Chevrolet Malibu/Malibu Hybrid pricing announced (U.S)

Consumers shopping for a no-frills Chevrolet Malibu will have to shell out $2,100 more for the redesigned 2008 model.Chevy said the base 2008 Malibu will be priced starting at $19,995. Its predecessor, the 2007 Malibu, started at $17,865. An uplevel version of the previous-generation car has been carried over in limited numbers for model-year 2008. Rebadged as the Malibu Classic, its sticker is $20,880.

Chevy said the new Malibu is well equipped in the base version, with standard antilock disc brakes, six airbags, traction control, turn-by-turn navigation, air-conditioning and XM Satellite Radio.

The base and optional engines are bigger and more powerful for '08. Malibu gets a DOHC 2.4-liter four-cylinder rated at 169 horsepower, with an optional 252-hp DOHC 3.6-liter V6 also available. A four-speed automatic transmission is standard on four-cylinder models, while the V6 comes with a six-speed automatic.

Prices range up to $26,995 for the top-of-the-line Malibu LTZ.

A new Malibu Hybrid will carry a sticker of $22,790. It comes equipped with the 2.4-liter four-cylinder with electric assist. The EPA mileage ratings for the hybrid are only slightly higher than for the standard four-cylinder gasoline model — 24 mpg in the city and 32 mpg on the highway for the hybrid versus 22 and 30 for the gasoline.

The Malibu and Malibu Hybrid go on sale in November.

Volvo XC70 pricing announced (U.S)

The redesigned 2008 Volvo XC70 will be priced at $37,520, including a $745 destination charge, when it arrives in U.S. showrooms on October 1, the company said.

The 2007 Volvo XC70 2.5 T started at $37,115, including a $695 destination charge.The 2008 model gets several improvements, most notably its first six-cylinder engine, a 3.2-liter inline-6 that is found in the Volvo S80 and makes 235 horsepower at 6,200 rpm and 236 pound-feet of torque at 3,200 rpm. That is 27 more horses than the outgoing turbocharged inline-5. The new engine is linked to a six-speed automatic transmission.

Other highlights include first-time standard Hill Descent Control and new dual height-adjustable booster cushions for kids, a feature that Volvo is describing as a "world first".

Volvo says the U.S. is the largest market for the XC70, with about half the projected annual production of 38,000 coming to North America.