Volkswagen’s 2009 Jetta TDI has been named as the ‘Green Car of the Year’ at the LA Auto Show on Thursday by the Green Card Journal.

Green Car Journal is a quarterly magazine and it covers developments in environmental friendly cars and fuel-efficiency.

The Journal said that it was the first time that the award was being given to a diesel vehicle.

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Nissan seems quite determined despite hovering economic worries and it was quite evident from the company’s three new vehicles’ launch in LA Auto Show Wednesday.

AT the same time, other US automakers (GM, Chrysler) seemed to scale back their presence in the show.

In this show, Nissan debuts its 370Z that is the first redesign of the roadster after its reintroduction as a 2003 model.

According to Al Castignetti (vice president and general manager of Nissan North America’s Nissan division), the 2009 370Z is quite lighter than its predecessor and its 3.7-liter V-6 engine is capable to produce 332 horsepower.

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2009 Mitsubishi Lancer

The 2009 Mitsubishi lancer can’t be considered a typical economy car like a Toyota Corolla or a Honda Civic because it lacks the refinements, reputation and fuel economy to match up with these cars.

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However, its aggressive styling, above-average handling and high-tech features make it a fine option. It has some high-tech features that were reserved for luxury automobiles until recently. This Mitsubishi is worth a look for those who are looking for a car that is a reasonable alternative to the small sedan status quo.

The 2009 Mitsubishi Lancer is available in DE, ES and GTS trim levels. The base DE features a tilt-only steering wheel, 16-inch steel wheels, a four-speaker CD/MP3 stereo, a trip computer and power windows and mirrors.

Keyless entry to the DE, power door locks, air-conditioning and antilock brakes are some other features. In the Lancer ES, there are 16-inch alloy wheels, a 60/40-split rear seat with center armrest and steering-wheel audio controls.

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2009 Toyota Corolla

The Toyota Corolla for 2009 will be available with two different engines: a 132Hp, 1.8L four-cylinder and a 158Hp, 2.4L four-cylinder. There is a standard five-speed manual gearbox in both these engines, however, the optional automatic transmission is four speeds with the 1.8L and five speeds with the 2.4L.

Photo by Stay Undefined

The Corolla is available in five different grades that include a base model, the sporty S, the mid-range LE, the well-equipped XLE and the high performance XRS. There is a 2.4L engine in XRS, while the others models have the 1.8L.

To improve response and fuel economy, both engines have VVT-i variable valve timing. The Corolla takes projected EPA fuel economy ratings of 27 city, 35 highway with its 1.8L engine and a five-speed manual transmission (only the base model comes with this combination).

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Hyundai made a successful move in the market as it features Genesis, its most ambitious car so far. Created with a sporty image, absolute functionality, power and flawless ride, Genesis had found its place amidst premium European rides and average American cars.

Hyundai Genesis has its unique advantages as well as relatively subtle disadvantages. On its good side are its multiple features that give value to your money, its superb power V6 and V8 engines and rich interiors. Its flaws include its rear seat which is none split-folding; it does not have steering wheel paddles and quite unreasonable number of seat adjustments.

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There would be no major changes in the 2010 Honda Accord. Coupes and Sedans with four-cylinder and V6-power and they would be available with a 177-190 horsepower, 4-cylinder 2.4-liter or a 271-hp 3.5-liter V6.

The V6 will keep going with Honda’s variable Cylinder Management cylinder deactivation and similarly sedans and Coupes will keep going with EX and EX-L trim levels.

Sedan will also be coming in entry-level LX and LX-P versions and similarly, an entry-level LX-S coupe will also be offered soon.

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Well, we can expect that it would be a real treat for sports car fans, the R4, a new striking mid-engined machine that Audi is planning for. The newcomer is said to be based on an entirely new platform and it sits above the TT in Audi’s range.

The R4 is emerging as a result of a rumoured joint venture with Porche and this project will produce a new platform to support Roadster and Coupe versions of the R4.

With LED lights, deep air intakes and sweeping profile, it seems that the new Audi is quite visually inspired from the R8 supercar, however, this similarity is not just by chance as Audi plans to reveal a range of R-badged sports cars.

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When in 1970s fuel prices jumped because of the first gas crisis of that decade, Honda came there with its Civic that was indeed a neat solution. The Civic was a real big hit with its space-efficient dimensions, 40mpg fuel economy and reliable nature.

Though the Civic was much smaller than automotive luminaries like the Vega, Gremlin and Pinto, it had light sporty feel and a lot more room for passengers.

Now after more than three decades, the fuel prices have jumped again and savvy consumers are again marching towards Honda dealers in search of another neat solution. But the 2009 Honda Civic is much more luxurious and larger than that of disco era Civic.

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Ford Motor Co. reported $129 million loss in the Q3 as the company burned through $7.7 billion in cash.
The automaker announces that it will lay off 2,260 more white-collar jobs in North America as the company is struggling to weather the most intense economic downturn.

The company lost 6 cents per share for the quarter and it was 19 cent per share ($380 million) a year back.
The company has also posted a $2.7 billion pretax loss from continuing operations, but the company shifted retiree health care liabilities to a trust and thus gained a $2 billion gain.

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In order to commemorate its 16th label as an F1 Constructor, the Prancing Horse has revealed the extraordinary version Ferrari Scuderia Spider 16M at the World Finals in Mugello.

The Ferrari Scuderia Spider 16M is motorized by the 4.3 liter V8 mechanism that yields 510 hp at 8500 rpm and 470 Nm of torque at 5250 rpm.

In the company of this engine the Ferrari Scuderia Spider 16M is able to go up to 315 km/h and requires merely 3.7 seconds to get to 100 km/h.

The corporation will put up 499 pieces of the Ferrari Scuderia Spider 16M and the cars will simply go to only those adoring Ferrari fans.

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