Citroën has released more pictures and info of the new C4 Aircross, which will be unveiled at the next Geneva Motor Show. In Europe the new crossover from the French carmaker will come with an engine line-up composed by two diesel and one petrol units: a 1.6-litre HDi engine delivering 115 hp and 270 Nm of peak torque, a 1.8-litre HDi delivering 150 hp and 300 Nm and a 1.6 petrol producing 115 hp and 152 Nm. Outside Europe, a 150 hp 2.0-litre petrol engine will also join the fold. The gasoline powertrains will make use of a 5-speed manual gearbox whereas the diesel ones will come with a standard 6-speed manual transmission.

An all-wheel drive option with three transmission modes will be made available for diesel models only: there is the 2WD mode for optimal fuel consumption, the 4WD mode which automatically distributes the torque between the front and rear axles, and the ‘lock mode’, which increases the torque transmitted to the rear wheels for more grip under severe conditions.

The Citroën C4 Aircross uses 18″ rims and a number of safety and aid systems such as hands-free access and starter, to the GPS navigation system with its touch-sensitive screen, rearview camera, transmission mode selector, USB port and Bluetooth connection for portable audio players, just to name a few. The model is expected to hit the market in the first half of the current year, but Citroen is yet to reveal its price.

View the full Citroën C4 Aircross photo gallery

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The commercial starring the new Kia Soul that got aired during the recent XLVI SuperBowl was nothing new as it was honored by the Nielsen Automotive Advertising Awards as“Automotive Ad of the Year” last June. This ad is staged in a modern day metropolis populated by hamsters, where a few of them dressed up as hip-hop stars hang around in the city with their new South Korean crossover, with a background tune blasting off the speakers. Surely a nice ad that deserved a re-run.

The Kia Soul was unveiled at the latest New York Motor Show and is available with either a 122 hp 1.6-litre engine coupled with a 5-speed manual transmission or a 2.0-litre unit producing 142 horsepower that can be mated to a the same 5-speed manual or a 4-speed automatic transmission.

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In the wake of the recent restyling of the Bmw X6 M, a face-lifted Bmw X5 M gets now introduced by the German carmaker sporting more or less the same modifications applied to its bigger sister, which were not that many anyway. We are talking about a small upgrade that doesn’t really affect the overall look of the car, which was introduced just three years ago and still feels quite fresh and modern. The revamped X5 M in fact shows slightly different head lights, larger air intakes on the front and new tail lights, now featuring LED technology. Speaking of which, BMW will also offer a full-LED head lamps set as an optional extra, which will be made available in the US for 1,900 dollars.

Other distinctive features of this new X5 M include blue-painted calipers, new multifunction ‘M’ seats and Mogello Red leather upholstery, which replaces the ‘old’ Sakhir Orange trim. The model’s signature 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 unit - delivering 555 hp and 678 Nm of torque - has been left untouched, implying that its performance figures remain the same too: 4.5 seconds to hit the 100 km/h mark (62 mph) from standstill and 250 km/h (155 mph) of top speed. In the US the new facelifted X5 M will be 1,600 $ more expensive than the outgoing range.

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Following the introduction of the facelifted X6, Bmw presents the restyled version of the most powerful and aggressive version of the X6 family, the X6 M. The car doesn’t show any radical change, sporting a new layout with LED technology for both head and tail lights as well as a slightly different front bumper. Besides that, the model comes with some new color option for the exterior and new fabrics for the cabin.

Technically speaking, the facelifted X6 M retains the 4.4-litre twin turbo V8 of the previous model, producing 547 hp at 6,000 rpm and 678 Nm (502 ft-lb) of peak torque between 1,500 and 5,650 rpm. This unit pushes the car from standstill to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.7 seconds, with a top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph). The new SUV from the German manufacturer - or SAV, as Bmw likes to define it - comes with standard Adaptive Drive, air suspension, EDC, anti-roll bar and a braking system with 396 mm discs on the front and 386 mm at the back. The model rolls on 20″ wheels fitted with 275/40 tyres on the front axle and 315/35 on the rear.

Bmw has released a full photo gallery picturing the new model as well as a couple of short promo that you can watch by clicking on the ‘Continue reading’ link below the thumbnails.

View the full BMW X6 M facelift photo gallery

Continue reading: BMW X6 M: videos, pictures and info released

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Two images of the new Hyundai Santa Fe model year 2013 (which will probably be marketed in Europe as Hyundai ix45) have leaked on the internet through the hyundai-blog website.

The pictured model should be the final version of the car and, as the full reconstruction of the front end operated by AutoEvolution (third image) would confirm, it will be using the same design language adopted by the most recent Hyundai models, with the same hexagonal front grill and similar head lights and LED strips. Same goes for the rear end, also clearly inspired by the latest production of the South Korean carmaker.

The 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe is expected to make its debut at the next New York International Auto Show (April 6-15), and should be initially available with four engine options: two petrol (a 1.6 and a 2.0 GDi) and two diesel (1.7 and 2.0), all of which should be made available with both front- and all-wheel drive configurations.

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BMW releases the first official info about the new X6, releasing also a photo gallery picturing the new version of the Sports Activity Coupe. Aesthetic changes aside, the main new feature of the new range is the addition of the brand new 3.0-litre flat-six Triturbo FH81 unit - that will equip the X6 M50d - to its engine line-up, which delivers 381 hp and 740 Nm of torque between 2,000 and 3,000 rpm. This engine is said to be the most powerful 6-cylinder diesel engine of the world and - in combination with a 8-speed automatic gearbox courtesy of German specialist ZF - is capable of pushing the X6 M50d from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in just 5.3 seconds, with a top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph). Average fuel consumption is rated at 7.7 l/100 km, with 204 g/km of CO2 emission.

From an aesthetic point of view, the restyled X6 gets newly designed bi-xenon head lamps, front grille, fog lights and tail lights with LED technology. Bmw also introduced new color options for the livery, namely Orion Silver Metallic, Midnight Blue Metallic and Marrakech Brown Metallic. As an optional extra, a different bonnet with a ‘power dome’ will also be made available to provide the most powerful versions of the model with a more aggressive visual look.

View the full BMW X6 2012 photo gallery

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A few weeks ago we introduced a tuning program for Range Rover Evoque created by renowned Kahn Automobiles Boutique, and here is a bunch of official pictures featuring a new red version of the same package. Exclusive paint job aside, in comparison to the stock version this model comes with a ride height lowered by 35 mm, blackened windows, new adaptive front headlights and a wide range of 20″, 21″ or 22″ alloys from which to choose.

What makes the Kahn program particularly interesting is in fact the many options it offers for the customization of both exterior and interior of the car, with plenty of color combinations and trims available. Besides, the cabin also gets some extra treat such as touch screen sat-nav and aluminum pedals.

View the full Range Rover Evoque in red by Kahn Design photo gallery

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Following the first lot of spy shots of the new Bmw X5 that we published a week ago, here is another bunch of images picturing the mule of the eagerly awaited new luxury crossover from the German manufacturer. Different set of rims and blacked out rear windows aside, this prototype doesn’t seem to show any significant difference in comparison to the one spotted the last time.

The third generation of the X5, codenamed F15, will be developed on the same platform that generated the recent 5-series F10 and is expected to come with an engine range made of 6- and 8- cylinder petrol and diesel units, and is should make its debut in the second half of 2013 as a 2014 model.

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Buick releases a two-minute long video starring its new luxury small crossover ‘Encore‘, which has been unveiled just a few days ago in Detroit at the 2012 North American International Auto Show. The footage provides us with an extensive overlook of the model, which represents the hottest Buick model for 2012. The Encore is the American counterpart of the Opel Mokka, which will soon be introduced to the world at the next Geneva Motor Show.

The Encore comes with a supercharged 1.4-litre 4-cylinder Ecotec engine producing 140 hp and 200 Nm (148 ft-pd) of peak torque and coupled with a 6-speed automatic gearbox. Other remarkable features of the model include 18″ five-spoke painted aluminum wheels, 10 air bags, the voice-activated IntelliLink infotainment system – which uses Bluetooth or a USB to connect the driver’s smartphone to a high-resolution, full-color 7″ LCD display radio - Bose premium sound system, sat-nav, rear camera, park assist, cornering brake control and brake assist and plenty of options for the customization of its cabin. The Buick Encore will begin arriving at U.S. Buick dealerships in the first quarter of 2013.

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Mitsubishi releases the first teaser (above) of a yet unnamed Crossover model in view of its official unveiling at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show (March 8-18). This car will also anticipate the new design language that the Japanese carmaker will adopt for most of its future models, and is expected to go on sale in several markets around the globe in the second half of the year.

The teaser shows us just a shaded glimpse of the front of this mysterios car, hence there is not much else that we can say about it for now. However, the lines of its grille and the layout of the headlights are pretty reminiscent of the PX-MiEV II Concept - that was firstly introduced at the 2011 Tokyo Auto Salon - whereas that large air-intake integrated in the front bumper looks more similar to what we had seen on the first PX-MiEV Concept, displayed at the same event in 2009. That prototype was equipped with an hybrid powertrain featuring a 2.0-litre 4-cylinder engine and two electric motors producing 81 hp, so we would expect the new model to have a similar powertrain as well. We expect more teasers and info about this car to surface before its debut in Geneva.

via | Autocar

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