Mitsubishi Releases UK Pricing for New Outlander Plug-in Hybrid, Matches Diesel Model OTRs

Just ahead of its UK launch in showrooms this May, Mitsubishi has placed a price tag on thenew Outlander Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) that starts from £28,249 for the base GX3h trim, including a £5,000 government subsidy.

Mitsubishi is keen to point out that the entry price is the same as the Outlander diesel GX3 auto adding that, with CO2 emissions of 44g/km, the PHEV is exempt from the London Congestion Charge.

The Japanese firm offers two more trim grades for the Outlander PHEV, the GX4h priced at £32,899 and GX4hs which is £34,999 (after the grant). Mitsubishi says that both models demand a £1,000 premium over than their diesel equivalents, not because of their hybrid powertrain, but due to added specification.

Power for the Outlander PHEV comes from a hybrid system that includes a 2.0-liter petrol engine up front along with a pair of 80hp electric motors (one for each axle) and a high-capacity lithium-ion battery. The combined output is around 220-horses with the system offering three drive modes, dubbed EV (pure electric drive), Series Hybrid (the petrol unit powers the electric motors) and Parallel Hybrid (the petrol engine provides most of the motive power).

Mitsubishi says that in pure electric mode, the Outlander PHEV can travel up to 32.5 miles (52 km) at speeds of up to 75mph (121 km/h). With the combined use of the internal combustion engine and the electric motors, the PHEV returns up to 148mpg UK (123.2 mpg US or 1.9l/100km).

However, Mitsubishi states: "Unlike non-hybrid vehicles, it is hard to predict what MPG the vehicle will return in real life. A lot depends on journey length and speed – for instance, for the average daily commute of 25 miles most people will achieve much higher than 148mpg. For longer journeys at higher speeds it may achieve less than 148mpg."

In base GX3h trim, the Outlander comes equipped with 7 airbags, 18-inch wheels, cruise control, dual-zone a/c, leather steering wheel, Bluetooth, and electric folding and heater mirrors.

The GX4h adds a sat-nav with a 7-inch display, heated front seats, leather upholstery, parking camera, DAB radio, power tailgate and electric sunroof, while the top GX4hs gains Adaptive cruise control, Forward collision mitigation system and Lane departure warning.

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Ford Gives UK New Top-Spec Kuga Titanium X Sport Edition

A new range-topping edition named Titanium X Sport has been added to the Ford Kuga's UK lineup, which also includes the Titanium and Titanium X trim grades.

On sale now with prices starting from £28,345, the Titanium X Sport includes standard all-wheel drive, panorama roof, heated front Torino leather seats, 10-way powered driver’s seat, Sony DAB audio with satellite navigation, rear view camera, Active Park Assist for semi-automated parallel parking, and power fold mirrors.

You also get 19-inch alloy wheels and a styling kit with body colored front, side and rear skirts, spoiler, wheel arches and door claddings, plus silver skid plate, rear diffuser and roof rails.

On the engine front, buyers have four options, a 1.6-liter EcoBoost turbocharged petrol in 150PS (148hp) and 182PS (180hp) editions, and a 2.0-liter TDCi diesel in 140PS (138hp) and 163PS (161hp) versions.

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UK-Based Arash Reveals New Corvette-Powered Supercar, Calls it AF8

The Arash Motor Company, founded in 1999, has some experience in creating modern mid-engined supercar shapes, and its latest creation is called the AF8. The car is based on the company’s philosophy that “cars should have a distinctive and individual character. Above all they should be exhilarating to drive and to own” – solid principles, wouldn’t you agree?

The car itself not only looks pretty cool, but it also has specs that make it even more attention-worthy: C6 Corvette Z06-sourced seven-liter V8 with 550 naturally-aspirated horses and a six-speed manual gearbox that is mounted on the rear subframe where it sends power straight to the back wheels.

The body is made out of carbon fiber and the chassis is made using the tried and true method of welding many steel tubes into shapes – they call it a “hybrid” construction because it too features some carbon bits, so it’s not actually all steel (just most of it).

Weight is fairly low as a result, and the aggressive AF8 tips the scales at 1,200 kg or 2,645 lbs – that’s a bit more than a 1.6-liter diesel Ford Fiesta. Performance matches the look, with a claimed benchmark sprint time of 3.5 seconds and 320 km/h or 200 mph top speed (both are subject to change once it’s actually tested on tarmac).

Comfort features include a heated front screen, carbon interior trim bits, air-con, touchscreen infotainment, bi-xenon headlights and LED rear lights; its luggage capacity will limit its practical uses, though, as it can only accommodate 42 liters of its future owner’s stuff.

Pricing and additional information will be revealed closer to launch, which is probably set for some time this year; one thing’s for sure, though, it will definitely be cheaper than the bigger Arash AF10, released in 2010 with windscreen sticker of close to one million dollars.

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Lister Begins Taking Order for Revived Knobbly

If you’re into British racing cars and their proud heritage, then you must have heard of Lister, a racecar builder with a long history of making successful cars, the most recent of which being the not-so-successful Storm LMP, the final incarnation of which entered 14 races but failed to do anything notable.

However, now the manufacturer is rethinking its strategy and has begun taking orders for one of their most iconic cars of the late 1950s, the Liter-Jaguar Knobbly.

Set to make its second debut in the UK in April of this year, the car will be built with the same technique the old ones were, adopting a veryMorgan-esque approach, by using the same jigs from the past for the creation of the chassis, which in turn is wrapped in a traditional hand-formed sheet metal body.

Two engines will be on offer: a reproduction of a D-Type power unit, the 3.8-liter straight-six that makes that glorious typical old Jaguar sound, while putting out 330 hp, or a 4.6-liter V8 sourced from Chevy, with 315 hp, if a deep bellow is your preferred kind of noise.

The car will come in two flavors, each with its respective price tag. If what you want is the road-going version (not available in the US), then you’ll be asked to part with £259,000 or $423,400; the racing version is the equivalent of £10,000 cheaper and it is coming to the States.

Hurry up, though, as fifty percent of 2014’s production plan has already been spoken for.

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Nissan Splashes Some Colors to New Micra Limited Edition

Making its debut on the UK market is a new special version of the Nissan Micra hatchback, aptly named "Limited Edition", which features a contrasting roof color together with interior and exterior detailing.

Based on the mid-range Acenta trim level, the new Micra model can be had in the following color combinations Pacific Blue with a White roof and mirror caps; Shiraz Red with a Black roof and mirror caps, and Alabaster White with a Red roof and mirror caps.

Also included in the package are contrasting-color side sills and center caps for the 15-inch alloy wheels, a ‘Limited Edition’ badge and a chrome exhaust finisher, while the roof color is echoed inside on the air vent accents, the lower part of the gearshift column together and the floor mats.

Other standard features are the air-conditioning, cruise control and roof spoiler, with on-the-road prices starting from £12,300.

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