As a finalist for this year’s North American Car of the Year, the 2014 Mazda3 continues to impress more than a decade after its debut. Although it didn’t find enough votes to win we still think the value of what Mazda is offering is hard to beat. Take a look for yourself in our short video.
The Lexus IS has been languishing for a while and has recently found itself a tad smaller than the class average set by cars like the BMW 3-Series, Cadillac ATS and Mercedes C-Class. Of course the simple fix is to increase the dimensions while improving the packaging, and that’s exactly what Lexus has done with the 2014 IS. A very significant 3 inches of additional rear seat legroom will improve the sedan’s usability while the great 8-speed automatic from the IS F now trickles down to improve the IS’s performance. Both 2.5-liter and 3.5-liter V6 engines will power the IS and the styling will be sure to turn a few heads. We can handle just about everything including the most extreme variation of the new corporate grille we’ve yet seen, but the two piece headlamps are going to take a while to adjust to. At least they look way cool when illuminated. We’ll be lamenting the lack of a manual transmission, but an IS F Sport is now available and places a big emphasis on rewarding handling so we’d be willing to bet a drive of that will help ease the pain. Lexus is prepping the 2014 IS for a summer on-sale date. Read more…
Because the NSX remains two years away, Acura used the rest of its NAIAS time to show the assembled press the 2014 MDX Prototype that strongly hints at the production version which will get its own debut soon. Like springtime soon. Which means basically everything you see here will be available in showrooms later this year. This prototype did not have an interior so we can’t comment on that but the MDX remains powered by the 3.5-liter V6 but should get a bump in the power ratings. Super Handling All Wheel Drive will be offered but a front wheel drive MDX will now be available for those in warm climates. A longer wheelbase will allow for more second row legroom and improve ride quality. We like the handsome, refined lines of the new look and we’ll be sure to bring you the full report when we drive the production MDX later this year. Read more…
We’ve rarely seen an entire model range replaced in a single auto show, especially one as broad as the E-Class, but that’s exactly what Mercedes did at the North American International Auto Show. We saw the new E-Class sedan, wagon, coupe, cabriolet and AMG-tuned E63 bow in a matter of minutes and we unanimously liked what we saw. The powertrain offerings widen with the addition of a new four cylinder diesel and the E63 now offers up to 585 hp. After that mighty beast the diesel is what we’re most excited about. It’ll arrive in the Fall and offer 369 lb-ft of torque sent through the same updated 7-speed automatic as the rest of the lineup. No fuel efficiency estimates were released but they should be pretty impressive when considering what the outgoing V6 diesel offered. All wheel drive remains an option under most circumstances and is the new default for the E63, which would have struggled to make use of all that power with rear wheel drive only. Unfortunately, it appears COMAND carries over relatively intact, which means we’re in for another few years of dreading changing the radio station. Read more…
If we were keeping a list of long-in-the-tooth vehicles most in need of a refresh, the Jeep Grand Cherokee would not be on it. After all, it debuted as a 2011 model and impressed everyone enough to earn the distinction of being the most awarded SUV ever. So we were a bit surprised when Jeep rolled out a refreshed Grand Cherokee lineup for 2014 at their Monday morning press conference. Not that we’re complaining. With new features like an 8-speed automatic and a modern 3.0-liter diesel joining the powertrain lineup, the Jeep marketers can now advertise the dickens out of a 30 mpg highway rating. The changes don’t stop there as the front and rear receive noticeable improvements in the form of new lighting elements with LEDs, a shorter and higher grille, new foglights and wheel designs plus a host of interior refinements. The most significant of which is the 8.4” center screen and 7” screen in the middle of the gauge cluster. They can be programmed to display just about anything and work very well. SRT fans won’t feel left out either, since their 2014 Jeep is benefiting from most of the cosmetic tweaks and the 8-speed automatic comes along to dramatically boost real-world passing times and fuel efficiency. There is also a one button Launch Control system to make sure your stop light drag races go off without a hitch. Look for these in showrooms in the Fall. Read more…
We don’t get to write about a new Corvette very often and the proof is in the math where it’s taken 60 years to finally deliver up a seventh generation. The wait has always been worth it and this time looks like no exception. The most dramatic changes are with the styling where lines get sharpened and a new quarter window adjoining the door glass takes the greenhouse in a daring new direction. The rear is also emboldened with dramatic LED lights, new vents and quad exhaust. In person the Corvette Stingray (that name returns to denote the base model) comes off as lithe and athletic but not overly refined or timeless. We do expect great things from the 450 hp LT1 V8, which finally features Direct Injection and should pay dividends in fuel economy, especially when paired with the new 7-speed manual transmission. Yes, seven speeds, just like the Porsche 911 only Chevrolet has engineered in a rev-matching system that should be a hoot. The C7 is 99 pounds lighter than the outgoing car and boasts a stiffer chassis thanks to hand-me-downs in the form of the aluminum frame from the ZO6 and ZR1. The interior is one area where we didn’t want to see any sharing from the outgoing car and we’re glad to report the new interior looks and feels leagues better. There are even two styles of seat for those who want even more aggressive bolstering. With as promising as the C7 looks we might not have to write about the next generation Corvette for a long time. Read more…
BMW used their time in the spotlight to introduce two new models (plus a very subtly updated Z4) and a thinly-disguised concept that will soon join the lineup as the newly-christened 4-Series replacement to the aging 3-Series coupes. Let’s start with the 320i that features a lower output version of the 2.0-liter turbo four we’ve enjoyed in the 328i. Here it makes 180 hp and 200 lb-ft of torque but it does net you a starting price of $33,445. Most of the usual options, including all-wheel drive will remain available and if you were expecting a fuel milage bump over the more powerful 328i you’ll be disappointed to learn they are estimating the same 23 mpg city/33 mpg highway EPA ratings. You’ll just have to take solace in the nearly $3,500 you saved when selecting this new base model. Read more…
Quick on the draw this afternoon Design Editor Gernand nabbed this shot of what looks like a prototype mule of the Ford Mondeo. What is a Mondeo doing on this side of the pond you may ask? Well, and this is all speculation, but this may just happen to be an early drive mule of what will become the 2014 Ford Fusion / Mondeo. Ford has already stated that the next Fusion / Mondeo will extensively share components in all areas except where specific market regulations demand otherwise. And while Gernand was unable to snap a front end shot, he did say that the front camo seemed to be hiding a Taurus-like nose. Hard to speculate from this angle, and odds are the actual styling for the 2014 model isn’t even close to set. It’s also hard to say what will be under that hood of this car once it comes to fruition in a few model years, but if our money was on the line it would be a pair of 4-cylinders with at least one being an EcoBoost. Ford has already promised to proliferate the EcoBoost tech throughout the line and it makes sense that they would save development dollars and only set up the car for 4-cylinders like what Chevrolet will most likely do with the next Malibu and what Hyundai has already done with the Sonata. Keep your eyes on Automotive Trends and we’ll keep our eyes on the road so you’re up to date on Everything Automotive!
