We haven’t seen the forthcoming up close since last March when our spy photographers caught it . Until now, that is.
New shots of the small crossover reveal plenty of details, from its -like front fascia and vents on the front fenders to the sleek rear profile and small back window. Narrow headlamps and taillamps recall the , as does the upturned D-pillar. In fact, the Vertrek’s styling looks to be carried over almost completely, with even the strong character lines on the new Escape’s hood visible under the adhesive mask.
Our photographers have caught more than one Escape out in the wild, and we notice that both single and dual exhaust versions are being tested. The white Escape with single exhaust appears to be a base trim, as it is riding on steel wheels, while the black, dual exhaust prototype is wearing larger alloys with shorter sidewall tires.
We’ve that Ford will offer the new Escape with three engine options: A base 2.5-liter four cylinder that’s a carryover from the current model, and turbocharged fours in 1.6-liter and 2.0-liter displacements. We can only hope that the rumored 247-horsepower EcoBoost is what’s hiding under the hood of that black Escape.
Ford is expected to introduce the 2013 Escape at the in November, so shouldn’t be long before we find out.
The North American-spec won’t officially debut until the in just a couple of weeks, but thanks to the automaker’s own Japanese website, we’re now getting our first glimpse at the production version of the new crossover – at least the JDM version, which isn’t expected to differ much. previously teased us with a shot of a , which, flashy as it may have been, gave us a good idea of exactly what the final design would look like.
In addition to the CUV’s decidedly predictable exterior, Honda’s Japanese site gives us a sneak peak inside the CR-V, where things don’t appear to change all that much from the current model. Under the hood, Honda will continue to employ its 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine, though a new six-speed automatic transmission is expected to be on tap for 2012, which should aid fuel economy and performance.
We’ll have the full details on the new CR-V in the not-too-distant future, but in the meantime, see it for yourself over on to get a glimpse at what’s to come.
Engine notes are a funny thing. They don’t add anything to a car’s performance capabilities. They don’t improve emissions or lower fuel consumption. They don’t contribute to ride quality or overall refinement – in fact you could argue just the opposite, at least indirectly. Yet automakers spend a great deal of time and resources to ensure their cars sound just right.
Few engines emit the kind of throaty, raspy burble that a V8 crafted by AMG does. The performance division just makes some of the best sounding engines around. But you don’t have to take our word for it: to watch – and more importantly hear – the new Coupe sliding around a wet track – without any background music, voiceover, or even much color to distract from the sweet, sweet sound – of the 6.2-liter, 450-horsepower V8 revving in all its glory.
If you lined up all the taxis in New York, they’d stretch all the way from Wall Street to Norwalk, Connecticut. They shuttle some 236 million passengers around the city every year – about 600,000 every day – and in the process, they travel the equivalent of 20,000 times around the world every year. Those are staggering numbers, to be sure, so when the city’s taxi and limousine department put out the tender for its “Taxi of Tomorrow,” it was an ambitious – and important – project.
ended up getting the contract (although other manufacturers have since gained approval as well. We’ve already seen what the van-based shuttler will look like from the curb, but a taxi cab certainly isn’t about exterior styling. Like a certain Arabian beggar in a Disney movie, it’s what’s inside that counts. And that’s just what Nissan is demonstrating with a special exposition in New York.
Opening tomorrow on the pedestrian plaza across from the iconic Flatiron Building at Broadway and Fifth, Nissan’s Taxi of Tomorrow Design Expo will showcase the full interior of the NV200 Taxi. The cab is accessed via sliding doors (for easier ingress and egress in the city’s tight spaces), a panorama roof to let tourists enjoy the upwards view (real New Yorkers, of course, never look up, a flat floor, a large cargo area for luggage, USB charging outlet, easily cleanable surfaces and and air-filtration and climate-control system independent of the driver’s.
Sounds to us like a nice place in which to cruise around the city, at least while all that stuff is still in working order. But don’t take our word for it: check out the high-res images in the gallery for a closer look – including a nifty infographic on taxi usage in the city – and the details in the press release . Or if you’re in the area, stop by the expo from Tuesday through Saturday of this week.
Automotive News reports that is itching to release a mid-cycle refresh for the company’s . In response to a harsh criticism from reviewers and the model’s first failure to earn a coveted Recommended rating from Consumer Reports in recent memory, the automaker has apparently decided to pull ahead the model’s refresh to 2013 instead of 2014. The report quotes John Mendel, American Honda Executive Vice President, as saying that his company is “appropriately energized” by feedback from critics and customers alike. At the same time, the executive stressed that he wasn’t sure exactly how much the manufacturer could do or how quickly it could be accomplished.
Critics have specifically found issue with the vehicle’s overly soft handling and muddled, plastic-laden dash design, especially as competition in the segment has matured and grown even more compelling. While the 2012 Honda Civic initially saw a spike in consumer interest, shoppers may have trickled off; something that analysts say is highly unusual for any Honda model, let alone this onetime leader of the compact segment.
What will the refresh bring? We can only imagine that Honda will work to cure the ails that Consumer Reports has specifically called out by improving the interior and rolling in additional content.
Assuming the of to the Pang Da and Youngman companies (a very big “if,” truth be told), the Swedish automaker could indeed have a bright future… in time. With the new and not in need of any dire updates just yet, it’d be smart for Saab to focus on reworking its biggest volume offering, the aged . And judging by this sketch found on Swedish site Svd.se, the next 9-3 (likely called “Ninety-Three”) could be quite a rakish yet practical entry into the entry-level luxury segment. The image above is said to be taken from an internal planning document, and it depicts a handsome five-door shape, with Saab’s characteristic cantilevered “hockey stick” greenhouse and turbine-shaped wheels.
We at Autoblog were very fond of the three- and five-door 9-3 bodystyles from the late 1990s and early 2000s (as well as the 99 and 900 model ranges that sired them), and with more automakers proving that dramatically sloped hatchbacks can have a place in the luxury segment (thanks, and ), the rebirth of a proper liftback 9-3 could be a strong move for the beleaguered company. Even from this grainy image, we can see a lot of influence from the that bowed in earlier this year, albeit without the showcar’s flashier touches.
Still, who knows if this car will ever see the light of day based on Saab’s current shaky situation. For now, we’re crossing our fingers. Head over to for the full story (and more photos).
You’re a Miami police officer, so high-speed blasts down the highway probably aren’t anything new to you. Therefore, it makes perfect sense that when you’re late to your off-duty moonlighting gig, you’d run your marked, Miami-Dade Police cruiser up to 120 miles per hour through traffic and do whatever it took to clock in on time, right?
For officer Fausto Lopez, this also means leading an on-duty Florida Highway Patrol police officer on a five-minute chase down the turnpike when she wanted to pull him over for reckless driving. And since it’s hard to get to work in handcuffs, we imagine Lopez didn’t make it to his gig at the appointed hour.
There are two videos of the tense incident , the first is an ABC News report, the second is priceless dash-cam footage of the pursuit. As Lopez is being cuffed, he apparently says, “Oh man, I can’t believe this.” He’s not the only one. Lopez is apparently only been charged with one count of reckless driving.
“The watch industry is a very interesting parallel in that none of us need watches anymore,” Jonathon Ward, founder of , offers as a metaphor for his latest project. “The secret to them succeeding and prospering and furthering their design efforts in the modern market is in the execution – making the execution distinct and purposeful and bespoke. We are trying to take that unnecessary ethic from other industries and evolve it into niche transportation.”
In other words, Ward knows that his custom creations are superfluous, but like timepieces, people appreciate them for more than just their practical use. We count ourselves in that group, as we’ve previously sampled the and found it to be more than the sum of its parts.
The company’s latest project is the Icon Bronco. After completing the development of the FJ series and the aforementioned CJ3B, Ward has turned his unique perspective to Ford’s legendary off-roader from the 1960s and 70s. Icon will officially debut this Bronco at in Las Vegas later this week, but when Ward called us up earlier this month and asked if we wanted a sneak preview, we jumped at the chance. With the Bronco needing to maintain its like-new condition for the show, however, we would be limited to a short jaunt around the city streets of his facility in Van Nuys, CA. That would have to do, though, as we were eager to see what sort of unique details and materials Ward’s team has implemented into the Bronco’s design.
We may have a clearer picture of what the Toyota FT-86 / Scion FR-S will bring to the table when the production version finally arrives. A few scans of a purported training manual on the vehicle have made their way into the hands of the internet via the FT86Club.com forum.
If the site’s translations are accurate, the vehicle will boast a 2.0-liter flat-four producing 197 horsepower at 7,000 rpm and 150 pound-feet of torque at 6,600 rpm. While not overwhelming numbers, if the handling is as good as we’ve been hearing, the powertrain should be enough to hustle the 2,667-pound coupe around your favorite twisty road at a respectable pace.
The sheet also reveals that the FR-S will come in two trims, at least in Japan. A higher-spec variant will come with a limited-slip rear differential in both manual and automatic-equipped vehicles, while the lower-spec model will only have the LSD when equipped with a third pedal (which is just fine by us).
Topped-out JDM versions will also have a leather-wrapped steering wheel, LED accent lighting, a six-speaker audio system, sport pedals and white-faced gauges. Models will also be differentiated by wheel size, with higher-trims wearing modest 17-inch rollers and lower models rolling on 16-inch stock.
may have finally been saved last week when Chinese companies Pang Da Automobile Trade Co. and Zhejiang Youngman Lotus Automobile Co. , thus providing some much-needed short- and long-term financing. Pang Da and Youngman purchased Saab for 100 million euros ($142M USD) and they are offering up a €50 million ($70M) bridge loan. Most importantly, the Chinese companies have now pledged €600 million ($854M) in long-term funding. That’s assuming, of course, that the Chinese government gives this deal its seal of approval – a very big “if.”
According to Saab’s restructuring plan, vehicle production will once again resume in Sweden and Mexico, though vehicles may be built in China in the future. Saab is keen to get its latest products – the and – out to its key markets, and hopes to sell up to 55,000 units in 2012, with an even larger goal of moving 205,000 units per year in the long-term. That’s very optimistic, especially considering that in 2010, Saab sold just under 32,000 vehicles.
Even so, Pang Da and Yougman are confident that Saab can become a profitable company in the very near future. The restructuring plan states that 2012 and 2013 will be “financial transition years,” with full profitability expected in 2014. Follow the jump to read the full release.
For those of you outside of the United States, has let loose the goods on the 2012 Shogun. It is mainly a matter of detail tweaks, with a bolder, shinier, redesigned front and new items like the six-spoke, 18-inch alloy wheels and black roof rails. The turbodiesel engine is Euro V compliant, but it posts the same 197 horsepower and gas mileage numbers of the outgoing model.
Nomenclature has shifted, too, with JR and KS designations replaced by SG2, SG3 and SG4 in short- and long-wheelbase kit. The Warrior model carries over, and “will sit above the SG2.” Prices work out to £29,499 ($47,574 based on current exchange rates) for a base SG2, ascending to £40,999 ($66,121) for the SG4. for the press release.
has issued a recall of five different model lines covering the years 2008-2011 due to a fire risk. Turbocharged eight- and twelve-cylinder engines in the , , , and could suffer from overheating circuit boards that control the electric auxiliary water pump.
The overheating board could cause the pump to smoulder, and in extreme cases among the 102 failures, BMW has found there were two engine compartment fires. BMW will send recall notices for 32,000 vehicles and dealers will replace the pump free of charge. The NHTSA report detailing the recall is .
Martin Winterkorn is a happy man: is putting up big numbers in North America, its latest field of dreams, , is breaking records every month, there are exciting cars in the pipeline – from down to the XL1, Porsche’s digestion continues, and now Skoda and especially Seat are turning in no-questions performance.
It seems Skoda has been on the ups for years, making the most of keen pricing and modern redesigns of the chassis and tech it gets handed down from big brothers VW and Audi. Winterkorn predicts the Czech brand will just about double its 2010 sales by 2018, going from 762,000 to 1.5 million.
Seat, on the other hand, wasn’t just a year-and-a-half ago, phrases like “uncertain future” – code for “possible demise” – were rumbling in the background. A new CEO was brought in, new money and new models were thrown against the wall, and the efforts have stuck. The Spanish brand has hit three strong chords with Winterkorn, with increased sales, strong performance in China and anticipated models due. If this keeps up there won’t be much left for him to do but, a la Alexander the Great, break down and cry with no worlds left to conquer.
When an animal makes its way onto a freeway, the result could be a significant accident with the real possibility for casualties. But while your local Interstate could see speeds of 80 miles per hour, it’s nothing like Formula 1.
During testing at the Indian Grand Prix, a dog with a death wish made its way onto the track. Luckily, the dog was unharmed, and a potentially serious accident was avoided. The incident comes three years after driver Bruno Senna actually hit a dog during a GP2 race in Turkey. Senna reportedly told ESPN that he saw the very same dog around the entrance to the paddock, adding that it was “difficult to believe” that the dog actually made it onto the track.
Officials at the track were quick to respond to the incident by red flagging the session. Senna was quick to point out that while waving the red flag was the right thing to do, the circuit must be more vigilant in keeping animals off the track.
One of the benefits of the strengthening ties between and is a mutual expansion of their joint product portfolio. The shared leadership of the two auto groups has seen Fiats arrive in North American showrooms and Chryslers proliferating overseas. Which is all well and good, but where’s the excitement? Where are the performance models for which the Italian auto industry is so deeply loved? Well, we finally have our answer.
We’ve been anticipating the launch of the Abarth sub-brand in North America ever since the basic first arrived – if not longer – and Chrysler has now confirmed its arrival as a fait accompli. When the doors open at the Los Angeles Convention Center at the end of the month for the , the Chrysler Group will finally unveil the American version of the Fiat 500 Abarth.
Few details have been disclosed as to the U.S.-market Abarth’s specifications, but what we do know is that the 500 Abarth arriving on American shores will pack an all-new 1.4-liter MultiAir turbocharged four, kept in check by upgraded brakes, handled by a sportier suspension, controlled by a higher level of technology and conveyed by a more aggressive appearance.
The much-loved European-model Abarth 500 offers up either 130 horsepower or 160, the latter with the Esse-Esse kit. We’re hoping for the higher end of that spectrum, of course, but we’ll have to wait until the LA show to find out for sure. In the meantime, we’ll just have to live with the pair of preview images and the press release – along with written, photographic and video run-downs of the Abarth brand’s heritage – .
This is the car expects a fair few of you have been waiting for, and the cheeky Anglo-German outfit has dropped a Bunker Buster full of information on it. The 2012 Mini Roadster with its manual soft top is the sixth addition to the relentlessly expanding little family; the first two-seater convertible to ever wear the winged Mini badge.
It sits 20 millimeters lower than a traditional Mini convertible, a fact expected to help its handling just as much as the exclusive chassis tuning, electronic differential lock control, rollover bars and active rear spoiler.
The Roadster’s four different flavors will get four different engines, from the 2.0-liter turbodiesel with 143-horsepower and 225 pound-feet in the Cooper SD Roadster up to the John Cooper Works trip with 211 hp coming from a 1.6-liter TwinPower Turbo. There’s an evening’s worth of reading and a slew of high-res photos in the attached gallery, though, so no need to dally here taking our word for it.
A few years ago if you wanted a Coupe your only choices were the dandyish CLK two-door or spending the GDP of a Polynesian island on an or . The options have grown – and grown more manly – lately, and according to a story in Auto Bild there’s another one coming: the Superlight.
With a rumored arrival of 2015, this rethink of the E will weigh just 2,860 pounds, meaning it would shed 770 pounds compared to the current E Coupe. How? By being “made of super lightweight carbon fiber.” Powerplants for the model are suggested to be a six-cylinder gas with a hybrid motor, or a fuel-cell hybrid.
If true, this is presented as Mercedes’ response to and moves into plastics and light weight. And this wouldn’t be the only challenger from Benz, with a lightweight B and an SCS also said to be in the works.
The is one of the most capable off-roading vehicles on the planet, and Petersen’s 4-Wheel & Off-Road has taken notice. The has been named 4X4 of the Year by the magazine, beating the for the honor.
The award is the third for the Wrangler, and the 12th award in 30 years for the Jeep brand. The Rubicon took the trophy after acing a 1,000-mile trial that evaluates vehicles’ performance in dirt, mud, sand, rocks, gravel and highway driving.
For 2012, the Wrangler lineup ditched its old, unloved 3.7-liter V6 in favor of the 285-horsepower Pentastar V6, as well as the various interior refinements that have been in place since the 2011 model year. The changes, coupled with the Wrangler’s established off-road pedigree, were enough for it to take top honors from Petersen’s 4-Wheel & Off-Road.
Rick Péwé, the mag’s editor-in-chief, called the Rubicon “the most competent 4×4 ever produced,” adding that the Jeep “allows you to take the trail less traveled without worrying about the journey.” to read Petersen’s press release.
found out what full-size cargo van buyers wanted in a van, then created the NV to satisfy their requests. It’s one thing to get a consumer to tell you what he wants, however, and another to get him to actually buy what you make for him. That’s the issue Nissan faces. Dealers are sitting on a 205-day inventory of NVs as of the end of September.
Everyone knew there’d be more to this than just “If you build it…”, since the NV is the “new guy” in the segment, going against titans like and as well as the runaway success of the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter. NV sales this year are less than a tenth of the Chevy Express and less than one-twentieth of the Ford E-Series. In addition to market share and momentum, those other offerings have fully developed dealer networks. Nissan is still working to complete its own.
It’s still early enough in the game that it’s not worth trying to predict the NV’s future. It has some help on the way, with a passenger version and the rolling out next year.
India is rapidly motorizing, and with it is emerging a burgeoning automotive industry. Where there’s cars there’s bound to be racing, and just as the world’s biggest automakers head to India in droves, so has the world’s foremost racing series. India has seen two of its top drivers make it into F1, it’s given rise to its own F1 team, it’s hosted numerous demonstration events, and this weekend, for the first time, it hosted its first grand prix.
The race was held on what has – despite a stray dog wandering onto the track during Friday’s practice sessions – been widely rated as a fantastic new circuit on the outskirts of New Delhi. But while the hype is all well and good, the part that really counts is how the race went down. Follow the jump to read on.
Indian Grand Prix brings F1 to the subcontinent [spoilers]
