Chevrolet releases the first official image (above) and some basic info of its brand new Trax, a compact SUV that is bound to be unveiled at the 2012 Paris Motor Show (September 29 - October 14) to then enter the European markets in the Spring of 2013. The model comes with a pretty muscular and compact design and will able to accommodate up to 5 people (driver included) with 533 litres of boot capacity (a feature that can go up to 1,372 litres with the rear bench folded).

Chevy doesn’t really like to go public about that, but the Trax descends from General Motor’s B-SUV range, which already enlists both Opel Mokka and Buick Encore in its ranks. The Trax is expected to come with the same engine range as the Mokka, which includes a 1.4-litre petrol engine delivering 138 hp as well as a 1.7-litre turbo-charged diesel unit producing 128 hp. Two and four-wheel drive versions will be offered.

“The Trax provides Chevrolet an entry into a growing small SUV segment and delivers the flexibility, great fuel economy and car-like handling that urban explorers around the world require - said Mary Barra, GM senior vice president of Product Development - After a record sales year in 2011 and a record first quarter, Chevrolet continues to meet customer needs by expanding its portfolio with strong new entries.”

Volkswagen will soon put on the market the CrossPolo Urban White, special version of the German compact, featuring a white pearlescent paint, gloss black mirror shells and 17-inch alloy wheels. The interior includes many details in “Silver One” paint on the dashboard and chrome trim on the steering wheel; the sports seats are dressed in cloth and Alcantara, with silver contrast stitching. The car offers a range of four petrol and three diesel engines, mated to a five or six-speed manual transmission or a dual-clutch seven-speed DSG. The model will go on sale in Germany later this year, with a price starting from Euro 18,975.

The good people from German tuner Senner Tuning are mostly known for their work on cars coming from their own homeland, but this time they turned their attention to a jap, the Nissan Juke crossover, and the result is this cool rendition dubbed ‘Candy-Red Tzunamee’. As the name suggests, the model comes with a flashy red paint scheme completed by a bright set of color matching 20″ alloys as well as a pair of wing mirrors made of carbon fibre.

The bright red theme continues in the passenger compartment, where the logo of the tuner can be spotted here and there. Captivating look aside, the most relevant changes are those who affected the mechanical part: the standard 1.6-litre unit of the Juke is credited with an output of about 190 hp with 240 Nm of peak torque, but the modifications performed by Senner Tuner boosted that up to 225 hp with 275 Nm of maximum torque. At the moment, the price-tag for this model is still undisclosed.

Toyota has released a video on the new Venza, displayed at the last New York Auto Show, which shows the main features of the car. The engines range is the same as the previous version: a 2.7-litre four-cylinder unit delivering 181 hp and 246 Nm of torque and the sportier 3.5-litre V6 with an output of 268 hp and 333 Nm. Both versions come with either front or all-wheel drive, coupled to an automatic sequential six-speed transmission.

The updated exterior design boasts a new upper and front grille, new headlights and mirrors, slightly modified bumpers and some chrome accents. The restyled inside features, among other technological solutions, Toyota’s Entune package that integrates your smartphone with the dashboard display.

Remember the Nissan Juke-R, the experiment of automotive engineering that has transformed the tame Juke into a monster with 545 hp capable of reaching a speed of 257 km/h? After presenting it in Dubai, the Japanese carmaker decided to produce the super crossover in very limited edition at a price of around £365,000.

The website Inside Line has quoted David Reuter, vice president of Nissan Americas, who explained how the model will be produced on a build-to-order basis at a cost of $ 590,000. “It is intended for serious collectors and investors who want to own a true original, an innovative project that will only be created in extremely small numbers.”

The Juke’s body was heavily modified to accommodate the engine and chassis of the supercar Nissan GT-R my2012. The first models will be delivered late this summer.

Here are a few spy shots revealing the definitive look of the upcoming Mini Countryman Coupe, arguably one of the most ‘eccentric’ projects of the Anglo-German carmaker. The model is the final evolution of what we had seen with the Paceman prototype, meaning a compact crossover with a more ’sporty’ attitude than the standard Countryman model it is basically based upon. For this model the Mini designers decided to get rid of the rear doors, a choice that implied a change of the whole rear section of the car as well.

This new Countryman Coupe will position itself in the same niche of the market ruled by the Range Rover Evoque, although the different size and price-tag of these two models will have them competing in two different segments of the market. The model is scheduled to make its debut at the 2012 Paris Motor Show in September. Just as a reminder, the Mini Paceman measured 4.11 meters in length, 1.79 in width and 1.54 in height.

View the Mini Countryman Coupe spy shots gallery

Nissan will produce a limited edition of the Juke-R with improved mechanical features, compared to the first prototypes. The 2007 Nissan GT-R twin-turbo V6 engine with output of 485hp that was fitted on the concept cars will be replaced with the upgraded unit mounted on the GT-R my2012 and capable of delivering an impressive 545hp.

The Juke-R with 485hp covered the 0-100Km/h in 3.7 seconds with a maximum speed of 257km/h: Nissan officially confirmed the top speed data; however, it never validated the acceleration figures that should be, strictly speaking, lower. Besides the engine, the production version of the Juke-R will sport a new gearbox and will use the same drivetrain and chassis of the powerful GT-R my2012, to make the most of the extra 60hp.

Nissan has decided to create a limited edition after the amazing reaction the car had during the presentation in Dubai, where the Japanese carmaker has already received three orders that will be shipped by the end of summer. The price of the car is still unknown, but if you want more info or want to make an offer, Nissan has created an email address for this purpose: juke-r@nissan.co.uk

In Europe, Great Wall is one of the most well-known and appreciated Chinese manufacturer, but in its homeland this brand really is huge. Around here they are mostly known for their SUVs of the Hover range and the Steed pick-up trucks, thereby it is fair to assume that some of the vehicles on display at the 2012 Beijing Motor Show will sooner or later land on our shores as well. The Great Wall stand in Beijing is one of the most crowded ones and we are not talking about people only: the carmker has brought a strong line-up including the Haval H5, Haval H7, Haval M2, Haval E, Voleex C20 EV and Voleex C50.

The Haval E is a hybrid concept car that anticipates the future design theme of the manufacturer. It develops 245 hp and can switch from front- to four wheel drive configurations. The model is built with light materials, uses its solar panels on the roof to feed clima and instrumentation and is equipped with a KERS. The Voleex C20 EV is an electric crossover that measures 4,058 mm in length, 1,727 in width,1,604 in height and is equipped with an electric motor delivering 76 hp and 150 Nm of torque: it reaches 130 km/h (80 mph) of top speed and has a range of 160 km (100 miles).

The Haval 5 is a MPV measuring 4,649 mm in length, 1,810 mm in width and 1,745 mm in height, although its all-wheel drive versions are 10 mm lower. Its engine range include a 2.4-litre petrol engine delivering 136 hp and 200 Nm of peak torque and a 2.5-litre diesel with an output of 109 hp and 300 Nm. The Beijing event also saw the world premiere of the new SUV H7, the AWD production version of the SC60 concept we had seen in 2010. Weighing in at 2,200 kg and measuring 4.8 meters in length, 1.93 in width and 1.78 in height, it ranks as the largest Great Wall car ever. It is powered by a turbocharged 2.0-litre 4-cylinder unit producing 217 hp that is mated to a 6-speed automatic gearbox. The model goes from 0 to 100 km/h in 10.6 secs and reaches 180 km/h of top speed.

View the full Great Wall @ the 2012 Beijing Motor Show photo gallery

Hyundai is at the 2012 Beijing Motor Show with quite a few interesting models, most notably the new Santa Fe“>Santa Fe, the BHCD-1 and the Rhoens Coupe, which is basically the Genesis Coupe with a different name and some light cosmetic change.

The BHCD-1 is a model developed by Hyundai together with Chinese partner Beijing Automotive and will be marketed in China only as a Shouwang model. Its flashy front end features a pair of slender head-lights with LED technology and a sunken bonnet that gives the car a pretty aggressive outlook. As for now the model is still a prototype, but its definitive version is due to appear on Chinese roads within a couple of years.

Arguably the real star at the Hyundai stand in Beijing, the third generation of the Santa Fe (which was premiered at the New York International Auto Show earlier this year) turned out to be one of the crowd’s favorites. Measuring 4.69 meters in length, 1.88 in width, 1.68 in height and with a wheelbase of 2.70 meters, the innovative design of the Santa Fe is aligned to the design language adopted by the most recent models from the Korean carmaker. Its engine range include a 2.0-liter turbocharged GDI engine developing 264 hp, a 2.4-litre direct injection (GDI) producing an estimated 190 hp, and - for the Long Wheel Base variant only - a 3.3-litre GDI V6 engine delivering 290 hp.

View the full Hyundai BHCD-1 and Santa Fe @ the 2012 Beijing Motor Show photo gallery

Renault introduces its new sedan Talisman at the 2012 Beijing Motor Show, a car that can be considered as the French counterpart of the Samsung SM7. The model is basically identical to the SM7 with just a few slight differences on the front end - where we find a brand new grille - and a set of smaller wheels. The Talisman will be produced in South Korea and exported to China starting mifd-June, with a price of 38,652 Euros.

Measuring 4.95 meters in length, the new 3-box sedan from the French carmaker looks well-proportioned and boasts a quite rounded design. At the moment there are no news concerning the engine range of the Talisman, but it is expected to feature something similar to the 195 hp 2.5-litre V6 and the 290 hp 3.5-litre V6 of the Samsung SM7. On a side-note, the name Talisman had been previously used by Renault for a 2001 concept car which anticipated the design of the Mégane. Making a special appearance at the 2012 Beijing Motor Show is also the Captur Concept, that Renault introduced at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show.

The most interesting new model at the Ford stall in Beijing is probably the new EcoSport, a compact SUV model developed in Brazil on the base of the recent B-Max that we had seen as a prototype at the last New Delhi Auto Expo.

The Ford EcoSport is bound to become a global model and will be powered by a 1.0-litre 3-cylinder EcoBoost engine with low fuel consumption and emissions. The clean and modern interior is quite reminiscent of the style adopted by the latest Ford models, with all the basic commands within reach for the driver as well as the by now well-known Ford Sync infotainment system, which allows to read text messages and email.

The car on display at the 2012 Beijing Motor Show is the model sitting at the top of the range, with the Mars Red paint job: it uses the Titanium trim, which provides for some chrome details on the outside (i.e. the front grille) and a variety of accessories in the cabin. The seats come with some leather insert, while the passenger compartment uses a captivating two-tone color scheme and can accommodate up to 5 people (driver included). Besides, the loading space can be increased by folding the rear bench.

The new compact SUV from Citroen, the C4 Aircross, seems to have all it takes to be successful in one of the most competitive segments of the market. After its official launch at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show, the model will hit the showrooms by the beginning of the summer in both front- and all- wheel drive configurations, and the ‘buzz’ it has generated on the internet is indeed quite promising.

The engine range of the Citroen C4 Aircross include 3 units, all of which will come with start-stop system and Euro5 homologation. There will be a 1.6-litre with direct injection producing 115 hp with 152 Nm of peak torque; a 1.6 HDi delivering 115 hp and 270 Nm coupled with a 6-speed gearbox and a 1.8 HDi credited with an output of 150 hp with 300 Nm of maximum torque. The first one is the ‘greener’ option of the lot, with just 119 g/km of CO2 emissions, but it is also the only one that will be available with the front-wheel drive configuration only. Besides, a 2.0-litre unit with direct injection homologated for the Euro4 standards will also be made available outside Europe. This engine is produces an output of 150 hp with 198 Nm of peak torque and can be coupled to either a 5-speed manual or a CVT gearbox.

The C4 Aircross measures 4.34 meters in length, 1.8 meters in width and 1.63 meters in height, and has a boot capacity of 442 litres. Inside, the model offers good cabin space which has been designed to accommodate 4-5 people and to provide them all with the same kind of comfort of a saloon car. Standard equipment include Navidrive sat-nav with touch-screen, rear view camera, Keyless Access & Start and a pretty nice Rockford sound system.

View the full Foto della Citroen C4 Aircross photo gallery