Jaguar

Way back at the 2011 New York International Auto Show, Jaguar announced its 2012 intentions. Succinctly, a refreshed XF midsize luxury sedan is echoing the front and rear styling of the handsome XJ. This latter flagship sedan is receiving even more plush interior options. Last, there’s the U.S. debut of the ultra-hot XKR-S sports car. Revised engine mapping and an active exhaust tweak its output to 550 bhp and 502 lb.-ft. of torque, both new highs for road-going Jaguars. Check out the XKR-S Drive report elsewhere in this issue.

Honda CR.V




Honda’s 2012 lineup consists of two all-new models—the Civic and CR-V—and four enhanced models: the Fit, Insight, Pilot and Ridgeline. The Civic comes in sedan and coupe body styles, with the sporty Si leading the way for enthusiasts with its torquey 2.4-liter 4-cylinder that makes 201 bhp. There’s also the fuel-efficient version called the HF, as well as Hybrid and Natural Gas models. Under the hood of the base car is a re-engineered 1.8-liter inline-4, which now produces 140 bhp. The other all-new vehicle, the CR-V, is also dramatically improved, most notably its exterior styling. The country’s best-selling crossover SUV gets a full makeover with upgrades to improve style, functionality and fuel efficiency. The other cars in the Honda lineup remain largely unchanged until 2013 when we hope to see a high-power CR-Z.



Subaru XV


Many of the coming 2013 model-year cars are still shrouded in mystery, but a few secrets have already been revealed.
On the small end of the scale, minicar-maker Smart may extend its lineup with a 4-door model. In keeping with the 2-door ForTwo's naming convention, the upcoming 4-passenger hatchback will be called ForFour.
The XV is supposed to be a new type of car for Subaru, but is probably more accurately thought of as a