Jeep Grand Cherokee to spawn Maserati SUV – confirmed

The 2003 Maserati Kubang SUV Concept The idea of an SUV from every luxury maker seemed a dead cert a few years ago. And then the world went in to financial meltdown and the eco-mentalists convinced a chunk of the car buying public that SUVs were the spawn of the devil, which put the kybosh on the nascent plans of many a car maker. But the recession hasn’t quite turned in to a depression (unless you’re one of the poor countries sucked in to the German Euro Zone), and many are now waking up to the fact that SUVs aren’t killing the planet and that CO2 is actually beneficial to planet earth, not harmful.

Lexus CT 200h Advance tops CT 200h range

Lexus has revealed a new range-topper for its smallest car – the Lexus CT 200h Advance – with extra equipment and small price premium. The new range-topping Lexus CT 200h Advance We’re not entirely convinced that Lexus has got their baby car quite right – we’d rather see it drop its rather harsh suspension setup and offer proper compact cosseting - but there’s a ready market from buyers wanting a touch of Japanese luxury in a more compact form. But it seems Lexus are at least heading in the direction they should with the CT 200h by launching a new range-topping model - the Lexus CT 200h Advance – with more toys as standard to appeal to the downsizer who wants their luxury setup ready-made.

Ford scores tumble, Toyota rebounds in Initial Quality survey

Buyer satisfaction with new cars and trucks from Ford Motor Co., a strength that has helped it increase sales and market share in recent years, has tumbled, and Toyota has rebounded from its abnormally poor year-ago showing, according to a study released Thursday. In a J.D. Power and Associates survey that tracks problems reported during the first 90 days of ownership, the Ford and Lincoln brands plunged below the industry average of 107 problems reported per 100 models studied.