Beijing Motor Show 2010: 2011 Hyundai Accent debuts as Verna across the Pacific

Hyundai has unveiled the 2011 Verna (aka Accent) at the Beijing Motor Show.

Looking like a miniature Sonata, the Verna features sweptback headlights, a bold grille, and rearview mirrors with integrated LED turn signals. Inside, the cabin boasts higher quality materials and an improved design.

Power comes from two new Gamma petrol engines with multiport fuel injection. The base 1.4-liter produces 79 kW (106 hp / 107 PS) and 135 Nm (100 lb-ft) of torque. When equipped with a five-speed manual, the Verna consumes 5.7 liters/100km (41.2 mpg US). If you choose the four-speed automatic and the Fuel Economy Package, the Verna consumes 6.2 liters/100km (37.9 mpg US).

If that doesn't float your boat, Hyundai also offers a 1.6-liter with 90 kW (121 hp / 122 PS) and 155 Nm (114 lb-ft) of torque. It will be available exclusively with a four-speed automatic.

The car rides on an all-new platform with a 2570mm wheelbase - the biggest in its class. It uses an increased amount of ultra-high tensile strength steel, so we can expect improved handling and better NVH (Noise, Vibration, and Harshness) levels.

According to Euisun Chung, Vice Chairman of Hyundai Motor, "Today is a really special day for us, not only because we're launching a new car, but because it's one of the very few times we've done a world-premiere outside of Korea: And we chose to do it right here in China because it's our way of recognizing how important our Chinese customers are to us."

Chinese production kicks off in July, while global production occurs shortly thereafter.

[Source: Hyundai]



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Beijing 2010: Honda Li Nisn Everus sedan concept

Li Nian has unveiled the Everus concept at Auto China 2010.

Jointly-developed by Honda and Guangqi Honda Automobile (previously known as Guangzhou Honda Automobile), the Everus features angular lines and an Acura-like grille.

While details are limited, the concept is likely based on the Honda City. This means power will be provided by a 1.5- or 1.8-liter engine with at least 120 hp (89 kW / 122 PS).

Look for more information to be released when a production version debuts at the Guangzhou Motor Show.

[Source: paultan.org]



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First Drive: 2010 Aston Martin Rapide is always ready for its close-up

the starting ceremony complete, the V12 settles into a pleasant rumble. The transmission buttons reside on each side of the arty key. Release the electronic parking brake, press the "D" button, and the Rapide is ready to roll.

Acceleration is strong, but not neck-snapping. Holding the Rapide's accelerator to the floor rewards passengers with 60 miles per hour in just under five seconds – robust, but a number that is no longer very impressive in this stratospheric segment. It is a world filled with forced induction competitors that exhibit immediate torque off idle, yet the Rapide's V12 breathes air at atmospheric pressure. In the real world, most won't care about the numbers as the sound emanating from the 6.0-liter twelve-cylinder engine sends chills decisively down each passenger's spine. The unhampered exhaust spouts gloriously from the twin pipes under throttle, and it burbles during downshifts. In other words, the Rapide offers a sensational bark, but a mid-pack bite.

The Rapide doesn't drive as big as it looks (still, tight slaloms are best done wide to compensate for the added wheelbase). Notwithstanding, any sedan-like driving characteristics are left in the parking lot as the Rapide magically morphs into a coupe at speed and becomes truly enjoyable to command.

We covered a couple hundred miles in the Rapide over the course of a day. It was raining most of the time (thank you, Florida), but sealed inside our leather-lined cocoon, we were isolated from everything nature had in store. The platform is remarkably solid, as if it had been CNC-milled from a forged ingot of titanium. Not only is the cabin completely free from squeaks and rattles, but triple-digit velocities allow only a whisper of wind noise to our ears (the window glass is laminated specifically to improve noise insulation).

The paddle shifters, electronically triggering the six-speed automatic, are easy-to-use and very effective in operation. While it is not today's popular dual-clutch setup, the "Touchtronic 2" mated to the V12 cracks off quick shifts enjoyably and without drama. Even in fully automatic mode, we never found ourselves questioning its decisions.

Straight-line speed is effortless in the Rapide, but so are the curves. Again, in coupe-like fashion, the Rapide dives right in without hesitation. Excellent chassis tuning, a responsive automatic damping system and optimal weight distribution make the four-door an absolute joy to toss around. Reigning in the inertia are overly capable brakes. Thanks to the weather, we couldn't find a surface with enough grip to put them to a vigorous test as ABS would stop our game well short of their true threshold. Still, their application was accurate and easy to modulate.

We must mention the stereo as the Aston Martin Rapide has the best mobile audio system we have ever heard – hands down. Yes, it is standard equipment. Credit the Danish Bang & Olufsen team with engineering a 1,000-watt system that pumps auditory bliss out of 15 strategically-placed speakers throughout the cabin (the system is officially called the "1000 W BeoSound Rapide"). Not only does the custom setup include those two ultra-cool "Acoustic Lenses" that rise like dueling conductors out of the dashboard, but the electronics actually monitor each seatbelt to determine how many occupants are in the vehicle (and where they are sitting) so that the sound may be tailored perfectly within the cabin's acoustic chambers – now, that is cool. With our iPhone plugged into the system, we had Rush's Tom Sawyer blaring so loudly that you would have sworn Geddy Lee was wailing at us inches away, Alex Lifeson was strumming in the passenger seat and Neil Peart was hanging out in the rear hatch smashing a full complement of drums. Our ears rang for hours that night.

We genuinely liked the Aston Martin Rapide, but it didn't leave us breathless. A peerless execution of a sedan cleverly disguised as a coupe – or arguably one of the best-looking sedans on the planet – the four-door isn't the sportiest within its niche (the Porsche Panamara takes that honor), or the most luxurious (the Maserati Quattroporte is more swank). However, neither of those cars would win even a first-round beauty contest against the Rapide. With that sole factor in mind, Aston Martin has successfully delivered its objective.

On a level playing field, it is wrong to measure the Rapide against a Panamera or Quattroporte – Aston Martin's objective wasn't to dip into the rarefied sedan segment and skim sales from the Germans or Italians. This British automaker was seeking to offer its exclusive owners a four-passenger option, something it had never truly delivered. Today, an Aston Martin customer standing on a marble showroom floor looking for something a bit larger and more accommodating than a DB9 or DBS, yet with nearly identical driving dynamics, has a viable option. Without compromise, the pampered clientele will steer themselves towards the four-door Rapide.



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Review: 2009 Volkswagen CC Sport is a mid-size segment buster

We still cringe upon hearing marketing types utter the phrase "four-door coupe." It's inherently a lie, a scam. Who are they trying to fool? It's not a four-door coupe, it's a sedan with a sloping roof – generally one that's missing a middle rear-seat. And there's nothing wrong with that. But, just like automakers the world 'round bend over backwards corrupting the language to avoid calling a station wagon anything but a station wagon (Sportback, Avant, Sportcombi, etc.), the oxymoronic four-door coupe appears to be here to stay. Where's George Carlin when you need him? With that rant out of the way, the 2009 Volkswagen CC is the best four-door coupe we've ever driven – at least this side of a Mercedes-Benz CLS63 AMG, which is three times the price.

Good looking isn't even the right word for VW's rebodied Passat. Handsome, exquisite, sharp, revolutionary and awesome all spring to mind. But, let's just settle on two: segment busting. Not only that, but the CC renders the current Passat about as desirable as a late-model Ford Five Hundred. Which is to say, not at all. In fact, with the exception of third rear-seat, we can't think of a single reason to choose a Passat over the CC. Not one.

Review: 2010 Lincoln MKZ makes a name for itself in the middle

The Lincoln MKZ began life as the Zephyr. It was bland-looking and far too underpowered to compete in the increasingly competitive entry-level luxury class. Ford updated the mid-size sedan back in 2007 with a more powerful engine, some cosmetic updates, and a new alphanumeric moniker. Despite the alterations, the least expensive Lincoln still didn't stack up with the competition in many areas, let alone in terms of image or "wow" factor.

Understandably, Lincoln is looking to reverse the fortunes of its MKZ for the 2010 model year, with a thorough makeover on the inside and some major cosmetic tweaks on the outside. Has Lincoln improved its volume sedan entry enough to make the MKZ a consideration for car shoppers? Hit the jump to find out how the 2010 Lincoln MKZ fared in our Autoblog review.

Review: 2009 Lexus IS F pursues perfection, might need more personality

The Lexus IS F is the sole Japanese contender in a crowd of compact high-performance sport sedans. Boasting a full complement of performance upgrades, including a 5.0-liter V8 mated to a quick-shifting eight-speed automatic transmission, the 416-horsepower sedan blasts to 60 mph in well under five seconds. But the stats only tell part of the tale. Do the sum of the IS F's parts make it a contender against the best from Germany and America? Let's find out.

The first Lexus IS rolled into showrooms about a decade ago. The rear-wheel drive sedan sported a silky 3.0-liter inline-six (2JZ-GE) and went head-to-head against the standard BMW 3 Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class and Audi A4. A fine compact sedan under anyone's scrutiny, the first-generation IS only offered one engine. Lacking a factory-tuned performance variant, it was forced to sit on the sidelines and watch as the competition's high-performance M3, C43, and S4 frolicked through America's canyons and race circuits.

Paris Motor Show 2008: Chevrolet Cruze meets an eager Europe

The Chevrolet Cruze is three kinds of car: small, American and important. And with the state of General Motors, it isn't even the individual words that mean the most: it's whether The General can combine them into a reliable, fuel efficient and cost effective package. True, we don't get to drive these things while they're parked under the lights, but to have a seat in the Cruze is to imagine a GM that begs the question, "Where was all this before the meltdown?" The studio imagery we've seen so far translates nicely into real life, and the center console looks and feels substantial – in fact, it looks like it could be foreign – even if the silver mesh treatment in the show car was a bit much. The car has a compact yet full-bodied stance, and will probably look even better on the road in a color other than scarlet, and not under klieg lights. Spring of '09 will welcome this first Cruze variant to Europe, after which other regions will get it, as well as a probable hatchback and wagon. It will be powered by a 1.4-liter turbo four-cylinder that charts up to 140 hp and is said to return 40 mpg. Have a look at the high-res gallery of live shots below to get a better idea of what to expect when the Cruze goes on sale here in a couple years.