Bengt Halvorson, Senior Editor
Articles
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Take one look at the 2011 Volvo S60 T6 R-Design—especially its extensive badging, different trims and details, and somewhat lower stance—and combined with the moniker you might guess...
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Mazda Rejects DSGs, Redefines Automatic Transmissions InsteadAccording to Mazda, conventional hydraulic automatic transmissions—especially with a smart engineering rethink—are better than CVT or DSG units
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Pressure Drop: Mazda Rethinks Internal Combustion TechMazda has long been known for emphasizing engineering, being a little quirky, and emphasizing driving enjoyment across all its products in a way we don't see from bigger automakers
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Mercedes-Benz: Four-Cylinder Diesel M-Class A Possibility For U.S.A four-cylinder ML250 BlueTec, powered by a 2.1-liter four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine, could be headed to the U.S.
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2012 Mercedes-Benz M-Class first drive reviewHad we tested the all-new 2012 Mercedes-Benz M-Class in suburban Orange County, California—or even among gated exurb communities in Orange County, New York—we would likely have had affluent suburban housewives (yes, the real ones) looking us up and down. The M-Class, it seems, has...
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2012 Mercedes-Benz M-Class: More Features, Same Price As 2011Highlights of the new M-Class include an all-new, higher-output gasoline V-6 in the 2012 Mercedes-Benz ML350, a stronger turbo-diesel engine in the ML350 BlueTec
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Very quietly, a new, completely redesigned 9-5 sedan arrived last year. As Saab was changing hands and repositioning itself as an automaker, much of the car-shopping public didn't even know.
In...
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Unloaded: Apple Bans DUI Sobriety Checkpoint AppsDrunk drivers who think they can evade the law by looking to certain smartphone apps might suddenly find a roadblock after all. Apple has followed up its big iCloud news earlier this week with some revised guidelines for its App Store—and one of the most noteworthy changes is a crackdown on...
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2012 Mercedes-Benz M-Class: PreviewAs we reported earlier in a first look at all-new photos, the all-new 2012 Mercedes-Benz M-Class looks poised to get a somewhat glossier, more finished appearance inside and out, along with better on-road performance. While we haven't yet driven the new M-CLass, we've now seen it in person and note...
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2012 Mercedes-Benz M-Class: First Official PicsMercedes-Benz still hasn't officially pulled the wraps off its all-new 2012 M-Class sport-utility vehicle, but thanks to an early release from the automaker, we're one of the first outlets to be able to bring you pictures of the completely redesigned 2012 model. The proportions of the 2012...
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2011 Acura RL: DrivenWhat makes the RL distinct or alluring among luxury cars? How is it much different than the same-sized TL? And shouldn't a brand flagship feel a little more exclusive, a little less mainstream-lux? These are all questions shoppers will be wondering, and we couldn't help but be left pondering them...
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2011 Lexus CT 200h Named A Top Safety PickThe high-mileage Lexus CT 200h hybrid has been named an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) Top Safety Pick. The CT 200h was among a group of 13 small cars the agency recently tested; of those, six (including the Toyota Prius, Chevrolet Volt, and Nissan Leaf) received the accolade. Top...
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Saab might be skating on thin ice, but it has a solid choreographer. Design director Jason Castriota has been named one of Fast Company magazine's 100 Most Creative People in Business and appears in...
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French Press: Recalled Citroën can be braked from passenger seatSome Citroën C3 Picasso models can be braked to a screeching halt by the passenger. And while that might sound right if it were say, a driver's ed car, it isn't. According to BBC News, the Picasso is now under recall in the U.K., after the network reported a 'passenger brake' issue, in which a...
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Saab Future Still Hazy After Hawtai China Deal CrumblesSaab began this week with a bright future and what looked like a new deal that would bring it some stability and financial security, but by the end of the week the ailing Swedish automaker seems on even shakier ground than before. Yesterday, a deal with China's Hawtai Motor Group collapsed; the...
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2011 Saab 9-4X Aero: First DriveWhile we have truly unique vehicles like the next-generation 2013 Saab 9-3 to look forward to—or at least hope for, given the current uncertain state of Saab's future—in the meantime the Swedish automaker is subsisting on designs directly shared with its former owner, General Motors...
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2013 Saab 9-3 Will Be A Return To Form, Says Design ChiefThe 2013 Saab 9-3 will return to being primarily or exclusively a hatchback design, and will be heavily influenced by the PhoeniX concept from the 2011 Geneva Motor Show. That much we know, but at a recent Washington D.C. event to launch the new 2011 Saab 9-4X and also, it turned out, discuss the...
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Could Patrols Use Nav Traffic Data For Speed-Trap Placement?The navigation-system provider TomTom, which uses crowd-sourced traffic data to help find the fastest routes, has been caught in the Netherlands selling users' speed data to police—who then might use that to decide where to set up speed traps. Live traffic information is arguably one of the...
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Chrysler has officially pulled the wraps off its new 200 S Convertible and Convertible variants, which add a more upscale look and feel to the automaker's mid-size lineup.
And appropriately so, it...
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Suzuki Kizashi Apex Concept: 2011 New York Auto Show Live PhotosSuzuki is struggling in the U.S. to simply get consideration from vehicle shoppers. Once it gets that, with vehicles like the excellent 2011 Suzuki Kizashi and 2011 Suzuki SX4—and, perhaps the long-awaited Swift hot hatch—it's bound to find traction in the market. And here at the New...
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2013 Chevrolet Malibu LTZ: 2011 New York Auto Show Live PhotosThe all-new, 2013 Chevrolet Malibu that GM [NYSE: GM] just revealed at the New York auto show—and at the 2011 Shanghai Auto Show yesterday—will be a truly global model. With a wider stance, HID headlamps, and LED taillamps, and showy wheels, plus all-new trims and interior materials...
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2012 Hyundai Accent debuts at 2011 New York auto showA day after we brought you the first pics of the U.S.-spec Accent, the redesigned 2012 model has made its world debut, appearing at the 2011 New York auto show. The car is expected to revolutionize the subcompact class, with a more stylish design this time that borrows from the larger Elantra and...
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2011 Jeep Wrangler Mojave: 2011 New York Auto Show Live PhotosThe New York Auto Show seemed sort of an odd place to introduce the 2011 Jeep Wrangler Mojave, a vehicle that's named after the dusty Mojave Trail and Mojave Desert in California. The 2011 Jeep Wrangler Mojave starts as a Wrangler Sport but gets upgraded hardware plus some desert-themed cues. With...
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2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8: 2011 New York Auto Show Live PhotosTake a look at the new 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8, and you might not need that testosterone injection. In addition to the stronger stance and racy details, it makes 465 horsepower from 6.4 liters and can get from zero to 60 in just 4.8 seconds, according to Jeep. Paddle-shifters are standard...
Bengt Halvorson