FIAT DOBLO

Fiat has released details of its new Doblo model in Europe and the UK. Building on the models reputation as a versatile, pra ctical and value for money people mover, the new Doblo boasts improved comfort, style, economy, safety and running costs.

First going on sale in 2000, the Doblo has since sold more than 1 million units around the globe. The new Doblo will be offered in eight variants featuring seating for up to seven passengers (five seats as standard).

Doblo features innovation new bi-link suspension, a new exterior appearance and 790-litre boot that can be expanded to 3200-litres with the seats flipped down. The second and third row seats are also removable.

Engine choices include 1.6- and 2.0-litre turbo diesel and 1.4-litre petrol units. All engines are Euro V compliant and feature Start&Stop technology and a gear shift indicator.

Safety features include standard ABS with EBD, ESP, Hill Start Assist plus front and side airbags.

The new Doblo is available in three model grades: Active, Dynamic or Eleganza. Features include a tilt and reach adjustable steering wheel, rear head restraints, electric front windows, remote central locking and single-CD tuner in all models. Climate control, cruise control, parking sensors, satellite navigation and Bluetooth connectivity are also available.

FIAT PUNTO

Entry-level in the Punto range were the 1.1 and 1.2 L petrol engines and the 1.7 diesel engine. The 1.2 engine's actual capacity is 1.242 litres, available in 3 versions. The first, was fitted in the Punto ELX 75 and produced 75 hp (56 kW) at 6000 rpm while the second, fitted to Punto ELX 85 produced 86 hp (64 kW) at 6000 rpm. The third was a 60 hp (45 kW) engine which eventually replaced the 1.1 54 hp engine.

The Fiat Punto was voted European Car of the Year for 1995. The Punto's distinctive clean-cut styling by Giorgetto Giugiaro was an instant hit (though one of the car's most recognisable features, the vertical tail/rear lights, were not part of Giugiaro's original design and were in fact added later in-house at Fiat's factory. Competitive pricing which undercut rivals such as the Opel/Vauxhall Corsa and Volkswagen Polo also helped the Punto become an instant success in the European marketplace.

A 1.6 Sporting was also available producing 88 bhp, but the best performing version was the 136 PS (100 kW; 134 hp) 1.4 GT using an evolution of the turbocharged 128 SOHC engine originally found in the Fiat Uno Turbo Mk II- capable of running over 200 km/h (120 mph) and reaching 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 7.9 seconds. This car was also fitted with a 5-speed manual gearbox, with different gear ratios than the ELX series. During the years the GT was made in three different "series" with power 136 PS (100 kW; 134 hp) (19931995),133 PS (98 kW; 131 hp) (19951997) and 130 PS (96 kW; 130 hp) (19971999).

A cabriolet (convertible) version was also available; built by Bertone (rather than at the main Fiat factory), it featured an electric powered fully-retracting roof and was one of the cheapest open-top cars in the world at the time. Available in both ELX and SX trim, initially powered by the 90Bhp 1.6 Mpi unit (replaced in 1997 by the 86Bhp 1.2 16v FIRE unit). 55,000 cars were built between 19941999.

Particular versions of the Mark I Punto were the Punto 6Speed, a 1.1 FIRE Punto 55 with a 6-speed gearbox, the Punto Selecta with a CVT-type automatic gearbox, and the Punto ED (Economical Drive), a 1.1 Punto whose 5-speed gearbox was designed for high fuel efficiency.

FIAT 500

The Fiat 500 is a city car built by Italian automaker Fiat since 2007. The car is currently produced in Tychy, Poland, by Fiat Auto Poland alongside the Nuova Panda and second-generation Ford Ka, released in 2008, all using the same platform. Strictly a four-seater, three-door hatchback and about the same length as the Panda and Ka, the 500 is almost identical to the retro concept car Trepino presented in 2004. The 500 may be badged in different markets as the 500, Nuova 500 or Cinquecento.

The 500 is available with four different trim levels: Naked (this version not available in the United Kingdom, opting for this trim level means that the car does not have the seven airbags meaning that the passenger safety rating drops), Pop, Lounge, and Sport. Customers can choose also between 15 interior trims, nine wheel options, 19 decals, and 12 body colours. There are over 500,000 different personalized combinations of the 500 that can be made by adding all kinds of accessories, decals, interior and exterior colours, and trims.[6] The car is also available with Blue&Me Navigation system.

This car featured a distinctive retro-look, with Fiat hoping to emulate the success that the retro-styled Volkswagen New Beetle and BMW MINI have achieved in recent years, with the 500 being substantially cheaper than those cars. The basic price is 10,500 in Italy (with options, 15,000). At launch three engines were available: two petrol and one diesel engine. All the engines met the Euro5 standards.[10] The 1.3 Multijet was equipped with adiesel particulate filter (DPF) as standard. Despite the vehicle's name implication, the lowest displacement is 1242 cc, notably higher than the previous 500s. However, a 900 cc Twin Air two-cylinder engine was unveiled at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show, but despite this, it will still put it above both 500s.

The new 500 has seven airbags in all models. There are also electric aids available such as ABS brakes, ESP (electronic stability program), ASR (antislip regulation), HBA (hydraulic brake assistance) and hill holder device. The 500 was awarded with five stars by EuroNCAP, succeeding theBMW MINI as the shortest car to have a fivestar rating. Fiat also said that the 500 was engineered so that it would have been able to achieve a six-star rating had EuroNCAP adopted this classification.

FIAT PANDA

These models feature revised 1.1 and 1.2 petrol engines respectively, with better fuel economy and CO 2 emissions. Both models also qualify for 35 annual road tax in the UK, and replace the original standard engines.

The 360 Special Series, based on the 1.2L Dynamic, is distinguished by a black and white crosshair style logo on the B pillar. Other upgraded features include; 14 inch alloy wheels, metallic paint, special interior trim (including the Fiat brand on the front seats), built in bluetooth phone system, CD player, air conditioning and a split folding rear seat. Other more standard features include; electric windows, central locking system and dual speed power steering. The total of all these extras comes somewhere in the region of 1,600 but surprisingly the upgraded 360 model actually retails at roughly 400 less than the Dynamic model. On the safety side of things, it comes with anti lock brakes and brake assist as well as two airbags as standard (driver and passnger) with the option of adding an extra four airbags taking the total up to six.

The Natural Power is a dual-fuel version, it can burn either gasoline or CNG (Compressed Natural Gas a.k.a methane). The Dynamic edition features ABS, dual airbags, roof bars, power steering and a cassette player as standard. A CD & MP3 player, CD changer, alloy wheels, manual or automated climate control, glass sunroof and a semi-automatic transmission are available as options. Since September 2005, four airbags have been standard in some countries, with an option for two additional side curtain airbags. The 100HP edition is a new sporting addition to the Panda family, it uses the 1.4-litre 16-valve FIRE engine from the Fiat Punto tuned to develop 100 PS (74 kW; 99 bhp) through a six-speed manual transmission. It differs from other Panda by using all disc brakes, now fully ventilated at the front. The Panda 100HP features totally new suspension with modified springs, dampers, bushes and compliance.

The Panda 100HP is significantly faster than other models, with 0100 km/h acceleration in 9.5 s, and a maximum speed of 185 km/h (115 mph), with fuel consumption at 6.5 L/100 km (43.5 mpg-imp; 36.2 mpg-US) in the EU combined cycle and 154 g/km of CO2 emissions. It comes in black, white, red, metallic blue and metallic gray while a special sub-version with red disc brakes, silver stripes and wing mirrors is available as optional.

VOLKSWAGEN POLO
inhatchback, saloon, coup and estate variants.

The Volkswagen Polo is a supermini car (subcompact) manufactured by Volkswagen. It is sold in Europe and other markets worldwide

Volkswagen helped consolidate the preeminence the so-called hot hatch genre of high performance hatchbacks with their Golf GTI in 1975, and has produced a number of performance versions of the

Polo. The first of these was the Polo GT version of the Mark 1F.

The Mark II and IIF were available as supercharged G40 models. The GT G40 with its 1.3-litre 85 kW (115 bhp) could reach 100 km/h (62 mph) in 8.1 s from standstill and had a maximum speed of

196 km/h (122 mph). It was used by Volkswagen to set a number of world endurance speed records, such as the 1.3-litre class records for speed over 24 hours and speed over a distance of 5000 km.

The fastest version of the Mark III on the UK market was the 16-valve h 100 PS (74 kW; 99 hp) model. A 120 PS (88 kW) Polo GTI model was also produced, but only in a limited edition in Germany, and

this was the first time the GTI label had been used for a Polo. A GTI version of the Mark IIIF Polo, with a 125 bhp (92 kW) 1.6-litre petrol engine was also produced.

In 2004 Volkswagen Individual, a specialist division of Volkswagen, produced a limited number of (Mark IV Polo) Club Sports with a 1.8T 180 hp/132 kW engine. Available only in Germany, this was based

on the one-make racing series Polo Cup Racer hatchback. The Club Sport came with a roll cage inside the vehicle and Recaro racing seats as standard.

A GTI version of the Polo Mark IVF was launched in 2006. This features styling similar to that of the contemporary Golf GTI and a turbocharged 20-valve 150 bhp 1.8-litre petrol engine. It has a 0-60 mph

time of 8.2 s and a top speed of 134 mph (216 km/h).

Volkswagen Individual have also engineered an even faster Polo called the Polo GTI Cup Edition. Available with the same 1.8T engine, albeit with 180 bhp (130 kW), its claimed 0100 km/h (0-62 mph) is

7.5 s and it has a claimed top speed of 225 km/h (140 mph). Volkswagen Racing in South Africa rallied a four-wheel drive Mark IVF Polo which shared some components with its sister World Rally Championship (WRC) koda Fabia; the S2000 has a 2.0 L 191 kW (260 bhp) engine.

Mark IV Polos have been entered into the Junior World Rally Championship (JWRC).

There have been a number of one make race series for the Polo, starting with the Volkswagen Polo G40 Cup for Mark II and Mark IIF G40 versions. The current Polo Cup championship for 105 bhp (78

kW) cars is a support race at rounds of the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters.

BODYSTYLE

The first Polos were hatchbacks, with the saloon being marketed as the Volkswagen Derby.

On the arrival of the Mark II model, the saloon was renamed the Volkswagen Polo Classic and the hatchback style was renamed as a coup, theVolkswagen Polo Coup. Unusually, the Polo that was

marketed as a hatchback was closer in concept to an estate. This version was the most popular in virtually every country where the Polo was sold.

From the Mark III onwards, the range was more straightforwardly conventional, including unambiguous saloon, hatchback and estate models.

Body style summary

3-door hatchback (all versions) - the Mark II and Mark IIF were available in two separate 3-door hatchback styles, one of which was badged as a coup

2-door saloon (Mark I, Mark IF, Mark II, Mark IIF)

4-door saloon (Mark III, Mark IIIF)

5-door hatchback (Mark III, Mark IIIF, Mark IV, Mark IVF)

5-door estate (Mark III, Mark IIIF)

5-door crossover SUV-style (2WD) hatchback (Mark IV, Mark IVF)

The Polo is a compact car, with a traditional transversely mounted engine and front-wheel drive. Mark I Polos only came with four-cylinder petrol engines, but for the Mark II, a diesel engine was

offered for the first time, although only in certain markets, others having to wait until the launch of the Mark III. The current range includes a variety of three- and four-cylinder petrol and diesel

engines.

Early versions used four speed manual transmission, whilst the current car is available with either five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission. The suspension system on all models

uses a fully independent MacPherson strut front suspension, and a Twist-beam rear suspension. Most models use disc brakes at the front and rear drum brakes, although some recent models

have all round disc brakes.

OPEL INSIGNIA The Opel Insignia is a large family car engineered and produced by Opel, the German subsidiary of General Motors (GM) since 2008, replacing theOpel
Vectra. Launched at the 2008 British International Motor Show in London as the Vauxhall Insignia, the United Kingdom market name, the Opel Insignia name is used throughout continental

Europe and Ireland, with North American and Chinese-market versions badged Buick Regal. The Buick Regal will also be available in North America from late 2010. In Chile, the Insignia will retain

the Chevrolet Vectra name as used by the previous Vectra model. Insignia is also the first production car to feature a dual-function frontal camera with traffic sign recognition. The Insignia was voted

2009 European Car of the Year. The Insignia offers 30 millimetres (1.2 in) more knee room than the Vectra. Both body variants have identical 4,830 millimetres (190.2 in) length and share the

same wheelbase of 2,737 millimetres (107.8 in).

From launch, the Insignia offered a 1.6 litre Family 1 straight-four engine producing 85 kilowatts (116 PS; 114 hp), a 1.8 litre version producing 103 kilowatts (138 hp), a 2.0 litre Family II straight-four direct

injectionturbocharged petrol producing 162 kilowatts (217 hp), a Holden-built 2.8 litre High Feature turbo petrol V6 engine producing 191 kilowatts (256 hp), and three turbocharged 2.0 litre "CDTi" straight-

four diesel engines, producing 81 kilowatts (109 hp), 96 kilowatts (129 hp) and 118 kilowatts (158 hp). These CDTi diesels are derived from the Fiat/Opel JTD engine.

The engine lineup was expanded in early-mid 2009 with a 1.6 litre turbo petrol producing 132 kilowatts (177 hp) as well as a fourth variation to the 2.0 litre "CDTi" diesel, producing 140 kilowatts (190 hp) in
[6] [citation needed]

twin-turbo form. The latter, engine code A20DTR, has been delayed until at least 2011, as Saab, who produces the unit in its TTiD models is now no longer part of GM.
[6]

All nine engines

meet Euro 5 emissions standards, and all are offered with in front-wheel drive configuration; exceptions are the 2.8 petrol turbo and 2.0 litre twin-turbo diesel which are offered withSaab XWD all-wheel

drive by default. With the 2.0 litre turbo, both propulsion forms are available. Six-speed manual or automatic transmissions are fitted throughout the range, although five-speed automatics are used on the

1.6 and 1.8 litre petrol engines as well as the base diesel.

Also starting in 2009, a low-emissions 2.0 litre ecoFLEX diesel variant is scheduled to commence sales. Using altered aerodynamics and motor control, the model's carbon dioxide emission will be below

140 g/km, which corresponds to about 5.0 L/100 km. Power outputs is rated at 118 kilowatts (158 hp), however this engine and transmission deletes the opportunity to specify "FlexRide" as an option in

some markets. Later on in 2009, a high-performance version of the 2.8 litre V6 in turbo form will be fitted to the Opel Performance Center (OPC) and VXR variants delivering 239 kilowatts (321 hp).

From September 2010, the 2.0 CDTi Diesel variant is now available with Adaptive 4x4 (4-wheel drive). This is currently only found on the 2.0 and 2.8 litre Petrol Turbo variants, and is an a addition to the

line-up.

It has been also been awarded 24 times.

The Insignia was voted 2009 European Car of the Year.

The Insignia scored a 5-star rating in EuroNCAP.