After being given only the base price information for the upcoming MINI Countryman, we finally have our full breakdown of the various Countryman models and their respective MSRPs, including a $700 destination charge. The base Countryman will go for $22,350, while the turbocharged Countryman S will run buyers $25,950. At the top sits the Countryman...
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A man in East St. Louis, Illinois, went on a shooting rampage, armed only with an AK-47, a Chrysler PT Cruiser convertible and his birthday suit. The PT Cruiser ended up rolled over after the thief crashed it and used it as cover while he fired at police officers attempting to arrest him. While harming...
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Buick‘s upcoming Verano subcompact, a twin of the Chevrolet Cruze, will be built at GM’s Orion, Michigan plant alongside the upcoming Chevrolet Aveo. The announcement comes as part of GM revealing details of their $145 million investment in the plant, which is expected to retain 1,550 jobs as well. The Verano is currently for sale...
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Abarth, Fiat’s in-house tuner, launched two new vehicles at the 2010 Paris Auto Show, both which feature the optional “esseesse” kits that give the cars a modest power boost. The Abarth 500C Esseesse is the most powerful version of Fiat’s 500 hatchback, and Abarth introduced a convertible version based on the 500C as a companion...
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Ford‘s 2012 Focus has kept a low profile since it’s debut at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show. While we heard endless stories about the Chevrolet Cruze in the run up to its launch, the only news coming out from the Ford camp is the admittedly big announcement about the Focus ST. Now comes another nugget...
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Audi‘s long-rumored S1 hot hatch will not be coming to Paris. Instead, Audi has elected to take the guts of what likely would have been an S1, and package it in a more discrete wrapper, creating the Audi A1 1.4TFSI in its place. The A1 1.4TFSI still looks aggressive, with beefier wheels and stark white...
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We’ve been hearing so much about the Fiat 500, that we’ve been feeling a mix of fatigue from the endless hype, and apprehension that our North American spec car would be a watered down version of the European goodness we were so anxiously awaiting. While we haven’t gotten any specs on the North American car...
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The Vauxhall Astra is one of Britain’s most popular cars, and is also known as the spectacular flop that was the Saturn Astra in North America. While North Americans didn’t take too kindly to the compact, Belgian-built hatch, Europeans adore the Astra, but the next generation will face some stiff competition from the upcoming Ford...
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All-wheel drive variants of small cars are quite popular in Europe, and the Fiat 500 looks to be the latest recipient of an extra drive shaft and differential. An eagle-eyed car enthusiast spotted this lifted Fiat 500 in Italy, and went to investigate. Looking under the car, he found all the hardware needed for a...
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While Scion vehicles have been available in the United States for a number of years, they have never been officially brought to Canada, despite numerous grey market imports from south of the border. Now, Scion’s are finally available and Toyota Canada has announced pricing for the distinctively styled compacts. The 5 door xD hatchback starts...
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Audi‘s diminutive A1 compact hatchback is proving to be such a hot product that the company has decided to sell the car “at short notice” in markets such as Asia. While Audi wants to focus on European markets first, the car will eventually be sold in Asia, with Audi deciding on a strategy for the...
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Honda has unveiled their Jazz Hybrid, which is sold as the Fit here in North America. We won’t be getting the Fit Hybrid in our part of the world, but it doesn’t look like we’re missing out on much. With mileage comparable to a CR-Z, and a nearly $5,000 premium over a regular Fit, the...
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Toyota‘s executive vice president for global manufacturing said that exporting the Corolla and Yaris to America was no longer profitable due to a strong yen, which is at a 15 year high relative to the U.S. dollar. Given the current exchange-rate situation, it isn’t feasible, in terms of a business model, for us to produce...
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Hybrids and alternative fuel might appear to be all the rage these days, but a report in USA Today claims that the hottest selling segment in the car market is, surprise surprise, full-size SUVs. While small cars still outpace big SUVs in total units sold – selling 974,000 examples versus 121,000 sport-utes in the first...
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We already brought you the design mockups of the all new Hyundai Elantra, so here are some pictures of the real thing, driving on the road. With a direct injection 1.6L 4-cylinder making 138 horsepower, the Elantra’s interesting styling and efficient powerplant should make it a competitive alternative to the usual Civic and Corolla. Considering...
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Kia‘s Soul compact car has a commanding lead over the Nissan Cube and Scion xB, outselling the Cube by a near 2:1 margin. But Kia is hesitant to expand the Soul’s lineup by spinning off variants of the boxy small car in the quest to increase sales. Speaking to Ward’s Auto, Orth Hedrick, director of...
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Mercedes-Benz’s ungainly A-Class hatchback is known for its tall, Smart-car-on-steroids profile and its legendary failing of the “elk test“. While the current car is fairly successful in Europe, the new car is set to take a totally different direction, resembling a sportier 3-door hatchback and taking aim at the BMW 1-Series, Audi A3 and Volkswagen Golf,...
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The 2011 Chevrolet Cruze is an important car for General Motors, with Chevrolet positioning the car as both a premium and compact car, something many Americans deem to be mutually exclusive. With advanced powertrains, a high quality interior and exterior styling that doesn’t scream “rental car”, Chevrolet has chosen to price the Cruze just a...
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With the success of oil-burning hot hatches like the Seat Leon Cupra FR and Volkswagen Golf GTD, as well as a general trend towards “green” products (whatever that means), Mini is preparing to launch a diesel version of their Mini Cooper S hot hatch. Due to emissions legislation, BMW won’t offer the diesel in North...
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