Nissan has just released a sketch of what is likely to be the next generation Nissan Tiida, although a recent report from Nissan Co. says it is its new ‘global sedan’. We suspect Nissan may bring back the Pulsar nameplate.

The model will also be released in the US and badged as the Nissan Versa, which basically shares the same Pulsar platform.

It looks quite upper-class and much more modern compared to the current Nissan Tiida. The current model isn’t exactly praised for its strange, squashed design.

Engine specifications and interior features are yet to be finalised. Nissan has said the model will be unveiled at the 8th China International Automobile Exhibition, Guangzhou, in December this year, though. Look out for our updates leading up to the show.

©2010 Car Advice | News | Reviews – http://www.caradvice.com.au – All Rights Reserved.

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Source: Brett Davis

Sydneysiders got a bit of a taste of what to expect at the upcoming Australian International Motor Show at Darling Harbour today, as AIMS organisers presented three very special preview cars to get the automotive juices flowing.

Darling Harbour drew enthusiasts to the site to witness the awesome Hulme supercar in the flesh for the first time. Passersby also got a glimpse of the first mass-produced Australian EV, the Mitsubishi i-Miev, as well as a special Renualt Megane Trophy race car which has just been brought over from France.

The three cars only make up a small portion of the 40-plus other vehicles that will also debut at the show. Others include the new Mazda BT-50, the Toyota FT-86G and the southern hemisphere debut of the Range Rover Evoque.

AIMS director, Russ Tyrie, is excited about the show, saying in a recent report,

“The stage is set for one of the most significant motor shows of our time thanks to the breadth of new models that will be revealed this Friday. It is also encouraging to see cars like the Hulme CanAm as they excite people and showcase the true heritage of the automobile.”

AIMS will commence on Friday the 15th of October and run through until th 24th of October. Ticket prices range from $20 for children (aged 5-15), to $45 for adults. Those with a concession card will only have to pay $15.

©2010 Car Advice | News | Reviews – http://www.caradvice.com.au – All Rights Reserved.

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Source: Brett Davis

Mahindra could have built something here you’d actually want to buy… if you were a watered-down version of Chuck Norris that is. It’s called the Mahindra Bolero and it was built to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Bolero off-road ute.

The press release says the strategy behind the off-road truck was to provide a ‘fully loaded vehicle’ and one that was ‘high on image dimensions’. Well, by the looks of this special 10th anniversary edition, it comes pretty close to the design pitch.

From the BMW M5-style quad exhausts at the back to the comical pick strapped to the side of the tray, the off-road ute offers a bit of everything.

There’s no point in bagging out the poor little truck too much though; it’s actually the highest selling toy/truck in it’s class in India. The company sold over 70,000 of the previous generation models during 2009 and 2010.

Underneath the bonnet there’s a 2.5-litre diesel engine, perfect for that rugged off-road trip. Other features include a 200mm ground clearance and a fairly light weight total mass of 1615kg.

No word yet as to whether the Mahindra Bolero 10th anniversary will be available down under. We’ll keep you posted.

©2010 Car Advice | News | Reviews – http://www.caradvice.com.au – All Rights Reserved.

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Source: Brett Davis

Toyota has revealed one of five Plug-in hybrid cars in Australia, as part of a global trial of 600 of these vehicles, which will gather data over the next two years and used in the development of the best possible solution, for low energy and low emissions transport for the future.

Essentially, this is a petrol-electric Prius that has been modified to handle a Plug-in charge connection to top up the battery pack, when the charge is low or depleted.

CarAdvice was given the opportunity to drive the car, and came away impressed with several features about this technology.

For starters, this particular hybrid concept will allow you to accelerate up to 100km/h on electric power only, without the need for any assistance from the internal combustion engine and it’s quicker than most petrol only cars due to the explosion of torque from the moment the nudge the throttle.

Whenever you start a new trip in the Plug-in hybrid, you will be using electric power only until the charge is depleted.

The total range of this 600 strong concept fleet, using electric power only, is a not so far 20km/h. You’re right, that just won’t cut it for most Australians but in Europe and Japan, you could get away with it each day, without ever needing petrol power.

If that range were extended to perhaps 40-50 kilometres, then this might be a starter for quite a few environmentally friendly Aussies.

The lithium-ion battery pack can be charged in 100 minutes using an external power outlet and once charged, the car will have a 20-kilometre range. Once that charge has been exhausted, then the system will revert back to normal hybrid set-up, whereby the petrol engine and electric motors work in concert with one another to provide optimum power delivery.

Victoria is the first cab off the rank for this trial, which will allow Toyota Australia and the Victorian Government to acquire sufficient data in order to provide the most cost effective and efficient vehicles for the not-so-distant future.

©2010 Car Advice | News | Reviews – http://www.caradvice.com.au – All Rights Reserved.

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Source: Anthony Crawford

Nissan has just released a sketch of what is likely to be the next generation Nissan Tiida, although a recent report from Nissan Co. says it is its new ‘global sedan’.

The model will also be released in the US and badged as the Nissan Versa, which basically shares the same Pulsar platform.

It looks quite upper-class and much more modern compared to the current Nissan Tiida. The current model isn’t exactly praised for its strange, squashed design.

Engine specifications and interior features are yet to be finalised. Nissan has said the model will be unveiled at the 8th China International Automobile Exhibition, Guangzhou, in December this year, though. Look out for our updates leading up to the show.

©2010 Car Advice | News | Reviews – http://www.caradvice.com.au – All Rights Reserved.

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Source: Brett Davis