One strange aspect about the Chevrolet Cruze hatchbackhas less cargo room than its sedan counterparty. While the Cruze sedan has 450 liters of cargo space, the hatchback has 50 fewer liters because of the model’s shorter rear overhang. Nevertheless, 65 percent of vehicles sold in Europe are hatchbacks, and a Cruze hatch is a necessity...
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The Audi RS3 Sportback is another hot hatch out of most people’s ballpark, but that won’t stop us from bringing you live shots of it as it makes its first appearance at the Geneva Auto Show. With a 340 horsepower, 332 lb-ft turbocharged 5-cylinder engine and a 7-speed dual clutch transmission, the RS3 can hit...
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If you’ve ever seen an original Mini (which may be unlikely if you live in North America) you might find it hard to wrap your head around just how small the car really is. The current MINI Cooper, while small by our standards, absolutely dwarfs the original car, but MINI’s new Rocketman concept should set...
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The production version of the Chevrolet Cruze hatchback has broken cover ahead of its debut at the Geneva Auto Show, and interestingly has less cargo room than its sedan counterparty. While the Cruze sedan has 450 liters of cargo space, the hatchback has 50 fewer liters on account of the shorter rear overhang. Nevertheless, 65...
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While rumors of the new BMW sub-brand have been floating around for months, February 21st has been marked as the official announcement date for details the sub-brand, and the apparently revolutionary MegaCity electric vehicle. Many suggest that the new sub-brand will be a re-imagining of the Isetta microcar of nearly a half century ago, and...
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While speaking to Motor Trend, Fiat USA head Laura Soave told the magazine that in addition to new variants of the Fiat 500, there will be a new subcompact car arriving sometime around 2013, with a focus on the needs of the United States market. Soave did not specify what body styles would be offered,...
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Although the Smart ForTwo hasn’t been warmly received by American buyers, there is hope for the quirky maker of diminutive city cars, as parent company Daimler is backing the brand with new products and utilizing their alliance with Renault-Nissan to give the lineup a boost. A Smart representative confirmed that a four seat model will arrive sometime in the...
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Without a compact luxury car, Infiniti will have a hard time competing in their new European stomping grounds, and let’s face it, a rebadged Nissan Versa ain’t exactly up to the task. What Infiniti does have is a new alliance with Daimler through parent company Renault-Nissan. Infiniti is about to leverage this relationship big-time with their new...
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With Subaru‘s Impreza compact due for a replacement soon, and a concept shown at the Los Angeles Auto Show this past fall, the debut of the new car is getting ever closer. In fact, a Subaru executive recently confirmed that the target date for the new car is an August, 2011 release. With the date...
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Ford of Europe CEO Stephen T. Odell announced a “groundbreaking” new vehicle set to debut at the Geneva Auto Show at the beginning of March, but gave no details as to the nature of the car. Some have speculated that the car could be an larger version of the Fiesta, dubbed the B-Max, that would...
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BMW is looking for an alternative to traditional purchasing options for their upcoming MegaCity urban vehicle, as the high cost of developing substantially new technology may result in the vehicle becoming prohibitively expensive for consumers. Among the projects being considered are a car-sharing service similar to the one operated by Daimler for their Smart car...
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The best-selling car in Japan is about to change as government subsidies on hybrid cars has lead to a drop off in sales of the Toyota Prius. Analysts expect the Honda Fit to take the top spot. Prius sales began to dip in September after the government subsidy program ended, but Fit sales remained strong, buttressed by the introduction...
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Fiat is hoping to eliminate haggling from the buying experience of the new 500 small car, in what the company claims is a bid to eliminate a stressful process for younger buyers. Speaking to Automotive News, Fiat USA head Laura Sove stated that “The pricing is the pricing.” “The younger generation doesn’t haggle. They don’t...
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Volkswagen is planning to spread the platform love with its new Up city car, with Czech subsidiary Skoda being the first VW division to get the tiny car, with a SEAT-branded version to follow. Packaged as a three-door five-seater, a 1.0L gasoline engine and a 1.2L diesel engine will be offered, with an all-electric version...
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As part of the new joint venture between Fiat and Chrysler, the two companies will build 280,000 SUVs a year at the new Fiat facility near Turin, Italy. The SUVs will be produced for the Alfa Romeo and Jeep brands. The Alfa SUV, the first for the 101-year-old sports car maker, will compete with offering...
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The Fiat 500 just missed the now coveted 40 mpg mark, returning 30 mpg in the city and 38 mpg highway with the 5-speed manual, while automatic versions will net 27 mpg in town and 34 mpg while cruising. While the numbers are nothing to frown about, expectations were higher considering the car’s 1.4L four-cylinder...
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Mercedes-Benz will launch a new front-drive model for the United States market, aimed at capturing sales from a younger demographic, as the company seeks to stay competitive with rivals BMW and Audi. A coupe and SUV have been confirmed for an expected 2013 launch, while a third variant is under considering. Mercedes is evaluating both...
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Although the current MKVI Volkswagen Golf has only been on the market since 2009, the car will have an extremely short product cycle, as Volkswagen confirmed that the next generation car will debut “end of 2012 or early 2013”. Although German media reports said that the car will hit showrooms in November of 2012, VW...
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With a huge gulf existing between the road-going version of the MINI Countryman and the WRC-ready version, a halo version that could bridge the gap between urban crossover and full-blown race car could be an asset for MINI, and help them leverage some of the image boost that their rally program will provide, especially in...
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The Aston Martin Cygnet, the British luxury brand’s take on the Toyota iQ, is almost ready to go on sale, and the ultra-lux city car will start £30,995, or about $50,000 USD. Using the 1.3L Toyota engine and a 6-speed manual or CVT gearbox, the iQ’s 11 second 0-60 sprint is decidedly not Aston-like in...
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Daewoo, one of South Korea’s most famous nameplates, is being retired by parent company General Motors, in favor of Chevrolet. GM is hoping to make Chevrolet a global brand, and the move fits in with their overall strategy. Daewoo has a deservedly poor reputation in the United States for making and selling cars that were...
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Nissan‘s Cube has had a lukewarm reception outside its home market of Japan, and sales have been so poor in Europe that Nissan has decided to axe the vehicle entirely. Nissan is citing exchange rate issues between the yen and the euro as the underlying cause, but the dismal sales are likely an equal culprit...
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The launch of the 2012 Fiat 500 may present some problems for parent company Chrysler, as only 20 percent of Fiat franchises will be ready to go in time for the vehicle’s launch in late February. In addition, the initial batch of cars will only have manual transmissions, even though Fiat expects most 500s to...
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The Mitsubishi Colt is one of the oldest nameplates in the compact car market, having been sold across the globe in fairly substantial numbers. While North Americans missed out on the previous incarnation, the Colt was well regarded as a practical and inexpensive subcompact that was also a competent driver’s car. For the next generation...
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