Honda is trying hard to promote its new 2010 Accord Crosstour… too hard. The Japanese automaker decided to introduce the world to its new Accord-based crossover via Facebook, where through a free and democratic process people decided it was ugly. And because it is Facebook, people didn’t hold back on their comments. Then what became...
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Last week Lexus teased us with a back shot of its upcoming hybrid hatchback and now we finally get a glimpse of what this new model will look like from the front. Called the LF-Ch Concept for now it is expected to be called the CT200h when it finally makes its way to production in...
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Rumors have surfaced that Acura is planning to get back into the entry-level luxury segment, with a possible RSX successor coming in 2012. The new model would reportedly be based on the next generation Honda Civic which is due out in 2011 and would compete with vehicles like the BMW 1 Series, Audi A3 and...
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Honda has officially revealed the 2010 Accord Crosstour Crossover Utility Vehicle (CUV), which will go on sale this Fall, competing head-to-head with vehicles like the Toyota Venza. “Our concept is to broaden the appeal of the Accord line-up by leveraging traditional Accord strengths of fun-to-drive performance and handling while also adapting to dramatic shifts in...
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The first official photo of the upcoming Lexus hybrid hatchback concept car has been released. The new car, expected to be called the CT200h when it finally makes its way to production in 2010, is being called the LF-Ch by Lexus for now. Originally designed specifically for the European market, which will not get the...
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We’ve been hearing from General Motors about the Chevy Volt for what seems like an eternity and now it’s Toyota’s turn. The Japanese automaker will reportedly debut a concept version of the Prius plug-in hybrid at the Frankfurt Auto Show in two weeks time. Toyota has yet to officially announce the debut, but that is...
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If you’re in the market for one of Mitsubishi’s Eclipse Spyders and prefer the control a manual transmission gives you, then act now. Mitsubishi has quietly removed the optional five-speed and six-speed transmissions from its lineup for 2010. We stumbled across this bit of news on Mitsubishi’s consumer site, which lists both the 2009 and...
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Last week we reported on a story that BMW was in talks with Toyota to use its iQ city car platform as the basis of a future mini-MINI. Now it appears that deal may be two-sized as AutoCar is reporting that in exchange Toyota may get use of the MINI Coupe and Roadster platform to...
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With the Targa Newfoundland just two weeks away, Stillen has unleashed its race-ready Nissan GT-R upon the internet. Prior to the race Stillen took its 620hp monster to the El Toro Marine base for a little performance test organized by Road & Track and the results are more than impressive. The tests revealed a 0-60...
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Several reports of price gouging on the new 2010 Prius have been reported at Toyota dealerships across the country. While the $4,500 rebate offered with the (now completed) cash-for-clunkers program made the Prius an attractive buy, many dealerships were apparently engaging in a little creative market value adjustment of their own, to capitalize on the...
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Toyota has confirmed that, for the first time, it will close one of its U.S. plants. The facility is the New United Motor Manufacturing Inc. (NUMMI) plant in Freemont, California. “After the decision by General Motors to withdraw from the NUMMI joint venture, Toyota conducted a thorough review of its alternatives in light of current...
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Toyota has announced that the State Fair of Texas will play host to the debut of the all-new 2010 4Runner. The new model promises to be “more rugged than ever,” which will help Toyota set the off-road-capable SUV apart from on-road machines like the Highlander. Once a staple of the Toyota lineup, car-based crossovers have...
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Honda has released two teaser images of the upcoming Accord Crosstour, which will debut on September 1st. The two images, showing a headlight and the front grille, give two very different ideas of what this Accord-based crossover will look like. The grille, while still very much an Accord design, seems slightly larger and more truck...
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Chrysler and Nissan have officially canceled plans to work together on a number of platform sharing opportunities. Previous plans would have seen Chrysler supply Nissan with the next generation Titan pickup truck, in exchange for Nissan supplying Chrysler with a small car for international markets, as well as a rebadged Nissan Versa for South America....
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According to a Japanese dealer brochure that has been obtained by the folks at LexusEnthusiast, Toyota’s luxury arm appears to be making a few subtle revisions to its lineup of LS models for 2010. For starters, we have what appear to be some of the first official images of the LS-Sport or “Version SZ”, a...
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The upcoming Toyota Prius Coupe will add plenty of eye-catching passion to its environmentally-sound drivetrain thanks to a body that will be designed in Italy. Japan’s BestCar magazine has reported that an Italian coachbuilder will be outsourced to provide the design for the two-door Prius, with the possibilities being Pininfarina or Italdesign Giugiaro. The choice...
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Suzuki is planning to bring the Swift back to the U.S., according to a report by Automotive News. The first three generations of the car were sold in North American and we often rebadged as Pontiacs, Chevy or Geos, but Suzuki decided to cease offering the sub-compact in 2001. With tiny engines and very little...
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A rumored deal between Volkswagen and Suzuki has been revived after the VW CEO Dr. Martin Winterkorn told a German magazine that Suzuki would make an “interesting partner.” “Suzuki would be an interesting partner because of its competency in small cars,” Winterkorn said in an interview with German publication Manager Magazin. It is believed that...
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Demand for the new 2010 Lexus HS250h hybrid sedan is so high in Japan that the automaker fears it might not be able to keep up with expected sales volumes in the U.S. The world’s first stand-alone luxury hybrid has just gone on sale in Japan and its popularity has far exceeded expectations. Toyota initially...
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Lexus is set to debut a new hatchback model for the European market at the Frankfurt Auto Show next month and now word comes that the U.S. may also get this luxurious hot-hatch. Initially it was believed that the baby Lexus would not be offered in North America as it would be too close to...
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Honda is planning to bring an electric car to market in the U.S. by 2015. News comes from a company spokesman in Japan, as reported in the daily business paper Nikkei. The new model would be a minicar and rumors point to a concept or prototype of the electric Honda to debut at the Tokyo...
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The Scion brand is all about being youthful, modern and relevant. But apparently no one told that to the tC. Once a rival to Honda’s Civic Coupe, the tC has outlived its stay with (so far) a six year production cycle. As the brand’s flagship it has even been surpassed by the edgy xB. In...
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It’s official, Honda will debut the 2010 Accord Crosstour on September 1st and it will have… wheels and… tires. OK, so Honda’s teaser image isn’t much to go on, but knowing these sorts of manufacturer images, it was either this or some abstract of a headlight or door crease. Besides, spy photos of the upcoming...
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First shown as a concept (above) at the New York Auto Show earlier this year, Scion will reportedly bring the iQ to market by the Fall of 2010. After receiving an excellent reception at the show, Scion’s VP, Jack Hollis has said he is fighting to get the car to market. One large Toyota dealer,...
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