Lexus IS 300h and LF-LC Concept comming to Geneva!

European customers will have the opportunity to see for the first time Lexus sedan middle class IS at the Geneva Motor Show in early March. Beside him, the Japanese company will also show the LF-LC coupe concept in slightly modified form.

After its world premiere in Detroit, the new sedan will be launched in the  European market in hybrid version as IS 300h.

Lexus says that its drivetrain make four-cylinder 2.5-liter gasoline engine with an electric motor and the Atkinson Cycle. Performance and cost will be available latter, during the year.

IS 300h will be available with F Sport package, which includes sports trimmed exterior and interiors, along with improved driving dynamics of the vehicle. According to Lexus, the hybrid model will be sold in Europe, Japan and selected markets.

IS 300h sedan will join the LF-LC 2 +2 hybrid sport coupe in blue opal, which will be launched in Europe after the U.S. debut in Detroit in red and Australian debut in Sydney in blue.

Renault Captur: Not an ordinary crossover

Renault introduces Captur, its first urban crossover that will stand out from the crowd by delivering the best of three different worlds: the expressive styling and driving position of an SUV, the cabin space and modular interior of an MPV and ultimately the agility and driving enjoyment of a compact saloon car.

Despite its compact footprint (length: 4m12), Renault Captur exudes a real sense of interior space which is underpinned by the forward position of its windscreen and its generous interior dimensions. Its exclusive, colourful cabin is warm and relaxing, and this first impression is reinforced by a selection of interior customisation solutions founded on a choice of colours and motives for the different trim features.

Renault Captur also boasts the appointments and comfort refinements expected of an MPV, such as a high-up driving position, large boot, modular interior and innovative solutions. The standard Renault Captur will have an equipment specification worthy of that of the next segment up, including hands-free entry, hill start assist and rear parking sensors.

Captur was designed by Renault for the 2011 Geneva Motor Show. It was shown  at the 2012 Busan Motor Show. The Captur is a Mini SUV and it is the second of six concept cars showing Renaults future design directions. It was designed by Julio Lozano under the leadership of Renault’s design chief Laurens Van den Acker. It is based on the same platform as its partner Nissan Juke. The Captur is powered by a twin-turbocharged version of the 1.6 L dCi “Energy” engine. The engine produces 158 bhp (118 kW) and 280 lb·ft (380 N·m) of torque, and the Captur can accelerate to 62 mph in 8.0 seconds a low 99g/km of CO2 emission figure and a top speed of 130 mph (209.2 km/h).

It will be assembled at the Renault Valladolid plant in Spain.

Renault has confirmed that will see live for the first time Renault Captur in the next edition of the Geneva Motor Show to be held in March.

Mercedes-Benz CLA: The star is born!

In spring 2012, at the Auto China show, Mercedes-Benz presented the Concept Style Coupé to an enthusiastic public for the first time as its vision of the new four-door coupé. It had breathtakingly sporty proportions and a muscular, dynamic and progressive design. Just under one year later this automotive dream has become reality, and is entering series production in practically unchanged form. CLA is the name given to this latest member of the model family, and as a four-door coupé it is founding a totally new segment. It follows the idea of the CLS, whose concept has been imitated by many others since its debut.

The design idiom that makes the exterior so special combines with carefully selected, high-grade materials to underline the high perceived value. All the trim surfaces are galvanised in silver-shadow, achieving a metallic visual effect with “cool touch”. To accentuate the sporty character even further, the CLA has integral seats in both the front and rear.

There are numerous aerodynamic improvements such as the low A-pillar, the aerodynamically optimised exterior mirrors and extensive underbody panelling. The overall result is very good airflow characteristics, which in turn contribute to a low fuel consumption. Mercedes-Benz has given the latest family member powerful engines developing up to 155 kW (211 hp), the Direct-Steer system as standard, an optional sports suspension and the latest generation of the optional 4MATIC all-wheel drive system. The technical highlights of this new design icon also include numerous driver assistance systems, including a further development of the radar-based Collision Prevention Assist, Attention Assist drowsiness detection, the well-proven Lane Tracking package with Blind Spot and Lane Keeping Assist and Adaptive Highbeam Assist. The CLA is also very well-equipped for the future: all the petrol models and the top diesel model of the new Mercedes-Benz CLA already meet the Euro 6 emission limits only coming into force in 2014.

All CLA-Class models are powered completely by four-cylinder engines, including a choice of 1.6 L and 2.0 L petrol an 1.5L, 1.8 L and 2.1 diesels. Most of the engines come in a range of different states of tuning, and all include a stop-start facility.

CLA 180, CLA 180 BlueEFFICIENCY Edition, CLA 200, CLA 250, CLA 220 CDI. CLA 200 CDI, CLA 250 4MATIC are set to go on sale in autumn of 2013, followed by CLA 45 AMG 4MATIC in September 2013, CLA 180 CDI, CLA 200 CDI 4MATIC, CLA 220 CDI 4MATIC in 2014.

It will be the most aerodynamic production vehicle on sale beating the previous most-aerodynamic, another Mercedes, the 2011 coupe version of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class. The yet to be launched CLA 180 CDI Blue Efficiency will be even more aerodynamic.

The new CLA will be assembled in Mercedes Benz  factory in Hungary. It’s price should be arround  $29,900, which makes the CLA the cheapest Mercedes-Benz ever offered in the US.  Mercedes-Benz is aiming at the younger buyers, dubbed as the “baby CLS”, the CLA is definitely well positioned with its official European debut set for Geneva Motor Show. We can only say: A new star is born! This car will certanly be a huge success for Mercedes Benz and we can’t wait to see it on the streets!