98 Jeep Cherokee Interior Mirror on 2040-parts.com

Hyundai announces high-perfomance diesels

By Ben Whitworth Motor Industry 05 November 2008 11:56 Hyundai will significantly boost its diesel appeal in 2009 with the arrival of two new Euro V compliant powerplants that will slot into the next-gen Tucson, Sonata, Santa Fe and i30. The new 2.0 and 2.2-litre diesels feature a third generation common rail system with piezo-electric injectors to deliver fuel at 1800-bar. Fitted with a particulate trap as standard, the 2.0-litre unit develops 181bhp and 289lb ft, while the bigger 2.2-litre unit pumps out 197bhp and 335lb ft of torque.

LA Motor Show: Mercedes previews fast GLA compact SUV model

MERCEDES has unveiled an almost production-ready AMG compact SUV concept with a banzai 355bhp engine. The Concept GLA 45 AMG is the German company’s vision for a rapid car to rival the upcoming Porsche Macan, which like the Mercedes was also unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Using an extremely highly-tuned four-cylinder turbocharged engine similar to that first seen in the A 45 AMG hatchback, the GLA 45 AMG produces enough muscle to fire itself to 62mph in ‘less than five seconds’, according to Mercedes.

BMW 7-series hybrid due in 2009

By Nick Gibbs Motor Industry 07 July 2008 14:30 BMW will launch a hybrid petrol version of the newly unveiled 7-series in 2009, but admits it’s more for green-leaning V8 addicts than seriously eco-aware bosses. Even with the latest lithium-ion batteries, the forthcoming 4.4-litre V8 petrol-electric version will struggle to match the astonishing 39.2mpg and 192g/km of CO2 of the new six-cylinder diesel, especially when BMW will launch stop-start technology for the whole range within two years. The hybrid is likely to cost several thousand more than the £65,000 it’s estimated you’ll need to buy the regular, twin-turbo 750i that goes on sale in November 2008.