The new small Mazda CX-5 SUV will be rolled with features that have an inclination towards maximum fuel efficiency. The new model is expected to also sport a new set of Sky generation direct-injection engines and a light transmission. The car, in fact, will be the first production Mazda to be powered by the new generation of ultra-efficient Sky engines.

It will also come with regenerative braking and start/stop functionalities. To be at least 100kg lighter compared with rival models, the car might come in both three- and five-door versions.

[via Autocar]

Meanwhile, the new upcoming SUV is said to take off from the LM002. The Lamborghini SUV might see itself positioned on the same platform as the Porsche Cayenne and the VW Touareg. However, we might get to see the car in a distinct design when it arrives.

The first images also sports chief engineer Jim Holland and that pretty much explains the reason why the upcoming model draws inspiration from the Land Rovers.

As per Holland, the 2011 model is a modern interpretation of the Explorer but the spy images rendered a different story. What is a novelty (hailing again from the Rover domain) though is a terrain management system with a total of five settings. We expect to see the 2011 explorer possibly at the LA auto show in November.

Hitting the production floor early next year, Land Rover will first unveil an AWD version of the LRX while the novelty (FWD) shall hit markets sometime later. Land Rover is keen to reduce fleet CO2 emissions and the front-wheel driven LRX will look to do that for the brand. As far as the AWD version is concerned, it will get a 185 bhp rendering 2.2 liter diesel engine which will be mated to a 6-speed manual or an automatic transmission.

Tuning in Japan is an art, and proof to back my sayings is the new Lexus LX570. But not just any LX570, but the one that the folks from ASI got their hands on. Saying that the luxury SUV can actually perform much more aggressively, ASI took the factory 5.7-litre V8 motor (381hp) and the 6-speed sequential-shift automatic transmission to new heights — dubbed it the ASI Lexus LX570 Invader and promised at least 600hp, and a 5 seconds time to reach 100km/h from standing still. That’s pretty impressive, but in honesty, it sounds like an expensive hack for your Lexus LX570. You game?

Porsche has clearly denied the development of an even smaller version of the upcoming Porsche Cayenne SUV. Rumors were ripe that Porsche will look to develop a mini version of its upcoming SUV once it goes on sale at the end of May. The upcoming model is supposed to arrive in petrol, diesel and hybrid variants and as a matter of fact, it is the smallest ever Cayenne SUV produced by the moniker. As per Porsche, the Audi Q5 has dented the sales prospects of the Audi Q7 and a Porsche Mini may have the same effect on its bigger version. Porsche cannot afford to toy with the Cayenne SUV sales as half the company revenue comes from the Cayenne sales.

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

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.