Archive for September, 2011
2012 GMC Terrain Gets Accident Avoidance System
Posted on 29. Sep, 2011 by admin.
The 2012 GMC Terrain will feature a new crash avoidance system that’ll also serve as a lane mitigation system, according to GM. It will be the first such system in a GM vehicle.
Unlike other precollision and lane mitigation systems, which typically use a series of radar or laser sensors to detect vehicles in front of them, the GMC system uses a digital camera mounted on the windshield in front of the rearview mirror. The digital camera, combined with object- and range-detecting software, determines if an accident is pre-eminent. If it is, the system illuminates a warning icon and beeps to warn the driver. The system also will pre-charge the brakes, like other systems, if an accident is unavoidable. GM doesn’t mention if the system will pre-emptively tighten seat belts, adjust seating position, raise head restraints or close the windows as similar systems do. GMC’s precollision system only works at speeds above 25 mph.
The digital camera also can detect lane markings and will warn if you’ve left your lane without signaling first. The system also can warn you if you’re following the vehicle in front of you too closely when driving at speeds above 25 mph.
GM’s system does have its limitations, which are caused by using a single digital camera and no other sensory inputs. If the camera is obstructed by snow or mud, its effectiveness will be limited, according to the automaker. We’re looking into whether rains is an issue for this system, too.
Update: Heavy rain and snow will affect the system, said GM's Ray Kiefer, who was quick to point out that the majority of accidents happen in clear weather conditions.
The system is a $295 option on the 2012 GMC Terrain, which is already on sale.
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2012 Ford F-150: What’s Changed
Posted on 29. Sep, 2011 by admin.
The 2011 State Fair of Texas is currently under way, and Cars.com and PickupTrucks.com editors are down in the Lone Star State covering the latest in pickup truck-related news.
One of the first big announcements came from America’s best-selling vehicle, the Ford F-150. For the 2012 model year, the four-wheel-drive system gets upgraded on most trims, PickupTrucks.com reports. The system now has a two-speed automatic four-wheel-drive system for the Lariat, King Ranch and Platinum trim levels. There are now four-high, four-low, full-time and all-wheel-drive auto modes on the four-wheel-drive models. Hill start assist is also a new feature, and so is an electronic locking rear axle for the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V-6 and 5.0-liter V-8, all of which are supposed to help improve traction capabilities.
A new, larger fuel tank that can hold up to 36 gallons is now standard on all four-wheel-drive EcoBoost F-150s, boosting the driving range to 750 miles.
The F-150 SVT Raptor gets some performance upgrades for the 2012 model year. A new optional traction-tuned front Torsen differential increases grip significantly for the front end of the truck, according to PickupTrucks.com.
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New Details On 2013 (F30) BMW 3-Series
Posted on 29. Sep, 2011 by admin.
Due in late 2012, or thereabouts, the next generation of the BMW 3-Series is being hotly anticipated, both in M Division trim and in its more ordinary guises. The latest details out of Germany give us some idea of what to expect, and it includes four-cylinders and hybrids. Yes, hybrids. According to the German-language site Auto Bild, the 2013…
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Cars.com’s Chevy Volt Webchat is Tomorrow
Posted on 29. Sep, 2011 by admin.
Check KickingTires at 2:30 p.m. Eastern time Friday for a live webchat about the Chevy Volt featuring Cars.com Executive Editor Joe Wiesenfelder. The chat is hosted by General Motors. It also will feature GM’s Volt product experts and a real-life Volt customer.
Cars.com is a real-life customer, as well, purchasing the Volt nine months ago and driving it daily ever since. You can see all our coverage of the long-term Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf here.
You’ll be able to ask questions about the Volt, so don’t be late.
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Ford Gives F-150s More Range, Content
Posted on 29. Sep, 2011 by admin.
By Mark Williams
Ford revealed a few surprises at the 2011 State Fair of Texas by showing a newly outfitted 2012 F-150 SVT Raptor, a longer range for the four-whee-drive EcoBoost F-150 and a more stylish and contented FX.
We’ve already discussed the changes to the 2012 SVT Raptor, so we’ll focus more on the remaining upgrades Ford made to select models in the F-150 lineup. A new FX appearance package is available on both FX4 (four-wheel drive) and FX2 (two-wheel drive) trucks. The look is set off with black and red fender and tailgate badges, and a red-stitched steering wheel inside.
The FX’s interior features black leather with red perforations and red piping. Interior accents include black-painted dash pieces, brushed-metal surfaces and satin shifter knob, door handles and air-conditioning vent bezels.
Outside, FX models get a new 20-inch, six-spoke wheel with flat black shadow paint. Bodyside decals are matte black with a read-through (almost see-through) dimension for a distinctive look. Other details include a chrome exhaust tip, black-finished grille and blacked-out headlamps and taillamps.
Upgrades to the four-wheel-drive system on 2012 F-150s include replacing last year’s electronic shift-on-the-fly transfer case with a two-speed automatic 4×4 system for Lariat, King Ranch and Platinum trim levels. The new system still offers four-high and four-low modes, but it now also offers a full-time all-wheel-drive auto mode. At any time, if the truck senses a loss of traction at the rear wheels, it immediately transfers torque to the front wheels.
Ford will offer hill start assist to help keep the truck from rolling backward at a stop, making it easier and safer to pull away when stopped on a slope or hill, especially when towing. With the brake pedal pressed, if sensors detect the vehicle is on a slope, the system is automatically activated. Brake pressure is held in the braking system and the truck remains stationary on the slope for up to 2 seconds after the driver releases the brake pedal, or until it senses the throttle is pressed.
Also, the addition of a Neutral position in the four-wheel-drive gear selector means customers now can flat-tow the F-150, making the truck even more versatile. An available electronically locking rear axle replaces most of the limited-slip offerings on the 3.5-liter V-6 EcoBoost and 5.0-liter V-8 engines. It is now available in a range of axle ratios and is even offered on two-wheel-drive models.
Other updates include now offering an F-150 SuperCab with a 163-inch wheelbase option on XL and XLT; a heavy-duty payload F-150 crew cab with a 157-inch-wheelbase option on XL, XLT and Lariat; and the electronic shift-on-the-fly four-wheel-drive system is now standard on XL to FX4 trim levels. (The new four-wheel-drive system will be an option.)
Finally, Ford said a 36-gallon fuel tank will be standard on all four-wheel-drive EcoBoost F-150s, giving that configuration more than 750 miles of driving range. The larger tank allows the F-150 V-6 to go farther on a tank of fuel than any of the competitors, no matter what the engine or drivetrain configuration.
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GM Introduces Industry-First Front Center Airbag
Posted on 29. Sep, 2011 by admin.
GM will add a front center airbag to its 2013 Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia and Buick Enclave vehicles. This industry-first airbag deploys from the right side of the driver’s seat and creates a barrier between the two seats in the front row.
Why create a barrier between the two seats? When far-side collisions — a front occupant is involved in a crash on opposite side of where they’re seated — occur, head, chest and spinal injuries can be severe. This happens because far-side occupants are either flung into the other seat or a passenger, if present, causing harm to both occupants, says the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Nearly 29% of fatalities for belted front occupants in side-impact non-rollover crashes are caused by these incidents, according to NHTSA.
The front center airbag is designed to restrain the driver and front occupant from colliding with each other or other objects in the cabin, and it acts as an energy-absorbing cushion to absorb the colliding vehicle’s reciprocal force.
The airbags will be standard on the 2013 Buick Enclave and standard on GMC Acadia and Chevy Traverse when equipped with power seats. The added airbag would give the large crossovers seven airbags, when equipped. All three crossovers already have top safety accolades from NHTSA and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The center airbag will also help improve roll-over safety, says GM.
Toyota said it’s also working on a center airbag, but it hasn’t released the safety system on a model yet.
Update: GM has cofirmed that the 2013 crossovers will debut a year from now, in the fall of 2012.
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Spyker Sold, Nissan Reads Minds, Bentley To Le Mans: Car News Headlines
Posted on 29. Sep, 2011 by admin.
Today’s mix of news is a bit of a mish-mash, with Nissan the unlikely purveyor of nascent mind-reading technology for future cars, Bentley eyeballing a return to Le Mans LMP1 competition next year, and Spyker selling to a firm that isn’t CPP. Oh, and the president of Equitorial Guinea had his supercar fleet seized–in Paris. Strange days. Nissan…
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Artist-Painted Former Force India F1 Car To Be Auctioned For Charity
Posted on 29. Sep, 2011 by admin.
Try though we might, we can never get our significant others to let us park cars and motorcycles in the house. Now matter how many times we plead that the lines of a Datsun 240Z, or a BMW R1100S, are pure sculpture deserving of a place of honor in the living room, we’re met with blank stares and terse denials. Up for grabs at next…
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Reader Review of the Week: 2011 Hyundai Equus
Posted on 29. Sep, 2011 by admin.
A reader from Houston chose a pretty blunt username to express his feelings about his recently purchased 2011 Hyundai Equus: “Awesome car, but Hyundai needs to work on service.”
After trading in his BMW 7 Series, the reader found the Equus to be a great value but wished Hyundai could step up the dealer experience to feel more luxurious and less bargain bin. Continue reading below to find out more. If you want to share thoughts about your own car, you can write your own review here.
“First off, this car is a superb value for the money. I love the way it drives and handles. However, Hyundai needs to step up its service if it wants to be truly considered luxury.
“Now I understand why people were saying that Hyundai should have created a new brand like Toyota did with Lexus. When I go to the Hyundai dealer, I get treated like an economy-car customer. There are some minor issues that make this car not world class. The iPod interface and voice commands are somewhat inconvenient. They made the car so quiet inside, but then you hear some of the interior parts rattling, and the dealer tells you the car is functioning as intended.
“Bottom line: If you want to save money and don't mind a few inconveniences, this car is for you. If you are expecting world-class materials and service, the saying goes, ‘You get what you pay for.’”
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Ginetta Teases New Sports Car
Posted on 29. Sep, 2011 by admin.
Most readers won’t be very familiar with the Ginetta name but that may change in the near future. Ginetta is a British sports car and engineering firm specializing in kit cars and dedicated track cars In March of last year it acquired fellow British sports car manufacturer Farbio, which at the time was on the verge of launching a new…
