New Toyota Prius C Hybrid Hatch Debuts in Detroit, up to 53 mpg with prices

About a month after Toyota revealed the Aqua at the Tokyo Motor Show in Japan, the North American version of the model named the Prius C made its debut at the Detroit Auto Show today. The Prius C is the most compact member of the Prius Family, which also includes the third generation Prius Liftback, the new Prius V minivan and the Prius Plug-in Hybrid that will arrive in early 2012.
About the same size as the latest Yaris, Toyota's new dedicated hybrid model is a sub-compact five door hatchback that measures 157.3 in. long, 56.9 in. tall, 66.7 in. wide and tips the scales at 2,500 lbs (1,134 kg) or 542 lbs. less than the regular Prius.
It's hybrid powertrain links a 1.5-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine that utilizes an Atkinson cycle and which produces 73 horsepower and 82 lb.-ft. of torque, to an electric motor and a 144-volt nickel-metal hydride battery pack located under the rear passenger seat. The hybrid system's total output is 99-horsepower.
Toyota claims that the Prius C returns the highest rated city fuel economy estimate of any vehicle without a plug at 53 mpg in the city, along with 46 mpg on the highway for a combined rating of 50 mpg (4.7lt/100km).
The hatch offers three different driving models include Normal, Eco, and EV. The Eco mode reduces overall energy consumption by controlling the air-conditioning and throttle, while the EV mode allows the Prius C to be driven by electric power alone for under 1 mile at speeds up to 25 mph (40km/h).
Full pricing has not yet been released, but Toyota said that the Prius C will arrive in dealerships across the States in March with a starting MSRP below $19,000.

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Meet the 2013 Buick Encore's European Twin, the New Opel Mokka

Continuing our spree of 2012 Geneva Motor Show-related news, shortly after the presentation of the new Buick Encore, General Motor's European subsidiaries Opel and Vauxhall introduced their version of the small crossover that will be marketed as the Mokka on the other side of the pond. And for those of you wondering, the European model's name was inspired by the small, round coffee beans of the Coffea Arabica variety.
The Mokka and the Encore are virtually identical twins as the only styling differences between the two are their unique grilles along with the Buick's decorative hood ornaments and the Opel's headlamp trims.
Like the Encore, the Mokka will be offered in both front- and all-wheel drive versions but whereas the Buick launches with a single engine option, the 140HP 1.4-liter turbocharged Ecotec unit, the Opel will be available with a greater variety of powertrains.
In addition to the 140HP 1.4L Turbo, there's an entry level 1.6 liter naturally-aspirated gasoline engine with 115HP and a 1.7-liter turbo diesel that churns out 130HP and a healthy 300Nm (221 lb-ft) of peak torque.
Furthermore, both the 1.4 Turbo and the 1.7 CDTI can be combined either with six-speed manual or six-speed automatic gearboxes.
All manual transmissions are equipped with a fuel saving Start/Stop system while other standard features include the Electronic Stability Control (ESC), the Traction Control (TC) as well as the Hill Start Assist (HSA) and Hill Descent Control (HDC) systems.
The Juke-sized Opel crossover measure 4.28 meters long and provides up to 1,372 liter of loading space, as well as up to 19 storage locations. In addition, Mokka gets an available Flex-Fix bicycle carrier that functions like a drawer and can accommodate up to three bicycles at a time, and which is exclusive to the Opel model.
The Mokka will be available at Opel and Vauxhall dealerships at end of 2012.

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All-New 2012 Kia Cee'd Hatchback with pictures

We're being bombarded today with news from both sides of the Atlantic as along with all the world premieres from the 2012 Detroit Auto Show, for some reason, many automakers are also previewing their debuts for the upcoming 2012 Geneva Salon that takes place in March. After Infiniti, Kia also dropped a single picture of one of its world debuts, the brand new cee'd hatchback.
The second generation of Kia's entry in the highly popular C-segment is aimed squarely against the likes of the Volkswagen Golf, Renault Megane and Ford Focus.
Seen here in five-door trim, the compact hatchback sports a new design with styling elements from the Optima and an angrier front end with comparatively large headlamps – apparently, the latest BMW 1-Series started a new trend…
Kia has not yet divulged any other details on the new cee’d, but the Korean company said that the five-door model will be available across Europe from the second quarter of 2012 with UK deliveries expected to start from June.

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2013 Honda Accord Coupe Concept Previews 9th Generation Model [Video]

Like its Acura sibling, Honda is previewing one of its upcoming production models at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show with the presentation of the Accord Coupe Concept, which paves the way for the ninth-generation 2013 Accord series set to go on sale in North America this fall. As you can see for yourself, the only conceptual parts of the Accord Coupe are the dramatically styled front and rear bumpers along with the side skirts and alloy wheel designs. Take out those and you have the next Accord Coupe, which truth to be said, doesn't really look all that new.
In fact, if Honda didn't tell us that it's the ninth generation model, we'd be inclined to think it's a facelift of the current series as the only changes to the design concern the fascia that gets new headlamps and a simpler, four-sided grille, a more sculptured beltline, pronounced rear wheel arches and newly shaped tail lamps.
The Japanese company tells us that while the Accord Coupe will remain similarly sized, the Accord Sedan will feature a more compact exterior footprint with a shortened length and reduced weight that should contribute to better handling and improved driving dynamics.
"Both the 2013 Accord Sedan and Accord Coupe will retain the current model's generous cabin space," said Honda.
There are more changes under the body as the 2013 Accord will be introduced with three all-new powertrains, including the first U.S. application of both a 2.4-liter direct-injected (DI) engine and a two-motor plug-in hybrid system.
According to Honda, the 2.4-liter DI gasoline engine produces more than 181 horsepower and 177 lb-ft of torque and will be paired to a 6-speed manual transmission or a new Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT).
The range-topping 3.5-liter i-VTEC V6 engine has also been re-engineered offering more power and increased torque over the current model though Honda did not announce performance numbers. The V6 will be matched to a new 6-speed automatic transmission or an available 6-speed manual transmission
The new Accord Plug-In Hybrid sedan combines a 2.0-liter i-VTEC inline four-cylinder, Atkinson cycle engine, with an electric Continuously Variable Transmission (E-CVT) and a 120kW (161HP) electric motor fed by a 6 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery.
Honda said is two-motor hybrid system moves continuously through three modes: all-electric, gasoline-electric and direct-drive, in order to maximize driving efficiency and fuel economy.
In all-electric mode, the 2013 Accord Plug-In Hybrid has a city driving range of approximately 10-15 miles (16-24 km) and a top speed of 62 mph (100km/h). The battery can be fully recharged in less than four hours using a 120-volt, outlet and less than 1.5 hours using a 240-volt charger.
The 2013 Accord also introduces several safety features such as Honda's first application of Lane Departure Warning (LDW) and Forward Collision Warning (FCW) technology, both of which use a camera mounted behind the windshield, Bluetooth HandsFreeLink phone interface, a full-color Multi-Information Display (i-MID) and an SMS text messaging function.

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2013 HONDA ACCORD COUPE CONCEPT

2011 HONDA ACCORD COUPE

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