Chevrolet, which, after the failure of the Aveo, is returning to its goal of creating a competitive subcompact, has created a car with an original look, the specifications of a Chevy Cruze and the room and features of a luxury vehicle. What makes this car so roomy? It may be that it just feels bigger because the features in it are so typically reserved for big cars—features like 10 standard airbags, rollover sensing software, hill-hold assistance software and a secure interior that is relatively silent in action.

The Chevy Sonic sedan is available in three versions. The Sonic Sedan LS has a well-equipped price tag of $14,495, which gets you 15 inch alloy wheels, traction and stability control, auxiliary stereo, power locks, and the ‘big car’ luxury features listed above. It also comes with six months of OnStar with a tilt/telescoping wheel. The Sonic Sedan LT adds 16 inch aluminum alloy wheels, an MP3-ready CD player, six speakers, SiriusXM satellite radio and premium interior and exterior features such as heated mirrors. Rounding out the triumvirate is the LTZ, which adds perforated leather surfaces and steering wheel, heated front seats, USB and Bluetooth capabilities, cruise control, the ability to start the vehicle remotely, and an additional inch on the wheels.

All three of these models are beasts on the road too, sporting a 1.4 liter turbo-charged engine, 138 horsepower, excellent torque, and either a six-speed manual or automatic transmission which can get you 40 mpg on the highway. This is about the most power you’re going to find in the subcompact class and makes for a vehicle that can perform excellently in herky-jerky city traffic while garnering serene fuel efficient miles in rural settings.

Chevrolet now looks to challenge its competitors, Honda, Toyota, and Hyundai, and prove to the automotive world that General Motors is ready to hit the ground running again in the subcompact market once so dominated by foreign cars.

You’re forgiven if you’ve already forgotten the Vygor Opera, a crossover coupe that makes the BMW X6 andAcura ZDX look sensible. Now, the Tuscany-based operation has unveiled a second take on the concept: the Opera.2.

It’s not an early replacement for the Opera.1. The Opera.2 offers buyers (at whatever stage of psychotherapy they might currently stand) a slightly different design that does away with the previous version’s hideous cartoon-bunny front end in favor of a (relatively) more subtle treatment. So now it looks like a moderately restrained Chinese concept car instead of a hilariously ugly one.

In addition to the new front end, we get more details on the Vygor’s mechanicals, which are borrowed from the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo. The turbo four is reportedly available with 300, 350 or 420 horsepower, propelling this 3,500-lb mess to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.9 seconds and on to a 155 mph top end. The car has all-wheel drive (obviously), and a tubular steel frame draped in aluminum and composite bodywork.

This is where we tell you that pricing starts at the Euro equivalent of around $192,000. Once you stop laughing, you’ll also be thrilled to know that a third design is apparently in the works to give Vygor’s theoretical customers an even broader range of style choices.

According to NHTSA, the airbag might not adequately protect a fifth percentile woman – that is, a woman around four-foot, 11-inches weighing 108 pounds. The New York Times indicates that the anomaly was found during a crash test conducted by GM’s Australian branch, Holden, which was testing the G8′s twin (read: Commodore) for head injuries. According to that report, the test in question is specifically tailored to simulate injuries to females, so the results do not apply to men or children.

The issue has been blamed on a seat position sensor that governs airbag deployment rates. NHTSA indicates that when the front passenger seat is moved all the way forward, the faulty sensor may inappropriately trigger a 30-millisecond delay between airbag stages, potentially leading to greater injuries.

With the Pontiac division closed, other GM dealers will reprogram the sensor module of models covered under the recall at no cost to vehicle owners. GM says that no injuries have been reported as a result of this issue. For more information on the recall, click past the jump for the official notice.

You just can’t catch a break in this world if your name is Maybach. The superlux Daimler division has had trouble selling enough vehicles to seriously challenge the likes of Bentley and Rolls-Royce – divisions of arch-rivals Volkswagen and BMW, respectively. It can’t seem to broker a viable deal with Aston Martin to produce a new range. Even that one-off Exelero wasn’t paid for in full after being purchased by a certain hip-hop artist. Now the last ambitious project by the double-M marque appears to have floundered, too.

As you may recall, a German coachbuilder called Xenatec recently launched an initiative, with Maybach’s blessing, to produce a series of hyper-exclusive million-dollar Maybach coupes. The idea stemmed from Xenatec’s existing business producing armored luxury cars for those with the means. Unfortunately, the program doesn’t seem to have attracted enough buyers to make it viable, and the associated costs have reportedly now bankrupted the company.

All-in-all, eight or so Maybach Cruiserio Coupes are reported to have been sold, with another three in various states of build seeking buyers. We’re not sure who would complete them even if they were sold, however, as the bulk of Xenatec’s workforce has apparently either quit or been laid off.

With more and more automobile manufacturers producing electric cars here we have a look at whether they are a good idea and which are the best.

Firstly let’s consider what you would need if you were to buy an electric car. Here are the basics:

1. Do you have access to off street parking?
2. Do you drive less than 100 miles a day?
3. Are you in the market for a new car?

The third is a given.

If you are looking at selling your car and buying a new car you may be pondering over the need for a gas guzzling petrol or diesel engine compared to an electric car. The first two questions are more in line with if you are actually considering buying an electric car.

Off street parking is currently needed to charge the car. This could be a garage, drive or other form of off street parking. Trailing the cable across the pavement to charge your car could be dangerous and may need the proper provisions by local authorities.

The mileage is a necessary item on the agenda if you are thinking about buying an electric car. Most electric cars have a range of about 100 miles at present. This would suit quite a lot of people as they may not drive too far on a daily basis. With figures stating that around two-thirds of commutes are about 10 miles and that drivers are aware of any aspects that they may encounter such as traffic, distance, route, road conditions and parking.

The Models

Currently in theUKthere are electric cars on the market. They range from the ‘cheaper’ Reva G-Wiz andAixamMega-MegaCityto the more expensive Nissan Leaf and TESLA Roadster. I say cheaper as they are not cheap compared to their petrol/diesel counterparts, at £13,000 on the road. However, many say that once the initial cost has been made then owners will notice the difference in running costs.

There are also more and more companies looking into the electric car market as Renault and BMW, two of the car industry giants, are releasing electric cars in 2012.

In theUKthere is also a government incentive that offers buyers a £5000 grant if they buy an electric car. This grant is called the ‘Plug-in Car Grant’ and currently includes nine electric and plug-in hybrid cars.

Charging your Car

With electric cars becoming more popular, however slow the uptake currently is, there are more charging stations springing up in major towns and cities.

There are also new technologies being developed that will become available over time. These include wireless charging, this works using pads that the car drives onto and then the current is passed through the tyres into the on board batteries.

If you are looking to sell your car and buy an electric car then there is definitely the market now. However, with everything the prices will start to drop as the market grows.