Volvo V40 Cross Country gets new T5 Drive-E and AWD

The Volvo V40 Cross Country gets the new T5 Drive-E engine Volvo are on something of a roll at the moment, what with the impressive 2015 XC90 on the way and the very convincing range of Drive-E engines rolling out across their range. And the Drive-E engines really are good; we had one in recently (review to come soon) and the new D4 in the S60 is quick, frugal, quiet and, really, on a par with the best diesels from BMW. And we don’t say that lightly.

Honda unveils supercharged CR-Z, 2014 Civic Coupe at SEMA

Hard to tell, but the supercharged tomato you see above represents a fundamental shift within Honda: it is the first car from Honda Performance Development with parts that actually make your car go faster. Honda Performance Development: "We're not just body kits and lowering springs anymore!" After two decades in actual racing development, perhaps it was time. HPD has built engines and chassis for IndyCar, American Le Mans Prototypes, Formula Atlantic, and the Continental Sports Car Challenge.

Ford Energi drivers use all-electric mode 60 percent of the time

Ford has noticed quite a few interesting things by researching how owners use their Ford plug-in hybrids. It appears that Ford owners are driving their hybrids in electric mode nearly 60 percent of the time, using their cars' 21 miles of gas-free all-electric range. This figure contrasts quite a bit with the 41 percent of all-electric drive time earlier in the year, demonstrating that winter driving patterns differ quite a bit from summer driving.