Automotive News

,

American Suzuki joins legion of former carmakers, files for bankruptcy

Citing poor sales, vast competition and bad exchange rates, the California-based American Suzuki Motor Corp. will end its U.S. auto business and file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. While continuing its motorcycle and marine engine business units, Suzuki, which began its U.S.-based business in 1985, will making models such the Samurai, Sidekick SX-4, XL-7, Vitara, Grand Vitara and its most expensive model, the Kizashi. Suzuki Japanese parent company, Suzuki Motor Corp., is not filing for bankruptcy, the company said, while adding the American company, which has about 245 U.S. dealers, will honor customer warranties; “While the decision to discontinue new automobile sales in the U.S. was difficult to make, today’s actions were inevitable under these circumstances,” the company said in

Read more
,

Volkswagen Passat TDI shines when catastrophe, fuel shortage collide

Gas shortages mean different thing to different people in the automotive industry.  In the instance of Hurricane Sandy, great gas mileage didn’t matter much since there was a limited supply of fuel available. A full tank of gas in a car or trunk with a big tank and decent mileage, of course, meant a lot more. Correspondingly, hybrid and electric vehicles are keen when gas is in short supply. But what if electricity isn’t available? That was another predicament during Hurricane Sandy and in the following week’s aftermath. More relevant in times of need, therefore, how far the gas you have will take you. In other words, the range of a tank full of gas takes priority. The Smart ForTwo

Read more
, ,

2013 Tesla Model S claims Car of the Year honors

The Tesla Model S sport sedan, overcoming the financial troubles of its owner, long delays, pricing increases and bad press, has been named as the 2013 Automobile of the Year by Automobile magazine. “It’s the performance that won us over,” said the magazine’s editor-in-chief Jean Jennings when announcing the award. “The crazy speed builds silently and then pulls back the edges of your face. It had all of us endangering our licenses.”The magazine’s road-test editor Christopher Nelson was equally impressed. “Driving the Model S is decidedly not like piloting a Nissan Leaf or an electric Smart,” he said. One of Automobile’s contributors, Ezra Dyer arranged a race with a 560-horsepower, $89,900 BMW M5 sports sedan, seeing which vehicle could first

Read more
,

Hurricane Sandy aftermath: beware of water-damaged cars for sale

Natural disasters like Hurricane Sandy take wide-ranging tolls on industry — the demolishing of small corner grocery stores to halting of the stock market. And the cancellation of international sporting events like the New York City Marathon to fraud in the auto industry. According to a report on the New York Times website, the damage from Hurricane Sandy not only destroyed many vehicles and affected the daily operation of car dealerships and auxiliary automotive businesses, it prompted a need for consumer awareness. Consumer advocates are warming car buyers they need to beware of vehicles that have suffered from water damage. It’s not uncommon for sellers to dry out their cars and then try to sell them without divulge the vehicles’ histories.

Read more
,

Hyundai, Kia busted by EPA for faulty mpg averages in 900,000 cars

Hyundai and Kia have inflated gas mileage averages in many vehicles in their respective lineups as much as six miles per gallon, according to an investigation conducted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The two Korean automakers will be forced to lower their mileage estimates for many models dating to 2010 models and and face millions in federal fines and the probably of collective anger among car owners. The most erroneous mpg average in the investigation in with Kia Soul. It’s advertised with an average 35 mpg in highway driving. In the EPA audit, the Soul averaged 29 mpg in highway driving. The Soul is currently one of Kia’s best-selling cars with an 18.1 percent sales increase this year. The

Read more

Jay Leno continues green car passion, test drives Tesla Model S

Jay Leno likes all kinds of cars and motorcycles. He likes performance and practicality, history and craftsmanship. And Leno also adapted early to the hybrid and electric car industry. He has an ancient steam engine machine, a 1909 Baker Electric and one of the first of the first generation of Honda Insights. It’s of little surprise, therefore, that Leno has taken a keen interest in Tesla. Leno describes Tesla as an electric car that doesn’t look like an electric car. The original Tesla Roadster, Leno, says debuted “loosely based on a Lotus.” The Tesla Model S, the comedian notes, takes the Tesla into another area. It not only still performs and looks like a sports car, it has impressive numbers,

Read more
,

Staticap debuts custom alloy wheel center cap

StatiCap has introduced a center cap for alloy wheels that enables drivers to display their vehicle logo or graphic of choice on the vehicle’s wheel center cap, upright and static, whether the vehicle is parked or racing down a highway. StatiCap operates on simple principles of physics and mechanics that keep the wheel center cap in a fixed position, regardless of the speed the wheels are rotating. This simplicity makes StatiCap far more effective than other technologies, such as non-rotating rims. Announced the SEMA Show 2012 in Las Vegas, StatiCap can be installed in seconds. Customers will receive a specially designed tool enclosed with the set of four StatiCaps. A vehicle’s current center cap can easily be removed and replaced

Read more

Toyota, citing responsibility to dealers, employees, donates $1 million to Hurricane Sandy relief

Toyota has faced its own tumultuous concerns in recent years, but automaker said it has particular responsibility to its dealerships and employees affected by Hurricane Sandy and thus has donated $1 million to the American Red Cross and other nonprofit organizations to support relief efforts. Toyota will also match employee contributions to the American Red Cross and other non-profits doing relief and recovery work in affected communities. Beginning Nov. 1, Toyota Financial Services (TFS) and Lexus Financial Services (LFS) will launch a “Customer Outreach” calling campaign to lease and retail customers who are delinquent, or become delinquent, due to circumstances related to the storm and who reside in the 13 states directly impacted by the hurricane (CT, DC, DE, MA,

Read more
,

Scion shines again, Ford plummets sharply again in Consumer Reports' survey

Toyota Motor Corp.’s Scion, Toyota and Lexus remain in the top three positions, while Ford continued its abrupt plunge for the second straight year in Consumer Reports’ survey of auto reliability. On the list of 28 brands, Scion remained first, followed by Toyota and Lexus; Ford fell to 27th position in 2012 after dropping from 10th to 20th in 2011. The top-seven brands on the list are Japanese. “Ford‘s bumpy road can be seen in the numbers,” Jake Fisher, Consumer Reports’ new director of automotive testing, said. “Sixty percent of Ford-branded models and half of Lincolns were below average in predicted reliability, and none placed above average.”In June, the Ford brand placed 27th in the annual Initial Quality Study by

Read more
,

Mitt Romney auto industry television campaign ripped by New York Times

Andrew Rosenthal, who has covered presidential elections for 25 years and is the current editorial page editor of The New York Times, is not pleased how Gov. Mitt Romney is discussing the auto industry. Rosenthal writes the blog Taking Note for the newspaper and he’s upset with a new television advertisement he believes is inaccurate. He writes in part: “It’s odd for Mr. Romney to complain that Mr. Obama ‘took’ the automakers into bankruptcy, since he advocated a managed bankruptcy for those companies four years ago. It’s also odd for Mr. Romney to claim that he’ll fight for every American job, since he got rich, in part, by investing in companies that specialized in relocating jobs done by American workers

Read more
, ,

Ford, Mazda, Dodge, Toyota named Green Car of the Year finalists

The Dodge Dart Aero, Ford C-Max and Fusion, Mazda CX-5 and Toyota Prius C are finalists for the Green Car of the Year, the yearly honor selected by editors and guest judges of the Green Car Journal and announced at the L.A. Auto Show. The finalists list runs the gamut of fuel-efficient powertrains — hybrids and plug-ins to high-mileage gas burners. The two Fords, for example, make the list in part because they come in both hybrids and plug-in hybrid flavors. Past Green Car of the Year winners include the Honda Civic Natural Gas (2012), Chevrolet Volt (2011), Audi A3 TDI (2010), Volkswagen Jetta TDI (2009) and Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid (2008).The 2013 winner will be announced Nov. 29 at the

Read more
,

Maserati issues recall for tire pressure system woes

Even revered luxury cars like Maserati sometimes have problems. The Italian manufacturer is recalling Quattroporte sedans and Granturismo, Granturismo convertible, and Granturismo MC sports cars because of faulty tire pressure monitoring systems. The recall includes 485 cars from the 2012 model year of the exclusive manufacturer whose vehicles have sticker prices starting at about $120,000.In a document filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Maserati said the possible malfunction is the result of a software error and could keep the system from warning the driver when a tire’s pressure is dangerously low. Maserati dealers will replace the TPMS tire pressure system control unit free of charge. The recall is expected to begin in November, and owners may contact Maserati

Read more
,

Amphibious car afloat again on land and sea after nearly 50-year hiatus

It’s been nearly 50 years since the amphibious car had its niche heyday. But the Quadski, a one-person all-terrain vehicle that doubles as a personal water craft, will debut in the United States in November with a price of about $40,000. New Zealand businessman Alan Gibbs, the 73-year-old founder of Gibbs Sports Amphibians, said he hopes the Quadski will be the entree toward full-size amphibious cars to the masses. Powered by a BMW motorcycle engine that turns the wheels and drives its waterjet propulsion, the Quadski is capable of 45 mph on land and water. It takes five seconds to convert from a water-to-land vehicle or vice versa.The Quadski goes on sale next month in Florida and by the end

Read more
, , ,

Chevrolet Corvette, 2014: Out with the old, in with the new in January 2013

The seventh generation Chevrolet Corvette will be introduced Jan. 13 in Detroit, a few days prior to the North America International Auto Show, and will feature little from previous editions of the iconic sports car that debuted in 1953. The new Corvette will have only two parts from the sixth-generation Corvette — a cabin air filter and the rear latch for the removable roof panel. The current generation Corvette, or C6, was introduced as a 2005 model. As as tease to the 2014 Corvette, the automaker revealed the vehicle’s new crossed flags logo. The new logo was selected from more than 100 logo candidates. General Motors said production of the 2014 Corvette will begin in the third quarter of 2013.

Read more
,

Crash Test Dummy mangled in NHTSA faulty air bag video

Counterfeit air bags are being sold to repair shops for discounted prices resulting in more than 20 manufacturers’ vehicles being at risk, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The report released by the NHTSA details vehicles which have had an air bag replaced within the past three years by a repair shop not part of a new car dealership may be at risk. The risk is severe enough the NHTSA has a video showing what happens to a crash test dummy when it’s involved the crash of vehicle equipped with a faulty air bag. The 30-second spot below doesn’t have audio and it doesn’t need it. The consumer safety agency become aware of the problem after the

Read more
, ,

Tata Nano, world's cheapest car, debuting in the United States in 2015?

The Tata Nano changed the automotive industry three years ago when the minimalist machine debuted in India as the world’s cheapest car with a price of about $2,500. Now, the manufacturer’s CEO believes the Nano could be sold in the United States within three years and would be the cheapest cars sold in the country. “The U.S. is a very enticing market,” said Ratan Tata, CEO of India’s Tata Group in an recent interview with Automotive News. “We hope that the sub-$10,000 car has appeal.”The current Nano is a four-seater with a 32 horsepower and 624-cc, 2-cylinder engine mounted in the rear. To compete in the U.S., the Nano would have to be amended meet American standards including adding power

Read more
Previous Next