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Along with the standard version of the all-new 2013 Malibu, Chevrolet also introduced the ECO-flavored variant of its mid-size sedan at the New York Auto Show. The Malibu ECO returns a fuel consumption of 38 mpg (6.19 liters/km) on the highway and 26 mpg (9 liters/100 km) in the city, with Chevrolet boasting that it’s the most fuel-efficient midsize sedan in the company's 100 year-long history.

The new version features GM’s eAssist “light electrification” technology, which is the company’s way of saying it is a micro-hybrid car. The eAssist uses a lithium-ion battery and an electric motor-generator to enable regenerative braking electric assist and start-stop functionality.

Since Toyota launched the gasoline-electric hybrid Prius in 1997 (because let’s face it, Toyota was the one that made hybrids a household name), more and more automakers are following in the Japanese automaker’s footsteps. Oddly enough , Suzuki isn’t one them, at least not until now as the carmaker has expressed its intention to launch a hybrid version of the Kizashi sedan in the very near future.

In preparation for the 2012 market launch of its new Prius Plug-in hybrid (PHV), Toyota's U.S. division announced the introduction of a new online order system that will kick off later this year.

Customers who are interested in the Prius Plug-in hybrid are invited to register on Toyota's website in order to have first access to the online order system when it becomes available later in the year. Appropriately, the first phase of the online order program, called Priority Registration, will launch on Earth Day, April 22, 2011.

Today’s the day for Lexus to formally lift the wraps off its new LF-Gh hybrid concept ahead of its global debut at the 2011 New York International Auto Show, which runs for the public from April 22 to May 1. The Japanese firm’s latest concept is for a premium grand tourer that previews a new design direction for the next generation of Lexus models.

Even though Toyota’s luxury division won’t say it, the LF-Gh’s also hints at a replacement for the GS given the proximity in size between the two models as the concept measures 192.5-in. long, 73.6-in. wide, 57.1-in. tall while riding on a 112.2-in long wheelbase. In comparison, the current GS is 190.7-in long, 71.7-in. wide, 56.1-in tall and rides on the same 112.2-in long wheelbase.

Lexus says that through this exercise, it redefines its L-Finesse design philosophy, which debuted in 2001, adding that it represents a bolder styling that “unites hard and soft; and energetic and soothing elements”. Needless to say, the LF-Gh has borrowed many styling elements from Lexus’ first supercar, the LF-A, including the body surfaces as well as the shape of the tail lamps, headlights and front grille.

BMW has teamed up with joint venture partner Brilliance China Automotive Holdings Ltd. to develop a new plug-in hybrid model based on the long wheelbase version of the local market 5 Series Sedan, which is available exclusively in China. The prototype model will receive its world premiere at the Auto Shanghai 2011 later this month.

The Toyota Prius, a car that is often credited for bringing hybrid-electric technology to the masses, has managed to rack up its one-millionth sale in the USA. The announcement comes shortly after Toyota achieved two more milestones that started with global Prius sales topping the two million mark in October 2010 and overall global Toyota hybrid sales passing three million last month.

When he's not driving a Renault Formula 1 car or a locally-made Chrysler Sebring, Russian prime minister Vladimir Putin test drives hybrid cars – or at least that's what he did on April 1 (no, really), when he got behind the wheel of the country’s first hybrid vehicle, the Yo-Mobile.

Built by Yo-Auto, a joint-venture between truck maker Yarovit Motors and Onexim Group, the company of Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov who also owns the New Jersey Nets, the car has an unusual hybrid setup. It uses a rotary vane engine (see video below) that works on petrol and natural gas and is linked to a pair of electric motors.

Suzuki’s stand at this month’s 2011 New York International Auto Show will feature two brand new concepts cars, both based on the Kizashi sedan. In the Japanese automaker’s own words, the first study will be a “stylish and socially-conscious sedan propelled by a newly-developed advanced powertrain”, while the second concept will be a “wildly-schemed and amped up homage to Suzuki’s iconic motorcycle heritage”. Read more »

Sure, the Opel Ampera is nothing more than a Chevrolet Volt with some extremely mild cosmetic changes, but doppelgangers have always had a very special place in the wonderful world of General Motors. If Bloomberg’s inside sources are right, GM is currently looking into the development of a Buick-badged version of the plug-in hybrid Opel Ampera. According to people familiar with the project, the Buick model could go on sale in 2013, if the plans goes ahead.

Given that the styling changes over the Chevrolet Volt would be limited to a Buick-specific grille and bumper designs, one of the most significant problems GM faces is how to justify the car and its higher price tag which would be in excess of the Volt’s base MSRP of US$41,000 not including a $7,500 federal tax credit.

GM's Korean subsidiary lifted the wraps off the Mi-ray hybrid roadster concept at the 2011 Seoul Motor Show today, as a tribute to Chevrolet's 100th anniversary this year. The aggressive-looking Mi-ray (which means “future” in Korean) was developed by the GM Advanced Design Studio in Seoul and pays homage to the bow-tie brand's sports car heritage.

The roadster uses styling cues from Chevy's 1963 Monza SS and the 1962 Corvair Super Spyder, but also from aircrafts, with its aerodynamic fuselage being reminiscent of modern jet fighters. Elements like the scissor-doors, the pronounced wheel-arches and the sharp front bumper add further drama to the Mi-ray's appearance.

The car's bodywork is made of lightweight materials such as carbon fiber and carbon fiber reinforced plastics, while the turbine-shaped wheels (20-inch front/21-inch rear) are made of aluminum-carbon fiber composite.

Starting this summer, Buick will offer the 4-cylinder LaCrosse sedan with the eAssist micro-hybrid technology as standard. The LaCrosse eAssist uses a variety of systems and body modifications to deliver an estimated fuel economy rating of 37 mpg on the highway and 25 mpg in the city (pending EPA certification).

Fisker Automotive kicked-off production of its Karma plug-in hybrid sedan in Finland this week, with the company planning to sell the first cars in the United States and Europe from April. The California-based automaker assembles the Karma at Valmet Automotive's plant located in Uusikaupunki, Finland. The same factory also builds Cayman and Boxster models for Porsche.

"We're going to be ramping up very slowly, very carefully to ensure quality. This year we want to get over 7,000 deliveries," said Fisker spokesman Roger Ormisher. Priced at $88,000 in the U.S. (€62,000 at current exchange rates), the Karma can run on electric power alone for about 50 miles (80 km) before the gasoline engine kicks in.

Next up on our motorshow calendar is the 2011 New York Auto Show in late April, where we’re expecting several world premieres, including a new concept car from Lexus. The Japanese automaker made the announcement today through its Twitter channels with a rather vague note: “LF-Gh: LF = Lexus Future. h = hybrid. G = ...”.

The company also stated in an invitation to the press that the concept “will present a glimpse into the future of Lexus design.” We’re assuming the ‘G’ stands for a prototype version of the next generation of the GS premium sedan but we’ll know more within the next couple of weeks.

Porsche will mark its return to this year’s edition of the Nürburgring 24 hour race on June 25 with a newer version of its 911 GT3 R Hybrid that is more powerful yet lighter and more fuel efficient than its predecessor.

The 2011 edition of the 911 GT3 R Hybrid carries the geeky ‘Version 2.0’ moniker, and keeps the general layout of the 2010 model. The racer’s hybrid powertrain comprises of a 470HP 4.0-liter six-cylinder boxer engine at the rear and two electric motors driving the front wheels.

In the Version 2.0, the output of both electric motors has increased from 60kW (80HP) to 75 kilowatts (100HP) each, meaning that seconds at a time, pilots will now have an additional 200HP at their disposal.

‘Remember’ is the name of Infiniti’s new campaign for the 2012 M Hybrid, which is set to launch in the USA in spring of 2011 with prices starting from $53,700. The 31 second spot takes us on a quick journey through the history of hybrids, beginning with the first hybrid car in 1888, to the hybrid patent in 1909, and through the hybrids of the 1970s on to today’s hybrid models including the Lexus GS 450h, which can be seen in the ad parked on the road.

According to Infiniti, the 2012 M Hybrid directly challenges “the notion that you can’t have great performance and great fuel economy” adding that its model is the only car in America that delivers 360 horsepower and 32 miles-per-gallon (highway) – combined fuel economy is rated at 29mpg.

There’s no mention in the commercial on the model that single handedly made hybrids a household word bringing the technology to the masses – we’re talking of course about the first generation Toyota Prius.

With BMW having already announced to the world the creation of its new ‘i’ sub-brand, through which the Bavarians intend to market a line of stand-alone hybrid, range-extended and full-electric plug-in vehicles, the company is now concentrating on the development of the first cars to wear the i logo.

In this series of spy videos, we see the test driver sub-brand’s halo car, the i8 hybrid sports coupe, which is based on the 2009’s Vision Efficient Dynamics concept model, undergoing cold weather tests in Northern Europe.

Up until now, it was believed that the i8 would keep the concept model’s mechanical hardware with a 163HP 1.5-liter three-cylinder diesel engine located behind the back seats, and two electric motors, one positioned between the diesel engine and the six-speed double clutch transmission, and the other in the front of the vehicle.

Chevrolet announced at the Geneva Motor Show that it will sell the Volt in Europe, with prices in Germany starting from €41,950 (US$58,560). It will be similarly priced in other European markets, where it will arrive in November 2011.

The Volt's sister car, the Opel Ampera, will also go on sale this year in Europe, at a slightly higher starting price. Unveiled in final production form at the Geneva Show, the Ampera will cost €42,900 ($59,885), but prices can vary in different countries depending on the standard equipment.

Chevrolet said the Volt would be fully equipped with all the usual safety and convenience features, plus leather seats. As in the US, European buyers will have an 8-year/160,000 km warranty (100,000 miles) on the powertrain and the lithium-ion battery.

Toyota premiered its first superimini hybrid model based on the next-generation Yaris at the Geneva Motor Show today. The Yaris HSD Concept is essentially a teaser version of the production hybrid model that Toyota will launch in Europe in 2012.

In a similar fashion to the Auris HSD before it, the Hybrid Synergy Drive version of the Yaris features some bespoke styling cues that separate it from its conventional sibling. These include the large trapezoidal lower grille, the vertical “aero” corners housed in the front bumper that minimise air turbulence and the rear reflectors in the rear bumper. Other changes include the 18-inch rims, specially designed to aid brake cooling.

No question, the most significant presence at Infiniti's Geneva Motor Show booth is the brand-new Etherea concept study that provides a first glimpse at an upcoming entry-level model will allow the Japanese brand to compete with the Audi A3 and BMW 1-Series. A production version inspired by the Etherea is expected to hit the market by 2014.

The Etherea concept study was designed in Japan under the direction of Shiro Nakamura who incorporated the design language of the 2009 Essence sports car concept into a five-door body style. According to Infiniti, the Etherea is "part elegant coupé, part spacious sedan, part practical hatchback and even part tall crossover".

The highlight of Saab's booth at the Geneva show is undoubtedly the PhoeniX concept car that previews design features and technologies that will be used by future Saab models. Based on the platform that will underpin the next-generation Saab 9-3, the PhoeniX was penned under the supervision of the firm's new design boss, Jason Castriota. According to Saab, it introduces an "aeromotional” design, which the company describes as the "the visual evocation of the aerodynamic design principles".

The sports coupe features dramatic details such as the rear-lateral winglets reminding of Saab's aeronautical roots and the jet canopy-inspired glasshouse. The front includes a new interpretation of the brand's signature three-port grille which is likely to be seen on future models, as well as the muscular hood.