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Kia Soul

What is it? The styling of this front-wheel drive, four-door hatchback blends the look of a small SUV with the boxy practicality of a Scion xB. Many details have yet to be announced, but the most likely engine for the U.S. market will be a 2.0-liter four-cylinder. Overall length is about five inches shorter than a Scion xB. As with the xB, Kia expects buyers of the Soul to personalize the vehicle with extras to suit their own style.

CR's take: The Soul provides another choice for consumers looking for a versatile small car. But it’s too bad Kia won’t initially be offering it in North America with the more fuel-efficient diesel engine that will be available elsewhere.

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Ford

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Ford

New Car: 2010 Cadillac CTS Sport Wagon

Cadillac's renaissance takes another step forward with the 2010 CTS Sport Wagon. The latest addition to the CTS range is all about prestige and presence -- and attracting more customers in European markets. Introduced this weekend at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, the new wagon will roll into Cadillac dealerships in spring 2009.

Not surprisingly, the CTS Sport Wagon powertrains are identical those of the sedan. A 3.6L 263 hp V-6 sits as the base engine in the U.S. with the direct-injection 3.6L V-6 making 304 hp as the top engine. As on the sedan, potential wagon buyers must choose between an Aisin six-speed manual or six-speed automatic, and between rear and all-wheel drive. With EPA highway ratings expected to be in the mid-twenties, the wagon should garner a few more MPG overall than bigger crossovers.

General Motors says a 2.9L turbodiesel is being prepared largely for European and Asian markets, although 250-hp engine will not be an option on the CTS Sport Wagon when it launches. No word yet on whether we'll see a diesel option in the U.S. at some point, but don't count on it.

While the wagon's front-end styling is carried over from the four-door CTS, there is plenty of new glass and sheetmetal out back, including thick D-pillars and large vertical taillights that flank both sides of the power lift-gate.

In an effort to better integrate the roof management system into the design, the chrome bars stretching to the rear of the car are set right against the roofline and GM says the system allows for an unobtrusive placement of the cross bars. Whether it's form over function remains to be seen. The bars meet the top of the taillights, which extend just a bit beyond the rear windshield, creating a small visual homage to finned Cadillacs of the past.

"They're not fins in the classic sense," says Clay Dean, Cadillac's global design director, "but they work to help disguise the cargo load system and, yes, they acknowledge Cadillac's design heritage."

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