Geneva Preview: Skoda to debut Octavia Greenline

According to a report on Auto Express, Volkswagen-owned Czech automaker Skoda is set to debut a fuel-saving version of its Octavia sedan at the Geneva Motor Show next week. The Octavia is the longest-running nameplate from Skoda, celebrating its 50th anniversary earlier this year.

Like other eco-friendly models from Skoda, the new Octavia will carry a Greenline badge and will feature various tricks designed solely to save on fuel bills. Expect the new sedan to be equipped with a 1.6L TDI diesel engine that offers up 105 horsepower and about 185 lb-ft (250 newton meters) of torque, probably mated up with a manual transmission powering the front wheels.

Perhaps most importantly to Europeans, the Octavia Greenline should emit around 116 grams of carbon per kilometer, placing this relatively large sedan in a low £35 road tax bracket. EU fuel mileage ratings should be around 64 mpg (53 U.S.) on the combined cycle.

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Melbourne 2009: GM debuts new Holden Cruze

Attendees at the 2009 Melbourne Motor Show will be greeted by a nice surprise at the Holden tent as GM's Australian arm has announced it will be bringing what appears to be a production-ready Holden-badged Cruze to display. After taking a brief look at the pics, it's easy to see that nothing much has changed from the Chevy version of the Cruze besides a switch to right-hand drive and, of course, a fresh set of Holden badges all around.

The new Holden Cruze headlines a list of 25 vehicles that the Australian automaker will be showing off in Melbourne. Also on the stand will be Holden's EcoLine range of vehicles, including two Commodores (one sedan and one Ute) running on liquefied petroleum gas and another two vehicles featuring Active Fuel Management, which switches the V8 engine into a V4 when full power isn't required. See the full press release after the break.

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Tata's Nano to be launched on March 23

The much-awaited Tata Nano will be ready for launch on March 23rd, with deliveries commencing from the first week of April.Tata Motors on Thursday announced that Tata Nano would be launched at a function in Mumbai.

The 33 bhp 625cc petrol engine will be offered, as cars will start rolling out from either the Pantnagar plant in Himachal Pradesh or the Pimpri Plant in Pune.The cars will be on display at Tata Motors dealerships from the first week of April 2009.

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