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Chevrolet supersizes Volt with MPV5 concept

Chevrolet has taken the yet-unreleased Volt extended-range electric vehicle in an odd direction for the Chinese market, making it bigger and less efficient with the newly revealed Volt MPV5 concept. The concept takes the styling cues of the Volt sedan that we're already familiar with and super-sizes it into a five-seat crossover.

The Volt MPV5 is only 0.6 inches longer in wheel base, but overall it is 7 inches longer than the sedan version. Height has been increased by about 7 inches and width has spread by 2.9 inches. The result is a vehicle that gives its five passengers a bit more elbow room.

Under the hood is the same Voltec powertrain consisting of a 111 kW (150 horsepower) electric motor that twists the Volt MPV5's front wheels to the tune of 273 pound-feet of torque. Electric power is supplied by the same T-shaped 16 kWh lithium ion battery that juices the sedan, but the heavier MPV5's EV range has been reduced to 32 miles (down from the 40-mile zero emission range of the Volt sedan).

Once the battery is exhausted, a 1.4-liter gasoline range extender takes over supplying electricity and keeping the electric powertrain spinning until the battery can be plugged in and recharged.… Read more

Gah! Nissan Juke unveiled ahead of schedule

Update: We've added new info about the Juke's European drivetrain and interior photography.

Just one day after we showed a teaser image of the upcoming Nissan Juke, the automaker has released unobscured photos of the compact crossover. And boy, is it ugly unique!

Everything from the belt line up is as we expected, very Nissan Leaf-esque. However, from there on down, things get a bit dicey. Below the swept back headlamps are a second pair of large round auxiliary lights and a third pair of small fog lights. Fortunately, the rear end is more attractive, with its L-shaped … Read more

2009 Nissan Rogue: No surprises here

The Nissan Rogue may go down in history as one of the most inaccurately named cars of all time. It's not mysterious. It's not particularly quick. It is relatively quiet, but you won't be catching anyone off guard in this tubby little CUV. Instead of delivering a vehicle that breaks from convention and actually "goes rogue," Nissan has given us a decidedly average, small, crossover SUV. No surprises here.

Almost everything about the Rogue can be described as good but not great, whether it's power and handling or styling and cabin tech. In fact, … Read more

2010 Nissan Cube: First impression

There's something different about the Nissan Cube, and it's not because it's square or has asymmetrical windows. I'm in the driver's seat, and I can't seem to adjust the rear-view mirror to fit the entire rear windshield. Is the mirror smaller than usual? Is the offset window throwing me off? Or am I just not used to driving a car with good rear visibility?

The feature of large asymmetrical windows is one of the Cube's differentiators in the crowded crossover SUV segment. Although they've been doing it for 10 years in Japan, Nissan is a relative latecomer to the box-on-wheels trend in the U.S. with the Scion xB and the Kia Soul already in the mix. To stand out in the square car market, the company seems to have made "quirkiness" their signature on the Cube. A byproduct of this design is that you finally have a car with a rear window big enough that short people can see out of. … Read more

Toyota Venza AWD V-6 review

At first we found the 2009 Toyota Venza to be a bit off-putting, with its genre-bending form factor. After a week with the Venza AWD V-6, we're convinced that Toyota has hit upon an interesting sweet spot between SUV utility and sedan livability.

Once seated in its spacious cabin, we found even more to like about the Venza, including an impressive cabin tech package that features Bluetooth A2DP audio streaming and a clever center console cable-management system that had us all asking, "Why didn't I think of that?"

Make the jump to check out our full … Read more

Driving impressions: 2010 Lexus RX 350, RX450h

Elsewhere, editor Wayne Cunningham has covered the new styling and cabin features of the 2010 Lexus RX 350 and RX 450h. So I'll comment on the drivetrain and chassis changes.

Let's just say that, at Lexus, "The Relentless Pursuit of Perfection" is not merely advertising hype.

Lexus has obviously been doing something right with its RX, as the midsize luxury crossover is its most-popular vehicle, and the one that defines the midsize luxury crossover segment. But there was room for improvement in both the chassis and powertrain departments. The two previous generations had suspension tunings best-described … Read more

2009 Toyota Venza preview

Toyota invited us out to preview its new for 2009 Venza. Billing the Venza as "car-optimized," Toyota downright refuses to call it a wagon or a crossover. Curiously, Toyota expects the Venza to be compared with the Ford Edge, Mazda CX-7, and Nissan Murano, all of which are crossovers. They say you're judged by the caliber of your enemies, so I guess that makes the Venza a crossover as well.

Whatever you call it, the Venza is an interesting vehicle. It rides almost like a Camry, but with carrying capabilities that are just shy of the Highlander. … Read more

Review: 2009 Honda CR-V EX-L 4WD with Nav

The external aesthetic of the 2009 Honda CR-V mixes the Honda Civic's space-age design with the face and bulk of a bulldog. Although you may never catch us calling the CR-V attractive, its looks aren't offensive. More importantly, spend some time behind the wheel and you'll see that the CR-V manages to combine the sporty ride and handling of a small sedan with the utility of a small SUV while making few, if any, compromises.

In its EX-L with Nav trim level, the CR-V has an extra trick up its sleeve in the form of a DVD-based … Read more