Pricing details are now available for the rethought 2012 Honda Crosstour featuring a more cost-minded four-cylinder engine.

The 2012 Crosstour will start at $27,655 and go all the way up to $36,540 for the four-wheel drive version with navigation. At the base price, you get a 192-horsepower engine that squeaks out an extra three miles-per-gallon in the city and two on the highway. The 271-horsepower V6, which is unchanged over previous models, is still available as well.

The company made the official announcement about their plans to launch a less expansive version of their crossover last December. They hoped it would help the Crosstour finally feel marketable in light of failed sales. Despite that failure, Honda still seems confident and determined to make the Crosstour work.

“The new four-cylinder Crosstour offers sleek design, unmatched passenger comfort and ingenious functionality now with four-cylinder pricing and fuel economy,” said John Mendel, executive vice president of American Honda Motor Co. “With four-cylinder and V6 options and a long list of standard features, Crosstour should be on every CUV buyer’s shopping list.”

That might be how Honda feels, but the Crosstour has been consistantly criticized as the ugly duckling in the lineup. Consmers complain that it’s too much like a larger Accord, which makes sense because that’s how it was originally marketed.

Speaking of ugly ducklings, it’s probably important to point out that the top-of-the-line Nissan Juke sells for about $4000 less than the base Crosstour. It also gets better mileage than the two-wheel drive crosstour, with all-wheel drive. Sure, you sacrifice four horsepower, but who cares?

The only new selling point for Honda’s less potent 2012 Crosstour is a lower price, but we say that fails to deliver against the competition.

Gallery: 2012 Honda Crosstour

BMW is proving again that a smaller engine doesn’t need to mean less oomph after announcing that the 2013 X-Series will be switching to a 4-cylinder engine.

The company will start producing their new X-Series crossovers this April. The biggest change for American consumers will be the single horsepower boost the 2013 BMW X3 xDrive28i will get despite the downsized engine. BMW decided to swap out the old naturally-aspirated inline six-cylinder that made 240 horsepower for a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline four that puts out 241 horsepower.

The more powerful 300 hp version, however, will get the same turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-6. Both versions are probably a good thing because the push toward a smaller engine means the lower-end X3 will get a bit of a boost in gas mileage, putting it in line with the 2.0-liter turbocharged Audi Q5, while still achieving more horsepower.

[Source: Inside Line]

New details on the 2013 Ford Escape are available thanks to a consumer survey page posted on the company’s website.

While the pricing details aren’t concrete, it gives us more information than we had last December when we reported that the American giant planned to drop their hybrid powertrain in light of lackluster sales and new engines that came close to the same fuel economy without electric motors.

Now we know that there will be four trim levels: the S, SE, SEL and Titanium. Prices increase along with the length of the package name. According to the page, the base “S” might start at $21,970, though the prices and features may change based on customer feedback.

The features list is slim, but will probably include an AM/FM radio and single-disc CD player with MP3 compatibility and six speakers as well as Ford’s MyKey, Safety Canopy and driver knee and side airbags.

The top-of-the-line “Titanium” package upgrades you to HD radio and a 10-speaker Sony sound system. Also Sync with MyFord Touch and a partial leather interior.

The mid-range SE and SEL models differ, but it’s hard to believe that Ford will really restrict features between the different Escapes, especially given that this is a tentative list.

GALLERY: 2013 Ford Escape

Looking like a jacked-up hatchback, Buick has unveiled its newest model today at the Detroit Auto Show today. Called the Encore, it’s part of the GM premium brand’s plan to move further down-market in search of added sales – an area it’s actually been very strong in recently with two full years of gains.

An entry level offering sitting next to the new Verano compact, the Encore is designed to evoke the style of the larger Enclave, which is easily Buick’s volume model.

The Encore is a surprisingly small crossover, at 168 inches in length it’s actually two steps down from the Enclave, leaving space for yet another model in the brand’s growing lineup. Still, despite its compact size, it boasts 18.8 cu-ft of cargo room, or a total of 48.4 cu-ft with the rear seats folded flat. This out-does both the Audi Q3 and BMW X1, a strong hint that at least Buick sees these two models as rivals.

Power is adequate, at best, with a 1.4-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder making 140-hp and 148 lb-ft of torque mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission.

Standard equipment includes 18-inch wheels as well as a 7-inch LCD screen with Buick’s new IntelliLink system and 10 airbags, while optional goodies include navigation and a back-up camera, heated seats and steering wheel, remote start and memory seating. Other available features include a forward collision alert and lane departure warning.

Buick continues to push its Quiet Tuning philosophy and takes it a step further with the Encore, adding noise canceling technology that uses the car’s speakers to counteract sounds coming into the cabin..

The Buick Encore will arrive at dealers in early 2013.

GALLERY: 2013 Buick Encore

If you have been a fan of the turbo-charged motor in the current Acura RDX, you may not like what you’re about to read.

At the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit MI., Acura unveiled the 2013 RDX, which is to ditch its unique turbo-charged motor for a more conventional 3.5-liter V6 motor.

This new engine does pack a bigger punch. It develops 273-hp, that is 33-hp more than the current model. Acura said its customers were not very happy with the fuel-economy of the turbo-charged motor, so it has gone with a more conventional V6. Helping it achieve better fuel-economy will also be its new 6-speed automatic gearbox (current version has five-speeds). Acura has already carried out EPA testing for this vehicle, and the result is 20-mpg in the city and 28-mpg on the highway.

The new model will be available as either a front-wheel drive or all-wheel model.

The new RDX will also be longer than the out-going model, which didn’t offer much rear-seat legroom or much trunk space.

So in many areas, the new RDX seems to be a better vehicle than the one it replaces. Will it still be as much fun to drive? We will let you as soon as we get to drive one.

GALLERY: 2013 Acura RDX

It’s that time of year when lots of car companies are about to unveil new model’s at various auto shows around the world. Buick is no exception, and it will use the 2012 North American International Auto Show to unveil its latest creation, the Encore CUV.

Before the veil is fully lifted off this new model, Buick is using the same trick many other car companies have used, by releasing styling details one piece at a time. Well now they have shown us a lot more than before, by showing the entire greenhouse of the vehicle.

Their latest leak did not come courtesy of some spy shot or a car magazine that went to the printer a little early. No, this time it was Buick themselves who posted a half-revealing shot of the Encore on the Facebook page.

From what we can see, the vehicle looks quite attractive. No technical details are available at the moment, but since the official debut is on January 10th, you don’t have to wait too long to find out.

Last week, the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety announced that 2012 earned a record number of “top safety picks,” but the automotive industry is looking to set the record number even higher.

Cadillac‘s 2012 SRX crossover and CTS sports sedan and wagon models received a crash safety rating of 5-star overall. According to the National Highway Traffic Adminstration, only 21 vehicles earned the overall high score for 2012.

The SRX and CTS sedan and wagon were tested under NHTSA’s revised New Car Assessment Program first put to effect for the 2011 model year. This revision requires vehicles to pass frontal, side and rollover tests. The 5-star overall rating takes into account the combined results of all the tests.

GM executive director of Vehicle Safety Gay Kent expresses, “Receiving five stars under the new rating system is an impressive feat– on that clearly demonstrates the strength of the SRX and CTS advanced structure, overall crashworthiness and effectiveness of the models’ state-of-the-art safety technologies.”

Hit the jump to watch the video:

Continue Reading…

Remember the Chrysler TC by Maserati? It was an American car with some Italian influence and the end result was simply awful.

Let’s hope this alliance will bear better fruit this time around, as Maserati is set to unveil their Kubang SUV concept at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit next month.

The Kubang, which will be the first SUV to wear a Maserati badge, will be based on the chassis of the Jeep Grand Cherokee. While power will be provided by an Italian engine (Maserati uses Ferrari engines in their cars), the vehicle is expected to be produced in America at Chrysler’s Jefferson North facility.

The Kubang concept was last seen at the Frankfurt Motor Show back in September, and while we cannot confirm if the Detroit unveil will be of the same vehicle or something different, we do know that Maserati will unveil an SUV at the N.A.I.A.S.

Put the two together and its easy to figure out that possibly a more production ready version of the Kubang will bow in Detroit.

We will be covering the Detroit auto show and will bring you all the latest news from the show, as it happens.

[Source: Detroit Free Press]

Toyota announced today the MSRP for the 2012 RAV4 compact sport utility vehicle. The overall price point on the compact crossover is being increased by an average of $100, or 0.4 percent on all models.

You can get the RAV4 in three different trim packages: the base RAV package, the middle of the road Sport package and the top of the line Limited package, with a choice between a 2.5-liter four cylinder engine or a 3.5-liter V6. Toyota also offers a choice between front wheel drive or electronic on demand four wheel drive.

The starting MSRP is $22,650 and stretches in range up to $28, 650. The 2012 RAV4 will hit dealers on December 20th.

GALLERY: 2012 Toyota RAV4

Kelly Blue Book Released their list of the 20 most researched vehicles and three of the top five spots belong the Honda products. The Civic and Accord placed first and second respectively, with the Toyota Camry in third, the Honda CR-V in fourth and the Ford F-150 in fifth.

The Hyundai Sonata and Elantra placed sixth and seventh respectively, with the Elantra cracking the top 20 for the first time. The top five brands overall were Toyota, Ford, Honda, Chevrolet and Hyundai, with the Toyota Prius as the sole hybrid on the list. Check out the full list below, after the jump.

Continue Reading…