Kia shows off KND-4 concept...but not in New York
You'd be forgiven if you thought the New York Auto Show is the only event going on this week...but this debut would prove you wrong.Kia debuted today their KND-4 3-door SUV concept at the Seoul Motor Show.
Interesting is if you take this concept together with the previously shown Kue concept (shown below) from earlier this year...the styling elements that are common likely are a strong indicator of the styling of a new Kia SUV to hit the market within the next two years and further to styling elements that we'll see on other Kia products as well.
I'd criticize this for being derivative in styling...but what SUV is truely unique, styling-wise?Read more about the concept over at:
Winding Road: Kia Debuts KND-4 Concept in Seoul
Lexus LX570 unveiled
Lexus took the opportunity of this year's New York Auto Show to debut their big, bad version of the Toyota Land Cruiser - the LX570.
Underhood, the new LX is packing a version of the Tundra's 5.7l V-8 (381hp and over 400lb*ft of torque) giving an 8500lb tow rating. This works out to over 100hp and a ton more towing capacity than the vehicle it replaces.The LX is a technological tour de force with an electro-hydraulic suspension with height control, has a cross linking technology that ties opposing corners together and uses energy from opposite corners to help counter-act road forces.
Active Height Control does the standard things such systems do (lowering the vehicle at highway speed and raising things up by 3 inches when the 4wd is shifted into low range).On the interior front are an extra inch of width as well as 4 inches of extra length. Crash protection comes in the form of 10 airbags that include dual front bags, dual front knee bags, side bags for the front two rows, as well as curtain bags for all three rows.
See even more pics over at:
LeftLane News: 2008 Lexus LX 570 unveiled
2009 Ford Flex
Ford is in desperate need of product that shows that they are not ready to go just yet to go belly-up.They need something that shows that they have intelligent minds behind the scenes that know exactly what customers really want and are working late nights to bring it to them before all the money runs out and Ford becomes a footnote in the early 21st century automotive history.
The Flex...unfortunately, is not that product.
Looking like a, somehow, less attractive version of the Fairlane concept, the Flex is being billed as a crossover for families (neo-minivan). While it has a few unique elements (incredibly angular styling, available refrigerator, etc...it comes across, especially with blacked out pillars and a white roof as Ford's 7-seat answer to the Mini Cooper.
Also, the obvious question is 'does Ford need _another_ 3-row, available AWD, V-6 crossover/wagon/thing? Exactly how is this serving a different need than the Freestyle (or as it is now known - Taurus X). Now Ford has 2 5-seat people movers in the Escape and Edge and 2 7-seaters in the Flex and Taurus X...wouldn't the duplicated development have been better spent in improving the products that _don't_ compete with other Ford products?
Oh well...I guess time will tell.
See more pics over at:
Winding Road: New York Auto Show: A Fairlane by any Other Name - Ford Debuts '09 Flex
GM Unveils all three microcar concepts
As you may remember from earlier, GM teased us about a 3-concept roll-out at the New York auto show, with pictures of the Trax concept.
Today, we get more details on the Trax, Beat, and Groove as well as the ability to vote for our favorite at vote4chevrolet.com
Each concept has a slightly different take on what an A-class car can be (this is similar to the class of car that the Smart ForTwo and ForFour exist in - they are aimed at urban dwellers where ability to park in small spaces and economy are prime concerns).
Trax, the concept we've already seen a teaser for, is a crossover slant on the microcar. It packs, in addition to its 1-litre gas engine, a battery pack and electric motor that power the rear wheels - providing a low-cost 4wd system.
Groove is aimed at being a more retro take on the microcar concept, though the overall look seems to be similar to the just shown 2nd generation Scion xB. It is powered by a 1-litre diesel engine.
Beat, unlike the other two concepts, is a 3-door hatch. It is aimed at a sportier driver / tuner audience and carries the design language previewed earlier this year on the WRC concept. True to the sportier mission, the Beat packs a 1.2l turbocharged engine (though putting power down through an automatic transmission).
Be sure to vote for your preferred version over at vote4chevrolet.com - the winner will likely inspire a production microcar from GM for sale in the US market (assuming the Smart ForTwo does well here).
Today, we get more details on the Trax, Beat, and Groove as well as the ability to vote for our favorite at vote4chevrolet.com
Each concept has a slightly different take on what an A-class car can be (this is similar to the class of car that the Smart ForTwo and ForFour exist in - they are aimed at urban dwellers where ability to park in small spaces and economy are prime concerns).Trax, the concept we've already seen a teaser for, is a crossover slant on the microcar. It packs, in addition to its 1-litre gas engine, a battery pack and electric motor that power the rear wheels - providing a low-cost 4wd system.
Groove is aimed at being a more retro take on the microcar concept, though the overall look seems to be similar to the just shown 2nd generation Scion xB. It is powered by a 1-litre diesel engine.Beat, unlike the other two concepts, is a 3-door hatch. It is aimed at a sportier driver / tuner audience and carries the design language previewed earlier this year on the WRC concept. True to the sportier mission, the Beat packs a 1.2l turbocharged engine (though putting power down through an automatic transmission).
Be sure to vote for your preferred version over at vote4chevrolet.com - the winner will likely inspire a production microcar from GM for sale in the US market (assuming the Smart ForTwo does well here).
VW Jetta gets update and wagon
2008 will bring a slightly updated Jetta to the US. Included will be the mildly anticipated wagon replacement.
Proving that the folks responsible for the good-looking A4 (platform name, no relation to the Audi) Jetta and Jetta wagon have long since lost influence at VW...the 08 Jetta shows no sign of abandoning the 'look-at-me' chrome grill and continues the fascination with bland tail-light design that brought Toyota Corolla tail-lights to the sedan and now give us the most anonymous lights imaginable for the wagon.
On the plus-side, 08 will bring the return of the TDi diesel engine, now with BlueTec and in a 2.0l size (up from the previous 1.9l TDi). Additional powertrain updates include a 20hp bump for the 2.5l 5-cylinder (now at 170).Read more about it at the best VW site around:
VWVortex: 2008 Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagen
Could someone please loan Subaru a designer - Tribeca refresh
Okay, Subaru has gone for years without a real stylist on staff...then they decided to try one out and he forced a design language he couldn't get Alfa Romeo to accept on them (you can't blame them...what did they know about design and this guy was an 'expert')...the result was the B9 Tribeca...a dumb name with a front end that nobody seemed to like.
So, instead of firing the bad designer and hiring a better one...Subaru had a knee-jerk reaction and went back to their old ways.
The results we've already seen are the bland Impreza.
Now we get the refreshed Tribeca (note the lack of the B9 which Subaru is dropping with the refreshed front styling). Unfortunately, the Tribeca, while still stylish from the A-pillar back, now looks like the Chrysler Pacifica from there forward.
Again, I ask...could someone please loan Subaru a designer before it is too late?
So, instead of firing the bad designer and hiring a better one...Subaru had a knee-jerk reaction and went back to their old ways.The results we've already seen are the bland Impreza.
Now we get the refreshed Tribeca (note the lack of the B9 which Subaru is dropping with the refreshed front styling). Unfortunately, the Tribeca, while still stylish from the A-pillar back, now looks like the Chrysler Pacifica from there forward.
Again, I ask...could someone please loan Subaru a designer before it is too late?
Chrysler Crossfire cancelled
I've always liked the Crossfire - or at least really wanted to.
The styling, while not nearly as edgy as its namesake concept car, was provocative, unique, and showed Chrysler's (now lost, it seems) flare for design.
Unfortunately, given Chrysler's tie-up with Mercedes, the car that ultimately got produced had a cheap feeling interior (which is odd since it is shared with the Mercedes SLK on which it is based), poor handling, and a weak powertrain.
Ultimately, sales suffered and the last Crossfire will roll off the assembly line this summer.
I only wonder what the Crossfire could have been if Chrysler's German masters hadn't been holding it back.
Winding Road: Chrysler Crossfire to be Euthanized this Summer
The styling, while not nearly as edgy as its namesake concept car, was provocative, unique, and showed Chrysler's (now lost, it seems) flare for design.
Unfortunately, given Chrysler's tie-up with Mercedes, the car that ultimately got produced had a cheap feeling interior (which is odd since it is shared with the Mercedes SLK on which it is based), poor handling, and a weak powertrain.
Ultimately, sales suffered and the last Crossfire will roll off the assembly line this summer.
I only wonder what the Crossfire could have been if Chrysler's German masters hadn't been holding it back.
Winding Road: Chrysler Crossfire to be Euthanized this Summer
Mini Clubman S spotted
Of course, we knew all along that the stretched Mini Cooper (the Clubman) would get the turbo treatment of the Cooper S...now WorldCarFans has the spy shots to prove it.
Check out their pics of the turbo Clubman (Clubman S?) testing:
WorldCarFans.com: Spy Photos: Mini Clubman S