These are the first official sketches of Mercedes-Benz's all-new Citan, which the German automaker describes as an 'urban delivery van'. The Citan will make its world premiere at the IAA Commercial Vehicle Show in Hannover this September and go on sale before the end of the year. In spite of the fact that Mercedes-Benz does not mention it in its press release, the automaker had previously revealed that the small van was developed in partnership with the Renault-Nissan alliance as part of their strategic collaboration, which includes several more projects such as the Twingo/Smart platform and powertrain cross-supply. 
The Citan broadens Mercedes-Benz's offerings in in the lower weight classes of the van market, which include the Vito (2.77 to 3.2 tons), Sprinter (3.0 to 5.0 tons) and Vario (6.0 to 8.2 tons). The German company said that the small van segment has picked up in sales these past couple of decades and has now grown to around 700,000 units in Europe alone. It added that it plans to gain a market share of four to five percent in this segment with the Citan, which equals to 28,000 to 35,000 units a year in Europe.
Leave it to Mini to present a special edition model every two weeks. After the "Baker Street" and "Bayswater" hatchbacks, it's the convertible model's turn to gain a new moniker. This one is called is called "Highgate" and is offered with four engine variants including the 122HP Cooper, 184HP Cooper S, and for those markets that get diesel versions, the 112HP Cooper D and 143HP Cooper SD.
These days, downsizing doesn't occur only to engine displacement but also to engine outputs. Case in point, the introduction of two new entry-level diesel engines for Audi's A5 Sportback and A5 Coupe models. The new 136PS (134bhp) and 163PS (161bhp) 2.0-liter TDIe diesels will be offered in parallel to the existing 143PS (141bhp) and 177PS (175bhp) 2.0-liter TDI units, the difference being that the 'e' engines are less powerful but more fuel-efficient. The 2.0-litre TDIe 163PS is available on both the A5 models, linked exclusively to six-speed manual transmission.
At the 2012 Chicago Auto Show, Volkswagen will reveal the most fuel-efficient version of the new Beetle in the States, the TDI, which is powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder diesel engine producing 140 horsepower and 236 lb-ft of peak torque. The same powerplant is offered on the North American Jetta and Passat TDI models. The diesel engine can be mated to either a six-speed manual gearbox or VW�s dual-clutch DSG six-speed automatic, with the German automaker predicting a fuel economy of 29 mpg city and 39 mpg highway. 
That's a significant improvement over the base 170HP 2.5-liter gasoline engine that returns an estimated 22 mpg city and 31 mpg highway with a five-speed manual, and 22 mpg city and 29 mpg highway with the optional six-speed auto.
Citro�n 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, Citro�n 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.
Fiat couldn't wait until the Geneva Motor Show to reveal its all-new 500L so it is giving us an early preview of its all-new sub-compact model. As you may have already guessed, the "L" in the name stands for "Large", with the 500L being the latest addition to the 500 range after the three-door hatch, the Cabrio and the Abarth models. While the name and the styling (to some extent) refer to the 500 mini, the five-door 500L is based on the platform of the B-segment Punto measuring 4,140mm long, 1,780mm wide and 1,660mm tall. It is 594mm longer, 153mm wider and 175mm taller than the three-door 500. 
The Italian company says the 500L offers "MPV passenger space combined with the feel of a small SUV on the road and the restrained dimensions and efficiency of a B segment car" and that it's an alternative to the traditional B and C segments.
We have another round of spy shots of the all-new 2013 Land Rover Range Rover. While the exterior of the British firm's luxury SUV continues to wear plenty of camouflage, our scoopsters were able to snag the first photos of the Range Rover's interior. 
If you pay close attention to the pictures, you'll notice several changes including the repositioned main air-vents that are mounted on the same level as the audio and navigation screen on the current model. Right below we find a massive screen for the infotainment system that takes plenty of real estate on the center stack. The lower console is also new and seems to be positioned slightly higher than before.
You might remember that we reported on the all-new 2011 Suzuki Swift earlier this month, but now we have a fresh batch of photos including the first shots of the supermini's interior as well as the complete spec sheet for both the five-door and the yet to be revealed, three-door version.
Starting with cabin, the pictures reveal that the dashboard design and layout is clearly inspired by the larger Suzuki Kizashi sedan with restrained metallic accents and a similar styling for the center console that houses new switchgear and LCD displays for the audio system and A/C.
As we noted in our previous post, despite the fact that the 2011 Swift is based on a new and longer platform, the car's exterior styling is a subtle evolution of the outgoing model's design.
The most environmentally friendly Skoda model to date, the new Fabia Estate Greenline II, goes on sale in the UK in the beginning of July with pricing set at �13,740.
The second generation Greenline models is powered by the VW Group's new three-cylinder turbocharged 1.2-liter common rail turbo diesel engine with 75-horsepower. To help improve fuel economy and reduce CO2 emissions, the Greenline model also gets start & stop technology, a kinetic energy system for battery recharging, gear recommendation system, lowered and aerodynamically-covered chassis and low-rolling resistance tires.
GM's European division has fine tuned several engines in the Opel / Vauxhall Insignia range (known as the Buick Regal in the States0 for better economy and lower CO2 emissions. Aside from the changes made on the 2.0-liter Turbo unit that yield close to five per cent drop in emissions, all 2.0-liter diesel powerplants including the ecoFLEX models benefit from improvements that make them greener and less costly to run.
You're looking at the refreshed Japanese domestic market [JDM] version of the Nissan X-Trail, a compact SUV model sold in Europe, Japan and other parts of the world but not in the States. For the 2011MY, there's the subtlest of design tweaks, mainly to the front end and the interior, plus a new diesel version and equipment upgrades.
On the outside, the JDM 2011 X-Trail gains a redesigned front grille, front bumper and headlights, along with a reworked rear bumper and new LED tail lamps. There's also a new model called 'X-Tremer' boasting unique bumpers and alloy wheels.
In the interior, the X-Trail is spruced up with a redesigned instrument panel featuring larger dials and a new information display system, fresh colors and additional standard features.
Following hot on the heels from the introduction of the refreshed for the 2011MY Mondeo, Ford's European arm is now broadening the appeal of its Kuga SUV with the presentation of two new diesel engines coupled with a new 'Individual' trim.
The automaker's compact SUV model gains a new 2.0-liter turbo diesel Duratorq TDCi engine that's available in two states of tune, a 140HP version that replaces the 136HP variant and a new 163-horsepower edition. All-wheel drive models can be specified with Ford's PowerShift six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
The European market Hyundai i20 has received some minor improvements under the hood as well as to the aerodynamics and the interior of the car. Hyundai started by adding a small spoiler to the underneath of the vehicle to improve airflow around the wheels, while all i20s now use low friction engine oil and an alternator management system.
Say 'bonjour' to the all-new Peugeot 508, the first official pictures of which were leaked onto the web today. Designed to replace both the Opel Insignia-challenging 407 and the larger 607, the French automaker's new mid-size contender will have its first public outing at the Paris Motor Show at the end of September, and go on sale across Europe and other markets early next year.
Peugeot previewed the new 508 at this year's edition of the Geneva Salon with a concept sedan model, called the "5 by Peugeot". The production version has remained more or less true to the concept car
Along with the first photos of the sleek-looking sedan, we also have pictures of its load-loving station wagon brethren that will cater the needs of those looking for a more practical and possibly more spacious proposal in the mid-size segment.
Back in March, Nissan announced plans to introduce a diesel engine option for the very first time on its European market Murano crossover in September. The need for additional cooling airflow to the diesel engine and radiators meant that the Nissan had to redesign the front end of the Murano which enters the 2011 model year with a reworked fascia sporting a new grille and a reshaped bumper with larger air intakes and different fog lamps.
Infiniti's has released pricing on its UK market M37 model that's powered by a 3.7-litre petrol V6 engine The Japanese firm's BMW 5-Series rival will be available in five different grades priced from �35,150. The M range will be extended by the M30d diesel in October and the M35 hybrid in spring 2011, with prices and specifications for these versions to be announced at a later date.
Alfa Romeo has commissioned a one-off art piece to mark the UK launch of its congestion charge free MiTo 1.3 JTDM-2 Sprint, which is powered by an 85-horsepower turbo diesel that emits 95g/km of CO2 .
Toyota has blessed its European market HiLux pickup truck with a mid-life facelift for the 2012 model year. The cosmetic surgery starts with the exterior that gains a redesigned front end sporting a different grille dressed in chrome, new bonnet, headlamps and front bumper. The changes continue with the redesigned front and rear wings, a new crop of 15- and 17-inch steel and alloy wheels, plus new door mirrors.
Toyota today announced prices for its next generation Yaris hatchback in Europe including the UK where the supermini is available for order now with first customer deliveries to take place in September. The new Yaris is available in three- and five-door body styles with British buyers offered a choice of four grades (T2, TR, SR and T Spirit) and three engines including 1.0 and 1.33-litre petrol units and a 1.4-litre D-4D turbodiesel. On-the-road prices start from �11,700.
Audi today unveiled the facelifted versions of its A5 range which includes the Coupe, the Sportback and Cabriolet models. The company�s goal was to freshen up the A5�s exterior looks and to improve both their driving dynamics and fuel economy. 
The 2012 Audi A5 range is available exclusively with direct injection engines featuring forced induction and stop-start and energy regeneration system as standard. As a result, Audi says fuel consumption has been decreased across the range by 11% on average and CO2 emissions by as much as 22%.
The Citan broadens Mercedes-Benz's offerings in in the lower weight classes of the van market, which include the Vito (2.77 to 3.2 tons), Sprinter (3.0 to 5.0 tons) and Vario (6.0 to 8.2 tons). 
