2012 Jeep Liberty Sport on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Mazda2 nets Japan Car of the Year, Cherokee first US model to ever crack top 10

The 2015 Mazda2 is quite high up on our must-drive list. Yes, the teeny, tiny successor to the 100-horsepower five-door is worth getting excited over, largely because the previous generation was one of the absolute best smiles-per-dollar values on the market.
While we eagerly await for our opportunity to take to the 2's helm, our expectations of the new car have just been heightened thanks to its win in Japan's Car of the Year competition. Called "Demio" in the land of the rising sun, Japanese journalists handed out Mazda's second COTY award since the CX-5 took the title in 2012.
In more surprising news, the new Jeep Cherokee has made the list of 10 Best Cars in Japan. The Jeep's triumph marks the first time an American car has cracked the top ten, finishing eighth. It's not, however, the first Fiat Chrysler vehicle to snag the title, following in the footsteps of the Alfa Romeo Giulietta and Fiat Panda. Still, the fact that an American brand can make such impressive inroads into the traditionally tough-to-crack Japanese market is a seriously big deal.

Jeep gives a trio of customs an encore showing at SEMA

While Jeep certainly had some new customs on display at this year's SEMA show, it wasn't afraid to recycle a few that people might have missed from earlier this year. The maker of many beloved off-roaders already displayed the Jeep Cherokee Dakar, Maximum Performance Wrangler and Wrangler Mojo at the 2014 Easter Safari, but they all made it to SEMA for an encore.
Based around the Trailhawk, the Cherokee Dakar (pictured above) imagines an even more off-road-capable version of the crossover. The concept wears a mix of Silver Steel Stain paint with Flame Red graphics and rides on 17-inch wheels wrapped in 33-inch BFGoodrich Mud Terrain tires. To back up the rugged look, the Dakar is fitted with rock rails and skid plates protecting the oil pan, front suspension, fuel tank and other underbody parts. It also sports prototype parts from Jeep Performance Parts, including a lift kit and fender flares.
The Wrangler is one of the paragons of off-roading, and as the name suggests, the Maximum Performance Wrangler concept is meant to be the ultimate example of what it can do. The custom features locking Dana 60 axles front and rear, a 4:1 Rock-Trac transfer case, prototype 4-inch lift kit and 37-inch Mud Terrain tires over beadlock wheels. To stay on the trails well into the night, a bar of LEDs is mounted above the windshield. And finally, the Mopar Blue exterior kind of makes the vehicle look like the world's toughest blueberry.

2nd annual Automobile Advertising of the Year Awards revealed

There was some absolutely fantastic auto advertising in 2014, ranging from funny to inspiring. Marking the best of it from the past year, the Second Annual One Show Automobile Advertising of the Year Awards were announced during the 2015 Detroit Auto Show (full disclosure: Autoblog was among the award's sponsors, and Editor-in-Chief Sharon Carty was a voter). Unlike previously, there were no brands with dominance over the list this time. Presented by The One Club, the awards have an international scope and hand out honors in a variety of categories. In the Broadcast TV group, there were three winners this year. First, there was The Scripted Life from Audi for the Q3 about breaking out of life's monotony. Also, Dad's Sixth Sense from Hyundai marketed the safety features in the Genesis. Finally, Unbreakable Drivers showed manly men being tested for the Toyota Hilux in Australia. The Online Video prize went to the fantastic The Epic Split spot from Volvo Trucks starring Jean-Claude Van Damme. The best Interactive ad was the Honda video titled The Other Side for the Civic Type R, and the Experiential Advertising nod was for the Volkswagen Eyes on the Road clip that showed the dangers of texting and driving to a theater full of moviegoers in Hong Kong. Finally, the Public Choice Award went to the BMW commercial called Hello Future using the words of sci-fi author Arthur C. Clarke for the i8. In the award not for videos, Jeep won the Print/Outdoor category for its Upside Down campaign. Check the ads out below, which show different animals when upside down. Also, look farther down for all of the winning videos and read their full announcements. View 3 Photos Automobile Advertising of the Year Winners Announced New York, NY (January 13, 2015) – The One Club (www.oneclub.org), producers of the prestigious One Show Awards and Creative Week, today announced the winners for the 2nd Annual One Show Automobile Advertising of the Year Awards. In partnership with the North American International Auto Show (www.naias.com) in Detroit, The One Club today unveiled the best automotive ads from around the world in five categories: broadcast TV, online video, interactive, experiential advertising, and print & outdoor. Winners will be presented on-stage at a special event during the NAIAS Press Preview on Tuesday, January 13, 2015, at the Cobo Center in Detroit at 4:55 p.m. The event is sponsored by AOL's Autoblog.