2012 VW Beetle Configurator Goes Live, Plus New Photo Gallery

Dreaming of a new 2012 Volkswagen Beetle? Well, if you live in Europe or North America, you’ll have to wait until this October and September respectively to grab one, but for those of you in a hurry to see what your 2012 Beetle could look like, VW’s configurator is available for everyone to play with on the firm’s German website. Unfortunately though, at the time, the options are limited to a choice of exterior colors and alloy wheel designs.

In addition to the news on the configurator, we’ve also found a fresh batch of photos of the latest generation of the Beetle, which you can ogle on in the gallery after the break. For more details on VW’s newcomer, check out our previous post here.

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Buick Envision Concept Previews Future SUVs for China

GM has lifted the wraps off the Buick Envision SUV Concept that will debut at the Shanghai Auto Show, a natural choice since the study is the work of Shanghai GM and the Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center (PATAC). Furthermore, GM says the crossover model was designed for China, as “it introduces the development direction for Buick’s future SUV products for the market”.

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Citroen Reveals Family-Sized DS5 Crossover ahead of Shanghai Premiere

Citroen has officially dropped photos and information on its all-new DS5, which is the latest addition to its DS sub-brand and the largest one yet. Measuring 4.52 meters in length, 1.50 meters in height and 1.85 m in width, the DS5 sits between the C4 and the C5 in Citroen's range, with the company describing the car as an alternative to the more conventional C5 with a higher ground clearance, more refined interior and a crossover shape.

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2012 Volkswagen Beetle: All-New Bug Grows up

Ladies and gents, say hello to the all-new, third generation Volkswagen Beetle that was unwrapped today ahead of its world premiere at the 2011 Shanghai Auto Show and New York Auto Show. The newest interpretation of the Bug comes 73 years after the launch of the original Beetle in 1938, which sold an amazing 21.5 million units, and 13 years after the debut of the New Beetle in 1998 that managed to sell a little over 1 million units until production ended in 2010.

When it goes on sale in North America and Europe in the fall of 2011, and the rest of the world from early 2012, the latest model will be known simply as the ‘Beetle’ as Volkswagen dropped the ‘New’ from the car’s name.

If someone asked us to summarize the qualities of the 2012 Beetle in a few words, it would be: larger, more mature and unisex. Starting with the design, VW’s goal was to make the 21st century Beetle appeal to both genders. As a result, the VW Group’s chief designer Walter de Silva and his team offered the Beetle a meaner and lower-slung look that draws on cues from the Beetle Ragster concept shown in Detroit in 2005. The overall styling is far less bulbous and more chiseled compared to the New Beetle, while keeping the retro feel of the series.

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Ford to Introduce 15 new Cars in China and to Double Workforce by 2015

With only a few days left before the start of the Shanghai Auto Show, Ford Motor Company announced a very ambitious plan for China as the automaker aims to introduce 15 new vehicles and to double its workforce in the world's largest car market by 2015.

“Together with our partners, we are leveraging the strength of the One Ford plan and our global platforms to bring 15 new vehicles to China by 2015, reinforcing our commitment to offer a full portfolio of vehicles for our Chinese customers," said Joe Hinrichs, Ford Asia Pacific and Africa president. "The 15 new vehicles are part of Ford’s plans to introduce 50 new products and powertrains to the Asia Pacific region by 2015,” Hinrichs added.

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2013 Chevrolet Malibu Sedan: China Edition

Another day, another photo of General Motors’ 2013 Chevrolet Malibu. This time, GM’s China site published a three-quarter view of the local market version of Chevy’s mid-size sedan finished in a blue hue. Blame the angle the picture was taken, but the new Malibu looks less dynamic, more plain here than it did on the previous image of the US-spec model. Of course, that’s our two cents worth, so feel free to express your thoughts in the comments section below. Read more »

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Seat to Launch in China in 2012, will be at the Shanghai Auto Show

As part of the VW Group’s strategy to expand its brands into new markets, the German automaker will bring Seat to the Shanghai Auto Show (April 21-28, 2011) offering Chinese buyers their first taste of the Spanish firm’s cars before sales begin with the Leon and Ibiza models in 2012. Read more »

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Volvo Teases Mysterious Concept Universe that Could Preview a Flagship Model

Volvo released a teaser video of its upcoming Concept Universe, without giving out any additional information other than that it's a new design study that will be launched shortly. This means it could debut at one of this month's international auto shows, either in New York (April 22 – May 1) or Shanghai (April 21 – 28). Taking into account the fact that Volvo is owned by China’s Geely, the Shanghai show could be the more probable venue of the two for the new Volvo. Read more »

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Peugeot Unveils China-Designed SXC Crossover Study

Peugeot has a very good reason to unveil the SXC concept at the Shanghai Motor Show, as the crossover model has been designed and developed by the Peugeot Style Studios of China Tech Center. In addition, the SXC name stands for “Shanghai Cross Concept”, with Peugeot claiming that the crossover study was build to suit the tastes of Chinese buyers.

At 4,870mm long, 1,610mm tall and 2,035mm wide, the sleek crossover is a large vehicle. To put it in perspective, the BMW X6 measures 4,877mm long. The SXC features several styling cues seen in recent Peugeot concept cars, such as the SR1, HR1 and the EX1. The French firm said the study combines elements from both SUVs and saloon models.

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2013 Chevrolet Malibu Photo Slips Out on the Internet

Thanks to an official photograph that leaked onto the internet last night, we now have our first glimpse at the exterior of all-new 2013 Chevrolet Malibu. The new mid-size sedan from GM appears to sport a robust look with a sculpted face featuring the classic split Chevrolet grille. Read more »

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New Audi Q3 SUV Officially Revealed: High-Res Gallery with 67 Photos

The wait is finally over. A mere week after the release of the teaser sketches, Audi has come out with official photos and details on its new Q3 compact SUV, which will receive its first public outing at the Shanghai Auto Show.

The Q3 is Audi’s third SUV model after the larger Q5 and Q7 and will compete against the BMW X1. Those familiar with the VW Group’s strategy won’t be surprised to find out that the Q3 is based on the platform architecture of the Volkswagen Tiguan. Audi’s interpretation of a compact SUV model measures 4.39 meters in length (14.4 ft), 1.83 meters in width (6.0 ft), and 1.60 meters (5.25 ft) in height with the roof rails, meaning its 240mm shorter, 50mm narrower and 53mm lower than the Q5.

The exterior styling is pure Audi with the design loosely inspired by the Ingolstadt firm’s Cross Coupe Quattro Concept from the 2007 Shanghai Auto Show. Compared to the Q5, Audi’s smaller SUV model introduces a sharper front design with wedge-shaped headlamps and a roofline that slopes gently towards the back for a more dynamic profile.

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MINI by Rolls Royce: Posh Limited Edition Model Revealed Ahead of Shanghai Show

A couple of years back, we shared some scoop photos of a prototype MINI with styling elements from Rolls Royce models. A company spokesman had then confirmed that the car was real, but to the dismay of many fans, he said that it was a one-off for a special dealer event. If you happened to like the idea of a Rolls-Royce-flavored MINI we have some good news for you as the British company will premiere a special edition model at the upcoming Shanghai Auto Show next week.

The limited production model is called “Mini Inspired by Goodwood”, with the name paying tribute to Rolls Royce’s headquarters. Only 1,000 examples of the special Mini will be built at the British firm’s Oxford plant, with first deliveries to take place in the spring of 2012.

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Peugeot to Premiere China Market 508 Sedan and New SUV Concept at Shanghai Auto Show

As China’s auto market continues to grow in numbers and significance, carmakers from both sides of the Atlantic and beyond are flocking to the world’s most populous country to reap the benefits. For its part, French automaker Peugeot plans to reinforce its presence in China by launching at least one new model per year into the market starting with the new local market 508 saloon that will be introduced alongside a brand new concept model at next week’s Shanghai Auto Show. Read more »

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New Subaru XV Concept Teased Ahead of 2011 Shanghai Auto Show

In the run-up to the Auto Shanghai 2011 that takes place in China from April 21 through 28, Subaru has released the first official photo of a brand-new crossover study called the XV Concept. The Japanese company did not give out many details on the concept simply stating that the XV is a stylish proposal for a crossover model. Read more »

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BMW Unleashes New Video of V8-Powered M5 Concept

In preparation of the big reveal of the M5 Concept at the Auto Shanghai 2011 in China later this month, BMW has churned out a new video of its high-performance sports saloon. What we get to see here is the thinly disguised M5 study on the move, though in an unwanted politically correct manner. Read more »

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VIDEO: Mercedes-Benz Explains the Design of the Concept A-Class

On Wednesday, Mercedes-Benz introduced an impressive design study for the next generation of the A-Class, heavily influenced by the brand's recent concept cars, mainly the F800 and the CLS Shooting Brake. Now, we have two new video of the concept model. In the first clip, exterior designer Mark Featherston, who worked on the Concept A-Class, explains the important styling features of the compact car in a short film released by Mercedes-Benz.

The German automaker also presented the first footage showing the Concept A-Class in motion and capturing the car's most appealing exterior and interior angles. Scroll down to watch both videos dedicated to the concept that previews Stuttgart’s upcoming rival to the BMW 1 Series and Audi A3.

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New Audi Q3 Baby SUV: First Official Teasers Revealed Ahead of Shanghai Auto Show

Audi has revealed the first official teaser sketches of its Q3 ‘baby’ SUV model, prior to its world premiere at the Shanghai Auto Show later this month. The drawings confirm the Q3 will look pretty much like the Cross Coupe quattro design study unveiled by Audi in 2007.

However, the front end of the production Q3 seems changed in comparison with the aforementioned concept, with the headlights sporting a thinner, stretched shape and being mirrored in the lower side of the bumper by the spaces for the fog lights.

At the back, the car looks similar to the concept, with the exception of the tailgate window angle, which is not as inclined as on the Cross Coupe quattro.

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From China for China: BMW Teams up with Brilliance to Create 5-Series Plug-in Hybrid Sedan

BMW has teamed up with joint venture partner Brilliance China Automotive Holdings Ltd. to develop a new plug-in hybrid model based on the long wheelbase version of the local market 5 Series Sedan, which is available exclusively in China. The prototype model will receive its world premiere at the Auto Shanghai 2011 later this month.

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Mercedes Brings Sexy to the Compact Segment with New Concept A-Class, will be Revealed in Shanghai

Mercedes-Benz plans to show up at this month’s Shanghai Auto Show with a brand new concept for a spectacular looking A-Class model. While the Concept A-Class is just what its name says it is – a prototype study - it’s also a very good indication of where the company plans to take its BMW 1-Series and Audi A3 rival with the presentation of the next generation model that is scheduled to go on sale in 2012.

For starters, Mercedes is giving up the minivan-like silhouette of the current A-Class for a more dramatic and sporty looking two-box profile with a long bonnet and a low roof-line. The concept’s exterior design details are heavily influenced by Stuttgart’s most recent prototypes such as the CLS Shooting Brake and especially the F800.

Aside from the new nose with a prominent Mercedes grille, the three-door Concept A-Class also features concave surfaces with sweeping lines throughout the body.

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BMW Introduces 7-Series Steinway & Sons Piano Limited Edition in China

Being that China is one of BMW’s largest and most important markets in the world, it only makes sense that the Bavarian company bring all of its products including any special models like the 7-Series Steinway & Sons Limited Edition that was first shown in late 2010. The special edition 7er, which was created by BMW Individual as part of an exclusive partnership with New York-based piano manufacturer Steinway & Sons, was revealed at a special event in China.

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