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According to the rumors, the Getz-replacing Hyundai i20 could be coming stateside, complete with an ultra-clean diesel and even a hybrid version. The i20 is getting 1.2- and 1.4-liter gasoline engines, but it looks like the diesel version, dubbed i-blue, is the pick of the range, delivering up to 68 MPG. There could even be a hybrid version in the works, although the gas/electric version still appears to be in development. All of a sudden, that Daewoo Cruze isn’t looking so competitive after all. galleryPost('hyundaii2030sept', 3, 'Hyundai i20');
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While all eyes will be on the new Honda Insight hybrid, Honda will also show off a refreshed Civic Hybrid at next month's Paris Motor Show . Cosmetic changes are minimal — tweaks to the lighting, fascias and wheels help clean up the design and are expected to transfer to conventionally powered Civics in Europe. On the mechanical front, Honda will also debut the i-DTEC automatic transmission designed exclusively for Honda vehicles using the firm's 2.2-liter i-DTEC diesel engine. We're looking forward to full specs and drive impressions since a diesel Honda is anticipated on these shores next year, presumably with this new autobox pushing the wheels. [ Carscoop ]
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The new Volkswagen Golf BlueMotion Diesel claims to return 62 MPG (US); in comparison, when measured using the same European combined cycle, the 2008 Toyota Prius gets 54 MPG. That's right: Using nothing but a thrifty diesel engine, low-rolling resistance tires, a revised gearbox and minor aerodynamic improvements, the non-hybrid diesel smacks the Prius around wholesale, making the Golf BlueMotion (blue stands for pee, by the way) a seriously impressive vehicle. But will you ever be able to buy one? galleryPost('vwgolfbluemotion', 3, 'VW Golf BlueMotion'); Maybe. Unlike the VW Golf Twin Drive and Hybrid Diesel Golf , the BlueMotion is actually destined for production. Currently a “concept,” VW intends to offer a BlueMotion Golf for sale in Europe “around mid-2009.” We’re going to assume VW will give the Golf the misjudged Rabbit name when US sales begin some time next year, and while we don’t expect to see a Rabbit pee version sold here, the entry level 2.0-liter TDI...
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The combination of a fuel-sipping diesel engine with plug-in hybrid technology is something that hasn't really been utilized — until now. This is the Volkswagen Golf Twin Drive Concept, and it looks even more promising than VW's late Golf TDI Hybrid from Geneva . Evidently, the Twin Drive can be run in electric-only mode for a range of up to 30 miles using an 82 HP electric motor. But, there's also a 2.0-liter turbo-diesel that makes 122 HP which can take over once the batteries have been drained. When the two powerplants combine, you become Captain Planet have a parallel hybrid with about 174 HP. The range is aided even further by regenerative braking to charge the batteries, and start-stop technology that shuts the engine off when idling in traffic. But is all of this just a techno' showcase? Or will it actually be made available for normal people to save fuel with? galleryPost('golftwindrive', 6, 'Volkswagen Golf Twin Drive Concept'); Well, Volkswagen...
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The French car beat the German one in our last Choose Your Eternity matchup , which means we need to give France's cross-Channel rival an opportunity to snatch the PCH Trophy (which features several rods hanging out the side and a spreading pool of oil below) today. We're going with something a bit different this time, however; ever since the What Should Mad_Science Drive To Work QOTD, we've been thinking about non-petroleum-fueled car projects. Not boring ol' electric cars that can barely buzz up to highway speed, or seen-one-ya-seen-em-all veggie-oil-powered Mercedes-Benzes, though. Something fun! Something... HELL! There's no law that says you have to run dinosaur juice in your diesel; vegetable oil or animal fat works just fine! Oh sure, some worrywarts will tell you that you need to use some kind of witches' brew of methanol, lye, and who-knows-what-all and make actual biodiesel, but that's only if you want to run the stuff in an unmodified diesel engine...
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Peugeot intends to race a diesel hybrid version of its 908 prototype at next year's 24 Hours of Le Mans. Jean-Philippe Collin, the French automaker's new CEO, revealed the plans in an interview with L-Equipe, revealing that the vehicle could see competition as early as November at the ACO 1,000km challenge in Shanghai. We predict success for the first diesel electric hybrid racecar, it'll be able to combine the excellent fuel economy and torque characteristics of both diesels and hybrids and would be positioned to take advantage of any future rule changes that benefit hybrid technology. F1, for example, is actively working to bring power added by regenerative braking to the sport [Via Motor Authority ]
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We've been saying for years the only efficient hybrid with current technology is one mated to a diesel engine, and now it looks like another automaker is jumping into the conceptual fray. Our little news yesterday on the BMW Vision EfficientDynamics X5 -- translated from Bruce, that appears to be an X5 outfitted with a 2.0-liter twin turbo common rail diesel mild hybrid (wow, that's a mouthful, ain't it?) -- appears to be wholly true. BMW will be revealing this little concept in environmentally friendly CUV-ing at the Geneva Motor Show next month and they've now seen fit to reveal the rest of their press shots and the full press release, which we've got below the jump. Feel free to read through it if you're suffering from a strong desire to fall back into bed. For now, here's the gist of it -- hybrid + diesel + BMW = Over 100 HP per liter (total of 204 HP), 295 lb-ft of torque between 2000 and 2500 RPM. Exciting, isn't it? galleryPost('BMWVisionX5Geneva'...
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The 2008 Smart Fortwo is burdened with preconceived notions like no car before it. It's not safe. You can't drive it on the highway. It's too small for super sized Americans. It's Green. It's gay. The car was launched in Europe in 1998, so Americans have had a decade to develop these assumptions. Until now, few have driven it, and never on American soil. Yesterday, we did. galleryPost('smartfortwobrooklyn', 6, '2008 Smart Fortwo in the USA'); On Monday, we got a call from our friend Nick, who - thanks to a Blackberry and a spirit of adventure - is the first U.S. customer to take delivery of his very own Smart. The company even gave him a plaque to commemorate the occasion. It credits him in part with, "Initiating a revolutionary change in the way Americans think about transportation." We do need to change the way we think about the Smart. It is safe. Mercedes developed the original version with the goal of making it as safe as their E-class...
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A year and a half after kit designer Robert Q. Riley originally dreamed up his XR-3 three-wheeled, two-seater, plug-in hybrid kit car, it is now a reality. Sorry, 3D modelers, your job is now done; the first XR-3 hybrid has been built and plans for this greenmobile are now available for purchase. galleryPost('xr3hybridkit', 9, 'XR-3 Hybrid Kit Assembly'); galleryPost('xr3hybrid', 6, 'XR-3 Hybrid Concept Renderings'); As we've mentioned before , the XR-3 is a three-wheel plug-in diesel-electric hybrid that we're told can get 125 mpg while running on only electric power, and upwards of 225 when combined with the diesel combustion engine. Allegedly, the XR-3 can achieve a top speed of 85 mph, and the entire unit has a curb weight of 1,300 pounds. The standard kit runs $170, which gets you 15 or more 24-inch by 36-inch drawing sheets and a 150 page technical manual chock full of pictures and illustrations. For another $30 you can get a CD containing 2D...
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Chrysler 's Jim Press says his company plans to offer an alternative-fuel powertrain option in every model it sells. Press told the Detroit News diesel , plug-in, fuel-cell and gas-electric hybrids could all be used to backfill Chrysler's lineup with environmentally friendly alternatives. The vice chairman of Chrysler says the company's commitment to green technologies comes from the top -- new owner Cerberus Capital Management, whose financial boffins probably have figured to the tenth of a cent what a greener image would sell for. Despite such lofty goals, Chrysler has a long way to go before it'll be known as a green automaker. Of the Big Six, Chrysler is the only company without a hybrid on the market right now. The Chrysler Aspen and Dodge Durango will be the company's first hybrids when they arrive in 2008, using a two-mode hybrid system mated to the 5.7-liter Hemi. And yes, as we told you first earlier this summer -- it's called the " HemiHybrid ." [ The Detroit News ]
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This morning we showed you the video , now clock the static image. This is Mercedes; idea of the future. The future of luxury to be specific. Obviously it's three-shades of bling imposing and chock full of the luxo-goodies you'd expect on the finest yachts...
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