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Fiat 124 Coupe could join Spider line next year

While Mazda's content to tease coupe lovers with the last-gen MX-5 Power Retractable Hardtop and the upcoming RF, the company is loath to offer a version of its lovable roadster with a permanent hardtop. But Fiat isn't so fickle. According to Autocar, the Italian brand could unveil a proper hardtop Fiata as early as next year. Likely called the 124 Coupe – duh – Autocar reports the addition of a fixed roof will spice up the current Spider. But what kind of spice is more difficult to predict. AC reports that FCA could stay the course, offering the new hardtop with the same powertrain lineup as the Spider – 138 horsepower in the UK and 160 hp (164 hp in Abarth trim) in the US – or drive the 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder higher. As for how the car will look, Autocar points to the handsome 124 Abarth Rally Concept from the 2016 Geneva Motor Show. Don't expect integrated rally lights or a standard yellow-on-red paint scheme, but the new model will likely borrow that concept's roofline – more notchback than the MX-5 RF's fastback-like look. That'd fit with the 124 Coupe's ancestors, which wore a traditional notchback roofline. Fiat offered a 124 hardtop between 1967 and 1975, giving a new hardtop Fiata much more historical precedence than a comparable MX-5. AC reports the new 124 Coupe will likely carry a 10-percent premium across the pond, with a similar increase in the US. But predicting the impact of that price hike is a little bit trickier than multiplying the 124 Spider's price by 1.1, since we don't know what trims the Coupe will come in. The Abarth is likely a shoe-in, starting around $31,000. If, and it's a big if, Fiat sells a 124 Coupe Classica, expect a $27,500 starting price, while a hardtop Lusso would be a smidge over $30,000. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

2020 Hyundai Palisade vs. Ascent, Pilot, Highlander and CX-9: How they compare on paper

We've finally had our first drive of the 2020 Hyundai Palisade and found it to be well-equipped for sales success. It nails the formula that some of the most successful three-row crossovers have, the aforementioned seating capacity, high driving position, all-wheel-drive availability and a V6 engine. Of course, it also offers a unique and menacing-looking exterior that ought to stand out in the parking lot. To dig deeper into how it compares to other three-row family crossovers, we've fired up the old Autoblog Comparo Generator 3000 (™) and lined the all-new 2020 Palisade up against the 2019 Subaru Ascent, 2019 Honda Pilot, 2019 Toyota Highlander and 2019 Mazda CX-9. Besides being two of last year's best-selling three-row SUVs, the Pilot and Highlander are also the closest in general concept to the new Palisade, while the Ascent and CX-9 also offer a comparable turbocharged four-cylinder powertrain. The CX-9 is also one of our favorites in the segment, and the Ascent is one of the newest entrants on the scene. There are of course numerous other worthy contenders, including the Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia, Volkswagen Atlas, Nissan Pathfinder, Hyundai Santa Fe and the best-selling Ford Explorer, so if you want to see their specs, check out the Autoblog compare tool. Performance and fuel economy The Subaru, as is so often the case, is the oddball. It has a 2.4-liter turbocharged horizontally opposed four-cylinder (aka a flat-four or a boxer-four) that produces a comparatively modest horsepower rating, but a greater amount of torque. That's typical for turbocharged engines such as Mazda CX-9's turbo inline-four that produces 250 horsepower on premium fuel (227 hp on 87 octane) and 310 lb-ft of torque (the VW Atlas also offers a base turbo-four). The Hyundai, Honda and Toyota, meanwhile, go about it the old-fashioned way, with naturally aspirated V6 engines displacing 3.8 liters in the Hyundai, and 3.5 liters with the two Japanese crossovers. The Toyota and Hyundai lead the pack in horsepower, with the Toyota taking top honors by just 4 horses. The Honda weighs less, though, so their acceleration should be comparable. The Subaru actually accelerates on par with its V6-powered competitors, probably due in part to its continuously variable transmission. The fuel economy trophy goes to the Ascent.

Mazda de Mexico celebrates 100,000th car built

Automakers and their factories celebrate production milestones all the time. Some are interesting enough to report on and some aren't, but what makes this one stand out is that the plant opened less than a year ago. Just 11 months since production began, Mazda de Mexico Vehicle Operation has put together its 100,000th vehicle – in this case a Mazda2 hatchback headed for Europe. MMVO is one of three plants assembling the company's smallest model, also known as the Demio in Japan, where it is also produced, with additional assembly taking place in Thailand under a joint venture with Ford. The Mexican location also handles assembly of the Mazda3 for the Americas and for Europe. Mazda has announced that it is expanding production at MMVO by 150 percent of this year's capacity to 250,000 units per year by March 2016 as it takes on contract manufacturing for Toyota as well.