Kia’s compact SUV receives an update. The Kia Sportage is a compact sport utility vehicle, a five-passenger front- or all-wheel drive model. The original Sportage made its debut in 1995 and the third generation model was introduced in 2010. Kia sells its smallest SUV in LX, EX and SX trim … Read more
New base engine powers Hyundai’s compact SUV. Introduced in 2005, the Hyundai Tucson plunged the Korean automaker right into the middle of the very competitive small crossover utility vehicle segment. The Toyota RAV4, Honda’s CR-V and the Ford Escape were segment stalwarts, but the Tucson quickly found room by offering numerous convenience … Read more
Acura is hoping that its sub-$30,000 price for a premium hybrid sedan will be enough to entice environmentally conscious buyers to check out its latest product. The 2014 Acura ILX Hybrid is out, a vehicle that is priced just $2,000 above the standard gas-powered sedan. It is a model that … Read more
Hyundai refreshes its popular midsize Sonata sedan. Without a doubt, the 2011 Hyundai Sonata shook up the midsize segment, forcing its competitors to sit up and take notice. That vehicle introduced a new “fluidic sculpture” design language to the Korean make’s line, what has been replicated elsewhere from the tiny … Read more
The all-new Cadillac ELR will go on sale in early Jan., a 2014 model based on the Cadillac Converj concept and underpinned by the platform supporting the Chevrolet Volt. This plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) will retail from $75,995, and has a federal tax credit of up to $7,500 for eligible tax … Read more
Leviathan lives on. The fourth generation Cadillac Escalade has been been revealed, an over-the-top SUV that retains all the bling that the previous three generation models espoused. The latest iteration of the Escalade wont go into production until next spring, but GM officially unveiled its beefy SUV on Monday evening … Read more
Be forewarned: if you have yet to see the all-new Toyota Corolla you may be in for a surprise. Or two. Or more. The Corolla is Toyota’s top-selling model after the Camry, a compact sedan that rolled out stateside in summer 1968. More than 40 million Corollas have been built … Read more
The BMW 3 Series has long been the benchmark compact luxury car by which all other competitors are judged. Its also a complete line too with coupe, convertible, sedan, wagon and hatchback models built. Beginning in 2014, however, the coupe and convertible models are being pulled out and given a … Read more
A sport truck concept with an entombed bumble bee. Car manufacturers like to respond to the pronouncements made by competing makes by answering with new and improved products of their own. In the 1960s, the Camaro was Chevrolet’s answer to the Ford Mustang. In the 1970s, Ford and Chevrolet partnered … Read more
The Chevrolet SS is imported from Australia, a five-passenger rear-wheel-drive sport sedan powered by a big V-8 engine. This model represents Chevrolet’s first performance sedan since 1996, joining the Corvette and Camaro in Chevy’s performance arsenal. Pricing for the new model begins at $44,470; the Chevrolet SS is sold in … Read more
Once in a while I get “called on it,” sometimes by my children or by my wife. Usually, my family reminds me of something that I said long ago and had since forgotten — such as a promised allowance raise or perhaps to fix a leaky faucet. Here on Auto … Read more
Hotrod and sporty trucks fill a niche in the auto industry, vehicles with sharp colors, flashy graphics, unique grilles and other special embellishments. Besides the “look” of a hot truck, such models usually back it up with plenty of performance. 2014 F-150 Tremor For 2014, the Ford F-150 Tremor rolls … Read more
Not too many Honda and Acura products spark widespread anticipation, but the return of the Acura NSX super car has certainly sent tongues wagging. American Honda has played no small part in all this by announcing that the Acura NSX will be revealed at an Ohio race track in early … Read more
Its a “GO” with the first revived Datsun model. It is aimed at a demographic that Nissan calls “early risers” or individuals from emerging countries that are shopping for their first new car. That product is the Datsun GO, a model that will retail for about 400,000 Indian rupees … Read more
Introduced at the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show, the BMW i3 Concept Coupe will soon become a reality. BMW has committed to producing the i3, with the intent to offer both electric and hybrid variants of this small rear-wheel drive car. Its official debut comes later this month, thus the … Read more
Honda is about to have its second go around with the Honda Accord Hybrid, but this time it has aimed higher. The new model, slated to go on sale in Oct., is expected to deliver 49 mpg around the city and 45 mpg on the highway. That’s far better than … Read more
The General Motors Company has been repetitively telling us that the third generation Cadillac CTS would cost more as the new sedan grows in luxury and proportions to take on Europe’s finest models. Indeed, the new model is five inches longer, but 244 pounds lighter than the 2013 edition. With … Read more
The 2014 Toyota Corolla has been introduced, the latest iteration of the world’s best-selling model. The five-passenger front-wheel drive Corolla is now entering its 11th generation and will appear in Toyota showrooms this fall. Introduced in 1966 in Japan, the Corolla showed up in the United States two years later … Read more
The current generation Chevrolet Malibu made its debut early in the 2013 model year, but was immediately panned for its modest-at-best styling update. Critics also complained about its limited rear legroom, setting GM management on a course for a quick update of this five-passenger midsize sedan. A revised sedan was … Read more
And then there were five. This June, a fifth Fiat 500 model goes on sale when the extended wheelbase 500L debuts. The new model seats five and joins the standard, Abarth, Cabrio and EV versions of this now well-known Italian motorcar. 2014 Fiat 500L Priced from $19,100, the 2014 Fiat … Read more
The Nissan Pathfinder made its US debut for the 1987 model year originally as a five-passenger SUV powered by a standard 2.4-liter four or an optional 3.0-liter V-6 engine. It was based on Nissan’s small truck platform and it stayed that way for three generations. 2013 Nissan Pathfinder Beginning in … Read more
Posing with a red 2014 Lexus IS at The Rock. Once in a while an automotive event really moves the “way cool” needle. The “Lexus Education Event” currently taking place at race tracks around the country is one such opportunity, giving drivers a schooling in all things 2014 Lexus IS. … Read more
The fifth generation Toyota 4Runner has been revealed, a midsize sport utility vehicle with standard seating for five or optional seating for seven. Like each model built to date, the all-new Toyota 4Runner features body-on-frame construction, an arrangement that makes it possible for the optional 44 model to handle off-road … Read more
That Kia would even consider reentering the premium sedan segment a few years ago shows just how far this Korean car manufacturer has progressed in recent years. Until about 2005, most of Kia’s models were considered basic transportation, sometimes of dubious quality and certainly not what diehard automotive enthusiasts would … Read more
The seventh generation Volkswagen Golf will be larger, more spacious and lighter than the current model, coming in as a more fuel efficient one too. It will be based on Volkswagen’s modular transverse matrix, best known as MQB, a platform that will enable the German car manufacturer to build a … Read more
New four-cylinder EcoBoost engine to power 2014 Ford Fusion. EcoBoost® is a registered trademark for Ford’s line of turbocharged, direct fuel injection and variable valve timing engines, a family of powerplants that pack a lot of punch from a small footprint. EcoBoost Family The first EcoBoost engine for North American … Read more
Niche 2014 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor introduced. The Ford F-150 is the best selling pickup truck on the planet, harnessing volume sales to keep ahead of the competition. But, it isn’t the volume models that define this truck for many buyers, rather the many and varied sub-models that have been … Read more
Dodge Durango Dodge’s midsize crossover utility vehicle. A number of traditional body-on-frame sport utility vehicles have made the transition to a unibody chassis including the Ford Explorer and more recently the Nissan Pathfinder. Although off-roading capabilities are typically limited, these crossover SUVs are more rigid, quieter and provide improved fuel … Read more
Scion tC breaks cover in Manhattan. The Scion brand is now in its second decade of existence, a Toyota marque initially aimed at Generation Y new car buyers in the United States. In 2010, Scion was introduced to Canada, but the brands reach goes no further. Thats intentional, too, as … Read more
The Hyundai Equus battles it out with Europe’s thoroughbreds. At the 2013 New York International Auto Show, a refreshed 2014 Hyundai Equus was paraded out, a mid product cycle update featuring numerous changes inside and out. This flagship sedan is one of three premium models sold by Hyundai, a Korean … Read more