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06/17/11--14:46: Chevrolet Cobalt lives... in South America (chan 1477848)

Filed under: Concept Cars, Sedan, Chevrolet, GM, Misc. Auto Shows, South America




Chevrolet Cobalt Concept - Click above for high-res image gallery


The Cobalt lives. Well, not here in the United States, where the Chevrolet Cruze has thankfully banished all memories of GM's last uncompetitive compact, but at least in Argentina. Alongside the Colorado Rally Concept, Chevrolet is displaying the Cobalt Concept you see here at the Buenos Aires International Motor Show.

We're pretty sure this new Cobalt is a Cobalt in name only, as it doesn't appear to share anything with the previous model that is no longer in production and, though no dimensional details are provided, seems smaller than the Delta platform used by its erstwhile namesake. Perhaps it uses the Gamma architecture used by the new Sonic and global Aveo?

In any case, this Cobalt, though officially a concept, seems destined for production in South America and possibly other emerging markets around the world. The automaker says it will offer a range of engines from 1.3 to 1.8 liters that will run on either ethanol, gasoline or diesel.

As far as the styling goes, we can see the current Chevrolet design language front and center, with a two-tier grille up front flanked by sweeping headlamps. The flanks are highlighted by downward-pointing swage lines front and rear. Out back, LED lights punctuate some questionably large, chrome-surrounded lamps.

Inside, this Cobalt Concept is impressively finished with leather seating surfaces and door panels. A unique woodgrain accent highlights the steering wheel. LED lighting in a soft blue is a welcome touch, as is the in-dash navigation system and twin seven-inch LCD screens in the headrests, which we doubt would make it into production.

Check out our high-res image gallery for all the pics.

Chevrolet Cobalt lives... in South America originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 17 Jun 2011 16:46:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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07/06/11--17:57: Brazilian Stock Car driver engulfed in flames. Stops, drops, rolls... survives (chan 1477848)

Filed under: Motorsports, Safety, Videos, Chevrolet, GM, South America, Racing




Driver flees as Brazilian Stock Car is engulfed in flames - Click above to watch the video after the break


There's no doubt about it - racing can be a dangerous sport. There are any number of accidents that could leave you injured, paralyzed or worse. Fortunately, safety equipment has managed to keep up in lock-step with our ever-increasing need for speed, which means all but the most heinous of vehicular monstrosities on the race track result in little more than a bruised ego and a check or two with lots and lots of zeros.

Still, sometimes there's a racing incident that's just so bizarre we all just have to stand up and take notice. Take, for instance, Tuka Rocha, a driver in the Brazilian Stock Car Championship. After his car (which is a Chevrolet mysteriously sponsored by... Hyundai) went up in flames, Rocha was apparently left with no option but to kick open the door and jump for his life. Seriously.

What happens next is equally bizarre. Rocha, seemingly overcome with the kind of joy that can only come from seeing your life pass before your smoke-filled eyes and living to tell the tale, jubilantly dances and waves for several seconds before finally succumbing to his near-death experience and collapsing into a heap in the grass. Safety crews rush to the scene, and soon enough, Rocha is found to be mostly unharmed.

Sound crazy? It is. And you can see for yourself in the video after the break.

Continue reading Brazilian Stock Car driver engulfed in flames. Stops, drops, rolls... survives

Brazilian Stock Car driver engulfed in flames. Stops, drops, rolls... survives originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 06 Jul 2011 19:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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07/20/11--11:01: VW Touareg TDI sets lonely record on World's Longest Highway [w/video] (chan 1477848)

Filed under: Motorsports, SUV, Etc., Volkswagen, South America, Diesel



Volkswagen can now lay claim to another world record thanks to the efforts of off-road driver Rainer Zietlow and his team of adventurers. The crew packed into a Volkswagen Touareg TDI and covered the entire span of the Pan-American Highway from start to finish in 11 days, 17 hours and 22 minutes. The trip covered 14 countries and 16,000 miles of near non-stop driving. TÜV NORD Mobility verified the time, which beat out the previous record holder by a full three days.

The journey began on July 2 in the southernmost portion of Argentina and clipped through a variety of challenging conditions. The team faced a sandstorm in Chile and treacherous muddy roads in Alaska, but preplanned fuel stops helped cut the team's time down as much as possible.

Zietlow and his teammates also played a bit of a philanthropic role by donating 10 cents for every kilometer traveled to two Latin American villages to help combat childhood poverty. Hit the jump for the video and full press release.

Continue reading VW Touareg TDI sets lonely record on World's Longest Highway [w/video]

VW Touareg TDI sets lonely record on World's Longest Highway [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 20 Jul 2011 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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07/25/11--06:59: Fake Kia ads cause uproar, get creatives banned from Cannes (chan 1477848)

Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Crossover, Kia, South America



First, Kia Motors Brazil disavowed the ads done in its name by Brazilian agency Moma Propaganda, and now, the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity is doing the same. If you'll remember, some creatives at Moma put together a rather suggestive, comic diptych to advertise the dual-zone climate control in the Kia Sportage. The ads got people everywhere rather hot - and not in a good way - and the automaker quickly went on record saying that it didn't commission them.

The ads won two Cannes Lions earlier this year - basically, the Oscars of ad agency awards. Responding in its own way to the 'revelations,' the Cannes overseers stripped the five credited creatives of their awards, and banned all five of them from participating in next year's festival. It is the first time in its history that such an action has been taken.

This has nothing to do with Kia Motors America, only Kia Motors Brazil, and the 'ads' never actually ran. They appear to have been created just to win Lions, which is perhaps why Kia Motors Brazil didn't distance itself until after the festival. Or, perhaps not, since according to Ad Age, even after having its name (quite unfairly) associated with the word "pedophilia" for a month now, the Korean firm remains a client of Moma.

Fake Kia ads cause uproar, get creatives banned from Cannes originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 25 Jul 2011 08:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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08/03/11--13:00: Nissan Brazil asks if you have damned ponies under your hood (chan 1477848)

Filed under: Truck, Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Nissan, Humor, South America



The advertising world is a scary and confusing place - even when the message in question is in your language. Dive into the murky depths of foreign commercials, and our eyes go glassy quicker than you can say, "Não entendo." Take what looks to be an official Brazilian ad for Nissan trucks in the video after the jump. In it, some hapless soul is apparently plagued by cursing computer-generated My Little Pony knockoffs. The vindictive little airborne equines happily mock the driver after he gets his vehicle buried in frame-deep mud. Apparently there's a difference between pony power and horsepower.

There's even a special treat for those who hang around after the video wraps up. The adorable little ponies apparently have a very dark side to them - one seemingly hellbent on creating a viral video (something they appear to have done handily, as the video after the jump has registered over four million views in just the last few days).

You can check out the original version of the ad after the jump as well as a translated take for us monolingual-types. Now, if you'll excuse us, we need to go start a country-folk-punk fusion band called the Damned Ponies.

Continue reading Nissan Brazil asks if you have damned ponies under your hood

Nissan Brazil asks if you have damned ponies under your hood originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 03 Aug 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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08/12/11--16:29: Mexico in contention to host a Formula 1 grand prix? (chan 1477848)

Filed under: Motorsports, South America



Formula 1 racing is coming back to North America, and coming back in a big way. Whereas a few years ago there was no grand prix on this continent at all, now the Canadian Grand Prix is back in Montreal, a new track is being constructed to host the US Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, and negotiations are back under way to hold a race in New Jersey. But if that's not enough, now Mexico is throwing its sombrero in the ring.

The country south of our border held a total of fifteen world championship grands prix in the 1960s, '70s, '80s and '90s, but after '92 it fell by the wayside. But now F1 racing is enjoying a resurgence in popularity in Mexico, mostly revolving around the Sauber team. Sergio Perez is driving for the team, Esteban Gutierrez is their test driver, and Telmex is one of their principal sponsors.

On the back of that popularity, talk is in progress to bring F1 racing back to Mexico. The project reportedly involves entertainment company CIE and billionaire businessman Carlos Slim's son Carlos Slim Domit. CIE owns the Hermanos Rodriguez circuit in Mexico City (named after the brothers who were arguably the most prominent F1 drivers in Mexican history), which could potentially be rejuvenated and brought back up to modern F1 standards, or alternatively a new street circuit is being mooted for Guadalajara.

Either prospect would be several years away, but FIA president Jean Todt is quoted as supporting the venture, which would also join the Brazilian Grand Prix that is currently the only F1 race in Latin America since the demise of the Argentine Grand Prix in 1998.

Mexico in contention to host a Formula 1 grand prix? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Aug 2011 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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08/29/11--17:27: Christopher Lloyd reprises Doc Brown role with De Lorean for Argentinian commercial (chan 1477848)

Filed under: Classics, Coupe, Videos, Celebrities, Humor, Specialty, South America



It's been 26 years since Christopher Lloyd donned a lab coat and portrayed lunatic genius Doc Brown in the Back to the Future franchise. This year, though, Lloyd jumped back into the lab coat to revisit his role in an Argentinian TV commercial.

The commercial shills for an electronics store, and proudly feature both Doc and his DeLorean DMC-12. Even cooler, the DeLorean used for close-ups in the commercial is one of the actual originals used in the filming of the movie. Look closely, though, and you'll see that the machine used for the stunts is actually an old and heavily disguised Toyota Celica... apparently, nobody was in the least bit interested in damaging such an iconic movie prop.

Click past the jump to see the spots for yourself.

Continue reading Christopher Lloyd reprises Doc Brown role with De Lorean for Argentinian commercial

Christopher Lloyd reprises Doc Brown role with De Lorean for Argentinian commercial originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 29 Aug 2011 19:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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09/23/11--14:33: Range Rover Evoque readies for Dakar with BMW power (chan 1477848)

Filed under: Motorsports, Crossover, Land Rover, Specialty, South America, Racing



The Land Rover Evoque is headed to participate in the next running of the Dakar Rally with a few necessary modifications. The British Excite Rally Raid Team is planning to take to the sands of South America with three cars shelled in the body of an Evoque. Under the hood, however, the T3 racers will make use of BMW straight-six power. The 3.0-liter turbo-diesel engine is good for 275 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque with a ZF six-speed gearbox handling the shifting duties.

Each machine will be built by RaBe Race Cars, which has a long history of churning out Dakar-ready hardware for other teams. All three Evoque bruisers will be campaigned by a fully British crew that includes names like Martin Rowe, Andrew Coley and John Hardy. The 2012 Dakar Rally Raid kicks off on January 1, 2012.

Range Rover Evoque readies for Dakar with BMW power originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 23 Sep 2011 16:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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09/23/11--15:31: Stock car racing comes to.... Antarctica?! (chan 1477848)

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, South America, Racing



Argentina has apparently brought stock car racing to Antarctica for the very first time. The Asociacion Corredores Turismo Carretera recently teamed up with the Argentina Air Force and the interior ministry to bring one racer to the frozen continent. Hugo Mazzacane, vice president of the racing organization, piloted the car down 3,937 feet of runway in temperatures of four degrees below zero, Fahrenheit. We aren't exactly sure of the motivations behind the stunt, but our Google Translator informs us that the trip had something to do with bringing renewed passports to those already stationed on Antarctica.

Then again, if you have to ask why, you probably shouldn't be anywhere near motorsports in the first place. There's no indication as to what kind of preparations were taken to ensure that the car could perform in the cold or what kind of driving suit Mazzacane had to don in order to keep from freezing himself out of the cockpit. Still, looks like a fun time to us.

Stock car racing comes to.... Antarctica?! originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 23 Sep 2011 17:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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10/18/11--07:29: Ducati ads defy all logic (chan 1477848)

Filed under: Performance, Marketing/Advertising, Motorcycle, South America



It appears that Ducati riders in Ecuador respond to different stimuli than riders in North America. This shouldn't exactly come as a surprise - we're used to 'Ooooooh'-ing at primetime commercials from other lands that could barely get past Cinemax censors here. In the case of four Ducati ads from the Italian firm's Ecuadorian agency, though, the response might less "Ooooh" and more, "Oh."

The four single panels are apparently from April 2011, and in just two lines and a simple drawing present four hypothetical people, their intriguing powers, and their brand of bike. When it was thought that these were Ducati North America efforts, the local HQ disavowed them and said they might be spec creative. But it turns out they're real ads, and a few clicks on Uncle Google reveals that some folks like them.

Check them out in the gallery and see what you think - good for us, or best for others?

Ducati ads defy all logic originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 18 Oct 2011 09:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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11/04/11--11:29: Watch Brazilian police intentionally ram car into plane during takeoff (chan 1477848)

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, Videos, Police/Emergency, South America



Yesterday, we got to see the first trailer for Grand Theft Auto V, and today we have video of one of the missions. But wait just a second - this isn't a video game, it's real life.

An in-car video camera has captured footage of two unnamed Brazilian police officers going after some bad guys on a remote runway, Cops-style. One officer can be seen firing a machine gun, just before the driver rams the wing of a plane in an effort to prevent it from taking off.

According to the Associated Press, a Brazilian federal police spokesman indicates that the pilot and four others were arrested, but nobody was hurt in the takedown. The video does appear to show plenty of contraband electronics that were seized from the alleged smugglers, however.

Click past the jump to see the brief but action-packed footage.

Continue reading Watch Brazilian police intentionally ram car into plane during takeoff

Watch Brazilian police intentionally ram car into plane during takeoff originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 04 Nov 2011 13:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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11/04/11--15:15: Argentina forcing carmakers to export wine, peanuts and chicken feed (chan 1477848)

Filed under: Government/Legal, Earnings/Financials, South America



Want to sell cars in Argentina? Be prepared to get into the wine business. Or the rice, peanut, chicken feed, biodiesel or bottled water businesses. Or anything else of value, really.

Argentinian President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner (pictured above) has enacted a program to increase the country's exports and boost its economy by requiring automakers to match, dollar for dollar, the price of its vehicle imports by exporting some other product from Argentina.

While the plan will surely accomplish the goal of increasing exports, some experts are wary of its impact on the auto market. Marcos Ferrario, an economist who tracks the Argentinian auto industry, told Bloomberg: "It's very difficult to counterbalance imports of luxury cars, which are worth about $150,000 each, with sales of olives or wines."

As long as Argentina's auto market is growing by about 30 percent per year, we'd expect automakers to do their best to keep dealerships stocked with vehicles. Long term, though, this sounds like a plan that's nearly impossible to sustain.

Argentina forcing carmakers to export wine, peanuts and chicken feed originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 04 Nov 2011 17:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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11/14/11--16:29: Argentine driver Guido Falaschi killed in final lap crash (chan 1477848)

Filed under: Motorsports, Etc., Videos, South America



Motorsports fans are mourning the passing of Guido Falaschi. The 22-year-old Argentine driver was killed Sunday during the last lap of Turismo Carretera when he lost control of his Ford Falcon touring car in an attempt to avoid a collision with a lapped racer. Falaschi's race car slid across a gravel trap and into a tire barrier before being struck by another car and rolling back onto the race course. His vehicle was then struck by a second race car driven by Nestor Girolami. Doctors confirmed Falaschi's death later that day, though Girolami is reported to be in stable condition and recovering at a local hospital.

The crash occurred at the Juan Manuel Fangio race track. Click past the jump for a look at the crash video, though be warned that the footage may be too graphic for some audiences.

Continue reading Argentine driver Guido Falaschi killed in final lap crash

Argentine driver Guido Falaschi killed in final lap crash originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 14 Nov 2011 19:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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11/18/11--15:30: Nissan, Daimler looking to make cars together in Mexico (chan 1477848)

Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Earnings/Financials, South America



Automotive News reports that Nissan and Daimler may team up on a joint-assembly plant in Mexico. The two automakers are currently finalizing plans that could see a facility open by 2014 to produce up to 200,000 vehicles per year for the North American market. If the project gets the green light from both automakers, the endeavor will cost around $1 billion. Nissan, Renault and Daimler entered into an alliance in 2010 to produce engines and vehicles. This move would be the latest fruit of that endeavor. One proposal has Nissan fielding the cost of construction, leaving Daimler to take on a capital stake in operating the facility.

Automotive News reports that Daimler has declined to comment on the project. If realized, the plant would be the first Mexican facility to produce Mercedes-Benz passenger vehicles in the country. As of right now, Daimler's plants in the country are responsible for building large trucks and buses.

Nissan, Daimler looking to make cars together in Mexico originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 Nov 2011 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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11/27/11--15:57: 2011 Brazilian Grand Prix wraps up the season at Interlagos [spoilers] (chan 1477848)

Filed under: Motorsports, South America



It's been one heck of a season in Formula One racing. Not since the days of Michael Schumacher at the pinnacle of his career with Ferrari have we seen the kind of domination that his fellow countryman Sebastian Vettel has smote upon the championship.

Leading into this weekend's final round in Brazil, Vettel had already won eleven out of eighteen rounds from fourteen pole positions. As a result he'd been crowned champion early on, and helped secure the constructors' title for his Red Bull Racing team as well. But would the young champ - the youngest multiple champion in F1 history, in fact - be able to tie up the season in as grand a style as he'd displayed all year? Follow the jump to find out.

Continue reading 2011 Brazilian Grand Prix wraps up the season at Interlagos [spoilers]

2011 Brazilian Grand Prix wraps up the season at Interlagos [spoilers] originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 27 Nov 2011 18:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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12/02/11--16:25: Brazilian motorcycle stunt show doesn't go as planned (chan 1477848)

Filed under: Videos, Motorcycle, South America



We have serious respect for the individuals employed in the world's various stunt shows. It takes hours of practice, meticulous choreography and massive amounts of skill to be able to manipulate vehicles in concert, and the specter of immediate death is waiting just off screen should you miss your cue. Take the stunt show at the Beto Carrero World theme park in Brazil, for example. The action centers on two dueling motorcyclists in a faux city center. After an impressive burnout display, the two riders were to pull a wheelie before narrowly threading between three compact hatchbacks.

That's what was supposed to happen. As you can tell from the screen capture above, that's not exactly how things went down. At the last minute, the motorcyclist in the black gear clipped one of the oncoming cars, went airborne and fell to the pavement. Miraculously enough, no one was seriously injured in the calamity, and our intrepid biker turned catapult victim showed up at work the next day. Hit the jump for the full video.

Continue reading Brazilian motorcycle stunt show doesn't go as planned

Brazilian motorcycle stunt show doesn't go as planned originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 02 Dec 2011 19:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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12/13/11--08:30: Honduras outlaws motorcycle passengers to... curb shootings?! (chan 1477848)

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, Motorcycle, South America



We've seen some pretty strange legislation crop up when it comes to curbing crime, but Honduras has reached new extremes. According to the BBC, the country has outlawed passengers on motorcycles in an effort to fight a homicide epidemic. Honduras has the world's highest murder rate, with 82 people killed out of every 100,000 per year. Two recent high-profile killings involved shooters who fired at their victims while riding shotgun on motorcycles, and President Porfiro Lobo has responded by asking congress to put a ban on bike passengers for six months as a result.

The country faces a rash of problems as Mexican drug cartels move to expand their influence. Honduras currently serves as a corridor for cocaine traffic from South America, and the presence of violent gangs in the nation has only serve to further destabilize the area. The country began deploying armed troops as police enforcers in November.

Honduras outlaws motorcycle passengers to... curb shootings?! originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 13 Dec 2011 11:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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12/20/11--05:29: Volkswagen sends 40 support vehicles for Dakar Rally (chan 1477848)

Filed under: Truck, Volkswagen, South America, Off-Road, Racing



Volkswagen may not be returning to the Dakar Rally next year as a competitor - having already proven everything it has to prove - but don't count on seeing a desert completely bereft of VW badges altogether. That's because the German automaker will still be providing the support vehicles that the race organizers couldn't do without.

This will be the third year running that Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles will be supplying the Dakar's support fleet. This year's comprises some 40 vehicles, including 30 Amarok pickups, specially equipped for the occasion.

Along the way F1 legend Jacky Ickx - who, not incidentally, won the Dakar for Mercedes-Benz in '83 - will be giving off-road racing lessons to those lucky enough. Follow the jump for the press blast as the contestants get ready to blast through the South American deserts themselves starting on New Year's Day.

Continue reading Volkswagen sends 40 support vehicles for Dakar Rally

Volkswagen sends 40 support vehicles for Dakar Rally originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 20 Dec 2011 08:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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01/04/12--02:30: Next Ford EcoSport now playing at New Delhi Auto Expo [UPDATE] (chan 1477848)

Filed under: Concept Cars, Budget, Crossover, Misc. Auto Shows, India, South America, Design/Style



While we've been consumed with the ramp-up to next week's Detroit Auto Show, there's a more pressing matter on the international car events calendar - this week's New Delhi Auto Expo. Ford Motor Company isn't overlooking the burgeoning biennial show, and it's taking the opportunity to reveal its first-ever world debut at the show, the next Ford EcoSport.

Debuting with a sliver of show-only frosting (check out those glitzy headlamps), the tiny crossover is about the same size as the Fiesta five-door, and it's built on the Blue Oval's new global B-Car architecture. Ford isn't revealing much in the way of powertrain specifics for this thinly disguised model, but our sources tell us the EcoSport will see the first application of the company's new 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine in India (yes, that means there will be an EcoSport EcoBoost), and presumably there will be an ethanol variant as well.

The upright CUV has been designed with emerging markets in mind, namely portions of Asia and South America, so we're unlikely to see it in North America (we'd be more likely to receive the B-Max MPV), though our sources tell us that an eventual European market appearance is not out of the question. Roughly 90 percent of cars in those markets are B-Segment or smaller, and the previous generation of the Brazilian-built EcoSport has sold some 750,000 units since hitting the market nine years ago.

While the original EcoSport sold almost exclusively in Brazil, the new model will spread its wings to take on a more global role as part of the company's One Ford agenda. To be assembled in both India and Brazil, the EcoSport represents the first time that Ford's team in Camacari, Brazil has taken the lead in conceiving a global product, another indication of the market's growing importance. The new EcoSport will be a lynchpin for the Blue Oval, who expect the Asia Pacific region to swallow up to one out of every three Ford vehicles sold by 2020 (it's just one in six today).

Want more proof of India's rise in importance? Officials tell us that Ford plans to treat the Delhi show as a first-tier show going forward, on par with Detroit, the Frankfurt Motor Show, and so on. Ostensibly, the show will replace a Tokyo Motor Show presence for the Dearborn automaker, as Ford was absent from last month's show in Japan.

UPDATE: Additional photos and sketches have been added to the gallery, along with two official videos and a press release after the jump.

Continue reading Next Ford EcoSport now playing at New Delhi Auto Expo [UPDATE]

Next Ford EcoSport now playing at New Delhi Auto Expo [UPDATE] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 04 Jan 2012 05:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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01/04/12--13:00: Ford EcoSport bows at the Delhi Auto Expo (chan 1477848)

Filed under: Budget, Crossover, Hatchback, Ford, India, South America



Ford has officially unveiled the EcoSport ahead of the Delhi Auto Expo. The vehicle wears a CUV version of the company's Kinetic design language with a large octagonal grille and discreet headlights. Despite its concept looks, Ford says the vehicle could be in production in as little as six months.

Under the hood, the EcoSport boasts the smallest Ecoboost engine ever created. The turbocharged 1.0-liter, three-cylinder engine is good for around 118 horsepower and 125 pound-feet of torque, though a small-displacement diesel option may bow in the future.

The EcoSport will be built in India and Brazil and is likely to play a large role in growing the Ford presence worldwide. The vehicle will head to 100 markets globally and is slated to be the second of eight new Ford products headed to India by 2015. That doesn't mean we'll be seeing the CUV on our soil anytime soon, however.

Ford EcoSport bows at the Delhi Auto Expo originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 04 Jan 2012 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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