Car shows

Today Honda sent out a sketch of a new concept vehicle the company intends to unveil at the North American International Auto Show in January. Honda calls the concept an Urban SUV, and it looks like the predecessor to a new, small SUV in the lineup.

The sketch shows the profile of a car with lines similar to the latest CR-V model. However, Honda updated the CR-V for 2012, so the concept is not likely to be a new version of that car.

More likely would be a smaller SUV, similar to the Subaru XV Crosstrek and BMW X1, a … Read more

The automotive presence at CES 2013 looks to be stronger than ever, with an array of aftermarket and GPS companies joined by some of the leading tech pioneers among automakers. In addition, equipment suppliers such as Nvidia, Intel, and Freescale show off their latest automotive-oriented chips.

Big iron Both Ford and Audi will run major press conferences at the Mandalay Bay. During last week's Los Angeles Auto Show, a Ford spokesman told us to expect big tech announcements at CES without being specific on what they were. We expect Ford to show off the latest iteration of its MyFord Touch … Read more

LOS ANGELES -- Once upon a time, Acura pushed the cutting edge of cabin technology, pioneering such features as navigation and active noise cancellation. But times changed and Acura didn't, letting other automakers steal the high-tech mantle. Now Acura fights back with the RLX, a new high-end sedan with some odd quirks.

By and large, premium and luxury automakers use rear-wheel drive for their flagship sedans, an architecture maintained more out of tradition than real necessity. Acura has always bucked this trend, and continues to do so with the RLX. This model will launch as a front-wheel-drive car sporting … Read more

LOS ANGELES -- Leading up to the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show, Ford teased a couple of technologies for the 2014 Fiesta model, then brought out the car at the show. With an innovative new engine option and its own MyFord Touch system, the new Fiesta should be a high-tech fuel sipper.

Last week Ford handed out specifications for a new engine option in the 2014 Fiesta, a 1-liter three-cylinder Ecoboost already in use in Europe. The engine sounds ridiculously small by U.S. standards, but its turbo and direct injection help it achieve 123 horsepower, which should be more … Read more

LOS ANGELES - The Green Car Journal announced its Green Car of the Year award at the Los Angeles Auto Show, choosing the Ford Fusion in a field of five finalists that included Toyota, Mazda, Dodge, and another Ford model.

The 2013 Ford Fusion mid-size sedan comes out with a wide array of drivetrain options, from a standard 2.5-liter engine to a plug-in hybrid system. With its base 2.5-liter four cylinder, the Fusion gets an EPA average of 26mpg. Prospective buyers can also upgrade to either a 1.6-liter or 2-liter Ecoboost engine, each using direct injection and … Read more

If I were a betting man, I'd wager that the SEMA Show in Las Vegas is easily the largest aftermarket car show in the world. Hundreds of customized cars (dinged-up daily drivers, glossy show cars, battle-scarred race cars, and bench racing dyno queens) crowd the Las Vegas Convention Center every year. It's nearly impossible to see it all, but that doesn't stop us from trying. So after filling up an SD card with snapshots, we've sorted out the best of the first day for your enjoyment.

The Camaros, Corvettes, Sparks, and Sonics that populated Chevrolet's … Read more

The Batmobile (in all of its various incarnations) is probably as famous as the Batman who pilots it. However, if you should happen to find yourself in New York this week (perhaps for some sort of comic book convention), you'll be able to get a peek at the car that Kia Motors would like to see as the Caped Crusader's next set of wheels: a top-of-the-line Kia Optima SX Limited. Well, they at least got the color right.

Personally, I'd like to think that if Batman were to drive a front-wheel-drive, Korean sports car, he'd be … Read more

PARIS--These may be trying times for the European economy, but that automakers rallied at the 2012 Paris Motor Show, bringing out a variety of new concepts and some model updates relevant to the U.S. buyer. As has become a theme given European interest in CO2 reduction, many of the cars we saw featured hybrid or electric drive trains. And many new models and updates were what we in the U.S. consider premium cars boasting fine coachwork.

Here is our last day roundup from the 2012 Paris Motor Show.… Read more

PARIS--One of the easiest ways to increase fuel efficiency without sacrificing drivability is to shave weight. Lose a gram here, save an ounce there, and before you know it, you could be looking at sizable weight reduction and a complementary reduction in fuel consumption and particulate emissions.

On the first day here at the 2012 Paris Motor Show, we heard this theme repeated over and over from automakers as they put their vehicles on a diet, shaving hundreds of pounds off of their newest models.… Read more