Subaru Legacy

Subaru Legacy is a mid-size car introduced by the Japanese manufacturer Subaru in February 1989 as a larger companion to the company's Leone/Loyale. Worldwide distribution started in 1990. In Australia, the Legacy bears the name Liberty out of respect for Legacy Australia, an organization which aids veterans and their families during and after wars. According to a press release from Subaru listed by Autoblog, as of November 2008, 3.6 million Legacies have been built since its 1989 introduction. The standard equipped symmetrical all-wheel drive system is currently unique to the Legacy in this class size of vehicle.

In the USA market, the Legacy competes with the Toyota Camry, the Honda Accord, the Mitsubishi Galant, the Mazda 6, and the Nissan Altima. German automaker Volkswagen offers AWD as an option on the Volkswagen Group A5 PQ46 platform, however it is an extra cost option on upper trim level cars. The Ford CD3 platform can also be equipped with AWD for the USA market, but it too is an extra cost option only on the uplevel V6 models.

On May 10, 2008, the Japanese-spec Legacy can be fitted with a new safety feature, called EyeSight. It consists of twin cameras, one on each side of the rear view mirror, that use human-like stereoscopic vision to judge distances and generally keep tabs on the driver. The system can help maintain a safe distance on the highway, a lane departure warning system, a driver alert warning for various safety situations, and even keeps an eye out for pedestrians. SI-Cruise has been integrated into the EyeSight feature as a driver safety aid.

The flat-4 diesel engine, the worlds first and only, is offered in both the Legacy and Outback sedans and wagons, identified as the Subaru Legacy 2.0D. The vehicle was released in the EU starting March 2008, and is offered with a 5 speed manual transmission only. The official introduction of the Legacy and Outback diesel was at the Geneva AutoShow in March, 2008.

Toyota Prius

Toyota has dominated the hybrid market since introducing the Prius to America eight years ago, and Carter made it clear the automaker doesn't view the all-new, dirt-cheap Honda Insight as much of a threat. "Prius is more than a hybrid," Toyota vice president Bob Carter said during the car's worldwide premiere. "It's a solution. No longer is it a second car or a passing fad. In many households, it has become the primary family car."

Although the new Prius looks a lot like the old Prius, 90 percent of its gas-electric drivetrain was redesigned or re-engineered and packaged in a more aerodynamic body. The changes brought a 22 percent increase in power and a 9 percent boost in fuel economy over the current model, which is the most fuel-efficient car sold in America. Under the hood, Toyota increased engine displacement from 1.5 liters to 1.8 and bumped the output to 98 horsepower. Coupled with the electric motor, total power rises from 110 horsepower to 134. The increased oomph is enough to shave about half a second off the car's zero to 60 time, which Carter said now stands at 9.5 seconds. Not that anyone buys a Prius for its speed.

One of the coolest features is the rooftop solar panel, which Carter said provides juice to the ventilation system to keep the interior cool when the car is parked. The system keeps fresh air circulating in the vehicle so the A/C doesn't have to work so hard, conserving the battery — still a nickel-metal hydride unit. Carter said the new Prius is the first production car to have an air conditioning compressor powered by the battery instead of an engine drive belt, and the water pump also is electric to cut parasitic drag on the engine and improve fuel efficiency. Toyota expects the new Prius to strengthen the company's position as the world's leader in hybrid technology. The company sold 160,000 Prius hybrids in America last year, and there are now almost 700,000 of them on the road in the United States — and more than 1 million worldwide. "No other vehicle has had this kind of growth in sales and production," Carter said.

Toyota Venza

Toyota venza launched at the 2008 Detroit Motor Show, the new Venza, a 'crossover sedan' powerful by 4- and 6-cylinder powerplants.

The Venza has been designed solely for the left-hand drive market of North America, so don't be surprised if your local dealer looks at you with puzzlement if you ask about it here in Australia.

The overall design is fairly modern, but not especially daring. There seems to be a Corolla sedan influence in the front end, and the vehicles silhouette is fairly sporty for a Toyota. The rear end features perhaps the most daring design element of the car - the brake lights - which have a touch of Volvo to them as they wrap around the rear pillars.

Venza engine power comes from either a 2.7-litre 4-cylinder engine or a 3.5-litre V6 engine, that Aurion drivers will be very familiar with.

The show version of the Toyota Venza sits on large 20-inch alloy wheels, and the vehicle will offered to American buyers in either front- or four-wheel drive, a trend that looks to be adopted on more and more of Toyota's new vehicles.

Subaru Forester

Subaru Forester is a compact crossover SUV (or arguably a station wagon) produced since 1998 by the Japanese automaker Subaru. Released in the United States in 1998, is is based on the chassis of the Subaru Impreza. In 2003, a turbocharged Forester, the XT, was released alongside the naturally-aspirated X and XS in the United States as a 2004 model, however the same model had been available since the late 1990s elsewhere in the world. The XT model features a 2.5 L turbocharged engine mated with the same Mitsubishi TD04 turbocharger used in the Subaru Impreza WRX. In fact, the engine in the 2004 to 2005 Forester XT is identical to the American market Subaru Impreza WRX STi except for using the smaller TD04 turbocharger from the WRX, a smaller intercooler, different exhaust system, and different engine management programming. In 2006, the turbocharged engine (powering the Forester XT) was awarded International Engine of the Year. This engine is also used in the Subaru Impreza WRX, as well as the re-badged Saab 9-2X.

Mercedes-Benz SLK300 Wallpaper

Mercedes-Benz SLK300 Wallpaper

Mercedes-Benz SLK300

Mercedes-Benz SLK300 images