Purpose

I will try my best to provide detailed info on various cars and what is like to live with them, I have already produced a few for Jaguar-car-forums, I will do my best to be unbiased, but it will be hard for some cars. I will re-produce press releases and copy from other motoring news.
Showing posts with label fourth generation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fourth generation. Show all posts

Friday, 10 February 2017

The Ibiza from Seat has been reborn making this version the best thats ever been made.

  • Striking All New Ibiza marks major step forward in SEAT’s portfolio renewal   
  • Five-door only Ibiza is considerably roomier inside thanks to body which is:
    87mm wider, 2mm shorter, 1mm lower, plus, 60mm longer wheelbase. Boot space grows by significant 63 litres to 355
  • Wide range of frugal and responsive petrol and diesel engines, including new EVO 1.5 150PS unit
  • All New Ibiza features latest connectivity, comfort and safety technology
  • Fifth-generation SEAT Ibiza first Volkswagen Group product using innovative MQB A0 Platform
  • Over 5.4 million Ibizas sold to date
  • UK showroom launch for All New Ibiza in July 2017
Ahead of its Geneva motor show world debut, SEAT has unveiled the All New SEAT Ibiza in Barcelona. The fifth-generation of the Spanish brand’s high-selling supermini comes loaded with the latest technology features, outstanding dynamics, and impressive improvements in interior space and comfort.
Destined for UK showrooms in July 2017, the latest Ibiza ushers in all-new styling while preserving the same youthful, functional, sporty and comfortable spirit as always. And it does so with a fresh design that reflects the latest SEAT distinctive character by continuing the brand’s DNA, but, with an edgier, sportier design, featuring more sculpted, accentuated and streamlined surfaces.

The All New SEAT Ibiza is a completely fresh model that was created with several very ambitious goals in mind: to move major steps forward in safety, design, performance and comfort. This huge advance in quality was achieved thanks to the new MQB A0 modular platform. The new SEAT Ibiza is the first Volkswagen Group model to use it, highlighting SEAT’s importance within the Group and offering countless advantages.  
Launched in 1984 for the first time, the Ibiza has become a SEAT icon. This car has been around the longest in the history of the brand and is its top-selling model, with over 5.4 million units sold. The Ibiza is one of the brand’s three pillars, together with the Leon and Ateca, upon which SEAT will continue building its future success.
More compact, roomier, more efficient
The All New SEAT Ibiza has much improved interior roominess, plus, it is even safer and more robust. It is much wider by a notable 87mm, as well as two millimetres shorter and one lower than the previous model, but more than anything, the change in its dimensions conveys a powerful image of a car that hugs the ground.

The track is 60mm longer at the front axle and 48mm at the rear axle, while the distance between the axles is 2,564 millimetres, a 95mm increase. The result is a much more comfortable car, with the All New SEAT Ibiza being both roomier on the inside and larger on the outside. For example, leg room in the back seats has increased by 35mm, while head room has gone up by 24 mm in the front seats and 17mm in the rear. The seats are 42mm wider too, making the new SEAT Ibiza one of the best in its class in this area. The boot has also been enlarged by an impressive 63 litres, bringing its total capacity to 355 litres, making it best in class. The loading height has also been lowered, proof that SEAT knows how to combine design and functionality.
All of the engines available on the All New SEAT Ibiza comply with the Euro6 emissions standards and lead the way in performance, with outstanding features, durability and low emissions. There are three aluminium block and cylinder petrol engines to choose from. The first option is the three-cylinder 1.0 TSI with 95 or 115PS, along with a turbo-compressor, intercooler and direct injection. A new EVO 1.5 TSI unit will also be available in late 2017 with four cylinders and 150PS. Efficient 1.6 TDI diesel engines will come in 80 and 95PS guises in the UK. The gearboxes available are a manual five-speed transmission for the 95PS and lower engines and a six-speed transmission for the more powerful engines. A seven-speed dual-clutch DSG-auto gearbox will also be available.
The car’s dynamic behaviour, ride quality and driving comfort are exceptional, thanks to the new MQB A0 platform and 30% greater torsional stiffness. The All New SEAT Ibiza will be solely offered with five doors, with a new design offering the sportier look of a three-door model. There have also been substantial leaps forward in terms of noise control, vibrations and ride harshness, allowing the All New SEAT Ibiza to offer the quality of much larger and luxurious cars. It’s also agile in the city, efficient on B-roads roads and offers excellent comfort on longer journeys.
Four trim levels and the most advanced technology
The All New SEAT Ibiza will be offered in four trim levels at UK launch: S, SE, FR, plus, a new XCELLENCE version.

The FR trim comes with the most dynamic and technology focused equipment. Exclusive dynamic design elements have been specifically created for it such as a rear diffuser, exclusive front bumper and exterior black pack, plus, sport suspension. The FR trim includes a stiffer suspension and offers four mode settings, Comfort, Eco, Sport and Individual, to adapt to the driver’s preferences or to the conditions on the road. The XCELLENCE trim will also offer this possibility later on, with a softer setting.
The new XCELLENCE trim meanwhile has been designed to appeal to customers looking for comfort, elegance and intelligent technology.
The interior ambient LED lighting for the FR and XCELLENCE versions comes in two colours, red and white. The use of LED technology for the interior and exterior lights is not an aesthetic whim either, as the LEDs offer much higher quality lighting while saving energy, thus yielding improved fuel economy. The full LED lights on the All New Ibiza (headlights, dashboard, indicators and rear fog lights) are new in its class.
The driving assistance systems built into the All New Ibiza include elements that, while already present in Leon and Ateca, are quite unusual in this class. Among its highlights are Front Assist, Adaptive Cruise Control, Keyless Entry System with heartbeat engine start button, a new generation of front and rear parking sensors and a rear view camera with a higher quality and precision reflected in a premium eight-inch touchscreen.
On the inside, one of Ibiza’s most outstanding features is a wireless charger with GSM amplifier. In terms of connectivity, the All New Ibiza is also always on due to its seamless link up to Apple Car Play, Android Auto and Mirror Link. SEAT is committed to becoming a front runner in connected cars and developing new mobility solutions where the connected car enhances user experience, making it easier and more flexible. In an environment of disruptive changes, SEAT is eager to deal with the challenges posed by urban infrastructures, traffic systems and vehicles in cities, offering these technologies in most of its vehicles.
The New SEAT Ibiza presents a partnership with Beats audio sound system, a brand bringing energy, emotion and excitement that has changed the way people listen to music. It uses a digital signal processor (DSP), seven premium speakers and an eight-channel with 300W amplifier.  
MQB A0 Platform
The latest technology from the Volkswagen Group, the MQB platform (Modular Quer Baukasten), allows higher manufacturing flexibility and robust implementation, as it supports different models. It also permits different body types within the same segment and different wheelbase configurations to be achieved from the same base platform. SEAT’s investments and R&D expenditure in recent years were partially allocated to adapt Line One at its Martorell factory to the new MQB A0 platform, allowing it to be the first Volkswagen Group brand to use this technology.

The number of parts using Hot-Forming technology has been increased, and that contributes to reduced weight and increased rigidity, therefore improving performance and fuel economy. All New Ibiza will be built using 900 robots and more than 4000 welding points to guarantee its robustness. Spot welding combined with laser technology bring components together with a great result: a lightweight body with extreme structural stiffness.
Design: the next step in SEAT’s DNA
After more than three decades on sale and its importance as SEAT’s key pillar, the fifth generation of the Ibiza has been a significant challenge in terms of design. It had to be fresh and young, and yet, mature and balanced too.  And this is how the new SEAT Ibiza stands out straight away; its perfect proportions, strong character and agile look. Its characteristic SEAT brushstrokes have not just been maintained, but taken to the next level, pushing the evolution of SEAT’s design DNA. It just takes a glance to interpret what the designer sketched when creating it and see that this is the best design SEAT has ever come up with in the supermini segment.

At the front of the car, the triangular full LED headlights and daylight graphics make the new SEAT instantly recognisable. The badge is not only displayed proudly on the grille, but is also enhanced by two characterful lines on the bonnet. The x-shaped design gives great dynamism and visual stability.
The front and rear overhangs are very short, with the four wheels pushed out into the four corners All New Ibiza to make it stable, dynamic and sporty.  The longer wheelbase and window outline accentuate the size of the new Ibiza, while the double blisters down the length of the car are typically SEAT, giving the car a more expressive, three-dimensional look. The bodywork has been carefully sculpted, combining sharp lines and smooth surfaces. Its new wheels, up to 18 inches in size and with two tones to choose from, give an elegant touch.
The rear of the car is also typical of the Ibiza. Its rear lights wrap around the car, interacting with the blisters at the rear, properly proportioned within a unique design and offering fantastic aerodynamic performance. The boot’s strong lines and bumpers make the car appear wide and give the car an almost monolithic look, while the rear reflectors appear to bring the car closer to the ground. The FR trim comes with details that bring out its sporty character, such as the exhaust tips either side of the rear bumper. The XCELLENCE versions receive chrome details that emphasise their sophistication and refinement.
In terms of the interior, the same design steps have been adopted as those in the SEAT Leon and Ateca, but this time with a new vision for its design language. More tension, more technical and precise lines and lighter proportions have all been added in order to achieve a more elegant look and a greater level of perceived quality, while new materials have managed to safeguard its youthful and dynamic character. Structurally, a special emphasis has been put on its horizontal proportions in the assembly of its different functional areas, including the elevated console to improve ergonomic performance and safety. The aim was to achieve perfect proportions and a greater sense of space and comfort.
All of the controls and instruments are focused around the driver in the highest position possible to avoid the driver having to take his or her eyes off the road. Just as with the New Leon and Ateca, the start button is in the same place, to the left of the gearbox. Looking at the high level of quality in each and every detail of the All New SEAT Ibiza, one cannot help but think of models in higher categories, from the innumerable personalisation possibilities to the choice interior LED lighting colour, without forgetting of course the onboard technology, such as the eight-inch touchscreen and Full Link connectivity system. The interior is protected by an Air Care filter that isolates the occupants from any type of allergens, creating a completely contaminant-free space.
Its exciting design, dynamic behaviour and driving quality, the feeling of stability and reliability on the road, vastly improved interior quality, incredibly safe and easy-to-use technology, roomier interior, all combine to make the All New SEAT Ibiza a really attractive option and of course, at the best price.

Friday, 3 February 2017

Kia announces prcing and specification for the new fourth Generation Rio hatchback.

  • Fourth generation of Kia's global best-seller
  • More size and space; greater style and equipment  
  • 1.0 T-GDi turbo engines now head more efficient powertrain line-up
  • Fuel economy of up to 80.7mpg with CO2 emissions as low as 92g/km
  • New suspension and steering for a more grown-up driving experience
  • Advanced connectivity features appear in Rio for the first time
  • Stiffer body shell and electronic driver aids add to safety
  • Priced from just £11,995 on the road
The fourth-generation Kia Rio, previewed at the Paris Motor Show last autumn, goes on sale in the UK today priced from just £11,995. With high-tech new engines, improved fuel efficiency and emissions, a more mature driving experience, greater space and style and the introduction of state-of-the-art connectivity and driver assistance systems for the first time, the latest Rio is the small car grown up.  
In line with customer demand, the Rio will now be sold as a five-door model only. There are 10 versions in three trim grades – badged 1, 2 and 3 for simplicity, in familiar Kia style – with a limited-run First Edition model as the pinnacle of the range, priced at £17,445.
All are extensively equipped, rising to truly luxurious. Even grade 1 is fitted as standard with air conditioning, front electric windows with an automatic function on the driver's side, remote locking, electrically adjustable heated door mirrors, a 3.8-inch display screen, Bluetooth, automatic light control, bi-function projection headlamps and cornering lights and LED daytime running lights. 
There are body-coloured bumpers, door mirror casings and door handles, steering wheel-mounted audio controls and 60:40 split rear seats.
 
A four-speaker audio system is standard, while safety provisions include Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Vehicle Stability Management (VSM) and Hill-start Assist Control (HAC).
Grade 2, priced from £13,745, supplements all this with 15-inch alloy wheels in place of similar-sized steel wheels, a leather-trimmed steering wheel and gearshifter, electric windows at the rear as well as the front, electric folding mirrors with LED indicator lights, a digital DAB radio, a 5-inch colour display screen, a six-speaker audio system, a reversing camera and rear parking sensors, a 3.5-inch premium supervision cluster, rear as well as front USB charging ports, cruise control with a speed limiter and Autonomous Emergency Braking and Lane Departure Warning systems. There is chrome trim around the black radiator grille, premium black cloth upholstery and a centre storage box.
Additional features on Grade 3, which starts at £16,295, include 16-inch alloy wheels, automatic air conditioning with a defogging system, black faux leather upholstery, a 7-inch display screen, heated front seats and a heated steering wheel, rain-sensing front wipers, privacy glass on the rear side windows and tailgate, satellite navigation, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity and Bluetooth with voice recognition.
Finally, the First Edition version adds 17-inch alloys, a smart key entry system and engine start/stop button, stainless steel pedals, black and red faux leather upholstery and LED rear lights.
Depending on model, the new Rio is available in a choice of seven exterior colours. Sienna Brown is the standard choice, with Clear White as a no-cost option and Satin Silver, Graphite, Midnignt Black, Smokey Blue and Blaze Red as premium options.
The latest in advanced driver aids and connectivity
The new Rio is the first car in its class with Autonomous Emergency Braking as part of Kia's advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). It also features a Lane Departure Warning system. Both are standard from grade 2 upwards and optional with grade 1. And, in an increasingly connected world, the Rio now offers Kia Connected Services powered by TomTom and featuring Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone integration. These are standard with grade 3 and the First Edition models.
Autonomous Emergency Braking with pedestrian recognition takes data from radar and a camera to detect sudden and potentially dangerous braking by a vehicle ahead, and activates the brakes. At speeds between 5mph and 50mph the Rio will come to a complete stop, avoiding many potential collisions. It is also able to detect pedestrians who wander into its path and apply the brakes in the same way.
The Lane Departure Warning system, which also relies on a camera that in this case recognises the lane markings on roads, senses when the car is about to veer off course without the indicators being activated and warns the driver to take corrective action.
A new feature – Straight Line Stability – senses any difference in applied brake pressure between the right and left of the car and intervenes to keep it straight, while another first for the Rio, Cornering Brake Control, delivers asymmetrical brake pressure when slowing in tight curves to counter loss of traction. Both are standard across the range.
Kia Connected Services with TomTom are accessed through a 7-inch touchscreen navigation system. The information available to drivers includes live traffic updates, weather reports, speed camera locations and local point-of-interest searches.
The system is compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay through a suitable smartphone. Both allow occupants to connect to various apps and functions, including voice-guided, hands-free calls and texts and voice recognition. Android Auto gives access to Google Maps navigation and Google Play music, while Apple CarPlay links to pre-loaded maps, music, podcasts, texts and messages and audiobooks through Siri voice control.
More space, greater style and increased comfort
The new Rio is the largest and most spacious to date, and has new suspension and steering for a more grown-up feel on the road, while the acclaimed styling has a more mature and polished appearance. No wonder the Rio is known within Kia as 'a little Titan'.
It adds a new twist to the award-winning styling which permeates every model from Kia. The brand's instantly recognisable 'tiger-nose' main front grille is more slender and wider, and it integrates neatly with the new highly sculpted halogen bi-function projection headlights with U-shaped LED running lights.
The styling was a joint effort by Kia's design teams in Germany and the United States, with the involvement of the main design office at Namyang in South Korea. It is characterised by straight lines, smooth surfaces and revised proportions and balance. There is a longer wheelbase, bonnet and front overhang, a lower roofline and a more upright and more compact back end. Detailing inside and out has been designed to emphasise the car's interior space and its stability on the road.
The increased leg and shoulder room are among the best in class, as is headroom – despite the lower roofline. A further benefit from the new proportions is increased boot capacity – up by almost 13 per cent to 325 litres – while the fuel tank is two litres larger at 45 litres.
The interior has been designed around the touchscreens for the new connectivity technologies.
The horizontal theme evident in the exterior styling is repeated in the cabin, emphasising width and space while separating the upper information and lower control areas. The touchscreens have allowed the number of buttons and switches to be reduced, giving a neater look and greater functionality. The Rio is the first car in class with USB ports front and rear, so that mobile devices can be charged from any seat.
The new Rio relies on a similar suspension system to its predecessor, but there has been extensive work to enhance comfort and driver enjoyment.
Much of the improvement is due to a stiffer body shell, which is made of 51 per cent advanced high-strength steel compared with 33 per cent in the outgoing car. The stiffer the body shell, the less the suspension has to compensate for flexing under load. Advanced high-strength steels also contribute towards weight reduction, as vital sections of the body construction do not need to be as thick.
The new Rio has more rigid front suspension struts than its predecessor and a raised torsion beam to improve stability; revised springs and shock absorbers to improve compliance and comfort; vertical rear shock absorbers and front shock absorbers with advanced new valve technology for more consistent responses; and a repositioned power steering gearbox which results in improved feel when the steering wheel is in the straight-ahead position. The overall effect is more immediate handling responses and greater confidence for the driver.
A stiffer body shell also enhances crash safety by keeping the passenger cell intact in an accident while the front, rear and side crumple zones absorb impact energy. This is supported in the Rio by the advanced driver assistance systems ESC and VSM, which together mitigate against skids when cornering or accelerating on surfaces with uneven levels of grip. All versions also have HAC to prevent the car from rolling backwards when setting off on steep inclines. 
T-GDi engines head more efficient powertrain line-up
Kia's 1.0-litre T-GDi (Turbocharged Gasoline Direct-injection) engines are offered in the Rio for the first time and head a seven-strong powertrain line-up which shows improvements in fuel efficiency and CO2 emissions over the outgoing Rio.
The new engines showcase Kia's advanced engine technology capabilities through downsizing, turbocharging, direct fuel injection and weight reduction, and feature a number of detailed engineering solutions to minimise throttle lag – the delay between the driver pressing the accelerator and the turbocharger delivering boost – and reduce internal friction.
They join revised versions of Kia's 1.25-litre and 1.4-litre petrol engines, and two versions of the European-designed and European-built 1.4-litre CRDi turbodiesel.
The 1.0-litre T-GDi engine is available with either 99 or 118bhp, in both cases with 171Nm of torque across a wide rev band, starting at only 1,500rpm, for effortless driveability. The lesser-powered version has fuel consumption and CO2 emissions of 62.8mpg and 102g/km, while the sparkling 118bhp version is not far behind, with 60.1mpg and 107g/km. Both are capable of more than 50mpg in city driving. The respective 0-60mph acceleration times are 10.3 and 9.8 seconds, and both versions have a top speed of at least 115mph.
The fuel economy champion of the new Rio range is the lesser-powered, 76bhp 1.4-litre diesel, a new option in Rio. Both 1.4-litre diesels have a healthy 240Nm of torque and have CO2 emissions below 100g/km – 92g/km and 98g/km respectively – while fuel consumption figures are 80.7 and 74.3mpg. The 240Nm of torque is available from just 1,500rpm, giving sprightly acceleration from 0-60mph in either 13.5 or 11.6 seconds, with top speeds of more than 100mph.
The 1.25-litre petrol engine develops 83bhp and 121Nm of torque, and has fuel economy and CO2 emissions of 58.8mpg and 109g/km. This easy-going entry-level power unit is ideally suited to urban driving, but is far from out of its depth at highway speeds. It can accelerate from 0-60mph in 12.5 seconds on the way to a top speed of 107mph.
The final option is a new-to-Rio multi-point injection unit with a capacity of 1.4 litres and power and torque outputs of 98bhp and 133Nm. Economy is 56.5mpg, with CO2 emissions of 114g/km. The 0-60mph and top speed figures are 11.8 seconds and 108mph.   
This engine is also available with a four-speed automatic gearbox for the convenience of drivers who spend most of their time in heavy traffic or who have physical disabilities which prevent them from driving a manual. In this configuration, economy and CO2 emissions are 46.3mpg and 140g/km, while the performance figures are 0-60mph in 13.4 seconds and a top speed of 103mph.
All manual versions of the new Rio have Kia's Intelligent Stop & Go (ISG) engine stop-start system to eliminate tailpipe emissions and fuel consumption while stationary in traffic.
Warranty and Servicing
In common with all Kias, the Rio comes with the best warranty in the business ­­– a seven-year/100,000-mile declaration of faith in the reliability and quality of the car, covering all labour and parts except those subject to normal wear and tear. The warranty is transferable if the car is sold before the time/mileage limit expires.
The new Rio is also available with Care 3 and Care 3 Plus servicing packages for retail customers. These cover the cost of all routine servicing work for three or five years respectively and, like the warranty, can be passed on if the car is sold before they expire.
Globally, the Rio is Kia's best-seller, with sales close to 475,000 a year, and while it is overshadowed in the UK by the European-built Sportage crossover and cee'd range, it is still a highly significant model, accounting for almost one-sixth of the company's sales.      
UK Rio line-up:
ModelPower bhpTorque
Nm
0-60 secMax
speed
mph
Comb. mpgCO2 g/km
Rio ‘1’ 1.25 5-speed manual ISG8312112.510758.8109
Rio ‘1’ 1.4 CRDi 76bhp 6-speed manual ISG7624013.510280.792
Rio ‘2’ 1.25 5-speed manual ISG8312112.510758.8109
Rio ‘2’ 1.4 6-speed manual ISG9813311.810856.5114
Rio ‘2’ 1.4 4-speed automatic9813313.410346.3140
Rio ‘2’ 1.0 T-GDi 99bhp 6-speed manual ISG9917110.311562.8102
Rio ‘2’ 1.4 CRDi 76bhp 6-speed manual ISG7624013.510280.792
Rio ‘3’ 1.0 T-GDi 99bhp 6-speed manual ISG9917110.311562.8102
Rio ‘3’ 1.4 CRDi 89bhp 6-speed manual ISG8924011.610874.398
Rio ‘First Edition’ 1.0 T-GDi 118bhp  6-speed manual ISG1181719.811860.1107
UK Rio pricing:
Model Price
Rio 1 1.25 5-speed manual ISG£11,995
Rio 1 1.4 CRDi 6-speed manual ISG£13,495
Rio 2 1.25 5-speed manual ISG£13,745
Rio 2 1.4 6-speed manual ISG£14,245
Rio 2 1.4 4-speed automatic£14,995
Rio 2 1.0 T-GDi (99bhp) 6-speed manual ISG£14,545
Rio 2 1.4 CRDi 6-speed manual ISG£15,245
Rio 3 1.0 T-GDi 6-speed manual ISG£16,295
Rio 3 1.4 CRDi 6-speed manual ISG£17,245
Rio First Edition 1.0 T-GDi) 6-speed manual ISG£17,445