2013 Buick Enclave

I have driven a couple of Enclaves in the past couple of years and liked them quite a bit.
But, like its cousins Traverse and Acadia, the interior is quite cheap for the price range.
It looks like the new interior for 2013 address most of these concerns.
Except, again, the wood trim. Unlike the super cheap and fake looking one in the 2013 Traverse, this one seems just plain weird.
A cross between wood and leopard print.

We'll see how it looks in real life.


This is the current interior. Looking very busy when compared to the new one....

2013 Lincoln MKZ

First pictures of the giant power sunroof of the all new Lincoln sedan.
Still based on the Fusion, but at least it offers something you can't get in the cheaper Ford version.

Although what we can see of the dashboard in these pics already looks like the 2013 Fusion.

How about some more pictures of the new Mercedes A Class.

Still looking really good.

Let's just hope they find it in their heart to bring this one over here. And not just the B Class based sedan that is coming out soon.

2013 Nissan Altima

These are taken from the final teaser video from Nissan.
And the car looks pretty good. And quite upscale too.

Thankfully, more like a small Maxima than a big Versa. Which is good news.

More very soon.

2013 Chevrolet Traverse

I have to say, these small changes outside do work. It does look a bit more modern and upscale.

But inside... I am sure the hard plastics were replaced by better quality material. But all that fake wood does look quite tacky, and old fashion.
Let's hope there are other options, like black or something. Anything would be better than this.
(Unfortunately, the "wood" is standard on LT and LTZ models.)

Otherwise, everything else is pretty much the same...

2013/14 Mercedes BLC

Just an illustration.
(Although most people will still discuss it like it it was the real thing...)

This is what a slick sedan based on the new A/B Class could look like.
Even if we end up getting the hatchback version, this sedan will probably be the most popular one here in the US.
Just like the new A3 sedan.

2013 Lexus ES

Just a small teaser for now.
The real thing is coming out in a few days.
No surprises here as we've seen the whole thing a few weeks ago.

The 3.5 Liter V6 will be the main engine, although a Hybrid version could be offered for the 1st time.

AHow about a few more pictures of the new Acura ILX...

Some that show the car in a few colors. Not the standard grey.

Still not quite sure what to think.
It is so boring, it might turn out to be a hit for them.
Acura is hoping for a 45% growth, mostly from the ILX.

We'll see....

Chevrolet version of the Buick Encore

It almost seems more appropriate. The Encore is such a small SUV.
But where would a Chevrolet version be sold?

Europe is already getting the Opel version of the Encore which is basically the same car with an Opel grille.
And we are getting the Buick here in the US. Although you can see that the Chevy does have its own, although very similar, design.

This could be for south America, or India.

2013 Toyota Avalon

Sure, this is one of these exaggerated sketch.
Still, it seems that the new Avalon could turn out to be quite a good looking car.
The sharp slant of the rear window matches the spy shots we've seen in the past few weeks.

Looks like the trunk opening could be really small, unless it is a ... hatchback.
Which could be quite a departure for the big Toyota sedan. But also what they might need to make sure it's not another "big Camry".

2013 Hyundai Santa Fe

Looking pretty original.
But, like most recent Hyundai interior, it does feel quite busy.

Although maybe not as much as recent Ford interior designs. It seems to be a trend...

2013 Chevrolet Camaro news

The Camaro will finally get a proper GPS option for 2013.
GM's new MyLink will also be available.
MyLink is a big improvement over the older system still used in many GM cars and trucks.

I experienced MyLink in a Cruze a little while ago, and it works great.

Pictured here is the new 1LE package.
Let's hope the real thing looks a little better than this horrible computer generated photo.
It really looks like the 7 inch screen was shoehorned into the Camaro dash....

Audi A8 L Hybrid

Audi will be releasing a new Hybrid version of the A8.
So far this is only for Europe and China.

Some of the specs seem actually pretty impressive, especially the 37MPG expected average rating.
The engine is a 2.0 Liter with 211hp, plus the electric motor of course, for a total of 245hp.

2013 Nissan Altima. And more...

This is art of an new Nissan ad.
Where we can see the front end of the all new Altima .

Under cover, behind the Altima, are the new Pathfinder, as well as the new Sentra, Versa Hatchback and Rogue.

All these cars will be introduced over the next 15 months.

No mention of a new Maxima, which is usually introduced about a year after a new Altima...

2013 Ford Ecosport

This looks pretty much exactly like the "concept" Ford showed us back in early January.
(Concept is the bottom picture)

Based on the Fiesta, it is not yet approved for the US.
Mostly developed in south America for that market as well as India.
But they also mention it was "engineered for sale globally".
Which means we could be getting it after all.

The concept was powered by the new 1.0 Liter EcoBoost engine, now available in the European Fiesta.
A version of that new 3 cylinder is supposed to be introduced in the US in the 2013 Fiesta.

2013 Nissan Altima

Looking pretty nice on this picture.
But again, with this kind of lighting even the Versa might look decent.

We'll see the real thing very soon.

2013 Chevrolet Traverse

Just like the Acadia and the Enclave, the Traverse is getting a new interior for 2013.
We can't see much here, but it already looks better than the super cheap looking one in the current version.
Interior cheapness seems to be the main problem in these 3 cars.
The one for the Acadia seems vastly improved.

Their other problem being a terrible gas mileage. That probably won't be improving soon.
As the 2013 seem to be using the same powertrains.

2013 Mercedes GLK

Not all new, but new enough to make it better.
I never liked the current model, with its overly blocky styling inside and out, and rather cheap looking interior.
This revised version seems a bit better, as well as more aggressive and original.
The interior isn't all new, but the changes make it look more like the new A and B class models. Which is a good thing. It also looks more upscale.


This is the current , and rather horrible looking, model.

Scion FR-S pricing

The US version of the Toyota GT 66 will start at $24 200. Before destination charges.
The Automatic will add about $1100.

The FR-S is a compact RWD coupe with 200hp.
Here are a few things you can get for about the same price:

-2013 Mustang V6 with 305hp: $22 995
-2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe with 274hp: $25 125
-2012 Chevrolet Camaro V6 with 323hp: $24 180

Just a few things to think about. I also remember when Toyota announced they were working on a small RWD. Something they said could cost around $20 000.
I guess they missed by about $4000.

Good luck...

2013 Chevrolet Impala

Looking really good in this picture.
And in the spy pics we have seen so far. Including the interior.

And it is based on the Buick LaCrosse which is a great driving car already. A less expensive version with its own design can only be great news. Engine choices could include the 2.0 L Turbo as well as the 3.6 L V6.

Only thing is, larger sedans are not the most popular thing these days. As smaller ones are getting so better and better.
The Malibu already faces some competition from the smaller Cruze.
But the new Malibu, to my eyes, is not nearly as good looking as the previous version.
If the Impala turns out to have a great design, some people might not mind moving up.

We'll see.

2013 Hyundai Santa Fe

Just a few teaser shots before we see the whole thing, very soon.

Seem to look pretty nice, but so do most other crossovers on the market. It could be tough standing out in a crowd of Muranos and Flexes. Or maybe Hyundai is playing it safe. With a modern yet understated design.
They have mede very few mistakes lately and seem to be on a roll.
And they already announced an all new Sonata for 2014.

They are not resting...

2013 Lexus LS?

Looks like the LS is getting a new nose for 2013.
The current generation came out for the 2007 model year, so you would thing an all new one is due.
But comparing the new front with the current one, it looks like the shape of the headlights are pretty much the same.
It doesn't seem like an all new car.
Just what they did with the 2013 RX.

Maybe they sell so few of these they figure they might as well save some cash and keep the current one going for another year or two.
Why not...

Citroen DS9

Citroen has just made public a couple of teaser pictures of their upcoming flagship, the DS9.
So far, it does look pretty impressive, and inspired by the stunning Metropolis concept.
But is seems, at least on the 2nd pic, that it could be a hatchback of some sort.

We will know everything very soon when the car is unveiled in China.

This is the Metropolis concept.
Something similar could give Citroen quite an impressive top of the line model...