BY ALISA PRIDDLE

Suzuki to get pickup based on the Frontier.

At the risk of stating the obvious, Nissan finally confirms the pickup it will build for Suzuki is based on the Nissan Frontier and will be assembled at its plant in Smyrna, Tennessee, starting in 2008.

The two automakers reached an agreement in 2006 for Nissan to build a mid-size pickup for Suzuki to sell in North America as well as a version of the Nissan Serena mini-minivan for sale in Japan. In return, Suzuki was to produce a Nissan mini-vehicle for Japan and a new A-segment car for Europe. (more…)

Posted by admin | No Comments »

BY ALISA PRIDDLE

This concept is a runner and could be built, if GM decides the design is right.

That Hummer plans to continue to downsize and create a Jeep Wrangler“sized H4 has been one of the worst-kept secrets in the industry. Each new Hummer entry has been smaller than the one before it.

But for three new designers at General Motors, the timing couldn’t have been better. The recent graduates of the College for Creative Studies in Detroit were hired by GM a couple years ago, about the time the automaker decided it wanted a concept in a new segment to augment the mid-size H3 and the full-size H2 SUVs. (more…)

Posted by admin | 1 Comment »

BY JARED GALL

The GTI moves asymptotically closer to perfection.

A select handful of cars offers a rare level of all-around excellence that sets them on a plane seemingly untouchable by their competitors. Premium branding is often part of the price of admission to this level of perfection, but the people’s car company”Volkswagen”sees no reason it can’t play here, too, granting its R32 levels of polish and balance more often associated with pricier brands. (more…)

Posted by admin | 1 Comment »

BY ALISA PRIDDLE

Does Nissan need a Miata fighter?

Nissan is trying to figure out if there is room in the market for an entry-level sports car that is smaller, more lightweight, and more affordable than the 350Z.

The Japanese automaker is interested in a front-wheel-drive sports car that could compete with the Mazda MX-5 Miata, Pontiac Solstice, and Saturn Sky, Nissan North America vice-president in charge of product planning and strategy Larry Dominique tells Car and Driver in an interview. (more…)

Posted by admin | 1 Comment »