BY RAY HUTTON

A Fiesta worth its name: For once, a European Ford will make it to the U.S. market without compromise.

Over the past couple of decades we’ve reviewed several impressive European Ford models that are not available to American buyers. Now, at last, here is one that will be coming to the U.S., the first product of CEO Alan Mulally’s “One Ford” global car policy: the new Fiesta.

Launched in Europe this fall, it will be built in Mexico and sold in the U.S. in 2010. Although the emphasis in the U.S. will be on the sedan version, Ford plans to offer the five-door hatchback as well, currently the most popular version of the car in Europe. (more…)

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BY ERIK JOHNSON AND STEVE SILER

The all-new Fit is fun to drive, practical, and pretty cool. So why can’t we agree on it?

We love the Honda Fit. Roomy inside and more fun to drive than a team of coked-up sled dogs, we’ve awarded it a place on our 10Best Cars list two straight years, and it decimated the competition in a seven-car comparison test. Of course, that was the old Fit. There’s now a new model, completely redesigned for 2009, and a few of us in the office have had a chance to take a spin behind the wheel. (more…)

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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…)

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BY PATRICK BEDARD, PHOTOGRAPHY BY MORGAN SEGAL

Swedish Sportswear: The Volvo S40 four-door went in for spa treatment, came out 200 pounds lighter and looking absolutely Milano.

If a new model looks like fun”and this sparky little Volvo bobtail surely does”then its maker is figured to be shining up to the Hip, Hop, Kickin generation, those active lifestylers still 20 years short of their first wrinkle. And as it happens, Volvo admits to wistful longings for the 28-to-38 crowd”They don’t call, they never drop by!

But take it from us, there’s nothing about this perky C30 that’ll turn off the Modern Maturity set, starting with the base price of $23,445. A Volvo in sportswear is still a Volvo. (more…)

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BY MARK GILLIES

Wrong Name, Right Car: As Usual, Europe gets a quality car that won’t be seen on these shores.

As car names go, Cee’d is about as off the mark as they get, giving Merkur a run for its ill-advised money. Kia says it was named for good reason. Since the car was designed and is built in Europe, Kia took the initials for the European Economic Community”CEE in some countries”and added ED for European Design. Okay, maybe that’s not such a good reason, but Ceeed would make even less sense, hence the extraction of an e and the addition of an apostrophe. (more…)

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BY ALISA PRIDDLE

This clean-diesel model, shown in Frankfurt, is for Europe only.

Volkswagen is using September’s Frankfurt auto show to reassert its stature as a maker of efficient diesels in Europe. The new Golf BlueMotion will be one of six models with the environmentally friendly powerplant (the other five have not been disclosed). (more…)

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BY JAKE HOLMES


A five-door hatch”and fun?”returns to the Elantra lineup.

Hyundai Elantra and sporty rarely have been synonymous, especially since the five-door hatchback model vanished in 2007. Since the Elantra’s redesign, the only option has been a sedan tuned more for the parking lot than an autocross. (more…)

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BY JARED GALL

The only slightly less-mini Cooper Clubman keeps alive the corporate trend of stylistic curiosities.

The original Mini Clubman was”to a lesser extent than the cars that first coined the term”a woody, with real wood trim along the car’s flanks and rear doors. Apparently not ready to go that retro, Mini’s new Clubman forgoes wood in favor of contrasting painted trim surrounding the rear doors, which certainly will get the car noticed. Depending on which color buyers choose for the roof, the door surround will be silver or black. Those customers who opt for a body-colored roof will still have to choose black or silver for the horseshoe on their car’s butt. (more…)

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BY ALISA PRIDDLE

An SX4-based concept for sports-bike enthusiasts.

American Suzuki Motor Corporation continues to show offerings in its Suzuki LIVE Series, launched last year as a line of concepts for life huggers and as a way to promote the fun quotient of the vehicles from which they are derived. Of the four rolled out this year, two are on Suzuki’s stand this week at the New York auto show. (more…)

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BY STEVE SILER

Sweet Swedish style. Zero to 60 in the sixes. So why don’t we love it?

The Volvo C30 wears the freshest design to come from Sweden in years. And that says a lot, given that Sweden is known for cool design. Okay, that and stunning six-foot-tall women (which, we suppose, could also be examples of cool design). (more…)

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