While news and photos of the Nissan Leaf have been around for several months now, the electric car will get its official debut at the Tokyo Auto Show on October 21st. Nissan describes its functional five-door, five-seater compact hatchback as having a “high-performance, zero-emission” powertrain.

Output from the lithium-ion battery packs is rated at 80kW/280Nm, (107-hp and 207 ft-lbs of torque), which should make this sub-compact a sporty little car.

Nissan says it will be able to drive 100 miles on a single charge. The batteries will be able to be charged up to 80 percent in less than 30 minutes with a special quick charger, or in roughly eight hours through a standard 200V outlet. Nissan says that through extensive research the 100 mile range will be suitable for 70 percent of car buyers.

The fully-electric Leaf, which is set to go on sale in the U.S. next year, will be priced from $25,000 to $33,000.  Initially, 5,000 vehicles will be available in five U.S. markets: the Phoenix-Tucson region of Arizona, Oregon, San Diego, Seattle and Tennessee. Fleet sales will also be offered in 2010, while full retails sales are planned for 2012.

Ahead of its official debut, Nissan also released a full gallery of new photos of the Leaf (including numerous interior shots), so be sure to check them out below.

GALLERY: Nissan Leaf

Hyundai introduced its new Tucson SUV at the Frankfurt Auto Show.

The new Tucson, named the ix35 in Europe, is an example of what Hyundai calls its new “fluidic” design language with its sweeping, curved lines.

Hyundai lowered the overall height of the new Tucson while still promising extra legroom and headroom. A new dual-panel panoramic sunroof with ultraviolet blocking also works to create a feeling of spaciousness.

North Americans will have a choice of two engines,  a 2.0l Theta-II plant rated at 161hp and weighing 22 lb less than the Theta-I. A 2.4l Theta-II will also be available. European regions will have the option of a new diesel engines, a 2.0l and a 1.7l plant, as well as the 2.0l Theta-II and a 1.6l GDI engine with ISG stop-start technology.

Gallery: Hyundai Tucson

While the 2011 Hyundai Tucson isn’t set to officially debut until the Geneva Auto Show in March, the Korean automaker has released some details and a few photos of the new model for the Korean market.

In Korea two engines will be offered, a diesel and a gasoline motor, both of which will have a displacement of 2.0-liters. The diesel will make 184hp and get 36 mpg, while the gasoline motor will make 166hp and get 27.5 mpg. Both engines will be paired with a new six-speed automatic transmission. The diesel powerplant will be available with either front-drive or AWD, while the gasoline will be offered only as FWD.

When it makes its way to North America, expect AWD to be available with the gasoline motor and we’re still expecting to hear news of a new turbocharged four-cylinder engine.

Notable features on the new model include stability control, downhill brake control and hill-start assist, a backup camera and a panoramic sunroof.

Called the ix35 in some markets, the Tucson is expected to keep its traditional Arizona name when it arrives in the U.S.

GALLERY: 2011 Hyundai Tucson

Official release after the jump:

Continue Reading…

The fully-electric Nissan LEAF, which is set to go on sale in the U.S. next year, will be priced from $25,000 to $33,000. Word comes from Nissan North America product VP Larry Dominique.

“Competitive pricing is going to allow mass-market appeal, which is going to set Nissan apart,” said Dominique, commenting that the LEAF will be less expensive to own and operate than a gasoline car, even if gas cost just $1.10 a gallon.

Importantly, this price comes before any government tax incentives, which are certain to reduce the total cost by several thousand dollars.

Comparatively, the 2010 Toyota Prius starts at just $22,000.

The LEAF is powered by an electric motor and lithium-ion battery packs. Nissan says it will be able to drive 100 miles on a single charge. The batteries will be able to be charged up to 80 percent in less than 30 minutes with a special quick charger, or in roughly eight hours through a standard 200V outlet. Nissan says that through extensive research the 100 mile range will be suitable for 70 percent of car buyers.

Output from the lithium-ion battery packs is rated at 80kW/280Nm, (107-hp and 207 ft-lbs of torque), which should make this sub-compact a sporty little car.

Sales of the LEAF will begin next year with 5,000 vehicles available in five U.S. markets: the Phoenix-Tucson region of Arizona, Oregon, San Diego, Seattle and Tennessee. Fleet sales will also be offered in 2010, while full retails sales are planned for 2012.

[Source: Automotive News]

Before sales of Nissan’s new electric car go full-tilt in the U.S., the Japanese automaker will start with 5,000 units in five different markets. The targeted areas include the Phoenix-Tucson region of Arizona, Oregon, San Diego, Seattle and Tennessee.

Nissan’s product planning boss Mark Perry says that this is just the first step in a larger plan.“This is not a test to determine whether or not it’s going to work. This is the beginning of mass marketing,” he said.

Full retail sales are planned for 2012, but Perry says they will begin sooner if a market has the infrastructure ready to support the vehicles. Nissan also plans to offer the LEAF for fleet sales in 2010.

An infrastructure network of 12,500 recharging stations will be built throughout the five markets by Phoenix-based Electric Transportation Engineering Corp., which has received a $99.8 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy. An additional $199.6 million necessary to built the infrastructure will come from the individual cities and states.

Owners of the first 5,000 cars will be able to purchase the at Nissan dealers but will have to sign on to allow Nissan to monitor the car’s performance over the first two years. Nissan says it wants to see how electric vehicle recharging habits play out in the real world. Owners will also be “chosen” by Nissan as the automaker wants to make sure the information it obtains is relevant. “We don’t want these first cars going to somebody who commutes 150 miles a day or who lives a great distance from a recharging station,” he said.

As for the price, Nissan hasn’t release specifics but did say that it would be comparable to a fully-loaded compact car.

[Source: Automotive News]

Photos: Jason Bauer and Colum Wood

First off, we apologize for the terrible photos. We can blame Blackberry for the poor quality, but we should be so lucky the pics turned out at all.

We just happened upon this this undercover vehicle while cruising north on Highway 1 (PCH) after leaving Huntington Beach, CA. The Hyundai team did a great job disguising the crossover, which we have deduced is the next generation Hyundai Tucson.

At first it’s not clear what the vehicle is and the Michigan plates certainly threw us for a loop. After all, it does have some resemblance to the Dodge Journey.

The real give-away, however, was the Hyundai Sonata (also sporting Michigan plates) we caught following it.

It certainly doesn’t look as striking as the ix-35 ix-onic concept that was first unveiled at the Geneva Auto Show in March but there are some undeniable resemblances. For instance, the roof line is similar, as is the general shape and layout of the windows. The rear haunches also have a slight bulge in them – although that detail is quite well hidden on the test-mule we spotted. Importantly the front end is extremely well disguised, as it would be a clear give-away with Hyundai’s new hexagon front grille.

The Blackberry camera flash did, however, pick up that the crossover is sporting Kumho tires and it’s well-known that the Korean automaker outfits its vehicles with rubber from the Korean tire manufacturer.

GALLERY: Hyundai ix-onic Concept