Future Cars, Concept Cars, & Future Vehicle Photos

Saturday, 9 July 2011

2011 Saab 9-4x

The new Saab 9-4x luxury crossover enters a segment ripe with competition, with the best from Europe, Japan, and the U.S. battling for supremacy. The question is, can Saab regain its mojo with a product based on the Cadillac SRX?
Certainly the 9-4x, which will make its debut at the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show, has an elegant design, but it takes more than just quality styling and an ignition switch located between the front seats to make a Saab. Whether engineers were successful in making the driving experience significantly different from the Cadillac SRX will be crucial to the 9-4x's identity and consumer reception.

As is the case with its platform, the 9-4x's engines are shared with GM's Cadillac SRX. A 265-horsepower 3.0-liter V-6 is the standard engine, offered with a six-speed automatic and a choice of front-wheel drive or Saab's XWD all-wheel-drive system. The system, sourced from Haldex, varies torque between the front and rear axles as needed. The electronically controlled rear limited-slip differential can also transfer up to 50 percent of rear torque between the rear wheels to help maintain grip.
Step up to the 9-4x Aero model, and you'll find both standard all-wheel drive and a 300-horsepower, 2.8-liter turbocharged V-6. Saab estimates 0-60 mph acceleration times of 7.7 seconds, just a bit quicker than the all-wheel-drive 3.0-liter model, which does the same sprint in 8.4 seconds.
Although the EPA has yet to officially certify the 9-4x's fuel economy, expect the finalized MPG figures to resemble those of its Cadillac cousin. A base SRX gets 18/25 mpg city/highway, while an all-wheel-drive model with the normally-aspirated V-6 is rated at 17/23 mpg. The top-end turbocharged all-wheel drive SRX achieves a 15/22 mpg rating.
On base 9-4x crossovers, 18-inch six-spoke alloy wheels are standard. Aero models wear 20-inch "turbine-style" wheels, similar to those used on the new 9-5 sedan. The Aero model also includes bi-xenon cornering headlights and black mesh inserts in the front grille. Saab DriveSense is a technology exclusive to the Aero model. Real-time damping control helps the vehicle react to the driving style and current road conditions. Moving from the Comfort to Sport setting will provide a sharper pedal response and raised gear shifting points. The Eco mode essentially does the opposite to increase fuel economy.

2011 Saab 9-4x

2011 Nissan Quest

passenger people-mover be forced into the Pathfinder. The 2011 Nissan Quest -- debuting at the Los Angeles Auto Show -- is back and ready to take on Chrysler, Dodge, Honda, Kia, and Toyota.
Altima drivers who want more space should be an easy sell for the Quest. The real question is whether it can attract buyers who usually would head straight for a Grand Caravan, Sienna, or Odyssey.
The styling of the 2011 Quest should at least generate second glances from minivan consumers, with blacked-out D-pillars that recall the Ford Flex, this segment's unofficial competitor. The front view is all Nissan, with angular headlights joined by a thick bar of chrome, connected to a distinctive six-sided grille. The Nissan's door track isn't hidden as on the Chrysler, Dodge, and Toyota.
As you'd expect, the Quest is based on the same platform as the Altima, Maxima, and Murano. Power comes from a 3.5-liter V-6 producing 253 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque. Fuel economy has not yet been rated. A CVT is the only available transmission for the Quest, which has a curb weight of 4367 in base S trim. For comparison, the 2011 Honda Odyssey LX weighs 4337 pounds, while the more powerful 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan comes in at 4510 pounds.
At this point, there's no word on the possibility of an all-wheel-drive Quest. Safety is especially important to minivan drivers, and Nissan has its bases covered. Dual-stage supplemental front air bags are joined by front seat-mounted side air bags and roof-mounted curtain side impact air bags with a rollover sensor. Stability and traction controls are standard, but the automaker's Blind Spot Warning system is offered only on the top-line LE trim.
Standard on all trims is a neat feature called Easy Fill Tire Alert that we hope spreads its way to all Nissan's family-oriented vehicles. Perhaps to encourage more drivers to start regularly checking tire pressure, the technology will let you know the system is working by flashing the hazard lights as you fill the tires. When the correct tire pressure has been reached, your Quest will beep the horn.

2011 Nissan Quest

2011 Nissan Quest

2011 Mitsubishi i-MiEV

2011 Mitsubishi i-MiEV

The i-MiEV has grown substantially in order to suit Americans' super-sized tastes. The U.S.-spec car has grown nearly a foot in length, bringing overall length to 12 feet. Width has grown nearly four inches, as have the front and rear track dimensions. Height, however, remains virtually unchanged at five feet.
Predictably, the i-MiEV's bumper fascias have morphed in order to make the micro machine DOT-compliant. Up front, the i-MiEV receives a chunky front bumper, accented by a revised hood stamping with stronger character lines. Large turn signal indicators wrap into both the front and rear fenders, which have been flared to accommodate the wider track. The clear tail lamp lenses of the JDM i-MiEV have been replaced with red lenses, which are complemented by the addition of round red reflectors near the lower edge of the bumper.
Inside, Mitsubishi did more than simply convert the car to left-hand-drive. Designers were given some freedom to spruce up the cabin, adding a new upper dashboard, flush-mounted radio design, vertically arranged HVAC controls, and a striking two-tone color scheme. Although we'll reserve judgment until we step foot inside, the revisions do appear more upscale than JDM cabins.
Underneath the skin, the hardware is identical to i-MiEVs sold in Japan and Europe, meaning U.S.-bound cars will couple a 63-horsepower electric motor to the rear wheels, along with a lithium-ion battery pack. We hear, however, that the difference may lie primarily in calibration. Sources close to the automaker tell us both regenerative braking and throttle input have been revised for our market, likely to make the i-MiEV more at home on high-speed American highways.

2011 Mitsubishi i-MiEV

2011 Kia Optima Hybrid

Kia's first hybrid will be offered through one of the brand's most significantly overhauled vehicles in its history: the 2011 Optima..
The Optima's parallel hybrid powertrain uses a modified Theta II: The base, normally aspirated 2.4-liter inline-four forgoes direct injection and runs on the Atkinson cycle and a 13.0:1 cylinder compression ratio. The revisions sacrifice torque and horsepower (final output: 166 hp, 154 pound-feet) in the name of efficiency (namely, a 10-percent gain in the engine's fuel economy) but a 40-hp electric motor mounted directly between the four-cylinder and six-speed automatic supplement the oomph of this uniquely styled car.
After tuning, the combined power rating is 206 hp and 195 lb-ft of torque, a two-pound-foot gain over earlier figures established by the sister Hyundai Sonata Hybrid. . A 96-pound, 1.4 kilowatt-hour lithium-polymer battery serves electrical charge for zero-emissions driving up to 62 mph, with 151 lb-ft of starting twist available up to 1400 rpm from the electric motor.

Other key efficiency-related pieces include a Hybrid-Starter-Generator that helps manage hybrid operation, four-disc regenerative braking, electric steering, and an electrically driven air-conditioning compressor. The transmission oil pump is electrically assisted as well, and a hybrid-specific gauge cluster takes over the driver's view.
Dimension-wise, the Kia is slightly longer, narrower, and shorter than the Sonata, but contains the same 110-inch wheelbase. The Optima Hybrid's front end and underbody is altered to increase aerodynamic efficiency but doesn't embrace the radical front makeover strategy employed by the Sonata Hybrid. The headlights and foglights are very mildly retouched.
More importantly, an active, speed-sensitive air flap system has been installed behind the front grille to combat turbulence. The flaps are simple in theory: They shutter at high speeds (from 30 mph and up according to Kia staff) but their operation ultimately depends on engine operating and ambient temperatures. Larger engine loads at any given speed would presumably leave the flaps open for cooling purposes. In engineering metrics, a 0.26 drag coefficient is the final result, only 0.01 off the Hyundai.
An early curb weight estimate lists the Kia at 3490 pounds. Smoothly sculpted 16-inch alloy wheels come wrapped with low-rolling resistance rubber while chrome accents adorn the side sills and front and rear fascias. LED taillights and a trunk lip spoiler ensure pedestrian have something to look at from behind.
Speaking of the passerby populace, the Optima Hybrid comes standard with the Virtual Engine Sound System, which plays a pre-recorded engine sound when the car is running solely on battery and motor. A Premium Technology Package adds heated and cooled front seats, heated rear seats, HID headlights, a panoramic sunroof, and 17-inch alloys (as seen on show car), for a fee of course. Most critically, Kia expects fuel economy to be 36 city/40 highway mpg.
The Optima Hybrid is due early 2011. With two new Korean hybrids on the market, the impending midsize sedan comparison can almost write itself.

2011 Kia Optima Hybrid

2011 Dodge Durango

The name's remained the same, but Dodge's all-new 2011 Dodge Durango has been completely re-imagined from the unibody up, with more standard equipment, an overhauled appearance, updated powertrains, and new underpinnings. The Dodge Boys are hoping the myriad changes will better enable the new Durango to take on the stiff competition in the full-size crossover SUV segment.
The new Durango, which shares numerous elements with the redesigned 2011 Grand Cherokee, looks more refined and luxurious, with a steeply raked windshield and shapelier exterior presence. It's a definite departure from the tough-looking Dodge truck-themed Durangos of the past. The introduction of the new Durango also marks the first widespread appearance of the new Dodge crosshair brand logo, as the Ram's head logo is now affixed to the fledgling Ram brand.
2011 Dodge Durango Front Grill
Dodge is touting the Durango's greatly improved interior, although we've yet to see much of it. The automaker claims the gray, hard plastic look of Durangos past has been jettisoned, with upgraded materials and updated interior surfaces throughout. "Thoughtful touches will make owners and their crews want to jump in, hunker down and thoroughly enjoy even the longest drive," according to Dodge PR-speak. Of course, we'll be the judge of that once we actually step into the cockpit, but if the Grand Cherokee's cabin is any indication, we expect good things. Seating configurations are limited to no less than 22 possible arrangements, taking a page from the Grand Caravan's versatility playbook.
Sitting atop the same architecture as the 2011 Grand Cherokee, the Durango's platform has been stretched to accommodate a longer wheelbase and a third row of seating. Unlike the Jeep's five-passenger arrangement, the Durango offers room for seven. (The previous model had the option for either seven or eight passengers.) The previous two Durangos were based upon a truck-derived body-on-frame structure, but the new generation is based on a unibody underpinning that shares roots with the Mercedes-Benz ML-Class. Dodge assures us though that the vehicle has been stiffened so that it "delivers premium driving performance combined with SUV capability and crossover versatility." Apparently you can have your off-road cake and eat it comfortably on-road, too...

2011 Dodge Durango