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Spy Shots: 2012 Nissan Tiida hatch (pronounced: “Versa”) caught ahead of Shanghai reveal

Filed under: New York Auto Show, Spy Photos, Hatchback, Nissan

Yesterday, we told you that the 2012 Nissan Versa is coming to the New York Auto Show later this month, and today we can show you exactly what its JDM counterpart will look like. Above is a completely undisguised photo of the Tiida hatchback as it sits in a parking lot in China. The hatch shares a virtually identical front end to that of the Versa sketch Nisan showed us back in October. The Tiida also shares a platform with the already in production Sunny, which shows that a sedan variant is also likely.

The spy photo shows highly stylized headlamps and a grille that is framed in chrome. The lower fascia is agape, framed by a pair of similarly large fog lamp openings. Overall styling of the Tiida appears to be a bit more conservative than competitors like the Ford Fiesta, though it’s a clear improvement compared to the outgoing Versa. Another spy photo, which is available on autoincar.com, shows that the Tiida carries a Direct Injection Gas 1.6 liter turbo engine, which currently pumps out 188 horsepower under the hood of the Juke, though we’d be very surprised if the Versa gets that kind of power – a naturally aspirated 1.6 will likely be offered.

We’ll see how close this spy shot of the Tiida is to the production 2012 Versa when it is unveiled in New York later this month.

[Source: Auto In Car]

Spy Shots: 2012 Nissan Tiida hatch (pronounced: “Versa”) caught ahead of Shanghai reveal originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 06 Apr 2011 15:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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GTI35.com celebrates Volkswagen hot hatch’s anniversary with special tuner pack

Filed under: Aftermarket, Performance, Hatchback, Volkswagen

Volkswagen Golf GTI35.com

Volkswagen Golf GTI35.com – Click above for high-res image gallery

It’s not unusual for an automaker to roll out a special anniversary model when the brand or a specific model celebrates a milestone. This Volkswagen doesn’t come from Wolfsburg itself, though. Instead, an independent outfit bent on marking the 35th birthday of the Volkswagen Golf GTI is behind the effort.

Partnering with German tuning house Wunschel Sport, the website GTI35.com has outfitted the hopped-up Golf with a 50-horse boost to 260 hp, a body kit, lowered suspension, and 19-inch OZ Quaranta wheels on low-profile rubber. The result is a claimed half-second off the 0-100 km/h (62mph) sprint, now down to 6.4 seconds (as equipped with the DSG) and a top speed of 255 km/h (158 mph).

The titanium-colored aftermarket special also wears decals emulating a racing number, which is repeated on the keychain, parking sign and t-shirt that come along with the €32,800 package, which is also available as individual components. Follow the jump for the press release and check out the high-resolution images in the gallery below.

Gallery: Volkswagen Golf GTI35.com

[Source: GTI35.com]

Continue reading GTI35.com celebrates Volkswagen hot hatch’s anniversary with special tuner pack

GTI35.com celebrates Volkswagen hot hatch’s anniversary with special tuner pack originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 26 Mar 2011 12:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New Kia Rio to spawn hot hatch?

Filed under: Etc., Europe, Hatchback, Kia, UK, Rumormill

2012 Kia Rio

2012 Kia Rio – Click above for high-res image gallery

According to Autocar, the minds at Kia may be mulling the creation of a hot hatch based on the all-new Rio. The news has sprouted from comments made by Benny Oeyen, Kia marketing and product planning boss in Europe. Oeyen said that the brand’s perception in the old country still lags behind the quality and design that the automaker currently has to offer, and that one way to rectify that problem is with a new vehicle that can help sway public opinion. Exactly what type of vehicle are we talking about here? Oeyen pointed to a hot hatch, cabriolet or coupe as viable options.

Autocar says that a hot hatch version of the Rio is the most likely of those options, thanks largely to the fact that the segment is booming in the UK. Kia just recently unveiled a Rio show car at the Geneva Motor Show that came with a few sportier touches, including a set of large alloy wheels.

Even if Kia does pull the trigger on a hot hatch version of the Rio, chances are that the vehicle would be a Euro-only offering. If you live in the land of the free, you’ll have to turn to the Hyundai Veloster for your Korean hot hatch fix.

Gallery: 2012 Kia Rio: Geneva 2011

[Source: Autocar]

New Kia Rio to spawn hot hatch? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 14 Mar 2011 14:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Honda UK shows off 2011 Civic hatch with Type-R cues

Filed under: Hatchback, Honda, UK, Design/Style

2011 Honda Civic (UK)

2011 Honda Civic (UK) – Click above for high-res image gallery

Honda has just released details on what buyers in the UK can expect to see from the 2011 Civic. The company has kept the changes to its spacey-looking five-door largely cosmetic, including a new grille up front. The company says that piece borrows cues from the legendary Type R, and if you squint your eyes enough, you can almost see the resemblance. A new range of wheels is also available for next year ranging in size from 16 to 17 inches depending on engine and trim level. There’s also a new Ionized Bronze paint color available across the lineup.

Inside, Honda has moved to up the ante ever so slightly. SE and ES trims will now boast seats that are covered in half fabric and half Alcantara, while the Si guise now comes with heated front thrones. Otherwise, the vehicle stays much the way it was for 2010. Under the hood, buyers are still greeted with the familiar 1.4 and 1.8-liter powerplants, and the horsepower figures haven’t moved from last year’s numbers, either. Hit the jump for the full press release.

Gallery: 2011 Honda Civic (UK)

[Source: Honda]

Continue reading Honda UK shows off 2011 Civic hatch with Type-R cues

Honda UK shows off 2011 Civic hatch with Type-R cues originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 11 Oct 2010 15:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Toyota considering RWD hatch to commemorate Naruse

Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupe, Budget, Performance, Japan, Hatchback, Toyota, Rumormill

We see plenty of rumors crop up on the interwebs, but we’ve rarely wanted any of them to come true as badly as this particular juicy morsel. The crew at Autocar reports that Toyota wants to build a new model to honor its former chief test driver, Hiromu Naruse. Naruse recently passed away in an a collision while testing the Lexus LFA at the Nürburgring. If the whispers are true, the car won’t be a badge-job for the Camry. According to reports, Naruse always wanted to see Toyota produce an inexpensive, rear-wheel drive coupe that was affordable enough for the little guys of the world to be able to hop into the driver’s seat.

If you’re thinking there’s no way that Toyota will suddenly jump into the small rear-wheel drive market with not one, but two new products, think again. Autocar reports that the inexpensive two-door will slot below the sexy FT-86 and will be based off of the GRMN Aigo Hot Hatch Concept we saw at this year’s Tokyo Auto Salon. That particular concept got its grunt from a Daihatsu 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine. More importantly, it rocked a double-wishbone rear suspension and swapped its front-wheel drive layout for a rear-driven arrangement. If the rumors are to be believed, we could see the car in 2012, just slightly ahead of the FT-86.

[Source: Autocar]

Report: Toyota considering RWD hatch to commemorate Naruse originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 10 Aug 2010 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Seat touring car flips into crowd at Brands Hatch over weekend

Filed under: Motorsports, Videos, Hatchback, SEAT, UK, Racing

That’s not gonna buff out – Click above to watch video after the jump

If you’ve ever found yourself as a spectator at a race track, it’s easy to lull yourself into believing that you’ll be as safe as can be just so long as you keep a crash barrier between your brittle bones and the lightspeed chunks of metal blasting by. Thing is, that’s not always the case. The interwebs are full of videos of cars gone airborne, leaping guard rails and tire walls by leaps and bounds to come crashing down in the middle of a passel of spectators. We can officially add the video after the jump to that list of horrors.

According to our English cousins, Portugese driver Francisco Carvalho had a bit of a mishap at this weekend’s World Touring Car Championship event at Brands Hatch. Carvalho was competing in the Seat Leon Euro Cup Race when he received a nudge from a fellow racer. Instead of losing a position, Carvalho’s car was sent veering off of the course and into a crash barrier before bouncing end-over-end and vaulting back over the wall. The crash sent a crowd of race marshals fleeing before the car came to a stop, but amazingly enough, no one was injured. Not even Carvalho. Hit the jump to see the devastation for yourself.

[Source: YouTube via Autoblog UK]

Continue reading Video: Seat touring car flips into crowd at Brands Hatch over weekend

Video: Seat touring car flips into crowd at Brands Hatch over weekend originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Jul 2010 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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