has made no secret of the fact that the company aims to flesh out its stable between now and 2017 with the addition of around 40 new model variants. Now Inside Line has given us the first hint of what the first of those models may bring to the table. According to reports, the company is in the beginning stages of developing a new leisure range to slot below the current . Details are scarce at the moment, but the vehicle will reportedly be the smallest Land Rover to wear the company’s badge if it gets the nod for production.
The company also intends to give hardware like the LR2 and a significant update with freshened exteriors and interiors that are more carlike in an attempt to lure in more buyers.
Land Rover is likely hoping to replicate the warm reception of the in a less expensive, more accessible package. Sounds good to us.
Looks like and can breathe a corporate sigh of relief. The has into both companies without issuing fines or ordering a recall.
The government safety agency said it had reviewed 43 reports of engine fires in 2001-2007 VW models. The turbocharged four cylinder’s ignition coils apparently were the source of the blazes. We reported on the initial investigation .
After a 19-month study, NHTSA said, “The fires observed were contained in the engine compartment and did not reach into the passenger compartment. There were no reports of crashes or personal injury in this examination. A safety-related defect has not been identified at this time.”
“Safety-related defect” or not, that hardly sounds comforting for Passat owners. Might want to get that ignition coil checked out.
GM got the all clear after the NHTSA checked into cracked cooling fans on the series of trucks, which includes , and 4500 and 5000 models. NHTSA said it “remains concerned about the potential for injury,” but basically couldn’t find the “root cause” and that the number of complaints seems to be “small and diminishing.”
Hmmm. Might want to get those fans checked, too.
Check out the full PR text to read the NHTSA report on the Passat.
According to , the 2013 Sprint Cup Series will kick off without an on the starting grid. That’s news itself, considering how intertwined the Impala is with Chevy’s NASCAR presence, earning 70 wins since 2007.
Even more intriguing, though, is that Chevy says it “will be racing a vehicle based on a new nameplate to the brand’s lineup.” That means the 2013 racer won’t be a or . Whatever it may be, Chevrolet says that both the race version and the production version will be debuted “in the coming year.”
As far as speculation goes, it’s hard not to point a finger in the direction of the , which is currently available in the United States for duty only. Will everyday consumers finally get another crack at a high-performance rear-wheel-drive Chevy sports sedan? If so, what will it be called, and will it wear the coveted SS nomenclature?
We have no idea. What we do know, however, is that Jim Campbell, vice president of Chevrolet Performance Vehicles and Motorsports, says the automaker is testing camouflaged vehicles and that the production version will be “just like” the race car. We’ll just have to wait and see about that… In the meantime, see the complete press release .
Episode #273 of the is here, and this week, Dan hosts and is joined by Autoblog Executive Editor Chris Paukert and Zach Bowman. Topics range far and wide around our recap of the . Your questions and comments power the end of the ‘cast, and for those of you who hung with us live on our , thanks for taking the time. We’ve embedded our Q&A module for you to scroll through and follow along, too. Thanks for listening!
Autoblog Podcast #273:
In the Autoblog Garage
Hosts: , ,
Runtime: 01:21:01
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You may never have heard of the French carmaker . After starting out as a coachbuilder for companies like Delahaye and , Facel moved on to crafting entire cars. From 1954 to 1962, the company produced the Hemi-powered Vega. Facel closed its doors in 1964, but some intriguing sketches and renderings have stirred up a lot of chatter on the Internet of a possible revival of the brand.
Details are scarce and almost impossible to verify, but if Google’s translation of French websites are believable, the image above is a rendering of what the resurrected Facel could show off at this September’s and we might even see a production version in 2014. But rumors written in French translated by Google are not exactly credible. The images all appear to come from a constantly updated Facebook page called “.”
Swoopy fenders, and a slick greenhouse wrap the four-seater concept in a sports car disguise. The interior sketches show minimal seating that seem more suited to racing than relaxing.
Speaking of performance, there’s no mention of what would power such a car, but it sure is fun imagining that car barking with the power of . Sinister sexiness.
Anyone recently shopping for a four-cylinder or has probably discovered they’re not easy to come across. Automotive News reports that General Motors has a shortage of the 2.4-liter powerplants and the company can’t say when that might improve.
Still want an Equinox or Terrain? If you’re willing to give up a few miles per gallon, Chevrolet dealers are offering $1,000 off V6 models to get them out the door. On the Equinox LT, the V6 is a $1,500 option. Not a bad discount if you were already shopping for one of the more powerful CUVs.
Just keep in mind that the that four-cylinder models get 22 miles per gallon city and 32 mpg highway while the six-cylinder musters just 17/24. The EPA further notes that translates into about a $600 increase in your estimated yearly fuel bill. And in terms of performance, in our testing, the four-cylinder over the V6.
If you have your heart set on a four-cylinder Equinox or Terrain, a GM spokesperson says the automaker is working with suppliers to increase production of the smaller engine and they hope to meet demand soon.
We record Episode #273 of the Autoblog Podcast tonight, and we’ll be recapping the huge , which just wrapped up. 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.
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After five days in Europe, I’m finally able to count the number of hours I’ve slept on both my hands and feet. I’ve been stuck in this sort of schmoozing fugue state for the past few days, part hapless journalist, part aimless wanderer.
The is over. Covered. Done. But my trip isn’t even halfway through. There’s one last thing to do and that’s drive the all-new . That means another flight. Another shuttle. Another hotel. And yet another press conference. This one I actually care about. It’s just too bad I can barely focus, let alone take notes.
Chassis codes, curb weights, gear ratios and torque figures fly through the air. I manage to catch a few and jot them down. I’m running below E, barely fueled by some post-show adrenaline, copious quantities of caffeine and the occasional upbeat of my flustered circadian rhythms.
But I’m keeping my eye on the prize. One day with the new version of one of my favorite rides in one of the most beautiful parts of the world.
Walter Röhrl flashes on the asymmetrical jumbotron towards the end of the over-the-top PowerPoint presentation. He’s driving the Boxster. I desperately want to be him. Right now. And that’s when I hear him say part of our drive route will be the Monte Carlo Special Stage of the World Rally Championship. Another night of partial insomnia is now guaranteed.
In a lineup packed with new and/or freshly styled vehicles, Hyundai’s two larger crossovers, the and its all-but-forgotten three-row counterpart, the , still wear the automaker’s last-generation styling language. That will be addressed (in part, at least) at next month’s New York Auto Show when Hyundai unveils the 2013 Santa Fe.
To get people talking, Hyundai published of its new CUV this evening via its Twitter feed. Predictably, the 2013 Santa Fe gets sharper lines that are much more in keeping with the rest of the model lineup, and the new face .
Hyundai calls the crossover’s fresh styling language “Storm Edge,” saying it’s an evolution of the “Fluidic Sculpture” theme it’s been using the last few years.
Based on the the , which shows a very small window aft of the rear doors, it appears that the Santa Fe will, for the time being, continue to be a two-row crossover (its optional third row was canned after the 2009 model year) that’s designed to battle the likes of the , , and .
Whether Hyundai will also use the occasion to formally confirm the to replace the Veracruz remains to be seen. It’s clear the automaker knows that it’s .
Along with its Jaguar’s done a number on its logo: both the Leaper and the typeface have been reworked. The icon gets a metallic fill and shadow, the type gets wider and shorter, while its metallic look mimics the jewelry on vehicles like the .
said that “[the] dramatic alteration, including significant changes to the brand symbols of the ‘leaper’ and ‘growler,’ is the most extensive change Jaguar has made to its visual identification in 40 years.”
But to us, one of the most interesting things about the the new logo is that it isn’t exactly new: Jaguar had the practically the applied in 2002. to compare the differences and have a look at some of the print ad examples in the high-res gallery.
We had a feeling this was coming, but the cat’s now officially out of the bag: The is being discontinued in the United States.
The recently launched will effectively replace the CX-7 (as well as the -sourced ), meaning there won’t really be a void in Mazda’s product lineup. “CX-5 has a clearer competitive set, unlike CX-7, which was in the middle of two segments,” explains product communications specialist Beverly Braga.
Dimensionally, the CX-5 is slightly smaller than the CX-7, but actually boasts more cargo capacity and overall interior volume. With the rear seats folded, the CX-5 can hold up to 65.4 cubic feet of cargo (compared to 58.6 cubic feet in the CX-7) and has a total of 103.8 cubic feet of overall passenger space (101.7 in CX-7).
What’s more, the CX-5’s nifty new 2.0-liter Skyactiv four-cylinder engine offers than the base 2.5-liter four of the CX-7. And while we’ll certainly miss the potency of the optional 2.3-liter turbo four of the CX-7 – a version of the mill used in the – we can easily do without its fuel economy ratings of 18/24 miles per gallon city/highway (or 17/21 when paired with all-wheel drive – ouch!).
This may be the end of the road for the CX-7 in the U.S., but Mazda says that sales of the crossover will still continue in other markets. The CX-7 will officially be phased out at the end of the 2012 model year.
For sure, the is a striking machine, and even after five years on the market it continues to look sexy in all of its forms. Audi has pushed out several variants as well, including the V10-packing , the topless and track-focused .
To commemorate five years of the R8, Audi put together a short video, if only to remind us how the range-topping Audi looks even better in motion. And just to keep us thinking about its supercar, Audi finished the video with a sneak peak of the new R8, which bows later this year.
When Audi says “new,” it really means freshened, though, with rumors of a bump in power and a few design tweaks. The may not arrive until 2015, when the R8 is rumored to receive a more thorough makeover. for the video.
Form follows function, so it’s easy to find one element of a vehicle that explains everything you need to know about it.
Look at the widened haunches of a and you know there’s serious hardware in the Porsche’s rump. Check the elongated bed of an and its obvious the should be roaming free on the ranch. Look at a … Actually, don’t. It’s for your own good.
So when I opened the door to the , a single feature stood out: the cupholder. Encircled in a chrome ring and mounted dead-center in the massive armrest, this lone receptacle was the defining feature of the interior. As it should be. The Prius is the commensurate commuter and the V variant’s raised roof and enlarged hatch make it even more practical for Mommy and Daddy carpool duty. At least in theory.
A range of safety groups are calling for judicial review of federal rules for truck drivers’ hours of service. According to a lawsuit filed by Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety, Public Citizen, the Truck Safety Coalition and two truck drivers, the new rule doesn’t protect the public from tired truckers. The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration recently ruled drivers could only work 70 hours within a seven-day period, down from a previous limit of 82. Truckers must also take a break of at least 30 minutes after an eight-hour shift.
That’s a step in the right direction, but drivers are still allowed to travel up to 11 hours in one day. Those who reach their hourly limit in a week may then restart the clock by taking a 34-hour break, but that may only be done once within a seven-day period.
The concerned parties want a judicial review of the rule to eliminate the 34-hour restart provision and cut consecutive drive hours to 10, saying that truck crash fatalities increased by nine percent in 2010.
We may not have found much to like about the redesigned 2012 sedan when , but here’s something in its favor: A Top Safety Pick award from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
While the old subcompact never made it to the top of the IIHS rankings, the new sedan earned its award by scoring “good” ratings in front, side, rollover, and rear tests and coming equipped with standard stability control, according to the IIHS. The 2011 and earlier Versas only scored “acceptable” in side impact and roof strength tests.
Keep in mind that the Top Safety Pick only applies to the new sedan, as a has not yet launched. The is the same design that’s been on sale since the 2007 model year.
for a video of the IIHS side impact test on the Versa sedan.
We weren’t exactly smitten with the 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 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. for the full press release.
Malibu’s turbo four rated at 269 HP, 0-60 in 6.3 seconds
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-inhybrid, only to have it konk out before we even put 200 miles on it.
That “honor” goes to Consumer Reports and their brand new , 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 and one for , following a long delay getting the car to market. Owners commenting on the FiskerBuzz forum are also . Not exactly behavior that leads to a “Recommended” rating.
Please excuse us while we banish thoughts of – Magna; MILA… Uma; Oprah – and instead focus on what this concept car brings to the table. This is , 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 , Fiat 500C and , 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 .
has unveiled what it calls the most environmentally friendly, conventional-engined vehicle sold on the planet – the all-new i20.
We called the first i20 and this new model gets a family-familiar hexagonal grille and swept-back, cat-eye headlights and fog lamps. Much of the car’s profile and rear are carried over from last year’s model with the exception of the tweaked taillights and some shiny new shoes.
The biggest news, however, is the fact that four engines will be on tap. On the greenest end of the scale is a 1.1-liter three-cylinder diesel. With about 74 hp, the little oil-burner generates only 84 g/km of CO2. That’s pretty impressive considering the crazy-efficient 2012 Toyota Prius C breathes out about 110 g/km.
The downside? The i20 isn’t available in the U.S. (Surprise, surprise.) for the full details in Hyundai’s press blast.
With all the exciting news coming out of , you’ll have to excuse us for snickering just a little bit when we saw this press release. Yes, the is as deserving of a mid-cycle refresh as any other vehicle, though it appears from this teaser that whatever tinkering has done will prove itself superficial at best.
As is typical these days, this crossover-ized is getting some revised front and rear lighting, and what we would guess will be minor modifications to the front fascia. We can see from the picture that the grille looks to be a bit smaller and those are surely LED’s in the new headlights.
New 19-inch wheels and three new colors are probably going to matter less to buyers than the fact that “value has been enhanced” by making more features standard. This might help address our biggest complaint when – that’s it’s just too darn expensive for what you get.
Click to read the full press release, and stay tuned for our .
Along with its 
