Hyundai has introduced an entry-level crossover called Creta at a private event held in India.
As expected, the Creta is nearly identical to the ix25 that went on sale in China almost a year ago. Its front end falls in line with Hyundai’s latest design language thanks to a large hexagonal grille with three slats, swept-back headlights and a sculpted bumper with three air dams, while the rear end gets horizontal tail lamps that stretch far into the quarter panels. Available 17-inch alloy wheels add an upscale touch.

Interior pictures have not been published yet, but Hyundai promises select trim levels can be ordered with upscale features such as a seven-inch color touch screen, a keyless ignition, a six-speaker stereo and six airbags.

Creta buyers can choose from a 1.6-liter gasoline-burning four-cylinder engine and a pair of turbodiesel units with displacements of 1.4-liter and 1.6-liter, respectively. All engines come standard with a six-speed manual transmission, but the bigger oil-burner can be ordered with a six-speed automatic at an extra cost. Front-wheel drive is the only configuration available.

Built in Chennai, India, the Hyundai Creta is scheduled to go on sale locally on July 21st. The Euro-spec model will undoubtedly be presented to the public this September at the Frankfurt Motor Show, but whether the Creta has been earmarked for the United States is an open question.

Low-resolution images leaked from a private configurator have given us the best look yet at the upcoming Ferrari F12 GTO.
Designed as a homage to the 250 GTO built in the early 1960s, the F12 GTO will be powered by an evolution of the F12berlinetta‘s 6.3-liter V12 engine tuned to make about 800 horsepower, 70 more than stock. Interestingly, the naturally-aspirated twelve will reportedly work jointly with a hybrid system dubbed HY-KERS adapted from the LaFerrari.

The leaked images show the GTO looks much more aggressive than the Berlinetta on which it’s based thanks to a new front bumper with an oval grille that pays a discreet homage to the 250 GTO, two vents in the hood and heritage-laced air vents integrated into the rear quarter panels. However, the pictures come from a configurator so the production model might look a little bit different.

Ferrari has been keeping its lips tightly sealed about its next special edition model, but we suspect the F12 GTO will make its public debut this September at the Frankfurt Motor Show. If our assumption is correct, a full set of details about the GTO will emerge in early September.

Production will be limited to just 650 examples worldwide, and expect the coupe to carry a large premium over the nearly $320,000 F12berlinetta.

Paris-based Peugeot has introduced a Golf-sized hot hatch dubbed 308 GTi at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. Developed by Peugeot Sport, the automaker’s in-house racing division, the long-awaited GTi is positioned at the very top of the 308 lineup.
Peugeot’s newest sport-focused model uses a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine that has powered a long list of Peugeot, Citroën, MINI and even BMW models over the past few years. Two versions of the GTi are available: a base model that delivers 250 horsepower and 243 lb-ft. of torque, and a more expensive version that ups the ante with 270 ponies.

Both engines are bolted to a six-speed manual transmission that spins the front wheels, though the more powerful mill benefits from a Torsen limited-slip differential. The 250-horsepower model can sprint from zero to 62 mph in 6.2 seconds, while the 270-horsepower version performs the same task in six seconds flat.

Upgraded brakes on all four corners and a lowered suspension system help keep the turbo four’s grunt in check. Additionally, 270-horsepower models come with 19-inch alloy wheels wrapped by sticky Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires.

The extra power is complemented by a deeper front bumper with a large air dam and a thin strip of chrome trim, a roof-mounted spoiler, an air diffuser and two large round exhaust tips. GTi 270 models can be ordered with a two-tone paint job inspired by the 308 R concept that was shown in Frankfurt in 2013.

The cockpit has been spruced up with red stitching on the dashboard, the door panels and the center console, bucket seats upholstered in a combination of leather and Alcantara, a model-specific instrument cluster with a checkered flag motif and aluminum pedals. GTis equipped with the bigger engine come standard with a heads-up display.

The 2015 Peugeot 308 GTi will go on sale across Europe by the end of the summer, but pricing information has not been published yet.

Live images by Ben Hsu.

Introduced on the sidelines of the 24 Hours of Le Mans a few weeks ago, the Renault Alpine Celebration concept has made its public debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Designed – you guessed it – to celebrate Alpine’s 60th birthday, the Celebration takes the form of a small, lightweight coupe that borrows more than a few styling cues from the iconic A110 that was built in the 1960s and 1970s. The design isn’t full-on retro like the Volkswagen Beetle, but the Celebration features elongated headlights, a creased hood, round fog lights and a wrap-around rear window.

Our pictures from Goodwood reveal the heritage-laced treatment doesn’t extend to the interior. Instead, the Alpine Celebration features a track-ready cockpit with a three-spoke multi-function steering wheel, a bare dashboard and a LCD instrument cluster. The coupe is fitted with bucket seats and a built-in roll cage.

Alpine has not revealed what lies under the concept’s hood. Sources close to the company say the yet-unnamed production version of it will be powered by a mid-mounted turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine tuned to make about 250 horsepower. We suspect buyers will be asked to choose between a six-speed manual transmission and a six-speed dual-clutch unit.

The Alpine Celebration will spawn the first mass-produced Alpine of the 21st century. A few styling cues will be slightly toned down, but the overall design make the jump from concept to production with very few modifications.

Live images by Ben Hsu.

Nissan has revealed its latest high-performance crossover concept, the Juke-R 2.0, at the annual Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Interestingly, the company has dropped the Nismo badge that adorned the teaser image, however the one-off Juke is no less insane than rumors had suggested. The crossover is powered by the GT-R Nismo‘s twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter V6 engine with no less than 600 horsepower and 481 lb-ft of torque.

The 2.0 edition shares the same matte-black color scheme as its predecessor, which was powered by the ‘standard’ 3.8-liter Godzilla engine that produced 485 horsepower when the concept was first revealed in 2012.

Revised bodywork brings both a more muscular form and additional angular elements that help differentiate the front end from the standard road-going Juke. It takes on a slightly more menacing and less bubbly appearance.

The air intakes on the front bumper have been enlarged to allow the 600-pony engine to breathe and stay cool. Front and rear bumpers are built from carbon fiber, along with the rear winglets, wheel arches, side sills and hood ducts.

Nissan has made it clear that the Juke-R 2.0 concept is a technology demonstrator and promotional vehicle, not a crossover with production ambitions.

Live images by Ben Hsu.

Mercedes-Benz has given the entry-level A-Class hatchback a mid-cycle facelift.

The A-Class is built on the same front-wheel drive MFA platform as the CLA-Class, the GLA-Class and the B-Class. The visual updates are minor and largely limited to a revised front bumper, a re-drawn grille and new-look tail lamps. New alloy wheel designs and additional paint colors round out the list of exterior modifications.

Inside, the A benefits from a new two-pod instrument cluster and the latest generation of Mercedes’ infotainment system, which is displayed on an eight-inch screen. The hatchback is now compatible with Apple CarPlay and Google’s Android Auto software.

More significant updates are found under the hood. Notably, the range-topping Mercedes-AMG A 45 earns the honor of being the most powerful regular-production compact on the planet thanks to a tweaked 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that makes 381 horsepower – about 20 more than the outgoing model – and 350 lb-ft. of torque. The turbo four boasts an impressive output of 191 horsepower per liter of displacement.

Bolted to a seven-speed automatic transmission that transfers power to all four wheels, the 2.0-liter sends the A 45 from zero to 62 mph in just 4.2 seconds, nearly half a second faster than last year’s model. Top speed remains electronically limited to 155 mph.

Select models gain Mercedes’ Dynamic Select system, which lets the driver choose from four driving modes called Comfort, Sport, Eco and Individual. Each mode modifies the feel of the engine, the transmission, the steering and, surprisingly, the air conditioning. The aforementioned A45 ditches the standard A-Class’ Eco mode in favor of a Sport+ mode, while selecting the optional sport suspension adds a fifth mode dubbed Race.

The 2016 Mercedes-Benz A-Class is scheduled to go on sale across Europe this fall. How much of a premium it will command over its predecessor has not been announced yet.

What’s next?

At the time of writing Mercedes is not planning on offering the A-Class in the United States. However, the A 45′s 381-horsepower turbo four will almost certainly make its way under the hood of both the CLA 45 and the GLA 45 in the coming months.

Live images by Ben Hsu.

In a bid to lure BMW drivers into showrooms, Lexus’ European division has introduced a more efficient version of the IS dubbed 200t.
Like its name suggests, the 200t is powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that uses a beefy twin-scroll turbocharger to generate 245 horsepower at 5,800 rpm and 258 lb-ft. of torque from 1,650 to 4,400 rpm. Power is sent to the rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission controlled by shift paddles. All-wheel drive is not available, meaning that IS buyers looking to tackle adverse weather will need to step up to a V6-powered model.

Also found under the hood of the NX and the RX, the turbo four propels the IS 200t from zero to 62 mph in seven seconds flat – about half a second faster than the entry-level IS 250 offered on our shores – and on to a top speed of 142 mph. Fuel economy checks in at approximately 33.6 mpg in a mixed European cycle.

Visually, it takes an extremely well-trained eye to tell the 200t apart from an IS 250 because the differences are largely limited to smaller fog lights up front. 17-inch alloy wheels come standard, and 18-inch units are available at an extra cost.

The 2015 Lexus IS 200t is scheduled to go on sale across the Old Continent this coming September, but pricing information has not been published yet. The turbocharged four-cylinder engine will likely be added to the IS lineup in the United States before the end of the year.

Lotus has introduced the new 2016 3-Eleven at the annual Goodwood Festival of Speed that is currently taking place in England.
Heralded as the quickest and most expensive car Lotus has ever built, the 3-Eleven is designed to provide a pure, undiluted driving experience. It is based on the Exige, but it boasts a model-specific open-top body with sculpted panels crafted out of composite materials in order to save weight. The 3-Eleven eschews a windshield in favor of a tiny aeroscreen, and its rear end is fitted with an aggressive air diffuser. 18-inch forged aluminum wheels up front and 19-inch units out back come standard.

The 3-Eleven ships with a single bucket seat fitted with a four-point harness, but a second seat can be ordered at an extra cost. Inside, it offers a track-derived cockpit with a quick-release steering wheel and bare metal floors, while the instrument cluster consists of a color TFT screen that can be switched between road and race modes.

Power for the street-legal version of the 3-Eleven comes from an evolution of the Evora 400‘s supercharged 3.5-liter V6 engine that has been tuned to make 450 horsepower at 7,000 rpm and 332 lb-ft. of torque from 3,500 to 6,500 rpm. The six-cylinder spins the rear wheels via a six-speed manual transmission and a Torsen limited-slip differential.

A Bosch-designed ABS system tweaked by Lotus and AP Racing four-pot brake calipers keep the power in check.

Buyers who are exclusively interested in hitting the track can order more extreme version of the convertible dubbed Race. The Race model turns the dial up to 11 with a more aggressive body kit that provides nearly 500 pounds of downforce at 150 mph, a six-speed sequential transmission and a FIA-approved driver’s seat fitted with a six-point harness.

Production of the 3-Eleven will kick off in February of next year in Lotus’ Hethel, England, factory, and the first deliveries are scheduled for the following April. Production will be limited to – you guessed it – 311 examples.

In its home country, the 3-Eleven Road will carry a base price of £82,000 (about $129,000) while the Race model will command a hefty £115,200 (roughly $181,000). Lotus is not currently planning on offering the 3-Eleven in the United States.

Live Images by Ben Hsu.