New lineups of trucks from General Motors and Toyota couldn’t unseat an improved Ram 1500, which was named the Truck of Texas by the Texas Auto Writers Association over the weekend at the media organization’s annual Truck Rodeo.

The victory marks the first repeat appearance for the Ram 1500, which previously won in 2013 and 2011; in 2012, the Ford F-Series was victorious. A new diesel engine, the first offered in a modern light-duty pickup, helped push the Ram to the top over a fully redesigned Chevrolet Silverado range and a heavily revised Toyota Tundra lineup.

About a dozen representatives each from Chrysler, Ford, General Motors and Toyota, in addition to crossover and SUV builders ranging from Land Rover and Mercedes-Benz to Kia and Subaru traveled to the Knibbe Ranch outside of San Antonio to attend the Truck Rodeo. Over 60 vehicles from nearly every SUV, crossover and truck manufacturer were on hand, but the big award – literally, since the trophy presented is several feet tall – was the Truck of Texas.

The entire Ram lineup won the coveted Truck Line of Texas Award. 

Award winners typically boast about the award in marketing targeted at consumers in Texas, the largest pickup truck market in the world. 

Although Ram was the big winner overall, it wasn’t the only automaker to go home happy. Awards were presented for a number of individual categories, although the big prizes were the overall category winners. 

Award Winners at the 2013 Texas Truck Rodeo

• Compact Crossover: Nissan Juke
• Midsize Crossover: Hyundai Santa Fe
• Full-size Crossover: Nissan Pathfinder
• Luxury Crossover: Acura MDX
• Compact SUV: Jeep Cherokee
• Midsize SUV: Jeep Grand Cherokee (EcoDiesel)
• Full-size SUV: Dodge Durango
• Compact Luxury SUV: GMC Terrain Denali
• Midsize Luxury SUV: Jeep Grand Cherokee (Summit EcoDiesel)
• Full-size Luxury SUV: Land Rover Range Rover
• Off-Road SUV: Jeep Wrangler
• Midsize Pickup: Nissan Frontier
• Luxury Pickup: Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn
• HD Pickup: Ram 2500 HD
• Off-Road Pickup: Ford F-150 SVT Raptor
• Commercial Vehicle: Ram ProMaster
• Best Powertrain: Ram/Jeep EcoDiesel 3.0-liter V6
• Best Connectivity: Chrysler’s Uconnect Access
• Best Technology: Ram five-link coil rear suspension

Overall winners

• Crossover (CUV) of Texas: Hyundai Santa Fe
• SUV of Texas: Jeep Grand Cherokee
• Truck of Texas: Ram 1500
• Truck Line of Texas: Ram

<![CDATA[
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The organizers of Italy’s Bologna Motor Show have announced the event has been canceled due to a complete lack of interest from exhibitors.

The 38th annual Bologna show was scheduled to take place from December 7th to the 15th.  With just 133 exhibitors signed up last year, Bologna is a small show compared to Frankfurt, Geneva and Paris and there are rarely any global debuts but it is one of the biggest car shows in Italy and the only one that takes place annually.

Marred by economic uncertainty, Italy’s car market has recently taken a heavy hit and new car sales have dropped by about 50 percent since 2007.  While Fiat, Lancia and Alfa Romeo would have undoubtedly attended the show, competing automakers from France, Germany and Japan have little incentive to spend a fortune on traveling to Bologna and setting up a stand in order to display cars they know consumers will simply not buy.

The whole scenario sounds like déjà vu because the Turin Motor Show, once one of Europe’s biggest industry gatherings, was canceled in 2012 and has not been held since.

GL Events, the French firm that organizes the Bologna show, has tentatively announced the event will return next year.  <![CDATA[
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Chinese startup Qoros has announced its new modular platform will spawn a BMW 5-Series-sized sedan and a seven-seater SUV.

Inaugurated by the 3 Sedan that bowed in Geneva earlier this year, the platform can be modified to provide a wheelbase ranging from 104 to 111 inches and a rear overhang that can be stretched up to nine inches.  The modular platform enables Qoros to quickly and efficiently bring new vehicles to the market without spending a fortune on research and development.

A older sketch reveals the yet-unnamed BMW 5-Series-sized sedan wears an evolution of the 3′s front end design with a sleek roofline.   Christened Qoros 7, the seven-seater SUV features an unusually tall, almost MPV-like design characterized by slender headlights and a high beltline.

Qoros will launch a Golf-sized hatchback variant of the 3 Sedan and a station wagon designed to compete against the Jetta Sportwagen (known as the Golf Variant in Europe) before the end of 2014 but it will focus on expanding its dealer network before developing additional models.  The company has not given a precise timeframe for when 5-Series-sized sedan and the SUV will hit showrooms but they are likely several years away.

The 3 Sedan went on sale last month in Slovakia and it is scheduled to arrive in showrooms across China before the end of the year.  Contacted by Leftlane, a Qoros spokesperson explained the firm is still hammering out the details of its European expansion and it is not ready to announce when it will start selling cars in Western Europe.<![CDATA[
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Honda has announced an optional two-tone paint scheme available only in Japan for the Honda CR-Z. The option will be offered on the top-spec trim level, called the α Master Label, and will give the hybrid sports coupe a black canopy reminiscent of Honda’s early NSX supercars.

The $693 option swathes the roof, hatch, and door mirrors in a black pearl, while one of four body color options — white, gray, red and yellow — cover the remaining sheetmetal. 

In addition, interiors of two-tone CR-Zs will feature exclusive suede upholstery on the front seats (the CR-Z is sold as a 2+2 in Japan), black door panel lining, and “piano black” trim on the dashboard and center console. A leather-wrapped sport steering wheel with silver stitching finishes the interior. 16-inch black finish wheels will also be part of the appearance package.

All CR-Z models are powered by a 1.5 liter i-VTEC motor with Honda’s IMA hybrid system, the same powerplant found in its USDM counterpart. Either a 6-speed manual or CVT make up available transmission options, with no added cost for either gearbox.

Along with the introduction of the new package, all Japanese-market CR-Zs will now have GPS navigation available as an option. Sticker price for the base Japanese CR-Z starts at $24,014.<![CDATA[
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Mazda has detailed the new gasoline-electric hybrid drivetrain that will debut under the hood of the 3 (called Axela in its home country) when it is it launched across Japan late next month.

The centerpiece of the hybrid drivetrain is a 2.0-liter SKYACTIV-G four-cylinder engine that makes 99 horsepower and 104 lb-ft. of torque.  Developed specifically for the 3 hybrid, the four-banger works in conjunction with a Toyota-designed Hybrid Synergy Drive system that sends about 140 horsepower to the front wheels via a continuously variable transmission (CVT).

Electricity is provided by a compact battery pack mounted under the trunk floor.  Early estimates peg the 3 hybrid’s gas mileage at 73 mpg in a mixed Japanese cycle, which is fairly different from the way the EPA rates cars.

Another Japan-specific feature is the availability of a full-time four-wheel drive system.  Popular in Japan’s mountainous regions, the four-wheel drive system can be ordered on either the 3 hatchback or the 3 sedan but it can only be matched with the 100-horsepower 1.5-liter SKYACTIV-G engine.

Mazda has not announced whether the hybrid drivetrain and the all-wheel drive setup will eventually make their way to the United States.<![CDATA[
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Renault’s Romania-based Dacia division has published a collage made of four teaser images that previews the Duster De’tour concept that will bow at the Johannesburg International Motor Show in less than a week.

Based on the facelifted Duster SUV that debuted in Frankfurt last month, the Duster De’tour will adopt a more rugged appearance inspired by the Dakar Rally.  The teaser images hint the SUV will feature an orange and black two-tone paint job, LED lighting on both ends, a more aggressive front bumper that incorporates a pair of fog lights and bespoke alloy wheels mounted on high-profile tires.

Renault has not announced if the upcoming show car will gain interior or mechanical modifications.

The concept’s purpose remains an enigma.  Although pure speculation at this point, it could hint at a limited-edition model similar to the Europe-only Duster Adventure that will go on sale on the South African market (where the Duster is sold with a Renault emblem), or it could announce the Romanian automaker’s entry into the grueling Dakar rally that will kick off on January 5th, 2014, in Rosario, Argentina.

A full set of details about the Dacia Duster De’tour concept will be available in the days leading up to its debut in the capital of South Africa. <![CDATA[
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BMW has introduced the 2014 4-Series Convertible ahead of its public debut at next month’s Los Angeles Motor Show.

Longer, lower and wider than the outgoing 3-Series Convertible, the 4-Series Convertible is essentially identical to the recently introduced 4-Series coupe from the rocker panels up to the belt line.  Above that, it gains a three-piece retractable hard top that electronically opens or closes in 20 seconds at speeds of up to 11 mph.  The hard top provides a quieter ride and better all-weather insulation than a fabric top while giving the 4-Series a coupe-like silhouette when closed.  

Carried over from the 4-Series coupe, the Convertible’s dashboard is characterized by a simple instrument cluster with four analog gauges, driver-focused controls on the center stack and top of the line materials.  A high-resolution 6.5-inch screen mounted on top of the dash displays connectivity, entertainment and navigation (when equipped) information.  It is controlled via BMW’s iDrive knob but buttons on the center stack and a voice command function give the driver alternate means of accessing information.

The topless 4-Series boasts 13 cubic feet of trunk space with the top up and 7.8 with the top down.

Like its coupe sibling, BMW’s latest convertible is offered in three design lines: Sport, Luxury and M Sport.  Each line adds bespoke trim materials and colors, unique wheels and chrome accents all around, while the M Sport pushes the envelope by adding a discreet aerodynamic body kit, beefier brakes and a stiffer suspension.

In the United States, BMW will offer the 4-Series convertible as the 428i and the 435i.  The 428i is powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that makes 240 horsepower at 5,000 rpms and 255 lb-ft. of torque from just 1,250 rpms.  It sends the convertible from zero to 60 mph in 6.2 seconds and on to a top speed of 155 mph.

The more expensive 435i uses a 3.0-liter straight-six mill that churns out 300 horsepower at 5,800 rpms and 300 lb-ft. of torque from just 1,200 rpms.  The straight-six enables the 435i to reach 60 mph from a stop in about 5.5 seconds and an electronically-limited top speed of 155 mph.

Both engines send power to the rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission controlled by shift paddles mounted behind the steering wheel.  A manual transmission is not offered on either model, but the 428i can be ordered with BMW’s xDrive all-wheel drive system at an extra cost.

Following its debut in Los Angeles, the 2014 BMW 4-Series Convertible will go on sale in the United States in the first quarter of next year.  The 428i will cost $49,675 while the 435i will retail for $55,825.  Both prices include a $925 destination charge.<![CDATA[
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