Redesigns that worked and flopped determined by new Cars.com index

The 2013 Ford Fusion is probably the latest, greatest example of a completely redesigned car that has evoked widespread calls of "Look at that!" Above its buzzworthy looks, though, Ford will be concerned about how the 2013 Fusion sells and by how much if at all it beats sales of the previous version. Cars.com has run the sales numbers on 61 models that have been redesigned in the past four years, ranking them as Winners, Underperformers and Losers depending on how a new-generation model is selling compared to the one it replaces.

The rankings are sorted by sales class small, medium and large sellers so that the success of a niche sports car is weighted differently than the success of a popular midsize car. Compared to a four-year sales average for redesigned cars in each class, Winners were those who outsold the average, Underperformers didn't make the average but did outperform the previous year's (hence, the previous car's) sales, while Losers couldn't do any better anywhere.

Among the most recently introduced winners were the Toyota Camry and the Honda CR-V. The Camry beat the Four-Year Category Average Redesign Increase for large sellers by 2.2 percent, the CR-V managed 0.2 percent. Underperformers included the Audi A6/S6 which, even though it has outsold the previous generation by 58 percent, still isn't getting near the small seller category average of 79.2 percent. The new Hyundai Accent is also considered an underperformer, the new model boosting sales by 5.5 percent nowhere near the 61.5 percent of the medium seller category average. The only Loser listed in the chart is the Honda Civic, taking one last thrashing before the "honed" 2013 redesign gets a chance to right the ship.

As for that Fusion, the 2013 model has strong numbers to follow: the 2010 Fusion was a huge winner, putting up a 55.1-percent increase in the large seller category, beating the average by 33 percent. It only trailed the redesigned 2011 Hyundai Sonata shown above, which pasted the average by 42.5 percent. You can find a few more of the ranked models in Cars.com's chart by heading over to their website.
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Suzuki Samurai lives on with new Jimny facelift

The Suzuki Jimny is "sold across 188 global markets," but one of them isn't ours. For UK buyers who can buy a Jimny in SZ3 or SZ4 trims, the 2013 model has just been introduced with tweaks peppered throughout the vehicle. First among them is a soft redesign up front, a new bumper, grille and hood updating the face and adding an extra 30 mm to the length of the little SUV. Breeze Blue metallic paint is a new hue but it's only available on the more expensive SZ4.

Inside, customers will find new headrests and ISOFIX child seat fasteners for both Jimny versions, and for the SZ3, new seat fabrics. The 1.3-liter engine with variable valve timing growls out 84 horsepower and 81 pound-feet of torque, returning 39.8 Imperial combined mpg if fitted with a manual, 38.7 Imperial mpg combined in the automatic.

On-the-road prices are 11,995 ($19,016 US) for the SZ3, 12,900 ($20,451 US) for the manual-equipped SZ4, 13,800 ($21,877 US) with the automatic. More information can be found in the press release below.
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Four Wheeler crowns Ultimate Factory 4x4... who wins?

Nearly every automaker doing business in the SUV or pickup truck segments offers a package designed to improve the off-road capabilities of its wares. But, of course, not all such factory kits are created equal. How, then, to separate the wheat from the chaff? Gather each of them up and put them through their paces, naturally.

The folks from Four Wheeler and PickupTrucks.com joined forces to run just such a comparison test, with the winner named the Ultimate Factory 4x4. A total of seven vehicles showed up to the fight: the 2012 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor, 2013 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, 2012 Nissan Frontier PRO-4X and Xterra PRO-4X, 2012 Ram Power Wagon, and 2012 Toyota 4Runner Trail and Tacoma TRD TX Baja Series.

With the contestants in place, the whole crew put each vehicle through a battery of tests that included skidpad and acceleration measurements, a hillclimb, a rocky stairstep course and a rock garden. Considering the nature of the beasts, on-road ride and comfort were not part of the routine.

So, which four-wheeler ended up on top? Click here to read the results, and don't act like you're surprised by the victor.
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Consumer Reports weighs in with its first Tesla Model S review

Everyone has been chiming in with their thoughts on the Tesla Model S lately, and with the car taking home awards like the prestigious Motor Trend Car of the Year, this probably won't change anytime soon. Not wanting to be left in the dark, Consumer Reports has managed to get its hands on a Model S to give its own impressions of the luxurious electric hatchback.

Like many other outlets (including our own first drive), CR praised the Model S for its styling (which it compares to an Audi A7) and performance (which it says "can put serious hurt on a Corvette"). With limited time with the car, the video doesn't touch on the specific range the institute attained, but it appears most of the car's time was spent on the track anyway.

On the flip side of things, CR dinged the Model S for its retractable door handles which the reviewer refers to as "fussy," and as much as CR has blasted Ford and its MyFord Touch for being distracting and largely button-less in the past, we were surprised at how much it seemed to adore the lack of buttons on Model S. They even glossed over the fact that drivers can surf the Web on the 17-inch touch screen while driving.

Scroll down to watch the first drive video and then head over to Consumer Reports for the write-up.
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Supra successor may be all-electric sourced from Tesla; MR2 returning too?

Rumors of a revival of the Toyota Supra and MR2 have been swirling for years right up until just this week when high-level Toyota employees all but confirmed their return.

But now The Detroit Bureau has put together news from different sources suggesting that the next Supra might be all electric. The report cites recent comments from Toyota senior executives hinting at plans to work with Tesla on a new joint project. The FT-HS Concept (shown above) seems a logical inspiration for a new Supra.

And on the other side of the equation is Tesla's design chief Franz von Holzhausen who was quoted last year saying his company was looking at its next project, probably a sports car, that would follow next year's intro of the Model X. He went on to suggest the car would compete directly with BMW's 3 Series, which, in coupe form, could be a worthy competitor to a Supra as well.

Such a sporty, up-market car could easily take advantage of the Model S platform while the electric drivetrain would fit with what Toyota's chief engineer Tetsuya Tada says is an effort to balance a green image with products that offer "driving fun."

Last week, Tesla CEO Elon Musk said the company was already working on "a few other variants of the Model S" that would be "pretty exciting."

Toyota's Tada says there's no target date for introduction of either a Supra or MR2, but he would expect development to take up to five years to engineer the pair and for the Supra to take priority over the MR2.
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Production Chevrolet Spark EV to debut in LA

It's been a little over a year since General Motors first told us that an all-electric version of the Chevrolet Spark would be heading to the United States. And now, The General has confirmed that the little EV will debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show later this month.

Chevrolet isn't spilling any details on the Spark EV just yet, only stating that the vehicle "will offer consumers the same package that has made the gasoline-powered model so popular while delivering the technology and performance of pure electric power." Not much to talk about there, and the only bits of information divulged previously are that the Spark EV will be sold in "limited quantities in select US and global markets" and that the nanophosphate lithium-ion battery packs will be supplied by A123 Systems.

In other LA Auto Show news, GM will be showing off an updated version of the Chevrolet MyLink system that will debut in the 2014 Impala. The refreshed system offers higher levels of personalization and improved smartphone integration. Scroll down for all the details.
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Eterniti Artemis "super SUV" officially bows, yours for $334K

As of November 9, 2012 Eterniti Motors, makers of the Artemis (nee Hemera), has a home in Park Royal, London. The company produces its "super SUV" at a facility in London and has opened the 10,000-square-foot atelier, design studio and showroom nearby. Revealed on the night was the production version of the Artemis, the Cayenne-based high-rider brawned up with a 4.8-liter V8 making 600 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque.

The Artemis exists to satisfy "a car suitable for chauffeured transport but also for driving pleasure." Hence carbon fiber body panels, 23-inch lightweight wheels on low-pros, the interior of quilted leather, lambswool rugs, reclining and climate-controlled rear seats and a drink chiller with crystal tumblers. We don't know how the driven classes have survived all this time...

The price in all markets but China is the local equivalent of 210,000 ($334K US) plus taxes. A starlight headliner is free, further customization is not. More showrooms are expected to open next year, starting with Hong Kong. The press release below can tell you more.
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