Ford’s New 5.0 V-8: Back In Black, And Ready For The Track
The 5.0 is back, and Ford didn't take the opportunity lightly. The 2011 Ford Mustang GT will pack a 412-horsepower, 5.0-liter V-8 that for all practical purposes is an all-new engine. A very stoutly built, race-ready one at that.
Along with the 3.7-liter V-6 that will also be introduced in the 2011 Ford Mustang, Ford suddenly has a completely refreshed powertrain lineup for the pony car and nothing to be ashamed of. Considering weight, in fact, the 'Stang now has a leg up on its rivals.
It's an about-face from the past several years, when Ford has seemed a step behind other automakers with respect to V-8 engines—especially if you take a look at power output. Even with the Mustang's lighter weight than the Camaro and Challenger, Ford's current 315-horsepower, 4.6-liter V-8 in the 2010 Mustang GT is no match for the larger Chevy and Chrysler V-8s.
With the '5.0' badge, the 2011 Mustang GT approaches the power output of those big-displacement engines while promising both stout construction and race-ready performance plus better fuel economy in everyday driving.
Bore is 92.2 mm (3.63 inches), with a 92.7-mm (3.65-inch) stroke, calculating out to just over 302 cubic inches and—this time—properly rounding up to 5.0 liters. And the new engine in the 2011 GT makes 412 horsepower, which should be enough for the lighter Mustang to beat both the 2010 Chevrolet Camaro SS and the 2010 Dodge Challenger R/T. In the Camaro SS, GM installs a huge 6.2-liter V-8, making 426 horsepower, while Chrysler puts its 372-hp, 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 in the Challenger R/T, among other vehicles, and the 425-hp, 6.1-liter V-8 in the Challenger SRT8.
At the same time, Ford projects an estimated 17 mpg city, 25 highway for the new engine (with the automatic) in the Mustang. The Camaro SS gets 16/25, while the Challenger SRT8 is rated at just 13/19.
The new engine will require just 87-octane gasoline, though 91-octane will be recommended for peak performance.
Cadillac Returns To Europe, But With Modest Expectations
The past 18 months or so haven't been easy for General Motors, here or abroad. In Europe, GM endured much tense talk about its Opel brand, and the Kroymans Group fell prey to the global economic meltdown, leaving GM without a European distributor in over the half the markets it serviced. Now, a new company called Cadillac Europe has been created specifically to manage Cadillac distribution across the pond, and this go-round, GM is setting more realistic expectations for its luxury brand than we'd previously expected.
Much to GM's chagrin, Cadillac has never been a strong seller in Europe. In a market dominated by well-known, home-grown luxury brands like Mercedes-Benz, Audi, and BMW, Cadillac's annual sales have remained below the 5,000 mark for decades. GM has often talked the big talk about making inroads on the Continent, but despite some massive ad campaigns and promising new models, the company's predictions have never come true.
Perhaps because of that history, or perhaps because of GM's painful restructuring and sagging public opinion of the brand, the GM that's returning to Europe is more chastened and modest than Angela Merkel pantsuits. According to the Wall Street Journal, the brand will relaunch in Europe with minimal expectations to match Cadillac Europe's minimal, 20-person marketing and distribution staff: GM has set Cadillac's annual sales goal at just 3,000 units.
For now, the brand is pinning its hopes on the 2010 Cadillac CTS, with sedan, coupe, and wagon variants. If all goes well, the midsize crossover SRX will follow in the 2011 model year. Distribution will be focused on areas of Europe where Cadillac sales have done well in the past -- namely, Germany, Switzerland, and Italy. And this time, GM and its European dealers understand that the brand will most definitely be a niche player: as Roman dealer Stefano Celon says of the Caddy consumer, "It's a particular customer who wants to be different from the others—they like the new product."
There's a great deal of discussion about GM's strategy, but if Cadillac has to be in Europe at all (a big "if"), this plan sounds pretty solid. A sales goal of 3,000 units is realistic -- it's been achieved in the recent past -- but it's high enough to require some work. The strategy is also significantly more humble that we've seen in previous years, and in some ways, that may play well with European consumers, who can be wary of their brash cousins across the pond. Veteran staffers at GM may chafe at the understatement of it all, but when in Rome....
[WSJ]
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
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Volvo Gets Naughty With The 2011 S60 Sedan
The internet is pretty good at selling naughty things, and Volvo is hoping to prove it with a "naughty" web campaign for the sexy, stylish, all-new 2011 Volvo S60 sedan.
In Volvo's book, "naughty" roughly translates to "stunt driving". That might not be how others on the web would define the word, but given Volvo's established reputation for quality and safety, it's probably about as edgy as we can expect. The campaign currently features two series of videos (sadly, none are embeddable), each featuring the S60 doing increasingly dangerous stunts.
In the "Slalom Test" series, for example, things start off tamely, with the S60 easily maneuvering around a set of slalom posts. At the end of the clip, viewers are invited to click through to the "next level", which leads to another clip of an S60 -- this one in candy apple red -- running the same course. This go-round, however, something delicate and breakable is perched atop each post: a jar of candy, a goldfish bowl, and everyone's favorite arm-waving maneki neko. Bump to the third level, and the car runs the course again, but this time, in reverse. There's a similar dynamic at work in the "Elk Test" series of clips, though that one isn't nearly as clever or interesting as "Slalom Test".
Perhaps the best element of the campaign -- and one that's a great fit for the web -- is that it culminate in "naughty" stunt dreamed up by Volvo fans. After the first three clips in either series play, viewers are asked to submit their ideas for an even bigger, better test for the Volvo S60. The possibilities are nearly endless, although Volvo says that the stunt should be completable in a single day and that they'd rather not damage the car. They also say that stunts can't involve "offensive, illegal, or inappropriate behavior", which would seem to be the very point in a "naughty" campaign, but you know: Swedes.
With this campaign, Volvo is clearly pitching the S60 sedan to luxury car buyers with a sporty edge -- the same sort of consumers who might also look at rides like the Audi A4 or the Mercedes C-Class. It's a fun campaign, just edgy enough to appeal to well-heeled performance enthusiasts, but not so out-there as to turn off traditional Volvo moms. All in all: well played.
That said, we do have some issues with the campaign's format. The web interface isn't wholly intuitive, and as we mentioned above, the videos aren't embeddable -- the only way they can be shared is on Facebook and Twitter. And the day that someone explains to us why every automaker thinks that amorphous Flash blobs make for great websites will be a VERY happy day, indeed. (There's a reason Steve Jobs denigrates the technology.) But otherwise, this may earn the S60 some very naughty looks.
P.S. There is a non-web piece of this campaign: John Maloney, the VP of marketing communications for Volvo, says that a limited series of closed-course events featuring the S60 will take place in key markets later this year, so some of you lucky Volvo fans may get to see these stunts enacted in person.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
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Toyota Offers Zero-Percent And Free Maintenance To Some Buyers
Toyota (NYSE: TM) rolled out an all-new incentive program aimed at jump-starting sales that have slumped due to bruised consumer confidence from the ongoing accelerator-related recalls, the related hearings in Washington D.C., and several other issues and recalls.
The automaker calls the new program "the company's most far-reaching sales program in its history." Customers long loyal to the Toyota brand will be hard-pressed to recall any other time when such offerings were applicable to Toyotas on anything other than model-end clearance programs.
The so-called March Sales Event runs through April 5 and includes financing and leasing deals, plus customer loyalty offers.
Here's what the program includes:
- Zero-percent financing for up to 60 months. This applies for "qualifying buyers" of the 2010 Toyota Avalon, Camry, Corolla, Highlander, Matrix, RAV4, Tundra, and Yaris.
- Low (reduced) lease rates. Also offered through Toyota's captive finance arm, Toyota Financial Services, the company is offering special deals on the 2010 Toyota Venza, Tundra, RAV4, Prius, Matrix, Highlander, Corolla, Camry, and Avalon.
- Complimentary two-year "premium maintenance" program. With proof that someone in the buyer's household already owns or leases a Toyota, Lexus, or Scion vehicle, Toyota will include all scheduled maintenance,
Toyota has a challenge ahead: to boost its public perception and increase sales in a way that doesn't further affect resale value. Last month we reported that the Toyota recall was already affecting leasing residuals and predicted resale values for most Toyota models, with Automotive Leasing Guide and Kelley Blue Book among the companies adjusting values downward.
Toyota Motor Sales has estimated that its recall issues—including the negative tone of the recent hearings in Washington, D.C.— have cost about 18,000 sales just in February.
[Toyota]
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
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Inside Look: 2010 Jaguar XK Coupe
Last week we brought you a drive of the 2010 Jaguar XK Coupe--updating you on the 75 extra horsepower that this 'entry' model to the XK line gets this year, among other performance improvements, and assessing that it feels almost as fast as the previous XKR.
"There's a certain classy, romantic appeal, crossed with quintessential British understatedness, that the XK carries no matter what, and you don't have to be driving it fast to enjoy that," we said, in a review that was heavy on the driving impressions. But of course the interior is a big part of that impression, so now with many pictures and relatively few words, please click along and we'll bring you the rest of the story.
Kia Teases Racier Look For 2011 Optima, Ahead Of NY Show
The Kia Optima, in its current or past iterations, has never been much of a looker, but that appears about to change. With this New York Auto Show concept teased here in these photos, Kia shows that it's taking a completely new design direction with its upcoming, all-new 2011 Kia Optima.
The new concept shows a further evolution of the design direction that Kia has been following under design chief Peter Schreyer (formerly of Audi and Volkswagen), with some design themes that look Audi-like from some angles (especially from the side and rear) combined with details that we're now beginning to see as distinctly Kia—like the grille that's pinched in front, the swept-back headlights, and the prominent fog lamps in front.
No word yet on whether Kia, like Hyundai, will go with an all-four-cylinder lineup for the Optima this time. Although the two brands share the same parent company in South Korea, along with some of the same suppliers and facilities, Kia has managed to stay quite distinct and is trying to take a sportier, more enthusiast-flavored angle in the U.S. market.
Up until now, the Optima has been a half-step smaller than other mainstream sedans like the Honda Accord or Toyota Camry. Kia hasn't released specs yet on the Optima, though it does say that the new model will be longer, lower, and wider than the previous model—likely placing it more in line with those other sedans—with a significant boost in wheelbase for a roomier interior and more cargo space.
Chrysler, Dodge Minivans Get 60-Day Return Policy
Chrysler has announced that for a limited time it will offer a no-questions-asked return policy on its 2010 Dodge Grand Caravan or Chrysler Town & Country minivans.
From today through March 31, if buyers trade in a competing model (owned or leased), they qualify for the Minivan Pledge, which allows them to return a purchased 2010 Town & Country or Grand Caravan to the dealership, within 60 days.
The move is likely in anticipation of stronger competition this year from several other new minivan models. First there's the all-new 2011 Toyota Sienna that's just now reaching dealerships. Then, later this year a new 2011 Honda Odyssey—as previewed at the Chicago Auto Show this week with an Odyssey Concept—will arrive.
There are a few limitations to the Chrysler deal. You'll be scot-free provided you haven't put more than 4,000 miles on the vehicle in those 60 days, and provided the vehicle has less than $200 of damage. You'll also be charged 30 cents per mile you've put on the vehicle since the sale date.
But even considering that, it's likely that you won't owe more than a few hundred bucks if you decide you don't want the vehicle a couple of weeks down the line. That sure beats the instant hit—of several thousand dollars, typically—that new vehicles take as soon as they're driven off the lot.
For more details, please ask to see the fine print at the dealership, where you'll be asked to sign a one-page Minivan Pledge at the time of sale.
In TheCarConnection.com's Bottom Line on the 2010 Dodge Caravan, editor Marty Padgett calls this minivan the "overall leader in minivan practicality," and likes the interior storage solutions and entertainment options (we give them a rare score of 10 in our Features category). However the plasticky interior trim is still a sticking point, and styling with this generation of the Caravan—as well as the Town & Country—has been more polarizing.
"Chrysler Group is confident we have the best minivans in the marketplace and are promising customers if they don't think their minivan is great, we will take it back," said Fred Diaz, the president and CEO for the Ram brand and Chrysler group sales chief.
Chrysler minivans already have enviable loyalty figures; the models have won R.L. Polk's Owner Loyalty award for the minivan category nine years in a row according to the automaker, with about 67 percent of current owners also previous ones.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
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Hummer-Hating Artist Hacks H2 Into Horse Cart, Cites Hoover
Ah, conceptual art. Clearly our country would be less colorful were it not for the efforts of, say, New York artist Jeremy Dean, who got inspired reading about horse-drawn "Hoover carts" made during the Depression from old car bodies.
From there, it was just a short leap to buying a used Hummer H2--the biggest, baddest, heaviest, meanest symbol of SUV dominance ever built for sale in the U.S.--cutting it in half with a torch, and turning it into...a horse cart.
Yep. He cut up a perfectly good H2, which he bought used for $15,000. That's a good price, apparently, since H2s have now been out of production for many months and it's not clear that GM's sale of Hummer to a Chinese company will go through.
The project is called "Back to the Futurama," alluding to the Futurama displays mounted at both the 1939-1940 and 1964-1965 New York Worlds' Fairs by General Motors, with a nod to the famous 1985 movie "Back to the Future."
Dean has quite a lot to say on the genesis of the project on his website. A few excerpts ...
"At this time of record financial gains, the auto industry began producing ever extravagant cars and SUVs. These huge American gas guzzlers became a status symbol in society leading to increased demand for oil and fuel prices soared.
"So with our very American idea of Manifest Destiny, we meddle in any country that has oil and send our men and women into harms way so that we can continue consuming almost 80% of the worlds resources. But how long can that last?
"My own satirical prediction of the future: Unless we come up with alternative fuel sources and rethink our reliance on a hyperinflated consumer based economy, we may be left with no other options than to hook our cars up to a horse.
"As a symbol of this I [will] take either a Cadillac Escalade or HUMMER H2, which have become monuments to America's consumption, greed and arrogance, and convert it to a horse cart.
"The cart will maintain all its former glitz and glamour: chrome rims, GPS, working sound system, DVD player, and TV screens. But [it] will be pulled by a horse. "
Now being built at Slick's Garage in Palmetto, Florida, the finished Hummer carraige will premiere during New York City's Armory Week, starting March 3.
Dean would like to sell the piece, to recoup his costs (he's sunk his life savings into the project), and fund a series of horse-cart Hummers and Escalades. They include one whose entire body has been chromed, a pumpkin carriage suited for Cinderella, and more.
Our final thought: Given the Hummer's military roots, it's doubly ironic to display the artwork in a functioning armory, which houses actual military Humvees that are parked on Manhattan side streets when the building is used for events.
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2010 Hyundai Tucson Bottom Line
TheCarConnection.com's editors have driven the new 2010 Hyundai Tucson to bring you this firsthand road test. Editors have compared the new Tucson with other compact crossovers and have compiled a companion full review of quotes from other sources in a comprehensive look at the new Tucson.
High Gear Media accepted travel expenses to attend the first drive of the 2010 Hyundai Tucson.
Likes
An extreme makeover that works
Smoothed-over four-cylinder engine
Still offers a manual transmission
Spacious interior
Fuel economy
Dislikes
Sluggish performance
Leather seat comfort
Steering feel
Braking feel
It's been a banner year for Hyundai. The Korean automaker has introduced its new Genesis sedan in the Genesis Coupe and has shown off a new Sonata sedan that's in the works for the 2011 model year. On top of all those new products, it also has a brand-new 2010 Hyundai Tucson ready to go on sale-and this time, it's aimed directly at the likes of the Honda CR-V and Ford Escape. With a base price of less than $20,000, the new Tucson has gone on sale with a choice of front- or all-wheel drive, manual or automatic transmission, as well as a sole four-cylinder engine powering both the GLS and Limited versions.
Looks aren't deceiving; the 2010 Hyundai Tucson smartly steps to the front of the compact-crossover class with a curved, crested, upscale design. The sheetmetal is nearly the reverse of the past Tucson's bland, upright style sheet. It no longer bears much visual resemblance to anything you might see in Tucson, Ariz., for good reason: The look comes from its European design studios, teamed with those in Korea and the United States, with perhaps more than a casual nod to the Nissan Rogue and the Euro-market Ford Kuga. Some versions have more chrome trim work around the grille and sides, while all editions have black trim that cuts the visual height of the doors on the side view. From its nose to its tail, the Tucson appears compact and edgy, while the rear end has visual mass that's cut somewhat by angular tail lamps. Inside, the 2010 Tucson steps into the thick of global interior design with a big LCD screen, flanked by chromed vents, and dashes of metallic-painted plastic breaking up plenty of tightly grained, hard black plastic. It's not quite in the same class as the Rogue or CR-V, but the Tucson's interior is at least as nicely executed as that in the Escape and on par with the Toyota RAV4.
The 2010 Tucson moves in a more economical, fuel-efficient direction for power. With either front- or all-wheel drive, all 2010 Tucsons come with a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine with 176 hp and 168 pound-feet of torque. Next year, Hyundai will offer a Tucson Blue model with a 2.0-liter four and slightly better fuel economy: a turbocharged four-cylinder. The available four-cylinder propels the Tucson quicker than, say, the Honda CR-V to 60 mph, but a rough reading of speed puts its 0-60 mph time in the 10-second range. It feels more sluggish from a standstill than at highway speeds, and the engine is at least smooth and relatively vibration-free. Either a six-speed automatic or six-speed manual gearbox can be fitted; the manual transmission has a long throw but smooth action, while the six-speed automatic has a sport-shift mode but no paddles at fingertip reach, so it's a rare occasion you'll actually engage the sport mode. The automatic will account for almost 95 percent of all Tucson sales, Hyundai says, and it's fine for most urban duties, with reasonably quick responses to throttle changes.
TheCarConnection.com's editors find the Tucson's ride quality pleasant enough, especially in the backseat, but the feel of its engine-speed-sensitive electric power steering leaves editors unimpressed despite its tight 34.7-foot turning circle. Braking pedal feel is lacking, too, though the Tucson comes standard with anti-lock control. In general, the Tucson's road manners are significantly improved over the prior edition. Fuel economy is 23/31 mpg for front-drive versions, and 21/28 mpg for all-wheel-drive Tucsons-a good measure better than in the Honda CR-V or Escape.
At 173.2 inches long, 71.7 inches wide, and 66.3 inches tall, the 2010 Hyundai Tucson has a longer wheelbase and is wider than the Honda CR-V, Ford Escape, and Subaru Forester. And while it offers more interior room than the Nissan Rogue and Ford Escape, the Tucson has slightly less interior and cargo room than the Honda CR-V, and it's significantly smaller inside than the Toyota RAV4-though Hyundai points out it offers more interior room than a BMW X3 or an Acura RDX. Editors at TheCarConnection.com find the Tucson's front seat space very good with plenty of legroom, but the leather seats fitted to some test cars have a sloping bottom cushion that grows uncomfortable quickly. In the back, plenty of room for adults is available, and though the seat cushions could be longer, it's clear the Tucson's cloth seats are better choices than the leather-clad ones, at least for now. Cargo room is large enough for medium-size pets, a significant amount of luggage, or enough groceries for a family of four for a week, though the Toyota RAV4 offers enough room for a third-row seat. Interior storage is well planned inside the Tucson, with cubbies and bottle holders in the console and door panels, and a deep glove box up front. The fit and finish of our prototype test vehicles was generally good-a vast improvement over the previous Tucson-though hard plastic is the rule of the cabin trim, not the exception.
In terms of safety, the 2010 Tucson has all the expected standard equipment. That list includes dual front side and curtain airbags; anti-lock brakes; and traction and stability control. Hyundai officials anticipate the Tucson will score very well in federal and insurance industry crash tests, but no official results are available as of yet. Hill descent control is also standard, along with brake assist, tire pressure monitors, and active headrests. Visibility is good, save for some dark corners at the rear quarters of the Tucson, where its dashing roofline meets the tailgate.
Hyundai is sparing few features from the Tucson's standard-equipment list. It's extremely well-fitted, particularly for its price class. Each Tucson comes with power windows, locks, and mirrors; remote keyless entry; cloth seats; air conditioning; and an AM/FM/XM/CD player with USB connectivity. Options include Bluetooth; steering wheel audio controls; heated front seats; leather seating; a power driver's seat; automatic headlights; 17-inch wheels; and dual-zone automatic climate control. The Tucson can be ordered with Hyundai's first panoramic sunroof; telescoping steering, an engine cover, and premium audio are available, along with a touchscreen navigation system fitted in tandem with a rearview camera and Bluetooth stereo audio. Hyundai also continues to offer a 5-year/60,000-mile bumper-to-bumper warranty, which extends to 10 years/100,000 miles for some powertrain parts. Fully optioned, the 2010 Hyundai Tucson checks in at a believe-it-or-not $29,490, so take care with the order sheet.
The Bottom Line: The 2010 Hyundai Tucson doesn't quite take the title of best small crossover, but it handily grabs "most improved" honors.
Other Choices:
If you like the 2010 Hyundai Tucson, also consider:- Ford Escape
- Honda CR-V
- Subaru Forester
- Nissan Rogue
- Toyota RAV4
Reason Why:
Compact, five-seat crossovers fight against a trio of very well-established competitors and a pair of well-designed dark horses. The Honda CR-V is the long-standing champ in the class, with ample interior room, high build quality, and a smooth four-cylinder, but it's among the slowest vehicles in the class and its latest shape is controversial. The Ford Escape is more upright and rugged, and it comes in Hybrid trim, but it suffers from a dated feel and a plasticky cabin. The Toyota RAV4 squeezes a third-row seat in a similarly sized, similarly styled body, and offers a V-6 engine to boot, but it's a sharp step up the pricing ladder from Tucson territory. The Tucson's lookalike, the Nissan Rogue, has smart style and visibility, but is hampered by its continuously variable transmission and lackluster performance. The gem in the class: the Subaru Forester, with all the refinement of the best crossovers in this group, a tall and spacious cabin, sedate good looks, and a reputation for durability, though fuel economy is a distant second to that of the Tucson.
Buying Tips:
The manual transmission in the new Tucson deserves a shot. If you drive stick, you'll have to search for one on lots, though-Hyundai expects only 5 percent of all Tucsons will be fitted with it.
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Kia Drops 2010 Borrego From Lineup, Fate TBD
The Kia Borrego could be a one-year wonder.
The South Korean automaker says the full-size Borrego sport-utility vehicle will not return to the U.S. for the 2010 model year.
The Borrego arrived on the market late in 2008, a victim of poor timing and bad luck. Kia had hoped to sell up to 20,000 Borregos each year, but the U.S. launch coincided with high gas prices and the financial crisis that together, slashed SUV sales to half their 2007 levels.
Kia sold 825 Borregos in November. For 2009 through the end of November, Kia has sold 9,510 Borrego SUVs in the U.S. The Borrego also is sold in its home market as the Mohave, and Korean sales have been more brisk.
While it's been a slow mover on American dealer lots, the Borrego's been relatively well received in the automotive press. TheCarConnection's experts gave the 2009 Borrego a rating of 7.8 out of 10. TCC praised the Borrego's smooth powertrain and expansive interior, while taking issue with its styling and some interior materials. TheCarConnection's Bottom Line: "The Borrego isn't the type of vehicle that's especially popular or fashionable at this time, but it's a home run against the competition," which includes the current Ford Explorer, Jeep Grand Cherokee and Nissan Pathfinder.
Though the Borrego won't be sold as a 2010 model, a Kia spokesman tells us the company could not rule out a future return--leaving its fate "TBD."
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