U.S. & World

NEW YORK (CBS News) ― BMW AG showcased its new 5-series vehicles with updated six-cylinder engines Wednesday at the New York International Auto Show.

Rich Brekus, BMW's general manager for product planning and strategy, said the 525i sedan would be upgraded and renamed the 528i, offering 230 horsepower and a half-second improvement in zero-to-60 acceleration.

The 530is, meanwhile, will be upgraded to the 535i model, equipped with twin-turbo charged inline six-cylinder engines with 300 hp. Brekus said the interiors will be more luxurious and feature USB adapters for owners with iPods.

Tom Purves, BMW's North American chairman and chief executive, said the automaker planned to build the X6 sport activity coupe at its Spartanburg, S.C., facility, bringing the plant's output to about 200,000 vehicles annually in the next few years. The X6 will be available in 2008.

The all-new 2008 Jeep Liberty will offer a more rugged look that stays loyal to the brand's roots, DaimlerChrysler AG said Wednesday in launching the sport utility vehicle.

The new Liberty, available this fall, has a full-open canvas roof giving motorists an open-air driving experience, along with improved handling.

George Murphy, Chrysler Group's senior vice president for global marketing, said the new Liberty "stands out from the competition by offering customers classic Jeep design, two four-wheel-drive systems, refined on-road ride and handling, cargo and utility, as well as features that are not typically found on vehicles in the midsize SUV segment."

Jeep also unveiled its 2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee, featuring an all-new 4.7-liter V-8 engine providing a 30 percent increase in horsepower and improved fuel economy.

Hyundai Motor Co. said Wednesday it is entering the premium sports sedan market in 2008, giving motorists a preview with the Concept Genesis.

The sports sedan is built on a rear-wheel platform with a 4.6-liter V-8 engine and will start under $30,000, said John Krafcik, Hyundai's vice president for product development and strategic planning.

"Concept Genesis extends our product range into new territories from a performance, design and packaging perspective," said Steve Wilhite, Hyundai's chief operating officer. "When it arrives in 2008 it will catapult Hyundai into competition against some potent rivals."

An environmental group said two of its activists were arrested Wednesday outside the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center after they unfurled a 20-foot banner criticizing Toyota Motor Corp. for pushing its new Tundra pickup truck.

The group, Freedom From Oil, has pressed automakers to build more fuel-efficient vehicles. The banner read "Toyota: The Truck That's Changing the Climate."

Organizers said the banner was displayed outside the entrance of the New York International Auto Show for about 30 minutes before police arrested two people who climbed the building.

"Toyota can't have it both ways," said Mike Hudema, co-director of the Freedom from Oil campaign. "Toyota can't call itself an environmental leader while fighting legislation to curb greenhouse gas pollution and accelerating into the truck market."

Bill Kwong, a Toyota spokesman, said the criticism was "totally misinformed," noting that the Tundra offered the lowest level of emissions with a fuel economy that is among the best in its class.

Subaru of America Inc. on Wednesday unveiled its redesigned 2008 Tribeca, a vehicle the Japanese automaker hopes will help fuel its sales in the United States.

The new Tribeca includes a new grill, bumper and lights, along with completely revamped front, rear and side panels.

Tom Doll, executive vice president for Subaru North America, said that not only is the new model better looking than its predecessors, it's more powerful and fuel efficient too.

Doll said the new Tribeca is a key part of Subaru's strategy to raise its profile in the U.S. market.

"We don't want to be the best-kept secret in the American auto industry anymore," Doll said. "And the launch of the Tribeca is the best way to do that."

The new Tribeca is expected to go on sale in early summer in the United States with a sticker price starting bellow $30,000, Doll said.

Hoping to appeal to drivers looking for a unique ultra-luxury vehicle, Bentley showcased its Brooklands model Wednesday, touting it as the "world's most exclusive coupe."

Stewart McCullough, the British automaker's board member for sales and marketing said the Brooklands was modeled after Bentley's race cars of the 1920s.

"This is far more exclusive, and dare I say, far more sentimental, than anything we've launched over the past four years," McCullough said.

The coupe, of which only 550 will be made, includes a 530 brake horsepower, twin-turbocharged, 6.75-liter engine producing 775 pounds foot of torque. Brake horsepower is the measure of an engine's horsepower without the drain caused by the gear box, generator, differential, water pump and other auxiliaries.

Customers will be able to choose from a wide variety of leather, veneers, carpet tones and seat belt colors, Bentley said.

Saying that a car truly isn't a sports car unless it can "put a smile on your face," Audi of America Inc. on Wednesday showed off its S5 coupe, a vehicle it says will bring racing technology to the roadways.

The vehicle had its worldwide debut in March at the annual Geneva International Motor Show.

The S5 features a 4.2 liter V-8 engine with FSI direct fuel injection, along with a six-speed manual transmission. It can go from zero to 60 mph in 5.1 seconds, Audi said.

Auburn Hills, Mich.-based Audi of America is the U.S.-based division of Audi AG, a unit of Germany-based Volkswagen AG.

Honda Motor Co. is upgrading its S2000 roadster for the racing circuit.

The automaker revealed its S2000 CR, or club racer, a new trim level for the convertible that will go on sale in the fall of 2007.

"The S2000 CR is the closest thing you can get to a Honda-built race car with license place holders and a horn," said John Mendel, executive vice president of American Honda Motor Co.

The roadster has a 2.2-liter, 16-valve 4-cylinder engine delivering 237 horsepower, and a six-speed manual transmission.

The new Ford Shelby GT500KR was unveiled, a high-performance Mustang developed with Shelby Automobiles Inc. and its founder Carroll Shelby - 40 years after the original Shelby "King of the Road" debuted at the 1967 New York auto show.

Toyota Motor Corp.'s Lexus brand unveiled its new luxury sport utility vehicle, the 2008 Lexus LX 570.

Bob Carter, Lexus Group vice president and general manager, said the new LX 570 is rugged and powerful, providing 381 horsepower in a 5.7-liter V-8 engine, along with 8,500 pounds of towing capacity.

The SUV's safety attributes include a pre-collision system with adaptive cruise control, active front headrests and 10 standard air bags.

Nissan's Infiniti unit on Wednesday previewed its EX concept vehicle, a luxury crossover featuring cutting-edge driving technology.

Mark Igo, vice president and general manager for Infiniti, said the EX combines the exterior styling of a coupe with the safety and practicality of an SUV. A production version of the vehicle is expected to go on sale by the end of the year, he said.

Both the concept and production versions of the EX will include an around-view monitor, which uses front-, side- and rear- mounted cameras to give drivers an all-around view of potential objects nearby the vehicle, and helps to reduce blind spots when parking.

The vehicles also include a lane departure prevention system that uses a vehicle dynamic control system to keep drivers from inadvertently drifting into other lanes of traffic, Igo said.

The EX Concept version also features a liquid crystal full-length glass roof panel that changes from transparent to translucent through the use of a special touch sensor system.

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