What's new in the 2012 model year
JEEP
GRAND CHEROKEE SRT8: The top-selling Grand Cherokee SUV gets a souped-up version from Chrysler's Street and Racing Technology team.
The high-performance SUV will go from zero to 60 in 4.8 seconds with a top speed of 160 mph, which is comparable or faster than many performance sedans. It's the most powerful Jeep ever with an all-new 6.4-liter Hemi V-8 with 470 horsepower.
The company also says it's the best-handling Jeep ever with a new adaptive damping suspension.
MAZDA
CX-5: The CX-5 small crossover, due out in February as a 2013 model, has a new 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine that is expected to significantly improve fuel economy.
Mazda plans to release more details this fall at the Frankfurt Auto Show.
MAZDA5: The 2012 Mazda5, a small, six-seat minivan that went on sale last winter, has distinctive, swooping lines carved into its sliding doors and more interior room. There's a new, 157-horsepower four-cylinder engine that gets up to 28 miles per gallon.
For a sportier ride — or to help you forget you're in a minivan — there's a six-speed manual transmission and an optional spoiler.
The Mazda5 starts at $19,990, including freight.
SCIONSCION iQ: Scion's iQ minicar, which has been sold as a Toyota in Europe and Asia since 2008, goes on sale on the West Coast in October and will come to the rest of the country over the following six months. It's 120 inches long, or about 4 inches longer than the Fiat 500, and its 94-horsepower engine gets 37 miles per gallon. It starts at $15,995, including shipping.FR-S: Scion debuted a concept version of this rear-wheel-drive sports car at the New York Auto Show in April, and said something very similar will be out next year. Scion is using a Subaru 2.0-liter boxer engine, because of its flat size and shape, but few other details are known.Scion says the car will cost less than $30,000.TOYOTACAMRY: Toyota unveiled the new Camry sedan in August. It's quieter and roomier than the 2011 model and gets significantly better fuel economy. The four-cylinder engine gets 35 miles per gallon on the highway, while the hybrid version gets 41 mpg.Toyota will also offer Entune, a new entertainment system that lets drivers connect to mobile phone applications like Pandora through voice commands or a touch screen.The Camry goes on sale in October and starts at just over $22,000, including shipping.PRIUS V: The five-passenger, wagon version of the wildly popular Prius hybrid goes on sale in October, a launch that was delayed by several months because of the earthquake in Japan. The “V” stands for “versatility,” with 6 more inches of cargo space. It's also slightly taller and wider. The Prius V is expected to get 42 miles per gallon.Toyota hasn't announced the price.YARIS: The three-door and five-door hatchback versions of the Yaris small car are getting a makeover. They've got a sportier design and are nearly 3 inches longer than the 2011 models, improving cargo space.The Yaris starts at $14,875, including shipping.
NISSANGT-R: Nissan has modified the 3.8-liter, V6 engine on the 2012 GT-R sports car so it now gets 530 horsepower, compared to 485 on the previous model.To reduce air resistance, Nissan has enlarged the grille openings and added lighter weight, aluminum-forged 20-inch wheels. The GT-R will also be available in a new “Black Edition,” with custom black-and-red leather seats and metallic black wheels.The car also gets slightly better fuel economy — 23 miles per gallon on the highway, compared to 21 on the 2011 model. The 2012 GT-R is available now at 650 select Nissan dealers, starting at $89,950.VERSA: Nissan has redesigned the Versa small car from the ground up. It has a new, lighter underbody for more nimble driving, a new, more fuel-efficient engine and transmission, and a more aerodynamic design. Nissan says the Versa will get 30 miles per gallon in the city and 38 on the highway, an improvement of around 4 mpg over its predecessor.The 2012 Versa went on sale in August and starts at $10,990, excluding shipping, for a manual transmission and hand-cranked windows. If you want power windows and an automatic, the Versa SV starts at $14,560.VOLKSWAGENJETTA: It gets a GLI high-performance version for 2012 with a starting price of $23,495, excluding shipping. The GLI is powered by a 2-liter turborcharged gas engine with 200 horsepower. A six-speed manual transmission is standard, with a dual clutch automatic optional.GOLF: The Golf R version arrives early next year with a high-output version of the 2-liter turbocharged four, with more than 250 horsepower.NEW BEETLE: The company's iconic Beetle gets a squat, sloped design for 2012 with 2.5-liter five-cylinder and 2-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engines. The 170-horsepower in-line five-cylinder engine gets 22 mpg in the city and 29 on the highway.Prices start at $18,995 excluding shipping.PASSAT: The midsize Passat is all-new with a significantly lower price than its predecessor at $19,995, excluding shipping. The base model has a 170-horsepower 2.5-liter five-cylinder engine.It also comes with a 2-liter TDI diesel, a turbocharged 140-horsepower 2-liter four-cylinder engine and a 3.6-liter V-6 with 280 horsepower.TIGUAN: The small crossover SUV gets an update with a sleeker look, and a redesigned grille and redesigned taillights. The transmission was also tweaked to improve fuel economy.
