2012 Chevrolet Sonic

For the second time in about a month, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration a recall on the Chevrolet Sonic. Last month, about 44,000 Sonics in 2012 called for a leaky washer reservoir hose, and now more than 4,700 owners of the 2013 Sonic would expect a call back message.

This time, NHTSA says that some Sonics between 29 May and 29 August built a state in which the vehicle turn signals do not work, which means that the vehicle does not have to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard. As with the previous call to the Sonic, it has a relatively simple solution to the body control module and reprogrammed trailer required. General Motors will begin owner notification next week, but for more information, please visit NTHSA the press release below.

Read more »

2013 Jaguar F-Type

Last week we got our first look at what appears to be the production stage 2013 Jaguar F-Type to be filtered through a single picture, and now we have more of the new Jaguar by creating a handful of new photos from AutoWeek. I.e. The new photos show the droptop from all angles and, as importantly, they give us a first look inside.

As nice as this car is from the front, the back of the 2013 F-Type just lovely. As we suspected, the F-type styling follows very closely with the 2011 Jaguar C-X16 Concept (minus the hardtop roof, of course). We get our first look at some of the production costs F-type details, such as the Aston Martin-style door handles and flush Jaguar leaper logo above the center brake light. We expect that the F-type are offered with several engine options, and although these shots show the car, with a center-mounted exhaust and a more conventional quad-socket configuration, we do not know what's layout for the V6 or the V8 expected.

Within one of the biggest surprises is that the F-type, a conventional shift lever on the transmission of the two pedals round dial selector used on all current Jaguar models. We just have to wait a few days to the 2013 F-type person seen at the 2012 Paris Motor Show and a number of high-res images, but until then, enjoy these pictures of hot new roadster from Jaguar.

Read more »

Maserati GranCabrio MC

Maserati certainly seems to be milking the GranTurismo franchise for all is worth these days. Besides numerous limited editions and Sport models for both the coupe and convertible, Maserati recently the MC version of the hardtop. Now, before its debut at the Paris Motor Show was the Modenese car manufacturer detail on the latest iteration of the GT platform, the GranCabrio MC.

Visually, the droptop is the main change is the new face, lifted directly from the MC Stradale coupe. This means that the car is a full 48 millimeters longer than the standard and Sport versions of the GranCabrio, but we want the decidedly aggressive look that big ol schnoz '. The large rear spoiler is also reworked for the MC, providing additional downforce to keep you glued to this huge body firmly with the road.

Maserati has not released powertrain details, but we assume that the GranCabrio MC same 4.7-liter Ferrari-sourced V8 coupled as MC coupe, good for 444 horsepower and 376 pound-feet of torque, a six-speed automatic transmission. We get our first live view of the GranCabrio MC later in the week when. The lines in Paris alongside all the other GranTurismo models.

Lada Xray Concept

We have seen enough of the tactic: a car manufacturer that wants their game, it is hiring a designer of a brand tries to imitate it, then brings concepts, people go "Ooh la la." Lada is the latest, which hired Steve Mattin, the design head. Mattin is from the property as a senior designer at Mercedes-Benz and Chief Designer at Volvo before his emigration to the Russian side of life (although the company design studio in Milan, Italy).

The new Lada he wants us to be an X-shaped front end on the Xray concept out just unveiled at the Moscow Motor Show. The frontal treatment is the signature face for the upcoming production of Lada models, but the Buck Rogers cockpits probably not make it to the assembly line. Lada is clearly proud of his creation, has a huge gallery of photos from almost every possible angle unleashed added. If she continues, and to translate them into their production cars, well, the Volga go back just a river and not a punch line.

Read more »

2013 Toyota Avalon

Like his ancestors Cressida, Toyota Avalon has long focused on the simple comfort and value on sex appeal. Conservatives have sheet metal, a comfortable ride, room to spread out and overall ease-of-use historically the largest sedan brand popular among older people. But the new 2013 Avalon provides considerably more expressive styling that Toyota no longer content to the end-of-life is just demographic suggests. This shift from a more traditional value edgier design and content is hugging one of the very large non-premium sedan segment seems - witness the new luxury-2014 Chevrolet Impala, and the sculpted flanks of the 2012 Hyundai Azera and Ford Taurus.

The 2013 model year is remarkable svelter sheet, known by a bold front-end and smooth greenhouse Toyota intention, but it works as a sport mode and shift paddles that. Really telegraph renewed strength of the Avalon and ambitious mission And Toyota officials tell that already shown, V6 and Hybrid models are just the beginning - an original model of sport is also a serious consideration.

According to Randy Stephens, chief engineer of the model, a trio of Avalon’s concepts on the way to SEMA in October, with two of them is rounded internally - unusual for Toyota. The pair of concepts developed in the house will be a performance bent, at least one with an off-the-shelf compressor of TRD parts bin of the company in Australia (used same setup charge in the Lotus Evora S). The house built Avalons are told that they are not as structured as the most outrageous tend SEMA vehicles, mainly because Toyota to the public, with one eye will rock to a production run.

When asked whether there is a sportier production Avalon model similar to the current model Camry SE, Stephens trim quickly and decisively said, "No, it will be more real." From "real" Stephens is a hot Avalon would actually deliver improved performance. A production supercharged model? Highly unlikely. A performance in the amount of Avalon 2GR-FE 3.5-liter V6 (268 hp, 248 pound-feet of torque) is plausible, together with a revised chassis and corresponding visuals. Turn with the 2013 model year with an electric power steering, it would also be easy to turn the wheel and assign the weight. The Georgetown, Kentucky built Avalon hits dealers this fall in standard and hybrid flavors. If the green light is, take a good performance for a few years.

Read more »

2013 Volvo V40

One of the safest cars ever built will not be sold in the United States. The Euro NCAP, like our National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, set the new 2013 Volvo V40 with a battery of crash tests and found that one of the safest cars tested. The Euro NCAP test consists of cars (or was rather dragged) tested in four categories (adult occupant, child occupant, pedestrian and safety help) for the safety of the vehicles and the V40 away with some of the highest scores of the agency has ever distributed. The 98 percent of the adult occupant rating is the highest score recorded by Euro NCAP, while the car innovative pedestrian airbag helped to get an equally impressive 88-percent rating for pedestrian safety. This protection is actually an airbag under the hood, and if you will contact with a pedestrian is detected, the airbag inflates, and it can extend the rear of the hood, which absorb the person's head or body, if it helps in contact by car.

The Volvo V40 was perfect to assist in the security category. Thanks to systems such as Pedestrian Detection, City Safety, car brakes, and many other active safety features the only knock the V40 was found child occupant protection. The 75-percent rating is among the lowest of the last batch of the cars tested, the Audi A3, Kia CEE'D and Ford B-Max. Besides being one of the safest Volvo ever produced is, the V40 is also one of the best looking Volvo models of all time. We already had the opportunity to try the new V40 in June, and we were impressed with the car and what it might be doing to strengthen Volvo's U.S. lineup. However, Volvo has indicated that it does not intend to sell its new compact hatchback is here, despite the growth of the premium small car segment in this market.

Read more »