Auto News 5

We have seen the 2012 Porsche Panamera S Hybrid earlier this year at the Geneva Motor Show, but this is the first time the car has been seen on U.S. soil. Little visually differentiates the Hybrid from the gasoline-only Panamera S. However, under the hood lies the same 333-horsepower, supercharged 3.0-liter V-6 and 47-horsepower electric motor found in the 2011 Porsche Cayenne S Hybrid. Power is routed through an eight-speed automatic transmission to the rear wheels, and Porsche claims that its green grand tourer can make the sprint from 0-62 mph in six seconds.

New York City, more so than anywhere else in America, is the place where one is more likely to be driven than to drive. Thus, it’s probably the ideal place for the U.S. debut of the Range Rover Autobiography Ultimate, an ultra-luxe Range Rover that particularly caters to rear-seat riders.

The redesigned, 2013 Chevrolet Malibu lineup will include a high-mpg ECO model that pairs a 180-hp, 2.4-liter four-cylinder with an electric motor-generator and a lithium-ion battery pack. The electrically assisted Malibu is expected to achieve city/highway fuel economy ratings of 26/38 mpg.

The all-new Jeep Grand Cherokee has been a long time coming for the Jeep brand, and by most accounts, the revamped Jeep flagship has proven to be a success. But the paint wasn't even dry on the new ute before enthusiasts started asking the follow up question: Where's the SRT8? Not surprisingly, the 2012 Grand Cherokee SRT8’s been in Chrysler’s Street and Race Technology team shop, getting its monster makeover done in advance of its 2011 New York auto show debut.

What started as the Toyota FT-86 concept and portended a joint-effort sports car between Toyota and Subaru is now the Scion FR-S concept that debuted at the 2011 New York Auto Show. It points the way toward a production car that will go on sale sometime in 2012. Scion cannot be more specific on timing due to the upheaval in the Japanese car industry from the earthquake and tsunami, which have wreaked havoc on all future-production planning and timelines.