|
Browse by Tags
All Tags » Crossovers/CUVs » Euro ( RSS)
-
|
Filed under: Spy Photos , Minivans/MPVs , Euro , Crossovers/CUVs , Chevrolet Jalopnik has caught spy shots of a fleet -- well, two -- of the new Chevy Tacuma minivans bound for Europe. If they are indeed replacing this Chevy Tacuma as well as that aardvark masquerading as a minivan, the Uplander , then it looks like things are about to get a lot more spacious over yonder pond. Supposed to be about the size of a Mazda5, the Tacuma appears to have front-hinged rear doors, which might make it more CUV than minivan. Also, the Tacuma is also supposed to be built at GM's Hamtramck plant in Michigan. If so, that would make it bedmates with the Chevy Volt, and, as Jalopnik speculates, perhaps another good home for a hybrid drivetrain... [Source: Jalopnik ] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
|
-
|
Filed under: Concept Cars , Euro , Crossovers/CUVs , Hatchbacks , Misc. Auto Shows Click above for hi-res gallery of the Lada C-Cross concept The Moscow Auto Show is underway and Damon's on site with camera in hand. The car you see here is the Lada C-Cross Concept, which looks kinda like a Chinese knock-off of a last-gen Euro Ford Focus with added ground clearance. The C-Cross show car presumably gives a sneak peek at what a future AvtoVAZ car-based crossover might look like, and if we had to guess, a production version probably isn't too far off. We'll pass on it, though. Our hearts and minds forever belong to the Lada Niva , whose old-school looks are like visual comfort food. Plus, something tells us that this C-Cross thing wouldn't do nearly as well underwater . Gallery: Lada C-Cross [Source: The Auto Channel ] All photos Copyright (C)2008 Damon Lavrinc / Weblogs, Inc. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
|
-
|
Filed under: Sedans/Saloons , Wagons/Estates , Euro , Paris Motor Show , Crossovers/CUVs , Saab The Saab 9-3X will be a soft-roading version of the Swedish brand's bread-and-butter sedan and wagon, a.k.a. SportCombi, and word has it that the all-wheel-drive wonders will be making their debut at the Paris Motor Show in October. Unlike the performance-oriented Turbo X , the 9-3X will use its Haldex AWD system for tackling particularly deep potholes, traversing heavily packed snow and otherwise offering its owners the sure footedness that comes with all four wheels turning at once. Based on our previous spy photos , we expect the 9-3X to look the part with fender flares, a lifted suspension and faux skid plates. Seriously though, adding AWD to the 9-3 in a mini-SUV package is a smart move right now and one that's been paying Subaru dividends for some time. Also on the docket for a Paris debut is a new 9-3 concept that should preview what the next iteration of the sedan and wagon will...
|
-
|
Filed under: Economy , Minivans/MPVs , Sedans/Saloons , Euro , Crossovers/CUVs , Ford There has been plenty of support for Ford to bring its rest-of-the-world products to the North American market, and with the truck market doing a Roscoe P. Coltrane E-brake turn away from profitability, the Blue Oval's global efforts are becoming increasingly important for its survival. The plan going forward is to utilize small and medium sized vehicles from Ford's European arsenal globally. In North America, the cars will be spiffy, though Ford will be robbing Peter to pay Paul on that count -- spreading the costs of America's premium cars over the breadth of the entire program's worldwide scope. According to Automotive News , we're getting a big list of Euro-Ford based cars in the near future. The Fiesta will slot in under the Focus, and will share a new platform with Mazda. Also on the Fiesta's underpinnings could be a small crossover or minivan. The Euro Focus will finally...
|
-
|
Filed under: Coupes , Sedans/Saloons , SUVs , Trucks/Pickups , Euro , Plants/Manufacturing , Crossovers/CUVs , Hatchbacks , Ford For reasons that everyone is aware of, American carmakers have been shutting down and idling plants that make trucks and SUVs. According to AutoSavant, however, Ford is not going to simply shutter plants, it is going to retool some of them to build its Euro-market cars for the American market. If this is true, we're so giddy we don't even want to paraphrase it, so we'll just quote directly: " Our sources at Ford say that Mr. Mulally has already made the decision to convert at least three truck/SUV production facilities in North America as soon as possible to produce Ford models currently sold in Europe.... The timeline Mulally prefers, according to insiders, is 'yesterday'. " The reasoning is ostensibly that with the American market going to more frugal cars, it's time for Ford to start spending the money to provide them -- even...
|
-
|
Filed under: Euro , Marketing/Advertising , Crossovers/CUVs , Dodge Click above for a gallery of the Baby Made on Board promo materials var digg_url = 'http://digg.com/autos/Chrysler_promo_tells_Belgians_to_get_laid_in_Dodge_Journey'; When we read the tip from reader Thijs B. telling us that in Belgium, Dodge is planning a Journey launch promo centered around backseat baby-making, we thought it was a big joke. So we started using our Google powers to see what else we could dig up. And guess what? It's legit. If you go to babymadeonboard.be , you'll be greeted by the screen above, which features a play on those annoying "Baby On Board" window signs that were ubiquitous during the 80s . It's paired with a countdown timer that will zero out on the weekend of June 14, which is when the Dodge Journey officially launches in Belgium. A quick WHOIS lookup on DNS.be reveals that the site's domain name is registered to someone at the Brussels office of Proximity...
|
-
|
Filed under: Car Buying , Euro , Crossovers/CUVs , Hatchbacks , Volkswagen Click the image above for a gallery of live shots of the Volkswagen Tiguan In a rather odd yet intriguing move, Volkswagen in Germany is handing out a new fifth-generation Golf to anyone who orders a Tiguan. The customer will keep the Golf until their new Tiguan utility vehicle is available, which, at current rates, will not be until next January at the earliest. In an effort to cover the cost of giving away a new car and getting it back used, VW will be providing its dealers with a one-time payment of €1,000 for each Tiguan sold. Unfortunately for the affected dealers, that won't be enough to recoup the lost value of the Golf, but it shows how eager VW is to sell its new small-ute in the face of similar new models coming from its key competition, namely the Mercedes-Benz GLK . We've previously reported that the Tiguan will start at $22,490, which equals $23,840 after the expensive shipping cost is tacked...
|
-
|
Filed under: Sedans/Saloons , Euro , Crossovers/CUVs , Infiniti , Nissan The US market may have made Infiniti what it is today, but Nissan's luxury arm is putting more power and better equipment into its vehicles destined for sale in Europe later this year. Engineers have made 300-500 changes per car, including tweaked styling, high-end knobs, bigger brakes, better windshield wipers, improved stability systems, and a seven-speed automatic transmission. Infiniti is also planning to add the 3.7-liter V6 to the overseas 2009 FX , which is more powerful than the 3.5-liter engine we'll receive Stateside. With no four-cylinder or diesel models planned until 2010, Infiniti will still be playing catch-up with its European competitors for the near-term. The reason for the many improvements is that Infiniti is facing an up-hill battle to woo luxury customers away from very entrenched Euro brands like Mercedes and BMW. That's all well and good, but why not just make most of these improvements...
|
-
|
Filed under: Euro , Crossovers/CUVs , Ford Click above for a high-res gallery of the Ford Kuga Nary a month week day goes by that we're not told of the imminent importation of Ford's grass-is-greener Euro models. The Fiesta has been approved for U.S. consumption in 2010, and even though we've heard the Focus shtick before, it would appear that it's finally coming to fruition in late 2010 or early 2011. But Ford can't rely on just one product to justify sales of the next-generation C1 platform in the States (there's also the Volvo S40/C30 and Mazda3), so it's looking to bring two other Blue Oval-branded models to justify the expense. Speaking with Automotive News , Ford's president of the Americas, Mark Fields, confirmed that the U.S. is slated to receive multiple C-segment vehicles that have already debuted in Europe and Japan. The first vehicle that could conceivably be brought to market is the recently released Kuga crossover, which shares the C1 platform...
|
-
|
Filed under: Coupes , Euro , Crossovers/CUVs , Hatchbacks , Infiniti Infiniti is gearing up for its entrance into Europe, but something's missing from its lineup: a small car. With BMW's 1-series being a popular choice for badge-obsessed consumers abroad, Infiniti needs something similar to solidify its place in the luxury hierarchy, but what form it will take is unclear. According to Autocar , Infiniti insiders are planning to unleash something that aims to compete with the Audi A3 and BMW 1-series, but unnamed sources at Infiniti are quick to point out that the shape will be something entirely different than what's currently being offered by its competitors. The two options, according to Autocar , include a smaller crossover that would slot in below the EX35 or a hardtop convertible. Whatever it looks like, expect the new B-class Infiniti to be revealed sometime in 2010. [Source: Autocar via JustAuto - Sub. Req.] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
|
-
|
Filed under: Euro , Crossovers/CUVs , Nissan , Misc. Auto Shows , UK Click image for a high-res gallery of the Nissan Qashqai+2 Nissan's Euro-market compact crossover, the Qashqai, is growing. This week, the automaker announces the impending arrival of the Qashqai+2, a seven-seat variant. A ridiculously lengthy press release touting the car's enhanced practicality and the "independence" it bestows upon owners can be read after the jump, but you can distill it down to this: Nissan's going after families, since that demo is underrepresented on the five-seat Qashqai's sales charts. The Qashqai+2's wheelbase is stretched five inches over the standard car, and it's eight inches longer overall. To accommodate the third row, the roofline has also been raised and reshaped a bit. There's no denying that the Qashqai is an attractive vehicle, and that adjective can also be used to describe the impressive , optional panoramic glass roof. The +2 also gets a 40/20...
|
-
|
Filed under: Coupes , Euro , Crossovers/CUVs , Hatchbacks , Mercedes Benz It's no secret that the Mercedes-Benz A-class hasn't been a resounding success and that the automaker is looking to revamp its entry-level line-up to better compete with rivals. According to Autocar , M-B boss Dieter "Dr. Z" Zetsche has green-lighted a new model that's taking aim at the BMW 1-series and Audi A3, and will accompany the rest of the revised A-class models when it debuts in 2011. The new model will replace the aging, if just recently facelifted, CLC and will initially come to market sporting a coupe body style instead of a three-door hatch. Mercedes plans to expand the rest of the A-classes to include at least three different body styles of each model, coinciding with the launch of the new B-class, which will be designed to compete with the upcoming BMW X1. Power will supposedly come from a combination of direct-injection gasoline and diesel powerplants, with output ranging from...
|
-
|
Filed under: Geneva Motor Show , Euro , Crossovers/CUVs , Ford Click above to view the Ford Kuga in hi-res Kinetic design has been swallowing Ford of Europe's product range whole, and took a big bite at this year's Geneva Motor Show. Alongside the new Fiesta , Ford showed off the production version of the all-new Kuga crossover. Previewed by the concept unveiled at the last Frankfurt show and drawing on styling cues from the Iosis X show car, the Kuga is based on the same platform as the slicker Focus they get overseas. Although the Kuga is admittedly one more European model that Ford won't offer in its home market, we're not short of Ford crossovers to choose from over here, so we'll let the Europeans have this one. (Just give us the Focus RS and we'll be happy.) But to see what we're missing, check out our gallery of images from the Geneva show floor by clicking on the thumbnails below. Unfortunately, although we're sure the Kuga rolled off its turntable...
|
-
|
Filed under: Geneva Motor Show , Euro , Crossovers/CUVs , Renault Click above to view high-res gallery of the new Renault Koleos Renault pulled out all the stops for this year's Geneva Motor Show , taking the wraps off the swoopy Megane Coupe concept , as well as debuting the Twingo Renaultsport , Laguna GT and this, the Koleos crossover. Although closely based on mechanicals borrowed from sister-company Nissan, the Koleos is far more of a complete project than that other pair of French sport-utes from archrival PSA Peugeot-Citroen . The Koleos shared center stage with the Megane Coupe this week, outlining how important the new model is to Renault. This is its first proper foray into the sport-ute segment, finally surrendering when the French automaker realized the crossover craze would not be subsiding any time soon. When you can't beat 'em, join 'em, the saying goes, but push come to snooty shove, Renault actually appears to have done a decent job. For all the details...
|
-
|
Filed under: Concept Cars , Coupes , Geneva Motor Show , Euro , Crossovers/CUVs , Renault Click above for high-res of the Renault Megane Coupe concept. Koleos, Laguna GT and Twingo RS. Those are three of the four new models which Renault was anticipated to unveil at this year's Geneva show, but right up until the end of the press conference, a big question mark hung over the identity of the fourth. The wraps have been taken off and the veils have been lifted, revealing the Megane Coupe concept. The existing Megane - along with its distinguished curved rear window - is on its way out , and Renault is assuredly working hard at a new design that will capture buyers' attention in an increasingly crowded market. But while the concept is likely a very far ways away from what the production version will end up looking like, it did grab its share of attention. See for yourself in our high-resolution image gallery below. Gallery: Renault Megane Coupe Concept Permalink | Email this | Comments
|
More Posts Next page »
|
|
|