Kia Soul Hamsters return (U.S)

The new advertising campaign for the 2010 Kia Soul will be top-heavy with hamsters. The South Korean carmaker is even rolling out a line of "Hamstar" clothing for followers of the cuddly creatures.


Kia said the clothing, which is featured in the advertising, will "soon be available for purchase by fans at http://www.hamstarclothing.com/."

The ad campaign likens the Soul to other "boxy rides — represented by toasters, washing machines and cardboard boxes," said Kia Motors America in a statement. The hamsters also rap the title song's lyrics, "You can get with this, or you can get with that."

"Given the success and popularity of the hamsters in the initial Soul launch with a spot that won Nielsen's Automotive Ad of the Year, it made sense to bring them back for a new campaign," said Michael Sprague, Kia Motors America vice president of marketing. "The newest experience is rich with details in the hamster world."

The full commercial can be seen here.

Press Release:

Kia Motors America (KMA) officially released a new advertising campaign, titled “This or That,” for the 2010 Kia Soul. “This or That” is the rebirth of the initial Kia Soul award winning advertising campaign created by David & Goliath, KMA’s advertising agency of record, and brings back the loveable Hamsters due to popular demand. Soul is a unique and highly personalizable urban passenger vehicle and the new spot builds on its creative theme in the style of a music video set to the classic hip hop track “The Choice is Yours” by notable 90’s hip hop group Black Sheep. The new campaign launches today on cable TV networks Comedy Central, Fuse, MTV, MTV2 and Spike and runs through July. Beginning 28th May it will appear in movie theaters across the country as well as have a presence online at Pandora, Facebook, Social Vibe’s PetVille, KMA’s Kia.com. and a YouTube contest.

“Given the success and popularity of the hamsters in the initial Soul launch with a spot that won Nielsen’s Automotive Ad of the Year, it made sense to bring them back for a new campaign,” said Michael Sprague, vice president, marketing of KMA. “We know the Soul target audience is digitally savvy and that they viewed the first commercial multiple times online, so the newest experience is rich with details in the hamster world and integrated Soul content for them to discover during repeat viewings.”

“Hamstar™” logoed clothing, as seen in the spot, will soon be available for purchase by fans at www.hamstarclothing.com (check soon for details).

Cruising through an urban landscape behind the wheel of an Alien Green Kia Soul, the hamsters in “This or That” cleverly compare Soul’s unique styling and plethora of personalizable creature comforts to other boxy rides – represented by toasters, washing machines and cardboard boxes – while rapping the title song’s lyrics, “You can get with this, or you can get with that.”

A recipient of “Best Family Cars for 2010” by Edmunds.com and Parents Magazine, “Best Hatchback of 2010” by Cars.com, “2010 Top Cars for Families” by Motherproof.com, and 2010 “Top 10 Coolest New Cars Under $18,000” from Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com, Soul is available in four trims, Soul, Soul+, Soul! (exclaim) and Soul sport, as well as four special editions, including the recently unveiled special-edition Ghost Soul. Other special-edition Soul vehicles include Ignition Soul, Denim Soul and Shadow Dragon Soul. Pricing for the versatile five-door begins under $14,000.

Soul stands out from the crowd with modern, unique styling aimed toward the young and young-at-heart and offers a unique combination of style, value and personalization options. An available Audio Upgrade Package includes speaker lights that can pulse to the beat of the music or add mood lighting to the interior cabin, enhancing the overall personal lounge feeling. The Soul+ offers funky black cloth seats with “glowing” Soul logo inserts while the Soul! trim comes with a distinctive sand-black interior with houndstooth-patterned inserts, and the Soul sport presents a bold red-black interior trim with red-trimmed cloth seats and metal-finish interior accents.

Vauxhall/Opel Calibra to make a comeback?

Ever since Vauxhall/Opel pulled the covers off the sleek GTC Concept back in 2007, there have been rumours circulating on the Internet and the media about a production version of the study that would essentially replace the Calibra of the 1990s.


A report claims that the four seater coupe is still under consideration but if it gets the go-ahead, it could go on sale as early as 2013, which sounds believable given that the car would be a coupe version of the Vauxhall/Opel Insignia/Buick Regal.


It is said that in order for GM to start making a profit off the Calibra's descendant, Vauxhall/Opel will need to build a minimum of 30,000 units a year, and that's where Buick comes in...

"We would feel a lot more confident about some of these projects if Buick, Chevrolet in North and South America and Saab were sharing volumes and risk," an unnamed GM Europe source said. Since Saab is no longer a part of GM, it’s easy to presume that this statement has been made either in the beginning of 2010 or last year...

If GM does give the go ahead for the Insignia coupe project, chances are that it will be sold Stateside.

Ford F-150 SVT Raptor proves popular (U.S)

The Ford F-150 SVT Raptor with the optional 6.2 litre V8 is shifting like there’s no tomorrow, with 3,000 orders already booked for the $41,995 pick-up.


The V8, taken from those used in Ford's Super Duties, has a unique cam profile to help get extra power for the Raptor. The final result is 411bhp and 434 lb-ft of torque.

SVT chief functional engineer, Kerry Baldori explains, "We spent a lot of time developing our desert durability test so that it's very close to replicating the Baja 1000. Desert testing proved to be a very quick way to learn about the reliability of the truck and it put another level of extreme loads on the engine that our normal durability testing doesn't cover."

Ford is likely to see orders inflating once the SuperCrew arrives in 2011.

Photo Gallery: 2010 Nissan Juke

Nissan Juke pricing announced (UK)

Nissan has revealed the prices for its controversial Juke crossover, with the entry-level Visia 1.6 petrol costing from £12,795. All Jukes are linked to a 5 speed manual, 6 speed for 1.5 dCi & 1.6 DiG-T, which also receives a 6 speed CVT transmission.

Three engines will be available - along with the 115bhp 1.6, there's a 109bhp 1.5 diesel and an all-new direct-injection turbocharged 1.6 petrol engine that produces 187bhp and starts at £15,695 for the 2WD model. The range-topping engine is also available in 4WD, mated to a continuously variable transmission gearbox (CVT) which costs £19,995.

The entry-level 115bhp 1.6 litre petrol engine with manual transmission emits 149g/km and has a combined fuel economy of 44.1mpg/6.4l/100km. Top speed is 111mph. With a CVT gearbox, CO2 emissions decrease from 149g/km to 145g/km and top speed from 111mph to 106mph. Combined fuel economy increases to 44.8mpg/6.3/100km.

The 1.5 dCi engine has 86bhp and a combined fuel economy of 55.4mpg/5.1l/100km. This engine kicks out 134g/km with a top speed of 109mph.

Flagship 1.6 DiG-T 187bhp petrol engine with a manual gearbox has CO2 emissions of 149g/km with a combined fuel economy rating of 40.9mpg/6.9l/100km. Top speed is rated at 134mph. With the CVT gearbox and 4WD, the CO2 figure rises to 175g/km with a combined figure of 37.2mpg/7.6l/100km. The top speed is 124mph.

Three trim-levels are available; Visia gets 16” alloy wheels, ESP, 6 airbags, sports seats, particle filter (diesel only), active front headrests, immobiliser, 4 speakers w/ MP3 aux, 60/40 split folding rear seats, height adjustable driver’s seat, tilt adjustable steering wheel, front electric windows w/ one touch (drivers side only), electrically adjustable/heated door mirrors, air conditioning, remote central locking and speed sensitive power steering.

Mid-spec Acenta models get 17” alloys, climate control, ultrasonic alarm, body-coloured door handles w/ chrome interior handles, rear electric windows, leather steering wheel & gearknob w/ audio controls, Bluetooth with USB connectivity, cruise control, front fog lamps and the Nissan Dynamic Control System.

Two option packs are available with Acenta versions. A £300 Sport pack upgrades to 17” Sport alloy wheels, rear privacy glass and premium seat fabric. A £900 Premium pack gets Nissan Connect satellite navigation, reversing camera and 6 speakers, as well as the extras that come with the Sports pack.

Range-topping Tekna models get leather upholstery w/ heated front seats, electric folding door mirrors, Nissan Connect, reversing camera, rain-sensing wipers, and intelligent key with engine start button.

Orders books open for the Juke next month, with the first deliveries expected towards the end of September.

Underneath, the Juke uses a widened, lengthened version of the Renault Nissan Alliance B platform, also used in the Clio and Micra; it’s 2530mm wheelbase is 10cm longer, and the platform's extra width means it can accommodate wider tracks.

Suspension remains a MacPherson strut front and torsion beam rear for the two-wheel drive versions, but unusually Nissan has decided to fit the four-wheel drive models with a new multi-link suspension at the rear. This should give the Juke handling to rival the class leaders'.

The Juke will be built at Nissan’s Sunderland plant and will replace the Nissan Micra on the production line.

Fiat Uno to arrive late 2011 (EU)

The new Fiat Uno will arrive in Europe late next year, according to reports.

The Brazilian-developed budget supermini will be built at the Zastava factory in Serbia, which currently makes the Punto Mk2. Fiat has announced a €150 million (£130m) investment in the Serbian factory earlier this year in preparation for introducing the Uno.

The company’s European product plan describes the new Uno as an “entry-level B-sector car”, suggesting that it will be very competitively priced. Although UK sales aren’t definite, we expect prices to start from £6,000, under-cutting the smaller Panda, which starts at £7,665. In Brazil, prices start from R$ 27,350 (£10,356), rising to R$ 31,870 (£12,000).

In Fiat’s European line-up, the Uno will slot between the Panda city-car and Grande Punto/Punto Evo supermini.

The Uno is powered by two new flexi-fuel petrol engines; a 1.0 litre unit developing 73bhp on alcohol & 75bhp on petrol and a 1.4 litre engine kicking out 85bhp using petrol and 88bhp on alcohol. The front wheel drive supermini is geared through a 5 speed manual transmission.

2011 Volkswagen Golf revised (UK)

Volkswagen has replaced its Golf SE with a better-equipped Match model. Although it's £300 more than the SE, with prices starting at £17,730, it comes with £1,600 worth of added equipment, including 16" alloy wheels, leather multi-function steering wheel, DAB digital radio, Bluetooth mobile phone connectivity, front and rear parking sensors and a touchscreen stereo system with 6-CD changer, air conditioning, alarm, cruise control, seven airbags and stability control.


The Match is available as an efficient 103bhp BlueMotion  model, which returns 68.9mpg on the combined cycle while emitting 107g/km. The other engines which the SE was previously available with are also on offer; 1.4 litre petrol with 121bhp or 138bhp 2.0 TDi BlueMotion Technology. The 138bhp 2.0 TDi emits 114g/km and returns 65.7mpg. The 1.4 petrol and 1.6 TDi are available with a 7 speed DSG gearbox.

The Volkswagen Golf Match is available to order now for first deliveries in June for the 2011 MY.

Toyota Auris Hybrid pricing announced (UK)

The all-new Toyota Auris Hybrid will start from £18,950 for the entry-level T4 89g spec, rising to £20,700 for the flagship T-Spirit. The Auris Hybrid is powered by the same 1.8 litre VVT-i petrol engine found in the Prius, and an electric motor giving combined output of 134bhp.

The car will be available in 3 well-specified trim-levels; T4 89g, T4 & T-Spirit.


Entry-level T4 89g features Climate control, CD/MP3 player with USB, x4 electric windows, electrically adjustable/heated door mirrors, 7 airbags, 15" alloy wheels, LED daytime running lights, stability and traction control w/ hill-start assist. This model has CO2 emissions of 89g/km with combined fuel economy of 74.3mpg, which translates to over 700 miles on one tank.

Mid-spec T4 adds 'T4 89g' standard equipment plus 17" alloy wheels for £19,200.

Range-topping T-Spirit comes with 17" alloy wheels, leather & Alcantara seats, cruise control w/ speed limiter, Bluetooth w/ steering wheel audio controls, automatic headlights and wipers, smart entry and start and auto-dimming rearview mirror w/ rear camera display. Due to the increase of the alloy wheels, the T4 & T-Spirit models emit 93g/km with overall economy of 70.6mpg.

At £18,950, the Auris Hybrid is not a cheap way into to hybrid motoring. It is only £555 less than the company's entry-level Prius T3 and more than £2,365 more than the entry-level Honda Insight.

Toyota says that Auris Hybrid is close in price to similarly specced rival cars fitted with 2.0 litre diesel engines and says that Auris Hybrid customers and Prius Hybrid customers come from two distinctive groups.

'Prius customers want to make a statement,' said a Toyota spokesman. 'They tend to be style-led early adopters. Auris Hybrid customers will be interested in the mpg and they may also simply prefer a smaller car.'

Dodge Caliber & Nitro axed (UK)

The Dodge Caliber hatchback and Nitro mid-sized SUV have been removed from the Dodge UK line-up. The decision to quietly drop the models from the Dodge line-up follows extremely slow sales for both vehicles.


 

It also means the Dodge Journey is the firm's only model on sale in the UK - a point illustrated by the fact that the Dodge UK website now offers only one model via the 'Select a vehicle'. However, strangely enough, the two vehicles still appear on the Dodge UK site via an extension on the domain name.

The Journey was revamped earlier this year, getting a revised model line-up and more kit as standard.

World Cup fever hits car dealerships (UK)

The football World Cup starts next month – and along with the globe's top teams battling it out on the pitch, it also brings the chance of winning a car from Kia or Toyota.

World Cup sponsor Kia has a free prize daw for a Soul 2 running between 17th May and 11th July. Simply pop in to one of the UK's 150+ Kia dealers and you could win one of the £11,500 cars.


Four Toyota and Lexus dealers in Yorkshire are each stumping up an iQ city-car in another giveaway that's open to the first 1,000 people who take a test drive.

It's a bit more complicated than the Kia competition, however, because the dealers are also asking entrants to guess the scores in each of the group matches England is playing against the USA, Algeria and Slovenia.

Winners will be selected at random in the event of more than four of the test-driving football pundits coming up with the correct scores. Click here or here for more information.

Opel’s UK division, Vauxhall has come up with England flag stickers and door mirror caps for the 3dr Corsa if you want to get in the mood and show your support for the team.

The makeover is available from dealers now and costs £149 including VAT and fitment.

Next Renault Clio IV has 'makings of an icon'

The 2012 Clio will bring exciting, daring design back Renault’s model ranks.

That's the view of Steve Norman, Senior Vice President of Global Marketing for Renault, who gave inside information on the forthcoming supermini recently, describing it as “a car with the makings of an icon”.


"Clio IV has the potential to do two things for us: to make us the leading player in Europe’s biggest market sector, and to show a new generation of buyers how fantastic our cars can look," said Norman.

“I can’t describe just how amazing it looks. It’s a real masterstroke of design. You have to see it for yourself to believe it.”

Those outside of Renault will get a sneak peak of the next Clio at the Paris motorshow this coming September. The car will be previewed by an advanced Clio concept.

"It’s quite a far-fetched show car, nothing like a conventional supermini," said Norman. "But it’ll give you a flavour of what to expect.”

Company insiders suggest that the new Clio takes several cues from the Zoe concept – a similarly-sized, all-electric hatchback headed for production as one of La Regie’s ‘Z.E.’ electric vehicles.

It’s also rumoured that, while design work on the Clio IV was already underway in early 2009, new Renault design boss Laurens van den Acker ordered several changes to the car when he arrived in May of last year.

Van den Acker recently said the new Clio “has the McDonald’s ‘Big Mac’ factor: it’s a very pretty car - good enough to eat!”

Revised Lexus GS 450h pricing announced (UK)

Lexus has given the hybrid GS 450h model a minor refresh for 2010 including added safety systems, equipment and minor styling changes.

The biggest change is the addition of new safety systems. Both front seats now get inflator-operated active headrests. These push the headrest forwards and upwards to reduce the chance of whiplash in the event of a rear-end crash. It also gets pre-crash brake technology that flashes a warning to the driver and makes the brakes more sensitive and reacts quicker to foot pressure when a crash is detected.


These additions include a new 40GB hard disc drive (HDD) sat-nav system that gives coverage for across Europe and is available on both SE and SE-L trims. This system also comes with 10GB of storage space for music for up to 2,000 songs - only available on SE-L models. Also as an option buyers can specify DAB digital radio.

On the styling front the small changes include a new front grille design while the rear light clusters have also been altered. A new 18” alloy wheel design is now available on the SE-L trim.

Inside there are few changes apart from the hybrid-blue backlit stop/start button and the option of grey leather trim with contrasting black stitching and maple wood trim.

Entry-level SE models start from £43,035, rising to £50,185 for the range-topping SE-L with ACC/PCS and sunroof. Without the sunroof and adaptive cruise control, SE-L prices start at £47,280.

The hybrid GS model will continue to use the same 3.5 litre V6 petrol engine along with the 650V electric motor. This gives the GS 450h SE CO2 emissions of 179g/km (SE-L 180g/km) and a combined fuel economy figure of 37.2mpg (7.6l/100km).

Volkswagen Polo sedan to be re-badged (IN)

VW will be reviving the Vento nameplate as using it on their forthcoming Polo sedan in India.

VW engineers will be extending the Polo's wheelbase by 50mm over the hatchback variant in order to provide more head and legroom for rear seat passengers and make the Vento one of the more competitive compact sedans in the segment.

The Indian market Vento will come with a 1.6 litre petrol engine with 105bhp. A 1.6 litre diesel will also be available, that too with 105bhp. Both will be fitted with a 5 speed manual transmission, while a DSG gearbox might make it into the top-end diesel at a later date. The Indian market Vento will not come with VW's TSI technology - likely due to costs.

Vento, simply means 'wind' in both Italian and Portuguese. VW's goal is to sell around 25,000 units annually of the Vento in India.

The Vento goes on sale during July in India. European and South African sales start thereafter where the Vento will be known as the 'Polo Classic', however, North American sales are still under consideration.

Spy photos via Secretnewcars.com