LA Auto Show 2010

LA Auto Show: Infiniti M Hybrid for 2012 Model Year

Hybrid cars in the luxury car segment continue to proliferate despite the fact that most engineers will tell you that heavier vehicles like luxe sedans and SUVs achieve better fuel economy at a lower cost with a diesel engine.

The latest is the Infiniti M Hyrbird, introduced by the luxury brand of Nissan at the LA Auto Show this week. The new gas-electric version of the luxe sedan will hit showrooms the end of 2011 as a 2012 model.

The M is a rear drive sedan, and comes with a seven speed automatic transmission. Official fuel economy figures are not available yet. But Infiniti expects the M Hybrid to get 25 miles per gallon in the city and 30 mpg on the highway (27 combined).

The M Hybrid comes with premium amenities as you would expect: Active Noise Control; an audible pedestrian warning system for when the car is silently cruising in electric mode; navigation; Bluetooth; satellite radio.

The M will join Audi, BMW, Lexus, Porsche, Volkswagen and Mercedes-Benz with high end Hybrids.

Tags: Hybrid luxury cars, Infiniti M hybrid, Infiniti M Series, infiniti m35 hybrid, la auto show 2010, los angeles auto show, los angeles auto show 2010

LA Auto Show: Saab 9-4X

by David Kiley (RSS feed) —

Swedish automaker Saab was sold last year by owner General Motors to exotic car maker Spyker. And though Spyker is anxious to chart a new course for the always quirky Saab, the ties to GM re still very much in evidence.

Witness the debut of the Saab 9-4 luxury crossover at the LA Auto Show, a fine looking vehicle that was completely developed by GM on the same platform as the Cadillac SRX crossover. That's not a bad thing, as the bones of the SRX are very nice indeed.

Even under GM management, though, the Swedes were allowed to Saabify the 9-4 as much as possible. Indeed, the exterior styling does look more akin to the Saab 9-5 sedan than the SRX.

It has lots of luxe goodies like eight-way power adjustable seats, Bluetooth connectivity and a tri-zone climate control system. Under the hood, there is a naturally-aspirated 265-horsepower 3.0-liter V6 and a direct-injection, turbocharged 2.8-liter V6 that produces pumps 300 hp. Both engines are mated to a six-speed automatic gearbox. All-wheel-drive is standard.

Gallery: LA Auto Show: All New Saab 9-4

Tags: LA Auto Show 2010, los angeles auto show 2010, Saab, Saab 9-4, Spyker

LA Auto Show: New BMW 6 Series Convertible

by David Kiley (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

BMW chose the LA Auto Show to release pictures of the restyled 6 Series convertible it will show in the flesh at January's Detroit Auto Show.

The convertible is very much an evolution of the outgoing 6, with fresh exterior styling first shown on the four-door BMW Gran Coupe at the Beijing motor show last April. The car sports a roomier four-seat interior, as well as an advanced, multi-layered cloth roof developed with German-based roof specialist Edscha.

BMW claims the automatic roof structure will open in just 19 seconds and close in 24 seconds at the push of a console-mounted button. As with the outgoing model, a separate glass rear screen, mounted vertically, can be opened separately from the cloth hood.

At 192.6 inches in length, 74.5 inches in width and 53.5 inches in height, the new 6-series convertible is 2.9 inches longer, 1.5 inches wider and 0.4 inch lower than its predecessor launched in 2004. The wheelbase has been extended by 2.9 inches, to 112.4 inches.

The new 6-series convertible will be launched in North America next year with just one engine, in combination with either a standard six-speed manual or an optional eight-speed automatic gearbox. The 650i convertible runs a turbocharged 4.4-liter V8, delivering 400 hp and 450 lb-ft, sufficient, says BMW, for 0 to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds and a 155-mph top speed. Other engines will follow, including a turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six with 320 hp and 332 lb-ft of torque in a less-expensive 640i convertible.

Gallery: BMW 6 Series Convertible