 2007 Audi TT
On Sale: Spring 2007
Expected Pricing: $35,000
Audi is launching an all-new version of its TT sports car. The 2007 Audi TT, which debuts in Europe this year, doesn't hit U.S. showrooms until early in 2007, first in coupe form and then later as a roadster.
When it was launched in 1998, the Audi TT was hailed as an icon of automotive design, with the 2+2 sports coupe's flowing lines cloaking an athletic chassis and responsive family of powertrains. As difficult as it might be to improve an icon, Audi seems to have done so with its new TT.
The completely new TT carries on the "circles and domes" design language that distinguished the first generation, but it's now 5 inches longer and about 3 inches wider than its predecessor and features numerous technical improvements.
Among those technical improvements is the extensive use of aluminum in the car's structure, which not only reduces power-robbing weight but provides more strength than a conventional steel configuration. Steel components are used in the rear of the car to help provide balanced weight distribution and enhance the handling.
Handling is expected to further benefit from a new multi-link rear suspension, wider track and larger wheels, up to 19 inches in size. A new option is Audi's magnetic ride damper system, which automatically adjusts shock absorber settings for optimum ride comfort and driving dynamics. An automatic rear spoiler deploys at high speed to further improve the TT's behavior at the limits by generating aerodynamic downforce to the rear wheels, just the thing for those 80-mph sweepers in the rain.
Passenger comfort has been improved via redesigned seating, a less intrusive center console, fully automatic climate control system, and a new, flat-bottomed three-spoke steering wheel that aids climbing in and out of the driver's seat. The TT is also getting Audi's MMI multi-media interface found in the A6, A8, and Q7. Bluetooth and voice activation for the optional navigation system are also available. Adaptive lighting and park distance control are among a number of other new options. The TT's cabin continues the design motifs established in the first generation, highlighted by the round, aluminum-accented dash vents and instruments.
Despite its swoopy looks, the TT's luggage space, easily accessible through the large rear hatch, can carry a significant amount of cargo, especially when the rear seats are folded.
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 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander
On Sale: Fall 2006
Expected Pricing: $19,000-$28,000
Mitsubishi is launching an all-new Outlander sport utility this fall that's bigger and more powerful than the current model. The new Outlander will also come with significantly enhanced safety features.
The 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander will come in two trim levels, the LS and the XLS. There will be only one engine available, a V6, that replaces the current four-cylinder engine. The V6 is larger, 3.0 liters versus the four-cylinder's 2.4 liters. And it's much more powerful, with 220 horsepower, up by 60 over the 2006 model's, and 204 pound-feet of torque, up by 62 pound-feet. California models will be certified PZEV (Partial-Zero Emissions Vehicle), a rating second only to electric cars in terms of cleanliness.
The Outlander will come with a six-speed automatic transmission with a Sportronic feature allowing drivers to shift using steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters.
Its 105.1-inch wheelbase (the distance between the front and rear tires) is up almost two inches; this may not sound like much, but even fractions of an inch make a difference in ride quality, so the new Outlander should in theory offer a smoother ride and more stable handling. Likewise for the approximately one inch wider track (the distance between the wheels, side to side), which combines with a lower center of gravity, which holds the promise of sharpened steering response, improved stability and reduced body roll (or lean) in turns. Overall length (bumper to bumper) grows by almost three inches, to 182.7 inches.
Smarter packaging inside the 2007 Outlander capitalizes on its larger dimensions, with rear-seat legroom up more than four inches, although with a bit of a tradeoff with front-seat legroom, which shrinks more than a half-inch. Front seats gain an extra 1.4 inches of headroom, second-row seats a mere tenth of an inch. A deodorizing headliner treated with a catalyst will absorb cigarette smoke and decompose it into water and carbon dioxide that then will be expunged by the air conditioner.
Another area that's substantially roomier is cargo space, at 69.2 cubic feet, with the second seat folded, up almost 10 cubic feet from the '06. This adds more than just space for bicycles and weekend project materials, however, as another, major change in the '07 Outlander is a stow-in-the-floor, third row of seats that will be available in the XLS model.
The optional navigation system's large, seven-inch, touch-screen LCD will do double duty as the control panel for a custom-tuned version of the latest generation Rockford-Fosgate audio system. The two systems will share a 30-gigabyte hard disk drive, about two-thirds of which will be partitioned to hold map data, the rest for audio files. Mitsubishi says the hard disk drive will quicken search and response times for the navigation system as well as providing on-board storage for as many as 2500 music files.
The 2007 Outlander will be built in Mizushima, Japan.
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 2007 Jeep Patriot
On Sale: Late fall 2006
Expected Pricing: $19,000-$23,000
The Patriot is the country cousin to the new and citified Jeep Compass.
Jeep promises that the Trail-Rated Patriot will be the most capable 4x4 in the compact crossover sport utility vehicle category, thanks to its Freedom Drive II Off-Road Package.
Like the Compass, the Patriot will be available in front-wheel drive or with a four-wheel-drive system with a Lock mode to enhance traction in inclement weather.
But the Patriot gets an additional Freedom Drive II option with a continuously variable transaxle with a low range that engages when the off-road mode is activated. The package includes 17-inch all-terrain tires, a full-size spare tire, air-filtration system, skid plates, tow hooks, fog lamps and a seat height adjuster. Jeep says the FDII system is recommended "for true off-road situations that include steep grades, wheel lift and rock or log climbing."
Jeep says it developed the FDII package to provide the benefits of a traditional transfer case without the added weight, an important factor when it comes to a compact and crossover utility vehicle.
Jeep's newest off-road package includes brake traction control to maintain forward motion despite extreme wheel articulation and on split-friction surfaces, hill descent control that modulates brakes to control downhill travel, as well as three-mode electronic stability control and special off-road anti-lock brake controls.
The Trail Rated Patriot also has an additional inch of ground clearance compared to the standard version. The vehicle will ford 19 inches of water and offers a 29-degree angle of approach, a 23-degree breakover angle and a 33-degree departure angle.
The Patriot also wears sheetmetal that looks much more like a traditional Jeep, sort of like a mini Grand Cherokee.
Inside, the Patriot offers two rows of seats as well as 54.2 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats occupied and 62.7 with the rear seats and front passenger's seat all folded flat to the cargo floor.
Standard equipment includes front and side-curtain airbags, 60/40 split rear seats that recline and a washable and removable vinyl cargo floor cover.
The options list includes a Boston Acoustics premium sound system with articulating speakers in the rear lift gate, recharging and removable cargo lights, a 115-volt power outlet and navigation system.
The Patriot draws its power from a 172-hp 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine. A five-speed manual transmission is standard with a continuously variable transmission as an option. A 2.0-liter diesel engine will be available in overseas markets, but not in North America.
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 2007 Saturn Outlook
On Sale: Fall 2006
Expected Pricing: Mid to upper $20,000s
Saturn continues to flesh out its lineup with the addition of the 2007 Saturn Outlook, an urban-friendly sport utility vehicle capable of seating up to eight adults.
Inside, the Outlook will offer two seating plans, one for seven passengers, the other for eight. In the former, the first- and second-row seats are buckets, the third row a three-person, 60/40-split bench. In the latter, a three-place, 60/40-split bench replaces the second-row buckets.
Saturn promises ample room for adults in all seating rows, with special emphasis on the rear-most bench. With comparable room to the Honda Pilot, the Outlook's third row can accommodate three passengers but will likely be more comfortable with two. Where the Outlook really shines is in third-row legroom, topping the Pilot and Chrysler Pacifica by three inches or more. Teenagers will appreciate that.
And hauling their gear will be easy with the Saturn's big cargo bay. The Outlook easily grabs bragging rights in cargo space, a benefit of its long wheelbase, significantly longer than that of the Pacifica, Freestyle, and Pilot. Indeed, the Outlook offers a cavernous 117 cubic feet of cargo space with the second and third rows of seats folded flat, and an equally impressive 20 cubic feet behind an upright third seat. The competition's best with all seats folded is the Pacifica's 93 cubic feet. With the third seat up, the best the others have to offer is the Pilot's 16 cubic feet.
Stylistically, the Outlook breaks with Saturn tradition inside and out. And this is a good thing. Dominating the front end is a substantial bright-finish bar that fills the upper portion of the grille, a fixture repeated on the sporty new Saturn Sky sports car and the handsome new Aura sedan. Saturn hopes to make this bright design cue an iconic signature for its brand. Centered in the bar is the Saturn logo. Notches in the tops of the front fenders hold projector-beam headlights, with HID lights optional.
Thankfully, the Outlook's flanks and glasshouse have been spared the awkward lines of the Saturn Vue, instead following more traditional SUV lines. Gentle flares outline the wheel wells, which are filled with blackwall tires on standard 18-inch or optional 19-inch alloy wheels. A mild bulge lines the lower door panels. The beltline runs straight back from the base of the windshield to wrap around the visually pillarless rear glass. The standard spoiler houses an LED center rear stop light. Slit-like taillights trimmed in chrome bridge the seam between the fenders and the one-piece liftgate. A minimalist rear bumper rests on a blacked out under-panel. The XR's dual exhausts exit through rectangular tips.
Inside, in place of earlier Saturns' piecemeal, layered-look dash, with elements piled one on top of another, the Outlook's fully integrated dash sweeps smoothly from door to door, its three levels flowing cleanly into the door panels. The XR will have a wood grain inset that carries through the rear door panels. Depth-wise, the center stack stays true to the Saturn motif, bulging slightly from the dash plane and ending above the center console. The screen for what will be an optional navigation system blends well in the vertical panel also housing the climate control head. Analog instruments look to be well organized. The Smart-Slide second-row seat flips the seat bottom up against the seatback and slides forward to facilitate access to the third-row seats. Cloth upholstery is standard, leather optional.
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cars Most popular movie release
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Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson), a hotshot rookie race car driven to succeed, discovers that life is about the journey, not the finish line, when he finds himself unexpectedly detoured in the sleepy Route 66 town of Radiator Springs. En route across the country to the big Piston Cup Championship in California to compete against two seasoned pros, McQueen gets to know the town's offbeat characters - including Doc Hudson (a 1951 Hudson Hornet with a mysterious past, voiced by screen legend Paul Newman), Sally Carrera (a snazzy 2002 Porsche voiced by Bonnie Hunt), and Mater (a rusty but trusty tow truck voiced by Larry the Cable Guy) - who help him realize that there are more important things than trophies, fame, and sponsorship.
The all-star vocal cast also includes free-wheeling performances by Tony Shalhoub, Michael Keaton, Cheech Marin, George Carlin, Katherine Helmond, and perennial Pixar “good luck charm,” John Ratzenberger. Michael Wallis, author of the critically acclaimed book, Route 66: The Mother Road, and the authority on that legendary American artery that connected north to south, and east to west, is heard in the film as the voice of the Sheriff of Radiator Springs.
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