HK Motors engaged Italdesign-Giugiaro

It looks like Italdesign-Giugiaro has loads more under its sleeves other than work for the new Proton Persona which is set to hit the streets in 20 months from now. They have just scored a huge contract from Chinese-backed US-based Hybrid Kinetic Motors Corp. The car above was unveiled at the announcement of the deal – but it isn’t even a model designed for HK Motors. It’s a recycled concept shown at 2008 by Italdesign called the Giugiaro Quaranta Concept.

Hybrid Kinetic Motors Corp has engaged Italdesign for the development of 8 new models based on a common flexible platform and powertrain, all to be engineered by Italdesign. The deal is worth 375 million Euros and will keep GIugiaro occupied over the next 4 years, and they will also provide on-site assistance for production, which means there will be income for the next 6 to 8 years!

Many probably think Italdesign is a design firm, but truth it they are capable of engineering work as well and have actually often been contracted by the mainstream automakers to assist with vehicle engineering. It’s just that launching a product with ‘design by Giugiaro’ is seen as a good thing but ‘engineered by Giugiaro’ usually makes people wonder why a car company can’t manage its own product engineering.

But among the models that Giugiaro has engineered are the new R56 MINI range including the Cooper, Clubman and Cabriolet. These are only the vary few models that the automakers have allowed Giugiaro to take credit for – the rest are buried with NDAs and confidentiality agreements.

“HK Motors is offering us the unique opportunity to design an entire range of products that should be state-of-the-art in terms of aerodynamic efficiency and weight because reducing emissions is the main target of the entire project,” says Italdesign vice chairman and design director Fabrizio Giugiaro. The company is said to be aiming for CO2 emissions of under 50g/km and its vehicles will use a common powertrain that uses a small turbocharged engine.

Their main sales market seems to be USA at the moment, and HK Motors has expressed that it plans to build a plant in South Alabama and make up to 1 million cars a year there. - paultan

2010 Cadillac SRX

Check this out of latest Cadillac SRX since i leave this blog for a long time because im running out of time and got a lot of task to do.

The 2010 Cadillac SRX ranks 3 out of 16 Luxury Midsize SUVs.This ranking is based on our analysis of 15 published reviews and test drives of the Cadillac SRX,and our analysis of reliability and safety data.

The Cadillac SRX, completely redesigned for 2010, now boasts smooth performance and an interior that are nearly on par one of its class leader, the Lexus RX 350. Even before its redesign, the 2007 SRX received top honors from Car and Driver, which recognized it as one of their "5Best" Trucks. Based on the Provoq concept revealed last year, the 2010 SRX is smaller and more luxurious than the model it replaces -- and it looks sharper on the outside.

Because of the SRX's smaller dimensions, the optional third row will no longer be available, decreasing seating capacity to five. "That confused wagon as you knew it is gone," says AutoWeek. "In its place is a pure crossover. It's smaller, a bit more distinctive and fitted with a new engine lineup topped by what's thought to be Cadillac's first-ever turbo in North America. But most critical for GM's storied luxury brand, and the company as a whole, is that the SRX is a realistic competitor for segment-leader Lexus."

General Motors, Cadillac's parent company, emerged from bankruptcy in 2009. GM is now on its way back to profitability and has even started offering lease deals again on several models, including the 2010 SRX. Note that GM is also giving consumers a great incentive by taking the risk out of buying. The automaker's 60-day money-back guarantee allows buyers of 2009 and 2010 vehicles to return them between 31 and 60 days of purchase -- just as long as there are less than 4,000 miles on the odometer and the buyer is current on payments.

The SRX comes in one trim with either a 3.0-liter or 2.8-liter turbocharged engine. It comes on a new front-wheel-drive platform or with all-wheel drive.

Cadillac SRX Performance - 8.8 (Very Good)

Built on a new front-wheel-drive platform, the 2010 SRX delivers better performance than ever before. While reviewers previously complained about body roll and slow steering, they now say the SRX drives nearly as well as its chief rival, the Lexus RX 350. "Believe us when we say the SRX is a Lexus-beating vehicle," says Jalopnik. "On virtually every front, the SRX matches the RX 350. Blow-for-blow, we were impressed on comfort, amenities, material quality, space and luxury, but what the Cadillac has and the Lexus doesn't is the attention of the driver. This crossover actually handles. We'll even go so far as to say it's a Caddy that zigs and even zags."

Cadillac SRX Exterior - NA

While the SRX has been criticized in the past for its station wagon look, the redesigned model's new and improved styling wins praise. "From the sleek sheetmetal with edgy lines, the in-your-face grille and the eye-catching headlights, this Cadillac is poised to stand out in a conformist sort of way," writes AutoWeek. "Most luxo-crossovers don't have this kind of panache, but the SRX is meant to fit in better."

Cadillac SRX Interior - 9.1 (Excellent)

The new Cadillac SRX's luxurious five-seat interior allows it to more capably compete with SUVs such as the Lexus RX 350. Hi-tech features include adaptive forward lighting, a dual-screen rear video entertainment system and Bluetooth compatibility. "The interior was spacious and comfortable," says the Detroit News. "While I didn't get a chance to live with the vehicle, the SRX certainly makes for easy living. It includes a center stack similar to the new CTS with a pop-up navigation screen that lifts out of the dash."

Cadillac SRX Safety - 10.0 (Excellent)

The 2010 Cadillac SRX has not yet been crash-tested by the federal government, but receives good scores in insurance industry crash tests. However, it comes with plenty of safety features, including optional adaptive headlights

Cadillac SRX Reliability - 8.0 (Very Good)

The 2010 Cadillac SRX reliability score shown is the Predicted Reliability rating provided by J.D. Power and Associates. This score is based on trending the past three years of historical initial quality and dependability data from J.D. Power's automotive studies, specifically the Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS) and the Initial Quality Study (IQS). The SRX comes with a four-year/50,000-mile basic warranty.