Right on CUE: 2012 Cadillac XTS, ATS and SRX to Get New Infotainment System

There was a time when premium car buyers were content with full leather upholstery, plenty of wood trim, plush carpets and a great sound system. That time is long gone. Nowadays the latest fad is infotainment systems.

Cadillac may have lagged in this department, especially when compared to its top rivals, but from next year, the Detroit company plans to more than make up for it.

Today, Cadillac unveiled the first interior shots of its DTS- and STS-replacing saloon, the upcoming XTS. However, contrary to standard practice, it didn't focus on the quality or the abundance of space. Instead, it revealed its new CUE (Cadillac User Experience) infotainment, navigation and communication system that will launch in 2012 in the XTS, the ATS and the SRX crossover.

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Imported from Detroit? Made in the USA Foundation Doesn’t think so, Sues Chrysler and Ford

Chrysler's “Imported from Detroit” campaign that began airing during the Super Bowl earlier this year and continued with several more spots later on, has grasped the interest of viewers and consumers alike.

Unfortunately for Chrysler, it has also caught the attention of the Made in the USA Foundation, which filed a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission against Chrysler's claims for false advertising. And it’s not only Chrysler as the non-profit consumer group is also targeting Ford for the same reason.

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A Timeline of the Chevrolet Malibu as it Approaches its 50th Birthday

With the Chevrolet brand celebrating its centennial this year and the Malibu approaching its 50th anniversary, General Motors decided it was good time to share some interesting facts about its mid-size model that will soon enter the market in a new guise.

According to the Detroit-based automaker, the Malibu is the longest-running nameplate in the midsize segment, with Chevrolet having first introduced it in 1964.

In a career that spans six decades and 35 years (GM had discontinued the Malibu for more than a decade from the mid-1980s to the late-1990s), Chevrolet has produced more than 8.5 million Malibus in the United States.

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Rumors: New Honda / Acura NSX Could be Unveiled as Early as the 2011 Tokyo Motor Show

[2003 Honda HSC Concept pictured above]

Finally, Honda has stopped beating around the bush and has come out in the open about the successor to the NSX, revealing more details about its forthcoming sports car.

The bottom line is that: the new NSX is coming; it will be a real sports car in the vein of the original (that is, lightweight and easy to drive); it will probably use next-generation hybrid technology; its unveiling is imminent and it could go on sale much sooner than anyone suspected.

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Chevrolet to Build New Trailblazer SUV from 2012 Colorado, will Debut in Dubai

The product news just keeps dropping in from General Motors' Chevrolet division this week.

After the announcements on the 2013 Colorado pickup truck, the Camaro ZL1 Convertible, the EN-V project and the Spark EV, Chevrolet revealed today that it will also introduce the all-new, 2013 TrailBlazer midsize SUV at the upcoming Dubai International Motor Show on November 10.

The General published a darkened-out teaser photograph along with a short statement saying that the 2013 Trailblazer will be based on a "new global midsize platform developed by GM do Brasil" and that sales will begin in Thailand starting in early 2012.

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Seven Major Carmakers Agree on a Common EV Charging Protocol

ACEA, the European car manufacturers’ association, recently called for a common electric vehicle charging standard to be adopted by all automakers. This would be the ideal solution for a unified infrastructure, which in turn, would further boost EV sales.

No sooner had the association’s call been published and seven major manufacturers from Europe and the U.S. but oddly enough, not from Japan, namely Audi, BMW, Daimler, Ford, General Motors, Porsche and Volkswagen, announced an agreement to support “a harmonized single-port fast charging approach” for electric vehicles in Europe and North America.

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Nissan Drops Price of LEAF Home Charging System to $1,818

Good news for American customers interested in acquiring Nissan's pure-electric LEAF hatchback with a home charging system as the Japanese company announced today a noteworthy price drop.

When Nissan released pricing for the LEAF in 2010, the home charging system, developed by AeroVironment, carried an MSRP of US$2,200. Now it is available at a cost of US$1,818, including hardware and installation services for or a typical home fitting.

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Saab Responds to Media Reports, Says Deal with Pang Da Still on

Responding to recent media reports, Saab's parent company Swedish Automobile N.V. [Swan] issued a short statement saying the investment deal with China's Pang Da Automobile is still on the table.

Pang Da Automobile had signed an agreement in July to buy a 53.9% stake in Swan for €245 million ($344.6 million), but Chinese regulators have not yet ratified the deal.

"Swedish Automobile N.V. (Swan) and Pang Da Automobile Trade Co., Ltd (Pang Da) have taken notice of media reports questioning the validity of the partnership agreements between Swan, Saab Automobile AB (Saab Automobile) and Pang Da after Saab Automobile entered into voluntary reorganization. Swan, Saab Automobile and Pang Da underline that these reports are based on a misunderstanding."

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GM to Develop a Second Generation of the EN-V Concept with Chevrolet Logos

The next step in General Motors' electric future is the development of a second generation of its EN-V concept study that was introduced at last year's Shanghai World Expo in China, and which will enter a pilot program for testing.

The EN-V, which stands for Electric Networked-Vehicle, is an ultra-compact and futuristic-looking two-seater model that addresses the basic needs for transportation in today's mega-cities. The Detroit company said that all future concepts of the EN-V will carry a Chevrolet badge

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Mazda Begins Construction of New Mexican Plant that will Produce the Mazda2 and Mazda3

In order to keep up with the growing demand in the Central and South American markets as well as to reduce its dependence on Japan, Mazda has formed a new joint venture Sumitomo Corporation to build a new factory hub in Mexico.

The joint venture facility is named Mazda Motor Manufacturing de Mexico S.A. de C.V. (MMMdM) and is located in the Mexican city of Salamanca, in the state of Guanajuato.

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Almost Half of Hyundai’s U.S. Showrooms to get a New Look

Hyundai’s vice president of sales, Dave Zuchowski, revealed that 231 of the brand’s 570 stand-alone dealerships in the States will invest a combined US$358 million in order to get an all-new look, consistent with the company's global standards, by the end of the year.

“We have not had a big push on consistency of our image and branding of our buildings in the past”, said Zuchowski. “Now that our brand has gained strength, it is a very viable investment for the dealer.”

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New FED ALPHA is a Troop Carrier with an Eco Conscience

Local Motors' XC2V, which has been selected by DARPA to replace the 27-year old Humvee, isn’t the only ongoing program in the US Army for new vehicles.

The US Army’s Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center, or TARDEC for short, has also awarded British engineering company Ricardo a contract to proceed with the testing phase of the Fuel Efficient Ground Vehicle Demonstrator (FED) program.

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Not so Fast: UK Proposed 80mph Speed Limit only for Electric Vehicles?

Last week, British Transport Secretary Philip Hammond surprised everyone when he announced the government’s intent to raise the highway speed limit to 80 mph (128 km) by 2013, in order to cut travelling times, reduce pollution and reflect today’s reality.

However, earlier this week, Energy and Climate Change Secretary Chris Huhne had another surprise in store for UK motorists: while speaking on BBC’s Politics Show about the UK’s cut on carbon emissions, he said that the new 80 mph limit could apply only to electric vehicles!

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Lotus Wants to Make the World Notice its Cars to Increase Disheartening Sales

Lotus is a brand with a long and distinguished history – yet that's not enough if your present situation is dire. In the first eight months of the year, Lotus sales were merely a blip in the UK sales chart as only 272 cars were delivered, a 24% decrease to the already depressing 358 units of the same period in 2010.

Karl Heinz Kalbfell, who used to work for BMW, was brought in last year in an effort to increase sales. He says that the reason Lotus can’t sell more cars is that the public isn’t aware of the company's products.

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BMW M5 Project Leader Says Company is Considering All-Wheel Drive

BMW’s M Division looks set to break almost every tradition it has created in the last three decades. First it put the M badge on not one, but two SUVs – the X5 M and X6M. Then, with the new M 1 Coupe and M5 sedan, it abandoned natural aspirated engines that were a hallmark of all M coupes, cabrios and saloons no matter how many cylinders they had.

On the other hand, the M5's new twin-turbocharged engine is more powerful, has more torque and consumes less fuel compared to its predecessor. At least, unlike future small BMWs, the company's sportiest models will continue to direct torque to the rear wheels, right?

Well, not so fast. During the new M5’s press launch in Spain, project leader Max Ahme told journalists that as power and torque figures increase, four-wheel drive may be the only possible way to harness all those ponies.

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Delays in Chinese Loan May Spell the End for Saab

If it were a movie, it would have more sequels than Rocky, Rambo and Mission Impossible all combined together. However, it is not: it is the story of Saab’s survival.

And the latest chapter may very well turn to be the last. According to the Swedish newspaper Svenska Dagbladet, Guy Lofalk, the administrator appointed by the court to oversee Saab’s implementation of its restructuring plan, is ready to stop the process, remove the company’s protection from its creditors and, effectively, declare the carmaker bankrupt.

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New Cadillac CTS Coupe Becomes Best-Seller in its Segment in the U.S.

“If it looks right, it’ll fly right”: the saying from the aeronautical field isn’t always accurate. But as far as cars are concerned, if it looks right, then you can bet that this will affect sales in a positive way.

One such example is the new Cadillac CTS Coupe. Few can deny that it's appearance is one of its strong points, and sales figures prove that it surely flies - out of the showrooms, that is.

Only a year after launch, the CTS Coupe is the best-selling mid-size luxury coupe in the U.S., and it's competing for the title of the best-selling luxury coupe in the market, or at least that's what General Motors is claiming.

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Judge Sacks Case Against U.S. Government Over the Wreck of a Ferrari F50 by FBI Agent

The "you break it, you buy/pay for it" rule may be true for you and me, but not for the U.S. government. Remember the much talked about case of the FBI agent that crashed a rare $750,000 Ferrari F50, which had been stored in a government impound lot, after he took it for a joyride in February of 2009?

Well, the owner of the vehicle, Michigan-based Motors Insurance, which brought the F50 from the dealer it was stolen from, eventually filed a lawsuit against the U.S. government.

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New Chevrolet Aveo to Start from £9,995 in the UK

The new Aveo supermini will launch in Britain next January with a starting on-the-road price of £9,995 for the entry-level 1.2 LS model, Chevrolet announced today. Buyers will be able to choose from four engines and three trim levels.

The engine range includes a 1.2-litre petrol unit producing 86-horses, a 1.4-litre petrol engine with 101PS and two 1.3-litre diesels, with power outputs of either 75 or 95PS. All four engines are offered with a five-speed manual gearbox as standard, while the 1.4-litre petrol also comes with the option of a six-speed automatic transmission.

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Report: Jaguar and Land Rover to Build Cars in China in Partnership with Chery

What do you do when you are a luxury carmaker and sales aren’t going as well as expected? Simple: you invest in China, as despite the cooling car market, buyers continue to have an appetite for foreign luxury cars.

In July, we reported that Jaguar and Land Rover owner, Tata Motors, would invest heavily in the two brands in order to improve their sales, especially those of Jaguar, which are on a sharp decline.

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