For drivers, this escalation in fuel prices sucks big time. But let us not despair. Some of our favorite driver’s cars also happen to best the competition in fuel economy, whether sipping regular, premium, or diesel, and even sometimes with a chaser of electrons from a battery pack.
Who doesn’t love some good, old fashioned cross-referencing? In advance of Winding Road Issue 70, which will lay forth some of the most involving cars with which to beat $4 gasoline, we have made this graph. It shows us which subcompact cars (as defined by the EPA) do the best job of balancing fuel economy and driver involvement.
Aston Martin showed the first official photos of its luxury city car, the Cygnet concept. And it is adorable!
The previous-generation Tucson, while trusty and capable, looked rather odd and never really separated itself from the more popular Kia Sportage that it shared (everything) with. This all changes for 2010, though. The new Tucson is more powerful, more economical, and much more appealing on the eyes.
Mitsubishi has announced that it will begin production of a new small crossover, dubbed RVR, which will go on sale next spring in Japan. And while we’re very accustomed to the idea of Mitsubishi releasing JDM-only products, the three-diamond folks have confirmed that this little cutie will be coming to North America at some point next year.
If you feel like you’ve already seen the Mazda2 today, it’s because you have, by way of the 2011 Ford Fiesta. No matter, though — we’re sure that like other Ford/Mazda collaborations, the 2 will be unique enough to set it apart from the festive Ford on the road.
Hyundai is really on a roll. The automaker is really setting itself up to become one of the leaders in refinement, economy, and value in many segments. And while the Sonata has always been a fair player in this area of the automotive marketplace, it enters a whole new world of technology, design, and overall refinement for the 2011 model year.
The Fiesta has been a success story in Europe for many, many years, and it seems like America’s biggest concern is how the Fiesta’s design would change once the car was brought to our shores. Well, as you can see by the photos, it’s slightly different, but in a way looks like a natural evolution of the Fiesta. Consider it a mid-cycle refresh, if you will.
The 2011 Chevrolet Cruze is still many months from its on-sale date (third quarter of 2010). And even though we’ve seen camo-less studio shots of the Cruze before, we now have the official images and details about the U.S.-spec model that comes our way to replace the Cobalt next year.