My Africa Today

1.SUZUKI / ESCUDO
2.TOYOTA / COROLLA SEDAN
3.TOYOTA / LANDCRUISER PRADO
4.TOYOTA / RAV4
5.TOYOTA / MARK II
6.ISUZU / BIGHORN
7.TOYOTA / HIACE
8.MITSUBISHI / PAJERO IO
9.HONDA / CR-V
10.LANDROVER / DISCOVERY

Any concept vehicle with a name derived from the word the Inuit’s use for their dwellings made of Earth, whalebone, and animal skins is bound to be interesting. Hyundai Europe’s Design and Technical Center in Russelsheim, Germany partnered with GE Plastics in the Netherlands to create the QarmaQ a quirky looking Crossover Coup concept.

One of the QarmaQ’s key features is its innovative use of recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic bottles to create a large portion of the vehicle’s skin. GE says the use of plastics, instead of more traditional metal and glass, gives the vehicle a 130-pound weight savings. That weight loss equates to 20 gallons a year savings in gas, not to mention fewer plastic bottles clogging up the local landfill. These numbers are nothing to scoff when you think of all the cars on the road.

The Green theme extends further as the vehicle use less paint and other chemicals that create massive amounts of greenhouse gases. Hyundai said some of the production techniques used in the QarmaQ could roll out beginning with the 2008 model year.

Design: Hyundai [ Via: Treehugger ]

The Toyota Crown is a line of full-size luxury sedans by Toyota. The range was primarily available in Japan and some other Asian countries, although it was also sold in the United States during the late 1950s and up until 1971. Exports to Europe began in 1964 with the first cars going to Finland. Other European countries which saw imports of the Crown included the Netherlands and Belgium. The United Kingdom was another market until the early 1980s. It was also exported to Canada for a few years - 1965-68. In many markets the Crown was very expensive and was replaced by the Cressida when that model became available for export in the early 1980s.

Australia was another important export market for the Crown - to the extent that it was manufactured there from the mid 1960s until the late 1980s using many local components.

The new 2007 Toyota Crown

Despite a barely unpronounceable name (which created a small challenge at the office) Nissan proposes a new S.U.V with great design : the Qashqai. Straight from the UK design headquarters of Nissan, this S.U.V of 4.31 metres will be powered by 4 different engine offers: - 1.6 litre gasoline engine producing 115HP - 2.0 litre gasoline engine producing 140HP - 1.5 litre diesel engine producing 106HP - 2.0 litre diesel engine producing 150HP Well on one hand, we really appreciated the style of this new sports utility vehicle we are, on the other, rather concerned regarding the power of the engines, especially for off-road adventures. We recently got to test the 2007* Mitsubishi Outlander which will be available through Peugeot and Citroen dealers and had some difficulties with its 170HP. The Qashqai will be available in 5/6 gears manual transmission or with 2 different 6 speeds CVT automatic transmissions. *The review of this vehicle will soon be available at NihonCar.