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It has been a big week for so many different reasons. The Christmas holiday has been and gone and a new year is on the horizon this week. With a big week also brings big developments in the car industry and we have some of the biggest and brightest vehicle news today all here in one place. We have information on a lot of future vehicles set to be launched and news regarding the future in technology for manufacturers. So we begin with the technology side of things today coming to us from Mercedes Benz.

 

The German based car firm are now in partnership with LG who are partnered with the company with the testing and potential future development of their self driving autonomous vehicles. LG announced that they are in partnership with the Mercedes firm and they have a big role to play in these vehicles by providing the use of their Advanced Driving Assistance Systems. The majority of the work done by the autonomous vehicle will be done via cameras which operate a number of different functionalities including automatic braking, headlight dimming,lane keeping assistance systems and both home entertainment systems and mobile tech will also be courtesy of LG. The very first look at the car will arrive next month from the consumer electronics show where other autonomous vehicles are expected also.

 

SsangYong reveal the Tivoli production model

South Korean firm SsangYong are another company who have been making the headlines in the automotive industry this week. The firm have revealed their production version of their upcoming Tivoli model ahead of its on sale date. The companies CEO released the first image of the car in production form via a post on Twitter. The images revealed show the vehicle in its full SUV form with LED lighting,an aggressive looking front end and dark windows. Both a Red and Silver paint scheme are also shown from the images although we expect that more options will be made available from the time of launch. 1.6 litre engines are to make their presence felt in the car with two options up for grabs, one coming in the manner of a petrol and the other being your diesel alternative. Either two or four wheel drive platforms will also be up for the offering. Some technology features to come along with the car include Bluetooth,dual zone climate control,a rear view camera and seven safety airbags also make the Tivoli one of the safest vehicles on the market. The Tivoli will go on sale from next year and is hoped to double the sales of SsangYong vehicles here in Britain. A cost of around £12,000 is expected to be announced.

 

Vauxhall change the name of the Adam S

Vauxhall have announced that for the United Kingdom, they are all set to change the name of the popular Adam S model and it will now be known as the 'Grand Slam'. In other countries where the car is available, it will remain under the name of the Adam S with only the UK receiving the change. We have seen the vehicle on display twice this year with both the Paris and Geneva motor shows being the hosts in 2014. The new Grand Slam will arrive in Vauxhall showrooms from April 2015 and will bring some changes in both technology and looks. The car is looking more sporty than ever before in a Silver paint scheme followed by a bright Red roof. Seventeen inch alloy wheels are as standard although customers will have the options of eighteen inch alloys if they wish. LED daytime running lights,music streaming,Bluetooth and both Apple and Android connectivity are just some of the highlights to come along with the Grand Slam technology wise. The power of the Adam Grand Slam is expected to be the big feature though and there is no denying this fact by the fitting of a turbocharged 1.4 litre petrol engine seeing 124 miles per hour as a top speed. The firm have also focused their attention on all round fuel efficiency and economy rates by introducing stop start technology into the car. This means that the Grand Slam will emit 149g/km CO2 emissions and will deliver 148 bhp.

 

Specifications of the Land Rover Discovery Sport 2015 and more

The Discovery Sport 2015 model from Land Rover has now gone on sale and is certainly making a name for itself after arriving at the Paris Motor Show in October in style. The Land Rover Discovery range have a great reputation for being good all rounders benefiting from a decent range of power and comfort. This new addition badged as a 2015 model is no different. With a look underneath the bonnet and the kind of power you can expect to receive from the vehicle, we see that Land Rover have included a 2.2 litre SD4 engine as the only option open at the moment. Power is a big factor from the unit though as 187bhp is delivered. Both four or two wheel drive transmissions are available and you can either opt for a standard six speed,manual gearbox or a nine speed, automatic transmission. However if you hold out until late 2015, you can pick up one of these vehicles with a turbo diesel engine fitted. The new Discovery Sport is offered in four trim levels with the entry level model coming in with a cost of £32,395 and the top of the range HSE Lux model being made available for £42,995. A brand new eight inch touch screen, a new infotainment system and leather seating are just some of the luxuries you can expect to find inside of the car.

 

Suzuki to reveal the Alto turbo RS in Tokyo

Japanese firm Suzuki have been in the news today with the forthcoming revealing of an all new turbo version of their Alto model. It was announced just last week that a new Alto would arrive on the road and receive some styling and detailing changes and today the announcement of a turbo version has been gathering excitement world wide. Our very first taste of the new Turbo RS model will come from the Tokyo Auto Salon event on the 9th of January and the mass manufacturer have announced some of the features that you can expect to receive with the car. Images that have been revealed of the RS concept show a White paint scheme with wheels, the roof and Mirrors all coming in a bright Red paint scheme. Underneath the grille will also receive Red striping. A special RS decal has been shown on the rear left side of the car. The suspension system of the vehicle has been adjusted compared to previous Alto models now making the car more comfortable and exciting to drive and spoilers also find a place on the new RS model. A three cylinder, 0.66 litre engine has also been confirmed for the new power based model but a power deliverance or price tag for the car remains very quiet right now. We will know about the car after its reveal in Tokyo next Friday.

 

Dacia brings a sales boost for Renault

Dacia are a subsidiary brand for French firm Renault and recently the company have made history by giving the Renault company a big sales boost in the UK. The rate of car sales in Europe increased by only 1.2 percent in November but the majority of these sales came from Dacia. In total registrations for new cars in Europe were up by 5.5 percent. Sales on Dacia models came in at an added eleven percent with models such as the Duster a famous addition to the brands SUV segment being the most popular choice. This means that group deliveries for Renault had risen by 3.9 percent in total. This is good news for both Renault and Dacia but will the momentum for the subsidiary brand maintain?. It is nice to see a subsidiary brand do well here in Europe so could other manufacturers such as Infiniti follow suit and bring in more sales for their respective brand Nissan?.

 

Audi make an investment into the future

Audi are another firm who have made the headlines this week with their plans for their future technology and vehicles being outlined by a rather large investment. The company have invested a total of £19 billion into the future of the company which will be spent majorly on developing new technology and introducing new vehicles onto the market by the year 2018. The company have also said that they are currently developing two new electric vehicles for the future which we also believe that some of the investment may be spent on. The firm currently offer fifty models on the road with the all round plan to develop sixty by the end of 2020. Some of these funds are also to be spent on new factories aswell including both Mexico and Brazil plants in the future. Audi have commented that alternative drive systems would also be focused upon over the next few years so could this mean that the firm are to take a page out of the book of Mercedes and develop new autonomous vehicles too?.