JAGUAR XF SPORTBRAKE: OFFICIAL PICS AND DETAILS

It's the car we've all been waiting for; a Jaguar (car) with enough boot space to humanely fit in a jaguar (cat). Flippant remarks aside, the XF Sportbrake (read: estate in marketing-speak) is a crucial car for Jaguar, allowing it to take on the likes of the Audi A6 Avant, BMW 5 Series touring and Mercedes E-Class estate.

Now usually it's not really our thing to talk about such things as boot space (1675 litres with the seats down), remote-fold levers for the rear seats, an extra 48mm of headroom, or a soft-close tailgate that can be specified with a fully powered open/close functionality, but these things are important on estates. So there we are - we've just mentioned them.

Of perhaps more interest is the self-levelling rear air suspension, or the Adaptive Dynamics System - which continuously monitors the suspension and can adjust damping rates accordingly up to 500 times a second. Or maybe the fact that the XF Sportbrake matches the saloon for rigidity and aerodynamic drag...

As for motive power, from launch the Sportbrake will be diesel only, with the 2.2-litre four-cylinder and two versions of Jaguar's 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel available - the higher of which will be the 442lb ft, 275hp version.

There is also rumour of a V8 petrol version, but Jag is keeping shtum on that for now...

Source Pistonheads.co.uk

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PORSCHE MACAN CONFIRMED

The baby Cayenne formerly known as Cajun is now official and called ... the Macan

We knew it was coming and we thought it was to be called the Cajun. Indeed, just two weeks ago in a press release boasting of record production at the Leipzig plant that builds Cayenne and Panamera, Porsche itself referred to "a new small SUV with project title Cajun."

That, it turns out, was a bit of a red herring. Because Porsche has just confirmed that its new baby SUV will in fact be called the Macan. Ma-what? Means 'tiger' in Indonesian, apparently combining, we're told, "suppleness, power, fascination and dynamics." And in case you were in any doubt the Macan will be a "genuine Porsche."

Naming a car is a notoriously tricky task of course, Porsche choosing Macan on the basis that it apparently has to "sound good in very many languages and dialects and evoke positive associations." So hopefully no Mitsubishi Pajero-style issues here.

Porsche purists will not be greeting news of another SUV in the line-up with cheers but the Macan is at the core of Porsche's expansion plans and crucial in markets like China, where Cayenne and Panamera sales outnumber those of traditional sports car models by a huge margin. Indeed, of 118,967 Porsches sold last year 59,897 were Cayennes and the Leipzig factory where this and the Panamera are built produced 93,838 cars.

With nearly a quarter of Porsches built headed for China last year - a 64 per cent increase on 2010 - you don't need to be an expert number cruncher to figure out which way the momentum is taking Porsche. And it ain't towwards GT3s or Cayman Rs.

Source pistonheads.co.uk

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2013 Mercedes A-Class caught undisguised [Video]

The new 2013 Mercedes-Benz A-Class completely undisguised during a cycling tour in Lanzarote in the Canary Islands. The occasion was a photo shoot most likely for promotional materials to be distributed once the vesicle has it's world debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March. Thankfully, the cyclist had a GoPro action camera to capture the moment.

 

In the video we can see all of the front end. Looking quite close to the B-Class, the headlamps are infused with LED's and the grille has a single wing design as previously seen on the A-Class concept. The front bumper is quite aggressive looking, and combined with AMG wheels we're inclined to believe this is an AMG sport package.


Source Worldcarfans.com

AUDI UNVEILS 313HP TWIN-TURBO BITDI

A6 and A7 to get new diesel V6 this spring.

Audi has revealed its latest range-topping V6 diesel, a new 3.0-litre biturbo BiTDI unit. The new engine, which musters 313hp and 479lb ft is to be fitted to the A6 saloon, Avant and Allroad, and the A7 Sportback.

It also finally equips Audi's mid-range execs with the punch to counter the identically powerful BMW 535d and even serves up a 15lb ft smidgen of torque, although it's someway short of BMW's new381hp tri-turbo diesel, but we won't go into that.

What it does mean is that Audi now has an engine that slots in above the 204hp and 245hp 3.0-litre TDI units. The two-stage turbocharger also provides enough go to propel the saloon to 62mph from rest in 5.1 seconds, while the Avant and A7 manage the same in 5.3 seconds. All are limited to a top speed of 155mph.

All BiTDIs will come with Quattro all-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic transmission, which now includes torque vectoring and a self-locking centre differential.

First deliveries of BiTDIs start in the spring, with prices from £43,810 for the A6, and £51,645 for the A7.
Source Pistonheads.co.uk