But at any rate, I’ve got a video here featuring a slideshow of the first images of the 2010 Mini Countryman, and they look pretty sweet.

I had no idea that Mini was getting so deeply into SUVs.  Between the Beachcomber and now the Countryman, that’s two models for them in one year.  Strange for a company that shot to prominence by making some of the tiniest cars this side of a go-kart track.

But still, the early images are promising, and the interior on the Countryman actually looks downright plush.  I’m pretty impressed with their lineup, more so than a lot of traditionally American SUVs.

I like the idea of a smaller SUV, myself.  Something with a little better mileage, but that still has the height and cargo carrying advantages over a regular car.  Sort of like the big and tall men’s car.

But the video is below, so watch and enjoy!

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The Kia Soul is available in four trims and prices will start below $14,000. There will be four special editions that will be released, the last of which was the Kia Shadow Dragon Soul.

Image Credit

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The Chrysler Town & Country Walter P. Chrysler Signature Series are minivans that feature a 3.8 liter V6 engine with six-speed transmission paired with luxury seating interiors. They will also be armed with 17” aluminum wheels and a Media Center 430 radio with touch screen. They will retail for $33,365 and will be available by the first quarter of 2010.

Lastly, the Chrysler PT Cruiser Couture Edition carries a timeless design for the small-car segment. They are highlighted by chrome detailed rings, gloss black three gauge instrumentation panels, rotating air vents and an analog alarm clock. They will be equipped with 16” aluminum wheels and will retail for $19,995. They will also be available by the first quarter of 2010.

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Sure there hydrogen powered, hybrid and of course fully electric cars but one of the easiest way to make a fuel efficient car is to just decrease its size. That seems to be what Honda is planning to do at the 10th Auto Expo show in New Dehli on January 5th where they will unveil a new small car concept.

Since this car will be for the Indian market, it will most likely also carry a small price tag.

We’ll keep you posted.

via autoblog

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The 2011 Chevrolet Cruze has hit the market, Chevrolet’s entry into the small car segment. The 2011 Cruze will be available in two engine variants, 1.8L (4 cylinder) and 1.4L (turbocharged inline four with variable valve timing). It also boasts of a cool interior upgrade which should be modern and attractive to people looking at interior car make as well.

A bunch of goodies to go with the 2011 Cruze include Bluetooth connectivity, leather seats, USB port for audio devices, satellite navigation and 10 standard airbags. That is quite a batch of features considering this compact car may find it hard to appeal to the mass car market. The Cruze will be replacing the Cobalt.

(Source) Car Throttle

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(Source) Press

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The deal between Nissan and Chrysler started as early as the first quarter of 2008 which called for Nissan to supply small vehicle for the global market in 2010 and a compact sedan for the South American market at the beginning of this year to Chrysler. Nothing really materialized and was further compounded when the Chrysler-Fiat deal started in January of this year.

Also, one other factor is the current global situation. Both Nissan and Chrysler had halted production until they could come up with improved returns from operations. And as we know, Chrysler eventually filed for bankruptcy and later on announced a new alliance with Fiat which all but put the previous alliance of Nissan and Chrysler terminated.

Nissan was scheduled to have supplied Chrysler with an all-new, fuel-efficient small car made in Japan in exchange for a full-size pickup truck made by Chrysler in Mexico. Apparently all of these plans are a thing of the past as Chrysler is now tied up with Fiat for small vehicle distribution.

(Source) Reuters India

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Those picked to drive the European Fiesta will share their experiences online through social media sites such as Facebook, Flickr and YouTube to build buzz and anticipation for the vehicle’s North American launch early next year.

The Fiesta already is a hit in Europe and Asia, where it went on sale last year and earlier this year, respectively. The new Fiesta already is the second-best selling vehicle of any make across Ford’s 19 major European markets, and is headed for its best month yet in Europe in March. Early response from buyers in China and other Asia-Pacific markets already is outstripping company expectations.

The 100 five-door Fiestas coming to the U.S. were built at Ford’s Cologne Assembly Plant in Europe. For many U.S. customers, it will be their first chance to see and read about the small car that is one of three finalists for the World Car of the Year award that will be announced next month at the New York International Auto Show.

Designed and developed as Ford’s first global car, the Fiesta takes the nameplate’s three-decade heritage to a new level with its eye-catching kinetic design, widely acclaimed driving dynamics and unexpected refinement.

(Source) Press

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“It’s all part of a plan to build excitement and spread the word about the arrival of the new Ford Fiesta to the next generation of customers,” said Sam De La Garza, Ford’s small car marketing manager. “These 100 socially-vibrant Fiesta Movement ‘Agents’ will then relate their driving experiences through social media sites such as Facebook, FlickR and YouTube.”

Ford is aiming the Fiesta Movement at Millennials, the next-generation consumer group that will total 70 million new drivers in 2010, the largest class of any generation. Making up 28 percent of the driving age population, the potential size of the market serves as an opportunity for Ford to connect with a group that hasn’t yet established brand loyalty and is very connected to the use of technology and social networking.

(Source) Press

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This early, the Ford KA is a car that needs a lot to be improved. It is a car obviously rushed and sorely lacking in conceptualization. This car seems to be doomed as far as Ford’s entry into the small to compact cars category.

The seats are so hard that drivers may not approve of them. Steering wheel reach may be too far, a problem for shorter people who may end up trying this car out. The only steering wheel adjustment you can do with it is via vertical adjustment.

It seems that the interior concept was made to provide a roomy driving environment. However, it looks like adjustments were not even considered in the mix.

And for on-road safety, the headlights may have to be thought of. They simple provide poor illumination that can result into accidents especially during the night.

Obviously, Ford would have wanted to develop its own small car. Asking its engineers to reclothe a Fiat rather than asking them to design their own baby from the ground up is like asking Stella McCartney to sew some new buttons on an Ozwald Boateng suit. No one becomes an engineer in a car company so they can spend their life sanding the word “Fiat” off components and writing “Ford” on them instead.

(Source) Times Online

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2010 Toyota iQ

The 2010 Toyota iQ is an undisguised attempt to grab the very-tiny-car slice of the U.S. auto market, the one currently cornered by the miniscule Smart Car. Toyota is already planning on delivering more for less at higher quality: A formula that has not failed them in the U.S. yet. The iQ measures just less than ten feet in length, five and a half feet in width, and five feet in height, which makes the it about as wide and as tall as a Corolla and less than a foot longer than a Smart, and yet it can seat up to four people. 

Not a bad start, but in addition to more room in a smaller space, the tiny iQ almost doubles the Smart Car’s fuel efficiency rating by means of a clean-burning diesel engine. The five-speed gets an astonishing 62 MPG with the automatic not far behind at 59 MPG. The iQ will not be marketed as a money saver but will not be cheap in its own right. MSRP for the 2010 Toyota iQ, though part of Toyota’s economy Scion line, is expected to be close to that of a Mini Cooper.

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Fiat Qubo

With Chrysler pinning new hopes on its marriage to Italian auto maker Fiat, Americans might well wonder what exactly Fiat has that Chrysler doesn’t have. The answer is small fuel-efficient cars that don’t cost a fortune. One example is the new Fiat Qubo (Italian slang for “cube”), a trendy subcompact with a funky, boxy design, bright colors, and a small price tag that was just released in Britain this year.

The Qubo isn’t just a pretty face; it gets an impressive 40 MPG in the city and very low carbon emissions. Standard equipment includes electric front windows, power steering, 15in alloy wheels, a fully adjustable steering wheel and a patented hands-free communication system. Air-conditioning, 16in alloy wheels, body-coloured and heated electric door mirrors, and other options are also available. The Fiat Qubo has an MSRP of $15,000 to $18,000 in Europe. Look for an American cousin sooner rather than later as Chrysler retools for a new, stingier market.

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