The 2010 Suzuki Kazashi has arrived in Nevada for some hot-weather testing.  Our latest look at Suzuki's new midsize sedan has generated some new details--including our first looks at the Kizashi's engine and interior.

Likely to take design cues from handsome Suzuki's Kizashi 3 concept car show at the 2008 New York Auto Show, the production Kizashi sedan is expected to take Suzuki further upmarket. Competing directly with the Accord, Camry, and  Altima (one of each was on hand with Suzuki's test team), the Kizashi is expected offer a 3.6-liter DOHC V-6, and a 2.5-liter four-cylinder.  The V-6 could generate  as much as 300 horsepower, while the four is expected to exceed 150 hp.  Optional all-wheel drive is also likely--as is a more consumer-friendly name than the concept-car moniker.

The Kizashi is expected to reach production in three body styles:  as a sedan, a sport wagon, and a crossover.--KGP Photography

The 2010 Porsche Panamera has finally dropped some of its disguise, giving us a better look at some of the true styling nuances destined for the radical new Porsche.

For the first time we can see the proper hood sculpting and an almost completely clean look at the character development on the Panamera's side panels--including the fender vent just aft of the front wheel. A little cladding still remains on the front bumper, on the rear flanks below the taillights, and on the taillights themselves. Some minor tape effects also remain, but do nothing to obscure the car's shape. Other than that, this Panamera prototype looks to be running around naked, finally embracing its birthday suit.

The Panamera will have a choice of three front-mounted engines when it finally bows. The entry-level powerplant will be a VW six-cylinder with more than 300 hp. Porsche's own V-8s with 350 hp and 560 hp are expected, the latter with twin turbos.

There will also be a hybrid version, which will share its gas-electric running gear with the Cayenne Hybrid, which was introduced at the 2007 Los Angeles auto show. Porsche promises a 30 percent boost in fuel economy with the hybrid technology. To achieve better weight balance, the Panamera Hybrid will stow its battery under the cargo floor, and the clutch and electric motor will live between the engine and transmission. And to keep efficiency high, the hybrid will be able to run in gas-only, electric-only, or in combined gas-electric mode.

When it hits the road in 2009, Porsche plans to sell 20,000 Panameras annually, which could push it over the company-wide number of 100,000 cars per year.

We expect the Panamera to make its world debut at the 2009 Geneva motor show.

Even now, in spy-shot form, the 2010 Mercury Milan is taking a backseat to the Ford Fusion. But Ford is at least trying to give the next Milan a bit more distance from its big-selling Blue Oval-badged cousin.

The 2010 Mercury Milan shows off its new grille in these new spy shots. Ford says the new Milan will go on sale early next year, and in four-cylinder form, it will get better fuel economy than similar Toyota Camrys and Honda Accords. In the 2010 model year, the Mercury Milan Hybrid will sport better fuel economy than the Toyota Camry Hybrid.

These new spy shots show a more rounded-off Mercury grille, with what looks to be a larger logo affixed to the center of the grille. Headlamps wrap into the hood, but the side view looks pretty similar to today's car, suggesting this is more of a mid-cycle freshening than a full revamp.

We've shown you spy photos of the 2010 Ford Fusion earlier this year, but today, TheCarConnection.com's spy photographers got even closer to the final version of the sedan that's coming soon from Dearborn.

The look of the 2010 Ford Fusion is quite different from the current car. The grille appears deeper and more elegant than in the current car. The grille dips down into the front bumper, while the outer edges of the bumper slant upward as they reach the side of the car. The silhouette, though, doesn't appear to have changed much from the current car, suggesting that the Fusion and the new Mazda6 may be diverging on the road to sales success. More character lines on the front fenders and a revised tail suggest that this is something less than a complete renovation, as is also the case with the Mazda6.

The big news with the new version of the Fusion will undoubtedly be the new Ford Fusion Hybrid coming in the 2009 calendar year. Likely related to the four-cylinder hybrid powertrain in the Ford Escape, the Ford Fusion hybrid will have better fuel economy than the Toyota Camry Hybrid, according to a recent promise by Ford.--KGP Photography

Long before it hits U.S. shores, the 2009 Audi A6 is being shown off at this month's Moscow auto show--and later this fall at the Paris auto show.

Audi released photos and details of the updated A6 this week, describing its more efficient engines, improved suspension tuning, and upgraded Multi-Media Interface (MMI) controller.

The obvious changes come up front, where Audi's single-frame grille is flanked by a reshaped bumper that puckers more like that on the 2009 Audi A4. The air vents and fog lights have been reshaped, and new xenon LED daytime running lights are faired into the headlamp shape. Dynamic and adaptive lighting is an option on the new A6; the taillamps have been restyled, as well.

Inside, the A6 gets L-shaped headrests and a new option for a two bucket seats in the back. New gauges are clearer and sharper, and more chrome surrounds a choice of wood or aluminum trim. Sport seats and upgraded leather are offered, as is an S-line sports package that includes 18-inch wheels, a lower ride height, and distinctive interior trim.

Engines range from a 170-horsepower turbocharged four, to a 4.2-liter V-8 with 350 hp. A pair of V-6s with direct injects make 190 or 220 hp; their blended fuel economy averages about 28 mpg. A supercharged 3.0-liter V-6 makes 290 horsepower, and comes standard with a tiptronic transmission and quattro all-wheel drive. The supercharged engine scoots to 60 mph in less than 6 seconds, Audi promises. Three diesels are offered, including a 3.0-liter V-6.

U.S. versions will get a 300-horsepower version of the supercharged V-6 with 310 pound-feet of torque and standard quattro. The new Avant wagon will only come in this powertrain configuration, they add.

Manual and automatic transmissions are offered. Audi's quattro system, when ordered, has a stock torque split of 40:60. An air suspension is available, as are run-flat tires and bigger brakes. Side assist, lane departure warning, and adaptive cruise control are options.

Audi's MMI system gets a joystick on its controller for more intuitive operation, and the navigation system offered now includes a 40GB hard drive to store information and music, as well as a bird's-eye view.

Sedan and Avant wagon body styles are offered. An all-road quattro version gets the 290-hp supercharged engine or a diesel, while the S6 retains its 435-hp V-10. The new RS 6 has a 580-hp V-10 and is covered in the blog above.

Stay tuned for more on the new A6 as it approaches its U.S. launch--until then, you can indulge in some high-resolution photos.