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Mercedes-Benz set to debut two hybrid sedans at Detroit Auto Show

Mercedes-Benz will debut two hybrid E-Class sedans at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), the E 400 Hybrid and the E 300 Bluetec Hybrid, according to several automotive sites, most notably Autoweek.com. The E 400, which is expected to be available in the United States later in 2012 as a 2013 model, will feature a single electric motor between a 302-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6 engine and a modified version of the company's standard seven-speed automatic transmission. The company's first diesel-electric vehicle, the E 300 Bluetec Hybrid, was previewed as long ago as the Geneva Motor Show in March 2010. It

Hyundai joins rare auto club of seven with 1 milion yearly sales in 2011

The 2011 Hyundai Elantra has received its share of accolades. But it likely has just received its most significant honor — the lofty 1 million yearly sales plateau. According to a report on Forbes.com, when the final tallies are totaled the 2011 Hyundai Elantra will be the second-highest seller globally in 2011 with about 1.01 million units sold. The Toyota Corolla, sold under different nameplates throughout the world, remained the top worldwide seller, with about 10,00 more units sold in 2011 than the Hyundai Elantra. While reaching the 1 million in sales yearly total, the Hyundai Elantra joins six other

Honda Civic Hybrid owner sues carmaker for low gas mileage

If you don't get the gas mileage the manufacturer of your car has promoted, sue the carmaker. That's the approach Heather Peters, a former attorney, is taking against Honda in a small claims court suit. She claims her 2006 Honda Civic Hybrid has achieved about 60 percent of the gas mileage she expected. Peters says her Honda Civic Hybrid never approached its marketed 50 mpg estimates. And as the car's battery deteriorated, Peter said it only achieved 30 mpg. Peters wants Honda to pay $10,000 for her trouble and the extra money she spent on gas. The trial is set

CODA joins electric car fraternity, debuts in San Diego dealership

CODA, the Los Angeles-based electric car company founded in 2009, has announced neighboring San Diego as the location of its debut dealership location and with public availability of the long-awaited sedan set for February. CODA’s first vehicle, the CODA, is a four-door, five passenger offering featuring a battery pack that will deliver a range of 150 miles per charge, according to the manufactuer. CODA. The word CODA is a musical term that denotes the concluding passage of a piece of music, from the Italian word coda (tail). CODA Automotive reportedly chose the name because its electric vehicle technology represents an

Hyundai, Kia, VW, GM all back in sold out Super Bowl commercial spotlight

The most coveted and most expensive advertising platform, the Super Bowl, is sold out. And for the auto industry that means welcome back Volkswagen, GM, Toyota, Hyundai and Kia — among other auto-related sponsors. According to a report in USA Today, all 30-second slots, which cost a record $3.5 million each, were purchased by the end of last November. Seth Winter, senior vice president of sales and marketing at NBC’s sports group, told the newspaper, “We have shattered any recent revenue stories in regards to the Super Bowl.” Last year, Volkswagen had two of the most popular Super Bowl commercials, including

Chrysler 300 SRT8, 2012: Baby Bentley Goes Pimpin'

First a disclaimer: I have always been a big fan of the baby Bentley Chrysler 300 styling from 2005. And I am still a fan with this second-generation 300 design. Ralph Gilles and team have taken an evolutionary approach to the new design, largely retaining the baby Bentley proportions and shape while adding to the aggressive stance of the original. The updated grille is tasteful and adds panache missing from the previous generation, and the headlight units with integrated LED daytime running lights add sophistication. The annoying gap at the intersection of the hood, grille and headlight on the previous

Dodge Challenger SRT8, 2012: Refined, handsome muscle car

The 2012 rear-drive Dodge Challenger SRT8 coupe is a refined, modern version of the classic early 1970s rear-drive Challenger, which had a mighty “Hemi” V-8. The 1970s Challenger Hemi (for hemispherical combustion chambers) 425-cubic-inch V-8 had 425 horsepower. But the new Challenger SRT8’s 392-cubic-inch (6.4-liter) Hemi provides 470 horsepower and a pavement-shattering 470 pound-feet of torque. As with the old Challenger coupe, the Challenger SRT8 is a rival mainly to the Chevrolet Camaro and Ford Mustang. It’s essentially a shortened version of the Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger. That improves refinement and ride, but turns the SRT8 into more of

Jaguar XKR-S, 2012: Powerful speedster named Playboy's Car of the Year

The 2012 Jaguar XKR-S, the 550-horspower speedster with a top speed of 182 mph, was selected from a stellar finalists' field that included Audi to Range Rover and Hyundai to Mercedes-Benz as Playboy Magazine's 2012 Car of the Year. The magazine's choices were selected by Ken Gross, the veteran automotive journalist, author and former auto museum executive director. The Jaguar XKR-S, with a starting price of $132,000 for the coupe and $138,000 for the convertible, is the most-powerful production car Jaguar has built. It has a 5.0-liter supercharged V-8 and accelerates from 0-60 mph in 4.2 seconds and 0-100 mph

General Motors recalls 2012 Sonics for missing parts

Recalls, Automotive News

It’s small compared to massive recent numbers, but General Motors is recalling more than 4,000 Chevrolet Sonics because of missing brake pads. It’s the auto industry’s first recall of the pending new year. According to GM, some Sonics could be missing an inner or outer brake pad, resulting in longer braking distances. No crashes or injuries have been reported. The recall involves 4,296 Sonics (2012 models) sold in the United States and manufactured in the assembly plant in Orion Township, Mich. It makes Sonics for U.S. and Canadian markets. Dealers will inspect front brakes on Sonics for missing inner or

FOX News picks BMW, Nissan, Ford among favorite 2011 cars

Like many other print and electronic publications, the online edition of Fox News has announced its selection for "Five Favorite Cars of 2011." The selections couldn't be more surprising and diverse — BMW to Fiat, Ford to Nissan. Dodge is in the mix, too. Fox chose its cars via one consideration: "Memorability." Gary Gastelu, the FOX News reviewe, has nice things to say about the Lamborghini Aventador (who doesn't?) and he defines the Toyota Prius V as "possibly the most practical yet created." But neither of the two cars made the "favorite" list. The choice that makes the most sense but

Hyundai, Toyota shine among TheWeeklyDriver.com's 2011 Top-10 Cars

TheWeeklyDriver.com had its most successful year in 2011. We posted plenty of car news and automotive trends articles, and we incorporated a good supply of independently produced videos to complement the approximately 100 vehicles we reviewed. As editor and publisher of the site, I reviewed 29 cars and trucks in 2011. I drove more than a dozen other vehicles at press launches for several automakers, and I want to thank the nearly dozen manufacturers I worked with in 2011 for their continued support. Thanks also to Michael Dobrin Public Relations, Page One Automotive and STI Fleet, for their continued logistics

What's in a name? Toyota Aqua (Prius C in the U.S.) already a sales hit

The Toyota Prius C, which debuted Dec. 26 in Japan as the Aqua, is already creating a lot of automotive industry interest. And not only is the interest in Toyota's small hybrid expanding, it's about five times greater than what the Japanese automaker expected. While the debut of the car in the United States is several months away, about 60,000 reservations have been placed for the vehicle in Japan. According to a report in the New York Times, the orders for the Aqua were received before the vehicle became available. Toyota had predicted monthly totals of 12,000. More details of

Smart car? How about Smart truck? New Daimler concept set for Detroit Auto Show

Pickup trucks are all the rage, with a new offering of alternative fuel selections on the market as well as one of the most unique vehicles, a Smart For-us concept pickup, set to debut at that Detroit Auto Show in January. A Daimler division product, the Smart For-us will be the biggest of the tiny Smart cars, currently represented only the Smart ForTwo The Smart For-us concept is 140 inches long (11 feet, 6 inches), about six feet shorter than a Ford F-150 pickup, the United States' best-selling passenger vehicle "In a tongue-in-cheek manner, the For-us signals that this is

Toyota Aqua debuts in Japan with unknown: Can new tiny hybrid sell well?

Toyota's smallest hybrid car, named the Aqua in Japan and the Prius C in the United States, went on sale December 26 in Japan with its native country's manufacturer hoping to attract young buyers to the entry level, fuel efficient market. Priced with a U.S. dollar-converted $21,770, Toyota hopes to sell 12,000 Aquas per month in Japan as part of its global goal of selling 20 percent more hybrid vehicles in 2012 than it's expected to sell in final 2011 totals. "The Aqua shows Toyota is increasing efforts to boost sales in the domestic market," said Mamoru Kato, an auto

Via Motors joins small, growing fraternity with 100 mpg pick-up truck

Via Motors will debut, with an introduction by Bob Lutz, former GM vice president, the Via eREV, an electric-powered full-size pickup truck, 4×4 SUV and cargo van at the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit on Jan. 10. The powertrain in the new Via eREV (Extended-Range Electric Vehicle) will work similarly to the Chevy Volt. Lithium-ion batteries power the wheels for a full electric range of around 40 miles. When batteries are low, a small onboard gas engine will provide extended-range capability for the batteries, up to 400 miles using the onboard generator, averaging up to 100 mpg.

Ford, Honda steadily advancing in green car market

Ferrari and Rolls Royce are even entering the alternative fuel vehicle segment. But green cars still represent a small, controversial and slow-growing percentage of country's yearly auto sales. The Toyota Prius hybrid earlier this year surpassed one million sales in the United States since its debut in 2001. But in 2011, through sales ending in October, the Prius was only the 12th best-selling car in the United States with about 120,000 units purchased. Regardless of the slow adoption rate, industry enthusiasm remains. In mid-December, Exxon Mobile, in its annual energy outlook prognosis, predicted half of new cars by 2040 would