With companies like Mercedes, BMW, Audi and Lexus all looking down-market, it’s no surprise that Infiniti is exploring its future and its expansion possibilities with a new entry-level model. What is surprising, however, is news that an entry-level Infiniti may in fact be a front-drive model. According to Larry Dominique, Nissan North America’s VP for...
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While Toyota, Japan’s largest automaker, announced recently that it is pulling out of the Korean marketplace, Subaru is moving in. Subaru has just announced that starting this April it will begin selling the Forester, Legacy and Outback models in South Korea. Initially sales targets are set at just 600 vehicles annually, but Subaru has an...
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The entry-level TSX model will be the first Acura offered with a hybrid powertrain. According to one dealer sourced by Automotive News, the TSX hybrid will be offered starting in 2011. This news comes as somewhat of a surprise as previous rumors had suggested the next RL model would be Acura’s first hybrid, combining a...
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Toyota continues to suffer from recalls with the Japanese automaker just announcing a recall notice for an additional 2.3 million vehicles. Recently Toyota recalled 4.2 million vehicles for a gas pedal that could get stuck due to incorrect placement of accessory floormats. This recent recall is for actual accelerator pedals that could stick. “In recent...
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Mitsubishi’s next generation EVO will be a plug-in hybrid. Yup, according to a recent report by Motor Trend, a source inside the company has confirmed the rumors that the EVO XI is going green. This news will most likely have EVO enthusiasts about ready to jump ship to Subaru, but worry not says the report,...
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Mazda pretty much owns the MPV market on this side of the Atlantic, but it faces stiffer competition in Europe and is about to get more rivals in North America from models like the Ford C-Max and Chevy Orlando. So to stay ahead of the competition, the Japanese automaker will debut an all-new second generation...
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Nissan’s NISMO motorsports department has finally announced full details on the 2010 FIA GT1-spec GT-R race car and along with some expected changes, there’s also a big surprise. Under the hood you won’t find Nissan’s twin-turbo V6, but rather a naturally aspirated 5.6-liter V8 engine that produces 600-hp and 480 ft-lbs of torque. That’s sure...
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Mitsubishi has announced that it will officially introduce an all new compact crossover at the Geneva Auto Show. Called the ASX for the European market, it will be sold as the RVR in Japan and is expected to be offered in North America in late 2010 as a 2011 model, slotting just below the recently...
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Toyota’s youth-oriented Scion brand is open to the possibility of a pickup truck model says brand manager Jack Hollis. In an interview with Ward’s Hollis admitted that a compact pickup might fit well in the Scion brand, a reversal on previous statements that pickups are out of the question. Initially Scion feared that compact pickups...
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Nissan has confirmed that after missing out on a long list of auto shows, it is preparing for the New York Auto Show in late March. The company is launching eight new models in the next 12 months and has announced that the new QX56 full-sized luxury SUV (pictured in spy photos above) from the...
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The next generation of Nissan’s Titan pickup truck is scheduled to arrive somewhere around 2014 and could be joined or even proceeded by a heavy-duty version. The news comes from a report by PickupTrucks.com, after an interview with Larry Dominique, vice president advanced and product planning and strategy at Nissan North America. Despite making up...
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Nissan is planning to bring its new Juke compact crossover to North America, which will slot in just underneath the Rogue in the Japanese automaker’s lineup. Somewhere between a crossover and an MPV, this new model is inspired by the Nissan Qazana, which debuted at last year’s Geneva Auto Show. The only details we have...
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While Honda has made known plans to squeeze added fuel economy out of its Insight, the Japanese automaker is set to debut a new concept that looks at the sporty side of the hybrid. Called the Insight Sorts Modulo Concept, it is set to debut at the Tokyo Auto Salon later this week. With the...
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Later this year, Infiniti will launch a turbocharged 2.5-liter version of its G sedan. This new model will directly target entry-level luxury competitors like the BMW 328i, Lexus IS250 and AudiA4 2.0T. The Infiniti G25 (G25t?) will use the 2.5-liter V6 currently found in the Japanese-market Infiniti G, which is known as the Skyline. In...
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A brand desperately in search of a clear direction, Acura will soon deliver a hybrid model says Honda CEO Takanobu Ito. The announcement was made by Ito just prior to introducing the latest hybrid in the Honda lineup, the CR-Z. Ito did not comment on if an Acura hybrid would use Honda’s IMA (Integrated Motor...
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With no official presence at the Detroit Auto Show, Nissan couldn’t resist showcasing its new Leaf electric car. On display alongside several other electric models in an area of the show dubbed Electric Avenue, Nissan claims that the Leaf is no concept, but an actual production model. It certainly looks the part, with a production...
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Subaru has announced two new option packages for the Forester compact crossover for 2010 as the Japanese automaker looks to expand its share of this highly competitive market segment further in 2010. For 2009, the Forrester was Subaru’s best selling model with a 28 percent increase over 2008. First up is a new Special Edition...
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Honda has just unveiled the production version of the CR-Z hybrid, looking like and taking after the original CRX. The CRX, after all, was introduced as a fuel efficient model, that quickly became a favorite of enthusiasts and tuners alike due to its sporty driving dynamics. “The CR-Z is a personal sport hybrid coupe for...
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Nissan is preparing an onslaught of modified vehicles for the 2010 Tokyo Auto Salon, working with partners like Autech and NISMO. An included in the list of nine custom Nissan’s will be a NISMO-ized 2010 GT-R, featuring a new NISMO Data Logger Kit. This kit allows an owner to download data collected by the onboard...
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In the tradition of launching higher performance versions of its cars for the domestic Japanese market, Suabru has just announced its latest limited edition performance version of the Impreza WRX STI. Called the WRX STI R205, the R stands for “Road Sport” and positions this model as the top STI in Suby’s lineup. Under the...
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***See AutoGuide’s LIVE 2010 Detroit Auto Show Coverage Here*** The pieces of puzzle are starting to come together and it looks like Toyota is planning on launching a hybrid version of the iQ mini-car in North America, branded as a Scion. According to a report by InsideLine, the a concept version of this car is...
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***See AutoGuide’s LIVE 2010 Detroit Auto Show Coverage Here*** Honda has yet to officially announce that its CR-Z Hybrid sports car will make its world premiere at the Detroit Auto Show in just a few weeks time, but that’s just a formality now. We had already assumed as much with Honda announcing it would hold...
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Despite reports earlier in the year that Lexus might be overtaken by BMW in the race to sell the most luxury cars in the United States last year, Toyota’s luxury arm surged ahead in the second half of 2009 to maintain its title. With sales of 215,975 units in 2009, Lexus handily beat the 196,502...
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With its product offerings growing stale, Toyota’s youth-oriented Scion brand will introduce an all-new model at the New York Auto Show this spring. With Detroit’s auto show just around the corner, the New York show in late March/early April seems distant, especially with the Geneva Show seperating the two, but the debut is all part...
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