New car lines

Hyundai’s ix35 will cost from just £16,495 when it goes on sale on 25 March, making the stylish crossover a real alternative for buyers considering a conventional hatchback.
In fact, a combination of the low purchase price, economical running costs and high residuals mean that the ix35 is likely to cost less to run than mainstream family cars and MPVs with comparable engines.
Despite the price, the ix35 range has equipment levels that no rival can even dream of matching. This makes it attractive not just to private buyers, but also means company car drivers can choose an ix35 and actually pay less tax than on a mainstream hatchback or MPV.
The entry-level ix35 Style model is less expensive to buy than a basic Ford Focus, yet includes such features as 17-inch alloy wheels, ESP, air conditioning, built-in Bluetooth phone connectivity, heated front and rear seats, electric heated door mirrors with integrated LED side repeaters, leather steering wheel and gearknob, reverse parking sensors and a trip computer.
The Premium model adds 18-inch alloys, a double-length panoramic glass sunroof, automatic headlights, cruise control, dual zone climate control, electric folding door mirrors, keyless entry with engine start/stop button, rear privacy glass, rain-sensing wipers, part-leather upholstery and roof rails. Options include full leather seats, touch-screen sat-nav and a reversing camera.
What’s more, all ix35’s are backed up by Hyundai’s famous five-year warranty and a 10-year anti-perforation corrosion warranty, meaning that what appears attractive in the showroom will remain just as appealing for years to come.
This package has meant that the ix35 has just been given a stunning set of residual value figures by industry experts CAP.
The 2.0CRDi Style 2WD, which is expected to be the big seller of the range, achieves a 43 percent residual value figure after 3yr/30k miles. These figures match the new Nissan Qashqai and beat the likes of VW’s Tiguan and the brand new Peugeot 3008.The residual for the Premium 2WD is even better than the Style, achieving 45pc after 3yr/30k miles.
The ix35 range will be made even stronger from this autumn when two new smaller engines join the range – a 1.6 petrol with direct injection technology and a new 1.7 diesel offering supermini-rivalling emissions and fuel economy.
Full details of these exciting models will be announced in the summer.

Thirty years after the original Audi quattro captivated the Geneva Motor Show, the new Audi RS 5 Coupe is about to do it proud.

It combines a high-revving V8 power, super fast S tronic twin-clutch gear shift, and a new evolution of the world famous all-wheel-drive system featuring the latest differential technology.
Following its debut at the 2010 Geneva Show, the extreme RS reinterpretation of the elegant A5 two-door is expected to open for order in the UK in the spring priced at £58,500, and will reach its first customers in October.
Developed by Audi high performance engineering and styling subsidiary quattro GmbH, the RS 5 is the latest in an illustrious lineage dating back over 15 years to the RS 2 Avant. This RS can of course also trace its roots to the original or ‘Ur’ quattro launched in Geneva in 1980, but also to the critically acclaimed R8 sports car, the V10 FSI engine from which provides the technological basis for the new hand-built, high-revving 4.2-litre V8 FSI engine that spins freely and charismatically to 8,250pm, and delivers its 450PS peak output at this high point.
A torque maximum of 430Nm is available between 4,000 and 6,000rpm, helping to power the new, 1725kg RS 5 to 62mph in 4.6 seconds and to an electronically governed 155mph top speed.

The Alfa Romeo Giulietta is being reborn in the marque’s centenary year.

It will take centre stage on the company’s Geneva show stand next week and is the first of a new range to use the Compact platform for models.
Designed by the Alfa Romeo Style Centre, new Giulietta is a five-door hatchback, with strong Alfa Romeo design cues, equipped with impressive dynamic capability for the most demanding routes, while providing comfort on everyday journeys.
From May this year, the Alfa Giulietta will go on sale progressively in all the major markets, while visitors to the Geneva Motor Show will be able to see five different versions: two Quadrifoglio Verde (Cloverleaf) versions fitted with Alfa Romeo’s 235 HP 1750 TBi engine, two Distinctive versions with 170 HP 2.0 JTDMturbodiesels, and a Distinctive version fitted with the 170 HP 1.4 MultiAir Turbo petrol engine.
The name of the new car is an obvious tribute to the mythical Giulietta which in the Fifties caught the imagination of generations of car enthusiasts.

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