Belated Happy New Year from us here at Crossomotive.com!
We’re looking forward to 2010 bringing more crossover goodies to the market!

The new Chrysler logo

Chrysler–maker of the funky PT Cruiser wagon, the Town and Country minivan, and the Pacifica midsize crossover–will be unveiling its new logo at the upcoming Detroit Auto Show. That’s still a couple more months down the road, so let’s thank some resourceful netizens for being able to acquire a copy from the patents site.

The logo retains the chrome winged structure of its predecessor, albeit with an edgier, more unified design. Interestingly, the Pentastar image is out again, it seems.

The Detroit Auto Show, formally-known as the North American International Auto Show, will be held from January 11 through 24.

2010 Toyota Tundra

The 2010 Toyota Tundra is Toyota’s latest contender in the full-size pickup segment. In the past, the Toyota Tundra has fared much better than the Sierra from GMC, and it looks to stay with the Ford F-150 in the middle of the pack behind the Chevrolet Silverado.

Here’s a 2010 Toyota Tundra Video from the web:

Enjoy the Toyota Tundra Commercial!

According to a study, Washington proved to be the riskiest United States city for driving. How’s that go, Mr. Obama?  The study, made by America’s largest publicly-held insurance firm Allstate, says that the average driver in the Capital goes 5.1 years between accidents.

Traffic near the Washington Monument

Compare that figure to what the study deemed as the safest driving city in the US, Sioux Falls. The average driver there goes a whopping 13.5 years before another accident occurs.

Another noteworthy city is Phoenix, which is just 8.8% over the national average when it comes to collision likelihood. That’s a good mark for a big city.

Other major cities that need improvement in terms of driving risk are Baltimore, Philly, and San Francisco.

The study is the fifth annual America’s Most Improved Driving City study, which takes the biggest 200 cities in the US and takes into account the average time between accidents and collision frequency.

Of course, we don’t think it’s the most appropriate label for the cities. I mean, it’s not the city’s fault if drivers there are more aggressive or just plain old careless. Still, pointing out where the major risk cities are could help pinpoint the factors that contribute to that city’s collision frequency and address those issues more effectively.

Advanced Happy Independence Day!

Advanced Fourth of July greetings from us here at Crossomotive.com! Here’s a trio of (the now-cancelled) Saturn Vue crossover–in red, white, and blue.

An Automoblox Crossover-style

Chances are, you’ve had one or two wooden cars when you were young. You would roll these cars across imaginary stretches of ever-changing terrain, making up collisions and hazards, and pushing the cars to whichever scenario catches your fancy. For the modern wooden car, we present: Automoblox.

Automoblox brings the fun back to back-to-basics playtime, and offers extensive fundamental learning thanks to the toy cars’ interchangeable parts. With sturdy construction and even some limited-edition models, these wooden cars are great for kids and collectors alike.

Neat, huh? Visit automoblox.com for more information.

Happy St. Paddy

We here at Crossomotive would like to greet everyone a happy St. Patrick’s Day. Green is in, as they would say, and today we won’t talk about green crossovers or anything like that.

Just sit back, relax, watch the parades and maybe drink some green-colored alcoholic beverages (remember, moderation!).

Also, the Celtics play the Bulls in their St. Paddy’s jerseys.

Enjoy!

Mazda Hakaze Concept, circa 2007

Remember this car? It debuted around two years ago at the Geneva Show. The Mazda Hakaze Concept 2-door small crossover featured a unique design that would be at home even in today’s Geneva Show.

Notable attributes that would still be quite unique after two years from its unveiling include:

- handleless doors

- cameras instead of mirrors

- scissor doors

- wraparound center console

Just goes to show you how far designs can come along in just a short period of time.

The Škoda Yeti Yeti

Yup, that’s a yeti with the Škoda Yeti compact crossover, at the Geneva Motor Show. I think it’s really funny and a nice show of left-field thinking on the part of the Czech automaker’s marketing staff.

Let’s just hope the CUV doesn’t come with one of these when you buy the vehicle. Yipes!

Audi Design Competition Poster

The next crossover, sedan, or whatever type of vehicle from Audi could be designed using Spore™, that evolution-based game developed by Maxis and released by Electronic Arts.

This design competition takes design to a whole new level and brings a totally different approach, as the game is based on developing something from the most basic cellular entity to a full-fledged spacefaring organism.

Audi’s own process for designing vehicles is something of a parallel to this so-called  “Creatiolutionism” gameplay of Spore™. That’s why Audi is using the game’s engine for the evolution of designs, taking current cars as the base and letting designers ‘evolve’ these designs into what concepts might be possible 15 years down the road.

Designers will submit a single image of the final concept, and Audi will select winners whose designs embodies “the future of Audi design”.

Grand prize winners are in for a trip for 2 (all expenses paid) to the Audi Design studios and VIP bookings at the Arlberg Hospiz Hotel. Second-placers will get a customized, Spore™-themed high-spec gaming computer. Design competition shirts await 20 third-placers.

The only sad thing about it is that the competition is open only to German citizens. Boo. Hopefully, Audi will consider opening the competition to worldwide participation. Just imagine the endless possibilities!

Source: Motor Authority