GMC Acadia Denali Crossovers for the 2013MY

At the 2012 Chicago Auto Show today, GMC lifted the wraps off its facelifted Acadia crossover that enters the new model year with a retouched exterior, higher quality materials inside and new safety features. The exterior redesign brings a new front end with a more prominent and upright grille with three-bars that was previewed by GMC's recent concept models like the Sierra HD All-Terrain, along with LED running lamps, and new headlamp and bumper designs.
At the back, we find new taillamps, a re-sculptured bumper, a wrap-around rear glass and a new rear spoiler, while GMC also introduced a fresh set of 18-, 19- and 20-inch wheels.
According to GMC, the interior benefits from upgraded soft-touch materials, with French stitching and a red ambient light that flows across the dashboard.
The top-of-the-line Acadia Denali enhances the crossover's updated looks with bespoke exterior and interior parts such as the 20-inch machined wheels, the polished grille, interior wood trims and leather seating.
Another highlight is the introduction of the GMC’s new front center air bag system that deploys from the inboard side of the driver’s seat and positions itself between the driver and front passenger.
"While no restraint technology can address all body regions or all potential injuries, the front center air bag is designed to work with the vehicle’s other air bags and safety belts to collectively deliver an even more comprehensive occupant restraint system," said Gay Kent, GM executive director of Vehicle Safety and Crashworthiness.
Even though the Acadia continues for the 2013MY with the same 288-horsepower 3.6-liter V6 that offers a towing capacity is 5,000 pounds (2268 kg), it gets a new Hydra-Matic 6T70 six-speed automatic transmission with better shift response and improved drivability.
The updated Acadia and Acadia Denali will arrive in showrooms across the U.S. in late 2012.

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Kia Thinks Big with Track'ster Concept that Could Spawn a 3-Door

Without doubt, the spotlights at this year's edition of the Chicago Auto Show are on the Koreans. Following the presentation of Hyundai's new Elantra GT and Coupe models, its sister company Kia has unveiled an impressive concept model for a sporty, three-door version of the Soul called the Track'ster Of course, if you throw in a pair of round headlights and vertical tail lamps, the Track'ster could very well be a conceptual proposal for high-performance Mini model…
That's not to say the Track'ster hasn't got character but many details like the alloy wheel designs, the blacked out front pillars, the two-tone paint job and the prominent LED driving lights on the lower part of the front bumper do have a certain British flavor.
"The idea was to make the Track'ster tough looking, like a bulldog," said Tom Kearns, chief designer for Kia's Californian design studio, which was responsible for the creation of the Track'ster.
"But the car had to be approachable as well. We wanted to base the car in reality so people instantly knew it was a Soul, but with a lot of attitude. It had to be a bold interpretation that would change people's conceptions of what a sporty Kia could be," Kearns added.
Other notable highlights include the heavily beefed up wheel arches to cover up the 245/40-19-inch front and massive 285/35-19-inch rear Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 high-performance tires, while the concept's wheelbase is stretched to 101.2 inches, almost an inch longer than the production Soul. The car's width stands at 75.5-inch width, which is more than five inches wider than the regular five-door Soul.
Inside, Kia's designers opted for a two-seat layout with a new dashboard design and the usual futuristic trim you find on concept models.
Under the hood, you'll find Hyundai and Kia's 2.0-liter turbocharged four rated at 250-horsepower and linked to a short-throw six-speed manual transmission. Surprisingly, Kia fitted the Soul-based concept with an electronically controlled four-wheel-drive system.
The Track'ster rides on a lowered sports suspension and features 14-inch Brembo vented and cross-drilled disc brakes with by six-piston calipers in front and 13.6-inch discs paired with four-piston calipers at the rear.
Kia says that it has no current plans to produce the Track'ster, but we wouldn't be surprised if the company decides otherwise in the very near future.

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IDECORE Presents New Alfa Romeo Minhoss Concept for a Compact Sports Coupe

Even though in recent years Alfa Romeo's formal presence in the concept scene has been limited to the 4C pre-production study, independent designers and studios alike have tried their best to cover the Italian firm's absence and capture the imagination of the public with plenty of conceptual proposals. IDECORE, an Italian studio that bills itself as "independent designers and modelers" and which you may remember from last year's Monza V8 study, sent us these computer generated images of a new Alfa Romeo concept named Minhoss. 

Photo credits: IDECORE

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New Dodge Durango Heat gets the R/T’s Goods Sans the V8 Engine

Dodge doubled its new Durango offerings at the Chicago Auto Show with the launch of the Heat performance package that joins the R/T model. The two trim levels share most of their exterior and interior appointments as well as suspension tweaks, but whereas the R/T gets a 360-horsepower 5.7-liter HEMI V8, the Heat is fitted with a 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 delivering 295 ponies and 260 lb.-ft. (353 Nm) of torque for an improved fuel efficiency of 16/23 mpg for the rear-wheel-drive model and 16/22 mpg for the all-wheel-drive version.
From there on, the Durango Heat features the same color-matched bodykit and dual chrome exhaust tips on the outside and decorative trim inside as the R/T. The Heat will come equipped with a Uconnect Voice Command and 506-watt Alpine audio system with 10 speakers, including subwoofer, as standard
The five-passenger Heat also shares R/T’s more aggressive suspension tuning, performance steering, unique 20-inch wheels with all-season performance tires, a 20-mm lower ride height, and tuned exhaust system.
The Durango Heat has a starting U.S. Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price of $30,295 (excluding destination charges), which represents a $5,170 saving over the V8-powered R/T.

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2012 Dodge Charger SRT8 Breaks Cover

Dodge’s rejuvenation under Fiat's umbrella continues at the Chicago Auto Show with the unveiling of the range-topping Charger SRT8. As with every SRT model, the highlight of the performance orientated version of the Charger is the new 6.4-liter HEMI V8 powerplant producing 465HP and 465 lb-ft (631 Nm) of torque. According to Dodge, the new engine is not only more powerful than the 6.1-liter HEMI unit it replaces, but also more frugal thanks the standard Fuel Saver technology, which cuts off four-cylinders in certain situations in order to improve fuel economy.

The HEMI is coupled to a 5-speed automatic transmission that can also be operated via paddle-shifters – a first for any SRT model.
“We’re continuing the fast-paced rebuilding of Dodge as our performance brand, and the expansion of our SRT product lineup in 2012 is an important part of our rejuvenation”, said Ralph Gilles, President and CEO, Dodge Brand — Chrysler Group LLCs. “The new 2012 Dodge Charger SRT8 builds on the iconic four-door fastback coupe design of the all-new Charger and adds a much larger power band across the rpm range, along with intelligent performance attributes and safety and creature comforts for customers who are passionate about performance driving.”
The Charger SRT8 also comes with adaptive damping suspension, which can adapt to specific conditions by monitoring the vehicle speed, steering angle and speed, brake torque, throttle position and lateral acceleration. The refined, fully hydraulic steering system and oversized 4-pot caliper Brembo brakes round up the technical tour de force.
On the outside, the 2012 Charger SRT8 can be recognized due to its exclusive front and rear fascias, complemented by a new rear spoiler, “racetrack” LED tail lamp and split five-spoke, 20-inch lightweight forged and polished aluminum wheels.
Inside, the SRT-exclusive steering wheel with a flattened bottom, carbon and aluminum trim pieces, plus sport seats set this car apart from the standard Charger.
The new Dodge Charger SRT8 will go on sale in the U.S. this fall as a 2012 model.

2012 DODGE CHARGER SRT8
Introduction Date: Fall 2011 as 2012 model
Engine: 6.4-liter (392 cubic inch) HEMI V-8
Estimated Power: 465 bhp
Estimated Torque: 465 lb.-ft.
Estimated Handling: .88g on skidpad
Estimated Top Speed: 175 mph
Estimated 0-60 mph: High 4-second range
Estimated ¼ mile: High 12-second range

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