suv
BMW X1 Delayed Until Late 2012
With the extreme popularity of the BMW X1 crossover within Europe, sales in the United States have been delayed until the end of 2012. The X1 was formally launched in Europe in November 2009 and was initially planned to launch in the US earlier this year. The delay has been caused by the Leipzig plant, which can…
Volkswagen Planning Larger SUV, Smaller Car for North America
With Volkswagen now having launched the new Jetta and Passat on our shores, the automaker has pretty much run out of cars to Americanize and so it will soon look to deliver some all-new models designed to appeal to our less sophisticated tastes and larger beltlines. One of the first will be a three row…
Jeep Liberty Investigated By NHTSA Over Suspension Failures
NHTSA is investigating some 370,000 Jeep Liberty SUVs due to potential rust issues involving the lower control arms. NHTSA has recieved 9 complaints so far regarding rear control arm failure due to corrosion, with two of the incidents occurring at speeds greater than 50 mph. The Liberty has faced three previous recalls, in 2003 and 2006, totaling over 1 million…
Mazda CX-5 Confirmed For Spring 2012, Mazda3 To Get 40 MPG, Diesel Confirmed
Mazda confirmed that their previously unveiled Minagi concept will go into production as the Mazda CX-5, a small crossover intended to slot beneath their mid-size CX-7 and full-size CX-9. The CX-5 will be the first Mazda vehicle to come with a full suite of SKYACTIV fuel-saving technologies, among them an all-new engine designed for maximum…
Audi Q3 May Come To United States
While Audi’s plans for the U.S. market originally did not include the compact Q3 crossover, but Audi is re-considering the decision to not import the car after seeing the segment expand with offerings like the MINI Countryman, BMW X1 and the Nissan Juke. While the Q5 starts at $35,200, Audi would likely have to price…
Audi Planning Expensive Special Editions For Russia, UAE
Audi is planning to launch new special editions of their R8 and Q7 vehicles in Russia and the United Arab Emirates, with prices as extravagant as their customers tastes. Russia will be the first market to get their own special Audi, with a Q7 V12 TDI being offered with an exclusive two-tone black paint job…
Jaguar SUV, Sports Car Details Emerge
Jaguar has slowly been releasing details of their new products expected to debut in the next few years, and each leak makes us more excited for what’s in store. The new SUV is expected to help bulk up the brand’s total sales and take on cars like the Range Rover Sport, BMW X5 and Porsche…
General Motors To Idle SUV Plant Due To Parts Shortage
General Motors will idle their Arlington, Texas plant due to a parts shortage, although details were not given as to what the specific issue was. The factory builds vehicles like the Chevrolet Tahoe and Cadillac Escalade. A UAW representative told Automotive News that two 10-hour overtime shifts would be cancelled. So far, the standard 10-hour…
Cost Of Driving Is Increasing, According To AAA Study
The American Automobile Association has compiled annual statistics for its “Your Driving Costs” study, and the numbers show that operating a car will hit your pocketbook harder than previous years. The study focused on the cost of operating a sedan, and AAA estimated a total cost of $8588 per year, while an SUV would see…
Audi Q3 Sketches Released
Audi has released a number of sketches showing their forthcoming Q3 crossover, based on the Volkswagen Tiguan, that will serve as an entry-level vehicle for the brand. The Q3 is unlikely to come to North America, but its unveiling at the Shanghai Auto Show should give a clue as to where Audi anticipates a fair…
Ford Hikes Prices On 2011 Models
Now Ford Motor Company is also doing the same, though in this case, the hike is a little less dramatic; the automaker saying the increase will only be around 0.4 percent.
Subaru Resumes Car Production In Japan
Subaru will re-start their large car production plant, nearly a month after an earthquake caused parent company Fuji Heavy Industries to shut the factory down. The factory builds the Legacy, Impreza and Forester, which comprise the bulk of Subaru’s U.S. lineup. The plant will only be running at 50 percent capacity initially. Subaru claims that…
Range Rover Evoque Priced In Europe, Priced From $45,000 To $71,000
The hotly anticipated Range Rover Evoque has been priced in the United Kingdom and will start at £27,955, or about $45,000, for a front-drive, manual gearbox equipped 5-door model. At the other end of the spectrum, a fully loaded, AWD 3-door model with the 6-speed automatic, will cost an eye-watering £44,320 or about $71,000. Of…
Subaru To Cut Production Of Legacy, Outback, Tribeca Due To Parts Shortage
A shortage of parts means that Subaru‘s Indiana plant will have its production cut in half through the end of the week, and the company will assess the situation on a day to day basis to examine whether a continuation is necessary. Each of the two shifts will have 4 hours cut from their length….
Range Rover Owned In China Returns Vehicle Via Donkey
Although the destroyed Chinese Lamborghini will forever linger in the minds of car enthusiasts bemused by the antics of spoiled owners, a Range Rover driver decided to take a less apoplectic approach and simply returned his Range Rover by towing it to the dealership with two donkeys. Dissatisfied after his Rover broke down 6 times in one…
Jeep Hopes To Sell 125,000 Cars Per Year In Europe By 2014
Jeep is launching an ambitious campaign in Europe to boost sales eight-fold by 2014, with a new premium small SUV helping to lead the way. The next generation Jeep Compass is expected to debut around 2014, and will be based on the same platform as the Alfa Romeo Giulietta, and the Compass will also share…
BMW 4-Series May Appear As Rival To Audi A5 Sportback
BMW is planning to expand its range yet again, with reports of an upcoming 4-Series lineup that would compete against the Audi A5 Sportback in the burgeoning sporty hatchback segment. Rumors have been flying about a possible 3-Series GT, a complement to the crossover-like 5-Series GT (shown above), but this may in fact be part of the…
Ford To Cut Back On Red And Black Paint Due To Supply Shortage
Ford is asking dealers to curtail orders of three shades of red paint, and one hue called “Tuxedo Black” due to difficulties sourcing metallic elements needed for the paint. The element, which is produced by a Japanese supplier, is unable to be produced to due damage resulting from the natural disasters that occurred in the…
Maserati To Use Turbochargers, 8-Speed Automatics In Future Cars
Maserati‘s new GranTurismo MC Stradale might be using a nifty new single-clutch automated manual gearbox in its home market of Europe, but North America will get a ZF-built 8-speed automatic. The ZF unit is a precursor to Maserati’s further use of the gearbox, and frankly, North American consumers of the brand will likely not notice…
Porsche 911 Named Most Reliable Sports Car By J.D. Power
While Italian sports cars get a bad rap for being fickle, nobody has ever accused the Porsche 911 of having major reliability issues, and J.D. Power, publisher of the legendary reliability rankings, seems to confirm that, having named the 911 the most reliable sports car and Porsche as the top German manufacturer. While some of Porsche’s newer…
Chevrolet Captiva Released For Fleet Sales Only
The Saturn Vue is back, but you won’t be able to buy one. That’s because the Chevrolet Captiva Sport, essentially a rebadged Vue, will only be available to fleet customers. With either a 2.4L Ecotec 4-cylinder or a 3.0L direct injection V6, the Captiva will offer an adequate powertrain for all types of customers, but…
MINI Countryman Helps BMW Increase 2010 Profits
Purists may scoff at the 4-door MINI Countryman and its betrayal of “brand values”, but BMW’s bean counters are laughing all the way to the bank as the company credits the newest MINI with helping profits surge 15-fold in 2010. BMW’s net income was recorded at 3.23 billion euros in 2010, up from 210 million…
Maserati To Expand Markets Amid Growing Sales
Maserati is reporting a sales increase of 20 percent in 2010 and selling 2,000 cars. Not bad for a car company that only a decade ago was a boutique maker of finnicky but beautiful Italian exotics. In a press conference at the Geneva Auto Show, CEO Harald Wester remarked that 2011 should be a banner…
Geneva 2011: Audi Q5 Hybrid Is A Discreet Way To Save The World
During Audi‘s presentation at the 2011 Geneva Auto Show, a company spokesman praised the Audi Q5 Hybrid’s as a usable everyday car and not “…a complicated political statement. While this swipe at a well-known rival may be over the line to some observers, the fact is that they compete for two very different customer bases….
