New models

The tech arms race between BMW and Audi is yielding some amazing cars, such as the Audi S7 we recently reviewed. BMW fights back with its newly announced 2014 6-series, featuring revised cabin electronics that will not only take dictation and send out e-mails for the driver, but also debuts a new digital instrument cluster.

BMW touted the new voice-recognition system for the 6-series in a press release today, noting its simplified voice commands and control over most cabin tech features. The new system will let drivers activate a dictation mode, having the car transcribe e-mails and text messages. The … Read more

The Audi A7 came out in 2011 as a stupendous tech car, featuring an always-on data connection feeding maps from Google Earth into the navigation system. Now the A7 gets the "S" treatment, which in Audi terms means a higher output engine and sport modifications.

In 2013 Audi S7 form, the body style remains the same as the less-ferocious A7. Termed a four-door coupe by Audi, the S7 sedan includes a hatchback instead of a proper trunk, with a roofline running down the back in a gradual, aerodynamic slope.

In the Glacier White Metallic paint of CNET's … Read more

We've seen the current iteration of the Volvo C30 R-Design before, but with the model ending production in December, it seems appropriate to take another look at what has been one of my favorite hatchbacks. Volvo must also want to give the C30 an appropriate sendoff, because it has furnished us with a Polestar limited edition -- one of only 250 examples -- that features more power than the standard C30 R-Design, an eye-catching color scheme, and all of the tech and comfort bells and whistles available on the model.

Design Even fully loaded, the C30 is Volvo's … Read more

I distrust convertible cars. A thin covering of cloth over my head when driving down the freeway in a rainstorm does not inspire confidence. Driving with the top down on a sunny day seems like a recipe for skin cancer. Those concerns, however, mysteriously disappear whenever I get behind the wheel of a convertible, put the top down, and go for a cruise in the country. The open top experience engenders a carefree feeling, an enjoyment of the surroundings impossible with a metal roof overhead. The envious looks of other drivers and pedestrians as I cruise by confirm the wonder that is driving a convertible.

With the end of winter, we have rounded up five convertibles to consider for your driving pleasure. … Read more

Cadillac once again leads GM's technology efforts, this time with a new drivetrain for its 2014 CTS model. One of this new model's three engine choices will be a direct-injection 3.6-liter V-6, producing 420 horsepower.

The current CTS comes with either a 3-liter or 3.6-liter V-6, both featuring direct injection, outputting 270 horsepower and 318 horsepower respectively. The new CTS comes out with the twin turbo, a revised nonturbo 3.6-liter V-6, and a 2-liter four-cylinder using direct injection and a turbo to produce 272 horsepower.

The danger of using a turbocharger to boost power is … Read more

Last year, Land Rover took the wraps off its fully re-engineered, weight-reduced Range Rover. At the upcoming New York International Auto Show the company will unveil the Range Rover Sport edition, traditionally a more powerful, lowered version of Land Rover's big truck.

Land Rover promises a drive through New York as the first public appearance for the new vehicle on Tuesday, March 26.

I picture it something like this: Land Rover, wanting to enter Manhattan in style, sends the driver on a route over the Brooklyn Bridge, surrounded by camera cars. However, due to construction on the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway, … Read more

After VW squared off the shoulders and flattened the roof of the Volkswagen Beetle coupe in an attempt to inject a bit of masculinity into the model, the fun-loving 2013 Volkswagen Beetle Convertible seems like a bit of a step back toward "cutesiness." That's probably okay, because to be honest, short of moving the engine back to the rear of the vehicle where it belongs, there's not much that VW can do at this point to butch up the Beetle.

So, a chick car it will remain and I suppose that's just fine. Sorry, male … Read more

Details and a pair of computer-animated videos of the upcoming 2014 Hyundai Equus (known in some world markets and referred to in the videos as the Centennial) have found their way onto the Web ahead of the Korean flagship's debut a the 2013 New York auto show later this month.

The 2014 Equus features a visual refresh that, with its reshaped front end, gently whispers "Mercedes-Benz S-Class," thanks to more wedge-shaped headlamps that are now available with full-LED adaptive front lighting. The Equus' profile is largely unchanged, as is often the case with a mid-cycle facelift. Around … Read more

If the 2013 Volvo XC60 is any indication, the Swedish automaker's first five years under the thumb of the Chinese company Geely has not changed a thing where it comes to product. The XC60, a midsize SUV, retains the styling and technology course began under previous owner Ford.

Both owners have let Volvo be Volvo, which means building premium-quality, safety-conscious vehicles.

The exit of Ford may, however, have caused the stagnation of Volvo's cabin electronics, which have not progressed much in the last five years. Although the XC60 does a solid job with the basics, such as navigation … Read more