2014 Jaguar XFR-S / XJR

2014 Jaguar XFR-S / XJR

Both cars feature a 5.0-liter supercharged V-8, boasting 550 hp and 502 lb-ft of torque. 0-60 mph occurs in 4.4 seconds, and both sedans handle with poise and agility. As Jaguar pushes forth with new models in its lineup, its marketshare begins to grow. Times are good for the British automaker, and its only expected to get better. This pair take aim at their German rivals, and stand as worthy competitors.

Ford Taurus SHO

Ford Taurus SHO

What is it? The Taurus SHO receives a few styling updates to further differentiate it from the rest of the Taurus family. They include a sportier fascia, with a black mesh grille and high-intensity headlamps. Other sporty characteristics include a leather-wrapped steering wheel, sport-tuned steering, leather sports seats and 19-inch wheels.
The powertrain continues with the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6 delivering 365 hp. The MyFordTouch driver interface is now standard. A performance package for the SHO adds a sport-tuned suspension, performance brake pads, electronic stability control with an off mode and 20-inch painted wheels.

Chevrolet SS

Chevrolet SS

What is it? Like the Pontiac G8 before it, the rear-drive Chevrolet SS is borrowed from General Motors’ Australian brand, Holden. Down under, GM is known for creating powerful, great-handling sport sedans and coupes. This foundation promises a character of a well-honed, Euro-influenced sport sedan with a generous dose of American muscle thrown in. Rest assured, the SS will be in stark contrast with the midsized Malibu, just as the G8 was in a different league than the G6.
The SS is a large car, positioned above the front-drive Impala. It shares its core underpinnings with the Camaro, Caprice police car, Holden VF Commodore, and the short-lived Pontiac G8. When we tested the G8 in 2008, it proved fun, quick, capable, and roomy. With a thoroughly developed chassis including independent suspension front and rear, and standard Brembo brakes with four-piston calipers, the SS boasts serious credentials and pedigree.
Serving as a Chevrolet flagship, the $44,470 SS is lavishly equipped with leather upholstery, Chevrolet MyLink infotainment, navigation system, Bose audio, forward collision alert, lane-departure warning, blind-spot monitors, back-up camera with cross-traffic alert, and the brand’s first automatic parking system.
What is new or notable: The underhood magic comes from a 6.2-liter LS3 V8—the same basic powerplant used in the outgoing C6 Corvette. Here it produces 415 horsepower, routed through a six-speed automatic transmission. Manual gear selection is enabled through steering-wheel paddles, but no true manual tranny will be offered. Chevrolet claims 0-60 mph times in about five seconds, putting it deep in modern muscle car territory.
If this core formula sounds familiar, it should. The Impala SS from the 1990s was essentially an enhanced rear-drive Caprice with a Corvette-shared LT1 V8. Back then, the Impala was a cool rendition of the decidedly uncool Caprice, with 260 hp and a sinister exterior. Unlike the fundamentally outdated Impala, however, the new SS is truly a contemporary design, and it essentially serves as an evolution of the well-regarded Pontiac G8.
CR's take: The Chevrolet SS proves that despite high gasoline prices, this is the golden age of the muscle car. Never has so much performance and refinement been available in a domestic-brand car than is offered today by Chrysler, Ford, and GM

Buick LaCrosse

Buick LaCrosse

What is it? Buick has updated and upgraded its competitive large sedan with new interior and exterior design cues, advanced safety technologies, and enhanced in-vehicle connectivity. Sleek LED running lamps and wrap-around tail lamps highlight a new exterior design while a redesigned instrument panel is notable among several interior changes. New features include the voice-activated IntelliLink infotainment system. This system also uses Bluetooth or USB to connect a user’s smart phone to the system.
A new top-end interior package is highlighted by Sangria-colored semi-aniline leather seats and armrests, which have a thin protective coating to protect them from wear and staining, and ebony and ash accents.
Pricing is set to start at $34,060 including destination.
What is new or notable? Features such as a blind-zone alert, lane-departure warning, adaptive cruise control, forward-collision alert, rear cross-traffic monitoring, and pre-collision braking give the LaCrosse a comprehensive safety system similar to those found on many other luxury sedans. Hazard alerts are routed through GM’s Safety Alert Seat system, which sends vibrations to the drivers seat. The vibrations not only indicate a potential collision, but the direction that it may be coming from.
CR’s take: Reliability of both four-cylinder and V6 versions of the LaCrosse has been below average. We hope this update also addresses some body hardware problems that has plagued the sedan over the past several years.  

Cadillac CTS

Cadillac CTS

What is it? Cadillac introduces a bigger, and possibly more driver-focused,CTS for 2014. The exterior is much more modern than its predecessor; the look is stunning with crisp lines and abundant LED detailing in the front. The car has also grown five inches, with two of them sprouting in the wheelbase to make the CTS a stronger competitor for the BMW 5 Series and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class. Based on the smaller ATS’ lightweight platform, Cadillac claims the redesigned CTS shed 244 pounds, making it the lightest car in its class and weighing some 200 pounds less than a BMW 528i.
Engine choices include a 272-hp, 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder and a 321-hp, 3.6-liter V6, both available with rear or all-wheel drive. There is also a high-performance Vsport model, with a twin-turbo 420-hp, 3.6-liter V6 and eight-speed manual transmission, more aggressive suspension tuning, and rear-wheel drive.
What’s new and notable? The interior is nicely finished, but like other Cadillacs it has the frustrating and distracting CUE infotainment system. That feature really marred our experience with the ATS in our road test earlier this year.
CR’s take: We really look forward to driving this new CTS. If it drives anything like its smaller ATS sibling, we’re really going to be in for a treat.
When will it be available? Fall 2013.

Is the carbon-fiber BMW i3 the car of the future?

By Consumer Reports News | ConsumerReports.org

ConsumerReports.org - Is the carbon-fiber BMW i3 the car of the future?

Expect to hear a lot about the BMW i3 in the coming months. A four-seater about the size of a Nissan Juke, BMW's first electric car for sale will combine several cutting-edge technologies, potentially making it one of the most advanced vehicles on the road.
BMW calls the i3 an all-electric car, but it is more than that. It has several tricks up its sleeves.

For starters, the i3 will be the first production car for the masses to use a carbon-fiber body to save weight. Electric car engineers say this is key since it allows the car to travel farther on a smaller, lighter, and cheaper battery. At just 2,630 pounds, the i3 weighs less than many subcompact cars. (The car is about 151-inches long, 79-inches wide, and five-feet tall, with a 101-inch wheelbase.) BMW claims a range of 80-100 miles, similar to other electric cars, from the i3's 22-kWh lithium-ion battery.

However, that's not the end of the story. BMW will also offer an optional gasoline engine as a "range extender"--a 34-hp, 650-cc motorcycle-type two-cylinder engine. This engine will generate electricity for another 60 miles of travel before its 2.4-gallon tank needs a refilling. Sounds familiar? It's the same idea behind the Chevrolet Volt.

This fulfills another promise of plug-in hybrids: dramatically downsizing the gas tank and engine to offset the size, weight, and cost of the battery. (Other plug-in hybrids today use four-cylinder engines ranging from 1.0 to 2.0 liters.) As a plug-in hybrid, the i3 may have twice the electric range of the Volt.

BMW will sell the i3 along with a suite of services called 360 Electric, including a home charger, free access to a network of public chargers, and car sharing through the DriveNow network, providing access to other BMW models for longer-trips. (That is a good concept, because, really, who wants to refill a tiny gas tank every hour?)

In earlier trials with the Mini-E and the BMW Active-E, the company found that in 12.5 million miles of driving, 1,000 EV drivers averaged about 30 miles a day. With its big battery, range-extending engine, and available assortment of replacement loaners, the i3 should be more than capable of meeting these needs. And when it debuts next year, the company also promises that the i3 will drive like a BMW to boot.

—Eric Evarts

2012 Citroen DS4 Elegant and Unique

2012 Citroen DS4 - Elegant and Unique

The 2012 Citroen DS4 is a new model with a multitude of talents, effortlessly responding to a broad range of owners' needs, while enhancing the appeal and vitality of the driving experience combines sophistication and refinement a dynamic coupe body, the creation of extraordinary versatility and everyday practice in a compact design - 4.27m (l), 1.81m (w) and 1.53 m (h). Interior designers of French automaker spiffed essentially more luxurious cabin materials and decorative elements of the standard C4 hatch, while providing personalization options, such as choice of five leather combinations, including two shades.







All engines offer a powerful combination of performance - including a new unit Citroën 200 hp gasoline - and ecologically sensitive automobile. New Citroën HDi-e emissions, for example, offer greater fuel economy and CO2 emissions.