Suvheat

This has to go down as my SUV of the season, as it not only it comes from the German giant but for the bold statement it has made which symbolizes the proximity it draws with the word sporty or as they say this one is a true personification of the word sporty.

These spy shots of the BMW X6 reveal that the rear has only two seats, which means the true four-by-four feel has been taken care off. We already know that the V8 engine will power the petrol variant and the diesel variant will be motored on six-cylinders and given the fact that there are only four seats, I wonder, what it would feel to drive one of these.

News also is that the entry level X6 will cost £ 40,000 when it goes on sale next year clearly symbolizing the confidence BMW has in this SUV , which is nothing surprising though , because it boasts of the sharp handling of its predecessor .

Image Credit : AutoExpress

Via :Paultan

It is not a long time when Chrysler released this jeep unlimited. The vehicle became so popular in a short time span that its sales were up in February by 63 percent and by 124 percent in January. Such a demand has put the company in the enviable position of not being able to keep supply especially when said off-roader is equipped with the FreedomTop and MyGIG entertainment system.

The company is building the vehicle as fast as possible. So if you want to own one you need to wait for some months.

Via: compactcaronly

Ford has now disclosed the pricing for its all-new 2008 Taurus X crossover. Including the carriage charges, the crossover will be tagged with a base price of $27,364. So, it tops the current 2007 Freestyle SEL FWD with a base price of $26,670 in pricing.

The monotonous “Freestyle” badge has been now replaced with the glossy chrome badge that reads “Taurus.” The innards of the new crossover packs in the new 263-hp 3.5L V6 (replacing the 3.0L V6, which was in the Freestyle). Instead of the Freestyle’s CVT transmission, the Taurus X features a six-speed automatic. Moreover, the vehicle has been blessed with new taillights and updated interiors.

The new 2008 Taurus X crossover is expected to hit the showrooms this summer.

Via: Autoblog

Sequoia initially is a huge SUV, the biggest ever made by Toyota and the origin can be traced back to Tundra Pickup truck. The manufacturers are ready to take Sequoia into the next level, making it the next generation SUV. Future generation will share the same platform. There is a possibility that the Sequoia will share the same engine from its predecessor, the 4.7 & 5.7-liter V8 engines.

The vehicle is expected to take on GMT 900 family of large SUVs of General Motors, the Chevrolet Tahoe and the GMC Yukon. The spy shots reveal that the new Sequoia has a spacious interior and will have huge towing capacity. One place where Toyota already has a head start from its competitors with the hybrid front but I am not sure, the way they are going to use its technology in Sequoia.

GM has already announced making its entire SUV segment into the Hybrids. It will be interesting to see if Toyota also does the same, by deploying fuel saving technology in the new Sequoia.

Expecting that Sequoia will start coming out of production lineup in the spring of 2008 after its premier at Chicago Auto Show early next year, but nothing can be made sure of. It is not clear that what will be its price tag and whether it will be a model year vehicle for 2008 or 2009.

Via : MotorTrend

Steep rise in gas prices has led the trend towards environmentally friendly cars among consumers and so are the efforts of the automobile manufacturers to capitalize the trend.

Ford is set to launch their 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid that boasts to be the most fuel efficient car on the planet. The 2008 Ford Escape also features a new bold exterior styling and sleek exterior car parts along with a bunch of interior amenities. The car has a higher beltline now and has a speed-sensitive Electric Power Assisted Steering (EPS) that can vary the sensitivity of the steering at different speeds for better handling.

The Escape Hybrid gets some notable functional tweaks this year, and the tweaks make its gas-electric drivetrain run more efficiently with revised software.

Together, the Escape hybrid’s 2.3-liter gas engine (133 horsepower), 70-kilowatt AC electric motor and 330-volt battery pack can perform very good when paired with a 4-speed auto or a 5-speed manual can deliver 133 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 168Nm of torque at 4,250 rpm.

The company has another model ready for 2008 - The 2008 Ford Escape, which you can get with a choice of a 2.3 liter inline-4 Duratec and a 3.0 liter V6 Duratec.

Via: Paultan

This has to go down as my choice amongst the SUVs at the New York Auto Show; the reason though isn’t the brilliance, rather the breath of fresh air from Lexus. The Lexus LX 570 is an upgradtion on the LX 470, though the bulk on the exterior has been hardly dealt with, but it still has an impressive jing-bang of offerings.

This one is powered by a 5.7 liter V8 Engine which produces 380 hp which is 110 horses more than its predecessor . This power is transmitted through a six speed automatic transmission and it gives the SUV the ability to tow 8500 pounds.

The interior is electronically brilliant as it incorporates an optional 19-speaker sound system to a sexy center console. It comes with a hard drive that can store a whopping 2,000 songs thus you can have the Vegas feel even in Sacramento. The rear seat is integrated with an entertainment system that has a 9-inch screen.

The Antecedent of the LX 570 was priced at $68,110 so you can well expect this one to bear a price tag of around $ 70,000. Lexus is hoping to sell 9,000 units of this SUV per year and had they backed up such a radiant interior with a little more streamlined exterior they could have done better with the sales.

Image Credit : WindingRoad

Chrysler has decided to offer the Rallye package as a Mopar accessory option on new Compass models in the U.S.; though the package makes no changes under hood but will surely add on some Rallye car toughness to athletic Jeep Compass styling.

The kit is available for 4×2 and 4×4 models at $1,985 (Sport) and $1,850 (Limited) which is not a bad deal for all it offers. It includes.

1. Unique 18-inch x 7-inch black-painted aluminum wheels with machined edges and chrome center caps.

2. Roof-mounted rear spoiler that adds performance-oriented styling.

3. Auxiliary driving lights with covers that feature the Jeep logo.

4. Bright exhaust tips that reinforce the Compass’ forceful personality and Chrome Rallye badge.

5. Mopar body kit featuring front and rear fascia overlay appliques, lower honeycomb front fascia grille and side sill lower panels and door appliques.

And in addition, you can always make a choice between Black, Silver, Inferno Red, Jeep Green and Steel Blue kits according to your taste. I am sure you’ll find the looks of your jeep completely transformed after buying this.

Via: automotive

Another concept SUV that made its way to the 77th Geneva Auto Show was Hyundai’s QarmarQ SUV that boasts over thirty major technologies, which are intended to be integrated into Hyundai’s new models from 2008-2014.

The QarmarQ SUV has features polycarbonate glazing materials that are about 50 percent lighter compared to the glass. Moreover, the vehicle comes with an an ‘Elastic Front’ safety system that appreciably claim to minimize the menace of severe injuries in Crossover Utility Vehicles (CUV) pedestrian collisions.

The interiors of the vehicle are blessed with lively LED lighting and the silicone fixed next to the leather offers a pleasing ocular experience. The company is claiming the new QarmarQ to be lighter, stronger and more economical than any current production CUV in its class.

Via: CarScoop

Land Rover is quite busy giving final touches to the make of the brand new Range Rover, which is expected to go on sale in the year 2012. And, this new model will be all aluminum. Moreover, they have plans to chop off around 600-pounds from the new model (2007 HSE models have a curb weight of 5698 lb and Supercharged models weigh 5842 lb). The technology is already in use in Jaguar’s XJ division. The engineers at the company are planning to reduce the weight of the new Rover by up to 850 pounds while still retaining the spacious, luxurious cabin. If we talk of the innards, the new Range Rover is said to come with a 5.0-litre petrol V8 under its hood in two versions, one with a supercharger and the second without it. You can look for power outputs of 350bhp and 460bhp from the beast. While we don’t have any idea of it will come with a diesel engine but a hybrid powertrain might account for lower CO2 output.

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Via: AutoCar

Volkswagen is anticipating its Tiguan compact SUV to hit the showrooms by the end of this year for a starting price of $24,000. The final production model is look-a-like to the concept model showcased at the Los Angeles Auto Show last year.

The Tiguan has been planned in order to battle the cars like Honda CR-V and Toyota Rav 4. With a seating capacity for five, the Tiguan comes with a range of range of new Bluetec diesels and competent FSI gasoline engines. The vehicle is expected to get the 2.0L ‘Clean TDI’ Bluetec diesel engine.

The Tiguan is anticipated to be sold out with FWD in base models and optional 4WD by the fall of this year.

Via: Motorauthority

Penned by Rene Harrigan who did his BA in Automotive Design at Coventry University, the Lamborghini LM 400 is a concept vehicle inspired by the Lamborghini LM 002. The original Lamborghini LM002 was shaped from 1986 to 1993 with just 300 units in number but it somehow couldn’t make waves.

But now, when SUVs are widely accepted, design student Rene Harrigan might have thought that it’s the just right time to add soul to the old monster. The LM 400 comes touting four diverse body styles, the entry level LM V8, the sporty LM-S, the luxury LM-400 V10 and the high performance LMR, with all of them powered by a V12 engine generating 600hp.

While the entry level is expected to cost about $54,000, the price tag will read over $230,000 for the high-end LMR V12.

Via: CarBodyDesign

Ford too is on the run to update its SUVs with fresh designs. Analyzing by some spy shots spotted in Detroit, Ford may deliver a bold new look with a pretty facelift to its current Sport Track variant.

The revamped Sport Trac’s greatest improvements are an all-new reinforced frame and four-wheel independent suspension. AdvanceTrac with Roll Stability Control is standard in the Sport Trac.


The headlights appear unchanged, but a new grille is definitely rocking. It’s tough to tell through the camouflage that the VW-esque chrome grille treatment would do or not, its front bumper appears to be lower. The rear bumper is also camo-covered, so a styling change is surely on the block. The exhaust has also been modified with twin straight back instead of the one on the left side.

The changes aren’t surprising, as one would expect especially from a financially-strapped automaker such as Ford. The Sport Trac has been built by the Ford Motor Company since 2001. During the first years in the US, the waiting list grew to over a 3 month wait. Never the less, a humble change appears to be in store.
The growth for next waiting list? Time is the greatest teacher.

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Via : Leftlanenews

Paint jobs on cars for publicity, the idea is not all that the bad and although a name like Chevrolet needs no publicizing, yet a few of there products do, especially a panel wagon. Panel wagons always find a specific set of buyers which means there area of sales is limited right from the time of their launch and to make such wagons appealing to all, the carmakers need a sturdy brain drain exercise.

The only way the motive of ensuing common appeal other than the hefty strategies is to find a man of Jim McCammons’ caliber. The bloke has done a terrific job in painting a not so special Chevy HHR Panel Vehicle into something which has the potential of common appeal.

The impressiveness of his work can be judged by the pictures and as a testimonial of his brilliance, Bob Lutz along with a number of other dignitaries chose him as the winner of the design contest at this years’ New York Auto Show.

It was dubbed the Skull from Hell version of the HHR Panel Wagon and they wanted to target the 18-25 years old death metal buffs moving out of their parents’ house on an excursion. It is beyond doubt the Jim a student of the Detroit College for Creative Studies has hit the bull’s eye considering the motive behind the job.

Via : Autoblog

Infiniti has shown a new SUV dubbed EX. The company has billed this new car as a concept, but hopes to bring it to the public by the end of 2008.

EX will get a four wheel drive, though it has been stated as a crossover and not a standard 4 x 4.

The car will be based on Nissan’s rear-drive FM platform, and will be powered by a 3.7-litre engine. The company also hopes to release a diesel version of the car as it is hoping to launch a 250hp V6 oil-burner for its forthcoming European launch.

On the accessories side the car flaunts an Around View Monitor that displays information from the camera mounted around the car’s exterior to reduce blind spots while parking. Lane Departure Prevention automatically corrects the car’s position on the road if the driver allows it to drift out of the lane.

The car is expected to be priced at £35,000.

Via: autocar

If you thought that the Rinspeed’s eXasis is the only one to be made of high-tech plastic, you need to have a second thought after looking at the Hyundai’s new HED-4 concept crossover.

The Hyundai European Design 4 has been developed as a result of a venture with GE Plastics. The SUV comes rocking Hyundai’s new Elastic Front technology and features a scratch-resistant windscreen (50 percent lighter than that of one made of glass).

The compact two-door crossover has been blessed with an energy-absorbing “Elastic Front” to meet Euro-NCAP pedestrian safety standards. The innovative concept is claimed shows how the compact SUV of tomorrow can be safer and greener.

Via: Autoexpress