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Proof Positive That Chrysler Can Still Compete

We’re finally beginning to get a glimpse of exactly what Chrysler has been up to since snagging a whopping $6.6 billion in federal funding during the automotive implosion of 2009. While General Motors has been busily chugging along like nothing happened, the Pentastar hasn’t exactly rolled out a wave of new and refreshed models. There’s been an obvious hitch in the Chrysler giddy up, and those loyal to the company’s three brands have been forced to settle for little more than slightly reworked option packages… until now. As 2010 comes to a close, the company is pulling the covers off a range of new models, each as important to its future success as the last.

At the front of the pack is the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee, a vehicle that’s become synonymous with Chrysler’s righting of itself in the public eye thanks to some of the most well-crafted advertisements in the industry. If you don’t know what we’re on about, we highly suggest pointing your browser toward YouTube and spending a few minutes watching the company’s “The Things We Make, Make Us” spot. Be prepared for an overwhelming sense of patriotic duty, as well as a burning desire to pick up a hammer and bang some nails.

You’ve been warned.

Even before Chrysler’s run-in with Chapter 11, there were flickers of hope within the company’s fleet. The Dodge Ram packed one of the best interiors in the segment, and the previous-generation Grand Cherokee wasn’t a horrible place to spend a few hours. The 2011 Grand Cherokee picks up those cues and runs with them in all directions, resulting in a vehicle that’s as capable off road as it is jousting with mid-town traffic. If this is the new face of Chrysler, we like what we see.

Continue reading…

Photos copyright (C)2010 Zach Bowman / AOL

Continue reading Review: 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee

Review: 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee

General Motors will be expanding Chevrolet of Europe’s lineup by adding a five-door Cruze, and while we won’t get our first look at this new hatchback for a few weeks, GM has decided to preview it early with a few pictures on the web. Sure to be one of the major draws at the Paris Motor Show in just a few weeks, the liftback ought to compete nicely with the 2012 Ford Focus five-door, but don’t expect GM to offer the more functional Cruze in the United States. “Americans don’t like hatchbacks,” remember?

Much like the Aveo RS and Buick Regal GS from this year’s Detroit Auto Show, GM calls the Cruze hatchback a “show car,” but in this case, that means that it’s somewhere between the stages of concept and prototype. Don’t expect the body to change, but we can easily see the front LED light bar and larger wheels being scrapped for the sake of cost-cutting.

Chevrolet says it will begin selling the Cruze hatchback across Europe in mid-2011 and pricing will be announced closer to the model’s on-sale date. Follow the jump for the full details in GM’s press release. Thanks to everyone for the tips!

[Source: General Motors]

Continue reading Paris Preview: GM unveils Chevrolet Cruze hatchback for Europe

Paris Preview: GM unveils Chevrolet Cruze hatchback for Europe

In addition to the pair of Evoras being introduced at this year’s Paris Motor Show, Lotus will also be unveiling two front-engine hybrid vehicles, in keeping with the automaker’s promise to offer more gasoline/electric sports cars. Edmunds’ Green Car Advisor reports that one of these hybrid cars will be a four-door hatchback and the other will be a two-door coupe.

Lotus debuted its hybrid concept earlier this year in the form of the Evora 414E Hybrid (pictured), but unlike the mid-engine concept, the two front-engine models will utilize a 47-horsepower 1.2-liter three-cylinder engine specifically designed to provide power to electric-drive hybrids.

We’ll have the full details direct from the Paris show later this month, so stay tuned.

[Source: Green Car Advisor]

Report: Lotus bringing a pair of front-engine hybrids to Paris Motor Show

Take off your rose-colored glasses, CRX fans

Okay, so the 2011 Honda CR-Z isn’t exactly the modern-day CRX redux that we were all hoping for. Mildly upsetting, yes, but perhaps this disappointment tarnished our initial impression of this newest hybrid offering from Honda. We still have many questions about its form and function, but need to accept the fact that times have changed, Honda’s product strategies have been realigned to the times and the CRX shall remain a modern classic – especially the Si. Besides, this little two-seat hybrid isn’t really all that bad. Really.

What we have here is an inherently good vehicle that doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. It only has two seats and its EPA fuel economy numbers are underwhelming. A Ford Fiesta, for example, is more functional, less expensive and gets nearly the same combined fuel economy – at least compared to a manual-equipped CR-Z like our tester.

But don’t write off the CR-Z completely. It may be a tough sell when looked at from a big picture perspective, but on its own, it’s a pretty good little whip. Follow the jump to find out why.

Photos copyright (C)2010 Steven J. Ewing / AOL

Continue reading Review: 2011 Honda CR-Z

Review: 2011 Honda CR-Z

The on-again, off-again plans to bring the Suzuki Swift to the U.S. have been thwarted yet again as the automaker fleshes out its global product plans with its new partners at Volkswagen.

According to Autoweek, the recently redesigned Swift – due to go on sale in Europe and Japan later this year – was nearly federalized for the U.S. and set to arrive Stateside this fall. But after VW gobbled up a 20% stake in Suzuki, the two automakers delayed the launch to analyze product strategy, align resources and, according to Steve Younan, Suzuk American’s head of product development and business development, “get some indication of where they may have found some efficiencies in platform development and powertrain development.”

However, the Swift’s passport to the U.S. may not have been stamped because of something as simple as pricing. Suzuki was determining the Swift’s MSRP when the VW deal went through, stalling the launch in the process, and the combination of a rising yen and recent reduction in Suzuki’s U.S. marketing budget are also to blame for the delay.

If the Swift does get the greenlight for the U.S., expect it to arrive in the summer of 2011… maybe.

[Source: Autoweek]

Report: Suzuki Swift delayed in the U.S., again

	Mitsubishi admits to serious (likely) depreciation of i-MiEV In other news, Mitsubishi shoots itself in foot.		Study: Average male drives extra 276 miles/year because he won’t stop for directions Are we there yet?
	Libertarian Reason Foundation proposes U.S. highway fund changes They just what you’d expect.	Other news: Europe’s “amazing response” to the Leaf nets Nissan only 100 pre-orders in Ireland Video: Nissan unveils Leaf-centric “Innovation for All” ad campaign Report: Mercedes-Benz will build 500 A-Class E-Cells using Tesla batteries

AutoblogGreen for 08.30.10

Unlikely Baby Crossover Confounds and Delights

Remember the Nissan NX of the mid-’90s? The tiny, econobox-based sportster was as cute as a bug and spent its brief lifespan mixing it up with other long-gone, sporty front-wheel drive affordables like the Mazda MX-3, Honda Civic CRX, Toyota Paseo and even the Hyundai Scoupe. While there were a lot of inexpensive, racy looking coupes back then, most automakers just don’t see any money in that segment anymore. Instead, when they look to spin something off of their entry-level B-class chassis, most veer toward the white-hot crossover segment.

Consider the latest example, Nissan’s 2011 Juke. Come to think of it, this in-your-face city slicker has some startling similarities to the NX. For one, at 162.8 inches long, it’s deceptively small – just 0.4 inches longer than the ’90s coupe. Further, both the Juke and the NX1600 rely on 1.6-liter four-cylinder power. And like the Sentra-based NX, the more emotional Juke is based on the same humble underpinnings that give structure to Nissan’s workaday offerings, in this case, the Versa and Cube. And while the Juke may not be cute as a bug, there’s something downright insectian about its Predator-like mug.

Despite not being a traditional sporty car, Nissan has been talking up its controversially styled mini-ute with many of the same descriptors, so we hopped a plane to Vancouver to see if the Juke could bob and weave its way into our hearts. Follow the jump to find out how it fared.

Photos copyright (C)2010 Chris Paukert / AOL

Continue reading First Drive: 2011 Nissan Juke

First Drive: 2011 Nissan Juke

How many prototypes Lotus builds of the Evora 414E will depend on whether it gets money from the British government’s Technology Strategy Board. The TSB funds and supports forays into a broad range of initiatives, including working with Peugeot on fuel cells and Ford on electric vehicles. Lotus, in partnership with three other companies, created the 47-horsepower range-extending engine in the Evora 414E as part of a winning project for the TSB’s Limo-Green initiative.

Reports indicate that Lotus awaits a £23 million ($35.5M U.S.) disbursement for that project and another, part of which will go to fund development of the 407-horsepower concept car. If it gets the money it will be able to build two cars, otherwise there will only be one. That’s good because this sounds more like a matter of timeline and not a risk to the project itself – the possibilities of Lotus adding its expertise to the pool of electric-car engineering is too good to let die.

[Source: Autocar]

Lotus Evora Hybrid waiting on UK government funds

Ever so slowly, the United States is getting over its prejudice against hatchbacks. The subcompact segment is booming more than ever and the vast majority of vehicles in this range have a five-door configuration. Take the new Ford Fiesta, for example – the hatch is easily outselling the sedan. This may be well and good for cars living in the sub-$25,000 segment, but Americans still haven’t quite grasped the idea of a premium hatchback like the Audi A3.

To try and boost sales, Audi is reportedly working on an A3 sedan for the U.S. market, which would give the automaker another vehicle to offer below the larger A4. No details have been released about the upcoming four-door A3, but we can see how this move makes sense for Audi considering how much the A4 has grown in size over the years.

If Audi is indeed working on an A3 sedan, it will be one of a kind amongst its competitors. The BMW 1 Series is only available as a coupe and convertible in the U.S., and Mercedes-Benz doesn’t have any small offerings, though the next-generation B-Class hatch is being considered for U.S. consumption. Assuming all goes well, expect to see the A3 sedan sometime around 2013.

Photos Copyright (C)2010 Drew Phillips / AOL

[Source: Financial Times (translated)]

Report: Audi planning A3 sedan for U.S. market

Budding rap stars, dictators, special agents and anyone else looking for the ultimate in over-the-road safety now have an elegant new option when it comes time to scoop up that next heavily armored ride. Jaguar has announced that it will show off its XJ Sentinel in both left- and right-hand drive at the 2010 Moscow International Motor Show.

As with other machines of its ilk, the XJ Sentinel features sufficient armor plating that it’s earned B7 levels of ballistics protection (read: can handle moderately-sized explosions and gunfire). Plus, because it’s based on the long-wheelbase XJ, it won’t attract more than the usual attention from anyone looking out for dignitaries to harass.

The same naturally aspirated 5.0-liter V8 and six-speed automatic that powers the standard XJ is included in the package, and its 385 horsepower can propel the 7,275-pound heavyweight to 62 miles per hour in under 10 seconds. Not exactly breathtakingly fast, but that’s the price you pay for protection.

Fortunately, the suspension has been beefed up to deal with the excess weight with continually variable dampers. So too have the brakes, bringing this 120-mile-per-hour speeding locomotive to a halt. Pricing is not publicly available at the moment, but you can always contact your own personal security consultant to hammer out the details. Full press release after the break.

[Source: Jaguar]

Continue reading Jaguar unleashes XJ Sentinel for all your armored needs

Jaguar unleashes XJ Sentinel for all your armored needs

The Associated Press is reporting that eight people are dead after an off-road racing truck hit spectators near the start of the California 200 off-road race Saturday evening. Witnesses say the truck had just completed a jump called “the rockpile” that occurs about two miles from the start of the race when it lost control, struck spectators and came to a rest on its roof. Six people died at the scene, two others after being airlifted to the Loma Linda University Medical Center and 12 others were injured. It reportedly took rescue vehicles and helicopters a half hour to reach scene, during which time spectators tried to help the injured. Witnesses say the driver of the truck, who remains unidentified, had to flee the scene after some spectators became hostile and began to throw rocks at him. [UPDATE: Reports of the driver being pelted with rocks have not been verified, with some witnesses claiming it never happened.]

The California 200 is a 200-mile off-road race that occurs in the Mojave Desert close to the city of Lucerne Valley, just 100 miles away from Los Angeles. As with most off-road races of this type, there are no barriers separating spectators from race vehicles that can rocket by at near triple-digit speeds while facing obstacles like jumps that are designed to get all four wheels off the ground.

While the California Highway Patrol normally does not investigate crashes at organized motorsport events, AP reports that the CHP has taken the lead on this one due to its “scope”. The Federal Bureau of Land Management is also assisting. At this point, it’s not known what caused the driver of the truck to lose control, though we expect that and the driver’s identity to be revealed in due time.

The families of the victims will be in our thoughts as we try to process this tragedy, and we’ll let you know as soon as more information is available.

UPDATE: The non-profit organization FAST-aid is accepting donations to assist families of the victims. 100% of the donations will go to assist the families, which is pretty great.

[Source: Associated Press]

BREAKING: At least 8 dead in California 200 off-road race tragedy

One particularly worthwhile criticism of the custom motorcycle scene in general is that builders often choose to make super expensive eye candy that’s nearly impossible to ride and is therefore completely devoid of any real usefulness. American Chopper aside, thankfully we’ve been seeing a gradual shift away from blinged-out two-wheeled jewelry over the last few years, and this year’s AMD World Championship of Custom Bike Building offers some prime examples.

Most notable is winner Freddie ‘Krugger’ Bertrand, who is no stranger to the scene, having placed as high as third in the Championship in three separate years. His title-winning machine for 2010 is pretty spectacular – power from a liquid-cooled Harley-Davidson V-Rod engine means that it’s fast, but it’s the transforming frame that’s truly exceptional.

With the flick of a switch, the bike can be changed from a cruiser (23.8-inch seat height, 30-degree rake, 4.7 inches of trail and 6.7 inches of ground clearance) to a sportbike of sorts (30.5-inch seat height, 23-degree rake, 3.1 inches of trail and 9.3 inches of clearance). There are two sets of foot controls that the rider can use, depending on which mode the bike is in.

Second place went to Thunderstruck Custom Bike’s Sniper, which is a much more traditional-style long and low chopper powered by a highly customized Indian Power Plus engine. We’re more interested in the third place bike, The Machine by Yuri Shif Custom. It’s got an air-cooled four-cylinder boxer engine made up of parts from a BMW R71 and a Russian K-750. Oh yeah, and a supercharger sitting up top.

Fourth place went to Garage 65’s Kcosmodrive and fifth went to another bike we love called the Beezerker from Speed Shop Design. Check out all five machines in our high-res image gallery below and see the press release after the break.

[Source: AMD World Championship of Custom Bike Building]

Continue reading Fred Krugger’s Veon is a deserving Custom Bike winner at Sturgis

Fred Krugger’s Veon is a deserving Custom Bike winner at Sturgis

During Ford’s announcement of the new powertrain lineup for the 2011 F-150 yesterday, we learned that the new 6.2-liter V8 would only be available in the SVT Raptor, Harley-Davidson and F-150 Platinum models. In the Platinum, the 6.2-liter engine will be an option for those who select the maximum towing package.

However, for the Raptor and Harley models, the big 6.2-liter will now be the only engine available. Since the two limited edition machines are considered premium products, Ford has decided that they should only get the most powerful engine that company will offer in its trucks for 2011. That almost certainly means that the base price of the 2011 Raptor will at least match the $3,000 price premium that was charged for the 2010 SVT Raptor with the then-optional 6.2-liter V8.

[Source: Ford]

2011 Ford F150 SVT Raptor drops base engine, gets standard 6.2L V8

The Porsche 918 Spyder is an impressive vehicle in almost every conceivable way. The stunning, production-approved drop-top should be motivated by something close to the concept’s 500-horsepower V8; almost weak by supercar standards but the still-powerful mill is only part of the powertrain story. The 918 concept also featured a pair of 109-hp electric motors powered by a lithium-ion battery capable of EV-only propulsion that theoretically enables the 918 to drive 16 miles on electricity alone. Then there is perhaps the most awesome statistic: the 918’s rumored €500,000 ($650,000 in U.S. dollars) price tag.

What could make the 918 still more impressive? How about a 7:20 lap around the famed Nürburgring? That’s the word coming out of the Teamspeed forums, where an image quoting the ‘Ring time (see it here) was allegedly used in a presentation by Ferdinand Piëch. If true, the 918 would best ‘Ring kings like the Corvette ZR1 and Nissan GT-R. A lap time of 7:20 would even best the time of the last exotic Porsche, the Cerrara GT, by eight seconds.

Such a quick lap isn’t out of the realm of possibility, especially since we’re talking about a $650,000 Porsche, but we’re not inclined to believe it until we see some in-car video. For one, we don’t even know if the 918 Spyder has actually been to the ‘Ring yet, let alone laid down such quick times. If it had, we would expect our spy photographers to have caught it on film, which they haven’t… yet. Second, the forums are also claiming that Piëch once said his hybrid supercar did a simulated lap of the Nürburgring in 7:30, which further adds to the confusion. Finally, the 7:20 lap time could also just be a target for the production 918 Spyder, something not yet achieved but that Porsche hopes the car will do on the other side of its development.

Whatever the case may be, even the mention of being that quick around Germany’s Green Hell implies that Porsche is developing the production 918 Spyder to compete like no Porsche has before.

[Source: Teamspeed forums via World Car Fans]

Rumormill: Porsche 918 Spyder lapped the ‘Ring in 7:20?

There was a time, not so long ago, that if you wanted a proper fullsize luxury sedan (short of a Bentley or Rolls-Royce, at least), your choices were “largely” limited to the German three: the BMW 7 Series, Audi A8 and Mercedes-Benz S-Class. But that was before the Lexus LS came along, the Infiniti Q45 came and went, when Jaguar’s XJ was still a tight fit (and an unreliable one at that) and the Maserati Quattroporte didn’t really factor into the equation. Don’t even get us started on underdogs like the Volkswagen Phaeton and Hyundai Equus, but you get the point. Volvo recently became the latest rumored to be joining the fold, and now it looks like Cadillac could as well.

Substantiating earlier reports, the latest batch indicate that the call for a fullsize Caddy to battle the German stalwarts came right from the top, from GM CEO Ed Whitacre. And why shouldn’t it? After all, if the head of one of the largest corporations in the world needs a new ride, he shouldn’t have to look to a competitor like his Japanese counterpart Toyoda-san was spotted doing.

As is often the case with such rumors, few details are known at this point. But the project is expected to slot above the upcoming XTS – the model that’s slated to replace both the STS and DTS sedans – with a rear- or all-wheel-drive setup and arrive no sooner than 2014. So we’ve got a while to wait before we find out if there’s anything to these reports. But they certainly are intriguing.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req'd]

Report: Whitacre wants a flagship S-Class rival for Cadillac

Production of the Toyota Tacoma resumed in July after tooling was moved from its former home at NUMMI in Fremont, California to San Antonio, Texas. The Texas factory is also home to the full-size Tundra which has not lived up to sales expectations, leaving lots of extra capacity.

Adding Tacoma production in Texas cost Toyota $100 million and brought 1,000 new jobs to the facility. Toyota spent about $1.3 billion on the San Antonio plant and tooled it up for 300,000 units a year. However, the Tundra has never even hit half that mark. With all of Toyota’s North American pickup production now consolidated at San Antonio, the plant could finally come close to its capacity.

[Source: Toyota]

Continue reading Toyota launches production of Tacoma at San Antonio plant

Toyota launches production of Tacoma at San Antonio plant

Rumors of Ratan Tata’s retirement from the international corporation he helms as CEO have been buzzing around the internet for over a year, but they’ve recently been lent a little credence. According to BBC News, Tata Group has assembled a five-person panel to find a suitable successor to the company’s throne. It had previously been suggested that the 79-year-old Tata would retire by the end of 2012. The panel hopes to locate a new CEO by March of next year, providing a bit of overlap between the incoming and outgoing regimes. In the past, Tata Group has kept the boss’s seat within the family, though there is some speculation that a few outsiders are favored for the post.

BBC News reports that other media outlets have pointed to Noel Tata, Ratan Tata’s half brother and head of the Tata Group’s international operations, as a strong candidate for the CEO position. Other possibilities include Arun Sarin, who once headed Vodofone, and Nusli Wadia, a textiles chairman. At this point, it remains unclear whether Ratan Tata will retain some influence over the corporation he helped save from financial doom post-retirement or if he’ll leave the decision making to his successor. Either way, the next few months should be interesting for the company.

[Source: BBC News Image: AP Photo/Rajanish Kakade]

BBC: Ratan Tata successor sought

Harley-Davidson is looking to cut its labor costs any way it can, even if it takes leaving Wisconsin. The Associated Press is reporting that the 107-year-old company has gone as far as to scout out other (likely southern) states in an effort to reduce its labor costs. Company CEO Keith Wandell says that the company will likely come to a decision in the next month or two, adding that Harley is open to tax incentives that will help keep the motorcycle facilities in the state of Wisconsin. Among the chief concerns of Harley-Davidson executives is the production schedules at its factories. Harley corporate wants to align production with seasonal demand, but as of yet, the union isn’t too keen on the idea, so it’s possible that the threat to move is posturing.

Meanwhile, the city of Milwaukee is already struggling to keep jobs in a down economy and the loss of 1,630 high-paying jobs would be a monumental blow to the community. The city already lost the headquarters of Miller Beer back in 2008, and Schlitz left the city in the 1980s due in part to labor strife. Harley-Davidson also brings tens of thousands of visitors from around the world, bolstering the local tourist economy. But although management is looking into moving its factories, it will reportedly keep its headquarters in the beleaguered city.

[Source: Associated Press]

Harley-Davidson reportedly threatening to leave Wisconsin after 107 years

Review: 2010 Toyota Tacoma 4×2 PreRunner is a troubled fish in a shrinking pond

In a world over overly-capable full-size pickups, does the Tacoma have what it takes to hold down the low-end of the market?

Report: Honda builds more cars in U.S. than in Japan for first time ever

For the first time ever, Honda has built more vehicles in the U.S. than in Japan. But at what cost?

Hyundai pledges to average minimum 50 MPG CAFE standards by 2025

Hyundai has staked a claim as the most fuel-efficient automaker in America, and come 2025, its entire lineup will be rated at 50 mpg or more.

Also of interest:

• General Motors bringing back mild hybrids next year
• Mazda sets lightweight target of 2,200 pounds for next-gen MX-5
• 2011 Nissan Quest unveiled in Japan as Elgrand
• Volvo’s new chairman wants 7-Series, S-Class rival
• Opel details Paris plans, including GTC Paris hatch concept, Astra Sports Tourer
• 2011 Land Rover LR2/Freelander 2 revealed – includes first-ever front-drive model

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Daily U-Turn: What you missed on 8.4.10

Truth be told, our long-term 2010 Subaru Legacy 2.5GT has been running like a top from day one with not a single issue arising that has required a trip to the dealer for repair. We did get her oil changed around 5,000 miles, though we had to skip the dealer experience since we were pressed for time and they couldn’t squeeze us in on short notice. But there are some recalls in effect for the 2010 Legacy, three to be exact, so we made our first appointment at Ganley Westside Subaru in North Olmsted, OH to have our 2.5GT inspected.

Kudos to Ganley for making the experience as painless as possible, as well as accommodating a very late cancellation and rescheduling. Upon arrival, they took the keys and put our 2.5GT in the air on one of six lifts in their service area.

Of the three recalls in effect for the Subaru Legacy, only one affects our particular car. It’s for a bundle of wires in the steering column that could crack and cause certain functions to stop working. If that happened, the problem could manifest itself as the horn not working or something more severe like the driver’s front airbag failing to deploy in an accident.

Our car was inspected and deemed roadworthy with no repair needed. The dealership also let us know that Subaru Service Program WVP26 affects our car. Apparently some units were shipped with cracked covers for their anti-lock braking ECU modules, so the action has dealers inspect and replace the affected part if needed. Again, ours was looked at and showed no such issues.

We were in and out in less than an hour and the total cost was $0, so our trip to the dealer went off without a hitch and our long-term Legacy carries on trouble-free. Stay tuned for a report on what we did during our summer vacation with the long-term Legacy, which included logging over 2,000 miles traveling through a beautiful part of the country that’s absolutely obsessed with crab.

- 7,906 miles

Photos copyright (C)2010 John Neff / AOL

2010 Subaru Legacy 2.5GT: Heading to shop for recall inspection