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Filed under: LA Auto Show , Convertibles , Sedans/Saloons , Crossovers/CUVs , Lexus Our friendly neighborhood Toyota/Lexus spokesman, Curt McAllister, dropped us a note with an official announcement of what's coming to the Lexus booth at next week's LA Auto Show , and as expected, the big reveal will be the reworked RX luxury crossover. Like the current crossovers, the RX will come in two prescription strengths: the conventional RX350 with a 3.5L V6 and the hybrid flavored RX450h. The bump in nomenclature from the current RX400h likely implies some enhancements to the powertrain including a bump from the current 3.3L V6 to the 3.5L engine used in the 350. It's assumed the RX400h will also boast enhancements to the hybrid drive system with tech pulled from the 2010 Toyota Prius . The photo above, taken of the Japanese brochure, appeared online showing an evolution of the current design rather than a revolutionary redesign. In addition to the RX, LA will host the North American...
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Filed under: Aftermarket , SEMA , Tuners , Coupes , Hybrids/Alternative , Sedans/Saloons , Wagons/Estates , Crossovers/CUVs , Ford , Celebrities Click above for massive gallery of Fords from SEMA What recession? Perhaps anticipating the euphoria that will follow the end to the seemingly decades-long Presidential race today, Ford decided to throw a huge tuner party at SEMA this year, and they invited ALL of their friends. The Ford booth always houses a bunch of tuned blue ovals, but they generally tend to be grouped around a central vehicle. Last year it was the Mustang. And the year before. And probably the year before that, too. But this year they gave the ol' spit shine to virtually every model in the lineup. Ford even threw in a Lincoln or two for good measure (above). In the gallery below you'll see the Lincoln MKS and MKX , as well as Ford Focus Coupe , Escape , Escape Hybrid , Transit Connect , and Edge . Tuners include 3dCarbon , Custom Creations , RKSport , Stout Performance...
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Filed under: Sedans/Saloons , SUVs , Green , Crossovers/CUVs , Hatchbacks At 9AM Eastern on Monday morning, a fleet of 23 diesel-powered Audis will roll out from Manhattan's Tavern on the Green on a trans-continental trek to demonstrate diesel efficiency. I'm in Manhattan this afternoon preparing to spend the next week in an Audi Q7 TDI on the way to Denver and will be checking in regularly from the road as we pass through Washington, Cleveland, Chicago, Memphis, Dallas and Amarillo along the way. Audi plans to launch its fifty-state-legal Q7 TDI in the US market next spring and it seems likely that some of the other vehicles on this trip may not be far behind. I'll be on the first two legs and Sebastian, Damon, Drew and Jonathan will take over for the second week of the trip to Los Angeles. You can also follow along at the Audi Mileage Marathon site where there's a Twitter feed following the participants as they cross the continent. There is also a live map showing our...
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Filed under: Detroit Auto Show , LA Auto Show , Sedans/Saloons , Crossovers/CUVs , Lincoln Click above for a high-res gallery of the Lincoln MKT concept Mark Fields, Ford's president of the Americas, has confirmed that the Lincoln MKT crossover is due to be reveal this January at the Detroit Auto Show, while a refreshed MKZ will be unveiled at the Los Angeles Show in November. We already knew the Ford Flex-based CUV was headed to Detroit, with power provided by either a 3.7-liter or a 3.5-liter Ecoboost V6. Both six- and seven-passenger seating arrangements will be offered, along with Blind Spot Monitoring and a Cross Traffic Alert system which utilizes two sonar modules to notify drivers that a vehicle has moved into their blind spot by shining a light on the corresponding outside mirror. Sales are expected to begin later in 2009 and Ford is insistent that the MKT won't share any body panels with its platform sibling. The facelifted MKZ sedan will sport the new split-wing grille...
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Filed under: Coupes , Economy , Hybrids/Alternative , Sedans/Saloons , Crossovers/CUVs , Hatchbacks , Hyundai Hyundai swung with the Genesis and connected big time. But even though the Korean automaker wants to take its public perception upward, that doesn't mean it plans to keep releasing big, luxury sedans. For the six new and redesigned models that will appear by 2011, Hyundai America's product development chief says "We're looking at small, fuel-efficient cars." The company will also be giving buyers the option of putting smaller engines in some of their vehicles. The i10 , only on sale in India right now, is being considered for America (or not ). And if the fortwo does well, Hyundai could invest in giving the i10 the safety and engine changes it would need to make it Stateside. A four-pot Genesis Coupe will available for the low twenties. Hyundai's first hybrid will be installed on the redesigned Sonata, which gets redesigned in 2011, and the reworked Tucson...
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Filed under: Spy Photos , Coupes , Sedans/Saloons , Crossovers/CUVs , Hyundai Click above for more Hyundai spy shots Remember: When traveling to faraway locales, always have your camera. A reader by the name of Steve did just so and was rewarded with some pictures of Hyundai's latest and greatest models. Why, you may wonder, was the Korean automaker testing these vehicles? They were likely undergoing high elevation testing, as they were snapped on Mount Evans in Colorado. The Mount Evans Scenic Byway , leading to the summit overlook, is the highest paved road in North America (thanks, Wikipedia!). There's plenty to see here. We've all seen the Genesis Coupe before, but not in yellow, and it looks good. The Portico doesn't really get the blood boiling, but it could turn into an important Edge\Traverse fighter for the Koreans. Perhaps the most interesting car here is what appears to be a heavily disguised Equus sedan . Being that its covered head-to-toe, we had to look closely...
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Filed under: Coupes , Hybrids/Alternative , Minivans/MPVs , Sedans/Saloons , Green , Crossovers/CUVs , Toyota Click above for a high-res gallery of the Toyota FT-HS concept. A report by Automotive News detailing Toyota's future products reveals that the automaker's focus will be realigned to meet new fuel efficiency standards and limiting high-powered and niche offerings. On the hybrid side, the new Prius will debut in Detroit, with sales beginning in the spring of 2009 as a 2010 model. The nickel-metal hydride battery will remain, and because of that, the plug-in model will be delayed until a lithium ion battery is offered. The new Prius will be packing the Corolla's 1.8-liter four cylinder and the car will be an inch wider and a half-inch longer. The second hybrid model might not come to Detroit, but development is currently under way and sales will be limited to Japan. The Supra revival has been shelved due to high mpg requirements, allowing Toyota to focus on its RWD coupe...
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Filed under: Sedans/Saloons , Crossovers/CUVs , Ford , Mercury Mercury, after nearly being introduced to oblivion, was rescued from the void because Ford needs a brand that could be devoted to small cars . The Ford brand, still fighting off oblivion itself, has recently been devoted to fresh, new designs that provide consumers the flair and features they've been looking for. Two of the hitches in those plans are the Mercury Sable and the Taurus X. The Sable, sister of the Ford Taurus, has remained so unloved that even Jill Wagner couldn't save it (through no fault of her own). In these days of the Flex, Edge and Escape, the Taurus X is a conveyance from the Myocene era. To paraphrase Sesame Street, two of these things are not like the other... and so they are being killed, according to The Detroit News. Ford hasn't confirmed the demise of the two cars. However, sales of both are in decline, they fall outside the missions of their respective brands, and Ford is furiously retooling...
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Filed under: Sedans/Saloons , Green , Crossovers/CUVs , BMW Click above for more high-res images of the 2009 BMW 3 Series Rest easy, torque-lovers, BMW will be releasing the diesel version of its uber-popular 3 Series sedan in the United States later this year, exactly on schedule. Because it's so late in the year, the Bavarian automaker will be labeling it as a 2009 model, leading some to believe that the 335d was not going to be coming until next year. Not so, according to BMW spokesman Tom Plucinsky, who confirmed to KickingTires that both the 335d and the X5 35d will be making it Stateside sometime in November after production begins in September. Both upcoming diesel models from BMW will use a 3.0-liter twin turbo oil-burner rated at 265hp and 425 lb-ft of torque. That's plenty of stump-pulling torque, but the best news could be the expected fuel mileage of 23 mpg in the city and 33 mpg on the highway when paired with the six speed automatic. Gallery: 2009 BMW 3 Series [Source...
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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...
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Filed under: Sedans/Saloons , SUVs , Trucks/Pickups , Plants/Manufacturing , Crossovers/CUVs , Honda , Canada Click above for high-res gallery of the 2009 Honda Pilot Honda has got to be happy that it has a hot selling compact car to take some of the pain out of the slowing minivan and SUV markets. Hurt by the sky-high price of gasoline, both the Odyssey and Pilot , both recently redesigned, are sitting on dealers lots longer than Honda would like. In order to match production with consumer demand, Honda will close its plant in Lincoln, Alabama for two days next month and cut second shift production at the plant every Friday in August through October. Displaced workers can choose to take either unpaid time off or use paid vacation leave. Some of that unused capacity will be taken up by the Ridgeline, which will now be assembled at the Lincoln plant instead of in Ontario where it is currently being built. The Civic, on the other hand, will see its production boosted at the East Liberty,...
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Filed under: Sedans/Saloons , Wagons/Estates , Crossovers/CUVs , Buick , Cadillac , Chevrolet , GM , Saab Click any image for a slightly larger shot. Earlier in the week, a handful of tiny images from General Motor's presentation to employees leaked onto the Web, providing a glimpse into the future of Cadillac, Chevrolet, Buick and Saab. As the General's spin-meisters try to console both Wall Street investors and tepid consumers after Black Tuesday's depressing announcements , they've finally released these all-too-small pics into the wild. Aside from GM's plans to reduce white-collar expenditures by 20-percent, eliminate salaried employee's health care after age 65 and a cut its way to liquidity to the tune of $15 billion by the end of 2009, Bob Lutz dropped the bomb that the current iteration of the Beat isn't coming to the U.S. and that the 40+ mpg Chevrolet Cruze won't be immediately available to North American consumers after it debuts at the Paris Motor...
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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...
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Filed under: Concept Cars , Economy , Sedans/Saloons , Plants/Manufacturing , Crossovers/CUVs , Chevrolet , GM , GMC , HUMMER , Pontiac , Saturn , Opel , Vauxhall General Motor's car czar, Bob Lutz, sat down with the little people of the blogosphere after GM's announcement that it would be reducing white collar expenditures by 20-percent, cutting truck production and eliminating retired health care for salaried workers over 65, all in an effort to boost its liquidity by $15 billion by the end of 2009. Maximum Bob addressed questions about GM's entire brand portfolio, saying, "Pontiac will be nourished with products" and confirming that GM is in talks with financial institutions about HUMMER, and that, "If we could sell the brand, we'd be interested in doing that." Predictably, much of the conversation centered on fuel efficiency and the General's plans to address the growing demand for miserly transport in the U.S. Lutz made it clear that "as...
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Filed under: Car Buying , Economy , Sedans/Saloons , Crossovers/CUVs , Infiniti , Nissan While most of the attention Nissan has been getting recently revolves around the GT-R sportscar , its bread-and-butter models, like the Sentra S and the new Murano, have gotten slight bumps in price. The compact sedan sees an increase from $16,930, which included a $660 destination charge to $17,030, including a higher $695 destination charge. The Murano was just redesigned and launched with a mildly lowered price for this model year. Not so much anymore, as it now jumps to $29,250, including a slightly raised $780 destination charge. In addition to these incremental sticker price adjustments, Nissan has announced a mild increase to the destination charges for all of its 2008 and 2009 model-year vehicles carrying Nissan or Infiniti badges. Though Nissan has yet to comment on the reason for the price hikes, we'd imagine that the weak U.S. dollar and high fuel prices undoubtedly play a part in both...
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