2013 Chevrolet Traverse

The first thing that catches your eyes is of course the brand new fascia as Chevrolet has abandoned its signature two-tier grille spilt by a horizontal bar for a less complicated five-point upper grille with thee chromed horizontal slats and a separate two-bar lower grille.

GM says that the 2013 Traverse's "more expressive front end introduces a new face for Chevrolet crossover utilities", which means we will probably be seeing more of the new grille, unless of course, consumer reaction is negative to the change.

The front of the crossover model also features a new powerdome hood, reshaped headlamps, chrome accents around the grille and fog lamps, and sculpted front corners that are similar similar to the 2013 Malibu Sedan.

At the rear end, Chevrolet has redesigned the bumper and the tailgate, which now houses the license plate pocket, while the tail lamps are also new and are inspired by the 'sunglasses' shaped LED units of the Erupean market 2012 Camaro.

Inside, the Traverse continues to offer space for seven passengers in three rows of seats, but Chevrolet says it gains upgraded materials, including soft-touch surfaces on the instrument panel and front door uppers, and improved fit and finish for all interior panels.

In addition, the front seats now feature articulating head restraints, while the new center stack houses a 6.5-inch color touch radio with the available Chevrolet MyLink infotainment system.

The Traverse also debuts the industry’s first front center air bag, which is designed to offer additional restraint to drivers and front passengers in far-side impact crashes.

For 2013, the Traverse continues with GM's 3.6-liter V6 engine that produces 288HP and 270 lb.-ft. of torque (366 Nm) with a dual exhaust, and 281HP and 266 lb.-ft./361 Nm with a single exhaust. However, GM has made some changes to the transmission as well as the suspension to improve ride and handling.

More details are to be announced next week at the New York auto show.

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Ford Explorer Sport Edition

The new addition to the Explorer's range justifies its Sport tag by employing the use of Ford's 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged EcoBoost V6 engine, which the company says makes "at least 350-horsepower" in this application. Ford has not released any other performance numbers.

“Adding an EcoBoost drivetrain to Explorer Sport delivers even more fuel efficiency and performance to the lineup,” said Bill Gubing, Explorer chief engineer. “This is our highest- performance, most capable Ford Explorer ever.”

The force-fed six-cylinder is matched to a paddle-shifted six-speed SelectShift Automatic transmission with a unique 3.16 to 1 final drive ratio and four-wheel drive with a Terrain Management System.

Ford anticipates that the Explorer Sport will return a fuel economy of up to 16 mpg (14.7lt/100km) in city driving and 22 mpg (10.7lt/100km) on the highway, with the company comparing these numbers to some rivaling SUVs.

"That's 3 mpg better in the city and 2 mpg on the highway than the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango R/T 5.7-liter Hemi engines," said Ford in a statement adding, "It scores 3 mpg higher in the city and 4 mpg higher on the highway than the Land Rover Range Rover Sport."

Along with the new powertrain, Ford says it has reinforced the chassis making the Explorer Sport stiffer and improving its handling, while the SUV also gets a faster, solid-mounted electric power-assisted steering and larger brakes.

The Sport is identified on the outside by some subtle design cues such as the unique 20-inch painted and machined wheels, blacked out grille, lights, roof rails and mirror housings. It also gets bespoke front and rear lower fascias.

Buyers will be able to choose from four exterior colors, including Ruby Red Metallic Clearcoat, White Platinum Metallic Tri-Coat, Tuxedo Black Metallic and Ingot Silver Metallic.

Inside, the 2013 Explorer Sport has been dressed in Charcoal Black leather, which is available with and without contrasting Sienna inserts, unique steering wheel stitching and dashboard trim, plus Sport-logo floor mats and illuminated scuff plates.

Pricing has not yet been announced.

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Opel Enigma Concept

The GT coupe model was designed to use the rear-wheel drive platform of the Chevrolet Camaro, but we'll let Dave do the rest of the talking on the Enigma:

"The Opel Enigma is a sporty 4-seat coupe based on the platform of the Chevrolet Camaro. This concept could be considered as an Insignia coupe, but I would rather see it as the new “Calibra”. The rear is inspired by the Insignia (Buick Regal), while the side and front have design features of the Astra GTC and the Flextreme concept."

Photo Credits: David Cardoso

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2013 Lamborghini Ferruccio

 While we expect a fitting tribute from Lamborghini to mark the 50 years from the day Ferrucio Lamborghini launched the company that bears his name to challenge Ferrari, independent designers have already begun spinning their own tributes.

The Lamborghini Feruccio concept pictured here is the work of Mark Hostler, a transportation design student at Staffordshire University.

Hostler's overly aggressive and hard-edged concept is said to blend the shapes and design details of various Lamborghini supercars from different eras.

These include the low windshield and read end design of the original Countach, the softer and more rounded front fenders of the Miura and the jet-fighter lines of the recent crop of Lamborghinis such as the Reventon and the Aventador LP700-4.

In Hostler's mind, a supercar like the Feruccio concept should combine tradition with modernity and as such, he designed it to be equipped with a 5.0-liter V12 engine featuring twin-turbochargers and a direct-injection system.

You can take a look at the photos and the video of the Lamborghini Feruccio concept right after the break.

Story References: Yankodesign & Tuvie , Photo Credits / Designer: Mark Hostler

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