The Toyota Prius plug-in hybrid will cost less than £31,000 when it goes on sale in the first half of 2012, before the government’s £5,000 electric car grant is deducted.
The Prius plug-in has CO2 emissions of 49g/km and 134.5mpg on the combined cycle and an electric-only range of more than 14 miles. Toyota says the price is competitive compared to other EVs, such as the Nissan LEAF, but it “offers more flexible performance” from its 1.8-litre petrol engine.
A connection to domestic electricity supply or roadside charging point can generate a full charge in an hour and a half.
Volvo announced a new downsized engine range in Frankfurt which consists solely of four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines. The company’s upcoming VEA (Volvo Environmental Architecture) engines will include high power and torque variants to fuel-efficient derivatives.
Volvo says four-cylinder configurations are a good way to improve efficiency and emissions, and VEA engines will offer higher performance than today’s six-cylinder units and lower fuel consumption than current four-cylinders. The architecture reduces the number of unique parts and saves up to 90kg over existing engines while improving economy by up to 35%.
Bosch is aiming for its second-generation self-parking system to be available on production cars late in 2012. The technology supplier’s new park assistant can self-steer into spaces only 80cm longer than the car itself.
An all-new “pull-out control” system will steer the car backward and forward until it can drive off in one safe manoeuvre. It will also feature bay parking assistance allowing the car to self-park in spaces at a 90 degree angle to the car and side distance warning to prevent scrapes on unseen railings or bollards.
BMW has revealed details of the latest M5 which is due to go on sale next spring. It is powered by a twin-scroll turbocharged 4.4-litre V8 that generates 560 hp and 502lb. ft of torque and has a seven-speed double-clutch transmission with launch control. It will reach 62mph in 4.4 seconds yet return 28.5mpg on the combined cycle, a 30% improvement on the previous model.
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It’s nice to see Volvo and Toyota concentrate on cleaner burning and more efficient cars. It’s what the market demands due to gas costs.