2013 Hyundai Santa Fe Confirmed for New York Debut

Posted by William Lee at 11:30 PM It's no secret the new 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe (MY2012 pictured) is coming, but now Hyundai has confirmed it will debut at the 2012 New York Auto Show in April.We've seen the spy shots, and while nothing has been confirmed, we can see the styling direction Hyundai is likely taking with the new Santa Fe. The updated crossover will sport Hyundai's latest 'fluidic sculpture' design, with a swept-back...

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Hyundai Tops Customer Loyalty Study by JD Power

Posted by William Lee at 11:14 PM Hyundai has a customer retention rate of 64 percent – a four percent increase from 2010 – according to the latest JD Power and Associates study. The Sonata and Elantra are credited for Hyundai’s increased retention rate from third to first place.“Hyundai’s increased retention rate is shaped by its expanding model lineup, as well as the fact that perceptions of the brand’s quality and appeal have...

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More Photos of 2013 Kia cee'd Released Before Geneva Debut

Posted by William Lee at 11:41 PM When Kia announced the 2013 Cee'd earlier this week, they only included one photo of the front. Now Kia fans have found a couple more showing the side and rear views.To refresh your memory, the Kia Cee'd is a Europe only model. It shares its platform with the Hyundai i30.Notable features include the H-shaped grille, chrome windows moldings and LED infused headlamps. Inside, the dashboard is oriented...

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The beautiful Toyota 2000GT Solar EV

13 January 2012 I much admired the recycled E-Type Jaguar that did so well in the recent Brighton-to-London Future Car Challenge, having had its straight-six engine replaced with an electric motor and a load of lithium-ion batteries.Toyota’s beautiful 2000GT coupe was Japan’s riposte to the E-Type when it went on sale in 1967, and now one has undergone its own electric car upgrade.I’d be able to tell you more if I could read Japanese,...

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BMW puts a price on its 1-Series EfficientDynamics Edition

16 January 2012 BMW has published further details of its upcoming 1-SeriesEfficientDynamics Edition, which will be the most frugal car in BMW’s line-up when it goes on sale in March.The most important piece of new information is the price – the 116d ED will start from £20,885 on the road, a £380 increase over the ordinary 116d SE on which it’s based.Although the EfficientDynamics Edition has a smaller diesel engine (it gets a 1.6, whereas...

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Plug-in car grant embraces vans, and will run till 2015

17 January 2012 Electric car detractors, of which there are many, seized with glee on figures published earlier this month showing that only 1,052 plug-in cars were registered in the UK last year.The number is certainly lower than some were hoping. In the run-up to the launch of the Nissan Leaf EV, for example, Nissan’s UK managers told me they were hoping to shift 2,000 in year one. Indeed, they said they wanted more, but had to...

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Dakar Rally 2012

18 January 2012 The Dakar Rally no longer runs between Paris and the Senegalese capital from which it takes its name, sensibly choosing to avoid the threat of targeted terrorist attacks. But steering well clear of roadside bombs doesn’t mean the race has gone all soft. The event remains one of the very toughest challenges in motorsport – its five-thousand-mile, two-week test of mettle has simply been transplanted to South America for safekeeping.Four...

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Citroen DS3 Ultra Prestige edition

19 January 2012 The promotional photographs published by car manufacturers typically feature empty rural roads, remarkably glorious sunshine, highly dramatic architecture and implausible couples engaged in mountain biking, snowboarding or paragliding.So the snaps accompanying Citroen’s latest upmarket DS3special edition are unusually honest, for picturing a woman using her car to nip to the shops.OK, so we are still in the la-la land...

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2012 Chevrolet Aveo review - Eco edition

25 January 2012 I’ve lost count of the times I’ve attended a car launch and found the most fuel efficient version was also the most disappointing car in the range. Power is typically down, responses muffled and trim chosen from the sackcloth end of the options book.So it was refreshing and surprising to realise, at the launch of the 2012 Chevrolet Aveo this week, that the Eco model was the peach in this particular fruitbowl.The...

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Ford Focus ST-R to Make its Racing Debut at Daytona Grand-Am 200

After a year in development and nearly five months after its public debut at the 64th Frankfurt Motor Show, Ford’s Focus ST-R will make its racing debut this Friday at the Grand-Am 200 that takes place at the Daytona Motor Speedway. Competing in the Continental Tire Sport Car Challenge ST class, the racing version of the production Focus ST is a fully prepared competition car. It sports a 2.0-liter EcoBoost engine, a new...

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Comments Has the New Hyundai Santa Fe / ix45 SUV been Caught with its Guard Down?

Pictures allegedly showing an undisguised prototype of the new generation of the Hyundai Santa Fe are making the internet rounds today (keep in mind the front fascia image was created by mirroring the right hand side photo). The styling cues such as the six-point grille and exterior mirrors seem to match the camouflaged test cars we've spied over the past few months, though we're not sure if this is the South Korean market version...

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BMW Car Club GB Announces its First Ever 'Z-Fest'

On the occasion of its 60th anniversary, the official BMW Car Club GB will host its first ever "Z-Fest" gathering at this summer’s Silverstone Classic from July 20 to 22, promising to bring together hundreds of Z1, Z3, Z4 and Z8 sports cars, all of which will participate in a special parade lap on the full Silverstone Grand Prix circuit. “We wanted to do something spectacular to mark our anniversary and staging the UK’s first Z-Fest...

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Ram Trucks Introduces New Top-of-the-Line Laramie Limited Edition, will Debut in Chicago

The Chrysler Group's Ram division is going to present a new range-topping edition of its pickup truck called the Laramie Limited with added features at the upcoming 2012 Chicago Auto Show, which opens to the general public on February 10. "The launch of the Ram Laramie Longhorn edition gave us a boost in the ultra-premium pickup segment and exceeded our expectations,” said Ram boss Fred Diaz. “Ram Laramie Limited offers customers...

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BMW Shows its New M Performance Tri-Turbo Diesel-Powered Models on Film

Following on from yesterday's official presentation, BMW has published the first video on its M Performance range that launches in Europe with the M550d xDrive Sedan and Touring, X5 M50d and X6 M50d models, all powered by a new 381-horsepower, 3.0-liter tri-turbocharged straight-six diesel. Prepared by the Bavarian firm's M division, the new M Performance models blend M Sport styling cues with M tuned engines and chassis components –...

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Kia Builds 1 Millionth Vehicle at its Slovakian Plant

The 1 millionth vehicle rolled off the assembly line at Kia's Zilina plant in Slovakia just a little over five years since the factory opened, marking a significant landmark for the South Korean automaker. The milestone model was a white, diesel-enginedCee’d SW that was handed over to a Slovakian children’s charity called the Red Nose Clowndoctors (no connection with Adult Swim's Children's Hospital…). “Kia Motors Slovakia has achieved...

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