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The third generation Sorento, revealed earlier today (29 August) to the media in South Korea, is longer, lower and wider. The Hyundai Motor group brand wants to sell 270,000 units of this new SUV in 2015.

Fiat will spend less than the limit the carmaker set to buy shares from investors who opted to sell ahead of its merger with Chrysler Group, clearing a key hurdle before the deal can close.

Fiat will spend less than the limit the carmaker set to buy shares from investors who opted to sell ahead of its merger with Chrysler Group, clearing a key hurdle before the deal can close.

The latest issue of the Automotive News Europe monthly e-magazine goes live on Monday, Sept. 1. This month's edition looks at why European automakers have struggled to gain a foothold in India and what they are doing to turn things around.

Suzuki is giving is new Vitara a more mainstream look to broaden the subcompact SUV's appeal. The five-door Vitara will go on sale in Europe early next year.

Infiniti will open design studios in the UK., U.S. and China to separate its luxury-vehicle designers from Nissan stylists. Infiniti will open a London studio next month in a separate building only a few steps from its Nissan studio.

Jaguar Land Rover will 'turn over every stone' including launching plug-in hybrids to bring its high average CO2 emissions down to an EU-approved level by 2021, JLR head of product development Wolfgang Ziebart said.

Daimler plans a line of vehicles with modified engines and sport-tuned suspensions to bridge the gap between standard Mercedes-Benz models and high-performance AMG derivatives.

Suzuki is giving is new Vitara a more mainstream look to broaden the subcompact SUV's appeal. The five-door Vitara will go on sale in Europe early next year.

From GMM

Plans for a New York street race were foiled by financial backers that pulled out, Bernie Ecclestone has revealed.

A second American grand prix, in New Jersey but amid the iconic Manhattan skyline, has appeared on draft calendars for some time but the F1 supremo now admits it is unlikely to happen.

"I honestly don't think so," Ecclestone said in Belgium last weekend. "They still have the same problems they had in the beginning. Nothing has changed."

Now, speaking to the F1 business journalist Christian Sylt, the nature of those 'problems' has become clear -- and it's all about money.

"Two or three backers that (promoter) Leo (Hindery) had had confirmed to me that they had an agreement with him and they were going to put the money up," Bernie Ecclestone told Forbes.

"If Leo had got the money or I had put the money up that race would have been on."

Bernie Ecclestone admitted that he went beyond his usual efforts for New Jersey, as the teams "were dying to have a race in New York so we were trying to make it happen".

Christian Sylt said Ecclestone gave Hindery lots of chances by continually reinstating the race on draft calendars, and he even offered funding.

"I had nothing to lose with Leo," Bernie Ecclestone insisted. "If somebody had come along and put the money up and he had done the job I would have been delighted. He (Hindery) was trying to keep things alive hoping that somebody was going to put money in. It suited us to give him chances. Everybody wanted a race in New York."

There's something to be said about driving the most powerful production model a manufacturer has ever made. It makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up, your flesh feels tingly, and your hands may even shake a bit. But take a deep breath, grip that Alcantara-clad steering wheel and enjoy every moment of the exhilarating ride.

To check out our full review on the 2014 Jaguar XKR-S , head on over to Auto-Venus.com.

Photo: Philippe Champoux

From GMM

Ferrari is looking to deploy the Red Bull-like approach of installing a 'satellite' team in formula one.

Alarmed by its poor start to the new turbo V6 era, it has been all change at Maranello in 2014, including the ousting of boss Stefano Domenicali and engine chief Luca Marmorini.

New chief Marco Mattiacci is now plotting a further change of gear for the iconic marque.

"We have decided to invest in new infrastructures and people to create a more modern and slimmed down organisation, but one that at the same time puts the emphasis on the team and on individuality," he said recently.

One of the new strategies, according to Italy's La Gazzetta dello Sport, is following the lead of Red Bull by having a Toro Rosso-like 'B-team'.

Ferrari has historically had close alliances with 'customer' teams, such as Sauber, and also Marussia, where leading team 'academy' driver Jules Bianchi is currently housed.

The report said Ferrari is not looking to 'buy' a second team, as Red Bull did with Minardi, but to trial and develop technology with a preferred partner team.

The obvious candidate is the new American team, set to debut in 2016. Gene Haas' machine tool company Haas Automation has already joined Ferrari as a sponsor.

Gene Haas shaking hand of Marco Mattiacci in Montreal. (Photo: WRi2)

Haas also intends to deploy Ferrari technology throughout its F1 project, while other 'academy' drivers like Raffaele Marciello and Antonio Fuoco are frontrunners to take a race seat.

La Gazzetta said that, ahead of the Haas tie-up, Mattiacci is lobbying hard for alterations to the rules in terms of the allowed transfer of technology between teams.

He also wants teams to be allowed to use more components and engines per season, and a relaxation of the engine development 'freeze'.

"To return to winning ways, Ferrari must first think of improving itself, the performance of the group and the development of the car. We must be innovative and ahead of the others," Marco Mattiacci said recently.

"As for making its weight felt, the voice of Ferrari, one of formula one's main players, is always listened to: clearly we need to work with common interests to truly understand what formula one should be in the future," he added.

From GMM

Last Sunday's Belgian grand prix was the first time the new 'power unit' era proved faster than the screaming V8-powered machines of 2013.

So far this year, the turbo V6s - combined with lower downforce and heavier cars - have proved at least several seconds slower than the pace of the past.

But at Spa-Francorchamps, the fastest lap on Sunday - achieved by championship leader Nico Rosberg - was two tenths quicker than the corresponding race of 2013, won by champion Sebastian Vettel.

An analysis by the German specialist magazine Auto Motor und Sport shows why.

First, aerodynamics plays a lesser role at Spa, where the more powerful turbo 'power units' of 2014 resulted in an average of 20+kph more top speed than the 2013-spec V8s on the long straights.

And the cornering deficit in 2014 was minimised at Spa last weekend, with Pirelli bringing the soft and medium compounds to Belgium compared to the medium and hard choice of last year.

Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull Racing, winner in Belgium. (Photo: WRi2)

From GMM

Mika Hakkinen has added yet another disparaging response to the news Max Verstappen will make history next year as by far F1's youngest ever driver.

And the 1998 and 1999 world champion does not only criticise Red Bull's decision to sign the young Dutchman just half a year out of karts, but also his former F1 rival Jos Verstappen, who is Max's father and manager.

"In no case is a driver ready for formula one at 16 or 17," Hakkinen said in an interview with his sponsor Hermes.

Mikka Hakkinen, who was involved in Valtteri Bottas' management and also has a son (Hugo) in the world of highly-competitive karting, insisted: "Either as a manager or a father, I would never let a driver as young as that race in F1.

"It's too early, and if it fails, it can cause considerable damage," Hakkinen added.

Max Verstappen, Toro Rosso. (Photo: WRi2)

Meanwhile, Hakkinen said Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo cannot be ruled out of the running for the 2014 world championship, amid the escalating in-team battle between dominant Mercedes' warring teammates.

"Mercedes' dominance has decreased compared to what we saw at the beginning of the season," he noted.

"In my view, Ricciardo is dangerous. He drives for a team that has won the championship several times in a row, they have a lot of experience in these situations and show a lot of composure. At Mercedes, there is more pressure and the conflict between the drivers is not helpful to the aim of bringing home the title," Hakkinen added.

And he predicted that despite Mercedes' concerted efforts to cool the feud between Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton, the pair will continue to wage their war.

"Both drivers will be saying 'Hey, I want to be world champion'.

"Of course," Hakkinen explained, "the team can implement internal rules, like collisions early in the race cannot happen under any circumstances. But then the next race comes. I believe that despite every effort, no one will be able to stop the intense competition between Nico and Lewis."

From Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team

Toto Wolff, Paddy Lowe, Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton met today in the boardroom of MERCEDES AMG PETRONAS headquarters in Brackley to discuss the events of the Belgian Grand Prix.

During this meeting, Nico acknowledged his responsibility for the contact that occurred on lap two of the Belgian Grand Prix and apologised for this error of judgement.

Suitable disciplinary measures have been taken for the incident.

Mercedes-Benz remains committed to hard, fair racing because this is the right way to win world championships. It is good for the team, for the fans and for Formula One.

Lewis and Nico understand and accept the team's number one rule: there must be no contact between the team's cars on track.

It has been made clear that another such incident will not be tolerated. But Nico and Lewis are our drivers and we believe in them.

They remain free to race for the 2014 FIA Formula One World Championship.

Unveiled at the Moscow International Auto Show, the BRABUS Business Lounge is a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter decked out in sumptuous amenities and tech-gadget goodies to create the ultimate business lounge for all your high-powered, high-brow transactions (or just to sit there on your MacBook Air and try to look important).

Outfitted with four business seats in the back that face each other for all those important business meetings, the BRABUS Business Lounge also allows you to integrate your notebook or tablet into the vehicle's media centre. And, yes, there's a coffee machine. And a cooler (for those celebratory business meetings).

Photo: BRABUS

It's not just the interior of the Sprinter that got a spiffy business upgrade, the exterior features 18” Monoblock wheels and a sexy black finish that's oh-so Armani along with the new front bumper.

No pricing available, but our guess is if you're a high enough powered business tycoon who's constantly on the move and this spikes your interest, money isn't that much of an issue for you and you're gonna have one in your fleet, regardless.

Source: blog.dupontregistry.com

A group of former Caterham F1 Team employees has started legal action against the team's new owners, arguing unfair dismissal.

Following the takeover the team by a group of investors led by Christijan Albers and Colin Kolles, 38 employees were sacked. The group threatened to take legal action last month.

Friday, it was confirmed that the group has issued employment Tribunal Proceedings.

"Thirty-eight former staff have today issued employment Tribunal Proceedings against Caterham in light of its failure to settle claims following their unlawful axing by new owners back in July," it read.

"Due to the amount of money involved in the claims made, further High Court Proceedings are also imminent against the Leafield F1 company."

The statement also denied the new owners claims that the staff had received their final payments: "Contrary to reports made by Caterham, the ex-employees have still not been paid their July salaries despite promises that they would be paid for 1-15 July. Nor have the employees or their solicitors received any substantive response to their letter to Caterham on 25 July 2014 urging a response to the above matter and inviting settlement."

The group statement ended: "The hope is that Caterham will enter into a constructive discussion with the employees and their legal representatives so this matter can be resolved swiftly and amicably."

Photo: Caterham F1 Team

PROs: Besides the free-wheeling joy the feisty 2014 MINI John Cooper Works brings to highway driving, you'll also love its road handling, particularly in an urban environment. And although the MINI JCW delivers relatively better performance, it also boasts relatively low fuel consumption.

CONs: The biggest problem for the 2014 MINI John Cooper Works is its price tag, which has been appreciably hiked northwards...which doesn't gel with its smaller size and an underwhelming finish of dubious quality. So we can also add a discomfort factor over longer distances.

Photo: MINI

2014 MINI JCW Price: For 2014, the MINI JCW series features six models: the Clubman at $40,815, the Convertible at $45,315, the Coupé at $40,815, the Roadster at $42,315, the Paceman at $42,015 and the Countryman ALL4 at $40,915.

Fuel Economy: For the Clubman, Convertible, Coupé and Roadster models, the MINI's combined fuel consumption for manual versions is 6.8 L/100 km and 7 L/100 km for the automatics. In the case of the Paceman and Countryman ALL4, the figures are 7.3 L/100 km for manual and 7.7 L/100 km for automatic.

Improvements and Changes: The 2014 MINI JCW has undergone no major changes.

2014 MINI JCW Powertrain: Under the hood of the 2014 JCWs, the MINIs get a turbocharged 1.6L 4-cylinder engine. This DOHC direct injection engine delivers 208 hp with a torque of 192 lb-ft between 1,750 and 5,500 rpm and is matched with a 6-speed manual transmission.

Cargo Capacity: If you opted for the MINI JCW Paceman ALL4, you'll get a roomy 1,090L of cargo space. In the case of Clubman, you're looking at 930L. As for the JCW Convertible, it drops to only 660L. And if you chose the JCW Coupé, you're in for a tight squeeze with just 280L of available space. It gets even tighter with the Roadster with a miserly 240L.

Safety: As for safety, the 2014 MINI John Cooper Works benefits from disk ABS, brake assist, electronic brakeforce distribution, dynamic stability control and dynamic traction control.

Comparing the 2014 MINI John Cooper Works: In this performance small car category, you'll find the Fiat 500 Abarth and the Ford Fiesta ST.

The Lagonda name may be familiar to car enthusiast, and not so much to others. It was Aston Martin's flagship uber luxury sedan that debuted in the mid 70s. Its styling was, to put it nicely and in one word, odd.

Gaydon, England's pride and joy Aston Martin has officially given the name a Rapid based hand-built sedan that is slated for the Middle Eastern market.

Details are scarce, however it would seem that the big car will be motivated by the Rapid's 552 horsepower 6.0L V12. We suspect that the Lagonda may get more power but that remains to be seen.

One way or another, the new AM Lagonda is far better looking than the old.

Source : motorauthority.com

Pros: The 2015 Nissan LEAF is really in a class of its own. This 100% electric vehicle handles the road impressively; it is easy to maneuver and about as quiet as a mouse. Plus, the electric engine's torque performance means that it accelerates better than some compact and mid-size cars. The Nissan LEAF is also very roomy.

Cons: The Nissan LEAF is great to drive in the city, thanks to its zero fuel consumption and regenerative braking system. Yet, highway driving remains an issue. The faster you go, the quicker the battery runs out. The Japanese manufacturer claims that the LEAF's autonomy is at least 160 kilometres. However, unless you are driving less than 90 km/h, you might be hard pressed to travel more than 135 kilometres on a full charge. In the winter, this range drops lower than 100 kilometres. Other weak points include the LEAF's relatively high price, especially for the SL model, even when considering the incentive offered by the Quebec government.

Photo: Nissan

2015 Nissan LEAF Price: For 2015, Nissan is offering three LEAF trim packages: the S at $31,798, the SV at $35,048 and the SL at $38,548. It is worth noting that the Nissan LEAF is eligible for an $8,000 rebate from the Quebec government until December 31, 2016.

Fuel Economy: As a matter of fact, the Nissan LEAF does not use fuel. Nevertheless, its electricity cost is equivalent to a fuel economy of 1.9 L/100 km in the city and 2.3 on the highway.

Improvements and changes: Although its contours will be modified sometime in 2016, no significant changes have been made to the 2015 model, except that the charging time for its 24 kWh lithium-ion battery has been reduced.

2015 Nissan LEAF Powertrain: On all 2015 LEAF trims, Nissan is offering an AC synchronous electric engine that delivers 107 horsepower (80 kW) with 187 lb-ft of torque. The engine is coupled with a single-speed automatic transmission. The LEAF's battery takes no less than 16 hours to charge when plugged into a 120-volt household outlet. Charging takes about half this time when hooked to a 240-volt source.

Cargo Capacity: The 2015 Nissan LEAF can fit 679 litres of cargo, or 849 litres with the rear seats folded.

Safety: The 2015 Nissan LEAF's safety features include ABS brakes, brake assist, electronic brake force distribution, dynamic stability control and traction control as well as a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS).

Comparing the 2015 Nissan LEAF: In this segment, you'll find other green cars like the Chevrolet Volt, the Chevrolet Spark EV, the Ford Focus EV, the Mitsubishi i-MiEV and the smart electric drive.