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Lexus RX450h hybrid - 2012's facelift goes on sale

Lexus has refreshed its RX premium off-roader with a slew of new gadgets, a facelifted snout, a few small engineering upgrades and extra equipment. Sold in the UK only as the RX450h hybrid, you'll spot the new 2012 edition by the addition of the Lexus 'spindle' grille, as seen on recent concept cars such as the LF-LC from Detroit 2012. The rear lamps are redesigned, too, although if you blink you may indeed actually miss them.

BMW works hard to avoid gas-guzzler tax

BMW AG hopes to get out from under the gas-guzzler taxes that are tacked on to the sticker prices of some of its high-performance models in the United States. Jim O'Donnell, president of BMW of North America, says the company is studying fuel-efficiency improvements that could eliminate the gas-guzzler taxes on its vehicles as early as the launch of their redesigns in the next few years. The 2010 550i GT incurs a $1,000 gas-guzzler fee, for example.

General Motors EN-V to be branded Chevrolet

Chevrolet was gifted a centennial birthday present today, with parent company GM announcing that its 2030 Vision concept would carry the bow-tie badge. The youthful orientation and entry level positioning of Chevrolet within the GM portfolio subtly earmarks the intended audience for the EN-V, with the device being billed as an inexpensive and attainable urban mobility vehicle. "The EN-V has the potential to reinvent transportation in key markets by creating a new vehicle DNA through the convergence of electrification and connectivity," said Chris Borroni-Bird, GM's director of Advanced Technology Vehicle Concepts.