Hatchbacks

Toyota is currently working on a replacement for its Yaris compact car, which is expected to enter the market towards the end of the year and has been spied here for the first time in prototype form. The new hatchback will go on sale as the 2012 Toyota Yaris, both in three- and five-door trims, the...

Back at the 2011 Chicago Auto Show Lexus unveiled a modified version of its new CT 200h that was prepared by the guys at tuning firm Five Axis. Now, just a few weeks out from the 2011 New York Auto Show, Lexus has announced that another, more highly modified version of the luxury hybrid hatchback...

Unlike the usual Euro hot-hatch tantalization, this video is a preview of things to come right here in the U.S. of A. Confirmed for sale here last September, the 2012 Focus ST should be making its way to 'Merika later this year. This video, showing off the show-car's Tangerine Scream orange in more...

We’ve seen plenty of special police cars in the past, including a Lamborghini Gallardo, Porsche 911 and even an impounded Dodge Viper, but the latest is just too cute to ignore. BMW has this week presented the Woodcliff Lake police department in New Jersey with a brand new MINI Cooper. The...

Performance hybrids seem to be the order of the day, with Porsche just moments ago unveiling its second-generation 911 GT3 R Hybrid 2.0 and now Mugen Euro announcing plans for the development of a high-performance Honda CR-Z. For those unaware of Mugen, the name applies to a motorsports and...

You only have to look at the popularity of such cars as the Volkswagen Golf GTI and Ford Focus ST/RS to understand that there is serious money in the hot-hatch segment. Not surprisingly, Kia is now reportedly considering launching its own hot hatch based on the recently revealed 2012 Kia Rio...

Five hundred lucky, patient Fiat 500 enthusiasts will get a special delivery this week: the first Fiats to be sold in the U.S. since 1984, in the form of the Prima Edizione. Fiat enthusiasts were offered the chance to buy the cars as a reward for their loyalty in the brand's absence. Each Prima...

Expected to do battle against the likes of the MINI Cooper and Ford Fiesta as well as a throng of French models in next year’s World Rally Championship (WRC) will be Volkswagen with its stylish Polo. The German automaker is reportedly set to announce plans by the end of this month to enter...

You already know MINI will be back in WRC this year, testing at a limited number of events ahead of a full push for the 2012 season. Here's the view from inside the company on what it means to throw gravel with the MINI badge. With this years adoption of the cost-saving Super 2000 rules for...

The Suzuki Swift is a hot little hatch still sold in most parts of the globe and in its Swift Sport guise can be a hoot to drive, easily upsetting some much more expensive models when it comes to fun factor. Unfortunately, there’s still no official confirmation of plans to introduce the...

It wasn't so long ago that the Kia Rio was synonymous with rental car hell. It looks like that's about to change, with the 2012 Rio hatchback on display in Geneva. The official press photos looked promising, and judging by these live photos, Kia has followed through on the promise. Sporting a...

A performance car that's small, yet luxurious, may sound like a series of paradoxes to the American buyer's mind, but Europeans have been proving the combo possible for years. Soon, the Japanese may join them, as previewed by the Infiniti Etherea Concept. The live photos show off its arched...

Positioned as a curious "3+1" seater with three doors and a scant 10-foot overall length, the 2011 MINI Rocketman concept is one MINI that’s actually mini. It’s currently only a design study, though it certainly looks like it could be promoted to the big leagues if the reception is warm...

The Volkswagen Golf R has been on sale in Europe and other parts of the globe for the good part of a year now but we won’t be getting the car until around the end of this year--and we can’t wait. With a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine churning out 266 horsepower and matched...

What you’re looking at is the next-generation Toyota Yaris, previewed here as a concept vehicle equipped with a Hybrid Synergy Drive (HSD) system at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show. The new concept confirms Toyota’s commitment to offer a hybrid option on its entire model line, including...

The last we heard about development of a second-generation Audi A2 model was that the project was on hold due to the lack of a suitable platform. Now it’s been reported that a platform has been found and that the car is on track for a debut in early 2015, more than two years later than...

Automotive pairings with luxury fashion labels is nothing new but typically we see the more exotic and prestigious models get the designer fashion treatment, such as this Bugatti Veyron Fbg par Hermès or the awesome Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 Versace editions. The latest collaboration...

Mazda's Sky-G line of engines was revealed back in September of 2009, but today, we get one of the first announced cars with the technology: the 2012 Mazda3 with somewhat differently-named SkyActiv G engine and transmission. So what's all this talk about sky? It's because the new engine cuts fuel...

We've known since November, 2009, that Chrysler was planning a B-segment car for the U.S. in 2013. The news was revealed in Chrysler's five-year business plan, which confirmed the car would be imported from Europe, aimed at the premium small-car segment, and that it would be accompanied by a small...

Lexus has taken the wraps off one of its CT 200h hybrid vehicles that has been customized by longtime tuning partner Five Axis. The vehicle made its debut this week at the 2011 Chicago Auto Show and has been designed to appeal to the hot-hatch tuner scene, a segment typically dominated by Honda but...