BY STEVE SILER

Japan’s Eagle has landed.

Infiniti relentlessly pursues a sporty image as much as Lexus claims to relentlessly pursue, well, you know what. So it surprised us somewhat that Infiniti chose the stodgy ol Pebble Beach Concours d Elegance to unveil”officially, anyway”what is arguably its sportiest ute yet: the G35-based EX35 crossover. Think of it as a G35 wagon. Or a mini FX35. We see a spiritual descendant of the 1980 AMC Eagle wagon built upon one of the world’s most prolific and capable platforms and stuffed with a swank interior. (more…)

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BY ALISA PRIDDLE, PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARTYN GODDARD AND THE MANUFACTURER

The 2008 CTS is only the start. We clue you in on the rest, including a sub-CTS model, an upcoming diesel, and the next-gen SRX and DTS.

Cadillac is launching a much-improved, second-generation CTS for the 2008 model year. The car will initially launch as a sedan in more than 40 countries worldwide. It should be in U.S. showrooms in mid-August. (more…)

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BY STEVE SILER

The Lancer crosses over.

To build some anticipation for September’s Frankfurt auto show, Mitsubishi has given us a sketchy glimpse of the crossover concept that will be gracing its stand: the Concept-cX. (The c is for compact, the X for crossover, but there’s no explanation on why one is capitalized and the other isn’t.) (more…)

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BY JOHN PHILLIPS, PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFFREY G. RUSSELL

A really big bang for the bucks.

Like the Tucson and Santa Fe before it, Hyundai’s third crossover SUV”and easily its largest”is named after a sunny tourist destination. In this case, the Mexican state of Veracruz on the Gulf of Mexico, a region renowned for umbrella drinks and for depleting the wallets of bleary-eyed Americans. (more…)

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BY JARED GALL, PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEFFREY G. RUSSELL

Kia drops a blown V-8 into its crossover concept.

This is not, in fact, a secondary sketch of Acura’s Advanced Sports Car concept. It’s a Kia crossover concept called the Kue. Kia’s U.S. boss, Len Hunt, says that the crossover’s coupe-like styling is a conscious attempt to differentiate its products from Hyundai’s. (more…)

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BY STEVE SILER

Kia previews the next Sportage in Korea.

Kia’s winsome Kue crossover concept was one of the surprise hits of the 2007 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. After all, what’s not to like about Kia’s edgy new design language applied to a wide-set scissors-doored SUV with 400 horsepower from a blown V-8 and all-wheel drive? (more…)

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BY MIKE DUSHANE

At the 2007 Shanghai auto show, Audi is showing a thinly disguised version of the 2009 Audi Q3.

The concept Audi is showing in China is called the “Cross Coupé Quattro” concept, but don’t be fooled: When Audi’s small crossover goes on sale in at least a year and a half, it will look a lot like this. With powertrains and dimensions that are virtually identical to those of the Audi A3 and platform-mate Volkswagen Tiguan, this is the real deal. The name, however, is not, and although Q3 is the logical label, there are apparently some trademark issues over the name “Q3.” Perhaps Q2 would work? (more…)

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BY ALISA PRIDDLE

This full-size luxury crossover could keep the brand from extinction, increasing the two-sedan portfolio by a whopping one-third.

It’s not easy being the third child, no matter how much attention you get. And it’s not easy entering life knowing you will be the sales runt of the litter. But that is the lot of the 2008 Buick Enclave, and we would argue, after some seat time, that none of that really matters because General Motors may have saved the best of its trio of full-size crossovers for last. (more…)

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