The name of the concept was taken from the founder Giovanni Bertone’s son, who took over the company and separated it into two divisions – one division of the company was focused on building vehicles while the other was focused on designing them for clients.

Giuseppe ‘Nuccio’ Bertone died in 1997.

Stay tuned for more details from the 2012 Geneva Motor Show.

- By: Omar Rana

At the 2012 Geneva Motor Show, Pininfarina will be showing a new concept that it calls the Cambiano Concept. The concept hints at a elegant and refined sport sedan so you can expect it to have a sloping rear roofline like the Aston Martin Rapide, Porsche Panamera and Mercedes-Benz CLS.

Following three teasers that Pininfarina released last month, the company has now dropped a video teaser before the Cambiano’s Geneva debut.

Check out the video after the jump.

- By: Omar Rana

Toyota has released a teaser of a new concept called the FT-Bh Concept. The concept is an “ultra-lightweight, full hybrid vehicle study, designed to achieve low emissions within an economically viable production framework.”

Toyota wasn’t afraid to say that the process and the main concept behind the FT-Bh was to avoid the use of expensive materials or complex development and use only those materials that are commonplace in the automotive industry.

THe Toyota FT-Bh Concept will be making its world debut at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show next month.

- By: Omar Rana

The Umberto Palermo Design Vittoria Concept is a sleek and aggressive looking sports car that measures 4,750 mm long, 1,960 mm wide and 1,250 mm tall. It also gets sloping roofline, LED taillights at the rear and a ‘cheese grater’ grille.

No word on complete technical details but Umberto Palermo Design says that the Vittoria uses a hybrid V8 setup for maximum performance and fuel-economy.

No word on when or if it will enter production.

- By: Omar Rana

Source: WCF

“The idea was to make the Track’ster tough looking, like a bulldog,” said Tom Kearns, chief designer for KMA. “But the car had to be approachable as well. We wanted to base the car in reality so people instantly knew it was a Soul, but with a lot of attitude. It had to be a bold interpretation that would change people’s conceptions of what a sporty Kia could be.”

“Mission accomplished,” Kia says – and mission accomplished indeed.

Besides its bold and aggressive looks with an eye-catching White and Inferno Orange exterior, Kia Track’ster features a grille with air intake slit trimmed in lightweight carbon fiber.  It also gets LED driving lights with aluminum surrounds, 14-inch Brembo brakes, a ‘backpack’ panel that accentuates the Track’ster’s 75.5-inch width, which is more than 5-inches wider than a production Soul.

Check out more news on the Kia Soul.

Power for the Kia Track’ster comes from a 2.0 liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine that produces 250-hp – 66 percent more than the production model. The engine is mated to a 6-speed manual transmission which helps transfer power to all four wheels.

Kia says that it has no current plans to produce the Track’ster. “Concept cars are icing on the cake,” said Kearns. “They allow KMA’s design team to dream about what could be. Whether that dream becomes a reality or not is a separate question.”

However, if you make a lot of noise Kia will hear you.

- By: Omar Rana

Later this week, Kia will take the wraps off of its Track’ster Concept that will debut at the 2012 Chicago Auto Show. The concept was teased earlier this month.

Check out the original teaser here.

Kia says that the Track’ster Concept is based on the Soul city car  and ‘displays the distinctive design direction that the Korean manufacturer is taking.’

The Kia Track’ster will hint at a performance version of the Kia Soul.

- By: Omar Rana

Called the Nissan Invitation, the concept hints at a new mainstream B-segment model that is due to be launched in the UK from 2013. The Invitation concept itself well debut next month at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show.

“Invitation is an energetic design, bringing fresh style, innovation and excitement to the mainstream market,” Nissan said in a statement. “The clean fluidity of the silhouette hints at its dynamic potential and showcases class-leading aerodynamics for enhanced efficiency.”

The Invitation Concept brings together advanced engine tech, a lightweight platform and an aerodynamic design create a fuel-sipping compact vehicle. Nissan said it also ensures strong driving dynamics with agile handling.

Well, we won’t know if all this is true until 2013. Stay tuned.

- By: Omar Rana

According to Automotive News, a senior source at Lamborghini’s parent company, Audi, has confirmed that the supercar maker is working on a new SUV/crossover based on the Q7.

“I can’t comment in detail but the speculation in the press is largely correct,” an Audi manager said when questioned about reports. Earlier this week, we showed you what were said to be leaked images of the concept Lamborghini SUV.

The Lamborghini SUV will gets is concept unveiling at the Beijing Motor Show in April and is expected to join the lineup in 2016. The model will go head-to-head with the Maserati Kubang, Porsche Cayenne, BMW X6 and many other luxury performance SUVs on the market. Lamborghini plans on selling 1,500 units annually. China and the United States are said to be key markets.

Reports also suggest that the Lamborghini Estoque sedan is also under consideration with the higher-ups.

- By: Omar Rana

Source: Automotive News

The Lexus LF-LC 2+2 Hybrid Coupe Concept made its debut at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show earlier this month. While there is not word of the concept being produced, Lexus says that the LF-LC hints at the future design language of the brand.

Lexus has just released a video giving us an inside look at the LF-LC Concept.

Check out our original post on the Lexus LF-LC Concept.

Check out the video after the jump.

- By: Omar Rana

What’s the name of the new concept? Nothing – Jeep is holding an online contest “for consumers to name the new production-intent Grand Cherokee concept.” Whoever wins, will get a chance to win a new 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee.

“Highlighted by a unique platinum-chrome front-end appearance and distinctive black-gloss 20-inch wheels and exterior treatments, our new Grand Cherokee concept provides a completely new look – one that is edgy and aggressive, and certainly different than any Grand Cherokee on the road today,” said Mike Manley, President and CEO – Jeep Brand, Chrysler Group LLC. “Jeep enthusiasts have always appreciated limited-edition models and the ability to customize their vehicles. This new Grand Cherokee comes with a unique, ‘factory-customized’ stealth appearance directly from Jeep, and is certain to attract interest from an array of potential customers.

Based on the Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo X model the model gets an aggressive, chrome and ‘blacked-out’ look with a grille surround in Black, and mesh grille texture in Platinum Chrome, a Platinum Chrome lower fascia applique, Black headlamp bezels and a Black liftgate light-bar.

Check out more news on the Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Inside the Jeep Grand Cherokee Concept gets standard leather-trimmed seats, heated front seats, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shifter, a 9-speaker 506 watt amp sound system with subwoofer, iPod/MP3 connectivity, Parkview rear back-up camera, ParkSense rear-park assist system, Keyless Enter-N-Go, Chrysler Group’s Uconnect hands-free communications system, and more than 50 advanced safety and security feature.

On a side note, Jeep said that it sold 127,444 units of the Grand Cherokee in 2011, up 51 percent from 2010.

- By: Omar Rana

Pininfarina said that the Cambiano shows the high-level of the brand’s styling and engineering.

- By: Omar Rana

This car is no different, while it is not offensive like the Pontiac Aztek was, it is not interesting like the Hyundai Veloster is, except for one thing, the rear hinged sliding doors. This is not a production reality like the B-pillar less carbon E-Class Mercedes we announced earlier this week, but it keeps things exciting.

Inside there are eight seats, blue lights and other concept car excitements. The only real world prospect here is the 1.2 liter direct injection turbo four linked to a six-speed auto ‘box.

- By: Sawyer Sutton

The stunning Kia GT four door coupe unveiled at the ‘11 Frankfurt Auto Show may be offered as a 2013 model aimed squarely at the Audi A4/A5 sportback and even the equally fantastic A7.

Kia insiders reveal that the car may be offered not only as a four door coupe but also as a two door and even a wagon, priced very competitively with the aforementioned European offering.

The GT concept currently sports a 3.3 liter gasoline powered ‘six with 390 bhp hooked up to an eight speed automatic, this powertrain choice seems competitive with Audi’s offerings.

This might be a far and away offering for Kia, but ex-’Dub/Audi Peter Schreyer feels differently, since joining Kia in 2006 as their Chief Designer. Schreyer also voiced interest in building a Mazda MX-5 fighter, though this project is only in the musing stage it seems.

- By: Sawyer Sutton

Source: Inside Line

Based on the same platform as the new Jeep Grand Cherokee, which was sourced from Mercedes-Benz, the Kubang is Maserati’s first ever venture into the SUV market.

Judging by its size and where Maserati plans to take the Kubang, it’s safe to assume that this is their answer to SUVs like the Range Rover Supercharged, Porsche Cayenne, BMW X5 and Mercedes-Benz ML just to name a few.

Details regarding performance, kit and launch dates have yet to be announced. But from the press release, all we can say is that the Kubang will come with an 8-speed automatic.

All Photos Copyright © Omar Rana - egmCarTech.

- By: Chris Chin

“The concept we’re showing here in Detroit continues the Lexus design revolution started with the CT and GS,” said Mark Templin, Lexus group vice president and general manager. “The concept hybrid 2+2 liberates the idea of a sport coupe and pushes the boundaries of performance, style and technology.”

Due to the lack of details, it is tricky to gauge what this car might compete against: Jag XK perhaps? That might be a too sporty though. Either way, this at some level is a successor to the Lexus SC coupe; even if the LF-LC is sold without an engine or wheels, I am sure it will be better.

I may be biased towards the color, and the copious LED letter “LS” on the front and back lights may be a bit over the top, but this is a stunning piece.

All Photos Copyright © Omar Rana - egmCarTech.

- By: Sawyer Sutton

Right off the bat, you can tell that the MKZ is a huge departure from the previous model, offering a completely new design that appears to be much bigger in size when compared to the previous MKZ.

Check out our original post on the Lincoln MKZ Concept.

Details in terms of power and drivetrains have yet to be released, but so far, Lincoln said that the new MKZ will feature their Lincoln Drive Control and Continuously Controlled Damping adaptive suspension, both of which debuted on the most recent MKS and MKT vehicles equipped with Ford’s EcoBoost V6.

All Photos Copyright © Omar Rana - egmCarTech.

- By: Chris Chin

“We at Smart love pick-ups – if they are small on the outside, large on the inside, very safe and extremely comfortable,” said Smart’s CEO, Dr. Annette Winkler. “With the Smart for-us a petrol station is no longer required!”

The Smart For-Us compact pickup is powered by a 55 kW magneto-electric motor, which gets its power from a 17.6 kWh lithium-ion battery back that is said to take a maximum of eight hours to fully recharge when depleted using a basic household socket or charging station.

Now, we’re not exactly sure where Smart plans to go with concept, especially since the demand for compact pickups have literally fallen off of the face of the Earth. But either way, Smart said that we could expect this electric powertrain to find its way into the Smart ForTwo Electric Drive in the spring of 2012.

All Photos Copyright © Omar Rana - egmCarTech.

- By: Chris Chin

“In this digital age, cars are becoming another spoke in the wheel of our electronic connectivity,” said Jim Lentz, Toyota Motor Sales’ president and chief operating officer. “NS4 demonstrates Toyota’s take on the human connection to the car with technology that considers both emotional and rational relationships, person-to-car and car-to-society.”

Designed as a four-door package, the NS4 concept looks like something to come from Honda rather than Toyota (think Honda FCX Clarity), but that could possibly be the color that throws me off personally.

To emphasize the NS4’s idea of connectivity, Toyota formed alliances with Microsoft, Intel and Salesforce to develop the NS4’s Human-Machine Interface, which features a multi-touch screen that mimics the look and feel of a smartphone. Toyota says, besides being able to handle the NS4’s multimedia and vehicle-controls, the HMI system is capable of “learning” driver preferences and habits to predict driver responses in specific scenarios.

Toyota said that the NS4 could see production by 2015 should the concept get a green light from the corporate beancounters.

All Photos Copyright © Omar Rana - egmCarTech.

- By: Chris Chin