Crossovers
Detroit 2010: Hyundai Donates $50,000 to Children’s Hospital
Hyundai’s Hope on Wheels program donated $50,000 to the Detroit Medical Center Children’s Hopsital of Michigan. The Hyundai Hope on Wheels Tour traveled across the nation and raised more than $1.3 million for pediatric cancer research, and the DMC Children’s Hospital as the final stop. The $50,000 donation will fund research by the hospital’s pediactric…
Detroit 2010: Subaru Forester Gets Two New Option Packages for 2010
Subaru has announced two new option packages for the Forester compact crossover for 2010 as the Japanese automaker looks to expand its share of this highly competitive market segment further in 2010. For 2009, the Forrester was Subaru’s best selling model with a 28 percent increase over 2008. First up is a new Special Edition…
Detroit 2010: 2011 Lincoln MKX Gets Major Updates, Including First Application of MyLincoln Touch
Technically a mid-cycle refresh, Lincoln has decided to do more than just minor updates to its entry-level MKX crossover for 2011. An important model for Lincoln, the company says that more than half of MKX buyers are new to the brand and that seven in 10 of those buyers purchase another Lincoln. Joining the rest…
Detroit 2010: 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe Mild Update Includes Big Changes
Hyundai officially introduced the 2010 Santa Fe with two new engine options, a more efficient 3.5L v6 and a 2.4L inline-four. Mated with a six-speed automatic “Shiftronic” transmission, the four-cylinder claims better fuel economy than the 2009 2.7L V6 Santa Fe. With 175 hp and 169 ft-lbs of torque, less power than the old 2.7L,…
Detroit 2010: MINI Beachcomber Concept, First Live Photos
MINI’s new Countryman crossover hasn’t even officially debuted and yet the creative minds at the fun British car company have already turned the platform into a new concept: the MINI Beachcomber Concept. Based on the Countryman’s platform, the MINI Beachcomber Concept takes the crossover’s capable ALL4 all-wheel drive system and sets it free on the…
Detroit 2010: 2010 Hyundai Santa Fe to Debut With Two New Fuel Efficient Engines
***See AutoGuide’s LIVE 2010 Detroit Auto Show Coverage Here*** Hyundai continues to deliver significantly improved vehicles, the latest being the 2010 Santa Fe mid-sized crossover, which is set to launch at the Detroit Auto Show. Mid-cycle refreshes rarely get the sort of overhaul that the 2010 Santa Fe has received, with minor interior and exterior…
Report: Dodge Nitro Heat, Detonator and Shock Models New for 2010
***See AutoGuide’s LIVE 2010 Detroit Auto Show Coverage Here*** For 2010 Dodge has decided to shake up the Nitro lineup with three new model designations: Heat, Detonator and Shock. All models will come with a 4.0-liter V6 engine, 20-inch wheels, and a 368-watt eight speaker audio system, plus 9-inch subwoofer. That 4.0-liter V6 has also…
Report: Ford Kuga to Replace Escape, But Badge May Carry Over
Ford’s popular Escape crossover is set to be replaced in 2012 with the European Kuga. Recent reports suggest, however, that this new model may keep the Escape badge. According to Ward’s Auto, several Ford dealers have commented that it would be a waste to do away with the Escape badge as it has excellent recognition…
Surprise: Audi Q5 Hybrid Coming in Less Than 12 Months
While German automakers are still talking a lot about electric cars and the benefits of diesel, they are also quietly rolling out hybrid models. As hybrids continue to increase in popularity, many European automakers are starting to take after their Japanese counterparts, especially as the Japanese have done such an excellent job penetrating the European…
Detroit Preview: MINI Beachcomber Concept
***See AutoGuide’s LIVE 2010 Detroit Auto Show Coverage Here*** With MINI almost set to unveil its Countryman Crossover, the British brand is already looking towards its next project with the MINI Beachcomber Concept. This open-air vehicle is based on the same underpinnings as the Countryman: the Crossover Concept. It also features the brand’s new ALL4…
Report: Honda Gives Green Light to Second Generation Element
The Element, the ugly duckling of the Honda lineup, will live on for a second generation. According to a report by Automotive News, Honda VP John Mendel has confirmed that despite the car’s underachieving sales numbers there are good reasons to introduce a modernized version of the functional box. The largest argument for keeping the…
Report: Brabus GLK Sets World Record for Fastest SUV at 200-MPH
The team at German Mercedes-tuner Brabus have just announced that their V12-powered Mercedes GLK has achieved a world record for the fastest street-legal SUV at 322.3 km/h. In miles, that is a fraction over 200, at 200.3 mph! The record-setting run was achieved at Italy’s Nardo high speed ring during an event hosted by Continental…
Detroit Preview: MINI Planning Moke Concept
***See AutoGuide’s LIVE 2010 Detroit Auto Show Coverage Here*** While we await production versions of the MINI Coupe and Roadster concepts, as well as the Countryman crossover, MINI is getting ready to unveil yet another concept car – the Moke. Based on the same chassis as the Countryman, the Moke is expected to get its…
Report: Kia Design Team Pushing for Soul’ster Production Model
When Kia first unveiled the Soul-based Soul’ster concept at the Detroit Auto Show it almost seemed like a production certainty. But almost a full year since the car debuted and we’ve yet to hear anything more about the unconventional “convertible” version of the compact car/crossover. Now Kia’s design boss is putting his weight behind the…
LA 2009: BMW X6 ActiveHybrid Makes M Power, Passable Fuel Economy
The seconds of two production hybrids to get their North American debut at the LA Auto Show, the X6 ActiveHybrid joins the ActiveHybrid 7 in using the new green technology to make ridiculous amounts of power with modest (very modest) improvements in fuel consumption. In fact, BMW’s engineers have chosen to exploit hybrid technology to…
LA 2009: Mitsubishi Introduces GT Model to Outlander Lineup
First shown in concept format the New York Auto Show earlier this year, Mitsubishi has just officially debuted the new 2010 Outlander GT compact crossover at the LA Auto Show. Most noticeable is the EVO-styled front grille, however, there are several other minor changes to update the Outlander to GT status. For starters there’s a…
LA 2009: Mitsubishi Shows Off Hybrid Capability With PX-MiEV Crossover Concept
One of the few remaining Japanese automakers without a hybrid vehicle in its lineup, Mitsubishi brought its new Concept PX-MiEV to the LA Auto Show to let Californians know that it too has the capability and is considering its options. First unveiled at the Tokyo Auto Show the PX-MiEV name combines the automakers “MiEV” nomenclature,…
LA 2009: 2011 Hyundai Tucson Unveiled With More Power, Increased Fuel Economy
Hyundai has just unveiled the all-new 2011 Tucson compact crossover at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The new Tucson gets a complete list of upgrades including a more powerful and fuel efficient 4-cylinder engine, as well as several new features and an all-new look. Powering the Tucson is an improved version of the company’s 2.4-liter…
LA 2009: 2011 Kia Sorento Debuts in LA, Marks Korean Automaker’s First U.S. Built Vehicle
Korean automaker Kia has officially announced the introduction of the all-new 2011 Sorento compact crossover to the U.S. market – where it will be built. The Sorento’s new design and corporate front-end design come from the KND-4 concept first shown at the Los Angeles Auto Show back in 2007. Following in the tire-treads of the…
LA Peview: BMW’s Hugely Powerful, But Not So Efficient, X6 Hybrid Headed to Los Angeles
When BMW first introduced its X6 model, one of the many questions surrounding it was, “who wants a vehicle like this?” Apparently the answer is BMW engineers. The X6 platform seems to be a favorite for the German automaker’s latest and greatest technology. After introducing two standard gasoline versions of the CUV, it was then…
Report: Bentley Considering Sub-Continental Coupe and Crossover
Bentley is quietly examining the possibility of a new entry-level model to slot in underneath the brand’s current Continental GT lineup. Known internally as NCB for New Compact Bentley, it could debut as early as 2014 in two forms. The first vehicle would be what is often referred to as a Shooting Brake (an elongated…
LA Preview: 2011 Hyundai Tucson to Get North American Debut
Having recently been unveiled at the Frankfurt Auto Show in Germany, Hyundai will officially launch its new 2011 Tucson for the North American market at the LA Auto Show in early December. The Tucson is likely to keep much of the design we first saw in Frankfurt and is a bold departure from the rather…
Report: Mercedes Launches Lease-Only ML450 Hybrid
Mercedes has just announced announced the ML450 Hybrid 4MATIC model is ready for purchase… sort of. The first complete product to use the two-mode hybrid system built by the joint General Motors, Daimler, BMW and Chrysler hybrid technology group will only be offered as a lease. The ML450 Hybrid will be made available for either…
Report: Toyota Planning Larger Prius Variant
Toyota is preparing to launch a variant of the Prius and while the new hybrid would be a larger model, the exact type of vehicle is not known. According to a report in Japan’s Yomiuri newspaper, the new Prius variant would either be a crossover or a wagon. Back in 2007, Toyota did display a…
