New generation Toyota Alphard and Vellfire

Toyota has launched the latest generation Toyota Alphard MPV, and this time around the Alphard also gets a twin with minor exterior differences portraying a more aggressive look called the Toyota Vellfire.
Toyota has been known to do this with its JDM cars – the Toyota Noah has an evil twin called the Toyota Voxy, and the Toyota Allion‘s twin is called the Toyota Premio.
As expected, the new Toyota Alphard is a slightly toned down production version of the Toyota FT-MV concept showed at last year’s 2007 Tokyo Motor Show. Toyota says the Alphard design represents “elegance and refinement”, while the Vellfire represents “power and innovation”.
The name Vellfire was derived by combining the words velvet and fire. The vehicles have slightly different front and rear looks, with the Vellfire having two-stepped headlamps at the front, and clear lense tail lamps at the rear. Both vehicles also feature rear wipers that fold away into the roof spoiler so that the rear looks cleaner when you do not need the rear wipers.
The Alphard (and Vellfire) is larger now, with a longer wheelbase of 2,950mm versus the previous generation’s 2,900mm wheelbase.
Each MPV has two engine choices – either a 2AZ-FE 2.4 litre DOHC VVT-i inline-4 engine mated to a Super CVT-i stepless gearbox with the option of 7 virtual gear ratios, or a 2GR-FE 3.5 litre V6 engine with a 6-speed Super ECT transmission.
The MPVs feature S-VCS (Steering-assisted Vehicle Stability Control) which can correct steering angles as well as adjust power and brake in efforts to stabilize the MPV.
More images of the two MPVs and a video of the Vellfire after the jump.

Mitsubishi Evo X Review

Mitsubishi Evo X is one of the most decent cars of the company that will be modified for the coming year. This evolution car is elegant and luxurious. The design and the outer texture will attract every car lover. Not many changes will be made with the 2012 models; however, it will be technically more modernized. The car will come in two trim. The most significant feature of this future model will be shock proof exterior. The car is well equipped with all the modern amenities. The Evo X has been given the all new aluminum 2.0l turbocharged four cylinder MIVEC4 motor for horse power and to get the super drive feel. Excellent mileage with high speed engine will be the main attraction of the Evo X. The car has been designed for all types of roads like smooth, rocky and on roads with stones. To get the most comfort and luxurious drive Evo X 2012 will be the hottest purchase by most car lovers.

Kia Forte SX Sedan Review

The stylish Forte, introduced in 2010, is a very competent compact sedan. For 2011 an all-new 5-door hatchback was added. For 2012 it is pretty much carry-over with a few minor changes.
The Forte’s entry price is low and the standard amenity list is long. The exterior might be categorized as a Euro-look. I found the interior on my SX sedan test car to be very handsome and comfortable. Response from the 2.4L 4-cylinder was more than adequate for Chicagoland city streets and highway on-ramps as well as cruising the expressway City dwellers will like its practical size, excellent visibility and tight turning radius. The 5-door is even better suited to city life with it being shorter than the sedan.

Since its debut in Summer 2009, the Forte compact sedan has racked up an impressive list of accolades, including being named a 2010 "Top Safety Pick" by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), named to MSN Autos "Top 10 Cars Under $15,000" list, and named a "Consumers' Top Rated Vehicle" and "Top Recommended Vehicle" by Edmunds.com. Cars.com placed the 2011 Kia Forte 5-door on their recent list of the "Top 10 Urban Cars." Both the sedan and 5-door offer numerous standard comfort and convenience features depending on trim level, including power windows, power door locks with remote keyless entry and hands-free Bluetooth wireless technology connectivity. Added flexibility comes with the 5-door hatchback’s 19.4 cubic foot cargo area. The sedan offers 14.7 cubic feet of cargo room.
Available in LX, EX and SX trim levels for the Forte sedan and EX and SX versions for the Forte 5-door, pricing for the sedan starts at $14,995 for the base trim, while pricing for the hatchback begins at $16,895. Both the sedan and 5-door offer standard convenience features including air conditioning, SIRIUS Satellite Radio capabilities with three months complimentary service, MP3 connectivity and Bluetooth wireless technology and steering wheel-mounted audio controls.

2012 Hyundai Accent Hatchback Reviews

2012 Hyundai Accent Hatchback now comes with new features. Redesign bid for a Hyundai now provides excusable results. Hyundai Accent Hatchback wholly awakened from invisibility life turn that is like a exemplary Hans Christian Andersen fable.

Offered in twin forms of sedan and hatchback versions, a fourth Accent wheelbase has grown to 3 inches, indirect in a some-more easy interior, as in other Hyundai models. Equipped with 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine with proceed injection that had not been there in this difficulty – and provides fuel economy. The camber of six-speed smoothness powertrain arrangement improvement.
2012 Hyundai Accent has been redesigned commanded to foe with other cars.

Honda Civic Review

2012 Honda Civic Review | The 2012 Honda Civic ranks 21 out of 33 Affordable Small Cars. This ranking is based on our analysis of 15 published reviews and test drives of the Honda Civic, and our analysis of reliability and safety data. The automotive industry isn’t excited about the redesigned 2012 Honda Civic’s lackadaisical exterior and interior updates. The competition is priced lower and outshines the Civic in almost every way. In December 2010, Honda released a sketch of the 2012 Honda Civic and nothing else. Now that Honda has released pricing information and available features and journalists have had a chance to drive the 2012 Civic, there’s a lot more information to share.

Ford Focus: Driver-Assistance Systems That Save Lives

The new Ford Focus, the beginning of April 2011 came on the market, it is to launch many new driver-assistance systems, some of them unique in the compact class. For example, the fatigue Warner, the lane assistant, the Blind Spot Assistant or include the Active City Stop to all the major technologies of the Ford Focus. In addition, the new Focus was produced in the Kinetic design to improve the aerodynamics and thus reduce consumption. Now we want to introduce the new technology in the this car.

Ford Focus: Fatigue Warner

The very name “Warner fatigue,” explains a lot, but how the technology works so far unique in the compact class? This is actually easy to explain, the driver is alerted by two different directions. In the first step, the system says: “Warning – Driver tired – recommended rest. Supporting this yellow note by acoustic signal. the driver of the Ford Focus ratios continue striking and ignored the message, a red message will appear with the text “Warning – tired drivers – please stop!”. This notice is preserved longer visible, and is also supported by an acoustic signal. But how does the fatigue Warner, that the driver is tired? In the front area, specifically on the windscreen at the height of the mirror, a camera is mounted, the camera measures the distance to the road markings. Leaves the driver of the Ford Focus to the track often and abruptly pulls on the steering wheel, warns the system and recommends a rest.

HUMMER H3 Review

Originally, Hummer ownership was kind of like hiring a Hollywood pyrotechnic company to run your Fourth of July celebration -- complete overkill and massively expensive, but surely a great way to impress the heck out of the neighbors. Then came the Hummer H3. It was designed to be the "real world" Hummer: less pyrotechnics and more sparklers.

That's not to say that the company's engineers stopped their testosterone I.V. drip. The H3's styling still proclaimed loudly that it's a card-carrying member of the Hummer guild, and the truck had more off-road capability than just about every other midsize SUV when the pavement ends.

For everyday urban use, however, the smallest of Hummers still wasn't the best choice. Unless you were driving the "Alpha" version, which boasted V8 power, the Hummer H3 was painfully slow in certain situations. It was also let down by other traditional Hummer faults such as poor outward visibility and an interior that isn't as voluminous as its exterior styling suggests.

If you're keen on the H3's looks and style, or if you plan on plenty of recreational use, a used H3 should be a good purchase. Still, our editors feel that most buyers will be better served by other used midsize SUVs.

Current Hummer H3
The Hummer H3 was a midsize SUV that was produced from 2006-'09. A pickup-style model known as the H3T was produced only for 2009 and was equipped similarly.

MINI Cooper S Coupe Review

1. Exterior

Ever since the original MINI Hatch was reinvented, each new design has split the critics, while always attracting plenty of buyers. The Countryman has proved a huge success, defying the recession with a healthy increase in sales. Step forward the MINI Coupe, with its backwards-baseball cap profile, less steeply-raked windscreen and spoiler delivering a more aerodynamic car designed to provide the halo for the MINI range and prise buyers away from a Volkswagen Scirocco, Peugeot RCZ, Audi TT or even (according to MINI’s marketing team) a Porsche Cayman. It’s a little lower than a MINI Hatch and the enhanced boot space offered by sacrificing the two rear seats helps create a three-box style design of engine bay, cabin space and boot area.

2. Interior

Huge speedo, chrome toggle switches and steering wheel-mounted controls will all sound very familiar to MINI fans. A little like the exterior, it comes down to personal taste. The main thing you will notice is the absence of two rear seats which brings us nicely on to…

3. Practicality

The MINI hatch may not have the most useable rear seats in the world, but the MINI Coupe goes one step further – it doesn’t have any at all. The boot has become a whole lot more useable. The 280-litre space is easily accessed and able to cope with two people’s luggage for a weekend away. That luggage space can also be accessed via a hatch from the cabin. However, with the exception of the Cayman, all the rivals MINI has identified have more boot space (the TT has 290 litres, the RCZ offers 384 litres and the Scirocco 290 litres) as well as two extra seats. It does beat the Mazda MX-5’s 150 litres though.