previous > |
| 29 Jan, 2010 |
| Peugeot
408 |
 A clarification first: Peugeot 408 is not the successor of 407. It is actually a 308-based sedan designed for emerging markets, very much like Renault Fluence. The car will be produced in China by its joint-venture with Dongfeng. The real successor to 407 will be 508. It will be made much larger than the current car in order to merge the 40X line and the defunct 60X line into one. Expect that car to arrive next year. Like Fluence, the 408 rides on a low-cost C-segment platform with MacPherson strut and torsion-beam suspensions. While this is not a good news to handling and ride refinement, it may still satisfy the demand of developing countries, which care more about price and space. Also like Fluence, its 308 platform is stretched to enable more interior space, especially to the rear seats. Wheelbase is stretched to 2710mm, up 100mm on 308 hatchback. In addition to the boot, overall length is increased by 400mm to 4680mm.  Despite of its root, the 408 does not look very much like 308, thanks to a new corporate nose design (first introduced in 5008). It is definitely more elegant than 308. However, the rest of the car is quite ordinary, especially the tail. Inside, as expected, it shares the same dashboard with 308. That will be decent enough for its purpose. Its powertrain is outdated by the standard of developed world. Both the 110hp 1.6 and 147hp 2.0 VVT engines have already been phased out in European PSA models, as is the 4-speed automatic transmission. It seems that the French company shipped its old production tooling to China, where CO2 emission is not yet regulated. For the rest of the world, we have better to wait for next year's 508 to see the best effort from Peugeot.  |
| 29 Jan, 2010 |
| Mazda 6
facelift |
 Mazda 6 has undergone a minor facelift which also brings fine tuning in suspension and steering, and new 2.0 DISI direct injection engine. Until now, the Japanese company has been slow to direct injection technology, let alone the combination with downsized turbocharged engines. The 2.0 DISI engine has been applied to Mazda 3. The version here is the same, producing 153hp and 139 lb-ft of torque. Disappointingly, these figures are just marginally higher than the outgoing 2.0 engine's 147hp and 136 lb-ft. Mazda still has long way to go to catch up its rivals. |
| 29 Jan, 2010 |
| Volvo
2.0GTDi engine |
  Compare with Mazda, Volvo has taken a bigger step forward. Its new 2.0GTDi direct-injection turbocharged petrol engine is (again) based on Mazda's MZR design with twin-VVT, but added with direct injection and what claimed to be the world's first turbocharger whose housing is integrated with exhaust manifolds and fashioned in steel sheets. Turbochargers integrated with exhaust manifolds are not uncommon these days, but this one employ steel sheet instead of cast iron for the whole exhaust manifolds and turbine housing. The benefits are lighter weight, smaller size and faster to heat up, the latter enables catalytic converter to get into working temperature faster thus reduce cold-start emission. Moreover, its double-layer construction (with thermal insulation between the two layers of steel sheets) reduces heat loss through the exhaust manifolds and turbine housing, further improving heat up time. The 2.0GTDi engine produces 200 horsepower and 221 lb-ft of torque, the same as the similar engine having introduced to Ford S-Max / Galaxy and to be used in new Focus. It is not known yet whether the Ford engine will adopt this feature in the future. In Volvo, first applications will be S80, V70 and XC60. It will replace the 2.5T five-cylinder engine which offers exactly the same power and torque figures but a higher fuel consumption. |
| 29 Jan, 2010 |
| Ford
returns to profit |
 Following the positive sales figures we reported earlier this month, Ford said its business finally returned to profit. In the full year 2009, it recorded a net profit of US$2.7 billion, compared with a loss of $14.8 billion a year ago. This is also the company's first profitable year since 2005. |
| 27 Jan, 2010 |
| Saab
given one more
chance |
 Although I have always been pessimistic with Spyker's attempt to acquire Saab, it is still nice to see Saab can avoid winding down, at least in short-term future. Yesterday, General Motors announced it had reached an agreement to sell Saab to Spyker. The deal is believed to cost the Dutch supercar maker US$74 milliion. Saab and Spyker will merge into a new company, Saab Spyker, in which GM will hold $326m worth of preferred shares but virtually no voting right. Part of the finance will come from a 400m euro loan by European Investment Bank guaranteed by the Swedish government. It remains to be seen how Victor Muller, who failed to stop Spyker from bleeding for years, can turn around Saab. Considering Saab has a production scale 2,000 times of Spyker's and a workforce of 3400 instead of 130, I suppose Muller might have underestimated the difficulty. Or maybe he wants to create a bigger trouble to hide his current trouble, who knows ? What Spyker will get is the Saab brand, the Trollhattan plant and 3 cars, namely the current 9-3, the new 9-5 (expected to go into production in April) and new 9-4X, i.e. a 4x4 crossover supplied by GM's Mexican plant.  |
| 26 Jan, 2010 |
| 2009
Volkswagen group sales figures |
 2009 was a difficult year for motor industry. However, a few players successfully resisted the economy downturn and recorded positive sales result. Volkswagen group is one of them. The world no. 3 car maker sold 6.29 million vehicles last year, 1.1 percent higher than a year ago. This mean it narrowed the gap from Toyota, whose sales contracted by 13% to 7.81 million units, and should be very close to the troubled GM. Among its brands, Audi experienced a slight decline by 5.4 percent, although it probably did better than BMW and Mercedes-Benz. SEAT continued to struggle, with sales dropped by 8.6%. However, the largest selling Volkswagen brand did exceptionally well in 2009, recorded a rise of 7.8 percent. This is primarily driven by China, whose sales increased by an astonishing 32.4%. The launch of new generation Golf and Polo also helped it fended off economic crash better than rivals. Skoda, the rising brand in recent years, also achieved a slight increase of 1.4%. Sales of Bentley, Bugatti and Lamborghini are too minor to be mentioned. Total sales numbers are shown below: Volkswagen: 3.95 million units Audi: 949,700 units Skoda: 684,200 units SEAT: 336,600 units With the new small car Up in the pipeline and the expected strengthening of small car strategy from partnership with Suzuki, the prospect of Volkswagen group looks promising. There is a good chance it could achieve its goal of becoming world no. 1 by 2018. |
| 26 Jan, 2010 |
||||||||||||||||||||
| 2009
European top 10 sales chart |
||||||||||||||||||||
 As expected, the best selling car in European last year was again Volkswagen Golf. Ford Fiesta performed admirably well to secure second position.
|
| 24 Jan, 2010 |
| 326hp
BMW 335is Coupe |
 Since the launch of 5-Series GT, BMW has been replacing the N55 bi-turbo 3.0-liter straight-six on its "35i" models with the new N55 twin-scroll single-turbo Valvetronic 3.0 straight-six, which produces the same power and torque figures as the outgoing engine. However, the N54 is not going to die yet. Recently, we have seen it tuned to deliver higher output to serve BMW 740i as well as Z4 sDrive35is. Now the same treatment goes to the 3-series coupe and cabriolet. New range topping model 335is employs the N54 twin-turbo engine delivering 326 horsepower at 5900 rpm and 332 lb-ft of torque at 1500-5000 rpm, the same figures as 740i's. Besides, overboost at higher speed enables the max torque to jump to 369 lb-ft. As a result, 0-60 mph acceleration is quickened from the previous 5.2 seconds to 4.9 seconds. As before, the engine pairs with either 6-speed manual or 7-speed DCT twin-clutch gearbox. The 335is has revised spoilers and larger front intakes to draw more air towards the twin-radiators that the new engine required. However, it does not alter the chassis, suspensions or brakes. As before, you need to tick the M-sport suspension option if you want a swifter handling. |
| 24 Jan, 2010 |
| Mini
Countryman |
 Normally we don't talk about sport-utility vehicles or their crossover with other kinds of vehicles. However, the new Mini Countryman seems to be more a pretending SUV than a real one. Measuring 4097mm long and 2595 mm in wheelbase, it is no larger than a Renault Clio, and more compact than a Volkswagen Golf. Its undisclosed height seems elevated a lot from the regular Mini, but that car is actually very low by today's standard. I would say it qualifies to be a B/C-segment hatchback.  The Countryman is built on the regular Mini's platform, of course, in order to enhance the economy of scale. Its front-wheel-drive chassis is suspended by the same MacPherson struts up front and multi-link suspensions at the rear, although the ride height is significantly increased. However, you can option 4-wheel drive, which uses an electrohydraulic multi-plate clutch to transfer power to the rear wheels. BMW said it can distribute "up to" 50 percent power to the rear axle in normal circumstances, which implies for most of the time it is largely driven by the front wheels. Under emergency conditions, electronics can send nearly all power to the rear wheels.  The Countryman also employs the same engines as the recently revised Mini (see below): 90hp 1.6 turbo diesel (One D), 98hp 1.6 Valvetronic (One), 112hp 1.6 turbo diesel (Cooper D), 122hp 1.6 Valvetronic (Cooper) and 184hp turbo Valvetronic DI 1.6 (Cooper S). 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic gearbox are available.   Inside, the Countryman is much more spacious than the regular Mini. It finally offers decent space for 4 adults, more so than the long-wheelbase Mini Clubman. No matter headroom, legroom or shoulder room, it is considerably more generous than the Clubman. You can choose between 4-seat or 5-seat configuration. If you choose the former, you will get a rail running through the whole length of the cabin, on which you can clip accessories like cup holders, storage boxes, arm rest and audio equipments. (Incidentally or not, this feature is also available in the new Opel Meriva) Hopefully BMW will earn more money by selling new accessories. As expected, the rear seats can split, fold and slide to alter luggage space from 350 liters to 1170 liters, again much more than the regular Mini. |
| 16 Jan, 2010 |
| New
engines to Mini |
 BMW used to offer an engine upgrade to its cars during the middle of their life. Mini is no exception. This year, the whole gasoline engine range of Mini gets some improvement: Mini Cooper S: the 1.6 DI twin-scroll turbo motor finally gets Valvetronic to its crowded cylinder head. As a result, power is boosted to 184 hp from 175 hp, torque is unchanged, but fuel economy is improved from 41 mpg to 49 mpg, making a frugal car even more remarkable. Mini Cooper: the naturally aspirated 1.6 Valvetronic engine is basically unchanged except with some lower friction treatment like other engines. Output inches up from 120 to 122 hp. Mini One: big news is the abandoning of the previous 1.4-liter VVT engine for the larger 1.6 Valvetronic in order to boost torque from 103 to 113 lb-ft. Max power improves by only 3 hp to 98 hp because this is a detuned version of the Cooper engine. Fuel consumption is worsened slightly from 53.2 mpg to 52.3 mpg. Mini First: First takes over One as the entry-level Mini. It shares the 1.6 Valvetronic engine again, but detuned further to 75 hp and 103 lb-ft. Fuel consumption is identical to Mini One. I wonder why BMW created an engine with so low specific power using so sophisticated technology. Seems a waste of materials. |
| 12 Jan, 2010 |
| Cadillac
XTS |
 A first glance can easily see this large Cadillac will be the replacement of the current STS as well as the overdued DTS (DeVille). Yes, it measures some 5170 mm, standing between the two large Cadillacs. Dig deeper, however, you will get confusing. First of all, the 2837 mm wheelbase is hardly what an F-segment luxury limousine deserves. In fact, it is identical to the E-segment Buick LaCrosse. Examine the engine bay, you will find a 3.6-liter DI V6 instead of a decent V8, although the show car claims to have an additional electric motor to boost power and mileage. Moreover, the engine is mounted East-West, implying the car is built on a front-wheel drive platform rather than a premium RWD platform. The show car's 4WD system confirms this suspicion, as FWD can be easily converted to 4WD with a Haldex multi-plate clutch.  Now tell you the full picture: the Cadillac XTS is derived from the mid-size Epsilon II platform, the same as the aforementioned LaCrosse, Opel Insignia (Buick Regal) and the unfortunate new Saab 9-5. Chevrolet Malibu is also a close cousin. You can't help amazed how Cadillac managed to lengthen it so much. Look at the extra-long rear overhang and you will understand ! For sure, the car will provide a class-leading luggage space. Then what about cabin room, especially the all-important rear seats ? From the pictures, it seems to be accommodative, not hampered by the relatively short wheelbase. Undoubtedly, the transverse engine layout helps deliberate space from the engine compartment, so the cabin of XTS can be stretched forward, resulting in a so-called "cab-forward" design.    Talking about design, the XTS is quite well designed. It follows the "Art and Science" theme of CTS, while the slightly flamboyant vertical headlights were inspired by the Cadillac Sixteen concept car shown a few years back. Crisped cut lines and plenty of chromed details deliver an expensive feeling. GM's 3.6 DI V6 should deliver 304 horsepower and 273 lb-ft of torque, but aided by the show car's electric motor and Li-ion battery, the hybrid powertrain produces a combined 350 hp and 295 lb-ft. Just imagine what if the hybrid does not make into production. Cadillac seems to have few choices, as the Northstar V8 has died and the small-block V8 is not compatible to transverse applications. The best solution could be twin-turbocharged the V6. Anyway, this year's Detroit show is about green image, so a hybrid is shown.  Not much else worth mentioning: OLED instruments, Pop-up rear entertainment system, Magnetic Ride Control damping... Production is expected to start at late 2011. |
| 12 Jan, 2010 |
| Audi
E-tron inches closer to reality |
 I didn't take the previous, R8-based E-tron seriously, because it looked unreal for production. That explain why it was not reported here. However, Audi kept saying the E-tron was slated to production in 2012, and that made me puzzling. Now in Detroit motor show the matter gets clearer - the "E-tron" it mentioned is not necessarily the R8-based model, but a smaller and cheaper car being shown in Detroit. And, to make things confusing, Audi calls this prototype as E-tron again. The new E-tron is still a mid-engined electric sports car, but it is far smaller than the last one. It measures only 3.93m long, 1.78m wide, 1.22m tall and runs a 2.43m wheelbase. In other words, it is as small as the last generation Toyota MR2. Audi said it has an ASF aluminum spaceframe chassis clothed in carbon-fiber body panels. This compensates the hefty weight of the battery pack (400 kg) and results in a more acceptable kerb weight of 1350 kg, compare with 1600 kg of the R8-based E-tron.  While the R8-based E-tron drives all 4 wheels through 4 motors, the small E-tron is rear-drive only, powered by two individual motors, each drive one rear wheel so that "torque vectoring" is easily available. The Lithium-ion battery is mid-mounted between the cockpit and the rear axle, so it achieves a good, 40:60 front to rear weight distribution. Combined output of the motors is 204 horsepower, which translates to 0-60 mph in 5.6 seconds. Top speed is regulated to 124 mph. The car has a range of 250 km (155 miles) thanks to the large capacity Li-ion battery. On the downside, it takes very long time to recharge. Through a European household socket (230V 16A), it takes as long as 11 hours to recharge to full. Install a 400V industrial socket and it will be reduced to 2 hours.  For a car so small, its chassis seems over-engineered. Not only the ASF and carbon-fiber body are too expensive for production, but the all-double-wishbone suspensions and wide tires (235/35 front and 255/35 rear) are also far from realistic. If Audi really want to make it happen, more costs have to be slashed for sure. One of the solutions is the use of an existing platform. Considering the size of the car and its mid-engined layout, I suspect Audi wants to build it on the mid-engined platform of Volkswagen Bluesport, Audi R4 and baby Porsche. These cars are yet to be approved, but putting them together will result in an annual production volume of 100,000 units, which will make business sense. The fate of E-tron will tie with these cars.    |
| 12 Jan, 2010 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Honda
CR-Z production car |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 Honda uses Detroit to show the production CR-Z. This car will be a good test whether the market accept a hybrid coupe biasing towards the green side than the performance side. Headline is a 0-100 km/h time of 9.7 seconds, or 0-60 mph in around 9.1 seconds. Such performance is laughable considering its aggressive shape, especially with Mugen aero kits ! It is definitely one of the slowest coupes you can buy. The CR-Z is built upon the platform and components of Insight to share cost. Being a 2+2 coupe, it rides on a shortened wheelbase and a bodyshell with a sportier profile. The Insight's 1.3-liter 8-valve engine gives place to a more powerful 1.5-liter 16-valve engine, while the standard transmission becomes a 6-speed manual gearbox (CVT is optional). The following table shows how they compare:
 Still, the CR-Z is actually slower than the CRX Honda produced twenty-something years ago. You might remember, that car could sprint from rest to 60 mph in 8.0 seconds. Don't see CR-Z as the new age CRX. It is a very different animal with different purpose and different target customers, despite of the similar appearance.   |
| 11 Jan, 2010 |
| Ford
Focus Mk3 unveiled ! |
 Arguably the most important world premier in Detroit motor show, the third generation Ford Focus is set to be a "world car" again. From 2011 it will be sold simultaneously in Europe, America and Asia. These markets will be supplied by factories in Saarlouis (Germany), Michigan (USA) and Chongqing (China) initially and will be joined by Spain and Russia later on. Its variants and siblings sharing the same platform will eventually crank out 2 million cars a year, if everything goes according to the wish of Ford. These cars will include the 4-door sedan and 5-door hatchback shown here, a station wagon, a cabriolet, the already launched C-Max and Grand C-Max, next generation Kuga in 5 and 7-seat forms, a coupe dubbed as "new Capri" and finally an electric Focus. In total there will be 10 variants based on the new Focus platform. Some 80 percent components will be common to save cost. All countries will be offered with the same Focus except different choices of tires, wheels etc. This conforms to Ford CEO Alan Mulally's policy to offer global products and eliminate duplicated costs.  I used to be a big fan of the "New Edge" styling of Focus Mk1, but never been warm to the Mk2. The Mk3's "Kinetic" design looks sharper and more interesting than the outgoing car, of course, but is it as innovative as the original car ? I don't think so. Look at the front end, the grille is very conventional - a sharp contrast to what Peugeot tries in SR1 - and the oversized lower intakes seem overaggressive for a family car. The side view looks similar to Fiesta. The rear of hatchback breaks no ground from Lancia Delta or Opel Astra, but the taillights are obviously flamboyant. Martin Smith, Ford's European design boss, is too heavy-handed this time in shaping the new Focus.  Despite of a similar length and width, the new Focus looks longer and slimmer than the outgoing car. This must thanks to a 25 mm drop of overall height. The new chassis employs higher percentage of high-strength and ultra-high-strength steel as you can predict, so its crash protection should be improved without adding weight. The chassis continues to ride on MacPherson struts front suspension and controlled blade (multi-link) rear suspension with only minor tweaks. The electro-hydraulic assistance in the steering is finally lost to a pure electric setup in the view of lower costs and fuel efficiency. Let's hope its great steering feel would not be hampered as a result. Dynamic Cornering Control is added for the first time. Ford claims it provides "torque vectoring" function, but it seems to me that some people think a brake-actuated system is also "torque vectoring".  I hate manufacturers deliberately keeps technical details secret at the car's debut. This waste our time to supplement information in the coming days. Unfortunately, Ford applied the same tricks. At the moment it won't tell us the exact dimensions, weight or drag coefficient of the Focus. Details about the engine lineup is also quite brief. We know it will include a 1.6 direct-injection Ecoboost turbo for Europe and a naturally aspirated 2.0 Ti-VCT (twin-continuous VVT) direct injection engine for US market. The latter produces 155 hp and 145 lb-ft. Output of the more interesting 1.6 turbo is unknown, but I guess it will be about 170-180hp. The new 200hp 2.0 Ecoboost DI engine, just debuted in S-Max / Galaxy, is believed to power the top of the range ST, probably boosted to 240hp in order to replace the Volvo five-pot. In the diesel side, Ford only mentioned a 2.0TDCi engine, but you can put money on a 1.6TDCi as well. Transmission will include PowerShift dual-clutch 6-speeder, which is already available to today's Focus.  Again, we shall wait for more technical specifications to judge whether the new Focus could topple Volkswagen Golf as the best selling European-originated car in the world. My first impression is mixed, but at least it looks fresher than the Mk6 Golf.  |
| 11 Jan, 2010 |
| Peugeot
previews new design direction with Aston Martin-like concept |
 This Aston Martin V8 Vantage lookalike is Peugeot's concept car SR1. It shows a new design direction taken by Peugeot's new design boss Gilles Vidal and PSA group design director Jean-Pierre Ploue. Unlike the countless flamboyant concept cars preceding it, the SR1 refreshes our eyes by employing a small recessed grille, elegant detailing and a more balanced proportion. These elements will be applied to the forthcoming Peugeot 208 and 408, hopefully bringing Peugeot back to the forefront of design.  The car itself is not destined to production, of course. However, it showcases Peugeot's Hybrid 4 technology, which combines a 218hp 1.6THP engine and a 95hp electric motor to produce a total of 313 horsepower. The transversely mounted engine drives the front wheels and the electric propulsion goes through the rear wheels when extra punch is required, so the Aston Martin look does not guarantee Aston Martin handling.   |
| 11 Jan, 2010 |
| Volkswagen
New Compact Coupe concept |
 NCC, Volkswagen's New Compact Coupe, went public for the first time in Detroit auto show. This 2-door coupe is sized similar to Volkswagen Jetta, with 4.54m length, 1.78m width and 1.41m height, and a slightly longer wheelbase at 2.65m. It is built on Golf IV platform. The concept is powered by a hybrid powertrain comprises of a 150hp 1.4TSI engine and a 27hp electric motor, the latter is sandwiched between the engine and the 7-speed DSG gearbox. It is claimed to top 141 mph and accelerate from 0-60 mph in 8.1 seconds.  What we are most interesting is whether the coupe will go into production and what its market positioning will be. From the high level of finishing and the realistic exterior and interior, it will undoubtedly go on sale within 2 years. Insider said production will take place at Volkswagen's Mexico plant together with the next Jetta sedan and estate. This mean the NCC is actually the Jetta coupe, no matter whether it will adopt this name. These cars are part of the plan to boost Volkswagen's USA sales from 213,000 units last year to 400,000-450,000 units by 2012-2013. However, considering the conservative looks of it, a wait for 2 years will be too long, by then it could become outdated already.   |
| 11 Jan, 2010 |
| NACOTY:
Ford Fusion Hybrid |
 A mid-life facelift and a hybrid conversion give Ford Fusion a surprising win in North American Car of the Year contest, as announced today at Detroit auto show. The Fusion Hybrid beats finalist rivals Buick LaCrosse and Volkswagen Golf. Ford also takes the Truck of the Year award with its British-designed Transit Connect van. |
| 11 Jan, 2010 |
| Chevy
Aveo / Daewoo Kalos Mk2 |
 These are the first official photos of the second generation Chevrolet Aveo / Daewoo Kalos, to be appeared in Detroit motor show in hottest RS trim. No technical details have been released except that the RS is powered by the firm's 140hp 1.4 turbo (see Opel Astra) and 6-speed manual gearbox. However, minus the extra aero kits this car is a good indication of how the production mainstream model will look.   |
| 11 Jan, 2010 |
| Chrysler
reveals new engines |
|
Chrysler
has revealed details of its upcoming FVVA engines. What is FVVA ? It
stands for Fully Variable Valve Actuation, or in other words,
"Multiair" in FIAT's language. The first two FVVA engines are
transferred straightly from FIAT: the 1.4-liter FVVA producing 100hp
and 95 lb-ft and 1.4-liter FVVA Turbo producing 170hp and 170 lb-ft.
They will be used in the American version FIAT 500 as well as
Chrysler's upcoming B and C-segment cars.
Further up is the FVVA version of today's 2.4-liter four-cylinder "World Engine". Multiair technology boosted its horsepower from 172 to 190hp and torque from 165 to 175 lb-ft, not to mention the expected 10 percent reduction in fuel consumption. The company also revealed that a turbocharged version of this motor is under development for later launch. Expect the 2.4-liter engine will serve the next generation Sebring. The last one is the new "Pentastar" V6, which had been developing in Detroit before the acquisition by FIAT. This 3.6-liter DOHC 24-valve dual-VVT engine produces 280hp and 260 lb-ft of torque, finally matching the class average. At least 90 percent of peak torque is available from 1800 to 6400 rpm. In the future, it will be compatible with Multiair, direct injection as well as turbocharging. |
| 7 Jan, 2010 |
| Lotus
patented lightweight twin-clutch gearbox |
 The above is the drawing Lotus submitted to patent application. It shows the construction of a 7-speed twin-clutch gearbox. Compare to the DSG gearbox of Volkswagen, it has 2 shafts instead of 3. The clutch is double-acting, i.e. it moves to one side to engage the odd gears and another side to engage the even gears, so strictly speaking you may question whether it should be called "twin-clutch". This is much simpler than DSG which uses two independent clutches with independent oil circuits. What it has more than rivalry transmissions are simplicity and lightness, conforming to the philosophy of Colin Chapman. I hope one day we will see the box debut in new Esprit. |
| 7 Jan, 2010 |
| Buick
Regal: America's Opel Insignia |
 For years we have been complaining to the American car makers why they still engineer bad cars exclusively for their home market while they have better alternatives from their European divisions. Following the bankruptcy protection and the resultant cost cut, they finally wake up ! Recently, Ford is bringing the European Fiesta to United States. Chrysler will bring a variety of FIAT cars. GM is also going to sell Opel Insignia – the European COTY last year – as Buick Regal. For you information, the same Regal is already flooding the streets of China. While the sales number in China justifies local assembly, the American version is imported directly from Germany. (update: Bob Lutz said production will transfer to Canada from 2011 Q1) Cosmetic-wise, Buick Regal is identical to Opel Insignia in and out, with the exception of its waterfall grilles and Buick badges. Detroit keeps changes to the minimum as previous attempts for localization, such as Saturn LS and Cadillac Catera, were never successful, so it is better to save money. Still, the American version differs slightly to its European sister in engine bay. To your surprise, it offers only 4-cylinder engines in the lineup, so it will be the first 4-pot Buick in many, many, many (you check by yourself) years. Base engine is a 2.4-liter direct injection Ecotec, which is not available to Insignia. It produces a disappointing 182 horses. Above it is a 2.0-liter direct injection Ecotec turbo with 220 hp and 258 lb-ft, same as Insignia. They pair with a 6-speed automatic transmission. As in Opel, the Buick gets CDC continuous adaptive damping control and IDCS interactive drive control system. The latter provides 3 modes – Normal, Tour and Sport – to alter suspension stiffness, gearshift pattern, steering weighting and throttle response.  Regal GSNow keen drivers may ask: what about the equivalent of OPC model ? GM is going to display a concept Regal GS in Detroit auto show. While it is not confirmed for sale yet, I believe it has a very good chance because this car is lightly converted from Insignia OPC, thus it requires limited development costs. Basically, the car shares most things with the OPC, such as the cosmetic enhancement, the lowered and stiffened suspensions, the torque-steer-reducing HiPerStrut front suspension, the Haldex torque-vectoring 4WD system, the large Brembo brakes, sporty alloy wheels, 6-speed manual gearbox and the revised IDCS, which adds the hottest "OPC" mode… excuse me, "GS" mode. However, conforming to the 4-cylinder strategy, it abandons the OPC's 325hp 2.8 turbo V6 for a highly tuned version of the 2.0 DI Ecotec turbo engine. Output is 255 hp and 295 lb-ft, remarkable for its displacement class. But for a car weighing in excess of 1700 kg, such output is rather modest. GM seems too optimistic to claim a sub-6-second 0-60 mph. Anyway, the new Regal, especially GS, will dramatically bring down the average age of customers to Buick. That will be good to the brand. |
| 6 Jan, 2010 |
| Lee
Noble's new supercar revealed |
 Lee Noble's new sports car company, Fenix, has released the first design pictures of its forthcoming supercar, which is unnamed yet. Having disagreed with the direction taken for Noble M600, Lee Noble left the company he founded in 2008 and started his own new venture. The Fenix supercar will be much cheaper, starting from £75,000 for the 480hp base model and top at around £100,000 for the 638hp flagship model, versus the M600's £200,000 price tag. This prevent it from competing directly with Ferrari 458 Italia as well as anything close to its performance level. Compare to his previous M12, the new Fenix supercar will move to a higher league in terms of performance, styling and aerodynamics. The technology it uses is not particularly advanced though. The chassis is still a steel spaceframe clothed with glass-fiber composites. Weight will increase from the M12's 1080 kg to 1200 kg for the base model, but it is still comfortably lighter than rivals by 300-400 kg. The biggest change is the installation of powertrain, which is mounted longitudinally instead of transversely behind the cockpit, because the engine is switched from Ford V6 to Chevrolet V8.  The base engine is Chevrolet Corvette's 6.2-liter LS3 V8, tuned to deliver 480 hp instead of 430 hp. The flagship engine is the 638 hp supercharged 6.2-liter LS9 straight from Corvette ZR-1. Considering the Fenix is 300 kg ligher than the Vette, it is easy to believe that it can crack 0-100 mph in less than 7 seconds. Top speed is more than 200 mph, of course. Like M600 and just many other mid-engined supercars, the Fenix employs a 6-speed manual gearbox made by Italian transmission specialist Graziano. The rest of the car is expected to be as simple as possible to keep weight and development cost down. Lee Noble is now building the first prototype for testing. On sale date is not fixed yet. Production will outsource to the same assembler of the previous M12 in South Africa's Port Elizabeth. Initially, the car will be available to UK only, but there is grand plan to certify it for sale in the USA and Japan, by then its capacity could reach up to 500 cars a year. Good luck. |
| 6 Jan, 2010 |
| Cadillac
CTS-V Coupe |
 After releasing CTS Coupe, the next inevitable step is the high-performance version CTS-V. Because the existing CTS-V sedan is so strong, there is hardly any needs to upgrade its performance. Therefore the coupe version has its 556-horsepower supercharged LSA 6.2-liter V8 carried over, as is the transmission of either 6-speed manual or 6-speed paddle-shift automatic. The chassis also shares the sedan's excellent magnetic ride control damping and Brembo dual-cast brakes. However, the coupe should be a little faster and swifter to corner, thanks to a 25mm wider rear track and a 50mm lower roof. It is also expected to carry a little less weight than the sedan. GM claims 0-60 mph takes only 3.9 seconds.  |
| 6 Jan, 2010 |
| Toyota
Etios |
 Everybody is eying on emerging markets. Toyota is no exception. That is why it has unveiled a nearly production ready concept car called Etios. This is a cheap-to-build small car designed for mainly India, South America and Russia. It is available in both sedan and hatchback forms and powered by DOHC 1.5 and 1.2-liter engines respectively.  Toyota said it is the fruit of 2000 engineers and 4 years of development. Price is expected to come under US$10,000. It's far more expensive than a Tata Nano, of course, but should offer more decent space, performance, refinement and build quality. Nevertheless, its ugly design may put many customers off. People in emerging markets might have less money to spend, but not necessarily poorer taste.  |
| 6 Jan, 2010 |
| Ford
gained US market share, at last. |
|
Ford's US
market share finally ended its declining trend since 1995. For year
2009, its market share rose to 16.1 percent from 15 percent a year ago,
although in absolute terms its sales fell 15 percent to 1.62 million
units in a dismal market. Ford fared better than most of the rest
partly because of the successful revamp of Fusion, which surprisingly
set its own sales record with 180,671 units, but mostly down to the
bankruptcy of GM and Chrysler which drove more domestic car supporters
to Ford. Market share of GM slid from 22.3 to 19.9 percent, so it remained the leading manufacturer in the US market. Second place Toyota inched up from 16.7 to 17 percent. Sales of Ford Mustang crashed to a history low with only 66,623 units sold (2008: 134,626 units), but against the 61,618 units of Chevrolet Camaro, it succeeded to defend its title as the America's best selling pony cars. The best selling vehicle in the region is again Ford F-series pickup truck, which sold 413,625 units. That is its 33rd straight win. |
| 5 Jan, 2010 |
| Opel
Meriva first details |
 The last generation Meriva, born in 2003, was the first B-segment MPV produced by European manufacturer. With more than one million units sold, it was quite a success. Now Opel and Vauxhall is unveiling the second generation Meriva. From the first set of pictures shown here, I suppose it will be an even greater success. First to be noticed is the Mercedes A-class-like styling, which shows very high visual quality and a sharp contrast to the cheap-feeling original car. Highlight design features include a classy corporate grille, a kick at the shoulder line and a panoramic glass roof. Even more special are the "suicide" rear-hinged doors, a feature shared with only Rolls-Royce, Mazda RX-8 and Mini Clubman. Opel claims those doors ease rear passenger access, although with B-pillar in place I would say its benefit is more on the visual side.  No exact specifications have been released at the moment. We know the Meriva is built from the parts pool of mainly Corsa and Astra, so its suspension should consist of MacPherson struts and torsion-beam (with or without Watts link is unknown yet). Adaptive damping is a possible feature. Steering is of course EPS. Its wheelbase is said to be longer than the outgoing car's, while both tracks are wider to improve stability. Opel said it offers 6 engines, all are turbocharged, with output ranging from 75 to 140hp. The latter must be the new 1.4 Turbo as seen in the new Astra. Expect half of those engines are diesel, most likely the 1.3CDTI and 1.7CDTI in two states of tune. Later, a EcoFlex 1.3 will be offered as the cleanest option. Across the range, fuel consumption is reduced by an average 15 percent compared with the old car.  No interior photos have been released, but considering how good the recent Astra and Insignia show, we expect its interior build quality and style to jump to the top of the class. As before, the FlexSpace seating enables configurations for 2, 3, 4 or 5 seats. The rear seats can slide and fold. A new feature is "FlexRail", which allows storage boxes, cup holders etc. to plug on rails between the front seats and slide to the rear seats according to wish. |
| 5 Jan, 2010 |
| GM sales
success in China |
 2009 was a
bad year to GM, as it saw sharp sales decline in everywhere, except
China. Benefited by the China government's economic boosting policy
(which resulted in a GDP growth in excess of 8 percent), China car
market surpassed USA for the first time in history and became the
world's largest auto market in 2009. Brilliantly, the company which
sells Buick and Chevrolet there even succeeded to boost its market
share to 13.4 percent, in contrast to its shrinking trend in the rest
of the world. In total, GM sold 1.83 million vehicles there, once again
the number one seller in China. |