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Filed under: Economy , Green , Hatchbacks , Mitsubishi , Peugeot , Citroen Click above to view a high-res gallery of the Mitsubishi i MiEV France's PSA Group, which includes Peugeot and Citroen, will be jumping into the electric car game in 2011 courtesy of Mitsubishi. The Japanese carmaker will start selling its i MiEV later this year in Japan and will reportedly supply a re-badged version to sell through European dealers. Mitsubishi is planning to start with just 2,000 examples this year, with plans to double that volume each year over the next few years. With the additional volume going to PSA, the total number of cars is expected to double with half going to the French. That will mean Lithium Energy Japan, the JV between Mitsubishi and GS Yuasa will also have to crank up its production volumes. There are already some examples of the iMiEV being tested by electric utilities here in the US, but Mitsubishi hasn't yet committed to actually selling the car here. Gallery: Mitsubishi...
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Filed under: Concept Cars , Detroit Auto Show , Economy , Videos , Hatchbacks , Chevrolet , GM This morning's Today Show on NBC featured General Motors' design chief Ed Welburn talking with host Matt Lauer live from General Motors' Warren Tech Center. Welburn previewing the Detroit Auto Show 's coming attractions, including the new Buick LaCrosse and the Chevrolet Camaro. Most newsworthy, however, was the designer's willingness to pull back the sheet - albeit partially - on what looks to be a production-bound version of 2007's Chevrolet Beat concept. Welburn promised that the car would be unveiled at the show in Cobo, leading us to speculate that the Beat may come to the States after all. Check out the high-res gallery below, and video footage from the show after the jump . Gallery: New York Auto Show: 2007 Chevy Beat Concept [Source: MSNBC ] Continue reading VIDEO: Welburn teases NAIAS-bound production Chevy Beat on Today Show VIDEO: Welburn teases NAIAS-bound production...
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Filed under: Spy Photos , Sports/GTs , Hatchbacks , Mitsubishi , Rumormill Click above for another shot of the Lancer Sportback The crew at NextAutos caught a Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback testing in the great state of Michigan, providing us with further proof that the WRX-fighter is on its way to the States. The Sportback is the hatch/wagon/combi variant of the Lancer that originally debuted in Paris , and while Mitsubishi still hasn't confirmed drivetrain choices for the U.S., we've been assured that a Ralliart version is in the cards. The Sportback aims to unseat the five-door Subaru Impreza both here and abroad, with gasoline engine choices in Europe spanning the range from 1.5- to 1.8-liters, along with a turbodiesel displacing 2.0 liters. The Sportback Ralliart will be powered by the same turbocharged 2.0-liter MIVEC four equipped on the sedan and putting out 237 horsepower and 253 lb-ft of torque to all four wheels through Mitsubishi's new Twin-Clutch SST transmission and...
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Filed under: Geneva Motor Show , Euro , Hatchbacks , Renault Click above for a hi-res gallery of the Renault Megane Trophy concept Hot hatch enthusiasts know what it means when Renault unveils a new compact car: a new Renaultsport variant will follow. The French automaker's performance division continues to roll out some the hottest compacts in the business, so when the wraps came off the third-generation Megane in Paris this past fall, it was only a matter of time before the tuned-up sport version would follow, and reports now indicate that it'll arrive this March at the Geneva Motor Show . For this latest generation of Megane, Renault continues to differentiate the sporty three-door from the more utilitarian five-door model, but the RS version promises to raise the bar yet again. Taking cues from the Megane Trophy racer (pictured above) also unveiled at the Paris show, the new Megane RS is tipped to feature a wider track, flared wheel arches, a wing bisecting the front air dam...
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Filed under: Detroit Auto Show , Hatchbacks , Scion , Special/Limited Editions Click above for a high-res gallery of the Scion xB Release Series 6.0 Scion will continue its habit of offering tweaked versions of its wares as "Release Series" models at next week's Detroit Auto Show where the Scion xB Release Series 6.0 will be revealed. As is de rigeur for these special editions, the R.S. 6.0 will get its own paint color, "Absolutely Red" (it's a standard color for the Yaris ), along with a unique front grille and wheel covers (seriously, wheel covers?). Inside, a new Pioneer Audio Visual Navigation system is included on the R.S., along with matching red accents on various trim pieces and seat fabric, as well as four-color interior lighting. Want one? Only 2,500 copies will be produced, so act fast and be prepared to drop an extra $1,743 over the base xB's price of $15,750. Add an extra $950 for an automatic transmission (if you must) and an extra $320 for...
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Filed under: Sports/GTs , Hatchbacks , Audi , Rendered Speculation Auto Express got the inside dope on the upcoming Audi S1 , and the the compact hatch has its sights set on the MINI Cooper JCW , Fiat 500 Abarth SS , Alfa Romeo MiTo GTA and Volvo C30 . Based on the new Audi A1 , the S1 will feature a cranked up version of VW/Audi's Twincharger 1.4L TSI four tweaked to produce 200 hp and 221 ft-lb of torque. Power might be down compared to the S1's competitors, but expect the three-door to hold its own with a rear-biased quattro setup, a seven-speed S-Tronic twin-clutch gearbox and a lowered and stiffened suspension that might feature Audi's magnetic dampers. AE is projecting a 0-60 time of around six seconds, an electronically limited top speed of 155 mph and a combined fuel economy of 35 mpg. The car should look as good as it moves, with styling that apes the metroproject quattro we saw in Tokyo last year. Expect an aggressive bodykit, 19-inch alloys, roof spoiler, and chrome...
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Filed under: Coupes , Economy , China , Euro , Government/Legal , Hatchbacks , BMW , Mercedes-Benz Mercedes decided to sue Shuanghuan Automotive for copyright infringement for its Bubble microcar (called the Noble in China), claiming it was a copy of the smart fortwo. BMW then decided to bring its own case against Shuanghuan , citing the Shuanghuan CEO as a blatant facsimile of the BMW X5 (that's the CEO on the wall in the above picture). Mercedes got the Bubble banned from display at a couple of auto shows, BMW won its copyright infringement lawsuit in Munich, and Mercedes sued the Bubble's importer, Martin Motors of Italy, to block sales of the car. It was all looking good... until BMW lost its case in courts in Munich and in China. The Italian court ruled that "consumers could not get confused" when similar vehicles are offered "with a significant price difference." With BMW cold knocked out in the Copyright Cage Match, Mercedes has been left alone in the...
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Filed under: Economy , Green , Hatchbacks , BMW , MINI Click above for a high-res gallery of the MINI E's unveiling Is the new MINI E sold out? If by "rented through," yes, it looks like you may have missed your opportunity to be a beta tester for BMW's new electric Cooper. BMW is leasing around 500 of the diminutive hatchbacks at a cost of $850-a-month (including insurance) for one year in the New York/New Jersey metro area as well as Southern California, and according to a new Bloomberg News story, applicants for the program have outnumbered the cars by more than a 4-to-1 ratio, though there is always the possibility that not all of the cars have been doled out yet. If you're still pondering how you might be able to muscle your way to the front of the queue, be prepared for some changes from your everyday motoring routine. For one, the MINI E's range is limited to 120 miles, at which point you'll have to plug the car into the 220-volt outlet you've had...
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Filed under: Sedans/Saloons , China , Hatchbacks , Misc. Auto Shows , Chery The Chery S16 is called a sedan even though it only has two doors, a hatchback, what appears to be zero rear headroom, and is about 22 inches shorter than a Chevy Aveo . From the front, the styling conjures words like "bizarre" and "Picasso" and "flounder," but -- and perhaps it is the hour -- we find it kinda cute. At the rear, things get confused with a host of grafted designs that don't blend so well together. Regardless of whether it's a sedan or what you think of its looks, Chery plans to release it by May of this year. What the company needs now is a name, and is appealing to the Chinese public to provide it with one. We don't understand why Chery is still in the hunt -- the car came with the perfect name when it was launched at the 2005 Shanghai Auto Show: Chery Wow. Indeed. [Source: Gasgoo ] Chery to launch S16 "mini sedan" originally appeared on Autoblog...
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Filed under: Economy , Hybrids/Alternative , Green , Tech , Hatchbacks , Kia Click above for a high-res gallery of the Kia cee'd Stop/start technology is like a trial membership for hybrids: it lets drivers in on the fuel savings and lower carbon emissions without forcing them to become a card-carrying member of the hybrid brigade. Kia is will be offering buyers just such an opportunity by introducing ISG, or Idle, Stop, and Go (also called Intelligent Stop & Go) on the new c'eed. The ISG will be available on the 1.4- and 1.6-liter gasoline-engined c'eeds, and unlike other stop/start technology, this ISG shuts the engine down not only when the car is stopped, but when it's moving less than four mph. To engage the ISG while the car is moving, the driver puts the car in neutral and depresses the clutch, the engine is shut down, and he or she will be rewarded with 15% better fuel economy in the urban cycle. The frugal-ized c'eed also benefits from a lighter five-speed...
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Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative , Green , Tech , Hatchbacks , Toyota Twelve years ago, Toyota started selling a car that was bought by those considered avant-garde, on the fringe. It was called the Prius. Now Toyota is looking to "turn around its struggling business with a futuristic ecological car," and the company is supposedly working on plans for a solar-powered car. We'll ignore, for a moment, that a company with $18 billion in cash and experiencing its first annual operational loss in 70 years is now called a "struggling business." The noteworthy news is that while other automakers are trying to get their hybrid acts together, Toyota is down the road working on a car powered solely by le soleil . There is little in the way of hard information at this point. The Japanese newspaper Nikkei disclosed the development, saying that the car would have solar cells, and that it would also be charged by solar cells on homes. Also according to Nikkei , the solar cells...
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Filed under: Aftermarket , Concept Cars , Tuners , Economy , Hybrids/Alternative , Euro , Green , Hatchbacks , Chevrolet Click above for a high-res gallery of the fahgmitgas Matiz LPG Concept Thanks to a company called fahrmitgas ("go with gas", get it?), our European readers will soon be able to cut their fuel costs to the low, low price of €3 (about $4.20 USD) for every 100 km of driving. Of course, they'll need need to be driving a converted Chevrolet (nee, Daewoo) Matiz converted to LPG, but on the other hand... that's just €3 to go 100 kilometers. The fahrmitgas Matiz LPG Concept has been put through a suite of bench-tested enhancements in order to be so frugal. Since fahrmitgas is a supplier to Chevrolet, it has intimate knowledge of the Matiz's systems. After installation of the LPG unit and some engine tuning for mid-range power, the company added stop/start, lowered the car a whopping 30 mm, and fitted it with ultra low rolling resistance Hankook...
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Filed under: Aftermarket , Concept Cars , Tuners , Economy , Hybrids/Alternative , Euro , Green , Hatchbacks , Chevrolet Click above for a high-res gallery of the fahgmitgas Matiz LPG Concept Thanks to a company called fahrmitgas ("go with gas", get it?), our European readers will soon be able to cut their fuel costs to the low, low price of €3 (about $4.20 USD) for every 100 km of driving. Of course, they'll need need to be driving a converted Chevrolet (nee, Daewoo) Matiz converted to LPG, but on the other hand... that's just €3 to go 100 kilometers. The fahrmitgas Matiz LPG Concept has been put through a suite of bench-tested enhancements in order to be so frugal. Since fahrmitgas is a supplier to Chevrolet, it has intimate knowledge of the Matiz's systems. After installation of the LPG unit and some engine tuning for mid-range power, the company added stop/start, lowered the car a whopping 30 mm, and fitted it with ultra low rolling resistance Hankook...
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Filed under: Hatchbacks , Volkswagen , Rumormill Click above to view the current Volkswagen Polo GTI in our hi-res image gallery The interwebs were all alight like Times Square last night with reports of a new Polo GTI on the way. According to Auto Express , the mini-GTI will upgrade on the upcoming replacement for the current Polo with all manner of GTI-trademarked upgrades, from sport seats to the black grille with red stripe, with power provided by the same 1.4-liter twin-charged TSI four as the upcoming SEAT Ibiza Cupra and driving 178hp through a six-speed manual or seven-speed DSG to reach sixty in about seven seconds. Sounds good, though we're not likely to get the Polo in the American market, in regular or sport versions, for the foreseeable future. What the reports apparently neglect to mention, however, in their enthusiasm for a revived Polo GTI, is that Volkswagen already makes one. The current Polo GTI revived the model in late 2005 with a 1.8-liter turbo four offering up...
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Filed under: Hatchbacks , India , Tata , Special/Limited Editions This cute little guy is the Tata Indica Vista , a special edition created to celebrate ten years of Indica sales. The Indica has perennially been one of India's best selling cars, as well as being Tata's prime mover. Given credit for greatly lifting the fortunes of the company, the Indica walks off with 78% of sales among the cars built on its platform (like the Indigo and Marina ). With design elements that might be generously taken from Ford's European design language, the Vista's changes from the regular Indica are all cosmetic. It will get a specially designed number plate, an interior with better materials and design, an integrated audio system and double-stitched seats. It will come in a selection of colors and a variety of wheel options, and if you're keen on the Vista, you can even read a review . For the rest of you, the full press release is after the jump. Let's hope Tata can create the...
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