motor

PARIS--These may be trying times for the European economy, but that automakers rallied at the 2012 Paris Motor Show, bringing out a variety of new concepts and some model updates relevant to the U.S. buyer. As has become a theme given European interest in CO2 reduction, many of the cars we saw featured hybrid or electric drive trains. And many new models and updates were what we in the U.S. consider premium cars boasting fine coachwork.

Here is our last day roundup from the 2012 Paris Motor Show.… Read more

PARIS--One of the easiest ways to increase fuel efficiency without sacrificing drivability is to shave weight. Lose a gram here, save an ounce there, and before you know it, you could be looking at sizable weight reduction and a complementary reduction in fuel consumption and particulate emissions.

On the first day here at the 2012 Paris Motor Show, we heard this theme repeated over and over from automakers as they put their vehicles on a diet, shaving hundreds of pounds off of their newest models.… Read more

The 2012 Paris Motor Show opens this weekend, and ahead of the show we have seen numerous previews of concept cars using hybrid and electric power trains. Carbon dioxide reduction is a huge issue in Europe, and automakers are showing off their latest research into vehicles that can give people the transportation options to which they have become accustomed, yet meet new emissions specifications. The win-win for Europeans is that these vehicles get much improved fuel economy in a regions with notoriously high gasoline prices.

Here are just a few of the cars we expect to see during the 2012 Paris Motor Show. … Read more

At next week's Paris Motor Show, McLaren Automotive will show off the P1 concept, a car that will do little to increase McLaren's model range. The P1 concept heralds a new production car to be launched next year.

Just like its only current model, the MP4-12C, which comes in hard-top and convertible formats, the P1 is a two-seat low slung hyper sport car. Those in the market for a sedan or SUV must continue to look elsewhere.

McLaren released no details about the new concept, and merely said it will slot in above the MP4-12C in the company'… Read more

Showing off what seems like a very good idea for future cars, Nissan designed its new Terra SUV concept car to use a tablet as its key and instrument panel. The concept, to be unveiled at the Paris Motor Show, uses three electric motors to drive the wheels and a fuel cell stack for electricity.

The design of the Terra concept follows some cues seen on Nissan's Juke, so much so that the Terra looks like a very futuristic version of that compact SUV. High front fenders hold integrated LED headlights, while round fog lights are mounted below the … Read more

Although e-XIV looks like it should mean e-14, Korean automaker SsangYong intends the tortured acronym for its new electric concept to stand for electric - eXciting user Interface Vehicle. The press release announcing the new concept did not go into details of what the user interface might be like, but did mention it would be electrically driven, and include a gasoline engine to generate electricity once the batteries are depleted.

The vehicle renderings show many cues standard on recent concept vehicles. The rounded front and LED lights all around are reminiscent of such past concept cars as the Citroen Revolte. … Read more

Today, photographs of the 2014 Mazda Mazda6 wagon were unveiled ahead of its upcoming debut at the 2012 Paris Motor Show. Aside from the obvious increase in storage space and resculpting behind the B-pillar, the details are nearly identical to those of the sedan that was unveiled in Moscow earlier this year and will also be making an appearance in Paris.

The automaker's Skyactiv-G direct-injected gasoline engine will make an appearance behind the "Kodo" grille in 2.0-liter and 2.5-liter displacements. The Mazda6 wagon should also be available with standard and high-power versions of the Skyactiv-D … Read more

The Beetle may be an older nameplate, but for many drivers the world over the Volkswagen Golf (and its performance variant, the GTI) is the quintessential VW model. The Golf's combination of style, performance, and flexibility have helped the hatchback to remain a constant favorite. So, it's no surprise that the seventh-generation Golf -- which makes its debut later this month at the 2012 Paris Motor Show -- doesn't deviate too far from the established formula of its six predecessors.

The photos and details released by Volkswagen today detail what will be the European-spec 2013 Golf, but … Read more

Depending on who you believe, the Volt is either alive and kickin' or in its death throes.

The most recent news about GM's plug-in hybrid gives fodder to both sides. On the upside, GM said on Wednesday that it already has sold more than 2,500 Volts this month. That would be a monthly record, bringing the global total this year to about 13,000, according to reports.

But critics quickly jumped on another piece of news: GM's suspension of Volt production for four weeks.

That shutdown is attributed to a retooling of the Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant where … Read more