Mitsubishi to Sell New Mirage in Canada, Pondering U.S. Laun

The new Mitsubishi Mirage sub-compact model has been officially confirmed for Canada while the Japanese automaker is also contemplating the launch of the five-door hatchback in the U.S.

According to Mitsubishi's annual presentation on full-year sales and financial results for the fiscal year 2011 that ended on March 31, 2012, the Mirage will go on sale in North America in the first quarter of 2013 (FY2012/4Q).

Mitsubishi spokesperson Roger Yasukawa told Autonews that the Mirage will be sold in Canada but noted that U.S. sales are still "under consideration" and that "it's still 50-50 right now".

There are a couple of reasons why Mitsubishi is holding back on its decision over the U.S. launch of the Mirage, the first being its tight marketing budget as the company plans to introduce the new Outlander.

"Our concern from a timing standpoint is that with the Outlander coming out next year, not too far from a possible launch of the Mirage, we have to really think about resources," Yasukawa told the news site.

The second issue has to do with the Mirage itself as the five-door model was designed as an affordable city car primarily for emerging markets.

"There are competitors out there that are still new and most of them have just launched or are coming out soon," said Yasukawa. "It's still a young segment that's growing in the U.S., and we have to account for that in our decision."

The Mirage is closer in size to the Chevrolet Spark than to the Ford Fiesta as it measures 146-inches (3,710mm) long, 65.5 inches (1,665 mm) wide and 58.7 inches (1,490 mm) tall. In other markets it's offered with a choice of two three-cylinder gasoline engines with a displacement of 1.0-liter and 1.2-liters.

New BMW X1 Compact Crossover Priced from £24,660 in the UK,

The facelifted BMW X1 will go on sale in Britain this July priced from £24,660 for the X1 sDrive18d. The Bavarian company's Audi Q3 rival features minor exterior styling tweaks combined with a subtlety-refined cabin, a new flagship diesel model and two new trims, Sport and xLine.

Proving the popularity of oil-burners in the UK, the X1 will be offered exclusively with diesel engines topped by the new X1 xDrive25d, which is only available in four-wheel drive.

The 25d is powered by a twin-turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder diesel producing 215hp (218PS) at 4,000rpm and 450Nm (331 lb-ft) at 1,500rpm for a zero to 62mph (100km/h) time of 6.8 seconds and a top speed of 142mph (229km/h). The xDrive25ds returns a combined fuel consumption figure of 51.4mpg UK (42.8mpg US) and CO2 emissions of 145g/km.

The other diesel engine options for the X1 are a 141hp (143PS) 2.0-liter unit for the 18d models, plus a 181hp (184PS) version of the same four-cylinder for the 20d version.

The most fuel efficient model in the range is the sDrive20d EfficientDynamics available only in rear-wheel drive form with a manual gearbox. Its 2.0-liter unit delivers 161hp (163PS) and 380Nm (280 lb-ft) of torque, while returning a combined fuel economy of 62.8mpg UK (52.8mpg US) and CO2 emission of 119g/km.

Aside from the existing SE and M Sport trim lines, the 2012 X1 gains two more grades.

The new Sport specification sits above the SE models adding 17-inch wheels, a dark chrome exhaust pipe finish, while the kidney grille slats, bumper trims and side sills, along with the roof rails are all finished in a high gloss black. Inside, it gets sport seats in Anthracite with Coral Red highlights, high gloss black decorative trim accents along with sports leather steering wheel, gearshift gaiter with red stitching and floor mats with red piping.

The second new trim level is the more premium xLine specification, which brings 18-inch wheels, a chrome finish for the exhaust tail pipe and kidney grille slats, and a silver finish for the all exterior trim sections, side sills and roof rails. The xLine's interior features Nevada leather seats, Dark Copper trim, switchable ambient lighting and floor mats with matching piping.

Video Shows the Styling Evolution of the Audi A3 Hatchback O

We will not blame you if you think that each new Audi A3 is a facelift of the previous model, as truth to be said, with a few exceptions over the years such as the late 1990s C5 series A6 and the 1998 TT Mk1, Ingolstadt's designers generally prefer change through evolution rather than by revolution.

The three generations of the A3 compact hatchback are a typical example of this design philosophy, something that you can see for yourself in the short clip that Audi prepared in order to highlight the changes through the years.

The first A3 was presented in 1996 and remained in production until 2003 when it was replaced by the Mk2 model based on the VW Group's newer PQ35 platform shared with the Golf.

The current, third generation of the A3 made its world premiere just this March at the Geneva Motor Show. While it looks a lot like the refreshed Mk2 model, it's actually brand new sporting the VW Group's modular MQB platform that will be used on dozens of new models including the next Golf hatch.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pUpsQMSXScQ&feature=player_embedded

Nissan Releases Short Film on Juke-R's Supercar Race in Duba

On the heels of the announcement on the limited production run of the 545-horsepower Juke-R, Nissan launched a new cinematic online movie today.

The six-minute long film is named "Desert Nemesis" and it follows Nissan’s inaugural GT Academy winner, Lucas Ordonez, taking on a handful of European exotic sports cars including the Ferrari 458 Italia, the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG and the Lamborghini Gallardo LP560-4, through the roads of Dubai’s exclusive International Marina Club.

The aforementioned race took place in Dubai this past January, and ever since, Nissan is always looking for an opportunity to remind us of the result...

You can take a look at Desert Nemesis along with a few more clips from the race in the videos that follow below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xbhy8eOGHw8&feature=player_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NiE7li015jk&feature=player_embedded
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_w5aTVxk74g&feature=player_embedded

Jaguar Officially Confirms 5.0-liter Supercharged V8 for the

We first heard the rumors last week, but today, Jaguar confirmed plans to offer a 5.0-liter supercharged V8 alongside its new 3.0-liter supercharged V6 in the upcoming F-Type sports car.

We still do not know the performance specifications of the F-Type's force-fed V8, but it will likely be one or perhaps even both versions of the 5.0-liter unit offered by Jaguar.

The first iteration delivers 510-horsepower and 461 lb-ft (624Nm) in the XFR, XJ and XKR models, while the second variants produces 550-horses and 505 lb-ft (745Nm) in the XKR-S.

Unless Jaguar's future plans include the introduction of its new 2.0-liter turbocharged four that will debut on the XF and XJ saloons next year, the base engine for the F-Type will be the British brand's also new 3.0-liter supercharged V6 rated 375hp (380PS) and 460Nm (339 lb-ft) of peak torque.

The two-seater F-Type will go on sale worldwide next year.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0F3JwkK4Hrc&feature=player_embedded

Volvo XC90 "Delightfully Refreshed" for 2013 Model Year, Pri

Another new model year, another string of tweaks for Volvo's XC90 SUV that has entered its tenth year in production with no replacement in sight.

For the 2013 model year, Volvo claims that the mid-size SUV has been "delightfully refreshed" (their words, not ours), and that the result is "the most significantly updated XC90 since its launch a decade ago".

Apparently, someone at Volvo forgot about the 2006 facelift that brought several visual and mechanical upgrades including a redesigned snout and the introduction of a then new straight-six engine.

For the record, we'll remind you that we first heard about the updated XC90 at its European presentation last September.

The cosmetic spruce up on the 2013 model includes body color front and rear bumpers, sill moldings and wheel arches, plus standard LED daytime running lights and taillights.

Te base XC90 3.2 also receives a new silver front bumper bar, chrome taillight trim, silk matte mirror caps, air intake décor trim and 18-inch "Thalia" alloy wheels.

Inside, the 2013 XC90 3.2's seven-seater cabin gains sanded silver aluminum inlays, white instrumentation lighting and a leather strap on the tailgate. In addition, all XC90s are now equipped with standard rain sensor windshield wipers and headlight washers.

The Premier Plus and Platinum trim levels also receive standard Sovereign hide soft leather seating surfaces, red wood inlays and gearshift knob and Executive floor mats, with a red wood steering wheel being a new option for both trim levels.

The sportier looking XC90 R-Design model benefits from new 19-inch "Ixion" alloy wheels and updated upholstery and trims.

The 2013 XC90 is priced from $39,500, not including an $895 destination fee (*).


Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price for the 2013 XC90
XC90 3.2: $39,500
XC90 3.2 Premier Plus: $42,000
XC90 3.2 Platinum: $44,700
XC90 3.2 R-Design: $42,300
XC90 3.2 R-Design Premier Plus: $42,700
XC90 3.2 R-Design Platinum: $45,400
Destination: $895

New Porsche Boxster Roadster from £37,589 in Britain

The third generation of Porsche's roadster model has landed in UK showrooms with on-the-road prices starting from £37,589 for the 262bhp Boxster and from £45,384 for the 311bhp Boxster S.

Among other highlights, the new Boxster is up to 35kg (77 pounds) lighter and sports a 60mm (2.4 inches) longer wheelbase, widened track on the front and rear axles, and larger wheels than model it replaces.

The base Boxster is powered a mid-mounted, 2.7-liter flat-six delivering 262bhp (265PS). When fitted with the PDK dual-clutch transmission and Sport Chrono Package option, it completes the 0-62mph sprint in 5.5 seconds, while returning a combined fuel economy of 36.7mpg UK, and emissions of 180g/km CO2.

Standard features include an Alcantara interior, 18-inch alloy wheels, Auto stop/start and Sports mode, remote control hood operation, audio CD with 7-inch colour touch-screen control, and MP3 connectivity.

The sportier Boxster S features a 3.4-liter flat-six that delivers 311bhp (315PS), with the PDK version going from zero to 60mph in 4.8 seconds, and returning 35.3mpg UK combined with CO2 emissions of 188g/km.

According to Porsche, the new Boxster S with PDK laps the Nürburgring-Nordschleife in 7:58 minutes, or 12 seconds faster than its predecessor.

The Boxster S' equipment builds on the standard model adding 19-inch alloy wheels, partial leather interior and Bi-Xenon headlights.