2016 Chevrolet Volt

SPECIFICATIONS:

year:

2016

make:

Chevrolet

Model:

Volt

price:

$ 33995 (Est.)

Engine:

inline-4

Horsepower @ RPM:

149

Torque @ RPM:

294

Displacement:

1.5 L

0-60 time:

8.4 sec. (Est.)

Top Speed:

98 mph (Est.)

Launched for the 2011 model year, the Chevrolet Volt is GM’s first volume plug-in hybrid vehicle. Also sold as the Holden Volt, Vauxhall Ampera and Opel Ampera around the world, the five-door compact has already won numerous awards, including the 2011 North American Car of the Year. The most advanced version of the Volt used a 17-kWh battery that enabled it to return a range of 38 miles in all-electric mode. For 2016, the current Volt is being replaced by a redesigned, second-generation vehicle that delivers enhanced fuel economy from its revised gasoline generator, better performance and a greater electric-only range.

The new Volt has been revamped inside and out, with emphasis on a sportier exterior design and a brand-new drivetrain that’s significantly lighter than its predecessor. The five-door compact is also slightly bigger in its second generation, allowing Chevy to not only increase legroom front and rear, but enable the Volt — previously a four-seater — to offer seating for five. Read on for the full run-down.

Updated 09/09/2015: Automotive News reports that the 2016 Volt will be offered in a limited run. Only a few units will be built for markets like California, Oregon and parts of the Northeast. Everyone else will have to wait for the 2017 model year set to arrive in the spring of 2016 with a series of updates.

SOURCE:TOPSPEED

2017 Cadillac XT5

SPECIFICATIONS:

year:

2017

make:

Cadillac

Model:

XT5

price:

$ 39000 (Est.)

0-60 time:

7 sec.

Top Speed:

125 mph (Est.)

The Cadillac brand has been on the mend as of late, following many years of sliding sales due to a lack of exciting cars. The brand built its V-Series lineup to attract a younger following, but the styling was too dated to garner much interest. Now with the new ATS andCTS, and the upcoming 2016 CT6 already in the fold, Cadillac has turned its attention to the SRX midsize crossover; more specifically, its replacement, the XT5.

With the SRX sliding nearly 6 percent in overall sales in 2014, the midsize crossover is in desperate need of an overhaul. Keeping true to his promise when he took over Cadillac, Johan de Nysschen will change the name of the SRX to the XT5 when the redesigned model arrives at dealers. With a new name, new look, and new engine lineup, can the XT5 help bring Cadillac back to the top of the luxury car heap?

Updated 09/09/2015: A new report from Autoblog suggests that the new XT5 will make its world debut in November at the Dubai Motor Show, while the North American debut will be made later that month at the Los Angeles Auto Show. However, we should have more details on the 2017 XT5 later this week, so stay tuned!

SOURCE:TOPSPEED

2016 Lamborghini Huracán LP 610-4 Roadster

SPECIFICATIONS:

year:

2016

make:

Lamborghini

Model:

Huracan

Engine:

V10

Transmission:

Seven-Speed Dual-Clutch

Horsepower @ RPM:

610 @ 8250

Torque @ RPM:

413 @ 6500

Displacement:

5.2 L

0-60 time:

3 sec. (Est.)

Top Speed:

205 mph (Est.)

Launched for the 2015 model year as a successor to the very popular Gallardo, the 2015 Lamborghini Huracan LP610-4 has already received a couple of race-ready versions: the 2015 Lamborghini Huracan LP620-2 Super Trofeo and the 2015 Lamborghini Huracan GT3. But to be able to replace the Gallardo completely, the Huracan needs to spawn even more iterations, including a Roadster and a lighter, Superleggera model. While the Superleggera has already been spotted testing, there’s still no sign of the Roadster. However, word has it theconvertible Huracan is less than a year away.

With the 2015 McLaren 650S Spider already on the street and with Ferrari having just unveiled the 2016 Ferrari 488 Spider as a successor to the iconic 2012 Ferrari 458 Spider, Lamborghini has no choice but to bring its very own drop-top to the party.

The fact that the Huracan Spider has yet to arrive is far from surprising though; the Gallardo needed about three years to receive an open-top version. Fortunately, we won’t have to wait that long for the Huracan Roadster, which is reportedly slated to arrive in the first quarter of 2016, likely at the Geneva Motor Show.

But until that happens, let’s have a closer look at what we already know about Huracán LP 610-4 Roadster in my speculative review below.

Updated 09/09/2015: The new Huracan Spyder (which we now know it will be called) will be unveiled at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show on September 15, 12:20 PM CET.

SOURCE:TOPSPEED

2016 Toyota Prius

SPECIFICATIONS:

year:

2016

make:

Toyota

Model:

Prius

0-60 time:

10 sec. (Est.)

Top Speed:

110 mph (Est.)

Toyota unveiled the Prius hybrid back in 1997, and since then the model has been through three generational changes — the latest was revealed in 2009. When Toyota released the Prius, it quickly became known as the face of hybrid vehicles . With competition becoming fiercer each year, Toyota needs to keep improving the Prius to keep it in the No. 1 slot in the hybrid market in this next generation.

Well, the new, fourth-generation Toyota Prius was finally unveiled in Las Vegas and as expected, Toyota went for a new look. The Japanese automaker is also using the New Global Architecture platform, making it lighter and cheaper to build, making the Prius the first model to implement the company’s effort to cut development costs by 20 percent through sharing platforms, parts and powertrains. The revised look gives the Prius a sportier look than the current model, much like the difference between the last-generation Corolla and the current model.

Updated 09/09/2015: Toyota dropped the official details on the new 2016 Prius which was unveiled during a press conference in Las Vegas.

SOURCE:TOPSPEED

2016 Nissan Crossover Concept

SPECIFICATIONS:

year:

2016

make:

Nissan

0-60 time:

7 sec. (Est.)

Top Speed:

125 mph (Est.)

 

Having already launched two new production cars, the2016 Nissan Titan XD and the 2016 Nissan Maxima , earlier in 2015, Nissan will use the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show to showcase a new concept car . The announcement comes with a shadowy teaser depicting a sporty front fascia, but no actual information whatsoever on the concept car or the production model to follow. At least for now.

Quoting successful sales from crossovers such as theJuke , Qashqai , and the X-Trail , Nissan says this new concept car will help the brand "continue to innovate and move the bar higher," as well as deliver a "new way to feel driving excitement." We won’t find out what that means until the actual vehicle breaks cover in Detroit , but there are at least two scenarios on the table.

Judging by the sporty design and the fact that the 2015 Nissan Juke is in need of a makeover, this study could very well preview the second-generation Juke. On the other hand, Autocar says the concept could wear the famous Z badge and replace the current370Z , which will be discontinued by 2017. Although it doesn’t make much sense for Nissan to dilute its Z legacy with a crossover, the current market seems like the perfect setting for a small sports crossover.

Keep it locked here for more details on this concept car, but until Nissan spills the beans, make sure you have a look at my speculative piece below.

SOURCE:TOPSPEED

2015 Peugeot Fractal

SPECIFICATIONS:

year:

2015

make:

Peugeot

Horsepower @ RPM:

204

0-60 time:

6.8 sec. (Est.)

Top Speed:

155 mph (Est.)

French cars can sometimes be a bit polarizing. Some of the decisions French automakers make can seem a little out there for someone used more sober German or Japanese cars. But the same kind of thinking that leads to weird production cars also leads to really excellentconcept cars . Concepts are supposed to be weird, and are supposed to challenge our notions of what a car should be, and the French do that sort of thing really well, even if it isn’t always intentional. Peugeot’s new Fractal concept is a gloriously weird two-tone electricconvertible .

The purpose of the concept is to show the direction that Peugeot plans to take the i-Cockpit infotainment system. Peugeot is very proud of this system, and to be fair, it does represent a significant leap forward in the design and implementation of these kinds of systems, especially when you consider that it’s being fitted to not especially expensive cars. The Fractal is therefore a car that was designed from the inside out, and as wild as the exterior looks, the interior is completely bonkers, a testament to just how crazy you can go with an interior if you don’t have to worry about actually selling the car.

SOURCE:TOPSPEED

2015 Renault Alaskan Concept

SPECIFICATIONS:

year:

2015

make:

Renault

price:

$ 35000 (Est.)

Engine:

inline-4

Transmission:

six-speed automatic (Est.)

Horsepower @ RPM:

188 (Est.)

Torque @ RPM:

332 (Est.)

Energy:

turbodiesel

Displacement:

2.3 L (Est.)

0-60 time:

8.5 sec. (Est.)

Top Speed:

125 mph (Est.)

Renault , of all automakers, has just released a newmidsize pickup truck concept called the Alaskan. This marks the first time Renault has targeted the upmarket scene with a pickup and is slated to preview a production pickup that will be a global player. What’s more, this could very well be the first real glimpse of what the 2020 Mercedes-Benz new global pickup could look like.

Wait, Mercedes ? Yep Mercedes. Don’t forget Renault and Nissan have their global alliance together and Mercedes has already announced it will build its first pickup in conjunction with Nissan. What makes this rumor even more plausible is just how similar the Alaskan Concept looks to the first Mercedes rendering of its pickup. The speculation is a stretch, for sure, but the possibility is there nonetheless. (Be sure to check out the photo comparison below.)

Regardless of the Mercedes tie-in, Renault’s newestconcept shows off a more luxurious side to the brand’s bustling commercial truck lineup. The automaker stresses its new pickup is for “business and leisure use, plus everyday motoring.” This is a big departure from Renault’s more utilitarian workhorses that populate its commercial fleet.

The Alaskan concept is only a concept, but Renault says the Alaskan is a direct foretaste of a production-ready pickup. The yet-unnamed pickup will fight for sales in nearly every global market save for North America – that is, unless its underpinnings cross the pond via Mercedes or as the next-generation Nissan Frontier .

SOURCE:TOPSPEED