If you were wondering how to ride on two wheels with your SUV, here’s how. They say it’s middle eastern fun in a stolen Land Cruiser, we think it’s crazy.

Good news just came our way from Eastern Europe where the folks from Dacia (part of the Renault group, as you already know) have finally taken the wraps off of their latest model, the new Dacia Duster SUV. Sold as both a 4×2 and 4×4, and billed as one of the most affordable and frugal SUVs in the market, Dacia Duster is more of a conventional SUV that measures 4.31 meters long and 1.82 meters wide. Powered by either the 85- and 105-hp dCi diesel units, or the 1.6-liter 16V 110-horsepower petrol engine, Dacia’s first ever SUV is expected to go on sale in Europe in spring 2010, with other markets like Algeria, Morocco, and Turkey shortly after. The Middle East, Ukraine, parts of Africa, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, the Persian Gulf States and Russia might as well get their hands on a Duster but it’s going to be badged as a Renault for sure.

Toyota reportedly has a Prius sports wagon or SUV in works, according to Japanese newspaper Yomiuri . The SUV has been rumored to be on paper ever since the Toyota Hybrid X Concept was unveiled at the 2007 Geneva Motor Show. There’s not much going on for now in terms of official details, but we’ll have to speculate that the new models will incorporate a regenerative braking system or a solar roof option. More to it, a plug-in version is also rumored to be in the works, but given the fact that Toyota has failed to comment on any of these, we can only assume that next years motor shows in Europe and in Detroit, in the US, will shred some light. [via Edmunds]

note: image of a Toyota Hybrid X Concept

We all know Sorento as an SUV which was transformed from a compact variant to a mid-size crossover and the legacy was furthered with the 2010 MY Sorento unveiling at the 2009 Seoul Motor Show in April. It will now be the turn of the Europeans with this crossover coming their way at the Frankfurt Motor Show (along with the facelifted Ceed). The changes for the 2010 variant include a higher-class cabin (compared to its predecessor), with some sleek additions and a spacious interior.

The 2010 Kia Sorento will have a new addition under the hood which is the 2.2L turbo diesel unit which produces 197hp at 421Nm of torque. The transmission is a choice for you to make between a 6-speed manual and a 6-speed automatic option. Gadgets on the menu will include an engine start button, keyless entry with an in-mirror reverse camera. The overall weight of the Sorento has also been decreased by 215 kg thanks to the redesigned body which also facilitates an improved fuel economy and a better controlled ride.

Saab are famous for mixing amazing technologies with sytlish shapes and curves, but the new Saab 9-3X is much more than that. Expected to hit the floor in Geneva next month, the lifestyle vehicle is directly competing with Audi’s Allroad, Subaru’s Outback or Volvo’s XC70. With options of a a 2.0-litre petrol turbo with 210hp or a 1.9-litre TTiD turbo diesel worth 180hp, the new Saab 9-3X uses a 6-speed manual or automatic transmission, runs on 17-inch five-spoke alloy wheels an features a set of dark grey rear bumpers and side arches for protection. We’d definitely love a closer look, but we’ll have to wait for a whole month to learn more.

In most parts of the world, winter has arrived and snow is already present and causing problems. However driving a Mercedes GL-Class could really change it. It looks powerful and to be honest, it is, so before you decide if you’re going to buy one of these muscle cars, we’ve just heard that it’s going to get a minor facelift. Front headlamps will uses LEDs for day driving and full LEDs for the rear lighting, features newly shaped air intakes, new front and rear bumpers, and some interesting exhaust pipes. Doesn’t look like a bad option if you can afford it. Check out the pics below for more details. – via

There is something about SUVs today. First I told you about the Ssangyong C200 SUV then we took on Hyundai’s SantaFe blue Hybrid. Well this also a SUV and a Hyundai, too, but it’s the new ix55. On the floor in Paris, the new Hyundai ix55 looks similar to the Veracruz that gets sold in North America but has some significant changes to make it more attractive.

Take the 3.0-litre V6 CRDi turbo diesel engine that outputs 240 hp and 451 Nm of torque on Hyundai’s first six-speed automatic transmission, doing 0 to 100 km/h in 10.4 seconds. With a top speed of 200km/h don’t expect to consume less than 9.4l/ 100km (combined cycle). One last thing that may get you interested is the returned suspension that offers better handling and maneuverability.

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Ssangyong – the company who’s trying to come up with a lot of new models in the next few years to get a bigger slice of the market share, partnered with Shanghai Automotive Industries Group and showcased their newest compact SUV, dubbed C200, at the Paris Motor Show a few days ago. The design was done by Giugiaro because his ItalDesign styling house is in charge with the looks of the new models to be built.

“The car is very, very important for us as it’s the first demonstration of the new strategy that was announced at Geneva,” says SsangYong UK managing director Paul Williams.

I really like the way it came out. Looks big and aggressive.

It was about time to get some full specs on the new Mercedes-Benz GLK and to many people’s surprise it’s actually shorter than the 7-seat GL-Class. It  measures 4.528 mm in length, 1.840 mm width and 1.689 mm height which makes it a great compact SUV that fights head to head with the likes of BMW X3, Audi Q5 or Volvo XC60.

As an incentive Mercedes will offer the Edition 1 model with 20-inch wheels, privacy glass, black-white nappa leather on the sporty interior, EASY-PACK tailgate, AMG leather steering wheel, aluminum trim, black roof lining and Comand APS System.

The first specs I’ve been able to read these days are summarized below:

Dacia officials just announced today that they are preparing for the first SUV in their history to compete with Korean rivals Hyundai Tucson or Kia Sportage, with price its main argument. Jaques Daniel with Dacia said that the company will release the SUV by the end of 2009 and it will be built on the Logan version we know.

Rumors also say that it may also be built on the Dacia Logan MCV version that could use Renault Kandoo technology and 4 x 4, but this may not be that cheap as opposed to using the Nissan Qashqai platform.

ProMotor Romania

Ladies and gentlemen it’s official. We no longer need to speculate and listen to rumors about the new Volvo XC60, because the Swedish car manufacturer announced they will show it off during Geneva Motor Show starting March 4th. Can you remember the first Volvo XC60 spy shots we’ve told you about last month?

I’m not sure if you’re as excited as I am with XC60, but all those lines and the beauty mixed with the sporty looks make me believe that this is going to be a success for Volvo. Do you like it?