Future Cars, Concept Cars, & Future Vehicle Photos

With its 2011 Chevrolet Cruze Eco and RS on display at the 2010 New York auto show, Chevy is continuing to flesh out the Cruze's model lineup in a further effort to finally deliver a truly competitive compact sedan and not just another rental lot darling.
First, the Cruze Eco. Like the Cruze LT and LTZ models, the Eco is powered by a 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 138 horsepower and 148 pound-feet of torque mated to either a six-speed automatic or a six-speed manual. Though EPA fuel economy figures aren't yet available, Chevy says that the Eco achieves 40 mpg highway when combined with the manual, three mpg better than the outgoing five-speed-equipped Cobalt XFE. GM does not yet have a figure for auto-trans models.
Chevrolet managed to boost fuel economy without cutting power thanks to a number of small aerodynamic changes. First, the Cruze Eco is fitted with ultra-low rolling resistance tires on unique 17-inch aluminum wheels. Further, it receives a revised grille, lower front air-dam extension, numerous underbody panels, rear spoiler. The Eco also has a lower-grille shutter that closes at high speeds in an effort to improve engine cooling though optimized airflow.
Though efficient, the Cruze Eco is decidedly not quick. 0-60 times are estimated at 10 seconds for the manual and 9 seconds for the automatic. Still interested? You'll be able to pick one up at a Chevy dealer in the fourth quarter of 2010.
The RS, meanwhile, is an appearance package for LT and LTZ models. On the outside, it features unique front and rear fascias as well as fog lights. Inside, chrome trim replaces the standard silver finishes and the gauge cluster receives ice-blue backlighting. Hopefully Chevy will have more in store in the future to boost the Cruze's performance potential, as the RS package isn't what enthusiasts will have in mind. We have reported that a Cruze SS with as much as 260 horsepower is in the works.
In addition to the Eco, the 2011 Cruze will be available in LS, LT and LTZ trims. The base LS trim will come with the 1.8-liter engine on board, with the LT and LTZ trims featuring the 1.4-liter turbo as the standard powerplant. The LS and LT will feature 16-inch rims standard, with 17-inch alloys standard on LTZ. The 2LT and LTZ models are also available with 18-inch alloys.

2011 Chevrolet Cruze

2011 cadillac cts v

If you followed our coverage of the 2010 Detroit Auto Show a few months back, you know Cadillac has a working knowledge of the copy/paste function, as demonstrated by the CTS-V Coupe -- essentially a CTS-V Sedan with Coupe bodywork. Not surprisingly, the formula is much the same for the 2011 Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon debuting in New York.
As with the CTS-V Coupe, everything forward of the A-pillars was lifted straight from the CTS-V Sedan and mated to the Cadillac Sport Wagon's body. Not everything is the same, of course. The show special you see here features a new rear fascia with a special roof-edge spoiler and integrated third brake light, all of which are unique to the concept and could see production in the future. The car is finished in the same Midnight Silver paint as the Sixteen Concept, augmented by special Liquid Silver wheels and a Black Chrome grille.
Beneath the melded bodywork beats a familiar heart. The CTS-V Sport Wagon is endowed as expected with Cadillac's wicked 556-horsepower supercharged 6.2-liter V-8 that makes 551 pound-feet of torque. It's fitted with a true dual-exhaust system and backed up by either a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic transmission. Power flows to the rear wheels through a limited-slip differential, and the 19-inch wheels are wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 tires.
An independent front and rear suspension keep the CTS-V Sport Wagon in tune with the tarmac, in concert with Cadillac's Magnetorheological adjustable shocks. Brembo brakes are fitted to all four corners, with six-piston calipers gripping 15-inch rotors up front and four-piston calipers clamping onto 14.7-inch rotors in the rear.
If all of this sounds just like the CTS-V Sedan and Coupe, that's because it is. They even share the same 14-mpg city and 19-mpg highway fuel economy ratings, despite the wagon's roughly 200 additional pounds of heft. The only question is how much that weight will impact performance. For reference, the last CTS-V Sedan we tested ripped to 60 mph in 4.1 seconds and past the quarter-mile mark in just 12.4 seconds at 117.9 mph.
It's approximately the same CTS-V copy/paste story inside. Black trim and power Recaro sport seats pump up the interior of the CTS-V Sport Wagon the same way they amp up the other CTS-V variants. This particular show wagon features special wood, leather, and Alcantara trim not yet found in production models -- likely a sign of V Series upgrades to come.
The Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon will go into production in late 2010 and will go on sale in the U.S. first, followed by Europe and the Middle East. Pricing hasn't been announced, but the standard CTS Sport Wagon commands a $3,100 premium over the CTS Sedan, so a similar premium is expected over the CTS-V Sedan's $64,145 starting price. Production will likely be limited, as demand for wagons is low in the U.S. Cadillac only expects to sell 4,000 copies of the body style per year before even considering special niche models like the V-Series. If you're a wagon fan, though, it doesn't get much better than this.

2011 cadillac cts v

2011 BMW Alpina B7

In February, at the Chicago Auto Show, we saw the latest from Alpina -- the new B7 sedan -- to be offered in both short- and long-wheelbase versions. With significant revisions to BMW's standard 4.4-liter twin-turbo V-8 that include new pistons, larger intercoolers, and increased boost pressure, the B7 was said to be good for a well-rounded 500 horsepower and a full 516 pound-feet of torque. Hook that type of power up to the B7's rear wheels and the improvements were good for 4.5-second 0 to 60 mph launches when the sun is shining and roads are dry. So what about when conditions aren't quite so good?
That's where the 2011 BMW Alpina B

2011 BMW Alpina B7

2011 BMW Alpina B7

2011 Acura TSX Sport Wagon

Let's say Acura does as well as the premium wagon market leader, and 10 percent of its 2011 TSX sales are of its new 2011 Acura TSX Sport Wagon, which is making its debut at the 2010 New York auto show. That's little more than 3,000 units per year in the U.S., figuring that TSX sales next year will be closer to 2008's 32,000 than '09's 28,650. In many cities, chances are you'll go months after launch without seeing one.
Yes, we know, the average Motor Trend reader would rather have a wagon than a crossover sport/utility, just like you'd rather have a turbodiesel than a hybrid. How many of you have a Cadillac CTS SportWagon in your driveway? Thought so.
Like the Audi A4 Avant, which in a good year sells about 4,000 units in the U.S., and the CTS SportWagon, the TSX is a five-passenger model made more for golfers and weekend road trippers than the kind of growing families who bought wagons by the truckload in the '60s and '70s. The cargo space features a removable side panel to make room for wider items.
Like the TSX sedan, the SportWagon is essentially a well-equipped version of the European Honda Accord wagon rolling on special 17-inch, five-spoke rims. In North American trim, it's 3.3 inches longer than the sedan, but otherwise identical in dimensions. Special features aren't specific to bodystyles, either; including power glass moonroof, dual-zone climate control, leather seats, Bluetooth capability, USB and auxiliary jack connections, and the Advanced Compatibility Engineering (ACE) body structure.
A hard-drive based navigation system with real-time traffic and weather, and Acura's impressive ELS Surround Premium Audio System are optional.
Unlike the TSX sedan, but like the A4 Avant, the TSX Sport Wagon will be available here with only one powertrain, the 2.4-liter, 201-horsepower, 172 pound-foot twin-cam inline four mated to a five-speed automatic with paddle shifters (the A4 Avant also is four-cylinder/automatic only, but with a TFSI turbo). EPA fuel economy should be unchanged from the four-cylinder/automatic sedan's 21 mpg city, 30 mpg highway numbers. Whether the TSX Sport Wagon can generate big sales numbers for Acura is another question. American consumers who shop Acura wagons are much more likely to stick with the RDX and MDX.