Dacia announces pricing and specification of the new Logan MCV Stepway.

• Dacia announces UK pricing and specification for New Logan MCV Stepway
• Distinctive rugged exterior look to New Logan MCV Stepway
• Maintains the same impressive interior space with 573-litre boot as New Logan MCV
• Available with choice of TCe 90 and dCi 90 engines
• Logan MCV Stepway priced from £11,495
• Available to order now with UK deliveries commencing from June 

Dacia has announced UK pricing and specification for its New Logan MCV Stepway which was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in March. The distinctively rugged version of the New Logan MCV Stepway follows in the footsteps of the New Sandero Stepway. The fifth member of the Dacia UK range is available to order now priced from £11,495 with first customer deliveries expected in June.

The New Logan MCV Stepway – based on the recently revised New Logan MCV – has a muscular style with flared wheel arches, roof rails and a ground clearance of 174mm. It maintains the same impressive boot space of 573-litres (VDA) – one of the largest amongst any segment in the market. The New Logan MCV Stepway is available in Lauréate trim offering a high specification as standard.

At the front, the New Logan MCV Stepway sports a two-tone bumper as well as a satin-effect chrome skid plate, plus the fitment of fog lights. The model incorporates Dacia’s new lighting signature, unveiled at last year’s Paris Motor Show, with headlights that now incorporate LED Daytime Running Lights (DRL) in the form of four stacked rectangles. This modern design results in a visibly wider look for the front end of the New Logan MCV Stepway.

Like its New Sandero Stepway cousin, the New Logan MCV Stepway’s grille mirrors the black elements of the two-tone bumper, with the chrome rectangles rounding off its distinctive style in much the same manner as the Duster. 

The New Logan MCV Stepway also has Dark Metal door mirror housings and Stepway decals on the front doors, along with Dark Metal longitudinal roof bars which further emphasise the model’s estate car lines.

At the rear, tail lights are bordered with black metal and echoes the front end with its two-tone rear bumper and satin-effect chrome skid plate – characteristics of Dacia’s Stepway range.

The New Logan MCV Stepway Lauréate comes in a choice of nine colours at launch, combined with new, 16-inch Stepway Flexwheels. This smart, economical and attractive system comprises a wheel trim design that fits over a similarly slotted rim.

Inside, the New Logan MCV Stepway benefits from the same upgrades given to the rest of the Dacia range in late 2016 with satin-effect chrome finish for the air vent surrounds, trim strip and centre console fascia, while a new four-spoke steering wheel design has an exclusive Soft Feel finish and a ‘Stepway’ logo on the chrome surround.

Available in Lauréate trim, the New Logan MCV Stepway has a high standard of specification including heated and electrically adjustable door mirrors, rear parking sensors, height-adjustable driver’s seat and seven-inch touchscreen with MediaNav infotainment system which includes USB and AUX sockets, Bluetooth connectivity and satellite navigation with GB and Northern Ireland mapping.

The New Logan MCV Stepway is available with a choice of two economical engines – the well-proven TCe 90 petrol – with CO2 as low as 115g/km and fuel economy of 55.4mpg (NEDC combined) – and the dCi 90 diesel – with CO2 as low as 100g/km fuel economy of up to 72.4mpg (NEDC combined) . Both come with a five-speed manual transmission.

New Logan MCV Stepway: Technical Information

Version	Power (hp @ rpm)	Torque (Nm @ rpm)	0-62mph (sec)	Top speed (mph)
Lauréate TCe 90	90@5000	140@2250	12.4	106
Lauréate dCi 90	90@4000	220@1750	13.0	106

New Logan MCV Stepway: Ownership Information and Pricing

Version	0-62mph (secs)	CO2 (g/km)	VED (yr. 1)	MPG (NEDC)	Insurance group	Price (OTR)
Lauréate TCe 90	12.4	115	£160	55.4	7E	£11,495
Lauréate dCi 90	13.0	100	£120	72.4	9E	£13,095

Options

New Logan MCV Stepway options
Metallic paint	£495
Armrest	£75
Western European Mapping Upgrade	£90
Aspira leather upholstery	£500
Rear parking camera	£200
Alarm	£175
Emergency spare wheel	£100

TMW - The 2016 Vauxhall Viva, new car, old name, but dont be confused, this is a great car to drive and own.

Ok, who remembers the Vauxhall Viva from the the 60's and 70's, the family saloon cars that sold in excess of 1.5 million, sold around the world and was even built in Uruguay, well, I do,  I even had a 1977 Vauxhall Viva 1.3 Deluxe, the HC model, and it was great, it was my first car and I really loved it, loads of room, plenty of poke, and cheap to run and insure for an 18 year old.

But I Digress, the years passed and Vauxhall had a plethora of models that followed the Viva, right up to today, with the all New Viva, it is a global car with Opel and Chevy having their own versions, but the ethos remains the same, a good, cheap car that has plenty of room, runs well, cheap to own and does not look like the back end of a horse.

And thats where the new Viva wins, it looks good to start with, it is a compact design but does not do away with some nice styling touches, the interior has oodles of room to suit four big adults or a three kids in the back, you could fit three adults in the back but it would be a touch tight, but it can be done, room up front, is really good, you can move the seat about and the steering wheel so you get a perfect seating position, and once there, everything is at hand, no reaching out for switches or buttons here.

The dash is built to a price, so it is hard plastics, but then do you really fondle the dashboard at every opportunity, no, no one does, the fascination of hard plastics and soft plastics to me is an irrelevancy, it is how it looks and the design of it thats more important, and it scores well there too, you get a glove box thats sufficient to take a few smaller items, and door pockets that can take bottle of drink, books etc, being up front in this car is a nice place to be.

The higher roofline is also a nice extra and you feel like the interior is very roomy and airy, and you never feel claustrophobic even with a car full of people, the nice solid steering wheel, solid feeling gearstick, handbrake and switchgear all give you an air of quality, and you would not think that this car is an £8.5k car, far from it.

The doors shut with a tinnie thunk, rather than a solid thunk, as you would find on say the Astra, but the car is well priced, so things have to be omitted or reduced to keep it within that price scale to make it financially successful, but that does not mean it is not well kitted out, again, far from it, and the kit you get in the car includes :-

• Anti Lock Brakes
• Electronic Stability Programme with Traction Control
• Complete Set of airbags
• Tyre Pressure Monitoring System
• Lane Departure Warning
• Electronic Engine Deadlock Immobiliser
• Speed Sensitive Power Assisted Steering with City Mode
• Electric Front Windows
• Cruise Control
• Trip Computer
• Daytime Running Lights
• Steering Wheel Mounted Audio Controls
• Remote Control Central Deadlocking 

Just a small sample of the kit added to this car as standard, the only option our test car had was the Air Conditioning at £495, Which worked really really well, as it was the hottest day of the year when we did the test, the added air con added to the price to take it a shade over £9,000, still not a lot of money for a decent car, yes you can buy cheaper, but you're not buying quality, kit, driveability and more.

On the road the car is very swift, the 1.0 litre engine likes to be revved, and gives all it can to aid you along the road, the engine can be a touch course at higher revs or when you give it beans, but the noise is one of fun, not intrusion, it's a throaty noise that sounds really nice, but drive it sensibly and it is quite a decent powerplant thats reasonably quiet, and efficient.

The car is capable of topping 100 mph, and at a steady 70mph, it is not a bad place to be, you never feel like the car is struggling to keep up with the traffic, and can happily over take at motorways speeds, it may take a second or two longer than bigger engined cars, but it manages it without too much fuss, being a 1.0 litre, it has the advantage of dropping below the 100g/km, but only by one percentage point (99g/km).

Insurance will be cheap too, gaining the band 4E, and fuel consumption claimed by Vauxhall is :-

• Urban Driving           52.3mpg
• Extra Urban Driving  76.3mpg
• Combined Figure      65.7mpg

VERDICT

So, you have a small car, with a small price, with big appeal, loads of kit, cheap to insure and run, get plenty of MPG, and can keep up with traffic at all speeds, really why would you buy anything else, The Viva might seem a little "low Rent" for some, but ignore it at your peril, if you dont need lots of space in the boot, or you do not have a big family, then you can have a brand new car for £8,500, with a great dealer network, and a car that stacks up well against cars in the next level up.

It is a fun car, you can throw it around and you will have a smile on your face when you drive it, it will no doubt be predominantly be used around town and short distances, but it is more than capable of taking on longer journeys and in a certain degree of comfort and peace of mind of knowing it's not going to break the bank.

USA - An improved 2016 MY Cadillac ELV now makes even better sense.

• Revised electric drive system increases power and torque by more than 25 percent
• Enhanced handling, steering and braking
• OnStar with 4G LTE and standard built-in Wi-Fi hotspot

Cadillac today announced the ELR electrified luxury coupe will offer a host of upgrades for the 2016 model year, including boosts in acceleration, driving performance and connectivity.

Major product upgrades include a more than 25 percent boost in power and torque, faster acceleration that improves 0-60 mph by 1.5 seconds, higher top speed, retuned chassis and steering for better handling, more responsive brakes and a new Performance equipment package.

“ELR’s combination of leading technology with stunningly attractive design is unlike any other coupe in the luxury segment,” said Cadillac President Johan de Nysschen. 

"The upgraded ELR offers enhanced driving performance for buyers seeking uncompromising luxury and exquisite craftsmanship with electrification technology. It is unique in the luxury category, in that it completely eliminates conventional concerns over driving range, which has been the Achilles’ heel of other competitors in the luxury segment.”

Distinguished by a new grille and Cadillac’s new crest, the 2016 ELR, which features the first application of extended-range electric vehicle technology by a full-line luxury automotive brand, will start at $58,495 net pricing after U.S. federal tax credits.

The 2016 ELR’s steering and suspension upgrades include:

• Revised calibration of the HiPer Strut front suspension
• Increased front spring rates and a stiffer rear axle
• Stiffer bushings for the front lower control arms, cradle mounts and Watts link in the rear suspension, for more precise control with no loss of ride quality
• Revised calibrations for the Continuous Damping Control system
• Front Damper Rebound Spring added
• New steering calibration tuned to complement the revised chassis and suspension systems
• Revised brake hardware and system calibration for improved application feel.

A new optional Performance Package elevates the ELR’s driving experience further with greater handling and braking capability – and a more direct, linear feel for the driver. The ELR Performance Package includes:

• New 20-inch summer-only performance tires – mounted on new sport wheels – that improve lateral grip by nearly 10 percent
• Front Brembo four-piston brake calipers (with the Cadillac script), with 13.6-inch-diameter vented front rotors and 12.4-inch vented rear rotors that improve 60-to-0 mph stopping distance by nearly 12 percent
• Specific calibrations for the Continuous Damping Control and electric power steering systems
• Sport steering wheel with a thicker rim for a sportier feel.

ELR propulsion and drive technology

All 2016 ELRs contain software upgrades to the battery system improving power and acceleration, with EV range growing on the base model.

Additionally, the 2016 ELR has a modified Sport mode that enables the propulsion system to combine engine and electric motor power to take the ELR from 0-60 in 6.4 seconds, a 1.5 second improvement from the current model.

ELR continues to offer Regen on Demand, recipient of Green Car Journal’s 2014 Green Car Technology Award. 

Slightly enhanced for the 2016 model to improve deceleration, Regen on Demand allows the driver to temporarily regenerate energy from the ELR’s momentum into electricity and store in the battery pack for later use.

Regen on Demand supports a more engaging driving experience by slowing the vehicle when entering a turn to better position it on the exit, much like downshifting with a manual transmission. Regen on Demand is engaged via steering-wheel paddles adapted from traditional performance cars.

The ELR offers a full driving range of up to 330 miles (530 km), combining pure electric driving and an efficient, range-extending 1.4L gasoline-powered engine-generator. It’s a combination that means most daily commutes will require zero gasoline with zero tailpipe emissions. Longer trips are free from electric-vehicle range anxiety because the ELR’s technology enables the long-distance travel similar to vehicles powered only by gasoline.

The T-shaped battery pack is located along the centerline of the vehicle, between the front and rear wheels for optimal weight distribution. The 5.5-foot-long (1.6 m), 435-pound (198 kg) pack supplies energy to an advanced electric drive unit capable of 373 lb-ft of instant torque (506 Nm) to propel the vehicle.

Using only the energy stored in the battery, the ELR will deliver an estimated range of about 39 miles (60 km) of pure electric driving, depending on terrain, driving techniques and temperature. The optional Performance Package reduces EV range by about four miles as a result of the enhanced grip of the 20-inch summer-only tires.

ELR’s battery can be charged using either a 120- or 240-volt charger. The vehicle can be completely recharged in about five hours using 240V charging, depending on the outside temperature.

The ELR’s battery is covered by an eight-year/100,000-mile warranty or 10 years/150,000 miles in states following Air Resource Board guidelines.

Personal technology

The 2016 ELR will be one of the industry’s most-connected vehicles, with new and enhanced features designed to extend technologies woven into nearly every facet of customers’ lives.

OnStar with 4G LTE and standard built-in Wi-Fi hotspot provides a mobile hub for drivers and passengers to stay connected. The hotspot is on whenever the vehicle is on and comes with a three-month/three-gigabyte data trial, whichever comes first.

4G LTE is the most current and fastest mobile data network and the Wi-Fi hotspot supports up to seven connected devices.

ELR drivers and passengers can also recharge their enabled phones wirelessly with a new magnetic inductive charge spot on the instrument panel. There is no need to plug the phone in for charging, leaving the ELR’s USB ports free for other devices.

Interior luxury and technology

For 2016, the Driver Assistance active safety systems, optional on the current ELR, are standard and include side blind zone alert, rear cross traffic alert and Intellibeam headlamps. Lane change alert and a new vehicle security system are also standard. Adaptive cruise control is available.

 Additional interior features include:

• Cut-and-sew interior
• Available Semi-Aniline full leather seating
• Sueded microfiber headliner and supporting trim
• Eight-inch configurable instrument and driver information displays, offering four configurations ranging from elegantly simple to technologically detailed information
• Three USB ports
• Power-assist covered storage/cup holder in the center console
• Fold-down rear seatbacks to accommodate longer items such as skis and golf clubs

2016 CADILLAC ELR SPECIFICATIONS

Overview

Model:	Cadillac ELR
Body style / driveline:	front-wheel-drive, two-door coupe extended-range electric vehicle
Construction:	single body-frame-integral (unibody) with front and rear crumple zones; galvanized steel front fenders; roof, door panels; aluminum hood; one-piece bodyside outer panel; thermal plastic olefin (TPO) bumper fascias
EPA vehicle class:	subcompact car
Manufacturing location:	Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly, Hamtramck, Mich.
Battery manufacturing location:	Brownstown Township, Mich.

Battery System

Type:	rechargeable energy storage system comprising multiple linked modules
Size/case:	5.5-foot-long T-shaped; glass-filled polyester structural composite with aluminum thermal radiation shield and steel tray
Mass (lb / kg):	432.5 / 196.6
Battery chemistry:	lithium-ion
Thermal system:	liquid active thermal control
Cells:	288 prismatic
Combined electric/extended driving range (miles / km):	330 / 530 (without Performance Package)
Warranty:	eight years / 100,000 miles 10 years / 150,000 miles (Air Resource Board states)
Energy:	17.1-kWh

Onboard Gas-Powered Electric Generator

Type:	1.4L DOHC I-4
Displacement (cu in / cc):	85.3 / 1398
Bore & stroke (in / mm):	2.89 x 3.25 / 73.4 x 82.6
Block material:	cast iron
Cylinder head material:	cast aluminum
Valvetrain:	overhead camshafts; four valves per cylinder, continuously variable intake and exhaust cam phaser
Ignition system:	Individual coil-on-plug – cassette type
Fuel delivery:	sequential multi-port fuel injectors with electronic throttle control
Compression ratio:	10.5:1
Output (kW / hp @ rpm):	63 / 84 @ 4800
Max engine speed (rpm):	4800
Emissions controls:	close-coupled catalytic converters; 58x ignition system; returnless fuel rail; fast light-off O2 sensor
Fuel type:	premium required
GM preliminary estimated fuel economy:	31 combined (gas) 85 MPGe (EV mode)

Electric Drive

Type:	electric, two-wheel, front-drive
Motors (two):	160 kW in tour (EV) mode; 174 kW Sport mode max drive power; 55 kW generating power
Transaxle:	electric drive system
Power (kW):	174/233 (total system power)
Torque: (lb-ft / Nm):	373/506

Charging Times

120 V (travel charger):	13 – 18.5 hours (depending on charge level and outside temperature)
240 V (charging station):	about five hours (depending on outside temperature)

Performance

0-60 mph:	6.4 sec. – Sport mode (approx.)
Top speed (mph):	106 (all modes)/ 130 (Sport and Hold modes with Performance Package
EV range (combined city / hwy):	39 miles / 63 km
EV / Extended range:	330 miles / 530 km (EV on fully charged battery and full tank of fuel – without Performance Package)

Chassis /Suspension

Front:	HiPer Strut with continuously variable real-time damping and driver-selectable modes, specially tuned coil springs with side load compensation, direct-acting hollow stabilizer bar, hydraulic ride bushings
Rear:	specially adapted compound crank with Watts link; double-walled, U-shaped profile at the rear; specifically tuned coil springs, hydraulic bushings; shocks with continuously variable real-time damping and driver-selectable modes
Chassis control:	four-channel ABS; all-speed traction control; StabiliTrak
Steering type:	rack-mounted electric power steering with ZF steering gear
Steering wheel turns, lock-to-lock:	2.5
Turning circle, curb-to-curb (ft / m):	38.4 / 11.7
Steering ratio:	15.36

Brakes

Type:	power four-wheel disc with ABS; electro-hydraulic; fully regenerative to maximize energy capture; dynamic rear brake proportioning
Brake rotor diameter front (in / mm):	12.6 / 321; vented, with one-piston calipers (standard) 13.6/345; vented, with four-piston calipers (Performance Package)
Brake rotor diameter rear (in / mm):	11.5 / 292; solid; with single-piston calipers (standard) 12.4/315; vented; with single-piston calipers (Performance Package)
Total swept area (sq cm):	front: 523 (standard) / 352 (Performance Package) rear: 325 (standard) / 336 (Performance Package)

Wheels / Tires

Wheel size and type:	20 x 8.5-inch cast aluminum
Tires:	245/40R20 all-season (standard – NA only) 245/40ZR20 XL summer performance (Performance Package)

Dimensions

Exterior

Wheelbase (in / mm):	106.1 / 2695
Overall length (in / mm):	186 / 4724
Overall width (in / mm):	72.7 / 1847
Track width front (in / mm):	62.1 / 1578
Track width rear (in / mm):	62.4 / 1585
Height (in / mm):	55.9 / 1420

Interior

Seating capacity (front / rear):	2 / 2
EPA passenger volume (cu ft / L):	83.4 / 2361
Headroom (in  / mm):	front: 36.9 / 938 rear: 34.7 / 882
Shoulder room (in / mm):	front: 55.2 / 1403 rear: 49.9 / 1268
Hip room (in / mm):	front: 52.9 / 1344 rear: 48.6 / 1234
Legroom (in / mm):	front: 42.2 / 1071 rear: 33.6 / 853
Cargo volume (cu ft / L):	10.5 / 297 (est.)

Capacities

Curb weight (lb / kg);	4065 / 1844
Generator cooling (qt / L):	7.7 / 7.3
Battery pack cooling (qt / L):	6.4 / 6.0
Power electronics cooling (qt / L):	3 / 2.8
Fuel tank (gal / L):	9.3 / 35.2
Engine oil w/ filter (qt / L):	3.7 / 3.5
Drive unit fluid (qt / L):	8.93 / 8.45

Note: Information shown is current at time of publication. Please visit http://media.cadillac.com.com for updates.