The sub-compact Mazda 2, a long-running staple of the Mazda line in Europe and Japan, has been launched for the first time in the United States as a 2011 model at the 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show. There have also been vague rumblings that the Mazda 2 is set to go worldwide, and might eventually come to the GCC.
Audi unveiled their new R8-based E-Tron electric concept supercar at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show, claiming that it produces a whopping 4500 Nm of torque. It became big news because today’s supercars barely break 1000 Nm on the spec sheet. But a U.S. car magazine investigated further and found out it was all bull.
Alfa Romeo, the embattled luxo-sport division of Fiat, has revealed the first images of their new 147 hatchback replacement. Dubbed the Alfa Romeo Giulietta, it has brand new architecture, with a rigid yet light structure made of aluminium and high-strength steel and technologies that bring it into the 21st century. It doesn’t look too bad either.
The redesigned 2011 Hyundai Sonata has finally had its first reveal outside Korea, at the 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show. After years of producing boring clones of existing Japanese models, the new Sonata is so far “out there” that it makes even premium brands look cheap in comparison, even if it ultimately looks bulkier than its intended “four-door coupe” styling target.
The European-designed Ford Fiesta, available in the UAE for the past year, is the first Euro model to make it to U.S. shores in a long time, and was unveiled at the 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show. Interestingly, the Americans will get a hatchback as well as a sedan version, both of which share only 60% of parts with the European version.
The 2010 Infiniti G37 sedan has received a moderate facelift, featuring reshaped headlights, grille, bumpers and wheels, while leaving the rest of the car unchanged. It was unveiled at the 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show this week.
The all-new 2011 Audi A8 has been officially unveiled in the United States. Looking exactly like a stretched version of the A4, the A8 does not hold any surprises.