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Official: Kia teases B-segment concept headed to Frankfurt

Filed under: Concept Cars, Frankfurt Motor Show, Kia, Design/Style

Kia Concept Frankfurt Motor Show

It’s not uncommon to see an automaker go a little outside of its comfort zone when creating a concept car, but Kia seems to be going all out for a new small concept it plans to unveil at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Although there is not much information to go on about this unnamed concept, Kia does say that it “hints at a possible future B-segment contender.”

With headlights that would look at home on a C7 Corvette or Jaguar F-Type and door cut lines reminiscent of a Ford GT, we can only imagine how sporty this car will look in the flesh. The wide door openings also give a good glimpse inside the car revealing details deep, flat-bottomed steering wheel with paddle shifters and the peculiar rotary-style shifter, but our attention is on the instrument panel switches. If you look closely, the second switch from the left seems to be for a center differential possibly hinting at a future sporty all-wheel-drive Kia. Yes, please! Scroll down for the brief press release on the car, and stay tuned for more info as we’ll be on hand covering the show next month.

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Kia teases B-segment concept headed to Frankfurt originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 09 Aug 2013 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Jeep confirms B-segment SUV

Filed under: Geneva Motor Show, Etc., Crossover, Hatchback, Jeep, Rumormill

Jeep

According to Autocar, Jeep CEO Mike Manley has confirmed that his company is working on a new B-segment SUV. At this year’s Geneva Motor Show, Manley said that there’s room in the small SUV market for an offering from Jeep, and that the vehicle should touch down in 2013. If that’s the case, odds are high that the company will turn to Fiat for the pint-sized SUV’s bones. That may mean that Americans will finally be able to sink their teeth into the Grande Punto, even if the vehicle does wear significantly different sheet metal.

Jeep may also make use of Fiat drivetrains for the project. European buyers will likely be able to enjoy the Italian automaker’s 1.3-liter and 1.6-liter diesel mills while Americans are more apt to see a 1.4-liter Multiair gasoline four-pot under the hood. All three of those lumps are typically associated with a front-wheel-drive transaxle, though Manley said that four-wheel drive will make an appearance on top-end models.

[Source: Autocar | Image: Zach Bowman/AOL]

Report: Jeep confirms B-segment SUV originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 04 Mar 2011 11:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Fiat readying all-new B-segment four-door for U.S. by 2013

Filed under: Rumormill, Fiat

Fiat logo

Now that Fiat has finally launched the 500 here in the United States, it’s time to start looking ahead. The automaker has already said that it will offer two other versions of the diminutive hatch – a high-performance Abarth-badged variant as well as a battery-electric vehicle – and now Fiat has disclosed that it is planning to create an all-new B-segment car specifically designed for the U.S.

Motor Trend reports that the new B-car, dubbed Project L-Zero internally, is expected to arrive sometime during 2013. Fiat has not specified whether the new car will be a four-door sedan or five-door hatchback, nor did the automaker say if the B-segment vehicle would be sold in markets outside of the United States.

In talking to Motor Trend, Fiat North America’s Laura Soave said that the automaker will not stray from its roots as a small car company. With Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep offering a bounty of larger vehicles, and with Alfa Romeo planning a return to the States, Soave told MT that Fiat would “likely never build anything larger than a C-segment car for the U.S.” Earlier reports suggested that Fiat was working on a five-door 500 specifically for consumption here in the U.S., but with the automaker branding Project L-Zero as something “all-new,” we’ll have to wait and see exactly what’s in store for 2013.

[Source: Motor Trend | Image: Steven J. Ewing/AOL]

Report: Fiat readying all-new B-segment four-door for U.S. by 2013 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 14 Feb 2011 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LA 2010: 2012 Infiniti M Hybrid brings electric power to the luxury sport segment

Filed under: LA Auto Show, Hybrid, Sedan, Infiniti

2012 Infiniti M Hybrid

2012 Infiniti M Hybrid – Click above for high-res image gallery

Making its public debut here at the LA Auto Show is the first production hybrid sedan from Infiniti, the M35h. Set to hit dealerships in the spring of 2011, the M Hybrid uses a parallel hybrid system combined with a seven-speed automatic transmission and rear-wheel drive.

When paired with a 50-kilowatt electric motor, the M35h’s 3.5-liter V6 is estimated to produce a stout 360 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. What’s more, the electric motor produces an additional 199 lb-ft of twist off the line for acceleration, and we’re told that the sedan can travel up to 62 miles per hour on electric power alone.

Official fuel economy figures are not available as of this writing, but Infiniti expects the M Hybrid to achieve 25 miles per gallon in the city and 30 mpg on the highway (27 combined). Sure, that might sound impressive, but for the sake of comparison, we’d like to direct your attention to the new 5.0-liter direct-injected V8 from Hyundai, which is estimated to net 26 mpg highway with a whopping 429 hp on tap. Just sayin’.

The M Hybrid does come standard with a laundry list of technological features, such as Active Noise Control and an audible pedestrian warning system for times when the car is silently cruising in electric mode. On top of that, the usual host of functions like navigation, Bluetooth and satellite radio are all on hand – this is a top-tier Infiniti, after all.

Follow the jump for the full details in the automaker’s press release, and click through our galleries of live and stock shots to see the new M Hybrid from all angles.

Gallery: LA 2010: Infiniti M Hybrid

2012 Infiniti M Hybrid

Gallery: 2012 Infiniti M Hybrid

2012 Infiniti M Hybrid

[Source: Infiniti]

Continue reading LA 2010: 2012 Infiniti M Hybrid brings electric power to the luxury sport segment

LA 2010: 2012 Infiniti M Hybrid brings electric power to the luxury sport segment originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 18 Nov 2010 15:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Hyundai Sonata overtakes Nissan Altima for third in mid-size segment

Filed under: Car Buying, Sedan, Hyundai

2011 Hyundai Sonata

2011 Hyundai Sonata – Click above for high-res image gallery

Hyundai is movin’ on up. According to The Detroit News, the Sonata officially displaced the Nissan Altima as the third best-selling mid-size sedan in America last month. In August, the Korean manufacturer sold 21,399 units, falling just behind the Honda Accord at 22,506 and the Toyota Camry at a little over 30,000. Those numbers are just based on retail sales, not the vehicles that are sold off to rental fleets. The Sonata has been besting rivals like the Ford Fusion and Chevrolet Malibu for a good while now, but this is the first time the car has managed to rattle the Japanese triumvirate that dominates the segment.

It seemed to be only a matter of time, though. The Sonata now wears some of the best looking sheet metal of any midsizer out there and its price tag comes in a good bit lower than both the Accord and the Camry. Throw in a snappy interior and very efficient drivetrain options, and suddenly you’ve got the attention of the car-buying public. The Detroit News says that since the 2011 Sonata debuted, the number of car buyers considering the vehicle has leapfrogged from 6.2 percent in January of 2007 to 19.5 percent recently. Thanks for the tip, Nicolai!

Gallery: Review: 2011 Hyundai Sonata GLS

[Source: The Detroit News]

Report: Hyundai Sonata overtakes Nissan Altima for third in mid-size segment originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 21 Sep 2010 14:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Large SUV segment outpacing small car sales growth in America

Filed under: Car Buying, Budget, SUV, Crossover

2011 Infiniti QX56 – Click above for high-res image gallery

Finally, after years and years of stagnation and painfully slow sales, small cars are starting to take a foothold in the United States. Or are they? While conventional wisdom makes us believe that Americans are ready to take the downsizing plunge in the face of – or at least the threat of – high fuel prices and environmental concerns (we’re all still watching the Gulf Coast, right?), it seems that reality may once again set us straight.

Automotive sales watchdog Autodata has found that the gas-swilling large SUV segment is growing at a faster pace than the America’s small car segment. Like statistics? Here we go: With a 19-percent jump over the first six months of 2010, large SUV sales have outpaced small cars (14 percent). Critically, they’ve also outpaced the overall market (17 percent).

Now, before we get our feathers riled up too much, realize that sales of large SUVs still lag way behind small cars – 974,000 to 121,000 through the first half of the year. Further, large crossovers like the Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, Ford Flex, GMC Acadia and Lincoln MKT are included in those figures right alongside traditional behemoths like the Chevy Tahoe, Ford Expedition, Infiniti QX56 and Toyota Sequoia.

We also expect that small car sales will continue to climb with new models coming to market, such as the upcoming Ford Fiesta, Mazda2 and Hyundai’s Accent and Elantra. That said, there’s always going to be a demand for large and powerful SUVs that can haul people and stuff while towing a boat or camper in cool, air-conditioned comfort, and automakers will be only too happy to provide the thick-margined vehicles for their consumption. For better or for worse.

Gallery: First Drive: 2011 Infiniti QX56

[Source: USA Today via Kicking Tires]

Report: Large SUV segment outpacing small car sales growth in America originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 30 Jul 2010 15:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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