2013 Cadillac ATS Preview: 2012 Detroit Auto Show
Cadillac has been promising us a true BMW 3-Series competitor, and it is finally here. The 2013 Cadillac ATS is the compact luxury sedan that Cadillac is depending on to establish a new reputation among some of the world's top performance sedans.
The ATS follows the new-expression Art & Science design direction set by the new 2013 XTS, which was introduced at the Los Angeles Auto Show this past fall. The front end does a great job mimicking the XTS while the side character line is softer and less pronounced. While the standard 17-inch alloy wheels fill the wheel wells nicely, 18-inch alloy wheels are optional. Out back, the ATS uses the third brake light as a spoiler similar to the CTS Coupe and XTS. Dual exhaust outlets emerge through a pseudo-diffuser with a center mounted backup light mounted low to the ground.
Cadillac says it created a driver-focused interior for the ATS, focusing on the placement of the pedals and steering wheel, along with the location of the shifter. The flowing dashboard wraps around into the door panels and features ambient lighting. A wide range of interior color options will be available, ranging from black and tan to more vibrant colors such as brown and burgundy, all complimented by various trim materials ranging from real wood and plated metal to carbon-fiber. Sport seats will be available for those who seek more support for spirited driving.
Riding on an all-new platform, the ATS will be available in both rear-wheel and all-wheel-drive configurations. While the ATS gets a 2.5-liter direct-injection four-cylinder rated at 200 horsepower and 188 pound-feet of torque, a 3.6-liter direct-injection V-6 rated at 318 horsepower and 267 pound-feet of torque is optional, Cadillac expects the volume engine to be the optional 2.0-liter turbo direct-injection four-cylinder engine rated at 270 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque.
Both a six-speed manual and six-speed automatic transmission will be offered, and while official fuel economy ratings have not yet been announced, Cadillac says the ATS will deliver a peak highway fuel economy rating of more than 30 mpg.
Cadillac is serious about going after the premium German marques and as such has fitted certain models of the ATS with Brembo brakes and Magnetic Ride Control. Cadillac claims a less than 3,400-pound curb weight on the ATS will be one of the lowest in the segment along with nearly 50/50 weight balance.
Like the XTS, the ATS will be a tour de force when it comes to technology. Cadillac's new CUE infotainment system will be available. Featuring an 8-inch glass LCD touchscreen display in the instrument panel and a 5.7-inch reconfigurable screen making up the gauge cluster, CUE helps control everything from navigation and audio, to climate control and vehicle settings. While CUE can be voice operated, the instrument panel does feature touch-sensitive buttons that can control main audio and climate control functions quickly. All touch controls for the instrument panel and touchscreen display feature haptic feedback, which provides a vibration confirming your selection.
The ATS backs up the in-cabin tech with a myriad of safety features including eight standard airbags and StabiliTrak. Optional technology includes full-speed, range-adaptive cruise control, intelligent brake assist, brake pre-fill automatic collision preparation, and much more. With all this optional technology available, Cadillac is not only looking towards the technology and driving-enthusiast crowd, but the safety-conscious crowd as well.
Stay tuned for more information and pricing as it becomes available. And make sure to follow the rest of the news flowing out of the 2012 Detroit Auto Show by visiting our dedicated show page.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
Costco Members Can Earn 15% Off Parts, Labor, Accessories
Need some work done on your car? According to a report in Auto News, you may be able to get it done at a 15% discount, provided you're one of Costco's 44 million members.
The popular warehouse club has finagled a deal with its network of dealers, making the 15% discount available on parts and labor, as well as accessories for your vehicle. There are, however, a couple of catches.
First, you'll need to be a Costco member, which runs between $55 and $110, depending on the level of membership you choose.
Second, you'll need to identify a participating Costco auto dealership. Costco has roughly 2,500 dealers in its auto program, and about 1,200 of them currently participate in the discount program. Costco hopes to have all of its dealerships onboard by the end of the year. To find participating locations in your neck of the woods, visit CostcoAuto.com. (If you're a new visitor to the site, you'll need to click here and enter your ZIP code first.)
And third, you may need to choose between the Costco discount and other specials from the individual dealership, since the 15% promotion can't be combined with other offers. Also, don't expect oil changes to be subject to the discount, since dealerships typically offer those at a price point that's just slightly above cost.
If you can clear those hurdles, though, the Costco service discount could be a good fit -- especially if you're staring down the barrel of some serious auto repairs. To get started, visit CostcoAuto.com.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
Subaru Shares The Love With Five Charities Through January 3
'Tis the season for year-end deals, but for folks in search of something different -- and philanthropic -- Subaru is offering shoppers a chance to get a new car and make a gift to charity, all in one fell swoop.
The deal is part of Subaru of America's annual "Share the Love" promotion, running now through January 3, 2012. For every new car leased or sold during the promotional period, Subaru will make a donation of $250 to one of five outstanding charities (previously announced at Social Car News): American Forests, the ASPCA, the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Meals On Wheels Association of America, or the Special Olympics. Shoppers choose which of the five will receive Subaru's gift.
Not in the market for a new car? No problem: you can still make a donation to charity. Just visit Subaru of America on Facebook, click the "Share the Love" tab on the left-hand side, and tap the button in the center of the page to make a $1 donation to one of the five organizations. Subaru will contribute up to $250,000 for the Facebook gifts. (So far, the ASPCA has received over 80% of the clicks, which may not be surprising, given Subaru's reputation as being one of the most pet-friendly brands on the road.)
This is the fourth year that Subaru has run the "Share the Love" program. The automaker says it contributed over $15 million to charity during the first three years, and Subaru has set a goal of pushing that number to $20 million by January 3. Considering the lean economic times that led to that $15 million sum and the slowly recovering economy, we'd be surprised if Subaru didn't exceed that goal well before the program's end.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
2012 Hyundai Azera Preview: 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show
There aren't many Hyundai vehicles left untouched by the company's rapid transformation into a top-tier automaker. The Accent was all-new earlier this year--and now, the big Azera gets its day in the sun, appropriately enough, at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show.
The 2012 Azera now wears Hyundai's current design theme, which they dub "fluidic sculpture." It's been applied to the Sonata and Elantra sedans and the Accent hatchback with good results, and with the Azera, it's much the same. The mix of crests and curves is a big departure from the current, anonymous big four-door, something that's bound to be played up in advertising against the Azera's most likely competitors, cars like the latest VW Passat, Toyota Avalon, Buick LaCrosse and Ford Taurus. Big 19-inch wheels and high-intensity discharge headlamps cap the exterior, while the interior carries through on the Sonata's look with some well-timed restraint.
Power for the new Azera comes from a direct-injection 3.3-liter V-6 that now puts out 293 horsepower, up 33 hp from last year, and 13 hp more than the larger 3.8-liter V-6 that was an option in the 2011 model. For comparison, it's 10 hp stronger than Chrysler's new Pentastar 3.6-liter six, and a few horsepower stronger than Ford's latest 3.5-liter V-6, but a bit shy of the 303 hp in the Buick LaCrosse. The Azera's six is coupled to a six-speed automatic with sport-shift mode actuated by the shift lever.
Since it's still a relatively light 3600 pounds, the Azera's gas mileage is estimated at 20/29 mpg, an increase of 1 mpg on the highway, but lower than the four-cylinder powertrain in the smaller Sonata. An economy mode tailors throttle and shifting for up to a five-percent economy boost, Hyundai says.
The Azera's handling hasn't been a big selling point in the past, but an upgrade could be in the works with the 2012 model. It's still independent all around, with struts in front and a multi-link rear, now with Sachs shocks and 18-inch wheels and tires, with an option for 19-inchers. Electric power steering is standard.
With a wheelbase of 112 inches and an overall length of 193.3 inches, the 2012 Azera has gained almost three inches between the wheels, while it hasn't grown from nose to tail. Front leg room is up almost two inches to 45.5 inches, and Hyundai says it's best in class in that dimension, as well as in front-seat head room.
Safety features include nine airbags, including a driver-side knee airbag and rear-seat side airbags. Rather than fitting active headrests to boost the Azera's crash-test scores, Hyundai says it's redesigned the seats with stronger frames to reduce the instance of neck injuries. A rearview camera is standard.
Other standard features in the new Azera include satellite radio, HD radio, and a USB port; Bluetooth with streaming audio; a touchscreen, voice-activated navigation system; leather upholstery; power front seats; heated front and rear seats; dual-zone climate control; and a cooled glove box. Options include a panoramic sunroof; ventilated front seats; and an Infinity 550-watt audio system.
Hyundai also includes its new Blue Link service for 90 days free of charge in the new Azera. The system works like GM's OnStar system, using live operators on call to bring information to drivers, from mapping destinations to making restaurant reservations. Blue Link can also turn voice messages into outbound text messages, and can also direct drivers to destinations found on the Web via Microsoft Bing search and turn-by-turn directions. Blue Link also lets owners set other controls to notify when the Azera has gone beyond a certain region, when it's driven outside of specified hours, and when it may need service--all customizable at the Blue Link website.
We'll have more on the new 2012 Hyundai Azera from the 2011 Los Angeles auto show.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
2013 Ford Fusion Finds A Home In Michigan
Ford’s Flat Rock assembly plant, also know as AutoAlliance International, currently builds the Ford Mustang and the Mazda6 sedan. We previously reported that Mazda is exiting this joint venture, and will build the Mazda6 in Mexico, which leaves Flat Rock with quite a bit of surplus capacity.
Per Autoblog and a contract summary document (PDF link) released to UAW workers, that capacity will be filled by building some next-generation 2013 Ford Fusion models in Flat Rock. That doesn’t mean that Ford will cease Fusion production in Hermosillo, Mexico, current home to the Fusion. Instead, Flat Rock will be used to provide a second source of manufacturing for the Fusion product line.
If recent Fusion sales are an indicator of things to come, Ford may need added Fusion build capacity. Year to date, Ford has sold some 188,439 Fusion models, an increase of nearly 17 percent from 2010. Sales of the 2011 Fusion in September totaled 19,510 units, up over 22 percent from September 2010. In fact, the Fusion is the best-selling car in Ford’s current lineup, and even tops sales of the popular Ford Escape SUV (although just barely).
While details on the 2013 Ford Fusion remain sketchy, we expect the car to make its public debut at January’s Detroit Auto Show.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
September 2011 Car Sales: The Needle Creeps Higher
Monthly sales numbers for September 2011 are being reported today by car makers, and the slight progress made in August seems to be continuing with upticks at all the major brands reporting thus far.
According to market analysts at J.D. Power, September retail new-vehicle sales could check in at a seasonally adjusted annualized rate (SAAR) of 10.3 million unit, which would be the first time the SAAR was above 10 million units since April. With fleet sales counted in, the SAAR could reach 12.9 million units.
On the year, Power predicts total sales of 12.9 million units, with 10.2 million coming from retail customers.
With a few brands reporting so far, some early winners like the Ford Explorer and Chevy Cruze are repeating their success from months past. Are other vehicles failing to launch, or picking up late-in-life strength? The results by automaker, with some still to come:
General Motors: General Motors (NYSE: GM) says it sold 207,145 vehicles in September, up 20 percent over September 2010. Chevrolet sales rose 21.5 percent, with the Cruze topping the 200,000-unit mark in its first year on sale. GMC sold 27.7 percent more vehicles than it did in September of 2010; Buick's sales rose 5.6 percent, and Cadillac was up a slim 1.0 percent.
Ford: Ford (NYSE: F) reported a company-wide increase in sales of 9 percent, with utility vehicles climbing 35 percent and trucks up 15 percent. Total sales were 175,199 units. Ford-brand sales were up 14 percent--the Explorer, up 204 percent--which means a big drop at Lincoln not yet broken out in the numbers.
Chrysler: Chrysler Group LLC says it sold 127,334 vehicles in September, a 27-percent increase over September 2010. Chrysler brand sales rose 36 percent; Ram was up 42 percent, Jeep climbed 24 percent, and Dodge sales rose 10 percent. Fiat has moved 13,861 units so far this year, well off initial targets.
Toyota / Lexus: Toyota says its sales of 121,451 units represented a decrease of 17.5 percent over September 2010. Toyota-brand vehicles accounted for 106,456 of those sales, down 18.2 percent; Lexus was off 11.5 percent at 14,995 units, but Scion was up 7.7 percent at 3,838 sales in September.
Honda / Acura:Honda began to see its sales slump soften, as production returned to normal after the March 11 earthquake in Japan. In September, Honda sold 89,532 vehicles, a drop of only 8.0 percent; for the year it's off 6.2 percent. Acura sales of 10,010 represented a decline of 6.6 percent; on the year, Acura is off 7.9 percent.
Nissan / Infiniti: Nissan reported sales of 84,485 vehicles, a 28.2-percent rise over last year's September; the Versa subcompact was up 68 percent. Infiniti was up 2.1 percent at 8,479 units.
Hyundai: Not yet reported
Kia: Kia's sales boom means the automaker has passed its previous sales record in just the first nine months of this year. September 2011 sales totaled 35,609 units, up 18.4 percent. Kia is up 37.1 percent for the year.
Volkswagen: Volkswagen reported 27,036 units sold in September 2011, a 35.6-percent increase over September 2010. The 2012 VW Passat sold more than 3000 copies in its first month on sale; the Jetta continues to power huge growth in the compact class, with sales up 55.5 percent from the same period in 2010. Year-to-date sales are up 22.2 percent.
BMW / MINI: Not yet reported
Mercedes-Benz: Not yet reported
Subaru: Not yet reported
Mazda: Not yet reported
Audi: Audi says 9,725 vehicle sales in September set a new record, and represented a rise of 19.3 percent over last September. On the year, Audi is up 15.5 percent.
Mitsubishi:Not yet reported
Volvo: Not yet reported
Jaguar/Land Rover: The combined British brands said total sales in September of 3,851 vehicles represented an 11-percent increase from the same month last year. Jaguar sold 1111 vehicles for a 15-percent gain, while Land Rover moved 2740 units for a 10-percent boost. On the year, Jaguar Land Rover is up 9 percent.
Porsche: Porsche says it sold 2,170 vehicles in September, an increase of 10 percent on the month. For the year, the brand is up 28 percent.
Suzuki:Not yet reported
Saab: Not yet reported
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
China Helps Honda To New Sales Record; Russia Does Same For VW
Honda and Volkswsagen are two notable auto manufacturers with far-flung markets that are helping them weather - and thrive despite - the tough sales downturn. Honda's sales in China, up 11.7 percent for 2008 due to strong sales of its Accord and CR-V, actually helped it post record high global production of 3.96 million units for 2008, 1.2 percent higher than 2007 production.
The Russian market has turned out to be a boon to Volkswagen, who increased sales of light trucks like the Caddy, T5 van, and Crafter delivery truck to that market by 78 percent for 2008. The Wolfsburg-based VW Group managed a 0.6 worldwide sales increase for 2008, helped in no small part by luxury brand Audi who topped one million units in global sales for the first time in its history. Nonetheless, a harbinger of tough times to come in '09 is VW's 15 percent sales downturn for January 2009.
Elsewhere, news wasn't so good for the newly-crowned number one worldwide automaker in annual sales, Toyota. They managed 9.22 million units in 2008, a 2.9 percent decrease from 2007's numbers and their first yearly decline in seven years.
[source: Automotive News, Detroit News]
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
