Is about to repeat the mistakes of and ? reports that Hyundai has been showing off a modified pickup at some consumer clinics to gauge interest in such a product. This wouldn’t be the first time the Koreans have looked down this road. A midsize pickup based on the new had been considered before being killed off two years ago. Tackling the full-size truck market could be an even more perilous endeavor.
Nissan never made a significant dent in the big truck segment with the six-year-old . The enormous resources that Toyota has poured into the development and production of the are considered by some analysts to be one of the causes of the automaker’s recent spate of quality problems and recalls. While many of Hyundai’s recent introductions have done well, not everything has been a hit. The hasn’t been particularly successful in the larger CUV segment and the , while getting good reviews, is still very much a niche player against the likes of the and .
Mahindra pickup – Click above for hi-res image gallery
Plagued by a series of setbacks, , and that little thing called “,” Mahindra has EPA federal emissions certification for its TR20 and TR40 pickups. But man, they must be getting really close. Right?
John Perez, CEO of Global Vehicles USA, Mahindra’s exclusive U.S. distributor, says that all the emissions testing on the trucks has been completed and the paperwork is being submitted to the EPA for final approval. Approval itself is expected to take about 30 days. At that point, Global Vehicles could begin importing the trucks to the United States. They’d arrive on our shores 30 to 60 days later.
By our math, that sounds like we could have Mahindra pickup trucks on U.S. roads before the end of August, but neither Perez nor Mahindra’s corporate offices are talking sale dates yet. Experience has probably taught them not to make predictions, but with 330 dealers signed up and raring to go, we’re sure that official sales date can’t come soon enough for any of the parties involved.
When they eventually go on sale, Mahindra pickups will be offered in two configurations: a two-door regular cab, the TR20, and a four-door crew cab, the TR40. Both will offer Mahindra’s slightly modified version of the mHawk 2.2-liter inline-four-cylinder diesel engine. Official EPA numbers obviously haven’t been determined yet, but the trucks are expected to have fuel economy ratings around 30 miles per gallon on the highway. Not too shabby considering their 1.3-ton hauling capability. Pricing is expected to start around $22,000.
2011 GMC Sierra Denali HD – Click above for high-res image gallery
has just announced that the Denali line will get a little more diverse starting next year. Buyers will now be able to have their 2011 Sierra Denali HD 2500 in two-wheel drive guise for the first time, and the Sierra Denali HD 3500 will join the ranks as well. Until now, customers haven’t been able to get all of the fancy bells and whistles that accompany the luxury package on a 1-ton truck, but GM says that after seeing the warm reception of the Denali HD 2500, the move just made sense.
Both trucks still come standard with the same 6.0-liter V8 and six-speed automatic transmission. For a little extra scratch, GM will be more than happy to plop the beefy Duramax 6.6-liter turbo-diesel engine under the hood, complete with an Allison six-speed automatic gearbox. Yes, that’s the same bio-diesel capable mill that boasts a heady 765 lb-ft or torque.
GM also made it clear that starting in 2011, the 3500 will also be available with standard and long-bed options. for the full press release.
Safety is expected when you’re , and when something goes wrong it’s particularly embarrassing. Such was the case this week when media were invited to a demonstration of one of Volvo’s latest latest safety technologies. The collision warning system on the S60 is supposed to detect an impending impacts and then autonomously apply the brakes to bring the vehicle to a halt, . Except it didn’t!
The S60 was launched at 30 mph toward the back of a parked truck and the crowd watched as it rolled straight into it without ever braking. Volvo representatives later claimed human error in the preparation of the vehicle for the test. On the plus side, the car showed no apparent damage to the passenger compartment, again demonstrating that, even if a Volvo does crash, it will protect its occupants. In the meantime, we’ll just to go back to being active participants in the driving process. Check out the video . Hats off to all the tipsters!
has announced the recall of 186,099 model year 2007-09 pickup trucks equipped with the 6.7-liter Cummins diesel engine. The voluntary recall has been issued due to an engine defect that could cause the check engine light to come on. In some cases the engine can produce heavy soot that could damage the turbocharger, exhaust gas recirculation valve and diesel particulate filter, which are some very expensive components to repair in a modern, high-tech oil burner like the Cummins.
To fix the problem, Chrysler wants you to bring your affected truck to a Chrysler dealer for an Electronic Control Module software update, which should take about a half hour to complete.The heavy soot could also lead to higher emissions, and our friends over at Pickuptrucks.com tell us that owners of affected Ram HD models living in California will need to show proof of the repair in order to get their annual registration. If you own a Dodge Ram HD and have questions about the recall, call 800-853-1403.
According to Consumer Reports, it’s officially safe to wade back into waters. The luxury SUV has been removed from the infamous “Do Not Buy” list after solved the handling issues that landed the high-riding people mover in time-out. The Japanese automaker has corrected a software issue that allowed the vehicle to during emergency braking maneuvers. All new models will be sold with the fix, and current owners have been asked to bring in their vehicles so that the repair can be made free of charge.
About a month ago, Consumer Reports found that during testing, the stability control on the new GX failed to reign in wild slides, thereby creating a potential recipe for a roll-over. The magazine’s testing resulted in an internal investigation at Toyota that eventually produced the software fix. To date, no one has been injured due to the glitch.
While the Lexus GX is officially back in the game, it may take some time before buyers stop associating the truck with the Consumer Reports black list.
Geiger Cars LPG Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid – Click above for high-res image gallery
We’re used to seeing tackle wild horsepower-riddled projects, but the tuner’s latest effort involves none other than the Hybrid. No, the company hasn’t managed to bleed 1,000 horsepower from the dual-mode hybrid. Instead, the crew at Geiger has managed to talk the big 6.0-liter V8 under the hood into swilling down liquid petroleum gas in a move to substantially cut the big SUV’s fuel costs.
Straight from , the Tahoe Hybrid is good for around 21 mpg, so we would expect to see some sort of improvement on that front with Geiger’s take on the truck. Unfortunately, the company doesn’t provide any solid LPG fuel-economy numbers.
Geiger did tell the world exactly how much the conversion will cost, though. If you’d rather turn your SUV green than look toward a more efficient way to get your family around town, the conversion will cost you a little over $5,000 at current conversion rates. Geiger will also allow you to buy the whole SUV from their shop for a paltry $78,000. Would we lay down our hard-earned cash for the swap? Given the fact that there isn’t exactly an LPG fueling station on every corner, we’d have to pass. for the press release.
Honda Pilot – Click above for high-res image gallery
scored a decent U.S. sales month in April, with overall results up by 13 percent. But what has company insiders excited isn’t strong or sales. Honda’s light trucks, the , Odyssey, and Ridgeline, were up 33 percent compared to April of 2009. Those vehicles comprise many of the most expensive vehicles in the Honda lineup, and a healthy source of profits.
Automotive News reports that Honda VP John Mendel called light truck sales “spry,” adding that truck sales are up for several automakers, signaling that the U.S. sales downturn may be waning. Mendel also points to low inventory as a good sign for Honda, with light trucks sitting at a very low 42 day supply, down five days from March 1st levels. And while you’ve likely seen Honda’s recent ads touting unprecedented incentives, keep in mind that light trucks are still at low incentive levels.
That’s undoubtedly good news for Honda and its dealer body, yet Mendel reportedly cautions that dealers shouldn’t get too giddy over the numbers. In the short term, though, the Honda VP intimated that some dealers may need to add salespeople as the auto industry continues to improve.
has just announced its newest wave of incentives. Those looking to snap up anything from the company’s four brands can look forward to zero-percent financing courtesy of GMAC on most of its products. Chrysler models can be had at the low APR for 60 months or 1.9 percent for 72 months. If that doesn’t float your boat, the company is also dishing out $3,000 in consumer cash.
Likewise, the Jeep Grand Cherokee, Liberty and Commander are all now available with either zero-percent financing or up to $4,000 in cash. If buyers sign their car loan with GMAC, the lender will also throw in an additional $1,000 in bonus cash on those Jeep models. Sorry, fans, but everyone’s favorite go-anywhere machine is only available with $500 in Mopar bucks.
Speaking of Mopar bucks, buyers can now take advantage of a hefty $2,000 to be used exclusively toward Mopar accessories. Chrysler has also rolled out similar incentives for other and Ram Trucks products. for the press release.
Delahaye Bugnotti – Click above for high-res image gallery
We knew we were in for something special when Delahaye USA announced it would be tackling a roadster. The company had already wowed us with its last year, and taking the top off of a beautiful car has never been a crime in our books. The company dedicated to cranking out modern interpretations of some of the most beautiful cars ever created has impressed us with the newest Bugnotti.
The car was originally penned by none other than himself, and Delahaye did its best to stay true to the design. That includes those enclosed pontoon front fenders. The builder went through plenty of pains to ensure that the front wheels could turn lock-to-lock inside of the bodywork without any interference.
The Bugnotti also features an asymmetrical aesthetic thanks to the hand-worked trim on each side. On the left, the vehicle’s pontoons are bare, while the right-hand side wears chrome-plated aluminum metal work. Not quite our cup of tea, but as builder Terry Cook pointed out, you only see one side of the car at a time.
Under that lengthy hood sits a V8 from mated to a 4L60E automatic gearbox. Cook originally wanted a V12 to power the boat tail, but wiring concerns and a short timeline resulted in the all-American powerplant.
Right now, Delahaye isnt’ saying exactly how much a Bugnotti roadster will set you back, but considering that the Bella Figura starts at $250,000, it’s not going to be cheap.
If you watched the 136th running of the Kentucky Derby over the weekend, you saw Super Saver race to victory by two and a half lengths. That’s a 20 foot victory to non race fans, or just enough room to wedge a between Super Saver and the competition.
If you weren’t among the NASCAR-sized crowd of 155,000 fans in attendance at Churchill Downs, you likely know that we mention the Ram because it was the official truck of the event, and the Auburn Hills, MI-based automaker got creative with the video to let us know all about it.
to watch rough and rumble pickup as it hangs with the thoroughbreds. The 30-second spot makes good with the deep voice guy, pretty pictures and a mention of its Motor Trend Truck of the Year award – possibly Chrysler’s best commercial in a while.
Chinese Lamborghini replica – Click above for high-res image gallery
We’ve seen our fair share of of legitimate cars and trucks. While The People’s Republic seems to have no problem generating genuine auto manufacturers, everyone’s favorite communist nation must suffer from a dearth of designers. It’s always hard to embrace a faux or half-hearted , but there’s something about this creation that we can get behind. You see, the “Lamborghini” you see above wasn’t created out of some desire to trick buyers or onlookers. No, it was built out of the same genuine love for the automobile we all share.
Chen Jenmiao, a 25 year-old mechanic with a bent, decided that if he couldn’t own a genuine Raging Bull, he’d build his own. The guy pulled together around $3,000 worth of parts and materials and set to work. The finished product has a top speed of somewhere between 60 and 90 mph, though you won’t hear us criticize the guy for falling short of performance figures. After all, when was the last time you put together an entire car from scratch?
Question: If is the Standard of the World, and is just one notch below its range-topping, Wreath-and-Crested Caddy sibling, where does that leave , ‘ mainstream brand?
Answer: A brand that provides ‘Excellence for All.’ According to The Wall Street Journal, which cites those ever-elusive “people familiar with the situation,” this will be Chevy’s newest slogan for its line of cars. Trucks will also reportedly be getting a new advertising slogan, but all WSJ knows is that it’s a phrase like “Most dependable, longest lasting” and will be ready sometime this summer.
Chevrolet is of the utmost importance to GM, as the brand accounts for roughly 70 percent of its sales. We knew to expect some sort of revitalized advertising and marketing strategy, considering that The General just recently announced it was after 91 years of partnership.
So, how will Publicis Worldwide, the newest agency of record for the Chevrolet brand, fare with its first-ever major marketing push for GM? We’ll see. In the meantime, feel free to and let us know what you think about the new slogan.
Last week about Hennessey’s dyno test of the with the new 6.2-liter V8, which yielded 326 horsepower and 343 pound-feet of torque at the rear wheels. That’s a 19.5 percent drivetrain loss from the 411 hp and 434 lb-ft Ford tells us we can expect at the flywheel. We’d typically only post one SVT Raptor dyno post, but our friends over at Pickuptrucks.com also dynoed Ford’s off-roading superstar, with substantially different results.
Mike Levine and company traveled to K&N Air Filters in Riverside, California to dyno the Raptor, and came away with totals of 344 hp and 361 lb-ft. at the wheel. That’s 18 more ponies and pound-feet than the Hennessey dyno run; an increase of about six percent. Further, Pickuptrucks.com says it ran its tests on 87 octane, which reportedly lowers the 6.2’s flywheel power numbers from 411 hp to 401 hp. K&N’s dyno showed a drivetrain loss of about 16 percent.
While neither power number is likely to disappoint when behind the wheel, it’s nice to know that Hennessey’s power numbers look to be at the low end of the spectrum. Perhaps that means the is more like the 525 or 550 horsepower VelociRaptor. Head over to to check out the the comprehensive full review of the Ford SVT Raptor 6.2.
Ferrari Enzo Street Clock – Click above for high-res image gallery
The Enzo street clock is 8.3 feet tall and nearly three feet wide, and it could well be the perfect gift for even the most ardent Ferrari fan. The massive yet tastefully executed advertisingtime piece was reportedly shipped from Europe to the U.S. sometime after its 2003 creation, and now it’s for just about anyone who has a strong love of the Ferrari brand and at least $5,000.
The yellow-faced clock is reportedly in working condition, with hour markers and hands that glow in the dark (at least temporarily) at night. Designers didn’t go easy on the spooked stallions, either, as we count seven instances of the famous horse on the substantial street clock. And although the clock is massive at over eight feet tall, the owner claims to be selling this item because he has found a “much larger” clock to replace it.
We can’t help but think of how cool this clock would look in the Autoblog Garage, but we’re guessing it would look far cooler if it were partitioning a pair of Ferraris we just don’t have right now. Head over to eBay to get a better look at the Enzo clock, and if you’ve got at least $5,000 and an itch for kick ass Ferrari memorabilia, happy bidding! Hat tip to Kevin!
Now it’s just New Hampshire. For decades, any effort in Georgia to require universal seatbelt use couldn’t get passed – such matters would just get stuck in the throat of the House by extra-regulation-resistant rural lawmakers. The consistent rejection kept pickup truck driving adults from being legally required to buckle up, an exemption that drove safety advocates up the wall.
According to The Washington Post, however, statistics about needless deaths, avoidable accidents and potential medical cost savings seem to have finally connected with enough House members to send the bill through, with the measure passing by a tally of 132-29.
For what it’s worth, not wearing a belt when you’re using your pickup truck on a construction site or farming doesn’t seem like a contentious issue. Speeds are low and drivers may be in and out of the truck rather regularly, but those situations are not on public roads at normal speeds. Despite what some view as as unneeded regulation, it seems that members of the Georgia House now consider a law requiring adults to buckle up when in pickup trucks (the same as in cars) as a vote for common sense that will keep more money in state coffers.
Now it’s just the Granite State as the lone state that doesn’t mandate seatbelt use. Live free and/or die?
The last decade has been a boon for technologies like traction and stability control, but the tire itself has remained relatively low tech. Schrader Electronics is reportedly looking to change that equation with a “smart tire” that could be production ready within three years. The electronics company already knows a thing or two about tires, as a self-proclaimed global pioneer of the Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems that stabilize today’s trucks and crossovers.
Schrader claims that its Smart Tire tech utilizes sensors on the tire itself that wirelessly transmits data to receivers in the wheel housing and is routed to the vehicle’s ECU sensor. Schrader is working with Pirelli to bring its new tire tech to market starting in 2010. The first tire, called ‘Cyber Tyre Lean,” will transmit pressure, temperature, average load and the number of revolutions.
The company claims that the fully-integrated “Cyber Tyre” will transmit information on “tread depth, pressure and temperature, along with the shape of its footprint and the amount of load it is under, will be combined with precise readings of road conditions to optimize control of the vehicle’s dynamics.” Schrader expects to offer the Cyber Tyre by 2013. Hit the jump to read over the Schrader Electronics press release.
The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA) is looking into an accident involving a that claimed the lives of four motorists last year. Stephen Lagakos was driving with his wife and mother in New Hampshire when the vehicle sped up, passed a number of other vehicles on the shoulder and then crossed traffic. The Highlander struck a Chevrolet Malibu in the oncoming lane driven by Stephen Krause. No one survived.
The is investigating the possibility that the crash was caused by unintended acceleration. Witnesses reported that Lagakos had been following the other drivers on the road for miles, giving proper following distance the entire time. When the sped past, the driver had both hands on the wheels and looked as if he was trying to avoid an accident.
So far, there’s no indication as to whether or not the Lagakos vehicle had been serviced under Toyota’s expansive recall. The 2008-2010 Highlander fell under the same January recall that brought in models like the Corolla, Venza, Matrix and Pontiac Vibe.
According to The Boston Globe, Toyota has expressed its sympathy for the families of the victims of the accident, and underscored its commitment to making all of its products safe to drive.
Autoblog builds an LS9 V8 – Click above for high-res image gallery
Ah yes, the classic small block . No other engine in history carries as much nostalgia and looks poised to push its mouse motor well into the future by adding new technologies designed to clean up the mill’s emissions and improve fuel mileage. Expect these engines to show up in applications from sportscars like the and to pickup trucks and SUVs.
According to GM, all of its next-generation small block V8s will use aluminum engine blocks in addition to being E85 compatible. We can also expect to see direct injection added to the small block’s repertoire for improved efficiency and power production. Finally, the combustion chambers will see a redesign that will promote fuel efficiency.
Naturally, an update to an existing engine line requires a suitable investment, and this one is no different. GM will be investing nearly $900 million and will add or retain more than 1,600 jobs in Towanda, NY; St. Catherines, Ontario; Defiance, Ohio; Bedford, Indiana and Bay City, Michigan. More details can be found in the press release after the break.
You can’t sell everything on . Case in point: The auction site has a pretty stiff policy against the selling of what it calls “murderabillia” or anything “closely associated with notorious murders within the last 100 years.” We can debate whether euthanasia qualifies constitutes actual murder, but regardless, Dr. Jack Kevorkian’s 1968 Van evidently falls into that category on eBay, as it was the site of several of the infamous doctor’s reported 130 assisted suicides throughout the years.
As for the van, The Detroit Newsnotes that Kevorkian gave it up to be back in 1997. Somehow, the VW escaped its fate and wound up in the hands of Jack Finn, a retired Volkswagen parts dealer. Finn says the vehicle may run and stop, but it isn’t safe to drive on public roads and is in need of a full restoration.
Since eBay Motors gave the boot, Kruse Auctions has agreed to sell the vehicle at its May 14-16 event.
Kevorkian was convicted of second degree murder in 1999 and subsequently served eight years in prison. He has recently become the focus of attention once again thanks to the new You Don’t Know Jack movie staring Al Pacino.
The last decade has been a boon for technologies like traction and stability control, but the tire itself has remained relatively low tech. Schrader Electronics is reportedly looking to change that equation with a “smart tire” that could be production ready within three years. The electronics company already knows a thing or two about tires, as a self-proclaimed global pioneer of the Tire Pressure Monitoring Systems that stabilize today’s trucks and crossovers.
