Auto News 5

We first saw Toyota's Auris Hybrid as a concept at last year's Frankfurt motor show, but the production version -- which is a dead ringer for the supposed "show car" -- will be unveiled at the 2010 Geneva motor show.inline_mediumwraptextright28264696/green/news/1002_2010_toyota_auris_hybrid2011-toyota-auris-hybrid-front-three-quarters-driver.jpgTrue

The array of conceptual urban cruisers from Honda continues, as the automaker released photos of its new 3R-C concept, which will debut at next week’s Geneva motor show.inline_mediumwraptextright27008192/green/news/1002_2010_honda_3rc_concepthonda-3r-c-minimal-transport-vehicle-side-view.jpgTrue

It's often said "There's nothing new under the sun," and sometimes that's reinforced in surprising ways. At the spavined Tokyo show last fall, Toyota unveiled its FT-86 concept, a curious closed sports car with a water-cooled, flat-four engine sitting ahead of the front axle but driving the rear wheels. The FT-86's Subaru engine is derived from the old German Borgward/Lloyd Arabella. It's an odd layout, but one seen before.inline_mediumwraptextright27884071/features/by_design/1003_toyota_ft86_design_analysis1003_01_z+toyota_fT-86+front_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

The 2.0 TDI engine is the new optional powerplant for the A3, Audi's small-car offering that first arrived here for 2006. The TDI certainly makes a lot more sense than the 3.2-liter V-6 (which has been dropped) as the alternative engine offering in this car, particularly as the latest version of the A3's standard, 2.0-liter turbo four boasts the drivability of a V-6. Indeed, only a small fraction of buyers chose the V-6, but Audi expects the TDI -- which just went on sale in December -- to account for 40 percent of A3 sales.inline_mediumwraptextright26938154/green/reviews/1002_2010_audi_a3_tdi1002_02_z+2010_audi_a3_tDI+front_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

Good news for those who can’t decide between a Fiat 500C convertible or the hot Abarth 500: Fiat’s in-house tuning wing revealed it’s launching a model that combines the two -- the Abarth 500C -- at the 2010 Geneva motor show.inline_mediumwraptextright32411229/features/news/1002_2010_fiat_abarth_500c1002_01_z+2010_fiat_abarth_500c+front_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

This fall at the Paris auto show, we'll see the follow-up to the BMW X3. Its dimensions are very close to those of the first-generation X5, but its sheetmetal is adorned with a farewell selection of "flame surfaces" one can attribute only to recently departed chief designer Chris Bangle.

Inside, we're promised a major cabin upgrade. Look for an integrated, rather than pop-up, navigation screen, BMW's joystick transmission lever, and the latest iDrive controller. New options will include active steering, radar-based cruise control, a head-up display, night vision, and lane-departure warning. The cargo volume increases only marginally, from 55.1 to 56.5 cubic feet, but that's enough to keep rivals such as the Audi Q5 and the Mercedes-Benz GLK at bay. What about the X3's greatest current weakness, its subpar ride quality? Klaus Draeger, board member in charge of research and development, responds: "Although the new X3 is even more competent and rewarding to drive, we also made sure that the ride comfort is up to scratch. The revised suspension is more progressive, more responsive, and more compliant overall."inline_mediumwraptextright32091177/features/news/1003_new_bmw_x31003_07_z+bMW_x3+front_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

Even more stealthily than its sister division, Hyundai, Kia has been climbing the sales charts, growing some eight percent even in disastrous 2009. This year and next will see a major overhaul to Kia's product portfolio, which now spans eleven models.inline_mediumwraptextright32090592/features/news/1003_kias_product_portfolio_plans1003_01_z+2011_kia_+front_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

If there’s one synergy we can spot between the Chrysler and Lancia marques, it’s a love for tarted-up special-edition models. Chrysler rolled out a number of such vehicles (the 300 S6 and S8, to name a few) at the Detroit show, and it appears Lancia will do the same during the 2010 Geneva motor show.inline_mediumwraptextright26961422/features/news/1002_2010_lancia_ypsilon_elle_musa_audrey1002_03_z+2010_lancia_ypsilon_ELLE+front_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

While it has long been associated with British Racing Green, Lotus seems to be turning a different shade of green these days. After showing us a number of biofuel and eco-friendly Exiges, the automaker teased this image of the Evora 414E, a series hybrid which will debut next week at the 2010 Geneva motor show.inline_mediumwraptextright28211980/green/news/1002_2010_lotus_evora_414e_hybrid_concept1002_01_z+2010_lotus_evora_414E_hybrid_concept+engine.jpgTrue