The electric vehicle concept derives its form from the redesigned Beetle. The E-Bugster name actually stands for Electric Bug Roadster which gets rid of the rear passenger bench and drops its combustion engine to have a complete electric drivetrain.

The power of the VW E-Bugster comes from an 85kilowatt electric motor that gets its power from a pack of lithium battery with a 28.3kWh worth. The setup is good enough to bring the car from 0 to 2 mph in a matter of 10.8 seconds.

Like most VW vehicles, the E-Bugster is designed for optimal flexibility as it can be charged quickly for 35 minutes if you plug it into a DC charging unit or you can also make use of household current. The range in an urban setting is said to be 110 miles but we might see this number drop if you talk about highway driving.

Beijing consumers are new to the open-air get up of the E-Bugster. We wonder though what happened to the roof of the car? Will that hard top come off as a single piece like that of the Thunderbird of Ford or does the E-Bugster come with a soft top which is like the configuration of the Miata of Mazda? Will it be a retractable. For now, the car manufacturer would not say.

The concept Volkswagen though has served its purpose well. It clearly showed Asian consumers the direction of styling for the brand’s upcoming Beetle Cabriolet and also shows the commitment of the company to look for greener transportation options. The E-Bugster itself might not get to the production pipeline but we will be surprised if VW will not come up with a similar product in the near future.

The Japanese car manufacturer also hints that the concept car points to the direction of the future design lines for the brand, and this can be good as the Takeri has received praises as among the best design studies recently.

The Mazda Takeri is heading to Europe next month as it heads to the auto show in Geneva. The car manufacturer also released a good gallery of clear images with the best lighting to show the concept car from almost every angle. The Mazda Takeri adopts the Kodo design theme of the brand which is also used for the Shinari Concept back in 2010.

Under the hood of the Takeri is the latest diesel SKYATCIV-D powerplant which is linked to the SKYACTIV-Drive automatic gearbox. The engine also makes use of stop and start technology. The concept car also taps the new technology called iELOOP which stands for Intelligent Energy Loop that recovers energy from the brake system. Like similar technologies from rival brands, the energy recovered from the brake system is used to power the electric components of the vehicle which reduces the load of the engine. The iELOOP also helps improve the fuel economy of the Takeri by as much as 10%.

Much of the technologies used for the Takeri will be used for the redesigned Mazda6 which is set to roll out later this year.

The VW Beetle will come in Sport, Design, and Beetle versions. All variants will have a DAB radio setup and air conditioning as standard. The entry level Beetle will depend on the 1.2L engine paired with 7-speed DSG gearbox only.

The Design version, that will be offered either with a DSG gearbox or a 6-speed manual transmission in 1.4L and 1.2L engine, will roll on 17 inch alloy rims and have added features like iPod and Bluetooth connectivity, fog lights, and steering wheels in leather.

The Sport VW Beetle will be setup with 18 inch alloy wheels, tinted windows, cruise control, climate control, parking sensors, sports seats, and gloss black housing for the side mirrors. This version will only have the 1.4L engine coupled with the 6-speed manual transmission.

Buyers can get keyless entry, bi-xenon headlamps, and panoramic sunroof as additional options. There will also be a sound system package available.

The German car builder claims that the 1.2L variants having the 7-speed DSG returns a mileage of 48 miles per gallon and a CO2 emission rating of 137 grams per kilometer. The 1.4L manual transmission version has a mileage of 42.8 mpg and a CO2 rating of 153 g/km.

The entry level Beetle and Design variants with 1.2L engine has a sticker price of £16,490 while the Design and Sport trims with 1.4L powerplant go for £19,470. The new VW Beetle is about £3,000 more expensive than the outgoing model.

Later next year, new engine options like the 1.6L TDI with BlueMotion Technology that gives out 104 horsepower, the 1.0L TDI with 138 hp, and the 2.0L TSI with 197 hp will join the new VW Beetle lineup.

The last figure isn’t exactly good news considering the fact that 1,747 units sold meant a 6% decrease in sales compared to the figures Porsche raked up for the same month last year. Experts think that the sales fall is largely because of the recession. This means that the decrease in Porsche sales isn’t an isolated case but a growing trend among most auto makers today.

Aside from the Panamera, Porsche also recorded selling a total of 219 Boxster units, 135 Cayman units, and 389 911 units. Compared to figures recorded last April 2009, this means a 28% sales increase for Boxsters, a 3% increase for Cayman units, and a 42% sales decrease for 911 units. The outgoing model Cayenne which is slated to be replaced by a new model this July also sold a total of 326 vehicles.

While the figures are still big for the outgoing Porsche model, this signals a 63% decrease compared to April sales last year. Porsche is anticipating better sales figures for 2010 with the introduction of the new Cayanne line.

Autocar also interviewed Nick Reilly, the head of Europe’s General Motors. According to Reilly, the city car segment hasn’t been exploited by GM’s rivals yet. This is the reason why the company is so interested in exploring its potentials. Opel’s city car will tap into a younger generation of consumers who do not associate status with the size of their cars.

These seemingly general statements reveal two things which aren’t directly being said about the city car. For one, it’s going to be very fuel efficient. Secondly, it’s also going to be significantly small. Unfortunately, its smallness might not sit well with the market in the U.S.

From Reilly’s statement alone, the Vauxhall/Opel city car seems like a tiny electric car that’s a great second-vehicle option for city drivers. If you’re in the United States, though, this will least likely be bought as a primary vehicle.

Reilly added that the city car won’t be available as an electric vehicle just yet. Going full production on an electric drive city car is the long term plan, though. He said that a fully-electric variant should be available as soon as possible.

The Vauxhall EV concept seems perfect for Europe, but what would be even more impressive for the American-market is a Chevy version of the city car. If only GM would consider producing that one.

The spotlights at the Geneva Motor Show next week will focus on the Giuletta and other markets in the globe will already be experiencing the MiTo. The U.S. is set to welcome the replacement for the Giulia 159 and a big sedan based on the platform of the Chrysler 300.

The new Giullietta will be a 5-door hatchback from the Alfa Romeo Style Center comes with great comfort features and aerodynamics. The Giuletta is built on the backbone of the Compact which is an all new Alfa Romeo platform that was developed around the concept of new dynamics enhancements. The setup includes the Q2 electronic drive differential and the selector for driving mode which includes options for All Weather, Normal, and Dynamic modes.

A number of variants of the Giulietta have been developed. A base model has a MultiAir 170 horsepower 1.4L turbocharged gasoline engine under its hood. They also offer a diesel-running turbocharged 2.0L JTDM powerplant. Two other versions use 1.75L gasoline engine that can output 235 hp.

All the engine variants are coupled with 6-speed manual transmission. Automatic transmission with dual clutch is being offered for the JTDM and MultiAir engines.

The new Alfa Romeo measures 14.3 feet long, 4.8 ft high, and 5.9 ft across. The trunk gives owners about 12.3 cubic feet of storage.

The European market will welcome the Alfa Romeo Giullietta will hit the European market this coming May.

Positioned as a luxury vehicle, there is really no reason to compare the price of the Lexus HS 250h to the Prius II because you will see a whopping difference of $12,000. If you will look at the premium variant of the HS 250h, you will be looking a top up of $36,970.

The luxury hybrid is definitely not for owners who are looking for a cheaper buy. Prius V has a starting sticker price of $27,270 and can go fast up to $32,500 or more if you take in options like the package for a solar roof. Looking at the brands and badges on the car, a wise and stylish buyer might look into the direction of the Lexus.

When you talk about fuel mileage though, there is no competition. The Prius is far more efficient with a mileage of 51mpg on city driving and 48mpg cruising on the highway. The HS 250h runs at 35mpg in the city and 34mpg along the highway.

The HS 250h though has several options it can give the buyer that a Prius cannot offer. The luxury hybrid vehicle has a Remote Touch system and Safety Connect technology which are beyond the turf of the Prius.

The prices for the high-end Prius and the entry level HS 250h may be overlapping but the target market quite different with the latter looking for owners who go for entry level luxury with advantage on efficiency over the premium competitions.