Autos

Some of my favorite cars in the past have come from the Datsun, Nissan, and Infinity family and that continues to be the case to date with vehicles such as the Maxima, 370Z, G Series, M Series, and Infiniti FX Series. Just yesterday, Infinity and Austrian manufacturer, Magna Steyr, announced the details of a new Infiniti premium compact model.

The new entry-level Infinity is to hit the showrooms in 2014 and will be available in key markets around the world including Western Europe. No word yet on whether it will be available in North America but I would consider this part of the world as a ‘key market’.

A couple of months ago, Mercedes introduced the Viano Vision Diamond – a luxurious van for the traveling business person. Now, it appears that Volkswagen is jumping on the bandwagon and trying to capture a piece of the action. The VW ‘Caravelle Business’ is designed to be a mobile conference room featuring things such as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity.

Although the exterior may be bland looking, all the action is happening in the interior of the vehicle starting with Nappa leather upholstery and burr wood trim throughout the van. The Caravelle Business van provides seating for six people including the driver and the rear compartment of the van features a “sociable rear lounge area” with four seats and an adjustable table.

Nissan’s competition should really be the ones taking Notes. The newly designed Nissan Note made its world debut at the Osanbashi venue in Yokohama, Japan. The previous Nissan Note resembled that of a small MPV but its successor is designed to fit more into the small hatchback category. The car is designed to have a more spacious feel thanks to the taller roof which Nissan describes as an “air cabin” and apparently, it can’t be found on any other vehicle in this class.

Not only does the Nissan Note look a lot sexier than the previous generation, the Note is also extremely fuel efficient. The Japanese variant will come in two engine options, a 1.2-liter three-cylinder gasoline engines in naturally aspirate and supercharged. Both engines will feature the next-generation XTRONIC CVT with IDS (Idling Stop System).

Okay, the picture you see above is what everybody was hoping for when Mazda released the final details on their 2014 Mazda6. The vehicle pictured above is the 2011 Takeri concept which the Mazda6 is based on. Although the 2014 Mazda6 is certainly inspired by the concept, I think people were hoping for something…..more?

The 2014 production model of the Mazda6 may not be as aggressive as we were expecting, it is still considerably more handsome than the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord in my opinion. Improvements have been made throughout the vehicle including exterior, interior, and new technologies to reduce fuel consumption. In Europe, the 2014 Mazda6 will also be available as a station wagon.

I’ve been lusting/drooling over the 6^th generation BMW 3-Series sedan (F30) for a while now; I really like the “angry bird” front styling and the overall look of the car.  I haven’t driven it yet but have read reviews and watched hours of videos on the car and hopefully I’ll get to review it soon.  As much as I like the car the way it is, there’s always room for improvements and that’s where AC Schnitzer comes in.

The AC Schnitzer tuning package for the BMW 3-Series F30 sedan consists of a minor appearance package and increase in power.

Skoda may be an unfamiliar vehicle brand on the North American shores but it’s a different story over in Europe. Skoda Octavia made its debut in 1996 and went on sale in the UK in 1998 quickly becoming a popular family vehicle due to its practicality and affordability. The all-new 2013 Skoda Octavia uses Volkswagen’s MQB platform which is also used on vehicles such as the Audi A3 and the VW Golf MK7. At first glance, the Octavia does look very “VW Jetta’ish”.

The third-generation Octavia is a bit bigger than the previous generation and is now wider and longer which translates into more interior space as well as leg room for the rear passengers. The vehicle now also offers more head room making it a class-leading vehicle in the C-Segment (compact) when it comes to interior space. The larger interior also has updated look and feel featuring soft touch materials.