Nissan Leaf

Nissan brought out a preproduction prototype of its coming Leaf electric vehicle and we got to drive it a few miles.

How was it? It was like a real car, only a lot heavier and much quieter.

It was also, surprisingly--how shall we say--substantial. We were expecting some kind of science project with loose, flappy interior panels and rattling, buzzing and whirring noises from all over. But there was none of that. The car had a fully finished interior with all of the sound insulation, padding and trim of a real car. Leaf buyers won't have to make any compromises in comfort. Five tall adults can fit easily with plenty of knee room and headroom, and there's even some space behind the rear seat for luggage.

If it weren't for its near-utter quiet, you might think it was just a regular car. Passersby seemed to think so. No one in Santa Monica, Calif., where we drove the Leaf, really freaked out about it. Perhaps because there's usually so much more to freak out about in Santa Monica. From the outside, it looks like a regular five-door hatchback, if in a somewhat bumpily bland body.

The Leaf has an 80-kilowatt (107-hp) electric motor that gets power from a 24-kilowatt-hour battery pack. That's a fairly good-size battery pack, weighing in at 600 pounds. It's less than a Tesla and more than a Mitsubishi i-MiEV. The fact that the battery pack is mounted amidships in a compartment so strong that it's a stressed member of the chassis--adding 40 percent more torsional rigidity, Nissan says--is reassuring. But as is the case with battery-powered cars, the 3,600-pound curb weight is more than you will find in a similarly sized gasoline-powered car. This won't be news to seasoned EV zealots, but we're guessing many of the new Leaf buyers will be surprised. The somewhat similarly sized, gasoline-powered Versa weighs 1,000 pounds less, for instance.

BMW X3

BMW has unveiled its second generation X3 SUV. At 4648mm long, 1881mm wide and 1661mm high, it is longer, wider and slightly lower than its predecessor. This model steps back from the more controversial surface and graphical treatments of the previous model, yet the greatest change is a subtle shift in character, away from the traditional tall station wagon body, to one more in the mold of Audi's Q5 – almost a hatchback – note the side profile with faster raked rear screen, rounded DLO and lower, dipping roofline.

The most striking exterior element is the sharp crease in the body side, augmented by two secondary character lines over each wheelarch. Elsewhere, the lower body plastic cladding is better integrated into the overall form, while there are strong references to both X1 and X5 – the rear aspect being reminiscent of the larger car.

Inside, the X3 features higher quality materials including some modern-looking wood veneers. The cabin environment is more driver-orientated, with an angled center console and a novel, sweeping dash top that breaks away from the instrument binnacle, and wraps down the passenger side of the center console.

Hulme CanAm

New Zealand-based supercar manufacturer Hulme has opened orders for its new Hulme CanAm, a 200+mph supercar named in honor of New Zealand racing legend and F1 World Champion, Denny Hulme.

First revealed at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2006, the Hulme CanAm is an ultra high-performance, mid-engined roadster created for both road and track use. Entirely designed and hand-built by the Hulme Supercars technology team in New Zealand, the road-legal car features an ultra-lightweight carbon composite tub and bodywork and weighs in at less than 1000kg. Powered by a Chevrolet LS7 V8 developing 600bhp, the CanAm measures 4712mm in length, 1958mm wide, 1095mm high, and rides on a 2830mm-long wheelbase.

Twenty customer cars will be coach-built and equipped to order, with delivery commencing in the UK in the autumn of 2011 and into 2012, the 20th anniversary of Denny Hulme's death. All production cars will come with an authentication certificate and be numbered. A 1/8 scale exact replica, finished in the same livery and specification, along with a full photo dossier of the car's build, will also be supplied to the new owner.

Suzuki Swift

Suzuki has unveiled the third generation of its Swift supermini. Measuring 3850mm in length, 1695mm in width and 1510mm high, the Swift is 90mm longer than the previous version, while the wheelbase has grown from 2380mm to 2430mm.

Extensive use of higher-strength steel has resulted in the bodyshell being both lighter and stiffer than before. Suzuki claims that the intention with the new Swift's styling was to make the car appear more dynamic and energetic, athletic and elegant, sporty and emotional.

Clearly an evolutionary design, the exterior features a softer, more expressive DRG that features larger swept-back headlights and a prominent feature line, which better integrates the more rounded upper and lower grille apertures.

Suzuki say that the interior design features black keynote colors with silver accenting - but has not yet released photos of the interior, or rear of the car. European launch is scheduled for autumn this year. We expect the Swift to make its motor show debut in Paris in September.