A hatchback is a type of automobile design, consisting of a passenger cabin which includes an integrated cargo space, accessed from behind by a hatch or flip-up window. Hatchbacks are also often called three-doors (two entry doors and the hatch) or five-doors (four entry doors and the hatch) cars.
The Lancia Ypsilon is a car that doesn’t get enough of the attention it deserves. Well, the Italian automaker hopes to change that with the release of a ’trendy’ new special edition called the Elefantino.
No, Lancia did not harm any elephants in the making of this vehicle. What they did do was give it a pretty impressive aesthetic makeover that gives us an idea on what the Ypsilon can look alike if the words "trendy and fashionable" were attached to it.
That’s the appeal of the Ypsilon Elefantino, especially to a younger market looking to exercise their fresh and hip vibe with a car that shares in that same, shall we say, "freshness".
On its own, the Ypsilon Elefantino carries plenty of powertrain options, each of which comes with its own price tag.
You can find out what made the Ypsilon Elefante appealing to us, as well as the engine and pricing options, after the jump.
Volkswagen’s presence in the Japanese market is pretty strong and it’s probably because of this standing that Volkswagen Japan is releasing a special-edition Golf model that will be exclusive to the Japanese market.
Dubbed the Erste Edition and built to celebrate the German model’s 60-year run in the country - Der Erste means "the first" in German - the Golf Erste Edition models will come in two different trims: Comfortline and the Highline.
Surprisingly, the pair of Erste Edition models come don’t have a whole lot of distinguishable characteristics that separate themselves from standard models. It doesn’t even have any special badges, as far as we can tell.
Having said that, these models are treated as limited run models and well, we’ll treat them as such.
Click past the jump to read more about the Volkswagen Golf Erste Edition models. You never know, you might like them enough to have one imported in these shores.
The Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric Drive is very different from the norm for Mercedes. Instead of the big V-8s featured across the network, this little car hums along silently on batteries driving its front wheels. It will be the first all-electric vehicle from Mercedes-Benz, and the first of any B-Class to cross the pond. This matches the latest company strategy to fatten the range of models from all sides.
Most of the systems that charge and run the little B-Class will be shared with its bright-yellow sibling: the upcoming SLS AMG Coupe E-Cell. Both systems are part of a deep tech partnership between Mercedes parent company Daimler and Tesla. Fruit from this sharing agreement has been limited to date, and arguably, some of the most sour fruit on the branch via the Smart ED. That car ran Tesla Roadster parts, but downsized. The resulting “car” was appallingly slow. Tesla didn’t seem to be sharing the good, M5-beating stuff yet.
This is set to change when the B-Class Electric Drive hits U.S. showrooms in January 2014. The model will arrive in dealers first before a limited roll-out in Europe.
As Mercedes’ first viable EV, the B-Class Electric is a complete package that excels in its mission of effortless city efficiency plus Mercedes-levels safety, durability, luxury and ownership experience.
The 2014 Mitsubishi Mirage debuted at the 2013 New York International Auto Show. And while its power may not impress, its mpg may start making hybrid cars start shaking in their low-rolling-resistance tires.
Let’s face it the Mirage isn’t the sexiest car to roll out of Mitsu’s factory; in fact, it’s just another econo-hatch that easily blends into the scenery as you head down the highway. Mitsubishi is hoping to change that with the new model and this time around, the Mirage will try to make its way back into the hearts of Americans for the first time since 2002.
The car has been redesigned with all new styling that Mitsu hopes will attract new buyers, which is something the floundering company needs to help keep it in the American market. Unfortunately, it is heading into a market – the sub-compact hatchback market – that is quickly becoming overfull.
Perhaps its practicality and relatively large amount of storage space will help push it over the other motorized roller-skates on the market.
Hit the jump to read more about the 2014 Mitsubishi Mirage.
Yesterday, BMW was caught testing what appeared to be an electric version of the X1, and today our spy photographers have caught the upcoming i3 out for a testing session.
As you can see, the prototype continues to strip and we now can see the roofline and the lower parts of the front bumper. In these spy shots you can also see the lines of the classic BMW kidney grille and the window line in the rear doors.
Also, when looking from the side, it appears that the future i3 will lack the Hofmeister kink that was introduced back in 1961 and has been on almost every BMW since then.
The car will use a powerful 170-horsepower electric engine that will sprint the car from 0 to 60 mph in under 8 seconds and up to a top speed of 93 mph. Rumors suggest it will be priced at about $55,000 at the current exchange rates.
A lot of cars make their way to Jay Leno’s Garage but not a lot of them are of the sports-hatch variety.
The Ford Focus RS is one such car and normally, it doesn’t find its way to Jay Leno’s Garage, because, well, it’s not legal to own in America. But this isn’t an ordinary Focus RS; this one has been stamped and tuned by no less than Galpin Auto Sports.
In this episode of Jay Leno’s Garage, the affable comedian and certified car nut invited Beau Bachman, the head honcho of Galpin Auto Sports, to his garage with the latter bringing a heavily-tuned Focus RS. The two proceed to talk about the car itself, including the aftermarket work Galpin Auto Sports did to bump up the output to an impressive 420 horsepower, far and away more than the 305-horsepower output of the standard European Focus RS.
Check out the video and click past the jump to know more about the Ford Focus RS after the jump
The 2015 Volkswagen Golf made its North American debut at the 2013 New York International Auto Show. The Golf is a practical hatchback vehicle that offers good performance in one trim and great gas mileage in another.
The seventh generation of the car is longer, wider and lower than the outgoing model. This gives the car a more aggressive and sportier look while also making it more aerodynamic.
The improved aerodynamics along with a lighter body help to give all trims better gas mileage than their predecessors.
For someone wanting a sporty looking car with good performance the regular Golf is a very good choice. However, if you are worried about sky high gas prices then the TDI clean diesel is a good option for you.
Hit the jump to read more about the 2015 Volkswagen Golf.
When the Kia Soul dropped onto the U.S. market in 2010, hipsters everywhere saw Kia in a whole new light. This boxy compact car had all the tuning capabilities the Honda Civic had when it was a tuning phenomenon through the late 1990s and early 2000s, plus it had a catchy commercial with hip hop hamsters. All was well in the world of the Soul, and it’s about to get even more real with the preparation of the future-generation model.
Fresh off of its facelift in 2011, the most sold model from Kia has just entered a new generation. The 2014 Kia Soul was unveiled at the 2013 New York Auto Show and will be put on sale in the third quarter of this year.
For the new generation, the Soul has switched to a new chassis, received a new design language inspired by the Track’ster concept and features significant suspension upgrades.
Updated 03/29/2013: This review has been updated with the official details, images and specs.
Despite what some people may think, the Chevrolet Sonic is not anything else other than a car. It’s not a rocket ship. It’s not a boat. And as this pretty funny commercial featuring rapper Theophilus London will try to make you believe, it’s also not a skateboard.
But even with all these disclaimers, it’s not hard to find some humor in the ad, as London tries to scramble going to the market to get some milk. We seriously doubt that the Sonic was actually able to perform all those stunts, but even with the help of CGI, the ad plays to the disclaimer quite beautifully.
Let’s just hope that nobody sees this and decides to perform those stunts, too. Not that would be really problematic.
Check out the ad by watching the video above. It’s a pretty cool reminder of what a smart little hatchback can perform if you let your imaginations run wild.
We’ve already seen three racing versions of the Peugeot 208, with the latest one being the Peugeot 208 R2 Rally Car. Well, now the French automaker is prepared to release the fourth racing variant in the form of the 208 GTi Peugeot Sport.
On the outside, you get the typical Peugeot racing livery, which includes: blue, yellow, black and red striping, a monstrous rear wing, and various sponsor stickers. You also get a set of black rims sized 18 inches wrapped up in racing tires. The entire car comes in at a svelte 990 kg (2,182 pounds).
Under the hood, the 208 GTi features a 1,600 cc turbocharged engine, which it borrows from its road-going variant. Depending on the racing regulations, Peugeot Sport will tune this powerplant to between 200 and 300 horsepower. The engine hooks up to a six-speed gearbox with paddle shifters. Keeping the 208 GTi fed with plenty of fuel is a 100-liter (26.4-gallon) gas tank, which allows this racer to stay on the track longer between fill-ups.
The GTi Peugeot Sport will make its racing debut at the 24 Hours of Nürburgring in May. Unfortunately, Peugeot has not revealed any pricing details.
