Crossovers/CUVs auto news

Rumormill: Subaru Tribeca getting the axe?

Could it be? Could Subaru finally be killing the Tribeca?

We'll admit it. We've been waiting for this day since we first spied the 2006 Subaru B9 Tribeca. So has every other too-clever-by-half automotive journalist who slammed Subie's range-topper when it debuted in late 2005, looking like it had been styled by whatever group-think team General Motors had canned for unleashing the Pontiac Aztek on the world. We never thought Plan B9 From Outer Space would last this long to begin with, and we wouldn't be surprised if someone told us that Subaru has been keeping the slow-selling, three-row crossover in production just to keep the automotive journalist peanut gallery from gloating. We do love to gloat.

Of course, the report from Motor Trend is nothing more than a rumor at this stage, and Subaru's official response is that there will be a 2013 model year Tribeca. And who knows, maybe the powers that be at Fuji Heavy Industries will shove another delightfully refreshed model year down the pipeline. Volvo's been doing it for years.

Report: Nissan confirms next-gen Rogue will be built in Tennessee

Nissan is in the process of overhauling five of its most popular models, beginning with the 2013 Altima that just went into production at the automaker's Smyrna, Tennessee facility. Next up is the all-new Pathfinder, which made its debut in Detroit earlier this year, and now Kicking Tires reports that the smaller Rogue crossover will be the next vehicle to get a much-needed freshening.

Unlike the current model, the next-generation Rogue will be built in the United States, specifically in - you guessed it - Tennessee. That aside, we don't know much else about the next Rogue, though Nissan's Hi-Cross concept from the 2012 Geneva Motor Show (pictured) certainly gives us a good glimpse as to what's possible, at least in terms of design.

The Hi-Cross, a seven-seat crossover, featured a new turbocharged four-cylinder engine coupled to a hybrid powertrain and a continuously variable transmission. It's hard to say if this sort of powertrain will find its way into the new Rogue, though. Rumors had circulated for quite some time about the new Altima using a four-cylinder turbo setup, but the production car makes due with refreshed versions of the existing four- and six-cylinder engines.

Official: BMW 3 Series, Acura RDX named IIHS Top Safety Pick

The IIHS Top Safety Pick list is already quite long, but it keeps growing, with five more vehicles added this month alone. The latest pair are the 2012 BMW 3 Series sedan and the 2013 Acura RDX. The BMW needs no introduction, as the new F30 chassis has already earned its right to sit alongside previous generations of the well-loved sport sedan, while the RDX is a refreshed version of the midsize Acura crossover.

Both vehicles earned their listed status by upgrading the strength of their roofs. The previous-generation 3 Series scored only acceptable on roof strength testing, while the 2007-2012 RDX earned a marginal rating. The newest models are now rated "good" for roof strength.

Scroll down to read the full press release.

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Report: Chinese demand could prompt Aston Martin to press on with Lagonda revival

Automakers are usually pretty decisive. They either build a car or they don't. But Aston Martin has embarked down a bumpier road with Lagonda.

Aston bought the Lagonda marque way back in 1947, but after operating it as a separate brand for a few years, it let the brand peter out in the 1950s and 60s. The moniker was revived as a nameplate on a handful of Aston Martin sedans beginning in the 1970s, but that was pretty much the last we saw of it until the 2009 Geneva Motor Show.

That's when the British automaker unveiled the rather unusual concept vehicle (pictured above) to revive the Lagonda name once again as a separate brand. It was meant to test the waters, and the response was not favorable. So it had appeared that AML was dropping the L from its initials and the entire project along with it. But as a stand-alone niche automaker looking to stay afloat in a rapidly amalgamating industry, Aston needs to produce more than front-engined, rear-drive, two-door GTs. And the Rapide sedan apparently isn't going to be enough, so it looks as if that the Lagonda project could be back on the table.

According to Autocar, the real impetus, however, could be coming from emerging markets in Asia - particularly China, but also the Middle East and Russia. The timing for a high-end luxury crossover built by a company known for its exotic sports cars, however, could prove to be good timing or poor: Maserati, Lamborghini and Bentley are all entering the segment in the coming years, so if Aston wants to get a slice of that lucrative pie pioneered by Porsche, it had better get those wheels in motion.

Report: Rebadged Dodge, Chrysler model sales a mixed bag in Europe

Fiat, in an attempt to make its purchase of Chrysler more profitable, has been marketing rebadged Dodge and Chrysler models in Europe with mixed results.

Europeans apparently love the Fiat Freemont, known as a Dodge Journey here in the States. Fiat sold almost 6,500 of the crossovers over there in the first quarter and hopes to move 30,000 by year's end. Sales were helped by Fiat's large European dealer network as well as an MSRP lower than the model it replaced. Since the Journey is built in Mexico, it can be imported into Europe tariff-free, which helps keep the sticker price lower.

On the other hand, sales of the Lancia Thema (Chrysler 300) and Lancia Voyager (Dodge Grand Caravan) are not doing so well due to several factors. One is the limited reach of the Lancia brand outside Italy. Then there's the 10 percent import tariff since they're both built in Canada, a yearly 500 euro luxury tax (about $630 USD) on the Thema, and a limited advertising budget for the two cars.

Only 1,342 Voyagers were sold in Europe in the first quarter of this year, which means the 11,000 unit goal for the year will probably be missed. Lancia sold only 480 Themas during the same period, well short of the 2,500 Fiat had hoped to sell.

Video: Buick begins airing Marisa Miller Enclave ad

Not long ago, Buick released the behind-the-scenes video of its Enclave commercial with Marisa Miller, and now the supermodel's 30-second spot has begun airing. Note: This is a spot for the current Enclave, not the refreshed 2013 model the debuted during April's New York Auto Show.

The Sports Illustrated staple and lingerie model might just be the first person ever to wear a swimsuit in a Buick ad. We could say more about it, but that would delay you from watching Ms. Miller and the Enclave in action. So just scroll down and check out the video, why don't you.

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Report: Lamborghini eyes low weight, Audi-sourced twin-turbo V8 for production Urus

Long before Lamborghini unveiled the Urus concept for its new SUV at the Beijing Motor Show last month, we got two chances to preview the show truck: once at the factory in Italy and once at a private preview in New York. The Italian automaker's development chief Maurizio Reggiani wasn't prepared to talk about powertrain options at the time, but in speaking with Automotive News, he's now given us a hint of what to expect should the Volkswagen Group board give the project the green light.

As expected, the Urus would have to be based on the same platform that is slated to underpin the next Volkswagen Touareg, Audi Q7, Porsche Cayenne and Bentley EXP 9 F (if similarly approved) in order to make good business sense. Unfortunately, that new PL73 architecture is made principally of steel, a material that Lamborghini has been getting away from in favor of new types of carbon fiber construction. In order to keep weight down - Lambo is targeting 4,400 lbs for the Urus, significantly less than its potential competitors - it would need to make other components out of carbon to compensate.

That covers the mass side of the power-to-weight ratio that is integral to any performance vehicle. As for the power, Reggiani says the company has yet to make a final decision. The last time Lamborghini made an SUV - the legendary LM002 "Rambo Lambo" - it was powered by the same high-revving V12 as the Countach, lending to speculation that the Urus could incorporate the new V12 from the Aventador or the V10 from the Gallardo. Reggiani, however, indicates that the new twin-turbo V8 powering the latest Audi RS models and the Bentley Continental is a more likely choice, given that it would help keep weight down and provide more low-end torque than the naturally-aspired 10 or 12-pots the Raging Bull marque currently produces for its sports cars.

Official: Chevrolet Trax crossover headed to Paris, not bound for U.S.

If you're wondering why the name Trax sounds familiar, it's because we've heard it before. That's right, General Motors' chunky little crossover concept has blossomed into the production CUV you see here, and might we say, it's quite a handsome little thing.

Details about the new Trax are scarce, but since it looks to be based on the same high-riding platform derived from the Sonic that underpins the Buick Encore and Opel Mokka, so we'd expect the powertrains to simply carry over unchanged.

But know this: General Motors has no plans to offer the Trax in the United States, citing "the strong position of the Equinox" as the reason why it won't be offered Stateside. That's a shame, too. In our opinion, this baby Bowtie certainly makes more sense than the frumpy Buick Encore that doesn't really seem to fit with its brand. We suspect that Chevy dealers won't get this vehicle in part because GM wants to protect the Buick's positioning and price when it heads to U.S. dealers later this year.

The Trax will make its official debut at the Paris Motor Show in late September. For now, click the image above for a high-resolution version and scroll down to read GM's official release.

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Official: Audi Q3 Red Track heads to Worthersee Tour

Audi plans to show off a new concept version of the Q3 at the Worthersee Tour in Austria next week. The Q3 Red Track boasts the same 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine found under the hood of the Audi TT RS, and thus, there's a galloping 340 horsepower and 331 pound-feet of torque on hand. A seven-speed S Tronic gearbox handles shifting duties and drops the available grunt to all four tires via the company's Quattro all-wheel-drive system. In addition to the extra power, the Red Track wears unique Energy Red paint flecked with gold, while accents like the fender flares and lower fascia are coated in matte gray.

Likewise, the headlight arrays wear body-color accents, and massive 20-inch five-spoke wheels help set the crossover apart from its production kin. Audi also stretched the track by by 1.5 inches and lifted the machine by 1.2 inches for a beefier stance. The Red Track will be on display at the Worthersee Tour starting on May 16. Scroll down for the full press release.

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Report: Infiniti prices Sebastian Vettel edition FX at $155K

When it comes to supercars, the sky is the proverbial limit. You can literally spend millions. And with vehicles like the Rolls-Royce Phantom, Bentley Mulsanne and Maybach, you can spend hundreds of thousands on a top-of-the-line luxury sedan, too. But when it comes to SUVs, prices seldom if ever breach the $100K mark fetched by the likes of the Range Rover Autobiography Ultimate and the Porsche Cayenne Turbo.

There are a handful of automakers aiming to break that barrier though. Like the upcoming SUVs from Lamborghini and Bentley, the on-again, off-again Spyker D12, and this, the Infiniti FX Sebastian Vettel Version.

Based on the Infiniti FX50 S, the Vettel edition has had the output from its 5.0-liter V8 upped to from 390 horsepower to 414 for a 5.6-second sprint to 60 and a 186 mph top speed. The suspension is said to have been set up by the reigning two-time world champion himself, with the carbon fiber aero kit developed by his Red Bull Racing team. The only change we've heard of from the concept car pictured above to the production version will be a more conventional pearl white paint job instead of the matte white of the show car.

Only 200 examples will be produced, with 50 earmarked for continental Europe, and most of the rest likely heading to the Middle East. The price for such a high-end performance crossover? 120,000 euros, or about $155,000 in American greenbacks (if it were actually offered here). Of course if that still seems too slow and too cheap, you could always order a custom Juke-R from Infiniti's parent company Nissan and smoke some supercars in the process.