The Nissan Juke doesn’t lack in funkiness. It certainly has a design that can be best described as ’unconventional," so there’s no measure of surprise that Nissan is bullish on releasing special edition models of the Juke because, hey, it catches attention and, at the crux of it all, it sells.
The latest of these special edition models is the Midnight Edition Package, which is being made available as an accessory for a number of Juke trims, including the S, SV, and SL models. Among the new digs, the Juke Midnight Edition is set to include a choice of three new color options, including Atomic Gold, Brilliant Silver and Pearl White. The model will also get a new Sapphire Black rear roof spoiler, Sapphire black mirror caps, and a new set of 17" Black wheels.
Nissan is only charging $1,200 for these extras, which is pretty sweet considering the additions the crossover will carry in its Midnight Edition guise. As part of the 2013 model, the Juke SV will also get a RearView Monitor added to the Navigation Package while the SL model will get a revised Rockford Fosgate ecoPUNCH audio system for the SV Navigation Package.
Al Castignetti, vice president and general manager, Nissan Division, Nissan North America, Inc, commented on the Juke Midnight Package, saying: "The Midnight Edition JUKE stands out by its subtlety."
"The combination of black-on-black-on-black wheels, spoiler and mirrors gives JUKE a dramatic new look, which we think enhances its already bold styling. We expect it to be a very popular addition to the JUKE lineup for 2013," Castignetti adds.
Volkswagen is making it their personal goal to compete with just about every single auto manufacturer in the world, be it from acquiring the Porsche brand or making their own car to compete with someone. The latest rumor afloat in the automotive realm is the BMW X6 Competitor, the Volkswagen Touareg CC.
The information on this new crossover SUV is very scarce, but based on our knowledge, we were able to come up with a rendering of what we think the Touareg CC will look like. One thing that we are fairly certain of is that the Touareg CC will be modeled after the Cross Coupe Concept we saw in Geneva, boasting an aggressive-looking front end with an array of sharp body lines and a stylish chrome grille up front. On the rear, you’ll get exaggerated rear fender wells and arches, semi-oval taillights, and a raked rear hatch. You also get a pair of oval exhaust exits directly under the rear bumper.
Down the side of the Touareg CC, you have a profile that looks more like a coupe, almost like the profile that Nissan gave to the Juke. Unlike the Juke, however, you will have an exposed rear door handle, giving away its status as a 4-door model.
Click past the jump to read more.
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Recently, Auto Express had a sit-down with Andy Palmer, Nissan’s executive vice president of product planning, and he let us all in on what’s coming up for the Nissan lineup. In the interview, Palmer confirmed that the Nismo Leaf would make it to production with numbers expected to be in the 125-horsepower and 320 Nm (236 foot-pound) range. That’s nothing spectacular, but it is a significant bump from the standard specs.
Palmer also confirmed that the 370Z Nismo would make its way to the UK, which we already get here in the U.S. He also let us know that the GT-R would receive the Nismo treatment sometime in late-2013.
The biggest news comes in the form of the announced Nismo RS models. We already know that the Juke-R is heading to production, but it will almost certainly carry with it a $100,000+ price tag. Buyers can opt for a lower—powered Juke Nismo RS and still get good performance, without the huge price tag. This model will likely push 270 horsepower from its boosted 1.6-liter 4-pot.
The biggest of the big news is Palmer’s announcement that the 370Z and GT-R will both get an RS configuration in their next generations. We have no idea what to expect from these models and we likely won’t know until their respective base models arrive in 2014. The 370Z has a very high ceiling, as little has been done to make it perform on a higher level, but how exactly Nissan plans to add to the 545 horsepower that the GT-R already pumps from its 3.8-liter V-6 engine just baffles and excites us.
We will keep a close eye on the entire Nissan RS lineup and keep you updated as these models inch closer to production.
The third generation Toyota RAV-4 was unveiled back in 2005 and since then, the model only received a mild refresh in 2009. Now, it’s preparing to enter its fourth generation and, apparently, these are the first images of the real deal.
These shots were taken by a forum member of a Toyota fan club in Saudi Arabia. The prototype is covered in a white plastic wrap which makes us think this model is from a Toyota dealer, but we’ll need to wait a little while longer to see if this is actually the new RAV4.
The 2013 RAV4 will be built on the same platform as the Camry and will feature the same exterior design as the 2013 Auris. As for the engine line-up, it will be offered with the same four-cylinder diesel and petrol engines found in Europe, while the American market will receive a new four-cylinder engine. There is no information on whether the V6 engine will still be offered, but we’ll keep you posted!
Regardless of how odd it may look to have a bulky crossover SUV, like the MKT, replacing the equally bulky, yet outdated, Town Car sedan in Lincoln’s lineup, you can’t resist saying that it just might work. It’s equally luxurious as the Town Car and far larger, allowing passengers to stretch out a little more. One complaint about the Town Car that has somewhat carried over to the MKT is the cost to fuel it.
The last Town Car got a wallet-draining 16 mpg city and 24 mpg highway and the MKT was not much better at 16 to 17 mpg city and 23 to 25 mpg highway, depending on options. Well, for fleets later on in the 2013 model year, Lincoln is addressing this concern by offering a 4-cylinder engine – that’s right, a 4-cylinder Lincoln...
This variant will not be made available directly to the public, as it will be a fleet-only model. It will boast a 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine that pumps out 235 ponies and 260 pound-feet of torque. That’s a 65-horsepower drop from the now-standard V-6 engine, but only a 15 pound-feet decrease in torque. Where the EcoBoost engine comes into play is the fact that it gets 20 mpg in the city and 28 mpg on the highway, that’s a 3 to 4 and 3 to 5 mpg increase, respectively.
It achieves these increases by not only offering two fewer cylinders to fuel, but also that it is only available in front-wheel drive. The lack of an AWD variant may seem like an issue to many non-fleet, but look at any fleet of Town Cars and you’ll find out that they are all rear-wheel drive, so that’s not a concern to fleet owners.
The Lincoln MKT Town Car Fleet is expected to debut later in 2012 and will come in at a base price of $49,845. There are no details on whether the options list is thinned out from the current MKT, but we assume it will all remain the same..
We’ll update you with more info as it becomes available.
The Nissan Pathfinder is turning 27 years old in the 2013 model year, which is about 50 years old in car years, as it is starting to get a little long in the tooth. Fortunately, Nissan has continuously made changes to this once-compact SUV throughout the years to keep it up with the times. The 2013 model year is going to be a drastic redo for the Pathfinder, as just like Nissan did in 1996, when it changed from a compact SUV to a mid-size one, this popular SUV will be moving classes again.
In this latest generational change, the Pathfinder is moving away from the shrinking mid-size SUV world and sliding right into the mid-size crossover realm, much like the Explorer recently did. This is mostly due to the fact that sitting on a smaller frame and having a more car-like ride has become more desirable than the truck-like ride given by body-on-frame SUVs. This also makes the Pathfinder a more nimble vehicle.
Though the specifications are still a little bit scarce, we do have a pretty firm grasp of what Nissan is planning with this all-new Pathfinder crossover and we are going to let you in on what we know.
UPDATE 10/10/2012: Nissan has announced pricing for the 2013 Nissan Pathfinder SUV, which goes on sale in U.S. Nissan dealers nationwide in late October 2012. Prices will range from $28,270 for the base Pathfinder S 2WD and will go up to $40,770 for the Pathfinder Platinum 4WD. Check out full pricing for packages and accessories after the jump!
Click past the jump to read more on the Nissan Pathfinder.
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In the past, Ford has had some serious issues with its cars and fire. Two that stick firmly in our minds are the Pinto, which Ford famously weighed out the cost of recall vs. the cost of paying wrongful death suits, and the spontaneous combustion of the second generation Taurus. So when we learned that the newly redesigned Escape had a potential fire issue, we expected swift and proactive action from Ford.
We certainly got that, but we never expected it to be to the extent that it has become. Reports have emerged that Ford is actually paying dealerships a $300 spiff to repair each and every recalled Escape, which is about 11,500 vehicles. Even our basic mathematical skills can sort out that we are talking about $3,450,000 worth of spiff payments, which does not include the cost to repair the issue.
We are curious to find out if the dealers are passing this spiff onto the service writers and technicians that are repairing the vehicles or hoarding this payment for themselves. We are willing to bet that it is the latter, as the technicians and service writers make commission off of the recall repairs and dealers rarely share spiffs any more.
In addition to this extra bonus, Ford is also recommending that dealerships wash and vacuum the SUV, and fill the gas tank. Talk about going over the top...
It is rather obvious that Ford wants this issue gone and it wants it gone as quickly and effectively as possible. Hats off to Ford for taking this sort of approach with this extremely dangerous recall.
Volvo is expanding its lineup this year with the addition of the new XC40, a new compact crossover built on the V40 architecture. This higher-riding V40 will be making its debut at the 2012 Paris Auto Show in September, but a couple of months is still too long for us to wait, so we decided that a clear look at the upcoming Volvo XC40 was in order. Enter our rendering specialists.
We’ve already mentioned the fact that the "new" XC40 will be built on the V40 platform, but it seems as though everything will be borrowed from the V40, minus the higher ride and the features needed to prepare the XC40 for off-road use. Under the hood, the XC40 will continue borrowing from the V40. There will be a turbocharged 1.6-liter petrol engine and a 2.0 liter engine with power ranging from 150 to 240 HP. Diesel fans will get a 155 HP engine. The top versions will be offered with an all-wheel-drive system.
The "brand new" XC40 is being built as a competitor to the Audi Q3 and the BMW X1. Of course, we’ll have to wait until the Paris Auto Show to determine whether it can actually be considered competition.
Launched back in 2006, the Suzuki SX4 has only been offered as a hatchback or a sedan. However, the second generation - set to arrive in 2013 - will include a new five-door SportBack version which will add a bit more sportiness to the car.
The new Sportback SX4 has been caught testing for the first time, and it seems Suzuki has decided to heavily camouflage the prototype in order to keep us from learning anything new about the upcoming model. Still, it is pretty clear that the next SX4 will be heavily influenced by the look of the Kizashi sedan, while the interior will receive a series of new technologies.
As for the engine line-up, expect to see a choice of smaller engines, with the top version receiving a 2.0 liter four-cylinder with an output of about 150 HP. Suzuki will offer both front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive configurations, plus a choice of manual or CVT transmissions.
Updated 09/04/2012: The upcoming Suzuki SX4 has been caught testing one more time, and now it reveals some more details, especially at the back.
There have been spy shots galore of the upcoming Volvo XC40, but now the first undisguised images of the new crossover have surfaced online. The new XC40 is scheduled to make its world debut in September at the 2012 Paris Auto Show, but it looks like Volvo couldn’t keep it a secret until then and will more than likely have to debut it earlier than anticipated.
The new XC40 is, in fact, a V40 with an increased ride height and new technology that make it ready foroff-roading. As you can see, the XC40 is almost identical to the V40, except for its redesigned front bumper and the new headlamps.
Under the hood, things will stay the same: power will come from a turbocharged 1.6-liter petrol engine and a 2.0 liter engine with power ranging from 150 to 240 HP. Diesel fans will get a 155 HP engine. Sicne it is an off-road vehicle, Volvo will be offering it with an all-wheel-drive system for the top versions.
