Yamaha Aluminium Racing Wheels on 2040-parts.com

Volvo plans to polish its image with styling, high-tech engines

Volvo's brand image is stuck somewhere between "premium" and "luxury," but the Swedish automaker aims to move further upscale with a fresh design language and a new generation of vehicles powered by more fuel-efficient engines. New mid-sized and large models will begin arriving in 2014 based on Volvo's lightweight SPA platform. The vehicles will use Volvo's coming generation of smaller four-cylinder engines.

Chevrolet Trax is a rebadged Opel / Vauxhall Mokka

Chevrolet Trax - arrives at Paris in September The Chevrolet Trax – a compact SUV – has been revealed and will make its debut at the 2012 Paris Motor Show.  We’ve already seen the Buick Encore in the US become the Opel and Vauxhall Mokka in Europe, and now it’s to morph again in to the Chevrolet Trax, a compact SUV for GM to sell under another brand. GM has revealed that Chevrolet take on the Encore/Mokka will arrive at the 2012 Paris Motor Show in September before going on sale in the UK and Europe – and 140 countries around the world – in spring 2013. With Chevrolet planning the Trax as a world car it seems likely that the engines on offer will be a mix of those found in the Buick Encore and the Vauxhall Mokka.

2009 Mazda 3 hatchback unveiled ahead of Bologna

Mazda has today released the first pictures of the new Mazda 3 hatchback, ahead of the Bologna Motor Show on December 3rd. The pictures come hot on the heels of the recently announced saloon and, just like the saloon, the Mazda 3 hatchback is a much fresher design, with far more sporty pretensions. One of the big aims for Mazda with the 3 was, of course, a much more economical car without sacrificing the old model’s strengths.