2015

PREVIEW: 2015 Aston Martin Vantage S Roadster

Aston Martin will globally debut its 2015 V12 Vantage S Roadster and the carmaker’s Design Prototype 100 (DP-100) will make its North American debut during the Pebble Beach Automotive Week beginning August 14. The V12 Vantage S Roadster is equipped with the latest 565 horsepower Aston Martin AM28 6.0-liter V12 engine. It features state-of-the-art Bosch engine management, which allows the car to reach 201 mph and accelerate 0-60 mph in 3.9 seconds. When it arrives in markets around the world later this year the new sports car will become the luxury British marque’s most potent, fastest and fastest-accelerating series production roadster to date. Developed in-house by the Design team at Aston Martin, DP-100 Vision Gran Turismo is a new, virtual-only

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2015 Toyota Yaris debuts as Euro-styled entry level sedan

The 2015 Toyota Yaris has debuted with a new European-themed design, several new additional interior and exterior features and a manufacturer’s suggested retail price range from $14,485 to $17,620. The price range extends from three-door L with a manual transmission ($14,485) to the five-door SE with a four-speed automatic ($17,620). Like like the previous-generations, the 2015 Toyota Yaris comes in 3-door and 5-door liftback configurations. It features an aggressive new look with a horizontal chrome grill treatment that appears to continue into the headlamp. The 1.5-liter, 16-valve, four-cylinder DOHC engine equipped with variable valve timing with intelligence (VVT-i) produces 106 horsepower. A five-speed manual transmission, made smoother by an improved hydraulic clutch, is standard. Also available is a four-speed electronically

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PREVIEW: 2015 Aston Martin, more power, more luxury

Aston Martin, the luxurious British sports car manufacturer  long associated with James Bond films, has unveiled the 2015 V12 Vantage S Roadster. The new sports car, available globally at dealerships later this year, will become the luxury British marque’s most potent, fastest and fastest-accelerating series production roadster. Equipped with the latest 565 horsepower Aston Martin AM28 6.0-liter V12 engine, featuring state-of-the-art Bosch engine management, the car is capable of reaching 201 mph and sprinting from rest to 60 mph in 3.9 seconds. The car’s new car’s gearbox, the Sportshift™III ASM (auto-shift manual) transmission, is engineered to exploit the full sporting potential of the V12 engine, the latest generation Sportshift™III hydraulically actuated automated manual transmission provides motorsport-style paddle shift changes for

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REVIEW: 2015 Lexus NX has wild, fun new look

The 2015 Lexus NX, the new entry level sport utility vehicle from the upscale division of Toyota, will debut in the United States in December in two versions. The NX stands for “Nimble Crossover.” It fits. The NX 200t has a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine. The NX 300h hybrid will features a new transmission that splits the hybrid battery into two pods for better weight distribution. The result: a more efficient use of cabin space. Built on a Toyota RAV4 platform, the Lexus NX more resembles a sports car more than an SUV and both models of all-weather drive (AWD). Despite the similarity to its sibling, platform, the new NX lineup will be 90 percent new. The new factor is

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PREVIEW: 2015 Honda CR-V

Good news for sport utility vehicle enthusiasts. Honda is soon going to add a new SUV to its stable — the 2015 Honda CR-V. The redesigned model will include exterior changes to the doors, mirrors and trim levels. The back door’s rear glass has also been considerably restyled. Head lamps have been given LED lighting and the fog lights have been placed in the lattice. In addition, the 2015 Honda CR-V will have combination of 16-inch alloy and 17-inch steel wheels. The front fascia has been given an appearance of three chrome tubes that extend from one headlight to the other. Lighting at the rear extends all the way from the roof to over the door, and the bumper has

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2015 Audi A3: Handsome, quick, sporty

The new 2015 Audi A3 compact sedan is innovative and attractive, and it’s ideal for driving on tight city roads. It’s also reminiscent of Audi’s 1994 A4. With Audi’s trademark single frame grille and pearl white LED headlights, the A3 is an anticipated addition in the A-segment. Compared to 1 Series and B-segment models, A3 sedan’s wheelbase doesn’t look visually cramped. The result: a handsome exterior, low roof line and wide rear pillars. It’s as attractive as the Mercedes A- and B-classes, with the right tinge of sportiness. The Audi A3 Sedan is a car for Gen Y. The interiors are exquisite and elaborate. The furnishings are well-fitted with a finesse that can put its rivals to shame. The engineering

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NEW CAR PREVIEW: 2015 Hyundai Sonata

With a more refined look, better ride quality and a host of new features, 2015 Hyundai Sonata will be priced beginning at $21,150, the South Korean manufacturer recently announced. The 2015 Hyundai Sonata lineup ranges from the base model 2.4-liter to a new range-topping Sport 2.0T Ultimate. It offers hands-free Smart Trunk, Smart Cruise Control with stop/start capability, panoramic sunroof, heated and ventilated seats and a heated steering wheel. The Sonata’s new features include a new Fluidic Sculpture 2.0 design language, stiffer body structure, better ride quality, reduced noise, vibration and harshness and advanced safety and convenience features. 2015 Sonata comes standard with seven airbags, including a new driver’s knee airbag designed to help prevent the driver from sliding down

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2015 Mazda6: Good option to costly foreign sedans

Mazda continues its strong emphasis on sporty cars with The 2015 Mazda6. It’s a roomy, sporty mid-sized sedan with a fun-to-drive personality and sparkling fuel economy. No wonder its sales are escalating in the highly competitive mid-size car market, which includes the formidable Toyota Camry and Honda Accord. The 2015 Mazda6 is mostly a carry-over from the fairly recently redesigned Mazda6 with updates to select features and packaging options. Mazda doesn’t promote this model as a BMW or Mercedes fighter, but rather as a sporty, roomy, economical family car. For one thing, it has front-wheel drive, instead of the rear-drive traditionally found with high-performance foreign sedans. Yet, my rakish-looking Mazda6 Grand Touring model, complete with bright dual exhaust outlets, drove

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2015 cars are here; best deals now on 2014 models

Models for 2015 cars and trucks in all shapes and sizes are steadily infiltrating the market. Which means it’s about the time when better prices may be available 2014 models. As edit and publisher of The Weekly Driver I’ve reviewed more than three-dozen 2014 models to date. And entry level sedans to luxury cars, sub-compacts to sport utility vehicles, the automotive industry has become increasingly competitive. So far this year, the Weekly Driver’s staff has contributed a few dozen other reviews and we’ve produced six independent videos. Videographer Bruce Aldrich, who edits and publishes, tahoetruckeeoutdoor.com, filmed and produced the videos. As the editor and publisher of theweeklydriver.com, I provided the narration for the videos. Contributing editor Dan Jedlicka, an auto

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Elio Motors suffers further setback, debut in late 2015?

The future of the much-discussed Elio Motors three-wheeler has been further delayed — likely for more than a year — according to several website reports. The Dubai-based news portal, AirHerald.com report funding issues have stalled the pending start of manufacturer’s production site in Shreveport, Louisiana. The dilemma may push back the public debut of the vehicle to at least September, 2015. Officials at Elio Motors had hoped production of the $6,800 car would be last March. In addition to funding issues, uncertainly from regulators how three-wheel vehicles should be classified have further complicated the much-anticipated car. According to AirHerald.com, Elio Motors has plans to hire 800 workers in June 2015. Elio Motors reportedly has raised more than $55 million, less

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Hyundai Sonata, 2015 Preview: New features, new trim

The 2015 Hyundai Sonata, which will feature a refined appearance and a stiffer body structure, among other improved features, will be priced beginning at $21,500, Hyundai has announced. The new Hyundai will include new range-topping Sport 2.0T Ultimate that offers class-above features such as hands-free Smart Trunk, Smart Cruise Control with stop/start capability, panoramic sunroof, heated and ventilated seats and a heated steering wheel. Additionally, the 2015 Hyundai Sonata will offer a better ride quality, reduced noise, vibration and harshness and advanced safety and convenience features. Production of the 2015 Hyundai Sonata has begun at the Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama plant in Montgomery, Alabama. The first retail units should begin arriving at dealerships by the end of June. The 2015

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PREVIEW: 2015 Subaru BRZ adds Limited Edition

The performance-packed, low-profile designed 2015 Subaru BRZ line will include a limited edition and will have a starting price of $25,695, Subaru of America has announced. The 2015 BRZ has a sports car design: low vehicle weight, ultra-low center of gravity and precision steering, and it’s powered by a 200-horsepower 2.0-liter BOXER engine. New for 2015 is the introduction of the BRZ Series.Blue limited to 1,000 cars for the continental United States. It will offer a combination of STI-branded functional aerodynamic body design, black-painted STI-branded 17-inch wheels and unique interior trim creates. The BRZ Series.Blue will arrived Subaru dealerships in July. Subaru will offer 500 painted WR Blue Pearl and 500 in Crystal White Pearl exclusively with a 6-speed manual

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2015 Volvo V60 T5: Wagon comeback in a big way

The 2015 Volvo V60 T5 is a new car the United States. It’s been in Europe for a few years, but for the American market it’s unlike any other Volvo wagon. They were previously all built like small passenger tanks and were about as attractive. Volvo stopped making its larger wagons a few years ago. But with the debut of the V60, the Scandinavian-influenced carmaker with parts from Sweden, Germany, Japan, the United States and Canada, could have an entirely new following. The 2015 Volvo V60 resembles its long-ago sibling, the P1800s series, now collectors’ cars. The new offering is still a wagon. But it’s a stylish, sleek wagon with an attractive combination: It’s handsome and versatile. The Weekly Driver

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2015 Kia K900: Luxury for $20,000 less than rivals

The luxury sedan market has become more crowded with the addition of the 2015 Kia K900. The new K900 is Kia’s first V-8 sedan and first rear-wheel-drive luxury car. It’s for those who want to save approximately $20,000 or so if they don’t mind not getting an upper-line German or Japanese rear-drive V-8 luxury auto. Kia didn’t dare make a mistake with its flagship K900 because the car, as the automaker says, is intended to “redefine consumer perception and expectations of the Kia brand.” Snobby neighbors may scoff at the Kia nameplate, but they can’t honestly scoff at the car. Kia, which is closely affiliated with South Korea’s Hyundai, has been selling cars in the United States for about 20

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2015 Volvo XC60: Hot engine, better transmission

I’m happy to see Volvo is surviving. I’ve been an on-off-on Volvo fan since I bought a seemingly indestructible 1956 Volvo PV444 in 1963 with its stick shift and lively twin-carburetor engine. The midsize Volvo XC60 upscale crossover has progressed nicely since introduced a few years ago and is one of the best such vehicles offered, although it faces stiff competition. For 2014, the XC60 got a new hood, front fenders, redesigned headlights and new instruments, along with paddle shifters for the automatic transmission. It also got new 18-inch alloy wheels and new “corner traction control.” The XC60 is generally handsome, from its lower front spoiler to its nicely integrated exhaust tips. The interior is upscale, with easily read gauges

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PREVIEW: 2015 Toyota Camry gets sporty redesign

The 2015 Toyota Camry features a new design. It’s longer and wider, has a large, aggressive grille and chiseled sides. The change is the result of sportier rivals providing increased competition for the best-selling car in the United States. The Camry, the top-seller for the last 12 years, has plenty of loyal buyers. But Toyota representatives stressed at the car’s debut at the recent New York International Auto Show that buyers’ tastes have changed. Known for it reliability, the 2015 Toyota Camry will be available in the fall of 2014. It will now also emphasize style, comfort and performance. Bill Fay, the U.S. Toyota division chief, said the carmaker began to redesign the Camry in 2011. It was influenced by

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