The KIA Sportage wins yet another award.

The newly launched Kia Sportage has won the category of ‘Junior SUV’, the Kia Sorento was awarded top prize in the SUV category and Kia itself scooped the ‘4x4 Manufacturer of the year’ award in Total Off Road magazines 2011 4x4 of the Year awards.

Michael Cole, Managing Director, Kia Motors (UK) Limited said “we’ve always been confident about the abilities of the Kia Sportage and Kia Sorento and are delighted that these have been recognised by one of the UK’s leading off-road magazines. Being chosen as Total Off Road’s manufacturer of the year is the icing on the cake.”
The Kia Sportage had competition from 18 mainstream and premium models including the Volkswagen Tiguan, the Volvo XC60 and the Ford Kuga. The Kia Sorento was up against rivals including luxury brands such as Range Rover and Lexus.

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The Mini Paceman.

The MINI model range continues to grow at a Pace! The firm is readying Coupé and Roadster versions of the hatch, plus a new small model – and now it’s set to unveil the stunning Paceman at the Detroit Motor Show in January.

It’s based on the recently launched Countryman crossover, and shares that model’s platform. But the designers have given the Paceman a much more sleek and desirable shape as MINI gets ready to take the fight to the new Range Rover Evoque.
At the front, a single black mask incorporates the radiator, foglights and air intakes. The grille has been redesigned, too, with a thick chrome surround, horizontal strips of light blue chrome to match the roof, piano black inserts and thin strips of brushed copper.
At the back, a narrow bootlid and rear bumper enhance the sporty profile. The short overhangs of the Countryman have been cut back even further by the removal of some crash protection, while the unique 19-inch copper-rimmed alloys are pushed into the corners, giving the newcomer a more dynamic stance. Blacked out C-pillars create an Evoque-style floating roof, while a subtle spoiler protrudes from the rear edge.
The jumbo brake lights sit horizontally – they’re vertical on the Countryman – while the housings curve around the back of the car. They flow into the shape of the bulging wheelarches, further adding to the impression of a wider, lower model.
The roof has been dropped by 20mm at the front and 40mm at the back to create the dramatic sloping effect. However, the blacked-out windows are more of a practical consideration, because the interior design isn’t finished yet.
For a show car, the styling is remarkably restrained, which hints at how close the Paceman is to production. MINI has also confirmed that the showroom version will sit alongside the Countryman in the range, rather than above it.
Under the bonnet, the Paceman will eventually use the most powerful engine in the current range: the 1.6-litre turbo with the full John Cooper Works tuning. This delivers 207bhp and up to 280Nm of torque to all four wheels. Lower power petrol and diesel versions would also be made available.

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Ford, Volkwagen and Chrysler expand recall notices.

Ford Motor Co. has not made enough of an effort to tell customers about the recall issued for its Windstar minivans, said the family of a Massachusetts man who died when his van’s rear axle split in half and sent the van into a building.
The family of Sean Bowman said they got Fords’ recall notice in October, one week after Bowman died.
Ford had announced the recall in August. It affected 575,000 older Windstar minivans where the company said rear axles could become fragile and break. However, the recall did not attract a lot of media attention.
Ford said this week that it planned to expand the recall and cooperate with a government investigation, but the company had no comment on the Bowman case.
In addition, this week, Volkswagen and Chrysler announced large recalls because of possible air bag problems and fuel leaks.
Chrysler said it was recalling around 367,000 minivans because of problems with the air bags deploying accidentally. The recall affects the 2008 Chrysler Town and Country and the Dodge Grand Caravan.
Volkswagen of America said it was recalling some 228,000 vehicles, including the Golf, Rabbit, Jetta and Jetta Sportswagen for model years 2007-2009 and the 2006-2010 New Beetle.
Volkswagen said the problem in the Golf, Rabbit and Jetta was due to plastic tab connected to the windshield fluid canister that could possibly come in contact with a fuel line and cause a leak to form. In the New Beetle, a fastening clamp on the power steering system could lead to the same kind of problem.
***Now i'm wondering what car is safe to drive these days.

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Tats Group Global Sales Increase.

There couldn't be any time better for Tata Motors which has posted Cumulative sales for the fiscal (April-November 2010) were 678,598 vehicles, higher by 30 percent compared to the corresponding period in 2009-10
"While the group global sales were 79,959, cumulative sales for the fiscal were 678,598," a spokesperson said.
"Global sales of all commercial vehicles - Tata, Tata Daewoo and the Tata Hispano Carrocera range - were 40,244 in November 2010, a growth of 21 percent. Cumulative sales for the fiscal were 314,567, a growth of 29 percent," he added.
Global sales of Jaguar Land Rover in November 2010 were 22,957, higher by 22 percent. Jaguar sales for the month were 5,621, higher by 30 percent, while Land Rover sales were 17,336, higher by 20 percent.

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