Hunkering low against the road and hugging hard through each tight curve, one Sportback carves a crisp and controlled line through each curve at a rather fast clip. This latest iteration of Mitsubishi's hatchback series for Lancer does not protest our aggressive treatment in the driver's seat. Actually, it seems to invite even more action, and we of course comply. Read More »
Badged with a vintage nameplate of Dodge's entry-level vehicle produced from 1960 through 1976, a Dodge Dart of 2013 scoots down the road with strong torque flowing from an optional turbo-charged four-cylinder engine that's also shared with the Alfa. Read More »
Labeled as the Mazda5 (the digit represents the summation of cabin portals including two swing-out doors for front seats, two side sliders plus a hatchback lid at the tail), Mazda's mini-minivan in new generational format for 2012 is marketed as a multi-activity vehicle (MAV). The compact platform of Mazda's pavement-hugging and curve-craving Mazda3 four-door sedan supports the wedge-shaped structure of a tall little wagon rigged with the sliding side doors of a minivan and a long cabin lined with three pairs of adjustable flip-and-fold seats with 16 different configurations for a capacity of anywhere from two to six passengers. Read More »
The fact that this particular Mazda bears an extended roofline encasing the boxy back end of a long-body 5-door hatchback and its form looks more like a carpooler's sled than a racy sports machine casts an image in-congruent with this lively performance attitude, yet Mazda has never followed the conventional path in automotive design and the 2012 Mazda3 5-Door confirms the point. Read More »
Stretching more than 13 feet long and decorated with a bulbous face featuring round rally-style headlamps and curvaceous fender blisters capped by frog-eye amber running lights, Nissan's streamlined little wagon has the elevated stance and cargo capacity of a small-scale SUV with four flank doors for passengers and a liftgate at the tail for accessing the rear cargo bay. Read More »
The 2012 Beetle tester is a new third-generation design that replaces the New Beetle with a longer, lower and wider vehicle which rides on a platform from the revamped VW Golf with front-wheel-drive orientation and offers several powertrain choices but deletes the word "new" in the nameplate. Read More »
