IRVINE, Calif. - Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) will unveil its 2012 MX-5 Miata Special Edition at the upcoming 2012 Chicago Auto Show. The limited-run model features a black-only Power Retractable Hard Top (PRHT) - the first time a non-body-colored hard top is available in North America - as well as other exclusivities such as two new exterior colors, new 17-inch black gunmetal alloy wheels, black exterior accents, black heated leather seats and piano black interior finishes.

The MX-5 Miata is the world’s best-selling two-seat roadster with more than 900,000 produced, and made its global debut at the Chicago Auto Show in 1989. The MX-5 Special Edition continues the sports car’s history of being a dynamically-engineered, enthusiast-approved roadster whose price doesn’t discriminate and whose luxuries are not stripped.

Available with either the six-speed manual transmission with short-throw shifter or six-speed Sport automatic transmission with steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters, the Special Edition model is based off the Grand Touring model. Both Premium and Suspension packages will be standard on the MX-5 Special Edition.

Turbo2 - Unveiled at the SEMA Show held in Las Vegas this past November, this concept is the brainchild of The Autobarn, which owns two Mazda dealerships in the Greater Chicago area. Here, a “Zoom-Zoom Concentrated” Mazda2 is outfitted with an extra-strength component in the form of a MAZDASPEED3 MZR 2.3-liter Direct Injection Spark Ignition (DISI) turbo engine. Consider the Turbo2 a subcompact cat that doesn’t purr - it growls.

Star Mazda Championship Open-Wheel Race Car - The Star Mazda Championship presented by Goodyear is a major part of the Mazda Road to Indy. Rising motorsports stars from around the world compete for prizes valued at $1.5 million, including a scholarship to move up and compete in the 2013 Firestone Indy Lights series.

Source: http://www.mazdausamedia.com/content/2012-mazda-mx-5-miata-special-edition-makes-north-american-debut-chicago

Stuttgart/Sindelfingen – Mercedes-Benz’ new urban delivery van is called Citan. The name was revealed during a symposium on brand competence and city logistics, which was held at the Mercedes-Benz Design Center in Sindelfingen. The name Citan combines the words “city” and “titan,” thus making it clear that the vehicle is a first-rate specialist for city logistics — one that was specifically developed to meet the tough challenges faced in day-to-day operations.

With the introduction of the new urban delivery vehicle, Mercedes-Benz is adding another production series to its family of vans. The Citan is supplementing the Vario (6.0 to 8.2 tons), Sprinter (3.0 to 5.0 tons), and Vito (2.77 to 3.2 tons) to broaden the range of products in the lower weight classes of the van market, where it will significantly boost sales.

Whereas the small vans segment was still a niche market in the mid-1990s, it has now grown to around 700,000 units in Europe. Mercedes-Benz Vans plans to gain a market share of four to five percent in this segment. Volker Mornhinweg, Head of Mercedes-Benz Vans, is convinced that the Citan will be a big success.

We will take advantage of the trend toward city vans, which our brand will be able to exploit thanks to its attractively priced vehicles and the high quality of our products and services,” says Mornhinweg. “Our typical Mercedes-Benz reliability, 24/7 service, and, last but not least, our great brand image are key selling points as far as our commercial customers are concerned.

Due to its large number of variants, the new urban delivery van with the star is suited for a broad range of commercial applications. Not only will the Citan be offered as a panel van, a crewbus, and a mixed-use vehicle; it will also be available in a variety of lengths and weights.

Source: http://media.daimler.com/dcmedia/0-921-1459149-1-1459160-1-0-0-0-0-0-11700-0-0-1-0-0-0-0-0.html

DETROIT, Mich – Sporting a new Lexus spindle grille, new 20-inch alloy wheel design and upgraded interior for the 2013 model year, the eight-passenger LX 570 continues to deliver on challenging off-road adventures as well as luxurious daily driving.

The 2013 LX 570 gets a new look at both the front and rear. New LED daytime running lights complement new headlamp design and new larger fog lamp bezels. Taillamps are also updated, while the rear license plate surround gets a revised look and the tow hitch cover is more integrated. Both front and rear bumpers are refreshed, and the rear bumper protector is enhanced by a chrome accent.

The spacious, eight-passenger cabin of the LX 570 receives a number of upgrades and changes. The driver’s seat gets a new Easy Access system, which makes entering and exiting the vehicle easier. The steering wheel and driver’s seat automatically retract when the ignition is turned off. Front seats also feature improved cooling, and a 120-volt power outlet has been added to the middle row.

The LX 570’s 5.7-litre V8 delivers the punch and towing power demanded in this segment. The powerplant produces 383 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and peak torque of 403 lb.-ft at 3,600 rpm. Crucial to LX customers who tow with their vehicles, 90 percent of peak torque is available at just 2,200 rpm.

The LX 570 is equipped with an electronically-controlled six-speed automatic transmission that estimates road conditions and predicts the driver’s intention in order to select the appropriate gear ratio for the vehicle’s speed and the driving conditions. A sequential shift mode allows the driver to select gears manually. Even at very low speeds, such as trail driving, the transmission operates smoothly and imperceptibly.

Source: http://www.lexus.ca/lexus/experience/en/home/whatsnew/whatsnew_news.jsp#2013-LX-Unveiled

New Delhi - Car market leader Maruti Suzuki India Limited, unveiled its much awaited next generation all new compact sedan, Swift DZire.The new Swift DZire is wider, taller, has a larger wheel base and is yet compact as compared to the existing Swift DZire. The new Swift DZire is more fuel efficient by almost 7 per cent in Petrol and 8 per cent in Diesel.

The Company along with its vendors has invested over Rs. 230 Crores towards this full model change for the new Swift DZire, This is over and above the Rs 550 Crores invested towards new Swift launched earlier in this fiscal.

At the launch, Shinzo Nakanishi, Managing Director and CEO, Maruti Suzuki India said, “This second new model in our portfolio within six months, demonstrates our faith and confidence in the Indian market. It is also an indicator of our ability to offer new models regularly in shorter time spans. Our engineers have brought in interesting modifications including an Automatic Transmission in the new Swift DZire to meet the aspirations of a young city family”.

Swift DZire is a category leader with over 39 per cent market share in the entry sedan segment. Clocking monthly sales of around 10,000 units, the company expects the new Swift DZire with the full model change to strengthen the entry sedan portfolio and sell much larger numbers. 32 young Maruti Suzuki engineers have smartly integrated over 150 changes on the new Swift DZire.

The front fascia now sports a uniquely designed bumper and grill, carries Suzuki’s characteristic U-Line theme, powerful fog lamps, and character lines on bonnet. Other modifications on the exteriors include ORVM mounted turn signal indicators, characteristic vertical lamps, motion theme alloy wheels and a wrap around cabin wind screen. The rear looks sportier with rear positioned antenna, integrated spoiler and trapezoidal tail lamps. The strong shoulder line and U-line theme is carried from the front for visual continuity.

Source: http://www.marutisuzuki.com/Maruti-Suzuki-unveils-the-new-Swift-DZire.aspx

In case you didn’t know, this is awards season for the entertainment industry – the Golden Globes were handed out last weekend, and the Academy Award nominations will be announced Tuesday – and it appears awards season also extends to the auto industry. Two of Chrysler Group LLC’s latest products have received major recognition from a high-octane publication and its online outlet.

The all-new 2012 Jeep® Grand Cherokee SRT8® and the new 2012 Dodge Charger earned Winding Road’s “Best Car of the Year Awards,” an annual honor that recognizes the best driver’s vehicles in the market.

SRT and Dodge are two brands that stand to make 2012 a banner year for driving enthusiasts,” said Seyth Miersma, Editor-In-Chief – Winding Road. “The 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 manages to be one of the most brutally fast and easy-to-live-with super-SUVs we’ve ever tested. Meanwhile, the 2012 Dodge Charger offers more in terms of style, performance, and space than most of the vanilla-flavored competition could dream of. With completely different form factors, price points and audiences, the commonality between these two Best Cars is the way in which they can make their drivers grin.

Winner of “Best Utility Award,” the all-new 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8® offers a unique blend of head-turning SRT performance with legendary Jeep capability and utility, luxury and refinement, and innovative advanced technologies. It’s the most powerful Jeep vehicle ever with all-new 6.4-liter HEMI® V-8 that delivers 470 horsepower and 465 lb.-ft. of torque. A new active valve exhaust system allows standard Fuel Saver Technology to engage over a wider rpm range for a 13-percent improvement in highway fuel efficiency and a 450-mile range.

Earning the “Best Everyman Sedan Award,” the 2012 Dodge Charger delivers world-class levels of quietness and handling performance, state-of-the-art technologies and premium materials once limited to elite European sport sedans.

Source: http://blog.chryslergroupllc.com/blog.do?id=1676&p=entry

Russia, Moscow - Jaguar and Land Rover celebrated the victory in several categories the award “Best Car 2012″ by the magazine Auto Motor und Sport. Jaguar XF has won the category “Best Foreign midsize car,” the fourth consecutive year, while Land Rover has taken the first five places in the category of “Foreign SUVs.

” Every year, readers of the most popular German car magazine Auto Motor und Sport choose the best car in ten categories. This year, readers from other countries could also cast their votes for more than 300 models. As a result, the turnout of more than 116,000 readers 19 magazines from 16 countries.

New Range Rover Evoque was on top in the category of “Foreign SUVs,” received 20.7% of all votes in this class. The reason for this success Range Rover Evoque have exceptional design and outstanding off-road performance. next four places in the category of “Foreign SUVs” took the model: Range Rover - 2nd place, Range Rover Sport - 3rd place, Defender - 4th place Discovery 4 - 5 th place.

Jaguar XF has won in its category with a clear advantage in 45.8% of the vote, improving your last year’s result. In Germany, the XF became the best selling foreign car in the premium in 2011 and the most popular model Jaguar.

Source: http://www.landrover.com/ru/ru/lr/about-land-rover/news/auto-motor-und-sport-favorites/

Toyota City, Japan — Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) will launch the “86″1 compact rear-wheel-drive sports car, which was exhibited at the 42nd Tokyo Motor Show 2011 as a production prototype, on April 6 throughout Japan. In step with the launch of the 86, TMC will open “Area 86″2 specialty shops, where car enthusiasts can get together to talk about automobiles and where shop specialists can support car-owner activities aimed at helping give sports-car culture local roots.

The 86 was developed as a unique rear-wheel-drive vehicle, with intuitive handling, that embodies the essence of driving enjoyment and features the world’s first3 horizontally opposed D-4S (direct injection four-stroke gasoline engine, superior version) engine installed front mid-ship. Adoption of a package consisting of the world’s only4 horizontally opposed engine coupled to an ultra-low-center-of-gravity (460 mm) rear-wheel-drive system offers fun driving at a level unprecedented in earlier sports cars.

The newly developed horizontally opposed D-4S engine provides a maximum output of 200 horsepower (PS), and the synergistic effect of an aerodynamically superior form and light weight (1,190 kg, RC grade), result in fuel efficiency of 13.4 km/L under the JC08 test cycle outlined by the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism.

The line-up includes the standard G grade; the luxury GT grade, which includes projector-type discharge headlights, 17-inch aluminum wheels, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, shift knob and parking brake lever, and an aluminum pedal; the GT “Limited” grade, which adds seat coverings made of leather and Alcantara®5 (and heated driver and front-passenger seats), and a rear spoiler; as well as the RC grade, which is suitably customizable for serving as a base vehicle for racing. Seven body colors to accentuate the elegantly aesthetic beauty of the vehicle and a choice of either black or red for the interior are available.

In step with the launch of the 86, TMC will set up 283 Area 86 shops at dealer locations throughout Japan, where specialists will provide comprehensive, expert advice and services to car enthusiasts. Designed as a place where sports-car enthusiasts can gather, Area 86 shops will exhibit the 86, provide it for test-driving, and distribute information related to sports cars, with the aim of becoming places where people can be immersed in the fun of automobiles.

Source: http://www2.toyota.co.jp/en/news/12/02/0202.html

Toyota City, Japan —Lexus is rolling out its new GS lineup by launching nationwide the newly developed GS 250 with a smart-sized powertrain and the completely redesigned GS 350, to be followed by the completely redesigned GS 450h on March 19. With a passionate desire to mark a new stage for Lexus as Japan’s first truly global premium brand, Lexus based creation of the new GS lineup on the three pillars of design, drivability and technology.

The GS features firmly grounded styling imbued with premonitions of driving, as well as the spindle grille*1 that represents the face of the next-generation of Lexus. The advanced and dignified interior was designed with discerning attention to material and detail and is equipped with features such as a high-resolution 12.3-inch wide display-the world’s largest*2 in a mass-production vehicle, a second-generation Remote Touch system and the first-ever analogue clock in a Lexus vehicle.

The dedicated Lexus platform was completely updated based on cutting-edge technologies accumulated through Lexus’ experience with the “LFA” supercar, with an aim to deliver the pleasure of being able to maneuver the vehicle at will. A highly evolved cruising style was refined through well over 1-million km of test-driving at the Nürburgring course in Germany and other roadways worldwide. A choice of four*3 driving modes are provided to suit different driving situations: Eco, Normal, Sport S, and Sport S+.

The “Lexus Hybrid Drive” has undergone further evolution based on a combination of front-engine, rear-wheel-drive hybrid technology with the newly developed 3.5-liter V6 2GR-FXE engine that uses the next-generation D-4S*5 system and the Atkinson cycle. The result is exhilarating acceleration equal to that of a V8 gasoline engine.

Fuel efficiency has been improved by approximately 40% compared to previous models with ratings of 18.2km/L*6 in the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism’s (MLIT’s) JC08 test cycle and 20.5km/L in the MLIT 10-15 test.

Source: http://www2.toyota.co.jp/en/news/feature/20120126.html

Toyota City, Japan —Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC) is displaying a total of 15 vehicles, including five concept vehicles from “GAZOO Racing tuned by MN” (GRMN) and “G Sports”1 (G’s), plus production vehicles, at the Tokyo Auto Salon 2012 with NAPAC2. The Tokyo Auto Salon, the world’s largest customized car exhibition, is being held at Makuhari Messe in Chiba City from through January 153.

TMC views the Tokyo Auto Salon as a place where peoples’ dreams about automobiles convene, and as such has actively exhibited there. Building on last year’s show, TMC hopes to spark an even wider range of people’s interest in the joy of owning, driving and discussing automobiles developed through GAZOO Racing4 activities.

The main concept vehicle on display is the “GRMN iQ Supercharger” prototype, a second-generation GRMN supercharged ultra compact scheduled for a limited 100-unit launch5 this summer. Based on the “iQ 130G MT?”6, the GRMN iQ Supercharger features enhanced driving performance and seeks a feeling of integration between vehicle and driver. Also on display from the GRMN series are the “GRMN Sports Hybrid Concept II” and the “GRMN Vitz Turbo Concept”, as well as the G’s series’ “Mark X G Sports Concept II” and “Vellfire G Sports Concept” sports-conversion models.

Part of TMC’s exhibition space is an area devoted to custom versions of the compact, rear-wheel-drive sports car “86″ (”hachi-roku”), a vehicle extremely popular at the Tokyo Motor Show 2011. On display are two custom models and also the “GAZOO Racing Toyota FT-86″ that competed in the 2011 Nürburgring endurance race. (TMC plans to compete again this year with an 86 from GAZOO Racing.) The display will also feature aerodynamic parts, wheels and other accessories to give consumers a clear idea of the 86’s expansive customization possibilities.

To further expand its GAZOO activities, TMC established a full-time GAZOO department this January to create more opportunities for people to easily experience the joy of automobiles. The department will continue to actively conduct various grass-roots motorsports events such as the GAZOO Racing “Waku Doki” circuit events8 and the Toyota GAZOO Racing Festival (TGRF)9.

Source: http://www2.toyota.co.jp/en/news/12/01/0113.html

At the 2012 International Motor Show in Geneva*1, Suzuki Motor Corporation will hold a press conference starting from 9:45am on 6th March, at stand number 4251 in hall 4. Suzuki will exhibit a range of models with its latest technologies. These models are a clear statement towards a new phase of motorization, from the Japanese manufacturer who is an expert of compact car development.

Suzuki proposes a vision of a next-generation global compact car. It’s just 730kg thanks to a clear focus on minimizing weight, and it has a drag coefficient at least 10% lower than that of current Suzuki A-segment models, thanks to uncompromising efforts to heighten aerodynamic performance. As a result, its CO2 emissions is as low as 70g/km (measured in the New European Driving Cycle) with a petrol engine.
*2 This model was exhibited as “REGINA” in Tokyo Motor Show 2011.

Since a Swift Plug-in hybrid based on a previous Swift was exhibited at Geneva Motor Show in 2010, Suzuki has further advanced its expertise in eco-car technology and this year showcases the Swift Range Extender based on a current Swift. The Swift Range Extender covers 30km*4 with its fully charged battery alone and it can extend its range using an engine-driven generator.

Compared with an electric vehicle that depends entirely on battery power, the Swift Range Extender has a more compact lithium-ion battery that is quicker to charge, weighs less, uses fewer resources, and costs less.

Source: http://www.globalsuzuki.com/globalnews/2012/0201.html