A station wagon model probably isn’t what comes to mind when you think about Jaguar but times and attitudes changes and the British brand is willing to give it another try after its hapless X-Type Sportwagon. At a first glance, Jaguar's new XF Sportbrake is a handsome creation, although those abnormally large LED tail lamps look somewhat odd from certain angles.
Jaguar says that every panel on the XF Sportbrake, from the B-Pillar and back, is completely new. Added touches include the silver signature line running the entire length of the car while the gloss black C-Pillar is reminiscent of the XJ limousine. The polished roof rails will be offered as an option.
The estate model shares the same 1,877mm width and 2,909mm wheelbase with the sedan but is 5mm longer at 4,966mm while also offering 48mm of extra rear headroom.
According to Jaguar, the transformation from saloon to estate has added a little under 70kg or 154 pounds to the car's kerb weight.
In terms of boot space, the XF Sportbrake offers 550-liters with the rear seats up, which is less than the BMW 5-Series Touring's 560-liters, the Audi A6 Avant's 565-liters and the Mercedes-Benz's capacious 695-liters.
With the seats folded, the total volume grows to 1,675-litres, which is slightly more than the BMW's 1,670 liters but less than the Audi's 1,680-liters and far less than the Mercedes-Benz's monstrous 1,950-liters.
To justify its more practical side, the Sportbrake comes equipped with remote fold levers mounted within the boot area to lower the rear seats, while additional LEDs light onto the ground when the tailgate is open. You also get a panel in the boot that splits into three sections and a new tray fitted under the load area to store valuable items.
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The first official photos of Pininfarina's Cambiano concept car are out in the open ahead of its world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show thanks to the folks over at Italian car magazine Quattroruote. When Pininfarina first announced the Cambiano, it made word of a sedan model but the teaser pictures that followed clearly showed a two-door coupe. As it turns out, the Cambiano study is both a coupe and a sports sedan.
To elaborate, on the driver's side, the concept has one large door while on the passenger's side Pininfarina opted for a suicide door solution and also eliminated the center pillar to afford better entry and exit to all seating positions.
The sleek design of the exterior, which was inspired by Pininfarina's 1957 Lancia Florida II, is matched by a minimalistic interior with seating for four, while other highlights include the glass roof and wood trimmed floors.
The GT model measures a little over five meters in length (196.9-in.) and 2 meters in width (78.7-in.), while it tips the scales at 1,700kg (3,748 pounds). It is a range extended electric vehicle with power coming from four 60kw (80hp) electric motors, one for each wheel. A diesel turbine engine located up front works like a generator to recharge the batteries.
According to Pininfarina, the Cambiano accelerates from 0 to 100km/h in 4.2 seconds and can reach a top speed of 275km/h (186mph). It's batteries offer a driving range in excess of 200km.
Kudos to Bruno for the tip!
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General Motors' Chevrolet Colorado pickup truck (which will be made and sold in the States) has made its appearance in Australia in production guise under the Holden nameplate. The automaker had previewed the Holden version with a lightly camouflaged concept at last year's Melbourne Auto Show. The 2012 Holden Colorado that will arrive in dealerships throughout the country in the middle of this year has dropped some of the more exciting, but not at all practical, elements of the show car such as the large alloy wheels and sporty mirrors but nothing much else has changed.
In Australia, the new generation of the Colorado will offer customers three body styles including single cab, space cab and crew cab, plus a choice of two all-new 2.5-litre and 2.8-litre DOHC in-line 4-cylinder turbo diesel engines rated at 110kW (148bhp) and 130kW (174bhp) respectively.
The 2.5L unit is paired to a five-speed manual gearbox and boasts a 3.0-tonne towing capacity, while the 2.8L engine is offered exclusively with a 6-speed automatic and has a 3.5-tonne towing capacity.
“This is the most impressive light truck ever designed by General Motors, and we expect it to be a serious challenger in the competitive Australian light commercial market," commented Holden Executive Director Sales, Marketing and Aftersales, John Elsworth.
“Our diesel-only powertrain strategy means we’ll offer two very competitive, responsive engines that boast impressive towing capacity of up to 3.5-tonne, which we know our customers will love," he added.
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Citroën has revealed the facelifted versions of its Berlingo and Jumpy (called Dispatch in Britain) minivans. Depending on the market, the Berlingo and the larger Jumpy/Dispatch are offered in both passenger and commercial variants. In Britain, Citroën has provided initial details on the Berlingo Multispace and the Dispatch Combi, which are the passenger models of the series.
Starting with the smaller Berlingo Multispace, which is available in five- and seven-seat variants, the French firm's minivan gains a wider and more defined grille, a new chevron badge and a new headlight arrangement that can optionally include LEDs.
Other notable changes on the outside include the redesigned exterior mirrors and new alloy wheel designs, while Citroën also introduced an optional "Black Pack" styling kit with Onyx Black trim on the top of the front bumper, side mirrors, side strips and rear number plate moulding.
Inside, the updated Berlingo Multispace gets a new assortment of colors and higher quality materials throughout the interior.
Customers can choose from several engines including the e-HDi 90HP Airdream diesel with Stop & Start and a six-speed automated manual transmission, the HDi 75HP and HDi 90HP diesel units. The latter now deliver reduced emissions (135g/km down from 139g/km).
Moving on to the larger Dispatch Combi than can accommodate up to nine passengers, the 2012 model sports a new face with a chromed grille featuring the brand’s updated chevron design.
Citroen notes that it has reduced the Dispatch's CO2 emissions by adding new aerodynamic panels underneath the body and a ‘volt control’ function to optimize battery charge management by the alternator.
The 2012 Dispatch Combi is optionally available with the newly introduced "Grip Control" traction control with four modes: normal, all-terrain, snow and sand.
Engine options include the HDi 160HP diesel with a new six-speed automatic transmission, and the HDi 95, HDi 125 and HDi 160 engines with a six-speed manual gearbox.
Citroen said that final UK specification and pricing details for both the 2012 Berlingo Multispace and Dispatch Combi will be released closer to their launch date on April 2.
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A station wagon model probably isn’t what comes to mind when you think about Jaguar but times and attitudes changes and the British brand is willing to give it another try after its hapless X-Type Sportwagon. At a first glance, Jaguar's new XF Sportbrake is a handsome creation, although those abnormally large LED tail lamps look somewhat odd from certain angles. 
Jaguar says that every panel on the XF Sportbrake, from the B-Pillar and back, is completely new. Added touches include the silver signature line running the entire length of the car while the gloss black C-Pillar is reminiscent of the XJ limousine. The polished roof rails will be offered as an option. 
