Archive for March, 2010
Review: 2011 Ford Mustang GT
Posted on 31. Mar, 2010 by admin.
Powered By Ford. There’s something special about those words, something iconic, something that evokes a grand American scope, from the first cross-country trips in a Model T to a majestic GT40 hammering down the rain-soaked Mulsanne straight. Powered by Ford. It’s the logo stamped into the cam covers of the five-liter Mustang, but you [...]
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2011 Chevrolet Cruze Eco, RS: Up Close
Posted on 31. Mar, 2010 by admin.
I just took a closer look at the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze RS and Cruze Eco. One of these cars is the answer to a question many have asked, and the other may be the answer to a question I've never heard anyone ask.
I've asked if the Cruze looks good enough to compete, especially against the 2011 Ford Focus, whose styling turns heads. The RS appearance package answers the question and shows that, at minimum, the Cruze can look better. The deeper front bumper and intricate fog lights add to its presence and the rocker panel treatments give the car a lowered look. I'm less impressed with the rear end, where the faux grille/diffuser at the bumper's base looks terribly cheesy and manages to do nothing to mitigate the rear bumper's slablike appearance. Though the show car's wheels look great, they aren't the final production versions. At best, the Cruze seems to be following in the Toyota Corolla's footsteps: looking conservative in its lesser forms and more interesting in higher trims. Let's hope it's not received too much like the Corolla, because no version of the Toyota gets anyone's heart racing.
The efficient Cruze Eco falls in the more conservative camp. Its ultra-lightweight 17-inch wheels look pretty sharp. Some of the aerodynamic changes in this 40-mpg-highway cruiser are visible, including a lower grille with shutters that close at higher speeds to reduce drag. (You can even see the shutters, but you have to get on the ground to do so.) The upper grille is large, but I could see that only about 50 percent (eyeballing it) lets air through. I thought this was the aerodynamic treatment, too, before I noticed the same grille on the LTZ RS. A nearby Chevy engineer explained the final Eco grille will be even more “closed out.” Perhaps it was the auto-show lights, but it was a little too obvious at a glance that only part of the grille is a grille. You'd think they could hide that better.
Getting up close to the Cruze Eco made me wonder anew if it's the answer to a question no one asked. Not a bone-stock mileage leader, the Cruze Eco at the show is basically a Cruze LT, a more expensive trim level to begin with, and it's likely the Eco treatment will carry a price premium for its higher mileage. It's not an outrageous idea because hybrids and diesels do the same, but the various puzzle pieces don't fit together here. The 40-mpg-highway figure is for a manual transmission and that knocks out the majority of shoppers. People who want manuals often favor sporty driving, but the Eco isn't very sporty due to its tall gearing and 10-second zero-to-60 time, which means more potential buyers are gone. It seems to me the automatic, which hasn't been rated yet, will determine if the Eco will succeed or fail; it will have to be significantly more efficient than the car it's based on.
Unfortunately, the cars weren't powered up, so I couldn't see the RS package's backlit translucent instrument panel bezels. These are the second and third Cruzes I've sat in, and I like the overall interior quality, especially the dimpled faux-aluminum and piano-black trim on the center control panel. The rough-hewn dashboard fabric is also intriguing.
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2011 Mercedes-Benz E-Class Wagon Resurrects the Rumble Seat
Posted on 31. Mar, 2010 by admin.
Mercedes-Benz continues to churn out variants of the hot-selling new E-Class. The E350 4Matic Wagon follows the sedan, coupe and convertible into the lineup this summer and offers one very wagon-esque feature, a standard rear-facing rumbleseat.
We haven’t seen the likes of that in years, chiefly due to safety concerns, but it’s a welcome site for fans of retro wagons.
Of course, that’s just one feature in a loaded luxury wagon which includes a number of safety features, such as an optional Pre-Safe braking system that can apply 100% braking in emergency situations.
When the wagon goes on sale this summer, it will get just one engine option in the E350 wagon, a 268-hp six-cylinder teamed with all-wheel drive. 17-inch wheels are standard and like the C-Class will be offered in either Sport or Luxury versions. Luxury E350s get a comfort suspension and Walnut trim. Sport models get a sport suspension, not surprisingly, and a black-ash trim. Unfortunately, the grilles aren’t as unique as the C-Class. The Luxury model gets four slim bars across, the sport three. We prefer the big, bold grille of the C-Class Sport.
Overall, the look of the E-Class wagon is attractive and we’re glad Mercedes isn’t following BMW’s trend of keeping its wagons overseas More photos, including the rumbleseat, are below.
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2011 Volkswagen Touareg: Up Close
Posted on 31. Mar, 2010 by admin.
We’re at the first U.S. unveiling of the redesigned 2011 Volkswagen Touareg, and it’s easy to see this all-new SUV has a sense of style.
From the rear, some might mistake the new Touareg for a Q5 from sister brand Audi; the taillights trade the old Touareg’s affable circular lights for more Audi-like creases. Its profile isn’t far off that of the outgoing Touareg – from the rear-quarter or side, many passersby could mistake the two. The major visual difference is up front, where the grille and front air dam adopt a similar design to the Golf/GTI and nose-jobbed Jetta wagon. It’s a sharper look, but I don’t find it as distinctively VW as the waterfall nose that the brand’s remaining models still have.
Volkswagen didn’t allow journalists to actually sit in the seats — something about red wine and a cream interior, despite the fact we weren’t drinking — but we got to take a look at the interior materials while standing outside. The cabin looked good, and the dash is vastly cleaner than the last Touareg’s button-strewn collection. There’s more rear legroom in back, a product specialist said; alas, I couldn’t examine this for myself.
Like in the ML450 Hybrid, the Touareg Hybrid’s battery pack nestles where a spare tire would sit — run-flat tires are standard — meaning cargo volume remains the same. The rear seats now fold in a single step, and now offer both a manual or power option. That beats the old Touareg, which required removing the head restraints and flipping up seat cushions to fold the wretched things down.
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Report: Daimler And Renault-Nissan Set To Announce Partnership
Posted on 31. Mar, 2010 by admin.
Daimler is set to formally announce a partnership with Renault-Nissan over an extensive deal to share everything from engines, platforms and even procurement services. According to latest reports, all brands comprised within these three companies will work much more closely together in the near future, including Mercedes-Benz, Renault, Nissan and…
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2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee Production Starts May 3, Sales In July
Posted on 31. Mar, 2010 by admin.
Chrysler gave us an early look at its redesigned 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee at last year’s New York Auto Show but almost a year on and the vital model in the revitalized Chrysler is still nowhere to be seen. Cherokee fans won’t have to wait too much longer however, as the new SUV is scheduled to start production on May 3 and go on sale…
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Build Your Own McLaren MP4-12C With New Configurator
Posted on 31. Mar, 2010 by admin.
The all-new 2012 McLaren MP4-12C supercar isn’t set to appear on U.S. shores until the middle of next year but eager customers already have the ability to pick and tweak the car to their own desires thanks to the launching of a new online configurator today. The configurator was developed using data obtained from the McLaren’s design…
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2010 New York Auto Show: 2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid
Posted on 30. Mar, 2010 by admin.
At this week’s 2010 New York Auto Show Lincoln is unveiling what the company claims will be the most fuel efficient luxury sedan in the U.S., the 2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid–remember, this is a segment that includes the smaller Lexus HS 250h. The new hybrid, the first from Lincoln, is set to go on sale this spring and when it does, expect fuel…
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2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid at the 2010 New York Auto Show
Posted on 30. Mar, 2010 by admin.
- Competes with: Toyota Camry Hybrid and Lexus HS 250h, to some degree
- Looks like: A Lincoln MKZ with a few new badges
- Drivetrain: 191-hp (total), 2.5-liter four-cylinder and electric motor with continuously variable automatic transmission; front-wheel drive
- Hits dealerships: Fall 2010
Hybrid vehicles have been around for years, which is why it’s a little surprising that Lincoln’s first hybrid is also the first midsize, front-wheel-drive hybrid sedan from a luxury automaker. The MKZ Hybrid’s drivetrain technology should look familiar, as the car is related to the Ford Fusion Hybrid, but it features a number of extra luxury touches.
Official gas mileage figures haven’t been released, but expect them to be similar to the Fusion Hybrid’s 41/36 mpg city/highway rating, if not the same. It hits dealerships in fall 2010.
Like the Fusion Hybrid, the MKZ Hybrid doesn’t do much to advertise itself as a hybrid. There are some extra badges on the front doors and trunklid, but without them, this sedan could easily be mistaken for a regular MKZ, with its large twin-port grille and wide LED taillights.
The MKZ Hybrid is powered by a 2.5-liter four-cylinder gas engine and an electric motor that make a combined 191 horsepower. As with the Fusion Hybrid, Ford claims the MKZ Hybrid can travel at speeds as high as 47 mph on electric power alone.
Perhaps more significant than that maximum electric-only cruising speed is the MKZ Hybrid’s SmartGauge with EcoGuide technology, which features screens incorporated into the instrument panel that can help you drive more efficiently. Whereas the Fusion Hybrid has green vines that “grow” larger the more efficiently you drive, the MKZ Hybrid adds white flowers that “blossom” based on long-term gas mileage. How cute.
Standard luxury features include Bridge of Weir leather upholstery, heated and cooled front seats, a memory feature for the driver’s seat and real wood trim.
Lexus has been one of the few automakers to market hybrid sedans in the luxury segment, but until recently its efforts have yielded performance-oriented hybrids that didn’t offer markedly better gas mileage than their gas-only siblings. The automaker’s new HS 250h is decidedly more fuel efficient at 35/34 mpg, but Lexus has been trumped by Lincoln and the MKZ Hybrid, which offers better gas mileage and more room for passengers.
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Three Tough Mopar Trucks Tackle Moab Easter Jeep Safari
Posted on 30. Mar, 2010 by admin.
While most activity in the automotive universe this week is happening in New York City at the NY Auto Show, Chrysler's Mopar parts division is showing off a group of custom Jeeps and Ram pickups at the annual Easter Jeep Safari. Included are three toughened pickups: the Jeep NuKizer 715, a short wheelbase Ram PowerWagon and a long-travel suspension Ram 1500, called the Ram Runner.
Jeep NuKizer 715
The Jeep NuKizer 715 is tribute to the old Kaiser M-715 military general-purpose heavy work truck that was used to move cargo, troops, weapons, and other gear. Mopar started with a MILSPEC Jeep J8 four-door and converted the truck into a pickup by adding an aftermarket AEV Brute pickup box built for a Jeep TJ. To increase the size of the vehicle, the wheelbase is stretched to 124 inches from 116 inches.
Up front, the conventional Jeep seven-slot grille was swapped out for a forward-slant Kaiser nose crafted from carbon fiber. Bestop custom made the NuKizer's unique soft top which resembles the original truck's.
The running gear includes tough Dynatrac Pro-Rock Dana 44 front and Dana 60 rear solid axles. The rear diff has a super short 5:38 final drive ratio. ARB Airlocker locking diffs are positioned fore and aft. Four-wheel drive torque is sent to the wheels via an Atlas II transfer case spinning custom driveshafts from Tom Woods. Tires are 38 x 14.50-R17 BF Goodrich KM2 mud terrains mounted on Hutchinson double beadlock wheels.
Propulsion comes from the Jeep J8's VM Motori 2.8-liter four-cylinder turbodiesel with a re-programmed controller for more boost. Fuel is supplied from a custom Gen-Right tank made specifically for this vehicle and mounts to the rear cross member.
For body protection on the rocky trails of Moab canyon country, Mopar added Jeep Wrangler rock rails and off-road bumpers. Other features include a Warn 9.5XP low-profile winch equipped with a Master Pull synthetic winch line, Warn air compressor, Terraflex dual-rate front sway bar and Garmin GPS Map 640 navigation unit.
How badly do we want this truck?
Kidney No. 1 is up for grabs on eBay. Please don't make us sell No. 2.
Vehicle information:
- Engine: 2.8-liter turbo diesel I-4
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