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First Drive: 2011 Kia Optima

You've Come a Long Way, Baby We admit it – we're genetically preprogrammed to be shallow creatures. Despite our moms' best efforts, recognizing inner beauty is all well and good, but it's physical beauty that first puts both people and consumables on our radar. Exhibit A? The 2011 Kia Optima. You see, while exactly nobody was paying attention, the outgoing Optima actually became a reasonably competitive mid-size sedan. But with the lackluster reputation of its predecessor compounded by styling so banal that it might as well ... Read more →

Chevrolet Volt will not be eligible for HOV-lane access until mid-2012 Autoblog Staff

Prospective owners of the Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf shouldn't get too excited about driving in California carpool lanes as soon as they take delivery. Late Tuesday night California Gov. ...

Official: Chevrolet Volt production begins November 11 Autoblog Staff

General Motors confirmed this morning that November 11, 2010 has been set as the official Job 1 date for the Chevrolet Volt. The news initially reported by Translogic was verified to AutoblogGreen ...

Rumormill: General Motors mid-size sedans going all four-cylinder Damon Lavrinc

Straight from the "No Surprise" department comes word from GMInsideNews that all of General Motors mid-size offerings will come equipped with four-cylinder engines as the only available powerplant. ...

Report: Maybach will soldier on, gain hybrid Damon Lavrinc

We've all but assumed Maybach was a goner. With the economic downturn and sales hovering around the 300-unit mark annually, Mercedes-Benz' rebadged uber-lux brand makes a hard business case for ...

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2010 Subaru Legacy 2.5GT: Taming the Mt. Washington Auto Road 1 day ago on Autoblog

In our last long term update, I mentioned that my wife and I took the 2010 Subaru Legacy 2.5GT on a two-week road trip up to New England. Our ultimate destination was Bar Harbor, Maine, though a stop in New Hampshire on the way home became our most memorable vacation moment of all time. After ...

Report: NHTSA investigating steering issues on 2011 Hyundai Sonata 1 day ago on Autoblog

The 2011 Hyundai Sonata has only been on sale for a few months, but it's already winning over many American mid-size sedan buyers, and we've been every impressed by what we've found in our first drive and review. However, the rakish new Sonata could face a recall. The National Highway Traffic ...

First image of 2011 Volkswagen Passat leaks out? [UPDATE] 2 days ago on Autoblog

A Norwegian website claims to have snagged the first official photo of the 2011 Volkswagen Passat from one of the automaker's European retailers (they didn't, see the UPDATE below), and sources suggest we could see the restyled mid-size sedan as early as the Paris Motor Show this October. ...

LA Auto Show preview: Infiniti to launch 2012 M35 hybrid 2 days ago on Autoblog

Infiniti has officially announced plans to debut its first hybrid sedan at the Los Angeles Auto Show this November. The M35 hybrid first appeared – badged as the Nissan Fuga hybrid – at last fall's Tokyo Motor Show, propelled by Nissan's first in-house hybrid system. The M35 is ...

Report: NHTSA looking at 2009 VW Jetta stalling issues 2 days ago on Autoblog

It's only taken seven filed complaints out of 37,889 vehicles sold, but the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is taking a close look at the 2009 VW Jetta TDi regarding sudden stalling. Although only a handful of complaints have come into the NHTSA, a greater number of owners in ...

2010 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup Street Edition: How low is too low? 2 days ago on Autoblog

My daily driver is lowered. Really low. Like damn-near-touring car low. Almost every car I've owned over the last decade has benefited from some kind of suspension setup that dropped its ride height. Traversing speed-bumps and steep driveways has always been a slow-speed, one-wheel-at-a-time ...

IIHS awards 2011 Buick Regal Top Safety Pick 3 days ago on Autoblog

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) just wrapped up its battery of batterings on the 2011 Buick Regal, and the results have netted "Good" ratings for front, side, rear and rollover impact protection. Additionally, the Regal is the seventh vehicle from General Motors to earn a ...

Review: 2011 Toyota Avalon 3 days ago on Autoblog

Sexagenarians Rejoice! Your Ride Has Arrived Have you seen the TV commercials for the 2011 Toyota Avalon? One particular 30-second spot sticks out. It's shot through a 1960's filter and features an old-fashioned voiceover, cheesy elevator music and an airline pilot driving the big Toyota ...

Paris Preview: Mazda debuts new Kodo design language with Shinari Concept 3 days ago on Autoblog

With the departure of Laurens van den Acker to Renault, Mazda's loved or loathed Nagare design language has been dispatched, and in its place is a new designer (Ikuo Maeda) a new theme, a new concept and a new name: Kodo. Set to debut at the Paris Motor Show later this month, the Shinari ...

Heico Sportiv adds aggression to new Volvo S60 [w/video] 5 days ago on Autoblog

We got a glimpse of it not long ago in renderings, now Heico Sportiv has taken its retuned 2011 Volvo S60 to the track and brought us some souvenirs of the day. Changes are restrained yet aggressive outside, with added front lip components and a rear diffuser that wraps around four tailpipes, in ...

2011 Ford Mondeo gets spiffed up 5 days ago on Autoblog

When a car comes with a 48-page press release, well, you know its maker has some special things in mind for it. The 2011 Ford Mondeo, in five-door and wagon styles, is just such a car, with The Blue Oval calling it "the most stylish and technologically advanced Mondeo ever." Visually, the car's ...

Hyundai RB concept for Moscow revealed [w/video] 6 days ago on Autoblog

Hyundai has dropped its new RB concept on the crowd at this year's Moscow Motor Show, and according to our Spanish-speaking sister site, the car you see above is likely to evolve into a genuine Russian-market production model with one of two engines. On the base side of things, buyers can opt ...

Brabus hearts Apple, launches iBusiness luxury sedan 6 days ago on Autoblog

The folks at Brabus have always been known for fitting ridiculously high-powered engines into the full line of Mercedes-Benz vehicles, but this new creation has more than just staggering performance to offer. The latest products from Apple, including the iPad, have all been integrated into a ...

**Official: Toyota recalling 1.1M Corolla and Matrix models over stalling fears *UPDATE** 6 days ago on Autoblog

Toyota has been in the hot seat this year for its high-volume safety recalls, has issued yet another action that covers its 2005-2008 model year Corolla sedans and Matrix hatchbacks. Approximately 1.13 million vehicles are affected by a problem which could cause the 1ZZ-FE 1.8-liter ...

Report: Ford Fiesta shipments flowing again after faulty part fixed 7 days ago on Autoblog

The Ford Fiesta launch was supposed to be smooth as glass, but few complex plans go off without a hitch. The first samples of Ford's hot subcompact were stalled due to hazardous weather near the Mexico assembly plant where it's produced. Ford mailed out $50 MasterCard gift certificates to stave ...

Video: Cadillac brings us behind the scenes of CTS-V Competition commercial 7 days ago on Autoblog

Once upon a time – May 9, 2008 to be precise – the Cadillac CTS-V ran the 'Ring in 7:59.32, and just five days later we had video proof of the event. Now that over two years have passed, the feat will leave the geek-o-riffic world of 'Ring time watchers and be shared with the rest of ...

Report: Toyota subpoenas Camry in Lee acquittal case 7 days ago on Autoblog

Koua Fong Lee can't seem to catch a break. Lee was convicted of killing three people in 2006 when his Toyota Camry struck a vehicle at a stoplight, but he was later freed after prosecutors discovered that Lee may have been a victim of unintended acceleration. He served two and a half years in ...

Video: 2011 Ford Fiesta nabs IIHS Top Safety Pick, Autoblog watches 8 days ago on Autoblog

We have mountains of respect for the men and women who work at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. After being invited to the institute's Charlottesville, Virginia facility for a front-row seat to the 2011 Ford Fiesta's frontal-offset test, we can honestly say that if we had their job, ...

Update: Honda Canada not canceling Insight, Civic hybrids, will order as needed 8 days ago on Autoblog

Remember the report from Quebec that suggested Honda Canada would be discontinuing the Insight and Civic hybrid for the 2011 model year due to poor sales? According to company spokesman Richard Jacobs, the two hybrids have not in fact been discontinued. Instead, Jacobs tells us that Canadian ...

U.S. intensifies investigation into Toyota Corolla stalling 8 days ago on Autoblog

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is intensifying its investigation into stalling Toyota Corolla models. According to the Associated Press, the agency has opened what it calls an engineering analysis into 1.8 million Corolla and Matrix models sold between 2005 and 2007. So far, ...

Video: Translogic tests Chevy Volt, reveals Mountain Mode and 0-60 time 8 days ago on Autoblog

Our brothers from another mother over at Translogic just released their latest episode yesterday, episode 5.4 for whoever's counting. Host Bradley Hasemeyer spent a day with General Motors at the automaker's Milford Proving Ground driving the 2011 Chevrolet Volt and came away with some ...

Report: Audi planning A3 sedan for U.S. market 9 days ago on Autoblog

Ever so slowly, the United States is getting over its prejudice against hatchbacks. The subcompact segment is booming more than ever and the vast majority of vehicles in this range have a five-door configuration. Take the new Ford Fiesta, for example – the hatch is easily outselling the ...

Next Hyundai Equus, Genesis and Genesis Coupe to get AWD 9 days ago on Autoblog

In case you hadn't noticed, Hyundai is quickly moving up the ranks of automakers by pushing the boundaries of the classes in which its vehicles compete. Exhibit A was the Genesis sedan, which was quickly followed by the Genesis Coupe and now the Equus luxury sedan. But the Korean automaker isn't ...

Chrysler releases details on 2011 Dodge Charger Pursuit police car 9 days ago on Autoblog

Ford and General Motors have already made big splashes this year by introducing their next-generation police pursuit vehicles, and while the Taurus- and Caprice-based cruisers will surely be stiff competition for one another, Chrysler now presents its police fleet offering, the 2011 Charger ...

eBay Find of the Day: Porsche-built 1992 Mercedes-Benz 500E is the timewarp sleeper of our dreams 9 days ago on Autoblog

In 1992, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche briefly entered into a love affair that would produce one very special offspring: the Mercedes-Benz 500E. The car was to become the godfather of all super sedans, packing a 5.0-liter V8 with a staggering (for the time) 322 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of ...

Friends with Benefits: Hyundai shifts Santa Fe production to Kia plant to build more Sonatas 9 days ago on Autoblog

Straight from HQ at The Department of the Obvious, the 2011 Hyundai Sonata is selling as quickly as Miley Cyrus tickets before Cyrus lost the plot. That's got Hyundai Motor America shuffling production plans around in order to build enough Sonatas in the U.S., instead of getting them from South ...

Report: Honda Canada discontinuing Insight and Civic hybrid 10 days ago on Autoblog

It's no secret that the revived 2010 Honda Insight has been a huge sales disappointment in North America. The once-robust sales of the Civic hybrid have also evaporated in the last two years. Apparently, things are far worse for Honda's hybrids in Canada where higher fuel prices typically cause ...

Video: Latest Fisker Karma ad has all the sexy we expected 10 days ago on Autoblog

Our own Sebastian Blanco played Nostradamus on this one, predicting that Fisker's retention of Lambesis as its ad agency of record would turn into sexified commercials. Nevermind the fact that a kindergartner could have figured that out, Blanco is the one who delivered – and so did ...

Spy Shots: 2012 Chevrolet Malibu continues its camo striptease 10 days ago on Autoblog

The 2012 Chevrolet Malibu has been busted again, wearing front and rear camo, which is more camo than it wore the last time we saw it. It's clear that the flanks are getting just enough etching to add some visual interest, but we're wondering how far the front and back treatments will move toward ...

Officially Official: 2012 Mercedes-Benz CLS revealed before Paris debut 11 days ago on Autoblog

It seems like every automaker wants to have a "four-door coupe" in its lineup these days. Hyundai has its rakish new Sonata, Volkswagen has the stylish CC and BMW has reportedly given its Gran Coupe concept the go-ahead for production. This is certainly one of the hottest automotive design ...

Reader Spy: 2011 Dodge Charger revealed on set of The Fast and the Furious Five 11 days ago on Autoblog

Thanks to Autoblog reader Jose Rosario, we can now put the speculation to rest – the 2011 Dodge Charger will indeed receive a new full-width taillamp treatment that echoes that of its two-door Challenger kin. Rosario informs us that these spy shots were taken in Puerto Rico on the set of ...

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Autoblog Podcast #193 - Hot Mustangs, Volt Mileage, 1 Series M, Mazda design and Lotus Evoras

Chris, Sam, Alex and Dan convene for Episode #193 of the Autoblog Podcast. We cover the Ford Boss Mustang and Roush supercharger package, the latest Chevrolet Volt fuel economy dust-up, the BMW 1 Series M Coupe, Mazda's apparent new design language and the Lotus Evora S and Evora IPS. Thanks for listening!

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