So a new isn’t as exciting as a new , but given the enthusiasm the current midsize sedan has generated around these parts, musing about what might be coming down the pipeline is worth at least a few minutes. Hyundai’s Korean CEO Kim Choon-ho has told Reuters that a “revamped” Sonata is due in just two years, following closely on the heels of a new in late 2013.
In case you haven’t been paying attention, and its cousin from ever since they first hit our shores back in 2010. This pair is the class of the midsize class, and we can only wonder what Hyundai has planned to keep them on top, given the fierce competition.
We’d suspect the new Sonata will be launched here as a 2015 model, which would make some sense. Though we haven’t driven it yet, the new-for-2013 looks poised to bring the goods, and the next generation of the hot-selling at the .
We have fairly modest dreams when it comes to ferrying our remains to our final resting place. After all, it can’t cost that much to rent the The Oscar Meyer Wienermobile for a few hours. Should you have slightly more expensive tastes, there’s always this . The specialty vehicle is set to be unveiled at the Tan Expo funeral home show in Bologna, Italy. With 23 feet of length from stem to stern, this Phantom is longer than even the long-wheelbase version of the sedan. Interestingly enough, designers retained the rear doors for additional live passengers while incorporating a large rear cargo area for the dearly departed.
According to builder Biemme Special Cars, the vehicle’s tail is constructed entirely of aluminum using over 600 bits and pieces. The same 6.75-liter V12 engine found in the standard Phantom, which means your earthly remains will get to graveside with the help of 453 horsepower.
How much will it cost? Biemme hasn’t handed out a specific figure just yet beyond saying the vehicle will likely fetch more than €500,000. That’s $663,950 at current conversion rates.
Small, rear-wheel drive, manually shifted coupes can be exciting, no? Fun and zippy to drive, and because of their tighter dimensions and lower weight, they tend to be easy on the gas, right?
Well, in the case of the and the , maybe not as much as we’d have hoped. Sure, they have smallish 2.0-liter four-cylinders and six-speed manual transmissions, but their hunger for gasoline is just average. Official EPA fuel efficiency numbers are in, and the BRZ and FR-S with manual transmissions net 22 miles per gallon city and 30 highway on premium fuel. Still, that’s about the same as the with the four-cylinder and manual tranny which gets , and it’s better than the aging which returns 21/28.
The BRZ and FR-S chug less fuel if you outfit them with the optional automatic transmission. They probably won’t be as much fun, but they will return numbers close to 25 city/34 highway.
“You need to get in touch with Steven Ewing right away,” said the instant message. It was from Autoblog editor-in-chief John Neff, and since fleet manager Ewing was online, I pinged him. “Hey, are you available to grab an for the weekend?” he asked. “There’s one in New York.”
Before answering, a flurry of thoughts raced through my head. Did I have plans this weekend? How much would I really get to drive the car? I don’t usually go into the city on Fridays. Should I make the exception? Then I looked out my window, saw the I was scheduled to drive that very same weekend and banged out a brief reply.
We saw the 2013 last fall , but today we get the real thing – in pixelated, jpeg form, that is. Indeed, this is about as close as U.S. buyers will probably get to the new Trailblazer. While we weren’t expecting General Motors to change its tune about bringing the diesel-powered, seven-seat SUV stateside, we called and asked anyway. spokesman Tom Wilkinson told us, “There are currently no plans to bring that vehicle to the U.S.”
While the good-looking TrailBlazer would certainly look right at home sitting next to the 2013 on dealer lots, Chevy already has a three-row utility vehicle in the . Buyers in Thailand, where the vehicle debuted ahead of the Bangkok International Motor Show, are more apt to need a real body-on-frame SUV like the TrailBlazer. And U.S. buyers looking for a three-row truck can still roll in a . Either way, The General has to figure it doesn’t really want another burly three-row utility vehicle sitting on its CAFE ledger.
Still, there’s much to like about the 2013 TrailBlazer, especially underhood. GM is offering two turbo-diesel four-cylinders in 2.5- and 2.8-liter displacements. The smaller engine is rated at 150 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque, while the extra displacement bumps horsepower to 180 and torque to a particularly impressive 346 lb-ft. A five-speed manual and six-speed automatic will be offered. GM says the engines are designed to last for 240,000 kilometers – nearly 150,000 miles.
The TrailBlazer will hit dealers in Thailand in June, with much of the rest of the world – minus the U.S. – to follow. Don’t thing this is some stripped out truck for developing economies though, as the TrailBlazer is sporting a pretty long list of standard features, including lots of safety equipment – stability control, ABS, traction control, electronic brake-force distribution, and hill descent control – that we take for granted here.
Click to read the full press release, and be sure to check out our .
has announced it will debut a concept version of the at the New York Auto Show next month. Details are scarce at the moment, but we wouldn’t be surprised if the vehicle turns out to be a thinly veiled look at the next version of the funky crossover. Honda has a long and storied history of rolling out concepts with more than a passing resemblance to its production models. Given that the Crosstour has only been on the market for a couple of years, we aren’t anticipating an all-new model, or perhaps even a heavy redesign.
Back in December, Honda President and CEO Tetsuo Iwamura told Autoblog that he was “really disappointed” with sales of the Crosstour, which he maintained has “.” Even so, Iwamura acknowledged that Honda would further refine the vehicle’s styling and performance. As to the latter, Honda now offers buyers the ability to with a more fuel-efficient four-cylinder. The move was largely thought to be in response to the fact that competitors like the are available with four-pot motivation.
Still, all the engine options in the world won’t save the Crosstour from its inherent design issues. Specifically, the Crosstour offers compromised rear visibility and cargo area, not to mention its highly controversial appearance. Will the concept headed to New York address those ails? We certainly hope so. for the brief press release.
has announced it will debut a concept version of the at the New York Auto Show next month. Details are scarce at the moment, but we wouldn’t be surprised if the vehicle turns out to be a thinly veiled look at the next version of the funky crossover. Honda has a long and storied history of rolling out concepts with more than a passing resemblance to its production models. Given that the Crosstour has only been on the market for a couple of years, we aren’t anticipating an all-new model, or perhaps even a heavy redesign.
Back in December, Honda President and CEO Tetsuo Iwamura told Autoblog that he was “really disappointed” with sales of the Crosstour, which he maintained has “.” Even so, Iwamura acknowledged that Honda would further refine the vehicle’s styling and performance. As to the latter, Honda now offers buyers the ability to with a more fuel-efficient four-cylinder. The move was largely thought to be in response to the fact that competitors like the are available with four-pot motivation.
Still, all the engine options in the world won’t save the Crosstour from its inherent design issues. Specifically, the Crosstour offers compromised rear visibility and cargo area, not to mention its highly controversial appearance. Will the concept headed to New York address those ails? We certainly hope so. for the brief press release.
While China is still the big dog when it comes to growth markets for automakers, Iraq looks to be heating up. As the country slowly stabilizes, the country’s 30 million citizens find themselves with a growing income and a need for more reliable transportation.
But, according to , the biggest factor in the resurgence of Iraqi car-buying is a decrease in violence by insurgents. Last year only (?!) about 1,500 Iraqis were killed by roadside bombs, snipers or other violence. That’s compared to more than 34,000 in 2006. As you might imagine, safer streets lead to much greater satisfaction derived from Sunday drives.
Ready to cash in on the auto-buying-boom are , and . All three see huge potential in a country still driving thousands of procured via an oil trade with Brazil in the 1980s.
Apparently, one popular car in Iraq is the – nicknamed “Obama” by Iraqis. Then again, the last year that the was known as “the Obama,” so maybe the term goes for any large American sedan.
Automotive News reports is hard at work on a plug-inhybrid version of its . According to unnamed sources, the vehicle is likely to begin production in 2014 and will be destined for the U.S. market. The move is part of a larger plug-in offensive from . VW owns 49.9 percent of Porsche and plans to debut electrified versions of its and as well as the European . Those vehicles will reportedly trickle to market between 2014 and 2015. An is also .
Volkswagen has already made it clear the company believes the future of green driving lies in diesels and plug-in hybrids, saying the latter combines the best elements of electric propulsion and internal combustion without the compromises of a hybrid. So, why introduce plug-ins in the automaker’s luxury brands? Volkswagen claims high-end buyers are more likely to take long trips, and thus need the range-extending capability of an internal combustion engine as well. Us? We think it’s easier for well-heeled buyers to absorb the technology’s cost premium in their already higher MSRPs.
Remember that new 36-mpg 2012 , the 328i that got better fuel economy in EPA testing than even the ? Well, those early estimates haven’t held up.
has confirmed to Autoblog that the EPA has issued revised numbers for the eight-speed automatic-equipped F30 328i, with highway fuel economy taking a 3-mile-per-gallon hit to 33 mpg and the city number dropping by a single digit to 23 mpg. BMW is investigating the discrepancy but says the 2012 figure will stay at 33. Spokesman Tom Plucinsky: “Unfortunately, there is no provision in the EPA rules for a re-test this year. Therefore regardless of the results of our investigation, the new rating will stand for this model year.”
Though BMW says its testing showed the car capable of 36 mpg on the highway, the EPA decided to validate BMW’s numbers and came away with different results. As we type this, the government’s website has not yet been updated, though BMW’s consumer website reflects the new numbers. According to Plucinsky, buyers of the six-speed manual 328i can expect to see a 34 mpg highway figure on their window sticker, which fueleconomy.gov corroborates at 23/34.
What’s surprising about this situation is that , BMW told our Matt Davis it was estimating only 32 mpg highway. Plucinsky suggests that perhaps the 32-mpg figure was an “early estimate was based on the previous version of the 328i.”
While the efficiency hit is disappointing, even with the downgrade to 33-to-34 miles per gallon, the 3 Series’ fuel economy figures are still class-leading, besting competitors including the and , , , , and .
With all of that said, we can’t help but wonder if this development will add fuel to the fire of those who have been in the wake of owner complaints?
Click to read BMW’s email explanation to us in full.
When we caught sight of this heavily-cloaked last summer, with a cosmetic facelift and maybe a new engine. New reports seem to indicate that may be launching an all-new, second-generation GL for 2013, however.
According to Car and Driver, the new GL will be based on the . A diesel V6 is said to be in the mix, along with the twin-turbo, 402-horsepower 4.6-liter V8 also found in the ML550. The new model will debut at the in April, and should hit dealers later in the year.
When we last asked representatives about the production capacity of the , we were told the company’s Iwate, Japan plant could make up to 30,000 units each month. That sounds like a lot, but Toyota is currently sending just 20 percent – 6,000 a month – to the United States.
Back in December, when the car went on sale in Japan, the company received . As we , Toyota also sold 1,200 Prius C units in the first three days it was on sale in the States. The baby may not be as popular here as it is at home, but 6,000 a month sure doesn’t seem like it’s enough.
The C is made at just one plant, run by Toyota’s Kanto Auto Works Ltd. affiliate in northern Japan. A strong yen and all those Japanese orders means that the C models that do get made are mostly delivered to the home country instead of be placed on a boat to be exported. Toyota originally planned to produce just 20,000 C models a month, and is now looking at how to go over even the 30,000-unit level.
By increasing efficiencies at the plant and moving production of non-Prius C models (specifically, the not-available-in-the-U.S. Toyota Ractis) from Iwate to other plants, the unspecified increase should be in place by the middle of 2012. Thus far, there is no official talk about making the C at other plants.
From what we know today, pretty much everything about the all-electric is getting bigger and/or better in 2012. From to and , it’s clear is planning big things for its EV this year. Now, Nissan’s Mark Perry has told the The Detroit News that the 2013 Leaf will get serious improvements when it launches later this year, including a better heater, a darker interior color choice and leather seats. The new Leaf will be made in Smyrna, TN.
The Leaf’s new heater is going to help with range, even if it wasn’t designed to beat the government’s mileage test, as it were. Perry tells the Detroit newspaper, “You may not see much change on the EPA rating, but in cold-weather conditions you may see 20 to 25 miles of improvements.”
This brings us to the big question: will Leaf sales also increase in 2012? Thus far, the trend hasn’t been great, dropping to 676 sales in January and then 478 in February. In some months of 2011, Nissan sold over 1,000 Leafs. There are annual variations in sales patterns, and Perry tells The Detroit News that he expects Leaf sales to cross 2,000 a month in the U.S. some time this summer, a prediction that sounds reasonable given that the model will now be available in all 50 states.
How do you make a 4,300-pound roadster accelerate to 60 miles per hour in under four seconds? Easy, just fit it with a twin-turbocharged 6.0-liter V12 that cranks out 621 horsepower and – wait for it – 738 pound-feet of torque. Sounds bonkers, right? Welcome to the .
We’re all very familiar with the *63 AMG models, the majority of which are now fitted with a brand new twin-turbo 5.5-liter V8, but for those who want the ultimate in high-performance machinery (at an extremely high-dollar price), the *65 AMG cars are simply out of this world. We first feasted our eyes on the new-for-2013 at the earlier this month, but the SL will now be taking the stage at next month’s to debut off its range-topping spec.
The 6.0-liter V12 is hardly a new engine, though there have been a few updates including new turbochargers, manifolds and wastegate channels. The big change for 2013, however, is the pairing of Merc’s seven-speed AMG Speedshift transmission. (Historically, the 65 AMG cars were mated to a five-speed auto, since it was the only transmission in the automaker’s parts bin capable of handling such massive amounts of torque.)
Like the rest of the SL line, the SL65 AMG has lost a bit of weight in its overhaul – 254 pounds versus the 2012 model – mostly thanks to an all-aluminum body-on-white. The full suite of SL goodies are on tap in the 65, including the nifty Magic Sky Roof, Airscarf, speed-sensitive steering and a new sport suspension based on Merc’s Active Body Control. Inside, the cabin is trimmed in only the finest of leather – including the costly Designo options – and features goodies like a Bang & Olufsen surround sound system and the latest version of Mercedes’ Command infotainment software.
Pricing has yet to be revealed for the SL65 AMG, but expect it to be around the $200,000 mark. for the full details in Mercedes-Benz’s press blast, and stay tuned for live impressions direct from New York in just a few weeks.
It looks as though will be producing considerably more , Toyota GT 86 and units than previously thought. According to FT86club.com, Yasayuki Yoshinaga, president of Fuji Heavy Industries, has announced that his company will produce 100,000 units per year at the Subaru plant in Ota City, Japan. (That figure accounts for every iteration of the sports coupe.)
So far, Toyota has seen around 7,000 orders for the GT 86, while Subaru fans have raised hands for 2,500 units. Those numbers are seven and 5.6 times more than each company’s monthly sales goals, respectively.
Last we heard, Subaru was only planning to sell in the States in the first year. With the new production figures, it remains to be seen if the company plans to alter that figure to satiate the apparent demand. While some of the pre-order buzz will certainly die down after the vehicle has been around for a few months, we’d like to hope that sales will remain strong.
“This is most definitely not a .” So says ex-Autoblog staffer Damon Lavrinc in a story written for Wired. The non-Prius-esque vehicle to which he’s referring? The .
We know all about the and how it stole the show at the at the 2010 . We know that interest in the plug-in hybrid supercar was so strong that pulled out all the stops to get the vehicle into its as soon as possible. We know it will and be able to hit 60 miles per hour in a scant 3.1 seconds. What we hadn’t known until now, though, is how far along into its development Porsche’s team of engineers had gotten.
It seems there are currently three 918 development mules in existence, and Lavrinc got to ride shotgun at the Nardo Test Track in one of them. Though it was limited to half its available power – full power being a generous 770 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque with an overboost offering up to 700 lb-ft for short periods – it was still an exciting ride, and it’s telling that Porsche was confident enough in its Franken-mule to allow anyone to go on record this far ahead of September 18, 2013, the car’s official launch date.
We suggest you to peruse the full article, and feel free to mosey on back to let us know what you think of the 918’s potential.
According to Autocar, may be working on a smaller version of the rakish four-door coupe sedan. Known internally as the SC, the smaller CC will be a part of the seventh-generation lineup, in addition to the sedan and wagon models.
The creation of the SC comes after Volkswagen’s NCC (New Concept Coupe) received lukewarm response at the . Autocar reports that while consumers do want another variant of the Jetta, a two-door coupe isn’t the answer. “Our research suggests there is increasingly a market for a sportier and more stylish version of the Jetta in the mould of the CC only smaller and more affordable. From the feedback we’ve received so far buyers want an individual bodystyle and the practicality of four doors,” a source within Volkswagen told the British magazine.
A more stylish Jetta sedan would likely do battle with the new , set to debut in concept form at the later this year. If the SC does come to market, it will likely launch in Europe sometime in 2015, right around the time the next-generation CC arrives.
has been quietly blurring the line between muscle car and sports car since the debuted at the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show. Lighter, smaller and nimbler than rivals like the and , the Mustang established itself early on as being just as happy on a road course as it was tackling the quarter mile.
With the introduction of the 5.0-liter, dual-overhead cam V8 for the 2011 year model, the Mustang found itself armed with the muscle necessary to blacken the eyes of its crosstown rivals after a painful period of trudging along with an antiquated 4.6-liter lump under the hood. Despite the additional brawn on hand, the pony has nonetheless been routinely bested in sales by the larger Camaro.
In an attempt to pull past its big-boned rivals, Ford has opted to continue its strategy of aggressive model improvements, and buyers who put their cash down on a 2013 Mustang can look forward to a new suite of technology, visual improvements, more power and available options aimed at making it an even more capable track machine. The tricks have turned one of the best performance buys on the market into an even more tempting option for buyers who want more than just a boulevard cruiser.
The has already done a fine job ingratiating itself with our nation’s police forces, and with Ford’s Crown Victoria finally , is understandably keen to gain a bigger share of the law enforcement pie. Enter the 2012 Durango Special Service.
Available in both rear- and all-wheel drive and Pentastar V6 or Hemi V8 flavors, this variant has been uprated for the sort of duty cycles common among police and fire crews. Available modifications include a heavy-duty brake setup, larger battery, 220-amp alternator, as well as an engine cooler and upsized water pump. Properly equipped, Chrysler says the Durango SS can tow a class-leading 7,400 pounds, and it offers a bladder-perforating 550-mile range.
Dodge has improved interior lighting to make sure that officers don’t have to squint while writing you that speeding ticket, and they’ve also gone to the trouble of brooming the third row of seats for increased capacity (K9 duty, anyone?). Thoughtfully, they’ve left the second-row HVAC controls so that perps can be stored at proper temperatures.
Want to know more? Check out our high-res image gallery and then shuffle to see the official press release.
of Europe has officially unveiled the production version of the that made its debut at the earlier this month. The Tourneo won’t be coming to the United States, but according to Ford, it’s part of the automaker’s plan to refresh its entire commercial vehicle lineup by 2014. The production model will officially debut at the Birmingham Commercial Vehicle Show in April.
This front-wheel-drive van is available in both short- and long-wheelbase versions (measuring in at 195.7 and 210.2 inches, respectively), and can be had in either eight- or nine-passenger configuration. Ford also touts the Tourneo’s car-like interior with its “stylish, sculpted driver-focused instrument panel,” as well as onboard tech like SYNC, a rear-view camera, lane-keeping assist and driver alert.
Under the hood is an updated version of Ford’s 2.2-liter Duratorq inline-four, offered in 99-, 123- and 153-horsepower variants, all of which are paired exclusively to a six-speed manual transmission. There’s also auto start/stop on board, meaning the Tourneo can deliver a combined fuel economy rating of 6.9 liters per 100 kilometers – about 34 miles per gallon on the U.S. cycle.
Again, we won’t be seeing the Tourneo in the States – our all-new van will be based on the heavy-duty, rear-wheel-drive commercial line that’s set to debut later this year. Nevertheless, for the full details in Ford’s press release.
