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Following the release of the first official photos back in July, we now have the initial specifications on the 2009 Ford Ka that will make its global debut at the Paris Motor Show in early October. The fresh-faced, all-new Ka that shares its platform with the Fiat 500 will be available in major European markets by late 2008/early 2009. The Ka will be produced at Fiat’s manufacturing plant in Tychy, Poland, sharing the production line with the Fiat 500 model.

Aside from the different styling compared to the Fiat 500, Ford supports that its own chassis engineering experts have tuned the suspension, steering, and chassis to deliver a more exciting or if you prefer, involving drive. Ford also says that during the engineering process, information was exchanged with the team developing the new Fiesta, and certain components, such as the tires, were jointly developed for both models.

When Ford launched the new Kuga compact SUV/Crossover in Europe during May 2008, the only available engine was the 136 HP 2.0-litre TDCi diesel unit. That will change in early 2009 as Ford will extend the Kuga range with the availability of a 2.5-liter 5-cylinder turbo petrol engine found in the Focus ST as well as in the new Mondeo and S-Max models. Ford recalibrated the 2.5L unit for the Kuga as it now develops a maximum output of 200 HP (versus the Focus ST’s 225HP) at 6,000 rpm and a linear torque peak of 320 Nm available from 1,600 up to 4,000.

These are the first photos of the U.S. spec 2009 Lexus IS that is already available for order in the North American market. In Europe, the revised IS will be unveiled along with the IS Coupe Cabriolet Concept (see details here) at the Paris International Auto Show in early October.

Although at a first glance the IS doesn’t look any different from the ’08MY IS, look a little closer and you may notice the new wing mirrors with the integrated turn lights, the slightly altered front grille, the newly designed 17 and 18 inch alloys, the redesigned front bumper with the more rectangular-shaped lower air intake and the revised taillamps with the L-shaped back-up lights. According to Lexus, the 2009 IS 250 / 350 also feature a newly designed center cluster and foldable rear headrests.

Just over a week after it was announced that the Hyundai Genesis sedan scored a perfect 5-star rating in crash tests conducted by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), another product of the Hyundai-Kia group, the Kia Borrego, managed to do the same. The seven-passenger midsize SUV achieved the highest rating possible, for all seating positions in both frontal and side impact crash tests.

Blaming higher costs for raw materials, Nissan USA has announced a hefty price increase for the 2009 GT-R sportscar. In particular, the Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Prices (MSRP) for the base GT-R has been raised by $6,990, from $69,850 to $76,840. For the GT-R Premium model the MSRP has been increased by $7,190, from $71,900 to $79,090. Nissan said that the adjusted prices do not apply to customer orders already in dealer hands prior to September 5.

The new Mondeo is the latest model in Ford’s European range to be offered with the company’s vehicle personalization programme, ‘Ford Individual’. First shown as a design study at the 2007 Frankfurt Show and now revealed in production form at the Paris Show, the Mondeo Individual package focuses on enhancing the car’s interior styling but from spring 2009, it will be extended to include bespoke 18-inch, alloy wheels, with an iridescent ‘Mystique Silver’ paint finish designed to catch the sunlight.

Audi announced today that the new top-of-the-line Q7 V12 TDI quattro that was introduced in production form at this year’s Geneva Show in March (see here) will finally make its way to dealers towards the end of 2008. Equipped with a massive 6.0-liter V12 diesel engine (the first of its kind to be offered in a passenger vehicle) generating an output of 500 HP and an awe-inspiring maximum torque of 1,000 Nm or 737.56 lb-ft, the, Q7 V12 TDI quattro accelerates from zero to 100 km/h (62mph) in just 5.5 seconds and has an electronically capped top speed of 250 km/h (155mph).