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Given that the 2013 Avalon shares a platform with the new Lexus ES, this news should come as no surprise: Toyota's largest sedan is getting its own hybrid variant for the first time ever. Judging by these first photos, carspotters will have to squint hard to tell that they're looking at a hybrid, as there are only a few small badges and blue-tinted lenses as a tip-off to this vehicle's gas-electric motivation.

As with its luxury-minded sibling, the Avalon Hybrid will arrive under the spell of a 2.5-liter Atkinson-cycle four paired with a duo of electric motors juiced by a nickel-metal hydride battery pack. Total system power is stated at 200 horsepower, but the meatier number is an EPA fuel economy rating of 40 miles per gallon city and 39 highway.

Also like its Lexus relation, Toyota is touting a trio of operation modes that includes pure EV (only good for one mile at speeds up to 25 mph), Eco, and Sport, the latter of which tweaks both steering weight and throttle response.

Toyota hasn't released any dynamic performance figures or pricing information, but the new Avalon Hybrid will be in dealers this fall, where it will square off against the Buick LaCrosse eAssist and soon-to-be-replaced Lincoln MKZ Hybrid.

Early reports are filtering in this morning of an explosion at a General Motors Technical Center battery research lab in Warren, Michigan. According to The Detroit News, a battery exploded injuring one or two people.

According to the report, Warren's fire department received a call at around 9AM this morning, only to find two injured and "a small fire" stemming from the explosion. A General Motors spokesman apparently put the number of injured parties at one, so there is still some confusion about the number of people affected by the incident at this point.

A HAZMAT team was dispatched to the Tech Center and the building has been evacuated, with all employees accounted for. Detroit NBC affiliate WXYZ is on the scene with a live feed that you can watch here. The extent of the injuries and damage, along with what caused the explosion, are not immediately clear, but we will have more details as they become available, so stay tuned.

*UPDATE: Video added after the jump.
** UPDATE: In a statement added after the jump, GM now says the explosion was caused by "extreme testing of a prototype battery" that is "unrelated to the Chevrolet Volt or any other production vehicle."

General Motors is taking a big gamble in a little way with its 2013 Chevrolet Spark. The Detroit automaker is betting that high fuel prices and an increased awareness of one's ecological footprint will mean more consumers are willing to entertain a new car with an even smaller err... footprint. The Spark will join other minicars like the Fiat 500, Scion iQ and Smart ForTwo, none of which have met with significant sales volume. On the other hand, its big brother, the Sonic has performed well in the early going. In addition, the Spark offers more physical volume than its peers – as well as a set of rear doors – so practicality appears to be solidly in favor of Camp Chevy.

The five-door Spark will test America's appetites for small car life with a starting price of just $12,995 (*including delivery) when it arrives in Chevrolet showrooms later this year. Available in a trio of trims, the lineup will start with the well-equipped LS model that includes a whopping 10 airbags, air conditioning, power windows, OnStar and 15-inch alloys.

Stepping up to the 1LT trim will cost $14,495, but it adds an audio system with seven-inch color touchscreen, USB connectivity and satellite radio. Additional features include keyless entry, power mirrors, cruise control, Bluetooth ("for select phones") and mundane items like visor mirrors and floor mats. The range-topping 2LT ($15,795) will be distinguished by a unique set of 15-inch wheels, sportier body-color fascias, fog lamps and additional exterior brightwork. Inside, heated, leatherette-covered seats and a leather-wrapped wheel spruce up the cabin.

Regardless of which trim spec is selected, buyers will find a 1.2-liter Ecotec four-cylinder underhood, and a five-speed manual is standard equipment, though a four-speed automatic can be substituted for $925.

GM announced back in October that it will also bring a Spark EV to "select markets" in the U.S. sometime in 2013, though it has yet to announce pricing or an on-sale date for the pure electric runabout.

We'll be able to share full details on the electric LE Concept from Infiniti when the embargo lifts later today, but our ace photographer Drew Phillips happened to be on the automaker's New York Auto Show stand when officials uncovered the shiny showcar while conducting a practice run-through of their presentation.

The four-door LE concept is broadly believed to presage an upscale pure electric production model based on Nissan Leaf mechanicals for the Infiniti marque. Our man on the scene indicates that the LE is a fairly striking bit of work, with a front end that fits in well with the brand (though the chrome-edged pinched grille is a bit much). The hood line incorporates bulges along its edges, presumably for aerodynamic purposes like those on Leaf. Phillips also remarked that the rear three-quarter view looks a bit like the Hyundai Elantra, a similarity we can see but don't imagine Infiniti designers will necessarily appreciate.

We can't talk specs yet, but for pointers, the Leaf's electric powertrain generates 107 horsepower and 208 pound-feet of torque and it features a 100-mile range. Stick with us and we'll have the full skinny around noon.

Nissan's stables are already all ate up with crossovers – they've got the Murano, the Rogue, the Juke and the new Pathfinder, not to mention overseas models like the wildly popular Qashqai or corner cases like the Murano CrossCabriolet. So what's one more thrown into the mix? Enter the Nissan Hi-Cross. Officially a concept, the Hi-Cross could just be a peek at the next-generation Murano, or it could be a look at a new Euro-market entrant? It could just be a pure concept, but it seems to be too rational and free of show car excess to not be production-minded.

Despite looking a skosh smaller than the current Murano, the Hi-Cross concept seats seven, and it's powered by a direct-injected 2.0-liter gasoline engine backed by an electric motor that Nissan says produces power similar to a conventional 2.5-liter engine. Given the fact that this is a three-row concept and has such a small engine, perhaps the Hi-Cross is just hinting at a production CUV for the European market, as the Pathfinder would likely be perceived as too large to drive on The Continent. Of course, that's why Nissan already sells the long-wheelbase Qashqai+2, right? Color us confused.

Regardless of what it is, you can take a closer look with our gallery of live photos and the official press release after the jump.

While technically still a concept, Volkswagen has rolled out another version of its Cross Coupé that first debuted at the Tokyo Motor Show last November. The handsome compact crossover rides on VW's new transverse matrix architecture and it's smaller than you think, which means it should be rather entertaining to drive with this iteration's TDI diesel plug-in hybrid powertrain boasting a combined 302 horsepower.

Reaching 62 miles per hour in 6.5 seconds and pushing on to a top speed of 137 mph, the Cross Coupé seems to offer a solid amount of entertainment along with impressive thrift. On the European cycle, VW says this vehicle should be good for an impressive 130 miles per gallon equivalent, thanks in part to a pure electric range of 28 miles.

We weren't able to get inside the Cross Coupé concept this time, but if the Tokyo show star was any indication, this vehicle looks production ready – though perhaps without this showcar's exotic powertrain. Check it out in our full gallery and look in on the official press release after the jump.

Infiniti continues to openly toy with the idea of producing a racy luxury sports coupe, following on the heels of 2009's Geneva Motor Show star, the Essence concept. This year, Infiniti has gone in a more overtly sporting direction with this hot little number, the Emerg-E.

Fortunately, this coupe's styling isn't as contrived as its name suggests thanks to a rakish form that comes across as more of a supercar than the Essence's large-scale grand touring aesthetic. The Emerg-E looks even better in person than in photos, with an organic quality to the flowing lines that's nicely emphasized by the car's smoky matte finish. If we have any complaints, it's that the nose looks a bit long, and incongruously, it seems to offer a riff on the spindle grille that Lexus is rolling out portfolio-wide. No matter, this is clearly one of this year's most impressive debuts.

Powered by a 400-horsepower range-extended powertrain, Infiniti says the Emerg-E can bolt to 60 miles per hour in four seconds dead while offering a 300-mile range.

We're officially ready for Infiniti to stop teasing us with handsome concept cars and get on with producing an upscale sports coupe.

While we've been consumed with the ramp-up to next week's Detroit Auto Show, there's a more pressing matter on the international car events calendar – this week's New Delhi Auto Expo. Ford Motor Company isn't overlooking the burgeoning biennial show, and it's taking the opportunity to reveal its first-ever world debut at the show, the next Ford EcoSport.

Debuting with a sliver of show-only frosting (check out those glitzy headlamps), the tiny crossover is about the same size as the Fiesta five-door, and it's built on the Blue Oval's new global B-Car architecture. Ford isn't revealing much in the way of powertrain specifics for this thinly disguised model, but our sources tell us the EcoSport will see the first application of the company's new 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine in India (yes, that means there will be an EcoSport EcoBoost), and presumably there will be an ethanol variant as well.

The upright CUV has been designed with emerging markets in mind, namely portions of Asia and South America, so we're unlikely to see it in North America (we'd be more likely to receive the B-Max MPV), though our sources tell us that an eventual European market appearance is not out of the question. Roughly 90 percent of cars in those markets are B-Segment or smaller, and the previous generation of the Brazilian-built EcoSport has sold some 750,000 units since hitting the market nine years ago.

While the original EcoSport sold almost exclusively in Brazil, the new model will spread its wings to take on a more global role as part of the company's One Ford agenda. To be assembled in both India and Brazil, the EcoSport represents the first time that Ford's team in Camacari, Brazil has taken the lead in conceiving a global product, another indication of the market's growing importance. The new EcoSport will be a lynchpin for the Blue Oval, who expect the Asia Pacific region to swallow up to one out of every three Ford vehicles sold by 2020 (it's just one in six today).

Want more proof of India's rise in importance? Officials tell us that Ford plans to treat the Delhi show as a first-tier show going forward, on par with Detroit, the Frankfurt Motor Show, and so on. Ostensibly, the show will replace a Tokyo Motor Show presence for the Dearborn automaker, as Ford was absent from last month's show in Japan.

Honda has whipped the sheets off of its EV-STER, a rear-wheel drive electric roadster not dissimilar in size and scope to the late, lamented Beat kei car. If you're looking for a successor to Honda's S2000 or a Mazda MX-5 Miata rival, this isn't it – the EV-STER is significantly smaller than those cars, and with a pure electric drivetrain, this showcar is more suited to top-down fun in the city than the open road.

Purely a concept for the moment, the EV-STER offers a 160-kilometer range, a 0-37 mph (60kph) time of 5.0 seconds and a top speed of 99 mph, though Honda isn't offering much in the way of hardware specifications.

Attractive in both general form and detail, we could admittedly do without the yoke-style steering interface employed here and in Honda's other Tokyo Motor Show concepts. Steering wheel aside, we hope Honda finds a way to bring something like the EV-STER to market... and we wouldn't mind if it weren't a EV, either.

Honda is bringing a whole range of transportation solutions to the Tokyo Motor Show, from this plug-in hybrid sedan concept to folding scooters and pod cars. Dubbed AC-X for Advanced Cruiser eXperience, this streamlined sedan draws heavily from the FCX Clarity fuel cell sedan's aesthetics, applying its design language to a plug-in hybrid electric showcar.

Powered by a 1.6-liter four-cylinder and a pair of electric motors, the four-seat AC-X features a super-slippery .21 cD thanks to active aero bits (front bumper, side skirts and rear diffuser) and transparent full wheel covers that remain stationary when the car is in motion.

Just as interestingly, the AC-X explores autonomous control, with "Automatic Drive Mode Support," which folds the control yoke 'wheel' into the dashboard, reclines the front seat and presents an ottoman for the driver's legs, all while safely delivering its passengers to their destination.

Despite such future-think technologies, the AC-X's powertrain seems remarkably near-term, with a realistic EV-only cruising range of 50 kilometers and a maximum electric-only top speed of 100 kph (62 mph). Check out more in our gallery live from the show floor.

We're officially grabbing our helmets and ready to go racing. in Frankfurt, Ford has pulled what must have been an unusually creased sheet off of its 2012 Formula Ford racecar, and while the shape is similar to Formula F racers from years past, it somehow appears altogether modern thanks to the angular air inlets and funky, lightweight wheels.

The 2012-spec Formula Ford will power its way into Great Britain's 2012 Dunlop MSA Formula Ford Championship with 1.6-liter EcoBoost motivation and a sequential six-speed gearbox at the driver's command. While 158 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque from the production-based engine might not sound like much, the lightweight steel-tube single-seater should have no problem providing thrills for both racer and spectator alike in the many feeder series it will eventually race in. Check it out in our gallery below and learn more about the car in the official press release idling after the jump.

Armchair quarterbacks have been quick to charge Toyota with losing its engineering nerve, labeling it a brand content to churn out safe, middle-of-the-road milquetoast offerings for every segment in which it competes. Admittedly, this isn't the same company that once marketed a supercharged, mid-engined, rear-wheel-drive minivan shaped like a suppository, nor is it the same company that sold homologated rally specials alongside its workaday iron. But to say that there are no bold spirits in Toyota City just ain't so – just look at the bonkers LFA supercar, for goodness' sake.

But you needn't have a millionaire's bankbook to see that the Japanese automaker still has cheek to spare – just check out the 2011 Lexus CT 200h. Not only is Toyota's premium marque dipping its toes into America's compact luxury market – a segment that nobody but Mini has figured out how to make big dollars on – it's doing so with a hybrid, an expensive powertrain configuration that, Prius aside, only sells in marginal volumes.

Admittedly, Lexus has made no bones about the fact that it's squarely targeting Europe with the CT (a market where hatchbacks consistently do big business and "small premium" is not an oxymoron), but make no mistake, this is a brave bet. Lexus says it's gunning for 1,000 units a month – a small number in the grand scheme of things – but it's expecting the moon when compared to competitors like the Audi A3, BMW 1 Series and Volvo C30, which typically sell in the hundreds per month. Yet this bold bet is showing early signs of paying off. Thanks in part to heavy advanced marketing, Lexus cleared its decks of over twice that many units in March – 2,199 – the CT's first month on sale.

Continue reading Review: 2011 Lexus CT 200h...



Photos copyright ©2011 by Chris Paukert /AOL

It says something about the breakneck pace of America's mid-size sedan segment that the departing Chevrolet Malibu was beginning to feel long in the tooth. Introduced for the 2008 model year to great fanfare and critical praise, General Motors' family four-door has seen its appeal dinged by new entries from companies like Kia, Hyundai and Volkswagen, along with massively updated models from companies like Ford (not to mention perennial favorites from Honda and Toyota).

Despite its evolutionary styling, this is more than a simple refresh of the current Epsilon-based car, the Malibu that debuted today at the 2011 New York Auto Show actually gains some revised proportions for its eighth generation thanks to its migration to GM's Epsilon II platform. Shorter overall, the new Malibu nevertheless boasts increased trunk space and a number of enhanced interior metrics thanks to increased width, though sitting inside, we found rear-seat headroom to be tighter than we remembered. Part of the reasoning why Chevy has chosen to go with a shorter overall length is to increase the car's global appeal – the Malibu will be sold in over 100 world markets (and in many of them, bigger is not always better).

Powered at launch by a 2.5-liter Ecotec four-cylinder paired with a six-speed automatic, the powertrain will produce 190 horsepower and 180 pound-feet of torque. A forced-induction four-cylinder is expected at a later date, but the Malibu is likely to follow Hyundai-Kia's lead in eschewing six-cylinder power altogether.

Thus far, Chevy isn't releasing fuel economy figures, but it claims the 2013 Malibu is the most aerodynamic car in its segment (helped, no doubt, by drag-reducing active shutters up front), along with being the quietest. Officials have told us that they believe the car will return fuel economy above 30 miles per gallon.

Chevrolet surprised attendees at its press conference today by also rolling out the Malibu ECO, an eAssist-equipped high efficiency model that's expected to earn fuel economy ratings of 26 mpg city and a lofty 38 mpg highway. Powered by a 2.4-liter Ecotec four-cylinder and aided by the aforementioned eAssist mild hybrid system and special aerodynamic tweaks, GM says the Malibu ECO can go up to 550 miles between fill ups, delivering fuel economy figures that would make some hybrid family sedans envious.

Follow the jump for the official word from Chevrolet on the new 2013 Malibu models, and check out our galleries below.

Countless auto industry pundits have suggested that there would be no better way to accelerate the development of EV technologies than for someone with the wherewithal to organize a racing series just for electric cars.

Nissan appears to agree with that strategy, having just unveiled its Leaf Nismo RC (Racing Competition) concept here at the New York Auto Show. The juiced-up hatchback has lost a couple of doors and nearly four inches out of its wheelbase in the transition to competition spec, but it's a whopping 6.7-inches wider and nearly an inch longer – proportions that are exacerbated by its minimal ground clearance of 2.4 inches. With its carbon fiber body shot in special white paint, the Nismo RC ends up looking a bit like a really, really angry vacuum cleaner, and that's just fine by us. All-in, Nissan says the motorsports special weighs just 2,068 pounds – around 40 percent lighter than your garden-variety Leaf.

The Nismo RC rolls up to the starting line packing 107 horsepower and 207 pound-feet of torque, and its lithium-ion pack can reach an 80 percent charge state in just 30 minutes. Still, if the Leaf is ever to be raced, we're thinking that some sort of swappable battery solution will have to be developed; otherwise pit stops are going to be rather leisurely.

Despite its menacing appearance and real racecar engineering, Nissan says its top speed is just 93 mph and its battery would likely only last about 20 minutes in competition. In other words, while this is a promising start, we don't see the Nismo RC spawning its own race series just yet.

High-res galleries below, official press release after the jump.




Live photos copyright ©2011 Drew Phillips / AOL