SCOOP: This is the New Porsche Macan Compact SUV

No more hiding under the body panels of the Audi Q5 for the Porsche Macan as the Stuttgart automaker's engineers took a completed prototype for a ride in Germany and our spy photographers were on hand to capture it on film.

Lifting a page from the 911 prototypes, Porsche's people added some goofy-looking head- and tail lamp covers mimicking the style of the larger Cayenne to confuse us, but the rest of the car matches the teaser sketch released by the company in February during the announcement of the name.

The overall exterior styling is very close to the Cayenne but the Macan is smaller in size and features a swoopier roofline.

The Macan shares its platform architecture with the Audi Q5, which means its key dimensions will be similar to Ingolstadt's crossover model.

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Superchips Develops a Firmware Upgrade for Nissan Qashqai 1.5 DCi

The diesel-powered Nissan Qashqai 1.5 DCi is at Superchip's center of attention as the British tuning brand has created an ECU remap to boost the crossover model's performance.

In factory trim, the Qashqai's Renault-sourced 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder diesel develops a peak output of 108bhp (110PS) at 4,000 rpm and a maximum torque of 240Nm (177 lb-ft).

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New Porsche Cayenne Cayster GT 670 by Hofele-Design

After previewing the new Cayster GT 670 program for the Porsche Cayenne at last year's Essen Motor Show, German aftermarket specialist Hofele-Design has now launched the tuning package onto the market.

The exterior upgrades are the main event for this package with Hofele-Design having developed a new 14-piece body kit.

Among other parts, the package includes a newly styled front bumper with LED daytime running lights, wheel arch extensions, a new vented hood with a power dome, side sills, boot spoiler, roof wing, and a new rear bumper that houses a diffuser and quad pipes.

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Volkswagen Passat TDI Travels 1,626 Miles on a Single Tank of Fuel, Sets New World Record

The Volkswagen brand has done it again breaking its own record for the longest distanced travelled on a single tank of fuel, this time with the U.S. built 2012 Passat TDI SE sedan equipped with a six-speed manual gearbox.

John and Helen Taylor managed to drive the diesel-powered Passat for an impressive 1626.1 miles (2,617 kilometers) through nine states on one tank of fuel improving the previous record held by a VW Passat 1.6 BlueMotion diesel (1526.6 miles) in Europe by 99.5 miles (160.1 kilometers).

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New BMW X1 Compact Crossover Priced from £24,660 in the UK, Available Exclusively with Diesels

The facelifted BMW X1 will go on sale in Britain this July priced from £24,660 for the X1 sDrive18d. The Bavarian company's Audi Q3 rival features minor exterior styling tweaks combined with a subtlety-refined cabin, a new flagship diesel model and two new trims, Sport and xLine.

Proving the popularity of oil-burners in the UK, the X1 will be offered exclusively with diesel engines topped by the new X1 xDrive25d, which is only available in four-wheel drive.

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New Chrysler 300C Priced in the UK, Available Only with a Diesel Engine

While in mainland Europe Chrysler models wear the Lancia badge on their bonnets, in Britain, the American automaker decided to stick to its own brand name.

Making its debut in the UK this June is Chrysler's flagship model, the second generation of the 300C executive saloon that will become available in two diesel-powered versions.

Both models are motivated by a 3.0-litre V6 diesel engine churning out 236bhp and 540Nm (398 lb-ft) of torque, with the new 300C returning a combined fuel economy of 39.8 mpg UK (33.1mpg US or 7.1lt/100km) and a corresponding CO2 figure of 185-191g/km, depending on wheel size.

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VW Transporter California Doubleback is an Extendable Rolling Home on Wheels

We have seen many camper conversions based on Volkswagen's highly popular Transporter T5 vans but what makes this new offering from British firm Doubleback is the innovative extendable rear section.

All the driver needs to do is press a button and the rear end of the van almost doubles its size thanks to an electric slide out rear pod that adds close to 2 meters (~78 inches) to the length of the vehicle.

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Chevrolet Prepares Consumers for U.S. Arrival of Diesel-Powered Cruze with Facts and Figures

Ask any European about the benefits of diesel engines in passenger cars and invariably the answer will be about fuel efficiency and increased reliability over gasoline units.

It has taken Americans more than two decades to re-embrace diesel engines after a catastrophic attempt in the 1980s, but thanks to German automakers like Volkswagen, Mercedes and BMW, and let's not forget, the rising cost of fuel, oil burners are on the menu again.

While das Germans have done most of the job of informing U.S. consumers about the new generation of diesels and how they differ from their sooty and finicky counterparts of the past, GM took a moment to introduce its side of the story as it prepares for the domestic launch of the Cruze Diesel, which arrives next year.

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2013 Audi Q5 gets Barely Visible Styling Tweaks and an Updated Engine Range that Includes 3.0 TFSI

After four years in the market, the Audi Q5 has received its first refresh, but you will be forgiven for not noticing the styling changes.

To sum up the exterior and interior updates that we mentioned when the official pictures of the Q5 leaked onto the web, the compact crossover gets Audi's new six-point grille, fresh headlamp and taillight graphics, revised front and rear aprons, plus updated trim, refined ergonomics, new steering wheels and subtly modified column control stalks and instrument panel.

Of more importance are the changes found under the hood, as there are five new or upgrades engines plus the hybrid model. For the new model year, Audi is replacing the naturally aspirated 3.2-liter V6 with a 3.0-liter supercharged V6 petrol engine.

The 3.0 TFSI outputs 268hp (272PS) and 400 Nm (295 lb-ft) of torque allowing for a zero to 100km/h (62mph) sprint time of 5.9 seconds, a top speed of 234km/h (145mph) and a combined fuel consumption of 8.5lt/100km (27.7 US mpg or 33.2mpg UK) on the European cycle.

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Jaguar Presents New Flagship XJ Ultimate Edition Series at the Beijing Show [Video]

Described by Jaguar as the "pinnacle" of its XJ series, the new Ultimate Edition that was revealed at this week's Auto China 2012 in Beijing takes its place as the top offering in the saloon model's line-up.

The flagship XJ model is based exclusively on the long-wheelbase version and will be the first to be offered with Jaguar's new 3.0-litre V6 supercharged petrol engine producing 335hp (340PS).

The car can also be specified with Jaguar’s existing 5.0-litre V8 supercharged petrol engine, and its 3.0-litre V6 turbocharged diesel, with all engines linked to eight-speed automatic transmissions.

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BMW M Boss Confirms AWD for M135i, Says Company is Considering M Performance 7-Series

The crew over at Car&Driver magazine recently sat down for a chat with the president of BMW’s M division, Friedrich Nitschke, who had some very interesting things to say about the sub-brand's future products.

While Nitschke made it clear that the upcoming M135i that was displayed in concept trim at the Geneva Motor Show this March won't be coming to the United States, he confirmed that the six-cylinder turbocharged hatch will be offered in the rest of the world with optional all-wheel drive as well as a choice of manual and automatic transmissions.

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Mercedes-Benz Announces Details on New G63 V8 and G65 V12 AMG Models

After the release of a handful of pictures on its website on Wednesday, Mercedes-Benz has now published detailed information on the new AMG variants of its refreshed 2013 G-Class series that will make their world premiere at next week's 2012 Beijing Auto Show.

For the new model year, there are two AMG models, including the G63 AMG that replaces the G55 AMG, and the limited production G65 AMG, which we're not sure if it will be available in the States.

The G63 AMG sports Mercedes' 5.5-liter twin-turbocharged and direct-injection V8 engine with a start and stop function that produces 536hp (544PS) and 760Nm (560 lb-ft) of peak torque.

A seven-speed automatic transmission and an all-wheel drive system with three separate differentials that can be manually locked transfer power to the wheels.

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Chevrolet Cruze Now Available in the UK with New 1.7-liter Diesel that Returns up to 72.4mpg

Chevrolet has announced the availability of a new and more frugal diesel engine for its UK market Cruze. The 1.7-liter VCDi unit will be offered on the five-door hatchback version of the Cruze starting in May and the newly revealed Station Wagon variant later this year.

The four-cylinder turbo diesel develops a maximum output of 128-horses (130PS) and a peak torque of 300Nm (221 lb-ft) accelerating the hatchback model from 0-60mph (96km/h) in 9.4 seconds and on to a top speed of 124mph (200km/h).

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Watch Citroën's New Numéro 9 DS Luxury Concept on the Move

The first video of the Citroën Numéro 9 has sprung up in the wake of its official presentation on Thursday night.

The sleek looking concept model continues to push Citroën's DS lineup more upmarket while also previewing the design elements to be found in three brand new DS vehicles that will soon launch onto the market, including a C-segment compact sedan, an SUV and a mid-size D-Segment sedan.

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I Am Numéro 9: Citroën’s DS Concept in Detail with Over 120 High-Res Photos

Over the past few weeks, we managed to gather bits and pieces about Citroën’s newest DS concept study and now, we not only have more than 120 high-resolution photos to share with you, but we also have all the details in advance of its world premiere at the Beijing Motor Show on April 24.

Previously believed to be named the DS9, the French study is called the Numéro 9 concept, though Citroën makes it clear that it belongs to the DS lineup.

Citroën says that the Numéro 9 introduces the more chic and premium DS lineup to Chinese consumers before the company launches its first DS products onto the market later this year.

More importantly though, Citroën states that the Numéro 9 refines the brand's design language and signals the styling cues of the next three DS line models including a C-segment premium sedan (think Audi A3 Sedan), an SUV and a D-segment (mid-size) executive saloon.

As you can see, Citroën is all hyped up about its DS line, which currently consists of the DS3 supermini, DS4 compact hatch and the larger DS5, and all for good reason as it has notched up more than 200,000 sales worldwide just two years after launch.

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New Volvo V40 Hatchback Starts from £19,745 in Britain

A little over a month after its world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show, Volvo of Britain has released detailed pricing on the brand's new premium five-door hatch, the V40.

On-the-road prices range from £19,745 for the base 115hp diesel to £26,795 for a fully equipped SE LUX model with a 177hp diesel. Volvo said that customers can place their orders now, though the first cars won't be arriving in the UK before September.

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Volvo Extends Line-Up with 136HP 2.0-Liter Five-Cylinder Diesel, Announces 2013MY Changes

In line with its initiative to improve fuel efficiency and reduce CO2 emissions across its range, Volvo announced the introduction of a new five-cylinder, 2.0-liter turbo diesel engine.

The new diesel, which is designated D3, has an output of 136HP and 350Nm (258.1 lb-ft) of torque and slots between the 115HP D2 and the 163HP D4 engines. It will be available in the S60, V60, XC60, V70 and S80 models and can be combined with both manual and automatic transmissions.

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2013 Mercedes-Benz G-Class gets New Twin-Turbo V8 and V12 AMG Variants with up to 603HP!

After discovering the 2013 G-Class lurking behind the updated GLK in one of the official shots and learning that Mercedes will debut the revised version of its longest running model series at the Beijing motor show at the end of April, we knew it was only a matter of time before the Germans made it official.

You will be hard pressed to find any exterior differences but there's more than meets the eye with the 2013 G-Class, as Mercedes revamped the interior while adding two new AMG performance versions to the range.

Mercedes found no reason to alter the exterior appearance of the G-Class, which has been in production for 33 years since 1979, so the only changes are the new LED daytime running lamps and exterior mirrors for all engine variants. The AMG models also get a bespoke radiator grille with double louvres, new bumpers with large air intakes and 20-inch wheels.

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Mildly Updated 2012 Infiniti FX Goes on Sale in Europe

After last year's presentation, the 2012 Infiniti FX is now available for order across Europe. In the UK, prices remain unchanged, starting from £46,750 for the V6 model and rising to £58,250 for the V8 variant.

Key styling enhancements for the 2012 model include the adoption of Infiniti's signature pinched front grille, a reprofiled front bumper with chrome elements, new alloy wheel designs, a revised meter illumination and a fresh assortment of exterior colors.

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ABT Reveals its Latest Tuning Take on Volkswagen's T5 Passenger Van

Most German tuning firms have a soft spot for Volkswagen's T5 series of vans and ABT is no exception. The VW Group specialist has presented a new package that treats the passenger version of the T5 with more power and upgraded looks.

ABT offers an engine kit for all diesel versions of the T5 starting with the 83hp (84PS) engine that's bumped to 109hp (110PS) and continues with the 101hp (102PS) unit that gets a nudge to 129hp (130PS), and the 2.0-liter TDI with 138hp (140PS) that's boosted to 168hp (170PS).

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