Dodge Charger 2011

Dodge has revealed next year’s Charger, heavily restyled with even more brightwork and a thrillingly evocative rear end. The 2011 edition of the popular muscle saloon, has lost some of its characteristic bluntness but replaced it with sexier and softer contours.

At the front the prominent grilled bulges out even further now with a bolder, harder signature ‘split cross hair’, and eating down into the bumper atop a more contemporary air intake arrangement. Even though the headlights are clearly reprofiled the rest of the new cars face is easily recognisable as a Charger.

It’s in profile and at the rear that the biggest changes have taken place. Although no side pictures has been released yet, there is clearly a scallop in the side of the leading to an air vent just before the wheel arch.

At the rear there is a new diffuser and striking twin-exhausts on this ‘HEMI’ version, but just look at the taillight arrangement which is reminiscent of the 1969 Charger. The massive spread of LEDs (164 in total!) is distinctive and will really make this car stand out in evening traffic.

From its press release Dodge admits that the restyle has been inspired by the second generation Charger from the 1960s.

Volkswagen Scirocco R-Line

I rather like the Volkswagen Scirocco. It takes all the good bits from the Golf GTI and wraps them up in a rather more rakish body. It then couples this with an interior borrowed from the Eos coupe-convertible and combines them all in a smart-looking coupe-hatchback package.

Paint it in metallic lime green and you’re onto a winner. Indeed, the Scirocco picked up our award for Best Small Car 2009.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

But if that’s not enough excitement for you, Volkswagen is now offering an R-Line version.

It’s more a tick-box option pack than anything else as there’s no mechanical changes. Instead, you get the big wide open front bumper, some bigger side skirts, new alloys and some R-Line flashes around the interior. All for a slightly higher price of around $33k.

Unsurprisingly, this Scirocco drives much the same as any other ‘Roc – brilliantly. It’s poised, agile, eager and keen to please. If you really need to carry people in the back you’d be better off with the Golf GTI, but for everyone else, the Scirocco is perfect.

Lexus CT200h

   
 

MEET the compact Lexus that’s taking on the Audi A3 and BMW 1-Series! The five-door CT 200h is not only the Toyota luxury brand’s first small executive car, but it will also be the first hybrid in its class when sales start in March.



It’s priced at £23,485, and is effectively a revamped Prius on a new independently sprung chassis with a handsome if rather uninspiring body, available in sombre silver, grey or blue.

Under the skin is the familiar Prius driveline, comprising a four-cylinder petrol engine, an 81bhp electric motor and a nickel metal hydride battery. The brilliance of this is that the engine can drive the front wheels and/or charge the battery at the same time.

It’s a highly efficient way of recouping braking energy as electricity, and means the Lexus (as with the Prius) has excellent fuel consumption in town, and is also capable of running for short distances on electricity alone.

Over 1.5 million examples of the Prius have been sold, and apart from the recent US recall, they’ve proven reliable. Yet Toyota has never positioned the Prius as sporty; the CT 200h fills the gap.

Step inside and the luxurious layout is just what a Lexus buyer expects. Leather seats (in all but the entry SE-L) with soft-touch plastics and aluminium inserts set the tone, and the facia is stylish.

The seats are comfortable, with excellent but unobtrusive side supports. They adjust for height, and combine with the rake movement on the steering column to make for a decent driving position. In the rear, leg and headroom are cramped, while the 375-litre boot is shallow. Fold the seats and it expands to 985 litres.

Visibility could be better, though, especially through the pillar box-like front windscreen and rear three-quarters.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

The dash is a study in classy information display, with the familiar moving diagram showing energy flows and an electric blue battery charge gauge. The latter changes to a regular rev counter when drivers engage sport mode.

Doing so releases the system’s full 650 volts, and allows the engine to rev harder, with more dynamic software mapping for the throttle and electronic power-steering. It also reduces the abruptness of the stability and traction control electronics.

By contrast, Eco mode limits power, softens the respective electronic mapping and reduces the air-conditioning effect. Press start and the four-cylinder engine sounds anything but sporting. Eco mode hampers responses, but in Normal, the 1,370kg Lexus pulls away briskly, with direct and well weighted, if lifeless, steering.

On our SE-L model’s optional 17-inch wheels, the ride is harsh and the tyres are noisy on some surfaces. The rigid bodyshell is a vast improvement on the Prius and the independent rear suspension copes with corners better, but there isn’t much joy in driving the Lexus hard. Engineers admit they would prefer a more agile set-up.

Renaultsport Clio 200 Cup

French firm’s supermini hot hatch is back with a brand-new look and even sharper handling

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Renault’s roadgoing race car is back, and it looks better than ever! With sublime handling and great engines, previous Renaultsport Clios have already claimed their places in the hot hatch hall of fame. But can the French firm improve what was already a winning formula?

As the new name suggests, reworking the 2.0-litre motor has resulted in an extra helping of horsepower… all 3bhp of it. Maximum torque of 215Nm is now delivered at 5,400rpm – 150rpm lower than in the Clio 197 – while first, second and third gears have been shortened to improve acceleration. Fuel economy and CO2 emissions show a slight improvement too, at 34.5mpg and 195g/km.

Customers can choose between Sport and Cup chassis. The former puts the emphasis on comfort and throws in more standard kit, while the Cup is engineered for uncompromised driving pleasure.

A lower ride height, 15 per cent stiffer dampers than the current Clio 197 and a quicker steering rack ensures the Cup-spec car feels alive in your hands. But it’s not just for experts – the chassis is beautifully forgiving. Charge into a corner too fast, and a sharp lift of the throttle wipes off the understeer and tightens your line – it really is
a flattering car to drive fast.

A rear diffuser, front splitter and boot spoiler not only help to build downforce at speed, but give the car its trademark racy styling. New additions include a revised front end with lower front air intake, new lights and a gloss-black grille. If that’s not enough to get you noticed, the Alien green paint certainly will!

If creature comforts are your thing, look away now: the Cup interior is the same as the entry-level Clio’s. All you get is electric windows and a simple stereo – there’s not even air-conditioning. But it does help shave 36kg off the kerbweight.

Rival: Vauxhall Corsa VXR
Performance from the VXR’s 1.6-litre turbo engine is strong, but much of the power is spun away through the front wheels. It can’t match the Clio’s handling finesse, but its brash styling will turn more heads.