Autoblog

Maximum Bob talks about Invicta and how not to rebadge cars

John Neff — Thu, 01 May 2008 12:34:00 EST

Click above for high-res gallery of the Buick Invicta Concept

GM Vice Chairman Bob "Maximum" Lutz published a new post today on the corporate GM Fastlane Blog that addresses the automaker's newest concept that debuted recently at Auto China 2008 in Beijing: the Invicta. The concept heavily hints at what the next-generation Buick LaCrosse will look like, but Bob points out that the global architecture underpinning the vehicle will be the basis of new cars for Chevy, Saab, Opel/Vauxhall and more. In the past, we would've expected those accompanying models to be rebadged versions with different grilles, headlights and taillights, but Bob explains how GM's new global platform sharing process is different than the rebadging of old. In a nutshell, he says that the money saved from sharing common platforms see will be put into making everything that customer's will see - exterior and interior design, specifically - completely different. While it's great to hear Bob talk about how GM finally "gets it" when it comes to producing common products across an empire of brands, it's something that other automakers like VW/Audi have been doing for years while the General kept feeding us "triplets" of every model it made. So kudos to GM for finally getting it, but it took 'em long enough.

Gallery: Buick Invicta Concept

[Source: GM FastLane blog]

Maximum Bob talks about Invicta and how not to rebadge cars originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 01 May 2008 12:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Autoblog Chinese wraps up 2008 Beijing Motor Show

John Neff — Sat, 26 Apr 2008 19:01:00 EST

Filed under: Misc. Auto Shows

We're proud as peacocks of our blogging brothers at Autoblog Chinese who, in blogging parlance, tore the 2008 Beijing Motor Show a new one. We showed you just a sampling of the dozens of cars they covered at the show, as the team from China truly left no rotating turntable unturned. If you want even more Auto China 2008 coverage, just click on one of four wrap-up pages below and don't stop until you've seen every clone, concept and production car that was unveiled in Beijing last week. You may not be able to understand the language they're speaking, but the pictures more than get the point across.

AB Chinese: Wrap-up 1
AB Chinese: Wrap-up 2
AB Chinese: Wrap-up 3
AB Chinese: Wrap-up 4

Our favorites of the show were the Buick Invicta Concept, Geely Tiger GT Concept, Beijing 700R Concept and Honda's Li Nian Concept.

Autoblog Chinese wraps up 2008 Beijing Motor Show originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 26 Apr 2008 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Beijing 2008: Hyundai debuts facelifted Elantra

John Neff — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 13:58:00 EST

Filed under: Budget, China, Hyundai

Click above to view high-res gallery of the 2008 Hyundai Elantra in China

As we learned last week, Hyundai used the occasion of Auto China in Beijing to debut its slightly refreshened Elantra. Its face now features a wider grille flanked by larger headlights, and a new lower air intake has also been reshaped. The overall effect is that the Elantra's friendly face has been been given a healthy dose of attitude. Likewise, the Elantra's rear also gets reshaped and loses its bulbous butt complex. We do expect these design updates to eventually reach the U.S.-market Elantra, as well as some new interior niceties like improved connectivity for digital music devices. As for when that will happen, your guess is as good as ours.

Gallery: 2008 Hyundai Elantra (Chinese)

Gallery: 2009 Hyundai Elantra

[Source: Autoblog Chinese]

Beijing 2008: Hyundai debuts facelifted Elantra originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 23 Apr 2008 13:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Beijing 2008: 1st Bugatti Veyron in China sells for $3.6m

Noah Joseph — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 10:29:00 EST

Filed under: China, Supercars, Bugatti, Misc. Auto Shows

Click to view the Bugatti Veyron's unveiling in Beijing

If you were looking for the new epitome of capitalism's slow-but-steady takeover of communism in China, we've got it for you right here. Bugatti brought its million-euro hyper-car this year to the Auto China show in Beijing, drawing hoards of spectators in its appropriate bright red paint job. What's more is that within two hours of the car's debut, Bugatti had already sold one.

The customer will fly to Bugatti's Molsheim headquarters to pick out the color scheme and options (apparently no one told him he could do it online), and pay a whopping 25 million yuan (approximately $3.6 million, more than twice the sticker price) for the privilege of owning the first Veyron in China. Mao who?

Click on the images below and the press release after the jump for more on the Veyron's unveiling in Beijing.

Gallery: Beijing 2008: Bugatti Veyron

[Source: Bugatti and Gasgoo]

Continue reading Beijing 2008: 1st Bugatti Veyron in China sells for $3.6m

Beijing 2008: 1st Bugatti Veyron in China sells for $3.6m originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 23 Apr 2008 10:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Beijing 2008: From Jeep clones to this? Beijing 700R concept

Alex Nunez — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 14:31:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupe, China, Misc. Auto Shows

It turns out that the Geely GT didn't corner the market on coupe concepts at Auto China 2008. Beijing Automotive -- whose Wrangler-style B40 you saw earlier -- is also on the case with its 700R coupe concept, a clean and attractive design with some interesting details. An accent line angles upward, merging with muscular rear haunches, giving the car a nice, aggressive presence. In front, knifelike headlamps; stylized, outboard air intakes; and a teensy main grille slit come together to give the car a good face. Out back, a similar motif finishes the car off, and the result is very attractive overall.

Of course, it'll probably never be anything more than vaporware, but generally speaking, it makes you wonder what on Earth goes on in the boardrooms of Chinese car companies. If they have the ability to deliver clean, original designs like this, then why bother copycatting at all? The mind reels. Until originality in this vein is the norm, the phrase "Chinese car" will remain a punchline. Too bad, because stylewise, this 700R concept is no joke.

Gallery: Beijing 700R

[Source: Autoblog Chinese]

Beijing 2008: From Jeep clones to this? Beijing 700R concept originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 22 Apr 2008 14:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Beijing 2008: Brilliance BS4 wagon is good looking... no BS!

Alex Nunez — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: Wagon, China, Misc. Auto Shows

Click above for high-res gallery of the Brilliance BS4 Wagon

The Brilliance BS4 sedan is a pretty good-looking car, so it stands to reason that its wagon variant would be easy on the eyes as well. Unveiled in Beijing, the BS4 wagon is indeed a snazzy-looking, ostensibly practical machine. Power comes from a 1.8L Mitsubishi G93 four-cylinder making 134 hp (100 kW) at 6500 rpm. The BS4 wagon also comes equipped with an alphabet soup of safety feature acronyms like "ABS + EBD + EDS" but word association games involving "Brilliance" and "safety" only call to mind the BS6 Euro NCAP debacle (since corrected, allegedly... but still). The bad news continues, as a recent Inside Line review of the BS4 sedan concluded that the car was generally lackluster at best. Based on that, we can probably assume that the same shortcomings afflict the wagon. It does look nice, at least.

Gallery: Brilliance BS4 Wagon

All photos Copyright (C)2008 Bin Chen / Weblogs, Inc.

[Source: Autoblog Chinese]

Beijing 2008: Brilliance BS4 wagon is good looking... no BS! originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 21 Apr 2008 17:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Beijing 2008: Volkswagen Lavida meets its home audience

Alex Nunez — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 16:29:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, China, Volkswagen, Misc. Auto Shows

Click above for high-res gallery of the VW Lavida for China

Shanghai Volkswagen developed the new VW Lavida in China, for China. Now it's made its big debut before the home-market audience in Beijing. Stylistically, the made-in-China design looks oddly dated, quite frankly. The petal-shaped head- and taillamps look like something you might find on a 1990's Korean import and not a newly-minted VW, regardless of origin.

The Lavida's positioned below the new VW Bora (also introduced in Beijing), with a shorter overall length (around 3 inches) but an identical wheelbase, so passenger comfort should be around the same as the larger car. The interior is a blend of familiar VW partsbin stuff with elements that just seem a little odd-looking in a VeeDub, like the silver audio head unit and the silver HVAC knobs set against a healthy dose of woodgrain trim. Power comes from 4-cylinder engines displacing 1.6L or 2.0L, with a six-speed Tiptronic available to handle shifting duties. It may be all-new, but it's also pretty boring.

Gallery: Volkswagen Lavida

All photos Copyright (C)2008 Bin Chen / Weblogs, Inc.

[Source: Autoblog Chinese]

Beijing 2008: Volkswagen Lavida meets its home audience originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 21 Apr 2008 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Beijing 2008: Nissan unveils new Teana and Teana XV

John Neff — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 15:28:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, China, Nissan, Misc. Auto Shows

Click above for high-res gallery of the Nissan Teana and Teana XV

Back in October of last year, Nissan unveiled the Intima concept at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show. The large front-wheel-drive sedan previewed the styling for the new Teana (above, dark) and more luxurious Teana XV (above, light) that Nissan and its Chinese joint-venture partner Dongfeng debuted at the Auto China show in Beijing. The connection between concept and production vehicle is strong here, with the windswept front fasica, large greenhouse, and kink at the bottom of the C-pillar coming over intact. The flush grille, LED headlamps and suicide doors, however, did not.

The Teana will have a strong link to the western world thanks to the platform on which it rides, which is also shared with the Altima, Maxima and Murano. Power is provided by Nissan's award-winning 3.5L VQ V6 engine, which is mated to a CVT transmission for the Chinese. It appears that a bevy of 2.0 and 2.5L four-cylinder powerplants will also be available when the car goes on sale in late Summer.

Make no mistake, the Teana is a large, luxurious front-wheel-drive sedan, just like the current Maxima here in the U.S. It even features such niceties as a BOSE 5.1-channel surround sound system and Nissan's panoramic sunroof in the XV version.
Check out more pics of the new Nissan Teana in the gallery below.

Gallery: Nissan Teana and Teana XV

Gallery: Nissan Intima concept

All photos Copyright (C)2008 Bin Chen / Weblogs, Inc.

[Source: Autoblog Chinese]

Beijing 2008: Nissan unveils new Teana and Teana XV originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 21 Apr 2008 15:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Geely TX4 LTC show car turns London taxi into hot rod. Sort of.

Alex Nunez — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 14:58:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Sedan, China, Misc. Auto Shows

Click image for a gallery of the Geely TX4 LTC

Geely builds the LTI TX4 under license, and naturally, it's showing off the popular London taxi at its display in Beijing. The standard TX4's kind of vanilla though, so to grab showgoers' attention, the automaker has also plopped an electric blue "hot rod" version called the TX4 LTC in its display, as well. It might more appropriately described as a "not rod", since the TX4's stock 2.4L Euro IV-compliant diesel remains underhood. For maximum visual effect, Geely appears to have raided the Chinese equivalent of a Pep Boys, adding a faux dual exhaust, bolting on truck running boards and fitting six-spoke wheels that might be just a smidge oversized. Call us crazy, but it looks like turning could become a bit of an adventure.

Inside, the passenger compartment gets a white interior and possibly some stereo upgrades along with a nice photo of Big Ben on the bulkhead. You might be stifling a giggle, but compared to some of the vehicular insanity that's showed up at previous years' Chinese auto shows, the TX4 LTC is almost boring, and even with that stock engine, lead-footed hacks can probably still smoke Geely Beauty Leopard drivers at red lights. Just don't take the bait and follow them into the twisties -- you might run into some issues.

Gallery: Geely TX4 LTC

All photos Copyright (C)2008 Bin Chen / Weblogs, Inc.

[Source: Autoblog Chinese]

Geely TX4 LTC show car turns London taxi into hot rod. Sort of. originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 21 Apr 2008 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Beijing 2008: Roewe 550 debuts, still good lookin'

John Neff — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 13:57:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, China, Misc. Auto Shows, Roewe

Click above for high-res gallery of the Roewe 550

Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation debuted the Roewe 550 over the weekend at the Auto China show in Beijing, and it joins the 750 in a lineup that was designed and engineered entirely in Britain. For those who don't remember the story, a little history lesson might be in order. SAIC fought long and hard against cross-town Chinese rival Nanjing for the right to purchase the bankrupt English automotive brand Rover. SAIC won the battle, but didn't secure the rights to the Rover name. Hence, Roewe was born and the 750 debuted as a rebadged version of the Rover 75. The Roewe 550, however, is its own car with a design that doesn't carry forward any obvious cues from Rover. Based on a shortened version of the Rover 75 platform, the 550 was reportedly being developed before MG Rover bit the dust in 2005, and SAIC has made sure to keep the car palatable to European tastes as it plans to sell the 550 in Europe eventually.

The 550 features a clean and tasteful exterior design, though some at the show note its interior isn't made of the highest quality materials. We do, however, like the digital gauge cluster that wraps around the analog tach, as well as the flush nav screen. The 550's available engines, however, are not as impressive and include the same 1.8T and 1.6L K-Series four-cylinders, as well as a 2.0L diesel, that were sold in Rovers before the company collapsed. Autocar points out it's also possible that the 550 could be badged as an MG in Europe, as SAIC recently bought its rival Nanjing, which settled for buying the MG name when it lost the bid to own Rover's assets.

Check out the new Roewe 550 in our high-res gallery below.

Gallery: Roewe 550 - Live Shots

Gallery: Roewe 550

All photos Copyright (C)2008 Ibiza Wang / Weblogs, Inc.

[Source: Autoblog Chinese, Autocar]

Beijing 2008: Roewe 550 debuts, still good lookin' originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 21 Apr 2008 13:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Beijing 2008: Geely CE concept makes its debut

Alex Nunez — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 12:32:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, China, Hatchback, Misc. Auto Shows

Click above for high-res gallery of the Geely CE

Ok, the Geely car parade at Beijing is officially in full swing. One of the good-looking renderings we posted during the runup to the show was of the CE concept, a small hatchback that looked like it could just as easily be an Acura that's slumming in the entry-level class. In the metal, it looks pretty much exactly like the rendering -- a well-styled little Acura 5-door hatch. Only that's the Geely badge on that shield-shaped grille. It It is better-looking than any of Geely's current market offerings, and that's about all there is to say, because we have neither interior shots nor technical details to flesh things out any further. As such, we'll treat it as a styling exercise that's likely got Honda/Acura designers grumbling under their breath, and Chinese showgoers and (potential car-buyers) nodding approvingly.

Gallery: Geely CE Concept

[Source: Autoblog Chinese]
All photos Copyright (C)2007 Bin Chen / Weblogs, Inc.

Beijing 2008: Geely CE concept makes its debut originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 21 Apr 2008 12:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Beijing 208: Geely Tiger GT concept steals the show

John Neff — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 12:00:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Coupe, Misc. Auto Shows

Click above for high-res gallery of the Geely Tiger GT concept

Of all the cars being debuted at this year's Auto China show in Beijing, most of them are from one company: Chinese domestic automaker Geely. The brand has over 20 some debuts, but most are ho-hum little econoboxes that Chinese consumers are buying by the ton right now. The Tiger GT concept, however, is one vehicle from Geely that's getting a lot of attention for a different reason. It's an all-Chinese design concept, and as you can clearly see, looks like nothing else on the road. Whether or not that's a good or bad thing is up to you, but Geely makes no apologizes for new coupe concept that takes its basic shape from the Italian school of design and adds some unmistakable Chinese touches. As described by our blogging buddies at Autoblog Chinese, "the front is extremely arrogant." Indeed. They liken the grille to a Chinese mask and we wouldn't be surprised to find a sword rack hanging in the back window.

The Tiger GT is reportedly powered by a 3.5L V6 producing 225 horsepower and 340 pound-feet of torque. Riding on 19-inch concept wheels, the concept's motor would appear to have a hard time backing up the shear loudness of the coupe's design. It's got chrome fangs, for Pete's sake. Love it or hate it, the Geely Tiger GT concept is at least original, and as our colleagues in China tell us, that alone is worthy of applause.

Check out our full high-res gallery of the Geely Tiger GT below and let us know what you think in the comments.

Gallery: Geely Tiger GT Concept

All photos Copyright (C)2008 Bin Chen / Weblogs, Inc.

[Source: Autoblog Chinese, Straightline Blog]

Beijing 208: Geely Tiger GT concept steals the show originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 21 Apr 2008 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Beijing 2008: HongQi SUV concept doesn't look like a photochopped MKT

Alex Nunez — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 19:43:00 EST

Filed under: SUV, China, Misc. Auto Shows

Click image for a high-res gallery of the HonQi SUV

FAW's premium HonQi (Red Flag) division has unveiled its V12 luxury SUV concept in Beijing. While photoshopped images based on the Lincoln MKT concept surfaced on a Chinese website ahead of the show, the actual vehicle on display looks nothing like those. It is, in fact, a unique design. HonQi, you might recall, will put the 6.0L V12 engine into production next year and have it power the production HQE limousine, a Rolls-Royce Phantom doppelganger that all the party big shots are sure to be seen in. In the SUV, the engine is said to produce 402 horsepower and 405 lb-ft of torque.

The SUV concept sports more gills and slats in front than a Porsche Cayenne, and the styling incorporates features meant to appeal specifically to the Chinese audience. The nose is highlighted by the "Tiananmen Square"-shaped grille (we're guessing the appeal of this may vary) and the head- and taillamps are shaped like ancient Chinese Ge weapons. Aside from the extremely pronounced front fender arches, the truck's overall shape is pretty conventional, and the HonQi SUV isn't going to win many beauty awards. Inside, light-colored leather and lots of blue lighting are the main themes, and the entire center stack appears to be an LCD touch panel that's typical of the fantasy equipment automakers love to show in concept vehicles. A roof-mounted rearview camera sends pictures of the view aft onto a video screen for the driver in lieu of a traditional mirror. We wouldn't expect to see a production version (if there even is one planned) until sometime after the HQE jumbo sedan arrives in 2009.

Gallery: Beijing 2008: HonQi SUV Concept

[Source: Autoblog Chinese]

All photos Copyright (C)2008 Bin Chen / Weblogs, Inc.

Beijing 2008: HongQi SUV concept doesn't look like a photochopped MKT originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 20 Apr 2008 19:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Beijing 2008: Porsche unveils the Cayenne Turbo S

Alex Nunez — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 09:45:00 EST

Filed under: Performance, SUV, Europe, Porsche, Misc. Auto Shows

Click image for a hi-res gallery of the new Cayenne Turbo S

Porsche says that Asian and Eastern European market demand for ridiculously high performance SUVs has resulted in a new addition to the Cayenne range. After a brief respite following the introduction of the current-gen Cayenne, the Turbo S moniker returns. With it comes more power, more torque, newly-available features, and a commensurate cost of entry.

Updated engine management and a new exhaust system raise peak output to 550 horsepower and 553 lb-ft. Channeled through a 6-speed Tiptronic S gearbox, that's enough to rocket Stuttgart's new über-ute to 60 mph in 4.7 seconds and give it a top speed of 174 mph. Reining in those horses becomes even easier if buyers pony up for the optional, massive ceramic composite brakes (16" front / 14.5". rear), now available on Cayenne for the fist time. Exclusive "Lava Gray" paint, the requisite badges, body-colored grille slats, 21-inch wheels, and the quad-tip exhaust help clue savvy onlookers into the fact that this is no mere Turbo. Inside, two-tone seating and a raft of gadgetry ensure that the oligarch at the wheel stays comfortable and entertained. The Cayenne Turbo S arrives in August and if you want one, bring plenty of money. It starts at €111,400. Follow the jump for Porsche's press release and the official tech specs.

Gallery: 2009 Porsche Cayenne Turbo S

[Source: Porsche]

Continue reading Beijing 2008: Porsche unveils the Cayenne Turbo S

Beijing 2008: Porsche unveils the Cayenne Turbo S originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 20 Apr 2008 09:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Beijing 2008: Officially Official - It's the 2009 Audi Q5

Sam Abuelsamid — Sat, 19 Apr 2008 07:00:00 EST

Filed under: SUV, Crossover, Audi, Misc. Auto Shows

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Audi Q5

For months now we've seen spy photos and heard speculation about Audi's new Q5 CUV. Now, we finally have the official news on the latest entry from Ingolstadt. Unlike its big brother the Q7, the Q5 doesn't share an architecture with a VW model. The Q5 utilizes the same underpinnings as the A5 coupe and A4 sedan/wagon. That means the Q5 has a longitudinally mounted engine rather than the transverse powerplant found in the smaller VW Tiguan.

While we were in Germany to drive the new A4, Audi invited us into their design center in Ingolstadt to check out their new virtual reality design system and have a look at the Q5 in the metal, prior to its official coming out party in Beijing. Compared to the Q7, the Q5 looks substantially more compact than its hefty sibling and is much tidier design overall, keeping with Audi's current pretensions of being a premium sporting brand. In fact the Q5 falls right in the heart of the premium mid-size CUV segment. Learn more about the Q5 design after the jump

Gallery: Beijing '08: 2009 Audi Q5

[Source: Audi]

Continue reading Beijing 2008: Officially Official - It's the 2009 Audi Q5

Beijing 2008: Officially Official - It's the 2009 Audi Q5 originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 19 Apr 2008 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Lifan 320 MINI ripoff to debut at Beijing Motor Show

Alex Nunez — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 11:58:00 EST

Filed under: China, Hatchback, Misc. Auto Shows

Click above for photo gallery of the Lifan 320

The production version of Lifan's egregious MINI clone is set to debut this weekend at the Beijing Motor Show. The Lifan 320 as it's called has an 87-horsepower 1.3L underhood that drives the front wheels alone. We're sure that Lifan will point to the car's standard 5-door hatchback layout as evidence that its not a true MINI copy, but let's all be serious here. Droopy headlights, fat D-pillars and traditional placement of the extra doors don't temper the blatant rip-offedness of this Grade D doppelganger. Even the wheels are copies. On a more amusing note, who knew MINI's humorous old "counterfeit" ad campaign would wind up being so prescient? BMW lawyers are likely standing by, as is the Counter Counterfeit Commission.

Gallery: Lifan 320

[Source: Autoblog Chinese]

Lifan 320 MINI ripoff to debut at Beijing Motor Show originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 Apr 2008 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Beijing '08 Preview: 2010 Mercedes-Benz GLK 350 to debut in China

John Neff — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 11:29:00 EST

Filed under: China, Crossover, Mercedes-Benz, Misc. Auto Shows

Click above to view high-res gallery of the 2010 GLK 350

Mercedes-Benz debuted the GLK last January at the Detroit Auto Show in the form of two lightly veiled concepts: the Townside and the Freeside. Until now, the only place we've glimpsed the production version is on the set of Sex and the City. This weekend Mercedes will be unveiling the production GLK sans Kim Cattrall at the Beijing Motor Show, a.k.a. the Auto China in Bejing. We've also learned that the GLK will have only one engine available when it goes sale in the U.S. next January as a 2010 model. The sole motor will be a 268-horsepower 3.5L V6, which can be paired with a two-wheel-drive or 4MATIC all-wheel-drive platform, the latter being able to hit 60 mph in just 6.5 seconds while also returning 23 mpg on the highway. The design of the GLK, meanwhile, apes other CUVs that want to look tough despite their decidedly non-SUV underpinnings, hence all the angularity and sharp edges. Its standard ten-spoke wheels will be unusually large at 19 inches, and 20-inchers will be optional. The GLK 350 will be a true Mercedes with all the trappings of digital technology inside and a plethora of safety features, and MB is planning five option packages and nine standalone options. It'll be built at the automaker's plant in Bremen, Germany and join the R-Class, M-Class, GL-Class and G-Class as the fifth "SUV" in the Mercedes lineup. No word yet on pricing, though. Check out the first official pics of this new soft-roader in our gallery below and get the official word from Mercedes after the jump.

Gallery: 2010 Mercedes-Benz GLK 350

[Source: Mercedes-Benz]

Continue reading Beijing '08 Preview: 2010 Mercedes-Benz GLK 350 to debut in China

Beijing '08 Preview: 2010 Mercedes-Benz GLK 350 to debut in China originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 Apr 2008 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments

Beijing '08 Preview: Changfeng Qi Ling CP1A

Alex Nunez — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 17:33:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, China, Misc. Auto Shows

Click image for photo gallery

Imagine a Hyundai Elantra minus the swoopy body line and with a more assertive, Opel-ish beak, and you have the Changfeng Qi Ling CP1A that'll be unveiled this weekend at the Beijing Motor Show. According to thetycho.com, the CP1A designation is simply a code name, and the sedan will get power from a 1.8-liter four of undetermined ~~size and~~ strength. That's the extent of the details at the moment, but we'll keep an eye out for more as Auto China '08 gets underway this weekend. Until then, there are three photos for you to check out in the gallery below.

Gallery: Changfeng CP1A

[Source: thetycho.com]

Beijing '08 Preview: Changfeng Qi Ling CP1A originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 17 Apr 2008 17:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments

Beijing '08 Preview: Roewe 550 unveiled, and it's impressive

Alex Nunez — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 13:58:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, China, Misc. Auto Shows

Click image for photo gallery

Every now and then, you have to eat crow. This is one of those times. Early spy shots of the Roewe 550 had me thinking it was nothing special -- and far from beautiful. Subsequent spy shots cast it in a better light, and now, with the release of official images of the final car, it's clear that this is a big deal for the Chinese automaker. The headlamps still seem a little weird -- they're sort of shaped like old telephone receivers -- but the whole package is well done and attractive inside and out.

The interior gives off the Euro-modern luxury feel of a BMW, with a wide, hooded IP that houses a nifty looking gauge cluster and the to-be-expected nav/multimedia screen. Outside, it's got a sleek, attractive profile that you'd expect to see coming from a premium European or Japanese automaker, but probably not China. So much for that. This is a very nice-looking car, period. Now, assuming it can handle a crash without turning into one of the death traps from a Saw film, it would seem that Roewe's got something really good here. We'll follow up when the big unveiling takes place in Beijing.

[Source: Auto Sina]

Beijing '08 Preview: Roewe 550 unveiled, and it's impressive originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 17 Apr 2008 13:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments