Automotive News

, , ,

Ford sweeps Detroit Auto Show honors with Ford Fusion Hybrid and Transit Connect

The double victory for Ford on Monday marked only the third time in the history of the award an automaker swept the competition. The honors are voted on by a panel of about 50 U.S. and Canadian automotive journalists. The Ford Fusion Hybrid, the gasoline-electric hybrid that debuted in the U.S. market in March 2009, has gas mileage ratings of 41 mpg in the city and 36 mpg highway. It was honored over the Buick LaCrosse and the Volkswagen Golf/GTI. A utilitarian truck shorter than the Fusion, the Transit Connect defeated the Chevrolet Equinox and Subaru Outback for the truck title. Introduced in 2002, the Transit Connect is a leisure activity vehicle that replaced the Ford Escort van line. “A

Read more
,

Nissan announces sponsorship with Lance Armstrong's new Radio Shack team

Nissan North America, Inc. (NNA) has announced an agreement with Lance Armstrong, seven-time winner of the Tour de France and founder of the LIVESTRONG Charitable Foundation, to sponsor his new Team RadioShack team. The multi-year partnership includes the use of various Nissan products as the official vehicle of the team. Jaguar is the official sponsor of the new Sky Team based in England. Skoda is the official vehicle of the Tour de France. Team RadioShack features 25 riders, including Armstrong,  from numerous countries.  The squad will debut Jan. 17 at the Tour Down Under and will compete in major events throughout the season, including Tour of California in May and the Tour de France in July. Nissan has a strong

Read more
,

Honda, Toyota dominate Kelley Blue Book car searches in 2009

Honda has the top two searches with the Accord and Civic and also the fourth position with the Honda CR-V. Toyota has four spots in the top 10 and Nissan has one position. American manufacturers combined for only five spots among the top-20 most search cars on KBB.com. Ford and Chevrolet each had two vehicles represent, but Chrysler wasn’t represented. The Honda Civic, Honda Accord and Toyota Camry (in varying orders each year) have been the top three most-researched new vehicles on kbb.com each year since 2004. The top-20 cars researched in 2009 in KBB.com: 1. Honda Accord; 2. Honda Civic; 3. Toyota Camry; 4. Honda CR-V; 5. Toyota Corolla; 6. Toyota RAV4; 7. Toyota Highlander; 8. Toyota Prius; 9.

Read more
, , ,

Volkswagen Jetta Sportwagen TDI, 2010: The Weekly Driver Car Review

The 2010 Jetta Sportwagen is not as well known as the Toyota Prius. But the two vehicles have been compared. The Prius is the much talked about, industry-leading hybrid. The Jetta TDI is the increasingly popular and peppy diesel. The Prius made many of 2010 Best-of-the-Year lists and even topped some of the compilations. But the Jetta and its surprising value and impressive gas mileage ratings weren’t too far behind. In short, the Prius revolutionized the hybrid industry in the United States and the Jetta may well do the same for cleaning-burning diesel engines. The Weekly Driver Test Drive There’s no easy Northern California or San Francisco Bay Area connection to Mendocino. In either of the two major options to

Read more
,

Bugatti in spotlight for 2010 Monterey Historic Automobile Races

“The Bugatti Grand Prix that will be held at the prestigious historic races in Monterey allows our owners to share the remarkable Bugatti heritage and to show the lineage that defines who Bugatti is today,” said Alasdair Stewart, director of sales and marketing at Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S. “Bugatti has stood for uncompromising performance, luxury and exclusivity, and these attributes are as true today in the Veyron as they were in what was one of the most successful race cars of all time, the Bugatti Type 35.” Bugatti was founded in Molsheim, France, as a manufacturer of high performance automobiles by Ettore Bugatti. The company is legendary for producing some of the world’s most exclusive cars — and some of the

Read more
, ,

Think Global will soon begin U.S. production of new electric car, The City

The Oslo-based company, reorganized with a $47 million capital injection, is “30 to 60 days” from announcing a U.S. production site for its cars, Richard Canny, chief executive officer, told Bloomberg. Three U.S. cities are vying for the production facility with the announcement of the location expected before the end of January, 2010. The City has a range of 112 miles on a charge and will cost about $30,000 in the U.S. after a $7,500 federal tax credit, Canny said. The company said it has orders for 2,350 cars. Think Global hired investor Valmet Automotive, a contract manufacturer, to build the cars. The first customers will be in The Netherlands and other European countries. U.S. sales are expected to begin

Read more
,

Ford Fusion selected Motor Trend's Car of the Year

After tallying the judges’ feedback, the redesigned Ford Fusion came out on top. The 2010 Ford Fusion range demonstrates impressive bandwidth, from a fun-to-drive entry-level model with a four cylinder engine and six speed manual transmission, to a high-tech, highly fuel efficient hybrid, to a sporty version with a 3.5-liter V-6 and all-wheel drive. According to Motor Trend’s editors the 2010 Ford Fusion offers a “sweep across one of the market’s more hotly contested segments.” The extensively revised and redesigned 2010 Fusion is a better, smarter, nicer, comfier and greener car than its predecessor. “It looked, felt and drove like an entirely new machine,” the magazine’s editor noted. The For Fusion took top honors from a field of 23 diverse

Read more
, ,

New Ferrari (Red) Super Facility Theme Park, Retail Store in Abu Dhabi, Dubai

Ferrari may have outdone itself. Not with a new car, but with a spectacular new facility in Abu Dhabi to house all things Ferrari. The Italian automotive manufacturer in collaboration with real estate developer Aldar Properties plan on rivaling Disneyland with their new Ferrari themed amusement park. Its estimated cost is $624 million. In conjunction with the announcement of the theme park, expected to open in 2010, was the opening a few days earlier of the Ferrari store in Dubai. The theme park was originally scheduled to open in time for Sunday’s Formula One Grand Prix in Abu Dhabi. According to AME Info, the United Arab Emirates news agency, the facility will be approximately 250,00 square feet. According to AME:

Read more
,

Subaru tops all manufacturers in Insurance Institute for Highway Safety 2010 ratings

The other car manufacturers to do well in 2010 include: Ford and its subsidiary, Volvo, Volkswagen and Audi with five top picks, and Chrysler with four cars in the top categories. “With the addition of our new roof strength evaluation, our crash test results now cover all 4 of the most common kinds of crashes,” said Institute president Adrian Lund. “Consumers can use this list to zero in on the vehicles that are on the top rung for safety.” Toyota and its Lexus and Scion subsidiaries had a strong showing in 2009 with 11 winners but were shut out for 2010. Four other manufacturers whose vehicles have earned Top Safety Pick in the past didn’t have a qualifying vehicle for

Read more

Popular Mechanics picks diverse group, Chevy Camaro to Kia Soul, Toyota Prius to Ford F150 for Automotive Excellence Awards

Performance: Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 Design: Chevrolet Camaro Value: Kia Soul Fuel Efficiency: Toyota Prius Versatility: Subaru Outback Fun to Drive: Hyundai Genesis Coupe Off-Road Ability: Ford F-150 Raptor Technical Innovation: Lexus Remote Touch Luxury: BMW 335d Workhorse: Ford Transit Connect Each year, to determine the winners of the Popular Mechanics Automotive Excellence Awards, PM’s editors drive more than 100 of the newest cars, trucks and sport-utility vehicles, amassing more than 100,000 miles in the process. Through their experiences on extended test drives around the world, instrumented comparison tests and longer-term evaluations, the auto team nominates a list of vehicles in each category. Those selections are put to a vote and the top vote-getters in each category win an Automotive

Read more
, ,

Step aside, Toyota Prius (51 mpg). Meet the 2010 Volkswagen Golf BlueMotion (61.9 mpg)

And therein lies the problem. Debuted at the Frankfurt Auto Show with its sibling, the Golf R (the most powerful Golf at 270 horsepower), the second-generation Golf BlueMotion is the most fuel efficient Golf of all time. But it’s not likely going to be available in the United States, according to a report by the Car and Driver journalist attending the Frankfurt Auto Show in September. The Golf BlueMotion is currently available in Germany starting at € 21,650 (approximately $28,000). The European price includes German and EU taxes. The new Golf BlueMotion features a 1.6-liter TDI diesel engine with 105 horsepower. The power is delivered via a front-wheel, five-speed manual transmission. The Golf BlueMotion also benefits from aerodynamic changes, plus

Read more

Ford expands massive recall by 4.5 million, says National Highway Safety Administration

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has alerted owners of more than a half-dozen truck and van models sold in the U.S. of potential fire hazards linked to the flawed part manufactured by Texas Instruments. Safety officials investigating the switches said leaking hydraulic fluid can overheat and potentially cause vehicle fires even when the ignition is off. Toyota  recalled several brands last week because of numerous accidents involving unhinged floor mats causing stuck accelerator pedals. Previous recalls over the past several years related to the faulty cruise control problem covered nearly 12 million Ford vehicles. Models included in the newest action: * 1995-2003 Ford Windstars. * 2000-2003 Ford Excursion diesels. * 1993-1997 and 1999-2003 Ford F-Super Duty diesels. *

Read more
, , , ,

Ferrari 430: An iconic sports car nearing its final production (with video)

Its replacement, the Ferrari 458 Italia was unveiled on the 28th July 2009, and is expected to go on sale in Spring 2010. The F430’s all-aluminum chassis was produced in partnership with Alcoa and is virtually identical to that of the previous model, the Ferrari 360. In the F430 it has been slightly re-worked and improved with extra stiffening beams around the floor pan. The car shares parts with the 360, including the roof, doors, front windshield, and passenger compartment-to-engine glass. Internally, both cars are referred to with the same model number (F131), although the F430 has the Evoluzione tag attached to show that it features some major changes. Internally, the car is simply known as the “Evo.” The MSRP

Read more
, ,

Toyota recall: 3.8 millon Lexus, Toyota vehicles could have faulty floormats prompting stuck accelerators

The recall will cover recent versions of the Camry and Avalon sedans, the Prius hybrid, the Tacoma and Tundra pickup trucks and luxury Lexus models, the IS250 and the IS350 as well as the ES350. The U.S. safety recall would be the largest in Toyota‘s history. Toyota and U.S. safety regulators warned owners to remove all driver-side floor mats from eight Toyota and Lexus models sold in the United States, including its Prius hybrid, as an immediate safety precaution. The U.S. safety recall would be the largest in Toyota‘s history. A cost estimate for the company’s still-developing recall was not immediately available. In August, an off-duty California state trooper and three members of his family were killed in the San

Read more
, , , ,

The Quail: A Motorsports Gathering still planned for 2010 despite hotel closure

For 2010, a few of the celebrated marks will be: Featured Milestone Cars of 1934, 45 Years of the Shelby Mustang and Alfa Romeo Special Coachbuilders. As in past years, the event will also feature the tradition of The Great Ferraris along with Pre and Post-War Sport, Pre and Post-War Racing, Sport and Racing Motorcycles and Super Cars. “We are proud to be recognized as one of the most sought after events during Monterey’s Classic Cars Week,” said Sarah Cruse, General Manager of Quail Lodge. “Our team has excelled in creating an exclusive day-long celebration where automotive collectors and connoisseurs have an unmatched opportunity to compare the aesthetics and engineering of the world’s most extraordinary driving machines in a picturesque

Read more

General Motors News: Massive production increase, rehiring for 2010

GM also expects another 600 jobs will be restored at affiliated locations across the United States. U.S. auto dealer inventories were trimmed sharply after the federal government’s “cash for clunkers” program lifted sales in July and August with incentives of up to $4,500 to turn in gas-guzzling vehicles and buy new more fuel-efficient models. GM will draw from its pool of laid off workers first to fill restored positions and expects virtually all of jobs to be filled by workers now on layoff or who would be subject to layoff once other plants are idled. In September, GM said it expected to build 535,000 vehicles in North America in the third quarter and 655,000 in the fourth quarter, down about

Read more
Previous Next