August 26th, 2011
Andy
Totally redesigned, the 2012 Ford Focus looks, feels, and smells like the future. It makes its claim as the technology and fuel-mileage leader in the compact car class, a crowded and competitive field full of good cars with base prices in the $16,000-$17,000 range: Volkswagen Jetta, Chevrolet Cruze, Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, Subaru Impreza, Hyundai Elantra, Mazda3, Mitsubishi Lancer, Kia Forte.
But the Focus is a mixed bag of function. The new 2.0-liter engine is super smooth, but the new 6-speed automatic transmission shifts at quirky times. The fabric seats are super, the interior materials excellent and the wraparound cockpit cozy, but there isn't much rear legroom.
Focus looks like a big Fiesta, with an unmistakably Ford shape. It's lower, longer and wider. The new Focus Hatchback model is especially aerodynamic looking. The windshield is steeply raked and roofline steeply dropped to the liftgate glass, making about as much of a teardrop as a chopped hatchback can be. Ford calls the distinctive wide-mouthed grille a split trapezoid, and thank heavens it's black and not in-your-face chrome like other Ford models. Read more »
August 22nd, 2011
Andy
The Alfa Romeo Giullietta blends manageable size and good fuel economy with lots of utility, advanced technology and high, sporting style, crafted by one of Italy's oldest, most revered car builders. Americans could get the opportunity to buy a Giulietta by 2012.
North America might need a bit of context regarding Alfa Romeo, to be sure. The company is an upscale division of Fiat, one of Europe's largest automakers, but it hasn't sold cars in the United States since 1995. The Giulietta name (pronounced like Romeo and Juliet-tah) dates back to 1955, when it was applied to a long line of small, lightweight cars noted for their agile handling. The Giulietta was a volume-produced product that moved Alfa into the mainstream with a new type of chassis known as a unitbody. Giuliettas came in Spider convertible, Sprint coupe, and Berlina sedan body styles and were rear-wheel drive. Through the 1960s, the Giulietta Spider and Sprint developed a small but fanatical following in North America for its sporty handling and racing capability.
Things change, and the biggest change of late is that Fiat is now the controlling shareholder of American automaker Chrysler. Chrysler and Fiat will share technology in the years ahead, and jointly develop vehicles for the U.S. market. Fiat is expected to introduce some of its existing products either through Chrysler dealerships or through standalone stores under the Fiat or Alfa Romeo brand name. Most prominent among these will be the Fiat 500, but in recent discussions Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne has made it clear that his company will introduced a smaller Alfa Romeo to the United States for the 2012 model year. Many in the car business predict the Giulietta will be that Alfa Romeo. Read more »
August 4th, 2011
Andy
The Land Rover LR4 offers amazing off-road capability yet on the road it is quiet and comfortable. Inside is a leather-appointed cabin that coddles passengers in luxury.
The LR4 is fresh from a complete redesign for 2010. For 2011, Land Rover LR4 has been further upgraded with additional technology.
New for 2011 are enhancements to the Terrain Response system designed to further boost off-road capability. Among them are the addition of Hill Start Assist, and Gradient Acceleration Control, which helps maintain downhill speeds on rough or slippery terrain when Hill Descent Control isn't set. Also, Bluetooth phone connectivity is now standard on 2011 LR4 models. A new Vision Assist Package for is available for 2011 LR4 HSE models that includes: HID headlamps, Adaptive Front Lighting System (swiveling headlights), Automatic High Beam Assist, a Surround Camera System, power-folding mirrors, Trailer Assist, and Trailer Hitch Assist. The 2011 Land Rover LR4 HSE now comes standard with a rearview camera. A new 7-Seat Comfort Package is available for 2011 models, and significant changes have been made to several options packages.
Known as the Discovery 4 in the rest of the world, the LR4 is a midsize luxury sport utility, a class that includes the Lexus RX 350, Mercedes-Benz GLK, Audi Q5, Acura MDX, and BMW X5. The LR4 seats five but can seat seven when equipped with a third row.
The Land Rover LR4 and Range Rover Sport share platforms, powertrains, drive systems and sophisticated suspensions. The LR4 comes standard with slightly less luxury equipment, though most of the differences can be handled with options. The LR4's wheelbase is more than five inches longer than the Sport's yet the LR4 is only two inches longer overall. The LR4 has short front and rear overhangs to avoid damage in rugged terrain.
The LR4's looks are distinctively Land Rover. It's a happy, familiar shape that manages to pull off both boxy and, thanks to rounded edges at every opportunity, svelte if not sleek. Read more »
July 26th, 2011
Andy
The new electric Tesla Model S production is scheduled to begin in mid-2012, starting with the Signature Series, and continuing with the 300-mile batteries, followed by 230-mile and 160-mile battery options later that year. Tesla will offer three battery options, the 160-, 230-, and the 300-mile range. The Model S will come standard with the 160-mile range battery with the 230-mile and 300-mile range batteries as optional upgrades. The Model S Signature will also come with the 300-mile range battery and will have limited edition offerings with colors and options not available for Model S.
The Model S will have a top speed of approximately 125 mph, a 0-60 mph time of approximately 5.6 seconds, and a single-speed gearbox. It will feature a standard 17” infotainment touchscreen on every Model S with in-car 3G connectivity for streaming radio and gps navigation, a liquid-cooled, floor-mounted battery pack, and panoramic glass roof and rear-facing child seats as planned optional upgrades.
Charing the Model S can be as simple as plugging into any regular 110 volt wall outlet. A 220 volt outlet, like the ones that are used for kitchen stoves and clothes dryers, will be able to charge the Model S more quickly, from empty to full overnight. At a fast charging station, the Model S is capable of recharging in 45 minutes. The Model S also uses regenerative braking to recharge the battery as well.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk says that the company could cover cross-country drives with 13 charging stations and 8 to 10 stations to cover the U.S. coasts. With each station costing about $25,000, “for a couple million dollars you have covered the country”.
The Tesla Model S will retail for $57,400 (or $49,900 base price after the $7,500 Federal Tax Credit). The 230-mile range battery option will retail about $10,000 more than the base and the 300-mile range battery option at about $20,000 more than the base. Expect to see deliveries of the Model S sometime around the summer 2012. Tesla wants to produce a total of 5,000 of the cars in 2012 and already has 4,600 reservations for the Model S which should cover first year of production.
July 12th, 2011
Andy
Pros:
Smooth, powerful 5.0L V8 engine
Surprisingly luxurious interior
SuperCrew cab means plenty of room for passengers
Decent fuel efficiency, especially for such a large truck
Cons:
Ride gets choppy over rough pavement
Shorter bed length limits cargo capacity
The big news for Ford truck fans this year is an entirely new engine lineup for the best-selling F-150. Replacing the underperforming 4.6 and 5.4 liter V8 engines is a quartet of new motors, including two new V8s, a new base model V6, and even a turbocharged V6.
Although putting a turbo six in a full-size truck is a risky move for Ford, the 3.5L EcoBoost engine has the goods, producing 355 hp and 420 lb-ft of torque, and up to 22 mpg on the highway, a potent combination with gas still close to $4 a gallon. The base 3.7L V6 engine is also an overachiever, making 302 hp and earning 23 mpg on the highway. With numbers like these, even hard-core truck owners might be convinced to abandon their V8s. Read more »
July 8th, 2011
Andy
Hits:
Feels invulnerable
Tour bus front seats
Swallows bikes
Misses:
Mismatched door-to-dash trim
Hard rear seats
Middling fuel mileage
Rearview mirror adjustment button inaccessible when seated
The QX56 comes alive when the sun sets. With its brilliant directional headlights scanning the countryside, its 3/4 overhead navigation tableau reeling off street names as you pass them, and the dual movie screens of the optional ($2,450) rear “Theater Package” blasting pixels into the dark, this Infiniti is the wonder of the digital age. While it’s not much to look at from outside, this boxy, heavy SUV gains all its momentum inside, where a palatial interior cocoons up to 8 occupants with Air Force One attention to detail. The BarcaLounger-sized front seats allow you to survey a jungle-like swath of Mocha Burl trim covering the outer rim of the steering wheel, the center stack of the dash, and the front quarters of all 4 doors. The driver’s seat adjusts in 8 ways, the passenger’s in 6. Read more »
July 5th, 2011
Andy
The basic question here is analogous to one we’ve all encountered in the course of the dating game, to wit: If the package is exceptionally attractive, is the disappointment proportionally greater when substance fails to match appearance? Buick’s recent offerings have been striking, with sexy sheetmetal implying hot performance. The Regal certainly registers well on the eyeballs, its skin stretched tight and smooth over the underlying hardware, suggesting adventure, maybe even love.
And what do we see inside the handsome cabin of this turbocharged Buick? Could that be a manual-transmission shifter protruding from the center console? Yes it could, and it directs a six-speed gearbox of GM’s own design. A shift-it-yourself Buick—imagine that.
Hold the Excitement
The promising powertrain combo—GM’s 2.0-liter direct-injection turbo four spins the gears in that six-speed with 220 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque—had us anticipating a little more gratification than we distilled from the turbo automatic, which finished third of three in a recent comparison test. Read more »
July 1st, 2011
Andy
At Tesla Motors Inc.’s first annual shareholders meeting since going public last July, Tesla CEO Elon Musk provided a vision of using the full capacity of the former New United Motor Manufacturing Inc. plant it acquired from Toyota.
He also discussed a string of electric vehicles and the possibility of a chain of company-owned charging stations and battery-swap facilities.
At the hour-long meeting on Wednesday in San Jose, Calif., Musk detailed Tesla’s progress with the former NUMMI plant. The latest milestone: completing an eight-month installation of a $50 million Schuler SMG hydraulic stamping press that Tesla acquired from “a company in Detroit” for $6 million, including the cost of shipping the tooling with 70 trucks. Musk called it “the largest hydraulic stamping press in North America.”
Musk described the former NUMMI plant, which was valued at $1 billion before Tesla acquired it for $42 million, as “an alien dreadnought.” He said Tesla plans to use the plant’s 500,000-unit annual capacity in the long term.
Read more »
June 28th, 2011
Andy
Audi has been missing in the compact car market - until the launch of its supermini A1 at the end of last year.
Intended to compete with rivals like the MINI Cooper and Alfa Romeo Mito, the Audi A1 is designed to appeal to a younger audience.
It's no secret that the Audi A1 shares its underpinning with its less expensive cousin the Volkswagen Polo, and the car has been labeled by some as nothing more than a premium version of its German understudy.
On paper, I might agree, but as soon as you step into the A1 you soon realise that any notion that this is a Polo is soon dismissed as Audi's refinement and premium interior shine through.
But has the premium brand done enough to capture its intended audience? Let's find out!
Make: Audi
Model: A1 1.4 TFSI
Price: $29,990 - $36,400*
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch S tronic
Engine: 1.4-litre, 4-cylinder In-line turbocharged petrol
Drivetrain: front-engine, front-drive
Fuel consumption: 5.3L/100km
CO2 Emissions: 122g/km
Max Power: 90kW @ 5000
Max Torque: 200Nm @ 1500 - 4000rpm
Safety: Five star
Read more »
June 23rd, 2011
Andy
The blue oval’s luxury branch Lincoln has just rolled out an all new completely restyled MKX for 2011 with a whole new look that follows Lincoln’s modern design language as well as a few new technologies, including the industry first MyLincoln Touch experience, complete with AUDI MMI style interface and the coolest looking center stack controls that you will ever see in your entire life, lighting up as your finger moves across them. Starting with the exterior, the MKX wears the brand’s signature split wing grill as well as a set of backwards reflecting LED tail lamps that hide the light source while allowing the intensity to shine through and a pair of over size four inch oval exhaust tips to go with the new rolling stock ranging from 18 to 20 inches in diameter.
The interior of the all new MKX is all about luxury, craftsmanship made up of genuine materials and sharper execution then the competition. The 2011 MKX will be the first vehicle to use the MyLincoln Touch driver interface. This system replaces traditional buttons, knobs and gauges with clear, crisp LCD displays and the familiar five way directional pad buttons that the Nintendo generation has forced upon society. The screens are personalized to display information relevant the driver at the given moment and are easily changed with their color coded corner and then accessed by the click of a button, voice command or even a touch on the screen.
Under the hood Lincoln powers the all new MKX with a 3.7 Liter Duratec V6 with Ti-VCT to deliver a total of 305 HP and 280 lb-ft of torque, that is a 15% more power and a 12% increase in twist over the previous generation luxury crossover. The more powerful six cylinder is mated to a six speed SelectShift Automatic transmission and will be available for consumers when the Lincoln MKX goes on sale later this summer. Read more »
Totally redesigned, the 2012 Ford Focus looks, feels, and smells like the future. It makes its claim as the technology and fuel-mileage leader in the compact car class, a crowded and competitive field full of good cars with base prices in the $16,000-$17,000 range: Volkswagen Jetta, Chevrolet Cruze, Honda Civic, Toyota Corolla, Subaru Impreza, Hyundai Elantra, Mazda3, Mitsubishi Lancer, Kia Forte.
