Autoblog

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Chevrolet Aveo Three-Door.

What more can be said about the Euro-market Chevy Aveo three-door? Fortunately, not much. The new Aveo gets the reworked front fascia, complete with Anime eyes and gaping maw, while the shallow accent lines that flank the doors angle slightly higher to conform to the three-door's shorter shape. Aside from the much-despised fake fender vents, it's not a bad looking runabout. And with a choice of either an 84 hp, 1.2-liter or a 101 hp 1.4-liter four driving the front wheels, what it lacks in style it makes up for in fuel economy.

Hit the jump to read Chevy's press release on the new Aveo three-door.

Click above for a high-res gallery of the Mazda2 three-door.

After serenading us with the indie sounds of an obscure band from Europe, Mazda pulled the covers off the new Mazda2 three-door, the next obvious evolution of Mazda's compact offerings. What the squat hatch lacks in presence it makes up for with an aggressive wedge shape, a swooping beltline and a well-proportion rump. While Mazda hyped some of the sporting pretenses of the 'lil hatch, the automaker also focused on it low coefficient of drag (0.31) and it's minuscule emissions. Power is provided by either a MZR 1.3-liter four-cylinder producing 75 hp, the "High-Power" version that shovels out 86 hp or the 1.5-liter four which makes 103 hp. All models are sold with a five-speed manual transmission, including the 1.4-liter MZ-CD diesel.

All the details are available in the press release after the jump and check the gallery below for a host of live and press shots of the Mazda2 three-door.

During a sit down with Volvo's senior veep of R&D, Magnus Jonsson told Automotive News that a five-door version of the C30 might be in the cards. "The five-door would be less exciting from a design perspective, but we're looking to expand." That seems like an accurate statement considering that stretching the three-door model could have a few negative aesthetic implications. But if sales of the C30 in the U.S. and Japan go through the roof, a five-door model could be a competitive product for buyers looking to move up market from the C30's platform sibling, the Mazda3.

[Source: Automotive News – Sub. Req.]

click above image to view small high-res gallery

Most Europeans agree that the BMW 1-Series is one fugly little automobile. Somehow the Bangle experience doesn't scale down very well (nor does it often look good at 1:1 scale). Regardless, the little Bimmer has been the least costly way to get into a Bavarian Motorwerks product for the last few years, and if for nothing else Europeans love the car for that fact. For 2007, BMW has tweaked the styling of the 1-Series adding a larger twin-kidney grille and revised lower front spoiler, introduced a new three-door model, and also added some trick fuel-saving technology on certain models. Those fuel-saving techniques include the regenerative braking technology we first told you about when the new 5-Series surfaced. It uses various methods to recharge the car's special battery rather than having an alternator put a constant drain on the car's engine. BMW says its good for a 3% increase in fuel economy alone. We're more excited, however, about the new three-door model, especially when paired with the 265-hp inline-six in the 130i model. The lighter weight of the tri-door makes for a slightly faster 6.0-second flat trip to 60. Who knows if the U.S. would ever be ready for a BMW smaller than the 3-Series. We've got the MINI, but until that brand shoehorns six cylinders beneath its bonnet we'll be wishing for the 1-Series on our shores.

Check out the press release after the jump and click here to view our small gallery of high-resolution pics.

[Source: BMW]

Pics of the European Honda Civic three-door hatch have been snapped well ahead of the car's official debut at the British Motor Show in July. As AutoExpress points out, the removal of the two small rear doors gives the three-door hatch a much simpler shape than its big bro. Look closely and you'll notice this Civic has a glass roof that almost spans the length of the car. The transparent roof is similar to the Astra's Panoramic Roof that has garnered a good amount of attention as of late.

Three engines will be available for the Civic three-door at launch, which include an 83-bhp 1.4L and 140-bhp 1.8L VTEC, both of which are petrol-powered. The obligatory diesel unit is Honda's 140-bhp 2.2L i-CTDi turbodiesel. All three engines will come standard with a 6-speed manual for a mate.

[Source: AutoExpress]