IAA 2011: Lancia Displays its Stars and Stripes in Frankfurt

If anything else, and with a few exceptions such as the Ypsilon supermini, the aging Musa and the Delta compact hatchback, Lancia's range is beginning to look eerily similar to that of the Chrysler brand.

At this week's 64th International Auto Show in Frankfurt, the Italian company displayed its entire lineup including the Thema sedan, Flavia Cabrio and the Voyager MPV, which are rebadged versions of the Chrysler 300, 200 Convertible and Town & Country respectively.

The rear-wheel drive Thema will go on sale in Europe in October with a choice of V6 diesel and gasoline units. The Voyager will also reach dealerships at the same time with buyers having the option of either a 287HP 3.6-liter V6 petrol linked to an automatic transmission or a 163HP 2.8-liter Multijet diesel with a manual gearbox. .

Lancia has not yet clarified when the Flavia Cabrio will enter production, but it is believed that it will go on sale in Europe early next year. The roofless model shown in Frankfurt is equipped with a 175HP 2.4 litre petrol engine matched to a 6-speed automatic gearbox.

Even though Lancia exhibited a sedan variant at the Geneva Show earlier this year, the company decided against offering it in Europe due to the high cost of adding a necessary diesel engine option.

 

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IAA 2011: New Fisker Surf adds a Shooting Break Twist to the Karma

As it turns out, Fisker's shadowy teaser sketch of its Frankfurt Motor Show debut was somewhat deceiving as the Surf turned out to be five-door version of the Karma sedan with a shape that is more shooting break than it is station wagon.

Nevertheless, the California based automaker that is headed by former BMW and Aston Martin designer Henrik Fisker, says that the Surf combines the performance, luxury, economy and style of the sedan model with increased space and practicality.

The slick looking estate features the same drivetrain as the saloon matching a pair of 150kW electric motors (403HP in total) mounted at the rear, with a GM-sourced 260HP 2.0-liter turbo gasoline engine located at the front and a 20 kW lithium-ion battery placed longitudinally below the floorpan.

In a similar fashion to the Chevy Volt, the electric motors drive the wheels while the gasoline engine turns a 175 kW generator that feeds the electric motors when the battery is out of juice.

In the sedan, the range is 50 miles (80 kilometers) on pure electric power, and 300 miles (482 kilometers) combined.

“The Surf is a first-of-its-kind eco-friendly lifestyle vehicle that offers space, performance and luxury design for people who live an active, environmentally conscious lifestyle and like to drive beautiful cars,” said Henrik Fisker.

The Fisker Surf will go on sale globally in 2013.

 

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Infiniti Outlines New Pure-Electric Sedan Model, will go on Sale in 2014

The 64th International Auto Show in Frankfurt isn't only about uncovering the latest concept models and production cars but also about announcing future plans.

 

Infiniti on its behalf used the motorshow to release a new teaser sketch of its first pure electric model that will arrive in global markets in 2014.

The Japanese automaker described the as-of-yet unnamed production car as "a stylish, high performance five-seat luxury vehicle with zero emissions technology" but did not disclose any more details.

 

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IAA 2011: Audi Launches A8 Hybrid, W12 LWB Limited Edition and New 4.0 TFSI Engine

Audi has chosen the 64th Frankfurt Motor Show to present two new versions of its A8 large luxury sedan as well as the brand-new 4.0 TFSI engine which will power the “S”-badged versions of its line-up.

The A8 Hybrid will go on sale on 2012 and unusually for such a big car, it features a relatively small-capacity four-cylinder gasoline engine coupled to a hybrid system. In reality, the A8 Hybrid is anything but underpowered: The 2.0-liter TFSI and the electric motor develop a combined output of 245 HP and 480 Nm (345.03 lb-ft) of torque for short periods of time.

Using its two motors that are mounted one behind the other the A8 Hybrid accelerates to 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 7.7 seconds and reaches a top speed of 235 km/h (146 mph).

Unlike other hybrids, the A8 can travel up to speeds of 100 km/h (62 mph) on electric power alone. It can also run for 3 km (1.8 miles) with zero emissions at a constant speed of 60 km/h (37 mph) and its average consumption is less than 6.4 lt/100 km (36.75 mpg) while its CO2 emissions fall below 148 g/km.

The second version of the A8 displayed at the IAA is a limited edition named “Audi exclusive concept”, of which only 50 cars will be produced. Based on the standard W12 LWB version of Audi’s flagship sedan, it features Poltrona Frau leather in the interior, wood olive ash inlays used liberally throughout the cabin and special “Audi exclusive concept” logos.

Finally, Audi presented the new 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine that will power, in slightly different configurations, the S6 sedan and Avant, the S7 Sportback and the S8. Depending on the configuration, its maximum output ranges between 420 and 520 HP and its maximum torque reaches up to 650 Nm (479.4 lb-ft).

The 4.0 TFSI is very light and compact and features direct injection and two twin-scroll turbochargers located on the inside, rather than on the outside as is the usual practice, of the cylinder banks’ 90-degrees V.

It also has a cylinder deactivation system as standard, which in low to medium loads shuts down two cylinders reducing fuel consumption and CO2 emissions and, when necessary, reactivates them without the driver noticing anything.

 

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