German based tuner Abt Sportsline will be revealing four new tuned vehicles for the upcoming Geneva Auto Show.

For Audi, Abt will add some spice to the Audi Q3 crossover. Dubbed the QS3, the compact crossover will receive a power boost from its 2.0 liter engine to produce a total output of 266-hp. Abt has also provided an aggressive body kit to compliment the QS3′s performance.

Abt’s Audi AS6 Avant will also be presented at Geneva, decked out with front and rear spoilers, revised side skirts and a four-tailpipe exhaust system. Sporting a tuned 3.0-liter V6 diesel engine, Abt has massaged the powerplant to put out 355-hp, an extra 46-hp over stock.

For Volkswagen, Abt will feature a crowd stopping Beetle with a reduced ride height, headlight masks and 20-inch alloy wheels. In the power department, this mean Bug will deliver 237-hp.

Finally, Abt gets its hands on the new Volkswagen Up! Offering only aesthetic changes for now, the Up! receives mirror caps, headlight masks and revised side skirts.

GALLERY: Abt Sportsline Geneva Teaser

As planned GMC unveiled its refreshed Acadia SUV at the Chicago Auto Show this week, but the GM truck division also prepared a surprise.

In addition to the standard-trim truck, GMC showcased the top-trim Denali version, complete with 20-inch wheels, an upgraded interior and paint-matched body cladding to deliver a more luxurious look.

For more on both vehicles, watch out first look video below.

GALLERY: 2013 GMC Acadia

GALLERY: 2013 GMC Acadia Denali

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You wouldn’t expect a Kia to be the star of an auto show. Then again, you probably wouldn’t expect a 250 hp, widebody Kia Soul.

Unveiled at the Chicago Auto Show, the wildly modified Track’ster is just a concept… for now. Kia has announced that while it has no plans to bring this specific car to market, company execs are awaiting market reaction to judge if a high-performance crossover is in the cards for Kia.

GALLERY: Kia Track’ster Concept

Find out more about the Track’ster below and let us know if you think Kia should build a high performance crossover:

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Nobody expected there to be a second car under cloth at the GMC display this morning, but two CUVs were ready to bare it all shortly after 9 a.m. today at the Chicago Auto Show.

The fancier version designed for more luxury-oriented customers gets a host of upgrades meant to set it apart from the standard model.

“When designing the new Acadia, we considered the contemporary shapes and materials GMC buyers expect from many products they buy,” said Dave Lyon, executive director of design for the Acadia. “The Denali’s attention to detail is the ultimate demonstration of that.”

In a side interview, he said they chose to make the Denali’s interior look “a little warmer, to soften the feeling.” He also mentioned that the steering wheel’s wood inserts are made of real wood, where the standard model gets “real aluminum, but fake wood. Most people just want it to look good. We had trouble getting the aluminium to match the real wood [in the standard model],” he said.

Aside from nice visual touches, the Denali comes with standard blind spot monitoring and cross traffic alert systems, which are options in the cheaper model.

The exterior is rethought as well, including a shining chrome grille, 20-inch machined wheels and a chrome exhaust. Customers also get lower, redesigned front and rear fascias. The wrap-around rear window, which is new to both models, gives the Denali an especially luxurious look with tinted windows wrapping around the back and accenting the wheels.

Both the Denali and standard models will be available at dealerships late this year, though pricing details haven’t been announced yet.

GALLERY: 2013 GMC Acadia Denali

Watch AutoGuide’s first look video of the Acadia Denali and Acadia below:

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Kia, you’re such a tease. Today at the Chicago Auto Show, the Korean automaker revealed what it’s calling the Trak’ster Concept. But this sport cross came with a disclaimer, “there are no current plans to produce the Track’ster”.

Boo! Hiss.

Of course, that has to be the case, with this wild widebody and 250 hp turbocharged Soul just too extreme for the road.

Expanding on Kia’s Optima Super Bowl ad with the tag line “A Dream Car for Real Life”, the Track’ster was created to show what happens when a dream becomes a reality.

Designed to add some bulldog aggressions says Tom Kearns, chief designer for Kia Motors America, along with some significantly wider fender flares that add 5-inches to the width of the factory car, the Track’ster has a sportier appeal thanks to the removal of two doors. Inside the big fenders are 19-inch HRE wheels with 245 wide front tires and 285 wide rears. Keeping with the track theme, braking potential has also been upgraded with 6-piston front calipers and 14-ich rotors, while out back are four-piston units with 13.6-inch disks.

Power is generated by a 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cyinder making 250 hp – a 66 percent increase over the standard car. That power makes it to the ground through an electronically controlled four-wheel drive system and (of course) a six-speed manual transmission.

The interior of the Tack’ster further conveys its track-ready capabilities with orange suede racing seats up front. The rear seating area has been removed to make room for a spare tire and the tools you’ll need to work on your car at the track.

As though teasing us with such an impressive performance crossover and then denying plans to build it weren’t bad enough, Kearns continues to tease us more, commenting that concept cars like this, “allow KMA’s design team to dream about what could be. Whether that dream becomes a reality or not is a separate question.”

GALLERY: 2013 Kia Track’ster Concept

GALLERY: 2013 Kia Track’ster Reveal

Enthusiasts may not like the fact that the 2013 RDX no longer has Honda’s Super Handling AWD system, or its impressive turbocharged 4-cylinder engine. But enthusiasts don’t buy cars like the Acura RDX… not enough of them anyway.

As a result, Acura has revamped the RDX with a softer approach, with added utility and a new V6 that gets more power and better fuel economy.

GALLERY: 2013 Acura RDX

Unveiled today at the Chicago Auto Show, find out all the details in our first look video below:

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Revealing the all-new second generation RDX compact luxury crossover on the eve of the Chicago Auto Show, Acura admitted it made some mistakes in the past.

The previous generation RDX was targeted at your urban males, putting the focus on performance. It should come as no surprise that it was then a big hit with auto journalists, who loved its turbocharged 2.3-liter engine that made 240 hp and a serious 280 lb-ft of torque. It also had Acura’s amazing Super Handling All Wheel Drive system, which made its cornering capabilities spectacular.

As it turns out, however, buyers in this segment are actually couples, young and old, and they’re more interested in utility than performance. As a result, the RDX was never the success Acura hoped, especially as sales of the MDX soared.

Now Acura is launching a second-generation model, with a softer approach all around. Gone is the hi-tech and expensive SH-AWD in favor of a more conventional system. Also gone is the immensely fun, but equally fuel thirsty turbocharged engine in favor of a new 3.5-liter V6. The new unit produces 33 more horsepower for a total of 273. Torque numbers haven’t been announced, but expect them to drop.

Mated to a new 6-speed automatic Acura says it expects the RDX to receive a best-in-class fuel economy rating of 20/28 mpg (city/highway) for front-drive models and 19/27 for AWD versions.

Improving both ride quality and handling is a longer wheelbase, as well as a wider track and a lower center of gravity. Plus, the RDX gets standard “Amplitude Reactive Dampers”, an adaptive electric power steering system and 18-inch wheels.

Other standard and available goodies include an active noise cancellation system, keyless access and a push-button ignition, a three-view back-up screen, Pandora internet radio and an SMS text messaging feature that lets you reply to text with one of roughly 10 pre-selected responses.

Interior room is up on the RDX, though Acura hasn’t said by exactly how much. The cargo area does use its space more effectively and Acura says it has expanded the rear opening by up to six inches.

A watered down RDX? Yes. But will the new model find a home with more buyers? Most likely.

GALLERY: 2013 Acura RDX

See AutoGuide’s complete 2012 Chicago Auto Show Coverage Here

Watch AutoGuide’s first look video of the 2013 RDX below:

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Kia is looking to create some excitement at next week’s Chicago Auto Show, debuting a new concept car called the Track’ster.

Based on the brand’s popular Soul crossover, the hopped-up Track’ster will be the “ultimate performance” Soul and feature sleek new body that does away with two doors for an aggressive coupe look.

There are no details on the engine, but look for something exciting, along the lines of the turbocharged 1.6-liter 4-cylinder found in the new Veloster Turbo, which makes 201 hp.

Look for dull details from the big reveal next week and until then, check out AutoGuide’s Chicago Auto Show preview here.

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

Of the major Japanese Automakers, Nissan Motors has been one of the least affected by natural disasters and the strengthening yen, effectively minimizing exposure to regional risks by erecting facilities overseas.

Nissan has announced plans to build another manufacturing complex in Aguascalientes, Mexico, to expand North American production. An investment worth $2.0 billion USD, the new facility will be joining two other Mexican Nissan factories already in place. When construction is completed, operations are projected to begin late in 2013, with an initial production capacity of 175,000 vehicles annually.

Operations in the new complex include body, trim, and chassis installation, paint manufacturing, associated parts warehousing, as well as an on-site test track for quality assurance tests of new vehicles. All this means that the manufacturing complex will provide up to 3,000 new jobs at the facility, and approximately 9,000 new jobs from supply chain and wider community. All in all, Nissan’s expansion will allow a total of 13,500 jobs provided for Aguascalientes.

Nissan currently makes up six of the ten most popular vehicles sold in Mexico. Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn said, “Mexico is a key engine for Nissan’s growth in the Americas. Together with our new plant in Brazil, this new manufacturing facility in Aguascalientes is an important pillar in our strategy to ensure that Nissan has the capacity it needs to increase sales volume and market share across the Americas.”

Jose Munoz, president and general director of Nissan Mexico adds, “No other automaker is investing in Mexico more than Nissan. Nissan’s investment in new manufacturing, engineering and technology resources in Aguascalientes validates what thousands of our employees, suppliers, and customers already know. Behind our market leadership is an unparalleled commitment to deliver the best vehicles for Mexico and more than 100 international markets.”

The next product in the busy Hyundai launch schedule has been leaked online, with new photos showing the 2013 Santa Fe from different angles.

One of the oldest models in the current lineup, the photos show just how dramatic a design change this will be, gaining the brand’s new “fluidic sculpture” design language. Notable is a chrome hexagon grille (part of the brand’s signature), while there are elements of the new Ford Explorer mixed with the BMW X1. Like some of the other Hyundai products (notably the Genesis Coupe), there seem to be design cues taken from Infiniti, particularly with the Santa Fe’s taillights.

Along with the obvious chrome, look for LED light bars for the headlights as well as the use of LEDs for the taillights

No details on engines for the new Santa Fe are yet available, but it’s likely the the 274 hp turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder from the Sonata will find its way under the hood, while a more potent V6 is an option as well.

Look for a possible debut at the New York Auto Show in April.

GALLERY: 2013 Hyundai Santa Fe

[Source: Hyundai-Blog]

Infinti is pointing their cross hairs squarely at the Japanese luxury crossover market, hoping that their new JX will be a hot seller capable of boosting the brand, but there could be an arduous road ahead.

Their biggest competition: the Acura MDX and Lexus RX crossovers are their brand`s top sellers, meaning Infiniti will have to pick a few pockets to put the JX in their aspired sales bracket.

“It will become our second-best-seller this year, right behind [the] G [lineup],” Infiniti’s North American vice president Ben Poore said to WardsAuto in an interview.

Despite their high sales ambitions, Infiniti isn’t undercutting the competition, at least not completely. Poore said they plan to start the JX at $41,400 including the destination fee. That means it starts off cheaper than the Acura MDX’s $43,815 tag and pricier than the Lexus RX for $39,950.

As far as specifics for those ambitions are concerned, Poore didn’t name any exact sales targets. Despite that, we know the company’s best-selling G coupe and sedan sold 58,246 total units last year.

That could be a tall order given that the brands current runner-up, the QX SUV, only sold 13,428 units last year. Maybe that’s why Poore is playing coy about actual figures. His statement could suggest a relatively low sales target or a tough push against the competition.

Given that last year Lexus and Acura sold 82,595 and 123,299 RXs  and MDXs respectively, it would seem to be in Infiniti’s best interests not to irk the juggernauts, but instead to siphon off a sliver of tired customers from each when it goes on sale as a 2013 model this March.

GALLERY: 2013 Infiniti JX

[Source: Ward's Auto via Motor Trend]