The all-new Kia Soul was launched in the UAE today, at an event held in Dubai. The Soul, a compact hatchback that is bordering on becoming a small crossover SUV, will initially be available only in 1.6-litre form, with the 2.0-litre version being held back to gauge demand.
Nissan has unveiled their first affordable, zero-emission car. Titled the Nissan LEAF, it is a “medium-size hatchback” that comfortably seats five adults and has a range of more than 160 km to satisfy real-world consumer requirements. And the most interesting part is it is almost ready for production, and slated for consumer release in late 2010.
Before anyone gets too excited, this is not a full-blown comparison test. Getting the Nissan GT-R for a test drive was a good excuse as any to assemble a few other sports cars and a photographer. We’ve had our 2000 BMW M Roadster for more than a year, the 2009 Nissan GT-R tester was with us for only a few days, and our friend’s 2009 Ferrari F430 Spider was still being broken in so we couldn’t push it. But we did get a feel for three different approaches to speed.
Run by Tym Switzer, American tuning firm Switzer Performance has introduced their 800 hp P800 package for Porsche’s track-focused GT2 last June, but apparently a number of customers asked if they could get the same power upgrade from the all-wheel-drive 911 Turbo model. So they went ahead and created one.
Toyota’s American arm has announced that the 2010 FJ Cruiser will feature several upgrades, including a much-needed power upgrade for the Japanese-built 4×4.