Autoblog

When we recently posted on Aston Martin dragging Lagonda out of its crypt, one of the assertions was that "they've reportedly ruled out the possibility of a sport-ute." That might have been nothing more than a semantic turn, as Car & Driver is reporting that the first Lagonda will be "something SUV-ish."

Aston Martin CEO Ulrich Bez said the new car will have historical influences at the same time as it is "future-orientated," but the giveaway for C&D seems to be in his line that it will be "truly versatile" and "suitable for both existing and emerging markets." We can't tell if anyone actually came out and told the mag that the car would be an SUV, but an Aston source is quoted as saying it "wouldn't be an SUV in the same way as BMW X5."

So back to the semantics of no "sport-ute" and "SUV-ish" -- this sounds like it could be a brutish, hi-luxe sedan, or even a wagon suitably forceful enough to put space between it and the Rapide. Since Aston's looking at its long-term future, we imagine it will want something that won't leech sales, and that leaves a number of options. Which one the company settles on, however, we won't know until the concept shows up at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show.

[Source: Car & Driver]

When the doors open at the Paris Motor Show next month, Mercedes-Benz will be giving everyone a sneak peek of the new E-Class front-end styling. No, not in the form of the new E-Class itself, which will be unveiled at a later date, but in the ConceptFASCINATION, an attractive shooting brake concept based on the upcoming E-Class Coupe's architecture and featuring the new E's front-end styling.

Gone are the round headlamps we've become accustomed to. In their place are new "rhomboid" lamps that, on the show car at least, incorporate fiber-optic driving lights. The grille will likely be the same one seen on the new E Coupe, while we'd expect the sedan to have the traditional grille-and-hood-ornament combo instead. Power comes from Mercedes' new 2.2L, 204-horsepower BlueTEC (with AdBlue) 4-cylinder diesel, which will make its production debut this fall in the Euro-market C250 CDI BlueEFFICIENCY Super Verbose Prime Edition sedan.

The ConceptFASCINATION's cargo area is covered in wood, and boasts such show-car goodies as a folding glass table that can be pulled rearward, a humidor, a chilled compartment (natch), and storage for binoculars and a camera. A pronounced rear fender arch lends some visual muscle to the whole affair. Hopefully, that's also a hint at what the inevitable E-Class wagon's rump is going to look like. As for the new front end, it's a lot better looking here than spy shots have led us to believe. We'll have much more next month from Paris. In the meantime, Mercedes' extensive press release is pasted after the jump.

UPDATE: New high-res images added to gallery.


[Source: Mercedes-Benz]

Click the image above for more renderings of the Seat Exeo

VW subsidiary Seat is, like The Jeffersons, movin' on up, rolling out a new range of vehicles that will push it into new market segments. The image above is one of a set of the automaker's Exeo sedan given to the trademark office in Spain. According to the company, "the new name stems from the Latin word 'Exire', meaning "to go beyond", "to go further", and "The name Exeo is advanced, forceful and technological, which signals excellence and is highly suggestive of driving pleasure." Ok...

Instead of creating something completely new to chart these unknown waters, Seat has taken a previous gen Audi A4 and given it front and rear clips in the Seat style. Seat will also use the A4 Avant body to create an Exeo wagon. The newish sedan is meant to compete with the Ford Mondeo, Renault Laguna, and Alfa Romeo 159 and will be launched some time next year as a 2010 model. It is expected to retail for £15,000 to £23,000 in the U.K. and we don't yet know which powerplants it will receive.


[Source: Autocar]

Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2010 Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon

Cadillac trotted out the 2010 CTS Sport Wagon here in Monterey and after seeing it in person, we're fans. It's edgy, smooth, finned (the roof rails) and sleek all in the right proportions. And for the States-siders, the 263 hp V6 will allow the wagon to hold its own off the line. While there's plenty of room in the back (note: it is a sport wagon) the car itself is quite compact. A 6'4" colleague couldn't fit in the front seat without bumping his head on the panoramic roof. And for folks at about the 6'0" mark, things get really cozy in the back seat. But you didn't buy a wagon because you wanted a full-sized sedan, did you? If you're in the wagon market, check it out when it comes to a dealer near you.

We've assembled two high-res galleries below and two videos after the jump of Cadillac design and product directors discussing the design of the CTS Sport Wagon.

Click above for a high-res gallery of the 2009 Audi A4 Avant.

The 2009 Audi A4 sedan and Avant will be hitting lots later this year, and before dealers can begin taking orders in September, they've got to let people know what it'll cost to get behind the wheel of the thoroughly revised entry-level Audi.

Prices for the sedan start at $32,700, equipped with the all-new 2.0-liter TFSI four that sends 211 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque through the front wheels. Quattro will be available on the four-banger, along with Audi's six-seed Tiptronic transmission. Buyers that opt for the Avant will have to shell out $34,500 for the added hatch, extra cargo room and standard Quattro all-wheel-drive. If you choose the 3.2-liter FSI V6, the six-speed manumatic is standard, along with the Quattro system.

Dealers will have a limited supply of A4 sedans and wagons available for test-drives later this month and customer deliveries should begin later in September. Follow the jump for full details in Audi's press release.

Click above for 40 hi-res images of the freshened 3 series

BMW has unveiled photos and details pertaining to the facelifted, Euro-spec 2009 3 Series sedan and wagon. We touched on the visual updates yesterday, but to recap, the car sports a revised front fascia, a new hood, restyled mirrors, and reshaped taillamps. The changes are subtle, but good. Inside, the new iDrive trickles down to the 3, which also gets BMW ConnectedDrive in-car internet, as well as an 80-gig hard drive. The 3 Series sedans and wagons are available with 6-speed manual or automatic transmissions. The 7-speed DCT doesn't make it into the four- and five-doors at this time, but it becomes available on the 335i coupe and convertible. Read on after the jump as we run down the model variants and engine offerings.


[Source: BMW | Photos: BMW via BMW Blog]

Click above for high-res gallery of 2010 Cadillac Provoq spy shost

If you're a big fan of the current Cadillac SRX, you'll be happy to know that the name will soldier on past 2010 when Cadillac's first CUV is replaced by the production version of the Provoq concept, which is often referred to as the BRX. Inside Line is reporting that GM execs decided the SRX name has enough cache with customers to continue using it instead of the rumored BRX. While the name will stay the same, the vehicle will be entirely new with a FWD platform shared with Saab that replaces the current RWD Sigma one that also underpins the CTS and STS. Engines are rumored to be a base 2.8L V6 and and the direct-inject 3.6L powerplant tuned to around 300 ponies. The new platform will also give GM the opportunity to use technology like its plug-in two-mode system in future Cadillacs without re-engineering it from the ground up.

[Source: Inside Line]

Image removed at request of its owner, General Motors

A Jalopnik reader purportedly got hold of a Harris Opinion Survey about the upcoming CTS wagon, and assuming it's on the level, it brings forth a treasure trove of information. For example, as you can see above, it seems we now have a first look at official imagery of the CTS in 2-box guise. We like what we see...perhaps even more than we like the CTS Coupe. We especially dig the way those super-tall taillamps look from behind. We'll reserve final judgement for whenever Cadillac officially unveils the car, but things appear to be proceeding very nicely.

Underhood, the doc tells us that it's going to be direct-injected engines only. A 3.0L V6 producing 260 horses replaces the current, non-DI 3.6 as the base mill, with the now-familiar 304-horse 3.6L again assuming the top spot. Both will be connected to 6-speed automatics, and highway mileage is said to be 27 mpg. 25 cubic feet of your stuff will fit behind the second row, and if you flip those back seats down, cargo capacity increases to 58 cubes. A power liftgate ensures you won't strain yourself opening the rear hatch. According to the leaked materials, pricing will range from $37,500 to $42,500.

Will Americans embrace a new luxury wagon? We're gonna find out soon enough.


[Source: Jalopnik]

In the run-up to the Exiga's launch, Subaru has released a teaser site along with a darkened photo of its new seven-passenger wagon. But it was just a matter of time before we got a non-Subie-approved glimpse of the automaker's new people mover. According to the crew at NASIOC, the version you see above is sporting an optional aero package with some additional front skirting, side sills and window treatments. The massive glass roof is likely to be one of the features that Subaru will hype when the Exiga launches in Japan next month, but don't expect to see the new super-wagon in the U.S. anytime soon.



[Source: NASIOC via Straightline]

It's always dangerous to get excited about a car that looks halfway decent in pictures. This creative body project that was born from a very rare 1971 Dodge Challenger R/T SE is just such a car. Yes, the value of this car has been pretty well erased by the addition of an Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser roof, and that could cause some outbursts from purists. The thing is, the stupid values that cars of this era have been reaching at auction are a recent phenomenon. This particular Challenger was just a two year old car when someone went at it with the nibbler back in 1973. From what we can see, this is a 50/50 car – the closeups tell a story that's a little rougher than the more distant snaps. If you've got $28,000, you can enter a starting bid. The seller points out that it'll need some work, and that'll likely cost you at least another 30-large for a full proper restoration. Nobody has thrown cash at the auction yet, so that's a good sign for bidders. With less than a day to go, you may be able to snag this vintage metal shop Frankenstein without a bidder war.

Thanks for the tip, Tobias!


[Source: eBay]