Munich (dpa) – The new edition of the BMW 3 Series Touring comes with a larger interior that can be adapted for various uses, improved ride comfort and an optimized engine range.

Some 97 millimetres have been added to the car’s overall length and 50 millimetres to its wheelbase. Made-to-measure options include plug-in elements for the load compartment floor. The automatic tailgate has a separate rear window opening and a stainless steel protective strip on the loading sill.

Alongside the new four-cylinder petrol unit developing 180 kilowatt (kW)/245 horsepower (hp) and a revised 2-litre diesel with 135 kW/184 hp, the line-up also includes an optimized six-cylinder diesel producing 190 kW/258 hp which combines sporty dynamics with significantly reduced fuel consumption and emissions.

Apart from improved aerodynamics, other fuel-saving measures include the Auto Start-Stop function, Brake Energy Regeneration, Optimum Shift Indicator and on-demand operation of ancillary components.

A highlight of the range is the latest-generation full-colour Head-Up Display, which projects key information onto the windscreen in sharp resolution. Included alongside an array of other comfort and safety-enhancing assistance systems is interface technology that allows use of mobile phones and Bluetooth technology.

Cologne (dpa) – Spy pics of the successor to the Ferrari Enzo, the Ferrari F70, have been revealed while the car was undergoing testing in Germany with the car rumoured to run on a hybrid power train with a total output of more than 900 horsepower. The car shown was heavily camouflaged with Ferrari remaining tight-lipped on the exact design.

The super Ferrari is expected to be fitted with a V12 HY-KERS hybrid power train revealed at last week’s Beijing Motor Show. The V12 has an output of 800 hp with electric motors providing an additional 120 hp.

The KERS regenerative braking system is currently used by Formula 1 racing cars and is an evolution of a Kers Hybrid concept shown by Ferrari at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show, raising power and reducing emissions and fuel consumption. It is rumoured to have a fuel consumption of just over seven litres per 100 kilometres.

Detroit (dpa) – Chrysler has announced that the Grand Cherokee SRT8 is the most powerful Jeep ever offered with an output of 465 hp and acceleration from zero to 100 km/h in 4.8 seconds.

The power unit is an all-new 6.4-litre HEMI V8 that builds on the outgoing 6.1-litre model by offering an additional 45 hp. To reduce fuel consumption, an active valve exhaust system cuts out four cylinders, which Jeep says helps increase fuel economy by 13 per cent on the highway.

Fitted with a large fuel tank, Jeep says the Grand Cherokee SRT8 is capable of a 724 kilometre range.

Inside, the Grand Cherokee SRT8 has steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters to control the five-speed automatic transmission. The driver has the choice of five modes: auto, sport, tow, track and snow.

The SRT8 comes with a more aggressive look featuring exclusive front and rear fascias with LED daytime running lamps and chrome bezel inserts. A rear spoiler is designed to reduce drag and improve downforce at high speeds.

The interior has been upgraded with a three-spoke steering wheel with a flat bottom, Nappa leather and suede seats and extensive carbon fibre accents.

New York (dpa) – The new Dodge Ram to be unveiled at the New York Motor Show has been spruced up with an eco touch including a start-stop automatic system and improved aerodynamics for the 2013 model year.

Fighting rising fuel prices, the renowned fuel guzzler also comes with an eight-level automatic transmission, weigh reduction, electric power steering and low-resistance tyres.

On longer trips the chassis can be lowered by three centimetres to reduce drag in a so-called ”aero-mode.”

In addition a ”Uconnect system” connects mobile phones and MP3 players with the onboard GPS system without the hassle of cables.

The basic Dodge Ram comes with a 3.6-litre V6 motor with an output of 305 hp. Compared to the current version, performance has been increased by 42 per cent, putting it on par with its main competitor, the Ford F-150. Chrysler claims a fuel consumption some 20 per cent lower than the predecessor model but has not yet released figures.

New York (dpa) – Volkswagen is planning to woo buyers in the United States with station wagon cars in a country where buyers wanting a bigger car have traditionally chosen either a van or a Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV).

”The market is changing, simply because of rising fuel prices,” according to the VW CEO responsible for North America, Jonathan Browning. ”In the past Americans have viewed station wagons rather as cargo transporters.”

Browning is hoping to convince American buyers with the VW Alltrack which has a higher look than classic station wagons. With its underbody protection and wide bumpers it looks more like an SUV.

The Alltrack however combines the robust nature and versatility of an SUV with the fuel consumption and drive qualities of a passenger vehicle.

The Passat station wagon is a good seller in its home domestic market in Germany but VW has been forced to take it off the market in the United States because of the lack of buyers. Even the smaller Jetta station wagon has not seen high sales in the US.

”With the Alltrack we are testing the market reaction but are still undecided on whether to launch a serial production in the US,” Browning says.

VW has already managed to break a market barrier with the diesel engine which has for a long time been seen by US consumers as smelly.

Now every fourth VW sold in the US has a diesel engine.

The US version of the VW Passat, which will be larger and at the same time cheaper than the European edition, will be built at a factory in Chattanooga in the US state of Tennessee. The VW subsidiary Audi is meanwhile also mooting plans to build a factory in the region.

The strategy is part of VW’s plans to become the world’s number one vehicle manufacturer after General Motors. While VW has been highly successful in Europe and China, sales in the US and Canada have stagnated.

Tokyo/Cologne (dpa) – Japanese carmaker Toyota has treated the plug-in hybrid Prius to a facelift, three years after the European market debut of the current model.

A restyled lower grille along with LED daytime running lights and new positions for the fog lamps are the most striking changes to the front of the hatchback. New rear lights have also been added.

The cabin makeover includes a new black theme and an expanded range of multimedia options, including the so-called Hybrid Eco Monitor. This touchscreen display enables the owner to keep track of fuel consumption over a much longer period than was previously possible.

The drivetrain has been left unchanged, with the familiar combination of a 1.8-litre petrol engine developing 99 horsepower and mated to an electric motor which turns out 82 hp. Combined output is given as 136 hp. The car can travel around 25 kilometres in electric mode only and returns overall fuel consumption of around 4.7 litres per 100 kilometres.

The Prius was the first mass-produced hybrid when it went on sale in 1997 and is marketed in 70 countries. Since then overall sales have exceeded two million units.

Stuttgart (dpa) – Mercedes-Benz’s new hybrid E Class will go on sale in Germany in both saloon and estate version from this autumn, marking a first for the Stuttgart-based manufacturer. The T-badged estate car will be the first diesel-electric shooting brake to debut at home and Mercedes-Benz is hailing both variants of the E300 BlueTech hybrid as the most economical luxury-class vehicles in the world.

Fuel consumption is given as 4.2 litres per 100 km with carbon dioxide emissions at 109 g CO2/km.

The hybrid mates a 204 horsepower, four-cylinder diesel engine to a 20 Kw electric motor which charges lithium-ion batteries.
This enables the car to travel for around a kilometre in purely electric mode. The motor helps boost the diesel during acceleration and the E-class hybrid can sprint from 0 to 100 km/h (62 miles per hour) in 7.5 seconds.

Top speed is 242 km/h. The hybrid was shown for the first time alongside an up-rated version for the US market at the Detroit motor show earlier this year.

Bangkok (dpa) – Suzuki Motor (Thailand) on Wednesday launched a new version of its Swift compact model under a Thai government programme to promote local manufacture of fuel-efficient vehicles.

Suzuki Motor Corp’s Executive Vice President Toshi Hiro said three versions of the eco-Swift will be available on the Thai market at prices ranging from 469,000 baht to 559,000 baht (15,370 dollars to 18,328 dollars), inexpensive by Thai standards.

The launch of the model, designed to run more than 20 kilometres per litre of fuel, followed a similar launch by Mitsubishi Motors Thailand of its new Mirage model on Tuesday.

Five Japanese automobile manufacturers won tax privileges to design and produce compact, fuel-efficient passenger cars for the domestic and export market.

Nissan Motor Corp was the first to produce a Thai-made eco car, the March, in 2010, and Honda Motors launched the Brio last year.

Toyota Motor Corp is expected to launch a new model for the Thai market by year-end 2012.

Manufacturers of low emission vehicles enjoy reduced excise taxes if they meet government requirements on fuel consumption, safety standards, engine size and production levels.

All models must meet European safety standards.

Thailand designed the programme to attract new investment to its automotive industry, the world’s second-largest producer and exporter of 1-ton pickup trucks.

The eco-car is designed for urban, cost-conscious customers.

Under the programme, manufacturers must produce at least 100,000 units by their fifth year of operation.

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By Thomas Geiger, dpa

Stuttgart (dpa) – Only 50 years after the invention of the motor car, the very first diesel-engined automobile, the Mercedes 260 D, took to the road with the qualities that still apply today – low fuel consumption and durability.

The diesel engine itself is much older and first made its appearance at the end of the 19th century, mainly in trucks, ships and locomotives. It was a long road from there for Mercedes in persuading motorists to switch to diesel.

It was a mammoth task for engineers to implant a heavy six-cylinder truck engine into a motor car. The heavy vibrations often led to breaking frames. They then designed a completely new four cylinder 2.6 litre engine with an output of 33 kW/45 hp, using taxi drivers a testers.

The taxi drivers were thrilled with the economy of the diesel and it was their enthusiasm that led to the decision to build the 260 D, which celebrated its debut at the 1936 international motor show in Berlin.

Petrol engines at the time had a fuel consumption of between 13 and 14 litres per 100 kilometres. In contrast the diesel used 9.5 litres and in a later version not more than 9 litres of diesel. A bigger tank gave it a range of more than 500 kilometres.

”At a time where you seldom found a filling station around the next corner, this was a crucial advantage,” according to classic car expert Michael Plag.

Taxi license holders at the time paid 17 German pfennigs for a litre of diesel while petrol cost twice as much.

Advertising for the Mercedes took the cue, arguing that for the price of a petrol trip from Berlin to Paris you could make a detour to Milan in Italy with a Mercedes 260 D.

Its huge spaciousness made up for the sluggish performance with a top speed of at the most 90 kilometres per hour. Apart from that the pre-war Mercedes was a sturdy workhorse that would just not break.

Many of the cars had more than a million kilometres on the clock before ending up in vintage car museums.

Los Angeles (dpa) – Celebrating its debut at the Los Angeles Motor Show this month is an updated version of the Volkswagen CC with an extended range of features including bi-xenon headlights, static cornering lights and a new LED taillight design.

Standard features are fatigue detection, stainless steel door sill plates and safety head restraints with additional longitudinal front seat adjustments. New assistance systems include optional technologies such as Side Assist Plus with integrated Lane Assist and a camera-based traffic sign detection system.

The European CC petrol versions are in the range between 118 kW/160 hp to 220 kW/300 hp while the diesel versions have an output of 103 kW/140 hp and 125 kW/170 hp.

The 140 hp TDI is listed with a fuel consumption of 4.7 l/100 km and carbon dioxide emissions of 125 grammes per kilometre.