NEWS

TOYOTA’S huge success with the Prius hybrid presents Lexus with a prime sales opportunity for the CT 200h. 2 million Prius have now been sold – and it is with these buyers Leuxs feels the real potential lies. The intention is thus not for the CT 200h to be seen as a direct rival to [...]

HONDA will show a hybrid version of the 5 door Jazz supermini at next months’ Paris Motor Show. This will see it become the first hybrid petrol-electric supermini in the world – and it’s one that will soon come to market. Honda will sell the Jazz Hybrid in the UK from early 2011. The speed [...]

TOYOTA has underlined its current dominance of the hybrid car market by hitting a Prius sales landmark. Sales have just topped the 200,000 mark across Europe, a decade after the petrol-electric motor went on sale. It’s an impressive figure; the 100,000 mark was only reached in 2008! It’s doing even better globally, too: worldwide sales [...]

ROLLS-ROYCE has refused to rule out a diesel or hybrid model could appear in its range at some stage. David Archibald, regional director for Europe and South Africa, said that Rolls-Royce was well set up to ‘piggy-back’ on the technology pioneered by owners BMW. ‘One of the benefits of being part of the BMW Group [...]

LEXUS has benchmarked the CT 200h against the Audi A3 following Europe-wide customer research. The brand’s first premium compact 5dr hatch is thus aiming straight at A3 and BMW 1 Series territory. Chief engineer Osuma Sadakata told Car Dealer Magazine this led to a sportier development focus than other Lexus – including the imitation of [...]

LOTUS is showing a hi-tech new Evora hybrid concept at Geneva to showcase its technical expertise. The Evora 414e Hybrid is a 414bhp Lotus performance car that just so happens to be a plug-in hybrid too! What’s more, says the firm, while production has not been confirmed, it IS a concept that we’ll be driving. [...]

HONDA is planning to sell around 3000 CR-Zs a year in the UK and use it to up the sporting cool of hybrid. By next year, the firm will be offering 4 hybrid models, with the CR-Z being the racy coupe figurehead of the line-up. This is why handling has been prioritised during the design [...]

TOYOTA is launching the first step in its future marketing strategy with the full hybrid Auris HSD. Within a decade, it plans to offer a hybrid version of every single car it has on sale. The launch of the Ford Focus-rivaling Auris is the first step in that plan. It is proof that Toyota believes [...]

BMW has no plans to make a diesel hybrid – because, say bosses, there is not enough benefit over a regular diesel. The firm will not be developing what some say is a logical combination of two eco powertrains. Board member for engineering, Dr. Klaus Draeger, told Car Dealer Magazine that hybrids are currently popular [...]

HONDA’S hit star of the show is the CR-Z concept. This WILL be appearing in dealer showrooms. What’s more, the car here represents 95 percent of the finished model’s look… … a stylish hybrid coupe that will be at car dealers from the middle of next year! Said to be the world’s first sporty hybrid [...]

TOYOTA has ‘no plans’ to offer a diesel-engined hybrid model, sales chief Andrea Formica told Car Dealer Magazine. ‘Diesel will continue to evolve hand in hand with hybrid,’ he said. But the two will not be combined together; the cars would end up simply being too expensive! ‘Our approach is meant to make hybrid as [...]

VOLVO will not be producing a small hybrid rival to the Toyota Prius – and instead develop a 94mpg C30. The cost of hybrids means it not worth it; the maker will instead concentrate on improving the fuel efficiency of its more economically viable diesel engines. Director of CO2, Peter Ewerstrand, questioned the expense of [...]