Filed under: LA Auto Show , Hybrid , Sedan , Chevrolet , GM , Electric Joel Ewanick, VP, U.S. Marketing for General Motors, and the Chevy Volt with the Green Car of the Year Award The Chevrolet Volt drove off with the 2011 Green Car of the Year Award at the LA Auto Show this morning, beating out tough competition from the Nissan Leaf and ending a two-year diesel powertrain reign (at the 2008 show, the Volkswagen Jetta TDI was named the winner ; last year, the Audi A3 TDI won ). The other finalists for this year’s award, given out by Green Car Journal, included the Lincoln MKZ Hybrid , Hyundai Sonata Hybrid and the Ford Fiesta .

Filed under: Car Buying , Sedan , Hyundai 2011 Hyundai Elantra – Click above for high-res image gallery The rakish new 2011 Hyundai Elantra hits dealerships in the coming months and will be priced from $14,830 (*excluding $720 for destination) for the base GLS model with a six-speed manual transmission. This represents a $645 price increase versus the 2010 Elantra, though the 2011 model is $1,445 cheaper than a base Chevrolet Cruze and $1,440 less than a base 2012 Ford Focus – the Hyundai’s two main competitors. All Elantras come equipped with a new 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine from Hyundai producing 148 horsepower and 131 pound-feet of torque, and the six-speed row-it-yourself gearbox is only available on the bottom-end GLS model – a new six-speed automatic is standard with all other GLS and Limited Elantras.

Filed under: LA Auto Show , Crossover , Saab , Luxury LA 2010: 2012 Saab 9-4X – Click above for high-res image gallery Saab is looking to move forward after its long relationship with General Motors . Saab CEO Victor Muller quoted Winston Churchill today at the LA Auto Show saying “If you’re going through hell…

Filed under: LA Auto Show , Minivan/Van , Nissan 2011 Nissan Quest – Click above for high-res image gallery Keeping up with the Joneses is a tough game to play, and Nissan’s third-generation Quest was getting jealous of the new Toyota Sienna and Honda Odyssey . Los Angeles can change you, and that’s why we are staring at the all-new fourth generation 2011 Nissan Quest. Arriving in dealerships in the beginning of next year, the 2011 Nissan Quest will be offered in four trims: S, SV, SL and LE.

Filed under: Geneva Motor Show , Hatchback , Infiniti , Luxury Everyone’s getting in on the premium hatchback segment, from BMW and Audi to Lexus and Volvo . According to Autocar , the market will get another addition coming in from Japan, and the UK pub’s sources say it’ll be previewed in March at the Geneva Motor Show .

Filed under: LA Auto Show , SUV , Jeep , Luxury , Off-Road 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland Summit – Click above for high-res image Jeep is preparing to rumble in to the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show with a pair of upscale variants on two of their most popular models: the Grand Cherokee Overland Summit and the Liberty Jet.

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show , Hybrid , Minivan/Van , Etc.

Filed under: Sedan , Performance , Audi , Rumormill , Luxury The updated A8 is already here and the new A7 is on its way, but could a new Audi super sedan be just around the corner? Folks in the homeland of the four-ringed automaker are speculating that a Porsche Panamera -derived range topper is on the horizon, and that it will be dubbed the Audi A9

Filed under: Volkswagen , Ferrari , Rumormill If Volkswagen has taught us anything, it’s that you can never be too rich or have too many high-dollar automakers under your umbrella. Europe’s largest auto group already encompasses Lamborghini , Bugatti and Bentley , is in the process of absorbing Porsche , and makes a couple more six-figure sports cars with Audi badges.

Filed under: Sedan , Buick , Reviews , Luxury Badge Engineering Is Alive And Well At The New GM 2011 Buick Regal CXL – Click above for high-res image gallery Haven’t we seen this play called before? Take a well-regarded European model, tweak it for the U.S.