Rumors: Kia to Reveal New Rio Sedan at New York

The word on the street is that Kia will lift the covers off a sedan version of its new Rio series in a world premiere at the upcoming 2011 New York International Auto Show in mid-April. The new generation of the Rio was recently unveiled in hatchback form at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show earlier this month.

The new generation of the Rio hatchback has grown in size over its predecessor and, at least in Europe, it will also be offered in a sportier looking but less practical, three-door body style. The upcoming sedan model will most likely differ from the B-column and back, featuring a longer rear end with a more spacious boot.

The European version of the Rio Hatch will be offered with a choice of three- and four-cylinder engines with outputs ranging from 70-to-109HP. No word yet on what type of engines will be available for the North American market model.

Source: Autoblog

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Chevrolet Teases All-New Global Malibu Sedan, will be Sold in Nearly 100 Countries [with Video]

This is the first official photo of the all-new Chevrolet Malibu show car that will debut simultaneously at the Shanghai Auto Show in China and the New York International Auto Show in mid-April. And if you’re wondering why GM made plans to show it in China, that’s because unlike the current model that’s offered only in North America, the new Malibu will be a global vehicle that will be sold in nearly 100 countries on six continents and built in multiple locations, including China and two facilities in the United States.

“This Malibu takes Chevrolet’s established and award-winning nameplate to new places and introduces it to new audiences around the world,” said Rick Scheidt, vice president of Chevrolet. “Whether the Malibu is sold in North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, or Australia, it has been engineered from the ground up to meet the needs of customers around the world.”

The cropped photo of the new Malibu’s rear-end reveals the Camaro-esque squared taillights and confirms the patent designs we first showed more than a year ago. GM said that its newcomer in the mid-size segment was designed to stand out in all markets around the globe, adding that it will come with “European-inspired driving characteristics”.

Evidently, the engine lineup will differ from market to market, but GM said it will feature a global family of fuel-efficient and powerful four-cylinder engines, along with six-speed transmissions. Buyers should expect a 2.0-liter turbocharged gasoline as well as a hybrid variant in the near feature.

The new Malibu will be introduced onto the market within the next year as a 2013 model. We’ll have more details from the official reveal on April 18.

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2012 Jaguar XF Facelift with New 2.2-Liter Turbo Diesel to Debut in New York Auto Show

Undeniably, the XF is one of the most important models in Jaguar’s recent history, as it turned a new design page for the British carmaker at a time the company changed ownership, from Ford to India’s Tata Motors. Now, three years after its market launch in 2008 following a debut at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show, Jaguar is preparing a facelift version of the XF that will receive its world premiere at next month’s New York Auto Show.

The facelift model will receive a makeover that includes a new front fascia with new lights, a redesigned front grille and reshaped bumper, which oddly enough, bring it closer to the original C-XF Concept that previewed the car. The XF will also benefit from tweaks to the interior and the overall quality, the introduction of new tech systems and an upgraded suspension for improved ride and handling.

Perhaps the biggest news for buyers across the pond is the introduction of a new 2.2-liter four-cylinder turbo diesel engine. The oil-burner is a development of the Ford unit found in the Land Rover Freelander and the European-market Ford Mondeo, however, given that the XF is rear wheel drive, it sits in a north-south configuration so Jaguar had to make several changes to the engine.

Among other things, the 2.2L unit features a water-cooled turbocharger with low-friction pistons, new injectors and a new crankshaft, while Jaguar also added a new Stop-Start system, which is estimated to further increase overall fuel efficiency between five and seven per cent.

The diesel engine produces 190-horsepower and 332 lbs ft of torque, with Jaguar claiming that it is capable of returning 52.3 mpg UK (equal to 43.5 mpg US and 5.4 lt/100km) on the combined cycle while emitting 149 g/km of CO2.

Matted to a new eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox, the 190HP diesel can push the facelifted XF to 62 mph (100km/h) in 8.5 seconds before achieving a maximum speed of 140 mph (225 km/h).

Official photos and more details on the rest of the 2012 Jaguar XF range will be revealed in mid-April.

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