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Two months with our long-term 2011 Volkswagen Jetta TDI is enough for me to know that history will not look back kindly on this generation of VW’s long-running compact sedan. As has been covered, rather exhaustively I might add, the 2011 refresh of the Jetta brought with it a significant reduction in interior fit, finish and overall quality. Sadly, the more time you spend in the Jetta, the more its interior bits and pieces wear on your senses, as does the dour black color palette.

Perhaps the interior deficiencies of the 2011 Jetta wouldn’t be so noteworthy if Volkswagen hadn’t set such a heady precedent in past models, offering an upscale alternative to its competitors at a slightly higher price. As you’re likely aware, VW’s latest strategy puts its products on an equal footing with more mainstream brands while boasting a highly competitive price. Based on the brand’s recent profit margins and record sales, the plan is working to perfection.

We hate to harp on the point, but have to wonder if moving downmarket will have long-lasting repercussions with diehard VW fans.

Keep your eyes locked on the official Autoblog Facebook page for the majority of our updates, as well as the official Autoblog Twitter account (@therealautoblog, look for the #ablongterm hashtag).

Continue reading 2011 Volkswagen Jetta TDI: February 2012

2011 Volkswagen Jetta TDI: February 2012

Chrysler has announced that it’s recalling 209,724 Jeep Liberty models for lower control arms that may fracture due to rust. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration says the recall covers certain vehicles manufactured between July 3, 2003 and July 14 2005, which were originally sold or are currently registered in states with a high probability of rust.

In the right conditions, the lower control arms could rust to the point of fracture, leading to a loss of control and a potential accident. Reuters reports Chrysler is unaware of any accidents caused by the defect.

The automaker intends to notify owners and begin the recall by the end of April this year. Those vehicles covered by the campaign will have their control arms replaced free of charge. See below for the full recall notice.

Continue reading Jeep recalls 210K Liberty SUVs over corrosion issues

Jeep recalls 210K Liberty SUVs over corrosion issues

We weren’t exactly smitten with the 2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco when we got the chance to tae one out for a spin, thanks in part to the eAssist wizardry aimed at improving the vehicle’s fuel economy. With a lackluster drivetrain, regenerative brakes and low rolling resistance tries, the Malibu Eco simply isn’t capable of keeping its head high among the competition. Even so, we were told to wait for the Ecotec 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder set to debut this year. Now we know why. According to General Motors, the engine is good for 269 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. More importantly, all that torque comes on at a very low 1,700 rpm.

The direct-injection engine helps the Malibu hit 60 mph in a scant 6.3 seconds. Trust us when we say that’s an improvement over the Eco model. While there’s no word on fuel economy, we would expect the engine to return well better than the 17 mpg city and 26 mpg highway supplied by the outgoing 3.6-liter V6, an engine that was only good for 252 horsepower.

This isn’t the first time GM has dabbled with a turbocharged four-cylinder. The company supplied buyers with a 2.0-liter Ecotec in vehicles like the Pontiac Solstice GXP, HHR SS and Cobalt SS that put out 260 horsepower. See below for the full press release.

Continue reading 2013 Chevy Malibu’s turbo four rated at 269 HP, 0-60 in 6.3 seconds

2013 Chevy Malibu’s turbo four rated at 269 HP, 0-60 in 6.3 seconds

Automotive News reports Chrysler has big plans for its line of Ram pickup trucks. According to a group filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the new Ram set to debut next month will no only boast a Pentastar 3.6-liter V6 option, but an eight-speed automatic transmission and new lightweight axles as well.

The gearbox alone is said to reduce fuel consumption by as much as 12 percent compared to current models. Right now, buyers with an eye toward economy are forced to cope with an anemic 215 horsepower 3.7-liter V6. While Chrysler hasn’t released any specifications for the Ram-bound Pentastar, the most powerful form of the 3.6-liter V6 currently available produces 285 hp.

The 2012 Ram 1500 yields just 14 mpg city and 20 mpg highway in its most efficient configuration, but the new hardware should help yield significantly improved figures and help the Ram line be more competitive against the Ecoboost-equipped Ford F-150. Chrysler is expected to reveal full details on the upcoming Ram in April.

In related news, Kicking Tires reports that the 2013 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango will also be getting new eight-speed gearboxes, which ought to result in similar fuel savings for the ‘utes as it does for the Ram.

SEC filing reveals new V6 and 8-speed transmission for Ram

Like pretty much any driver, we’ve had our share of car trouble over the years, both with vehicles loaned to us for review by automakers and our own private rides. What we haven’t experienced is being the first media outlet to plunk down over $100,000 for a luxury plug-in hybrid, only to have it konk out before we even put 200 miles on it.

That “honor” goes to Consumer Reports and their brand new Fisker Karma, which broke down during calibration tests, just a few days into CR’s ownership period. After the dashboard flashed a warning, the driver stopped to see what was wrong, and then couldn’t get the PHEV into gear again. Self-repairs (i.e., let’s leave it alone for an hour and see what happens) didn’t work and the manual was no help, so the nearby dealer sent out a flatbed truck to haul the Karma away. As CR writes:

We buy about 80 cars a year and this is the first time in memory that we have had a car that is undriveable before it has finished our check-in process.

The Karma’s problems are widespread. It has been plagued by a variety of problems, including two recalls, one for a software glitch and one for battery issues, following a long delay getting the car to market. Owners commenting on the FiskerBuzz forum are also reporting various issues. Not exactly behavior that leads to a “Recommended” rating.

Continue reading Fisker Karma owned by Consumer Reports breaks down

Fisker Karma owned by Consumer Reports breaks down

Nissan has given the world another glimpse of the upcoming 2013 Altima in the form of the video after the jump. While we’ve already seen a quick glimpse of a test vehicle thanks to a previous clip and an overhead shot via the very first official teaser, the newest video gives us our best look yet at the front fascia and headlight array. Judging by the quick peek, the 2013 Altima will rock a much more stylized front end than in the past, complete with design elements borrowed from the likes of the Maxima and 370Z.

Word has it Nissan will also make use of the same character line we’ve seen on the 2013 Nissan Pathfinder. Look for the next-generation Altima to debut at the 2012 New York Auto Show next month. In the meantime, see below for the newest, albeit brief, teaser.

Continue reading Nissan teases new Altima’s headlight and grille

Nissan teases new Altima’s headlight and grille

Morgan and OAK Racing have put together a video to showcase the car that Morgan will be running at Le Mans this year in a jubilee celebration its GT2 class win in 1962. It’s got just about everything you’d want from an LMP2 teaser: engine guts, carbon fiber, track time and roaring.

It might be missing an actual Morgan, though: the car is built by OAK’s Onroak Automotive constructor division with a Pescarolo chassis and a Judd engine. When they’re finished painting it, though, it will at least say “Morgan.”

Even without the stickers, however, the video you’ll see below is still totally worth it.

Continue reading Morgan gives first look at LMP2 Le Mans racer

Morgan gives first look at LMP2 Le Mans racer

It reported a record profit margin, but BMW still wasn’t as profitable as its rival Audi. According to a report in Automotive News, BMW booked an 11.8-percent profit margin, up from eight percent last year. Audi, however, managed 12.1 percent.

Both figures were calculated using the earnings before interest and tax method (EBIT).

Audi and BMW have had a blossoming rivalry since Audi began directly targeting BMW, both in the development of its products and in its advertising. The two ultra-competitive German luxury brands most famously clashed in a series of billboard ads in Southern California.

Analysts had forecast an 11.9-percent profit margin for BMW, according to AN. Despite this “mild disappointment,” as one analyst called it, BMW still led Audi and Mercedes-Benz as the top-selling luxury brand in 2011.

The company expects to set another annual sales record this year, besting the 1.67 million units it moved in 2011, thanks largely to it’s new-for-2012 F30 3-Series.

BMW reports record profit margin, but Audi’s is better

If you’ve never played Reckless Racing 2, odds are you’ve taken the helm of similar games in the past. Players are given control of a vehicle viewed from above as it bashes its way around a dirt track with other cars.

Sony Ericsson recently partnered up with noted car hacker James Brighton to create a real-life version of Reckless Driving 2 using a pair of droptop MG models and Sony’s new Xperia Studio smartphone. Sony and Brighton then invited Martin Noriander, the developer behind Reckless Racing 2, and journalist Hunter Skipworth to compete head-to-head with the real-life cars.

Who came out on top? We won’t spoil it for you, but we will say there was a good bit of carnage as the duo tried to manipulate their chariots around the course. See below to check out the quick video for yourself.

Continue reading Reckless Racing 2 video game turned into radio-controlled reality

Reckless Racing 2 video game turned into radio-controlled reality

Above all else, Volvo is known in car circles as being the foremost innovator in technologies intended to improve the safety of its vehicles. While we most often think of the safety of a car’s internal occupants, it’s important to remember than a two-ton weapon of mass destruction moving at highway speeds is also extremely dangerous to pedestrians outside the car.

In addition to a new Pedestrian Detection system, Volvo has introduced the world’s first external airbags on its new five-door V40. Located at the base of the windshield, the airbag deploys from a cavity that expands upward from the rear of the car’s hood in the event of a collision with a pedestrian.

We like this solution to the strict European legislation for pedestrian safety, as it doesn’t require significant changes to a car’s overall styling while still helping to save lives. Check out a brief demonstration of the technology in a rendered video below, along with a related press release that covers all of the V40’s safety equipment.

Continue reading Volvo protecting pedestrians with airbags on outside of new V40 [w/video]

Volvo protecting pedestrians with airbags on outside of new V40 [w/video]

If you’re looking at this auction and thinking, “Who in the hell would pay six figures for a derelict Dodge van covered in graffiti?,” just go ahead and check out our Geneva coverage or something.

Whatever. Never mind.

Because to those of us who watch Portlandia and never stopped buying records (yes, hipster Millenials, they’re called records, not “vinyls”), this van might as well be a time machine. Just thinking about a band like the Melvins takes us back to being young, to a time where anything was possible …

Well, that’s just patently untrue.

When the current owner of this 1972 Dodge Sportsman van acquired it from the mother of Melvins bassist Matt Lukin in 1992, nothing was possible. Or at least that sort of nihilism was the zeitgeist of the era.

The van itself was the seminal grunge band’s tour vehicle, reportedly having been both driven and illustrated by none other than Kurt Cobain, a great admirer and friend of the band in the late 1980s. The van’s value is derived almost entirely from a mural of the band Kiss that Cobain drew on its side, which is why the “Melvan” is not listed on eBay Motors, but in eBay’s art section.

Cobain, of course, went on to later fame as frontman of Nirvana, but committed suicide in 1994, the same year the van last saw use. If there’s one thing that Cobain made clear through his suicide, it’s that angst-as-religion doesn’t play out well. With his passing, grunge began to die off, and the rest of us were forced to grow up.

We’re old now, most of us fans are at least pushing 40, if not already “over the hill.” This makes an artifact like the Melvan desirable for sheer nostalgia, but there’s more to it than that. Most Cobain-related memorabilia seem unfortunately tarnished by his ultimate demise, while this piece harkens back to an earlier, more hopeful point in Cobain’s life. A time before the fame and drugs and pressures of public life conspired to destroy him.

Think about it: Who would draw Kiss on the side of a junky old van with a Sharpie other than a goofy kid? That seems like the best imaginable way to remember Kurt.

eBay Find of the Day: Kurt Cobain-decorated 1972 Dodge Sportsman “Melvan”

Chrysler has filed its annual financial report with the Security and Exchange Commission, and a few important tidbits have thus been revealed. For instance, company CEO Sergio Marchionne was paid exactly zero dollars last year in compensation for the role he played in rescuing Chrysler from the clutches of bankruptcy.

It’s important to note that Chrysler is no longer under restrictions from the U.S. government when it comes to executive pay since the Treasury has sold its entire stake in Chrysler. Still, Chrysler voluntarily decided to limit the compensation of some top executives. Marchionne did receive $4.5 million from Fiat, the Italian automaker he guided in its acquisition of Chrysler in 2009.

Up for an interesting exercise? Contrast Marchionne’s total compensation with that of rival CEO Alan Mulally from Ford. Mulally received $58.3 million in company stock in 2011, in addition to whatever he is paid in salary as CEO. Of course, Ford did not accept any bailout assistance from the government and was therefore never under any compensation restrictions, but that’s still a heck of a lot of money.

Chrysler paid Marchionne nothing in 2011

While we adore sexy three-door hatchbacks in the same way that our lungs crave oxygen, our fellow countrymen don’t quite seem to feel the same way. Three-doors simply don’t sell in America, and that’s exactly why the delicious 2013 Audi A3 Wagon isn’t headed to the states, according to The Detroit Bureau.

Instead, American buyers can look forward to a market-specific sedan version that Johan de Nysschen, CEO of Audi of America, says won’t share so much as a single body panel with the longroof you see above. While that’s a crying shame by our eyes, de Nysschen says the U.S.-spec 2013 Audi A3 will likely be successful enough to boost model sales to 30,000 per year.

The A3 Sedan is expected to bow with a more upscale, refined interior and more passenger volume as well. We wouldn’t be surprised to see an abundance of available technology options as well. The Detroit Bureau says the new model may even bow with the same touch pad control system found on the Audi A8 and a larger LCD screen mounted in the dash.

U.S. not getting new A3 Wagon, separate sedan being developed

Nine times out of ten, if the Autoblog crew isn’t talking cars, we’re discussing cameras. Or cat videos. But mostly cameras. We love shooting the world’s newest vehicles almost as much as we enjoy driving them, and odds are we aren’t alone.

If you’ve ever wondered how the real pros manage to get their best photos, wonder no more. The crew at FStoppers.com tagged along while Blair Bunting trained his lens on the Lamborghini Aventador. The shot you see above was crafted using around $60,000 in lighting equipment, a full staff of assistants and a professional retoucher.

Bunting says he actually uses Forza Motorsport 4 to plan his shots before the vehicle ever arrives. Using the game’s Free Look mode allows him to spot interesting aspects of the car that would otherwise be missed by viewing the stock photography.

But the pro lets us all in on another little secret toward the end of the video. Amateurs and enthusiast photographers like ourselves can get a very similar effect with a small light box and a lightbulb on a stick. Now we just need a car worth shooting in the middle of the night. Look below to watch the video yourself. It’s a long one, but completely worth it.

Continue reading How to photograph the Aventador like a pro using Forza 4, a lightbulb and a stick [w/video]

How to photograph the Aventador like a pro using Forza 4, a lightbulb and a stick [w/video]

When we say we’re obsessive, we mean it. The list below of 90 vehicles that Autoblog covered at the 2012 Geneva Motor Show is proof positive that we stand behind our tagline.

The Geneva Motor Show is always the biggest international auto show of the year in terms of vehicle debuts, whether they’re production cars, forward-thinking concepts or outrageous tuner vehicles. This year we got super-sized helpings of all three.

Special thanks go to our crew of five who were on the ground in Geneva, as well as the large support staff here at home who backed them up. We love covering auto shows, and after so many years doing it, we think we’ve gotten pretty darn good. Look below and you’ll see why.

PRODUCTION VEHICLES

Lamborghini Aventador J	Veyron Gran Sport Vitesse	2012 Ferarri F12 Berlinetta
Jaguar XF Sportbrake	2013 Porsche Boxster	2012 Ford Fiesta ST
2013 Audi RS4 Avant	2013 Audi A3	2013 Audi TT RS Plus
2012 Volvo V40	2012 Mercedes-Benz A-Class	2012 Fiat 500L
2013 Lexus RX	2013 Mini Countryman JCW	2013 Mitsubishi Outlander
2012 Kia Cee’d	2012 Ford B-Max	2012 Chevy Cruze Wagon
2013 Ferrari California	Aston Martin V12 Zagato	Gumpert Apollo Enraged
2012 GTA Spano	Pagani Huayra Carbon	Koenigsegg Agera R
2012 VW Golf GTI Cabriolet	2013 Hyundai i30 Wagon	2012 Fiat 500 America
2012 VW Polo Blue GT	2012 Toyota Yaris Hybrid	Smart Fortwo Brabus EV
2012 Mercedes-Benz CL Grand Edition	2012 Jaguar XKR Artisan	Bentley Mulsanne Mulliner
Artega GT Pano	Morgan Plus E	2012 Peugeot 208
Roding Roadster 23	Wiesmann MF3 Final Edition	Lotus Exige S Roadster
BMW M Performance Parts	2012 BMW M3 DTM	Lotus Evora GTE F1
2013 BMW M6	2013 Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG	2012 Aston Martin V8 Vantage
2012 BMW M550d xDrive	2012 BMW X6 M50d	2012 BMW 6 Gran Coupe
2013 Audi A6 Allroad	2012 Maserati GranTurismo Sport	Rolls-Royce Phantom Series II
Lotus Lola LMP2	Citroen DS3 Racing SL	2012 Dacia Lodgy
2012 Citroen C4 Aircross

Continue reading We obsessively covered the 2012 Geneva Motor Show

We obsessively covered the 2012 Geneva Motor Show

There are a lot of ways to describe the Valmet Dawn you see pictured above, but our favorite could be mouthed by Keanu Reeves: Whoa. And then we would expand it to WTF? As in, “Whoa the F?”

That’s because Valmet Automotive – the makers of the Fisker Karma, among other vehicles – has wrapped its electric vehicle engineering chops in what is perhaps the most impractical and odd-looking concept vehicle we’ve ever seen. The Dawn concept is meant to show that Valmet can both research and develop EV components like drivetrains and batteries and put them together into a vehicle, a two-prong approach that Valmet says is a new strategic focus area for the company. With that in mind, perhaps it not a total surprise that Valmet hasn’t released any sort of information about the range, power or really any real-world details about the Dawn. Like, for example, what’s that blue disc in front? An inductive charger? A 21st Century cow catcher? An Identity Disc?

Valmet says this test bed vehicle “integrates both the component developer and integrator roles. Displaying the battery pack, drivetrain, control unit and charging options, it also shows what ultimately can be achieved in the world of electric mobility, by integrating solutions in an innovative fashion.” Innovative. Yeah, that’s the word.

Continue reading Valmet Dawn gets it Tron on in Geneva

Valmet Dawn gets it Tron on in Geneva

Carbon Motors, maker of the purpose-built E7 police car, won’t receive the $310 million in U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) loans under the Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing (ATVM) program that it applied for almost three years ago, and said that it’s a victim of politics.

“We are outraged by the actions of the DOE and it is clear that this was a political decision in a highly-charged, election year environment,” Carbon Motors William Santana Li said in a statement. The company added that it was “actively examining its strategic and financing alternatives.”

Carbon Motors says its vehicles will save government entities money because they get better fuel economy and they’re purpose-built, meaning that factory vehicles don’t need to be retrofitted. Carbon Motors has said its diesel-powered cars may cut law-enforcement fuel use and greenhouse-gas emissions by as much as 40 percent, and that building such cars may create as many as 10,000 jobs. The car was to feature a BMW 3.0-liter turbodiesel engine.

The company says it’s received about $200 million worth of financial commitments from private and public sources and has taken orders from more than 500 law-enforcement agencies for more than 20,000 cars.

Last December, the company sent an open letter urging the Obama Administration to push the DOE to approve the loan.

The federal loan process has vexed other automotive companies. Bright Automotive, which was to make extended-range plug-in utility vehicles, publicly pleaded with the government to process its application for a $400 million loan in January. Last month, that company went out of business.

Meanwhile, Fisker Automotive, maker of the extended-range plug-in sports sedan Karma, has been fielding questions about its future after the company in early February laid off workers and halted production. Fisker has received less than $200 million of the $529 million loan it was slated to get from the DOE.

Continue reading DOE rejects $310M loan for Carbon Motors to build advanced police cars

DOE rejects $310M loan for Carbon Motors to build advanced police cars

Among the numerous renditions of its DS line unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show, Citroën went a step further with the introduction of the DS3 Racing S. Loeb. Taking advantage of the ridiculous success it has had with the DS4 WRC piloted by Sebastien Loeb, the DS3 Racing S. Loeb is for those who want a cuter brute than the DS4 Racing Concept.

Even better, you can actually buy this one: Citroën is making 200 examples, all of them numbered and signed. Citroën was mum on any power upgrade, but we do know the hatch comes “cloaked” in a textured matte black hue with red accents and will come standard with the company’s MyWay nav system.

Citroën was also mum on the price, but we’re sure there’ll be a premium. Look below for more info on the models it showed off at Geneva, and there’s a high-res gallery from the show floor plus a couple of stock images of the car with the man himself, and his DS3 WRC car.

Continue reading 2012 Citroën DS3 Racing Sebastien Loeb Edition is the darkest of horses

2012 Citroën DS3 Racing Sebastien Loeb Edition is the darkest of horses

Among all the automakers unveiling their new wares in Geneva every year are a handful of independent designers and schools that aim to change the way we think about the automobile. They range from mainstream design houses like Pininfarina and Bertone to the zany obscurity of the IED Torino and – most especially – Sbarro.

Not to be confused with the Italian fast-food chain, Franco Sbarro has a history of creating off-the-wall show cars for the Geneva show. But while we were expecting to find the F1for3 concept created for Delphi, instead we found the vehicle you see above.

Called the Intencity, this vehicle is less a design of Franco himself and more that of his students at the Espera Sbarro school in Montbéliard, France. Details are few and far between, but what we can tell you is that the innovative design packs an electric powertrain into a 1+1 body-style with a giant front-hinged canopy.

Power (whether theoretical or otherwise) comes from a 100-kilowatt electric motor fueled by a 96-cell lithium-phosphate battery good for about 180 kilometers fitted in a tubular frame chassis for a package that weighs a lithe 980 kg overall. OZ provides the wheels and Recaro the seats, and you can check out the whole package in our high-resolution live images from the show floor.

Sbarro surprises Geneva with Intencity Concept

Please excuse us while we banish thoughts of David Letterman’s hosting of Oscar night – Magna; MILA… Uma; Oprah – and instead focus on what this concept car brings to the table. This is the sixth MILA Concept from Magna-Steyr, the Austrian arm of Canadian auto parts giant Magna International, and it’s meant to showcase the capabilities of the supplier.

First and foremost, the MILA Coupic’s two-door crossover shape can convert into a convertible or a pickup truck, depending on the configuration of the rear seat. There’s seating for as many as five occupants in full CUV mode, and the two glass roof elements can be opened or closed independently.

The MILA Coupic is an impressive engineering exercise, and, since Magna builds such production machines as the Mecedes-Benz SLK, Fiat 500C and Opel Astra TwinTop, it’s one that could potentially see a roadway near you at some point in the not-too-distant future. See for yourself in our image gallery above, and read more in the official press release below.

Continue reading Magna MILA Coupic Concept is a shape-shifting convertible crossover pickup

Magna MILA Coupic Concept is a shape-shifting convertible crossover pickup