The second-generation Chevrolet Cruze is here. Hatchback and diesel variants soon follow. The Chevrolet Cruze is a compact car, released in 2011 in North America, two years after its debut elsewhere. This model replaced the Chevrolet Cobalt, itself a replacement model for the Chevy Cavalier. Although its arrival to the … Read more
An updated Audi A6 arrives on the market, but its two diesel engines are not currently available. That said, what’s left is a compelling choice in the competitive midsize luxury sedan segment. When the Volkswagen diesel scandal erupted last September, the fallout was destined to reach well beyond the eponymous … Read more
Despite UAW protestations, GM will move forward with introducing the made-in-China Envision SUV, the eighth vehicle in this premium brand’s product line. The new SUV arrives next summer in time for the 2017 model year. The compact, premium Buick Envision SUV. Chinese-built cars are here, but most consumers haven’t taken … Read more
Kia may receive the second mention in the Hyundai Kia Automotive Group, but this once very plain Korean brand is anything but boring, especially with the products it has been serving up in recent years. Indeed, nearly every model put forth by Kia has been lauded for its outstanding style, … Read more
Volvo China exports extended wheelbase S60 Inscription edition to the US. Brutally tough competition and a change of owners has not brought Volvo Cars to ruination. Instead, the Swedish automaker continues to exploit a safety niche, while bringing forth an assembly of new and updated products. The Volvo S60 is … Read more
Ford Performance is busy working on new models. The 2016 Focus RS is just one of 12 performance vehicles we’ll see from this specialty shop, the third generation and most powerful RS ever. The 2016 Ford Focus RS may be the fastest mainstream compact model on the market. And with … Read more
After several years of strong year-over-year sales, the Hyundai engine has transitioned from a raucous roar to a subdued purr. Much of that change can be attributed to a scarcity of utility vehicles in its product line, just when consumers are snapping up SUVs and choosing fewer cars. That product … Read more
For 2015, the Ford Expedition continues with its traditional body-on-frame construction. Several updates, including a turbocharged V-6 engine, give this vehicle a lease on life. A more comprehensive revision is needed, one that may still be two or three years away. Sales, however, have not suffered for this big SUV. … Read more
The subcompact sport utility vehicle segment is expanding rapidly as new products from Honda, Fiat, Jeep and Mazda enter the fray. Joining the current Buick Encore and Nissan Juke is another small SUV, the Chevrolet Trax, a five-passenger model that gives the bow-tie brand its fifth utility vehicle. The 2015 … Read more
Hyundai continues to expand its Sonata line. For 2015, six editions are available, including an all-new Eco model. The Sonata Eco fuses power with efficiency, delivering the best amalgamation of the two across the model line. Some manufacturers aren’t satisfied with us media folk driving just one edition of a … Read more
After a nine-year model run, Volkswagen has set an end date for its Eos hard-top convertible. Yet another convertible model is to be discontinued as consumers embrace other vehicle choices. We don’t cover the Volkswagen brand as much as we would prefer to on Auto Trends. A current lack of … Read more
Hyundai’s approach to the automotive market is an unusual one, as this Korean automaker serves a passel of mainstream and upscale models within the same showroom, what follows a debatable decision the company made not too long ago. Specifically, that arrangement does not dissever Hyundai’s premium offerings from its conventional … Read more
No surprise: a hybrid joins the NX line too. Lexus made the most logical move in 2014 by introducing a new crossover utility vehicle to slot beneath its segment-leading RX line. Since the dawning of the new millennium, consumers have turned to utilities in increasingly significant numbers, thus the outlook … Read more
Small Cadillac coupe is substantial on driving enjoyment. Beginning with the 2013 model year, Cadillac reentered the compact market with its ATS sedan. In the 1980s it sold the Cimarron, a model that best remains forgotten. Where the earlier small car reflected poorly on Cadillac, the new model demonstrates that … Read more
Behind the wheel of Hyundai’s larger, but not largest crossover. Here a crossover, there a crossover. The market is flooded with car-based utility vehicles, offering excellent room, superior body rigidity and decent fuel mileage nearly across the board. Hyundai has two offerings in the crossover department — a compact Tucson … Read more
Midsize luxury sedan packs in the amenities. I may have to rethink my long-held position against placing four-cylinder engines in larger cars. Especially after spending a week with the 2014 Audi A6 Quattro Tiptronic edition. 2014 Audi A6 The midsize A6 is not the largest sedan in the Audi fleet … Read more
A North American sedan with European roots. In 2013, GM sold more than 9.7 million vehicles worldwide for one of its best years ever. Its Buick brand contributed over 1 million sales, nearly matching Opel, and behind Chevrolet. China is the biggest market for Buick. In the United States, consumers … Read more
The Subaru WRX is a compact sports sedan built on the platform that underpins the Impreza. Through 2014 it was officially known as the Impreza WRX, but beginning with the spring 2014 release of the all-new 2015 model, the WRX becomes a model line all of its own. Subie dooby-doo … Read more
Korean automaker Kia is full of surprises. In fact, it coined the phrase the power to surprise just before releasing its Soul urban utility vehicle at the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show. At the 2014 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Kia pulled the wraps off of its GT4 … Read more
Cadillac has been invading German territory since 2002 when it released the first generation CTS sedan. That model line expanded to include a coupe, wagon and high performance variants, matching what BMW and Mercedes-Benz offer. Still, Cadillac needed a vehicle to slot below the CTS and beginning in 2013 it … Read more
It isn’t too often that the same model shows up in my driveway within three or four months, but when one does there is usually a different engine or drivetrain layout that sets these vehicles apart. In the case of the Buick Encore, it was a model year change that … Read more
The 2014 Buick Regal receives a power boost. Buick’s five-passenger Regal sedan is receiving two important changes for 2014. The first change outfits the Regal with a standard turbocharged 2.0-liter four cylinder engine across the model line. The second change brings in all-wheel drive availability, just what the larger LaCrosse … 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
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