The has been leaked ahead of its official announcement at the , and it seems to boasts a fresh face and a reasonable price tag. The smallest of crossovers will feature a revised front fascia that includes tweaked headlights and a new bumper with silver-painted accents. The LED highlights and light rings are available only as part of the optional xenon light package.
The same silver accents can be found on the side body sills, and BMW has penned new side-view mirrors. The rear also received a revamped bumper, plus fresh taillights. Inside changes include a shallower center console that has been tilted towards the driver, while chrome touches have been added for a more premium feel.
Under the hood, U.S. buyers will have a choice of turbocharged four- and six-cylinder engines. The X1 28i will feature the powerful 2.0-liter turbo four, boasting 240 horsepower. The X1 xDrive35i will up the ante with BMW’s tried-and-true turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six, which will be good for 300 horsepower.
Those well-regarded powertrains should provide enough punch to make the X1 a blast to drive, and luckily we won’t have to wait long to find out for sure. The X1 will arrive Stateside beginning in September with a palatable $31,545 price tag that includes the $895 destination charge. The xDrive28i tips the sales at $33,245 and the xDrive35i will start at $39,345. Not bad for an attractive little BMW, though we’re sure a few options will send the MSRP to $50,000 and beyond. to read over the BMW press release.
The United Auto Workers has seen an increase in membership for the second straight year, according to Bloomberg. Last year, the union saw its ranks grow by 1.1 percent to 380,719 members, thanks in part to increased hiring by domestic automakers. In 2010, the UAW grew by six percent, but today’s total is still a fraction of the 1.5 million members the union boasted in 1979. General Motors, and are expected to hire around 14,750 union workers by 2015, according to the report. That number is likely far below what the UAW will need to be able to secure significant bargaining leverage.
To that end, the UAW has made it clear that organizing a foreign-owned manufacturing facility is crucial to its survival. UAW president Bob King vowed to unionize one such plant last year but failed to do so. Now the UAW is reportedly handing out at the new plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Workers there have reportedly had mixed-reactions to the prospect of unionization.
Protesters in Bahrain continue to push for democratic reforms in the country, and police have stepped up a brutal crackdown ahead of the upcoming Formula One Bahrain Grand Prix. Last year, unrest forced F1 to cancel the race, but Bernie Ecclestone, president and CEO of the series, has said that won’t happen in 2012. Protestors have turned their ire against F1 organizers, saying the race belittles the strife and sacrifices of those working toward democracy. In an attempt to quell the demonstrations, plainclothes police have reportedly responded with violence. Crowds have faced tear gas and rubber bullets as well as live rounds. At least one protestor died in the fray.
The movement has rallied around the death. Twitter has played host to a campaign to cancel the race with the hashtags #BloodyF1 and #NoF1 gaining popularity. One video commentator said, “Do not tarnish the reputation of the respected auto sport with the blood of Bahrain victims.”
Bahrain is currently controlled by the Sunni Al-Khalifa dynasty.
As and , the Environmental Protection Agency today approved the first applications to make E15, a blend of gasoline with 15 percent in it. This means that E15 is now a “significant step” closer to production and sale in America.
For decades, gasoline in the U.S. has had up to 10 percent ethanol in it, but the extra five points were enough to generate resistance. The and the both took steps to prevent E15 from entering the national supply. Even the EPA admits not every vehicle should use the new blend, saying it is approved only for Model Year 2001 vehicles and newer.
Many automakers have been hesitant about E15, fearing fuel system and engine damage, so a number of them through the Auto Alliance. Some have even gone so far as to say that . The EPA’s rules say that any pump dispensing E15 must be clearly labeled. The EPA is not requiring any station to sell E15 in any way, but the Obama Administration does want to encourage its use, and thus wants to help get 10,000 blender pumps installed in the U.S. over the next 5 years.
In late 2011, the U.S. Congress ended a 30-year tax subsidy on corn-based ethanol while also stopping tariffs on ethanol imported from Brazil. Since 1980, the ethanol industry has received an estimated $45 billion in subsidies. Check out the official EPA press release for further details .
Paul Jaray was an Austrian-born engineer who transferred his aerodynamic designs for zeppelins to the smaller canvas of the automobile. His work included vehicles like the Tatra T77 and T87, and cars inspired by his work and patents included the Airflow and Zephyr.
Most of his creations weren’t exactly pretty, however, as the rebodied concept car above amply demonstrates. A new Audi ad shows how far the brand has come in the looks department by contrasting that streamlined-but-ugly-duckling coupe with the 2012 , with a little help from singer Danny Kaye and Hans Christian Andersen. We like the spot quite a bit, but wonder if Audi wouldn’t have been better served by having it pitch the aerodynamic beauty of the instead. to check it out.
We record Episode #276 of the Autoblog Podcast tonight, and you can drop us your questions via our Q&A module below, check out our discussion topics, or chime in to help determine what else the crew chats about this evening. Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast if you haven’t already done so, and if you want to take it all in live, tune in to our (audio only) channel at 10:00 PM Eastern tonight.
Discussion Topics for Autoblog Podcast Episode #276
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It’s April 2 today, which means we’ve made it through all the April Fools’ Day gags (stay tuned for more on that front…) and it’s time to turn to more serious stuff. And nothing is more serious than the 2013 SRT that debuts on April 4 at the .
While we’ve seen and , and some other of what the first Viper without a badge will look like, we think this latest one really kills it. Courtesy of artist Jon Sibel, this is one of those images that looks good enough to be the real thing. If it were, we’d be pleased with the new Snake. We imagine everyone at would too.
Besides this great rear three-quarter shot, Sibel has done up a nice Viper roadster that you can see in our .
is updating its best-seller for the 2013 model year, with the crossover getting several technology enhancements, including CUE, the luxury brand’s new infotainment system.
The acronym stands for Cadillac User Experience, which uses a capacitive touchscreen for control of numerous functions, including interfacing with a driver’s smartphone. While other systems like CUE already exist, none offer proximity sensing and haptic feedback such that the display changes as a driver’s hand nears it and gives feedback to his selection. We’ve already posted a deep dive with CUE .
The other big upgrade is the availability of new safety technology in conjunction with Cadillac’s Safety Alert Seat, which we wrote about . Two packages will be offered, one called “Driver Awareness” and the other “Driver Assist.” The former is focused on crash prevention by way of providing driver alerts, while the latter will also include vehicle intervention.
Cadillac has also added active noise cancellation to the SRX for 2013, along with redesigning the steering wheel and shifter and updating the instrument cluster to accommodate CUE. Some new USB and SD card ports, minor rear-seat entertainment upgrades, standard HD radio, and new interior color combinations round out the changes.
is updating its best-seller for the 2013 model year, with the crossover getting several technology enhancements, including CUE, the luxury brand’s new infotainment system.
The acronym stands for Cadillac User Experience, which uses a capacitive touchscreen for control of numerous functions, including interfacing with a driver’s smartphone. While other systems like CUE already exist, none offer proximity sensing and haptic feedback such that the display changes as a driver’s hand nears it and gives feedback to his selection. We’ve already posted a deep dive with CUE .
The other big upgrade is the availability of new safety technology in conjunction with Cadillac’s Safety Alert Seat, which we wrote about . Two packages will be offered, one called “Driver Awareness” and the other “Driver Assist.” The former is focused on crash prevention by way of providing driver alerts, while the latter will also include vehicle intervention.
Cadillac has also added active noise cancellation to the SRX for 2013, along with redesigning the steering wheel and shifter and updating the instrument cluster to accommodate CUE. Some new USB and SD card ports, minor rear-seat entertainment upgrades, standard HD radio, and new interior color combinations round out the changes.
A Daimler spokesman has to rumors that his employer is trying to outbid for an interest in motorcycle-builder Ducati.
Despite Daimler’s with the two-wheel wizards, it looks like Audi’s reported bid of $1.16 billion could be the only one. An Italian newspaper indicates the proposal from Audi is not a bid for the entire company, a strategy that Bloomberg suggests is more agreeable to Ducati.
We’ve also heard of India’s Mahindra also being interested in the high-performance motorcycle marque, but there’s no mention of it in this report.
The is right around the corner, so let the embargo-break-a-palooza begin. Ahead of its official unveiling later this week, a few images of the have leaked onto the web, and if you’re familiar with Merc’s new design language, the updates to the big GL will come as no surprise.
Up front, the new headlamp design seen on the and has translated to the GL, complete with LED running lamps flanking each side above large air intakes. The design almost looks AMG-like, and while we never truly warmed to the design of the current GL, we like the looks of this 2013 model. The interior design hasn’t changed too much, though we’re sure that nicer materials and more up-to-date tech are on tap.
As of this writing, no official powertrain details have been released, though we don’t expect them to change a great deal from the current model. We’ll likely see a GL350 Bluetec model fitted with the delicious 3.0-liter diesel V6, as well as a GL550 with Merc’s new twin-turbocharged 4.6-liter V8 underhood. Seven-speed automatics will surely be offered with either engine, and all of the power will be sent to the ground via 4Matic all-wheel drive.
We’ll have the full suite of official details and images later this week, as well as live impressions direct from the New York show. Stay tuned.
has just wrapped up another impressive Antarctic expedition, this time traversing over 43,500 miles in the span of four months. In the process, the company says it snagged a new world record with three specially-prepared Hilux pickup trucks with each covering 5,903 miles of the frozen continent. Iceland-based Arctic Trucks handled converting the pickups for their stint in the cold, and while the alterations included creating at least two 6×6 versions, the 3.0-liter turbo-diesel engines had to be reworked to consume Jet A-1 fuel. In the low temperatures of the Antarctic, standard diesel would simply turn to jelly.
The trucks were also outfitted with large tires running just 2-3 psi of air pressure, resulting in a contact patch around 17 times larger than a standard tire. Toyota reports the trucks ran incredibly well throughout the expedition and required no major repairs.
Starting last November, Toyota sent a team of 10 Hilux trucks to the far south to establish fuel depots, a weather station and to support scientific expeditions along the way. for the full press release.
We had a feeling this was coming. The otherworldly curvy sheetmetal of the has always seemed so far off the map as to appear more French than Japanese. After all, Gallic designers have a long history of creating bold and polarizing forms. So it comes as little surprise that AutoExpress is reporting that will let its corporate siblings at Renault borrow the fun-to-drive Juke crossover for a model of their own.
At least in the UK, the unnamed model will replace the slow-selling Koleos CUV. AutoExpress has worked up some renderings, and notably, they swap out the Juke’s unusual front lighting for something a bit more traditional and more along the lines of the 2011 Captur showcar.
had the Captur coming to market riding atop Renault’s Clio architecture, but if this new report is accurate, Renault probably won’t have to invest as much to bring the vehicle to market. Check out the full renderings at the link below, and sit tight, because AE doesn’t expect the subcompact ute to arrive until sometime next year.
Automotive News reports the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has begun two separate investigations following reports of engine fires in both and models. The government agency received two complaints about fires in Cruze sedans and eight in Wrangler models, with some reporting their vehicles were completely destroyed. In both Cruze cases, the compact sedans were being driven when the fires occurred. One Cruze Eco owner reported seeing smoke emanating from the engine bay, and the vehicle was completely engulfed in flames five minutes after coming to a stop.
In seven of the Wrangler cases, the engine was running when the fires started. One owner reported seeing burning liquid pouring onto the ground that couldn’t be extinguished with water. In 2010, recalled certain Wrangler models to address automatic transmission fluid that could overheat and expel onto hot surfaces, causing fires.
Both General Motors and Chrysler are cooperating with their respective NHTSA investigations and say they are unaware of any injuries or fatalities stemming from the fires.
Steve Saleen is back to feeling himself again. That’s because he’s once again at the helm of the the marque that bears his name. As you may recall, the racer and performance part guru from the Saleen brand empire he nurtured for 23 years back in 2007. The Saleen brand was then sold to MJ Acquisitions, along with the right to produce S Line and Racecraft models. Saleen himself, meanwhile, went on to create SMS Supercars, which produced notable creations like the , and .
But when MJ Acquisitions and Saleen, Inc. refused to honor warranties for vehicles purchased before the company took control of the Saleen brand, SMS Supercars stepped in to , even without any legal obligation to do so. Steve Saleen and SMS Supercars then sued MJ Acquisitions to get the company to stop using the Saleen name in order to protect the brand’s reputatoin.
Today’s announcement means Saleen was successful in his quest. Moving forward, all of the products sold under SMS Supercars will be available under the Saleen banner. for the full press release.
Towing a load as massive as a semi and its loaded trailer is a dangerous undertaking no matter the circumstances. We don’t have any first-hand experience in the matter, but we’d wager that the danger level goes off the charts when that load is being towed through the winding roads of a snowy mountain overpass.
Need proof? Check out the video after the break, wherein a tow truck driver barely escapes death as his rig switches roles from the vehicle doing the towing to being towed itself… toward a guardrail and a massive cliff ledge that leads to an icy river below.
Like we said: dangerous. According to reports, the driver of the tow truck was taken to a hospital in Norway where he was listed in stable condition with broken bones. to watch the dramatic video.
Bucking The Downsizing Trend For All The Right Reasons
Sometimes in life, you hit the nail right on the head, sink a hole-in-one or strike a perfect bullseye. It happens in all walks of life – from the original Star Wars trilogy to the Apple iPod. It even happens from time to time in the automotive realm. Take, for instance, the 1965 or the original Acura Legend.
Other times, we’re not so lucky. Like the ill-begotten Star Wars prequel trilogy, the automotive world has played host to a long line of underwhelming encores. The Mustang II comes to mind, and so does the .
Of course, every so often, automakers release a car to market that’s just isn’t quite fully baked, like the ill-timed and poorly received Edsel from Ford. Though not nearly as obvious, the first-generation falls into this unfortunate camp.
Originally marketed to the upwardly mobile male Gen-X population – a guy named Jason back in 2006 – it turns out that well-to-do, tech-savvy men aren’t actually all that interested in an entry-level premium crossover from Honda’s luxury division. And that’s why, for 2013, the Acura RDX is being re-aimed at the heart of the market: namely, baby boomers and young couples – defined by Acura as DINKS – “Dual-Income, No Kids” – who prefer quiet, comfortable and composed to quick, nimble and raucous.
will be showing the all-new 2013 SRT at the on Wednesday, in what will undoubtedly be one of the biggest reveals of the show. While we’ve already seen , , , , and from the forthcoming Viper, this new teaser is our best official look yet.
Too bad then, that it’s not so good – just a blurry, poorly lit image that seems like it’s more Photoshop than photo. So we went ahead and tried to enhance the image we plucked off of SRT’s page ourselves. If there’s one thing we can see for certain from these pixels, it’s that the new hood design – with two front-mounted, rear-facing scoops – is confirmed.
While we eagerly await the rest of the picture, the good news is that there’s just two more days to go.
Check out all four official teasers of the new Viper in our .
When the goes on sale this fall, it will be the first mid-size family sedan in North America to be offered with start-stop technology. But since not all buyers are open to the idea of having their engines turn off at stop lights to save fuel, will be offering it as optional equipment, and the automaker has now announced that the stand-alone feature will cost $295.
The 2013 Fusion will launch with three powertrains (not including Hybrid and variants), but only the 1.6-liter EcoBoost inline-four is available with start-stop. This engine produces 172 horsepower and 179 pound-feet of torque, and can be had with either a six-speed manual or automatic transmission. As of this writing, it’s unclear whether or not start-stop will be available with both transmissions. The Fusion’s other powertrains – a 2.5-liter naturally aspirated inline-four and 2.0-liter EcoBoost four – will not be available with the technology.
According to Ford, the 1.6-liter Fusion should be good for up to 37 miles per gallon on the highway, putting it at the top of its class in terms of fuel economy. Based on its calculations, Ford estimates that drivers who opt for the start-stop-equipped Fusion will save “about $1,100 more than other midsize sedan owners during five years of driving.”
We’ll be interested to see what the take rate is on start-stop once the Fusion goes on sale later this year. For the full details, to read Ford’s press release.
The Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR currently holds the unofficial production car record for a Nürburgring lap with . The is the first four-door to show up on the list of lap times with a 7:52.00. The Audi RS6 Avant is the quickest wagon with a time of 8:09.00, and the first thing resembling a sport utility vehicle is the at 8:24.00. That right there would be the target for a were someone to bring one to Germany for a ‘Ring run. Last September, somebody did.
Piloted by the eminently qualified Sabine Schmitz, the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 did the deed in 8:49.00. Ouch. That’s 25 seconds behind the X6 M and slower than even the front-wheel-drive Chevrolet HHR SS (8:43.52). Still, you can’t be taken seriously as a performance machine these days until you pay tribute at the Green Hell. And watching something attempt a high-speed ‘Ring run that was originally designed to rock crawl is always fun. to watch the official lap vid from SRT.
