Volvo aims to prevent death or serious injury by 2020

What Car? magazine has awarded Volvo with the Safety Award at the 2011 What Car? awards. Volvo won this award because of its new Pedestrian Detection system. The safety system uses a mixture of laser, radar and camera technology, so that the vehicle can recognise a human being above 80cm tall or a vehicle ahead. The system will apply the brakes automatically if it calculates an impending impact.

The system gives an initial warning to the driver in the form of an audible signal and flashing lights in the head up display if it detects a possible collision. The main purpose of this warning is to alert the driver so he or she can apply the brakes or steer out of danger. If the driver does not respond to the warning, the car automatically brakes with full force moments before the collision becomes unavoidable. With automatic braking, collisions can, in certain circumstances, be avoided at speeds of up to 21mph.

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The High Performance A1

The new premium supermini by Audi, the A1, was released in 2010. The Audi A1 was launched with much publicity to demonstrate Audi’s latest innovative technology. Now Audi has released the top performing A1 1.4 TFSI S Line, which utilises two forms of forced induction, a turbo charger and a supercharger whilst being able to achieve 47.9 mpg and produce only 139g/km.

The supercharger kicks in at around 1,500 revs, which give the A1 plenty of torque and low end power. The turbocharger kicks in at 3,500 rpm to make sure the A1 achieves a 0-62mph time of just 6.9 seconds and onto a top speed of 141mph. These are very impressive figures for a supermini that can still do nearly 48 mpg.

Audi A1 in Barnstaple have told us that because the supercharger takes care of low-range boost, it has been possible to use a larger turbocharger designed with optimum efficiency in mind. The S tronic seven-speed twin-clutch gearbox directs power to the front wheels, the S tronic gearbox has the ability to perform gear shifts in just a few hundredths of a second and has a long seventh gear which helps with fuel efficiency.

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Focus at last

The Ford Focus has become very popular in the UK; over 1.4 million units have been sold here since its introduction in 1998. The Focus became popular with consumers because of its great value, comfort, safety and for being fun to drive.

The new revolutionary 2011 Ford Focus will finally arrive in the UK in March, less than two months away! Much is expected from the initial two-model line-up of a sporty 5-door hatchback and a stylish 5-door estate. The new Focus promises to deliver the highest standards of quality and detailed craftsmanship, outstanding fuel economy, and takes the legendary Focus driving dynamics to a new level.

The new look exterior which is referred by Ford as being “Dynamic” is complimented with new interior styling. The new Ford Focus has a modern, cockpit-style interior incorporating Ford's latest generation Human Machine Interface (HMI) system with twin five-way toggle switches on the steering wheel controlling the two main vehicle displays located in the instrument cluster and high in the centre of the instrument panel.

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Corsa VXR Blue Edition

Arriving at a Vauxhall Corsa dealer in Camberley in February is the “Jaw Dropping” Corsa VXR Blue Edition. This special edition Corsa features new styling details, has additional kit as standard and a “head-turning” paintjob.

Like the standard models the Corsa VXR Blue Edition comes as standard with the new Eagle Eye lights and the signature bar across the grille. Unlike the standard models though the special edition comes with a more aggressive front end, with deep in-set fog lamps, a wider and more prominent grille and a low, sculpted front spoiler to boost its sporting appeal. The VXR Blue Edition also has the addition of exclusive Arden Blue metallic paint, 18-inch alloys, dark-tinted glass, bespoke interior air vents and Recaro seats.

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Let the good times roll

Who would have thought, since the introduction of the Jaguar XF it has won 80, yes 80 awards! Some say it is the most crowned luxury car in the world. The most recent award was from What Car? it was voted “Best Executive Car” for the fourth year in a row.

Geoff Cousins, Managing Director of Jaguar Cars UK was delighted with the 80th award and said, "We're delighted the XF has won this prestigious What Car? Award for the fourth year in succession. In terms of sales, 2010 was the best ever year ever for the XF. Sales of the model were up 25 per cent in 2010 versus 2009, and that's the third consecutive year of growth. The XF has been a resounding success since it was launched in 2008, and it's great to have that recognised by the media. We have sold more than 100,000 examples of the XF worldwide and it continues to attract new customers to the brand."

What Car's Editor in Chief Steve Fowler commented: "This is the fourth year running the XF has won our best executive car award, and this year it has had to work harder than ever to beat its rivals. We love everything about the XF: it looks fantastic, drives brilliantly and makes real financial sense, too."

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Jaguar C-X75 Reveal Video

A high quality Video reveal of the Jaguar C-X75. Looks amazing!

The Jaguar C-X75 is a concept by Jaguar it has batteries in the back that are charged by two mini jet turbines. Jaguar’s ground breaking technology means that it has produced a true supercar that emits only 29g/km of CO2.

Another beautiful Alfa Romeo

Alfa Romeo’s 147 hatchbacks are a very smart, sleek and well crafted car, it is popular with different types of people because of its versatility. Alfa Romeo has recently launched its successor the Alfa Romeo Giulietta, and I must admit on first impressions the successor has out done its predecessor by a long mile. The new Giulietta is a prime example of the Italian car manufacturer’s ability to create stunning looking cars.

On its release the Giulietta was awarded with Euro NCAP’s five star crash rating, as well as excellent adult, child and pedestrian safety features, the new Alfa Romeo also features a host of driver aids to help prevent accidents. Driver aids such as VDC (Vehicle Dynamic Control) electronic stability control, DST (Dynamic Steering Torque) are standard on the Giulietta.

A Used Alfa Romeo Giulietta in Guildford is available with five engine choices, 3 petrol and 2 diesels. There are two 1.4 litre petrol engines, one with 118bhp and the other with 168bhp, there is also a 1.7 litre 231 bhp engine to give most hot hatches a good run for their money. The two diesels come in the form of either a 1.6 litre with 103bhp or a 2.0 litre with 168bhp. Alfa Romeo predicts the smaller diesel to be very popular.

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The best luxury car

What Car? has voted the Mercedes S Class as the “Best Luxury Car” for 2011, the awards ceremony was held at a lavish dinner party in Central London’s Grosvenor House Hotel. The 2011 award is the fifth year running that the S Class has won the “Best Luxury Car” award, and in total it is the tenth time the S Class model has been awarded it. The Mercedes-Benz E Class in Chichester has also come close many times.

The editor of Chief, Steve Fowler commented on the award, "It's a result that was never really in any doubt. This car provides a fabulous way to travel whether you're driving yourself or taking it easy in the rear while the chauffeur does his job".

The judges who assessed the credentials of all entrants were particularly impressed by the S Class’ lavish specification, they praised the air suspension and commended the 3.0 Litre V6 Turbo Diesel for being powerful enough to move the S Class swiftly while maintaining good fuel economy and CO2 emissions.

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Audi pushes the envelope in car construction

Audi, the Vorsprung durch Technik brand has been busy researching developing new methods to lower CO2 and increase fuel efficiency in its models. Audi has created a new all aluminium version of the Audi A5 in Essex, the German car manufacturer has shed 100kg from the A5 by swapping steel for advanced aluminium and carbon fibre construction.

Audi created the aluminium model by using the standard A5 as a base, the lightweight model uses the aluminium Audi Space Frame (ASF) concept with which Audi broke new ground 15 years ago. Audi claim that the ASF construction principle reduces the kerb weight of the car by 40%. The aluminium model weights in at 1,310kg compared to the standard model which weighs 1,420kg.

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Poo Power!

Everyone is very worried about the amount of pollution we are causing, governments have set up special companies to research into how we can reduce the amount of pollutants we put into our atmosphere. Some small independent companies have also been set up to research and deliver how to recycle the waste we produce.

GENeco based in Bristol is a natural waste recycling company; it has been developing ways to recycle natural waste such as human waste. The company has recently modified a Volkswagen Beetle to run on human waste. Called the Bio-Bug, it's powered by methane gas generated during sewage treatment.

The VW Bio-Bug drives and performs exactly the same as a normal Beetle, except it can achieve a year's average mileage - 10,000 miles - from the toilet waste of just 70 homes. What’s remarkable is that the there is not actually any new technology in the Bio-Bug. Countries like China and India have been using compressed natural gas (CNG) to power their cars for many years now. In the UK we have been using natural gas to power some of our buses and commercial fleet vehicles but not really invested in using CNG in our passenger cars.

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