Subtly Facelifted Kia Picanto Leaks Out Early

Images of the facelifted Kia Picanto (sold as Kia Morning in South Korea and other Asian markets) have surfaced in Korean media ahead of the car’s debut at the Geneva Auto Show this spring.

Qoros Reveals its First Ever Production Model, the New GQ3 Compact Sedan

Qoros might be a brand new name in the automotive world having been formed by China's Chery Automobile Co. and Israeli investment firm Israel Corp. in late 2007, but it sure has picked up quickly on how the business works.
Borrowing a page from much older and established companies in the industry, Qoros' teaser design sketches of the exterior of its first production model left promises of a dynamically styled saloon, which as you can see, doesn't really apply to the real life car that we will come to know as the GQ3.

Scoop: MQB-Based 2013 VW Golf Estate or 2015 Jetta SportWagen

This fresh spy video from Spain shows the station wagon version of the seventh generation Volkswagen Golf that will be named the Golf Variant (Estate in Britain) when it is introduced in Europe in 2013, and Jetta SportWagen when it arrives in North America within the next two years.

New Renault Captur Reportedly Revealed in Patent Drawings

We already knew from the spy shots that Renault's production version of the 2011 Geneva Motor Show Captur study wouldn't be anywhere near as exciting as the concept, but if you need further proof, here's a set of patent drawings that were listed on a French forum.
The as-of-yet unnamed crossover model looks like a longer, taller, and beefier version of the fourth generation Clio, which might not be a bad thing, but it definitely leaves a lot to be desired when you compare it with the original concept.

Spy Shots: Renault Preparing Rugged-Looking Scenic Crossover

True, Renault is a little late to the SUV and crossover party in Europe, but the French carmaker is trying to catch up with several new proposals including a production model loosely based on the Captur Concept that will share its running gear with the Nissan Juke and a new edition of this year's facelifted Scenic MPV.
As you will see in these scoops, Renaut's Scenic prototype is wearing black pads to shield the more rugged looking front and rear ends, rocker panels and wheel arch extensions.

New Skoda Octavia III Live Photos and Videos from Czech Presentation

As its most important new model of the past few years, Skoda wants to give the third generation of the Octavia as much publicity as possible, which is why the Czech carmaker planned a special event for the press at its headquarters in Mlada Boleslav earlier this week ahead of the car's first public outing at the Geneva Salon in March.
Skoda's bestseller has been designed from the ground up sharing its MQB-platform and mechanical hardware with the latest generations of the VW Golf, Seat Leon and Audi A3 compacts, all of which were released in Europe this year.

Scoop: Updated 2014 Volvo S80 Facelift Spotted in China

Not too long ago, in early October to be precise, Doug Speck, global head of marketing and sales for Volvo Car, told U.S. publication Autonews that the Swedish company is preparing a facelift for both the S60 and S80 sedans.
Now we learn that Chinese website AutoSina captured a camouflage-free prototype of the updated S80L, which is a China-market only version of the car sporting a 140mm or 5.5-inches longer wheelbase.

Rinspeed Boxes Up New Micromax Concept for the Geneva Motor Show

You didn't think that Swiss design house Rinspeed would miss the 2013 Geneva auto show, did you? Of course not. For next year's event, which sounds further away than it really is, as it will open to the public in less than three months on March 7, Rinspeed will debut a new concept vehicle named the "microMAX".

Scoop: McLaren P1 Filmed Testing on the Road, First Glimpse at the Cabin

Sure, most of you have seen the McLaren P1 concept that was revealed at the recent Paris Motor Show and have checked out spy shots of taped-up pre-production prototypes, but how about watching it drive on the road?
Well, if you haven't, here's your chance to do so thanks to a new spy video, courtesy of French publication L'Automobile.
We've already established the fact that the exterior appearance of McLaren's P1 hypercar won't change much from study, but this video also affords us our first look at the interior that was hidden behind blacked out windows on the concept.

Skoda Officially Reveals All-New and Sleeker Looking 2013 Octavia III [Updated]

It’s been a long road with plenty of scoops of both camouflaged prototypes and unmarked cars captured during testing and photo shoots, but now the time has come for Skoda to release its third generation of the successful Octavia series, which is seen here in liftback form with an estate model to follow next year.
The 2013 Octavia is the first Skoda model to make use of the VW Group's new and lighter MQB platform that underpins several other compact cars, most notably the VW Golf Mk7 and the latest Audi A3 hatchbacks.
Compared to the model it replaces, the new Octavia is 90mm longer at 4,659mm, 45mm wider at 1,814mm, and more importantly, the wheelbase has been stretched by 108mm to 2,686mm, something that mainly benefits the interior and space on the rear seats.
As a result, front head room has increased by 8 mm, front elbow width by 39 mm and rear elbow width by 26 mm over the outgoing Octavia. According to Skoda, the Octavia offers a class-leading interior space in the compact segment with 1,782 mm of interior length and the largest boot with a volume of 590 liters.

Skoda Drops New Images of 2013 Octavia III Including First of the Interior

If what the rumor mill is saying is true, then we're literally counting days until the online unveiling of the next generation of Skoda's most popular model, the 2013 Octavia Mk3, which could explain the number of teaser images being released by the Czech carmaker.
A couple of days after Skoda provided us a set with photos of the rear combination lights and the rear window and C-column treatment, the VW Group-owned company published three more images on Friday.

Audi's New RS6 Avant Brings the Thunder with 552HP and 190MPH – 305km/h [23 Photos]

It didn't take long for Audi to officially unveil its new super-station wagon model after the first images of the 2014 RS6 Avant started circulating around the internet earlier this afternoon.
With the RS6 Avant, it's mostly about the numbers, be that for performance or the sheer size of the car and especially, its humongous load area. We'll start with what will likely  pique your interest the most, and that's none other than the beast hiding behind the framed "quattro" logo on the front grille.
Out goes the previous RS6's 571hp (579PS) and 650Nm (479 lbf·ft) 5.0-liter bi-turbo V10, in comes a new twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 TFSI engine shared with other Audi's like the S8 as well as the Bentley Continental.
In this application, the V8 unit is said to produce 552hp (560PS) between 5,700 and 6,700 rpm and a constant 700 Nm (516 lb-ft) of torque available between 1,750 and 5,500 rpm, though, as one of readers pointed out in our previous posting, Audi may very well be a tad modest about these numbers…

Skoda Teases Bits and Pieces of New Octavia 3 on Facebook While Readers Capture the Car Undressed

It doesn't make much sense for Skoda to play games with the new Octavia 3 anymore since both the sedan/liftback and estate versions of the car have been photographed multiple times on the road camouflage-free, yet the Czech carmaker insists on providing cropped pictures of the D-segment model.
The latest set featured on Skoda's Facebook page includes shots of the tail lamps and the rear window and C-column treatment.

First Official Photos of All-New 2014 Audi RS6 Avant Powered by a 552HP Bi-Turbo V8

Ingolstadt's station wagon from hell is back with a vengeance. We're talking, of course, about the new generation of the Audi RS6 Avant, the first pictures and preliminary specifications of which hit the interwebs today.
From what we're told by our Russian comrades at Autowp, the new RS6 Avant waves goodbye to the previous model's 571hp (579PS) and 650Nm (479 lbf·ft) 5.0-liter bi-turbo V10 and gains Audi's brand new twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 TFSI engine, which is said to deliver 552hp (560PS) and 700Nm (516 lb-ft) in this application.
An eight-speed automatic drives all four wheels through Audi's quattro system with a sport differential. The Über station wagon is claimed to go from zero to 100km/h (62mph) in just 3.9 seconds and top out at 304km/h (189mph), all while being able to fit up to 1,680 liters of goods.

Kia Confirms Preliminary Specs for Pro_cee’d GT and Cee’d GT with 201HP 1.6L Turbo

As it seems, Kia is so excited about its first-ever shot at the hot hatch segment in Europe that it just can't wait to share more details with us.
Less than a week after the Koreans announced their decision to rival VW's Golf GTI with the three-door Pro_Cee'd GT, Kia has now not only confirmed the availability of a GT version of the five-door Cee'd, but also revealed preliminary specifications.

Citroën Facelifts Berlingo and Jumpy/Dispatch Vans for 2012

Citroën has revealed the facelifted versions of its Berlingo and Jumpy (called Dispatch in Britain) minivans. Depending on the market, the Berlingo and the larger Jumpy/Dispatch are offered in both passenger and commercial variants.
In Britain, Citroën has provided initial details on the Berlingo Multispace and the Dispatch Combi, which are the passenger models of the series.
Starting with the smaller Berlingo Multispace, which is available in five- and seven-seat variants, the French firm's minivan gains a wider and more defined grille, a new chevron badge and a new headlight arrangement that can optionally include LEDs.

Infiniti Names its Geneva Motor Show Sports Car Concept "Emerg-E"

Infiniti has been trickling out information on the new sports car concept it plans to reveal at the 2012 Geneva Salon bit by bit these past couple of months. Today we learn that the electric sports car model will be called the "Emerge E".
"The INFINITI EMERG-E will be the first car from the brand to have not only a range-extender drivetrain offering vivid performance with zero emissions capability but also one mounted in a mid-ship package for optimal handling," the company said in a short statement.

Lamborghini to "Surprise" us at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show as well

On Wednesday, an official source from within the VW Group more or less confirmed the debut of a luxury SUV concept from Lamborghini at the Beijing Auto Show in China in April.
Today we learn that the Sant'Agata sports car maker has yet another "surprise" in store for us, this time at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show in March.
The news comes from an email statement from a Lamborghini spokesperson after the crew over at GT Spirit asked the company about the rumors circulating around the web. Here's what the press representative answered

Official: Fiat Unveils Larger and More Versatile 500L Ahead of its Geneva Debut

Fiat couldn't wait until the Geneva Motor Show to reveal its all-new 500L so it is giving us an early preview of its all-new sub-compact model. As you may have already guessed, the "L" in the name stands for "Large", with the 500L being the latest addition to the 500 range after the three-door hatch, the Cabrio and the Abarth models.
While the name and the styling (to some extent) refer to the 500 mini, the five-door 500L is based on the platform of the B-segment Punto measuring 4,140mm long, 1,780mm wide and 1,660mm tall. It is 594mm longer, 153mm wider and 175mm taller than the three-door 500.
The Italian company says the 500L offers "MPV passenger space combined with the feel of a small SUV on the road and the restrained dimensions and efficiency of a B segment car" and that it's an alternative to the traditional B and C segments.

2012 Mercedes-Benz A-Class Five-Door Hatchback Filmed Totally Undisguised!

A bicyclist –no, we didn't make a mistake- captured footage of the all-new 2012 Mercedes-Benz A-Class hatchback while riding with his team from El Golfo to Playa Blanca on the Spanish island of Lanzarote in the Canary Islands.
It seems that the German premium carmaker was at the island to shoot video and pictures of the luxury compact model for its press material.
The A-Class seen here is the five-door hatchback model, which will be the first body style to be launched onto the market. Mercedes has already confirmed that the 5-door version will make its world premiere at the 2012 Geneva Auto Show in early March. A sportier looking three-door model will follow, possibly withing the next year.