Porsche Macan 2015

The 2015 Porsche Macan SUV is so much Porsche, but not so much SUV. Porsche Style VP Michael Mauer told us not to think of the Macan as so much a baby brother to the Cayenne SUV, but as a "big brother to the 911." Immutable truth, that

Spirited by Porsche off of the Audi Q5 SUV, which it in no way resembles, the Macan comes off more as a luxury 5-door super-hatchback with all-wheel drive. It arrives in the U.S. this May, in two forms: the $50,895 Macan S and the $73,295 Macan Turbo. Those names can be a bit misleading because both Macan variations are powered by twin-turbocharged V6 engines

Twin-turbo Engines, Double-clutch Gearboxes

We'll lead with those two engines because if you're talking Porsche, you're a knucklehead if you don't start with the engines. Macan S models employ a 3.0-liter V6 rolling out 340 horsepower and Kansas-flat line of 339 lb-ft of torque from 1,450 rpm all the way up to 5,000. The real performance, however, comes from the Macan Turbo's 400-horsepower 3.6-liter. That twin-turbo V6 has an answer for everything. From 406 lb-ft of low-end thrust that starts at 1,350 rpm and pretty much keeps the heat on right up to its 6,700-rpm redline

Standard on both Macan models, Porsche's 7-speed PDK double-clutch automatic transmission turns in a hall-of-fame performance of near-instant, seamless up and down shifting. The transmission has to work a little harder to keep the 3.0-liter Macan S in full fly mode, while closer to an ideal setup with the PDK, the 3.6-liter needs no help and wastes no time in getting the Macan Turbo from zero to 60 mph in well under five seconds. The PDK also includes a "Sport" button on the center console that ups both the redline and the shift points, adds more snap to the shifts, and even puts more growl into the Macan's exhaust note. U.S. fuel-economy numbers are yet to be determined

A Track Natural

Fitted with electronically controlled all-wheel drive and 19-inch wheels, the Macan takes to the track like a natural, although a natural heavyweight: well over 4,000 pounds. The all-wheel-drive starts out heavily rear-biased, but can send torque instantly and as needed to the front or rear wheels to help ensure control and grip. Despite the Macan's tendency to drift a bit, there are very few cars -- are far fewer SUVs -- that can waltz so cleanly into high-speed corners without even a hint of unpredictability

On the open road, the Macan keeps luxury-car quiet. The standard suspension setup is sporty without getting in the way, while the Porsche Active Suspension Management system (PASM) -- standard on the Macan Turbo, optional on the S -- lets you further tighten up both the suspension and the already-responsive electric steering for even sharper handling. Optional on both Macan models is an air suspension that ups the comfort and sport levels even further, and can push the SUV's 7.8-inch ground clearance to over nine inches

No Macadam Needed for Macan

Pressing the "Off-Road" button -- also on the center console, also standard on every Macan -- sets the vehicle up for work beyond the pavement. In Off-Road mode, the Macan's drive-system elements like the transmission shift points, the all-wheel-drive torque distribution, and the throttle response are all geared to find and maintain optimal traction. While it doesn't wade as deep or scramble as high as the Cayenne, the Macan is still capable of venturing beyond the city lights

Every Porsche Macan interior, from the Turbo's leather-and-brushed-aluminum down to the base S's piano black trim and suede-ish Alcantara seat inserts, pays attention to you. The front seats greedily engulf you. Big Porsche gauges let you know the scores. And the multifunction sport steering wheel -- a nod to Porsche's new 918 Spyder supercar -- feels sports-car ready. Technically a 4-seater, I'd hate to be occupants #3 and #4 -- headroom is endless, but the Macan's second row is legroom stingy

The Great Indoors

From the front seats, the view out the windshield is IMAX 3D wide, and it's very easy to see what's happening in traffic beside and behind you. The space under the rear hatch is good, but what's really impressive is the gaping mouth of the rear hatch opening. Beneath that hatch, the flat, 17.7-cubic-foot cargo floor can be expanded to 53 cubic feet by dropping the 40/20/40 split/folding 2nd-row seat. That cargo space, by the way, is not impressive compared to Porsche's stated SUV competitors like the BMW X3 and Mercedes-Benz GLK

If you need a Porsche SUV, the Cayenne is still you best bet. But if you crave a sportier Porsche personality, but sometimes need to haul volumes on surfaces not suited to a 911 or a Cayman, put your money on a 2015 Porsche Macan

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Nissan Murano: Boldly Beautiful 2015

 unveiled at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show, the dramatically recast 2015 Nissan Murano made a scintillating debut in the Big Apple. In addition to bringing show car looks to the showroom, the third generation of Nissan's mid-size crossover SUV has a new cabin to match the bold exterior design

 Inspired by what Nissan calls "a new age of future flight," the exterior of the 2015 Murano embodies the automaker's latest design thinking. Slightly lower, wider and longer than the current model but with the same 111.2-inch wheelbase, the new Murano sports dramatically contoured bodywork, a bold "V-Motion" front fascia, boomerang-style LED-infused front/rear lights and a jet-inspired "floating roof" with a unique D-pillar treatment. Matching form with function, the 2015 Murano also features loads of aero-enhancing details from articulated grille shutters to a tasteful decklid spoiler, tweaks that help improve overall aerodynamics by more than 16 percent. While the standard wheel/tire fitment wraps 235/655 rubber around 18-inch alloy wheels, the new also Murano offers 20-inch rims shod with 235/55 rubber

Futuristic interior

The cabin in this new-age Murano parallels the forward thinking evident in its exterior, eschewing convention in favor of a more open, lounge-like realm. Nissan's NASA-inspired "zero-gravity" seats in all outboard positions ensure that second-row passengers enjoy a first-class travel experience. The revamped interior offers an extra four cubic feet of cargo space. Other key features include a 7.0-inch reconfigurable Advanced Drive-Assist main instrument display, NissanConnect with Mobile Apps, full Bluetooth smartphone/streaming-audio integration and dual-zone climate control. Murano options include leather upholstery, climate-controlled front buckets, Bose audio, NissanConnect with Navigation/SiriusXM, an 8.0-inch touchscreen and an expansive single-pane panoramic glass roof

Available in S, SV, SL or Platinum trim and front- or all-wheel drive, every 2015 Murano variant will share Nissan's well-proven 260-horsepower/3.5-liter V6 engine backed by the automaker's Xtronic CVT automatic transmission. Although EPA numbers haven't been released, the Murano's sleeker shape and 130-pound weight reduction coupled with minor drivetrain tweaks and low rolling resistance tires are expected to net about a 20-percent gain in combined fuel economy

The 2015 Nissan Murano will be produced at the automaker's Canton, Mississippi, assembly plant and arrive in arrive in dealers in late 2014. Pricing will be announced closer to its actual on-sale date

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Mini Hardtop 4-door 2015

On a mission to attract new buyers, the 2015 Mini Cooper Hardtop 4-door and its Cooper S sibling will go on sale in January

At 157.4 inches (158.0 for the Cooper S) the Mini Hardtop 4-door is 6.3 inches longer than its 2-portal counterpart and has 2.9 inches of additional wheelbase. While no wider, the 4-door also is 0.4-inch taller. Although much of its exterior styling has been directly lifted from the Cooper/Cooper S 2-door, the 4-door does sport a more pronounced "tail" treatment in addition to it elevated roof. The Hardtop designation is a bit of a misnomer in the traditional sense since it is not a B-pillarless design. Dedicated styling flourishes on the Cooper Hardtop 4-door include a White Aluminum finish on its grille ribs and tailgate handle, gloss black front bumper trim and chrome exhaust tips with the Cooper S boasts more the requisite bolder front/rear fascia treatments and wheel/tire upgrades as well as its share of red "S" badges

Room for five

Inside, the new Cooper and Cooper S Hardtop 4-door models reprise the upgraded look and feel of their 2-door counterparts but feature a 60/40 folding rear seat with belts for three instead of two. In addition to providing back benchers with an additional 1.5 inches of legroom, headroom in the aft quarters is up by 0.6 inch and shoulder room grows by 1.8 inches in all locations. Cargo space in the Hardtop 4-door also gets a boost, rising from 8.7 to 9.2 cu ft, which, like its upgraded head and leg room --  Mini claims are best-in-class stats

Like the current front-drive Mini Hardtop, the new 4-door will offer two engines and two transmissions at launch. The Cooper Hardtop 4-door will come with the BMW-designed 1.5-liter/134-horsepower TwinPower Turbo 3-cylinder while the Cooper S variant will pack the familiar 2.0-liter/189-horse turbocharged 4-cylinder. Both engines can be backed by either a standard 6-speed manual transmission or optional 6-speed Steptronic automatic. Dynamic Damper Control also will be available on the new Hardtop 4-door as will the full array of driver assist, creature comfort and personalization touches currently offered on the 2-door

While official pricing has yet to be released, Mini expects the new 4-door models to start at $1,000 above their 2-door counterparts. Barring any last-minute surprises, that should see a 2015 Mini Cooper Hardtop 4-door base price of $22,300 and the 2015 Cooper S Hardtop 4-door starting near $25,385

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Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class unveiled 2015

The wraps have just come off the all-new 2015 Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class prior to its public debut next month at the Frankfurt Auto Show

The production version of the 2015 GLA-Class retains most of the basic styling cues seen in the GLA Concept that was unveiled at the Shanghai Auto Show in April. In creating the package, M-B design chief Gorden Wagener aimed to create a look that was both traditional and progressive but also embodied a uniquely youthful character. The GLA's boldly contoured yet aerodynamically efficient bodywork is complemented by edgy but elegantly rendered front/rear fascias, a low greenhouse, and prominently flared fender arches filled with a standard 18-inch wheel/tire package or optional 19-inch upgrade. In addition to numerous visible wind-cheating details -- from the shape of its mirror housings and taillamp lenses to a subtle but effective liftgate spoiler and rear diffuser -- the profile of the GLA-Class has been further streamlined through the use of various hidden air-channeling devices that include an array of underbody fairings

The young-and-cool persona of this new compact SUV carries over to its passenger compartment, starting with a dash design that, save for GLA-specific wood or aluminum trim finishes, is a virtual clone of the one in the new CLA-Class. Beyond the GLA's leather-wrapped, 3-spoke multifunction steering wheel is an instrument cluster that matches analog main gauges with digital ancillary readouts, while a large multimedia display screen positioned high in the center of the dash works in concert with the GLA's various infotainment systems, including the standard mbrace2 connectivity services and optional COMAND telematics. Like other Mercedes offerings, the GLA-Class will be available with M-B-Tex or optional leather upholstery in a variety of colors, with standard buckets or more aggressively bolstered sport seats up front. The GLA's aft quarters feature a belted-for-three split rear bench with flat-folding seatbacks. At the rear, its large liftgate teams with a low sill height to ease cargo loading chores

The 2015 GLA-Class will share all of its key powertrain elements with the A-Class/CLA-Class. That includes the CLA 250's 2.0-liter turbocharged/direct-injected 4-cylinder engine that cranks out 208 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque and a 7-speed (DCT) dual-clutch automatic transmission. In addition to standard front-wheel drive, the GLA also will offer M-B's all-new lightweight and super-efficient 4Matic system specifically designed for vehicles with a transversely-mounted engine. Opting for this sophisticated all-wheel-drive setup also nets Downhill Speed Regulation control that uses a variety of engine/transmission/brake inputs to maintain a safe pace on challenging grades as well as a dedicated "off-road" transmission mode that tweaks the throttle and shiftpoint mapping to optimize the GLA's traction and handling on loose surfaces

Like all M-B vehicles, the new GLA-Class will come with a comprehensive array of standard safety systems highlighted by Attention Assist drowsiness detection and M-B's radar-based Collision Prevention Assist with adaptive Brake Assist that can help protect against impacts from as low as 4 mph. Other available safety upgrades include Distronic Plus adaptive cruise control, Collision Prevention Assist Plus all-speed autonomous braking capability, Blind Spot and Lane Keeping Assist and Parktronic with optional Park Assist. In addition to Sport and Driver Assistance Packages, the new GLA-Class also will be available with a power liftgate and Panorama sunroof

While Mercedes has not yet released pricing for any GLA-Class model, it has confirmed that the 2015 Mercedes-Benz GLA250 4Matic will be the first to reach showrooms here when it goes on sale in fall 2014 and takes on rivals like the Acura RDX, BMW X1 and upcoming Lincoln MKC. The front-drive 2015 Mercedes-Benz GLA250 is set to make U.S. debut in early 2015. No word yet on any arrival date for a performance version of this classy crossover, although it's believed that a CLA45 AMG powered by the same 355-horse engine used in the CLA45 AMG Sedan is in the pipeline

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Mercedes-Benz C-Class is bigger, bolder and more upscale 2015

Making its public debut in Detroit and arriving here in early fall, the 2015 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Sedan reflects a comprehensive recasting of the automaker's top-selling model intended to further distance it from the new entry-level CLA-Class. As indicated in our 2015 C-Class preview story, beyond a modest but meaningful growth spurt, the fourth-generation of this popular 4-door benefits from a host of upgrades that endow it with more sophisticated appearance, better performance, state-of-the-art technology culled from its pricier E-Class and S-Class siblings and an even longer list of premium creature comforts. Those enhancements are destined to make it even more competitive against natural rivals like the Audi A4, BMW 3 Series, Cadillac ATS, Infiniti Q50 and Lexus IS

Here in the U.S., this new C-Class Sedan will be available in two distinct all-wheel drive variants. The C300 4Matic will be fitted with the firm's 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine that carries preliminary 235 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque output ratings while the C400 4Matic gets M-B's 3.0-liter turbocharged direct-injected V6 that makes 329 horses and 354 lb-ft of peak twist. Both engines will be backed by an upgraded version of the 7G-Tronic Plus automatic transmission that's been tweaked to deliver even smoother shifts with enhanced environmental friendliness

A similar kind of comprehensive upgrading is clearly evident inside of the roomier - and now even quieter -- cabin of the 2015 C-Class. To briefly reprise what we told you back in October, the design melds S-Class and CLA-Class design elements into a unique variation on the themes that includes an elegantly sculpted dash and one-piece console, fine wood and leather accents, a new 12-button multifunction steering wheel, M-B's embrace2 connected-car technology plus a standard 7.0-inch central display that increases in size to 8.4 inches if the car is fitted with the optional Multimedia Package. Topping the options list is a new iteration of the automaker's Comand telematics system with Navigation that features a multifunction touchpad controller with supplemental handwriting recognition functionality that allows it to operate all of the car's infotainment functions as well as a new head-up display

Despite being larger and even better equipped, the 2015 C-Class is about 220 pounds lighter than the current car thanks to a new hybrid structure that's more robust and rigid. It mixes various types of conventional and high-strength steel that ensures excellent passenger protection with a far greater percentage of aluminum - up from about 10 percent now to nearly 50 percent in the new car. Virtually all of the body panels in the 2015 C-Class are made of this mass-reducing alloy as are a number of its suspension components. While offering no EPA specs just yet, Mercedes says the car's trim-down program should help generate fuel economy gains of up to 20 percent while making the new C-Class even more fun to drive

As for the underpinnings, the 2015 C-Class features an all-new chassis that M-B says will deliver superior ride and handling. In addition to its standard conventional underpinnings with selective damping, the car will come with a lowered sport suspension on versions with the optional Sport Package. For the first time, the C-Class also will be available with a full Airmatic air suspension system that provides four different driver-selectable modes and also features a self-leveling function. A new electromechanical Direct Steer system with speed-sensitive variable ratio and on-demand assist is standard across the lineup

The 2015 C-Class also will be a leader in the active and passive safety arena thanks to a host of new standard and optional technologies, several recently introduced on the new the S-Class and E-Class. In addition to seven airbags, all models come with Attention Assist that can warn of drowsiness, low-speed Adaptive Brake Assist and Collision Prevention Assist Plus that can perform autonomous braking functions at speeds up to 124 mph. Other available features include Distronic Plus with Steering Assist, intelligent BAS Plus Brake Assist that can now detect cross traffic and Pre-Safe Braking as well as Enhanced Active Lane Keeping Assist. Buyers of the new C-Class also can add Active Parking Assist that works for both parallel and end-on spaces, a 360-degree bird's-eye surround camera and Traffic Sign Assist with Wrong Way Alert

Pricing and EPA numbers for the 2015 Mercedes-Benz C-Class Sedan will be announced closer to its actual on-sale date. Between now and then, we anticipate hearing a good deal more about other upcoming members of the family, including the next-gen C63 AMG Sedan and a C-Class Coupe

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