Straightline

These are the first official pictures of the 2010 Acura ZDX crossover, a vehicle you might remember from the 2009 New York Auto Show where it appeared as a concept.

As you can see, not much has changed. Acura calls its styling "provocative" and "segment bending," both of which would be true if BMW hadn't already introduced its X6.

Still, it's a big step for Acura, as the ZDX is essentially a vehicle that will largely rely on its styling to entice buyers more so than sheer practicality or value. Not that it won't have plenty of either, as the ZDX gets essentially the same drivetrain and interior as the new TL sedan. That means a 300-horsepower 3.7-liter V6 and Acura's Super Handling All-Wheel Drive (SH-AWD) along with a well-trimmed interior stocked with the latest technology. Sales begin later this year.

2009 New York Auto show: Acura ZDX Concept

Categories: Acura,Crossovers,Future Vehicles,Luxury Cars,New York Auto Show,SUVs

Land Rover has announced pricing for its revised 2010 Range Rover. The base HSE model will retail for $79,275 while the Supercharged version will suck your wallet dry to the tune of $95,125.

Both vehicles feature Land Rover's new 5.0-liter V8 engine along with revised interiors and exteriors.

2010 Land Rover Range Rover

Categories: Land Rover,Luxury Cars,New York Auto Show,SUVs

This is one of the dyno rooms at the AMG's headquarters in Affalterbach, Germany. Strapped to the stand on this particular occasion was the 6.3-liter V8 headed for duty in the upcoming SLS gullwing coupe. It's expected to generate 571-horsepower and 507 pound-feet of torque when it goes into production early next year.

According to our editor on the scene, AMG puts all of its engines through a test procedure that includes 800 hours of wide-open throttle operation, pausing only to sample the oil and change dynamometer operators every 20 hours. Yes, that's over a month of full throttle operation before the engine is signed off. That should make anyone who drives an AMG vehicle a little less squeamish about hitting the redline every once in awhile. 

Categories: Classic Cars,Coupes,Future Vehicles,Luxury Cars,Mercedes-Benz,New York Auto Show,Sports Cars

Pricing has been released on the 2010 Subaru Legacy. With a base price of $19,995, it comes in $800 cheaper that the 2009 model. The top-of-the-line 3.6R Limited model starts at $27,995.

Subaru
 

Categories: New York Auto Show,Sedans,Subaru

BMW announced pricing for the 2010 X5 M and X6 M today, and as we expected they are sickenly expensive. As in, we'll never be able to afford them expensive.

The 2010 BMW X5 M will run you a cool $86,255 while the X6 M will command a slight premium of $89,725 for its oddness.

New York Auto Show: 2010 BMW X6 M

Categories: BMW,Luxury Cars,New York Auto Show,SUVs,Shanghai Auto Show

At this point we've seen the upcoming Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG in the flesh, but never completely uncovered.  These latest shots reveal more exterior detail than ever before and it's looking quite promising.

The shapes of the greenhouse and nose section are clearly visible now and they both show clear signs of the SLS's retro-inspired design. Smaller details like the headlights, drilled brake rotors and vents holes in the front quarter panels add a few more clues to the look of the final design.

If you're curious about the inside, see our earlier look at the interior. You might also want to check out some of our more exclusive information like the explosive door bolts and upcoming convertible model.

Categories: Convertibles,Coupes,Future Vehicles,Luxury Cars,Mercedes-Benz,New York Auto Show,Sports Cars,Spy Photos

#NYIAS Even this chocolatey brown 2010 Nissan 370Z Roadster looked good under the Javits Center lights at the New York Auto Show. It looked so good, a Super Silver Nissan GT-R got kicked off the stage and onto the carpet. --Erin Riches, Senior Editor

Categories: Convertibles,New York Auto Show,Nissan,Sports Cars

#NYIAS Though the 2009 Nissan Nismo 370Z first saw the light of day (well, the first official light of day) at the Morrell Wine Bar, we couldn't resist the favorable lighting conditions in the Nissan booth today at New York's Javits Center. We've got video, too. --Erin Riches, Senior Editor

Categories: Coupes,New York Auto Show,Nissan,Sports Cars

#NYIAS Don't get too excited, it will be awhile before the Mitsubishi i MiEV arrives at U.S. dealerships ready for public sale. At today's press conference in New York, Mitsubishi Motors North America President and CEO Shinichi Kurihara announced that Mitsubishi fully intends to develop its i MiEV electric car for world markets including the United States. Fleet sales of the i MiEV are expected to start in Japan this summer.

The i MiEV slated for Japan is slightly smaller than the vehicle on hand at today's show. A wider track is the main difference. Sources on hand at the show said Mitsubishi is also considering a gasoline version of the vehicle for the U.S. Could be an interesting alternative to the Smart. -- Ed Hellwig, Lead Senior Editor, Inside Line

Inside Line News: Mitsubishi i MiEV

Categories: Future Vehicles,Green Tech,Hybrids,Mitsubishi,New York Auto Show,Sedans,Trends

#NYIAS Mercedes gave a quick introduction to the Vision E250 Bluetec sedan yesterday in New York. We took a quick photo. By today, the diesel Benz concept was gone, already whisked off for the Shanghai auto show .

"Vision" is somewhat of a misnomer, because the E250 isn't really a concept. A version of this car, the E250 CDI, is already part of the 2010 E-Class lineup in Europe. But the "Bluetec" indicates the car now has an AdBlue urea tank in back, allowing it to meet Europe's more stringent EU 6 emission standard that goes into effect in 2014. Compared to the current EU 5 standard, this requires a significant cut in NOx emissions.The urea injections would also allow the Mercedes-Benz E250 to get 50-state certification here.

Who's going to buy a four-cylinder diesel E-Class? You are. Consider that the Vision E250 Bluetec has a 2.1-liter turbodiesel four (or 2.2 liters, according to Benz, but displacement is only 2,143cc) good for 204 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque from 1,600-1,800 rpm. That's not much less than the 210 hp and 400 lb-ft in our current E320 Bluetec, and the E250 would be cheaper, Mercedes officials tell us.

Estimated fuel economy ratings on the U.S. test cycle are an incredible 28 mpg city/39 mpg highway -- vastly better than the E320 Bluetec, rated at 23/32.

Mercedes has not yet made a decision about whether to import a production E250 Bluetec, but if it came here, it would replace the diesel E320. This diesel is also under consideration for the GLK. -- Erin Riches, Senior Editor

Categories: Concept Vehicles,Diesels,Luxury Cars,Mercedes-Benz,New York Auto Show,Sedans,Shanghai Auto Show

#NYIAS It has gullwing doors and "floating" seats inside, yet the Hyundai Nuvis has more production implications than you might think. As Hyundai continues to move upmarket with cars like its new Genesis sedan, the Nuvis could very well signal its intention to hit the sweet spot of the luxury crossover market currently dominated by the Lexus RX 350.

In the near term, it's the drivetrain of the Nuvis that shows some promise. It combines Hyundai's latest "Theta" four-cylinder gas engine with a 30kW electric motor to create what Hyundai calls Blue Drive.

It's a parallel hybrid system similar to that used in the Toyota Prius, so it can run on pure electric power or both gas and electric power together. For electric power, it uses a 270V lithium-polymer battery that Hyundai claims is superior to both nickel-metal hydride and lithium-ion batteries because lithium polymer batteries are more durable and space-efficient.

We'll see if those claims hold up soon enough as Hyundai has announced that it will offer the Blue Drive system in the next-generation Sonata in the United States. No timetable was given, but expect to see more news on this front as early as next year. -- Ed Hellwig, Lead Senior Editor, Inside Line

Categories: Concept Vehicles,Green Tech,Hybrids,Hyundai,New York Auto Show,SUVs

#NYIAS Forget what you've heard. The Hyundai Equus is coming to the U.S., and when it does it'll be powered by a 5.0-liter V8 backed by an eight-speed automatic transmission.

"You didn't hear it from me," a source close to the project told Inside Line today during the New York auto show. "But you wouldn't be far off if you said the car was coming to the United States. Our chairman wants it."

The full-size sedan, which packs the size and luxury to top the Hyundai lineup, should hit the states in "two or three years" according to our source, but the problem right now is price. In Korea the car starts at the equivalent of $96,000, and taking on the Benz S-Class in America is not what Hyundai has in mind. At least not yet.

Hyundai hopes to get the price down to near $50,000 in the States, where it would give Genesis sedan owners a car to move up into. In the meantime, Hyundai will be gauging the public's reaction to the car all week at the New York show.

We expect more than one show-goer to be asked, "What would you pay for this car?" by Hyundai officials as the company creates the business plan for its new Lexus fighter. -- Scott Oldham, Inside Line Editor in Chief

Click here for the full story on the Hyundai Equus

Categories: Auto Industry,Future Vehicles,Hyundai,New York Auto Show,Sedans

#NYIAS We have always thought that the standard GMC Yukon Hybrid was a little down market. Sure it carries a base price of nearly $51,000, but for that price you only get so much chrome for your dollar.

Thankfully, this year's New York auto show saw the introduction of the 2009 GMC Yukon Denali Hybrid. For a mere $59,185, you can ride high on chrome 22s and in ventilated leather seats while showing your commitment to conserving our natural resources. Now that's professional grade. -- Ed Hellwig, Lead Senior Editor, Inside Line

Inside Line News: 2009 GMC Yukon Denali Hybrid

Categories: GMC,Green Tech,Hybrids,Luxury Cars,New York Auto Show,SUVs

#NYIAS Although it's true that the Dog Friendly Honda Element concept shown here in New York will be an option package for the 2010 Honda Element starting this fall, Honda hasn't yet finalized the package contents or the price. But we have photos of the cute doggy named Sam.

Here you can see Sam on the fold-out ramp for the cargo bay. It leads to an integrated pet bed with restraints designed by Takata, a longtime manufacturer of seatbelts for humans. A non-spillable water dish is included back here, and an auxiliary 12-volt fan keeps your Element from smelling like dog.

There's another set of restraints in the Element's second row intended for a smaller dog. The seat covers are machine-washable, with a doggy print. And the floor mats are heavy-duty rubber with a chew-bone pattern. We'd guess that Honda will let owners specify the restraint setup based on the size of their dog.

Honda doesn't have plans to expand the Dog Friendly option package to its other dog-friendly models (CR-V, Fit, Odyssey, Pilot). Though the Element is getting on in years, it's evidently a magnet for dog owners. Based on company research, 62 percent of Honda Element owners have pets. -- Erin Riches, Senior Editor

Categories: Concept Vehicles,Honda,New York Auto Show,SUVs

#NYIAS Can you tell this is the 2010 Land Rover Range Rover? If so, congratulations. You know way too much about Land Rovers.

Most of the changes are underneath the hood, as this refreshed Rover gets the same 5.0-liter V8 first shown in Jaguar's XF sedan and XK coupe. It's a modest upgrade for a vehicle that didn't really need it.

The interior gets a new digital gauge cluster, along with even more optional leather trim. For full details on this year's refresh of Land Rover's flagship, see our full story on the 2010 Land Rover Range Rover. -- Ed Hellwig, Lead Senior Editor

Full Story: 2010 Land Rover Range Rover

Categories: Land Rover,Luxury Cars,New York Auto Show,SUVs