Chaparral Graphic Kit on 2040-parts.com

Hyundai ix35 Review (2012): Premium 1.7 CRDi 2WD

We have Hyundai’s impressive looking ix35 compact SUV come crossover in for a week for review in 2WD guise with Premium trim and the 1.7 CRDi engine. We’ve wittered on endlessly about how impressive Hyundai’s efforts have become in the last few years; from Halford’s special to credible alternative in less time than it takes from one Olympic games to the next. But it’s one thing turning small, budget family cars in to real competition for the established market leaders, but is it a stretch too far to think Hyundai can take on the might of car makers like Ford and VW in the compact SUV market?

The Toyota FT-1 concept would make a damn fine new Supra

The Detroit auto show is just getting started, and Toyota has kicked things off with a nice surprise: The racy FT-1 concept. A product of Toyota's Calty Design Research facility, the FT-1 concept shares some of the swoops and vents with the Lexus RC F. But there's a boatload of high-performance styling cues there, too: Take a quick glance and you might spot the front end of a Ferrari Enzo, the profile of the Nissan GT-R, the double-bubble roof of the SRT Viper/any number of Zagato creations and the oversized retractable rear wing of the McLaren P1.

Ford puts Sync Applink into more vehicles

Ford is expanding its Sync Applink technology, adding it to several 2012 models that will start arriving in dealerships late this summer. Sync Applink, which debuted on the 2012 Ford Mustang earlier this year, enables drivers to access their smartphone apps via Sync's voice controls. Applink will be included in the Sync package, which is an extra-cost option on many Ford vehicles.