Nissan today announced pricing for the 2010 Rogue and the introduction of the 2010 Nissan Rogue crossover SUV, which is on sale now at Nissan retailers nationwide.

The 2010 Nissan Rogue is offered in four high mileage models, each equipped with a standard 170-horsepower 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine, Nissan’s advanced Xtronic CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission), Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC), 4-wheel disc brakes with Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) and six air bags.

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Both Motor Trend and Auto Express award top spot to Porsche Cayman in recent competitions.

Motor Trend Magazine has chosen the Porsche Cayman S as the “Best Driver’s Car” for 2009. Additionally, the Cayman was also picked by British car journal Auto Express as “Best Sports Car” in their New Car Awards 2009. In both cases Porsche’s mid-engined coupe won over experts with its driving dynamics, precision, feedback and response.

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Kia Motors America (KMA) today announced the all-new 2010 Kia Soul was named to the “Most Exciting Cars of 2010″ list by TIME.com, the online edition of TIME magazine.

A recent addition to the expanding Kia lineup, Soul’s head-turning style was modeled under the brand’s current design evolution and offers consumers an attractive vehicle with myriad personalization options as well as numerous standard comfort and safety features.

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A new era in Ford diesel technology arrives with the Ford-engineered, Ford-tested and Ford-manufactured 6.7-liter Power Stroke V-8 turbocharged diesel engine.

Debuting in the next-generation F-Series Super Duty truck, the new diesel engine will deliver significant improvements in torque, horsepower and fuel economy while adding more fueling flexibility and easily meeting stringent new emissions requirements.

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U.S. auto sales in August probably will run at the highest rate since April 2008 after the federal government’s “cash for clunkers” rebates fueled demand.

The so-called seasonally adjusted annual rate for this month will be 14.3 million, the average estimate of 10 analysts surveyed by Bloomberg. The figure, an industry benchmark, hadn’t exceeded 10 million in 2009 until the incentive program began in July. Ford Motor Co. may post the biggest monthly sales gain.

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The Prius hybrid automobile is popular for its fuel efficiency, but its electric motor and battery guzzle rare earth metals, a little-known class of elements found in a wide range of gadgets and consumer goods.

That makes Toyota’s market-leading gasoline-electric hybrid car and other similar vehicles vulnerable to a supply crunch predicted by experts as China, the world’s dominant rare earths producer, limits exports while global demand swells.

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How will the auto industry going in the coming year? Now, an executive of GM said that the General Motors sees U.S. auto sales growing by 2 million next year.

GM Co. Vice President Brent Dewar said GM is projecting U.S. sales of 10.5 million vehicles for 2009 and 12.5 million in 2010 as consumer confidence improves.

He said August sales for the Chevrolet brand were strong but there will be a payback in September. The government’s Cash for Clunkers program definitely pulled sales forward from later in the year.

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As the ‘Cash for Clunkers’ government incentive program, Edmunds.com claimed that the new-vehicle sales are expected to increase 18% in August 2009 from July in the U.S., but still remain down 6% from a year ealier.

But the car-shopping Web site said sales are tumbling as the month comes to an end, with senior analyst Jessica Caldwell saying that “does not bode well for September.”

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Two Southern California suburbs are finalists to land the coveted Tesla Motors plant planned to open in 2011.

The cities of Long Beach and Downey both claim to be vying for the plant, expected to bring 1,000 to 1,200 engineering and assembly jobs to the recession-plagued state. California has a 12.1 percent unemployment rate, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

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U.S. government incentives likely pushed U.S. auto sales to a 20-month high in August, leaving analysts and the industry guessing how hard a landing to expect with the cash for clunkers program now exhausted.

Automakers could see the U.S. seasonally adjusted rate of sales jump to nearly 16 million vehicles in August under the clunkers program, analysts said. That would be the highest monthly sales rate since December 2007.

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The new Audi S5 Sportback is to debut in Frankfurt Motor Show 2009, with a 328-horsepower supercharged 3.0-liter V6, seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox and Quattro all-wheel drive.

The new Audi S5 Sportback, which is not expected to reach U.S. shores any time soon, features a supercharged 3.0-liter V6 rated at 328 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque. Audi claims 0-60 acceleration takes less than 5.4 seconds, with top speed limited to 155 mph.

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Most of the money going to Texas is for propane vehicles and refueling stations. Propane burns more cleanly than gasoline or diesel, and is produced domestically. However, it is still a fossil fuel.

Here are the Texas projects that won grants:

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Traditional gas stations will soon be facing increased competition from others tapping into alternative fuel technologies.

The U.S. Department of Energy is providing $14.9 million to create 16 compressed natural-gas fueling stations, and it will pay for upgrades to 24 existing public fueling facilities, according to a release from the Utah Clean Cities Coalition.

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Maryland will receive $5.9 million in stimulus money to help pay for 150 new hybrid vehicles used on state roads by private companies, state officials announced yesterday.

The companies include Aramark, Efficiency Enterprises, Nestle Waters of North America, Sysco Corp. and UPS. As a group committed to alternative fuel vehicles, they formed the Maryland Hybrid Truck Good Movement Initiative to seek the money to help offset the cost of new trucks and buses.

Total cost for the new fleets will be $14.7 million, with the companies paying the difference.

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Electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids are two technologies that automakers are trying to develop for mainstream use, but two upstart California companies are leading the alternative vehicle world. Tesla Motors already sells the only electric vehicle legal for highway use, while Fisker Automotive stands to be the first to bring a plug-in hybrid to market.

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