A German country man worth mention is the MINI Cooper Countryman, which rides upon a longer wheelbase and wider track. It also sports a pair of 4s by way of 4 doors and 4 wheel drive. But Germany wasn’t the only European showing off new content – England made a gentlemanly statement of its own.
Land Rover & Jaguar took some time to enlighten us on the subject of lightness. As part of a drive toward efficiency, Land Rover & Jaguar is reducing the weight of their vehicles and eliminating parasitic losses. These goals are epitomized in the new Range Rover Evoque unveiled before us.
The Evoque is the lightest Land Rover product ever produced; a turbocharged 4-cylinder mill capable of expending 240 horsepower does the motivating. Despite its intended appeal to young city dwellers, we’re told that the Evoque possesses all of the traditional Land Rover off-road qualities that the marque is renowned for.
Moving across the globe to the east, we come upon Korean manufacturer Hyundai. Most notable in their stable of high value, high efficiency offerings is the new, daring Veloster. This exciting and distinctive coupe represents a bold new direction for Hyundai that combines racy performance with outstanding efficiency. The Veloster hits the streets in July. Pricing has not yet been announced.
A head-spinning return to Europe finds us at the Mercedes display, where the wraps are pulled from their latest high-performance 4-door coupe, the CLS63 AMG. This is the second generation of the swoopy full-size coupe. It receives no less than 518 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque beneath its hood, ensuring its rocket-to-the-stars credibility.
Also unwrapped by Mercedes was the third generation of their SLK-Class roadster, featuring a glass roof with Sky Control. This advanced technology allows the roof to be darkened or left transparent at the touch of a button. The SLK can be equipped with a 302-horsepower engine that’ll push it to 100 km/h in 5.6 seconds.
In keeping with the Germanic theme, we visited Volkswagen where the 2012 Jetta GLI was presented for the first time. Powered by a turbocharged 2-litre, 200-horsepower engine, this sporty sedan is all new. Special body work and sports seats with red stitching set it apart visually, while a premium 400-watt Fender audio system sets it apart audibly.
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| Photo: Rob Rothwell/Auto123.com |
Land Rover & Jaguar took some time to enlighten us on the subject of lightness. As part of a drive toward efficiency, Land Rover & Jaguar is reducing the weight of their vehicles and eliminating parasitic losses. These goals are epitomized in the new Range Rover Evoque unveiled before us.
The Evoque is the lightest Land Rover product ever produced; a turbocharged 4-cylinder mill capable of expending 240 horsepower does the motivating. Despite its intended appeal to young city dwellers, we’re told that the Evoque possesses all of the traditional Land Rover off-road qualities that the marque is renowned for.
Moving across the globe to the east, we come upon Korean manufacturer Hyundai. Most notable in their stable of high value, high efficiency offerings is the new, daring Veloster. This exciting and distinctive coupe represents a bold new direction for Hyundai that combines racy performance with outstanding efficiency. The Veloster hits the streets in July. Pricing has not yet been announced.
A head-spinning return to Europe finds us at the Mercedes display, where the wraps are pulled from their latest high-performance 4-door coupe, the CLS63 AMG. This is the second generation of the swoopy full-size coupe. It receives no less than 518 horsepower and 516 pound-feet of torque beneath its hood, ensuring its rocket-to-the-stars credibility.
Also unwrapped by Mercedes was the third generation of their SLK-Class roadster, featuring a glass roof with Sky Control. This advanced technology allows the roof to be darkened or left transparent at the touch of a button. The SLK can be equipped with a 302-horsepower engine that’ll push it to 100 km/h in 5.6 seconds.
In keeping with the Germanic theme, we visited Volkswagen where the 2012 Jetta GLI was presented for the first time. Powered by a turbocharged 2-litre, 200-horsepower engine, this sporty sedan is all new. Special body work and sports seats with red stitching set it apart visually, while a premium 400-watt Fender audio system sets it apart audibly.
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| Photo: Rob Rothwell/Auto123.com |