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2009 Infiniti FX50 AWD

Infiniti's FX first arrived on the scene in 2003. At the time, it looked like something transported into the showroom directly from the auto show concept car turntable. While other manufacturers were delivering boxy SUVs, Infiniti presented the world a futuristic four-door crossover that was available in vibrant "Liquid Copper" paint. Even in bland white, the FX turned every head on the road – and rightfully so. Now in its second-generation, the all-new 2009 FX arrives with a more powerful 5.0-liter V8, a new 7-speed automatic and a mouthful of electronic driving aids that are sure to stump even the team at Engadget. Is the all-new FX a worthy replacement to its predecessor? Has it turned soft to please the luxury crowd? What's up with all of that gadgetry?
posted : 1/5/2009 @9:32:45 PM
Spy Shots: Suzuki SX4 getting facelift too

Following in the footsteps of its European twin, the Fiat Sedici, Suzuki is slightly reworking its SX4 Crossover for next year. You'd be forgiven if you didn't notice - all of the revisions are quite subtle - but the whole front fascia has been slightly remodeled. The most obvious change is to the grille area, which now has a slightly smaller opening that's flanked by new concave recesses for the fog lights. Apparently, the faux rear skid-plate has been redone as well. Like we said: minor, discreet changes. Inside, the Sedici has been upgraded with dual zone climate controls, so it would make sense that the SX4 would benefit from this new feature as well. We don't expect any powertrain changes, which is just fine with us. We thought that the SX4 was plenty peppy with its standard 2.0-liter DOHC engine's 143 horsepower and 136 lb-ft of torque when we had the sedan model in our garage earlier this year.
posted : 1/1/2009 @9:53:49 PM

BMW's 2009 unveiling schedule?BMW Blog has trained its spyglass on what it says is a list of BMW rollouts for 2009, and it will begin next month with the brand spankin' new Z4 showcased at the Detroit Auto Show. It is March, though, that will bring year's first real bounty. At Geneva, BMW will be showing off a concept version of the Progressive Activity Vehicle (half 5 Series, half X6), the Concept eDrive (an electric 1 Series or 3 Series), a Z4 Individual, and the Rolls-Royce 102EX (otherwise known as the RR4). Then in April, BMW's taking the show to Shanghai with the 760Li.

Post-Shanghai, you'll get a few months to digest. Then at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, BMW is expected to have the production-ready Progressive Activity Vehicle on display and the MINI Crossover. It is there, perhaps, that they'll also trot out a show pony speedster they call the Vision-Z with eDrive, their idea of "progress of sports cars for the future." And sprinkled on top throughout the year come launches of the 7 Series xDrive, 7 Series Hybrid, X5 M, X6 M, and X6 Active Hybrid. For bimmer lovers, 2009 is going to be a jubilee year.

posted : 12/30/2008 @8:42:29 PM

Garden Variety: Fiat preparing 500 crossover

Anything you can do, I can do better. That seems to be the strategy over at the Fiat group vis-à-vis the MINI, which the Italian automaker has attacked from two flanks with the popular little 500 and the up-market Alfa MiTo. As we've reported previously, Fiat is said to be preparing a whole batch of variants of the 500, including two different convertibles and a wagon. Reports now indicate that, with MINI hard at work on its crossover and the Clubman already on the market, Fiat is preparing to strike back with an all-wheel-drive version of the 500 wagon.

Tentatively known as the Giardiniera, reviving the classic nameplate of the original, the 500 wagon would likely borrow the all-wheel-drive system from the Panda 4x4 which shares the same platform as the 500. The bean-counters in Turin are still reportedly deliberating over the project, but if approved, Fiat is anticipated to produce little over 30,000 unites annually. Whether the 4WD 500 wagon would wear the same bodywork as the existing model or the front-drive wagon, however, remains to be seen.

posted : 12/30/2008 @7:21:15 PM
Spy Shots: Peugeot 3008The 2010 Peugeot 3008 has been spotted in France wearing a scant amount of camouflage, and unless Peugeot is deceiving us, it looks just like the Prologue HyMotion4 Concept from the Paris Motor Show. Updating the sheetmetal of the 4007, this crossover Pug gets a much smoother grille treatment and a combination of lines and curves out back suitable for a display at MOMA. The interior isn't revolutionary, but it's expected to offer seating for five or seven and looks like it will hold up to consumers cross-shopping the Nissan Qashqai and VW Tiguan. Four-cylinder turbocharged engines are predicted to be sized at 1.6-liters, burning either gas or oil and driving two wheels at launch, with a four-wheel-drive variant offered down the line.
posted : 12/24/2008 @9:14:19 PM
VIDEO: 2010 Chevy Equinox inside and out

The 2010 Chevy Equinox looks to be a far more sophisticated vehicle than the crossover it replaces. It will be powered by a choice of two direct injection engines, with the four-cylinder model able to crest 30 mpg on the highway and the new 3.0L V6 packing 255 horsepower. Chevy's new crossover also adds upgraded aesthetics with expressive, modern headlamps and tail lights, the new corporate Chevy grille and a more muscular stance. On the inside, the Equinox also looks very Malibu with a sweeping, double cockpit and a center stack that looks as good as any in the segment. We had a chance to get down and dirty with the all-new Equinox at the GM Design Center last week, and the video evidence of our trip is available after the jump for your high-def, widescreen viewing pleasure.
more ...
posted : 12/23/2008 @9:01:16 PM
Spy Shots: 2010 Lincoln MKT stops to rest in Pennsylvania

In the old days we relied on people like Jim Dunne and Hans Lehman to hide in the bushes near automotive test sites in order to get previews of upcoming vehicles. Now, thanks to camera phones and tiny point-and-shoot digital cameras, our very own readers are able to snap spy pics and let us know in minutes. Such was the case for Autoblog reader Mike, who recently spotted a partially camouflaged crossover sitting at a Pennsylvania rest stop. The vehicle in question is the upcoming Lincoln MKT. We first saw the MKT as a concept at this year's Detroit Auto Show and the production model will appear next January in Detroit. The MKT shares its underpinnings with the Ford Flex and should come with power provided by the same 3.7L V6 used in the MKS sedan as well as the new twin-turbo 3.5L EcoBoost V6. Unlike the concept, which had its interior packaged as a luxury four-seater, the production model is expected to get three rows of seats with room for up to seven passengers. What's not known at this point is whether the truck-based Navigator will live on after the MKT debuts. We're betting it won't for very long.
posted : 10/22/2008 @11:02:53 PM
Spy Shots: Has Acura gone mad? X6 competitor spotted on the 'RingThere is no doubt that Honda moves to the beat of its own percussionist, especially compared to its Japanese competitors. Of late, however, the Acura side of the house seems to be making some very odd decisions. There is the most obvious front and center example – the new shield grille, which one dealer has taken it upon himself to fix. Then the other day came news that Honda CEO Takeo Fukui has confirmed the next-gen top-of-the-line Acura sedan will use the company's first V8 engine. This comes at the same time other manufacturers are abandoning new V8 engine programs due to falling sales and high fuel prices. No doubt Honda's answer to the V8 question will be something at least slightly different than what we've seen from Infiniti and Lexus. The latest head scratcher may well be the biggest of all. Since it's debut, the BMW X6 has had many of us pondering why it exists. Apparently the team at Acura understands, since they have created a "sport activity coupe"/crossover thingy of their own. The X6 hasn't exactly been flying off dealer lots in the U.S. since it went on sale six months ago, so the obvious question is why make another? We certainly don't know the answer, but judging by this prototype with an Acura shield grille visible under the camo that was spotted recently at the Nürburgring, Honda does.
posted : 10/21/2008 @8:11:05 PM
Spy Shots: Production MINI Crossover spotted!Beneath all that ridiculous (though pretty darn effective) yellow and black paisley camouflage sits the new MINI Crossover. First shown in concept form at the Paris Motor Show, at 162-inches long, the new MINI CUV is quite a bit larger than its other older stablemates. At what point is a MINI not so mini any more? This could be it, as the spy photographers point out that it appears larger than the BMW 1-Series that shares a number of parts with. Lost in the translation from show car to test mule are the unique doors, which appear to have been replaced with a standard, run-of-the-mill four door body style. The rear hatch also opens from the top instead of sideways like on the concept, though it's been taped-up to appear like the barn-door style portals from the Clubman. The whole shebang's been lifted a bit and all four wheels are driven. Expect both gasoline and diesel four-bangers under the pointy-snouted hood.
posted : 10/18/2008 @7:29:11 PM
tags : bmw x4 , bmwx4 , crossover , sav , x6
X2 might be out, but BMW could be planning an X4

BMW has been aggressively expanding its vehicle offerings, and like most other automakers, crossovers make up the majority of additions. Earlier this year, team Bimmer added the X6, and with the X1 concept unveiled in Paris, mild-to-wild CUVs seem to be the focus for the boys in Bavaria. Automotive News is reporting that the SAV love will continue next year when BMW unleashes the X4. Design elements are said to come from the larger X6, which is to say that it'll probably look like a really tall hatchback. The X1 concept and the production X3 are based off of the excellent 3-Series platform, and we're guessing the X4 will also don the sharp-handling underpinnings. If this is what BMW needs to do in order to remain the world's top-selling luxury automaker, we're not so sure it's worth the trouble. The X1 will probably sell relatively well, but it will do so with underwhelming sheet metal. An X4 based off the X6 sounds like an even worse proposition, but then again, we didn't think the X6 was a bright idea either.
posted : 10/15/2008 @7:38:44 PM
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