Automotive News

More VW, Audi Porsche diesels affected by emissions issues

The continuing saga of the emissions scam affecting Audi, Porsche and Volkswagen has again expanded with the announcement of the problem affecting 85,000 vehicles with 3.0-liter diesel V6 engines dating to 2009. The engine software is allegedly designed to foil emissions tests, according to the EPA. The California Air Resources Board and the EPA “will continue to investigate and will take all appropriate action,” the federal agency said in its statement. Previously, the EPA said the software was found on 2014-16 models with the Audi-developed 3.0-liter diesel, including SUVs from all three brands and larger sedans from Audi. The EPA made its initial allegations on the 3.0-liter engines on Nov. 2. An EPA spokeswoman said the additional model years covered

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Los Angeles Auto Show: New cars, wild odd colors

Global debuts, innovation and new technology are part of every auto show and they will be again at the 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show. The first major auto show of the season will be held Nov. 20-29 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. Thirty global debuts, including the new Hyundai Elantra, Jaguar’s first luxury sport utility vehicle and the Infiniti QX30 crossover, will be among highlighted vehicles at the 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show. More than 50 vehicles will debut from Alfa Romeo, BMW, Bentley, Fiat, Ford Motor Company, General Motors, Honda, Jaguar Land Rover, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, MINI, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Porsche, Subaru and Volkswagen. The show is scheduled November 20-29 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. This year’s global and

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Honda, Mazda, Tesla among 2016 Best Cars of the Year

The perennial best-selling Honda Accord, the innovative Tesla Model S 70 and the iconic Ford Mustang are among the 10 Best Cars for 2016, according to Car and Driver. And there’s a surprise: Mazda is the only manufacturer with two cars on the list. The authoritative automotive magazine announced its annual list Nov. 18 on the eve of the Los Angeles Auto Show. The list features a diverse group of vehicles, all priced between $18,000 and $80,000, the maximum price in the publication’s guidelines. Eddie Alderman, the publication’s editor-in chief, said “10 Best involves more than drawing up lists of our sub-$80,000 favorites. Every year we enter our weeklong evaluation looking for new and improved combinations of virtues: value and

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Elio Motors set for live debut of $6,800 car at LA Auto Show

The latest prototype of the $6,800, three-wheel vehicle Elio Motors has promoted for several years but has yet to deliver to the public despite a substantial public online reservation investment, will be unveiled in a live video broadcast Nov. 19 at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The Arizona-based experimental vehicle maker’s prototypes have generated polarizing interest. Its fifth generation vehicle will be introduced at the 10 a.m. press conference. To view the unveiling, visit: ELIO MOTORS/L.A. AUTO SHOW The vehicle’s CAD renderings detail a similar but update version of the car’s previous concepts. The company, building what it’s touting as the cheapest car in the United States in a former General Motors plant in Shreveport, Louisiana, has collected different levels

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2015 Ford F-150: The best pick-up truck gets better

As the country’s best-selling vehicle seemingly since the model-T, the 2015 Ford F-150 could have been presented identically as its older siblings and still led the pick-up truck pack. But Ford decided not to rest on success, particularly as other manufacturers’ trucks are ever improving. Still, it was a surprise when Ford introduced the iconic truck’s 13th generation. Among its slew of a new features and upgrades is a lighter and thus more fuel-efficient aluminum body and a monstrous new chrome grille. The Weekly Driver Test Drive Versatility is among the many reasons the Ford F-150 has been the top-selling truck for nearly four decades. And with its redesign for 2015, the F-150 further advances the standard of its already

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Hyundai paces top-8 best new car warranties

Hyundai claims it offers “America’a Best Warranty” throughout its lineup of vehicles, the entry level Accent to the top-line Equus. It’s hard to argue with the claim. Hyundai’s bumper-to-bumper warrant is five years or 60,000 miles. The powertrain warranty covers up to 10 years or 100,000 miles. Hyundai adds a seven-year unlimited-mile anti-perforation warranty. It covers rust and corrosion from interior and exterior body panels of the original sheet metal. And there is also a five-year, unlimited-mile, 24-hour roadside-assistance service including battery jump-starts, flat-tire changing, lock-out assistance and towing. Finally, the battery in hybrid Hyundai vehicles has a lifetime warranty. All Hyundai warranty details are transferable to future vehicle owners except the powertrain warranty. The new owner gets a five-year, 60,000-mile

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Infiniti, Mercedes-Benz, Cadillac among least reliable. Really?

Infiniti, Mercedes and Cadillac aren’t the vehicles likely expected on “Least Reliable List.” But that’s exactly the case. The three automakers are on the soon-to-be released dubious “awards” list published by Consumer Reports. The study detailed in publication’s December 2015 issue reveals Fiat Chrysler has fared the worst. It has five cars on the “Worst 10” list — the Chrysler 300, Dodge Challenger, Dodge Ram 2500, Jeep Cherokee and Fiat 500L. The latter was named the least reliable vehicle overall. Fiat unsurprisingly earned the title for least reliable auto brand. “The transmission won’t shift gears,” one reader said of his 500L, according to a Consumer Reports video. “Had to be towed five times,” said another frustrated Fiat 500L owner. Consumer

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Super Bowl hype begins as Hyundai reveals ad campaign

Let the Super Bowl hype begin. Hyundai will do its share. In its first year as an official NFL sponsor the carmaker will have four commercials televised before, during the broadcast and at haltime of Super Bowl 50 next February. Hyundai, a long-time Super Bowl advertiser, will run two in-game 30-second spots before halftime, with the new creative appearing during the first and second quarter of the game. Hyundai also secured the coveted pre-kick slot and will run a new 60-second ad as viewers are primed for the start of The Big Game. The pre-game show will also feature another all-new 60-second Hyundai spot. Hyundai did not advertise in this year’s Super Bowl, but the Koream manufactur will be part

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Team Sky’s motorhome from the Tour de France on eBay

Top-level professional cycling teams travel day to day at major races in custom motorhomes. The most prominent team in the world is Team Sky from Great Britain, and it’s selling one of its motorhomes used during the Tour of Italy and Tour de France. The three-liter Eura Mobile 820HS, now for sale on eBay.com was used by the team for the past four or five years, according to a report on the website CyclingNews.com. Riders on the team included Tour de France winners Sir Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome. The site further details that the motorhome for sale was one of he team’s smaller coaches. It was likely used during time trials and stationed at the finish of stage. It

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VW offer of $1,000 to diesel owners called an insult

Volkswagen has confirmed an expected compensation of as much as $1,000 to owners of its diesel cars affected by the recent emissions scandal. The automaker admitted in September it had installed devices that cheated on emissions tests. Owners and lessees of 2-liter TDI models affected by the problem would be eligible for a $500 cash card to spend freely. They would also get another $500 to spend at Volkswagen dealerships as well as free 24-hour roadside assistance for three years. Car owners who accept the offer will not be asked to waive future rights to sue or claim other compensation, according to a Volkswagen called the offer a “good-will package” it hoped would help restore trust with its customers. The

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Volkswagen set to offer cash to disgruntled diesel owners

Volkswagen is prepared to offer individual owners of diesel cars $1,250, according to several media outlets, as the carmaker continues its efforts to recover from its admittance some of its cars are programmed to cheat on emissions test. Volkswagen hasn’t confirmed reports in the New York Times and on the automotive site, The Truth About Cars, the owners would get a cash card worth $500 and another $500 to $750 that they could spend at a Volkswagen dealer. The company faces lawsuits from owners seeking compensation for the decreased resale value of the roughly 500,000 Volkswagen and Audi vehicles that were equipped with illegal software. Volkswagen admitted in September many of it diesels are equipped with software to cheat of

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Pancakes fine, but sinkhole at IHOP prefers cars (VIDEO)

The grand opening of an International House of Pancakes in Meridian, Mississippi, didn’t go exactly as planned on November 7. While guests were trying out the restaurant’s cuisine a few days after the IHOP’s opening, their cars were being consumed in a sinkhole in the parking lot. The sinkhole, about 50-feet wide “swallowed” 14 to 15 cars, according to police department reports received starting at around 7:15 p.m. local time. “We received a call of vehicles going through the pavement at the IHOP in Meridian,” Patrol Lieutenant Rita Jack with Meridian Police told NBC News. “When we arrived on scene, 14 to 15 vehicles that we could see had fallen roughly 30 feet into the ground. “We expect that there

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Thinking about visiting Disneyland? How about owning a ride?

You can go to Disneyland to ride on an attraction — just like everyone else. Or you can own a Disneyland attraction car ride. Several vintage attraction car rides will be among more than 800 items of memorabilia from Disneyland offered in a live auction Nov. 21 from Van Eaton Galleries’ “Collecting Disneyland” auction. According to the Sherman Oaks, California-based gallery and auction, the sale is a “rare opportunity to own original Disneyland attraction ride cars.” The cars include two original Tomorrowland Transit Authority PeopleMover ride cars, a Skyway to Fantasyland bucket ride car and a Space Mountain ride vehicle. The PeopleMover attraction debuted on July 2, 1967 and ran until August 21, 1995. Van Eaton says the two PeopleMover

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Elio Motors will display cheapest car concept at LA Auto Show

Elio Motors, the Arizona-based experimental vehicle maker whose three-wheel, futuristic-looking prototypes have generated polarizing interest, will introduce its fifth generation vehicle at the upcoming Los Angeles Auto Show. The vehicle’s CAD renderings detail a similar but update version of the car’s previous concepts. The company, building what it’s touting as the cheapest car in the United States in a former General Motors plant in Shreveport, Louisiana, has collected different levels of reservation deposits online for several years. But Elio Motors and its founder, Paul Elio, have suffered many setbacks and have changed public delivery dates several times. The Elio project has been as controversial as an in the auto industry, with the exception of the the current Volkswagen diesel scandal.

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James Bond, Jay Leno and Aston Martin legacy in Spectre

Jay Leno knows a lot about all kinds of cars, his favorite vintage Bentley sedans to the varied selection of James Bond cars. In a recent episode of Jay Leno’s Garage, the NBC automotive show in which Leno examines and drives new and old vehicles, the comedian discusses the legend of Bond cars, including the manufacture of 10 Aston Martin DB10 model for Spectre. The just-released film is the 24th movie in the James Bond genre legacy. It dates to 1962 with the original film, Dr. No and adaptation from the Ian Fleming book. For additional Aston Martin reading, visit: James Bond Cars: Sunbeam Alpine II to Aston Martin DB10 Aston Martin DB10: Own It, Can’t Drive It (Video) Aston

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VW, Audi, Porsche diesels get ‘stop-sale’ as scandal widens

The ever-expanding Volkswagen scandal has gotten worse. The automaker has issued a “stop-sale” for more than 10,000 Audi, Porsche and VW SUVs and high-end cars with 3.0-liter diesel engines. Federal regulators have labeled the cars as having “defeat devices” dating to 2013. The stop-sale includes more vehicles than identified by EPA on Monday. It only labeled the specific model years of three vehicles it had tested as violating emissions rules by allowing the vehicles to emit up to nine times legally allowable levels. RELATED VW EMISSION SCANDAL CONTENT: More VW, Audi, Porsche models added to cheat list Volkswsgen can’t sell 2016 diesels in the United States Volkswagen CEO Winterkorn resigns in emissions scandal The new stop-sale covers the 2013 Audi

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