2012 Honda CR-V EX-L W/Navigation

Pop the rear hatch on the Honda CR-V and you're in for a surprise: the load floor is very, very low. I went to throw some groceries in the back of the car last night and stood in the store parking lot for a minute, wondering exactly how it's possible to have such a low load floor, a fully-independent rear suspension, and all-wheel drive. 

Reach over to either side of the trunk and you can fold the 60/40 split rear seats flat with one lever pull. The cargo cover assembly is spring loaded, so it comes out of its brackets with little or no effort.

Having wrangled both a 42" television and a flat-packed television stand into a similarly sized Suzuki Grand Vitara two weeks ago, I admired the CR-V because the process of loading large items into the back -- a process that took many minutes and considerable swearing with the Suzuki -- would have taken seconds in the Honda. 

The Honda CR-V is supposed to be the benchmark of the compact utility segment, and during moments like this, when you're manhandling a 70-pound IKEA box into the back, it acts like one. Combine that with a spritely engine, good handling and ride quality, and great ease of use, and you've got a benchmark car all over again. Not bad. 

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2012 Honda Civic EX Sedan

It's funny how negative the reaction to this generation of Honda Civic has been. You'd think Honda was building a terrible Civic based on some of the press out there. The Civic is still a commendable compact car; it just isn't as impressive as the other recently redesigned cars in this class. 

Honda's decision to play it safe with the Civic may draw criticism from the press, but consumers keep buying the cars. In the first quarter of 2012, the Honda Civic handily outsold everything else in the compact class. How can the Civic succeed? It has an intuitive interior, for starters. Other compacts may offer more connectivity options, but the Civic sticks with tried-and-true buttons and knobs that are easy to use and look more modern than the equally simple controls in the Mazda 3. 

The design of the Civic is also familiar. Other compacts have upped the design game to the point of compromising visibility or usability while Honda stuck with a basic sedan shape and more timeless lines. With legendary reliability and a reasonable $21,275 sticker price, the 2012 Honda Civic EX doesn't need to offer a lot of gimmicks to attract buyers. 

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Fairy Design Maserati Quattroporte on PUR Wheels

Fairy Design are a Japanese tuning brand, based in Kyoto. They specialise in European cars including the Maserati Quattroporte. PUR Wheels recently sold a set of wheels to a Fairy Design project, the pictures below reveal the result! 

The Fairy Design Maserati Quattroporte features a new front bumper which shares its looks with the MC Stradale, a new rear bumper with air vents and a built in diffuser. The rear spoiler is also new! The project is built on top of a Quattroporte GT S model.

The wheels are 22 inch 4OUR DEPTH with ten spokes, a deep concave look and a three-piece construction. The finish applied to the face is matte grey with a silver lip. 

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Jaguar XFR-S for Paris Motor Show

Rumours are circulating regarding a possible Jaguar XFR-S. The principle will be the same as that applied to the Jaguar XKR-S, less weight, more power and better handling. Jaguar could release this model as early as the Paris Motor Show in September. We’ve heard these rumours before and now they look closer to reality!

No exact details are known at this stage, but expect a series of upgrade to the chassis, styling, exhaust and engine performance. The output of the 5.0 liter supercharged V8 should get up to around 550bhp and 680Nm of torque. The upgrades should place the Jaguar XFR-S closer to the new BMW M5 and Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG in terms of performance.

We expect Jaguar to replace the Jaguar XF by 2014. The XFR-S will help keep the model range desirable until that car is ready. We expect Jaguar to keep offering the XFR alongside the XFR-S. Price projections put the range topping model at £70,000 which is 88,000 euros at today’s exchange rate.

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2013 Cadillac XTS

AUTO SHOWS: It looks like Cadillac may have been a little too over-eager to get to the early bird special: it accidentally put up an official image of the all-new 2013 XTS on its consumer site a week before its debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

The car is almost a dead ringer to the XTS Platinum concept from last year's Detroit auto show. The production XTS retains the concept's mesh grille and swept-back headlamp design, while gaining a tamer set of lower intakes, although it does use more chrome trim. Also softened is the sharp character line, which now terminates just before the cut for the back of the rear door. From what we can see, the taillights are identical to those from the concept, and the wheels -- while smaller -- are pretty close to what we saw last year.

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2012 Hyundai Veloster DCT

I keep hearing everyone say that the back seat of the Hyundai Veloster is usable and that may be true, but it isn't exactly inviting. I drove the Veloster on a weekend during which my husband and I were going to a Red Wings game at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit (about a 45-minute trip). We were attending the game with another couple and had offered to drive, but when they arrived at our house we opted to take their Toyota RAV4 instead of the Veloster -- the hassle in getting two adults (one of whom is about 6'2") into and out of the back seat wasn't at all appealing.

As for the styling of the Veloster -- which, lets face it, is really what it's all about - I find it pretty attractive. It looks different enough that it stands out in traffic, but it doesn't look like an oddball, plus its hatchback body style gives it added versatility for carrying larger items. However, the stylish body style promises performance that the Veloster doesn't deliver. Although the chassis, steering, and brakes all work well, the 138-hp engine just feels slow. One would hope that Hyundai will eventually offer this car with a second engine choice that will give the Veloster the performance to match its looks. 

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Dacia Duster

Value for money is a great selling tool these days, and Renault’s budget brand Dacia is ready to clean up with a range of affordable models that will arrive in the UK from next January.If you’ve been on holiday in Europe recently, you’ll probably have seen a Duster on the road. And it’s a chunky-looking thing. The squared-off shape doesn’t look like any other 4x4, and the short front and rear overhangs allow the 4WD versions to tackle tough terrain. 

Inside, the dash is Dacia’s own design, and the centre console features odd metallic brown centre trim. It’s neither wood nor metal, but it certainly stands out. 

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Lexus GS 250

Lexus’ stubborn refusal to offer a diesel GS means the cheapest way into ownership is with this 2.5-litre petrol model.Priced from £32,995, the GS 250 is much cheaper than the £44,995 GS 450h hybrid, but it doesn’t feel basic. It gets 18-inch alloy wheels as standard, while inside there’s the same leather and high-quality surfaces as in the GS 450h – and a vast digital dashboard, too. The 206bhp V6 engine is smooth and well matched to its six-speed automatic gearbox, which offers quick changes via the steering wheel paddles.Floor the throttle and it’s not as fast as the 338bhp GS 450h, but the car is still responsive.

It will go from 0-62mph in 8.6 seconds, and offers decent punch for overtaking. Around corners, the GS 250 feels much more playful than the GS 450h, and the lack of hybrid components means it’s 190kg lighter. It’s a much more agile car, and more fun as a result. Still, the GS 250 always leans towards comfort – you can play with three different driving modes, but it remains subtle even in its stiffest setting.The big drawback is running costs. The Lexus might have a ‘small’ petrol engine, but it’s no match for diesel rivals or even petrol versions of BMW and Audi executive cars. A similarly priced 530i emits 177g/km of CO2 compared to the GS’s huge 207g/km. The BMW is faster, too. Lexus expects this model to make up two-thirds of GS sales in the UK, but it needs an economical small hybrid engine if it wants to steal customers from rival prestige brands. And we’ll have to wait until next year for that.

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Honda Small Sports EV Concept

AUTO SHOWS: Honda will use its home turf of Japan to show off four small new concept cars. The "mini vehicle," electric sports car, plug-in hybrid sedan, and electric city car will all be shown off at the Tokyo Motor Show at the end of this month.

The aptly named Small Sports EV Concept is an electric car that's said to be fun to drive, while at the same time producing very few (if any) emissions. The car has jagged, angular lines, and looks to be a two-seat affair with a targa-style roof opening. Expect more specifications to emerge as the show grows closer.

 Honda calls the AC-X a "next generation" plug-in hybrid, and says the car is equally suited for urban and long-distance trips. The concept car can be used in "engine drive mode" for maximum performance, or "automatic" mode which apparently is suited for more leisurely driving. The four-door car looks like an elongated version of Honda's Insight hybrid. 

The Micro Commuter Concept represents Honda's vision for tiny electric city cars of the future. It resembles a Smart Fortwo, but with wraparound fenders surrounding each of the four wheels. A bare-bones cabin is home to just one seat and a barren dashboard. The car's controls resemble joysticks and yokes, rather than a traditional steering wheel. 

 Finally, Honda will show a tiny hatchback called the N Concept, which previews a production model called the N BOX. The square, boxy design looks like a shrunken-down Nissan Cube, and appears to be a car that meets Japan's "kei car" rules. The N Concept is tall and skinny, with large tinted windows and minuscule wheels. 

 

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2013 Honda Fit EV

If it appears to wear a sly grin, the Honda Fit EV may have good reason. The Fit EV is another clever adaptation of an existing nameplate for electric-car duty. However, it doesn't share much besides the doors, roof, liftgate, and front suspension with the Fit we know and love, and the fact that it still has the same dashboard is its biggest downfall.

Unlike the Ford Focus Electric, which is built on the assembly line with other Focus models, the Fit EV is made in the same special, low-volume workshop that has produced other Honda specialty models like the S2000, and it uses powertrain hardware that's also found in the FCX Clarity hydrogen-fuel-cell car. Given a new face, cladding, and rear spoiler in order to reduce the coefficient of drag by fourteen percent, the Fit EV looks quite different, as though it has driven through a clothesline. It stands taller by 2.2 inches, gains agility through the addition of a multi-link rear suspension, and of course, just like the clothes dryer that it sometimes mimics, has a prominent lint-trap door -- except this is the dual-voltage charging port.

In fact, charging is a Fit EV forte. To replenish the 20-kWh lithium-ion battery pack, Honda introduces an onboard 6.6-kW charger. With the right 240-volt charging station, the car can be up and frothing in just three hours. Honda puts range at 82 miles. Of the three driving modes, easily selected in full stride by pressing buttons to the left of the leather-wrapped wheel, economy is said to offer up to a seventeen-percent efficiency improvement. Our experience in urban driving suggested economy's output of 47 kW would suffice in ordinary circumstances, and this could return combined efficiency of 118 MPGe. Normal mode makes up to 75 kW available. 

Powertrain

Motor: AC synchronous electric
Power: 123 hp/92 kW
Torque: 189 lb-ft/256 Nm
Transmission: Single-speed
Drive: Front-wheel

Chassis

Steering: Electronic power-assisted
Suspension, Front: Macpherson strut
Suspension, Rear: Independent multi-link
Brakes: Ventilated front disc, rear drum, with ABS and regenerative capability
Tires: P185/60R-15

Measurements
L x W x H: 162.0 x 67.7 x 62.2 in
Wheelbase: 98.4 in
Track F/R: 58.5/57.6 in
Weight: 3252 lb

Performance
0-60 MPH: N/A
Top Speed: N/A
EPA Mileage: 118 MPGe combined

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2013 Volkswagen CC 2.0T

VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, front-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door sedan

PRICE AS TESTED: Sport manual, $31,430/Lux automatic, $36,175 (base price: $31,430/$32,170) 

ENGINE TYPE: DOHC 16-valve inline-4, aluminum block and head, direct fuel injection 

Displacement: 121 cu in, 1984 cc
Power: 200 hp @ 5100 rpm
Torque: 207 lb-ft @ 1700 rpm

TRANSMISSION: 6-speed manual/6-speed dual-clutch automatic with manual shifting mode 

DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 106.7 in
Length: 188.9 in
Width: 73.0 in Height: 55.8 in
Curb weight: 3351/3461 lb

C/D TEST RESULTS (MANUAL/AUTOMATIC):

Zero to 60 mph: 6.5/6.5 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 16.6/17.2 sec
Zero to 120 mph: 26.3/28.5 sec
Rolling start, 5–60 mph: 7.3/7.3 sec
Top gear, 30–50 mph: 15.7/3.5 sec
Top gear, 50–70 mph: 11.0/5.0 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 15.2 sec @ 95 mph/15.0 sec @ 94 mph
Top speed (governor limited): 127/126 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 179/187 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.83/0.82 g

FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST):

EPA city/highway driving: manual, 21/32 mpg; automatic, 22/31 mpg
C/D observed: 23/23 mpg

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