Auto Channel

2013 Toyota RAV4 EV will debut at LA

Toyota is all set to unveil the new 2013 RAV4 EV in Los Angeles tomorrow, at the 26th International Electric Vehicle Symposium (EVS26). The automaker didn’t reveal more details, but released a teaser image of the car’s badge.

It is expected that the new RAV4 EV will be an updated version of the Toyota RAV4 EV, which we already saw at the 2010 Los Angeles Motor Show.

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Posted time: 2012-05-07. Category: Electric Cars, New Car Preview, RAV4, Small Cars, SUV, Toyota. 72 views

2013 Ford Focus ST hatchback on sales

Drivers in the U.S. can now place their order for the new 2013 Ford Focus ST, a high-performance hatchback that will offer exhilarating performance and handling, a distinctive interior and muscular exterior design.

Focus ST, Ford’s first global performance car, will integrate a collection of advanced and sport-oriented technologies previously unavailable to North American customers. The combination of these technologies into a refined yet high-performance sport compact will elevate the category and further cement Focus as the most complete compact car range sold in North America.

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Posted time: 2012-05-07. Category: Beijing Motor Show, Focus, Ford, Hatchback, New Car Preview, Sedan. 44 views

2012 Mazda CX-9 3rd Row Seating Crossover Review

Despite its busty size, the Mazda CX-9 is agile, quick and light – an odd feeling for a three-row crossover with seating for seven. Another welcoming but hard-to-find quality is the rather well-crafted upscale interior put forth from a more modest brand.

I drove a 2012 Mazda CX-9 with the 273-horsepower 3.7-liter engine, all-wheel drive and six-speed Sport automatic transmission with Adaptive Shift Logic for manual gear control.

Available in three trims – Sport, Touring and Grand Touring – my Grand Touring trim came with the following standard features: leather-trimmed upholstery; heated front seats; an eight-way power driver’s seat; keyless start; leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob; Bluetooth connectivity; six-speaker audio system; three-zone climate control; twenty-inch alloy wheels; fog lights; stainless steel exhaust outlet; and a roof spoiler. Price starts at $33,735.

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Posted time: 2012-04-25. Category: Auto Reviews, Crossover, CX-9, Mazda, SUV. 88 views

Most Powerful Jeep Ever: 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8

Chrysler has announced that the Grand Cherokee SRT8 is the most powerful Jeep ever offered with an output of 465 hp and acceleration from zero to 100 km/h in 4.8 seconds.

The power unit is an all-new 6.4-liter HEMI V-8 that builds on the outgoing 6.1-liter model by offering an additional 45 hp. To reduce fuel consumption, an active valve exhaust system cuts out four cylinders, which Jeep says helps increase fuel economy by 13 percent on the highway.

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Posted time: 2012-04-25. Category: Auto Reviews, Grand Cherokee, Jeep, SUV, Vehicle Rankings. 54 views

2012 Ford Focus Electric Drive Test

Last week, I rather flippantly mentioned that I’d driven Ford’s new Focus Electric, but that I couldn’t talk about it. I know you’ve been on the edge of your seat since then, so I won’t bury the lead any further and just get right into what you’re here for: the drive.

On the road, the Focus Electric rides nearly identically to the gasoline-powered Focus. That is, until you listen and realize that there is no exhaust note and no engine noise, only the gentle “whoosh” of the road beneath the tires and the tiny, high-pitched hum of the electric motor.

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Posted time: 2012-04-25. Category: Auto Reviews, Electric Cars, First Drive, Focus, Ford, Test Drives. 62 views

2013 Ford Focus ST to debut at Beijing Auto Show

The 2013 Ford Focus ST is slated as Ford Motor Company’s first fully global performance vehicle and as the reach of the new Focus ST spreads around the world – the upcoming 2012 Beijing International Automotive Exhibition will introduce the Chinese market to this sporty new hatchback.

When the Ford Focus ST was introduced, it was billed as the first performance model that would be offered in the same basic form around the world. The Chinese auto industry has been booming over the past few years, making China a key concern for those automakers doing business on a global level so it comes as no surprise that Beijing will get to host the arrival of the production level Focus ST.

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Posted time: 2012-04-23. Category: Beijing Motor Show, Focus, Ford, Hatchback. 71 views

2012 Audi Q3 Compact Crossover SUV Review

Bold, purposeful styling and that now familiar Audi ‘big gob’ grille mark out the new Q3 as a serious premium compact SUV challenger to the likes of the BMW X1, the Subaru Forester, Toyota’s RAV4 and the new Ranger Rover Evoque – all of them very serious sets of wheels.

Does the Audi have an edge? Well, based on the high level of rewarding motoring I enjoyed during my week behind its leather-clad wheel, I’d say yes.

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Posted time: 2012-03-12. Category: Audi, Auto Reviews, Compact, Crossover, SUV, Test Drives. 245 views

2012 Toyota Yaris Hybrid Small Car debut at Geneva

The first full hybrid small car to go on sale in the European B-segment and the flagship of the Yaris model range, the new 2012 Toyota Yaris Hybrid makes its world debut at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show.

Combining the ingenious packaging and urban agility of the Yaris model range with the unique driving experience and efficiency of Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive® (HSD), the new Yaris Hybrid is a major step in the company’s full hybrid European roll-out strategy.

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Posted time: 2012-03-12. Category: Geneva Motor Show, Hybrid, Small Cars, Toyota, Yaris. 192 views

2012 Fiat 500L Small Crossover SUV at Geneva

Fiat presents the first official images of the 500L Small Crossover SUV, the new model which will have its world preview at the International Geneva Motor Show on 6 March this year.

500L – the L stands for ‘Large’ – is the new addition to the 500 range, which, following the Abarth and Cabrio versions, furthers the brand’s strategy, with the aim of extending its offer by introducing models in a position to satisfy different types of customers.

With the ‘L’, the 500 expands and grows together with customers, to accommodate new experiences and needs once more.

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Posted time: 2012-03-12. Category: 500L, Crossover, Fiat, Geneva Motor Show, Small Cars. 228 views

2012 Kia Sedona 7-8 Passenger Minivan Review

The 2012 Kia Sedona minivan returns unchanged from the previous model year and continues to deliver a wide range of luxury features at a reasonable price. The Kia Sedona is the only min-van in the market being manufactured by a Korean company.

With ample room for seven or eight passengers and a quiet, comfortable ride, the Kia Sedona is designed to appeal to larger families and carpool commuters. The interior design is beginning to show its age, however, and the Sedona lacks the fuel economy and superior resale value of some of its direct competitors. Still, for the money it’s hard to beat the total package of the Sedona.

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Posted time: 2012-03-12. Category: Auto Reviews, Kia, Minivan, Sedona. 211 views

2012 Dodge Durango V8 7 Passenger SUV Review

The V8 in the 2012 Dodge Durango full-size SUV is rated at 360 hp.

This 2012 Dodge Durango Citadel 7-Passenger SUV was fine weekend transportation, what with all of the people-and-stuff hauling I had to do. It’s basically the Jeep Grand Cherokee with a third row and a V8, and my Grand Cherokee love is well documented.

I love the grunt from the Hemi and that it will fall into four-cylinder mode when you’re cruising, not to mention the smooth shifts from the six-speed automatic. The truck looks good to my eye inside and out, clean and well assembled.

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Posted time: 2012-03-12. Category: Auto Reviews, Dodge, Durango, SUV. 155 views

2013 Acura RDX Crossover SUV starts at $34320‎

The all-new 2013 RDX crossover SUV will go on-sale at Acura dealerships in early Spring with a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) starting at $34,320 Acura announced today.

“The right-sized 2013 RDX adds increased comfort, utility and power, along with class-leading fuel economy,” said Jeff Conrad, vice president of Acura sales.”Based on changing consumer preference, small is becoming big in the eyes of today’s consumers.”

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Posted time: 2012-03-12. Category: Acura, Crossover, New Car Preview, RDX, SUV. 213 views

2013 Buick Enclave 8 Passenger SUV Preview

The redesigned 2013 Buick Enclave 8 Passenger SUV will debut at the New York Auto Show on April 4, 2012. A rendering of the new luxury crossover’s new cabin released today previews the changes to come, which include industry-exclusive safety technology and modern design updates.

The darkened image shows ambient lighting and what appears to be a curvier cabin that cocoons the front-seat occupants.

GM said the Enclave will feature “industry-exclusive safety technology and modern design updates.”

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Posted time: 2012-03-12. Category: Buick, Enclave, Luxury, New Car Preview, New York Auto Show, SUV. 317 views

Best Family Cars of 2012 – Honda Odyssey

Kbb released the “10 Best Family Cars of 2012” list in 28th, Feb.2012. The annual list rates vehicles on ‘family-approved’ attributes like available safety features, comfort, child-friendliness, strong consumer ratings and impressive Kelley Blue Book Total Cost of Ownership statistics.

“All families are not alike, so it stands to reason that all family cars shouldn’t be alike either. What the following 10 vehicles have in common is that they are family-friendly in a big way, offering safety, comfort, child-friendliness, strong consumer ratings and impressive cost of ownership stats. We bet one or more of them will fit your family just fine.” Said by Kbb.com.

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