The road to energy independence is quickly filling up with with many and varied concepts. Apparently Korean budget car maker Hyundai-Kia intends to muscle into a plug-in hybrid niche. According to company R&D President Yang Woong-chu, Hyundai plans to bring its Blue-Will concept into production. “We’re going after Prius and the Volt with the plug-in,” [...]

Suzuki has opened up the pumps—to ease the jitterbugs, of course. The automaker will offer free gas cards with purchase of any new 2009 SX4 small-car models in the U.S. The promotion, called “Free Gas for Summer,” includes a pre-paid debit card good for $270 on the 2009 Suzuki SX4 Sport (sedan) or $290 on [...]

•    What is it: The new luxury four-door from Hyundai, bigger than the Genesis sedan •    Key facts: As long as an S-Class; shares its V-8 with the Hyundai Genesis •    On sale: July 2010 •    Price: $60,000-$80,000 With the 2009 Hyundai Genesis successfully launched, the Korean automaker is planning for the arrival of an [...]

Some times I like to get lost in numbers. For example, just a few weeks ago I posted a story on the 20 Best Selling Vehicles in May. Now it’s time for a different take. Call it schadenfreude, that funny German word used to describe the enjoyment one gets from an other’s misfortune. While browsing [...]

Recently Mazda had announced that it had no interest in hybrid models.  Then they announced that diesel options would be available soon.  Then a focus on more efficient, direct injection technology followed by an announcement that they had interest in producing hybrid vehicles.  Now Mazda announces that they will ramp up the engineering and design [...]

Unlike General Motors and Chrysler LLC, Ford Motor Company (F) has maintained a more normal outward appearance as the organization has navigated through this current economic storm. For example, Ford introduced the 2010 Ford Mustang at the 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show.  GM and Ford did not even hold press conferences. The company has launched [...]

Now that the 2010 Toyota Prius is available at most Toyota dealers, at least for test drives, we’re waiting for its half-brother–the 2010 Lexus HS250h–to appear at Lexus stores around Labor Day. We’ve wondered for awhile what kind of sales Lexus expected, and now Automotive News reports that the sales goal is about 25,000 units [...]

The bidding for GM’s Saab division could be at an end–and the latest reports say Swedish supercar maker Koenigsegg will take over control of Saab shortly. General Motors has been looking for a buyer for Saab since late last year, as it tried to cut brands and steer clear of bankruptcy. As it filed Chapter [...]