Kia Sportage: The all-new urban-friendly compact SUV

With a new bodyshell, new engines and fresh, bold styling that introduces a new kind of dynamic aesthetics, the latest Kia Sportage is an urban-friendly compact SUV for today’s families – consuming less fuel and emitting less CO2.

Longer, wider and lower than the previous model – by 90 mm, 15 mm and 60 mm respectively – the all-new design successfully retains the key SUV features – a commanding driving position, heightened sense of security and powerful road presence – that made the second-generation Kia Sportage so popular.

Toyota Will Assess All Its SUVs for Safety Issues

In the wake of an influential consumer magazine’s discovery of handling problems in the 2010 Lexus GX 460 SUV, Toyota Motor (TM) said that it’s conducting tests on all its sports-utility vehicles to assess their safety, just two days after Toyota suspended sales of the GX 460.

The news comes after road tests conducted by Consumer Reports showed the GX 460 was susceptible to rolling over during accident-avoidance maneuvers on its test track. The nonprofit magazine published an advisory on its website, urging consumers to not buy the vehicle until the auto maker addressed the problem.

ALL-NEW TUCSON DELIVERS BETTER

In 2010, a revolutionary new Tucson joins the rapidly evolving Hyundai product line. The sleek crossover from Hyundai, with its athletic European design, strikes a stark contrast from its predecessor and improves in every functional area, from its roomier cabin with extra cargo space to its leap in fuel economy and technology.

Tucson features the company’s “Fluidic Sculpture” design language and is the first vehicle in Hyundai’s 24/7 version 2.0 product initiative (seven all-new models by the end of 2011).

Brass Monkey Racing to Bring Nissan GT-R to World Challenge

Brass Monkey Racing has announced plans to campaign a pair of Nissan GT-R cars in the 2010 World Challenge GT Championship with the support of Nissan North America, Inc.

The announcement signals a renewed interest for Nissan, which last participated in World Challenge with a Touring Car effort in 2005. The twin-turbo, all-wheel-drive Nissan GT-R racecars are currently under construction at Brass Monkey Racing’s Texas-based race shop and will make their North American debut March 26-28, in St. Petersburg, Fla., at the hands of two-time series race winner Tony Rivera, of Missouri City, Texas, and rookie Steve Ott, of Houston.

Marching toward International Famous Brand, Chery Launches “Intensive Cultivation 2010” Project

Recently, Chery announced its annual strategic planning called “Intensive Cultivation 2010” in Beijing, which drew wide attention both at home and abroad. Chery will introduce a series of strategies which focus on the four main themes: “Intensive Cultivation of Brand, Intensive Cultivation of Technology, Intensive Cultivation of International Market, Intensive Cultivation of Responsibility”, so as to reinforce the outcomes of “Layout 2009”.

At the same time Chery also announced its annual sales target, ensuring 0.7million units and striving for 0.9 million, with 17 new or modified models released in domestic market.

Toyota’s president to visit China on Monday

Toyota President Akio Toyoda will speak in Beijing on Monday about the company’s recent quality woes, Toyota said Sunday, in an effort to reassure consumers in a major growth market.

Toyoda, who testified at a U.S. Congressional hearing last week about the spate of global recalls plaguing Toyota Motor Corp., will speak to reporters at a Beijing hotel, company spokeswoman Ririko Takeuchi said.

Popular Science Honors 2009 BMW 7 Series

Irvine BMW is proud to announce that Popular Science Magazine has named the 2009 BMW 7 Series the most advanced luxury sedan on the market.

“The 2009 BMW 750i and its larger brother, the 750Li, exemplify the latest trends in automotive technology,” said Irvine BMW General Sales Manager Steve Rudkin. “First, there’s the smaller, more efficient twin-turbocharged V8 engine, making the new 7 faster than the outgoing V12-powered model.”

Toyota cars in the Philippines not affected by safety recall

The local unit of Toyota Motor Corp. assured its customers that its products are not affected by the recent safety recall in the United States.

Elijah Marcial, public relations officer of Toyota Motor Philippines Corp. (TMP), told ANC in a phone interview on Wednesday that its cars and car parts do not have any defects and will still be sold in the country.

“We received information from Toyota Motor Corp. that all Philippines’ Toyota and Lexus models are not affected by the new US ‘stuck gas pedal’ safety recall,” she said.

Honda to produce hydrogen for fuel cell cars

Honda Motor Co has said it has developed a compact machine to produce hydrogen at a household garage to replenish fuel cell electric cars that run on electricity generated by the chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen.

The Los Angeles Center of Honda R&D Americas Inc is testing the “solar hydrogen station” intended for ultimate use as a “home refueling appliance capable of an overnight refill of fuel cell electric vehicles,” Honda said.

China overtakes US as world’s biggest car market

China has overtaken the US to become the biggest car market in the world as government policy initiatives spur demand.

China sold more than 13.5m vehicles last year, the official Xinhua news agency said today, compared with 10.4m cars and light trucks sold in the US, the lowest level in 27 years.