Of all the core General Motors brands remaining, Buick has shocked the industry by performing the best, with sales up brilliantly over the past year.

This has been done with just three competitive models as well: the Enclave crossover and two sedans, the LaCrosse and Regal. That is set to change at the end of the year when the new small car Verano arrives.

Entering the premium small car segment is a pretty bold move for Buick, with its premium image still on the mend and many competitors still yet to get in the game. It is also a risk with a big payoff as well – establishing itself in the segment and opening up the brand to new buyers looking for a premium small car.Of all the core General Motors brands remaining, Buick has shocked the industry by performing the best, with sales up brilliantly over the past year.

This has been done with just three competitive models as well: the Enclave crossover and two sedans, the LaCrosse and Regal. That is set to change at the end of the year when the new small car Verano arrives.

Entering the premium small car segment is a pretty bold move for Buick, with its premium image still on the mend and many competitors still yet to get in the game. It is also a risk with a big payoff as well – establishing itself in the segment and opening up the brand to new buyers looking for a premium small car.tandard features on the Verano are numerous: 10 airbags, 17-inch wheels, leatherette and projector headlamps to name a few.

The car offers a complete luxury package, with standard and optional features like with dual-zone climate control, electronic parking brake push button starter and a heated steering wheel and heated leather seats. As far as the technology package, the car’s next-generation radio and Bluetooth connectivity will enable voice-commands and text-to-speech SMS translation.

Those with smartphones will also be able to interface with Pandora, Stitcher and other applications through the car’s touch screen. OnStar offers the ability of using a remote application on your phone to check fuel tank level and range, mileage, oil life, tire pressure and odometer reading. This is in addition to traditional OnStar features like remote vehicle locking/unlocking, remote vehicle start and a vehicle locator.

This is impressive – especially from a vehicle with a rumored pricetag spanning from just $21

A class leading Buick small car? Things have certainly changed – Buick is back. That’s a bold proclamation, but it is one we are willing to make

Familiar with high-quality B-segment vehicles in Europe and Asia, the drivers of the North American continent is now entering the advent of motoring where we can expect more from less. As Scion, Nissan, and Honda applied themselves to a category that was unexplored through the early 2000s, the B-segment subcompact class became to take on greater importance as the automotive climate adjusted in the United States. Facing increasingly stricter fleet-wide fuel economy requirements from the government, American-based automakers have realized these smaller cars were a necessity as well as a demand. Welcoming the United States to the ‘World Car’ philosophy, Ford brought their widely-raved Fiesta subcompact to the marketplace this past summer while Chrysler’s new partner is supplying the Italian-styled Fiat 500.

Sold in the United States since 2004, the Chevrolet Aveo (companioned with the Pontiac Wave in Canada) was General Motors attempt to match B-Segment wits with the Nissan Versa and Honda Fit. For the past 6 years this vehicle (sourced from General Motor’s South Korean partner Daewoo) has made few friends within the media who easily spotted the just passable build quality and performance. For the 2012 model year, a renewed commitment by Chevrolet introduces a new subcompact car officially unveiled to Americans at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show.For the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic, power comes from four-cylinder engines near identical to that found on the larger Cruze. Standard equipped 2012 Sonic models come with a 1.8 liter engine with a 1.4 liter turbocharged inline-four available. While both engines are exceptionally more powerful than the current Aveo, engines are separated by only 3 horsepower. Matched with a 6-speed manual gearbox, 1.4 liter turbo engine provides significantly more torque (148 pounds-feet in total). The Sonic’s 1.8 liter engine be paired with either a 5-speed manual or 6-speed automatic transmission. Fuel economy figures for the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic is yet to be released but expect results to exceed the results of the 2011 Aveo.

An exciting new small vehicle, 2012 Chevrolet Sonic buyers will find their pleasures for jiffy performance catered additionally with some optional equipment. Heated front seats, XM Satellite Radio, remote start and sunroof is all available to be included on the 2012 Sonic. There is also a MyChevrolet mobile smartphone App which can be utilized on the 2012 Sonic providing features such as a parking spot indicator and could even alert when metered parking spaces are running out of time.

Bringing a new attitude to the American B-Segment category, the 2012 Chevrolet Cruze will be built in the United States unlike other subcompacts in the same segment. Rolling out the General Motors Orion Assembly Center in the state of Michigan, the Sonic will be joined by the 2012 Buick Venaro (another vehicle that debuted at the 2011 North American International Auto Show in Detroithat vehicle gave us a reliable representation to how the Sonic would arrive. However, the 2011 North American International Auto Show was the first time that Chevrolet’s new B-Segment Sedan version was officially brought to life. Dimensionally, the 2012 Chevrolet is more than 2 inches longer in wheelbase than the current Aveo and is a subtle single inch wider in stance. To be offered as a 4-door sedan and 5-door hatchback in North America, the 2012 Chevrolet Sonic is given a curvier overall profile that accents the larger front grille and headlights. Optional alloy wheels spanning up to 17 inches joins a range of exterior enhancements owners of the 2012 Sonic can look forward to breaking the economy car appearance.

Changing drastically inside to compliment the new, sportier outer skin, the Chevy Sonic interior is also given a remarkably more spirited look. Driving the new subcompact, the motorist glances through the steering wheel at a stunningly-simple instrument cluster inspired by motorcycle design. The Sonic 5-door hatchback is set to feature class-leading rear seat room as well as cargo space. Standard inside all 2012 Chevrolet Sonic models will be 10 airbags and GM’s OnStar

Have you ever looked at the Nissan GT-R and thought to yourself, “This car is just too slow for me, but I can’t afford a SpecV”? Not a problem! The kind folks at Nissan have responded to your concerns by creating the Track Pack, a package designed for GT-R buyers who are a bit more serious about the performance of their car.

At first glance, not much appears to have changed, save for the lightweight, gloss black alloy wheels from RAYS. But on closer inspection, you can see that Nissan has added brake cooling ducts to the front bumper, which they claim can reduce front brake temperature by as much as 100 degrees during track use, helping to improve braking (Although they did not specify whether that is in Celsius or Fahrenheit). While they can’t be seen, similar ducts have been added to cool to rear brakes as well.

The car’s suspension has also been revised, with spring rates improved for track use. The dampers are adjustable however, and can be retuned by the owner for more comfort – provided that they know what they’re doing. The engine, however, remains untouched, continuing to produce the standard 550 horsepower.

On the interior, Nissan has trimmed the Recaro front seats with blue bolsters, and a high-grip material to keep the driver in place while indulging in some spirited driving. And the rear seats? Scrapped to shed weight of course. As a finishing touch, a ‘Track Pack’ emblem has been placed on the centre console.

It’s shaping up to be a nice package for track rats. But the price? A rather hefty 10,000 GBP, or over And even if that doesn’t stop you, there’s no word if it’s going to be available anywhere but the UK.

In true, British style, the guys at McLaren have had to slow production of the MP4-12C to sort out some “minor” quality issues.
These issues include condensation in the headlamps, door operation, or rather lack of, and a battery-draining problem. On a relative scale they are indeed minor, but last I checked, the ability to open your car door was necessary to, you know, drive it.

Nonetheless, at least McLaren has recognized the issues and is currently working on getting them fixed. They also claim that not all delivered models have been affected. However, the 179 North American units on order will be delayed by two to three weeks while McLaren sorts everything out, but dealership demonstration vehicles are expected to be delivered to the US as scheduled

The turbocharged 2013 Chevy Sonic RS has been officially unveiled ahead of its debut next month in Detroit.
The Chevy Sonic RS adds more style and performance to Chevy’s subcompact.
“The new Chevrolet Sonic RS pushes Chevrolet’s performance heritage in a new direction, for a new generation of drivers,” said Chris Perry, vice president of Global Chevrolet Marketing. “It takes the Sonic’s great design and latest connectivity features and combines them with a more performance-oriented look and feel.”

The Sonic RS is powered by a turbocharged 1.4L Ecotec engine that packs 138 horsepower and 148 lb-ft. of torque. The turbocharged 1.4L doesn’t get any power upgrades over the non-RS Sonic. The engine can be mated to either a six-speed manual or automatic transmission. Unique gear ratios for the six-speed manual transmission and unique final drive ratio for the automatic give the Sonic RS a sportier feel than non-RS models.

Other changes that set the exterior of the Sonic RS apart from the non-RS models are a unique front and rear fascia, 17-inch wheels, a retuned sport exhaust and a lowered and stiffened suspension. The interior gets front sport seats, a sport steering wheel, aluminum pedals and the MyLink infotainment system.

The 2013 Sonic RS will only be offered in the five-door body style when it goes on sale in late

The all-new Ford Focus ST has been revealed ahead of its planned debut at the Paris Motor Show. Shown in pre-production form, the hottest member of the new Focus family (that is, until Ford presents a successor to the RS), will go on sale in “all global markets” from early 2012, following the introduction of the mainstream Focus models in the early part of 2011.

The 2012 Focus ST’s styling package includes a new front bumper with a ‘filter feeder’ looking grille and additional air ducts, side skirts, a larger roof spoiler and a rear apron with air vents and central exhaust pipes. The show car is finished in a new colour that Ford calls ‘Tangerine Scream’, while the Focus ST also gets a set of large 19-inch alloy wheels wrapped in Inside, the Focus ST continues the sporty theme, with a pair of body-hugging bucket seats, plenty of carbon fibre – or carbon looking – trim, revised instrument gauges and, like the current model, three extra dials on top of the dash.

Under the bonnet, the Volvo-sourced 5-cylinder 2.5-litre turbocharged engine has been replaced with Ford’s own 2.0-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder EcoBoost unit, which is rated at 184 kW. Ford did not reveal any other details on the car’s specifications, but the interior picture shows a six-speed manual gearbox, which drives the ST’s front wheels. The final production model will likely be available with Ford’s 6-speed Powershift dual-clutch transmission as an optio

It’s only badged as Fusion because that’s how the Americans like it. It was revealed at the 2012 North American International Auto Show, and Ford plans to sell it all around the world
South Africa had Mondeos before, the last one being highly praised by the motoring media (including us) but unfortunately not finding enough buyers to justify another version. We even had the 164kW ST version. The new car, along with the fact that Hyundai’s Sonata is selling like fake bags in downtown Jozi, means Ford SA could very well look at it very closely.

From a design point of view one could mistake the front end for a high-end Aston Martin, but the grille is definitely Ford. See the new Focus and even Focus ST where the grille is not interrupted by a horizontal bar. From the side we see some Jaguar XF lines, but very sharp, pronounced and kinky too. Overall it says elegant yet not boring.
Three powertrains are being mentioned, starting with a 1.6-litre EcoBoost and a 2.0-litre EcoBoost with about 174kW. Ford EcoBoost engines are turbocharged. Then there’s a hybrid version mated to a 2.0-litre petrol engine.
If Ford in Mzansi decides to sell this car here, it would only be from 2013 onwards, not before. Comparable cars include the Sonata, Mazda6 and

earlier this week reached the South Pole after an arduous journey of more than 2 000 km over the icy expanses of the Antarctica.

The red AT44, built for the National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research (NCAOR) by a team from Arctic Trucks with assistance from TSAM, is one of six AT Hilux vehicles built in South Africa for expeditions and duty in the Antarctica.

The vehicle reached the Pole on Sunday (21 November) – eight days after the expedition set off from the Novolazarevskaya (Novo) air base and research station located in the Schirmacher Oasis in Queen Maud Land, about 75 km from the Antarctic coast.

The team of scientists in the South African built AT Hilux, accompanied by three other AT Hilux vehicles that have been in Antarctica since 2008, were the first overland expedition to reach the South Pole this year – in extremely challenging conditions as the temperature at some stages dropped to -58°C!

The primary objective of the expedition is to conduct research for the Indian NCAOR, but the secondary aim was to identify a location in the vicinity of South Pole for a fuel drop. This was successfully accomplished.

The group was due to start their journey on 10 November, but was delayed because of the late arrival of spare parts and a rescue operation where a member of another group’s life was saved by using the crane and pulley on the AT Hilux to winch him out after he fell into a crevasse.

During the first three days, with the Hiluxes operating in power sapping altitudes of nearly 3 000 meters on the high plateau, the group covered over 700 km. At this altitude the cold was so severe that the big tyres stiffened to the extent that it could not provide flotation or grip until they warmed up, and some of the group members suffered from altitude sickness.

The group arrived at the first fuel depot – 800 km from the Pole – on 18 November and one vehicle’s radiator was replaced after it started leaking because of the wrong mix of antifreeze in the extremely cold conditions. Shortly after leaving the depot the next day another vehicle suffered a rear axle problem due to a broken bearing, but this was replaced within 30 minutes.

As one of the AT crewmembers reported, the team was impressed with their progress: “The last two days we drove almost 900 kilometres at an average speed of around 40-50 km/h.  We are extremely happy and proud of how the cars are coping in the difficult situation.”

After another 18 hours of non-stop driving the expedition reached the South Pole. They completed their ice odyssey at a higher than expected average speed, and will start their return journey of 2 400 km back to Novo as soon as some running repairs to the vehicles have been done

RL and dropping the gas-powered Civic model from its lineup in Japan.
We can’t say we’re surprised about the demise of the slow-selling RL, especially after Acura recently released the TL model with the same engine, essentially making the RL redundant. Many blame the lack of a V8 and a true rear-drive architecture for Acura’s lack of success in the full-size luxury segment. The RL is sold as the Legend in other markets. In addition, Honda will also eliminate the Elysion minivan.
The biggest surprise, however, is that in Japan Honda will no longer offer a gasoline-powered Civic. Hybrid cars are increasingly becoming the norm in Japan, and so Honda will continue to offer the Civic in Japan, only in hybrid form.
Instead, Honda will focus on models like the Insight and other green models, as well as more entry-level cars.
This news comes via Japan’s Nikkei business paper, which also reports that the new Civic will debut in the Fall

First there were rumors that Honda would axe the Acura RL, and then came the official word that it wouldn’t, but here is the first sign that the RL continues to carry on – even if the car has become irrelevant.
While it’s not official for North America, Honda in Japan has announced that the Acura RL (still sold as the Legend there) will get a refresh for the 2012 model year that includes a new 6-speed automatic transmission. This may help the RL pick up a few extra buyers as the added gear should help improve both fuel economy and acceleration. Then again, perhaps its just a bigger sign of how irrelevant the RL is when the supposed luxury car is only now getting a 6-speed transmission – something Ford offers on the Fiesta.
A selection of other upgrades and trim changes for the RL are made for 2012, plus it gets a unique new invention: an in-wheel silencer that is designed to absorb road imperfections.

No changes are slated for the 300-hp 3.7-liter V6 engine.
If anyone at Honda is listening, we’re certain the addition of a more Honda-like grille (rather than the Acura beak) would help sell a few extr

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