Autoblog

After months of reviewing only family-oriented transportation, this particular blogger began a streak of judging high-horsepower sports coupes. It's damn near impossible to complain about something with more power than anyone should ever need, but after a while my family got tired of trying to shoehorn five-year-old twins into the cramped back seat of a coupe. That's why we were most relieved to see that the 2009 Chevy Traverse was ready for a run in the Autoblog Garage.

The Traverse is the latest though maybe not last Lambda crossover, and since it dons General Motors' high volume Bow Tie badging, it's likely the most significant, as well. It is GM's least expensive eight-passenger crossover while also carrying the distinction of being the most efficient and most powerful Lambda. Does that make the Traverse the best of GM's Lambda litter? We took on the massive people hauler for a week to find out for ourselves.


Photos copyright ©2008 Chris Shunk/Weblogs, Inc.

Our friendly neighborhood Toyota/Lexus spokesman, Curt McAllister, dropped us a note with an official announcement of what's coming to the Lexus booth at next week's LA Auto Show, and as expected, the big reveal will be the reworked RX luxury crossover. Like the current crossovers, the RX will come in two prescription strengths: the conventional RX350 with a 3.5L V6 and the hybrid flavored RX450h. The bump in nomenclature from the current RX400h likely implies some enhancements to the powertrain including a bump from the current 3.3L V6 to the 3.5L engine used in the 350. It's assumed the RX400h will also boast enhancements to the hybrid drive system with tech pulled from the 2010 Toyota Prius. The photo above, taken of the Japanese brochure, appeared online showing an evolution of the current design rather than a revolutionary redesign. In addition to the RX, LA will host the North American debut of the all-wheel-drive equipped LS460 and the IS 250C Convertible.

[Source: Lexus]

There's a workout regimen called Crossfit that aims to increase one's abilities in eight different areas. Crossfit doesn't reward the specialist, it rewards the well-rounded; it doesn't create marathoners, it creates decathletes. The point of Crossfit is to allow you to enter any situation with the confidence that you have things like the agility, strength and conditioning to do well. The Toyota Venza has the same ethos: pitched as 70-percent car, 30-percent SUV, the Venza wants to do everything well. And when we say "well", we mean it wants to do everything better than the competition: 10,000 people were leaving Toyota every year to get into something between the Camry and the Highlander, things that ended up being the Ford Edge, Mazda CX-7 and Infiniti FX. The Venza is Toyota's request to those buyers to "Come back to papa." Follow the jump to find out whether you should heed the call.


Photos copyright ©2008 Jonathon Ramsey/Weblogs, Inc.

Official images of the new Kia Soul have just begun making their first rounds on the interwebs. The boxy little crossover will see its first U.S. unveiling at the LA Auto Show later this month and we'll be on hand to capture the event in all its glory. Until then, take a look at these early shots of the U.S.-spec version to whet your appetite. The U.S. market Soul will get a 142-horsepower, 2.0-liter gasoline-fed four-cylinder engine that can be mated to either a four-speed automatic or a five-speed manual gearbox.

Kia is set to take on the Scion brand with the new Soul and is hoping to compete on level footing by offering a slew of factory customization options right from the dealer. Our second gallery shows some of those options that are being made available in Canada and should be a decent preview of what U.S. buyers are likely to choose from. Expect the new mini 'ute to go on sale in the Spring of next year.



[Source: Kia-World]

The Volkswagen Tiguan, already a hot little CUV, added some bodywork and an APR turbo to go with its Super CC and Jetta TDI Cup Edition Street Concept show car siblings, and then threw in a Rockford Fosgate system to raise the bar further. The little big guy wears fender flares connected by side steps and contrasting rocker panels. Inside is a two-tone leather job with some very attractive speaker enclosures in the doors. Under the hood goes APR's 3-stage turbo to boost output to 295 hp and 300 lb-ft. And out back: a 1,400-watt Rockford Fosgate system with dual 10-inchers taking up the rear floor. And as we learned at the press conference, you can play a guitar through the amp. Of course, you can't store anything back there, but this is SEMA, not a PTA meeting. Read all about it in the press release after the jump, and check out the gallery of high-res photos below.

Santa Ana-based MV Designz took Toyota's overtly practical RAV4 and kicked the majority of the 'ute's functionality out the hatch. With a custom wide body kit, front and rear fascias, LED headlamps, hood and panoramic glass roof, the RAV4 Performance Sport comes off as a prop reject from the stillborn Judge Dredd sequel, and the 22x9.5 (front) and 22x10 (rear) USW wheels and lowered suspension won't do it any dynamic favors. No word on engine mods outside of a new exhaust, but with the added aerodynamic drag and an interior stocked with Alpine goodies, we'd guess that the base V6 will have a hard time living up to Toyota's line about the RAV4 Performance Sport being "ready to set new speed records."

UPDATE: Image removed at request of owner.

At first we couldn't understand why the BMW X6 was birthed, and then we couldn't figure out why Acura of all companies needed to create something to compete with it. Top Speed has rendered unto us what such an enigma might look like, and, well, it ain't all bad. That's probably because it looks like an MDX with a descending roofline out back. Of course, it's impossible to know how much of any rendering is pure fiction, but The Majestic Shield of Acura matched with those lights and a proper amount of real estate could be the ideal pairing of design features and suitable canvas. Porsche's floating LEDs in the front bumper don't go astray, either. We still can't say it makes sense, but Acura, if you're really going to do this, have a look here first.

[Source: Top Speed]

When the 2009 Toyota Highlander hits dealerships in mid-to-late January, it will finally have an optional four-cylinder engine. The 2.7-liter four comes courtesy of the Venza and is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. This powertrain combination has been developed primarily for fuel efficiency and the EPA has given it a rating of 20/27 city and highway, with combined real-world mileage expected to hit about 22 miles per gallon. For comparison, the 3.5L V6, which will still be available, is rated at 18/24, and the hybrid model retains its 3.3L V6 and EPA ratings of 27 city and 25 highway.

Obviously, with 187 horsepower at a high 5,800 RPM and 186 lb-ft of torque, the engine is going to work hard for every mile per hour it gains. Recognizing this, Toyota has given it a preliminary 9.7-second 0-60 mph rating. That's not too bad considering its highway mileage rating actually bests that of the hybrid model. Maximum tow rating stands at 3,500 pounds, but it'll surely be breathing hard with a full load. No matter, as we expect the new base engine to account for a substantial chunk of Highlander sales.


[Source: Toyota]

What recession? Perhaps anticipating the euphoria that will follow the end to the seemingly decades-long Presidential race today, Ford decided to throw a huge tuner party at SEMA this year, and they invited ALL of their friends. The Ford booth always houses a bunch of tuned blue ovals, but they generally tend to be grouped around a central vehicle. Last year it was the Mustang. And the year before. And probably the year before that, too. But this year they gave the ol' spit shine to virtually every model in the lineup. Ford even threw in a Lincoln or two for good measure (above).

In the gallery below you'll see the Lincoln MKS and MKX, as well as Ford Focus Coupe, Escape, Escape Hybrid, Transit Connect, and Edge. Tuners include 3dCarbon, Custom Creations, RKSport, Stout Performance, Barber Driving Experience, FSWerks, Street Concepts, EcoTrek, HPA Motorsports, H&R, and Steeda. For more info on each one, check out the press release after the jump. There are actually quite a few interesting concepts in the bunch.

Photos copyright ©2008 Drew Phillips, Frank Filipponio/Weblogs, Inc.

With so many acres of sheetmetal to work with, the Ford Flex definitely offers a tempting canvas for tuners and automotive taggers. But 13 official custom Flexes? It seems everyone and their mother decided to do up a tuned Flex this year for SEMA. We were told there were at least 13, but we suspect there were closer to 1,000 including everything from street machines to art cars to Land Rover look-alikes (above). While any one of them might be striking enough to catch your eye at the local pee-wee soccer game, seeing so many together can be overwhelming. Still, if taken individually there are some very nice interpretations of the modern full-size wagon here. Flex customizers displaying their handiwork include Funkmaster Flex, 3dCarbon, Catalyst Industrial Marking, Kal Koncepts/Air Syndicate Inc., Mobsteel, Galpin Auto Sports, Lee Quinones for Automobile Magazine, CGS Motorsports, Rick Bottom Designs, Hot Rod Magazine, Heavy Hitters Magazine, and even Motor Trend. The MT one has a humidor. A video of the unveiling with... uh... Nelly and complete details of each are after the jump and a huge gallery is available by clicking any image.


Photos copyright ©2008 Frank Filipponio, Drew Phillips/Weblogs, Inc.