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TM .
Kia Soul five-door hatch range
KIA hopes its new small car, the Soul will do much
more than slightly boost its share of the small-car
class. It says it expects to sell only 400 examples
of the five-seat five-door hatchback through its
108 dealers this year, at an annualised sales rate
of around 534 cars – barely a drop in the smallcar
ocean. > FULL STORY
Audi Q5 five-door wagon
THE newest member of Audi’s Q family is now
available in Australia after this week’s launch
of the mid-sized Q5 SUV, which will be a key
component of the ambitious German car-maker’s
bid to overtake BMW and Mercedes-Benz as the
nation’s top-selling luxury vehicle brand by as early
as 2012.
> FULL STORY
Volkswagen Golf VI hatch
VOLKSWAGEN’S sixth-generation Golf may look
similar to the outgoing model, but new drivetrains,
improved refinement, more features and increased
safety mean the premium small-car stalwart
continues to evolve after 35 years (33 in Australia)
and 26 million-plus sales worldwide.
> FULL STORY
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Lambo to the slaughter:
FC Sport has more than hint of the
Lamborghini Countach in side profile.
and boasting lightweight construction, the FC
Sport’s environmental credentials run to green
construction techniques that are designed to
reduce this car’s carbon footprint.
“An organic, bio-structure theme is carried
through to the body construction where
exterior panels are intended to use plantderived
bio-plastics,” Honda states.
Reflecting this is the concept’s Glacier
White body colour, with Honda choosing
dark wheels and a heavily tinted glasshouse
to provide a symbolic contrast “befitting the
vehicle’s unique combination of clean power
and high performance”.
Development proceeded at Honda’s
Advanced Design Studio in Pasadena,
California, under the leadership of designer
Jason Wilbur, with the express objective of
using existing fuel cell technology as the basis
for an ultimate Honda sports car.
Honda Research and Development Americas,
which runs the studio, commenced in 1975
with local market research activities and has
steadily grown to encompass all aspects of
new vehicle design and development.
Although Australians have not been privy
to some of its more recent work, visitors to
America will see the company’s signature
work in models such as the big Pilot SUV, USonly
Ridgeline truck, boxy Element ‘lifestyle’
vehicle and pretty Civic Coupe.
Honda has another California design centre
specifically for its upmarket Acura brand
located in Torrance among 11 R&D facilities
in North America alone.
“The Honda FC Sport explores how to satisfy
automotive performance enthusiasts in a world
beyond petroleum,” said American Honda
Motor Company vice-president Dan Bonawitz.
“People who love sports cars will still
have a reason to love in a hydrogen-powered
MOTOR
future.”
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