Diesel models are quite a hit in Europe, but in the U.S. market, they have only just begun to gain momentum because people are still learning about them. Despite the relative novelty, it looks like BMW is preparing a diesel invasion in the U.S. market with no less than six new diesel models set to debut by 2014.
Back in June 2012, it was reported that BMW was planning to offer a diesel 7-Series to its U.S. customers, but apparently this won’t be the only model. Next to it, we will also get a 3-Series sedan in the first half of 2013 and a station wagon in the second half. A 5-Series diesel will arrive in the third quarter of 2013 and the X5d at the end of 2013. The 7-Series will be the first diesel to arrive in the first half of 2014 and it will be followed by a X3d.
In terms of powerplants, the 3-Series will likely use the new 130-horsepower, 3-cylinder diesel engine, while the rest of BMW’s diesel lineup will get a six-cylinder diesel engine.
Thanks to our German friends at Autobild.de, we now have some information on the 2015 Mercedes Benz GLG-Class. In fact, it is enough information to create our own rendering of what the the Mini-G will look like.
The Mercedes GLG-Class will be roughly based on the newly announced A-Class and will look like a shrunken version of the utilitarian, yet luxurious, G-Class.
The GLG-Class will be Mercedes’ answer to the small-SUV market, which is dominated by models like the BMW X3 and the Audi Q5. Though Mercedes isn’t planning on marketing this as a true off-road vehicle, it will certainly do the job of crossing pot-holes and small ditches. It’s also for the people that like the boxy, go-anywhere design of the G-Class, but may not be able to afford it.
The Mercedes GLG is one of 10 models that Mercedes plans to unveil before 2020. With the GLG-Class’ release, the number of SUVs in Merc’s lineup will increase to six, including the unannounced GLA crossover in 2013.
To know more about the Mini-G click past the jump.
Back in September we announced that the all-new 2014 Subaru Forester was just about finished and that a few leaky valves had allowed some information to be released. We knew that the Forster was going to hit showrooms riding on a revised version of the Impreza’s platform and that this would result in a few extra inches here and there. We also outlined the rumored engines that the new Forester would feature.
Well, no more speculation and links, as Subaru has officially lifted the veil off of some of the Forester’s key details just before its official unveiling at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Surprisingly – or maybe not to those that know how leaks work – the information we received was actually pretty accurate, save for a few horsepower from the engine.
So, what exactly is Subaru offering us with its all-new part-SUV, part-station-wagon that it has offered up since 1998?
Updated 11/29/2012: The new generation Subaru Forester made its official debut at the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show, and this was the perfect opportunity for us to add a new set of high res images. The 2014 Forester will go on sale on the U.S. market next spring in two trims: 2.5i available in base, Premium, Limited and Touring versions and 2.0XT offered in the Premium and Touring versions.
Updated 01/18/2013: Subaru announced today prices for the 2014 Forester that will go on sale in base, Premium, Limited and top-line Touring versions. Pricing for the Forester begins at $21,995 for the base model 2.5i and from $27,995 for the Premium versions.
Click past the jump to read all of the details and find out.
The Toyota FJ Cruiser is a pretty unique - and paradoxical - car in its own right. It’s an off-roader that actually looks polished. It’s got great performance credentials yet you always feel that it could do much better.
The best part of the FJ Cruiser is that it always seems to be ripe for customization. At the 2012 SEMA Auto Show, that’s exactly what were going to get when Toyota and TRD present their latest FJ mash-up, called the FJ-S Cruiser Concept.
The folks from Toyota are all excited about TRD’s latest creation, particularly the company’s national manager of engagement marketing and motorsports, Keith Dahl, who said: "TRD’s work on high-performance off-road variants of Toyota vehicles goes back a number of years. The FJ-S is a great example of their off-road expertise."
It’s a little curious when you hear that TRD actually upgraded the FJ-S Cruiser Concept’s chassis and body structure by adding what they’re calling an "exoskeleton," especially when you consider how already imposing the stock model is. But with the upgrades, Toyota now has even more room to work on the off-roader’s suspension and wheel/tire set-ups.
Aesthetically, the FJ-S Cruised Concept received a boatload of new modifications, including a new front nudge bar, rock rails, and a cat-back exhaust. Inside, the FJ-S Cruiser Concept was create to a two-tone leather interior with matching FJ-S logos on the headrests.
Under its hood, the FJ-S Cruiser Concept’s 4.0-liter V6 engine was given a TRD supercharger system with a Twin Vortex System and a large air-to-water intercooler. All this nets the off-roader with an increased output of 345 horsepower and 345 lb/ft of torque, numbers that represent a 30% and 25% increase from the stock model.
UPDATE 11/01/12: More official photos of the Toyota FJ-S Cruiser Concept by TRD have been released by Toyota. Check them all out in the gallery below!
Auto giant Chevrolet has announced that it will reveal its heavy duty pickup, the 2014 Chevrolet Silverado, on December 13th before the auto-show debut at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show. Along with the reveal date, Chevy has also teased us with an image of the Silverado’s headlight.
Riding on the new K2 platform that is slated to underpin the next gen Cadillac Escalade, GMC Sierra and Yukon, and the Chevrolet Suburban, the Silverado will be evolutionary in terms of design. From the mule videos that were posted earlier, one can render how this hard-working beast might look. Looks apart, the interior is also said to be receiving an overhaul, with higher quality materials and better, luxurious upgrades in its infotainment systems.
The upcoming rig will be powered by the new small-block V8 engines that will power the whole heavy-duty lineup in GM, along with a V6 base-engine.
Other details will be posted once GM officially reveals the Silverado.
Overall, we think that the 2014 Silverado will take a leap forward in terms of refinement and technology, and prove that it’s a worthy pick over competition like the Ford F-250 and the Dodge Ram.
When you read the title, you’ll notice that a dedicated air-suspension systems company built the truck that you see above. What does that mean? Why tell when you can deduce the sole purpose of what it’s built for?
Teaming up with known design company, Tim Nicolau Designs, Kelderman Air Suspension Systems has given some serious thought before going ahead with the project. It retains the same heavy-duty design of the standard F-250, but with a green twist. Whatever accessory was in chrome in the standard F-250, the team decided to paint it all green. Now don’t think it has something to do with eco-ism or some environment-friendly campaign. Heck, with a 6.7L PowerStroke V8 Turbo Diesel, this truck is miles away from being termed environment-friendly. Apart from that, the truck has been given a jet-black paint job that is complimented with black alloy rims. This gives the whole truck a mean, stay-away-from-me stance.
Then there’s what Kelderman do best: suspension. This Super Duty truck has been given 8-10 inches more lift, an AccuAir TouchPad air suspension management system, and Sway-A-Way remote reservoir shock absorbers. The greenery doesn’t end with the exterior parts of the truck. They’ve also chrome-plated and painted the suspension components in green.
Overall, we think this truck is ready to conquer any terrain (or even a small building!) and will easily stand apart from similar examples at the SEMA Auto Show floor.
It’s only been a few days since rumors about a new Volkswagen baby-SUV began and now, at the 2012 São Paulo International Motor Show, the company has unveiled the new Taigun concept - a preview version of a new New Small Family by Volkswagen.
The Taigun is painted in a breezy "Seaside Blue" exterior paint finish and was designed using the latest Volkswagen design DNA. It measures 3,859 mm long, 1,728 mm wide, and 1,570 mm tall, but despite these compact dimensions, it still offers interior space for up to four passengers and a boot-space of 280 liters. This boot space can be increased to 987 liters when the rear bench seat is folded down. Its looks come from its bigger brother in the lineup - the Tiguan - and includes the same double-split front grill, sharp headlamps, and an overall look that is less rounded and more aggressive, much like the rest of the Volkswagen lineup. The look is perfected with a set of 17-inch alloy wheels wrapped in 205/50 R17 tires.
The Taigun is powered by a 1.0-liter TSI engine that delivers a total of 110 HP and 129 lb-ft of torque. With a total weight of 2171 lbs, the concept will sprint from 0 to 60 mph in 9.2 seconds and up to a top speed of 115 mph, all while delivering a fuel economy of 52 mpg.
If we got a nickel for every time British tuning company Kahn Design came out with a program, we’d already have enough money to buy...well, probably one of their tuning packages.
Known for being one of the finest aftermarket companies around, Kahn Design is no slouch when it comes to quantity of programs released. After all, it was only two months ago when they presented a program for the Jeep Wrangler called the Chelsea Truck CJ 300 Expedition Vehicle.
Not content with just one option for its customers, Kahn Design has returned with new vigor to present another program for the rough and tough American utility vehicle. This time, though, they’re calling it the Sahara Chelsea Truck Company CJ300 Expedition.
Extremely long name notwithstanding, the Sahara CJ300 Expedition comes chalk full of new goodies as per Kahn Design. The most noticeable is the choice of a Bright Yellow body finish that we reckon would stick out like a sore thumb when it’s out running around the trails and woods. But if you can take the body color as is, you’ll be pleased to know that Kahn did yet another fabulous job upgrading the Wrangler’s digs.
The horizontal LED daytime running lights is a Kahn Design specialty, as are the carbon side wing blades, the xenon crosshair headlamps, the smoked side repeaters, the stainless steel door entry sill plates, the mud flaps, and of course, the 20" Kahn RS wheels fitted into the all-utility vehicle. The British tuner even threw in a Chelsea Truck Company spare wheel cover and stainless steel cross air exhausts for good measure.
All told, the Wrangler Sahara Chelsea Truck Company CJ300 Expedition is everything Kahn Design represents: meticulously built with an eye towards improved looks and performance.
Or in other words: another winning product from a winning tuning company.
As any respectable modern manufacturer, Mercedes started to develop new technologies to increase the efficiency of its vehicles. One of the models selected to be fitted with its latest technology is the Vito E-Cell, a spacious and practical van designed for those who put interior space and cargo volume at the top of their auto needs list.
The fuel powered Mercedes Vito is one of the most appreciated vans in its class and can even be considered the segment’s leader. Given the fact that the E-Cell version is significantly more efficient than its sibling and offers the same amount of cargo space, it could prove to be a pretty smart choice, especially for commercial operators that are constantly searching for the most cost efficient method of transport.
At the heart of the Mercedes Vito E-Cell sits a pack of high-performance lithium-ion batteries which have a combined capacity of 36kWh. The battery pack powers a 60 kW electric motor and offer a range of 130 km. Unfortunately, the Mercedes Vito’s payload capacity was affected by its electric drivetrain and was dropped to 730 kg from 900 kg.
Jeep will be showing up to the 2012 SEMA Auto Show with a very cool Wrangler Sand Trooper Concept developed in cooperation with Mopar. This concept is powered by a 5.7-liter HEMI V8 engine that delivers a total of 375 HP and 410 lb-ft. of torque.
The Jeep Wrangler Sand Trooper is painted in a very cool Dune-in-Matte tan color combined with numerous matte-black elements on the front and rear off-road bumpers, grille, fuel-filler door, tail lamp guards, and black door-sill guards. The concept doesn’t feature a top, but comes with Mopar half-doors to show off its exclusivity. The tuner also added in a new set of matte-black wheels wrapped in massive 42" Super Swamper Bogger tires. Additional exterior parts include a skid plate, Warn winch, LED off-road lights, rock rails, and trailer-tow hitch receiver.
The interior package starts with some very cool premium black Katzkin leather seats, while the list of accessories include a rearview camera, Mopar prototype CB radio, all-weather slush mats, hood lock, and a locking trailside winch kit.
