Even when there were approximately 67 better options Chevrolet still managed to sell a lot of Aveos. So GM Brass should be feeling pretty confident about the Sonic’s future now that Chevy’s new compact class entrant can take on any competitor without excuse. Read more…
Ford is stretching its C-Platform for all it’s worth by introducing a new derivative to the extended Focus family called C-Max. Europe has enjoyed the people moving capabilities of the various C-Max offerings for years, but Americans would never have warmed to the small people mover when gas was only a couple bucks a gallon. Ford thinks the time is right to make a move and will do its best to convince us of the C-Max’s benefits later this year when the 7-passenger mini-minivan hits US showrooms. Read more…
Audi seems destined to repeat BMW’s formula from the ’90s by making one sausage at 3 different lengths. Just as the 3, 5 and 7-Series sedans were clones of each other in sizes small, medium and large, so too has Audi developed a lineup of A4, A6 and A8 sedans that are nearly indistinguishable. We aren’t implying that’s a bad thing. Audi’s clean, tidy lines contribute to a timeless design that has served the company well. Read more…
Honda isn’t quite ready to debut the new ninth-generation Civic lineup yet, but that didn’t stop them from teasing us with mildly exaggerated coupe and sedan concepts. If you visually downsize the wheels, relocate the center exhaust tips and install an interior you’re looking at the 2012 Civic that will debut in a few short months. Read more…
For more than a year Volkswagen has promised a larger midsize sedan to replace the long lived Passat name. The car was to be designed to fit US consumer’s tastes and buying habits and be built in a brand new plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Code named the NMS (for New Midsize Sedan) Volkswagen had the industry waiting with baited breath for the official name of the Passat replacement. Our collective breath was held in vain only for VW to reveal that the NMS would be designated – wait for it – the Passat. Read more…
After a barrage of new and updated product revealed by the Chrysler Group over the past few months, the Chrysler brand finally gave the world a live look at its next generation flagship model, the 300 sedan. While clearly evolutionary as compared to its award winning 2004 predecessor, the 300 appears to refine the model’s best attributes while correcting some of its most glaring faults: base powertrains and interior refinement. Read more…
BMW fans are always happy when the magical “M” gets glued to the decklid of a new vehicle in the German automaker’s lineup and when that vehicle is a tidy little coupe we know the outcome is going to be full of driver satisfaction.
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After boasting about Buick’s new found role as the US market’s fastest growing brand a cloud of smoke appeared. When the smoke cleared, Buick’s newest and smallest entry was rotating on the turntable, the 2012 Verano. Buick claims that this is the brand’s first compact luxury sedan. Apparently Buick officials are admitting that previous offerings such as the Special, Apollo, SkyHawk and Skylark weren’t really all that luxurious. Or perhaps they can’t seem to remember any of their offerings prior to 1996 when the last Skylark rolled off the assembly line. Read more…
One of the few true surprises of the show was the newest production offering from Hyundai and what a delight it was. The Veloster may have a silly name but we’re convinced it’s anything but. Read more…
Mini is on a quest to fill as many automotive niches as it can and the Paceman Concept is the latest alteration that may or may not be destined for production. What we can tell you is that Mini’s designers used “masculine design language” and the higher ground clearance and larger dimensions of the 4-door Mini Countryman to make this the first Sports Activity Coupe, or SAC, (their words, not ours) in the small car segment. Read more…
