Ford is rather proud of its new SYNC system, and will be making it standard equipment on all 2013 Ford Fusion and Ford Flex models, the American automaker announced. Their MyFordTouch system will only be seen on upper trim levels however.

Surprisingly the 2013 model year of the Fusion and Flex will be the first time ever Ford has made their SYNC standard equipment. Since its introduction in 2007, Ford has installed SYNC in over four million vehicles. Now that it has become standard fare in the Fusion and Flex, Ford expects to add another nine million vehicles on the road with SYNC over the next three years.

“ Ford SYNC technology has led the industry in transforming the way we connect to our cars,” said Dave Mondragon, Ford general marketing manager. “SYNC has enabled Ford drivers to take advantage of the latest communication and entertainment technology with an easily upgradeable architecture that is friendly to use.”

GALLERY: 2013 Ford Fusion

GALLERY: 2013 Ford Flex

Kia has been talking about a rear-wheel drive luxury sedan for a while, and now we’ve got the pictures to prove that they’re serious.

Seen here is the Kia K9 undergoing some winter testing in northern Sweden. We can already see some cues from the Kia GT concept, like the full LED headlights.

The K9 is based on the rear-drive platform from the Hyundai Genesis. That said, engine options could include the brand’s direct-injection 3.8-liter V6 making anywhere from 333 hp to 350 hp. Plus you have to think a V8 will be available, such as the 385 hp 4.6-liter Hyundai unit, or the 429 hp 5.0-liter version. Perhaps most exciting is the possibility of a turbocharged 3.3-liter V6 making 390 hp – as seen in the Kia GT Concept.

As for transmission choices, look for either the 8-speed unit recently introduced in the Genesis lineup, or a possible 10 speed automatic that’s currently in development.

Expect the K9 to arrive later this year as a 2013 model year car and to be aimed squarely at German luxury brands like Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

GALLERY: Kia K9

Ever wondered what a Cruze would look like if it had some more trunk space? Today, Chevrolet has revealed its Cruze station wagon before its official appearance next month at the 2012 Geneva Auto Show.

These pictures show the wagon with the same clean looks that the Cruze sedan and hatchback have, and sporting a new set of alloy rims. Also new for the station wagon is the optional 1.7L diesel engine with start-stop technology.

Unsurprisingly, at 184.2-inches long, the Cruze station wagon is bigger than both the Cruze hatchback (177.5-inches long) and the Cruze sedan (180.9-inches long.)

Trunk space is what talks in the world of station wagons, and Chevrolet says if you pack the trunk up to the window, you’re looking at 17.6 cubic feet of trunk space. If you still need more space in the back, you can drop the back seats and enjoy a total space of 52.9 cubic feet of space.

The full reveal of the station wagon will take place at the Geneva Auto Show, where Chevrolet will show us updates to the Cruze’s front fascia, and interior. Also, hopefully Chevrolet will comment on the Cruze station wagon’s availability in other markets than Europe.

As of now there is no talk of bringing the stretched out Cruze to North America.

When Mercedes-Benz announced the termination of its superluxury Maybach brand, Daimler CEO Dieter Zetsche said succinctly, “It would not be sensible to develop a successor model for the current Maybach.”

Now we know why. After a seven year stint of Maybach production, the marque has only sold approximately 3,000 units. What’s more, CAR had calculated that Daimler lost an unfathomable $500,000 for each Maybach sold.

With an initial investment of $1.3 billion, Daimler created Maybach to challenge Rolls Royce for hyper-luxury supremacy. However, while Rolls Royce enjoyed record success in China, Maybach had only sold around 200 vehicles in 2011. While the absence of Maybach will be dearly missed by rappers and drug cartels alike, Mercedes-Benz had announced the revival of its Pullman limo by 2013, which should fill the void perfectly.

GALLERY: Maybach

[Source: CAR Magazine]

Opel and Vauxhall have announced the lineup of debuts for the upcoming 2012 Geneva Motor Show, with the highly-anticipated Astra OPC/VXR headlining the booth.

The aggressively designed Astra OPC/VXR will be powered by a turbocharged 2.0L powerplant with 277-hp and 295 lb-ft of torque and will also sport High Performance Struts (HiPerStruts), a FlexRide chassis, and lightweight bucket seats in the interior.

Next on Opel’s list will be its new Mokka crossover which is based on the Buick Encore. It will be released with three different engine choices available, a standard gas 1.6L with 113-hp, a turbocharged 1.4L with 138-hp and a 1.7L CDTI diesel with 128-hp. Front-wheel drive will be standard on the new Mokka, but all-wheel drive will be an option. Opel also mentioned in their release that all Mokka models will come with Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Traction Control (TC), Hill Start Assist (HSA), and Hill Descent Control (HDC) as standard.

The Insignia BiTurbo was also announced as a debut, featuring a 2.0L twin-turbo diesel engine with 192-hp and 295 lb-ft of torque.

Not exactly automotive related, but Opel and Vauxhall will also show off a RAD e electric bike concept. They described it as the “first e bike to be built around automotive construction and production principles.” The RAD e electric bike will show off a 250-watt motor that can give it an electric-assisted range of 37-90 miles.

Opel will also have refreshed variants of their Corsa, Meriva, and Astra at the show including their Corsa Kaleidoscope edition, a Meriva 1.4 LPG Turbo ecoFLEX model and an Astra 1.4 LPG Turbo ecoFLEX model.

GALLERY: Opel / Vauxhall Geneva Lineup Preview

10. Chevy Impala: 14M units sold

The numbers are always changing and a new list of the Top 10 best-selling vehicles in history, compiled by 24/7 Wall St. has a new model on top.

There are some surprises on the list, but for the most part it all makes sense. Whether they’ve been in production for a long time or they’re reasonably priced worldwide, the top 10 best-selling cars of all time might not be the most exciting, but are clearly the most popular throughout history.

The Chevrolet Impala is the only GM vehicle on the list and has quite the history since hitting the market 54 years ago. Starting its life as a large two-door performance coupe, the Impala evolved into a versatile sedan. Or as we like to call it, a rental car. Ironically, it isn’t actually offered as a coupe anymore, which seems like a distant memory after 10 generations of upgrades.

The Mercedes-Benz G-Class is a funky, but rugged luxury SUV from the German automaker, and it appears that it’ll be in production until at least the year 2020.

Mercedes-Benz’s parent company Daimler has come to an agreement with Magna Steyr to extend the production of its G-Wagen in Graz, Austria and was able to get more favorable conditions along with a better price from Magna. Daimler went so far as to threaten Magna that the company would move production of the G-Class to Hungary but it appears that Magna conceded to Daimler’s wants and production will continue in Austria.

The G-Class was originally designed to be a rugged off-roader and a light military vehicle for the German Army. The plant in Graz began production of the SUV back in 1979 and is currently the longest produced Mercedes-Benz in Daimler’s history. Last year, 7,200 G-Class vehicles were made, and this year the number is set to 8,500. Mercedes hopes to hit an annual production of 10,000 for their G-Wagen.

[Source: Automobilwoche]

If you were able to keep your eyes off of Adriana Lima to acknowledge that there was indeed a car in Kia‘s Super Bowl ad, then you should find this Optima SX Limited familiar. The top-of-the-line Limited Package for the 2012 Optima SX was made official today at the 2012 Chicago Auto Show.

The fully-loaded trim sits on top of the turbocharged Optima SX and starts with a $3,300 package as an option. Included at that price is black or white Nappa leather added to the seats, door panels, and center console, LED daytime running lights, wood interior trim, additional exterior chrome, 18-inch wheels, red front brake calipers, a first-aid kit, and the ever-important SXL badging.

But here’s the catch. Reaching for the Limited package requires you to also purchase the $4,350 SX Technology and Premium package, bringing the Optima SX Limited to a whopping $34,900. With it however, you will also get a backup camera, in-dash navigation, eight-speaker Infinity audio system, heated and cooled front seats, four-way power front-passenger seat, panoramic sunroof, heated rear outboard seating, and power-folding mirrors. Unfortunately only three colors are available for the Optima SX Limited: Ebony Black, Snow White Pearl, and Titanium Metallic.

Regardless, you’ll get to enjoy the benefits of a turbocharged, 2.0L engine with 274-hp and a six-speed automatic transmission.

GALLERY: 2012 Kia Optima SX Limited Package

GALLERY: 2012 Kia Optima SX Limited Reveal

When Cadillac aired its 30-second “Go To Green Hell” Super Bowl ad for the upcoming ATS sedan during the last two-minutes of the game’s last quarter, a total of 111.3 million viewers tuned in, effectively making this ad the most watched television commercial in U.S. history. Could the marketing department at GM have somehow foreseen the future and realized the game of the year would come down to the wire?

GM global chief marketing officer Joel Ewanick said, “Cadillac is expanding with new models challenging the world’s best luxury cars. This stunning viewership data proves that Cadillac’s big message reached the largest audience… When it comes to Super Bowl ads, everyone has opinions on their favorite, But its a fact that this Cadillac spot had the biggest audience during the game.”

While Ewanick’s quote suggests that the reception for the advertisement reflects approval for the product, these statistics are more representative of the time it aired. If the same ad had aired at any time other than 9:39:37 PM, the title for “most watched ad” would have likely gone to a commercial with more supermodels, pyrotechnics, and special effects.

Watch the ad after the jump.

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This may not be the most exciting news ever, but it’s definitely one of the cooler things to look forward to in the world of automotive safety. Mercedes-Benz has just unveiled their new active seat belt buckle technology that is designed for the rear passengers.

Essentially the buckles are now power-deployed and emerge from the seats when the rear passenger doors are opened. They’re then illuminated to help ease the process of finding the buckle for the seat belt. For those that have kids or ever had to buckle in kids at night, they’ll know how helpful a simple illumination of the buckle will be for them.

Once the passenger is belted in, the buckle will retract in order to reduce the slack around the pelvis and thorax area. The tech also works in conjunction with the PRE-SAFE system, automatically tensioning the belt if an accident is imminent.

The German luxury automaker announced that the new belt buckles will be offered in an upcoming model, but didn’t specify which one. We wouldn’t be surprised to see it in the next-generation S-Class, which promises to have more technology and more efficiency.

GALLERY: Mercedes-Benz Active Seat Belt Buckle Technology