Diesel

Diesel, News, Saloon, Estate Car

All-new Jaguar XF on sale

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The all-new Jaguar XF is available to order now.

Sitting in a class above the recently launched XE saloon, the new XF's low-drag body design is formed around a lightweight architecture and combines the new Jaguar family styling with a longer wheelbase, creating more interior space, yet it's lower and shorter than the car it replaces.

The cabin offers a blend of contemporary luxury materials and finishes, Jaguar craftsmanship and state-of-the art technology, with features such as a reconfigurable 12.3-inch TFT instrument cluster, laser head-up display and the InControl Touch Pro premium infotainment system.

The all-new XF uses Jaguar's aluminium-intensive architecture to enable weight savings of up to 190kg - making the 163PS diesel model 80kg lighter than its nearest competitor, says Jaguar - plus an increase in torsional stiffness of up to 28 per cent.

Jaguar says the light, stiff body is also fundamental to the all-new XF's vehicle dynamics along with double wishbone front suspension and Integral Link rear suspension - combined with near-50:50 weight distribution.

Infotainment and connectivity is the most advanced Jaguar has ever offered. The all-new InControl Touch Pro system offers a 10.2-inch touchscreen and Dual View technology which simultaneously allows the driver to see information such as navigation, while the front seat passenger watches TV or a DVD.

Other features include stereo camera technology, which enables autonomous emergency braking, lane departure warning and lane-keep assist systems. 

There's also Adaptive Cruise Control with Queue Assist, traffic sign recognition, a high-contrast colour laser head-up display and adaptive full-LED headlights. If the high-beam assist function is specified, the stereo camera will detect other vehicles in the distance, and dip the headlights automatically to avoid dazzling other drivers.

The all-new XF range will consist of: XF Prestige, XF R-Sport, XF Portfolio, XF S.

The powertrains will consist of: 163PS and 180PS 2.0-litre diesel manual and automatic; RWD 300PS 3.0 V6 diesel automatic; RWD 380PS 3.0-litre V6 petrol automatic.

Jaguar claims the 163PS diesel delivers the lowest CO2 emissions of any non-hybrid model in the segment with 104g/km and combined fuel economy of 70.6mpg.

The all-new XF joins the Jaguar saloon car range between the XE and XJ model lines, priced from £32,300 on the road.

Diesel, News, SUV

Audi Q7 gets new diesel engine

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A new 218PS version of the Audi's 3.0-litre TDI engine has been added to the new Q7 range.

Joining the 272PS version of the V6 diesel unit, the new lower output option is capable of returning over 49mpg with CO2 emissions as low as 148g/km. 

The EU6-compliant unit's 218PS, available from 3,250rpm through to 4,750rpm, and the 500Nm peak torque, delivered between 1,250rpm and 3,000rpm, are converted by the eight-speed tiptronic automatic transmission into a 0-62mph time of 7.3 seconds and a top speed of 134mph. 

The new Audi Q7 3.0 TDI quattro 218PS is available in SE and S line specification. Fitted with 19- and 20-inch alloy wheels respectively, these can deliver up to 48.7mpg according to the combined cycle test, equating to CO2 output of 150g/km. Customers who choose the SE, can also specify a smaller 18-inch wheel as an alternative to further reduce consumption and emissions to 49.6mpg and 148g/km. 

Priced from £47,755 OTR, the new The 218PS version of the Q7 is due to reach UK customers in October.

Crossover, Diesel, News

All-new Honda HR-V lands in the UK

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The first shipment of Honda's all-new HR-V crossover has arrived in the UK at Bristol docks.

Due into dealerships at the end of the month, Honda says the new HR-V has already generated almost 350 orders despite customers not having driven, let alone even seen the car in the metal.

It is available at launch with a choice of 120 PS 1.6 litre i-DTEC diesel or 130 PS 1.5 litre i-VTEC petrol engines, both part of Honda's Earth Dreams Technology series.

Philip Crossman, Managing Director at Honda UK, commented: "The HR-V is back.  These are some fantastic pictures of the new HR-V
being driven off the boat having arrived from Mexico and it is only a matter of weeks before we start seeing the car out on the road."

With pricing starting at £17,995 for the entry-level S grade petrol model, the new HR-V tops out at £24,945 for the flagship EX diesel.

Saloon, News, Diesel

BMW adds ED Sport model to 3 Series

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BMW has added a sportier model - the 320d ED Sport - to the 3 Series range.

Adding a sportier look and design to the EfficientDynamic (ED) model, the new trim is based on the recently introduced ED Plus model.

With an OTR price of £30,205, the 320 ED Sport comes with further standard equipment such as the 17-inch light-alloy wheels, as well as Business Navigation, a selection of Dakota leather upholsteries, Sports steering wheel, unique trim finishers and Heated Sports Front Seats. The ED Sport provides £840 of standard equipment for £500 more than the ED Plus model.

Powered by the new 2.0-litre engine and available in either a six-speed manual or eight-speed automatic, the new model teams performance with 'better than ever emissions and fuel consumption'. The new BMW 320d ED Sport emits 104g/km of CO2 (manual: 108g/km), and has a combined fuel consumption of 70.6mpg, making it the 'cleanest and most fuel-efficient' sports model in the 3 Series range. BMW says the 'impressive fuel economy' doesn't impact on performance with the 2.0-litre diesel engine developing 163hp and an acceleration from 0 to 62mph in 7.8 seconds on its way to a top speed of 143mph.

The improved technologies include Active Air Flaps integrated into the kidney grill and a lowered suspension set-up, both working to improve aerodynamics and overall performance and efficiency. This allows the 320d ED Sport Saloon to occupy a VED Band B and the Touring model to occupy the VED Band C with a Benefit in Kind (BIK) taxation rate of only 19 and 20 per cent respectively (Automatic: 19 and 20 per cent).

OTR prices for the BMW 320d ED Sport start at £30,205 for the Saloon and £32,285 for Touring model.

Hatchback, Diesel, News

Vauxhall Insignia adds 1.6 Whisper Diesel

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The Insignia is the latest Vauxhall to receive the new 1.6-litre 'Whisper Diesel' engine.

The new version of the mid-size turbo engine replaces the current 2.0-litre units and was developed. says Vauxhall, to deliver "exemplary responsiveness and low consumption with exceptional running smoothness".

The 1.6 CDTi (136PS) ecoFLEX version achieves a top speed of 130mph and 0-60mph in 10.9 seconds. When specified with 17-inch alloy wheels and ultra-low rolling resistance tyres (Design, SE, Tech Line and SRi models only) it emits 99g/km of CO2 and returns up to 74.3mpg on the combined cycle.

Also new to the Insignia range is the OnStar system which delivers a Wi-Fi hotspot for up to seven devices, emergency response notification if the airbag deploys and stolen vehicle recovery technology. Connecting drivers directly with a call centre advisor, it provides owners with a personal assistant 24/7. For example, with Destination Download, you can call your OnStar advisor in-car and they'll pinpoint your desired destination and send the address to your vehicle's navigation system. OnStar is available as standard on Elite, Limited Edition and VXR trims and as a £395 option on other models. 

In addition, the second generation Navi 900 IntelliLink that utilises Apple CarPlay, offers fast access to many entertainment apps for music and news, via the eight-inch colour touchscreen interface.

IntelliLink reads out incoming text messages and enables audio streaming, voice control and the watching of films and videos - when the car is stationary, of course. The navigation system features maps of more than 30 European countries and can be displayed two or three-dimensionally and controlled by voice command.

The Vauxhall Insignia powered by the 1.6 CDTi engine is priced from £19,534 to £26,114 on-the-road.