BMW i3 Commercial To Air In Super Bowl First Quarter

After a 4-year hiatus, BMW will be returning to the Super Bowl with a first quarter 60-second spot for the all-electric BMW i3 called “Newfangled Idea,” featuring Katie Couric and Bryant Gumbel flashing back to NBC's 1994 Today Show focusing on the  initial confusion surrounding “what is the internet?”. The BMW i3 spot marks the first time both Katie and Bryant have participated in national brand advertisement. The BMW i3 has a starting MSRP of $43,350 (Including $950 Destination and Handling), and the range-extender model has a starting MSRP of $47,200.

Mercedes-Maybach S600 Starts At $190,275 In April

The new Mercedes-Maybach S600 powered by a 523 horsepower V12 bi-turbo engine producing maximum torque of 612 lb-ft will launch in April priced from USD $190,275 (including MY2015 $925 destination/delivery charge). Standard equipment includes a Driver Assistance Package (Intelligent Drive), MAGIC BODY CONTROL, Night View Assist PLUS, a Warmth and Comfort Package with a heated windshield, Head-Up Display, LED Intelligent Lighting System, Burmester High-End 3D Surround Sound System, Executive Rear Seat Package, Rear Seat Entertainment System and the Air Balance Package.

2016 Volvo S60 Inscription Coming This Summer

The 2016 Volvo S60 Inscription, with the T5 engine in both front-wheel drive and All-Wheel Drive, offers Premier and Platinum trim levels with 3.4 inches additional rear seat legroom, linear walnut trim, silk metal detailing and 19” wheels. The S60 Inscription will go on sale in the U.S. this Summer.

2016 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid Coming This Summer

The 2016 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid with a downsized 154 horsepower 2.0-liter Nu GDI four-cylinder engine paired with a six-speed automatic transmission that houses a more powerful 38 kW electric motor is expected to achieve up to 39 mpg in the city, 44 mpg on the highway and have a combined EPA rating of 42 mpg, which is more than a 10 percent improvement from the 2015 model. The lithium-polymer battery pack capacity is 1.62 kWh, a 13 percent improvement, and the battery pack now fits under the trunk floor. It's possible for Sonata Hybrid to operate solely on electric power at speeds up to 75 mph by decoupling the gasoline engine from the rest of the drivetrain. Sonata Hybrid will be built at Hyundai’s Asan, South Korea assembly plant and will go on sale early this Summer.

2015 MINI John Cooper Works Hardtop $31,450 This Spring

The new 2015 MINI John Cooper Works Hardtop the latest high performance addition to the MINI line up will be priced at $31,450 (including $850 Destination & Handling) and will go on sale in the Spring.

Maserati Alfieri 2+2 Concept Coming Next Year

The Maserati Alfieri 2+2 concept has toured the globe and now Maserati has confirmed that the Alfieri coupe will be introduced in 2016, with an Alfieri convertible to follow thereafter.

Buick Avenir Concept Looks For The Future

Buick Avenir ("future" in French) concept from General Motors with seating for four has the next-generation direct-injected V-6 engine with fuel-saving Active Fuel Management (cylinder deactivation) and stop/start technology with a twin-clutch all-wheel-drive system mated to a nine-speed paddle-shift automatic transmission. The Avenir may have been inspired by the historic Buick Riviera.

All-New Ford F-150 Raptor Coming In The Fall Of 2016

The all-new, re-engineered, high-performance, off-road Ford F-150 Raptor pickup, 6 inches wider than the standard F-150, is powered by an all-new, high-output 3.5-liter EcoBoost® engine mated to an all-new 10-speed transmission, with more horsepower and torque than current Raptor’s 411-horsepower, 434-lb.-ft. 6.2-liter V8. The Raptor has more high-strength steel, all-new four-wheel-drive torque-on-demand transfer case with an easier-to-use version of off-road mode driver-assist technology, six preset modes depending on terrain and driving conditions, dual exhaust and new 17-inch wheels. The all-new Raptor will be built at the Dearborn Truck Plant and goes on sale Fall 2016.

Ford Shelby® GT350R Mustang Coming Later This Year

The new Ford Shelby® GT350R Mustang, more than 130 pounds lighter than the Shelby GT350 Track Pack model, has more than 500 horsepower and more than 400 lb.-ft. of torque from a new 5.2-liter dual-overhead-cam V8 engine with a flat-plane crankshaft, typically found only in racing applications or exotic European sports cars. The limited-production Shelby GT350R, the most track-ready road-going production Mustang ever, will be available in the United States and Canada later this year, and is one of more than 12 new Ford Performance vehicles coming by 2020.

2016 Toyota Tacoma Launches This Fall

2016 Toyota Tacoma is powered by a 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine or an all-new 3.5-liter Atkinson cycle V6 equipped with Toyota’s D-4S technology, featuring both direct and port fuel injection, both paired to a new six-speed automatic transmission. The all-new Tacoma has enhanced suspension tuning, four new wheel designs range from 16 to 18 inches, added high strength steel to enhance rigidity and overall strength, a smoother on-road  and more capable off-road ride with automatic limited slip and locking rear differential, hill start sssist control, clutch start cancel (manual transmission only), active traction control, and crawl control which takes over the acceleration and braking, allowing the driver to focus solely on steering. The 2016 Tacoma launches this Fall. 

2015 Ram 1500 Rebel Coming In Second Half Of This Year

The new 2015 Ram 1500 Rebel off-road full-size truck, the 10th member of the Ram truck lineup available in 4x2 or 4x4 powertrains, has a 305 horsepower 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine with variable-valve timing getting fuel economy of 25 miles per gallon or the 395 horsepower 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 with fuel-saving cylinder shut-off and VVT both mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. Rebel goes on sale early in the second half of this year.

Infiniti Q60 Concept Inspiration For Coupe Coming Next Year

Infiniti Q60 Concept is the precursor to a premium sports coupe that will go into production in 2016 with the next-generation 3.0-liter V6 engine with direct injection and twin-turbocharging.

Hyundai Santa Cruz Crossover Truck Concept

Hyundai Santa Cruz Crossover Truck Concept with four doors and seating for five has an overall footprint similar to a small CUV meeting the specific needs of urban adventurers, according to Hyundai.  They are young adults, who face tighter parking on streets and parking garages, and increasing congestion overall. Santa Cruz Crossover Truck Concept has a 2.0-liter turbo diesel powertrain delivering 190 horsepower and 300 lb.-ft. of torque, while achieving fuel economy in the high 30 mpg range and also offers Hyundai’s HTRAC® All-wheel drive system.

2015 Audi Q7 Is Lighter And More Fuel Efficient

The new second generation 2015 Audi Q7 is 1.5 inches shorter, a half inch narrower, the cabin is longer and offers more head room, it weighs 716.5 lbs. less than its predecessor and fuel consumption has been reduced by as much as 28 percent (TFSI) and 23 percent (TDI). The Q7 offers a 252 horsepower 2.0 TFSI, a 272 horsepower 3.0 TDI, or a 333 horsepower 3.0 TFSI engine. Shortly after the market launch, the Audi Q7 e-tron quattro plug-in hybrid with a six-cylinder diesel engine and quattro all-wheel drive will come to market. The new Audi Q7 has a towing capacity of 3.5 metric tons (7,716 pounds) if equipped with the optional air suspension. Audi says the 5-seater Q7 with the 3.0 TDI engine gets 38.6 – 41.3 mpg, the 7-seater Q7 with the 3.0 TDI gets 37.9 – 39.9  mpg, the 5-seater Q7 with the 3.0 TFSI gets 29.0 – 30.5 mpg and the 7-seater Q7 with the 3.0 TFSI gets 28.3 – 29.8 mpg.

2016 Cadillac CTS-V With 640HP Coming Late Summer

2016 Cadillac CTS-V has a new 640 horsepower supercharged 6.2L V-8 engine with a paddle-shift eight-speed automatic transmission, featuring launch control and Performance Algorithm Shifting delivering 630 lb-ft of torque and a top speed of 200 mph. It employs a more-efficient, more-compact 1.7L supercharger and matches it with direct injection and Active Fuel Management (cylinder deactivation). The CTS-V shares the same 114.6-inch wheelbase as the CTS non-V-Series models, but has wider front and rear footprints that enhance grip, reduce body motion and contribute to more direct-feeling steering. 2016 Cadillac CTS-V launches late this summer.

BMW 640i, 650i, M In Coupe, Gran Coupe, Convertible Coming In Q2

The new, third-generation BMW 6 Series two-door Coupe (left), four-door Gran Coupe (middle) and open-air Convertible (right) are offered with a choice of BMW TwinPower Turbo engines, the 315 horsepower inline-six in the 640i models and the 445 horsepower V8 mated to an 8-speed Steptronic sport automatic transmission, accelerating from 0 to 60 in 4.4 seconds in the 650i models. The new BMW M6 Coupe, BMW M6 Convertible and BMW M6 Gran Coupe high-performance models come with a 560 horsepower M TwinPower 4.4-liter V8 turbocharged engine with either a 6-speed manual transmission or a 7-speed M Double Clutch Transmission with Drivelogic. BMW 6 Series vehicles will arrive in US showrooms in the second quarter this year.

2016 Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid Available This Year

The 2016 Hyundai Sonata Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle with a 9.8 kWh lithium polymer battery pack, roughly five times larger than the Sonata Hybrid’s battery, is expected to give Sonata Plug-in Hybrid an all-electric range of up to 22 miles and can recharge in as little as two and a half hours with a Level 2 charger. Sonata PHEV’s Nu engine produces 154 horsepower and 140 lb. ft. of torque and the total system output is 202 horsepower at 6,000 rpm. Sonata Plug-in Hybrid uses a six-speed automatic transmission with Hyundai’s Transmission-Mounted Electrical Device, a 50 kW electric motor, in place of a torque converter. The 50 kW electric motor is 32 percent more powerful than the motor used the in regular Sonata Hybrid and allows EV operation at higher speeds. A 2.0-liter Nu four-cylinder GDI engine coupled with the electric motor allows the Sonata Plug-in Hybrid to operate just like the Sonata Hybrid once the onboard battery charge is depleted.

Sonata PHEV is expected to deliver 93 MPGe combined in EV mode based on internal estimates. In charge sustaining mode, the Sonata PHEV is expected to return 38 mpg in the city, 43 mpg on the highway and 40 mpg combined based on internal testing. The Sonata Plug-in Hybrid will be available in California, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island and Vermont in 2015.

2016 Lincoln MKX Coming This Fall

All-new 2016 Lincoln MKX, with upgrades to body structure and a redesigned interior, now has an available 2.7-liter twin-turbocharged Ti-VCT EcoBoost V6 engine projected to deliver more than 330 horsepower and more than 370 lb.-ft. of torque, based on preliminary test data. The standard engine is a 3.7-liter V6 engine, projected to deliver 300 horsepower and 280 lb.-ft. of torque, based on preliminary test data. Both engines are mated to a six-speed automatic transmission with push-button shift and SelectShift®. Front-wheel drive is standard, with Intelligent All-Wheel Drive optional. Available technologies include a 360-degree camera that shows up to 7 feet all around the vehicle and an ultrasonic sensing system with 12 sensors enabling the full range of available parking-assist features. The Auto Hold feature relieves the driver from having to press the brake pedal continuously to keep the vehicle stationary in traffic. Auto Hold releases the brakes when the accelerator pedal is pressed. The all-new Lincoln MKX goes on sale first in the United States this Fall.

Mercedes-Benz C450 AMG 4MATIC Launches This Fall

The new Mercedes-Benz C450 AMG 4MATIC, the entry AMG based on the most powerful C-Class model, the C400 4MATIC, combines a 362 horsepower 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 engine mated to a 7G-TRONIC PLUS automatic transmission with a permanent Performance all-wheel-drive system and suspension technology adopted from the Mercedes-AMG C63. Drive modes are "Eco", "Comfort", "Sport", "Sport Plus" and "Individual". The new C450 AMG 4MATIC with a zero to 60 mph of 4.9 seconds, launches in the U.S. market in this Fall.

Mercedes-Benz C350 PLUG-IN HYBRID Coming This Fall

Mercedes-Benz C350 PLUG-IN HYBRID with a range of 20 miles in purely electric mode, has a four-cylinder gasoline engine with an electric motor producing a total system output of 275 horsepower and 443 lb-ft of torque. The hybrid module of the standard 7-speed automatic transmission 7G-TRONIC PLUS incorporates both the electric motor and an additional clutch between the combustion engine and the electric motor. The electrical energy storage unit is a high-voltage lithium- ion battery with a total capacity of 6.2 kWh. The standard AIRMATIC air suspension and Pre-Entry Climate Control system can be controlled via the internet. The C350 PLUG-IN HYBRID can sprint from zero to 60 mph in 5.9 seconds, can reach a top speed of 130 mph and will be available in U.S. dealerships in the Fall.