hatchback
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…
Abarth Workers Sold $1.3 Million In Stolen Parts
Two employees at Italian tuning house Abarth have been arrested for selling $1.3 million in stolen parts, while 23 other employees and Italian postal service workers have been summoned for questioning after an 8-month investigation. Abarth became aware of the scam after several dealers complained that several tuning kits, used to upgrade Fiat 500 and…
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…
Volkswagen Jetta, Golf TDI, Audi A3 TDI Being Recalled Over Fuel Leak
Volkswagen is recalling 168,000 diesel engine vehicles produced from 2009-2012 over a possible leak from the fuel injectors that could start a fire. The vehicles in question are Volkswagen Jetta, Jetta SportWagen and Golf models as well as the Audi A3 TDI. 161,144 VWs and 7,131 Audis are involved in the recall, while no injuries…
Brandmotion Readies Custom FIAT 500 In Time For SEMA
The SEMA Show (Specialty Equipment Market Association) provides the unique opportunity to let suppliers and aftermarket tuners showcase their new products and innovations. This year, Brandmotion, an award winning supplier of OEM-grade custom products, earned the opportunity to work with FIAT to customize a 2012 FIAT 500. FIAT launched a competition for aftermarket suppliers to…
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…
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…
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…
Chevrolet Makes Way For Three Models In Kazakhstan Assembly Deal
Chevrolet cranks up its production capacity for the fourth quarter as the Azia Avto plant in Kazakhstan agrees to support the production of three new Chevy models. As the largest automaker in Kazakhstan, the Azia Avto plant is responsible for more than 87 percent of all passenger cars in the country. GM considers Kazakhstan and areas…
Ford Focus ST To Debut At Frankfurt Auto Show, Details Released In Advance
For the European market, the thought of another high performance Ford Focus has become banal, but North America is eagerly awaiting the launch of the first “Euro” hot hatch variant of the Focus, with the upcoming Ford Focus ST. The original Focus SVT was based on a European model called the Focus ST170, but the…
Ford Fiesta ST Concept To Bow At Frankfurt Auto Show
Ford will show a concept version of their l0ng-awaited Fiesta ST hot hatch at the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show. An ST version of the Focus hatchback has long been confirmed, and many correctly suspected that a hotter version of the smaller Fiesta would follow. With the Focus making 250 horsepower from a 2.0L Ecoboost 4-cylinder…
Audi A2 Concept Revealed Ahead Of Frankfurt Auto Show
Lately it seems like auto shows have become just another venue for another automaker to unveil another electric vehicle concept. The 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show will be no different, as Audi is set to display its new electric A2 concept alongside the introduction of the new Audi S6, S7, and S8. Now this might come as…
Nissan Leaf’s Sell Out In Canada In Just Two Hours
Last weekend, Nissan Canada officially began the reservation process for the all-new electric Leaf. Within two hours, all Leaf inventory was reserved. On August 27th, Canadians attended one of 27 Nissan Leaf certified dealers and were invited to reserve the electric vehicle for a refundable $99 deposit. Judy Wheeler, Nissan Canada’s director of marketing, said, “Response…
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…
Hyundai Veloster To Start At $17,300 For Manual, $18,550 For DCT [Full Pricing Released]
While Hyundai CEO John Krafcik didn’t give us full pricing on the upcoming Hyundai Veloster, a tweet by Hyundai’s head honcho did reveal that the highly anticipated sports coupe will start at $17,300 for a 6-speed manual version, while the Dual-Clutch Transmission will cost $18,550, while delivering 40 mpg on the highway. In addition to…
Ken Blocks Gymkhana 4 Released
Ken Block has released the fourth installment of his Gymkhana video series, aptly titled Gymkhana 4, for the flatbill wearers of the internet to enjoy and play ad nauseam. We won’t spoil any of the video for you, but it’s an appropriate follow-up to the last three mini-films. Check it out below.
New 2012 Nissan Versa Hatchback Same as The Old One: Priced from $14,380
Today, Nissan North America announced U.S pricing for the 2012 Versa Hatchback, a model that is carried over from the previous year, despite the fact that the 2012 sedan is all-new. Continuing on the popular first-generation design, it is available in 1.8 S and 1.8 SL models. The 1.8-liter S hatchback model has been priced…
Toyota’s Next-Gen Yaris Debuts At The 2011 Melbourne Auto Show
Toyota’s new Yaris just made its local debut at the 2011 Melbourne auto show, ahead of its showroom release at the end of the year. The current Yaris is the third most popular compact car in the Australia, behind the Mazda2 and the Hyundai Getz. Toyota stretched the Yaris to help create more space for…
Chevrolet Cruze Two-Door Won’t Happen, But Buick May Get Small Hatch
Rumors of a Chevrolet Cruze 3-door hatchback appear to be just that, after an interview with General Motors North American President Mark Reuss surfaced, stating that the Cruze is too late in its North American product cycle for a hatchback. On the other hand, reports are emerging that Buick may get a hatchback version of…
The New Toyota Yaris? Yes? No? Maybe So?
The all new stylish 2012 Toyota Vitz model, sold here as the Yaris, appears to have new photos, that is if these pics from a Hungarian Toyota dealership’s Facebook page are anything to go by. In an age where fuel economy is a major selling aspect, the subcompact B-segment is more important than ever, and…
2012 MINI Coupe Spied In Toronto [Autoguide Exclusive]
A sharp-eyed AutoGuide reader spotted the 2012 MINI Coupe undergoing a shakedown in Toronto, Canada. The Coupe, which is supposed to be the most sporting version of the MINI lineup, was wearing minimal camaflogue, although the photographer reported that the driver did their best to make a swift getaway. Check out the gallery below, as…
Future Of Toyota Matrix In Doubt, Even With Strong Sales in Canada
With Matrix sales slumping in the U.S, Toyota may not invest in a next-generation version when the 2013 Corolla hits dealerships. Only 14,592 Toyota Matrix’s were sold last year in the U.S which is down from 66,836 units in 2002. Matrix sales are still doing well in Canada, but Corolla sales are double that of…
Reborn Electric Audi A2 Will Be Produced
Audi has confirmed that the A2 will be making a comback this September at the Frankfurt Auto Show, in the form of an electric concept car. The original A2 ended production due to the cost of its aluminum spaceframe chassis. The new A2 will retain the chassis but the car will be a more expensive…
Nissan Leaf Gets Five Star Crash Test Rating In Europe
The Nissan Leaf became the first EV to get a five star crash test rating from the Euro NCAP program, after scoring well in all categories involving passenger safety, on-board safety systems and pedestrian safety. Also notable was the car’s lithium-ion battery system, which according to Nissan “completely withstood all the impacts.” “The Nissan Leaf proves that…
