Auto News 5

It might be lacking the stage, the lights, and Simon Cowell’s vee-neck shirts, but the world of automobiles is strangely similar to television’s biggest show. American Idol judges are famous for pointing out that if you sing a Whitney Houston song, you had better, as the saying goes, bring it. Likewise, if you build a car to compete with the very best, it will be compared to the very best.inline_mediumwraptextright28227673/reviews/driven/1002_2011_infiniti_m1002_02_z+2011_infiniti_m37S+front_three_quarters_view.jpgTrue

The new Mercedes-Benz E-class cabrio is based on the 2010 E-class coupe that debuted last year. Bringing the total Mercedes-Benz E-class family to four members---sedan, coupe, wagon, and convertible---it goes on sale in the USA on May 10, 2010, as two well-equipped models: the V-6 E350 and the V-8 E550, which reflect the same powertrains as the coupe. The E350 cabrio is expected to start at about $58,000; since the E550 coupe costs about $7000 more than the E350 coupe, we would expect the same price spread in the E-class convertible, such that the E550 cabrio will likely start at about $65,000.inline_mediumwraptextright26978423/reviews/driven/1002_2011_mercedes_benz_e_class_cabriolet1002_02_z+2011_mercedes_benz_e350_cabriolet+front_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

Miles: 6951
Months in Fleet: Twoinline_mediumwraptextright28217983/reviews/12_month_car_reviews/1002_2010_volkswagen_gti_february_update1002_07_z+2010_volkswagen_gTI+rear_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

As BMW proliferates its EfficientDynamics hybrid technology throughout its lineup, the next logical choice to receive the treatment has long been the 5-series, of which a new model has just debuted. The long-rumored 5-series ActiveHybrid finally steps into the limelight in Geneva.inline_mediumwraptextright28224379/green/news/1002_bmw_5_series_active_hybrid_conceptbmw-concept-5-series-efficientdynamics-side-view.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

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 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

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

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

We’ve already seen one teaser image of the Hyundai i-flow HED-7 concept, but the automaker released an image of the front of the show car as well.inline_mediumwraptextright26960915/green/news/1002_2010_hyundai_iflow_concept1002_01_z+2010_hyundai_i-flow_concept+front_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue

Go ahead Porsche purists, sigh once again. The controversial Cayenne soldiers on into a second generation thanks in large part to a successful worldwide sales campaign launched in 2002. As one might expect, the 2011 Porsche Cayenne improves on many of the outgoing's traits while getting a boost in fuel economy and in some cases, more power. And of course, the Cayenne lineup is even greener thanks to a new hybrid model.inline_mediumwraptextright26960753/features/news/1002_2011_porsche_cayenne2011-porsche-cayenne-turbo-front.jpgTrue

You might recall one of the great automotive oddities of the aughts: the Volkswagen Touareg with a 5.0-liter turbo-diesel V-10 engine, one which produced an absurd 553 lb-ft of torque but raised the price of entry for this supposedly mainstream SUV to an equally absurd $70,000. Those who closed their eyes and wrote the check invariably loved their ten-cylinder kid haulers, but you have to admit that it was a bit extreme, and eventually VW dropped the V-10 because it wasn't worth updating it to meet new American emissions regulations.inline_mediumwraptextright28127110/green/reviews/1004_2010_volkswagen_touareg_tdi1004_01_z+2010_volkswagen_touareg_tdi+taillight.jpgTrue

Jeep wants this Compass to be a small SUV competitor, but I have a hard time seeing it as much more than a Dodge Caliber compact car. It may ride a little taller, drive all four wheels, and offer high-end features like navigation, but there's not much utility here. And as the Compass combines unparalleled levels of ho-hum and ugly, it is certifiable insanity that Jeep would build even one of these cars at a price of $30,130.inline_mediumwraptextright26939030/reviews/editors_notebook/1002_2010_jeep_compass_limited_4x41002_01_z+2010_jeep_compass_limited_4x4+rear_three_quarter_view.jpgTrue