Tag Archives: News
Lexus Discontinues the HS 250h
Posted on 18. May, 2012 by admin.
Weak sales and a new hybrid on the horizon have prompted Lexus to cancel its HS 250h compact hybrid sedan.
“Production of the HS 250h ceased in January 2012. Lexus continues to monitor sales for each product and we make adjustments to make sure that we meet market demand, and the discontinuation of HS was part of that adjustment,” spokesman Curt McAllister told Cars.com.
Sales of the HS 250h have been tapering off for a while. Last year, Lexus sold just 2,864 units compared to 10,663 in 2010. So far this year, sales are down 40% compared to 2011; just 28 were sold in April.
Though Lexus claims it’s not a replacement for the HS, the brand’s ES 300h hybrid sedan is due later this year. Power will come from a 2.5-liter four-cylinder hybrid system and a two-speed continuously variable automatic transmission. Lexus says the ES 300h will likely achieve an EPA-estimated 40/38 mpg city/highway. The EPA rates the HS 250h at 35/34 mpg.
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Magna Touchskin Tech: Turns Your Interior Into One Big iPod
Posted on 18. May, 2012 by admin.
Once the preserve of control panels on the Starship Enterprise, touch technology is now central to some of the most popular gadgets, including smartphones and satellite-navigation systems. It’ll soon take over much of our car interiors too, says electronics firm Magna. The company has been working on what it calls Intelligent Surface Technology, a…
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Daily News Briefs: May 18, 2012
Posted on 18. May, 2012 by admin.
Event data recorders, aka “black boxes,” are already prevalent in new cars, but a new law would make them standard on all vehicles, according to Car and Driver. The U.S. Senate has passed a bill that would mandate event data recorders for all new cars by the 2015 model year. The law also states that the car’s owner will control the black box info, though the owner could be forced to share it in cases of a court order, says the magazine. The House of Representatives is expected to pass its version of the EDR mandate law, though both versions would have to be reconciled before becoming law. The Department of Transportation has already developed a standard data set for black boxes, which goes into effect for the 2013 model year. It stipulates that event data records must record five seconds worth of pre-crash data, including forward crash speed, the speed the vehicle was traveling, whether brakes were applied and time of airbag deployment. Black boxes are useful for investigating accidents and helping to establish culpability — whether that be the manufacturer — such as Toyota in its sudden acceleration scandal — or the driver themselves.
In other news:
- Toyota will expand its V-6 engine production in America, allowing the automaker to build an additional 216,000 V-6 motors a year. The $80 million investment will add 125 jobs to Toyota’s Huntsville, Ala., plant, said the carmaker. The increased production will begin in March 2014.
- GM’s troubled European Opel brand has decided to move the bulk of production of its next-generation Opel Astra to its plant in England, ending production at its German plant in 2015, according to Bloomberg. The English factory won the contract because its union backed a new deal allowing the factory to work on a three-shift, 24-hour schedule, among other concessions. The deal leaves the Astra (on which the Buick Verano is based) with just two plants (instead of three) in Europe when the new model goes into production in 2015.
- When Volvo axes its aging XC90 crossover for a new model in 2014, the current-generation model will be handed over to Chinese parent company Geely, according to China Car Times. Geely will use the old XC90 platform, which first debuted in 1999, to develop a new high-end brand for China.
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Dixon Fastest In Thursday Indy Practice
Posted on 18. May, 2012 by admin.
Through Thursday, the emphasis at Indianapolis Motor Speedway has been on preparing 33 IZOD IndyCar Series race cars, teams and drivers for the 96th Indianapolis 500, scheduled for May 27. On Friday, May 18 the emphasis switches to that other race – to take the Peak Pole position for the race. There was a good deal of drafting practice Thursday…
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NASCAR The Game: Inside Line Coming This Fall
Posted on 18. May, 2012 by admin.
A sequel to last year’s popular NASCAR video game NASCAR The Game 2011 is in the works and is due out in stores this fall. The new game will be called NASCAR The Game: Inside Line and it’s once again being designed for multiple platforms including Microsoft’s Xbox 360, Sony’s PlayStation 3 and the Nintendo Wii. Allowing you to…
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Bentley Dakar Entry Edges Closer To Reality
Posted on 18. May, 2012 by admin.
Bentley is likely to execute a proven Volkswagen Group formula for the promotion of its upcoming SUV by entering a racing version in the arduous Dakar rally. Just like the Porsche Cayenne and the multiple-winning Volkswagen Touareg that came before it, Bentley’s new SUV, well, the EXP 9 F concept version at least, is expected to compete in…
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Why Your Neighbors Will Hate the Fiat 500 Abarth
Posted on 17. May, 2012 by admin.
In the search for power and a nice exhaust sound, I’ve installed aftermarket exhausts on my cars that attracted unwanted attention. My neighbors tipped off the police, leaving me with a $75 noise violation ticket. Thanks again, jerks. Fiat’s turbocharged, 160-horsepower 500 Abarth may not be as rowdy as my Trans Am, but its loud exhaust has enough volume that I’m being extra nice to the neighbors this week.
A few of our editors noted the exhaust’s tone isn’t particularly pleasant sounding, either. Comparisons ranged from a rusty Honda Civic with an unnecessarily large chrome muffler, to a diesel truck because the turbocharger’s whistling howls through the exhaust.
The exhaust pops, spits and gargles. One extra-loud pop caught me off guard, and I ducked in the driver’s seat. I took a friend for a ride who previously owned a Dodge SRT4 – you know, the Neon – and he was super excited because the exhaust sounded almost identical his old car. The SRT4 came from the factory sans mufflers; the Fiat has a similar low-pitched rumble.
The Abarth’s muffler is designed for minimal exhaust gas restriction and maximum power — in other words, it’s loud. Even from the factory, loud exhausts aren’t uncommon for sports cars. Cars like the Audi TT RS and the Chevrolet Corvette have available exhaust systems that can change the tone and volume through mechanical valves and flaps triggered by a Sport mode or specified engine load. The result is quiet at low speeds and cruising, and loud when the skinny pedal goes down.
The difference here is the 500 Abarth is loud all the time. The exhaust does quiet down at highway speeds, however, and it doesn’t cause a lot of drone cruising at 60 mph, which is common of many aftermarket systems or straight pipes. It doesn’t sound nearly as offensive at wide open throttle as it does starting up or cruising through a parking lot.
Even so, you’ll be heard before you’re seen driving the 500 Abarth. Get the baked goods and casseroles ready for the neighbors.
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It’s Time for Fiat to Offer a Lifestyle Pickup?
Posted on 17. May, 2012 by admin.
The timing could be perfect for a small and efficient pickup truck, and some are looking to Chrysler to make it happen. We reported several months ago that the Fiat Strada would be an interesting choice if Chrysler wanted to fill the void left by the Dodge Dakota, especially since so much has changed in the small-truck market.
Larry Vellequette, the Automotive News journalist who knows Chrysler better than anyone, seems to be suggesting the same thing in his latest blog (subscription may be required to view). He points out that this little car-based trucklet could be exactly what either Jeep or Ram could use to satisfy all those lost sales that Ram (or Jeep) buyers have been waiting for.
Vellequette also likes the fact that a front-wheel-drive compact vehicle that still gets good fuel economy, whether it's gas or diesel, has a place for many buyers. “If Chrysler were to drop its 160-horsepower, turbocharged 1.4-liter in there and maybe a little Jeep powertrain magic, it would make the Strada a very interesting little vehicle in a segment where it would stand almost alone,” he wrote.
We're right there with you, Larry, but it's going to have to be something much better than the Dodge Rampage. Keep sounding the alarm.
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2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid Priced at $25,995
Posted on 17. May, 2012 by admin.
Ford canceled the Escape Hybrid for 2013, but the automaker is quickly replacing it with its first dedicated hybrid crossover. When the 2013 Ford C-Max Hybrid goes on sale this fall, it will start at $25,995. (A destination fee was not given.)
The C-Max “will be more affordable than the Toyota Prius v while achieving better fuel economy,” Ford said. Power comes from a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and a lithium-ion battery-powered motor, which replaces the nickel-metal hydride pack in the Escape Hybrid. The new battery is 25% to 30% smaller and 50% lighter, according to Ford. EPA numbers haven’t been released, but Ford promises the C-Max Hybrid will achieve better gas mileage than the current Ford Fusion Hybrid’s 41 mpg city rating.
“C-Max Hybrid benefits from 20 years of research and innovation behind the software and hardware technology driving it, with many of Ford’s almost 500 hybrid vehicle-related patents contained within,” the automaker said in a statement.
Like the new Escape, the C-Max will seat five passengers in two rows of seats and have a hands-free liftgate, active park assist for easier parallel parking and the MyFord Touch multimedia control system. The C-Max Hybrid will also be equipped with SmartGauge with EcoGuide. It shows real-time fuel economy and uses gauges to help drivers maintain a fuel-efficient driving style.
Although the C-Max shares some components with the compact Focus, it will be bigger. The C-Max Hybrid has a total of 99.7 cubic feet of passenger space in the cabin and 24.5 cubic feet of cargo space behind the second row, Ford said.
The automaker is currently taking orders for the C-Max Hybrid, which will be built alongside the Focus at Ford’s assembly plant in Wayne, Mich. The next vehicle to join the C-Max family is the plug-in C-Max Energi. We should hear more about that model later this year.
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Slow-Selling 2012 Lexus HS 250h Hybrid Killed, Very Softly
Posted on 17. May, 2012 by admin.
Beware, green luxury shoppers: If you like the Lexus HS 250h hybrid sedan, get one now—and you might even score the rare discount on a Lexus. Lexus has confirmed that the HS 250h is no more. And it’s evidence that even Lexus can make product missteps, and that not every hybrid that Toyota or Lexus rolls out is destined to be a sales success…
