Automotive

You could be forgiven for thinking that an electric car called the eMO would be dark-colored, inspire sulkiness in its drivers, and play nothing but My Chemical Romance on its stereo. In this case, however, eMO stands for "Electric MObility study," which is just what India's Tata Technologies designed the concept car as - a study in practical, cost-effective electric city/urban transportation. The vehicle is currently on display at the North American International Auto Show as part of this year's Michelin Challenge Design exhibit, in which participants were asked to design "a personal, ground-based vehicle that can transport between two and 10 people, meeting the anticipated needs of select cities in 2046." Read More

GM's OnStar has given the world a sneak peak at the future of in-vehicle technology with a variety of announcements at the Consumer Electronics Show. This year, it will open its ATOMS platform to third-party developers, allowing for drivers and passengers to have access to new vehicle-specific apps. The company is also showing what the next generation of in-vehicle technology may look like with a Verizon 4G LTE-equipped research vehicle. Read More

Volkswagen will this week unveil its two-seater E-Bugster concept at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. There are no prizes, I'm afraid, for deducing from the entomological etymology that this is an all-electric variant of the classic VW Beetle. Kudos, though, if you identified that the name betrays the E-Bugster's shared DNA with the Ragster, VW's 2005 concept which itself informed the conventional Beetle of today. But enough on the name, let's take a look at the specs. Read More

Though claims by Dodge that its new Dart is a "revolutionary" car fall somewhere between delusional gibberish and being purposefully misleading, the Dart is almost certain to be a sales success in the American compact sedan marketplace. The replacement for the Dodge Caliber is basically a reworked Alfa Romeo Giulietta and has been created specifically as an American-made Chrysler based on a Fiat platform returning better than 40 mpg. At US$16,000, the Dart is economical, sporty and very price-competitive. Read More

Just last month, the designers at smart decided to tease us by releasing some sketches of a concept electric vehicle that they had actually created, known as the for-us. While the front of the vehicle looked quite a bit like the existing fortwo, the Subaru Brat-like mini rear cargo bed definitely gave it a unique car-truck-combo appeal ... or repulsion, depending on the observer. Well, with the start of the North American International Auto Show 2012 this week in Detroit, the curious need no longer wonder what the actual vehicle might look like, as it is proudly out on display. Read More

The annual North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) can usually be counted on the produce at least one über-desirable concept car and the 2012 show currently underway in Detroit looks to have already met that quota thanks to Lexus with its LF-LC Hybrid Sports Coupe Concept. While the concept car itself might not be making it into showrooms anytime soon, Lexus’s Karl Schlicht says the hybrid 2+2 sport coupe created by California’s Calty studio “hints at the design cues that are coming in a wave of new Lexus models over the next two years.” Read More

Honda made its first attempt at a production supercar, the NSX, 21 years ago, and we've been waiting for the follow-up ever since. At Detroit today, we saw the genesis of the next NSX supercar, slated for showrooms within three years. No power or weight figures were mentioned but like the prior NSX, its primary engine will be a mid-mounted V-6. Honda claims the NSX's Sport Hybrid SH-AWD® (Super Handling All Wheel Drive™) hybrid system will deliver handling performance unmatched by previous AWD systems. Read More

Hyundai will be giving its new multi-purpose vehicle concept its world premiere at Auto Expo 2012, which kicks off in New Delhi, India on the weekend. Based on Hyundai’s “Fluidic Sculpture” design language, the “Hexa Space” – also codenamed the HND-7 – is powered by Hyundai’s 1.2-liter “Kappa” turbocharged GDI petrol engine paired with a six-speed automatic transmission and features eight, hexagonally shaped seats that “fit together like puzzle pieces” to enable multiple configurations, including a limosine layout. Read More

The AMP Jeep Grand Cherokee, to be unveiled next week at the North American International Auto Show, is a 100 percent electric-drive vehicle with all the cargo space and utility of a true SUV. AMP trades out Jeep's V6/V8 powertrain for a combination of two Remi electric motors and a 37.6 kWh lithium iron phosphate battery. Because the motors are direct drive, the electrified Grand Cherokee does not require a transmission. The motors combine for 152 kW (203 hp), and the model will travel about 80 to 100 miles (129 to 161 km) per charge. Read More