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The Mini Cooper D uses 3.9L/100km and emits 104grams of CO2 per kilometre. In comparison the new Toyota Prius (which will go on sale this month) uses the same amount of fuel (petrol) but emits CO2 at the rate of 89g/km.

You do have to wonder, given the Mini is just a simple diesel engine, why the Prius will all its technology is only 13 grams of CO2 better per kilometre?

Mini says it is happy to share the title of “Australia’s most fuel efficient car” with the Prius.

“We’re delighted with the significant Australian interest in the new Mini Cooper D. The customer response has been well above our expectations and we’re seeing a new breed of Mini customer walking into showrooms well aware of the car’s credentials. Customers placing orders report they like the perky performance, typical Mini go-kart handling and outstanding fuel consumption.” said Mini Australia national manager, Justin Hocevar.

Although Toyota has no need to make mention of the Cooper D sharing its title as the most fuel efficient car in Australia, Mr Hocevar said : “Mini also warmly welcomes the new Prius to the sub-four-litre club.

“The Cooper D and now the new Prius both exemplify the strides manufacturers are making to reduce fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions”.

The new Mini can travel over 1000km on a single tank, for example, a Mini Cooper D, with its tiny 40-litre fuel tank, could make its way from Sydney to Melbourne without stopping for more fuel.

If you had a choice, would you buy the Mini Cooper Diesel or the new Toyota Prius?

• 2009 Mini Cooper Diesel First Steer
• 2009 Toyota Prius First Steer

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According to Toyota Australia’s senior executive director sales and marketing David Buttner fewer than one-quarter of one per cent of Prius hybrid batteries have been replaced in almost eight years of operation in Australia.

“Their endurance has been tested under severe conditions, with several Prius taxis driven for more than 400,000km on the original battery in the hot, humid climate of Cairns. That’s equivalent to more than 20 years of normal driving.” Mr Buttner said.

If you own a Prius you will shortly receive a letter informing you of the warranty extension.

Lexus hybrid models: GS, RX and LS hybrids will also benefit from the extension.

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Ford improved to 102 reported problems per 100 vehicles and Chevrolet to 103, just behind Toyota’s sixth place score of 101.

That put the three top-selling brands in the United States in the same league when it comes to complaints during the first 90 days of ownership.

“There is no statistical difference between a 101 and a 102 or, for that matter, between a 101 and a 103,” said David Sargent, JD Power’s vice president of automotive research, in a presentation to the Automotive Press Association.

Overall industry quality improved to its best level in the study’s 23 years, and domestic brands continued to close the gap between their performance and the industry average.

That average was 108 reported problems per 100 vehicles, down from 118 in 2008. Owners of US domestic brands recorded an average of 112 problems per 100 vehicles.

A year earlier, the US domestics had 124 reported problems, or six more than the average.

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This achievement follows on from the success of the Insight in Japan where in April it was the first hybrid ever to be the number one selling passenger car.

Third place in the table went to Honda’s Civic Hybrid, which like the Insight is also a fuel efficient, low emission, full-parallel hybrid.

The Civic Hybrid is Australia’s most affordable hybrid. Both cars can run on the electric motor alone in some medium- to high-speed conditions, giving near silent running and fuel efficiency benefits.

The Insight is currently being introduced across Europe, joining the Civic Hybrid in Honda’s petrol-electric range. Honda Motor Europe, Senior Vice President, Ken Keir is delighted that the Insight has been so well received.

He commented: “We introduced Europe to hybrids almost 10 years ago when we put the original Insight on sale. The Insight was the first hybrid to be sold in Europe and this sector is set to continue to expand and diversify.”

Honda says the hybrid sector and alternative fuels sector, which features any passenger car not powered solely by petrol or diesel is set to grow further in the near future.

It says that in the future Honda will produce a hybrid version of the Jazz and a production car based on the CR-Z Concept, giving the consumer a wider choice of Honda hybrid models.

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“We want a real signature for our electric range, so when people see one in the street they will know it is a Renault electric car,” said Renault developing chief Christian Steyer. “The key is to do this without frightening customers away. Customers must be tempted, and not rushed too fast.”

The new Renault EV will also feature the company’s ‘Quick Drop’ system which allows owners to simply swap battery packs and keep going, rather than wait for an in-built one to recharge.

More will be revealed when the Frankfurt International Motor Show begins on September 15th.

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Touch Tracer is the first display system in the world to allow steering wheel controls to read out on the instrument panel, which is positioned at an ideal distance for at-a-glance reading of information.

The system allows the driver to control various on-board functions without the need to look down or take their hands from the steering wheel.

When the driver lightly touches the audio or information dials on the steering wheel, a duplicate image is automatically displayed on the instrument panel, right in front of the driver.

An orange light on the duplicate display shows what button the driver’s finger is touching before pressing it to make a selection.

Touch Tracer can be used to adjust audio controls and cabin temperature as well as checking energy consumption.

New Prius also features a Head-Up Display that projects key information onto the base of the windscreen, so the driver can read it without taking eyes off the road.

Displayed information includes vehicle speed and a monitor that shows how economically the car is being driven.

Prius models equipped with satellite navigation also benefit from the head-up display of turn-by-turn and distance-to-exit information. The display can be adjusted for height and brightness, or may be switched off.

The all-new Toyota Prius goes on sale in Australia during July.

Source: Toyota

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To be sold under the Avante badge in Korea, the LPI HEV will ensure eco-friendliness as well as economical operating costs and differentiated design.

A Hyundai Australia spokesman said the car would be evaluated in conjunction with head office in Korea before any decision was made on bringing it to Australia.

He said it was too early to say if, or when, the car would be released in Australia.

Powered by an LPI ‘Gamma’ engine displacing 1.6-litres, plus a 15kW/105Nm electric motor and using a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT), the Avante LPI HEV emits just 99g/km of CO2 and 90 per cent fewer emissions than an equivalent standard 1.6-litre petrol powered Avante to qualify as a Super Ultra Low Emission Vehicle (SULEV).

In addition Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) is a low carbon emitting hydrocarbon fuel which burns more cleanly than petrol or Diesel.

In addition, the Avante LPI Hybrid is a mild-type hybrid, with a fuel economy rating of 5.6 litres/100km.

This represents a 47 per cent improvement over a conventional 1.6-litre Avante with automatic transmission. It’s even cheaper to operate as the average price of LPG in Korea is 50 per cent less than that of petrol.

Avante LPI Hybrid is also the world’s first hybrid vehicle to adopt advanced Lithium Ion Polymer rechargeable batteries that have higher energy density, lower manufacturing costs, are more robust to physical damage and can also take more charge-discharge cycles before storage capacity begins to degrade than Lithium Ion Batteries.

Hyundai and its local partners have developed the technology and all key components in the Avante LPI HEV including the motor, battery and low DC/DC converter.

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Coininciding with the release of an all-electric drive-train for its next XJ series it’s apparant that the sedan will sport a seperate system from that proposed for the XE-EV roadster.

Debut timing is still a little hazy due to the global economic downturn with the expected release at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show now in doubt.

But with Fisker moving ahead on its convertible Karma, Jaguar could have to make a move sooner than expected. Though for now it’s a case of wait and see.

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“It’s going to be the 20-tens that we’re going to be actually engineering all this, and we’re actually trying to pull that forward, if we can.” Executive Vice President Philip Spender said last week at the Japan launch of the Mazda3.

With the Toyota Prius claiming the best selling car title in Japan last month, other Japanese manufacturers have started to take notice. They may be years behind the Big T in hybrid technology but the sooner the better.

“We’ve started to talk a lot more about it lately, in part because everybody else is, we now know what the carbon dioxide targets are. We now know what our fleet performance and our gaps are,” Spender said.

The change in strategy will not conflict with the company’s current target to improve engines and transmissions to improve the fuel efficiency of its global fleet by 30 per cent come 2015.

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Lexus says that available from July 13, RX 450h will set fuel economy and efficiency figures closer to that of some small four-cylinder hatchbacks.

The petrol-electric hybrid will consume 6.4 litres of fuel per 100km, using ADR Combined figures, and emit 150grams of CO2 – an emissions figure not achieved by any other luxury SUV in Australia.

RX 450h achieves this efficiency, while also delivering the power, space and practicality of an SUV, by utilising Lexus’ unique Lexus Hybrid Drive system.

RX 450h also debuts a number of world firsts, including the first production Atkinson Cycle V6 hybrid engine, and becomes Australia’s most powerful and efficient luxury hybrid SUV – delivering 220kW of power from the petrol/electric system.

Lexus has high expectations for the expanded range that now includes a Sports model priced at $96,900 and Sports Luxury model at $107,900.

The all-new vehicle also features a number of new technologies that assist in reducing engine loads or driver behaviour, benefiting overall fuel consumption.

Lexus has a long history with hybrid vehicles, pioneered hybrid technology in the luxury SUV market with RX 400h, first launched in Australia in 2006.

Since this time, hybrid acceptance and the trend towards economical vehicles has seen Lexus hybrids grow in demand across the globe.

All-new RX 450h builds on the first hybrid RX to deliver class leading economy and efficiency, while delivering on the needs of luxury SUV owners.

Safety was also paramount in the all-new model’s development with the vehicle featuring a class leading 10 airbags, Lexus’ unique Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management (VDIM) stability system and a raft of active and passive safety features.

Lexus Chief Executive, John Roca, said RX 450h signalled the most significant advance in Lexus’ hybrid technology since the launch of the brand’s first hybrid.

“RX 450h really solidifies the importance and relevance of hybrid technology for global motorists – it is the world’s most efficient luxury SUV,” said Roca.

“Lexus continues to be at the forefront of hybrid technology, and not only did we deliver the impossible with our first hybrid model, we are now delivering hybrid vehicles that challenge the concept of practicality and efficiency.

“Lexus continues to be the luxury hybrid leader, and while other manufacturers still talk about their forthcoming development models, Lexus continues to introduce real solutions today,” said Roca.

“RX 450h is an astounding vehicle that demonstrated what is possible when you put all your efforts into pursuing absolute efficiency.

“With RX 450h we have diesel competitors firmly in our sights, and with Lexus’ unique blend of power, efficiency, practicality and pricing, we are certain that RX will remain our top selling model,” said Mr Roca.

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Toyota needs to produce at least 140,000 of the new hybrid cars to satisfy the Japanese market. Last month the Prius outsold every vehicle in Japan, except the 660cc segment, with 10,915 sales, beating rival Honda Insight by 2732 units. Demand for the new Prius in Australia is still uncertain.

While many of us believe the Prius is the right car for the right time and an excellent marketing exercise by Toyota, it still remains to be seen if it’s green credentials live up to the claims over time.

Similar diesel cars (e.g. the Mini Cooper D) not only use less fuel but have comparable CO2 outputs making the high demand and the attention on the Prius a rather complex story.

At the moment Toyota has not began speculating as to what numbers other markets will require.

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