Toyota iQ Recall

Toyota have announced that it would recall a number of Toyota iQ models in the UK to carry out a modification to the software used to manage the vehicles Electric Power Steering (EPS) system.

Toyota's service shops need to modify the software used to manage the Electric Power Steering (EPS) system of the Toyota iQ units sold here. The Japanese carmaker says it's working with the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) to announce the owners of the new Toyota iQ recall. They will send a letter that advises the Toyota iQ owners affected by the recall about the procedure for taking their vehicle to an authorized Toyota repairer.

Approximately 12,000 UK registered vehicles are affected by this recall and the repair involved will take approximately two hours to complete at no cost to the customer. Jon Williams, Managing Director of Toyota GB PLC, said, “We are committed to putting the customer first and have a total focus on the quality of all our products. We will liaise with our customers to carry out the repair procedures as efficiently as possible, with minimal disruption.”




Press Release

TOYOTA ANNOUNCES VOLUNTARY RECALL OF iQ IN THE UK

Toyota GB today announced it would recall a number of its iQ models in the UK to carry out a modification to the software used to manage the vehicle’s Electric Power Steering (EPS) system.

It is working with the Vehicle and Operator Services Agency (VOSA) to contact registered owners and keepers by letter to advise them of the procedure for taking their vehicle to an authorised Toyota repairer for the necessary repair work to be done.

The issue affects certain iQ vehicles, produced between 11 September 2008 and 22 October 2010. When driving on certain roadside safety side strips or 'rumble strips', signals received by the EPS sensors may be incorrectly interpreted by the EPS control unit, triggering the EPS warning light. Should this happen, the driver would need to apply extra effort to steer the vehicle.

This issue has only been observed in very specific circumstances in Japan. No cases have been reported in Europe. No accidents related to this issue have been reported.

The repair involves the update or replacement of the EPS control unit software. The job will take approximately two hours to complete, at no cost to the customer. Approximately 12,000 UK registered vehicles are affected by this recall.

Toyota will ensure that vehicles produced before 22 October 2010, but not yet delivered to customers, will be checked and the necessary repair undertaken before delivery.

Jon Williams, Managing Director of Toyota GB PLC, said, “We are committed to putting the customer first and have a total focus on the quality of all our products. We will liaise with our customers to carry out the repair procedures as efficiently as possible, with minimal disruption.”

Jaguar XF Black Pack

Jaguar has releases a special Black Pack trim package for the XF model. The Black Pack is offered on the 3.0-litre Diesel S, the 5.0-litre V8 petrol and the 5.0-litre supercharged V8 petrol XKR high performance model.

The new Black Pack adds a new set of menacing dark-gray 20-inch Draco alloy wheels with diamond turned rims, a gloss black grille, and gloss black window surrounds. The only downside to the new Black Pack is that it can only be combined with some of the exterior colors as chosen by Jaguar designers. Those colors are Polaris White, Spectrum Blue, Ultimate Black, Stratus Grey, Lunar Grey and Liquid Silver, plus the XFR’s Kyanite Blue and Salsa Red.

The Jaguar XF Black Pack can be ordered together with the XF Aerodynamic Pack which was introduced earlier in 2010, and which adds a new front bumper, black mesh inserts for the grille, lower air intakes and side sills from the XFR.

The XF itself starts at £29,900 for the 3.0-litre petrol; the Diesel S starts at £38,600, the 5.0-litre V8 at £42,300, and the XFR at £62,600.

Source: Jaguar




Press Release

BLACK PACK DELIVERS BOLD NEW LOOK FOR JAGUAR XF

Jaguar’s highly successful XF sports saloon is now available with a dramatic new appearance pack for customers who want their Jaguar to make an even stronger visual impact.

The exclusive new Black Pack brings an added sense of power and purpose to the sought-after XF range, and follows closely in the wheel tracks of a similar option on the XK sports car which has aroused huge interest since its launch earlier in 2010.

Featuring menacing dark-grey 20-inch Draco alloy wheels with diamond turned rims, a gloss black grille
and gloss black window surrounds, the XF Black Pack is available on XF Diesel S, the 5-litre naturally aspirated petrol and XFR models, with prices starting at £950.

“The Black Pack gives the XF a highly distinctive, very modern and a slightly edgy appearance," said Geoff Cousins, Managing Director, Jaguar UK. "Since the Black Pack and Speed Pack were launched on the XKR sports car at the Geneva Motor Show, almost half of XKR coupe buyers have selected one or both options – double our original estimate – and we expect the Black Pack will generate just as much excitement amongst XF customers.”

To provide added exclusivity and to maximise the visual impact, XF Black Pack vehicles can only be specified with a special colour palette chosen by Jaguar designers, including Polaris White, Spectrum Blue, Ultimate Black, Stratus Grey, Lunar Grey and Liquid Silver, plus Kyanite Blue and Salsa Red which are colours unique to the XFR.

For an even more dramatic effect, the Black Pack can be combined with the XF Aerodynamic Pack which was launched on XF Diesel S earlier in 2010. This pack includes a re-profiled front bumper, striking black mesh inserts for the grille and lower air intakes and the muscular side sills from the XFR.

Extending the XF Success Story

The expanding choice of exciting personalisation options is generating even more interest in the XF range, which has now sold more than 100,000 units worldwide since its launch in 2008, as well as receiving more than 60 international awards.

“The XF continues to attract new customers to the Jaguar brand, and with these distinctive new personalisation packs extending the appeal of the range, we are confident that the success story will continue,” added Geoff Cousins.

BMW Vision EfficientDynamics prototype - 2013【Video】

BMW has releases photos and details for its Vision Efficient Dynamics sports car concept. The BMW Vision EfficientDynamics Concept was the star of the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show and carried wide range of completely or virtually production-ready components. After debuting with an overwhelming positive response and a huge desire to put the car in production, BMW announced today that it will produce a fully road-ready technology showcase vehicle based on the BMW Vision EfficientDynamics concept.

The Vision EfficientDynamics is a 2+2 sport coupe which runs on BMW's ActiveHybrid technology. The low slung car, at just 1.24 m tall, is designed for maximum aerodynamic flow and has a drag coefficient of just 0.22. It's a 2-door but BMW promises easy access to the rear passenger seats.

The powered by a 1.5L 3-cylinder turbo diesel engine mated to a hybrid synchronous motor at the front axle and a full-hybrid engine at the rear axle enables an overall system output 328-hp. 0-60 mph comes in just 4.8 seconds with a top speed of 155 mph. Fuel-economy is estimated at 63 mpg and the concept can provide 31 miles of zero-emissions driving.

The sleek car can do this while burning just 3.76 litters of fuel per 100 kilometers (a Toyota Prius-beating 62.5 miles per gallon U.S.) and emitting 99 grams of CO2 per kilometer. The production VED will also be a plug-in, with the ability to go 50 km (31 miles) on lithium-polymer battery power.

What is more interesting about this car is that is also conceived as a plug-in hybrid, using the lithium-polymer rechargeable battery housed centrally in a longitudinal chassis element. According to Bmw, the car can act as a pure electric vehicle for 50 kilometers or 31 miles, while with some help from the 24-litre diesel tank it will deliver a total range of up to 700 km or 435 miles.

Source: BMW






Press Release

A vision becomes reality: BMW announces serial production of sports car with plug-in hybrid technology.

Munich/Leipzig. It was the star of the Frankfurt international motor show IAA in 2009: a four-seater sports car with charismatic design, fascinating performance figures and unsurpassed efficiency, powered by BMW ActiveHybrid technology and presented under the title BMW Vision EfficientDynamics. With its wide range of completely or virtually production-ready components, this concept study met with an overwhelming response. There was a widespread desire to put the car on the road, and the realisation of this desire is moving considerably closer. At the Leipzig trade fair centre BMW is presenting a fully road-ready technology showcase vehicle based on the BMW Vision EfficientDynamics concept study. This presentation will give media representatives their first ever opportunity to find out what it is like to drive the 2+2-seater car powered by an innovative hybrid system.

The concept study BMW Vision EfficientDynamics represents the future of driving pleasure. Since its world premiere at the IAA 2009 it has received several awards both for its futuristic design and its ground-breaking engine technology. Just 1.24 metres high, the 2+2-seater takes up the characteristic BMW shaping style, geared consistently towards aesthetic appeal and dynamic performance. Wing doors facilitate entry to both rows of seats, while extensive aerodynamic measures reduce the drag coefficient to 0.22. The combination of a 3-cylinder turbo diesel with a hybrid synchronous motor at the front axle and a full-hybrid engine at the rear axle enables an overall system output of 241 kW/328 bhp. The innovative design of the BMW ActiveHybrid technology allows performance figures at the level of a sports car, with just 4.8 seconds required for the sprint from zero to 100 km/h - with an average fuel consumption in the EU test cycle (KV01) of 3.76 litters/100 kilometers, equal to 75.1 mpg imp, and a CO2 emission rating of 99 grams per kilometer (1,3 l/100km and 33g CO2/km; EU-PHEV ECE-R101).

This unique relation between dynamic performance and efficiency derives from the high level of efficiency of all engine components as well as intelligent linking of the power output of the three engines, as well as precisely controlled energy management including brake energy regeneration. What is more, the study BMW Vision EfficientDynamics is conceived as a so-called plug-in hybrid. The lithium-polymer rechargeable battery housed centrally in a longitudinal chassis element and designed specially for this hybrid sports car can be fully charged at a conventional power socket within just two and half hours. The use of electrical energy alone permits zero-emissions motoring with a range of some 50 kilometres, while a 24-litre diesel tank extends the total action radius of the vehicle to up to 700 kilometres.

By developing a sports car based on the BMW Vision EfficientDynamics concept study for serial production, the Munich-based premium automobile manufacturer underscores its position as a global leader in the production of sporty vehicles with exemplary efficiency. All current models are fitted as standard with extensive measures for the reduction of fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. The innovations used for this purpose are based on the development strategy BMW EfficientDynamics, which also includes BMW ActiveHybrid technology as well as purely electrical drive systems. With the BMW ActiveHybrid 7 and the BMW ActiveHybrid X6, two serial production vehicles have already been launched in which a BMW-specific combination of combustion and electric drive results in an especially efficient increase in the driving dynamics so characteristic of the brand.

The BMW Group is also undertaking extensive field tests in regular traffic, which after the MINI E will soon include the BMW ActiveE, so as to prepare for serial production of a purely electrically powered model which is to be produced at the BMW plant in Leipzig from 2013 as the Megacity Vehicle.

At the same time, the current technology showcase vehicle being presented to mark the expansion of the BMW Leipzig plant not only demonstrates the consistent further development of BMW ActiveHybrid as a drive concept. It also highlights the expertise of the BMW Group in the integrated development of vehicle concepts which are geared towards the principles of BMW EfficientDynamics in every detail. Like the Megacity Vehicle, the sports car based on the BMW Vision EfficientDynamics study is an example of how future-oriented mobility opens up fascinating perspectives in combination with the driving pleasure characteristic of BMW.