Opel Monza Concept

GM's German subsidiary Opel has launched a stunning concept at this year’s Frankfurt auto show: the Monza. Of course, the Monza nameplate was a part of Opel’s lineup in the 1970s and ’80s, the last example of which was the GSE, which received then-futuristic digital instrumentation, setting somewhat of a precedent for this concept. 

With Buick and Opel's lineups often converging, the Monza has implications for GM's near-luxury brand as well. Dubbed "a role model for future Opel cars," the Monza concept resembles a shooting brake, and a relatively large one at that, measuring 184.6 inches long. It’s also especially low at 51.6 inches.

The four generous seats are positioned extremely low to the ground, 5.9 inches more so than in most of Opel’s other offerings, according to the brand. Access is gained via large gullwing doors similar to those on the 1967 Lamborghini Marzal concept. The Monza is setting the tone for future Opel vehicles.

Under the skin, there is an electric motor and a turbocharged 1.0-liter three-cylinder range extender powered by natural gas. Opel says the Monza Concept can be fitted with a wide range of powertrains. 

A Trendy Africa Motoring (Carliners) Report.

Honda reveals its new Civic Tourer

Honda has taken the wraps off the new British built Civic Tourer ahead of its official unveiling at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2013. The sleek exterior design of the new Civic Tourer houses a spacious interior which delivers exceptional versatility and functionality. 

It features Honda’s innovative Magic Seat system and offers a class leading boot space of 624 litres with the rear seats in place, up to the window line. This expands to 1668 litres with the rear seats down and up to the roof.

The Civic Tourer will be available with the choice of two engines; the new 1.6 i-DTEC engine from the Earth Dreams Technology series and the 1.8 i-VTEC engine in manual or automatic transmission. The introduction of a brand new Adaptive Damper System (ADS) will help to enhance stability and comfort under varying load and driving conditions.

The Civic Tourer also features an innovative Adaptive Damper System. This is the first time that a rear adaptive damper system has been introduced on a production car and it features three settings - comfort, normal and dynamic - all of which have been developed to enhance stability and comfort under varying load and driving conditions. This allows the Civic Tourer to remain comfortable during motorway cruising, yet firm and agile when high-performance handling is required. 

A Trendy Africa Motoring (carliners) Report.