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.
Since the 2012 Beijing Auto Show is coming up fast, it’s only natural for a local automaker to be in attendance at the event. After all, what would it say about a growing auto market like China if it doesn’t have a representative on its home soil event.
Fortunately, MG Motor, a division of Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation, is ready to pick up the mantle with the Icon Concept. Sure, the company is based in England, but it’s got local ties, doesn’t it?
Set to become a production model no later than 2014, the MG Icon Concept looks a lot like a MINI, except for those distinguishable protrusions of the front bumper lights. We’re not sure what that’s all about, but it is pretty odd, to say the least.
For the most part, though, the Icon Concept actually looks stylish. it’s got suicide rear doors that we hope ends up in production. It’s got a spacious and functional interior that comes with four bucket seats, it’s got a massive set of wheels to add a more aggressive stance to it, and it’s rumored to carry 130-something horsepower under its hood.
You’re not going to mistake the MG Icon Concept as a drop-dead, out-of-this-world, beyond-gorgeous concept. But give credit to MG because, if for nothing else, the Icon Concept is an attention-grabber, mostly for the right reasons.
Well, except for that front bumper. What’s that about, anyway?
Just a few weeks ago, we teased you about Porsche bringing its popular-in-Europe clean diesel engine to the U.S., and installing it in the Cayenne. Not only is this engine powerful, boasting 240 horsepower, 406 pound-feet of torque, and towing 7,716 pounds, but it is also economical, getting 28 mpg.
According to our colleagues over at Car and Driver, we are essentially just getting Europe’s hand-me-downs. Much like a big brother does with clothes that are too small for him, European Porsche drivers have grown out of the 3.0-liter V-6 diesel that we are just now getting and are moving into a larger engine, a full two cylinders larger that is.
Yup, Porsche will be adding in a V-8 diesel option to the Cayenne lineup in the “very near future,” according to Car and Driver’s report. It looks like the most likely and cost-effective diesel engine to offer is the Audi 4.2-liter V-8 that cranks out 346 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque, given Porsche and Audi are in bed under the VW umbrella. Given how well the smaller 3.0-liter diesel performs now, this engine would make the Cayenne diesel a screamer – as much as a diesel can be a screamer. It would also thrust its towing rating toward a truck-like 10,000-pound mark.
With that said, there are also rumors afloat that another VW affiliate, Bentley, may be working directly with Porsche to develop this new diesel engine.
Now, before you start getting all excited for this large diesel engine, you can forget about it. Porsche does not appear to have any plans on bringing this larger diesel engine to the U.S. This is no surprise, as the European market is easier for Porsche to distribute to, as well as the fact that Euro drivers are accustomed to buying these clean diesels than U.S. buyers are. Maybe one day the European market will outgrow this engine and we will finally get it here, but the chances are slim.
Remember when Porsche released the Cayenne? Remember all the people in their Porsche owners club shirts sitting around and telling you about how this new SUV was a disgrace to the Porsche logo and that all the company should design and produce are 911 variants?
While they might have had a point, the Cayenne sold like bottled water and like this water in plastic, it’s completely pointless. People don’t need this much power from something that will be used to haul around families. Yet, it became the automaker’s best selling model, despite its looks.
Now, to put the owners club folks in the mental home, Porsche is created a smaller SUV, the Cajun. No, it’s not intended for people in New Orleans, but it is intended for people who found the Cayenne to be a bit too large and fancied something a bit more crossover like.
Porsche officially confirmed the small SUV in an official statement detailing their hopes for the vehicle: "Under the working name "Cajun," this efficient and sporty model will further expand the world’s most successful Porsche segment in the SUV sector. In addition to the new Cayenne, which has clearly consolidated its market position as the most successful sporty SUV in the premium segment, the "Cajun" will also have a very positive impact with its typical Porsche features such as light weight, ease of handling and agility. As an attractive entry model in the Porsche world, the "Cajun" will attract new and even younger customers to the premium brand along with the Boxster, the market leader in the segment of two-seater, mid-size sports cars."
UPDATE 02/16/2012: Porsche has confirmed that its new SUV - known until now as the Cajun - will in fact be called the Macan, a name derived from the Indonesian word for tiger. The name "combines suppleness, power, fascination and dynamics." The new Macan will be the fifth model in Porsche’s line-up and will be produced in Leipzig starting 2013.Next to the official name, Porsche has also unveiled a teaser video and a rendering of the next SUV.
UPDATE 04/16/2012: According to Autocar, Porsche will fit the Macan Turbo with a new 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine that produces 370 horsepower and 400 lb/ft of torque. Likewise, the Macan will also be mated to a standard seven-speed manual transmission or an optional seven-speed, dual-clutch PDK automatic transmission.
In addition to the top-of-the-line Macan Turbo, Porsche will also offer less powerful engines for other variants of the Macan. Look for a four-cylinder engine to be offered, one that produces around 220 horsepower. Similarly, Porsche will likely offer a Macan S variant that comes with a 3.6-liter V6 engine that develops 295 horsepower.
A diesel engine is also in the pipeline in the form of a 2.0-liter turbo diesel with 190 horsepower and last but certainly not least, a hybrid model that could carry a 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder engine with an electric motor, producing an output of 241 horsepower.
After debuting the new Altima at the 2012 New York Auto Show, Nissan is moving on to its next project by presenting a teaser image showing five redesigned models that will be launched in the next 15 months. During the Altima’s official debut in New York, Nissan also presented a short promo video that showed five new models hidden under a white cover.
Rumors say that the list of redesigned models will begin with the production version of the 2013 Pathfinder and a new Sentra. From left to right in the teaser images, the cars are: the hatchback version of the latest Versa set to be unveiled by the end of the year, the 2013 Pathfinder, the new Altima, the redesigned Rogue compact crossover, and the next Sentra that will adopt the same design language as the new Altima.
We haven’t received any confirmations for any of the models listed, but these are the best speculated vehicles in terms of Nissan’s history. Nissan has confirmed, however, that the new Sentra will be the next model unveiled.
The Lexus RX range entered the market back in 1998 and, in 2005, a hybrid version was offered for the first time. Now, the RX 450h has been redesigned for the 2013 model year with a new, more elegant and aggressive frontal design, as well as a new Sport mode, supplementing the full hybrid powertrain’s Normal, Eco, and EV (electric only) drive modes.
The new Lexus RX 450h has received a bold, elegant, and highly individual frontal treatment which was inspired by the latest generation GS sedan. Lexus has combined the trapezoid upper grille and slanted lower grille into just one element, while the lower grille now features horizontal bars and is finished in black. The rear lamp clusters have been redesigned with a stronger, more sweeping horizontal emphasis.
Under the hood, Lexus placed the usual 3.5-liter V-6 engine combined with two electric motors for a total of 295 HP. However, compared to the previous model, the RX 450h adds a new Sport mode that further improves the performance and dynamic ability of the RX 450h.
UPDATE 04/10/2012: Lexus has announced the US prices for the 2013 RX450h set to arrive in dealerships this month. The RX 450h FWD version will be priced from $45,910, while the AWD version will be priced $47,310, an increase of 1.5% and 1.0% respectively over the previous year.
Hit the jump to read more about the new Lexus RX 450h.
When considering motorcycles, Suzuki is likely a brand that comes to mind. Their cars, on the other hand, nearly go unnoticed unless you are looking for specifically cheap transportation. They typically only account for a fraction of a percent of U.S. auto sales, but that fraction is a tight and very loyal market. Well, it looks like they are trying to dig themselves out of obscurity by adding high-end features to their vehicles.
Starting in the 2013 model year, nearly every Suzuki car, truck, and SUV will include a Garmin stereo system that will also include Pandora radio. With the internet taking over everything nowadays, it’s only expected that internet radio would make its way into more cars – heck, some cars now have a hard drive bigger than my desktop PC, seriously…
Pandora works a lot like satellite radio, as it is not broadcasted from terrestrial towers, but rather streamed through the internet. You can personalize your own station too, so there is no need to swap the station every time something you can’t stand comes blasting through the speakers.
There is no receiver or anything like that for Pandora radio, so this is really not costing Suzuki much, meaning the cost to you would be minimal, if anything. The Garmin radio connects to an iPhone, per Pandora, and the iPhone in turn receives the Pandora signal, broadcasting it through the radio. It makes us curious because Pandora radio also has an Android app, which means nearly any phone on the market can receive its signal. However, Pandora specifically mentions just the iPhone in its press release.
We are starting to wonder if iPhone and Garmin are maybe up to something, or did the Pandora rep just misspeak. For the sake of all Suzuki buyers that choose to use this service, we hope the latter is the truth. From our research, it looks like Garmin and Suzuki have apps for both Android and iPhone, so it was likely a mistake to just say “iPhone.”
Regardless of its connectivity, this is a step in the right direction towards Suzuki reeling in its direct competitors, Hyundai and Kia.
Hit the jump to read Pandora’s official press release.
As promised, Honda has unveiled the Honda Crosstour Concept at a catered media reception at the 2012 New York International Auto Show (NYIAS) in hopes of reviving a vehicle that has had less than stellar performance on the market. This new concept follows the original Accord Crosstour that was launched back in 2010 and the renamed Honda Crosstour in 2012 (when it dropped the Accord nomenclature). The Honda Crosstour Concept is our first taste as to what we can expect for the 2013 model of this struggling crossover.
The list of changes for the new Honda Crosstour Concept include exterior and interior upgrades, a new 6-speed automatic transmission for the V6 versions, and safety upgrades for both four-cylinder and V6 versions.
"Fueled by a combination of versatility, luxury, and efficiency, owners have demonstrated remarkable devotion to the Honda Crosstour," said John Mendel, executive vice president of sales for American Honda. "The 2013 Crosstour Concept shows how Honda will strengthen the styling and add even more content to one of the most efficient offerings in the class."
UPDATE 04/05/2012: This review has been updated with the official details and images of the 2012 Honda Crosstour Concept.
Hit the jump to read more about the 2013 Honda Crosstour Concept.
Ever since crossovers became a hot thing in the early-2000s, seemingly every car manufacturer has taken the leap into the nearly full crossover pool. The newest market is the compact crossover market, which is just getting started. Fiat has decided that it’s going to get into this side of the pool early on with a 500-based crossover.
This new crossover, which is set to debut in Europe next year, will add to the growing 500 lineup, which currently includes the 500, 500C, 500L and the 500 Abarth. This new vehicle, which the consensus says will be dubbed the 500X, will feature three different engines, Fiat’s two-cylinder turbocharged TwinAir engine, a 1.4-liter and a 1.3-liter turbo-diesel, and will be based on the 500L’s chassis.
If this model makes it to the U.S. – nothing is concrete on a U.S. release yet – it will have stiff competition from the MINI Countryman and a slew of new arrivals. No renditions or teaser images have been released yet, so we are all stuck using our imaginations. I seem to picture something similar to the Suzuki X-90 – one of my top-10 cool, yet ugly, cars – but with a hatch.
We honestly do understand Fiat’s slow-moving tactics here, but buyers are soon going to grow tired of the 500 model. Making subtle changes to an existing model to build buyer interest is a safe bet at first, but eventually buyers will start wondering what’s next and lose interest altogether. It has only been a year since Fiat’s return to the U.S., but it might be time to start considering moving more models to the U.S.
Then again, Fiat is on a slippery slope, as it is also trying to keep Chrysler’s head above water while trying to reintroduce its brand to the U.S. So let’s cut them some slack, for now…
The Toyota Venza was launched for the first time back in 2008, but it’s preparing to enter the 2013 model year with enhanced exterior styling, added value through several new standard convenience features, and updated option packages. Its official debut was made at the 2012 New York Motor Show and sales are scheduled to begin later in 2012.
At the front, the new Venza has received a new upper and lower grille, fog lamps, and rear taillights. Toyota is also offering a new set of 19" wheels and a choice of the new exterior colors: Attitude Black, Cypress Pearl, and Cosmic Gray Mica.
Like the previous version, the 2013 Venza will be offered in LE, XLE, and Limited grades, with a choice of four-cylinder or V6 engines. Both front-wheel drive (FWD) or all-wheel drive (AWD) configurations will also be offered.
For 2013, the list of standard equipment will include, depending on the trim level: Driver Memory Seat, Reverse Tilt Outer Mirrors, Display Audio with Navigation and Toyota Entune, LED Daytime Running Lights, and Premium HDD Navigation with Entune and JBL.
UPDATE 04/03/2012: This review has been updated with the official images and specs for the Toyta Venza.
Hit the jump to read more about the 2013 Toyota Venza.
In case you haven’t noticed over the past couple of years, it’s important to understand that when it comes to MINI, there’s nothing in the realm of imagination that these guys aren’t afraid to pursue.
The BMW-owned company has never been a shy about its quirky approach in their marketing exploits, as well as in building concepts, special editions, and everything else in between. And as if to continue in that trend, MINI has released a couple of new models that are, safe to say, unlike anything else anybody’s ever built.
One of the models is called the MINI Cowley Caravan, a model that was based on the Countryman, and comes with pretty much everything you need to build an impromptu camp site.
There are two welcoming sleeping berths, a twin-burner gas-stove, a water tank with its own pump and dish-washing facility, a solar module to charge the on-board battery, and a 230-volt power connection that serves as the power source for - get this - the refrigerator, the TV/DVD, and hi-fi stereo system.
The words "MINI" and "contemporary" have very few similarities between them, and you don’t need to look further than the Cowley Caravan as proof of that. Despite being a separate apparatus in its own right, the eye-catching trailer is still only 12 centimeters - that’s under five inches - wider than a MINI Clubman and weighs just under 300 kilograms - 661 lb - making it svelte enough to be towed around by the Countryman, thus turning it into a true road companion whenever and wherever you go.
And by the way, we are 100% sure that this was a clever April Fool’s Day joke from the automaker. Well played, Mini.
