A crossover SUV or XUV is an automobile with a sport utility vehicle appearance but is built upon a more economical and fuel-efficient car-based platform.
The 2012 Detroit Auto Show will be held in less than a month and as expected, more and more automakers are announcing their line-up for the show. For example, Bentley just provided details on its Continental GT V8 and Acura has announced their list of debuts for the show. The line-up includes an all-new compact sports sedan, a redesigned RDX crossover sport utility vehicle, and a concept version of the next generation Acura NSX super car.
The ILX Concept previews an all-new luxury compact sedan scheduled for launch in Spring 2012. It will be offered with a choice of three powertrains including Acura’s first-ever gas-electric hybrid. For the 2013 RDX, Acura has shifted its attention, much like everyone else, to improving the vehicle’s fuel efficiency.
Acura’s new Supercar Concept will take top billing in this showcase, with future plans for a production NSX consuming our minds. This concept was announced at the same time Honda CEO, Takanobu Ito, confirmed that the next NSX would be a high-performance exotic sports car. The company is currently working on a 3.5-3.7 liter VTEC V6 engine in combination with a twin electric motor set-up powered by lithium-ion batteries. This motor will have a plug-in recharge system for a small electric-only range, giving it great amounts of torque.
Another source told AutoExpress that the Dual Note 4WD Hybrid Concept from the 2001 Tokyo Motor Show was the first glimpse at the technology that will underpin the NSX. This concept was powered by a 3.5 liter V6 engine which sent power to the rear wheels, while in-wheel electric motors sent power to the front. This setup delivered an output of over 400 HP.
"Acura has a steady cadence of exciting new models coming to market and it will all begin in Detroit," said Jeff Conrad, vice president and general manager of Acura sales and service. "From the all-new Acura ILX at the gateway of the lineup to the pinnacle of performance with the Acura NSX Concept, Acura vehicles are being created for luxury customers who aspire to the highest levels of quality and value, with beautiful styling and the right balance of technology, performance and environmental responsibility."
Image above is of the Supercar Concept as seen on the movie set for The Avengers.
Up until now, we’ve only heard rumors about possible Audi Q6 and Q4 SUVs, but now its official. Walter de’ Silva, Design Boss at Audi’s parent Volkswagen Group, has confirmed that the company has started to work on a BMW X6 competitor, while plans for a smaller SUV are still under consideration.
The X6 competitor is known as the Q6 and will be placed between Audi’s Q7 premium large SUV and the Q5 premium medium SUV: "We will definitely launch a sportier crossover in between the Q7 and Q5." The new model will be built on the Q7 platform and is expected to arrive sometime in 2015.
As for the other SUV, known as the Q4, it will be placed between the Q5 and Q3 and will be a competitor for the X4, a model that BMW will be launching in 2014.
Both models will be offered in an attempt to boost Audi’s sales, especially on the European market where BMW is the leader in the SUV market.
If there was ever a Mini Cooper that was on everyone’s wish list, it would be the John Cooper Works, but just because everyone wants it, doesn’t mean everyone can get it. Until now. Mini has come out with a solution to turn your standard Cooper S, Cooper SD, and Countryman into a true JCW without taking a trip to the tuning shop.
The new John Cooper Works Championship tuning package will allow any Mini fan to experience the allure of rallying by adding a more dynamic and sporty character to their car. It was created as a tribute to the John Cooper Works WRC that Dani Sordo currently drives in the WRC. It includes go-faster stripes, side scuttles in a special package design, additional spotlights up front (which are available in Chrome and Black), a"37" logo on the doors, and the famous John Cooper Works aerodynamics package in the color of the car. You can also opt for a new set of Double Spoke R129 alloy wheels in matte black.
Most of the packages from Senner Tuning have focused on vehicles such as the Nissan 370Z and the Audi A5, but now the tuner has diverted their attention to a larger car: the BMW X6. Their tuning package has it all, with exterior and interior upgrades, as well as a 30 HP power increase.
The exterior modifications err toward the side of the M6, with a new front bumper, large air intakes in a honeycomb design, a new tailgate, and a modified exhaust system. The standard wheels were whisked away and replaced with a new set of 22" wheels, leading towards the bottom part of the X6 where the tuner added a Bilstein B8 shocks system and springs with 25/20 mm lowering feature. The interior was only perked up with a new pedal set and a new DVD system to entertain any and all guests of the crossover.
The boost in power provided for the X6 takes the standard 3.0L turbodiesel engine of the xDrive40d and gives it an ECU remap and a new sports air filter. These changes take the standard 306 HP and brings it up to 336 HP. It’s nothing to write home about, but at least it gets the job done.
Italian tire manufacturer, Marangoni, has been down the tuning road before, having performed some previous projects on vehicles like the Alfa Romeo Giulietta.
Today, Marangoni is back with another program, this time for the Range Rover Evoque. As comprehensive projects go, this one’s definitely right up there and the unmistakable work done on the Evoque speaks volumes about the talent of these guys.
For the exterior’s styling, Marangoni collaborated with TRC Italia in dressing up the Evoque with a special fine grain Titanium Fluid Metal paint finish. The front grill, hood vents, and door handles were then painted in gloss black to provide a contrasting look to the body of the Evoque. Other panels that were modified include the front bumper fascia, door lower moldings, and rear bumper fascia, which were also given a carbon diffuser. Speaking of carbon, Marangoni also gave the Evoque plenty of that, particularly to the wheel arches, fender vents, and mirror covers. Rounding out the exterior changes on the crossover are a set of 20" Oz Racing Dakar wheels wrapped in Marangoni’s exclusive ruby red M-Power EvoRed tires.
For the interior dress-up, Marangoni enlisted the help of Italian fashion house, Conte of Florence, who came out with the genius idea of dressing up the interior with a special golf inspired quilted upholstery with a large embroidered Tour Line emblem on the seats.
Under its hood, the Evoque was fitted with an "HFI" Hybrid Fuel Injection dual-fuel system, an upgraded turbocharger, a carbon fiber air box, and a larger stainless steel exhaust, all of which gave the crossover’s existing 2.0-liter turbo engine a spike in output. With the modifications in place, the Evoque’s output shot up from the standard 240 horsepower all the way up to 300 horsepower.
There’s no question that Azfal Kahn and his peeps over at Kahn Design have a soft spot for the Range Rover, so much so that they seem to come out with a new program for the luxury SUV about as often as any car we’ve seen in recent history.
Apparently, their fascination for Range Rovers is now expanding, courtesy of their very first program for the new Range Rover Evoque. True to their reputation as one of the premier tuners for the British luxury SUV, Kahn Design went to work on the Evoque with one clear picture in mind: offer it with a whole new breadth of excitement and take it to a whole new dimension.
The A. Kahn Design Evoque is an unmistakable piece of work, decked with a variety of external modifications that serve to provide better looks and coax greater performance from the car.
Kahn Design’s styling package for the Evoque is a testament to their creativity, providing a slew of new elements consisting of a lowered suspension (35mm), yellow calipers, aluminum pedals, an orange roof, full body color coding/detailing, privacy glass, and adaptive front headlamps. Inside, Kahn Design deftly worked their bespoke magic on the Evoque, providing it with luxurious character that expresses a customer’s individuality. As with most of their projects, the interior can be customized depending on the whims and preferences of the customer.
And then there’s the final piece of the Kahn Design puzzle: the wheels. With an inventory of some of the most impressive wheels on the market, Kahn Design went and used their unique RS600 wheels that are available in a variety of sizes - 20", 21", 22" - creating even more opportunity to imprint his tastes on the luxury Range Rover crossover.
Usually when people think about Mercedes AMG models, they automatically think of a large, powerful vehicle, but these people will be surprised to hear that Mercedes also plans on adding this speedy package to smaller cars like the A-Class and B-Class. The standard A-Class still has a little bit before its debut, but the B-Class has already been unveiled, and the next step is an AMG version for it.
This future car, rumored to be called the 25 AMG, has already been caught testing and features the same exterior treatment previously shown on the A25 AMG. In fact, the two cars will be built on the same platform and will both be powered by a 2.0 liter turbo engine delivering somewhere between 320-350 HP. The power will be sent to all four wheels via a dual-clutch transmission.
Compared to the standard B-Class model, the future B25 AMG will be distinguished by a different front bumper with bigger air intakes, a different rear bumper with a diffuser, larger wheels combined with larger brakes, and the usual AMG package.
German automaker, Volkswagen, is using the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show to unveil a pretty unique concept vehicle called the Cross Coupe.
We say unique because the Cross Coupe was designed with a bevy of new features, both characterized by a new design architecture and a new hybrid power train set-up. The latter of the two is an all-wheel drive hybrid drivetrain that features a turbocharged gas engine and a pair of electric motors that are found on both the front axle and the rear axle of the SUV.
As far as the design of the Cross Coupe is concerned, there are plenty of new languages that you can expect to see in a lot of Volkswagen’s future models, and not necessarily on a production version of this concept.
All told, the Volkswagen Cross Coupe Concept paints a real good pictureof the future of Volkswagen. It may not end up as a stand-alone production model, but as with most concepts go, it gives us a taste of what to expect from the German automaker moving forward.
Find out more about the Volkswagen Cross Coupe Concept after the jump.
Mitsubishi has launched on the British market the ASX Black - a new special edition model with enhanced exterior styling and a bespoke interior. The model can be ordered with two different engine versions, with prices ranging from £21,099 ($28,800) for the ASX 4 1.6 2wd Manual to £25,399 ($34,700) for the ASX 4 1.8 DI-D 4WD Manual.
Although the name "Black" makes you think about a black car, the new ASX Black will actually be offered in six different exterior color: blue, white, silver, black, red and gray. The name Black comes from the introduction of satin black styling kit which includes striking black 17” alloy wheels, roof, spoiler, mirrors, grille and fog lamp bezels. The interior benefits from the addition of a special edition black leather kit featuring carbon fiber inserts.
As standard options the ASX Black will offer Kenwood satellite, Navigation system, reversing camera, iPod connection, Mitsubishi Active Stability and Traction Control (M-ASTC).
Nissan is headed to the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show with the Juke Nismo - a concept car that offers a first glimpse of Nismo’s future. The vehicle that was designed to "inject some masculinity and dynamism into the small car market" is getting even more agile and aggressive with the addition of the kickass Nismo package.
The new Juke Nismo Concept will be distinguished by Nismo’s signature colors - pearl white with red highlights - and an extreme body kit that not only offers a sportier look but improves the car’s aerodynamics as well. The body kit includes revised bumpers in the front and rear, wider fenders, and sill side skirts. The grille pattern has also been changed and the tailgate spoiler has been modified with the addition of side elements to control airflow more efficiently. The concept will sit on a new set of 19-inch alloy wheels.
The interior has also been highly modified. Everything from the steering wheel, pedals, gauges, shifter knob, and door trims have been redesigned to provide greater involvement when driving. The sporty bucket seats are covered in leather and are highlighted by dials and needles illuminated in red.
"As the Concept shows, Nismo brings new levels of individuality to mainstream Nissan cars like Juke. The future for Nismo is to develop premium sports designs for an ever-widening range of customers," said Nismo President, Shoichi Miyatani.
Hit the jump for a video showing the new Juke Nismo Concept in all of its glory, as well as an explanation for the idea behind the concept.
