First Chinese Car Goes On Sale In North America
For years, we've reported several Chinese automakers' intentions sell cars in North America. Producers like Brilliance, Chery and Geely made it clear they want a presence in the market.
Even electric-car startup Coda looked like a lock for first Chinese car on sale here, until they stressed final assembly would take place in California.
It's rather a moot point, since the first Chinese car is now on sale here in North America.
Before you look for newly-opened showrooms from the aforementioned manufacturers, The New York Times suggests you look instead to Honda dealers--in Canada. As of this month, Honda Canada's incoming Fit inventory comes from the same Chinese plant that builds them for Europe and other markets, where the cars wear the Jazz badge.
Reasoning behind the shift is simple: it's all about the Yenjamins. The yen is strong and profit margins aren't as thick as Honda would prefer. Offshore production will shore that up. But since Honda's new $800 million plant in Celaya, Guanajuato, Mexico won't be online until 2014, this is the stop-gap solution.
Meanwhile, our curious Canadian friends can confirm a new Fit's place of birth with a quick peek at the VIN. Chinese cars' IDs begin with "L", while Japanese models' are "J". Will they detect any differences otherwise?
And will the Chinese cars go to U.S. dealers?
"L" no, says Honda.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
New Toyota & Lexus Pricing: 2012 Corolla Goes Up, 2012 Venza Down
If you're planning to buy a new Toyota or Lexus in the near future, pay attention. The automaker just announced pricing on a range of vehicles, and several popular models -- including the 2012 Toyota Corolla, Highlander, and Tundra -- are due for a price increase. Others, like the 2012 Matrix, will drop. And the 2012 Venza is a little bit of both. Here's a breakdown:
GOING UP
2012 Toyota Corolla
The MSRP on the base model Corolla, which comes with a five-speed manual transmission, will rise $230 to $16,130. That's a jump of about 1.4%, and similar increases will fall throughout the model range.
2012 Toyota FJ Cruiser
The Cruiser will see a modest increase of $125 across the entire model line, putting the base-model FJ Cruiser at $26,115.
2012 Toyota Highlander and Highlander Hybrid
Pricing on all conventional Toyota Highlanders will increase $150, from the base STD model (starting at $28,240) all the way to the upper-end LTD ($37,195). The Highlander Hybrid will see a steeper price jump of $400, with the lower-end STD ringing in at $38,540.
2012 Toyota Tundra
The Regular Cab Tundra will see the steepest Toyota price increase in pure dollars, surging by $720 throughout the entire model range. The base model will now set you back $25,155, a jump of 3%. Increases on the Double Cab and CrewMax Tundra are a more modest $250, with the base STD Double Cab starting at $27,365.
2012 Lexus LS 460, LS 600, CT 200h Premium
MSRPs on all three of these models will see an increase of $500. At the low end, that brings the CT 200h Premium to $31,750, and the LS 600 to at tidy $112,750.
STAYING FLAT
2012 Toyota Matrix
Pricing on the Matrix will remain flat for the foreseeable future. That means bargain-shoppers can still nab the base L model for an MSRP of $18,845.
2012 Lexus CT 200h
Hybrid luxury fans can continue rolling over to the darker side of green for $29,120.
MIXED BAG
2012 Toyota Venza
Pricing on the 2012 Venza is both up and down. If you're eyeing one of the less-expensive LE models, you can expect a price increase of $240, making the base model $27,425. On the other hand, if you're shopping for an XLE model, prices will start at $29,775, which is a drop of $880. Limited models, which start at $36,465, will see a lower price drop of $460. Note, however, that the delivery, processing, and handling fee for the Venza has increased by $50 to $810.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
Alabama Immigration Law Leads To Arrest Of Mercedes Manager
Alabama’s complex and controversial new immigration laws don’t leave police with a lot of room for interpretation. If you’re stopped and can’t produce documentation, you go to jail until you can prove your identity (and nationality), or until you sit before a judge.
The law is applied to all, even visiting managers from Mercedes-Benz Germany. Last Friday, police in Tuscaloosa, Ala., stopped a rental vehicle for a license plate violation. Inside, police found two men, but the German driver could not produce a driver’s license or another identity document, so he was taken into custody and placed in the Tuscaloosa city jail.
The incident was resolved when the man’s colleague returned with the driver’s German passport and driver’s license.
As CNN points out, critics of the law will use the incident to illustrate its likelihood to drive foreign companies away from the state, at a time when Alabama is working hard to attract them. The state is home to Mercedes-Benz, Honda and Hyundai vehicle assembly plants, as well as a Toyota and Hyundai engine factories and dozens of supplier plants, and the factories provide much-needed revenue at both the state and local levels.
Those in favor of the new immigration law cite the incident as proof that police aren’t profiling, and are applying the new statutes fairly to all.
Worth noting is that police had the power to arrest undocumented detainees even under the previous laws, but had more latitude for incidents such as this. Under the new laws, immigration status must be checked during a traffic stop, and those unable to produce identity documents are remanded into custody.
Mercedes-Benz is shrugging it off as an “unfortunate situation,” and we’re inclined to agree. We’ve spent plenty of time overseas, and traveling with your passport (and international driver’s license) on your person at all times is covered in Travel 101. Let’s use this as a reminder and move on.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
Car Sharing Comes To Military Bases
As ironic as it may seem, the men and women protecting our freedom don't always have the freedom to get around on their own. Owning and keeping a car on a military base can be inconvenient, or cost-prohibitive altogether.
If ever there was a need for car sharing, this is it.
The Army and Air Force Exchange Service is now working with Enterprise Rent-A-Car's WeCar sharing program to address this need. Beginning with programs at Colorado's Fort Carson and North Carolina's Fort Bragg, more installations will follow throughout the U.S. will follow suit.
Car sharing, as we've discussed on Green Car Reports, is booming in large cities and especially around large college campuses. Membership in a program enables participants to use cars occasionally as needed; simpler than traditional car rental and without the ongoing expenses of car ownership.
Under WeCar by Enterprise, active duty personnel and their spouses are eligible to participate. Provided they're at least 18 years old and satisfy enrollment requirements of the program, they have automated, round-the-clock access to program vehicles--even if only for an hour to run an errand.
Following the initial roll-out, similar programs are scheduled for Hawaii's Hickam Air Force Base, Kaneohe Bay Marine Base and Schofield Barracks Army Base. In Washington, Joint Base Lewis-McChord Army Base will participate as well.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
Saab Sold To Chinese Investors, But Will Beijing Approve?
The strange saga of Saab has taken another hairpin turn this morning: in a short post to its website, Saab says that Chinese firms Pang Da and Youngman will now purchase 100% of the company. But the three parties still have a few hoops to jump through, including getting authority from Chinese regulators.
Earlier this week, you'll recall that Guy Lofalk -- the man in charge of Saab's restructuring -- formally asked Swedish courts to scrap the automaker's reorganization plans. At the time, Pang Da and Youngman seemed to be backing away from a deal that would've allowed them to purchase 54% of Saab for around $335 million. Lofalk argued that without that cash, and without any vehicles rolling off Saab's production line, the automaker had no way of remaining a viable business.
And so, Lofalk did what many would do: he pulled the plug. By asking the courts to nix Saab's reorganization plans, Lofalk was essentially asking Sweden to push Saab into bankruptcy. If that had happened, government officials would've seized Saab's assets and begun liquidating them to pay off Saab's outstanding debts -- including workers' wages.
As we mentioned, though, Pang Da and Youngman hadn't completely turned their backs on Saab. They met with company representatives on two occasions to propose a 100% buyout of the brand, but both times they were rejected -- largely due to passionate objections from the man who bought Saab from General Motors last year, Victor Muller.
In the end, Lofalk's more even-keeled view of the situation has won out. He knows that the only way to save Saab -- and its employees' jobs -- is to sell the company whole-hog to Pang Da and Youngman. The final price: 100 million Euros, or about $141 million U.S, which will be paid in installments.
The catches
There are a few catches in Saab's sale plan -- some easy to manage, some not so easy.
For starters, Saab has to remain in reorganization. That's simple to do: Lofalk has already withdrawn his request to the Swedish courts.
Then there are the requirements of the various stakeholders to meet -- most importantly, "the commitment of Pang Da and Youngman to provide long term funding to Saab Automobile". Now that the notion of a full sale has become fixed in everyone's mind, presumably the details of that transaction can be handled at the negotiating table without too much hullabaloo.
The biggest problem, however, will be securing approval from Chinese regulators. At the moment, China is awash with car companies, both domestic and foreign. Government officials understand that the country's auto market is booming now, but they also understand that it will begin to cool before long. To avoid troubles and bankruptcies down the line, they're keen on limiting the number of automakers doing business in China. (True, China is more capitalist than it's been in the past, but it's still a long way from "free market".)
As you might remember, Beijing quietly nixed the sale of HUMMER to Sichuan Tengzhong in 2009. Could the same fate befall Saab? It's hard to say, since Chinese officials are notoriously oblique, transparency being an entirely new concept.
50/50
On the upside (for Saab fans), Saabs are comparatively small and efficient when measured against HUMMER vehicles, which was a concern at the time that HUMMER's sale to Tengzhong was canned. (China is trying to make headway in the green economy, and many thought that HUMMER's reputation for building gas-guzzlers would run counter to that goal.)
On the downside, Saab is a struggling car brand that will require vast resources to get up and running again. China already approved the sale of one upscale Swedish marque just last year -- will it take on another? The deal is only valid until November 15, so the clock, she's a-ticking.
For another take on this story, check our sister site, Motor Authority.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
Ford Slides, As Jeep Gains Traction As Most Reliable Domestic Brand
Ford has taken a significant tumble in reliability due to some of its latest vehicle technologies, while Jeep is now the most reliable domestic brand, according to the latest annual-survey data from Consumer Reports.
Both of those pieces of news might come as a bit of a surprise. Consumers have finally caught on to the excellent products coming from Ford [NYSE: F] nowadays; but it seems that some of the same features that might be drawing shoppers in are also negatively affecting reliability.
Consumer Reports points to issues with the MyFord Touch infotainment and connectivity interface—which the organization had already called “frustrating” and a “complicated distraction when driving”—and also points to issues with the new PowerShift automated manual transmission used throughout the 2011 and 2012 Ford Fiesta and Ford Focus lineups.
MyFord Touch had already been blamed for Ford's plunge in J.D. Power Initial Quality Survey (IQS), earlier this year. So far, MyFord Touch and its sibling system, MyLincoln Touch system, have been installed in the Ford Edge, Lincoln MKX, Ford Explorer, and Ford Focus; but versions of the system are due within the next year for many more models in the Ford lineup, including the 2013 Ford Taurus.
Jeep, on the other hand, was bolstered by good reliability indications so far for its redesigned Grand Cherokee SUV. That's a significant achievement, as the previous-generation Grand Cherokee, as well as others before it, carried unimpressive reliability records.
The annual Consumer Reports reliability results were revealed today at an Automotive Press Association lunch in downtown Detroit. They're based on responses to the Consumer Reports 2011 Annual Auto Survey, for 1.3 million vehicles owned or leased by CR subscribers.
Meanwhile, as Ford sees some technology teething pains, Chrysler vehicles are finally doing better, reports the organization. Jeep has become the most reliable domestic brand, moving up seven spots to 13th overall. Chrysler jumped 12 spots—with a 'well above average' rating for the Chrysler 200, so far, bolstering the brand's showing—while Dodge improved its ranking by three, aided by the Durango.
GM slips, somewhat
GM also took a tumble in reliability, but not nearly as much so as Ford. CR cites the Buick LaCrosse, Buick Enclave AWD, and Cadillac SRX as examples of vehicles that had been at least average last year but are no not recommended. Additionally, the Buick Regal and Chevrolet Cruze, two all-new models introduced in the past year, landed below average in reliability.
GM Announces New Ecotec Small Engine Family
GM’s Ecotec engines have been around since 2000 or so, and have been used to power everything from the Chevy Cavalier through the 2011 Saab 9-5. Currently available in displacements ranging from 1.4 liters (as used in the 2011 Chevy Cruze and upcoming 2012 Chevy Sonic) through 2.4 liters (as used in the 2012 Chevy Malibu and 2012 GMC Terrain, among others) the Ecotec family accounts for a significant portion of GM’s current engine production.
Since downsizing engines for improved fuel efficiency and lower emissions is the easiest way for manufacturers to comply with ever-tightening regulations, GM has announced an all-new global family of Ecotec engines, set to begin production in mid-decade. While the new Ecotec engines will feature performance-and-gas-mileage-boosting-technology such as gasoline direct injection, turbocharging and multi-fuel capability, they’ll also be quite a bit smaller than today’s Ecotec engines.
Displacements will range from 1.0 liter to 1.5 liters, and GM envisions production of over 2 million engines a year by the end of the decade. To reduce production costs and simplify global assembly, the engines will use a modular approach with interchangeable components.
GM isn’t saying where the new engines will be used, only that the engines will span “multiple vehicle architectures in various regions.”
GM’s Jim Federico, vehicle line executive for global small cars and electric vehicles, summed up the need for the new engines by saying, “We are working aggressively on vehicle electrification and other technologies, but the most immediate progress will come from continually improving the internal combustion engine.”
The new Ecotec engines will be developed jointly between GM, the Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. (SAIC), Shanghai General Motors and the Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
GM Using Forensic Science To Build More Durable Cars
You can learn a lot by tearing a car down to its individual components, especially if that car has been force-aged to simulate years of life in the harshest possible environment. By applying forensic science to the automotive world, GM is doing just that with the new 2012 Chevrolet Cruze.
Rust is generally the enemy of steel, and rust can form anytime bare steel meets water and oxygen. Add salt, like many states use to de-ice roads in winter weather, and the process of corrosion can accelerate greatly.
In the past, automakers lacked the tools to effectively force-age cars, and rustproofing was generally done by the car dealer or the aftermarket, with marginal results. Today, General Motors has the ability to simulate 10 years of hard life, in the worst possible conditions, within a few months.
In the case of the 2012 Chevy Cruze, cars were tested to the 95th percentile, representing the worst-case environment that GM can simulate. Next, the cars were stripped down to individual components to search for rust, a process that involved drilling out up to 3,000 spot welds by hand.
When traces of rust were found, steps were taken to eliminate moisture or treat steel in affected areas. In the case of the Cruze, forensic engineers found corrosion where the inner panel of the rear door meets the safety beam. The forensic team made suggestions to change to a rust-resistant steel stamping, and the corrosion was eliminated in future tests.
Tearing down a car can take a two-member forensic team as long as two weeks, but the benefits in added body life are payback for their efforts. As corrosion engineer Christa Cooper puts it, “it’s part investigation, part engineering - I love this job.”
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
2011 VPG MV-1 Has Wheelchair Users In Mind
With all due respect to Janis Joplin, freedom is not just another word for nothing else to lose. For America’s 14 million adults using wheelchairs and scooters, freedom means mobility. Vehicle Production Group had them in mind when it designed its MV-1, the first purpose-built vehicle for members of the disability community and their caregivers.
Wheelchair-accessible vehicles have been on the road for years. Typically, they’re minivans that undergo extensive and expensive aftermarket conversion, easily doubling the vehicle’s original sticker price while voiding the manufacturer’s warranty. Fit and finish and reliability are inconsistent also.
With production underway at AM General’s Indiana plant (the former home of HUMMER), the 2011 VPG MV-1 (for “first mobility vehicle”) should avoid those shortcomings and offer significant advantages.
Whether ordered in base SE trim starting at $39,950 or $41,950 for the DX (before any qualifying incentives), no modifications are required; the MV-1 meets National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) standards and is Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant. VPG opted for traditional body-on-frame construction for durability but insists ride quality doesn’t suffer for it. It seats up to six and is configurable to accept multiple wheelchairs at once. A generous side doorway, wheelchair ramp and tie-down points are already there, including the shotgun position next to a conventional cockpit (VPG states most owners won’t do the driving themselves).
From the driver’s seat, the layout is straightforward. Ford’s bulletproof 4.6-liter V-8 is mated to its common four-speed automatic gearbox. Green-minded owners can choose a factory-installed Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) fueling system. Either way, VPG covers the powertrain with a five-year/75,000-mile warranty. That complements the three-year/36,000-mile bumper to bumper coverage, along with five years/75,000 miles for the ramp and five years/100,000 miles against corrosion.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
2012 GMC Terrain Debuts Camera-Based Collision Alert
While radar-based collision detection systems aren’t new, General Motors is the first automaker to debut a simpler, more economical camera-based system. The camera will also provide drivers with a lane departure warning system, and it’s now an affordable option on the 2012 GMC Terrain crossover.
The collision alert system, which operates at speeds above 25 miles per hour, uses a windshield-mounted high resolution digital camera to capture some 14 frames per second. Each frame is analyzed by an image processing algorithm to determine the change in position of objects in view.
If the system detects a car in front, it signals the driver with a green icon; follow too closely, and that green icon changes to a solid red warning bar. Close on a vehicle in front too quickly, and that red bar will flash, an audible alert will sound and the Terrain will pre-charge its braking system to reduce stopping distances.
That’s simplifying it a bit, since the system also takes into consideration speed, directional change, accelerator position and brake pedal position before calculating whether or not a warning is required. For rush hour commuting, warning range can be adjusted to accommodate traffic flow, or the system can be disabled entirely by the driver.
The camera also senses the Terrain’s position within painted lane markers, at speeds above 35 miles per hour. Deviate from your lane without using a turn signal, and the lane departure warning icon changes from green to flashing amber, accompanied by a series of beeps.
The camera and associated processing software is smart enough to function day or night, but can be affected by snow or mud obscuring the lens. Unlike radar-based systems, which can add thousands of dollars to the cost of a vehicle, GM’s camera-based system is a $295 option on the 2012 GMC Terrain.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
