Original 911 E Emblem on 2040-parts.com

Buick LaCrosse GL concept debuts ahead of L.A. auto show

Summoning the colors of coffee, saddles and wine, Buick has crafted an upscale concept car to illustrate its potential for interior design. The LaCrosse GL debuted on Wednesday afternoon at a Detroit concert house, ahead of a showing next week at the Los Angeles auto show. The Buick LaCrosse GL features brown and caramel-colored cocochino leather inside, ice-blue stitching and an expensive-feeling suede headliner as Buick tries to lure new customers by promoting top-shelf interiors.

The 2011 Volkswagen Touareg rolls out with a new hybrid powertrain

Volkswagen is banking on the fuel-saving properties of a new gasoline-electric hybrid drivetrain and what it describes as a wholesale improvement in quality levels to bolster North American sales of its second-generation Touareg. This new Touareg represents VW's first foray into the premium-hybrid-SUV market, which includes gasoline-electric entries from BMW, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz and Cadillac, among others. Further competition will come from a similarly powered version of the new Porsche Cayenne, alongside which the new Touareg was developed.

Chevrolet Sonic gets $14,495 base price

The new Chevrolet Sonic small car--which replaces the Aveo in Chevy's lineup--carries a base price of $14,495 for the sedan and $15,395 for the hatchback, including shipping charges, when it goes on sale this fall. The 2012 Chevy Sonic sticker price is a jump of $2,249 to $3,005 above the 2011 Aveo, but the Sonic is a new design that includes more standard equipment. It rides on General Motors' new Gamma platform.