You never saw that one coming, did you? There they were, three smug presenters of Top Gear Australia reckoning on an easy win: them in a V8 Holden Commodore SS Ute vs us in a shoddy old Ford Transit van.

Then some XJ220 happened, and the trusty Ford spanked the Aussies. And we’re getting that 3.5-litre twin-turbo unit ready again, as the new Transit has just been revealed. Sort of.

Ford has given us the Tourneo Custom Concept van, showcasing the next generation of an “all-new family of one-tonne Ford Transit people movers and commercial vehicles”. This makes us childishly excited because we’re quite fond of the Transit: as much an integral part of the British landscape as Harry Potter flying over Big Ben on a broomstick.

It’ll debut at next month’s Geneva motor show, featuring a rather new design language for Ford’s commercial vehicles, namely, that of its road cars. Doesn’t it look like a pumped-up Focus?

There’s more road-car goodness inside, too. There’s a driver-orientated cockpit, a fully trimmed cabin with new rear seats, foldable into multiple configurations or removed completely, to make space for that 3.5-litre of course.

Speaking of engines, the Tourneo concept is powered by a 150bhp version of Ford’s 2.2-litre Duratorq diesel engine, and features start/stop and regenerative charging. Production versions will come in three guises – 97bhp, 120bhp and 150bhp – as well as a six-speed manual gearbox and front-wheel-drive.

And Ford tells us the Tourneo is based on a new global platform engineered to deliver car-like dynamics: we’re promised good handling, enhanced ride comfort and reduced noise levels. Wonder what Stig would make of that…

Let us know what you think of the new Transit – ahem, Tourneo – and then choose which modern engine you’d like to see stuffed in the back of this.

Source: http://www.topgear.com/uk/car-news/new-ford-tourneo-transit-concept-geneva-motor-show-2012-02-22?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=ongoing

When we drove the Genesis coupe in mid-2009 at a media preview, we were pretty impressed with Hyundai’s efforts. After thrashing both turbo four-cylinder and naturally aspirated V-6 models around a racetrack, we concluded: “Regardless of which flavor you choose or modifications you install, there’s plenty about the Genesis coupe to like. It’s an affordable, attractive sports coupe, with the unique appeal of rear-wheel drive.” In subsequent drives of the Genesis coupe at our editorial office, Automobile Magazine editors found plenty to like but also lots to gripe about. Generally speaking, we concluded that ride comfort (especially in models with the optional track package), interior trim quality, overall refinement, and the power delivery and NVH characteristics of the 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder, in particular, were lacking. So, although we loved the idea of the Genesis coupe—a rear-wheel-drive sporty car for the common man, an all-too-rare commodity—we thought the common man deserved more. “Here’s one Hyundai that needs some more polishing,” was a typical comment from our 2009 reviews.

Source: http://automobile.automotive.com/177598/1202-2013-hyundai-genesis-coupe-first-drive/index.html

During the year with us, we rolled 16,354 miles on the odometer, towed trailers, loaded up the bed, wheeled on trails, used it as a support vehicle for photo shoots, and took our kids to school. We got a good sense of the truck’s capability, as well as reliability.

Source: http://fourwheeler.automotive.com/177594/129-1204-2010-ram-power-wagon-report-4/index.html

Audi of America outfitted our tester with Pirelli Sotto Zero winter tires, which made me wish for a snowstorm, because the combination of Quattro all-wheel drive and highest-quality performance winter rubber would make the A5 an invincible winter machine. I’m struck by the amount of automotive beauty you get for your dollar in the A5; I mean, forty-five thousand dollars isn’t cheap, but I’ve been A5 coupes that cost less than $40K. In any case, this is a car that, every time you park it, you glance back at it as you walk away. Everywhere I parked it over the weekend I drove it, it looked spectacular, whether it was in my driveway, in my Audi A4-owning friend’s driveway, or at the curb in downtown Ann Arbor. As I drove to the office this morning, I passed an A5 convertible going the other direction, and as the two A5s swept by each other, it created an instant of beauty that Miller Road has probably seldom before experienced.

Source: http://automobile.automotive.com/177397/1202-2012-audi-a5-coupe/index.html

Audi of America outfitted our tester with Pirelli Sotto Zero winter tires, which made me wish for a snowstorm, because the combination of Quattro all-wheel drive and highest-quality performance winter rubber would make the A5 an invincible winter machine. I’m struck by the amount of automotive beauty you get for your dollar in the A5; I mean, forty-five thousand dollars isn’t cheap, but I’ve been A5 coupes that cost less than $40K. In any case, this is a car that, every time you park it, you glance back at it as you walk away. Everywhere I parked it over the weekend I drove it, it looked spectacular, whether it was in my driveway, in my Audi A4-owning friend’s driveway, or at the curb in downtown Ann Arbor. As I drove to the office this morning, I passed an A5 convertible going the other direction, and as the two A5s swept by each other, it created an instant of beauty that Miller Road has probably seldom before experienced.

Source: http://automobile.automotive.com/177397/1202-2012-audi-a5-coupe/index.html

Having the same impact among more luxurious competitors will definitely be a challenge for the second-generation CTS, which is near the end of its lifecycle. It performs superbly — the 3.6-liter V-6 is strong and polished, the steering is direct, and the ride and handling are nicely balanced — but it doesn’t come close in offering the material quality, technology, or the interior refinement of its peers. The CTS is missing options like heated rear seats, a heated steering wheel, four-zone climate control, blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, and lane-departure warning. The interior is marred by an ugly, clunky navigation system and awkwardly placed climate controls, along with materials that are a grade below those used by the German brands. No doubt the next CTS will offer many more amenities and higher-end finishes at a loftier price, but until that new car arrives (probably within the next two years), the ATS will likely be eating into its market share.

Source: http://automobile.automotive.com/177225/1201-2012-cadillac-cts-premium-collection/index.html

Having the same impact among more luxurious competitors will definitely be a challenge for the second-generation CTS, which is near the end of its lifecycle. It performs superbly — the 3.6-liter V-6 is strong and polished, the steering is direct, and the ride and handling are nicely balanced — but it doesn’t come close in offering the material quality, technology, or the interior refinement of its peers. The CTS is missing options like heated rear seats, a heated steering wheel, four-zone climate control, blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control, and lane-departure warning. The interior is marred by an ugly, clunky navigation system and awkwardly placed climate controls, along with materials that are a grade below those used by the German brands. No doubt the next CTS will offer many more amenities and higher-end finishes at a loftier price, but until that new car arrives (probably within the next two years), the ATS will likely be eating into its market share.

Source: http://automobile.automotive.com/177225/1201-2012-cadillac-cts-premium-collection/index.html

Although I’d driven a fully loaded Journey R/T late last year, this was my first time with one that wasn’t as extravagantly optioned. This SXT does without the leather seating, rear-seat entertainment system, and the fold-flat third-row seat, which is best suited for passengers of small stature. I was a bit surprised to find the seat cushion of the front passenger seat flipped up and forward to reveal a storage cubby, although I had more use of the fold-flat front seatback when bringing home a bundle of lengthy storage organizers. Dodge touts the fat that most Journeys receive touch-screen panels for 2011, but as has been pointed out, not all utilize the giant 8.4-inch screen we’ve come to love in other Chrysler products. This smaller screen is a little cluttered with buttons but still operates as smoothly and quickly as its larger brethren. Acceleration is brisk, thanks to the 3.6-liter V-6, but the transmission – which occasionally delivered a surprisingly harsh gear change – could stand a bit more refinement.

Source: http://automobile.automotive.com/177155/1202-2012-dodge-journey-sxt/index.html

Lending credibility to Cammisa’s fear, Jen Misaros, managing editor of digital platforms, nearly experienced that situation — albeit in a parking lot with impatient, horn-happy drivers being the only threat to her safety. “To my chagrin, it took me what seemed like an eternity to find reverse, drive, and then reverse again because, each time I had to change gears, I over- or undershot the gear I was looking for,” Misaros wrote. “Unless you are actually looking at the shifter or the info screen between the gauges, there is no way to know which gear you’ve landed on. It’s especially difficult to go from opposite ends of the shifter — from P to D — and make the correct choice.”

Source: http://automobile.automotive.com/177097/1202-2012-dodge-charger-sxt-plus-four-seasons-january-update/index.html

The S800 is a darling little car to drive, with unassisted, superfast steering (only 2.5 turns lock-to-lock!), an incomprehensibly supple ride, and a body-on-frame structure that is somehow immune to cowl shake. The shifter is the size of a chopstick, and its short throws feel better than those of any car you can buy today. The driver’s seat actually fits life-size human beings and, with the exception of a toggle switch for the horn that you accidentally actuate every time you reach for the turn signal, even the controls are well laid out. But the engine overshadows all of that. Its response is instantaneous, and it’s as happy and torquey at two grand as it is at eight. The mind boggles. That this is Honda’s first car is amazing, but even taken on its own, the S800 is a clear explanation of how this company became the undisputed master of the four-cylinder engine and earned a reputation for engineering brilliance.