Honda Civic Hybrid
Honda Siel Motors will launch India's first hybrid car in the form of Civic on June 18th, 2008 in Delhi. The car runs on a combination of a high torque electric motor and a petrol engine. "It will be available at all our 80 dealerships across the country for test drive on the same day," said Masahiro Takedagawa, president and CEO of Honda Siel Cars India Ltd. He said, while the company does not expect to sell more than 300-400 cars in the first year, the idea is to give its Indian customers an experience of the car. The car would be completely imported from Honda's factory in Suzuka, Japan and will cost upwards of Rs. 20 lakhs, as a result of hefty 104% duty on imported automobiles.
Kia looking to assemble vehicles in Georgia
Since Hyundai/Kia has dropped the idea of a pickup truck, Kia's new assembly plant in West Point, Georgia will instead turn out small cars. The first vehicle that will roll off the assembly lines in 2009 is Kia's Sorento, with body on frame construction well suited to a pickup. What doesn't seem primed for a pickup, however, is a softening market, so Kia has decided to redouble its efforts on small cars. Hyundai CEO Kim Dong-Jin confessed to the organization losing its way slightly by slacking off on small, high volume cars and going after larger vehicles to bolster the brand images and offerings. A return to its roots will please dealers, and the Genesis Coupe will kick off a turbocharging frenzy at Kia, which will focus on small displacement forced induction engines.
Peugeot 407 Facelift
Peugeot has given the Peugeot 407 a very minor facelift which incorporates new tail lamps and a new front grille on the exterior and a new climate control interface and telematics system for the interior. The 2.0 liter HDi engine has also been upped to 140 bhp. 
Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4
Lamborghini has released a promotional clip for the Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4, a 5.2 liter V10-powered supercar that puts 560 PS to all four wheels.
Facelifted Aston Martin V8 Vantage
Aston Martin has updated its Aston Martin V8 Vantage that was unveiled back in 2005 for the new model year. The facelifted V8 Vantage features numerous improvements, with the most noticable being the increased engine displacement up to 4.7 liters, while retaining the V8 cylinder configuration. Peak power is now at 420 horses at 7,000rpm, an 11% increase over the 4.3 liter unit, and peak torque is now 470Nm at 5,750rpm, up by 15% over the previous engine. 0 to 100km/h takes 4.7 seconds, and the car goes on to a top speed of 288km/h.
Perodua Myvi Facelift
It's about time for a mid-life facelift of the Perodua Myvi anyway, since it has been 3 years since the B-segment Perodua was launched in 2005. This means that a facelift for the Indonesian Daihatsu Sirion is on the way as well, as the Indonesian car is built by Perodua, uses Myvi styling and is brought in from Malaysia. The new look seems more feminine rather than the current Myvi's unisex look. On the interior certain models have had their integrated stereo system replaced with a 2-DIN slot, filled with a 2-DIN player that is likely MP3 capable as a USB slot for thumbdrives or other USB-capable MP3 players. It will be available in new colors including yellow for the SE and two new colours for the standard Myvi - a lighter shade of orange and a new light blue shade. The new pastel-like colours look quite refreshing.
Renault Laguna Coupe
Renault has unveiled the coupe version of its third generation Renault Laguna at the 61st Festival International du Film de Cannes. A few engines are available - the same as the sedan and estate's range, but with a coupe body the highlight will be the relatively high powered V6 engines. The petrol V6 engine puts out 240 horsepower and 330Nm of torque from 3.5 liters of normally aspirated displacement, while the V6 dCi engine produces 235 horsepower but so much more torque at 450Nm. Both engines are mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission. The 2.0 liter petrol and 2.0 liter DCi turbodiesel inline-4 engines are also available.
Tata Nano to get US$10 airbag?
The Tata Nano is a no-frills car, but one of the more well-equipped, pricier versions of the Tata Nano will feature dual front airbags. And with luck, they'll only increase the cost of the car by a minimum. Autoliv IFB India on the request of Tata is trying to develop a US$10 airbag for the Tata Nano, less than 10 times the price of airbags in other compact cars which cost around US$150 per airbag.
Kia to unveil production Kia Soul at Paris 2008
Kia Motors will produce the Kia SOUL Concept, which will retain its concept name and be called the production Kia Soul. It will be unveiled at the 2008 Paris Motor Show. It looks like a cross between a Suzuki Swift on the side profile including the blacked out A and B pillar, and a Daihatsu Sirion/Perodua Myvi on the rear. The ride height looks slightly high, which leads me to believe this is pretty much a Korean competitor to the likes of the Suzuki SX4, Fiat Sedici and Volkswagen CrossPolo
Biggest Porsche dealer worldwide opens in South Africa
Biggest Porsche dealer worldwide opens in South Africa. With its contemporary new facility at the corner of Witkoppen and Wroxham in Johannesburg, South African now boasts the largest Porsche Centre in the world. A key part of ensuring seamless servicing and growth to appease their loyal customer base locally, the new Porsche Centre Johannesburg covers 18 781 square meters and houses 334 parking bays.