Car Blog

Hyundai Motor America introduced the all-new Hyundai Azera in a North American debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

Azera is the fifth vehicle to adopt the company’s signature Fluidic Sculpture design language. Tucson, Accent, Elantra, Sonata and Azera now all have a modern, sleek, sophisticated style, creating the illusion of constant motion. This flagship Fluidic Sculpture sedan also features a more powerful Lambda II 3.3-liter GDI engine, six-speed transmission, best-in-class combined fuel economy of 23 miles per gallon and a wide range of advanced safety equipment.

Azera is the seventh vehicle in Hyundai’s 24/7 version 2.0 product initiative (seven new models in 24 months), on the heels of the all-new Tucson, Sonata, Equus, Elantra, Accent and Veloster. The 2012 Azera represents a modern approach to the traditional large sedan segment by using an advanced powertrain, emotional design and luxury features offered with Hyundai’s strong value proposition. This approach has been successful for the other Fluidic Sculpture vehicles. Read the rest of this entry »

Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) will unveil the all-new 2013 CX-5 at the upcoming Los Angeles International Auto Show.  The compact SUV will be Mazda’s first vehicle to fully encompass SKYACTIV TECHNOLOGY, the brand’s ground-breaking engineering and leading-edge technology toward improving all-around vehicle efficiency.

A suite of technologies, SKYACTIV TECHNOLOGY includes completely redesigned, highly efficient internal combustion gasoline and diesel engines, manual and automatic transmissions, and an advanced body and chassis.  Together, these components will improve upon every aspect of the driving experience, including the vehicle’s performance, handling, fuel economy and safety.

Based on the MINAGI Concept, which made its global debut at the Geneva Motor Show last March, CX-5 enters a highly competitive compact SUV segment but with the unique advantage of all-new SKYACTIV technologies, such as the SKYACTIV-G 2.0-liter gasoline engine, SKYACTIV-MT six-speed manual transmission, SKYACTIV-Drive six-speed automatic transmission, SKYACTIV-Body and SKYACTIV-Chassis. Read the rest of this entry »

Nitto Tire U.S.A. announced several exciting products and initiatives that will make their debut at the 2011 SEMA Show at the Las Vegas Convention Center on November 1-4, 2011.

The Nitto Digital Passport Program is designed to assist press during the show to make their visit to the Nitto booth relaxed and informative.  Knowing that the week at SEMA is filled with numerous meetings leaving editors short on time, this program is intended to make editor engagement with Nitto Tire even better. Whether gathering information on new products, photographing vehicles or learning about new sizes and specs, the Nitto Tire Digital Passport will make the booth visit quick and engaging.  Using one of 13 interactive tire displays, media can have custom information delivered to them while touring the booth. To be a part of this unique, interactive show experience, editors will need to pre-register online at www.nittotire.com/SEMA .  Members of the media who are one of the first 100 to pre-register for the Digital Passport program will receive a special welcome gift upon check-in to the Nitto SEMA booth.   Read the rest of this entry »

For over 60 years, Land Rover has been designing and building 4x4s that define capability, versatility and usability. Like no other vehicle, the Defender inspires affection and loyalty the world over. It is an eminently adaptable vehicle, serving people under all conditions whether they are explorers, ecologists, UN aid workers or Red Cross medics.

From just two principal platforms, the Defender has been put to every task and reconfigured in every way, from fire engines to tracked exploration vehicles. The only limit to the abilities of a Defender is the imagination of its owner. An estimated three-quarters of the nearly two million Defender models built are still in use.

The next chapter in the Defender story will unfold at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show. The two DC100 concepts unveiled there will build on the essential elements of Defender and allow Land Rover to discuss and inspire dreams of a future Defender. Read the rest of this entry »

Design Studios from the U.S., Germany and Japan Participate in the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show Design Challenge: Make a Car the Star

For decades, automobiles have played important roles in some of Hollywood’s most popular films. The big screen has seen a steady parade of iconic autos that not only entertained as the emblematic rides of their famous drivers, but also actually stole the show and took leading roles themselves. Thanks to vehicles such as the 1968 Mustang GT that Steve McQueen raced through the streets of San Francisco in Bullitt, to the DeLorean featured in Back To The Future, automobiles are now firmly part of film lore.

In the quest to find the next A-list automobile, this year’s LA Auto Show Design Challenge will focus on designing Hollywood’s hottest new movie car. For the second year in a row, participating design studios from not only the U.S., but also Germany and Japan, will compete against one another to showcase their talents. Design studios from General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz Germany (Smart), Mercedes-Benz Japan (Maybach), and Mercedes-Benz U.S., will explore new ideas in automotive design as they contend for this top annual design honor. Read the rest of this entry »

Honda will launch the new Civic at the IAA Frankfurt Motor Show in September. Developed specifically for the European market, the Civic will be offered exclusively as a five-door hatchback and will compete in the C-segment. It will reach European showrooms in early 2012.

In the build-up to the reveal of the new Civic, Honda is releasing a series of short form films detailing its development. The first of these focuses on ride & handling.

NEW HONDA CIVIC: RIDE & HANDLING – TWO GENERATIONS AHEAD

The ride and handling of the new Honda Civic has been developed in Europe. Working closely with European colleagues and external experts, the Japanese development team analysed the current Civic’s performance. This led to a focus on improving the ride quality of the new Civic, while retaining the sporty handling of the current model. Read the rest of this entry »