Suzuki clearly has lofty expectations for its new Kizashi sedan, which we recently drove on the roads around the Washington/Oregon border, as well as on Portland's eponymous international raceway.Suzuki clearly has lofty expectations for its new Kizashi sedan, which we recently drove on the roads around the Washington/Oregon border, as well as on Portland's eponymous international raceway.[...] But as the crossover segment has evolved, the genre has splintered into even more variations. The Acura ZDX takes an ambitious stab at a decidedly niche market.If there were one major aspect that impresses about the Land Rover, it is the extraordinary breadth of capability shown by the company's cars, not least the LR4 we sampled in Scotland recently.Recently we took a brief drive in a Korean-spec Equus, which in 2010 will join the Genesis and Genesis Coupe in Hyundai's stable of Lexus fighters. Let's see how it stacks up.America gets its turn with the CTS Sport Wagon that Cadillac hopes will revitalize and grow the small market for station wagons here. In other words, it seeks to make wagons cool again. Does it?
[...] Infiniti showed its next-generation M sedans-virtually. The new cars were rendered in 3D on a foam buck at an event sponsored by Infiniti and Hearst magazines at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance.A closer look at the Corvette Stingray concept, which on the surface looks as though it could provide some design and powertrain influence for the next C7 Corvette.
[...] [...] Every summer, auto execs land in a small Michigan resort town for the Center of Automotive Research's Management Briefing seminars. This year, one of the most anticipated speakers was Akio Toyoda, the recently named President of Toyota.Victory has unleashed some serious design firepower in recent years, and this year, the company delivers two more aggressively designed bikes-the all-new Cross Country and Cross Roads.The new Buick LaCrosse sedan represents a number of milestones for General Motors. But GM has to make Buick, which suffers from a dowdy image, relevant to U.S. consumers again. Let's see how the LaCrosse stacks up.In just 40 days, GM has emerged from bankruptcy. In a press conference, CEO Fritz Henderson announced the new organization will be called the General Motors Company, and detailed some revisions to its structure going forward.Toyota brings its Tundra back to basics for 2010. It's everything you'd have wanted and expected in a 1955 Chevrolet Series 3100 done with 21st century technology and Toyota quality.This might come as a surprise, but the most eagerly anticipated Porsche is an all-new four-door sedan-the Panamera. Has this nearly six-figure sport sedan ushered in a sea change at the company we always knew catered to the driving enthusiast?If you're not an aspiring MotoGP star, but still want a motorcycle with serious bite, Ducati's new Streetfighter aims to scratch that itch for power without leaving you with sore wrists and a hefty chiropractic bill.[...] [...] After a 10-year hiatus, the Taurus returns with a mouth-watering 365-hp twin-turbocharged V6 engine and a slick new suit to match. We wanted to find out for ourselves how the new EcoBoost performs against the competition-the Chrysler 300C.[...] [...] We borrowed a new base model Corvette equipped with the standard six-speed manual, picked a road unlikely to be crammed with traffic, and set out to eke every last mpg out of this world-class sports car.Ford says its microvan will deliver commercial customers from high fuel costs and parking headaches. But it may be young drivers looking for something fresher than a Scion who will power Transit Connect sales in the U.S.With just 18 months to go before the 2011 Volt heads into production, GM has allowed us a chance to experience its innovative Voltec drivetrain technology from behind the wheel of a test mule based on the Chevy Cruze.There are cars designed for fuel efficiency and there are cars designed for luxury. The new HS 250h combines frugality with luxury-so now you can enjoy Lexus luxury with the gas mileage of an economy sedan.With the pricey convertible Lexus SC430 finally showing its age, and luxury manufacturers jumping one by one to release entry-level hardtop convertibles, Lexus has made the decision to chop the top (and two doors) from its popular IS sedan.The S400 isn't just Mercedes first hybrid vehicle, it's also the first series-production car to ever use of lithium-ion batteries. It could be the most efficient gas-powered luxury car on the road.[...] This Suzuki somehow combines mind-boggling performance, slick ergonomics and, yes, even refinement. Let's take a ride.Yesterday, Gas 2.0 hosted commentary from the mayors of San Francisco and Portland, Ore., each of whom is competing to make his city the most electric-vehicle-friendly in the nation.GM CEO Fritz Henderson confirmed this morning that GM is killing Pontiac. "We didn't think we had the resources necessary," Henderson said. This latest move from GM is an indication of just how fast and fluid the company's restructuring is.The Raptor could be the most off-road-capable F-150 Ford has ever built. It promises to smooth out the worst high-speed desert terrain, fly over jumps and handle slow-speed four-wheeling better than just about any production truck.The Zero S is fast, easy to ride and huge amounts of fun. Then there's the lack of emissions; almost an afterthought once you've climbed aboard and twisted the throttle. Breaking traffic laws has never felt so clean.As retro motorcycles go, Triumph's Bonneville has successfully captured the look and flavor of one of the world's most iconic models. Its success has much to do with the restraint shown by the new Triumph ownership.The tension in the room is palpable as the digital clock mounted high on a pillar ticks down to the final seconds of the National Automotive Technology Competition.[...] How does Lambo improve on the already extraordinary formula in the LP560-4? Ditch the roof and create the 2009 Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4 Spyder.In our dream garage there's a Mitsubishi that combines the Lancer Evolution sport sedan's aggressive performance with the practicality of a station wagon. The Outlander GT Prototype may bring us closer to making this dream come true.
No smoke machines or rotating platforms this year. It was more like the 1960's-just a stagehand with a rope tied around the corner of a sheet draped over the reveal.GM made no mention of its troubles. Chrysler's Vice Chairman introduced an Italian car. And Ford, in the best shape of the Big Three, didn't announce anything at all.The World Car of the Year competition announced winners this morning in four categories, with the VW Golf taking home the top prize.The production version of the new Mercedes-Benz hybrid SUV debuted at the New York Auto Show. Mercedes let us pilot one for a brief test drive.The new Grand Cherokee shares its underpinnings with the Mercedes-Benz ML, so it is the very first big Jeep to have a four-wheel independent suspension.[...] The E250 is already sold in Europe and Mercedes is considering offering the car stateside. It uses a 2.1-liter, four-cylinder diesel engine rather than the sixes and eights currently for sale.Nissan brings us two new versions of the 370Z: the drop-top Roadster packs the same 332 hp 3.7-liter V6 as the coupe model, and the Nismo 370Z offers performance a notch above the standard 370Z coupe.Until now, Subaru Legacy has largely snuck underneath the radar of Camry and Accord buyers: it was, apparently, just too small for mainstream America. The 2010 update, however, may be large enough to take on rivals from Honda and Toyota.The work-oriented $21,475 Transit Connect will soon hit Ford stores. But what about hauling families? This concept shows that Ford might be looking at ways to get them interested in this design too.Mazda has updated versions of the CX-7 and CX-9 crossovers for the 2010 model year. The company will also show the feisty new Mazdaspeed3 sport compact sedan that debuted at the Geneva Motor Show just last month.The Yukon Hybrid is the third GM body-on-frame SUV to receive the two-mode hybrid technology. GMC says the Yukon will seat 8 passengers, tow 5800 pounds and return around 21 mpg in city conditions.GMC needs fresh products that offer improved fuel economy. The Terrain, GMC's version of the Chevrolet Equinox crossover, is GMC's first entry to the crossover category and appears to deliver that efficiency.Details are scant when it comes to on Hyundai's Nuvis Concept right now, but we do know that the concept is meant to hint at future Hyundai crossover styling themes, reportedly with gull wing doors and room for four.[...] General Motors and Segway announce that the companies have teamed up to create a new prototype electric vehicle designed for urban transportation-the PUMA.Lightning Hybrids unveiled their concept hydraulic-hybrid that will vie for the Automotive X Prize. The LH4 is expected to average 100 mpg on biodiesel and will be available to the general public for $39,000-$59,000 sometime in 2011.[...] The Tesla Model S sedan is quite the departure from the company's tiny two-seat $109,000 Roadster. By late 2011, Tesla will offer a commercially viable electric-powered sedan that seats seven for under $50,000 after a Federal tax credit.[...] The world is buzzing about the launch of the Tato Nano, the tiny, four-door, $2230 car that Tata Motors claims will be "the world's cheapest car." Here is what is being said.It's been five years since Ford re-introduced the 2005 Mustang. Now that Dodge and Chevy have brought back the Challenger and Camaro, we decided to get them together for a musclecar throwdown.Audi calls its new S5 Cabriolet a real convertible, in defense of its sporting a soft-top in an era of hard-top-equipped competition. The S5 Cabriolet replaces the current S4 Cabriolet and will be in dealers this October.Car scratches can be expensive to fix, but they're also hard to ignore. Car dents are another matter-they're much harder and more expensive to fix. PM has published several articles over the years on how to address both types of repairs.Since retrenching in Norway after a failed deal with Ford, Think has developed a new car, dubbed the City, that the company believes could satisfy the needs of many American commuters. The company's even planning on building its cars here.Mercedes-Benz engineers logged over 22 million miles test driving the new E-Class-the company's most comprehensive development process to date-with the goal of making it the best version yet. Did they get this one right?
