Jaguar hybrid cars due in 2013-14

Jaguar will launch its own hybrid vehicles soon after Land Rover, CAR can confirm. Parent company Jaguar Land Rover is developing battery-assisted hybrid versions for both brands but its strategy puts part-electric Land Rovers first on the launchpad in 2013.Hybrid Jaguars – set to include the XJ and XF, but eventually every model – are therefore likely to be on the market by 2013-2014, using a similar eight-speed ZF hybrid transmission to petrol-electric BMWs.The staggered roll-out of battery Jags and Land Rovers makes sense: heavy 4x4s have come in the firing line from green protestors who label them Chelsea Tractors. Hybrid Land Rovers will trim emissions and – in plug-in hybrid mode – enable even big bulky Range Rovers to drive in zero-emissions mode into central urban areas emitting nothing more unsaintly than an electric whir.So which Jaguars will go hybrid first?It's likely that the largest models such as the XJ will receive the hybrid power packs first; large cars reap the greater benefit and can more easily swallow the additional cost, put at around £10,000 in today's money.JLR's Midlands engineering bases in Whitley and Gaydon now employ 100 engineers in the expanding hybrid powertrain business unit launched 18 months ago.

Subaru Impreza STI Cosworth (2010): first teaser photo

By Tim Pollard First Official Pictures 11 February 2010 15:40 Subaru has whet the appetite of hot hatch fans with this annoyingly restricted teaser shot of a new collaboration with Cosworth: the new Impreza STI wearing a Cossie badge.The company calls it 'a special one-off project', but the project appears to shun Prodrive who have fettled many of the go-faster official Subaru Imprezas of the past decade.Subaru Impreza STI Cosworth: what else do we know?Very little. Only a short marketing blurb was issued today, giving away no further facts. Here's what they told us:'Two of the biggest names in automotive performance have come together to work on a special one-off project, and the result promises to be truly staggering.  Subaru UK and Cosworth have enhanced the performance, handling and styling of the acclaimed Impreza STI, creating a car that will raise the bar for all-wheel-drive, high-performance motoring.

Honda Jazz Si Limited Edition launched in the UK

Honda has revealed a limited edition Jazz for the UK – the Jazz Si – with sporty looks as standard. It’s a bit of a cliché, but Honda’s customer demographic, certainly in the UK, is generally past the first flush of youth. So we’re not sure if a limited edition ‘sporty’ Jazz – the Honda Jazz Si – is aimed at trendy wrinklies or whether Honda are hoping to appeal to their grandchildren, but whatever it is the UK gets a sporty limited edition Jazz offering in showrooms next month.