Hyundai has made incredible gains in the global market, challenging larger automakers in markets they once dominated. While Volkswagen has globally sold a record number of vehicles in 2011, Hyundai Motors and its Kia affiliate have exceeded VW’s numbers in the United States. According to senior analyst of auto website Edmunds.com Jessica Caldwell, “Hyundai offers...
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Audi is quietly planning the launch of the third generation TT sports car, which will continue down a path away from anything resembling the cutesy original. It’s certain to retain the unique profile, but Audi is planning a large grill up front (duh!) and larger lower air intakes. Out back, there will be an active...
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Americans aren’t the only ones who love bigger cars, it turns out people in the Middle East do too. At least that’s the way it seems to us after learning that the American version of the Volkswagen Passat will premier at the 2012 Qatar Motor Show. As is often the case with German cars, there...
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Mercedes-Benz is going guerilla with its marketing tactics for the new A-Class by placing camouflaged cars around Germany stamped with QR (Quick Response) codes to give those lucky enough to scan them a chance at some prizes. While that’s good news for a bunch of lucky Germans, the rest of us will have to settle for a...
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Audi’s performance vehicle lineup is about to get a new addition with these latest spy photos revealing what appears to be the next-generation RS6 Avant. Based on the current generation A6 wagon, the test mule features a more bold font grille, as well as add-on fender flares to accommodate the wider track. Other hints include...
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Hatchbacks have their place in the U.S. but the term evokes a less-than-sporty image that sullies the sexy feel luxury manufacturers seek to embody. That opinion is probably part of the reason why Audi is discontinuing the hatchback A3 for North America with the 2014 model year. Hatchbacks can make fantastic use of a relatively...
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Our spy photographers have seemingly followed the BMW X5, all the way from Germany earlier this week to a decidedly more wintry location for some extreme weather testing. Looking visibly smaller than its predecessor in these spy photos, its unlikely the new X5 will actually shrink in size, although it will most certainly lose some...
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What do the Porsche Panamera and Nissan Juke have in common? Answer: the ability to love them only after you’ve driven them. With styling that wouldn’t sell were it not for that Porsche badge, the German sports car maker has put its notoriously uncreative design team to work searching for a way to “modernize” the...
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Volkswagen has confirmed the development of a production version of the mini hot hatch Up! GT. One of the many variations of the Up! concept that was unveiled at last year’s Frankfurt motor show, Volkswagen emphasized that the Up! GT will drive and perform very closely to the original Golf GTI, which Volkswagen enthusiasts were no doubt happy to...
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China is the new land of opportunity as businessmen gain newfound wealth from its booming economy. However, some have learned the hard way that money cannot buy happiness. Last week, a Porsche owner was upset that his Cayenne SUV, worth a reported 2.7 million yuan, suffered a string of problems during the 2 months he...
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The Volkswagen CC debuted at the 2011 Los Angeles auto show, and gave us our first look at the updated styling on the 2013 CC. Volkswagen has just released new photos and video of the CC to spike interest in the sedan once again and to give us another look at the fresh new design....
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In between moments of fun, spirited, and recreational driving, there are some boring moments spent queuing behind crawling traffic. At this year’s CES (Consumer Electronics Show), Audi introduced a new system that can alleviate this inconvenience with the push of a button, using a device known simply as the Traffic Jam Assistant. Audi’s Traffic Jam...
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Having just launched the all-new 2012 3 Series, BMW will soon look to add the coupe and convertible versions to its lineup, with one big change from the past. No we’re not talking about a turbocharged 4-cylinder, but rather the fact that from now on the 3 Series two door models will be referred to...
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Well, it was nice while it lasted, but Audi has decided to drop the new 2012 Audi A6 Allroad from the U.S. market. The original Audi Allroad was introduced in 1999. Debuting at the 2012 Geneva Auto Show, the all-new A6 Allroad features an extra 2.3 inches of ground clearance than the standard A6, and...
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With a recent refresh BMW is already testing its next-generation X5 SUV – or Sports Activity Vehicle as they like to call it. Code named the F15, the new X5 will ride on a modified version of the current vehicle’s platform, although it is expected to undergo significant weight savings. The use of lighter materials...
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The Tokyo Auto Salon isn’t just about Japanese cars. On the contrary, there’s a large selection of European models, especially thanks to the growing trend for RAUH-Welt Begriff modified Porsches. Originally a company that modified Toyota AE 86s, founder Nakai-San took his passion for unique style and applied it to classic air-cooled Porsches. So what...
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The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is considering at length the changes that could be made to its 5-star crash-assessment testing. Rather than concentrate only on crash-worthiness, the NHTSA is looking into new technologies that put an emphasis on accident-avoidance. NHTSA Administrator David Strickland says, “Crash-worthiness has been the guiding star for NHTSA. But...
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The U.S. could have a plug-in hybrid from Volkswagen in the relatively near future. The company already has a hybrid Jetta on the way for the 2013 model year, but this version of the car would take electrical implementation to the next level. We’ve known about the possibility of a plug-in hybrid for quite some...
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For the last number of years, automakers have been pushing gas-electric products at auto shows across the world. However, according to researcher LMC Automotive, hybrid sales in the United States have slowed last year to 2.2 percent compared to 2.4 percent in 2010. Mike Jackson, chief executive of auto retail chain AutoNation Inc., said that...
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It seems that Volkswagen, Europe’s largest automobile manufacturer, has no intention of slowing down. Sales results for 2011 revealed a sales gain of another 14.3 percent from last year. In a single December, Volkswagen completed 650,000 deliveries. However, the most staggering statistic of all is that Volkswagen Group delivered more than 8 million vehicles for...
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It should come as little surprise that Volkswagen has unveiled a new Jetta Hybrid at the Detroit Auto Show. After all, the Jetta itself was designed to appeal more to American tastes and something Americans increasingly love are hybrids. Powered by an all-new hybrid engine and getting an incredibly high fuel economy rating, watch the...
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Renault-Nissan and Daimler have announced the joint engine production of Mercedes-Benz 4-cylinder engines at Nissan’s Decherd, Tennessee, plant beginning 2014. According to the press release, this marks the first ever production of a Mercedes-Benz engine within the North America Free Trade region. Dr. Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Daimler Board of Management and Head of...
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There’s a certain romanticism that comes with the combination of performance cars and a low V8 growl that isn’t the same with fewer cylinders. Maybe that’s why Audi decided to pull all the stops for this last iteration of their 4.2-liter S5, making a car we’re already nuts for even sweeter. The next S5,...
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Several spy shots of the upcoming Mercedes CLC sedan have been snapped during the car’s cold weather testing. Expected to be styled as a baby CLS, this compact sedan will be based on the same platform as the upcoming A-Class and B-Class models, meaning it will be a size down from the brand’s C-Class offering....
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