Category Archives: City cars

Small cars for metropolitan use

The Toyota Yaris hybrid, one for Europe

Posted on January 16, 2012 by Laurent J. Masson

The Toyota Prius c got its American premiere last week in Detroit, but Europe won’t get it. What Europeans will get instead is a hybrid version of Toyota’s subcompact: the Yaris. That one is a popular model in Europe. It … Continue reading →

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Kia Ray, the first production electric from South Korea, won’t find any customer

Posted on December 24, 2011 by Laurent J. Masson

An electric Kia Picanto has been shown at a few shows around the world, but it was a concept. The world is still waiting for a production electric car from Kia, and it will have to keep on waiting. Even … Continue reading →

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Too flashy yet fun, the electric Suzuki Q-Concept

Posted on November 10, 2011 by Laurent J. Masson

The Tokyo motor show is known for its weird concepts, and the 2011 edition, which opens in 3 weeks, certainly won’t disappoint. This is the Q-Concept from Suzuki. It’s a 100 inches long electric 2-seater. Compared to a Renault Twizy, … Continue reading →

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Another diesel fuel-sipper in Europe, this time from Alfa Romeo

Posted on November 7, 2011 by Laurent J. Masson

Alfa Romeo should make its return to the American market in 2013/2014, but here’s one car that should never make it in the US, that’s the smallest model: the Mito. It’s a bit larger than a Ford Fiesta, but it … Continue reading →

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The promising Peugeot 208, lighter, more fuel-efficient, and more stylish too

Posted on November 2, 2011 by Laurent J. Masson

This is a big day for the French industry. Peugeot has just unveiled the first pictures of its upcoming 208 model. This is the car that will replace the 207, Peugeot’s best selling model. The manufacturer expects a lot from … Continue reading →

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The Mia electric, the little French electric car is on sale today

Posted on October 21, 2011 by Laurent J. Masson

It’s easy to make a list of French electric cars. The Citroën C-Zero and Peugeot Ion come to mind first, but they were designed in Japan and that’s where they’re built, so we can’t count them on our list. Same … Continue reading →

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What we’ve been waiting for: an affordable EV from Chevrolet, with a battery from A123 Systems

Posted on October 14, 2011 by Laurent J. Masson

The Chevrolet Spark is one of the cheapest car on the European market. With a 1.0-liter 3-cylinder engine, you can get one for less than 8,000 euros (~$11,000) in France. It’s even cheaper in India where it’s sold as the … Continue reading →

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PSA Peugeot-Citroën introduces the Vélv (light city electric vehicle)

Posted on September 28, 2011 by Laurent J. Masson

There were several concepts of small urban electric vehicles at the Frankfurt show (I wrote about them here), but this Vélv (Véhicule électrique Léger de Ville, French for light city electric vehicle) isn’t intended to compete with them. Show cars … Continue reading →

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Volkswagen Nils, a sharp and stylish one-seater lightweight city electric vehicle

Posted on September 3, 2011 by Laurent J. Masson

Concept-cars usually show what next year’s model may look like, but this Nils concept looks much further away. This is a city car for 2020 and beyond. More than a city car actually, this is a PC, a Personal Car … Continue reading →

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Third gen Fiat Panda returns with a two-cylinder engine, just like the original

Posted on August 31, 2011 by Laurent J. Masson

The first two generations of the Fiat Panda were both huge sellers in Europe. They came with an innovative design, and simple yet reliable mechanics, which prove to be as cheap to run as the cars were cheap to buy … Continue reading →

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