2002 Ford Explorer Radio Trim Dash Bezel 2637762 on 2040-parts.com

Seat Ibiza Cupra and Ecomotive (2008): first photos

By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 29 August 2008 15:45 Seat has unveiled the hot hatch and green eco warrior of the Ibiza range. The sinner is the Ibiza Cupra, the saint the Ibiza Ecomotive – and they arrive less than six months since the range was launched.Seat Ibiza Cupra: the lowdownThe Ibiza Cupra has a 176bhp 1.4 TSI twin-compressor engine; it's the same turbo- and supercharged engine as in our long-term test VW Golf, mated to the VW Group's seven-speed DSG twin-clutch 'box operated through steering wheel paddles. No performance claims yet, but that power output should put it on a par with the Mini Cooper S.

Saab pulls out of Frankfurt motor show

It's become a cliché in the automotive press to proceed Saab with the word 'troubled' recently. Yet the company's latest announcement does little to dispel the notion that all is not well in Trollhatten, as it has announced that it will not be featuring at September's Frankfurt auto show. The Swedish car manufacturer has had trouble paying suppliers in recent months, and it is thought that Saab will instead use the money allotted to Frankfurt in order to pay them.

More on Alfa Romeo's rear-drive strategy

The revised Alfa Romeo plan that Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne is expected to announce next April focuses on a new, still unnamed rear-wheel- and all-wheel-drive architecture. A key aim of the new plan is to boost Alfa's global presence. "With our current segment coverage and our geographical footprint, we compete in about 5 percent of the global market," Alfa's European boss, Louis-Carl Vignon, said in an interview.