Mitsubishi rolled out its updated 2009 Eclipse Coupe and Spyder today in Chicago, with revised fascias that complement and simultaneously update the swoopy flanks. The nose in particular brings the Eclipse in line with the design theme spreading across the rest of Mitsubishi’s model line. If you happen to have a slight sense of deja vu while looking at it, more than one of us has also noticed that the new schnoz bears more than a passing resemblance to the Nissan GT-R, as well. And lest you think the changes are all skin deep, there are several non-cosmetic updates to augment the rhinoplasty. The GT models sport a newly tuned dual exhaust that promises to not only sound better, but boost horsepower by a deuce as well, bringing the total from 263 to 265. On the inside, power comes via a new 650-watt Rockford-Fosgate audio system as part of the optional Sun & Sound Package on GS and GT models, as well. You can read more details in Mitsubishi’s press release after the jump or check our lives pics in the galleries below.

Lexus says the base price of its new LX 570 sport-utility vehicle will be $74,565, while simultaneously pointing out that the new SUV has much better performance and many more safety features than the outgoing LX 470.

Outfitted with the 5.7-liter V-8 engine that’s on loan from Toyota’s Tundra pickup, the LX 570 pumps out 381 horsepower, 113 more than Toyota’s older 4.7-liter V-8. Torque has increased, too, from 328 pound-feet to 401. The new transmission teamed to the V-8 is a six-speed automatic transmission with sequential shifting and a Torsen limited slip differential for the full-time four-wheel drive. Towing capacity increases from 6500 pounds to 8500.

Features to control the LX’s ride and off-road capability abound in the new ute. There’s an adaptable suspension, with quicker responses and finer adjustment than before. There’s also an active height control that lowers the chassis about two inches for easier entry and exit, and raises it at lower speeds, lowering it again at higher speeds to help out in aerodynamic and fuel-efficient ways. Crawl Control aids drivers in off-road situations requiring delicate throttle inputs. The LX also offers abundant safety equipment, including ten airbags.

At heart, the LX remains an equipment-laded version of the Toyota Land Cruiser, sharing its current 112-inch wheelbase, but now four inches longer, at 196.5 inches in overall length. Luxury features abound: crawl control for rough surfaces, four-zone climate control, power sliding second-row split seating, navigation system with Bluetooth, nine-speaker premium sound, XM satellite radio with real time traffic advisories, and power third-row seating. A rear-seat entertainment system and a 19-speaker Mark Levinson audio system are options.

Toyota’s presence at the Detroit auto shows past has trumpeted its big, big, big trucks and SUVs, from the new Tundra to the Sequoia. But this year coming, with fuel-economy rules changing, Toyota is staking out some greener territory with a concept pickup truck derived — like Honda’s Ridgeline — from passenger-car running gear.

The A-Bat concept, Toyota says, returns the company to its compact truck roots. Penned at the company’s southern California design center, CALTY, the A-Bat sits on a unibody architecture and uses a version of Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive system for “excellent fuel economy,” Toyota says.

The A-Bat is smaller than Toyota’s mid-size Tacoma pickup, which is based on a traditional ladder frame. Toyota says the smaller dimensions and car-based running gear would give a production version of the A-Bat more car-like handling and a smooth ride. The concept sits on 19-inch wheels for a dash of truck tougness.

The most important feature, the truck bed, is a four-foot affair with a flexible pass-through that adds another two feet to the bed. The putative 4×8 sheet of plywood will fit in the A-Bat, and taller cargo can ride in the cabin, poking through a sliding panel. The bed also includes formed-in lighting, a first aid kit and flashlights, as well as an AC power outlet. The bed panels slide around to expose more storage areas, and the bed floor also slides to expose a storage drawer, like Honda’s Ridgeline has its storage locker below the bed.

The A-Bat’s cockpit is more unconventional than, say, a Dodge Ram Mega Cab. A center console incorporates an AC/DC portable power pack that can be used to run tools, computer or even give a jump start. Carbon-fiber-look trim is teamed with rim on the doors and instrument panel than can be personalized. And the four-seat cabin offers flexible seats that fold down for bed space, or retract beneath the cargo bed entirely.

High-tech features in the concept include a portable navigation system, wireless internet, a music hard drive, and solar panels on the roof that capture energy and use it to charge the navigation system and power pack.

Subaru has issued this photo of the 2009 Forester, the mid-size crossover that will make its world debut at the Detroit auto show in mid-January.

The new Forester is redesigned with more traditional SUV styling cues, and with a bigger body intended to make the Forester more competitive with the growing crossover class. The new version sees its wheelbase grow by 3.6 inches to 103.0 inches, and its overall length is up by about three inches too–which Subaru says maintains the “trim exterior packaging” that current Forester owners want. With the stretched length comes a stronger body structure, Subaru promises, and a ground clearance of up to 8.9 inches.

The engines motivating the new Forester are both flat fours, one turbocharged and one normally aspirated. Power outputs haven’t been released but Subaru says in a press release that the 2.5-liter fours will offer better low-end and mid-range torque. Manual and automatic transmissions will be offered; manual-equipped cars will get a hill-start helper that keeps the Forester from rolling backward when launching uphill.

Subaru’s all-wheel-drive system returns, as does a retuned double-wishbone suspension. Better ride and handling are promised, as well as a high, SUV-like seating position. Safety features will include stability and traction control and curtain airbags, along with anti-lock braking.

Inside, the Forester gets a higher grade of interior trim and an auxiliary jack for MP3 players. A navigation system and satellite radio are options.