Ford Explorer Front Passnger Side Lamp Fog-driving; W/o Sport Trac Rectangular on 2040-parts.com

Land Rover previews Discovery Vision Concept ahead of NY show

Land Rover has given a first taste of the Discovery Vision Concept, which will debut at the New York International Auto Show later this month. The concept introduces the design themes that will define both the next generation of Freelander/LR2 and Discovery/LR4 models. Land Rover had previously announced that it would align its models under three pillars - 'luxury' for Range Rovers, 'leisure' for Discovery models – of which the Freelander/LR2 becomes – and 'dual purpose' for the long-awaited replacement for the Defender.

Consumer Reports gets top vehicle picks mostly right

Despite the publication's uncomfortably broad definition of reliability -- it spans everything from "the engine fell out" to "the touchscreen display shows fingerprints too easily" -- automakers still clamor to get on the Consumer Reports recommended vehicle list. This year's winners cover a broad spectrum of vehicles, and for the most part, we're in agreement with the magazine's editors, with one significant exception at the top of the list. Best overall vehicle went to the Tesla Model S.

Bosch, Aston Martin team up on DB9 hybrid

German engineering firm Bosch has teamed with Aston Martin on a plug-in hybrid version of the venerable DB9. It keeps the 6.0-liter V12, thankfully, and is boosted by electric motors, for a total of more than 740 hp, according to Auto Express. Two motors sit at the front wheels, providing power, making this technically the first all-wheel drive Aston.