Auto News archives

Honda Begins Leasing FCX Clarity In Japan

Honda has started leasing the FCX Clarity fuel cell car in Japan earlier today, delivering the first zero-emission car to the Ministry of the Environment. Initially, Honda will lease the FCX Clarity to government agencies and certain corporate entities in Japan, with up to 200 customers taking delivery of the car in the United States and Japan over the next three years. Honda has leased the vehicle in the US since July 2008. The FCX Clarity is Honda’s next generation, hydrogen-powered fuel cell vehicle. Drive

Three Hyundai Models Earn Top Safety Pick Awards

For a second year in a row, three Hyundai models earned the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) Top Safety Pick award.  The Hyundai Veracruz and Santa Fe received awards in the midsize SUV segment and the Hyundai Entourage in the minivan segment. All winning vehicles are recognized for their ability to protect passengers in front, side and rear crashes. This marks the fourth year in a row the Entourage has received the Institute’s highest honor in the minivan category and second year in a row for the

Bentley – Power on Ice

Bentley will host an extraordinary driving experience in February and March 2009 …with the remote snowscape of Finland as a backdrop. Harnessing the power of 560 horses on a surface of pure ice. It may seem like a contradiction in terms, but in actual fact these two elements form the basis of a truly unique driving experience. The British luxury car manufacturer Bentley is offering its customers and any other interested parties the trip of a lifetime in the far north of Europe. And not for no

All textiles in all Volvo models Oeko-Tex certified to be allergy-friendly

Volvo Cars is the only manufacturer in the car industry with a complete model range featuring textiles that are so clean that they are certified according to the Oeko-Tex standard. The textile standard was introduced at the beginning of the 1990s by textile research institutes as a response to the needs of consumers and the general public for textiles which posed no risk to health. The mid-nineties. A long day's test-drive of the Volvo S40 and

World debut for All-New Mazda3 5-door Hatchback at the 2008 Bologna Motor Show

Mazda Motor Corporation will showcase the world premiere of the all-new Mazda3 (known as Mazda Axela in Japan) 5-door hatchback at the Bologna Motor Show* on December 3, 2008. The second generation Mazda3 5-door hatchback follows on the heels of the 4-door sedan version, currently on display at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The all-new Mazda3 5-door hatchback adopts the same characteristics as its sedan counterpart, offering sporty driving and a dyn

Skoda Announces New Octavia Pricing

Škoda will be launching a new Octavia in January 2009 with an extensive exterior and interior facelift, bringing the hugely successful model up to date with the brand’s current range. Prices of the new, improved Octavia represent an average increase of £473 for the Octavia Hatch and £478 for the Octavia Estate over the outgoing model. The new Octavia has undergone a series of significant design changes which include dynamic, sweeping headlights and complimentary front fog lights, new folda

Toyota iQ: Six Degrees Of Innovation - No6

Innovation No6: the Ultra-slim Seat Design Toyota’s guide to the interlinked engineering and design innovations in the remarkable new iQ city car concludes with details of its space-efficient slim seat design. In its mission to build the world’s first car to measure less than three metres long but with four seats inside, Toyota maximised every last millimetre of space. Using a new differential design and a centre take-off gear allowed for a smaller engine bay and reduced the distance between the front of the bum

porsche presents first photos of four-door panamera gran turismo

Porsche Presents First Photos of Four-Door Panamera Gran Turismo

Roughly nine months before the actual market launch, Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, Stuttgart, has released the first official photos of the Panamera in its final look. In its design, profile and silhouette, Porsche’s unique four-seater stands out clearly as a new member of the Porsche family. Conceived and designed as a four-door grand touring sports car, the Panamera combines numerous talents in typical Porsche style: sporting driving dynamics, a

EuroCarBody AWARD 2008 presented

The Volkswagen Passat CC took first place in the voting category of innovative process, production and plant concepts at the 10th international car body benchmark conference in Bad Nauheim, and came a close second in the overall ranking just behind the winner, the Audi Q5. The Volkswagen Group has thus taken the top two places for the first time in the history of this award. Emden Plant Manager Pavel Vacek, who accepted the award for the Passat CC car body at a ceremony in the Emden plant tod

First Image Of The Volvo S60 Concept Revealed

Here is the first glimpse of the Volvo S60 Concept car which will be unveiled at the Detroit Motor Show in early January 2009, giving an indication of what the all-new Volvo S60 will look like when it's launched in 2010. "We both can, and dare, to deliver more exciting and more dynamic designs while maintaining our lead position in safety. The concept car shows part of our future, it's a hint that the all-new S60 will be one of the strongest contenders in the CD premium segment," says Stephen Odell, President an

KIA Motors Unveils Next Generation Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle

Kia Motors Corporation’s (KMC) Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV) program takes a major technological step forward today with the global unveiling of the all-new Kia Borrego FCEV at the Los Angeles International Auto Show. Numerous innovations including a higher output 154 horsepower fuel cell and a new 450-volts Supercapacitor give the Borrego FCEV higher performance, a greatly extended driving range and cold-weather starting capability to ope

All-new 2009 Dodge Challenger Earns Top Five-Star Safety Ratings in U.S. Government's Crash Tests

The all-new 2009 Dodge Challenger earned 5-star ratings for driver- and front-passenger protection in a frontal crash along with 5-star driver and rear-passenger ratings for side-impact protection, the highest ratings in the U.S. government’s safety crash test program. The all-new 2009 Dodge Challenger is available now at local Dodge dealers. “Safety is a top priority in all Chrysler vehicles, and the all-new 2009 Dodge Challenger features the