Infiniti Shows Off 2 New Cars and 1 Upgrade

An all-new Infiniti Q60 sports coupé made great impressions at Geneva today. It will be on sale in the 2nd half of 2016 with some serious styling attitude and tonnes of road presence. A brand-new 'VR30' engine makes its debut in the Q60. It's a 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged V6 petrol engine that comes in two guises, 296 and 395 bhp. It's also available with a 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbocharged petrol that produces 205 bhp. The rear-wheel-drive coupé can be optionally specified with a rear-biased all-wheel-drive setup.

The Q50, a 2016 model year refresh, is gifted with the 'VR30' too. However this sporty saloon has the choice of a 3.5-litre hybrid powertrain or a 2.2-litre 168 bhp turbodiesel.

Last but not least is the Q30's partner in crime. Based on the A-Class, it's no surprise that the GLA has had an influence on Infiniti. Called the QX30, it's essentially a jacked up Q30 that will go on sale in the middle of 2016.

A Year of DS and a New Concept

At the 2015 Geneva Motor Show, the Citroën DS5 broke the bond and became the DS 5. In the following year, the DS4 moved over and split into the DS 4 and DS 4 Crossback. Finally, and more recently, the DS3 and DS3 Cabrio went over. That means the DS 3 and DS 3 Cabrio complete the DS range. For the time being.

On display at the Geneva Motor Show this year is the DS 3 Performance, alongside the DS 3 Cabrio Performance. Rivals to the MINI Cooper S and MINI Cooper S Convertible, both DS 3 models produce 205 bhp and 300 Nm from a 1.6-litre petrol engine. CO2 emissions are a reasonable 125 g/km.

Celebrating the success of DS's launch, they have partnered with the French watchmaking sector BRM Chronographes. A precise 39 DS 3 models will be available with Brilliant Black mirror housings and roof, and Gold Pearl matt bodywork. The Gold Pearl dashboard and numbered plate emphasise its exclusivity. As part of the package, buyers will received a numbered copy of the 'BRM V6 44 SA SQ DS 3 PERFORMANCE' watch which is water resistant up to 100 m and measures 44 mm in diameter.

Lastly, the E-TENSE concept will be present. An all-electric grant tourer, the E-TENSE produces 397 bhp and 516 Nm and implies that DS may be exploring the possibilities of bringing electric power to production cars in the near future.

Volkswagen T-Cross Breeze Previews Polo-Based SUV

Volkswagen intends to introduce an SUV for each segment of the market. The strategy begins in May with the release of the new Tiguan, and will be followed by SUV equivalents of the Golf (based on the T-Roc concept) and the Polo (based on the T-Cross Breeze).

Volkswagen's most recent concept, the T-Cross Breeze, uses a very real engine. No fancy hybrid systems, or unachievable figures. Just a 108 bhp 1.0-litre TSI engine. Its 175 Nm is delivered through a 7-speed super sick dual-clutch DSG transmission. It gets to 62 mph in 10.3 seconds and continues on to 117 mph. Turbocharging, stop/start technology and a weight of 1,250 kg means is emits 115 g/km and returns 56.5 mpg.

At 4,133 mm long, it sits somewhere between the Polo and Golf. So does the 2,565 mm wheelbase.

LED headlights, daytime running lights and rings around the fog lights are complemented by 19-inch aluminium wheels, reminding us that this is a concept car. Its 300-litre boot is larger than the 251-litre boot found in the Range Rover Evoque Convertible.

Volkswagen's vision is a button-free future. The T-Cross Breeze demonstrates where future production cars are aiming in the medium term with touch-sensitive surfaces and very few buttons.

Proximity sensors control the likes of air conditioning and heated seats. One of the only physical controls is located on the centre console. In fact, there are three. The glass scroll wheels control the transmission, electronic parking brake and adaptive chassis control. The engine, damping and steering characteristics can all be altered in correspondence to the terrain.

Two separate displays share functionalities and are laid out similarly to those found in the latest generation Mercedes E-Class. The driver can rearrange the tile-shaped apps on the central, which include interesting statistics like altitude and weather, as well as displaying the last 3 text messages received by the driver and his or her music.

CarPlay and Android Auto ensure top quality smartphone connectivity, whilst BeatsAudio™ provides high-end sound output. The 300 W 8-channel setup includes a subwoofer integrated into the centre console between the two front occupants.

Hyundai Adds 1.7-litre Diesel Engine to Tuscon Lineup

Since going on sale in late 2015, the Tuscon has made over 115,000 European sales. These have been made up of a naturally aspirated 1.6-litre petrol engine, a turbocharged 1.6, two 2.0-litre turbodiesels and a 114 bhp 1.7-litre turbodiesel.

With many of its sales coming from a mixture of its diesel engines, it's no wonder than Hyundai has added a second 1.7-litre turbodiesel. Power jumps from 114 bhp to 139, with a torque figure of 340 Nm (up by 60 Nm).

Its stop/start system, 7-speed dual-clutch transmission and front-wheel-drive setup means it emits 129 g/km, running at 57.6 mpg. It reaches 62 mph in 11.5 seconds.

Hyundai GO! Special Editions

Ready for the UEFA European soccer championships held in France, Hyundai has prepared GO! Special Editions for its three smallest cars, the i10, i20 and i30.

Available in the French flag's colours, these exclusive cars are also specced with blue and white interior detailing, lightweight alloy wheels and privacy glass.

The i10 GO! features blue stitching on the seats, steering wheel and gear stick, with a gloss black centre console.

Building on that, the i20 GO! adds blue surrounds for the gear stick and air vents. New alloy wheels and black headlining give it a more sporty look.

A premium front grille and 17-inch alloys make the i30 GO! stand out further. Inside, the steering wheel, centre console, air vents and doors are finished in gunmetal, while metallic scuff plates are integrated into the front doors. The black headlining carries over from the i20 GO!

Prius-Rivalling Hyundai IONIQ Offered as Hybrid, Plug-in or Electric

For years, the Toyota Prius had its own way. It was alone in its market. Other hybrid cars have come and gone in its time but have never offered a direct alternative. One car that hopes to do just that is the Hyundai IONIQ.

Just like the Prius, the IONIQ will be offered in Hybrid and Plug-in forms. Additionally, there will be an Electric form.

The IONIQ Hybrid uses a 1.6-litre 4-cylinder GDI petrol engine. Combined with its electric motor, it has a system output of 139 bhp and 265 Nm. It can reach 115 mph yet emit around 79 g/km. Korean-spec models are set to deliver 22.4 km/l which equates to a little over 63 mpg. It houses a 1.56 kWh battery.

Next is the IONIQ Plug-in. It uses the same setup but with an electric motor that produces a little more power. The 8.9 kWh battery means a 30-mile electric-only range and emissions as low as 32 g/km.

Both petrol-electric models deliver their power through a 6-speed dual-clutch transmission with the aim of better drivability, avoiding the sluggish CVT altogether. SPORT mode holds onto gears for longer and extracts all the power from both powertrains, whereas ECO mode essentially does the exact opposite.

Lastly is the 118 bhp 295 Nm IONIQ Electric. It's home to a larger 28 kWh battery, which results in a 155-mile range. Top speed is limited to 103 mph.

Every IONIQ has the same Cd value of 0.24.

Autonomous Emergency Braking, Lane Keep Assist System, Blind Spot Monitoring, Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Smart Cruise Control are all added to the high level of tech found on the new IONIQ. More visual technology includes a 720p 7-inch TFT instrument cluster replacing conventional dials, CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity and wireless phone charging capabilities. A free 7-year subscription to TomTom live services comes as standard, with access to its database of weather, traffic, speed cameras and online points of interest.

Luckily, the IONIQ was designed to be an eco car from day one. This means that Hyundai has managed to hide most of the hybrid components without compromising space. Take its boot, for example. With the seats folded down, it measures 750 litres.

The interior door covers are bizarrely made from a combination of recycled plastic, powdered wood and volcanic stone. Extracts of sugar cane are applied to the headlining and floors to improve recyclability and oddly improve air quality. Even the metallic paint colours have soybean oil extracts in them. The designers took the 'green car' brief very seriously.

Outside, the Hybrid has bi-xenon headlights with C-shaped LED daytime running lights, however the Plug-in and Electric have upgraded electric headlights.

We can expect to see the IONIQ go on sale before the Winter of 2016, with pricing set to be competitive with that of the Prius (£23,295).

Dacia Scrubs Up with Essential Limited Edition and Easy-R Transmission

The Dacia Duster Essential is on display at Geneva finished in a new Chestnut Brown paint and fitted with new alloy wheels. It features Bluetooth, USB connectivity and electric front windows. These are what make up the limited-edition Essential trim, available on the Duster, Sandero and Logan MCV here in the UK.

Also on display is the Romanian firm's automated manual transmission. The 6-speed Easy-R was introduced late last year to the TCe 90 Stop&Start petrol engine, but as of today it is available on the dCi 90 diesel engine too.

It's said to be calibrated not only for driving pleasure but also traffic and urban areas. It features a hill-hold function for easy hill starts and has been under 750,000 km of testing.That's the equivalent of driving from Land's End (Cornwall) to Inverness (Scottish Highlands) *and back* more than 320 times.

There are no plans for this transmission to be used in the UK.