2013 Honda Civic. (They do listen)

 The sedan gets the most of the reworking. Front and rear are obviously new.
Making the compact sedan look a bit more upscale, and closer to the new Accord.
Not sure it is that much better, but it's different.

 On the other hand, the coupe seems pretty much the same outside. It looked better than the sedan in the 1st place, so why not.
It also has much less competition in the market place. There isn't many compact coupes available anymore these days, except this and the Elantra Coupe.

The interior seems much better than before. You can tell the shape of the dashboard is the same, but the parts are mostly new. (The 2012 bellow)

And what a difference. They finally got rid of the 80's brown/beige combo for a more upscale black/dan choice.

And the whole thing looks 100 times nicer. 

2014 Acura RLX

Just when you though luxury cars couldn't get any more boring. Here is the new top of the line Acura.
Here to prove that adding an X to a name doesn't make it more exciting...

The current RX came out in 2005. So this "all new one" should really look much better than this.
It looks like blend of everything else, from the new Accord, Acura ILX, Lexus GS, BMW  etc... You name it.

A brand like Acura, which has almost become invisible, needs a stand out design.
Especially for their most expensive car.

I haven't seen many of the Infiniti M37 around. And that car does look much better than this.
Life is tough when your competition is the Mercedes E class and the BMW 5 series.
Acura needed something much better.

I am sure it drives great, is reliable etc... But so is the new Accord for half the price.

Acura is now specializing in missed opportunities. So it seems....

2014 Kia Forte

Another really good looking compact sedan.
Now the choice is getting harder and harder every year it seems.
These cars are pretty roomy too, and often replacing mid sized sedans in the mind of many buyers.
And with better mileage too.

You can choose between a 1.8 L or 2.0L. 148hp or 173hp.
Both pretty good numbers.

A manual transmission is only available with the base model with the 1.8 L engine.
Which means: good luck finding one.

New RAV4 outside, and another interior combo.

I would say, at least on these pictures, the interior is quite a step up from the CRV.

I will be checking it myself soon and report on the quality.

More pictures of the all new Toyota RAV4

Now it's official.
And still, I think it looks just fine for what it competes with. It's not for me, but it sure looks good enough to compete with the CRV, which is the best seller.

All new Porsche Cayman

Basically, the hard top version of the Boxster is now a hardtop version of the new redesigned Boxster...
Nothing surprising.
Still, another great looking Porsche.

Engines will be the 2.7 Liter with 275hp, and the 3.4 Liter with 324HP for the S model.

Fiat 500L (US)

 This is the US version of the "big" Fiat 500. The "L" Version.
Over here, 2 versions will be offered, Standard (the white car) and Trekking.
Both will be powered by the top of the line 1.4 Liter Turbo engine with 160hp. Used in the 500 Abarth.
Both manual and Automatic will be offered.
This should be quite a fun family drive.

Here is a picture of the European version. Which has a slightly different front bumper than our Standard version.

Los Angeles Auto show

I will be at the Auto Show press days this week. Reporting, taking pictures.
So far the car I am the most excited to see in person is the all new Jaguar F-Type.

How about you?

BMW i3 Concept Coupe

BMW has been teasing us with electric cars for about 3 years now. Starting with the i8 sports car.
Now this new concept is a coupe version of the 13 hatchback we saw last year.
The design still looks like one of these pure concepts, that will have to be completely redone for production.
The spy shots we have been seeing of the production version i3 don't look nearly as modern.

More pictures of the all new RAV4

I think it might even been more than "it could have been worse".
It's actually just fine.

I know many people will love to hate it, but I predict this will be everywhere soon.
Toyota still has a great reputation among most consumers, and the new RAV4 looks decent.
That's all it needs to be a hit.

2014 Chevrolet Spark EV

Seems that GM will be really pushing the all electric version of the Spark. Against, mostly, the Versa.

Here is the official word:
"The 2014 Chevrolet Spark EV, unveiled at the 2012 Los Angles Auto Show, packs smart performance and connectivity technologies into an affordable five-door urban mini car priced at under $25,000 with tax incentives. Expected to have among the best range in segment, the Spark EV also has 400 lb-ft of torque and can charge up to 80% in 20 minutes with optional SAE Combo fast charger. Aerodynamic treatments throughout the exterior enhance Spark EV's range.
With two reconfigurable, HD, seven inch color LCD screens, the Spark EV features a customizable interface with confidence gauge. Spark EV also has Chevrolet’s exclusive MyLink radio which brings smartphone-based infotainment – including apps for BringGo full-function navigation, Siri voice recognition, TuneIn global internet radio, Pandora and Stitcher – into the vehicle. "


It all seems pretty competitive against the "with tax incentives" $27 700 Nissan Leaf.
And Siri!

Ford Fiesta ST (US)

The Fiesta does look better for the new year.
And the new ST model sure looks the part of the sporty version.

And with 200hp from the 1.6 Liter Turbo engine, it should be pretty quick.
I see the interior has been revised a bit. As it is pretty horrible and cheap on the current version.
The current car is really nothing fun to drive. Weather it is with the rough and clunky auto, or the manila. Which just doesn't have enough power.

I am sure the 200hp version is much, much better.

More very soon...

2014 Toyota RAV4

The current generation came out in 2005. So it's about time for a new RAV4. Really.
Everything else in the segment has been redesigned, sometimes twice.

It looks just OK from these grainy pix. Nothing amazing, although I supposed it could have been worse...
We will know much more very soon. Including what engines will be available in the US.
So far the 2.5 Liter is a pretty sure bet. Not sure if the V6 will return or not. And the Camry Hybrid system is pretty much ready to go if they want to use it in the RAV4.

Acura RLX

These are pictures of the production version of the concept we saw earlier.
That concept looked really boring a year ago, and this doesn't look any better.

It actually doesn't look more modern than the current RL. And that car came out in 2005!
It just look a bit weirder. Like an overgrown ILX.

There are so many other great choices at over $50 000. Life will be very tough for the RLX....

Audi A3 Sedan

The all new sedan version of the redesigned A3 is supposed to become the most popular A3 in the US when it comes out next year.
So far, it looks like the same car we saw earlier as a "concept".

One of these fake concepts that basically take the production design and just add larger wheels and car show details like futuristic door handles etc...

It will be competing here mostly with the new small sedan based on the Mercedes A Class.