The Subaru Forester emerged triumphant from a field of thirteen contenders to clinch the 2008 Motor Trend Sport Utility of the Year award. According to Motor Trend editor-in-chief Angus McKenzie, the decision to give the award to the Forester was unanimous. “The Subaru Forester is the SUV for our times”, he added.

The Subaru Forester has had an excellent safety record. It recently received the highest possible ratings in frontal and side impact crash tests by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Aside from five-star frontal and side impact crash-test rating, the 2009 Forester also received a four-star rollover resistance rating. The 2009 model certainly lives up to it with cutting –edge safety technology such as ring reinforcement safety system; front, seat mounted side and three row side-curtain airbags; and ABS.

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Hyundai Motor Co. aims at a higher level of quality and value with the recent release of the Genesis Coupe, touted as the automaker’s ‘halo vehicle’. At the launch in Jeju Island, a popular tourist destination in South Korea, Hyundai took the covers off of the Genesis Coupe for members of the Korean and international media. The new Genesis Coupe comes at the heels of the highly acclaimed Genesis sports sedan introduced earlier this year. With its simple, modern and crisp lines, the Genesis Coupe is the exemplification of Hyundai’s design evolution.

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Ford Motor Co. helps keep teen drivers safe with the introduction of an innovative technology called MyKey that is designed to help parents encourage their teenagers to drive safer.Ford MyKey allows parents to program a special ignition key with a pre-programmed list of vehicle options designed for better safety.

For instance, parents can program the MyKey to limit the vehicle’s top speed to 80 mph as well as restrict the car stereo’s audio volume to 44% of the maximum volume. It also encourages the use of safety belts with Ford’s Beltminder system that provides a six-second reminder chime every five to six minutes if seatbelts are not worn.

Alerts are also sounded whenever the vehicle reaches 45, 55 and 65mph. The MyKey also prevents the traction control system, which limits tire spin, from being deactivated. The new Ford MyKey will come standard with the 2010 Ford Focus and will be available as an option in models for 2010 onwards.

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Mazda will unveil the 2010 Mazda 3 at the Los Angeles Auto Show next month. The new Mazda 3 will feature a fresh new design inspired by the Kabura concept that Mazda revealed in 2006. This is evident in the new Mazda 3’s new face which is now dramatically swept back. This makes the Mazda 3 more akin to the new Mazda 6 in terms of aesthetics with its grinning front grille sitting between and below the sharp, angular headlamps.

The redesigned grill is flanked by two air intakes and a set of fog lamps. The redesign continues to the modern rising waistline and a sloping rear roof that emphasizes a restyled rear end with twin sporty tailpipes.

There were no specs revealed yet but the new Mazda 3 will reportedly come with either a 2.0 or 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine. It is also supposed to weight significantly less than the current model incarnation of the Mazda 3. The new 2010 Mazda 3 will be available in showrooms by early next year.

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In what could be a glimpse of the automotive industry’s future, electric cars grabbed the limelight at the ongoing ‘Mondial de l’ Automobile’ (Paris Motor Show) 2008 with several automakers unveiling a slew of new hybrid electric models. Most of the models, such as Renault SA’s Z.E. Concept, are still prototypes and could be several years away from production. Others, like Daimler AG’s all-electric Smart ED have entered the test phase.

Several automakers debuted new ready-for-production hybrid electric models. General Motors Corp. plans to get ahead of the pack with its rechargeable electric Chevrolet Volt, which is slated to go on sale by late 2010. “General Motors is betting an awful lot on the Volt, and I think it’s more than just an image issue, so we are all very interested in that,” said Finbarr O’Neill, head of international operations for J.D. Power & Associates.

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Ford Motor Company further beefed up its reputation for safety and technology with the recent announcement of its latest vehicle safety breakthrough advanced “active” collision-avoidance technology called Collision Warning with Brake Support. This new technology uses radar to detect moving vehicles directly ahead.

When the device detects a possible collision, it warns the driver through an authoritative beep and a red warning light that is projected on the windshield above the instrument panel. Collision Warning with Brake Support is just one of three new radar-based active safety and driver-aid technologies that Ford is introducing in a range of vehicles from 2008 to 2009.

The other new technologies are Adaptive Cruise Control and BLIS (Blind Spot Information System) with Cross Traffic Alert. These three technologies use radar to detect the relative position of other vehicles and warn the driver with a combination of visual and sound alerts. The new technologies further strengthen Ford’s top safety ratings which includes the most 5-star government ratings of any automaker and most number of Top Safety Picks by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

US Auto sales took a sharp downward turn in September in the face of an ongoing credit crisis and the continued increase in fuel prices. Industry-wide sales plunged below the 1 million mark for the first time in more than 15 years. Overall industry sales were at 964,873 vehicles, the lowest level seen since February 1993. The 27% drop was sharper than expected and is a clear sign that tighter credit and falling consumer confidence is hurting consumer spending.

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The continued rise in gasoline prices as well as tighter rules on vehicle emissions are reviving automakers’ interests in alternative fuels specifically compressed natural gas or CNG. Toyota revealed plans to expand its line of alternatively-powered cars aside from the Prius by unveiling a new Camry Hybrid that will run on compressed natural gas rather than gasoline.

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Chrysler makes a big jump into electric-hybrid technology with the announcement of three new production-intent vehicles that feature advanced electric-hybrid technology – one each for its brands Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep. The automaker also launched a new enclosed GEM low-speed neighborhood car. The new vehicles are the Dodge EV, an all-electric performance sports car; the Jeep EV, a range-extended electric vehicle based on the Jeep Wrangler; and the Chrysler EV, a Town & Country range-extended electric vehicle.

From this line up, Chrysler will select one electric-drive model to be produced in 2010 for the North American markets and after 2101 for European markets. The development of Chrysler’s line up of electric vehicles and range-extended electric vehicles is spearheaded by ENVI, an in-house organization that was created to focus on developing electric-drive production vehicles and related advanced technology.

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The average fuel economy of cars and light duty trucks in the United States increased for the fourth consecutive year reaching a projected 20.8 miles per gallon for 2008, says a report by the Environmental Protection Agency or EPA. This figure Is 0.2 mpg higher than last year’s average fuel economy.

However, the final data for 2008 will not be available until automakers submit their final annual sales data in early 2009. EPA expects that the final average fuel economy for 2008 will still be higher than initial projections of automakers since gasoline prices have since increased.

The EPA has seen an upward trend in the average fuel efficiency in America beginning in 2005. The average national fuel economy is now the highest since 1983. Most of the increase is attributed to higher fuel economy for light trucks following a long-term trend of slightly declining overall fuel economy that peaked in 1987. Market share of light trucks have also slid from 52% in 2004 to an estimated 48% in 2008.

Via The Auto Channel