VW to Launch New Scirocco in 2017, Facelift in 2014

The VW Scirocco will not receive a successor earlier than 2017, contrary to a previous report that anticipated a redesigned model in 2015. Instead, according to German magazine Auto Bild, VW plans to launch a facelifted model of the current third-generation Scirocco in 2014.

Based on the fifth-generation of the VW Golf, the current Scirocco will be refreshed and kept on the market for at least four more years, as sales of coupes and roadsters are weak at the moment in Europe.

The facelifted model will get a slightly different look, more assistance systems and optimized Euro 6 engines, and could premiere as early as next year at the Geneva or Beijing motor shows.

The report says the upcoming fourth-generation of the Scirocco will continue to be based on the Golf and will remain a four-seater with a large tailgate and variable luggage compartment. However, as VW Group design boss Walter de Silva hinted earlier this year, it will be more of a full-fledged sports coupe than a shooting brake.

As far as engines are concerned, VW plans more powerful variants, beginning with the 2.0 TSI which will get 230PS instead of 210PS, with peak torque to increase from 280 Nm (206 lb-ft) to 370 Nm (273 lb-ft). The output of the base 1.4 TSI engine will also increase from 122PS to 125PS, while the 160PS 1.4 TSI will be replaced by a 180PS 1.8-liter unit.

The 2.0-liter diesel engines will gain in output as well, with the 140PS version increasing to 150PS, while the 177PS unit will be upgraded to 184PS. The range-topping Scirocco R model will have at least 300PS, up from the current model’s 265PS.

By Dan Mihalascu

Note: Sketches are from the current VW Scirocco

PHOTO GALLERY

Scoop: MQB-Based 2013 VW Golf Estate or 2015 Jetta SportWagen

This fresh spy video from Spain shows the station wagon version of the seventh generation Volkswagen Golf that will be named the Golf Variant (Estate in Britain) when it is introduced in Europe in 2013, and Jetta SportWagen when it arrives in North America within the next two years.

New Renault Captur Reportedly Revealed in Patent Drawings

We already knew from the spy shots that Renault's production version of the 2011 Geneva Motor Show Captur study wouldn't be anywhere near as exciting as the concept, but if you need further proof, here's a set of patent drawings that were listed on a French forum.
The as-of-yet unnamed crossover model looks like a longer, taller, and beefier version of the fourth generation Clio, which might not be a bad thing, but it definitely leaves a lot to be desired when you compare it with the original concept.

Spy Shots: Renault Preparing Rugged-Looking Scenic Crossover

True, Renault is a little late to the SUV and crossover party in Europe, but the French carmaker is trying to catch up with several new proposals including a production model loosely based on the Captur Concept that will share its running gear with the Nissan Juke and a new edition of this year's facelifted Scenic MPV.
As you will see in these scoops, Renaut's Scenic prototype is wearing black pads to shield the more rugged looking front and rear ends, rocker panels and wheel arch extensions.

New Skoda Octavia III Live Photos and Videos from Czech Presentation

As its most important new model of the past few years, Skoda wants to give the third generation of the Octavia as much publicity as possible, which is why the Czech carmaker planned a special event for the press at its headquarters in Mlada Boleslav earlier this week ahead of the car's first public outing at the Geneva Salon in March.
Skoda's bestseller has been designed from the ground up sharing its MQB-platform and mechanical hardware with the latest generations of the VW Golf, Seat Leon and Audi A3 compacts, all of which were released in Europe this year.

Scoop: Updated 2014 Volvo S80 Facelift Spotted in China

Not too long ago, in early October to be precise, Doug Speck, global head of marketing and sales for Volvo Car, told U.S. publication Autonews that the Swedish company is preparing a facelift for both the S60 and S80 sedans.
Now we learn that Chinese website AutoSina captured a camouflage-free prototype of the updated S80L, which is a China-market only version of the car sporting a 140mm or 5.5-inches longer wheelbase.

Rinspeed Boxes Up New Micromax Concept for the Geneva Motor Show

You didn't think that Swiss design house Rinspeed would miss the 2013 Geneva auto show, did you? Of course not. For next year's event, which sounds further away than it really is, as it will open to the public in less than three months on March 7, Rinspeed will debut a new concept vehicle named the "microMAX".

Scoop: McLaren P1 Filmed Testing on the Road, First Glimpse at the Cabin

Sure, most of you have seen the McLaren P1 concept that was revealed at the recent Paris Motor Show and have checked out spy shots of taped-up pre-production prototypes, but how about watching it drive on the road?
Well, if you haven't, here's your chance to do so thanks to a new spy video, courtesy of French publication L'Automobile.
We've already established the fact that the exterior appearance of McLaren's P1 hypercar won't change much from study, but this video also affords us our first look at the interior that was hidden behind blacked out windows on the concept.

Skoda Officially Reveals All-New and Sleeker Looking 2013 Octavia III [Updated]

It’s been a long road with plenty of scoops of both camouflaged prototypes and unmarked cars captured during testing and photo shoots, but now the time has come for Skoda to release its third generation of the successful Octavia series, which is seen here in liftback form with an estate model to follow next year.
The 2013 Octavia is the first Skoda model to make use of the VW Group's new and lighter MQB platform that underpins several other compact cars, most notably the VW Golf Mk7 and the latest Audi A3 hatchbacks.
Compared to the model it replaces, the new Octavia is 90mm longer at 4,659mm, 45mm wider at 1,814mm, and more importantly, the wheelbase has been stretched by 108mm to 2,686mm, something that mainly benefits the interior and space on the rear seats.
As a result, front head room has increased by 8 mm, front elbow width by 39 mm and rear elbow width by 26 mm over the outgoing Octavia. According to Skoda, the Octavia offers a class-leading interior space in the compact segment with 1,782 mm of interior length and the largest boot with a volume of 590 liters.

Skoda Drops New Images of 2013 Octavia III Including First of the Interior

If what the rumor mill is saying is true, then we're literally counting days until the online unveiling of the next generation of Skoda's most popular model, the 2013 Octavia Mk3, which could explain the number of teaser images being released by the Czech carmaker.
A couple of days after Skoda provided us a set with photos of the rear combination lights and the rear window and C-column treatment, the VW Group-owned company published three more images on Friday.

Skoda Teases Bits and Pieces of New Octavia 3 on Facebook While Readers Capture the Car Undressed

It doesn't make much sense for Skoda to play games with the new Octavia 3 anymore since both the sedan/liftback and estate versions of the car have been photographed multiple times on the road camouflage-free, yet the Czech carmaker insists on providing cropped pictures of the D-segment model.
The latest set featured on Skoda's Facebook page includes shots of the tail lamps and the rear window and C-column treatment.

First Official Photos of All-New 2014 Audi RS6 Avant Powered by a 552HP Bi-Turbo V8

Ingolstadt's station wagon from hell is back with a vengeance. We're talking, of course, about the new generation of the Audi RS6 Avant, the first pictures and preliminary specifications of which hit the interwebs today.
From what we're told by our Russian comrades at Autowp, the new RS6 Avant waves goodbye to the previous model's 571hp (579PS) and 650Nm (479 lbf·ft) 5.0-liter bi-turbo V10 and gains Audi's brand new twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 TFSI engine, which is said to deliver 552hp (560PS) and 700Nm (516 lb-ft) in this application.
An eight-speed automatic drives all four wheels through Audi's quattro system with a sport differential. The Über station wagon is claimed to go from zero to 100km/h (62mph) in just 3.9 seconds and top out at 304km/h (189mph), all while being able to fit up to 1,680 liters of goods.

Kia Confirms Preliminary Specs for Pro_cee’d GT and Cee’d GT with 201HP 1.6L Turbo

As it seems, Kia is so excited about its first-ever shot at the hot hatch segment in Europe that it just can't wait to share more details with us.
Less than a week after the Koreans announced their decision to rival VW's Golf GTI with the three-door Pro_Cee'd GT, Kia has now not only confirmed the availability of a GT version of the five-door Cee'd, but also revealed preliminary specifications.

Scoop: New 2013 Skoda Octavia Mk3 Filmed on the Road with Barely any Camo

Czech carmaker Skoda is wrapping up the development of its highly important Octavia III, as a prototype of the compact model was recorded on the road virtually camouflage-free, with the only parts of the car covered being the rear window corner and the a section of the headlamps.
While not straying too far away from the current model's shape, the third generation Octavia adopts Skoda's smoother design language with a lower and more sharply styled front end.

New Opel / Vauxhall Cascada is a Stylish Mid-Size Four-Seater Convertible

Here comes the latest model from Opel and its British counterpart Vauxhall, the all-new Cascada, a mid-size convertible with ample seating for four that was officially revealed today ahead of a European market launch in March of 2013.
The Cascada is the brand's fourth new model this year following the Ampera, Mokka small crossover and Adam premium city car, and its first convertible after the demise of the smaller Astra Twin Top.
With the Cascada, Opel and Vauxhall are moving away from the compact segment and entering the mid-size sector. At 4,697mm long and 1,840mm wide, the Cascada is not only significantly bigger than the Astra Twin Top, but it's actually 71mm longer than the Audi A5 Cabrio and 85mm longer than the BMW 3-Series Convertible.
The car uses a platform derived from Astra and Insignia underpinnings sporting a 71mm longer wheelbase and front and rear tracks that are 56mm and 70mm wider respectively than the Astra Twin Top.
The company says that despite being significantly larger, the Cascada’s body is 43 per cent stiffer torsionally and 10 per cent more resistant to bending forces than its last open-topped car.

Citroën Facelifts Berlingo and Jumpy/Dispatch Vans for 2012

Citroën has revealed the facelifted versions of its Berlingo and Jumpy (called Dispatch in Britain) minivans. Depending on the market, the Berlingo and the larger Jumpy/Dispatch are offered in both passenger and commercial variants.
In Britain, Citroën has provided initial details on the Berlingo Multispace and the Dispatch Combi, which are the passenger models of the series.
Starting with the smaller Berlingo Multispace, which is available in five- and seven-seat variants, the French firm's minivan gains a wider and more defined grille, a new chevron badge and a new headlight arrangement that can optionally include LEDs.

Infiniti Names its Geneva Motor Show Sports Car Concept "Emerg-E"

Infiniti has been trickling out information on the new sports car concept it plans to reveal at the 2012 Geneva Salon bit by bit these past couple of months. Today we learn that the electric sports car model will be called the "Emerge E".
"The INFINITI EMERG-E will be the first car from the brand to have not only a range-extender drivetrain offering vivid performance with zero emissions capability but also one mounted in a mid-ship package for optimal handling," the company said in a short statement.

Lamborghini to "Surprise" us at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show as well

On Wednesday, an official source from within the VW Group more or less confirmed the debut of a luxury SUV concept from Lamborghini at the Beijing Auto Show in China in April.
Today we learn that the Sant'Agata sports car maker has yet another "surprise" in store for us, this time at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show in March.
The news comes from an email statement from a Lamborghini spokesperson after the crew over at GT Spirit asked the company about the rumors circulating around the web. Here's what the press representative answered

Official: Fiat Unveils Larger and More Versatile 500L Ahead of its Geneva Debut

Fiat couldn't wait until the Geneva Motor Show to reveal its all-new 500L so it is giving us an early preview of its all-new sub-compact model. As you may have already guessed, the "L" in the name stands for "Large", with the 500L being the latest addition to the 500 range after the three-door hatch, the Cabrio and the Abarth models.
While the name and the styling (to some extent) refer to the 500 mini, the five-door 500L is based on the platform of the B-segment Punto measuring 4,140mm long, 1,780mm wide and 1,660mm tall. It is 594mm longer, 153mm wider and 175mm taller than the three-door 500.
The Italian company says the 500L offers "MPV passenger space combined with the feel of a small SUV on the road and the restrained dimensions and efficiency of a B segment car" and that it's an alternative to the traditional B and C segments.

2012 Mercedes-Benz A-Class Five-Door Hatchback Filmed Totally Undisguised!

A bicyclist –no, we didn't make a mistake- captured footage of the all-new 2012 Mercedes-Benz A-Class hatchback while riding with his team from El Golfo to Playa Blanca on the Spanish island of Lanzarote in the Canary Islands.
It seems that the German premium carmaker was at the island to shoot video and pictures of the luxury compact model for its press material.
The A-Class seen here is the five-door hatchback model, which will be the first body style to be launched onto the market. Mercedes has already confirmed that the 5-door version will make its world premiere at the 2012 Geneva Auto Show in early March. A sportier looking three-door model will follow, possibly withing the next year.