Automotive News

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Luxury Tata Nano on the horizon for $3,578

Car buyers in India with a limited budget want to buy inexpensive cars that don’t look cheap. At least, that’s why the Tata Nano LX has been developed. According to a report in The Wall Street Journal, Tata Motors Ltd., India’s fourth-largest auto maker and the owner of Jaguar and Land Rover, will offer a luxury Tata Nano with chrome trim, hubcaps and a stereo. Tata’s original Nano, introduced in 2009, hasn’t sold as well as the carmaker expected. It originally cost the equivalent of about $2,000. Tata Motors has laid off many workers and reduced its production of the Nano. Tata currently sells around 2,500 Nanos per month, about 25 percent of the car’s peaks sales month in April,

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Andy Warhol famed Mercedes Benz silkscreen for $16 million?

A famous silkscreen of a Mercedes Benz, made by And Warhol in 1986, is expected to sell for as much as $16 million when it’s auctioned Nov. 12 by Christie’s in New York. “Mercedes-Benz W 196 R Grand Prix Car (Streamlined Version, 1954)” is being offered by the Daimler art collection. The collection was established 30 years ago by Daimler-Benz, the German luxury manufacturer. The 14-foot-high work shows the automobile repeated 12 times on the canvas. It was created for the centennial of the modern automobile. Warhol did numerous Mercedes Benz renditions. The model was the Mercedes Benz Formula One entry in the 1954 and 1955 Formula One seasons. The auction house says the sale proceeds will be used to

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NEW CAR PREVIEW: 2015 Tato Nano coming to U.S.?

The Tata Nano, marketed in its debut a few years ago as the world’s cheapest car, could also become in 2015 the cheapest mass-produced car available in the United States. Tata hasn’t announced a price for the vehicle nor specific details of dealerships or the exact configuration of the second generation of the Nano that will sold in the United States. But the price will be less than $10,000, according to Ratan Nano, the manufacturer’s chairman. “The Smart and the Fiat 500 have high sticker prices, and people buy them because they are small cars,” Tata told Automotive News. “But everyone knows you put a lot of money into it. We hope that the sub-$10,000 car has appeal.” The Nissan

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CAR PREVIEW: Prices slashed on 2014 Toyota Prius Plug-in

The 2014 Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid will be available in two models and both will cost substantially less than last year’s editions of the increasingly popular family of green cars. Toyota has reduced the MSRP on the 2014 Prius Plug-in Hybrid by $2,010, lowering the starting MSRP $29,990. Pricing for the 2014 Prius Plug-in Advanced model has also been adjusted to make the model more accessible to consumers with a $4,620 reduction in MSRP to $34,905. Production of the 2014 model year Prius Plug-in begins in October with pricing taking effect when these models arrive in showrooms in November. The Prius Plug-in qualifies for a Federal Tax Credit of up to $2,500 in addition to the State of California’s Clean

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NEW CAR PREVIEW: 2014 Honda Accord Hybrid: 50 mpg

The Honda Accord Hybrid, with a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) of $29,155, will use a gasoline-electric powertrain to achieve an EPA rating of 50 mpg city, 45 mpg highway and 47 mpg combined. The 50 mpg standard is a milestone and it leads the mainstream sedan segment against primary hybrid competitors, the Toyota Camry, Ford Fusion and Hyundai Sonata. And it’s only 1 mpg behind the Toyota Prius — the country’s dominant best-selling hybrid. The new Honda Accord Hybrid, scheduled to go on sale in late October 2013, is closely related to the 2014 Accord Plug-In Hybrid, announced earlier this year. Its 1.3-kWh battery is smaller than the plug-in’s 6.7-kWh battery, which has a 13-mile all-electric range. The plug-in

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Elon Musk responds to Tesla fire, defends technology

Elon Musk, CEO of electric car company Tesla, responded three days after one of his high-performance sports cars caught on fire by defending the vehicle’s electric battery technology. “For consumers concerned about fire risk, there should be absolutely zero doubt that it is safer to power a car with a battery than a large tank of highly flammable liquid,” Musk wrote in his blog. Musk said a piece of curved metal caused the Tesla model S catch on fire. He said the object’s shape led to a powerful hit on the underside of the vehicle, punching a 3-inch hole through an armor plate that protects the car’s bottom. The company said the car properly contained the blaze. The driver was

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Tesla: Safest car in the world to fiery mass of metal

The Tesla, the high-performance, all-electric sports car, continues its seemingly never-ending spotlight position in the auto industry. In a short time span, it’s has received the highest safest rating in automotive history and it has exploded in a fiery mess on the side of the freeway exit in Kent, Washington. The latest and potentially damaging scenery for the Tesla and its controversial owner Elon Musk occurred in early October in Kent, Wash. A Tesla S caught on fire in an accident when the car’s driver told the police he hit metal debris. The Tesla model S was destroyed and the inferno was filmed by two nearby witnesses on a smartphone whose voices seemed to echo would-be characters on Saturday Night

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Subaru versatility results in best sales month in history

Subaru owners in mountain states have long known about the unheralded carmaker’s merits. The original all-wheel drive system was the precursor to many other manufacturers’ all-wheel drive systems. And Subaru has also been at the forefront of the auto industry for car owners who travel with pets. Subaru’s designs and accessories for animals are unmatched. Subaru’s enduring versatility has finally paid off. The automaker reported its July 2013 sales of 35,994 vehicles was the best month in the manufacturer’s history. The record month included best ever July sales for Forester, Outback and Impreza models. The record month of sales was a 43 percent increase over July 2012. The company’s 240,591 sales for 2013 is 27 percent higher than the same

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Furloughed? Hyundai says ‘We’ve got your back’

Within a few hours after the government shutdown, Hyundai Motor America launched a payment deferral program aimed at helping furloughed federal employees. Hyundai will defer all auto loan and lease payments during the shutdown for current Hyundai owners who are furloughed. “We recognize the impact on family budgets that the furlough will drive,” said John Krafcik, president and CEO of Hyundai Motor America. “Like we did almost four years ago when we launched Hyundai Assurance, this is our way of saying ‘We’ve got your back’ during this uncertain time.” Current Hyundai owners will be provided relief from payments for as long as they are out of work. Furloughed employees who wish to buy a car in October will be offered

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Honda drives save the drive-in theater campaign

Like soda fountains and mom and pop markets, drive-in theaters could be the next symbol of American culture to disappear. The reason, the nearly 375 remaining drive-in theaters in the United States will be required to convert to digital projection by the end of 2013. The cost is $80,000 per theater and that expense would prevent many drive-ins from staying open. But Honda isn’t too keen on letting another symbol of Americana disappear. And to hopefully prevent the loss of the theaters, the carmaker has undertaken The Save The Drive In campaign to preserve the concept that began 80 years ago. Drive-ins date to June 6, 1933 when inventor Richard M Hollingshead, Jr. opened the first location in Pennauken, New

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Kia to offer more Soul with 2014 all-electric edition

The 2014 Kia Soul will be offered early in 2014 as the South Korean manufacturer’s first all-electric vehicle in the United States. The Soul EV, which will be available in selected markets, will be powered exclusively by a battery for gas-free driving and zero emissions. Range and eMPG estimates have not been announced. “Eco-consciousness already comes standard on the all-new Soul with 85-percent of its materials able to be recycled at the end of its lifespan, and the Soul EV will further demonstrate Kia’s engineering capabilities as well as our commitment to producing vehicles with reduced environmental footprints,” said Orth Hedrick, executive director of product planning. Kia Motors was recently ranked by Interbrand as one of the “50 Best Global

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Toyota, Hyundai, Nissan recall 2.3 million cars, vans

Toyota, Nissan and Hyundai combined are recalling 2.3 million cars dating to 2004 and for reasons varying from defective shift levers to faulty sensors to brake light issues. The Toyota recall involves 694,000 Sienna minivans, from the model years of 2004-2005 and 2007-2009, because of the risk of rolling away while parked. The Detroit News reported the minivans have defective shift lever assemblies that could be moved out of park without the foot on the brake pedal. As a result, the minivans could rollaway. Twenty-one minor accidents and two minor injuries have been reported. The Toyota recall covers 615,000 vehicles in the United States, 56,000 in Canada and 23,000 in Mexico. Hyundai is recalling 760,000 vehicles in North America because

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Massive small town Nebraska car auction ready for ignition

The massive Nebraska car auction of vintage barn finds and nearly new cars and trucks that has brought international attention to an abandoned Chevrolet dealership in a small city is about to unfold. The Lambrecht Chevrolet auto auction and its estimated 500 abandoned vehicles, all dating from 1958-1980, has been featured in the New York Times to specialty automotive sites. Finally, after weeks of anticipation, it will all begin Saturday, Aug. 28 at 9:30 a.m. local time in Pierce, Nebraska. The Lambrecht dealearship, a family owned business in community for decades, closed several years ago. Some cars in the dealership were kept indoors, others outside. Online bidding for the cars began weeks ago. But the onsite bidding will start with

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Tesla seeks autonomy (for once) with driverless car

Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors, doesn’t stay out of the automotive spotlight long. In addition to his innovative, expensive sports cars and a plan to soon drive one across the United States, the controversial entrepreneur is now joining other carmakers with a plan for a Tesla driverless car. Musk said recently Tesla is planning to manufacturer a car capable of running on “auto-pilot” within the next three years. Several other carmakers and Internet monolith Google have announced plans for similar cars. Telsa’s autonomous car, according to Musk, could have 90 of the driving responsibility controlled by the vehicle’s computer system. A completely autonomous car would take longer to develop, Musk told The Financial Times newspaper. Tesla would built the

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Car Review: 2013 Toyota Sienna: Practical, Easy Drive

With all the emphasis on stylish crossover vehicles, some might suspect that the generally dull-by comparison minivan is dead. But the 2013 Toyota Sienna shows some minivans still sell at a brisk pace. That’s because it’s hard to beat a minivan for sheer practicality and family utility. After all, a minivan’s boxy shape provides lots of interior space, and it has carlike manners. The 2013 Sienna is designed, developed and assembled in America. However, it isn’t purely apple-pie American because it is, after all, a Japanese brand. But, with the growing worldwide sharing of vehicle components and manufacturing because of economics, does anybody really care anymore? The new Sienna feels very “American.” Anybody who has been driving a U.S. brand

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Ford has gone to the dogs with pickup truck campaign

The message is simple: Dogs should never ride in the bed of a pickup truck. Why? According to the American Human Association (AHA), an estimated 100,000 dogs die each year riding in truck beds. As such, Ford and the AHA have teamed in a new pet safety campaign to remind pickup truck drivers that dogs should never ride in the bed of a pickup truck. Called “Dogs Ride Inside,” the campaign reminds all drivers that simple, basic actions can prevent serious injury or death while transporting a beloved family pet. “Unfortunately, we have all seen dogs riding in the bed of a pickup truck, which is an extremely dangerous way to transport your pet,” said Dr. Robin Ganzert, president and

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