Automotive News

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2014 Mitsubishi Outlander: New design for economical SUV

The newly designed 2014 Mitsubishi Outlander, the fuel-efficient seven-passenger SUV, will make its North American debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show via a press conference and unveiling November 29 at the Los Angeles Convention Center. The Outlander, according to the manufacturer, features a new design that emphasizes exterior aerodynamic efficiency. The engine is a new version of Mitsubishi’s MIVEC continuously-variable valve lift timing system for increased fuel economy. The new interior design and new technologically-advanced features include Forward Collision Mitigation (FCM), Lane Departure Warning (LDW) and Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), the sharply-styled all-new 2014 Outlander elevates the level of efficiency, safety, comfort and convenience in the value-oriented compact SUV segment. Joining its new larger sibling at the LA Auto

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Chevrolet Corvette 2014 set for Detroit debut with global social media

The 2014 Chevrolet Corvette, which has been described by the manufacturer as “precisely sculpted” will be unveiled January 13, 2013 in Detroit and with a vast social media campaign. Chevrolet has heavily touted the new design and the manufacturer says the car “delivers more than just stunning good looks – every line, vent, inlet and surface has been optimized for performance.” “The all-new Corvette integrates more high-performance aerodynamic features than ever before, many taken directly from Corvette Racing,” said Tadge Juechter, Corvette chief engineer. “For example, the front grill and radiator flow paths reduce lift, improving vehicle stability at high speeds by keeping the car pressed to the pavement. In addition, functional vents increase track capability by channeling air to

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2013 Ford C-Max among Green Car of the Year finalists at LA Auto Show

The just released 2013 Ford C-MAX hybrid plug-in Energi  and its sibling hybrid as well as the Ford Fusion, Dodge Dart Aero, Mazda CX-5 and Toyota Prius are finalists for Green Car of the Year honors, a highlight of the pending Los Angeles Auto Show. The eighth annual award, which is presented to the car that best exemplifies leadership in environmental concerns, is the brainchild of the Green Car Journal. It will be announced Nov. 29, the second press day of the the show. In addition to the publication’s editorial staff, the panel selecting the winning vehicle includes the director of the Sierra Club, Jacques Cousteau’s eldest son, and noted auto enthusiast and collector Jay Leno. The Honda Civic Natural

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Acura to Subaru, BMW to Toyota among dozens of LA Auto Show world debuts

World debuts from Acura to Toyota and BMW to Subaru are among the nearly 50 vehicle unveilings at the Los Angeles Auto Show, the nearly two-week display of the automotive world’s best — electric vehicles to performance and luxury designs. Media days Nov. 28-29 will be followed by the public show, Nov. 30-Dec. 9, at the Los Angeles Convention Center. The debut lineup also includes world firsts from U.S. manufacturers Chevrolet and Ford, as well as European automakers BMW, Fiat, Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and Volkswagen. Asian carmaker debuts will also Honda, Hyundai, Kia and Nissan models. These debuts will highlight the latest in-car technologies, as well as continued fuel-efficiency with several hybrid, electric and alternative-fuel vehicles. Overall, there will be

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Toyota woes continue, 2.8 million Prius, Corolla models recalled

Toyota‘s ever-evolving, several-year run of recalls has two new chapters. Most notable is a steering problem that affects 670,000 Prius and Corolla models in the United States and 2.8 million units worldwide built between July 2001 and March 2009. Additionally, a separate recall, including 350,000 vehicles in the U.S. will fix water pump issues in hybrid vehicles. The faulty part issue may cause a knocking or rattling from the steering column intermediate extension shafts, and could cause a reduction in steering response. Toyota reported a handful of cases have been reported no accidents of fatalities have been reported. The carmaker stressed that even with the steering problem, the Prius and Corolla models affected are safe to drive. The recall affects

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2013 Ford C-Max: hybrid, plug-in hybrid offer vast mpg, car-like rides

The 2013 Ford C-Max is a five-door hatchback available as a hybrid and just released plug-in hybrid Energi the manufacturer hopes will infiltrate the dominance of the Toyota Prius in the green car market. Ford touts the C-Max as the most “car-like” of three top green car offerings the carmaker compared during a recent media briefing and brief drive in San Francisco. John Davis, a Ford spokesman, said during the debut presentation: “We want to people to feel like they are driving a normal car.” Davis compared the C-Max to the Toyota Prius and Chevrolet Volt with specifics —  the vehicles’ cost prior to and after government rebates. (In California, the C-Max is also eligible for an additional rebate.)The respective

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Hurricane Sandy damage: 200,000 cars destroyed by fire, water

The devastation of Hurricane Sandy not only affected the business of numerous auto dealerships but it’s estimated about 200,000 vehicles will have to be replaced, including  15,000 new Nissan and Infiniti models and 338 Fisker Karma models. The loss of the Fisker Karma units, including 16 in a fire, while small in numbers represented nearly $35 million, since the base of the specialty car is $103,000. According to a Fisker Karma spokesperson: “Fisker engineers determined that the damage to the Karmas was the result of the cars being submerged under five to eight feet of seawater for several hours that left corrosive salt in a low‑voltage Vehicle Control Unit in one Karma.  The Vehicle Control Unit is a standard component

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2014 Mercedes SLS AMG Black Series: Lightweight, powerful, no price — yet

The 2014 Mercedes SLS AMG Black Series, the fifth edition of the race car-inspired lightweight speedster with a top speed of 196 mph, will go on sale in the summer of 2013. Engineered in line with the AMG Lightweight Performance strategy, the Black Series weighs 3,417 pounds, achieves a power/weight ratio of 5.49 lb/hp and negotiates the 0-60 mph standard acceleration test in 3.5 seconds via its seven-speed sports transmission.“The new SLS AMG Black Series is a perfect study in the one hundred percent transfer of technology and engineering from motorsport to road,” said Ola Kallenius, Chairman of Mercedes-AMG GmbH. “We have drawn inspiration from the worldwide success of the SLS AMG GT3 customer sport racing car on both a

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Hyundai, Kia owners seek nearly $800 million in EPA gas mileage ratings fiasco

Twenty-three owners of Hyundai and Kia models are seeking $775 million in damages in a yet-to-be official class-action suit against the manufacturers who admitted less than one week ago 13 models of their cars failed to meet their advertised fuel-economy ratings as announced by the Environmental Protection Agency. But the monstrous lawsuit is only one three claim against Kia and Hyundai for inaccurate fuel-efficiency claims, according to Reuters, the international news service. Another suit has been field in Ohio earlier this week on behalf of three plaintiffs seeking a combined $5 million. One plaintiff is the owner of a 2012 Kia Rio. The remaining plaintiffs are  Canadian couple who now own a 2013 Hyundai Elantra. And last July, the Consumer

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Chrysler felled by faulty airbags, recalls nearly 920,000 Grand Cherokee, Liberty models

Chrysler is globally recalling three model years and more than 900,000 vehicles from its popular sport utility vehicle lineup, including the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Liberty, for faulty airbags. According to documents filed with the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Chrysler, 919,545 total vehicles are affected from 2002 to 2004 and will require fixing a faulty module that could cause the airbags to inadvertently deploy. If the module fails, front airbags or side curtain airbags could deploy inadvertently while the SUVs are being operated, Of the vehicles recalled, 744,822 are in the United States; 49,430 in Canada; 21,828 in Mexico; and 103,465 outside North America, according to Chrysler. The recall total  approximately involves about 50 percent Grand

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2014 Ford F-150: lighter, better mpg for country's top-selling vehicle

The Ford F-150 pickup, perennially the largest-selling vehicle in the United States, will weigh about 700 pounds less beginning with 2014 models to drastically improve the truck’s fuel efficiency. Details of the new F-150 are sketchy, but a recent report in the Wall Street Journal details the truck body will largely be constructed of aluminum not its current steel construction. As a result, the F-150 will weigh about 15 percent less and will further accelerate the F-150 toward to the average 54.5 mpg gallon by 2025 mandate approved by the Obama Administration. The weight reduction will increase the F-150’s miles per gallon fuel efficiency to meet 2020 fuel efficiency standards — a 25 percent mpg increase. According to Ford‘s website,

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Consumer Reports tabs hatchbacks as most reliable car segment

In addition to its yearly offering of best values in different price classes and fuel efficiency, Consumer Reports’ recent lists of best and worst cars included the category of most reliable vehicle by segments. The list makes sense for car buyers not shopping by social status or brand loyalty but in more general terms — the reliability of vehicle segments. It’s not true in every instance, but in many cases the vehicles among the country’s most fuel efficient segment is the same segment that’s the most reliable — hatchbacks. And how ironic? Consumer Reports in general terms reports the more expensive the vehicle segment, the less reliable the segment. In the new Consumer Reports listing, fuel efficient hatchbacks were overwhelmingly

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2014 Audi R8: First makeover means lighter, faster, more powerful supercar

The 2014 Audi R8, a refreshed edition for the first time since the mid-engine, two-seat sports car was introduced in 2006, will feature more horsepower and a new, seven-speed dual-clutch S tronic automatic transmission when it debuts next spring in Canada. Optional on R8 V8 and standard on the R8 V10 Coupe and Spyder, the S tronic replaces the agricultural R tronic autobox that originated from the R8’s sister model, the Lamborghini Gallardo. The new Audi RB will also feature new lighter carbon fiber body components, lighter bucket seats and a streamlined interior. New LED headlights and tail lights will now be standard on the eight- and 10-cylinder Coupe and Spyder cloth-top convertible models. Matched with a 4.2-liter eight cylinder

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TheWeeklyDriver.com joins Carmel's KRML golf show with weekly car review

KRML (1410 AM, 102.1 FM), the recently revived legendary radio station that debuted 55 years ago and was featured in the 1971 movie Play Misty For Me, will regularly feature a new review from TheWeeklyDriver.com. The reviews will be included in the “Fore in the Morning” golf talk show hosted by Ed Vyeda, a golf industry expert and former golf writer and sports columnist. The program will be broadcast 9-10 a.m. Sundays and will focus on the Monterey Peninsula’s golf scene, and will feature interviews and discussions of related topics. TheWeeklyDriver.com segment, offered by James Raia, the site’s editor and publisher, will feature a review of a new vehicle in either of the categories designated by the golf adages “drive

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President Barack Obama's limousine: A modified 2009 Cadillac called The Beast

One of the most anticipated moments of Election Day was President Barack Obama’s arrival for his acceptance speech. One television commentator said it might be shortest processional in history since the president’s motorcade traveled only a few blocks in downtown Chicago to the McCormick Center. The short travel distance nonetheless includes plenty of security vehicles, including the current presidential limousine — a 2009 Cadillac. It’s often called The Beast. According to the manufacturer, Chevrolet, the 2009 Cadillac presidential limousine is the first not to carry a specific model name. The vehicle’s exterior many current Cadillac styling themes, but does not resemble any particular production vehicle. The body is modification of the immediately previous DTS-badged Presidential limousines, but the vehicle’s chassis

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Honda Accord’s dubious honor: most stolen car in the United States

Nearly one million vehicles are stolen every year in the United States, which breaks down to one about every 33 seconds. But those two statistics, while staggering, only tell part of the story of car theft, particularly among the most popular stolen cars brands — Honda and Dodge. One reason for the massive problem of stolen vehicles is that owners make it easy for those in the car theft occupation. Consider: * 50 percent of all vehicles stolen are unlocked. * 25 percent of all vehicles stolen have a purse of wallet in plain sight. * 15 percent of all cars stolen have the key in the ignition. Also: * 33 percent of all vehicles stolen are in California and

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