine was all the reason you ever needed to buy a BMW.

Of course, I know why BMW is deserting its six-cylinder roots in favour of smaller turbo fours. Those spoilsports who dictate low-carbon motoring demand it.

Just what does the name 328i mean…

Oh, and one more nitpick. The badges. I know why BMW uses the 328i moniker. It’s historic. It has heritage. It summons up visions of lissom post-war sportsters and great sports saloons. M3 aside, it’s probably the most iconic badge you can get for a 3-series.

But it’s a lie. As any schoolboy knows, 328i means 3-series 2.8 litres fuel injection. Not 3-series 2.0 litres. I’m sorry, this just won’t do. But lo and behold, the deception doesn’t end there. The 335i model – with satisfying straight-six power but sadly not available for sampling in Spain – has a 3.0-litre engine. Not 3.5. Of course, BMW plays the same trick with the 5-series. It’s played them with the 3-series before.

And BMW isn’t the only one.

Over at archrival Mercedes, we find the C-class 200 CDI (diesel) has 2.2 litres. Not the 2.0 implied by the badge. The 220 CDI, indeed, has 2.2 litres (or 2143cc, but that’s close enough). But the 250 CDI has the same 2.2 litres (eh?). The 350 CDI has only 3.0 litres. The petrol powered 250 has 1.8 litres.

Higher up in the Mercedes range, the S500 – another iconic badge – actually has 4.7 litres not 5.0. The S600L has 5.5 litres not 6.0, as the badge historically implies.

It is all very confusing.

All I can say is that I hope the German engineers developing the engines are better at mathematics than the German marketers who develop the badges.

Maserati GranTurismo Sport (2012)

This is the new Maserati GranTurismo Sport, a more powerful and more aggressively styled version of the Trident’s big GT that will be unveiled at the Geneva motor show in March 2012.

How is the Maserati GranTurismo Sport different from all Maserati’s other GranTurismo models?

The GranTurismo Sport effectively replaces the GranTurismo S, and sits one rung below the hardcore GranTurismo MC Stradale. The GranTurismo Sport doesn’t have the stripped-interior (and thus 110kg weight saving) of the MC Stradale, but its does inherit the flagship’s styling. Most notably pinched is the smiling front bumper that feeds air to both the engine and brakes.

There are also new headlamps with LED daytime running lights (a first for Maserati), while the rear taillights are now tinted darker. The front and rear seats, Maserati says, have been completely redesigned, and there’s a new steering wheel with ‘a more sporty and muscular look’.

As for the extra power, the 4.7-litre V8 has now been tweaked to deliver 454bhp, 10bhp more than the MC Stradale and Grancabrio Sport, and 20bhp more than the old GranTurismo S.

The GranTurismo Sport will be officially revealed to the world at the 2012 Geneva motor show in March, before production starts in September 2012, at which point the GranTurismo S will be phased out.

Peugeot 208 GTi Concept (2012)

This is the Peugeot GTi Concept, and it's a near-200bhp hot hatch that Peugeot will unveil at the Geneva motor show in March 2012. Unveiled alongside it will be the Peugeot 208 XY Concept.

 The Peugeot 208 GTi Concept is technically still a concept, but the hottest Peugeot 208 already runs a THP 156 engine, so the mule our spies spotted cold weather testing is thought to be an early prototype for a production version of the GTi. We'd guess at seeing a production version of the Peugeot 208 GTi at the 2012 Paris motor show this autumn.

If it turns out to be anything like sister company Citroen's DS3 Racing, it should be a very good car indeed.

Right, important details! Is the Peugeot 208 GTi Concept a proper hot hatch?

The ingredients are very promising. The engine is the same turbocharged THP 200 1.6-litre four-cylinder that you’ll find in the top-spec RCZ. Which means 197bhp at 5500rpm, plus 188lb ft at 1700rpm (or 203lb ft with an overboost facility). Peugeot hasn’t made any acceleration claims, but reckon on high-sixes or low-sevens to 62mph from a standstill.

Chassis-wise the 208 GTi has a 36mm wider track, at both the front and the rear, while 302mm (front) and 249mm (rear) discs take care of the stopping.

How is the Peugeot 208 GTi Concept visually different from the standard 208?

There’s a very subtle bodykit, with neatly integrated wheelarch extensions, a discreet rear spoiler, and a small black ‘diffuser’ with two chromed tailpipes. And in a nod to the original spit-you-through-a-hedge-backwards-if-you-lift-mid-corner 205 GTi, there are brushed aluminium GTi logos on the rear quarter panels aft of the back windows.

The front grille is supposed to be in the style of a chequered flag, and before your patriotic blood is riled by the French tricolour flag across the white bumper insert, the very last photo depicts the 208 GTi Concept with a Union Jack across its snout.

What about inside?

The sports seats are trimmed in Nappa leather and cloth, while the flat-bottomed (no Peugeot, no!) steering wheel is all leather but with contrasting red stitching. Alcantara covers the dash, the roof lining is black, and the pedals are aluminium.

Aston Martin V12 Zagato (2012)

Aston Martin has today unveiled the new V12 Zagato in final, showroom spec.

Previously, we'd seen the Zagato as a racer at the 2011 Villa d'Este concours and at the 24-hour Nurburgring race last summer.

But this is what will go on sale in the fourth quarter of 2012, costing a stout £330,000 plus local taxes. That's £405,000 to you and me.

Aston Martin V12 Zagato: the lowdown

Not a huge amount has changed in the transition from prototype racer to roadgoing show-off.

This is classic coachbuilding: Aston takes the V12 Vantage running gear and redresses it in a sharp suit, crafted by CPP in Coventry.

They're the people who also build body panels for the One-77 supercar. The Zagato wears a mix of aluminium and carbonfibre wings, bonnets and lids.

So the V12 Zagato road car will be fast then?

You bet. This thing sports the same 6.0-litre V12 as the V12 Vantage, so you've got a twitchy 510bhp and 420lb ft to play with. No performance figures have been issued yet, but it'll be close to the donor's 190mph and 0-62mph in 4.2sec.

The V12 Zagato is being built to mark the 50th anniversary of the lovely DB4 GT Zagato, first shown in 1961 but entering showrooms half a century ago.

However, that common Zagato name is a bit of a misnomer: the new V12 Zagato was entirely conceived and designed in the Midlands, not Milan. The Zagato name is merely a nod to the DB4 and was sanctioned by the Italian coachbuilder, even though it had no hand in its design.

Aston Martin design chief Marek Reichman says the design of 2012's Zagato matches the 'bulging' aesthetic of the 1960s original. And there's a discreet double-bubble roof too and gaping front grille to match the hairy-chested brutality of the DB4 GT Zagato.

VW Up 5dr (2012) CAR

This is the Volkswagen Up, a little city car we’ve been excited about ever since the first rear-engined and rear-wheel drive concept was unveiled in 2007. Alas a layout akin to the original people’s car (the Beetle) proved too expensive to develop in the 21st century, so the production car is standard urban runabout fare – i.e. front-engined and front-wheel drive.

But the massive economic of scale (VW subsidiaries Seat and Skoda are also producing their own versions) mean the Up might be able to deliver all the qualities so beloved of Volkswagen at a price point us plebs can actually afford – prices start at under £8k. There’s a three-door version, and for just a few hundred quid more there’s the five-door tested here, which 52% of customers are expected to opt for.

I’m excited about this little city car. What’s the VW Up 5dr like?

The front and rear styling of the Up 5dr remains the same as the 3dr, which means a smiling mouth and darkened glass bootlid. But there’s change between the B- and C-pillars: the lower window line no longer kicks upwards towards the rear, but now runs straight back.

VW reckons the 5dr will carry a mere £375 premium over the 3dr in the UK, helped by the back windows only being pop-out items. Boot space remains identical to the 3dr Up, at 251 litres, or 951 litres with the rear backrest folded down. There’s only room for two in the back, but there is plenty of space for rear seat passengers’ feet beneath the front seats.

What about the interior?

Great. The dials are clear, the air-con and radio controls are grouped high rather than clustered down behind the gearstick, and the (optional) Maps+More portable touchscreen sat-nav and infotainment system that snaps into place atop the dash is easy to use. Headroom is plentiful, the seats are comfortable, and there’s plenty of room too. Just like in the Fiat 500 a big slab of glossy plastic helps lift the ambience, but the quality of the plastics and the refinement levels are ahead of the Italian.

It might be a small car but there are big car features – which are optional, of course. The City Emergency Braking system does what it says on the tin, braking the Up if speeds are between 3mph and 18mph (it’s a more rounded 5-30km/h if you live on the Continent), and you can spec a panoramic tilt and slide sunroof too.

There are five versions of the Up available…

The entry-level Take Up with 14in wheels, ABS, power-assisted steering, daytime running lights, a folding rear bench, and body coloured bumpers.

The Move Up with body coloured wing mirrors and door handles, gloss back interior highlights, remote central locking, air-con, front electric windows, a 60:40 split rear bench and ESP.

The High Up (which we’ve tested) with 15in wheels, fog lights, Maps+More, heated front seats, electric and heated door mirrors, air-con, MP3 connectivity and a leather-adorned steering wheel and handbrake.

The Up Black and Up White (VW UK has wisely reversed the names) are based on the High Up but come with 16in wheels, chromed wing mirrors and side strips and tinted rear glass – and obviously one is black inside and out and the other is white.

And to drive?

There are just two engines available, both 1.0-litre triples but in different states of tune. There’s 59bhp (for the Take Up and Move Up) or 74bhp (for the others) to choose from, with power going to the front wheels via a five-speed manual or five-speed automatic gearbox. And there’s a Bluemotion Technology version of the 59bhp model (only available in Move Up guise) with stop/start, a trick alternator, low-friction engine ancillaries and low rolling resistance tyres to shift the figures from 62.8mpg and 105g/km to 68.9mpg and 96g/km CO2.

And unless you can’t drive with three pedals, don’t opt for the automated manual gearbox. VW reckons a DSG ‘box would cost around £1500 and a conventional torque converter would be a £1200, so the estimated £800 means it’s a cheaper alternative. But it’s jerky and ponderous and quite possibly the worst example of an automated manual I’ve ever tried. Lifting as you shift limits the head nodding, but then that’s not really the point of an auto.

But the manual version is excellent. The gearbox is light and slick (as is the steering), the engine thrums away happily without becoming tiresome and intrusive (a la Aygo/107/C1), the ride is comfortable and supple, and visibility is very good. Refinement levels are high too, so 80mph on the autobahn is handled with ease, and while you need to drop down a gear or two to make any progress, overall it’s a wonderful little package.

Anything else?

We also tested the Cross Up, a jacked-up Allroad-esque version of the 5dr with raised suspension, faux off-road cladding and flared wheelarches. To drive it’s all but identical to the normal 5dr, but at least to these eyes the visual tweaks add a little visual flare to offset the more grown-up image created by the extra pair of doors. Pity it won’t be sold in the UK.

Verdict

Whereas the Toyota iQ failed to live up to its hype (actually too small, too compromised, too dull) the Up, while not radical, is everything we’d hoped for. It looks cool, it’s fun to drive, plus it banishes memories of the VW Fox and is a city car dripping with quality and worthy of wearing the VW badge. There’s no reason to spend more on the Polo, and while that, the Golf and Passat can be dreary and dull, this is a Volkswagen that’s actually exciting. 

Kia Track'ster concept car (2012)

Kia will show the new Track'ster at the 2012 Chicago motor show. It's a concept car designed to show what a harder, faster Kia Soul hatch could be like.

Scant information is available at present, but Kia has confirmed the Track'ster was designed by Kia's Californian studio, led by Tom Kearns.

Kia Track'ster concept car: a pocket rocket

The Track'ster has a 248bhp petrol engine, apparently. Enough to make this rollerskate a proper hot hatch tearaway, says Kia.

We're still not sure about the name, though: Kia loves a bit of grammatical violation, it's got the same apostrophe nonsense as the Ceed range. CAR's sub-editors always remove the rogue apostrophe and don't allow the Cee'd style used by Kia.

It's a classic tactic to give an ageing model – the Soul is now four years old – a bit of a fillip. We hear development of the next Soul is well underway and it may be slightly less boxy, to swell its appeal globally.

Kia Soul convertible and hot hatch

The Californian studio was originally responsible for the Kia Soul hatchback; the American design team has also drawn up a Soul'ster convertible which is under assessment for final approval and production, according to Kia.

Americans bought 102,000 Souls in the US in 2011 – that's a record for Kia in the US.

There are, however, no plans for Track'ster production. Could be just the thing to give the Soul more sporting appeal.

Honda CR-Z (2011)

Goodbye to our Honda CR-Z – 31 January 2012

The departure of a long-term car is an odd experience. I rarely grow attached to the car as a true owner would, but tend to view them with a rather detached eye as something to be constantly evaluated and judged. The Honda was different. I really gelled with this car during the 12,000-odd miles we covered together. Its ethos, its intelligence, its looks and its dynamics – I loved pretty much everything about this darty little coupe. I said goodbye to it with real regret.

I loved the Honda’s looks. I never tired of its dramatic styling, was always aware that it turned heads and caught myself even deep into its time with me, still turning to gaze at it after locking and walking away from it. It looked just like an incredibly advanced and high-tech glimpse of the automotive future ought to – clean, sharp and muscular. And I was gladdened to see that Honda’s stunning Ev-Ster concept car from this year’s Tokyo motor show driving this bold designing direction forward.

The cabin design was equally effective. For all its graphs, displays  and read-outs, the CR-Z’s intelligently-configured dashboard was a pleasure to look at and operate. All the data available was salient and worth monitoring. The layout was eye-catching as well as ergonomically sound. Build quality, despite the ho-hum plastics was superb. The only black spot was the sat-nav system whose graphics and menu system seemed to have would have come straight out of 1985. Awesome stereo, though. The seats were wonderfully low-slung  but lacked under-thigh support. And the rear seats were utterly pathetic.

The CR-Z’s hybrid system was never anything less than superb. The electric and petrol units worked together seamlessly and intuitively to deliver decent dollops of low-rev torque and high-rev punch. You just had to make sure that you didn’t caught languishing in the mid-range because otherwise anything – even diesely people carriers – would simply embarrass you. The car’s modest on-paper stats – 10.1 to 62mph and a 124mph top whack – belied its sheer brio and tail-up enthusiasm. It wasn’t fast but, my, it always felt it. Which, given today’s camera-littered roads, is no bad thing.

The CR-Z was far from perfect, but oddly  - or encouragingly enough – it wasn’t the hybrid technology that let the side down, but rather straightforward dynamics. The Honda’s ride quality was terrible. Brittle, stiff and ludicrously lacking in compliancy, it made tackling our roads something to be done through gritted teeth. I don't quite understand why Honda has got this so wrong over the last decade – every Honda I’ve driven in recent memory has been marked out by a stiff-jointed and unforgiving ride. The other major shortcoming was the mute and artificial-feeling steering. Sure, it was quick and unerringly accurate, and you could peel the coupe into corners with real precision, but my nephew’s plastic Playstation steering wheel has better feel and feedback. Maybe Honda’s engineers need to have a long drive in the 1995 Integra Type R – one of the finest front wheel-drive cars (along with the Peugeot 306 Rallye and Ford Racing Puma) I have ever driven – to remind themselves that they’ve done it once, so they can and should do it again.

It would, then, be relatively easy to create a far superior next-gen CR-Z (would it be the CR-A…?). Go to Sachs and see the magic it’s advanced dampers can create when it comes to combining excellent body control and ride comfort. Go to Recaro and get some equally low-slung bucket seats that also have plenty of base support. Ditch the ridiculous rear seats and offer a big and accessible lockable luggage box. Speak to TomTom about a first-rate satellite navigation system. And speak to Porsche about how electrically-assisted steering can still be feelsome and connected. And find more torque – a lot more torque – throughout the rev-range. Push battery and electric motor technologies to the next level to get more green grunt. Perhaps if the CR-Z’s engine was breathed on by a tiny low-pressure turbo, or even drank diesel…

Looked at with a cold and calculating eye, a £25,550 (as tested) two-seater coupe with very modest performance and economy (my overall economy was 47.2mpg compared to the 56.5mpg official figure) is hardly something to get all steamy about. But drive the CR-Z along your favourite road, let it get under your skin and fill you with its feel-good factor, and the picture changes dramatically. This Honda was special and made me feel so every time I dropped down behind its steering wheel. It will be greatly missed.

A closer look at the CR-Z, from the outside – 9 November 2011

I know this may sound a little odd, but I rarely get to see the CR-Z in action. Because I’m always driving it, I’m deeply familiar with the Honda’s interior, but less so its exterior. So when I spotted another CR-Z on the road – an unfortunately uncommon occurrence – I chased and followed it for a good 15 minutes. It was the same spec as mine, in immaculate pearly white and riding on bigger alloys. And hell, it looked good.

Mercedes CLS250 CDI (2012)

Welcome to our new Mercedes-Benz CLS 250 CDI long-termer - 30 January 2012

Welcome to the new luxury. The Mercedes-Benz CLS250 CDI is an elite car for humbler times. It’s a coupe that offers each occupant a door, rather than making rear-seat passengers feel like second-class citizens, and is powered by a small, efficient, clean diesel engine when for a century big Benz coupes have had big benzin engines. Cars like this just didn’t exist when I started doing this job a decade ago. You can still have a V8-powered CLS if you want one. But when and where can you use it? Benz thinks lots of us will like the idea of an elegant, luxurious car with just-sufficient power, a longer range, lower running costs and less guilt. And I’m going to spend the next year finding out how appealing this new niche-niche is.

Seems the new luxury comes at an old-fashioned price. Our CLS Sport costs £49,355 before options and £58,055 after, which must be some sort of record for a 2143cc, 204bhp diesel four. I didn’t specify this car myself and if I had, I’d have been pretty happy with the kit that comes as standard. The ‘basic’ car has leather, 18s, bi-xenons, sat-nav, a digital radio, parking sensors and self-parking; for another three grand the Sport trim adds 19s, LED lights and sportier styling, suspension, transmission and brakes.

So when the CLS comes pretty fully laden, how did we end up with a car costing nearly nine grand more? Most of that has gone on seats and trim: three grand on a ‘luxury package’ that extends the leather around the cabin and improves its quality, and adds an Alcantara headlining and ‘ambient’ cabin lighting with three changeable hues. Adding three memory positions and four-way lumbar support to the already electric seats adds £715 to the bill, and the ‘dynamic’ seats that offer massage, more adjustment and active bracing through corners add £1310. There’s a grand for a glass sunroof, £950 for an upgraded hard-drive sat-nav with a bigger screen, and £650 for a better, 14-speaker Harman Kardon hi-fi. All very nice, and together they provide a Bentley-esque cabin atmosphere now even more at odds with the humble motor out front. But all very pricey: I’ll make sure I spend some time in a ‘standard’ CLS to see if it really feels nine grand less special.

I’d definitely have chosen the £445 folding rear seats and £350 heated front seats myself, and the £295 Speed Limit Assist, which uses a front-facing camera to spot speed-limit signs you might have missed, will be interesting to test. But I don’t think I’d have chosen the colour. The car has just been delivered, but the Cuprite Brown is not endearing itself to me. Cuprinol Brown might be a better name. A brave design like the CLS doesn’t need a brave colour, and Merc makes it easy to make your CLS look sensational. There are four greys and silvers that flatter the lines, and if you want to be bold the aubergine or porcelain leather options look amazing.

Mine, however, is brown. I’m not going to criticise a car for something so easily changed, and the man at Merc insists brown is the new white. But for now the CLS looks less like the new luxury than the transport of a prosperous, solid, small-town West German pork butcher circa 1975. It’s a very different picture inside though, and when I get to the end of the 1000-mile running-in period I hope I’ll find it doesn’t drive like a brown ’70s diesel Merc four-door. Actually, wasn’t James Hunt’s famously bricked-up ’70s Merc 450SEL 6.9 brown too? I’m feeling better about mine already.

Volkswagen Touareg 3.0 TDI (2011)

Modern light technology on the Touareg - 26 January 2012

Almost since the birth of the car, we’ve been able to tell one design from another (often very similar one) by the radiator grille, and more recently, air intakes. Fine in daylight, but not much good in these winter months. Modern light technology though, makes it easy for designers to create a distinct, and instantly recognisable, face (and backside) for their cars.

Our Touareg’s LED daytime running lights came as part of the £1330 Bi-xenon option pack that includes cornering lights. They’re not cheap, but once you’ve had xenons, it’s difficult to go back. These work brilliantly too, don’t flicker over bumps despite the iffy ride, and the cornering function is useful and unobtrusive. And they look great, much less tacky than some manufacturer’s efforts. The rears are even more handsome, and combined with the Touareg’s pronounced hips, help make this one of the best looking SUVs on sale. I bet it looks superb when you’re following behind.

But of course, I’m unlikley to ever find out. LED daytime running lights (as opposed to true LED headlights) are a strange idea, because as a driver you’ll never really get to enjoy personally. Choose a wheel upgrade or a unique colour scheme and you can admire your good taste every time you walk up to your car, as well as showing off to everyone else on the road. But generally, your pretty LED lights are only ever illuminated when you’re behind the wheel. So they’re pure pose, but I have to admit that knowing they look good gives me a warm xenony glow.

Speccing our Volkswagen Touareg – 17 October 2011

The large SUV-shaped hole in CAR’s long-term line-up is about to be filled with a second-generation Volkswagen Touareg. Once again the big VW is twinned with Porsche’s Cayenne, though the new VW corporate nose means you’ll not mistake one for the other. There’s still no seven-seat option, but a longer wheelbase means it’s much more roomy inside, and we know from the short-term test cars we’ve driven that it handles brilliantly for its size.

In the old days speccing your car meant a trip to the local dealer for a brochure, but now you can research and option-out your car without leaving the house. So I should take an opportunity to praise the Volkswagen UK retail website, and in particular, its car configurator. The web is such an important tool in the car buying process, yet so many manufacturers get it wrong. The VW configurator is simple and logical, with every option clearly explained.

The Touareg range includes four engines, but at £60k apiece, the thirsty 3.0 V6 hybrid and 4.2 TDI V8, are of minor interest. For most UK buyers, it’s a choice between two 3.0-litre diesels. The basic motor produces 201bhp and does 62mph in 9sec but we splashed out £1615 on the 242bhp version that lops 1.2sec from that standing start time for a meagre 1mpg penalty. And speaking of mpg, its claimed 39mpg combined fuel figure is nearly 10mpg better than my old Range Rover Sport diesel’s, thanks to a kerbweight some 400kg lower.

Common sense suggests we should have gone for the basic SE spec: heated leather trim, navigation, Bluetooth and an eight-speed ‘box are all standard for £40,155. There’s an off-road-themed Escape version too, but to sample the version most UK buyers will choose, we stumped up another £2525 for the sporty Altitude. The colour palette is about as varied as food choices in a 1970s Warsaw supermarket, but the metal-look dash trim does differentiate it from the warmer wood decoration of the SE.

Having rubbished the hybrid for its £60k price I thought I’d better go easy on the options for our TDI. I passed on the optional electric seats (£1340), four-zone climate (£670) and driver assistance pack (£2095) with its radar cruise, lane departure warning and multiple parking cameras. And I decided to take a big gamble by not ordering the £2075 air suspension package. After that I promptly fell off the wagon and splashed out on a full-length sunroof (£1120), Dynaudio hi-fi upgrade (£1095) and £1310’s worth of Bi-xenon cornering lights. The only worry is those air springs. Will my meanness come back to haunt me on the first stretch of bumpy road? We’ll find out soon.