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Let’s be honest: Useful as the Dodge Caliber was, it didn’t quite fit into the C-segment as nicely as the plucky little Neon that came before it. But now the Caliber is dead, and the Chrysler Group has a big ol’ Italian parts bin to work from in order to create its new crop of cars, the first of which is this, the 2013 Dodge Dart. Not only is this an all-new entry into an extremely competitive segment, it’s the first bit of fruit from the Chrysler-Fiat partnership, and from the looks of things, it’s going to be good.

Compared to the Giulietta, the Dart has a four-inch-longer wheelbase and a slightly wider track.

Those of you paying close attention will know that the Dart is based on the Alfa Romeo Giulietta, though we commend Chrysler’s design team for giving the Dodge sedan an appearance that’s anything but Italian. We’ve had the chance to check out a loaded-up Dart R/T in person – the trim you see in these photos – and it’s a decidedly handsome thing. Compared to the Giulietta, the Dart has a four-inch-longer wheelbase and a slightly wider track, and we like the aggressive, planted stance. The low nose and upward slope to the beltline are very reminiscent of the last Neon, especially the SRT4, and while we haven’t had a chance to see a base model with the body-colored grille and smaller wheels, we think the design will work well on the full range of models. The 2013 Dart will be available in SE, SXT, Rallye, Limited and R/T trims. And for those of you who like the full-LED wraparound taillamps of the Charger, you’ll be happy to see them here on the Dart, as well.

Three engines will be available when the Dart launches later this year. The base powerplant is a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter Tigershark inline-four producing 160 horsepower and 148 pound-feet of torque. Next up is an available 2.4-liter naturally aspirated Tigershark four with 184 hp and 171 lb-ft, and topping the range is a 1.4-liter turbocharged MultiAir four with 160 hp and 184 lb-ft. A six-speed manual transmission is available with all three engines, a six-speed automatic is optional on the 2.0- and 2.4-liter mills and a six-speed dual-clutch box can be had on the 1.4-liter turbo unit. Fiat/Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne has stated that a nine-speed automatic is in the works, though that won’t drop until sometime in 2013. As for fuel economy, Chrysler has been quick to boast a 40 mile-per-gallon rating, but that’s CAFE, and the final EPA numbers should be somewhere in the mid-30s. Respectable stuff. And considering that the Dart uses a slightly modified version of the Giulietta’s European suspension setup with a new electronic steering rack, all that power will hopefully be put to the ground with proper poise.

A nine-speed automatic is in the works, though that won’t drop until sometime in 2013.

There’s big news inside the Dart, too, with Chrysler’s “second-generation” interiors. We’ve already seen vast cabin improvements in the latest crop of 2011 and 2012 models, and after spending limited time inside a pre-production Dart, we came away without complaints about fit and finish, comfort or overall quality. We’ve shown you the Dart’s interior before, complete with things like an illuminated instrument panel surround, 8.4-inch touchscreen UConnect interface, and reconfigurable seven-inch screen inside the gauge cluster. The red/black motif seen here is pretty cool, but we’re actually big fans of the gray interior with the “citrus peel” accent lighting. If you get a chance, definitely check it out.

The 2013 Dodge Dart makes its official debut later this morning at the Detroit Auto Show, with the first round of cars hitting dealerships in June. Pricing and final fuel economy numbers will be announced closer to the on-sale date, but for now, follow the jump for the complete details in Chrysler’s press release, as well as a video showing the new Dart in action.

Continue reading 2013 Dodge Dart is the Neon of the future [w/video]

2013 Dodge Dart is the Neon of the future [w/video]

Another embargo has fallen by the wayside, at least partially. We have a lot to tell you about the 2013 Hyundai Veloster Turbo, but much of it has to wait until the car is revealed tomorrow afternoon at the Detroit Auto Show.

What we can show and tell you, what’s already out and about on the Internet, are these three images and the basic specs below.

Note that the standard Veloster’s 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine produces only 138 horsepower and 123 lb-ft of torque. The extra 63 horsepower afforded by the addition of a turbocharger, among other mechanical upgrades we’ll talk about later, makes the Veloster instantly competitive with other sport compacts like the Volkswagen GTI, Honda Civic Si and Mini Cooper S.

Make sure to come back tomorrow afternoon when we call tell you all we know about the 2012 Veloster Turbo, as well as share live images from its debut at the Detroit Auto Show.

2013 Hyundai Veloster Turbo

• 201 horsepower / 196 lb-ft of torque
• 6-Speed manual or automatic transmission
• 2,800 pounds (up from 2,584 pounds)
• 27 City / 38 Hwy

2013 Hyundai Veloster Turbo gets latest early reveal

The Volkswagen E-Bugster Concept is not so much an exercise in adding even more edge to the redesigned Beetle and its more masculine retro look. Nope, it’s more about what an all-electric Beetle would be like were VW to build one. The three-inch chopped roof and 20-inch wheels are just eye candy to get us to pay attention.

What’s really going on here is VW applying its Blue-e-motion electric drive unit to a sexier shape ahead of its production debut in the decidedly more plebeian Golf. In this application, VW has fitted the E-Bugster Concept with an electric motor and 695-pound lithium-ion battery fitted under the rear seat and trunk floor. Combined, they’ll be good for a 100-mile driving range, according to VW, and accept all kinds of charges, including a Level 3 quick charger that can get the pack back up to 80 percent in 30 minutes. The motor produces 114-horsepower (85 kW) and 199 pound-feet of scoot.

Besides the chopped top and big wheels, the E-Bugster also gets slightly reworked front and rear fascias that feature the trademark LED daytime running lights that VW uses on all of its EV projects. The only change on the inside of the car is a new instrument cluster with an “energy consumption display” where the tachometer would be and additional gauges for the battery charge, range indicator and braking regen.

This also isn’t even the first time that the Beetle has received the speedster treatment, with Volkswagen having shown the similar-looking Ragster concept at the 2005 Detroit Auto Show. We’d gladly welcome such a Beetle were VW to give it the green light, but expect the electrified drivetrain to reach dealerships before the chopped roof.

Volkswagen E-Bugster Concept gives sexier shape to upcoming electric drivetrain

Today in a New York City prior to the start of press days at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Volkswagen of America Inc. President and CEO Jonathan Browning laid out the ambitious plans the VW Group and Volkswagen brands have for the United States.

After a stellar sales year in 2011 that saw VW brand sales in the U.S. go up over 26 percent and TDI (diesel) sales jump 33 percent, the 2012 sales year promises more climbing up the sales and market share ladders.

Citing a wild up-and-down past in the U.S., Browning pointed at the numbers for the dark year of 1993 and reminded one and all that VW sold less than 50,000 units. Nowadays with over 320,000 brand sales the bad times seem far behind as VW Group in Wolfsburg, Germany has invested well over $1 billion in its revived presence on U.S. shores. The current improved 2.5% it possesses of the U.S. total market is a percentage last seen way back in 1981.

Continue reading VW of America targets 12.5% sales growth in 2012; U.S.-built Audis “a matter of when, not if”

VW of America targets 12.5% sales growth in 2012; U.S.-built Audis “a matter of when, not if”

Embargo breaks are par for the course with big auto shows, and this year’s Detroit Auto Show is no different. The 2013 Ford Fusion appears to be big target this time around, with this being our second early look at the Blue Oval’s redesigned mid-size sedan. These two images from Czech website Auto Forum, while a bit pixelated, reveal much more than the shot we showed you earlier that escaped Ford’s clutches courtesy of a bug in the Fusion iPad app.

Here the influence of the Ford Evos concept that debuted last August at the Frankfurt Motor Show is plainly evident. From the hexagonal grille to the headlights, fog lamps and lower air inlet, all of the Evos’ front fascia elements are there and arranged in a very similar fashion.

Unfortunately, we can’t say much more about the 2013 Ford Fusion until the actual embargo lifts at 12:01 AM EST tonight, but you can talk about it all you want in the comments. Just make sure to come back here at midnight for the full story.

2013 Ford Fusion leaks onto web… again

Borrowing a page from the launch of the Ford Explorer, Nissan will unveil its latest Pathfinder concept via Facebook instead of holding a traditional press conference. Unlike Ford, however, Nissan won’t completely keep attendees of a major auto show in the dark.

Nissan plans to fully introduce the car on Facebook at 8:30AM Eastern on Monday morning, while CEO Carlos Ghosn simultaneously conducts live interviews from the show stand during the first day of the Detroit Auto Show.

“Since we can’t bring everyone to Detroit to see the show themselves, this is a unique way to offer special access to Nissan,” said Nissan spokesperson Josh Clifton.

The Pathfinder concept is a seven-seater that the company says will haul through the muck with four-wheel drive when it goes on sale this fall. When details emerge, we expect to learn that the Pathfinder, which has been limited in recent years to a kind of hardcore cult following, has morphed from the current Titan-based body-on-frame chassis to a crossover-style unibody platform shared with the Nissan Murano.

Nissan plans to post new Pathfinder content to its 467,332 Facebook fans every two hours throughout the day. Already it’s released one image and a pair of videos teasing the vehicle’s new design.

In the summer of 2010, Ford took what was considered a big gamble and unveiled its 2011 Explorer exclusively on the social network. Now the social-media strategy is becoming a standard part of any marketing campaign.

2013 Nissan Pathfinder debut to be very social

BMW and Mercedes-Benz took a bit longer than other manufacturers to report their final sales figures for 2011, and some analysts believe the delay may have something to do with the fact that both automakers were vying for the sales crown among luxury makes. Long-time champion Lexus suffered production setbacks at the hands of the earthquake and tsunami disasters in Japan last March, which left the door open for the two German companies to make a move for the top slot. In the end, Mercedes-Benz announced its numbers first. BMW followed suit by revealing the company had bested its rival by fewer than 3,000 units.

But the story doesn’t end there. According to TheDetroitBureau.com, Mercedes-Benz may have been pulling a few tricks in an attempt to nab the top spot. The site claims Mercedes-Benz was offering sizable bonuses to dealers who agreed to take a certain number of vehicles into their test fleets. Those models could then be listed as sold before being plopped onto the used lot with like-new warranties a day later.

That wouldn’t be the first time an automaker has resorted to shell games in an attempt to swipe a sales crown. The Detroit Bureau reports Cadillac once had to recant its victory after playing similar tricks.

Did BMW and Mercedes engage in a game of sales chicken?

Word around the internetz today is that SPEED channel’s The Car Show has been cancelled and will not be returning for a second season. The Car Show debuted last July 13 on SPEED and was seen by many enthusiasts as that channel’s answer to the U.S. version of Top Gear on The History Channel, which we learned a few months ago was picked up for a second season. The Car Show leaves behind its panel of hosts, which included comedian and car guy Adam Carolla (who moves on to Celebrity Apprentice with Michael Andretti and Paul Teutel Sr.), Pulitzer Prize-winning auto journalist Dan Neil, former NBA star John Sally and host and producer of The Smoking Tire, Matt Farah.

The Car Show is cancelled

Chrysler’s slow striptease of its pivotal new Dodge Dart sedan has apparently gone on longer than the Internet can stand, because the embargo has started to break, giving us these full-bleed images and video of the handsome new C-segment sedan.

Revealed here in aggressive R/T guise and Limited Trim (the white model), the Dart appears attractive and well-balanced to our eyes, looking almost like the Dodge Neon never stopped being developed. That might sound like a slam to some readers, but the Neon was a quick and entertaining small car in its heyday, with buoyant looks and attitude to spare. At a glance, the Dart appears to capture some of that energy but add in heaping helpings of much-needed refinement.

Chrysler has already promised a range of powertrains for the Dart, including three different engines and a trio of transmissions (including an optional nine-speed automatic!). Power will come from the automaker’s range of new Tigershark small-displacement engines, including a 2.0-liter, 16-valve four, a 1.4-liter MultiAir turbo and a 2.4-liter MultiAir.

The Dart’s underlying platform is expected to be a much-massaged version of the chassis underpinning the Alfa Romeo Giulietta, with 68 percent of its wider and longer architecture comprised of high-strength steel.

We’ll know more when the silk comes off this Dodge at the Detroit Auto Show in just a couple of days. For now, check out our high-res gallery and see the B-roll video after the jump.

[UPDATE: Dozens more photos added to our high-res gallery]

Continue reading This is the 2013 Dodge Dart [w/video] [UPDATE]

This is the 2013 Dodge Dart [w/video] [UPDATE]

Following up on the two-wheeled slow-motion theme in 2012, Red Bull is highlighting two-time motocross champion James Stewart and his factory Yamaha race bike. We’ve already seen a couple of Honda-mounted MotoGP riders at 1,000 frames per second, so it only seems appropriate to see what super slow motion looks like on the dirt.

Bubba makes it look easy when viewed frame-by-frame at these speeds, but, as anyone who’s ever thrown a leg over a motocross bike’s saddle some 40-inches above the ground will tell you, there’s nothing easy about it. Whether skimming the top of the whoops, railing through a tight turn or flying through the air like an acrobat on wheels, we’re simply in awe of Stewart’s abilities aboard his dark blue steed.

We highly suggest you click past the break to watch the video, it’s well worth your time.

Continue reading James Stewart and Red Bull hit the Motocross track in slow-mo

James Stewart and Red Bull hit the Motocross track in slow-mo

2011 Volkswagen Jetta TDI: December 2011

With less than 72 hours until the debut of the refreshed 2013 Genesis Coupe, Hyundai has posted a new teaser video that shows off the car’s new styling in gory detail. Well, most of it anyway. Although sworn to secrecy, we’ve seen the new car up close, so we know exactly where to look to catch all the new cosmetics in the teaser. But trust us when we say that if you’re thinking the Genesis Coupe is just getting new looks alone for the new model year, you’d be very, very wrong.

Click past the jump to watch the video.

Continue reading Hyundai releases surprisingly revealing 2013 Genesis Coupe teaser

Hyundai releases surprisingly revealing 2013 Genesis Coupe teaser

We’ve still got a few days between us and the reveal of the 2013 Ford Fusion, but a minor bug in its iPad teaser app has given us an early glimpse of the all-new sedan.

As we showed you before, Ford enlisted the help of an interactive iPad app to count down the days until the Fusion’s reveal. But today, an error with the app gave us a nice front-three-quarter view of Ford’s new Camry-fighter, which has since been removed.

We’re digging the low-slung stance, blacked-out Day Light Opening (greenhouse) and pixel-perfect wheel size, but it’s the fascia that’s easily the most handsome, combining elements of recent Ford concepts and polishing them up for production duty (along with a fair bit of Aston Martin in that grille). We’ll be seeing much more in another three days, so stay tuned…

This is the 2013 Ford Fusion

You’ve heard us gush about the Ford Mustang Boss 302 before, calling this 444-horsepower coupe “The pony car’s best ambassador.” Sadly, we have yet to drive the updated 2013 model, which includes, among other things, a reworked front fascia, improved front-end cooling, a more assertive front splitter and new paint and graphics options.

Among those new color choices is Gotta Have It Green, which reminds us somewhat of Porsche Emerald Green popularized on 911 models in the 1970s, albeit a bit flatter. Photographed here being jockeyed into place at Ford’s Detroit Auto Show stand this morning, this is actually the second look we’re giving you at Gotta Have It, though these photos are markedly clearer (and more numerous) than the ones we showed you back in November. We like the new reflective ‘hockey stick’ side graphic that replaces the boomerang U-shaped treatment of the 2012 model, but if we’re being honest, we’re on the fence about the pastel-like paint finish.

If you don’t (like) Gotta Have It, there’s also a new Impact Blue paint choice, along with School Bus Yellow and last year’s Competition Orange, Kona Blue, Black, Ingot Silver, Race Red and Performance White. Unfortunately, we didn’t spy either of the other new colors on Ford’s Cobo Hall show stand while we were there for a preview this morning, but they could still make the scene before press days get underway next week.

Speaking of high-performance Mustang models, Autoblog has learned that rumors of the 2013 Shelby GT500 Convertible debuting in Motown are 100-percent false (as if to reinforce that fact, we spotted a 2012 model on a display stand). The most-powerful ‘Stang droptop will debut this auto show season, though Ford wouldn’t officially say at which show (we’re thinking Chicago Auto Show).

So, now that you have a better look at Gotta Have It Green, does it live up to its name? Take our second-chance poll below and let us know what you think in Comments.

View Poll

Gotta Have It Green 2013 Ford Mustang Boss 302 snapped getting comfy in Detroit [w/poll]

The Detroit Auto Show won’t swing open its doors officially until Monday’s press days, but that doesn’t mean the show hasn’t already taken hold at Cobo Hall, as thousands of workers are busy erecting stands, checking lighting and jockeying vehicles into place. Ford Motor Company officials invited us over a little early to get a sneak peek at their still-being-built display, and it’s chock-full of technology that takes interactivity to a new level.

Dominating Ford’s Living Connected display is the centrally located “Cloud Journey” ride, which literally takes showgoers through the ceiling in the name of connectivity. The circular floating platform ride accommodates a dozen belted occupants in Sparco racing seats, pushing them up from the show floor to a recess in the ceiling with a 360-degree screen. Participants are then treated to an immersive 360-degree presentation that shows Ford’s vision of the near-term future of cloud-enhanced motoring (about 10 years out, officials tell us), with items like car-to-car communication, dynamic routing and so on. While you’re up in The Cloud, a series of digital cameras capture riders’ experiences, and they’ll be able to relive the experience at home with a video if they sign up for a Blue Oval Card.

What’s a Blue Oval Card? It’s a free, RFID-based card that can be used all over Ford’s stand. As you walk through the various displays, you can wave the card over the various receiver ‘pods’ to interact with the displays. Your card will then have a digital record of your progress and the vehicles in which you have expressed interest, and if you like, when you get home, you can log in to a special website that will have information tailored specifically to you based on your experience at the Detroit Auto Show. You’ll be able to download video of your time on the Focus ST simulator, get digital brochures on cars you expressed interested in, share items with Facebook friends and so on.

Continue reading Ford takes interactivity to The Cloud with new Detroit show display

Ford takes interactivity to The Cloud with new Detroit show display

Back in October, AutoblogGreen reported that the all-electric crossover from Tesla, the Model X, would be revealed ahead of the 2012 Detroit Auto Show? Well, scratch that. That information was, apparently, inaccurate. Dubitable. Counterfactual even. Instead, it seems that February 9 marks the day the X is to be spotted.

The news comes courtesy of the enthusiasts over at the Tesla Motor Club forum. A member read in a recent copy of Barclays Capital research report that the Tesla’s design studio in LA would be the setting for the Model X reveal. AutoblogGreen contacted Tesla to confirm, and was told that, “Yes, there will be a February 9th Model X event.”

The upcoming reveal won’t have been its first, however. The vehicle was shown to some institutional investor types just before Christmas and, going by a handful of tweets that went out across the internetz shortly thereafter, they were impressed. Quicker than a Porsche 911 and roomier than an Audi Q7, they say. Throw in all-wheel drive and this could get pretty interesting.

Tesla Model X will be very quick, very roomy and revealed Feb 9

Last April, we received word straight from CEO Sergio Marchionne’s mouth that Fiat’s 3.0L V6 turbo-diesel engine would find its way to America under the hood of a Jeep Grand Cherokee by the end of 2013. That a diesel-powered Grand Cherokee would return to Jeep’s lineup was great news for fans of the last version, but workers in the city of Detroit should be even more excited, as Chrysler has just announced it will add a third shift and hire 1,100 new workers at its Jefferson North Assembly Plant to help build it. Jefferson North currently employs 2,890 people and is responsible for production of the Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango.

Throw another 150 new workers on the pile too for Chrysler’s Connor Avenue Assembly Plant, also located within the confines of Detroit proper. Last month Chrysler announced that it would reopen the original home of Viper assembly to build the new snake, and its needs 150 workers to do it. Today’s announcement just reaffirms those plans and brings the total number of Chrysler’s new Detroit hires this year to 1,250.

Continue reading Chrysler hiring 1,100 new workers to build diesel Jeep Grand Cherokee

Chrysler hiring 1,100 new workers to build diesel Jeep Grand Cherokee

An Aveo By Any Other Name Is, Indeed, Sweet

Whether General Motors likes it or not, the Sonic story starts in 2004, when GM decided to import a cheap, crummy little econobox from Korea. A product of its newest subsidiary, Daewoo, the Chevrolet Aveo had few charms. But it was available as a five-door hatchback, one of the few on the market at the time, and its starting sticker price was under $10,000. It was enough of a pitch that the car sold – and stuck around.

Some of us actually developed a modicum of affection for the little piece of junk. It’s not every new car that you can use and abuse and care not a whit about. If GM had marketed the Aveo as a disposable product, meant to be driven hard and left for dead, it might have disappointed fewer people. Instead, the Aveo was famously named the “Least Satisfying” vehicle of 2007 in a Consumer Reports survey.

Hundreds of thousands of Aveos have been dumped here over the years, often into rental car fleets where they would have even greater opportunity to reflect poorly on GM. The company sold some 48,000 Aveos in 2010, over 28,000 in 2011, and stragglers on dealer lots continue to find new homes even as you read this. So it’s no wonder the “new” GM doesn’t want us talking about the Sonic as its replacement. But that it is. And thankfully, it’s a good one. We’d even be willing to call it great if GM would work on a few of the details.

Continue reading 2012 Chevrolet Sonic LTZ

2012 Chevrolet Sonic LTZ

Land Rover took to the Delhi Auto Expo with a pair of Defender Concepts, demonstrating a few design possibilities Land Rover could pursue with the next-generation SUV. The company says it intends to launch the vehicle by 2015, which means the automaker has its work cut out for it if it plans to meet that deadline. The concepts feature many of the same attributes that made the original Defender and off-road icon, including dramatically short overhangs front and rear and a near vertical wind screen for increased visibility.

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen the pair of Defenders, though. After an initial debut at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show, Land Rover spruced them up for a North American reveal at the Los Angeles Auto Show last November.

The Defender Concept Twins also come loaded with technology designed to make blazing your own trail all the easier, including a clever sonar-based system that can measure water depth as the vehicle crosses deep creeks and flooded streams. In addition, a new Terrain Response system maps the ground ahead of the vehicle in 3D and suggests alternate routes when the vehicle detects an obstruction. Hit the jump for a quick video on the vehicle as well as the full press release.

Continue reading Land Rover Defender concepts turn red for New Delhi [w/video]

Land Rover Defender concepts turn red for New Delhi [w/video]

For a country that loves (or, at least, loved) sport utility vehicles, the Toyota Land Cruiser has certainly slipped to the back of our minds. It carries one of the most iconic go-anywhere, do-anything nameplates in the industry, and yet in 2011, only 1,662 Land Cruisers were sold here in the United States, making it one of the ten worst-selling vehicles of the year. But since the vehicle’s product cycles are largely dictated by other markets where it’s more popular, the big Toy continues to carry on, and for the 2013 model year, there are a host of new updates.

Slight visual tweaks to the exterior include the addition of LED running lamps up front, as well as HID low-beam headlamps and a refreshed grille. Aside from that, not much else has changed as far as design goes, and while the Land Cruiser does look a bit old, it’s decidedly rugged and handsome.

The Land Cruiser’s 5.7-liter V8 is carried over unchanged, still with 381 horsepower and 401 pound-feet of torque on tap, mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. Of course, because the Land Cruiser is billed as a true off-road vehicle, driving aids like KDSS (Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System) and Multi-Terrain Select are standard. Inside, the Land Cruiser gets a brand new hard-drive-based navigation system complete with Toyota’s new Entune infotainment system.

Toyota has a similar mild refresh in store for the Land Cruiser’s luxury twin, the Lexus LX 570, which we’ll see at the Detroit Auto Show next week. For the full scoop, read Toyota’s official press release after the fold.

Toyota unveils updated 2013 Land Cruiser