Porsche Sells more than 22,000 Panamera Sedans in its First Year of Production

Say what you want about the new Panamera, but the premium sports saloon is selling like beer at Oktoberfest. Within the first year of production, Porsche sold 22, 518 copies of the Panamera sports saloon globally, with 2,530 vehicles in Germany alone. While the Stuttgart-based automaker did not break down country-specific sales numbers, oddly enough, it released some data on city-specific sales.

In North America, which is traditionally Porsche's most significant sales market, the company sold 890 Panamera saloons in Los Angeles and 760 in New York. In Asia, 300 vehicles were delivered to Hong Kong this past year, while 223 examples made their way to Tokyo and another 188 to Shanghai. In other cities across the globe, Porsche sold 285 Panameras in Dubai, 203 in Moscow, 206 in Munich, 117 in Hamburg and 108 in Berlin.

"Our corporate strategy of value-oriented growth has proven itself to be a successful model: With the Panamera, Porsche has clearly positioned itself with the sportiest automobile in the high-end and luxury-class market and achieves already a 13 per-cent share of its segment today", said Bernhard Maier, Member of the Management Board for Sales and Marketing.

Currently, Porsche offers five variants of its sports saloon, including the Panamera and Panamera 4 with a 300HP V6, the Panamera S and Panamera 4S with a 400 HP V8, and the flagship Turbo model with a 500 HP V8.

Leading the charts with 9,394 vehicles delivered, is the Panamera 4S, followed by the Turbo (6,171 vehicles) and the Panamera S (4,563 vehicles). However, the six-cylinder Panamera, which was introduced into the market only a few weeks ago, is quickly catching up having already found 2,390 new owners.

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Volkswagen UK Releases Pricing for New Caddy Van and Maxi

UK prices for Volkswagen's redesigned Caddy LCV and Caddy Maxi were announced today ahead of the vehicles' November launch in Britain. The 2011 Caddy van starts from £12,100 excluding VAT for the 1.6-liter 75HP TDI model, while the passenger version of the van, called the Caddy Maxi, starts at £14,050 excluding VAT for the entry-level model equipped with a 1.6-liter 102HP TDI engine.

The 2011 version of VW's Caddy benefits an updated range of engines, a fresh face that brings it in line with the latest VW models and an revised interior with higher quality materials and a new choice of comfort, convenience and safety options.

A pair of 1.6-liter TDI diesel engines producing 75HP or 102HP is joined by a 2.0-liter TDI engine offered in 110HP and 140HP guises, while VW also offers two Bluemotion models that makes use of stop/start tech and automatic battery regeneration during braking, aerodynamic wheel arch spoilers, plus low rolling resistance tires.

According to the German automaker, the 102HP Bluemotion model has the lowest CO2 figure in the range at 134 g/km, while returning a combined fuel economy of 55.4 mpg UK, that provides a potential range of up to 735 miles (1,181 km).

All variants of the Caddy come equipped with ESP, ABS, Traction Control System (TCS), automatic hazard lights activation under emergency braking, a driver's airbag, speed sensitive power steering, remote central locking and a CD stereo with an AUX-in socket, as standard.

For more details on pricing, check out the respective lists below.

New Caddy Prices

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New Caddy Maxi Prices

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Volkswagen UK Releases Pricing for New Caddy Van and Maxi

UK prices for Volkswagen's redesigned Caddy LCV and Caddy Maxi were announced today ahead of the vehicles' November launch in Britain. The 2011 Caddy van starts from £12,100 excluding VAT for the 1.6-liter 75HP TDI model, while the passenger version of the van, called the Caddy Maxi, starts at £14,050 excluding VAT for the entry-level model equipped with a 1.6-liter 102HP TDI engine.

The 2011 version of VW's Caddy benefits an updated range of engines, a fresh face that brings it in line with the latest VW models and an revised interior with higher quality materials and a new choice of comfort, convenience and safety options.

A pair of 1.6-liter TDI diesel engines producing 75HP or 102HP is joined by a 2.0-liter TDI engine offered in 110HP and 140HP guises, while VW also offers two Bluemotion models that makes use of stop/start tech and automatic battery regeneration during braking, aerodynamic wheel arch spoilers, plus low rolling resistance tires.

According to the German automaker, the 102HP Bluemotion model has the lowest CO2 figure in the range at 134 g/km, while returning a combined fuel economy of 55.4 mpg UK, that provides a potential range of up to 735 miles (1,181 km).

All variants of the Caddy come equipped with ESP, ABS, Traction Control System (TCS), automatic hazard lights activation under emergency braking, a driver's airbag, speed sensitive power steering, remote central locking and a CD stereo with an AUX-in socket, as standard.

For more details on pricing, check out the respective lists below.

New Caddy Prices

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New Caddy Maxi Prices

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Hyundai Shows its First Pure Electric Car, the i10 'BlueOn'

In a special event in South Korea, Hyundai revealed its first production-ready full electric car named "Blueon". Based on the firm's small i10 hatchback, the BlueOn was developed over a one year period, with an investment of approximately 40 billion Won, or US$34 million.

The Blueon is equipped with an electric motor producing 61kW (82HP) and maximum torque of 210Nm. Energy is drawn from a 16.4 kWh LiPoly (lithium-ion polymer) battery pack, which offers a driving range of 140 km (87 miles) on a single charge.

When connected to a regular household power supply, the battery pack can be fully recharged within six hours, while under the 'quick charge' method, the battery can be replenished to around 80 percent capacity in 25 minutes.

Hyundai says the BlueOn can accelerate from standstill to 100km/h (62mph) in 13.1 seconds and reach a top speed of 130km/h (81mph).

Like other EVs, the BlueOn features a Virtual Engine Sound System (VESS), which creates an artificial sound for the safety of pedestrians when driving at low speeds.

Hyundai said it is planning to provide around 30 BlueOn test fleet vehicles to a number of Korean government organizations over the next few months to develop and test charging infrastructure over a two year period, with a goal of building building 2,500 examples for sale by the end of 2012.

"We are proud to introduce the world to BlueOn, which was fully developed in Korea and displays Hyundai's latest technological advancements," said Dr. Hyun-Soon Lee, Vice Chairman at Hyundai's Corporate R&D Center. "Consumers' interests and demand for eco-friendly cars are rising and securing such advanced technology is critical in becoming an industry leader. Hyundai is dedicated to reducing its carbon footprint and satisfying market needs."

Hyundai Shows its First Pure Electric Car, the i10 'BlueOn'

In a special event in South Korea, Hyundai revealed its first production-ready full electric car named "Blueon". Based on the firm's small i10 hatchback, the BlueOn was developed over a one year period, with an investment of approximately 40 billion Won, or US$34 million.

The Blueon is equipped with an electric motor producing 61kW (82HP) and maximum torque of 210Nm. Energy is drawn from a 16.4 kWh LiPoly (lithium-ion polymer) battery pack, which offers a driving range of 140 km (87 miles) on a single charge.

When connected to a regular household power supply, the battery pack can be fully recharged within six hours, while under the 'quick charge' method, the battery can be replenished to around 80 percent capacity in 25 minutes.

Hyundai says the BlueOn can accelerate from standstill to 100km/h (62mph) in 13.1 seconds and reach a top speed of 130km/h (81mph).

Like other EVs, the BlueOn features a Virtual Engine Sound System (VESS), which creates an artificial sound for the safety of pedestrians when driving at low speeds.

Hyundai said it is planning to provide around 30 BlueOn test fleet vehicles to a number of Korean government organizations over the next few months to develop and test charging infrastructure over a two year period, with a goal of building building 2,500 examples for sale by the end of 2012.

"We are proud to introduce the world to BlueOn, which was fully developed in Korea and displays Hyundai's latest technological advancements," said Dr. Hyun-Soon Lee, Vice Chairman at Hyundai's Corporate R&D Center. "Consumers' interests and demand for eco-friendly cars are rising and securing such advanced technology is critical in becoming an industry leader. Hyundai is dedicated to reducing its carbon footprint and satisfying market needs."

MINI Countryman Rally Car Passes First Round of WRC Tests

As previously reported, MINI is eager to get itself into the World Rally Car Championships with its Countryman crossover and reclaim some of the rallying glory its predecessor / inspiration had in the 1960s. And today, the British automaker released the first official picture of the Countryman WRC, which partner Prodrive has been busy testing at their Warwickshire proving grounds in rural England.

The Countryman-derived WRC prototype - which still wears MINI's signature psychedelic camouflage and a temporary body kit - has just successfully completed its first round of testing on tarmac and low grip surfaces at the Prodrive facility. The real test, however, will come when the car is sent to Portugal for a week of on-gravel testing. This phase will either make or break MINI's WRC bid.

Prodrive technical director David Lapworth isn't taking any chances: "As with any totally new car, it is vital to take time to ensure all the systems are working as intended before embarking on a weeklong gravel test,"

MINI and Prodrive are still finalizing the "look" of the car, with special focus on getting the WRC bodykit right for optimum aerodynamic performance and ground clearance.

By Tristan Hankins