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BMW’s Electric City Car to Launch in U.S. in 2012
BMW will bring a small electric vehicle to market in the United States by 2012 according to BMW CEO Norbert Reithofer. The car will be a small (very-small) three door, four-seater hatchback. In fact, it’s so tiny that it will not only fit under the 1 Series and the MINI Cooper, it will slot in…
Volkswagen Looking To Buy Stake in Suzuki
Volkswagen is reportedly looking at purchasing a 10 percent stake in Suzuki as it looks to create a solid partnership with the Japanese automaker. Te reason for VW’s interest is Suzuki’s expertise in mini cars – like the Suzuki Alto, pictured above. The Alto is currently the best-selling vehicle in India and Volkswagen wants to…
Special Edition Denim Kia Soul Officially Announced
News of the special edition Denim Kia Soul leaked several weeks ago but now Kia has officially introduced the car, and hinted that there will be more limited edition models coming. The Denim Kia Soul is based on the Soul+ model and gets a few extras. Setting the Denim model apart is a special denim…
PT Cruiser Not Dead Yet
Can you hear that? It might sound a lot like Monty Python’s John Cleese, but it’s actually Chrysler’s PT Cruiser screaming, “I’m not dead yet.” That’s right, despite plans to scrap the retro-styled economy car, production will continue on. Pre-bankruptcy Chrysler had announced that it would cease production of the PT at its Mexico plant…
Kia to Release Special Edition Denim Soul
So far Kia has had a lot of success with its trendy new Soul model, receiving plenty of positive feedback on the car. The Korean automaker isn’t about to let the favorable public relations end there either, as it is poised to launch a new special edition of the compact crossover-thingy. The folks over at…
Scion to Offer Kenstyle Aero Kit as Dealer-Installed Option
Scion has added yet another product to its already extensive list of dealer-offered accessories – a Kenstyle aero kit for the xB model. The kit includes a new front bumper, side skirts and a rear bumper, all for a reasonable $1,299.99 plus installation. The kit is a part of Scion’s Optomize accessory program and is…
Hyundai, Kia Planning More Fuel-Efficient Accent, Elantra and Forte Models
Hyundai and Kia have announced plans to build more fuel-efficient versions of the Accent, Elantra and Forte. These “blue” models will be much like GM’s XFE (Xtra Fuel Efficient) cars and trucks and use many of the same techniques. For starters, fuel-economy will be improved through the use of a five-speed, rather than the standard…
Scion Releases xD Release Series 2.0
Scion has just rolled out its final special edition model for 2009, the xB Release Series 2.0, starting at $14,650 – just $1,270 over the base price. What you get for that amount is a long list of extras, not to mention Electric Wasabi green paint and the knowledge that only 1,600 such models will…
Turbocharged Ford Fiesta: Marketing Hype or EcoBoost Reality?
Ford recently launched a new website dedicated to the 2011 Fiesta (due out in early 2010) and the option sheet lists a turbocharger kit! Don’t get too excited, however, as the site is aimed at gauging consumer interest and isn’t necessarily a list of the options Ford will offer. Most likely the automaker just wants…
Toyota Planning iQ Cabriolet
Toyota appears to be readying a convertible version of the iQ minicar that is currently on sale in Japan and Europe. The report comes from Japan’s Best Car magazine, which suggests much of the basics will be kept including a 1.3-liter four-cylinder engine that makes 99hp and 92 ft-lbs of torque. Fuel-economy for this engine…
Indian Automaker Tata Confirms It Will Sell Ultra-Cheap Nano In the U.S. By 2012
Indian automaker Tata has confirmed that it will bring the Nano to the U.S. in the next three years. The Nano, launched officially several months ago in India, holds the title of being the world’s cheapest car with base models priced at just $2,000. David Good, a U.S. representative for the Indian automaker, which also…
Mitsubishi Reveals i-MiEV Production Model in Japan
Mitsubishi has just revealed the production model of its i-MiEV electric car in Japan and it plans to have models on the road by July. Initial sales of 1,400 vehicles will be to government entities with public sales starting in April of 2010. As a full-electric vehicle the i-MiEV creates zero emissions and is powered…
2010 Hyundai Accent Facelift Revealed In Korea
Launched in 2005, the current Hyundai Accent model is in desperate need of an update (if not a complete overhaul). Looking to infuse a little interest into the sub-compact the Korean automaker just released its 2010 model in Korea (known there as the Verna), with a few minor technical changes and a significantly different new…
Ford Fiesta Spy Photos Reveal Sedan Model Coming
We’ve known for quite some time that Ford was planning on bringing its Fiesta model to North America, but as these most recent spy photos show, the U.S. automaker will launch more than just a hatchback. Photos of this Ford Fiesta Sedan show a European-inspired sedan, with a long wheelbase and very short front and…
General Motors Delays Aveo Replacement
Due to the overall turmoil at General Motors these days a lot of projects have been put on hold. Included in that list is the replacement for the current Aveo. A new Aveo, code named the T300, was due out in April of 2010, but now that product has been delayed until January of 2011….
MINI-i Low-Emissions City Car Image Leaked?
You might be looking at a picture of the upcoming MINI-i MegaCity. Then again, you might not. France’s Automobile Magazine obtained this one photo of what could be the MINI-i MegaCity – a low emissions or zero emissions city vehicle. The SMART-style mini- or micro-car is part of BMW’s Project-i initiative, designed to create a…
Honda Insight Tops April Sales in Japan
The month of April marked an important milestone for both Honda Motor Co. and hybrid cars. Last month the new Insight achieved the status of being Japan’s most popular vehicle with more units sold than any other model – marking the first time a hybrid has ever been the monthly sales leader. In April, 10,481…
Ford May Sell “Ka” Microcar in U.S. to Compete With Fiat-Sourced Chryser Model
There is a definite possibility that Ford’s European Ka microcar could make its way to dealerships in North American in the next few years. A new second-generation Ka was just launched in Europe in 2009, using either a 68hp 1.2-liter gasoline engine or a 74hp 1.3-liter diesel engine. At just 142.5-inches long, the Ka is…
Toyota Expected to Slash U.S. Prius Price to $21,000 to Compete With Insight
Toyota is expected to release pricing for the new 2010 Prius tomorrow and the cost of ownership will be 21,000. This is $1,000 less than the current model. Bloomberg is reporting the drop and citing an unnamed source. This news comes several weeks after Japan’s Nikkei newspaper reported Toyota made a similar move in it’s…
Kia Forte Koup Headed For Production
Today at the New York Auto Show, Kia unveiled the Forte Koup. Based on the Koup Concept which made its first appearance at last year’s New York show, the Forte Koup is the first ever two-door from Kia. The sporty-looking new model is based on the same platform as the sedan and will be offered…
The New Volkswagen Golf Awarded World Car of the Year
The new Volkswagen Golf has been named the World Car of the Year (WCOTY) by the International Motor Press Association. The group, comprised of journalists from twenty-five countries picked the new Golf over the other two finalists, the Ford Festiva and the Toyota iQ micro-car. But the WCOTY awards are about more than just one…
2010 Volkswagen Golf TDI: The Return of the Diesel Golf
UPDATED (October 2, 2009): Volkswagen has now officially released details on the 2010 Golf TDI. The new model is rated at 30/41 mpg (city/hwy) for the manual transmission and 32/42 mpg with VW’s advanced DSG automatic transmission. The car is priced from $21,990. See AutoGuide’s 2010 Volkswagen Golf TDI Review here: ——————————— Noticeably absent from…
Scion iQ Concept Goes Radioactive In New York
Scion wowed the audience at the New York Auto Show with its radioactive iQ Concept. The micro-car, which is based on the Toyota iQ currently on sale in Japan and Europe, got some SEMA-style with 18-inch wheels and a widebody designed by Five Axis. We’d like to say this vehicle will make it to market…
Suzuki Resurrects Turbocharged SX4 SEMA Cars for New York Auto Show Display
Suzuki doesn’t have a new vehicle for the New York Auto Show, but it’s resurrecting some SEMA Show cars that are so old old we had forgotten all about them and thought the company’s press release was about some new tricked out versions of the SX4. But how can you forget a name like Zuk?…
