The first photo of the new seven-seat Fiat 500XL has surfaced on the internet via a photo taken within the factory. Production of the 2013 Fiat 500XL will start at the end of May in Kragujevac, with the first European deliveries expected at the end of July.

The 500XL is the seven-seat version of the 500L and will be 200mm (7.9 inches) longer. Groovie taillights, blacked out roof pillars and a bunch of other cosmetic tricks work well to hide the horror that is a box van.

The Fiat 500XL will benefit from the same set of powerplants that already do duty on the 500L. Two gasoline units (a 95-hp 1.4-liter four-cylinder and a 105-hp 0.9-liter TwinAir two-cylinder) and a 1.3-litre MultiJet diesel. All these engines will be mated to manual tranmissions.

Photo by Cochespias.net

Daihatsu, the Japanese automaker controlled by Toyota has announced a brand new hybrid van has been added to their model range. Called the Daihatsu Mebius, it’s the Toyota Prius V in disguise.

The 2013 Daihatsu Mebius is available only with five seats while the Prius V can be ordered also with a seven-seat arrangement.

The car has a hybrid system consisting of a 99-PS 1.8-liter gasoline engine working together with an electric motor for a combined output of 136 HP (100 kW). Average fuel consumption is rated at 3.82 liters/100 km (61.6 US mpg, 26.2 km/l).

Prices start at JPY2,350,000 ($23,730) for the basic S”L model while the range-topping variant costs JPY2,800,000 ($28,000).

Source: NCPR

The new KIA Cub concept car will make its public debut at the 2013 Seoul Auto Show on March 28.

It is being described as a compact four-door coupe which is less than four meters long. The picture shows off the entire front-end of the new model, while its wide, aggressive stance, and features two-point LED lights that are similar to those found on the Kia Quoris.

A pair of vents can just about be made out on either side of the bonnet while large alloy wheels and flared rear wheel arches.

No technical details or dimensions have been released, but unlike that car the CUB is likely to share its platform with the taller Soul crossover rather than the Rio supermini.

Full details will be available later this week so stay tuned.

The 2014 Nissan Micra facelift has been revealed with the debut of the new Nissan March in Thailand in Samut Prakarn province. The revised fourth-gen Micra will go on sale globally in the next few months.

The photos reveal a larger grille opening with Nissan's familiar V-like chrome garnish, LED tail lamps, new alloy and wheel designs, a modified rear bumper and the fog lights have been pushed to the corners.

Inside, the 2014 Nissan Micra gets a sharper-looking centre console with new controls for the AC system, Automatic air-conditioner interface with square central vents replacing the circular units.

There are fresh new colors and trims, along with piano black audio system capable of reading music off a CD, AUX port or USB port.

The 2014 Nissan Micra facelift is expected to arrive in the UK later in 2013.

Source: Nissan

If you like seven-seat people movers, you're in luck – Honda will debut a updated version of its Odyssey model at the New York Auto Show next week.

At both the press and public days, the 2014 Honda Odyssey will be on display at Honda's booth, along with the 2014 Accord Plug-In and the fully-electric Honda Fit EV.

All Odyssey models are powered by a 3.5-liter V6 engine that delivers 278 bhp (207 kW) and 252 lb-ft (341 Nm) of torque - possibly with the six-speed automatic spreading to non-Touring trims.

Multi-link rear suspension that serves as the foundation for Honda's fun-to-drive EV with an EPA combined city/highway estimated driving range rating of 82 miles.

Source: Honda

The next generation of the 2014 Toyota Highlander SUV will debut at the New York Auto Show in two weeks time.

The company refrained from providing any details, but confirmed the Toyota's third-generation Highlander will make its world debut on March 27 at 9:10 a.m. Eastern Time in the Galleria Level Four at the Jacob Javits Center.

The car is expected to have an evolutionary design which could borrow some styling cues from the RAV4. Based on Toyota's current product strategy, V6 and hybrid powertrains seem like a sure bet.

Last redesigned in 2008, the Highlander is a mid-size SUV while Toyota sold 121,055 Highlanders in the U.S. in 2012, up 19.6% from the prior year.

Source: Toyota

The new Porsche 911 GT3 R based on the 997 model generation heads into the 2013 motorsport season with extensive modifications. With its widened fender flares front and rear, the successful customer sport racer, fielded in the GT3 classes, looks considerably brawnier than its predecessor. The new aerodynamics generates substantially more downforce, allowing for higher cornering speeds and later braking points. The wider track and the adapted wheels provide additional improvement in traction.

Ever since its launch in 2010, customer teams around the world have gone from success to success with the 911 GT3 R. In 2012 alone, Porsche customer teams raced the 500 hp production-based Grand Touring race car in 131 races, won 41 of them and clinched numerous championships.

For 2013, Porsche Motorsport significantly modified the aerodynamics. The front bumper panels, all fenders, the sill covers, the rear panel and underbody with rear diffuser received further fine-tuning in the wind tunnel. The rear wing was enlarged to the width of the vehicle and repositioned to work optimally with the redesigned body.

The suspension also underwent modifications. The track of both the front and rear axle grew by 50 millimetres. The width of the front rims is now twelve instead of 10.9 inches. The wheelbase of the latest 911 GT3 R grew by ten millimetres.

Like its predecessor, the highly efficient four-litre, six-cylinder flat engine has an out-put of 368 kW (500 hp). The Porsche six-speed sequential dog-type gearbox with pneumatic shift system is operated via shift paddles on the steering wheel. This technical solution allows very fast and smooth gear changes – an advantage when it comes to high operational safety and a long service life.

An array of electronic driver assistance systems adopted from the predecessor helps turn fast and safe laps. The E-gas features a throttle-blip function. The gearbox elec-tronics make skipping gears and the resulting over revving of the engine virtually impossible. Thanks to a specially-adjusted traction control and a race ABS, the 911 GT3 R can be very well controlled under braking and acceleration.

With a conversion kit offered by Porsche, customer teams can convert older model years of the 911 GT3 R to the 2013-spec. The kit is available from Porsche Motor-sport at the price of 45,500 Euros plus country-specific value added tax.

Source: Porsche