VOGA means fashion in Italian. It is no wonder why Ford designer Camilo Pardo, the designer of the Ford GT, chose this name when he introduced the upscale appearance package in 2006 on the vehicle named after the Italian fashion capital, the Mercury Milan. Since then Mercury has expanded the elegant VOGA line to include the Mercury Mariner crossover based on the Ford Escape.
Being an aesthetics package, the VOGA option is much more about design than function. In order to purchase the high-class VOGA equipped Mercury, future Mariner owners must first upgrade to a Mercury Mariner Premier, and then purchase the Moon and Tune package that includes a large panoramic sunroof and a seven speaker MP3 compatible sound system and much more.
Continued after the jump.
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It’s a wagon...It’s an SUV...It’s the Audi A4 allroad quattro. Audi will officially unveil the A4 allroad quattro in March at the Geneva Motor Show, but it is already letting the details out. The car will go on sale in early summer at a base price of €37,100. That’s about $47,500 at current rates, but Audi has confirmed the A4 allroad will not make it to the U.S. Audi sold the original A6-based allroad North America, but it was pulled in 2006 due to weak sales.
The A4 allroad quattro will be offered with a choice of three engines: 211 hp 2.0-liter TFSI, 170 hp 2.0-liter TDI diesel, and 240 hp 3.0-liter TDI diesel.
These are available with either a six-speed manual transmission or dual-clutch S tronic transmission depending on engine choice.
The A4 allroad shares a resemblance with the Audi A4 Avant on which the allroad is based. Some distinguishing elements include the higher ride height, wider stance (less than an inch more than the A4 Avant), and two-tone paint created by the body cladding. For lovers of crossover vehicles, the allroad is one of the first and best examples. It combines the car and SUV together in a package that’s more car (and thus, more fun) than almost anything else out there.
Press release after the jump.
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General Motors hopes to satisfy the needs and wants of both minivan and SUV buyers with the 2009 Chevrolet Traverse CUV. The crossover that debuted last year at the Chicago Auto Show has 10 cup holders, seating for 7, a potent direct injected V6, optional 4 wheel drive, third row seating and promises return on average 20 miles per gallon. Starting at just under $30,000 the Traverse is an attractable package that offers the amenities of a minivan with the outward appearance of an SUV.
The large grill is the first thing that you see on the Traverse and it is distinctly Chevrolet. The opening is cut in half by a horizontal bar that displays a bowtie front and center. The piece is almost identical to the grill of the Chevrolet Malibu and hints at a possible design theme for the future.
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The Kia Soul is the Korean company’s latest attempt at delivering a big package for a small price. The vehicle that made it’s U.S. debut at the L.A. Auto Show was spotted on the opposite coast driving towards Miami Beach, soaking up some that South Florida sunshine.
Kia’s television ads, that can be seen on the car’s website, promise to deliver an alternative from the ordinary everyday people mover. The problem most manufacturers face when attempting this is that they release a design that is so far out there that consumers are hesitant to be seen in one. That is not the case with the Soul. The vehicle is a box, but the way that the designers have been able to mix the squared shape with round edges and bulging curves makes for an attractive design.
The Soul will compete directly against Toyota’s Scion xB. Starting at around $13,000, the Kia’s low entry price should make it attractive purchase for both young and old car buyers. With the growing trend of small crossovers that offer similar cargo capacity to their larger counterparts while consuming less gasoline, combined with the vehicle’s styling should make the Kia Soul a hit.
The Seoul based car maker Kia has announced pricing for their all new crossover the 2010 Kia Soul and the numbers look pretty good. The CUV will be available in 4 trim levels: the base Soul starts at $13,300 and only comes with a 5 speed manual, the Soul+ is priced at $14,950, the upscale Soul! and Soul Sport both retail for $16,950.
The base Soul is the only variant available with the 1.6 liter four cylinder engine that produces 122 HP and 115 ft-lb of torque. The rest of the lineup comes with the 2.0 liter four cylinder that makes 142 HP and 137 lb-ft of torque and gets 24/30 MPG in the city and on the highway respectively. Unlike the 1.6, this power plant can be shifted by either a five speed manual like the base or a four speed automatic transmission.
The only options available for the Soul+ are a $400 315 Watt stereo system and an $800 power moon roof that will also get you fog lights for the front bumpers. The Soul Sport comes with a rear spoiler standard, but the power moon roof is a $700 option, and unlike the Soul+ fog lights come standard.
The Soul is being offered with a few impressive features, like the 10 year 100,000 mile warranty. Dual front and side curtain airbags, electronic stability control and 4 wheel anti-lock disc brakes. Air conditioning, Bluetooth and keyless entry are all standard. Kia is even throwing in a trial period of Sirius satellite radio.
The low entry price and long list of standard features should make the Kia Soul the perfect alternative to mundane people movers, now if we could only get our hands on one.
Press release after the jump.
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An AWD crossover with a motorcycle-inspired interior; this is how Qazana can be resume in just a few words. According to NIssan, Qazana is not just a concept car, it is also study into how a small car of the future could look.
At a first look Qazana is a two-door coupe, it also has a further pair of rear-hinged half doors to ease access to the rear compartment. One notable feature of the roof-line is the virtually straight cant rail above the doors which adds further to the strength of the profile. The roof itself has a pair of thin glass inserts running the full length of the roof which allow slithers of natural light into the cabin.
The front is dominated by four headlamps. Two lower circular lamps set within the bumper contrast with a pair of daylight running strips mounted high on the wings on either side of the bonnet: the look is of a rally car preparing for a night stage.
The shape of the center console and armrest has been inspired by the fuel tank and seat of a sports motorcycle. The dashboard is dominated by a centrally mounted screen. As well as doubling as a navigation display, it will deliver vital information relating to Nissan’s next generation fully electronic ALL MODE four-wheel drive with torque vectoring system and other advanced technical processes found on board, including integrated communications systems.
Press release after the jump.
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Jeep has an image, and it’s time to exploit it. The company had an amazing seventeen-year run with the Cherokee because people wanted a vehicle that could do the work of a wagon, but didn’t look like one. Sure it was a capable go-anywhere off-roader, but many of them never left the pavement. This is what helped start the SUV craze.
No matter how much Jeep builds a car to take the tough stuff, there will always be customers who only use its ability to park on lawns. That’s why the Compass exists. It has all the image of a normal rough-and-ready Jeep, but in a package that on-road customers want. Jeep isn’t selling out its heritage (anyone remember the original Jeepster?) There are plenty of other companies making crossover vehicles out there. Jeep is just giving its loyalists a vehicle they can drive when their commute is reduced to paved roads.
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Just one day before its official debut Dacia revealed the Duster concept - a totally new model in Dacia-s line-up. With the aspect of a sporting coupe and the utility of an MPV, Duster will become the first crossover in Dacia’s line-up.
Duster’s height of 1.49 metres, short front and rear overhangs (65cm and 80cm respectively), generous wheelbase (2.80m) and compact volumes (4.25m long, 1.64m wide) exude an overriding sense of robustness and sports appeal.
The concept features a broad bumper with two horizontal air-intake slits at the front; the grille is flanked by headlamps which wrap over the front wings to form a tapering line of light that stretches rearward towards the doors. The sporty look is accentuated by 21-inch, five-spoke aluminium alloy wheels, exterior mirrors positioned on the window surround and trapezoidal aluminium exhaust tailpipes.
Under the hood Dacia placed a 1.5 dCi 105hp engine that emits just 139g of CO2/km, equivalent to fuel consumption of 5.3 litres/100km.
Press release after the jump.
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Ford Europe will unveil at the Geneva Motor Show the 2009 Kuga, the first ever crossover designed and built by Ford in Europe. Kuga was first presented as the Iosis X Concept in 2006 at the Paris Motor Show and then as a prototype version at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show.
The new Ford Kuga is based unashamedly on Ford’s acclaimed C-car architecture – well proven in both the Ford Focus and the Ford C-MAX. Available with a proven powertrain and two series levels the full-time Haldex intelligent AWD system is complemented by a front-wheel-drive (FWD) version that is perfect for those drivers that are attracted by the style and presence of Kuga but do not require AWD capability.
The Ford Kuga is available in a choice of two distinct series levels with further options available that enable the driver to personalise the car exactly to their needs. The standard Electronic Stability Programme ( ESP) with combined Anti Rollover Mitigation (ARM), and ABS with Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD) are just two of the significant driver assistance technologies of the new Kuga.
The Kuga will be made available with a 2.0-litre Duratorq TDCi 136 PS 100kW engine mated to a six-speed manual transmission. Applicable to both FWD and intelligent AWD derivatives the torque, performance and pulling power under all engine and vehicle load conditions have been perfectly calibrated to the new Ford Kuga. This engine provides high levels of torque – 320 Nm at 2,000rpm and 340 Nm in transient overboost. FWD and intelligent AWD variants return favourable fuel economy figures of 6.3 and 6.4 litres of fuel per 100 km respectively, using the combined fuel consumption figures. The intelligent AWD figure of 169 g/km of CO 2 is class-leading.
Press release after the jump.
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Skoda revealed today the 2009 Fabia Scout, a model that will make its world debut in March at the Geneva Motor Show. Sales will begin in Europe this May.
The new Fabia Scout will be offered with a choice of four engines: two petrol units (1.4 litres, 86 HP, fuel consumption 6.5l/100km and 1.6 litres, 105 HP, fuel consumption 6.9l/100km – the latter will also come with a six-speed transmission) and two diesel engines (1.4 litres, 80 HP, fuel consumption 4.6l/100km and the top-class 1.9-litre engine offering 105 HP and a fuel consumption of 4.9l/100km).
Press release after the jump.
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