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The MiTo is a brand-new, two-door hatchback minicar (only 4.06 meters, or 13.3 feet, long) that Alfa Romeo is aiming at young people in an attempt to reconnect the brand to a new generation of buyers. Alfa hopes that the MiTo's evocative Italian styling, its full range of electronic equipment, and its economical but sporty powertrains will set the car apart from the crowded minicar field in Europe and other major world markets where Alfa Romeos are sold. As the first new Alfa Romeo designed and built after the 8C Competizione (a limited-edition supercoupe of which only a few examples will trickle into the United States), the MiTo is a good look at where Alfa Romeo is heading in terms of future products. It is also a car that, in some future iteration, could herald the brand's return to the United States, although Alfa officials continue to be cagey about that matter, as they have been for years. However, Alfa's parent company, Fiat, just announced that it is entering into an agreement with BMW wherein the German company might help market and sell cars for Alfa in the United States. Under such a scenario, the next-generation MiTo could come here.

And as for the name, MiTo? It represents the historic connection between the city where Alfa Romeo was founded, Milan, and the city where Alfas have been designed and manufactured for decades, Torino (Turin).

MiTo styling: very Italian, very modern, but with a definite nod to the past.

he MiTo oozes Italian style and has a prominent shield grille that is instantly identifiable to any Alfa Romeo fan. During our test drive into the Lakes Region north of Milan, our bright red MiTo turned lots of Italian heads. Alfa designers like to point out the MiTo's styling similarities to the 8C, such as the side window profile and the three-lobed motif of the grille, the front bumper, the headlights, and the LED taillights. The MiTo makes the rest of Alfa's mainstream lineup - handsome, well-admired cars all - look a bit staid. But one wonders if the MiTo is overstyled. MiTo buyers can customize their cars endlessly, choosing among ten shades of paint, fourteen finishes for the headlight and taillight surrounds (shiny or satin chrome, opaque black and titanium gray, plus the ten body shades), and five styles of sixteen-inch to eighteen-inch wheels. Two versions of red paint are available: the traditional nonmetallic Alfa Red and a lighter Giulietta red, yet another reminder of Alfa Romeo's past.

MiTo cabin: This is no econocar interior.

ike its exterior, the MiTo's interior is a repository of modern Italian style as expressed through a bewildering array of possible color and trim combinations. Two trim packages, Progression and Distinctive, are offered, and those two styling themes also can be modified with available Sport and Premium packages. The Progression specification provides what Alfa calls a "Sprint" instrument panel finished either in black or red, while the Distinctive trim, which our test car was outfitted with, comes with a "Competizione" fabric with a faux-carbon-fiber weave. It is expertly fitted over the main instrument binnacle surround, around the circular center vents, the dash, and the door inserts. Aluminum, quality black plastics, and high-quality black leather complete the interior trim. Seating comfort in front is excellent, with good lateral support, and the rear seats have surprisingly generous foot-, hip-, and headroom. Seats for four are standard, but a middle seat in the rear, as on our test car, is optional. All seating positions have adjustable head restraints.

The MiTo keeps you connected.

he MiTo offers every conceivable electronic device that the car's young target audience might desire. Blue&Me is an optional telematics system similar to Ford's Sync; like that system, it was developed in conjunction with Microsoft and allows easy use of the BlueTooth and text-messaging capabilities of mobile phones, MP3 players, and the like. Blue&Me Map is a portable navigation system that mounts into a bracket on top of the dash; you can easily pop off the entire unit and carry it with you when you leave the car. If you've ever tried to navigate the narrow, confusingly laid-out streets of an old European city center by foot, you'll understand just how useful the portable nav system could be if you're a 22-year-old trying to find Rome's hottest new nightclub.

Chevrolet's Volt plug-in hybrid won't be arriving in showrooms for at least another two years, but a careful eye may spot one of the many development mules testing its hybrid powertrain on public roads.

Our spies did just that, snapping some pictures of the Malibu-bodied test vehicle as GM engineers took it for a spin outside of the automaker's proving grounds. Although the vehicle's body is radically different from the slippery shape the production car will wear, we're told the mechanicals beneath the skin are all Volt-specific and stem not from the Malibu, but from the next-generation Delta small-car platform.

That means we're expecting a small-displacement gasoline motor (possibly a three- or four-cylinder) underhood, partnered with electric drive motors. We'd also expect the car to sport some form of a lithium-ion battery pack, as both Continental and A123 Systems - GM's partners in developing the Volt's batteries - have reportedly delivered prototype packs to GM engineers.

Those batteries are reportedly a large headache in pushing the Volt into production. GM hopes to begin mass production of the car in 2010, but development delays threaten to push that date back by nearly two years. When Volts do arrive in showrooms, the added costs of the lithium-ion batteries may push its price tag to $40,000 - nearly $10,000 more than GM originally suggested.

We love the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. The all-wheel-drive turbocharged rally car for the street grips, steers, and tackles a bumpy road better than many cars costing twice as much. The last-generation Evo--known in Mitsu parlance as Evolutions VII and IX--impressed us with the fact that Mitsubishi had turned the ho-hum base Lancer into such a performance icon. The newest Evo may have lost a little of its raw character, but it's still clearly an automobile engineered by hardcore enthusiasts for hardcore enthusiasts.

That said, like its predecessors, the newest Lancer Evolution had to evolve from something. That something is the new front-wheel-drive, $14,890 Mitsubishi Lancer. We recently spent some time in the top-spec, non-Evo Lancer, known as the Lancer GTS, to see what relationship it had to its manic sibling.

After a scan of the specification list, you can't help but be impressed by the little Mitsubishi. Our CVT-equipped model came in at $23,340, and its window sticker boasted such features as a navigation system, a sunroof, Bluetooth, keyless entry and starting, auto climate control, and eighteen-inch wheels. Not too shabby. The only glaring omission is electronic stability control; this safety feature isn't available, even as an option. We also wish that Mitsubishi had added rake adjustment to the steering wheel and that the navigation unit featured a more intuitive interface.

On the road, it's clear that Mitsubishi spent money on the Lancer's long equipment list rather than chassis development--the wonderful steering and handling found in the Lancer Evo clearly doesn't come from the base Lancer. The steering rack on the GTS is a hydraulically assisted unit, but it feels more like a poorly calibrated electric setup. And while the Lancer's overall ride quality and suspension damping is quite good at normal speeds, rough pavement tends to upset things, sending unwelcome kickback through the steering wheel.(The GTS's standard eighteen-inch wheels surely don't help.) At a quicker pace, understeer rears its ugly head far too early. On a whole, we wish the gang responsible for the Evolution could have sprinkled some of its magic on the base Lancer.

While you can't really expect Evo-like thrust from a $23,000 econobox, the front-drive Lancer's 2.4-liter four-cylinder does provide decent acceleration. Unfortunately, that powerplant is a bit too coarse and buzzy for our liking, a fact not helped by the optional CVT fitted to our test car. During maximum acceleration, the engine sits at a very busy 6000 RPM as the transmission constantly adjusts the drive ratio. Sure, there are magnesium paddles behind the steering wheel, allowing the choice of six different "gears," but you're still better off with the standard five-speed manual. Plus, the row-it-yourself option brings along a small increase in fuel economy. This is a notable plus, because the Lancer's thirst is somewhat surprising. Its 21/27 EPA rating loses out to a great many small cars, including the notoriously thirsty five-cylinder (automatic) Volkswagen Jetta.

While we knew that the Lancer GTS wouldn't be a hard-core driver's car, we do wish it carried a greater amount of the Evolution's DNA. Mitsubishi needs to concentrate on improving the steering feel and upping the refinement levels. (Available electronic stability control is a must, too.) With just a few changes, the Lancer could be a very competitive entry in its segment.

First of all, you should know that the changes to the 2009 Porsche 911 aren't just skin deep. In addition to the obvious changes (revised front and rear fascias and lighting), Porsche is debuting a brand-new family of engines, a first-ever dual-clutch transmission, updated brakes and suspension, and a new touch-screen infotainment system.

The face-lift consists of new wheels (eighteen-inch wheels are now standard for the base 911 Carrera, while the Carrera S gets nineteens), side mirrors, and fascias. The revised front bumper houses six-LED daytime running lights, and the headlights (now standard HID, or high-intensity discharge) swivel in corners. Each of the new, pointier taillights illuminates brightly thanks to the help of 60 LEDs and one standard filament bulb (for the reverse light). New, larger side-view mirrors conform to forthcoming regulations.

Inside the 2009 Porsche is the third generation of Porsche Communication Management, which combines audio and navigation functions. The enlarged screen now is touch-sensitive, and a revised menu structure vastly reduces the complexity of use. The system also features an auxiliary input jack, a USB input jack, and an iPod jack. The iPod integration works better than most, allowing quick searches through the familiar Artist, Album, or Track parameters.

Also available for the first time are seat coolers, which blow cool air through perforations in the leather seat covers. The system works almost immediately and cools far better than any other system we've tried - but it also makes more noise than any other. And in addition to the requisite heated seats (the 911 seems very concerned with the temperature of your butt), a heated steering wheel is also available.

But enough about the toys - the most important changes to the 911 are in the driveline. Base 911s receive, as before, a 3.6-liter flat-six. The all-new boxer is part of a new family of engines that is lighter and smaller than the old engines, with a lower center of gravity and featuring a host of changes to improve power and efficiency, chiefly direct injection. The 3.6-liter produces 20 hp more than last year's 3.6, for a total of 345 hp and 287 lb-ft of torque.

Carrera S models come with a 3.8-liter flat-six, also from the new engine family. It produces 30 more horsepower than last year's 3.8: 385 in total, with 310 lb-ft of torque. The 3.8-liter now surpasses the magic 100hp/liter mark, making it one of the highest specific-output normally aspirated engines on sale today.

Both engines now rev to 7500 (instead of their predecessors' 7300-rpm redline), and they weigh 12 pounds less. The compression ratio has been raised to 12.5:1.

Both engines are available with either a six-speed manual transmission or the all-new, seven-speed PDK. PDK stands for Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe, or Porsche Double Clutch Transmission. Developed jointly with the German supplier ZF, the transmission replaces the ancient five-speed Tiptronic transmission, and boy does it ever. Combined with the additional power from the new engines, PDK-equipped cars will accelerate to 62 mph a full second faster than last year's Tiptronic-equipped models. And when you're talking about a drop from 5.3 seconds to 4.3 seconds (Carrera S with Sports Chrono Plus package), that's a huge difference.

Let's clear the air: we get that the sudden drop in large SUV sales casts the launch of the 2009 Kia Borrego in a questionable light. But when work began on the body-on-frame utility nearly four years back, truck sales in the U.S. totaled 9.6 million units and were predicted to increase each year until 2009. We can't blame Kia for wanting a piece of that pie.

That pie certainly is smaller today, but there are still consumers who want, if not need, to sidle up to an SUV. Commuters may not find solace in the truck-like capacities (and a voracious thirst for fuel), but there are buyers who actively tow, venture off the beaten path, and need to carry more than five passengers in comfort. For those folks, an SUV may still be the ideal vehicle - and Kia hopes the Borrego will be their ideal choice.

The Borrego isn't Kia's first venture into the world of body-on-frame sport utilities, but it is their biggest. The new truck towers over the mid-size, body-on-frame Sorento, although it's not what we'd call a true full-size SUV. Measuring in at 192" long and riding on a 114" wheelbase, the Borrego's stature is closer to that of a Dodge Durango or Ford Explorer than that of the Chevrolet Tahoe or Ford Expedition.

The new SUV, however, is Kia's first foray into V-8 engines. Although both EX and LX trim levels come standard with the 276-hp 3.8-liter V-6, a 4.6-liter DOHC V-8 is optional fare. Both engines are also found in near-identical forms within Hyundai's Genesis sedan, although the V-8 curiously produces less power in the Borrego. Kia rates the V-8 at 337 hp and 323 lb-ft of torque, down nearly 38 hp and 10 lb-ft of torque from its Genesis counterpart.

Drivers used to engines with gobs of low-end torque will need to adapt to Kia's V-8; the 4.6-liter begs to be revved, with peak torque kicking in at 3200 rpm. Sure enough, we can feel the engine really come alive somewhere between 3000 and 4000 rpm, and the Borrego - all 4900 lbs of our V-8 tester - suddenly sprints forward. This may prove to be an issue for those who intend to use all of the V-8 Borrego's 7900 lbs of towing capacity, but isn't worrisome for those who rarely mash on the throttle.

Our pre-production V-8 EX model came with a six-speed automatic transmission, standard on all models equipped with the 4.6-liter engine (six-cylinder models sport a five-speed auto). Power was split to all four wheels via a part-time transfer case, but we're told by Kia this won't make its way to customers. Instead, look for a full-time Torque-on-Demand four-wheel-drive system (similar to that in the Sorento) as standard equipment on 4x4 models. The combination is said to return 15 city/22 highway mpg; we averaged an indicated 17 mpg over a mixture of city and highway driving.

Mating the V-8 and six-speed leaves little to be desired; upshifts and downshifts occur smoothly and with little lag time. Although we didn't have a chance to trailer anything, in everyday driving, the transmission doesn't hunt around. We did notice a considerable amount of whine from the transmission during low-speed cruising, usually at around 35 mph in third or fourth gear. The noise seemed to go away once the Borrego hit 50 mph or so, but it was boisterous during brief jaunts around town.

Perhaps more refined was the Borrego's ride and handling. Albeit fairly smooth over most surfaces, there was no mistaking the Borrego for anything other than a body-on-frame truck. Dreams that the SUV will ride like a car are quickly broken on poor road surfaces, although many of the secondary vibrations typically found in similar SUVs are noticeably reduced - certainly thanks in part to the use of independent rear suspension. We were pleasantly surprised to see that, in spite of a fair amount of body roll, the Borrego handled corners quite well, displaying quick turn-in and well-weighted steering.

Let me just say right off the bat that I love the new SLK350. Let me also say that I was not a huge fan of previous SLKs, and I downright didn't like the four-cylinder models. At this point I should also admit that my friends made fun of me while I was driving the SLK. But just a little.

See, now that Mercedes has made numerous changes to the SLK's mechanical bits and interior quality, its biggest problem is its image. My friend Sarah said the SLK looked like a car for lawyers' wives. My friend Scott, her boyfriend, said it made me look like the lawyer's boyfriend. Ouch.

Potential image issues aside, I put 200 miles on the SLK350 in a few days, and wound up not tiring of it. Which is more than I can say about some other cute little convertibles I've driven in the last few weeks (Mazda's MX-5 and Mini's Cooper S convertible, to name just two). And the best parts of the SLK were things that I never expected: the engine and the steering.

First of all, Mercedes has installed its Direct-Steer System on the SLK. The idea behind this system is that the steering ratio should be relatively slow on-center to reduce dartiness, but should quicken as you turn the wheel further. Rather than going the BMW Active Steering route, which uses a computer to control the constantly varying steering ratio, Mercedes chose the right route: the Porsche way. In place of complex actuators, pumps, and computers, the Mercedes system requires no additional parts - the rack is designed to change to a quicker ratio after a certain amount of lock.

Unlike in the BMW models with Active Steering, where you're always second-guessing what the result of your steering input will be, you don't even notice the Mercedes system. You just notice that the SLK has fantastic on-center steering feel, tracks dead straight ahead even at triple-digit speeds, and then turns in progressively and quickly when the road twists. The system gives the SLK a feel of sportiness that it's been missing since day one.

That second big fix is the engine. Turn the key, and the SLK350's 3.5-liter V-6 will surprise you with its throaty exhaust note. Stomp on the gas, and you'll be positively shocked. This is one of the best-sounding V-6 engines on sale today, if not the best. The new engine revs to 7200 rpm, and the seven-speed automatic bangs off quick shifts through closely spaced gears. I kept slowing down so I could floor it and hear the music again and again.

The new engine isn't just all bark and no bite: horsepower has been increased by 32 compared to last year's 3.5-liter. Producing an even 300 hp at 6500 rpm and 265 lb-ft at 4900, the SLK is seriously quick. Mercedes claims that it'll hit 60 mph in 5.3 seconds, which is only four tenths slower than the V-8-powered SLK55 AMG. The V-6's newfound thrust comes courtesy of a higher compression ratio (11.7:1), a new intake manifold, and modifications to the valvetrain. To sweeten the deal, the 350 actually gets better fuel economy than last year's engine.

If there is one fault with the SLK350, it's that it's not available with a manual transmission. The base SLK300 is, though it's considerably slower (228 hp, 221 lb-ft, 0-to-60 mph in 5.1 seconds), only revs to 6500 rpm, and doesn't sound nearly as good.

The rest of the driving experience in the SLK is just as pleasant as its exhaust note: the suspension is taut but gives a surprisingly smooth ride at highway speeds. Handling is fairly neutral, and grip is prodigious. Brake feel is excellent, and cross-drilled rotors stay quiet all the time. The chassis is remarkably solid and free of scuttle shake. The transmission is only occasionally slow to react to sudden throttle inputs, and I was disappointed that the non-AMG SLK models lack a full manual mode.

The interior is finished with materials that are a quantum leap from the first SLK's, and a medium-sized suitcase can fit in the trunk even with the top lowered. A simple mesh wind blocker stretches across the roll hoops, and combined with heated seats, a powerful heater, and the delectable Airscarf (which blows warm air on your neck), makes top-down Interstate-speed cruising comfortable even when it's cold. In fact, even at speeds up to 120 mph, airflow is remarkably well controlled in the cabin with the top down.

Mercedes' new, enhanced stereo system sounds fantastic, and the iPod integration works well. Unfortunately, the small screen on the dashboard appears to have the same resolution as a 1980s monochrome computer monitor. Thankfully, it can be switched off completely.

I wonder if some of the SLK's target customers (those lawyers' wives) will tire of the 350's exhaust note, but I certainly wouldn't. In fact, other than my friends' accusations that I was that lawyer's wife, I wouldn't tire of the SLK at all. Hats off to Mercedes for turning the SLK into a real sports car. If it were available with a manual transmission, it would even give the Porsche Boxster a run for its money, and that's high praise indeed.