First Official Photos of Kia's New K9 RWD Flagship Sedan

Only hours after we shared with you a scoop video showing the Kia K9 without any camouflage whatsoever, the South Korean automaker revealed the first official photographs of its all-new flagship sedan that will be launched in its home market this summer.

Initially referred to by its codename 'KH', Kia confirmed that the Korean market version of the car will be named 'K9' adding that the name for export markets, as well as overseas launch timings, will be announced later this year.

With the new K9, Kia completes its domestic range of "K" sedans, which also include the K5 (Optima in overseas markets) and K7 (Cadenza in overseas markets).

We'll start with the first thing we noticed about the K9 and that has to do with its design. What started out as a hunch when Kia showed us a handful of teaser sketches of its first ever rear-wheel drive saloon has now became more of a certainty. And yes, as many of you also noticed, the K9 appears to borrow one too many styling elements from BMW and especially its 7-Series flagship.

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Carscoop's A to Z Guide to the 2012 Geneva Motor Show

Switzerland is not a country that springs to mind when you think about cars. It doesn't even produce cars on a large scale. Yet every March since 1905, it hosts one of the world’s most important motor shows at its second-largest city.

The 2012 Geneva Motor Show will open its doors to auto journalists on February 6 and to the public, between March 8 and 18. It will host 260 exhibitors, including 30 major car manufacturers.

According to the organizers, visitors at the 82nd Geneva International Auto Salon will see 180 world and European premieres of all sorts. If we had to name a single characteristic, we would say that car designer seem to have gotten their "mojo" back, having penned many handsome models.

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An Inside View of Motor Trend’s Best Driver’s Car Competition

There are more automotive awards given each year than you can shake a stick at; there's the World Car of the Year, the American Car/Truck of the Year, the European Car of the Year, and so on and so forth.

Then there are individual publication and website awards. Luckily, most of them are driver oriented, thus their “COTY” announcements usually concern a driver’s car and not a people carrier or an underpowered eco-box.

The crew over at Motor Trend has published a behind-the-scenes video explaining its criteria in judging the best new driver’s car of 2011.

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The Full Skinny on the New Volvo V40 Including the Engine Range

You've no doubt seen the official pictures and video of the all-new Volvo V40, which is proving to be the worst kept secret of the 2012 Geneva Auto Salon.

Nevertheless, we have more news coming our way thanks to our Greek friends over at Auto2day-gr, as they sent us the skinny on all those details about the V40 we were missing. And yes, we can confirm that the data is official.

We'll start with the V40's dimensions as in one of our previous posts featuring some scans from the Swedish edition of Auto Motor und Sport magazine, we wrongly assumed that the V40 measured 450cm (177-in.) long.

As it turns out, the publication was referring to the maximum length of the series, which it said would eventually include the S40 sedan, C40 three-door hatchback and XC40 SUV, and not specifically the V40.

The V40 measures 4,369mm (172.0 -in.) long, 2,041mm (80.3-in.) wide including the mirrors and 1,445mm (56.9-in.) tall, while it rides on a 2,647mm (104.2-in.) wheelbase. That makes it roughly the same size as its BMW rival, the new generation of the 1-Series.

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Acura Announces Prices for V6-powered 2013 RDX, Starts from $34,320*

The more mature 2013 Acura RDX crossover that was revealed alongside the new ILX compact sedan at the Chicago Auto Show earlier this month will go on sale in the U.S. this spring with a manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) starting at $34,320, which does not include a destination charge of $885 (*) that puts the total to $35,205. Read more »

Subaru Refines 2012 Legacy Tourer in the UK, gets More Fuel Efficient Boxer Diesel

Subaru has launched an updated version of its load lugging Legacy Tourer in the United Kingdom. The 2012 model has received a number of technical enhancements highlighted by the presentation of a revised diesel engine and select equipment upgrades.

The most important change for 2012 is of course the fitment of a tweaked 2.0-liter flat-four turbo diesel engine, which is Euro 5-compliant and features a more efficient turbocharger, and new exhaust-camshaft timing and lighter connecting rods. It also gets a new oxidation catalytic converters and Diesel Particulate Filter (DPF).

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Surprise! New Kia K9 RWD Flagship Sedan Filmed Completely Uncovered

The brass over at Kia Motors was only ready for us to see a handful of teaser sketches of its soon-to-be released, rear-wheel drive flagship sedan codenamed "KH", which most of you may know as the K9.

Of course, our spies were also able to snag some shots of a camouflaged prototype, but now, we have two videos of the actual production model without a hint of disguise, spotted on the road.

The two clips, which were probably filmed in South Korea (maybe our readers can help out here), reveal the K9 in all its glory - albeit in low-quality footage.

Kia hasn't published a lot of details yet, but it is reasonable to believe that the KH will share its platform architecture and mechanical hardware with the Hyundai Genesis. This means it could be offered with the same 3.8-liter V6, and 4.6-liter and 5.0-liter V8 engines as its Hyundai counterpart.

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New Volvo V40 Five-Door Hatch gets its Video Debut as Well

The news on Volvo's fresh entry in the premium compact hatchback segment just keeps dropping in.

After a boatload of photos were spilled onto the internet this weekend, we now have the first official promo video of the new V40, which will make its world premiere at next week's Geneva Motor Show.

You can watch the short clip in the video right after the break.

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Nissan Reveals New Almera Sedan for Russia, goes on Sale Next Year

The Almera nameplate is set to make a return to Nissan's lineup as a compact-sized sedan model, which the company says has been developed exclusively for Russia and will be manufactured locally in Togliatti on an all-new production line starting from early next year.

According to the Japanese automaker, Nissan engineering teams in Japan, the UK and Russia developed the new Almera.

However, the single photo released by Nissan, suggests otherwise as the new Almera appears to be based on the second generation of the Japanese market Bluebird Sylphy that uses Nissan's B-platform and which was introduced in the country back in 2005.

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New Photos of 2013 Volvo V40 Hit the Web, Including First Shots of the Interior

There's no end to the flow of official images of the new Volvo V40 hatchback. Following on from a pair of pictures we shared with you last Wednesday, we now have a new set with 16 high-resolution shots affording us the most comprehensive look at the V40 to date.

On the outside, as we noted before, the new five-door compact model adopts the Swedish firm's design DNA with a shape that brings to mind Volvo's crossover models like the XC60 and XC90.

The latest batch of images includes the very first pictures of the new V40's interior. While you still get the feeling that it's a Volvo from details like the shape of the center console and the air-conditioning and audio system controls, the Swedish brand's designers added a rather futuristic looking instrument panel into the mix.

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Melkus Presents New RS2000 Black Edition, Priced at a Hefty €149,900

If you've never heard the name Melkus before, we won't blame you. The German company founded by race driver Heinz Melkus started building racing and sports cars in the mid-1950s before closing shop in 1986 only to reopen again in the 1990s by Heinz's son Peter.

Currently, the company's sole model is the RS2000, the range of which is being expanded with the addition of the new Black Edition variant.

There's no prize for guessing where it's name comes from. We'll just note that according to Melkus, this is no ordinary black paint job but a special black lacquer finish that requires six layers with each layer being sanded separately. The exterior upgrades also include a carbon-fiber bodykit.

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Mazda3 Facelift on Sale in the UK with Prices Starting from £13,495

Mazda has released UK pricing for its updated compact hatchback that's available for orders now. The 2012 Mazda3 starts from £13,495 for the 1.6 TS model, however, the price includes a special £2,300 saving that ends on March 31. The regular OTR price will then be £14,795.

The revised five-door Mazda3 has improved aerodynamics (Cd 0.29) and is distinguished on the outside by the tweaked front fascia, new rear bumper and twist-spoke alloy wheels.

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F1-Inspired Lotus Evora GTE Special Edition Scooped Ahead of Geneva?

This past Wednesday, Lotus sent us an invitation to take part in the world premiere of a "special edition of a special edition" Evora at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show.

The company's invitation noted that the car would be an F1-inspired version of the limited-edition Lotus Evora GTE first shown at the Frankfurt auto show last year. This

"We're launching a special edition of a special edition, and to make things extra special our Lotus F1 Team driver Kimi Raikkonen will be there to field questions. Now, it doesn’t get more special than that…," read the British automaker's invitation.

Lotus did not release any photos of the car leaving us more or less in the dark, but today, Patrick Garcia from French auto site Caradisiac, sent us these photos of an F1-themed Evora that he discovered at a parking lot during a trip to Jerez to cover the F1 pre-season testing earlier this month.

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2012 Chevrolet Volt with Low Emissions Package Granted Access to California's HOV Lanes

In order to encourage carpooling and decrease traffic congestion, the State of California came up with the idea of creating the so-called High Occupancy Vehicle lanes or HOV for short, which could only be used by cars with two or more occupants.

Last July, however, the Golden State altered the regulations allowing single-passenger vehicles to use them as well, provided they were all-electric or powered by hydrogen fuel cells or natural gas.

Despite being a hybrid, the Volt was excluded from the list specifying the vehicles allowed to use the HOV lanes, which span more than 1,400 miles and reduce driving time by an average of 36 minutes each day, because of its emissions.

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Audi's New U.S. Market Promo for the 2013 RS5 Coupe Facelift

The revised RS5 Coupe is the subject of Audi of America's newest promotional video that depicts the crown jewel of the firm's extended A5 lineup deep in the desert.

The RS5 is motivated by a 4.2-liter V8 that delivers 450 horsepower and is matched to seven-speed S tronic transmission with launch control program that transmits power to all four wheels through Audi's quattro system.

Ingolstadt's answer to the BMW M3 Coupe will launch in the U.S. this year.

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BMW Breaks All the Rules with New 640d xDrive Diesel Coupe and Convertible Models

According to most purists, a BMW sports coupe or convertible are supposed to have a smooth gasoline engine –preferably an inline-six- mounted up front and sending power to the wheels at the back.

The new 640d xDrive Coupe and Convertible that will debut at the Geneva Motor Show next month ticks only one of those boxes: the straight-six found under the hood. However, it's not fed by gasoline but by diesel fuel and it channels power to all four wheels.

It's not the first diesel-powered 6-Series as that taboo was broken by the previous generation model, but it's the first to combine an oil-burner with BMW's electronically controlled all-wheel drive system.

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New BMW M135i Concept gets Turbo'd Straight-Six with More than 300HP, Previews 3-Door Body Style

We told you the story and showed you the spy pictures, but today, BMW officially revealed the new M135i sports hatch, ahead of its world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show.

Despite the fact that the Bavarian company is calling it a concept, it's not hard to see that the M135i is essentially ready to enter production, which it will within the next year.

Aside from previewing the next member of BMW's new M Performance range, the M135i also gives us our first look at the three-door version of the latest 1-Series range, which is currently available only in five-door form.

BMW's answer to the Audi RS3 is the first M Performance car with a gasoline and not a diesel engine. Under the hood lies a 3.0-liter Twin Power Turbo straight-six that BMW says delivers "more than 300 HP". Our sources state that it will produce 320-horsepower in production trim.

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Mercedes-Benz Shows Off 2013 A-Class Interior which Looks Just Like the B-Class

With only two weeks left for the grand opening of the 2012 edition of the Geneva Motor Show, Mercedes-Benz is commencing the official teasing phase of its next generation A-Class compact hatchback by dropping the first undisguised images of its Audi A3 and BMW 1-Series competitor.

The German automaker published two pictures of the new A-Class' interior, the center console and part of the dashboard of which look conspicuously similar to that of the latest B-Class small minivan that's already on sale in Europe.

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2013 SRT Viper Hot Wheels Model is Indeed Real – See the Larger Picture

Last night, the web went abuzz with a pint size photo of a new Hot Wheels model allegedly depicting the upcoming 2013 SRT Viper sports coupe.

The picture was posted on Brazilian Hot Wheels enthusiast website T-Hunted alongside several other car models from the toy maker's 2012 lineup, but the news quickly spread around like wildfire to websites all over the world including Jalopnik and Autoblog.

Now, you might be wondering why we didn't post the story last night. Well, to be frank, we were not yet convinced about its authenticity so we set out to do our own research before telling you about it.

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All-New Hyundai i30 Wagon Unveiled Ahead of the Geneva Motor Show

Set to make its first public outing at next month's 2012 Geneva Auto Salon is the new Hyundai i30 Wagon, which is the second addition to the Korean automaker's C-segment model after the new generation five-door hatchback that was presented at last year's Frankfurt Motor Show.

Before we get into more details, allow us to remind you that in North America, the i30 hatchback will be sold as the Elantra GT, while the previous generation i30 Wagon is marketed under the Elantra Touring nameplate.

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