Ford Atlas concept: Is this the future of pickups?

Ford unveiled the Ford Atlas Concept at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit and promises this will be future of all the pickups thanks to its "innovative design, fuel efficiency and smart technologies".

The design is not that innovative, it looks like a regular Ford pickup, but has a few useful features like Active Grille Shutters and Active Wheels Shutters to improve aerodynamics at high speeds, next-generation EcoBoost engines, LED headlamps and taillamps plus LED illumination in the cargo box.

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Acura (Honda) NSX II concept, first look at the interior.

Over the last year Acura, or if you want, Honda, previewed several times the NSX in almost all the possible car shows in the world, but now, for the first time, we get to see the interior.

But let's start with the exterior. The front is a slightly different, with a new carbon fiber piece in the front grille (it has a clear plastic covering the front and rear license plate holder), side vents of both the rear and front bumpers, and the inclusion of turning signals at the front and in the back (LED strip).

The inside, in the lack of a better word, is minimalist. It has virtually no buttons or controls, but Honda says this is for a reason. "The interior package boasts outstanding visibility, an exotic driving position, and an intuitive "Simple Sports Interface" that minimizes interior clutter, allowing the driver to focus on the driving experience". Good enough for me, it looks really look.

The Acura NSX will be powered by a mid-mounted, direct-injected V6 engine connected to Acura's Sport Hybrid SH-AWD® (Super Handling All-Wheel Drive) system. This system is an all-new, three-motor high-performance hybrid system that combines torque vectoring all-wheel drive with advanced hybrid efficiency through the use of three electric motors – one motor integrated with the V-6 engine and two motors driving the front wheels – along with an all-new dual-clutch transmission (DCT). This sounds really good, but we have to await for real figures, to comment on whether this is good or not.

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Honda Urban SUV Concept [Video]

Honda presented the Urban SUV Concept at the Detroit Auto Show indicating the styling direction for a future SUV that will be launched in Japan later this year and in the USA in 2014.

The new car will be priced and positioned below the CR-V and will feature fuel-efficient engines with Earth Dreams Technology, plus the configurable Magic Seat setup that can provide a host of passenger and cargo options, which are already used in the Fit.

The production will take place at Honda's newest North American plant near Celaya, Mexico, expected to open in the spring of 2014.

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Hyundai HCD-14 Genesis Concept

This concept serves to show the new design direction for a new generation of rear-wheel drive premium vehicles of the South Korean brand, and will serve as a basis for the future Genesis.

The engine chosen for this concept was the award-winning Hyundai Tau® V8 with 5.0liters, direct injection and Dual Continuously Variable Valve Timing (D-CVVT), connected to an 8-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters.

The ultra-rigid chassis uses high-tensile steel to allow for an extremely rigid structure allowing a better drive and a five-link front and rear suspension for an improved ride control.

Another interesting feature are the rear-hinged rear doors that allow for an easier entry and exit. And inside we can see that were taken various security measures to keep the driver more careful. The Hyundai includes an eye-tracking, 3D hand gesture based controls to select navigation, infotainment, audio, HVAC, and even smartphone connectivity functions, and a windshield heads-up display (HUD) for minimal driving distractions.

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Volkswagen CrossBlue diesel plug-in hybrid SUV concept

Yesterday I showed you an image of a concept that Volkswagen would reveal at the Detroit Auto Show, and today the German brand revealed the name, in addition to more pictures and information about their future SUV.

The concept has room to sit six people, but if it gets built, it will have room for seven. It was designed specially for the North American market, and contrary to what was stated earlier, this concept is 5m long and will not be slotted between the Tiguan and Touareg, but above the Touareg (4.8m).

The powertrain comprises a diesel engine, two electric motors and a siz-speed dual-clutch transmission and is good for 225kW (306hp) and up to 700Nm of torque. And you need all of that torque to move such a big car, yet it does 0 to 100km/h (32mph) in 7.5 seconds.

When the lithium-ion battery, with a capacity of 9.8kWh, is fully charged you can drive it using only electric power for up to 14miles (22km) with a top speed of 120km/h (75mph), while using the diesel engine (EA288 140kW/190hp) it can reach 204km/h (127mph).

You can use it as a FWD, AWD or RWD car. Front-wheel drive via the TDI engine and the front electric motor (40kW), four-wheel drive with the TDI engine and both electric motors, and rear-wheel drive when using the rear electric motor (80kW).

This is SUV is big, really big, with 4,987mm its length is greater than the Range Rover, and with 2,015mm wide and 1,733 mm tall, it also wider and shorter, making it look more aggressive. The boot has room for 335liters and with all the seats down, almost 2000liters.

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2014 Mercedes CLA official reveal [Video]

CLA's design is clearly inspired from the CLS and the design of the Concept Style Coupé, thus creating a new compact sedan inserting itself between the A-Class, from which it takes some stylistic notes and the C-Class.

In the Europe the new CLA will be available with five engines. The petrol engines consist of a 1.6liter with 90kW (122hp) and 200Nm, another with 115kW (156hp) and 250Nm, a 2.0liter with 155kW (211hp) and 350Nm (258lb/ft). While for the diesels we have an engine with 2.0liter producing 100kW (136hp) and 300Nm, and another with 2.2litres offering an output of 125kW (170hp) and 350Nm.

Mercedes will offer a choice between a six-speed manual gearbox or with the 7G-DCT dual clutch automatic transmission. Price begin at 28.977 euros for the CLA180 and finish at €38.675 for the most expensive petrol version, the CLA250, and

€37.991 for CLA220 CDI. You can start ordering your own CLA but it will only arrive at your dealer in April.

In the North American market only one version will be available, the CLA250 developing 155kW (211hp) and 350Nm (258lb/ft) mated to the 7G-DCT dual clutch automatic transmission. Sales will start Fall 2013.

Both in Europe and the USA you can choose a front wheel drive car or the 4MATIC all-wheel drive system. The fuel consumption will be nice, averaging 5 to 6l/100km for the petrol engines and 4 to 4.5l/100 for the diesels.

The top of the range CLA 45 AMG should arrive this year with a 2.0liter engine producing 350hp and 450Nm (332lb/ft).

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