As you probably have noticed in the past few months, more and more automakers announced their intention to develop smaller SUVs for their respective lineups. So did Mazda, who recently announced that next to its CX-5, CX-7 and CX-9, its lineup will also include a smaller CX-3. This new compact SUV is set to arrive in 2014 and will compete with models like the Ford Fiesta-based EcoSport and the Nissan Juke.
Mazda engineers will design every detail of the car, from chassis to the interior, to obtain a very low weight and as a result a very efficient model. For the CX-3, Mazda is preparing a new diesel engine — likely a 1.6-liter — that will deliver around 80 mpg and CO2 emissions of about 95 g/km. Next to it, customers will also get a new turbocharged 1.3-liter engine. It rumored that the CX-3 will only be offered as a front-wheel-drive model.
On the exterior the next CX-3 will combine design elements from the CX-5 - like the famous ’shield’ grille, with design elements unveiled in the new generation Mazda6. From our above rendering, you can see that we expect it to also borrow styling elements from the CX-5, but feature a quicker drop-off at the end of the hood – a key part of the KODO design language that Mazda is moving forward with.
The model will arrive in 2014 at a price of around £13,000 (about $20,000 at the current exchange rates).
Image note: The above image is a TopSpeed rendering and is not an official image of the Mazda CX-3
A few months ago, the ML63 AMG received the Brabus treatment with upgraded performance and a decent body kit. Unfortunately, the 2013 body kit was missing some pizazz, and Brabus took notice.
This time around, Brabus turned it up a notch or two. An interior customization program allows customers to pretty much design how their cabin is going to look. We doubt Brabus will let anybody opt to go for a Hello Kitty or a Wreck-It Ralph theme, but what they do offer is pretty impressive in its own right. The offerings include wood and genuine carbon-fiber trim sets in any desired color to go with a variety of surface finishes.
Brabus took the body kit from the previous rendition and added in some serious upgrades. For starters, Brabus slightly shrunk the front-apron air vents and painted the raised outline pewter. The LED running lights were moved closer to the center of the air vents as well, giving the front apron a smoother look, in our opinion. The coat of pewter extends across the lower grille splitter. Speaking of the splitter, Brabus also moved it closer to the center of the lower grille and made it more pronounced than the previous kit.
On the backside, you get a much more timid kit that includes rounded quad exhaust exits in place of the molded units from the standard ML63 AMG, which Brabus reused in the old kit. Also, instead of the odd-looking trapezoids on each end of the rear apron, you now get a smoother look with chicken-wire-style mesh across the entire length. If there was one thing we wanted to retain from the previous kit, it was the rear-apron diffusor. Obviously Brabus was reading our minds, as the diffusor is there in all of its glory.
Under the hood, the ML63 AMG Widestar carries over Brabus’ very B63-620 PowerXtra module, enough to bump up the output from the SUV’s 5.5-liter bi-turbo V-8 engine to 620 horsepower and 604 pound-feet of torque. Those numbers translate to a 0-62 mph time of just 4.5 seconds with a top speed of 186 mph.
Rounding out the modifications include the addition of a control module for the AIRMATIC air suspension and a set of 22" Brabus Widestar wheels wrapped in 295/39 ZR22 tires supplied by your choice of Continental, Pirelli, or Yokohama.
Mitsubishi is celebrating its 30th anniversary on the North American market by lifting the veil from a limited-edition model based on the 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport.
The 2013 Mitsubishi Outlander Sport Limited Edition distinguishes itself from the rest of the 2013 Outlander Sport lineup with an exterior package that includes blackout side mirrors, center bumper, wheel arch trim and roof rails. There is also a set of special argent Limited Edition alloy wheels. Inside the cabin, the only modifications include new two-tone Dove Grey and Black leather seating surfaces. Lots of "Limited Edition" badges remind us again that we are looking at a special edition.
Under the Limited Edition’s hood is the usual 2.0-liter in-line 4-cylinder engine that delivers a total of 148 horses and a 145 pound-feet of torque. However, for this special edition Mitsubishi installed a new engine balancer shaft that helps reduce the rolling resistance inside the engine, resulting in smoother and quicker acceleration.
The new Mitsubishi Outlander Sport Limited Edition will be produced at the company’s assembly plant in Normal, Illinois.
Mitsubishi has just unveiled the 2014 Outlander at the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show. The 2014 Outlander will receive an updated exterior and a new engine, featuring a new version of Mitsubishi’s advanced MIVEC continuously-variable valve lift timing system for increased fuel economy. According to Mitsubishi these updates will make the new Outlander the most fuel-efficient CUVs with standard 7-passenger seating in the North American market.
The 2014 Outlander has received a fresh new contemporary face that is both appealing and functional with reduced aerodynamic drag. The SUV is also 200 pounds lighter than the current Outlander. The 2014 Mitsubishi Outlander will go on sale in 2013 and will be offered in three trim levels: ES, Se and GT.
Under the hood Mitsubishi has placed a choice of either a 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine or a 3.0-liter V-6 engine combined with either a continuously-variable transmission or a 6-speed automatic transmission.
Updated 11/28/2012: This review has been updated with the official details, images and specs.
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About a decade ago, Jeep came out with a pretty smart idea. With the Wrangler serving the purpose as the brand’s resident off-road warrior, the automaker decided to introduce a new variant of the Wrangler. Jeep called it the "Rubicon" model, an ode to the one of the most grueling off-road trails in the world.
A decade later and the Wrangler Rubicon is as popular as it was — maybe even more — than when it first came out. To pay tribute to the popular off-road vehicle, Jeep has decided to bestow it with the honor of having a 10th Anniversary model.
As such, the Wrangler Rubicon 10th Anniversary Edition is born.
Mike Manley, president and CEO of Jeep, knows the significance of the model to the brand’s most passionate enthusiasts. "This [special edition] Wrangler Rubicon is for them," Manley said.
"It is a unique vehicle that we expect will long be sought after; a Wrangler that offers an unprecedented level of capability once only attainable by long hours of custom aftermarket preparation crafted in the garages of the most avid Jeep enthusiasts in the world."
Find out more about the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 10th Anniversary Edition after the jump
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The fourth-generation Toyota RAV4 is set to make its world debut on November 28th at the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show. As expected, Toyota couldn’t keep it under wraps for too long, as the first images have leaked online. These images are pretty revealing too, as they give us a good look at the exterior and the interior of the newly redesigned SUV.
The 2013 RAV4 is rumored to come standard with a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder with 178 horsepower and an optional 3.5-liter V-6 engine with 268 horsepower. There are rumors afloat that the 3.5-liter engine is on the chopping block for 2014, so we may only see one year with this as an option, if we see it in the RAV4 at all. Both engines are rumored to be mated to a new six-speed transmission replacing the current four-speed unit.
The 2013 RAV4 will be built on the same platform as the Camry and, as you can see from these first images, it will feature the same exterior styling cues as the 2013 Toyota Auris.
The new RAV4 will go into production in January 2013.
It looks like Land Rover has big plans for the next eight years. Apparently, the company plans to unveil no less than 16 new models and we have the entire list of those models to share. This list comes courtesy of Autocar, who has featured the upcoming models divided into three categories: luxury (Range Rover), leisure (Discovery/Freelander), and utility (Defender).
The first category includes most of the new models like the new Range Rover model and its Sport variant, the Evoque XL and an Evoque Cabrio version, and a new baby Evoque. For the second category, Land Rover plans to offer a new Discovery plus a Luxury version, a Freelander “Super” Seven-Seater and a “Super” Five-Seater, plus a new baby Freelander featuring the same size as the Evoque.
These vehicles all sound rather promising, but we’ll just have to wait and see if they all really debut as planned.
The second Escape project to be displayed by Ford at the SEMA Show was a Heide Performance Products (HPP) creation that was described as having "tasteful street-performance treatment."
HPP began the project by adding a very chic body kit, which included a revised front fascia, enlarged wheel arches, new side sills and an HPP rear bumper cover. HPP then draped the entire body in Olive Juice paint from PPG. Inside the cabin, the Escape received leather and suede treatment on the seats.
To help the Escape in the corners and give it a sportier appearance, HPP lowered the chassis subtly via a set of Eibach springs. HPP also threw in a set of Forgiato 2.0 Otto wheels, measuring 20-by-9 inches.
The HPP concept was based on the 2013 Escape SE AWD version and is powered by a 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine combined with a 6-speed SelectShift automatic transmission. HPP took an exhaust system intended for a Ford Focus ST and somehow shoehorned it onto the Escape, which indicated that this one-off model delivered a little bit more than the standard 240 horsepower. This likely makes it faster than the factory model’s 6.8-second sprint to 60 mph. Unfortunately, HPP didn’t reveal its exact performance numbers.
At the upcoming Essen Motor Show, Brabus will unveil a tuning package based on the latest Mercedes G63 AMG. We have to admit, we never imagined a G-Class could look this good, especially when wearing that black coat of paint.
The most awesome part of the tuning kit sits beneath the hood. Here, the standard 5.5-liter V8 biturbo engine received an additional intercooler and some ECU updates that boosted it from its already monstrous 544 horsepower to an incredible 620 ponies. Along with the extra ponies came a few extra pounds of twist, as its torque jumped from 560 to 590 pound-feet. We can’t tell exactly how the extra 76 horsepower will improve the SUV’s performance numbers, but we’ll surely learn more during its debut in Essen.
To add a little extra style to the package, Brabus placed the G63 AMG atop a set of 23-inch wheels painted in black and covered the calipers with a layer of yellow paint
It’s been a while since we last heard something about the Hummer H2, but now the folks over at SR Auto Group have decided to bring it back to our attention with its sweet "Project Magnum." Based on the H2, the new Project Magnum has soared sky high since our first encounter many years ago. Since its conception, it has gone through a couple phases to evolve to where it’s at today.
The project started with the addition of a new Fabtech lift kit and a new set of 20-inch wheels, featuring a matte-black face and a gloss-black lip. The wheels are wrapped in monstrous off road tires sized at 40×15.5×20.
The package continues with a set of Brembo brakes and a Hotchkis rear sway bar. For the exterior, SR Auto Group opted for a Leios matte black paint, a wide fender flare kit, and a strut grille kit. The last piece of the package is a throaty Magnaflow exhaust system that makes the engine sound even more beastly.
Now Project Magnum is ready to enter the new year with a brand new look and sound!
