2013 Mazda CX-5

Actually, a better question is, "What isn't it?" Over an In-N-Out burger, my Mazda PR maven hammered home the fact that the Mazda CX-5 is not a Tribute, nor is it a new Ford Escape under the skin. In fact, not a single aspect of the CX-5 is shared with Ford's new crossover, a fact that Mazda engineers were adamant about during the model's U.S. debut at the Los Angeles auto show.

Instead, the 2013 CX-5 is Mazda's homegrown entry in the burgeoning compact-crossover class. It also marks the first appearance of the brand's "Kodo" design language, as well as the first vehicle to feature fully integrated Skyactiv technology.
What is Skyactiv? That's a better question, and one answered most ambiguously by CX-5 program manager Hideaki Tanaka, who claims it's "sustainable zoom-zoom." Translated, Skyactiv is a suite of engineering advances centered on making the chassis lighter and stiffer, then combining it with ultra-efficient gasoline and diesel powertrains.
Take, for example, the Skyactiv-G engine that will be standard on the 2013 CX-5: It's a 2.0-liter four-cylinder with direct injection, a 13.0:1 compression ratio, variable valve timing and an exotic (for a crossover, anyway) 4-2-1 exhaust header design. The result is an engine that is 10 percent lighter, 15 percent more fuel efficient and produces 15 percent fewer CO2 emissions than its predecessor.

About that diesel: In some markets, the CX-5 will get a 2.2-liter Skyactiv diesel four-cylinder engine with 170 hp. Mazda has confirmed that the engine will come to North America during the 2013 calendar year, but it hasn't said in which vehicle. Current rumors have it arriving under the hood of the company's next midsize sedan.

Six-speed Skyactiv manual and automatic transmissions have been designed for smoother and quicker shifts while helping to improve fuel efficiency, thanks to weight savings and friction reduction.

Thanks to an all-new chassis incorporating 61 percent high-tensile steel, Mazda engineers were able to cut weight in the structure while improving stiffness by 30 percent over the current structure underpinning the Mazda 3. Continuous high-strength ring structures are said to boost crashworthiness, also serving as suspension mounting points because of their inherent stiffness.

Finally, the 2013 CX-5 is the first vehicle to wear Mazda's new Kodo design language, which is said to translate to "the motion of living creatures." We're not sure a cheetah is going to confuse its mate with this particular compact crossover, but the CX-5 does have a sense of rear weight bias not unlike the Infiniti FX, and the overall effect is attractive if not groundbreaking.

2013 Mazda CX-5
On Sale: February
Base Price: $19,975 (est)
Drivetrain: 2.0-liter I4, 155 hp @ 6,000 rpm, 150 lb-ft torque @ 4,000 rpm; FWD/AWD, six-speed manual or automatic transmission
Curb Weight: 3,300 lb (est)
Fuel Economy: FWD: 26/33 mpg (manual); 26/32 mpg (automatic); AWD: 25/30 mpg (automatic only)

2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco gets $25,995

The 2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco sedan will start at just $25,995, including destination, General Motors said on Tuesday.

The redesigned Malibu Eco, which we drove in September, will be the first Chevy car to feature GM's new eAssist battery-electric/gas propulsion system. The Buick LaCrosse hybrid also will have the same system. It employs a lithium-ion battery and an electric motor while saving fuel with regenerative braking, electric assist and a stop/start function. Chevy says the new Malibu will return 26 mpg in the city and 38 mpg on the highway.

The Malibu Eco comes in at about $3,000 less than the Ford Fusion hybrid and $2,000 less than the new Volkswagen Passat TDI SE. It lands within $1,000 of the Toyota Camry hybrid and the Hyundai Sonata hybrid.
The Malibu gets a decent roster of standard features in addition to the 182-hp, 2.4-liter engine and six-speed automatic transmission. Some of the highlights include projector headlights, Chevy MyLink, keyless entry, power windows and locks and a few other bits and pieces.

The 2013 Chevy Malibu Eco will hit dealerships in early 2012.

New Peugeot 208

In spite of Peugeot’s rich history in the small car market, the 208 is the company’s most radical reinvention of the supermini ever. The new car is smaller, lighter, cleaner and more stylish than the 207, bringing improvements in every possible way. And we have the first official pictures and 
all the details that matter.

Since the SR1 concept debuted at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show, Peugeot has set about pursuing a new design direction, improving quality and reintroducing the sporty driving experience of old back into its products. And the clean sheet approach to the 208 is the 
culmination of that process.
From launch, the car will be offered as a three and five-door, and it has been styled to stand out from its competitors. Both 
versions are more sophisticated than the Fiesta and more
distinctive than the VW Polo, and are packed with intricate details.
For example, there’s an indent scored into the bonnet which is continued with a small protrusion at the top of the windscreen and finishes with an unmistakable dip in the roof spoiler at the rear.
Although the three and five-door are based on the same mechanicals, they have been designed from the outset as 
separate entities. In profile, 
the scallop taken from the side 
of the three-door begins at the tail-lights and curves down along the side of the car.
The five-door uses a less dramatic feature line that runs along the sill and turns upwards behind the front wheel.
Other differences include 
bars in the three-door’s grille – the five-door gets mesh – and 
a continuation of the chrome 
window trim into the C-pillar, which is a nod to the 205.
Both cars get the floating 
grille treatment already 
seen on the 508, as well 
as foglamps set flush into the 
front bumper and boomerang rear lights complete with 
claw-like graphics.
Inside, the revolution 
continues. A large central 
touchscreen dominates the 
interior on all but the entry-
level 208. This controls the 
entertainment and navigation functions, plus the vehicle dynamics. Owners wanting to personalise their car can get the screen trimmed in different ‘skins’.
According to Peugeot boss Vincent Rambaud, the 208 is the “values of the brand incarnate in a modern look”. He added: “Retro is not at all what we want to do.”
So it’s no surprise that the 
layout and materials bear no resemblance to the past, with a glossy finish on the console and soft-touch materials throughout. The steering wheel has shrunk, too, and you view the instrument cluster over the top of it, instead of through it, which Peugeot says helps drivers focus on the road.
It’s not only the steering wheel that’s smaller, either – the whole car is. It’s 7cm shorter and 1cm lower, but the wheelbase is the same as the 207’s. Incredibly, the cabin is more spacious, with 5cm extra legroom, plus the boot is 15 litres bigger, at 285 litres – that’s still 10 litres less than in a Fiesta.
The more compact dimensions mean dramatic weight savings. On average, the 208 is 110kg lighter than the 207, with the base car weighing only 975kg. Plus, the shape, optimised in the wind 
tunnel, is more aerodynamic 
than ever – and fuel economy 
will be impressive as a result.
Full engine details have yet to be released, but CO2 emissions have fallen by 34g/km on average compared to the 207. And none of the five diesels, which range from 89bhp to 108bhp, emits more than 99g/km.
The most efficient HDi has 87g/km emissions – on a par with the new Fiesta ECOnetic. The petrol line-up includes a 
new family of three-cylinder engines, the most efficient of which claims 99g/km of CO2.
The three and five-door 208 
go on sale in the UK next June. There’s no word on prices yet, but expect them to be similar to the Fiesta and Polo – so the range could start at around £10,000.