The new Fiat Fiorino Qubo is a new multi-purpose vehicle that looks a bit like Kermit the Frog with a massive under-bite. Judging from the photos supplied by Fiat, it’s a great vehicle for surfer dudes with hot girlfriends and families with dogs. Considering its got dual sliding doors and airy cockpit, we can imagine that the young guys and gals towards which it’s marketed can find plenty to do with the MPV. Think of it as a very Italian Honda Element. Anyway, there are some nice details here, including an interior with six possible seating configurations — all for a 13,000 euro starting price, which translates to about $18,500 in the States. Two engines are available, a 73-horse 1.4-liter gas-powered four and a 1.3-liter oil-burner with 75 horsepower along with a five-speed stick or six-speed “robotized” automatic. We expect to see the Qubo in person at the Paris Motor Show, soon after which folks in Europe will actually to get to buy one. Read the whole press release after the break and check out the gallery below to view more beautiful people having fun with the Qubo.

Reader Joe Donaldson was out taking photos over the weekend when he happened upon a more-interesting-than-normal Dodge Caravan parked outside a Best Buy. While we generally find the terms “interesting” and “Dodge Caravan” to be mutually exclusive, we’ll grant an exception here, because what Don stumbled upon was none other than a Caravan R/T sporting manufacturer tags. Is it the very same Caravan R/T that we saw in Detroit back in January? Who knows, but from the looks of things, it’s identically equipped, with the hood scoop, darkened grille area, big wheels, Brembos, dual exhaust, and the requisite badging. We’re not particularly big on minivans, but we thought that the Caravan R/T show car was pretty cool, and seeing it in the wild does nothing to change that opinion.

The 2001 VW Microbus concept was really cool; so much so that it looked like it was headed for 2005 production. Then the project started getting expensive at the same time the U.S. dollar began to hit the skids. So, then-boss Bernd Pischetsrieder swung the axe, and it was curtains for the retro breadbox. Fast-forward to the present. Instead of a spiffy new Microbus, we now have the Routan, which is fake German for “Dodge Caravan.” Not very exciting, to say the least.

A revival of Flower Power’s official vehicle seemed hopeless — until now. The Sydney Morning Herald reports that VW’s entertaining the possibility of a 21st-century Microbus built on the same platform as the new sedan that’ll pe produced at VW’s Chattanooga, TN facility. An unnamed “senior Volkswagen official” told the paper that European production’s basically a non-starter, and Volkswagen Group of America’s Jill Bratina played it coy, saying only that a second vehicle line out of Chattanooga is “conceivable in the foreseeable future.” A locally-built, car-based Microbus is an idea that certainly piques our interest. How about yours?

(Oh, and by the way, should you ever decide to move to Brazil, you can still kick it old-school down there in the meantime.)

Turns out the recreational and commercial vehicle show in Dusseldorf, Germany has attracted more concepts than the just the Fiat Portofino. Volkswagen showed up with the Caddy Topos Sail concept, another nautical-themed vehicle that brings the boat life to land locked lovers of the water. Based on the Caddy MPV, the Topos Sail concept’s biggest attraction is its roof, which is covered in wood decking and surrounded on all sides by aluminum roof rails. The roof deck is designed for lounging in the sun just like on the deck of a yacht, and the panels flip up to act as back rests. The concept also features a nifty ladder built into the rear lift gate with wooden steps, as well as wood trim elsewhere on the vehicle’s exterior. We’re certain it doesn’t float, but you could park the Topos Sail down by the docks, climb up on the roof and order a daiquiri to get the full effect.

A poll by Automotive News detailing Toyota’s times ahead offerings reveals such a the automaker’s focus should be realigned to equate new electricity efficiency criteria and limiting high-powered and niche offerings.

On the hybrid side, the new Prius will be able to debut in Detroit, investing in sells coming up in the spring of 2009 as a 2010 model. The nickel-metal hydride battery would remain, and as of that, the plug-in perfect plans to be delayed until a lithium ion battery is offered. The new Prius could be packing the Corolla’s 1.8-liter thre cylinder and the car would be an inch wider and a half-inch longer. The time hybrid ideal may not arrive to Detroit, but development is by now beneath way and sells may be limited to Japan.

The Supra revival has carried on shelved due to prohibative mpg requirements, letting Toyota to focus on its RWD coupe, jointly matured by Subaru. Also, there is merely room for one body-on-frame SUV on the automaker, so the 4Runner is able to be re-engineered for the 2010 perfect year, serves to debut in either New York or Chicago, and the FJ Cruiser are able to thorough its lifecycle and be lessened in the following few years.

The Sienna and Venza may be equipped amidst hybrid drivetrains in 2012, amid the Sienna obtaining a facelift late later year, along in on additional cargo space and room for third-row occupants.

The news story goes on to area the current the Corolla is planning to be redesigned in 2013, along in the Matrix, the upcoming Camry serves to earn a facelift in 2010, in on the new example debuting in 2012, and the new Avalon is able to debut in 2011 as a 2012 model.

There has been heard oodles of validation for Ford to bid its rest-of-the-world offerings to the North American market, and among the truck economy working at a Roscoe P. Coltrane E-brake turn away from what i read in profitability, the Blue Oval’s international efforts are going to get increasingly necessary for its survival. The rules being given come up with is to utilize miniature and medium sized vehicles based on what i read in Ford’s European arsenal globally. In North America, the cars are able to be spiffy, while Ford is planning to be robbing Peter to pay Paul on the count — circulating the price points of America’s premium cars during the breadth of the general program’s global scope.

we are taking out a big insert of Euro-Ford founded cars in the pretty near future. The Fiesta plans to slot in beneath the Focus, and should share a new platform amid Mazda. Also on the Fiesta’s roots am able to be a diminutive crossover or minivan. The Euro Focus might at long last get right here in 2011, when the later production drops. 2012 can bid the C-Max, a Mazda 5-ish purchasers mover. The Fusion moves to the EUCD platform, while we wish it does not gain too much, consume its joyous demeanor, or appear up very brief on electricity economy. It seems want Ford’s prepared to try to pile the B, C, and D segments provided sedans and MPV-type offerings, as greatly as monumentally tweaking all of its products to balance the new and looming reality.

In how can easily be witnessed as a remarkable development in flexible car manufacturing, BMW has restructured its Spartanburg, South Carolina out of a two-line setup to a single string team system. With now development, BMW would be able to attain two radically diverse cases on the same line– Z4 roadsters and X5 SUVs.The new setup can aide the plant other fluid ideal combinations– it ought to be able to end up with based on what i read in 100-percent X5s to a 60-percent/40-percent split between Z4s and X5s.

Line staff got trained offsite coming up endure November when the concluding pre-facelift Z4s rolled off the chain and the sequence reworking commenced in earnest.

The new method is so flexible overly it plans to a good amount of are expected accommodate a third example in the make of the Mercedes-Benz R-Class battling X6 (essentially a larger lux’d-out minivan) that is foreseen for 2008.

BMW’s Spartanburg plant recently witnessed constructing such a one-millionth car formerly such month.

Ford’s much-anticipated turnaround initiative are able to debut Monday, but the rumor mill is by now running at comprehensive speed. Following on the heels of an previously rumor of 5 plant closings (no big shock there), comes today’s glimpse behind the curtain, a study too Ford are able to announce a new way for its minivans.

Reuters ratings this the revamped minivans are able to imitate a design similar to the Fairlane underlying thought station wagon “people mover” displayed at the 2005 Detroit Auto Show (and established above).

If not anything else, the rumor confirms such a Ford’s regulations is not just now virtually worth cutting. Monday when be an interesting day.

What’s $7 when a simple livlihood are able to be at stake? That’s the noticeable message according to the NHTSA to carmakers such a construct vehicles amidst sliding doors — truly minivans. On Tuesday the NHTSA announced such a these kinds of sorts of vehicles ought to now make a secondary latch to assistance avoid sliding doors out of shooting open in an accident and potentially expelling occupants. Nearly side of the 1.4 million vans purchased in 2003 are able to be affected. Statistics on unbelted motorists making ejected based on a car are talked about as reasons why this moment move is necessary. According to the Detroit News, 54,000 individuals are ejected in accidents every year, 15% for the duration of doors. That resulted in 20 deaths and 30 monumental injuries a year for 1995 within 2003, the duration short of investigation.

Still, there are There are those Forbes picks I only do not imagine with. For example, the mag selects the Saab 9-3 Sport Combi as better wagon. Really? I admit I’ve never driven one, but I’m merely wondering at which the new Jetta Sportwagen placed. (I easily stepped out of evaluating one for a week.) Forbes cites the Saab’s maximum 72.3 cu. ft of cargo space as a big factor. But it merely bests the VeeDub’s by 5.4 cu. ft. And additonally the VW allows up 110 horses to the Saab’s 280, but the VW gets, on average, 24 mpg to the Saab’s 18. Oh, and the Saab requires premium fuel. I are certain the measure is this: Do you need to drag race your wagon or save money? My family can take the cash, please.
Then there is the Best Crossover category, at which Forbes crowns the Ford Edge. This time, oddly enough, it decides to put up the Edge an fringe and lowball the entry total sum market prices at $25,735. Add selected rather typical options, and you get relatively finish to the upper span of $32k relatively quick. That, combined amongst an median power market display of 20 mpg, writes it out of the running in my household.