The Mazda 3 has been updated for the 2010 model year with a smiley new look and a new set of engines. Now Japanese and American markets will get a hotter variant of the new hatchback, with the re-introduction of the Mazdaspeed 3. Of course, as before, the GCC probably will not be getting any Mazdaspeed models.
Porsche has added yet another new model to the latest generation of the 911 with the new GT3. Released alongside is the GT3 RSR racing version.
While the appetite for petrol-hogs drive economies here, hybrid-electric cars continue to evolve in Western markets, with the introduction of the 2010 Toyota Prius and the 2010 Honda Insight at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show. Both are very similar cars, and both come with a petrol engine that supplements itself with self-generated electrical power. Both also offer increasingly impressive fuel consumption figures, compared to any other hybrids before them.
For a long while, Ford had been publicly boasting about their development of a new turbocharged series of engines. The first of these has now been unveiled in not one, but three different models. The new EcoBoost engine will be an available option in the Ford Flex, the Lincoln MKS and the all-new Flex-based Lincoln MKT, all debuting at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show.
The 2009 Detroit Auto Show, also known as the North American International Auto Show, is in full swing. Being among the largest shows of its kind, it suffered its own minor recession when some manufacturers pulled out, but there are still enough new car launches to keep it interesting. Following is a quick look at all the fresh models.
In Ford’s GCC line-up, the Taurus badge had pretty much disappeared at the turn of the century. However, the name was kept alive in the United States, as the car we know as the Five Hundred was sold as the Taurus in America. The full-size sedan is a competent but boring car, and Ford went back to the drawing board to completely redesign the model, apparently inspired by the immensely smarter design philosophy of their European division. The result is the 2010 Ford Taurus, unveiled at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show yesterday.
The most hyper version of Jaguar’s XF sports sedan is going to be revealed at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show this month. The 2010 Jaguar XFR is meaner than ever and official images have already been leaked.
The Tokyo Auto Salon always features the quirkiest concepts, but Honda has toned down the fun this year for the 2009 auto show, showing only modified versions of their existing cars.
The Ford Shelby GT500 returns in the new-and-improved Mustang shell, with more power and refinement to boot. It comes in coupe and convertible forms.
While we get no official love from Maserati’s GCC reps in terms of test cars, we can report that the facelifted 2009 Maserati Quattroporte is now on sale at dealerships in Dubai and the UAE, as newspaper ads for the car appear on a regular basis. The current range includes the standard Quattroporte as well as the Quattroporte S, while a new Quattroporte Sport GT S will debut at the upcoming 2009 Detroit Auto Show and soon join the GCC line-up next year.