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Although it was originally a segment-buster when it first arrived in the U.S., the Mazda 5 isn’t playing by itself any longer. Kia’s Rondo now serves as a competitor, as will the forthcoming Ford Grand C-Max and the Chevrolet Orlando. It’s timely, then, that Mazda is overhauling its mini-minivan for the 2011 model year.inline_mediumwraptextright28162123/features/news/1002_2011_mazda_mazda51002_01_z+2011_mazda_mazda5+front_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

As the environmentally-friendly car wars continue to heat up, Kia has been quietly working up its own assault dubbed "EcoDynamics." With a fuel cell vehicle, a natural gas-powered model and a hybrid under its belt already, Kia's fuel efficiency division is stepping up its game with a plug-in parallel hybrid concept vehicle called "Ray" which is making its debut at the 2010 Chicago auto show.inline_mediumwraptextright32239407/green/news/1002_kia_ray_conceptkia-ray-concept-front-three-quarter.jpgTrue

Nissan's Sentra SE-R is a bit of an anomaly as a bridge between the compact and sport compact segments. At 177 hp and 172 lb-ft of torque, it's at least 23 hp shy of being considered a true sport compact. Rather than a Honda Civic Si, the SE-R compares more closely to cars like the Mazda 3 and Kia Forte with their optional engines.inline_mediumwraptextright32132889/reviews/editors_notebook/1001_2010_nissan_sentra_ser1001_01_z+2010_nissan_sentra_sE-R+front_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue