The production model of the Chevrolet Cruze Hatchback was previewed back in September at the 2010 Paris Motor Show and now the automaker has released the first official photos of the car that will be available at dealerships later on this year. Unfortunately, the production version has lost some of the cool features of the concept car, like the LED strips on the front bumper, the clear crystal tail lights and the blue-tinted headlamps. Other than that, the car looks just about the same.

In comparison with the 4-door saloon, the hatchback version of the Cruze looks a little bit sharper and pointier. The cargo capacity is down by 50 liters in comparison with the sedan, which means that it can offer only about 400 liters, due to the short rear overhang.

The main reason behind the automaker's decision to roll out a 5-door variant of the Cruze is that 65% of all the compact cars commercialized in Europe are hatchbacks.

This version will borrow the engines from the sedan model, which means that customers will be able to choose from a 1.6-liter and a 1.8-liter gas engine that outputs 124 hp and 141 hp respectively. In addition, there is going to be a 2.0-liter turbodiesel engine that will produce 163 hp.

Chevrolet did not reveal any price information about the Cruze hatchback,  but we can tell you that sales will commence in mid 2011.

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Official Photos: 2012 Chevrolet Cruze Hatchback

General Motors was inspired by headphone technology to solve the quest for better fuel economy. The GMC Terrain crossover vehicle sports an eco model that lowers the fuel consumption. The problem was that while running in eco mode it generated an intrusive and disturbing hum. So the solution for the vehicle's manufacturers was to counteract the boom by using a system which cancels the noise, similar to the system installed on headphones.

The engineers from General Motors aren't the firsts to have thought about it; in the past, Honda has used this type of system too, and "Active Noise Control" is currently used on Infiniti to reduce the sound generated by the exhaust while driving at low engine speeds, and BMW is considering too to use the technology for diesel motors.

This is how it works: when the hum is detected by the microphones in the headliner, counteracting sound waves are emitted through the speakers of the audio system by a frequency generator. The same system helps keeping the noise under control at high speeds too.

Terrain is the first GM vehicle which uses the technology, but it is possible to be used on other models too.

[Source: Wired, Image: General Motors]

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Inspired By Headphones to Crank up MPG

At the beginning of this week, the German automaker BMW announced the new "i" sub-brand that at first will roll out two cars: the i3 and the i8. According to AutoCar, the latter will not be available as a diesel-electric hybrid, as has been the case with the Vision EfficientDynamics concept prototype which will be the foundation of the new i8 supercar.

The BMW i8 will be launched sometime in 2013 and will be powered by a gas engine, instead of a diesel. The main reason behind this decision is that BMW wants to sell the car all over the world and diesel-powered cars are only popular in Europe.

Klaus Draeger, BMW's head of research, didn't say what engine will the i8 get, but regardless of the company's choice, it will not be as efficient as the 3-cylinder turbodiesel that we saw on the Vision EfficientDynamics concept. That car had a 1.5-liter engine that produced 161 hp (163 PS / 120 kW) and 214 lb.-ft (290 Nm) of torque. Coupled with the electric motor, the VED had a total power output of 323 hp (328 PS / 241 kW) and did 62.5 mpg (3.76 liters / 100 km) and CO2 emissions of only 99 g/km.

Source: Autocar via BMWblog via WCF

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BMW i8 To Get Gasoline Engine

Sometimes, women use their driving skills to facilitate their entry into a luxury cafe:

Click here to view the embedded video.

This time, maybe she thought that it is a drive-in cafe. Or she was just curious about the inside space, who knows, maybe for a possible future exhibition of damaged cars in which she would like to take part.

After all, it seems to have been the result of an argument with the cafe staff, maybe because they didn't delivered the proper coffee at the proper temperature. The solution: her Mercedes car hit, to help them fix their client service problems or their coffee makers.

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Woman Driving Her Car Into A Cafe

Previewing the next generation of the Opel Zafira MPV, the German automaker has released full details of the concept that will be the foundation of the production model. Opel described the concept as a "lounge on wheels" and the design study uses the same style language as seen on the Astra and Insignia models.

The front of the car was inspired by the Ampera EV's fascia with its LED daytime running lights and fog lights being united in a very sleek boomerang-shaped structure. In comparison to the Meriva, the Zafira has conventional doors and offers a dynamic appearance thanks to the ascendant midline and the generous 20-inch wheels.

The back of the car is also quite sporty, dominated by the high-positioned tail lights and the two big exhaust pipes that are integrated into the rear apron. A very cool thing about the Zafira is its panorama windshield that is continued by a glass roof covering the entire length of the roof, offering an airy interior. Inside the cabin, there is plenty of space for up to seven passengers with the concept building on the company's Flex7 seating concept that we first saw on the Zafira.

Under the hood there is a new version of the automaker's 1.4-liter gas turbo power unit, equipped with the start/stop technology that reduces fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.

We will be able to provide more information about this MPV next week when the 81^st edition of the Geneva Motor Show starts. Stay tuned.

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Opel Proves That MPVs Can Be Cool

It was bound to happen sooner or later; Euro NCAP tested the first plug-in EV. The Mitsubishi i-MiEV is only the first of a series of EV crash-tests planned for 2011. Along with the i-MiEV, the European safety institute also tested other five conventional cars: the Nissan Juke, Mitsubishi ASX, Hyundai ix20, BMW X1 and the Dacia Duster.

The Mitsubishi i-MiEV managed to obtain an overall four star rating, just like its siblings – the Peugeot iOn and the Citroen C-Zero; all of them have the same design and safety equipment. Euro NCAP judged this result as "creditable."

This EV was put to just about the same tests as a conventional car. Euro NCAP gave special attention to the car's battery integrity after the moment of the crash and the functioning of the battery cut-off switch that isolates the high-voltage battery in the event of an accident. The good news is that no fire or electrical hazards were detected while testing the Mitsubishi i-MiEV.

Click here to view the embedded video.

As we mentioned before, other cars were tested and all of them got a five star rating, except for the Dacia Duster, a Romanian SUV. The car got only three stars mainly because it scored only 28% in pedestrian protection and 29% for safety assist. Despite these low ratings, the Duster offers more protection to adult passengers than the Mitsubishi (74% vs. 73%), and the child protection was at the same level – 78%.

Source: Euro NCAP

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Mitsubishi i-MiEV – First Euro NCAP-tested Plug-in EV

Car games have become more than just gaming for fun. They have evolved into complex realities that give us the opportunity to feel, see, hear and grasp emotions and sensations that would be hard to access otherwise. March 29th is a date that will certainly mark the car gaming industry: Need for Speed: Shift 2 Unleashed will be launched and with it, a new era will arise.

The dramatic language is not used in vain to describe this, because what you will see in the video bellow highlights the best things about this game and I can tell you it is fantastic! Helmet Cam view, the sounds, the constant monitoring of different parameters, the reproduction of all the cars, they will all build a real racing environment around you, giving you a lively experience of how it feels to be a racing car driver.

The drifting experience was modeled after the 2011 Ford Mustang GT Formula Drift racer with Vaughn Gittin Jr. behind the wheel. He also talked in detail about his driving experience, so that the story can be incorporated into the game. And they did a great job from what the video reveals.

I cannot emphasize enough of how eager I am to play this game!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Source: Autoblog.

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Need For Speed: Shift 2 Unleashed is all about authenticity and realism

BMP Design, a Texas-based company, decided to take a Mini Cooper S and squeeze in a Rolls-Royce Allison 250-C20B jet engine, sourced from a helicopter. Obviously, it wouldn't have fitted under that tiny hood and they installed just behind the front seats.

The result? The most powerful Mini Cooper S in the world, featuring a 420 hp engine that has a peak torque of 400 lb.-ft. All that power is send via the rear wheels and you can imagine how exciting it must be to drive a 400hp+ Mini. Plus, that noise coming from the turbine engine is awesome.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Source: Jalopnik via Carscoop

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This Is What I Call Tuning: Mini Cooper S With Helicopter Jet Engine!

Next week at the 81^st edition of the Geneva Motor Show, world's largest automotive event, the French automaker Renault will bring their new Kangoo Maxi Z.E., which is the newest member of the company's EV family, a car that will go on sale in this fall. It will be available in two or five-seat configurations and will have a maximum carrying capacity of 162.4 cubic feet (4.6 cubic meters), thanks to the 1.4 ft (40 cm) longer wheelbase in comparison with the Kangoo Z.E., while the load length will be 9.5 ft (2.9 meters).

The five-seat model will have a 60/40-split folding rear bench that can disappear into the floor in order to release a completely flat deck and free up about 120 cubic feet (3.4 cubic meters) of carrying space.

The Renault Kangoo Maxi Z.E. has an electric motor that develops 60 hp and has an instant peak torque of 166 lb.-ft (226 Nm) and is "fuelled" by a lithium-ion battery that has a 22 kWh capacity, located under the floor. It will take from 6 to 8 hours to completely recharge it and a full charge costs about $2.05 (1.5 Euros). The average driving range of this EV will be of about 105 miles (170 km).

Similar with other EVs from Renault, customers will be able to choose from either purchasing or leasing the car, with an additional monthly subscription to be paid for the battery (starting from $99 / 72 Euros). The calculations that Renault made indicate that the annual maintenance cost for the car will be similar to the conventional Kangoo if the distance traveled is less than 9,320 miles (15,000 km), and become more competitive if the car is driven more.

The pre-tax pricing in Europe for the Renault Kangoo Maxi Z.E. starts from $29,100 (21,200 Euros). In France, buyers can get the car 5,000 Euros cheaper thanks to the state's subsidy, making the car similar priced to the diesel-powered Kangoo Maxi.

Source: Carscoop

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Renault Kangoo Maxi Z.E. Unveiled

Although the Japanese automaker may be off the hook as far as the suspicions of unwanted sudden acceleration due to the software-driven throttles after the investigations conducted by NHTSA-NASA, Toyota is once again on the first page of the newspapers because they've announced that they are safety recalling about 2.12 million cars in the US to address accelerator pedals that may become entrapped in the floor mats or jammed in the carpeting.

To be more specific, they are recalling about 20,000 Lexus GS 300 and GS350 AWD units manufactured between 2006 and 2007 in order to modify the shape of the plastic pad embedded in the driver's side floor carpet. According to the automaker, if the aforementioned floor carpet is not properly installed in the suitable position after service operation, it is very well possible that the plastic embedded into the floor carpet could jam against the accelerator pedal and keep it from returning to the idle position.

Toyota is also recalling about 372,000 Lexus RX 330 / 350 / 400h units that were manufactured between 2004 and early 2007, plus another 397,000 Toyota Highlanders from the 2004-2006MY in order to replace the floor carpet cover from the driver's side. The automaker affirmed that if the cover is not installed properly, it might lean toward the accelerator pedal and block it in a partially depressed position.

By now you are probably wondering when these recalls will stop.  Despite all of these problems, Toyota remained in 2010 the largest automaker and I for one don't think that this situation will change in the next 5-10 years.

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Not Again! Toyota Recalls 2.12 Million Cars In The US