New models

Driving the 2008 Maserati GranTurismo is like dating an Italian supermodel: her beauty gets you a lot of attention in public and being with her just makes you feel good. Actually, having never even met an Italian supermodel, we're going with a stereotype here, but in many ways the graceful Pininfarina-designed GranTurismo fits it. Her mouth might be a little big and toothy, but that's where we've pushed the comparison too far. The big toothy grille on the car looks great, but wouldn't work so well on a person.

As for the cabin electronics, our supermodel'… Read more

The 2008 GMC Yukon Hybrid is either the first guilt-free full-size SUV or an example of unrestrained excess. The Yukon is big, with three rows of seating and a cliff-like front-end. And it uses one of the bigger engines available in the Yukon line, a 6-liter V-8. But it adds GM's new two-mode hybrid system to give it surprisingly good fuel economy. In city traffic, we're talking close to 20 mpg. Good thing it has hybrid labels around the body to fend off public rancor.

The cabin electronics are the same as GM has been offering on its … Read more

LOS ANGELES -- Acura will add a nameplate to its lineup in 2010 as part of an effort to become what company executives call a "tier 1 luxury brand."

"We will have an all-new vehicle," said Dan Bonawitz, vice president for corporate planning and logistics at American Honda Motor Co. By broadening the lineup, he said, Acura can compete more directly with rivals such as BMW and Mercedes. The new vehicle will be Acura's first addition since August 2006, when the RDX small crossover joined the lineup. Bonawitz would not give details but said the … Read more

On first getting into the 2009 Jaguar XF, the car seems like the ultimate in automotive tech. A red backlight on the engine start button pulses with a heartbeat cadence. Push it, and panels over the air vents open up while the shift dial rises from the console. That's right, a shift dial. Recognizing that most automatic transmissions are electronically controlled, the XF does away with a big legacy shifter, opting for a big dial that you turn to the different drive modes. The touch-screen interface uses a nicely designed set of menus, reminiscent of the LCARS computer interface … Read more

Infiniti announced some new additions to its G lineup this Wednesday. The 2009 G37 Convertible will be based on the current G37 Coupe and will feature a three-piece automatic retracting hardtop. Infiniti also states that it will be upgrading the audio and HVAC systems to compensate for this new exposure to the elements, but did not supply details as to how.

Infiniti's 330 horsepower, 3.7 liter V6 would be also be transforming the G35 sedan into a meaner G37 sport sedan. Joining the G37 coupe and convertible, all models will receive as options Infiniti's new 7-speed automatic … Read more

After having images of the 2009 Golf Mk VI leak to the Net ahead of the official Wednesday reveal, Volkswagen has gone ahead and released the details surrounding the new Golf, which will launch in Europe in October.

Among the details outlined in the press release are side mirrors that are aerodynamically designed to get less dirty and reduce wind noise; but we're not interested in side mirrors. We want the tech!

Firstly, VW has replaced its conventional automatic option with its dual-clutched DSG transmission in all but the most basic trim levels. The DSG will be either a … Read more

Official images of the 2009 Volkswagen Golf Mk VI have leaked to the Net, and it looks like the new VW Golf will look a lot like the old VW Golf. Surprise!

VW has made incremental styling changes, such as the replacement of the current Golf's "goatee," with a face that's similar to (but less sporty than) the world market VW Sirocco. But the overall look is still more "facelift" than "new model."

The 2009 Golf's powertrain options are still subject to speculation, but the general consensus is that VW will offer a range of turbocharged gasoline and diesel direct-injected motors and that VW's DSG transmission will be somewhere in the mix. More specific details will undoubtedly be revealed when VW officially unveils the 2009 Golf on Wednesday.

In the meantime, enjoy the images after the break.… Read more

The 2008 Hyundai Santa Fe is the second model we've seen from Hyundai with a navigation system, reinforcing the fact that the company is seriously upping its tech game. But unlike the 2009 Sonata, the tech in the Santa Fe is more of an add-on, forcing the buyer to make some trade-offs. While we aren't surprised that Bluetooth cell phone integration isn't available, the lack of even an auxiliary input for the stereo is a big disappointment.

Stylewise, the Santa Fe fits in with the general run of small SUVs, competing with the Honda CR-V, Toyota Rav-4, … Read more

CLE ELUM, Wash.--Is this an opportunity or a case of bad timing?

Kia is launching its midsized 2009 Borrego as the market for SUVs is collapsing.

"There is some migration from full-sized to midsized (SUVs), which we think plays well for the Kia brand," Tom Loveless, Kia Motors America's vice president of sales, said at a media event. "For us, it is an opportunity to enter a segment where we have never been, and it is also an opportunity to go after a consumer that we really haven't had access to."

Translation: The Borrego is Kia's most expensive vehicle, aimed at consumers who spend $27,000 to more than $40,000 for such SUVs as the Nissan Pathfinder, Toyota 4Runner, Ford Explorer, or Jeep Grand Cherokee.

… Read more