Volkswagen is unveiling the 2010 version of their Polo sub-compact hatchback at the 2009 Geneva Auto Show. It is a complete makeover, although the exterior and interior will be very familiar to any VW owner. The most prominent feature is the undistinguished new corporate face.
The American Chevrolet Volt has already been revealed, not quite ready, but confirming its final form when it does hit production in 2010. Now Opel, GM’s European arm, has revealed its own version of the Volt, calling it the Opel Ampera. While the play on the name is amusing, what is more interesting is the Ampera, just like the Volt, claims an electric-only range of 60 km, with a total range of 500 km aided by a small petrol engine.
Mercedes-Benz has revealed that they are working on a new supercar called the SLS AMG. Announced at the 2009 Geneva Auto Show, the German manufacturer has confirmed that the car will feature gullwing doors similar to the classic 1950s 300SL, which eventually evolved into today’s SL-Class.
After ages spent on the waiting list, we finally got our hands on a BMW X6. The version home-delivered to us also happened to be the xDrive50i version, powered by a 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8, if we remember correctly. BMW’s new naming convention is too confusing. Either way, we managed to park it right next to some random X5, so the differences between the two models became all the more clearer. And thus began our test of the loved/hated X6, both on-road and off-road.
The last time we drove a Peugeot 407, it was 2005, and it was our second ever official test car. It was a 2.0-litre version, and while we didn’t do performance tests back then, it didn’t take a rocket-scientist to figure out that it was a slow car. Fast-forward to 2009, and the 407 has received a tiny facelift, and this time we got a 2.2-litre version. It really is a better car.
The world is flooded with tiny companies building numerous forgettable exotic cars. But a European outfit called Tramontana is one company that has come up with something truly original. Their creation is called, simply, the Tramontana R Edition.
Set to debut at the 2009 Geneva Auto Show, the Bentley Continental Supersports is being touted as the fastest and most powerful Bentley ever created. Based on the Continental GT, this extreme Bentley gets more power, loses some weight and seats only two. Set to go on sale by late 2009, the Supersports can also run on the E85 petrol-ethanol fuel available in America, thereby touting some dubious green credentials.
The 2009 Ford Fiesta has just hit the GCC market, and to celebrate, Ford dealers in Dubai are offering 24 special-edition models, with each one sporting a unique paint-job.
Mercedes-Benz tuning specialist Brabus has gone ahead and created, according to them, the most powerful offroader ever. The Brabus G V12 S Biturbo, based on the G-Wagen, is exclusively available in 5-door form, and is powered by a BRABUS SV12 S engine, as found in the German tuner’s super-sedans.
Rolls-Royce has released brief details and photos of its smaller new ‘RR4’ model. Dubbed the 200EX for now, the baby Rolls-Royce seen here is still in concept form, but the final production version should be almost the same as this one, with a traditional name. And it is still a very large full-size car.