compact car
Mitsubishi USA Executives Depart, No Plans To Fill Vacancies
1
Mitsubishi has confirmed that two top executives at their American divison have left the company, and that Mitsubishi has no plans to replace them – a curious development for an automaker with mercurial fortunes. Mitsubishi has struggled in recent years, but has enjoyed a sales surge in recent months, as well as the launch of…
Scion iQ Makes Its Aftermarket Debut: 2011 SEMA Show
The Scion iQ has still yet to go on sale, but Scion came out in full force with their new subcompact, presenting a multitude of concepts aimed at all corners of the aftermarket segment. The Pit Boss iQ by Cartel is the wildest interpretation of the iQ we’ve seen so far, with the roof completely chopped off…
Volkswagen Polo On SCCA B-Spec Entry List, 2012 Debut Possible
While reviewing the SCCA B-Spec rules, we came across a list of entries for the upcoming class and stumbled upon a few interesting candidates – namely the Volkswagen Polo, which the rule sheet claims may be imported for 2012. Other entries, like the Hyundai Accent, Scion iQ and xD and Fiat 500 are interesting in…
Ford Fiesta B-Spec Revealed: 2011 SEMA Show
The Ford Fiesta B-Spec is intended to be Ford’s offering for the newly created B-Spec racing class, which allows racers a (relatively) affordable way to go road racing in production cars. Based on the same Fiesta available to consumers, the B-Spec cars have their interiors gutted to make way for a rollcage, a bucket seat,…
Chevy Sonic Concepts Feature Ricky Carmichael, Race Car – 2011 SEMA Show
Chevrolet unveiled the first of what will surely be many concept cars based on their new Sonic compact car, with a lifestyle/tuner car designed with input by Motocross legend and NASCAR driver Ricky Carmichael, and a ready-to-go racer intended for SCCA competition. The Sonic All Activity Vehicle – Ricky Carmichael Concept features a full suite…
Scion iQ Sales Targets Set At 1,000-2,000 Units Per Month
Toyota is setting targets of between 1,000 and 2,000 units per month for the rollout of its Scion iQ city car, and the new vehicle will see a tiered launch that involves an initial rollout on the West Coast this winter with a Midwest and East Coast launch this spring. The Japanese-built iQ will also…
Chevrolet Sonic To Be Sold In Japan Priced Above Honda Fit, Toyota Yaris
While General Motors has had major success in South Korea, Japan has eluded GM for some time. The American automaker is hoping to reverse that trend with the introduction of their Chevrolet Sonic small car, which will be positioned above domestic entrants like the Honda Fit and Toyota Yaris. GM is launching a television campaign,…
Changes To UK MoT Car Inspection Could Cost Owners Exorbitant Sums
New rules to Britain’s MoT inspection program, used by the government to declare whether vehicles are roadworthy or not, could end up costing motorists thousands of dollars for non-essential repairs. European Union regulations, which Britain is subject to, require that electronic stability control systems must be checked, and any vehicle that doesn’t pass will be…
Hyundai May Bring Elantra Touring, 5-Door Veloster, To America
Hyundai has already admitted that they have two sets of tooling for their three-door Veloster, so that Hyundai can switch the door’s location for either left or right-hand drive markets, and the company has admitted that a Veloster with two rear doors is a possibility for the future. Hyundai is apparently planning a five-door version…
150 Brand New 1997 Chrysler Neons For Sale In Singapore At $1,350 Each
Anyone who has spent time looking for fake watches, knockoff handbags or other wonderful Asian products has likely come across the site Alibaba.com Today’s find on the slightly notorious site is a lot of 150 right-hand drive Dodge Neons in Singapore. The vehicles are advertised as brand new and look like they have about 14…
Kia To Launch Electric Vehicle By 2012
Kia will unveil its first electric vehicle by the start of 2012, but did not say whether the vehicle would be sold in the United States. The EV will reportedly be based on the Hyundai i10, a vehicle considered much too small for North American tastes. A production run of just 2,000 units is expected…
Chrysler Delta, Ypsilon Goes On Sale In UK
Chrysler has launched their first two re-badged Lancia product in the UK (where the Lancia brand has been defunct for a number of years), with a pair of hatchbacks based on the Lancia Delta and Ypsilon compact and subcompact cars. The Ypsilon shares a platform with the Fiat 500 and will be available with the…
Fiat 500 Sales Missing Targets, Chrysler Blaming Marketing Strategy
Sales targets for the Fiat 500 were set at an ambitious 6,000 units per month, and surprise surprise, the car isn’t meeting them. This might be due to the fact that it’s a subcompact, foreign branded car in a market where gasoline is (relatively) cheap and large vehicles reign supreme. Or it could be the…
2012 Kia Rio Hatchback Priced From $13,600
Kia will launch their 2012 Rio Hatchback with a starting price of $13,600, plus a $750 destination charge (bringing the total to $14,350). The base car will come only with a manual gearbox, while an automatic transmission equipped version will cost $14,700 ($15,540 with destination included) while the top-of-the-line SX model will set you back…
Hyundai To Challenge Suzuki’s Dominance In India With Eon Small Car
Suzuki may be an also ran in America, but in India, their Maruti Suzuki partnership can boast the title of “best-selling car” with their Alto subcompact. With a population of 1 billion people, the Indian market is a significant one, and the Japanese auto maker is facing competition not just from home grown efforts like…
Ford Focus To Get 1.0L Ecoboost In Europe
The 2012 Ford Focus will get a 1.0L 3-Cylinder Ecoboost engine, but it will only be offered in the North American market. Ford says that the motor will make 118 horsepower and 125 lb-ft of torque at just 1300 rpm. An overboost feature will provide short bursts of up to 147 lb-ft of torque, while…
Mercedes-Benz, Infiniti, Formalize Platform Sharing, Small Car To Be First
Infiniti will adopt Mercedes-Benz’s small car architecture, used to underpin the front-drive B-Class, as part of the technology sharing agreement signed between the two companies. Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn told Autocar that “you’d be very surprised if in five or six years that Mercedes and Renault/Nissan had only cooperated on small cars,” signalling a much wider…
Dodge Caliber Production Ending November 23rd
The Dodge Caliber is scheduled to go out of production this November, as a new Fiat-based compact car takes its place. Chrysler enthusiast website Allpar confirms the Caliber’s demise, and lists November 23rd as the final date for the ill-fated Dodge compact. The Caliber’s replacement is said to get 40 mpg thanks to a government…
Ford Fiesta 1.0L 3-Cylinder Ecoboost Coming To America
While Ford has stopped short of confirming it, a recent article on Automotive News suggests that a Fiesta subcompact fitted with the company’s newest 1.0L Ecoboost 3-Cylinder engine is all but a done deal for North America. Ford confirmed that the engine would make it to America in some capacity, and the motor is only…
U.S Spec Suzuki SX4 Will Keep Removable Garmin Nav Unit
After a few years of Suzuki offering a portable nav unit in its SX4 hatchback, the comapny announced it would offer an integrated, in-dash system, however the U.S won’t get the system. Suzuki has decided to keep the portable unit in all U.S spec models but the rest of the world will receive an in-dash…
Ford Fiesta Closing In On Small-Car Top-Seller
The Ford Fiesta has been selling exceptionally well in the Small car segment, beating key competitors like the Toyota Yaris and Nissan Versa. Last May, 7,120 Fiestas were sold, outselling the Versa’s 4,793 units in the same month. The success of the Fiesta has been attributed to skyrocketing fuel prices as well as the shortage…
Aston Martin Hopes Cygnet Will Become Brand’s Second Best Seller
The Aston Martin Cygnet might seem like anathema to everything the company stands for, but Aston Martin is hoping that the Cygnet will become the number two seller for the brand. With a projection of 1,500 units sold per year, the Cygnet would trail the Vantage as Aston’s stop selling model. Aston sold a total…
Mazda To Develop Chinese Market Sub-Brand
Mazda and Chinese joint venture partner Chang’an are reportedly developing a new sub-brand for the Chinese market, with their first offering based on the outdated but still excellent 1st generation Mazda3. Mazda still sells the older Mazda3 in China, while importing the current Mazda3 hatchback. The current car will be joined by a Chinese made…
2012 Mercedes-Benz B-Class To Debut At Frankfurt Auto Show
The next generation Mercedes-Benz B-Class will make its debut at the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show in September, with the car moving towards a hatchback body style rather than the current pseudo-minivan design. A full range of four-cylinder gasoline and diesel engines will be available, along with a start-stop system for improved fuel economy. Mercedes’ main…
