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Sarah Kidd

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Mopar, the servicing and customer care division of Fiat-Chrysler has announced their Auto Service Finance initiative. Following research that revealed more than half of motorists in the UK can’t afford a bill of £500 for a repair upfront.

Jeep, Fiat, Dodge and Alfa Romeo drivers can get genuine parts from the Mopar UK network and can apply for six months of interest free instalments. The Auto Service Finance can be used to cover costs for repairs, service contracts, accident damage and accessories.

The latest generation of the Range Rover Sport SVR has set a new record on the Tianmen Road in China. The sports SUV was piloted by Jaguar Panasonic Racing’s reserve driver Ho-Pin Tung for the mountainous ascent, which set the time 9 minutes and 51 seconds on the 11.3km road.

The record is unofficial, however, but beats the previous best time over the 99 turn run – which was set by a Ferrari 458 Italia in 2016 – by forty seconds.

The new SVR boats a 567bhp supercharged V8, that produces 516lbf.ft. It reaches 60mph from a standstill in 4.3 seconds and at top speed will reach 174mph.

Work has also been done on the chassis, altering the damping hardware to create more mid-corner grip and body control. These were changes that helped Tung in the record run.

‘I am used to the high speeds of racing but this was even more demanding. Maintaining concentration was the biggest challenge as the road twists and turns constantly, with huge drop-offs to the side. The consequences of getting it wrong would have been really serious so I focused on establishing a rhythm and the Range Rover Sport SVR made this easy – it may be an SUV but it has the performance and agility of a supercar.’

Land Rover’s Special Vehicle Operations have given the SVR lighter, custom seats, and a redesigned front bumper offers more brake and engine cooling. A new carbon fibre bonnet is also a new addition on the SVR, which is priced from £99,680.

Romanian manufacturer Dacia has updated its flagship Duster model with two new trim options.

The new Air trim has DAB radio, bluetooth connectivity, air-con and front electric windows as standard, and has a starting price of £10,995.

It’s second new trim, Nav+, includes everything on the Air spec Duster, but adds a 7″ touchscreen multimedia system, rear-parking sensors, 16″ alloy wheels and full electric windows. It also has a trip computer and a leather steering wheel.

There are three engine choices across the Duster range, with a 1.6 petrol available with Access and Air trim lines. The range-topping Nav+ is available with a choice of a 1.2 petrol and a 1.5-litre turbo diesel.

With the new Nav+ trim starting at £13,095, the Duster retains its bargain pricing, whilst the new trim adds more sophistication.

All Duster’s are available with 4WD, and are available for order now, with first deliveries pencilled in for April this year.

Peugeot have shown an adventure concept version of their Rifter. The Rifter 4×4 Concept is kitted out for overland adventures and unadulterated exploration.

The grey exterior with yellow accents adds a sporty feel to the seven seater, and there’s an interior to match. Seating has black alcantara inserts and contrasting bold yellow stitching throughout.

Working with Dangel, Peugeot have given the concept the four-wheel drive referenced in its name. It has selectable 4WD and the rear axle is lockable. The concept gets the 1.5-litre BlueHDi 130 engine and a six-speed manual transmission.

To make the little adventure wagon more, well, adventurey, the concept has an Autohome designed Overland roof tent, complete with simple assembly and a ready-to-go mattress.

For routes where the Rifter cannot fit, or when you want to feel the wind in your hair, the concept is accompanied by a Peugeot eM02 FS Powertube MTB. The electric mountain bike is a preview of the next generation of Lion eBikes, and has a double suspension and a battery concealed within the frame.

The concept poses a fresh and active approach to overland and off-road travel.

 

Do you like the idea? Let us know in the comments.

The ever-popular Nissan Juke has been refreshed for 2018.

Among the updates are a new Bose sound system, and new alloys and colourways which add more depth to the personalisation options of the funky SUV.

The grille, headlights and fog lights have been updated, and new body colours Chestnut Bronze and Vivid Blue  join new customisation packs. Front and rear bumper inserts, door sills, and mirror caps can now be highlighted in Energy Orange and Power Blue – plus the interior, diversifying the already diverse scope to make the Juke your own. There’s also two new 16″ alloy designs and the 18″ alloys on the Tekna trim have an option of coloured inserts.

N-Connecta has been replaced by the new Bose Personal Edition trim, in conjunction with the introduction of the Bose sound system – that won awards for it’s application in the Nissan Micra. The system features speakers in the headrests, and features six speakers throughout the interior. The Bose Personal system is also standard on the range-topping Tekna trim.

The updated Juke is on sale from May 2018, and 4WD is available in conjunction with the DIG-T 190 and DIG-T 214 petrol engines.

 

Lexus have debuted their latest SUV in Geneva, the UX.

The new compact SUV offers is labelled as an ‘urban explorer’, and is the first Lexus to be made on the new GA-C platform.

Two powertrains are on offer, but four-wheel drive is only available with the hybrid setup. The 250h is a self charging hybrid system, that produces 176bhp, and in E-Four drives both axles. It consists of a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine in conjunction with an electric motor powering the rear wheels.

Suspension at the front is a single strut setup, whilst the rear is a wishbone, and the UX gets Lexus’ latest EPS system.

The UX is optimised with the latest Lexus safety features. These include a pre-collision system, lane assist, adaptive cruise control, automatic headlights, road sign assist and a preemptive parking brake.

Interior leather is made using Sashiko – a traditional Japanese quilting technique, predominantly used in making judo and kendo martial arts gear. That’s not the only interesting internal patina, as the dashboard has been inspired by the grain of Japanese paper, or washi, but there is a leather option too.

There’s no information on prices, or release dates as of yet.

 

Land Rover have stopped teasing and revealed the limited-run Range Rover SV Coupé.

The two door edition of the full fat Rangey harks back to the original Range Rover, the vehicle that spawned the luxury SUV segment, and will be limited to 999 examples.

Driven by a 557bhp supercharged petrol V8, producing 516lbf.ft, 0-60mph in five seconds and a top speed of 165mph, it’s the fastest production Range Rover to date.

Unsurprisingly, luxury is at the forefront of the agenda with the SV Coupé. Hand assembled at the Land Rover Special Vehicles plant in Warwickshire, the SV Coupé remarkably shares only two body panels with its more doorsy sibling (the tailgate and the bonnet), and offers multiple new customisations options. Interiors comparable to ‘private jets and yachts’ have swathes of quilted leather options, front-to-rear contrast seating options and three wooden veneers to choose from. Semi-precious badging is obviously an option, too, and the SV Coupé is also the first Range Rover to get 23″ alloys.

More than a hundred paint colours are offered, but colour-matching is also available, ensuring the ability to create a truly unique Rangey.

The suspension have been lowered by 8mm as standard, but still maintains the ability to wade in water of up to 900mm, and can still tow up to 3.5tonnes.

All of this luxury does come at a premium, however, with SV Coupé prices starting at £240,000 and orders will open in the final quarter of year. Plenty of time to decide on the final specs, then.

Subaru have revealed their Viziv Tourer concept for the first time at the Geneva Motor Show – an AWD touring concept akin to the active lifestyle and ready for autonomous tech.

The Viziv Tourer uses a symmetrical four-wheel drive system and a boxer engine, in a frame not much bigger than a current XV. Slightly shorter than the production vehicle, the Viziv isn’t as rough and ready, but has been equipped ‘a crossover mix of values to enhance active lifestyles’. Other than the four-wheel drive system, there’s not too much of an indication as to what these are, but given the brand’s form in practical, robust tourers, you’d be in the minority to doubt its practicality.

 

SsangYong have shown their e-SIV concept in Switzerland. The SUV is the fifth electric concept SsangYong have produced, and aims to combine efficiency, driving capability and an advanced approach to connectivity.

e-SIV stands for ‘electronic smart interface vehicle’, and the interior is aimed at ‘busy people’ and works with modern technology to become a ‘mobile communication space’. This will be achieved via a learning voice recognition system, internet connectivity and autonomous driving ability.

 

Aspects ranging from charging, infotainment and in emergency conditions even driving the vehicle could be controlled via a smartphone app.

The e-SIV would have a cruising range of up to 450km, and charging will take the battery from flat to 80% in fifty minutes.

The new Ford Edge has made its European debut at the Geneva Motor Show, breaking cover in the stylish and sporty ST-line trim.

Among the updates to the SUV are a new engine – a 238bhp diesel unit – and a host of new driver aids.

The powerplant is a new bi-turbo variant of the 2.0-litre EcoBlue engine, and combines with an eight-speed automatic transmission.

The driver aids include adaptive cruise with stop-start practicality, alongside lane assist to aid the driver whilst cruising. Post-collision braking is also introduced, a safety precaution that aims to eradicate secondary crashes, whilst evasive steer assist helps avoid collisions altogether.

Tech also inhabits the interior, with heated seats and steering wheel, top level infotainment and a 3D digital instrument cluster.

Prices and release dates are yet to be announced, and we also await confirmation of a four-wheel drive variant – but given it was an option on the outgoing Edge we’d be surprised if there wasn’t.

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