Autoblog UK

Playing Russian roulette has apparently become slightly boring and predictable. That's according to the Bulgarians, who decided it was about time to come up with a better, riskier and stupider version of the game.

The rules are simple – take a car, race it insanely fast through red lights at night against others and see if you make it first and alive. If you do, you could win up to £5,000. If you don't, well...

With a large selection of deaths on offer – embedded in a post, underneath a truck, off a ravine, choking on your air-bag etc, this game is much more exciting than the old Russian roulette with its one and only option.

However, there is a strict set of rules you will have to follow in order to get your money. For example, if you touch your brakes or crash into a pedestrian you will be disqualified and can wave bye-bye to the mullah. That is whether the pedestrian dies or not.

The game started in the busy streets of Sofia at the end of the summer and is very popular among SUV male drivers in their early twenties. The little daredevils are keeping the authorities busy as they try to tackle the problem. The illegal races are also attracting large and blood-thirsty crowds of spectators, who inadvertently might end up being part of the game.

Kids, don't try this at home...

Mitsubishi plan to fill a gap in their current portfolio with a new compact SUV. The vehicle will have name by the time of its European debut at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show. Visually, the newcomer will have a lot in common with the Concept CX first exhibited in 2007. The first drawings show a sporty sloping roof line and a gaping shark's jaw grille. The front view is very much in keeping with the new brand visage now familiar from the mid-range Mitsubishi Lancer.

At the Tokyo Motor Show, local carmaker Mitsubishi will be presenting an SUV prototype with a revolutionary hybrid engine/motor that they claim is capable of beating the psychological 2 litres per 100km threshold. The PX-MiEV concept is powered by a newly developed plug-in hybrid system capable of delivering over 140 miles to the gallon. The vehicle combines the best of modern drive technology with superb road dynamics. The latter are provided by the new Mitsubishi S-AWC (Super All Wheel Control) four-wheel drive system plus E-AYC (Electric-Powered Active Yaw Control) drive function which ensures the variable distribution of drive torque between left and right-hand side of the vehicle.

Is it possible for a vehicle weighing nearly three tonnes to be sporty? And if so, what is the point? With its revamped Range Rover Sport – the top model is a supercharged V8 – Land Rover brings yet another SUV into the newly formed 500hp league. The Porsche Cayenne Turbo and the Mercedes ML 63 AMG have been romping around in it for a while now. And not forgetting the equally enhanced G 55 AMG, which now also boasts more than 500hp. Audi are even providing a diesel here, with its Q7 V12 TDI – the only one in the class. And yet another new entrant besides the Range Rover Sport: the BMW X6 M. Has everyone gone mad? Or have they found new oil wells somewhere? Cars like these are like bodybuilders. Muscles for display. Every decrepit GTI can go through corners faster than them. So what's the point other than for showing off on the straight and in town?

The Dacia Duster has already made its debut as a concept car at the Geneva Autosalon. Next year, this diminutive SUV will be retailing in the European market at around 15,000 euros. There will be two petrol as well as two diesel versions delivering between 110 and 140 horsepower. The original configuration of opposed front- and rear-hinged ('suicide') passenger doors has been abandoned in the final version. The Duster is a collaborative project between the Renault Design Centre in the Romanian capital of Bucharest and the Renault Technocenter at Guyancourt back in France.

It was only recently that the compact 3008 was presented as a 'crossover talent'. Peugeot apparently rather sees the 3008 in the SUV division than in the compact van segment, otherwise launching the 5008 would seem to make little sense. So what's this vehicle all about then? The 5008 is a classic compact van with up to 7 seats. It would seem to be directly aimed against the recently-launched Renault Grand Scenic, as well as the Toyota Verso. In terms of appearance, its relationship to the 3008 is readily apparent. Both a frontal design that is uncharacteristically restrained for Peugeot, as well as very conservative lines all round stand out, but hardly in an exciting way. The fact that the new 5008 has the same technical base as the Citroën C4 Picasso appears to be logical for inter-company reasons within the group. Some style elements such as the black D-pillars (floating roof), as well as the bend in the window line further back, are indeed very evocative of Citroën.

Inside, there is the usual folding fiddle-faddle in the second and third seat rows. Row three can be stowed in the floor and in row two, all three seats can be slid and folded. Well suited then to the zeitgeist of compact vans, but with no surprises. As in the 3008, the instrument board oozes class and is angled towards the driver. The new Peugeot instrument concept looks well-manufactured with painted elements and chrome trim. The Peugeot 308 was indeed already impressive with its quality interior. What remains to be seen is to what extent the purchasing groups for the 3008 and 5008 overlap. One thing is for sure: the Peugeot is certainly a successful alternative to the Toyota and Renault compact van classes.

The Great Wall Hover H7 could well be putting in an appearance on a street near you in the near future, as its emissions comply with European standards. Its 4.80-metre length, 1.92-metre width and 1.82-metre height make this two-tonner one of the larger SUVs on display at the Motor Show in Shanghai. The Hover 7 has four-wheel drive and six-gear automatic transmission and is claimed to deliver a top speed of 140mph (225kph).

SUVs have become a lot more popular recently. Virtually every manufacturer has one in their portfolio and there is no shortage of concept models. Chang'an Auto of China have rolled out a rather unusual prototype at the 2009 Shanghai Motor Show. The rear of this futuristic-looking car has a particularly asymmetric design, tapering off into a monstrosity of an air vent. In addition to beefy wheels and a large front aspect, occupants enjoy good visibility, as the two side doors accommodate four large windows.

Three years ago, the Audi Q7 was a surprising success, but in the meantime, these large cars have not been in great demand; sufficient reason then for a facelift and more economical engines. No changes are being made to the basic body with its wheelbase of 5.09 metres and three metre wheelbase, but the single-frame radiator grille that is typical for the marque was redesigned.Together with the Xenon headlights, the daytime running lights and indicators use LEDs. The same applies to the rear lights in the tailgate, the design of which was also reworked. At the rear end, the area around the number plate was also gine a new look.

With its consumption of 31.04mpg, the Q7 3.0 TDI now consumes 0.15 gallons less, which was achieved by the recycling of braking energy. The Q7 4.2 TDI has also had its consumption improved from 24.14 to 28.53mpg. At the same time, the V8 diesel has been given a power boost and now shifts the vehicle's 2.2 tonnes with an added 16bhp, providing a total output of 340bhp. In order to reduce the weight of the XL-SUV, the tailgate, bonnet and mudguards are now manufactured from aluminium.

At the New York Auto Show, the ailing US car giant Chrysler showed there's life in the old dog yet with the debut of the new Jeep Grand Cherokee. As before, this large SUV is based on the same platform as the Mercedes M-Class, but the looks have been considerably pepped up. The biggest external changes compared with the current model are to be found in the now more angular front as well as in the side profile of the five-seater. The overall length of the Grand Cherokee has been increased by five centimetres and the wheelbase has extended by 13cm to 2.92 metres. This means that passengers on the back seat can stretch out their legs a bit more. In choosing an engine for the European market, they are likely to stick with the six-cylinder diesel built in cooperation with Daimler and familiar to us from the previous model. The new Jeep offers three different four-wheel drive systems. This SUV won't be appearing on the American market until the end of 2010. No announcement has been made about any launch date for Europe.