2009 Toyota Matrix

• Competes with: Mazda3, Dodge Caliber, Pontiac Vibe, Saturn Astra
• Looks like: A demonic little hatchback
• Drivetrain: 132-hp, 1.8-liter four-cylinder or 158-hp, 2.4-liter four-cylinder
• Hits dealerships: February 2008

While not nearly as important as the Corolla, the Matrix is still a part of the Toyota family, and it too gets an all-new design for 2009. We’re a bit surprised the Matrix is as aggressively styled as it is, though that’s not a bad thing. With its sloping roofline and sharp looks, it could really compete with the Mazda3 and Saturn Astra. 

Based on the new Corolla’s platform, which also underpins the 2008 Scion xB, the Matrix is significantly improved. If it handles anything like the Scion xB, we’ll be impressed.

Power is the same two engines as the new Corolla. Power for Standard and S trims is rated at 132 hp from a revised version of the previous four-cylinder engine, with mileage figures of 26/32 mpg city/highway with the manual transmission and 25/31 for the automatic. A performance XRS trim level will reappear for 2009 with the same 158-hp four-cylinder found in the Scion tC and xB. It gets 21/29 mpg in this application and is only mated to a five-speed automatic.

All-wheel drive will be an available option on the S trim level. More photos are below. Feel free to tell us what you think of the new Matrix. 

2009 Toyota Corolla

• Competes with: Honda Civic, Hyundai Elantra, Ford Focus
• Looks like: A baby Camry
• Drivetrain: 132-hp, 1.8-liter four-cylinder or 158-hp, 2.4-liter four-cylinder
• Hits dealerships: February 2008

The Toyota Corolla is arguably Toyota’s second-most-important model, and it took a long time for a new version to get here. The look certainly mimics the current-generation Camry, with an angled grille and sharp headlights. The exterior may not be radical, but Toyota rarely dares too much, especially in mainstream cars. That’s why it has Scion, after all.

Inside gets a nice new look — everything seems clean, simple and well-laid-out, hopefully with improved materials.

Power for Standard LE, XLE and S trims is rated at 132 hp from a revised version of the previous four-cylinder engine, with mileage figures of 27/35 mpg city/highway, no specifics on mileage with the different transmission choices. The outgoing Corolla gets 28/37 mpg using new 2008 EPA testing. A performance XRS trim level will reappear for 2009 with the same 158-hp four-cylinder found in the Scion tC and xB. It gets 22/30 mpg in this application and is mated to either a five-speed manual or automatic.

We’d expect prices to stay close to the $14,405-$15,615 starting prices of the 2007s, as has been the trend for other recently redesigned models. Many more photos below.

Mitsubishi Double Shotz Concept

Hot Wheels had a design challenge to get automakers to sign off on future toys. A number of companies stood up to the task, and Mitsubishi delivered a radical-looking concept that we hope ends up on toy store shelves soon. The Double Shotz features two engines — hence the name — each borrowed from the new Lancer Evo. Unfortunately, this concept is just a large model and not a full-fledged show car. Still, it looks like something that would even impress Speed Racer. More photos below. 

New Toyota Corolla and Matrix Debut Today

Update: 1:31 p.m. CST Check out the all-new Corolla and Matrix and let us know what you think.

Later today — lunchtime for most of the country, brunchtime for the West Coast — Toyota will drop the veil on the redesigned 2009 Corolla and 2009 Matrix at the SEMA specialty show in Las Vegas. We’ll be posting all the information we can gather as well as photos as quickly as possible. Make sure to check back in.

Top Scary Cars Revisited

Last year we asked Car Talk’s Tom and Ray Magliozzi — aka Click and Clack — to name their Top 10 Scary Cars. These weren’t the cars that chased folks down in “Maximum Overdrive” and the like. No, these were real cars built and sold in the U.S. that owners would learn to fear as much as anything from a Steven King novel. Check it out as you down that Halloween candy someone in your office is insidiously placing on a nearby table.

Cars.com Top 10 Scary Cars

2009 Ford Flex Gets Custom Look

As the SEMA specialty show rages on in Las Vegas, we’re trying to keep our distance from most of the outlandish offerings from custom shops that won’t be available to buyers. We would have stayed away from these two takes on the upcoming Ford Flex crossover — due in the summer of 2008 — as well, but since we covered Chip Foose and Funkmaster Flex’s previous Ford concepts at last spring’s New York auto show, we figured we should do it again.

Foose, known for his muscle-car work, adds little to the Flex, with large 22-inch custom wheels sitting on a lowered suspension. Otherwise there’s custom paint and a relocated license plate that doesn’t look good to our eyes.

Funkmaster Flex added his own 22-inch wheels, which are better, but neither set look right when teamed with a family mobile. Otherwise it gets custom paint and not much else. The interiors are custom leather as well, but we’re really wondering why Ford would even bother with the Flex at SEMA. Our only guess is to keep it in the media spotlight and remind people that the vehicle will indeed be on sale in 2008. More photos below.

Hyundai Genesis Concept Sketch, Real Thing Coming to L.A.

Hyundai’s new rear-wheel-drive two-door is far from a secret, but the company is keeping tight-lipped about many of the details. These “exaggerated” sketches of the concept car tease the car’s public debut at the L.A. Auto Show in a few weeks. Hyundai says the concept “hints” at the real thing we’ll see at dealerships late in 2008 or early in 2009.

GM to Build Hummer H3T Truck

In an unusual move, GM confirmed today that it would build an all-new model for Hummer based on the H3T truck concept shown here. It will be based on the popular H3 SUV and feature a pickup bed. Unlike some SUVs with truck beds, the H3T will be a full-fledged pickup, bigger than a midsize (Chevy Colorado) but smaller than a full-size (Chevy Silverado) and will go on sale in the third quarter of 2008, meaning sometime next fall.

We say the announcement is unusual because most car companies won’t announce a new model without a public unveiling of some kind, like at a major auto show. We expect to see a production version of the H3T at one such show this season, most likely Chicago in February. More H3T concept photos below.   

Question of the Day: Do I Need to Know How a Hybrid Works to Own One?

Car nerds, don’t laugh. There’s a lot of confusion about hybrids out there, and you might be surprised at the poor job car companies have done educating the public about them. One brave Ask.cars.com reader truly wanted to know if she needed to know anything about hybrid technology in order to drive a hybrid car — the thinking being something akin to needing to know how to drive a manual transmission. She also wondered about the top speed of a Mercury Mariner Hybrid. We answer both questions. 

Do I need to know how a hybrid works to own one? (Ask.cars.com)

Pacifica, PT Cruiser, Magnum Could Get Ax Today

A few weeks back, we told you about rumors circulating that Chrysler would cease production of a number of models. Today, the board of Chrysler is meeting to decide the fate of a number of models, and The Detroit News is reporting that the Chrysler Pacifica, PT Cruiser and Dodge Magnum will assuredly be getting the ax, and the Jeep Commander will be on the table as well.

While we don’t mind seeing the PT Cruiser go, both the Pacifica and Magnum were unlike anything else on the market for their time and deserve a second chance. We’d guess the new Dodge Journey will get a Chrysler spinoff to replace the Pacifica, otherwise Chrysler might be missing the boat and losing some loyal fans of the crossover. Again we poll you, our readers, to see if this is the right batch to kill off. And we’ll get confirmation as soon as possible on which models are indeed no longer for this world.

Chrysler to Dump Three Slow-Sellers (The Detroit News)