We've already had our first taste of the upcoming 2012 Toyota Camry through some video footage shot during a dealer presentation in Las Vegas back in June, but today, the Japanese carmaker released the first official teaser of the mid-size sedan via its Twitter account.
All we get for now is a cropped image showing a 3/4 view of the 2012 Camry's edgier styled front end and the promise for "more info on the upcoming launch" soon. We'll keep our eyes and ears open for any updates as the new Camry is scheduled for launch this fall and will post them as they come through. In the meantime follow the break to check out the full-size image.
You have to admit that the Karma, Henrik Fisker’s extended-range electric sports sedan with a celebrity clientele and 3,000 firm orders, has already had its fair share of coverage on this site. And that’s before it even goes on sale.
However, Fisker’s $100,000 sedan is an intriguing car. Not just for its sensual lines, the gorgeous interior or the way it is promoted, but because it promises to deliver a supercar experience the “green way”. That is by combining two electric motors in the rear and a turbocharged gasoline 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine up front, which charges the batteries acting as a range extender, further enhancing the Karma's performance and range. Fisker Santa Monica published a video on Youtube showing Kyle, one of its salesmen, taking the Karma out for a quick spin around the streets of LA and explaining its functions as he would do in any regular customer (of course celebs will probably receive a better treatment…). So watch past the jump to see what a test drive in a Karma looks like.
A new sport package has been added to the available options for buyers of Maserati's GranTurismo S Automatic in Britain.
This Sport pack is said to enhance the GranTurismo S Automatic's performance by adding the MC Auto Shift software that allows for faster gear changes and a revised exhaust system, which keeps its bypass valves fully open in Sport mode to provide what the company describes as "an even richer sound". The package also adds a variety of styling features including include body colored side skirts and front winglets, a black grille featuring the Maserati Trident logo with red accents, black mesh side grilles, smoked out headlights, an integrated rear boot lid spoiler and oval exhaust pipes. The coupe's sportier looks are rounded off with Grigio Mercury Neptune-design alloy wheels. Maserati says the 4.7-litre V8 continues to develop 440HP at 7000 rpm and a peak torque of 490Nm (361.4 lb-ft) at 4750 rpm offering the automatic coupe a 0-100km/h (62mph) sprint time of 5 seconds flat and a top speed of 183 mph (295 km/h). The package is priced at £3,840, lifting the total price of the GranTurismo S Automatic to £92,480 on the road.
As we are nearing closer and closer to the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show, which will be held for the public from September 15 to 25, automakers are slowly releasing more details about their plans. Today, Ford revealed that it is planning four global product presentations in Frankfurt including "a new design concept" and what the company described as "details of the next Focus performance car". “Ford plans to make a strong statement at the Frankfurt Motor Show, with several very exciting global product reveals and our significantly expanded show stand,” said Stephen Odell, chairman and CEO, Ford of Europe. “We’re excited to be showing customers our best-ever vehicle line-up and a special glimpse of the future,” Odell added. So what cars is Ford planning to show in Germany? Well, the "next performance Focus" will most likely be the production Focus ST that was previewed at the 2010 Paris Show in concept trim, while the other two product premieres could be the new sporty Fiesta ST and the production version of last year's Veratrek concept compact SUV that will replace both the European Kuga and North American Escape models. As for the concept model, your guess is as good as ours, but we wouldn't be surprised if Ford showed a design study for a new member of the Focus family.
Ford is slowly releasing the fuel economy numbers on its latest batch of vehicles to receive the firm's new EcoBoost engines. Following last week's announcement on the 2012 Explorer with the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder unit, Ford today revealed that the 2012 Edge with the same powerplant will deliver an EPA certified 21mpg in the city and 30mpg on the highway. In the Edge, the EcoBoost four-cylinder engine produces 240 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and a 270 lb.-ft. of torque at 3,000 rpm. Power is transferred to the wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission. Ford made note that it currently has 13 model/powertrain variations in its range that deliver an EPA fuel economy rating of up to 30 mpg or more. You can see the models in following list:
- Edge with EcoBoost: 21 mpg/30 mpg
- Escape Hybrid FWD: 34 mpg/31 mpg
- Escape Hybrid AWD: 30 mpg/27 mpg
- Fiesta five-speed manual: 29 mpg/37 mpg
- Fiesta automatic: 29 mpg/38 mpg
- Fiesta SFE automatic: 29 mpg/40 mpg
- Focus five-speed manual: 29 mpg/37 mpg
- Focus automatic: 28 mpg/38 mpg
- Focus SFE automatic: 28 mpg/40 mpg
- Fusion 2.5-liter automatic: 23 mpg/33 mpg
- Fusion Hybrid: 41 mpg/36 mpg
- Mustang 3.7-liter Coupe automatic: 19 mpg/31 mpg
We won't be seeing the new 2013 Chevrolet Malibu in U.S. showrooms until after next year's Super Bowl XLVI, but GM is already handing out early prototypes to journalists for a first encounter with the mid-size sedan.
This time, it's Motor Trend magazine editor Todd Lassa who was handed the keys to Chevrolet's newcomer. However, being that the example he drove and which you can see in the video after the hump, isn't a final production model but a showcar, there wasn't much to say about the Malibu's handling or other characteristics. In North America, the 2013 Malibu will launch with GM's eAssist powertrain which combines a 2.4-liter Ecotec direct-injection four-cylinder gasoline engine linked to a six-speed auto, to a lithium-ion battery and an electric motor-generator that enable regenerative braking electric assist and start-stop functionality. GM says the gasoline engine produces 180HP but it receives up to 15 more horsepower during heavier acceleration from the eAssist system. In the summer of 2012, Chevrolet will add a new and more powerful 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine to the range. GM said it has not ruled out a V6 unit for the future.
With the "500 by Gucci" hatchback having already logged some 3,000 pre-orders online, Fiat wasn't about to let a good run go to waste. Today, the Italians announced the release of topless version that goes by the name "500C by Gucci".
Gucci Creative Director Frida Giannini once again customized the special edition version of the 500C in collaboration with the Centro Stile Fiat. The chief difference between the two models is that Giannini removed the green-red-green Gucci web pattern from the 500C's profile and placed it on the car's electrically operated black top. Like the hatchback model, the 500C by Gucci will be available in either white with matte chrome-plated elements or glossy black with shiny chrome-plated accents. Other exterior details worth mentioning are the 16-inch spoked alloy wheels with a double "G" logo on the hubcaps and Gucci signature in italics displayed on the tailgate and on the door pillar. Inside, we find the same upgrades and unique elements seen on the hatch including the bespoke Gucci upholstery, satin and polished chrome-plated elements, and a velvet-effect finish on the radio panel. The topless model will be available for order this month and from September will be on display in selected Italian Fiat showrooms. In Italy, the 500C by Gucci will have a price tag of €20,000 (approximately US$28,900).
A little over a year after Mazda previewed the Minagi Concept at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show, the Japanese company lifted the curtains off the production version of its compact SUV that we will come to know as the CX-5.
The world premiere of the CX-5 will take place at the 64th Frankfurt Motor Show that opens on September 13 and will go on sale in early 2012. Mazda says the CX-5 is its first production model to adopt the new “KODO – Soul of Motion” design theme that we saw in the Minagi and Shinari concept cars. The highlights of this new theme are a prominent front fascia and a more dynamic styling which the company says conveys "a strong sense of vitality and agility”. The CX-7’s smaller “brother” is also the first Mazda model to adopt the full range of the firm's SKYACTIV technologies. Depending on the market, the CX-5 will be available with gasoline and diesel engines hooked up to manual and automatic transmissions. The European version will be offered with the SKYACTIV-G gasoline 2.0-liter engine and the SKYACTIV-D 2.2-liter diesel in two configurations, Standard and High Power, which emit less than 120 g of CO2 per km.
Usually new or redesigned models fare better in car reviews than their predecessors. Technology moves on during the lifespan of a model, automakers learn from their mistakes and improve their production methods, while the competition gets better forcing everyone else to improve etc.
However, that’s not the case with the redesigned 2012 Honda Civic LX, or at least that's what Consumer Reports states in its latest test of the Japanese model. According to Consumer Reports (CR), the highest ranking small sedan for many years and a Top Pick in five of the last 10 years has in its latest iteration dropped too low to even earn a “Recommended” tag! “While other models like the Hyundai Elantra have gotten better after being redesigned, the Civic has dropped so much that now it ranks near the bottom of its category,” wrote senior director of Consumer Reports Auto Test Center, David Champion. The Civic LX’s score dropped from the previous model 78 to an abysmal 61, placing it in the second-to-last place just above the (also recently redesigned) VW Jetta, which finished last. Consumer Reports’ testers found the new Honda Civic to feature a lower quality interior, high road noise, less agile handling, inferior brakes and a choppy ride compared to the car it replaced. Decent space for rear passengers and second-best fuel economy in the category just weren’t enough to make up for its other shortcomings. Here's a snippet from CR's test:
"The Civic has slid backward with its redesign. It feels insubstantial against recently-redesigned competition.. Vague steering weakens its agility and robs it of its fun-to-drive feel. Stopping distances are long, the ride is choppy, and road noise is pronounced.
The Honda Civic LX ($19,405 MSRP as tested), is powered by a 140-hp, 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine that provides adequate acceleration and gets an impressive 30 mpg overall in CR’s own fuel economy tests. The five-speed automatic transmission shifts smoothly. The interior feels cheap, a letdown from previous Civics. CR is currently testing a Civic hybrid and will report on it next month. Cargo space is Good."
Honda's reaction was almost immediate as the Japanese company's U.S. arm issued a statement saying it "disagrees" with CR's findings. Honda's reply follows below:
"In a broad sense, we disagree with Consumer Reports' findings. Without question, the small sedan segment is more competitive than ever. In virtually every way, the completely redesigned 2012 Civic is a step forward. The new Civic excels in areas that matter to small-car customers, including fuel efficiency, safety, and reliability. Among the Civic's greatest competitive strengths, is a smooth and efficient powertrain that, in Consumer Reports testing returned, "... an impressive 30 mpg overall on regular fuel and 47 mpg on the highway." Also noted in Consumer Reports findings, the Civic excels in the area of safety, with a long list of important features standard on all trim levels, and a class-leading 'Top Safety Pick' rating from IIHS. Lastly, the Civic has a stellar reliability history with Consumer Reports, and we are confident that the new Civic will be a reliability leader as well."
Ford is widening the options for UK buyers of the all-new 2012 Focus by confirming the availability of a new entry-level model called Studio which will be priced at £13,995 when it arrives in September. The company said the new Studio will replace the Focus Sport, a final special edition of the previous model that has been on sale since October 2010 reacting sales of 15,000 units. The base model of the new Focus series will be offered as a five-door hatchback powered by a 1.6-liter Ti-VCT gasoline engine delivering a rather feeble 85PS and a combined fuel economy of 47.9mpg UK. Buyers can choose only from three colors - Panther Black, Moondust Silver and Frozen White. Standard equipment on the Focus Studio includes 16-inch alloy wheels, a body-coloured rear spoiler, radio/CD player (note that Ford of Europe recently announced that it will phase out CD players in its cars), USB connectivity, air-conditioning, electrically-operated door mirrors and front windows, Ford Easy Fuel 'capless' refuelling, and Electronic Stability Programme (ESP) system.
“Ford plans to make a strong statement at the Frankfurt Motor Show, with several very exciting global product reveals and our significantly expanded show stand,” said Stephen Odell, chairman and CEO, Ford of Europe. “We’re excited to be showing customers our best-ever vehicle line-up and a special glimpse of the future,” Odell added.
