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The highly anticipated 2018 VW Up! GTI is now available to order in the UK, all set to take the hot hatch market by storm. Granted, it is a supermini and not a hatchback. But the Up! GTI is so good at what it does, and at £13,750 it is so well-priced, it renders all those expensive, over-powered hot hatches out there silly.  I mean, if space is not really an issue for you, 2018 VW Up! GTI is a much better proposition than its own big brother, Golf GTI. And we know full well that the Golf is the king of all hot hatches. With the Up! GTI it is not about how much power you have. It’s the whole package. Yes, it only has a 999cc turbo engine with 115 PS and 200 Nm of torque. But on the upside it does 58.9 mpg and emits no more than to 110 g/km of CO2. And as for performance, 0 to 62 mph is dealt with in 8.8 seconds with a top speed of 122 mph. [embedded content] 2018 VW Up! GTI is all about the joy of driving, and a big part of that is the price. Yes, it is kind of expensive for a supermini, but it’s a bargain for what it offers. And because it is cheap, you can beat on it every day, drive it fast and hard, and not worry about breaking the bank. It is not in vain that Volkswagen com, ...ادامه مطلب

The days in which SUVs were symbols of high fuel consumption and air pollution are long gone thanks to cars such as 2018 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid. These offer the same practicality and performance of a regular SUV, but with a frugal-ish engine. Of course, this much goodness is going to cost you.  2018 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid is priced from $52,100 MSRP to which you will have to add a $995 destination and handling fee. Still, considering the badge and how much kit you receive in retu for your cash, that sounds like good value. The biggest highlight of this model is the three-motor Sport Hybrid Super Handling-All Wheel Drive system which is basically the same powertrain they use in the NSX supercar. Here it generates 321 hp and 289 lb.-ft. of torque. The EPA rating for this system is 26 / 27 / 27 mpg City/Highway/Combined. Now, that doesn’t sound particularly brilliant, but you have to realize it’s 45 percent better than a non-hybrid MDX. [embedded content] Features-wise, 2018 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid is as luxurious and well-equipped as any Acura. You can choose between Technology Package ($53,095) and Advance Package ($59,145) trims, with both model benefiting from unique interior, ...ادامه مطلب

The official U.S. pricing for the all-new 2018 Hyundai Kona crossover has been announced, and as you would expect the value-for-money element is strong. This quirky little sport utility starts at just $19,500 for the base model, rising up to $28,700 for the fully-loaded model.  In America the 2018 Hyundai Kona is available with two engines and transmission choices. There is a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder with 147 horsepower and 132 lb.-ft. of torque paired with a six-speed automatic transmission, and a 1.6-liter 4-cylinder turbo (Limited and Ultimate trims only) with a seven-speed EcoShift dual-clutch transmission offering 175 horsepower and 195 lb.-ft. of torque. Both engines can be had with all-wheel-drive system. A well-chosen trim will also get you such advanced safety systems as Lane-Keeping Assist system, Blind-Spot Collision Waing, Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Waing, Lane Change Assist, Parking Distance Waing and Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist with Pedestrian Detection. [embedded content] 2018 Hyundai Kona MSRP & Trims: Model Engine Transmission Drivetrain MSRP SE 2.0L 4-cyl. 6-Speed Automatic SHIFTRONIC® FWD $19,500 SE 2.0L 4-cyl. 6-Speed Automatic SHIFTRONIC® AWD $20, ...ادامه مطلب

90 grand is a lot of money for what’s, in its essence, a BMW 5 Series saloon. But then this is no ordinary saloon car. The new 2018 Alpina B5 Bi-Turbo is, in the tuner’s own words, the most affordable 200 mph production car in the UK. Now that is some good justification! We have to point out the £89,000 is for the 2018 Alpina B5 Bi-Turbo sedan. The Estate version kicks off at £91,000. But as you may have already guessed, it is the fastest wagon out there. Powering both of these German monsters is a 608 horsepower Alpina-tuned BMW V8. This engine is altogether sweeter and more civilized than the one you get in BMW’s own M5. It is also capable of generating 670 Nm (494 lbft) of torque, swelling to an astonishing 800 Nm (590 lbft) from 3,000 – 5,000 rpm. It is mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission also improved for this car. As a result the B5 Bi-turbo Saloon will hit 60 mph in 3.4 seconds, with the Touring just 0.1 seconds behind, before clocking 205 mph flat out. Other performance highlight of the 2018 Alpina B5 Bi-Turbo include Active Rear Steering, active roll stabilisation (Dynamic Drive), ALPINA light-weight 20” forged alloy wheels and ‘ALP’ labelled Pirelli P-Zero, ...ادامه مطلب

Finally, the new, mode-day Alpine is ready to hit the roads, going on sale in five days. We’ve waited a long time for this thing, but all the evidence suggest 2018 Alpine A110 is well worth the wait. I’m afraid, however, the privilege of enjoying one is a bit costly, as the sports car starts at €58,500. The good news is though, that is the base price for the limited edition 2018 Alpine A110 Premiere Edition. Regular models will be less expensive. But the launch model is the really irresistible one, if just for the fact that they are making only 1,955 units of it. That is a tribute to the year Alpine was founded. The A110 Première Edition come as standard with lightweight 18-inch O, ...ادامه مطلب

The good old Beetle receives a number of updates for the new year, hoping it can regain some of it past glory with more features and a reasonable-ish price tag. The 2018 Volkswagen Beetle costs in America from $20,220, excluding an $850 dest, ...ادامه مطلب

Putting their fuel cell plans aside for a while, Honda is going to focus on stepping up their hybrid game in America. And so on December 1 they will launch the new 2018 Honda Clarity Plug-in Hybrid, a decidedly green-looking sedan that start, ...ادامه مطلب

The orders book are now open for the 2018 Vauxhall Grandland X SUV and you can have yours from £22,310. That sounds like good value, even if just for the fact that the Grandland is a sizable thing – 20 centimetres longr than Mokka X and Crossland X. It is also pretty well-equipped and fairly capable when the going gets rough.  The list of standard kit on the 2018 Vauxhall Grandland X include such items as LED daytime running lights, camera-based lane departure waing, road sign recognition, intelligent cruise control, and air conditioning with particulate and odour filter. It also comes with standard OnStar and optional IntelliGrip traction control system which ensures optimum road grip in diverse driving situations through torque distribution. The driving modes this system offers include normal, mud, snow, sand, and ESP off. [embedded content] As for the engines, launches with a 1.2-litre turbo petrol with 130PS (urban 44.1-47.1mpg, extra-urban 57.6-62.8mpg, combined 51.4mpg-55.4mpg, 127-117 g/km CO2) and a 1.6-litre turbo diesel with 120PS (urban 55.4-60.1mpg, extra-urban 67.3-80.7mpg, combined 61.4-70.6mpg, 118-104 g/km CO2). Both turbo units can be combined with either the six-speed manual or a friction-optimised six-speed automatic transmission and come with Start/Stop as standard. So the Grandland has frugality on its side, too. “Our goals for the Grandland X were to create a rugged yet dynamic design, while also managing to balance style and functionality,” said , ...ادامه مطلب

We’d been hearing about this thing on and off, but nothing we heard prepared us for what the shock of seeing it. This is the new Rezvani Tank, an extreme off-roader from the Califoian boutique auto maker. It is unreasonably huge, unashamedly vulgar, and undeniably awesome! It appears they let the same 8-year-old boy who did the Rezvani Beast to design the Rezvani Tank as well. This thing is , ...ادامه مطلب

If you are looking to buy a new crossover these days, you are spoiled for choice. But what if you are adamant your crossover has to be made in Spain? Well, there was nothing for you… until now! We are not saying that being Spanish is the only distinguishing factor for 2018 SEAT Arona, of course. It also has cool looks, decent kit and affordability on its side.  Speaking of affordability, UK pr, ...ادامه مطلب

The crossover, or compact SUV, segment is full of cars that look pretty much the same, and none of them truly exciting. That is why we reckon the new 2018 Volkswagen T-Roc is going to become an instant hit when it’s unleashed unto this market. This one’s so distinguished and looks so refreshingly unusual that they don’t even have to convince you how good it is at being a crossover.  And for th, ...ادامه مطلب

From early 2018 customers in the UK can expect the launch of the new Audi A8. Set to be one of the most technologically-advanced cars in its segment, the 2018 A8 comes with refreshed design, autonomous technologies, and MHEV drivetrain electrification across the range. It tries to undercut the competition by offering better value for money.  We’re not sure if that’s the right strategy in the l, ...ادامه مطلب

Move aside, Cayenne Turbo. There is a new fastest production SUV around and it’s in no mood to be messed with! The new Alfa Romeo Stelvio QV (Quadrifoglio) has just set a super quick Nurburgring lap time to claim that title for the Italian brand. The big 4×4 went around the Green Hell in 7 minutes 51.7 second. The lap time of Alfa Romeo Stelvio QV is a full eight second quicker than the previo, ...ادامه مطلب

Hot hatches everywhere beware! There is a new kid on the block and it has a lot of attitude. The all-new Hyundai i30 N made a lot of noise when it was unveiled a while back. Now it’s gearing up to take the market by storm from January 2018. Prices for this hot Korean babe start at £24,995. That is the ace in the i30 N’s sleeve. There aren’t that many other cars in the market that offer 275PS &, ...ادامه مطلب

Volvo is in a bit of a hurry to get the XC40 crossover into the market and with good reason. This is an excellent product for its class and the sooner they get it out there, the bigger their share of the pie. So they are now accepting orders for the 2018 Volvo XC40 in the UK, with prices starting from £27,905. Now, 28 grand might seem like a lot of money for a crossover this size, especially w, ...ادامه مطلب