The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Motor Show

  • Coscharis launches Ford Escape at Motor Show

    Coscharis Motors, distributor of Ford vehicles in Nigeria, has unveiled the new Ford Escape Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) at the ongoing Lagos International Motor Show in Victoria Island.

    Visitors to the stand also had the opportunity to view the Ford Ranger pick-up truck, and the stylish Ford Edge and Ford Explorer SUVs. Ford is the second largest SUV brand in the world, and every model is backed by the global automaker’s SUV expertise, and robust 50-year heritage in the segment.

    Coscharis Motors General Manager of Marketing and Communications Abiona Babarinde  said: “We are thrilled with the new Escape joining our line-up. More importantly, our customers will be thrilled too. With stunning new design inside and out, smart technologies, fuel-efficient yet powerful engines, and five-star safety, it’s a vehicle that can be so many different things for our customers.”

    The new Escape features Ford’s latest design language for a bold, smart look that is shared with the brand’s other SUVs.

    Its large, upper trapezoidal grille, and a smaller lower grille, are flanked by sleek new headlamps, incorporating optional daytime running lights, complemented by functional, stylish fog lamps.

    “Ford designers went to great lengths to ensure the vehicle and its many features – large and small – are smart, and provide welcome benefits to daily routines. The hands-free Power Tailgate, for example, is something customers have really grown to appreciate, and it is available as an option across the Escape range. No matter what you might find filling your arms – from sports gear to shopping bags, or even a toddler or two – the Power Tailgate can save the day,” Babarinde said.

    The latest Ford technologies and sophisticated body engineering help drivers see more clearly, and enhance safety on the road for both vehicle occupants and other road users. The Adaptive Front Lighting System – depending on the Escape model – monitors ambient light conditions, and automatically optimises visibility by adjusting the beam angle of the new optional Bi-Xenon headlights, depending on the vehicle’s speed, steering angle, and distance to an object in front. It features anti-glare capability, as well as country road, City Street, and manoeuvring beam shaping abilities.

    An enhanced version of Ford’s Active City Stop collision avoidance system, and the New Perpendicular Parking functionality, which uses additional ultrasonic sensors at the push of a button, alongside the semi-autonomous Active Park Assist technology, are also available as options.

  • Toyota showcases new RAV4 at Motor Show

    The all-new Toyota RAV4 has been unveiled at this year’s New York Motor Show – and it’s a more chiselled, head-turning affair than earlier crossovers, judging by these first official photos. It is the fifth generation of RAV4.

    Based on the group’s latest Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) like the new 2018 Auris hatchback, the latest RAV4 promises a step-change improvement in dynamics, fuel efficiency, safety and packaging, according to its makers.

    The hybrid is claimed to be unique in class, although that position is unlikely to remain for long, as car makers race to electrify their crossovers.

    All-wheel drive is available and the hybrid set-up uses an additional, second electric motor to power the rear axle. The 2.0 petrol model’s AWD set-up is entirely mechanical. Although not an off-roader, shorter overhangs and a modest hike in ride height are claimed to provide better soft-roading ability.

    Inside the cabin, Toyota claims a step change in quality. It should be roomier, too: the wheelbase is 30mm longer and the new RAV4 is 10mm wider at 1855mm. There’s the usual array of digital dials, tablet-style touchscreens and all the latest Japanese tech, including an EV button so you can save charge for whisper-quiet urban driving.

    The use of the TNGA platform should make the RAV4 much better to drive than its predecessor. Despite its tip-toe SUV proportions, the newcomer does in fact have a lower centre of gravity, to the benefit of handling and nimbleness, its maker claims.

    Although no official economy or CO2 figures are available yet, Toyota is claiming good advances in both to make this more fuel – and tax – efficient.

    Toyota has confirmed it is phasing out diesel in its passenger cars from 2018 and expanding its hybrid range offerings, instead. This applies across its car range, but excludes the Hilux, Proace and Land Cruiser utility vehicles.

    Hybrids accounted for about 78 per cent of C-HR crossover sales last year, for example, and the brand is bringing two hybrid offerings to the new Auris range – the already-in-service 1.8 Hybrid and the new two Hybrid.

  • Motor Show: More firms confirm participation

    Motor Show: More firms confirm participation

    More firms are showing interest to participate in the forthcoming Lagos Motor Fair and Fourth Auto parts Expo, its organisers have said.

    The fair Organising Committee Chairman/Managing Director, BKG Exhibitions, Mr Ifeanyi Agwu, said indigenous and foreign firms in the automotive business are confirming their participation.

    According to him, over 45 indigenous firms have confirmed their participation while about 80 foreign firms from all parts of the world are storming the Federal Palace Hotel, Victoria Island, venue of the event, with various world-class products and services from their stables.

    Agwu said: “Virtually all the major brands of autos, spare parts, accessories, lubricants, banks, insurance, regulatory and policy making agencies and bodies are taking part.”

    “Some of the companies and agencies that will showcase at the event,” he said, “are Leventis Motors (distributors of Volkswagen Trucks), CFAO Group (distributors of Nissan and Mitsubishi brands), Toyota Nigeria Limited (distributors of Toyota brands), C&I Motors (distributors of Suzuki Brands), Perfection Autos FZE (distributors of FAW Trucks and Buses), and Dana Motors (distributors of KIA brands).

    “Others are: Mobil, MRS oil Nig Ltd, Ascon Oil, Eterna oil, Masters Energy, Total, A-Z Oil, Actis Spatial, First Systems Refinishes, Cornerstone Insurance Plc, Zenith Insurance Ltd, Car-parts.com, the National Automotive council (NAC) and other allied firms.”

    He said the foreign firms are coming from Turkey, China, India, and United Arab Emirates.

    Agwu noted that the growing number of exhibitors confirmed for this event can be attributed to the importance attached to it by the participants.

    “We cannot but attribute the increasing number of participants for the show to the strategic importance attached to it by all the stakeholders in the industry who have been hardworking and consistent with us. It has been a collective effort and all hands have continually been on deck, starting from the private sector to the various agencies of government both at the state and federal level,” he said.

    Feelers from most of the participating firms indicate that visitors to the various stands will enjoy lots of goodies. Some have packaged gift items, lucky dips and many other forms of entertainments which according to sources will last all through the fair.

    “We have packaged a fair that has something for everybody; visitors, participants and other stakeholders,” Agwu said.

     

  • Outrageous off-roaders at Geneva Motor Show

    Outrageous off-roaders at Geneva Motor Show

    As demand grows for crossovers and Sports Utility Vehicles (SUVs), so does the need for the well-heeled buyer to stand out from the crowd as some of the most startling concepts at this year’s Geneva Motor Show demonstrate.

     

    Mansory Sahara Edition

    Subtlety is not a word associated with Mansory, a tuning company that takes cars that are already expensive, exclusive and exotic and dials everything up to 11.

    When it’s not squeezing 1000bhp out of a Lamborghini or making limited edition iPhone cases, the Swiss firm focuses on SUVs. The Mansory Sahara Edition started out as a stock Mercedes G Wagon but the company has upped the engine to 838hp and lowered the ride height.

    It has got a camouflage paint job and inside the leather seats carry falcon motifs including feathers. In the rear, there is only room for two as the company has put a fridge between the back seats.

     

    Kahn Design Flying Huntsman 110WB 6×6

    British company Kahn Design also started with a venerable modern-day off-road classic, the Land Rover Defender 110 but has binned the car’s original powerplant in favor of a 6.2-liter GM-sourced V8.

    To make room for the bigger engine, the company had to make the front end of the car 400mm longer, but that is nothing compared to the trickery at the rear. The Flying Huntsman 110 WB has three wheels, not two, on either side, and is a true 6×6, with power going to every wheel individually. Other changes over the stock Land Rover include a beautiful leather interior, a panoramic glass roof and the option of full armour plating.

     

    Mercedes-Benz G500 4×42 Concept

    But perhaps the most outrageous custom SUV is one that comes directly from the manufacturer. The Mercedes G500 4×42 could be the ultimate in off-road performance and on-road ostentation. Under its hood, it has the same twin-turbo V8 that powers Mercedes’ current flagship supercar the AMG GT.

    At each corner it has a 22-inch wheel wrapped in a proper off-road tire, meaning it has ground clearance of nearly half a meter. It’s wider too — 299mm across because of the wheels and suspension setup. It stands so high that even Shaquille O’Neal, would need a ladder in order to clean its roof. And while it might look like a road-legal monster truck, the form is all about function. The way the car is set up it should be able to tackle potentially any type of terrain. Mercedes likens it to driving a rally car.

    Though just a concept at the moment, if the demand is there, Mercedes will give the car the green light.