Opel is about to launch a heavily revamped version of the B-segment Corsa, although observers probably won't notice much difference on the outside. That actually isn't such a bad thing, since the Corsa is a pretty handsome little car. Under the skin, the car gets new powertrains and revised suspension setups for improved handling and ride.

Under the hood, the Corsa offers diesels in 1.3-liter and 1.7-liter sizes with the latter rated at 130 hp. The smaller engine is available in three power levels with the most powerful 95 hp version powering the new ecoFlex model. The ecoFlex gets an EU combined rating of 63.6 mpg (U.S.) with CO₂ emissions of 98 g/km. That's a 10 percent improvement over the previous Corsa ecoFlex with significantly better performance thanks to 27 percent more power. Even the 1.7-liter still hits the sub 120 g level with a 119 g/km and 52.3 mpg (U.S.).


[Source: Opel]

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As Audi begins to roll out the A3 TDI to its U.S. dealers in the coming weeks and the diesel version of the Q7 takes an ever larger share of sales, it's time to celebrate. This fall marks the 20th anniversary of the introduction of the first ever TDI engine. TDI, for the uninitiated, stands for turbocharged-direct-injection, and refers to modern diesel engines from the Volkswagen group. Today's TDI technology has evolved from that 20 year-old 2.5-liter five cylinder in the Audi 100.

Back then, the first TDI engines retained distributor type injector pumps, although the fuel was sprayed directly into the combustion chambers rather than a pre-chamber. Later, the company used something called Pumpe Düse – pump-injectors – for fuel delivery. This design integrated the high pressure pump and injector for each cylinder. These days, TDI uses common rail injection where a single pump pressurizes a single fuel rail that feeds all of the injectors. Regardless of the injector type, TDI has gone a long way towards improving the power output and reducing emissions of diesel engines. Audi and Volkswagen have built over five million TDI powerplants and remain committed to the technology. Congratulations on the double-decade milestone, guys.


Photos Copyright ©2009 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.

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Lexus introduced its LF-Ch concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September and it's believed to be a shoo-in for production for the European market. However, The Detroit Bureau is reporting that Lexus is considering bringing the compact hybrid to the U.S. market as well. If it does come here, it will be the smallest Lexus and would compete against the likes of the Audi A3 and BMW 1-series. The Lexus concept will be shown at the Los Angeles and Detroit auto shows, where Lexus officials will be evaluating reactions to a premium priced small car.

Such cars are already well accepted in Europe and the idea of smaller premium cars may hold some appeal in the U.S., especially if fuel prices rise. Lexus has no intention of decontenting the LF-Ch to keep the price down if it does come to the U.S. A car with the Lexus badge does, after all, need to provide the amenities and luxury feel expected of the brand. While the LF is likely to have a conventional powertrain as standard fitment, a hybrid will probably be needed to compete with the A3 TDI and a possible 1-series hybrid or diesel.



[Source: The Detroit Bureau]

Toyota is getting ready to start deploying a fleet of 200 plug-in Prius hybrids in the coming months and the company needs to figure out what to do with them. The cars will all be leased for purposes of field testing. Toyota is now in discussions with federal and local governments and energy companies about who will get how many of the lithium ion battery Priuses. The company is looking for towns and cities that are, "actively promoting environmentally considerate vehicles."

The PHEV Prius will be able to go up to 62 mph on electricity alone for about 5 miles. Another 150 examples of the PHEV will be leased here in the U.S., with a similar number going to Europe. The first cars will be delivered in mid-December and Toyota has previously announced plans to start retail sales in about 2012.


[Source: Toyota]

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CleanFuel USA has introduced a new propane injection system for General Motor's 6.0-liter V8s. The GM small-block V8s are widely used in a vast array of both light and medium duty trucks, vans and buses.

The new injection system is designed to be retro-fitted to existing engines for fleet customers. CleanFuel USA expects to benefit from stimulus funding for cleaner commercial fleets. The Department of Energy will start awarding $33.5 million in grants in December of this year.

Like natural gas, propane is a popular option for commercial fleets, thanks to its low cost, clean emissions and efficiency. Because of the relative lack of propane filling stations, it is a viable option for fleets that operate out of a central depot where a propane tank can be located.

[Source: CleanFuel USA]

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The German environment ministry has awarded Mercedes-Benz a grant of up to €9 million a field test of battery electric Sprinter vans. The money will be used to fund the research and development of the vans as well as the construction and deployment. Mercedes will produce up to 50 plug-in Sprinters that have no internal combustion powertrain at all. The vans will use lithium ion batteries and, among other things, Mercedes will be studying the performance of the batteries under varying temperature conditions.

The vans will be going into service with fleet customers starting in 2010. Vans are proving to be a particularly popular application for electric drive since absolute range is less of an issue and the frequent stops allow the vehicles to make use of regenerative braking. Mercedes hopes to move this technology to affordable commercial production in the near future.

[Source: Daimler]

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Out of the UK, Autocar is reporting that an electric drive version of the Rolls-Royce Phantom could hit the streets within 12 months. We've been hearing about battery-powered Rollers for some time now, but the rumors seem to be heating up. BMW, Rolls' parent company, has been getting more heavily involved in electrification recently and the Phantom would be an obvious choice for the change. Rolls has always been known for making remarkably quiet automobiles, which is why they have names likes like Phantom, Ghost and Spirit.

Phantom owners also tend to be driven around and the cars are not often used for long road trips (that's what the jet is for). With that in mind, the more limited range of an electric drive system would be less of an issue. Given the size and mass of the Phantom, the bulk of the batteries would also be of less concern – as would the cost. In spite of that, Rolls-Royce may end up only leasing the initial batch of electric Phantoms in small numbers, just as BMW has done with the MINI E.


[Source: Autocar]

At the launch of the BMW X6 ActiveHybrid, officials acknowledged the automaker would be producing several additional hybrid models in the near future. Rumors have been floating around that the new 5 Series -- due to launch in 2010 -- will get the same mild hybrid system going into the ActiveHybrid 7 and its crossover counterpart, but what about BMW's smaller offerings?

Testing near Munich, a BMW 1 Series mule was caught wearing "Hybrid Test Vehicle" badging, proving that BMW's hybrid system won't be used exclusively on its larger models. Given the small size of the 1, this will undoubtedly use a version of the same mild hybrid system, a modular setup that has the motor/generator sandwiched between the engine and transmission with a compact lithium ion battery in the rear.

The 1 Series hybrid will take on the production version of the Lexus LF-Ch concept recently shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show when it hits the market in late 2011 or early 2012. The Lexus is similar in size to the 1er, but will only be offered as a hybrid, while the 1 will retain conventional powertrain options. There's no word whether the Lexus or the 1 Series Hybrid will make it onto U.S. shores, but if both automakers plan to recoup development expenses, sales in North America are almost assured.

The new Mercedes-Benz ML450 is available for lease starting this week here in the U.S., but it will be making its auto show debut in production form in Los Angeles the week after next. The two-mode hybrid provides similar performance to the V8 powered ML550 but with a 46 percent boost in fuel efficiency.

Also on tap for LA will be the new generation F-Cell. This is the latest iteration of the hydrogen fuel cell-powered B-Class that Mercedes will be putting into low volume series production. It is equipped with the latest generation of the fuel cell stack that has increased efficiency and improved cold weather performance. Mercedes claims the new F-Cell can run up to 240 miles on a fill-up, the equivalent of 86.6 mpg on gasoline. Mercedes will be leasing 200 F-Cells to customers in Europe and the U.S. starting in 2010.

Finally, the new SLS AMG will be shown for the first time at a U.S. show. While the car on display will be the ridiculously fast gasoline-powered version, Mercedes has promised a battery electric version of the SLS in the next few years.


[Source: Mercedes-Benz]

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Earlier this week, Daimler launched production of the new generation Smart electric drive at the Hambach, France plant where all Smarts are built. The first stage of production will see the plant build a run of 1,000 of the battery-powered two seaters. The cars will be used in a variety of field test programs around the world beginning in the next few months.

Unlike the previous-generation electric Smart of which about 100 examples were built, the new model uses a lithium ion battery pack. The pack and charging system were developed and supplied by Tesla Motors. The Smart development program led Daimler to buy a nine percent stake in the California startup.

From 2012 onward, Smart is planning to produce an electric model as a part of the standard powertrain offerings for the ForTwo. The electric drive should finally resolve the biggest driveability issue of the Smart – the rough shifts of the automated manual transmission – and may make the ForTwo a far more viable option for drivers.


[Source: Daimler]

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