Based on the gargantuan Nissan Armada, the Infiniti QX56 is one big beast of an SUV. Especially next to the svelte FX, and even more so now that the EX has joined the line-up. Keeping such a goliath of a truck looking fresh is a challenge unto itself, but Nissan's luxury division is apparently working on it.
The biggest thing to hit Tempe since Super Bowl XXX, this QX test mule was spied by one of our intrepid readers while apparently undergoing hot weather testing around the Phoenix suburb. The vehicle in question, as you can see, is wearing heavy camo, but appears to carry the same pronounced grille as the current model, albeit with more angular headlights to mimic its little brothers. The rear end appears to be undergoing a restyling as well, while the C-pillar-mounted rear door handle – a hallmark of Nissan sport-utes in the Pathfinder family – have apparently moved to the more conventional position.
Audi probably won't be taking the wraps completely off its new small car until the Geneva Motor Show next March, but spy shooters are already out there hunting down the prototypes. The clearest image we've seen yet shows a mini-car that appears to have changed very little from the MetroProject concept that first appeared at the last Tokyo Motor Show two years ago. The new A1 is expected to go on sale around the middle of next year in Europe although its not clear if it will ever come Stateside.
To keep costs down, Audi is expected to build the A1 with a conventional steel structure as opposed to the aluminum space frame of the A2 of a few years ago. Power is expected to come from a range of gas and diesel engines likely topping out at about 1.4 liters. Some of the unseen mechanical bits will likely be shared with the new VW Polo, but this is definitely more than just a re-badge job as evidenced by the completely different shape.
Toyota's FT-86 concept, which will be officially unveiled at next week's Tokyo Motor Show, combines attractive, aggressive aesthetics, rear-wheel drive and a Subaru-sourced boxer engine with the hopes of injecting a bit of passion into the Japanese automaker's admittedly sterile lineup. And since the vehicle has reportedly been a collaboration between Toyota and Subaru all along, we've been anxiously awaiting the Subaru-branded coupe that is sure to follow.
Last week, we gave you an update regarding Subaru's progress with its half of the Toyobaru project, complete with a sketch-tastic rendering from the UK's Autocar. Fast forward to today, and although we can't be sure if this Nürburgring-circling, cobbled-together prototype is a Subaru effort or a Toyota joint, it appears to be a development of the FT-86 that we know is headed for production.
As shot here by our friends at KGP Photography, the little coupe is well disguised, but it looks like a Fuji Heavy project to us, as it shares some Subaru design hallmarks. Up front, the masked prototype takes on the basic shape of the WRX, with bold, bulging curves and a snub nose. There is no trademark Subaru hood scoop, but the big hood has a very aggressive appearance. Out back, the car's rump is also Impreza hatch-like, with a massive rear wing disguised by some heavy camo. It isn't at all clear that what's seen here is in any way, shape or form production bodywork, but we wouldn't be surprised to see the Scooby crew adopt a chunkier aesthetic than their compatriots at Toyota.
more ...
Just last week, Hyundai revealed the new ix35 compact crossover in its home market of South Korea. When it arrives at U.S. dealers late this year, it will retain the Tucson nameplate used on the current-generation model. This week, we stumbled across what looks to be a production-ready Tucson here in Michigan, completely devoid of camouflage and missing only its badges.
As we saw in the photos from Korea, the new Tucson is very similar to Hyundai's ix-onic concept shown in Geneva last March. The biggest exterior differences are the front foglights, the rear taillamps and the CUV's lower fascia. From what we were able to see of the interior, the design of the concept is also carried over verbatim.
With the new North American market Ford Fiesta set to launch production in Mexico in just a few months, it's no surprise that someone has spotted one running around near Mexico City. In this case, the car that was seen is the sedan version that is likely to comprise the majority of U.S. sales. Automovil, which got a hold of these pics and saw an electric cord sticking out of the lower grille, is speculating that this is an electrified version of the Fiesta, going so far as to claim that it was operating silently. On this point, however, Ford has never given any indication that it is working on an electric Fiesta – its upcoming electric passenger car is based on the new Focus platform.
We checked with Ford spokespeople Alan Hall and Jennifer Moore (who specifically work on sustainability communications) and both told us that there is no work ongoing on an electric Fiesta. Since the plug appears to be a standard 110V three prong unit, this is almost certainly just a block heater. While a heater wouldn't be needed in the sunny summer locale in Mexico, this prototype has likely seen service in cold weather regions at other times.
As for the reported silence, Ford has said almost all of its cars will have automatic start-stop capability within the next few years and the Fiesta is expected to be one of the first so equipped.
One of the two new sedans that Buick has promised to introduce in the next 12-18 months is a compact based on the new Opel Astra. We had a chance to see the new car a few weeks ago at the GM design studios in Warren, Michigan, but no photography was allowed.
That same car has now been spotted in the wild in China where it seems likely to be very popular. It won't look anything like the current almost unsellable Astra available from Saturn and will likely only be sold in North America as a four-door sedan. So far, the Astra itself has only been shown as a five-door hatch although that may change when it is publicly displayed at the Frankfurt Motor Show later this month.
At this time, there is no word on what powertrains will go into the North American Buick, but four cylinder engines displacing between 1.6 and 2.0 liters are likely. The 1.4-liter turbo that will go into the Cruze is also a possibility. GM has said that a C-segment car like this could be built at its Lake Orion, MI assembly plant alongside the new Aveo, though it could also be built in Detroit with the Volt or in Lordstown, Ohio with the Cruze.
The news media has turned its empty head to the deeper world of automotive coverage, beyond the front lines of dismal sales numbers and Cash For Clunkers.
None other than spy photographer extraodinaire Brenda Priddy has now been on the receiving end of the gentle, semi-informative coverage mainstream news is so deft at cranking out. A quick package on ABC's flagship World News Tonight broadcast was but a precursor to a more in-depth piece on Nightline that blows Brenda's cover and profiles her hard work in the searing desert heat.
Porsche's Cayenne is starting to show its age. With the arrival of the Panamera, it's no longer the most controversial looking vehicle in the company's product portfolio, though its road-scorching edge remains undiminished in turbo form. A new Cayenne is coming in gas, diesel, and hybrid flavors, and a fresh spy shot has surfaced showing what may well be the reshaped keister of the next model. It's got a bit of Volkswagen in it, maybe, but check those wheels and the way the lower valance is a diffusery thing - very Porsche-esque. If it is the Cayenne, this next generation might actually look okay while it continues to defy physics. Before we get too vitriolic, the Cayenne's volume has helped make 911s and Caymans possible – and for that, we say thank you.
BMW unveiled the X1 Concept at the 2008 Paris Motor Show to our bewildered eyes, and spy photographers have just surfaced with photos of the production version that do little to address our concerns for this littlest of soft roaders from Munich. As you can see, the production version will hardly differ at all from the concept, which means the swollen nose from the new 7 Series remains, along with all the surface pinching and odd details that we were so not fond of in Paris. Styling aside, we question whether there's a market for another BMW sport or crossover utility vehicle, considering that the brand is already loaded with the X6, X5 and X3. The X1 also appears just plain redundant being so similar in size to the X3. That said, it will be built on the same platform as the 3 Series and offer a heaping helping of BMW gas and diesel engines, so it should be the Ultimate Driving Honda CR-V.
These spy shots show a compact car that is rumored to be a baby Buick based on the same Delta II platform as the Chevrolet Cruze and next-gen Opel Astra. Just as the new 2010 Buick LaCrosse will share its platform with the next Saab 9-5 and Opel Insignia, this baby Buick would be one more model that helps General Motors increase the economies of scale for its small car platform. While the spy shooter who took these pics claims that the car is destined for sale in China and the U.S., we're not so sure Americans are ready for a Buick of this size that will almost certainly cost more than the already capable Cruze. GM certainly doesn't want another slow-selling Cadillac Cimarron on its hands, but Buick/Pontiac/GMC dealers may be begging for a small car after Pontiac gets pared down to a niche performance brand and the G3, G5 and G6 go away.
