The latest Vauxhall Corsa, launched in 2006, certainly offers more driver involvement. While its predecessor did nothing to excite,Vauxhall Corsa this car provides excellent stability, Vauxhall Corsa has decent body control and positive steering. So it's easy and reassuring to drive, even if it doesn't thrill like a hot hatch. Do note, though, standard variants strike a better balance than the SXi/SRi models - without the 20mm lower suspension and firmer dampers of the
sporty models, the ride is significantly more comfortable, while handling and body control barely suffer at all. Roll is well contained too, and the suspension copes well on rough surfaces. What's more, theVauxhall Corsa has a responsive brake pedal. We tested the 1.3-litre diesel version which, while not exactly fast, offers a decent amount of punch in its mid-range. Vauxhall Corsa Noise is well insulated at idle, though it does become rather intrusive at higher revs. Yet, thanks to the torque and (slightly notchy) six-speed gearbox, there's no need to use all the revs. The 1.6-litre turbo of the SRi, meanwhile, is punchy and vibrant, with thrills a-plenty.
Vauxhall Corsa
Vauxhall Corsa From the front, both three-door and five-door Vauxhall Corsa are very similar, sharing youthful-looking bumper, wings and bonnet. Vauxhall Corsa further back, the three-door is racy and stylish - Vauxhall Corsais targeting families with the five-door, so it has a less-arched roof. The reverse kickback in the quarter light window and the shape of the rear door are very reminiscent of the five-door Astra, too. With an identical wheelbase, both cars offervirtually the same amount of space, although the five-door's rear openings obviously help rear access, while the bigger windows make it feel more airy. There's a large range on offer, and no shortage of rivals either - including the Ford Fiesta, Renault Clio, Peugeot 207, Fiat Punto (with which this car shares its platform), Volkswagen Polo and Honda Jazz. What marks the Vauxhall Corsa out is its sporty range of SXi and SRi models: the maker seems keener than most rivals to infuse mainstream models with some of the hot VXR's kudos.
Vauxhall Corsa
The interior quality of Vauxhall Corsa is the best we have seen in a supermini. Cabin fit and finish are considerably better than rivals, too. The Vauxhall Corsa superb materials and fabrics would be at home in cars from the class above, and are more expensive than those you normally find in this sector. Moreover, in a bid to address criticisms that the lastVauxhall Corsa was dull, designers have added translucent switches, piano-black surrounds, chrome trim and a 'speckle'-effect upper dash. The Corsa classy, easy to read dials are upmarket too. With a good range of wheel and seat movement, the driving position is practically faultless, while in the decent-sized boot, a handy split floor can be removed to boost load height. It's not perfect though - the glovebox is very small. But running costs are competitive and servicing costs are very low (and intervals are super-long). However, while the diesel's overall economy was, at 47.6mpg, very good, that's some way off the official average of 61.4mpg. And the Corsa's list prices certainly seem expensive when compared to some of the competition.
courtesy by http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/carreviews/newreviews/207287/vauxhall_corsa.html
2011 Holden Cruze Series II CD Diesel – 2.0-litre turbo-diesel, six-speed automatic with Active Select: $26,990 (Manufacturer’s List Price)New styling, new engines, and more features, the Holden Series II Cruze is a serious contender for Australia’s best small car.Holden has been building cars for 63 years and its latest model, known as the Holden Series II Cruze, will offer Australian buyers a quality alternative to more expensive small car offerings from Asia and Europe.
Holden Chairman and Managing Director, Mike Devereux, has every right to be confident about the potential of the new Holden Series II Cruze, when he told the press corps.We have worked hard to improve on the current model by tailoring the Holden Cruze to better meet the needs of Australian motorists.We think our locally developed range ticks all the boxes for people who appreciate style, comfort and convenience, as well as high-tech performance options and great interior space..Cruze also remains one of the safest small cars on the market and more than ever it represents exceptional value for money in true Holden tradition.We’ve just put over 140 kilometres on the clock of the base model Holden Series II Cruze CD, powered by a new generation 2.0-litre DOHC common-rail turbodieselengine, and bottom line is that it’s pretty impressive.
It’s not the 120kW that excites (although that’s up by 9 percent on the previous diesel powertrain), it’s more the 360Nm of torque kicking in as early as 1750rpm that makes this car such a treat to drive, and one of the main attractions of the new Holden Cruze sedan.At 110km/h, this new diesel emits no more than a gentle purr at a fraction under 1500rpm. In-gear acceleration from 80km/h is even stronger, making overtaking on multi-lane highways seem effortless.There’s also very little engine noise intrusion inside the cabin. In fact, it’s by far the quietest diesel engine in the small car segment at least from those cars I’ve driven over the last six months. That’s true even when you stomp on the throttle, there’s still nothing more than a soft murmuring emitted inside the cockpit.Holden is using an electronically controlled single turbocharger with intercooler, which while offering smooth power delivery, does suffer from initial throttle lag, so it’s best to feed in the power progressively, unless you’re higher up the rev range. The Holden six-speed auto transmission delivers smooth and seamless shifts through all forward gear ratios, but it’s not an overly quick shifting unit in the same way that a multi-clutch gearbox is.Part of yesterday’s test route included a good stretch of twisty road close to the start of Victoria’s Great Ocean Road, where we took advantage of the Active Select (sequential manual shifting) option on this transmission. It allows driver’s to load up the revs in each gear ratio, for a far more enjoyable driving experience than if left in auto mode.I particularly like the hydraulic steering on board the Holden Series II Cruze for its weight right from dead centre and the communication through the nicely moulded sports leather steering wheel.There’s plenty of grip from the front end and the Cruze is well behaved through the twisty bits, even when pushing on a little quicker.Apart from the general refinement of this Holden Series II Cruze, it’s a particularly comfortable small car, especially up front behind the wheel. The standard pews are very well bolstered and hold your torso bolt upright, even when throwing the car into bends.
While there isn’t a lot of soft touch material around the dashboard, Holden have employed quality materials throughout the interior, especially the fabric inserts that have a nice tactile feel to them.The console in the Holden Cruze is particularly attractive, with all the switchgear nicely laid out for good functionality and in easy reach of the driver.There’s a heap of standard features on board the Holden Cruze, even in this base model CD trim. Luggage space in the Cruze is also good, although Holden will launch an all-new Cruze hatch model later this year that will offer further convenience.All three Holden Series II Cruze engines meet the Euro 5 emission standard and the diesel in manual guise can return fuel economy figures of 5.6 litres/100km. That performance alone makes it Australia’s most fuel-efficient locally built car.The other exciting new powertrain for the Cruze is a 1.4-iTi turbo petrol engine, which develops 103kW and 200Nm between 1850 and 4900rpm. This same variant is also equipped with the new Watts link performance suspension.
courtesy by http://www.caradvice.com.au/110419/holden-cruze-review/
The Volkswagen Tiguan is a late arrival to the compact crossover SUV market. While many competitors already have established small SUV models in their lineups, VW is hoping the Tiguan will lure customers away from a range of other options that have traditionally been somewhat bland.
The volkswagen comes in both front-wheel- and all-wheel-drive versions and is powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine.TheTiguan's name will certainly attract attention. A figment of the VW marketing department's imagination, we're told it's a marriage of "tiger" and "iguana." This mammalian reptile is built on the same chassis as the Jetta and Golf. To keep the small SUV from looking like a hopped-up version of the latter, the Tiguan uses styling elements similar to VW's larger SUV, the Touareg, which gives the Tiguan a look that's both more aggressive and more upscale than its competitors. The downside, however, is that the volkswagen comes with slightly less space -- and a higher price tag.
The Volkswagen is a four-door, five-passenger compact crossover. It's powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that generates 200 horsepower and 206 pound-feet of torque. The base front-wheel-drive version comes with either a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic transmission, but all others are automatic-only. All-wheel drive can be specified on all but the base Tiguan.Three trim levels are available: base S, SE and SEL. All come standard with a generous number of features, including full power accessories, an auxiliary audio jack, a CD player, cruise control and a 60/40-split-folding rear seat. Standard safety features include antilock disc brakes, stability and traction control, front-seat side airbags and full-length head curtain airbags. Options include rear side airbags, a towing package, a panoramic sunroof and a navigation system.
In reviews, we've noted that the Volkswagen stands apart thanks to its sleek European design and high-quality interior. Controls are large and well-placed, and the cabin is adorned with genuine aluminum trim. These virtues are matched with equally solid driving dynamics. Unfortunately, the Tiguan lacks the cargo space of some of its competitors. With 16.6 cubic feet in the rear, the Tiguan offers about the same amount of space as a large family sedan. With the second row folded down, maximum capacity measures 56.1 cubic feet, which is well shy of class leaders such as the Honda CR-V and the Toyota RAV4. The Tiguan can also command a hefty price premium over other compact utes. The Volkswagen Tiguan was introduced for 2009 and hasn't changed much since. For 2010 only, VW offered a Wolfsburg Edition, which added unique 17-inch alloy wheels, special badges and leatherette vinyl upholstery.
courtesy by http://www.edmunds.com/volkswagen/tiguan/
The Peugeot 206 is a supermini (subcompact car), manufactured by the French automaker Peugeot from 1998 to 2010.Even though the 206 has finished production in most markets as of 2010, it is still available in Europe since 2009, as the '206+'.During the early 1990s, Peugeot decided not to directly replace the Peugeot 205, citing the reason that superminis were no longer profitable or worthwhile. Instead, Peugeot followed a unique strategy and decided that its new, smaller, supermini, the Peugeot 106 (launched in 1991)
would take sales from the lower end of the 205 range while the lowest models of the Peugeot 306 range, launched in 1993 to replace the Peugeot 309, would take sales from the top-end 205s. Between the 106 and 306, Peugeot hoped that the 205 would not need to be replaced, and could be phased out slowly, while customers who would normally plump for the 205 would continue to have a choice with either a smaller or larger car.Unfortunately for Peugeot, this strategy did not work. With the 205 phased out, other superminis like the Ford Fiesta and Volkswagen Polo continued to sell well and even increased in popularity, and without a direct competitor to these cars Peugeot was losing sales fast.A new supermini was required, and the 206 was launched in 1998 as a somewhat belated replacement for the 205. Peugeot 206
Although the peugeot 206 moniker indicates a direct continuation from the 205, some critics state that the car should have instead been badged 207. This is because Peugeot launched its latest generation of cars in the early to mid 1990s, with the 106 of 1991, the 306 of 1993 and the 406 of 1995.Its eventual successor - the Peugeot 207 - was launched in 2006. As of 2010, the twelve-year-old 206 was Peugeot's best-selling car of all time.It was built in France and England until the end of 2006. The end of British production coincided with the closure of the Ryton plant which Peugeot had taken over when buying Chrysler's European division in 1979.From April 2010,the Peugeot 206 was no longer listed on Peugeot's current UK model range.That is implying that RHD production has ended.Production for LHD markets finished in June 2010
The 206 was mainly manufactured in Peugeot's Poissy and Mulhouse factories although the car is also produced by Iran Khodro in Iran for that market; a notchback sedan model was developed in Iran under the name "Peugeot 206 SD" which will reportedly be exported as well.[1] It was assembled in Chile for the Mexican and Colombian markets (French made 206s were cheaper than Chilean-built ones, in Chile). The Brazilian production in Porto Real, Rio de Janeiro, started in 2001, followed by the SW version in 2005. The Brazilian production features 1.0L 16V, 1.4L 8V, and 1.6L 16V engines, the last two of which are flexible fuel engines (petrol/ethanol). The 1.0L version used a Renault-sourced engine and was produced until 2006.The Peugeot 206 was also built at Rytonin Coventry, England, however, with the introduction of the '207' to the range Peugeot decided to pull the plug on the Ryton factory which closed in January, 2007 with the loss of 2,300 jobs making it another blow to the British motor industry after MG Rover collapsed. The Peugeot 206 proved to be a sales success all over Europe. It was the best-selling car in Europe from 2001 to 2003. The 1.4L XR was the best-selling model. On May 26, 2005, the 206 celebrated the five millionth unit produced since its commercial launch on 10 September 1998. Sales in the United Kingdom were strong from the start, with the 206 regularly being among the nation's five most popular new cars during its first six years on sale. Second-hand examples of the 206 traditionally hold their value well, due to high demand.The Peugeot 206 is also being produced in Buenos Aires, Argentina since 1999. The models being manufactured are XR, XRD, XS, XT and XTD. The diesel powered versions use the naturally aspirated DW engine. The XT was later announced to be a special edition of 206, with models becoming increasingly rare. Good examples have been known to be valued at figures exceeding £50,000 (Valued 12/02/09).In May 2006, the Malaysian car manufacturer Naza launched a locally assembled version of the 206 with the name of "206 Bestari". In 2006, Peugeot started production of the 206 in China. In September 2006 Citroën China produced a slightly modified Peugeot 206 called Citroën C2 (this car has nothing in common with the European Citroën C2).
courtesy by http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peugeot_206
