Renault has never been the one to shy away from eccentric creations (remember the Avantime?) but the new Twizy certainly takes quirkiness one-step further as it looks like the odd pairing of a golf kart with a motorcycle offering seating for two in a tandem layout while riding on four wheels. Revealed as a concept for the first time at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show, Renault surprised us a year later with the presentation of the production model in Paris. Now, the Twizy is available in European showrooms including Britain where it went on sale today.
The 2.34 metres long by 1.24 metres wide two-seater model is available in three trim levels (Urban, Colour and Technic) and two power variants.
The lower powered Twizy 45 (5hp) with a top speed of 28mph (45km/h) was not originally planned for the UK market, however, the company said that due to recent confirmation that a new category of European licence for 16 year olds and over comes into effect in Britain from January 2013, it is now "studying its sales potential".
The regular Twizy is motivated by a 13kW (17hp) electric motor with a limited top speed of around 50 mph (80km/h). Its battery can be recharged using a standard three-pin plug in three and a half hours, which costs around £1 (depending on the energy supplier) and provides a driving range of around 60 miles (close to 100 kilometers).
Pricing for the 17hp Urban model starts at £6,690 (€8,100 or US$10,700), however, that does not including the battery which Renault leases for a monthly fee of £45 (€54 or US$72) including VAT for a 36 month/4,500 miles (7,240 kilometers) per year agreement.
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We're not sure if Nissan was planning to reveal its next-gen Altima sedan ahead of the car's world premiere at the New York Auto Show on Wednesday, April 4, but either way, a first batch of pictures along with preliminary specs and prices were unloaded online today. The new Altima sports a sleeker and crispier design than its predecessor, evidently inspired from the larger Maxima. The mid-size sedan's interior is also new, but appears to be less exciting than the exterior in terms of styling.
"The safe thing to do would be to follow other automakers' paths, conservatively evolving the Altima so as not to upset the existing owner base. But that would not be in keeping with Nissan's 'Innovation for All' philosophy," commented Brian Carolin, Vice President of Nissan N.A.
"We took our most successful model and changed nearly everything – the look, the feel, the driving experience and, of course, the technology down to even the headlights and windshield wipers."
The fifth generation Altima keeps the same wheelbase as the outgoing Altima, but features a wider front and rear track (+1.4 inches).
It will reach U.S. dealerships this summer with a choice of two engines, a tweaked version of the 2.5-liter QR25 four-cylinder unit producing 182hp (+7hp) and a peak torque of 180 lb-ft, and 3.5-liter V6 VQ35DE, which remains rated at 270 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque.
A redesigned Xtronic CVT with new control logic and expanded gear ratio coverage transfers power to the front wheels on both models.
Nissan says that targeted fuel economy for the Altima 2.5L/CVT is 27 mpg city, 38 mpg highway and 31 mpg combined, and for the 3.5L V6/CVT Altima, 22 mpg city, 30 mpg highway and 25 mpg combined.
Later on, the Japanese automaker will add a hybrid model to the range, which combines a new 2.5-liter supercharged gasoline engine with a compact-size CVT package incorporating a single electric motor and two clutches with energy being stored in a lithium-ion battery.
Prices for the 2013 Nissan Altima sedan start at $21,500 for the base 4-cylinder model rising to $30,080 for the top V6 variant.
Photo Credits: Nissan via VWVortex
2013 Nissan Altima Sedan Prices:
Altima Sedan 2.5 CVT $21,500 USD
Altima Sedan 2.5 S CVT $22,500 USD
Altima Sedan 2.5 SV CVT $24,100 USD
Altima Sedan 2.5 SL CVT $28,050 USD
Altima Sedan 3.5 S CVT $25,360 USD
Altima Sedan 3.5 SV CVT $27,780 USD
Altima Sedan 3.5 SL CVT $30,080 USD
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