With the "500 by Gucci" hatchback having already logged some 3,000 pre-orders online, Fiat wasn't about to let a good run go to waste. Today, the Italians announced the release of topless version that goes by the name "500C by Gucci".
Gucci Creative Director Frida Giannini once again customized the special edition version of the 500C in collaboration with the Centro Stile Fiat. The chief difference between the two models is that Giannini removed the green-red-green Gucci web pattern from the 500C's profile and placed it on the car's electrically operated black top. Like the hatchback model, the 500C by Gucci will be available in either white with matte chrome-plated elements or glossy black with shiny chrome-plated accents. Other exterior details worth mentioning are the 16-inch spoked alloy wheels with a double "G" logo on the hubcaps and Gucci signature in italics displayed on the tailgate and on the door pillar. Inside, we find the same upgrades and unique elements seen on the hatch including the bespoke Gucci upholstery, satin and polished chrome-plated elements, and a velvet-effect finish on the radio panel. The topless model will be available for order this month and from September will be on display in selected Italian Fiat showrooms. In Italy, the 500C by Gucci will have a price tag of €20,000 (approximately US$28,900).
A little over a year after Mazda previewed the Minagi Concept at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show, the Japanese company lifted the curtains off the production version of its compact SUV that we will come to know as the CX-5.
The world premiere of the CX-5 will take place at the 64th Frankfurt Motor Show that opens on September 13 and will go on sale in early 2012. Mazda says the CX-5 is its first production model to adopt the new “KODO – Soul of Motion” design theme that we saw in the Minagi and Shinari concept cars. The highlights of this new theme are a prominent front fascia and a more dynamic styling which the company says conveys "a strong sense of vitality and agility”. The CX-7’s smaller “brother” is also the first Mazda model to adopt the full range of the firm's SKYACTIV technologies. Depending on the market, the CX-5 will be available with gasoline and diesel engines hooked up to manual and automatic transmissions. The European version will be offered with the SKYACTIV-G gasoline 2.0-liter engine and the SKYACTIV-D 2.2-liter diesel in two configurations, Standard and High Power, which emit less than 120 g of CO2 per km.
Usually new or redesigned models fare better in car reviews than their predecessors. Technology moves on during the lifespan of a model, automakers learn from their mistakes and improve their production methods, while the competition gets better forcing everyone else to improve etc.
However, that’s not the case with the redesigned 2012 Honda Civic LX, or at least that's what Consumer Reports states in its latest test of the Japanese model. According to Consumer Reports (CR), the highest ranking small sedan for many years and a Top Pick in five of the last 10 years has in its latest iteration dropped too low to even earn a “Recommended” tag! “While other models like the Hyundai Elantra have gotten better after being redesigned, the Civic has dropped so much that now it ranks near the bottom of its category,” wrote senior director of Consumer Reports Auto Test Center, David Champion. The Civic LX’s score dropped from the previous model 78 to an abysmal 61, placing it in the second-to-last place just above the (also recently redesigned) VW Jetta, which finished last. Consumer Reports’ testers found the new Honda Civic to feature a lower quality interior, high road noise, less agile handling, inferior brakes and a choppy ride compared to the car it replaced. Decent space for rear passengers and second-best fuel economy in the category just weren’t enough to make up for its other shortcomings. Here's a snippet from CR's test:
"The Civic has slid backward with its redesign. It feels insubstantial against recently-redesigned competition.. Vague steering weakens its agility and robs it of its fun-to-drive feel. Stopping distances are long, the ride is choppy, and road noise is pronounced.
The Honda Civic LX ($19,405 MSRP as tested), is powered by a 140-hp, 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine that provides adequate acceleration and gets an impressive 30 mpg overall in CR’s own fuel economy tests. The five-speed automatic transmission shifts smoothly. The interior feels cheap, a letdown from previous Civics. CR is currently testing a Civic hybrid and will report on it next month. Cargo space is Good."
Honda's reaction was almost immediate as the Japanese company's U.S. arm issued a statement saying it "disagrees" with CR's findings. Honda's reply follows below:
"In a broad sense, we disagree with Consumer Reports' findings. Without question, the small sedan segment is more competitive than ever. In virtually every way, the completely redesigned 2012 Civic is a step forward. The new Civic excels in areas that matter to small-car customers, including fuel efficiency, safety, and reliability. Among the Civic's greatest competitive strengths, is a smooth and efficient powertrain that, in Consumer Reports testing returned, "... an impressive 30 mpg overall on regular fuel and 47 mpg on the highway." Also noted in Consumer Reports findings, the Civic excels in the area of safety, with a long list of important features standard on all trim levels, and a class-leading 'Top Safety Pick' rating from IIHS. Lastly, the Civic has a stellar reliability history with Consumer Reports, and we are confident that the new Civic will be a reliability leader as well."
Ford is widening the options for UK buyers of the all-new 2012 Focus by confirming the availability of a new entry-level model called Studio which will be priced at £13,995 when it arrives in September. The company said the new Studio will replace the Focus Sport, a final special edition of the previous model that has been on sale since October 2010 reacting sales of 15,000 units. The base model of the new Focus series will be offered as a five-door hatchback powered by a 1.6-liter Ti-VCT gasoline engine delivering a rather feeble 85PS and a combined fuel economy of 47.9mpg UK. Buyers can choose only from three colors - Panther Black, Moondust Silver and Frozen White. Standard equipment on the Focus Studio includes 16-inch alloy wheels, a body-coloured rear spoiler, radio/CD player (note that Ford of Europe recently announced that it will phase out CD players in its cars), USB connectivity, air-conditioning, electrically-operated door mirrors and front windows, Ford Easy Fuel 'capless' refuelling, and Electronic Stability Programme (ESP) system.
For some automakers such as Porsche and BMW, a black edition version of one of their cars means everything is finished in black, for others including Mazda and Holden, it's more like a secondary trim color.
Honda's CR-Z "α Black Label" ("Alpha Black Label") can be classed in the second category as the Japanese market only edition of the hybrid sports coupe justifies its name only through the color choices inside and to a lesser extent, the darker shade of the alloy wheels. Inside, Japanese buyers can opt for black fabric or leather seats with a light blue stitching. Honda offers several colors for the exterior including black, white and red, but the most interesting option is a new yellow finish that will be available in limited numbers. Sales of the CR-Z "α Black Label" edition will commence in Japan on August 8 with prices starting from 2,510,000 yen (approx. US$32,400 or €22,700).
Joining a long list of unknown companies with no prior experience that wish to enter the supercar building industry is firm called Arrinera Automotive. from Poland. Last month, Arrinera showed the first prototype of its newly created sports car during a local presentation. Now the Polish firm has released some fresh photos as well as video footage of the prototype model on the road, which you can check out in detail after the jump. Arrinera says the two-seat sports car rides on a tubular steel chassis with the body made of carbon fiber and Kevlar composite materials. Motivation is said to come from a mid-mounted 6.2-liter supercharged LS9 V8 engine sourced from the 2011 Chevrolet ZR1 that's capable of delivering 638-horsepower and 819Nm (604 lb-ft) of peak torque.
Earlier in July, Mercedes-Benz outline the shape and detailed the powertrain lineup for the new 2012 B-Class MPV. Now, the Stuttgart-based automaker is providing us with our first look at the tall compact model's inner works.
Looking at these photos, if there's one thing that stands out it’s that, unlike the exterior, which is an evolution of the current B-Class, the interior has been completely redesigned and features a more modern styling and premium feel than the sober cabin of today's model. Mercedes-Benz says its new Advanced Design Studio in Como, Italy played a significant role in the interior design of the new B-Class. The company added that the cabin also sports higher-quality materials and can be customized with numerous features and options such as covering the dashboard in hand-stitched ARTICO man-made leather. The new B-Class, which continues to use the current versions sandwich floor, will be making its world premiere at the IAA in Frankfurt in mid September before Mercedes-Benz rolls it out to European dealerships in November this year.
The new 2012 Explorer SUV will be the first Ford model in North America to be offered with the company's new 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder EcoBoost engine. But you already knew that.
What's new today is the release of the EPA fuel-economy numbers for the 4-cylinder Explorer which is rated at 20 mpg (11.8 lt/100km) in the city and 28 mpg (8.4lt/100km) on the highway. The cheaper -by around a grand- Explorer V6 with its naturally-aspirated 292HP, 3.5-liter engine returns 17mpg/city and 25mpg/highway. Ford is quick to make a comparison with some of the Explorer's rivals saying that on the highway, it beats the 2011 Honda Pilot (a redesigned model is on its way) and Jeep Grand Cherokee by 5 mpg, Chevrolet Traverse by 4 mpg and Toyota Highlander by 3 mpg, while also boasting that it returns the same fuel efficiency as the BMW 328i sedan. The Explorer's 2.0-liter four-banger produces 240 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and 270 lb.-ft. of torque at 3,000 rpm, and is hooked up to a six-speed automatic transmission.
