The Insignia is yet...
The Insignia is yet to appear in Vauxhallò€™s UK showrooms, but the firm has already pulled the covers off the ultra-frugal ecoFLEX variant.Revealed on the firmò€™s Paris Motor Show stand, the green version of theÒ Ford Mondeo rival promises to cut your running costs and carbon emissions without compromising on refinement ò€“ in fact itò€™s the quietest Vauxhall ever built!Powered by a 158bhp 2.0-litre turbodiesel engine, the ecoFLEX family car produces less than 140g/km of CO2. Despite emissions on a par with many superminis, it will still be capable of 0-62mph in 9.5 seconds thanks to a torque overboost function which increases pulling power from 350Nm to 380Nm for up to 15 seconds.The key to the Vauxhallò€™s efficiency lies partly in its slippery shape. The standard Insigniaò€™s drag coefficient has been reduced from 0.27Cd to 0.26Cd, while special eco tyres are fitted to 17-inch alloy wheels.Prices are yet to be announced for the newcomer, which will go on sale in the UK next summer, but it wonò€™t sit at the bottom of the Insignia range. Instead it will be marketed as a mid-range variant with comfort and economy coming as standard.Meanwhile the Insignia Sports Tourer estate also made its world debut in Paris. The newcomer has a 540-litre luggage capacity with the rear seats in place, while the firm"s new FlexRide adjustable dampers are set up to adjust for heavy loads. The Sports Tourer will go on sale in the UK in March next year.
The Sexy Green Car Show...
The Sexy Green Car Show is back! Following the success of last year’s event, the eco-friendly motor expo returns. And the Eden Project in Cornwall – home to the two biggest greenhouses in the world – will play host for the second year in a row, from 23-31 May.
Star of the show will be the new Ford Focus ECOnetic. It produces only 115g/km of CO2 and returns combined economy of 65.6mpg from its 1.6-litre TDCi diesel powerplant.
Axon Automotive, a small British maker which rocked the show last year with its Eco-M version of the Caterham Seven roadster, is back, too. This time, it’s unveiling a hatchback it claims is capable of returning more than 100mpg and emits less than 80g/km of CO2. Other manufacturers showcasing their latest low-emission cars include Citroen, Honda, Peugeot, Saab, Volkswagen and Fiat. And it’s the latter which is making other leading marques in Europe green with envy. The latest study by automotive research group JATO Dynamics reveals that the Italian manufacturer has the lowest average CO2 emissions across all the vehicles it sold in 2007, at 137.3g/km. Peugeot and Citroen were second and third respectively.