Обзоры лучших машин

Archive for the ‘Обзоры машин’ Category

Основана: 16 июля 1910 года
Восстановлена: в 1965 году
Легковые автомобили производит: в 8 странах
В 2003 году продано:
769 893 легковых автомобилей.
Доля рынка в Западной Европе в 2003 году: 3.8%
Доходы в 2003 году: 816 миллионов евро (после уплаты налогов)

3 ПОПУЛЯРНЕЙШИЕ МОДЕЛИ
Audi 100/А6 – серия успешно продолжается ещё с 1969 года, регулярно что-то новое вносится в аэродинамику, безопасность, технологии.
Audi 80/А4 – регулярно в топе наиболее продаваемых немецких автомобилей, в виде secondhand стала хитом постсоветских стран.
Audi ТТ – непривычный для стиля компании, привлекающий внимание дизайн, дополненный эмоциональными ходовыми качествами.
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Как и в большинстве других стран, в Китае автопром при рождении пошел по пути наименьшего сопротивления, начав с копирования зарубежных (прежде всего японских) машин. Результат: аналоги зарекомендовавших себя импортных бестселлеров из Поднебесной можно купить за полцены от стоимости, теша себя самолюбием от причастности к мировой автомобильной моде при относительной сохранности содержимого кошелька. Интересующая нас марка Chery – один из первейших посредников в этом процессе. Прославившаяся своей тяжбой с гигантом General Motors, у которого компания нагло скопировала дизайн для своей малолитражки QQ, Chery начала пастись на японских автомобильных угодьях.
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How often do you think that Toyota’s flagship model, the Corolla, can be reinvented and improved upon? This writer for one is constantly amazed at where Toyota has been able to take this car. Sure it has the same name, but aside from that the newly released Corolla wagon has very little in common with its sedan and hatch sibling.

While the sedan and hatch released back in April last year are designed for the international market, the wagon is sourced purely from the Japanese domestic assembly line and is built on the previous model Corolla wagon platform.

In an exclusive deal, much to the delight of Kiwi drivers, New Zealand is the only destination for this new Corolla model outside of Japan. It’s an important model for Toyota New Zealand, with sales of the wagon making up approximately twenty percent of total Toyota Corolla’s sold.

There’s no doubt that the model in any shape or form then is exciting news for the Toyota NZ marketing team, since sales of the wagon will assist in keeping the car giant leading the sales charts for the 20th year.

The new wagon is also a great deal more than just a revamp of its predecessor model. The engine has been downgraded from a 100kW producing 1.8 litre engine to a Variable Valve 81kW producing 1.5 litre power plant, taken from Toyota’s popular small car the Yaris.
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How’s your memory? Do you remember the time before SUVs? Back then, «car» likely meant sedan, and most likely it was mid-sized. From its introduction in the mid-1980s, the Ford Taurus was the class benchmark.

And then from the early 90s, it seemed that Ford, like its domestic competitors, was more of a truck company that made cars as a sideline. The Explorer was the franchise, and on the car side the Taurus was dethroned by import-brand competitors. When it came time for a third-generation Taurus, the car was noticeably larger an debuted under a new name, 500, although that nameplate was short-lived and quickly reverted to the familiar Taurus.

If Ford seemed more than a little confused with placement of its one-time star, such was not the case when the Fusion debuted for model year 2006. It was aimed directly at the Japanese-branded competition, with an economical four-cylinder engine (which the Taurus never had) as well as the familiar 3.0-liter «Duratec» V6, which had evolved considerably since its debut with the second-generation Taurus a decade before. In a class notable for non-notable styling, the Fusion’s chiseled lines stood out. With a well-developed chassis, it offered a positive driving experience in a class too notable for boring transportation appliances.

The Fusion was a success, and to keep momentum the second generation appeared as an early-release 2010 car earlier this year. Styling is bolder but immediately identifiable, with aerodynamic improvements that help increase fuel economy. The interior is likewise upgraded. Under the hood, the four-cylinder engine is new, larger at 2.5 liters (vs. 2.3) and more powerful. More power has also been found in the 3.0-liter V6, which can be run on E85 as well as regular unleaded gasoline. And in both, fuel economy has been improved. All transmissions, manual (with the four) and automatic, are now six-speeds. New safety technologies, including Ford’s radar-based Blind Spot Information System (BLIS™) with Cross Traffic Alert, are available. Read the rest of this entry »

With comfortable roomy interior, smooth ride, good safety ratings and excellent fuel economy, the 2003-2008 Corolla is one of the top picks in a small family car category. The Corolla is easy to maintain and very reliable. If maintained properly, it will last you for a very long time without major problems.

The 2003-2008 Corolla has front-wheel drive with a 4-cylinder 1.8L DOHC VVT-i engine and 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic transmissions. The sporty XRS model (available only for 2005 and 2006) offers more powerful 170-hp 1.8L 4-cylinder VVTL-i engine and 6-speed manual transmission borrowed from Toyota Celica. The Corolla has MacPherson struts in front suspension and torsion beam in the rear. The ABS and side airbags are optional.

Inside, the 2003-2008 Corolla feels roomy for a small car. The dashboard design is simple – nothing flashy – but very practical. Controls are conveniently laid out and easy to use. Front seats are comfortable, but somewhat lacking side support. Rear seat space is pretty generous for a small car. The trunk is spacious; the 60/40 split rear seat folds down to accommodate longer items.

On the road, the Corolla handles comfortably, although it’s far from being sporty. The ride is smooth and fairly quiet. The suspension is soft; the steering is light. On the down side, the engine is noisy under acceleration and some body lean is noticeable on curves.

In the NHTSA frontal crash tests, the 2003-2008 Corolla scored five stars for both, the driver and the front passenger.
In the frontal offset crash tests performed by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the 2003-2008 Corolla received «Good» overall rating.