facelifted Archives

Official: Holden launches tuned, pre-facelifted Malibu in Australia

Filed under: Sedan, GM, Holden, Australia

As General Motors prepares to launch a refreshed 2014 Chevrolet Malibu in the US, the current, year-old version of the car will go on sale in Australia as the Holden Malibu. Rather than just making it right-hand drive and putting new badges on the Malibu for Aussie duty, Holden engineers worked on the sedan’s drivetrain and suspension to give it a tuning unique to that market.

It seems like one of the biggest challenges was getting the Holden Malibu to drive smoothly on Australian roads, and GM’s crew Down Under accomplished this by retuning the suspension’s damping calibration, as well as giving the car proper right-hand-drive tires. Yes, apparently tires designed for a left-hand-drive car would cause the Malibu to pull “excessively to the left,” according to GM’s press release. Engine choices for the Holden Malibu are the 2.4-liter gasoline four-cylinder or a 2.0-liter diesel I4.

Scroll down for the official press blast.

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Holden launches tuned, pre-facelifted Malibu in Australia originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 13 Jun 2013 18:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Is this the facelifted 2012 Jaguar XF?

Filed under: New York Auto Show, Spy Photos, Sedan, Jaguar, Shanghai Motor Show, Diesel, Luxury

2012 Jaguar XF

A photo purported to be a sneak peak at the facelifted 2012 Jaguar XF has hit the Web ahead of its New York Auto Show debut, and while there’s precious little information about where the photo came from, if it’s legit, this is exactly in line with what we’re expecting the next XF to look like.

The sharper headlights on the car pictured above look consistent with the camouflaged versions seen in spy shots, so there’s a solid chance this is the real deal. Underneath the XF’s reshaped skin will be a new eight-speed automatic gearbox from ZF backing up a 2.2-liter diesel four-pot pulling down 187 hp and 332 pound-feet of torque. That same transmission will likely be fitted to the U.S.-spec models packing the 5.0-liter V8, possibly in both naturally aspirated and supercharged R guise. Thanks to everyone for the tips!

[Source: Joke For Blog via Nitrobahn]

Is this the facelifted 2012 Jaguar XF? originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 10 Apr 2011 15:50:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: Facelifted Kia Soul hanging out in the cold

Filed under: Spy Photos, Budget, Wagon, Hatchback, Kia

next generation kia soul spy photo

Spy Shots: Next-Generation Kia Soul – Click above for high-res image gallery

Kia is hard at work crafting an update to its funky little Soul. Our spy photographers in Germany have spotted a camo-clad example hiding an updated look.

Kia evidently plans on keeping up with current automotive trends, so the next-generation Soul will wear LED running lights (which are hiding beneath the amber stripes in the above photo) and sport turn-signal indicators in the mirrors.

Up front and out back, the Kia Soul will get revised bumpers. According to our sources, the Soul’s revised mouth will mimic the style found on the Kia Picanto, while the rear bumper cap are expected to seee the fog lights pushed further to the outside edges on Euro models.

There’s no word yet on when we’ll see this Soul sans-camo, but anything can happen when the auto show season is in full swing. In the meantime, we’ll have to use our imagination to figure out what’s going on under that camouflage, and you can try do the same by clicking through the gallery below.

Gallery: Spy Shots: Next-generation Kia Soul

Spy Shots: Next-generation Kia Soul

[Source: CarPix]

Spy Shots: Facelifted Kia Soul hanging out in the cold originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 10 Feb 2011 15:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Lotus rushing to get massively facelifted Evora out the door

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Lotus, UK, Rumormill, Luxury

Lotus Evora facelift leaked photo? According to Autocar, the Lotus Evora has a date with the plastic surgeon. The site is reporting that the decisionmakers at the sports car manufacturer have opted to put their 2+2 under the knife for a quick revision. The move is an attempt to jolt the Evora’s sales, which are said to be lackluster. Apparently, the current face of the car isn’t aggressive enough for Donato Coco, Lotus’ new design boss. The British publication even has what it says is a grainy leaked image of the substantial redo. If accurate, the new tweaks appear to focus mainly on the car’s mouth, and under Coco’s direction, we should expect to see the more aggressive visage sometime soon.

Likewise, Lotus plans to turn its design crew loose on the vehicle’s interior as well. The new cabin is said to boast a higher level of standard equipment and a healthier focus on fit, finish and materials as well. Autocar reports that the revised Evora will likely hit dealers late this year as a 2012 model to serve as a stopgap between the company’s current stable of old hardware and the new fleet set to arrive in 2013.

Gallery: First Drive: 2010 Lotus Evora

[Source: Autocar]

Report: Lotus rushing to get massively facelifted Evora out the door originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 04 Feb 2011 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Are you the facelifted 2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG?

Filed under: Sedan, Performance, Mercedes-Benz

2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG

2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG – Click above for image gallery

Now that we’ve seen the facelifted 2012 Mercedes-Benz C-Class in its bread-and-butter C250, C300 and C350 forms, it’s time to start thinking about the holier-than-thou, unabashedly hardcore C63 AMG. The folks at Germany’s EvoCars have stumbled upon what appear to be production-spec images of the AMG-laden 2012 C-Class, and while the brash bulginess of the current car has been toned down somewhat, there’s certainly nothing sedate about this new menacing Merc.

The biggest question about the next-generation C63 is whether or not Mercedes-Benz will ditch the current car’s glorious naturally aspirated 6.2-liter V8 in favor of the new twin-turbocharged 5.5-liter mill that will be used in the CL63, S63 and CLS63. EvoCars states that only the new C63 AMG Coupe will receive the 5.5-liter heart, and that power of the 6.2 will be bumped up for use in the sedan. Still, with either engine, we’re sure the C63 will be as lively as ever out on the road.

Gallery: 2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG

2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG

[Source: EvoCars (translated)]

Are you the facelifted 2012 Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 29 Dec 2010 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Officially Official: Opel premieres facelifted Antara in Bologna

Filed under: Europe, Crossover, GM, Misc. Auto Shows, Opel, Diesel

2011 Opel Antara

2011 Opel Antara – Click above for high-res image gallery

Opel has pulled the wraps off its facelifted Antara at the Bologna Motor Show, and the Euro-market midsize cousin to our GMC Terrain has received a host of upgrades. As is the way with mid-cycle refreshes, the Antara’s Theta chassis has been re-tuned, the interior has been reworked and the powertrain is available in a range of configurations.

The base Antara is powered by a 2.4-liter, 167 horsepower four-cylinder gasoline engine that pulls around the front wheels. It can be paired with either a six-speed manual transmission in both the front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive versions, while a six-speed automatic is also available on the all-wheel drive Antara.

For fans of diesel drinkers, the Antara offers two choices, both of which, oddly, are 2.2-liter turbocharged four-cylinder units. One makes 163 horsepower at 3,800 rpm and 258 pound-feet of torque at 2,000 rpm while the other produces 184 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque in the same rev range. The 163-hp unit is available with either the autobox or the manual in your choice of front-wheel or all-wheel drive. The 184-hp diesel is only available with all-wheel drive but is still offered with either transmission.

Take a gander at the all-new 2011 Opel Antara in our gallery below, and be sure to check out the press release posted after the jump for more details on this forbidden fruit.

Gallery: 2011 Opel Antara

2011 Opel Antara

[Source: Opel]

Continue reading Officially Official: Opel premieres facelifted Antara in Bologna

Officially Official: Opel premieres facelifted Antara in Bologna originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 03 Dec 2010 17:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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