The world’s least expensive car, the Tata Nano’s original purpose in design was to be a modern Ford Model-T, mobilizing millions of families in India. Despite the Nano’s noble intentions, only 1,200 examples were sold in the month of September when initial projections expected a rather optimistic 20,000 vehicles per month. A new approach may...
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Renault is in development of an ultra low-cost vehicle, along the lines of the Tata Nano. While the Nano is currently suffering from some awful sales numbers (initial projection of 20,000 a month but only saw 1,200 units sold in September), CEO of Renault/Nissan Carlos Ghosn is convinced that an extremely affordable vehicle would...
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Fiat could blame American consumer sentiment. They could also blame J.Lo’s advertising debacle. Or perhaps, the fault lies with the car. Whatever the case may be, sales numbers for the 2012 Fiat 500 are disappointing. According to Automotive News, Fiat’s re-introduction into the United States reports will fall significantly short of its 50,000 unit sales...
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The Volkswagen up! is now offering an incredible promo exclusively in Germany. According to Auto Express, a new VW up!, carrying a 10,000 Euro MSRP, can be leased for a mere 95 Euros a month. There are no strings attached either. There is no initial deposit necessary. Nor are there additional road tax, servicing, roadside...
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Jaguar‘s design genius and restless thinker, Ian Callum, has announced a personal desire to design a premium small car for the historically British marque. During an interview, Ian Callum told British automotive publication, What Car?, “It’s a personal view, but there’s room for a premium small car. It would be a high-end small car for...
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Reports from sources within Volkswagen has revealed intents to replace its less popular 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine for a new 1.8-liter turbo four-cylinder engine. This smaller turbocharged engine is based on the staple 2.0 liter turbo engine found in the GTI, and are already found in Volkwagen’s European offerings. Producing 158-hp and 185 lb-ft of torque,...
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TrueCar, Inc. subsidiary, ALG, has announced the top spots for this year’s 13th Annual Residual Value Awards for mainstream and luxury brands with Subaru and Lexus taking honors respectively. According to historic data, vehicles from Japan have won 11 out of the overall 21 ALG awards, which is more than half of the honors. For...
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Honda is moving ahead with plans to deliver a higher performance version of the CR-Z. In fact, according to a report by Temple of Vtec, CR-Z project leader Norio Tomobe-san has confirmed the car is already in development. The first rumors of a CR-Z “Type R” came from Honda itself, with the release of the...
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Dodge will unveil its new 2013 compact car during the January 2012 Detroit Auto Show. Since this is the first all-new car designed by the combined Chrysler and Fiat Company that will debut three months from now, we are used to expecting information to leak prior to the car’s official unveiling, whether from spies and...
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Lexus was one of the first premier automakers to introduce a series of hybrids in its line-up. In 2009, Lexus launched its first dedicated hybrid model, the HS 250h. However, due to a failure to meet market expectations, Lexus has reportedly decided to end its run. Although a time frame has yet to be officially...
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MINI does social networking right. Introducing the MINI Motoring smartphone app, available for both Android and iPhone, it allows fellow drivers to share their favorite driving roads with each other. Probably the best automotive app ever created, the only complaint we have is it should have been invented sooner. After making an account, drivers can...
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While the X-type, Jaguar‘s first attempt into the entry-luxury class, was ultimately a failure that earned a spot on Time Magazine’s “50 Worst Cars Of All Time,” Jaguar’s new and rejuvenated line-up of late looks to be the perfect opportunity to try again. This time, due to CAFE regulations, Jaguar must begin preparing a significant...
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Is the Kia Soul just a touch too big for your needs? Well if you happen to live in Kia’s home market of S. Korea, you could look into their newest offering, dubbed the Ray. While the name might sound similar to the sea creature, the Kia Ray is neither sleek or stealthy. What it...
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The team at Jaguar have now begun North American testing of a standard 2.2 liter four-cylinder diesel Jaguar XF and, to channel the spirit of the Cannonball, have appointed two independent drivers to take their diesel sedan across 2,800 miles and through the 11 states between New York City and Los Angeles. While the words...
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While Microsoft and Ford‘s previous collaboration, MyFord Touch, drew significant criticism from users as well as from Consumer Reports, their latest product promises to be a big hit. Designed for the new Ford Focus Electric, the MyFord Mobile app has earned the International CES Best of Innovation Design and Engineering Award in the software and...
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Mitsubishi is looking to re-enter the sub-compact segment in the U.S. and will do so in the near future with an all-new global small car, which will officially be unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show in just a few weeks. Using a tiny 1.0-liter 3-cylinder engine and stop-start technology, as well as extensive weight savings,...
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The Audi Urban Concept unveiled last month at the Frankfurt Auto Show is now reportedly headed for low-volume production. According to sources inside the German automaker, Audi will produce a limited batch of 999 units as a test run, each to be sold at 9999 Euros. Don’t assume that just because it’s a “test run,”...
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For long one of the most beloved hot hatches in Europe, the Ford Fiesta ST Concept will be unveiled at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show. Recently at the Frankfurt Motor Show, Ford revealed a three-door ST concept, a sign that perhaps the hot-hatch sub-compact would not be offered in North America. This new five-door...
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If you are a college graduate and had ever caught yourself thinking that you could have afforded a car if only you had $1,000 less in student loans to pay, then you’re in luck! Scion is working to make the life of college grads just a little bit easier by introducing a rebate program offering...
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While the Toyota Prius has long been the automotive ambassador of the green movement, Pike Research conducted a Cost of Driving test to find out whether the all new 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-in can trump the Chevrolet Volt. According to its findings, by first establishing the price for every gallon of gas at $3.50 and...
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For the past decade, China’s economy has continued to expand with little sign of slowing down. Volkswagen took advantage of an opportunity to continue offering its past models such as the Volkswagen “Jetta King” (Mk2 Jetta), the Volkswagen Bora Classic (Mk4 Jetta), as well as various Audi vehicles in the Chinese market in order to...
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The Honda Insight, boasting the highest fuel economy of any new vehicle under $20,000, gets a mid-life model update for 2012. Exterior wise, the Insight receives a more distinctive grill design with a thin, blue accent bar to highlight its high-tech identity. Aerodynamic enhancements include a smother underbody cover and an addition of air diffusers...
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Mazda‘s new SkyActiv engine was never intended to be used in the current Mazda3 platform, but with the new 40-mpg motor already developed, product planners decided it didn’t make sense just to sit on the technology – especially in a hyper-competitive segment where cars like the Cruze, Focus and Elantra are all claiming the big...
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After a series of lukewarm SS models in the past undermined the public’s impression of the moniker (Malibu Maxx SS, anyone?), Chevrolet now vows to reserve the SS badge for high performance models only. It will not be stamped onto the performance trim Chevrolet Sonic. “It would take a lot more air going through that...
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