CarsoBlog.com

Check out a video at Pistonheads.com.

If you’re wondering what the fastest family hatchback around the Millbrook test track is, PH has the answer for you.

Vauxhall has released this video, showing a prototype of the new Vauxhall Astra careering around the Bedfordshire track’s tortuous hill route. The video shows the new car dispensing first with a Golf, then with a Ford Focus ST.

I wouldn’t treat this clip as a serious test or anything. The Astra wasn’t any OPC (sport) version (at least doesn’t look like it) and was driven by a professional driver. It’s also pretty obvious that Golf and Focus weren’t going at 100%. But I like the way Opel is starting to challenge it’s rivals (Ford and Volkswagen).

The ending result: “Astra – 1 vs VW and Ford – 0″, is pretty provocative. I’ve never seen any open “conflict” between Ford and Opel (Vauxhall). Like we all know the commercials fight between BMW and Audi etc. In Germany and ex. Poland – also Opel vs VW is a well known “issue” I saw Golfs GTI with “Astra OPC – no thank You!” stickers on bumper. The same as Astras were saying “GTI – thank You, but no!”.

I look forward how will the competition respond now. The game is on!

For the movie click below…

Read more…

The world car market is a complicated thing. Every major producer has it’s strategy, like every country has it’s local taste and characteristic. For ex. the US market doesn’t like diesel engines, don’t care about interior design much, must have huge bumpers. Europe on the other hand likes smaller cars, don’t use hybrids (cause diesel is cheap) and has worse prices on cars

Also there are international brands that work only locally. French trio: Renault, Citroen and Peugeot are not present in US. Fiat and Alfa planned to go accross the ocean in 2010 – but due to current car industry situation, nobody knows if they will. Also brands already present in US, choose models that will be sold in US and Europe separately.

Renault, Alfa, Opel, Honda...

Below You will find a list of 7 cars, that I find to go under category “fun” cars. hey are available to buy in Europe, but were not (so far) introduced to the US buyer. They’re all affordable options.

Read more…