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 Veloster Pricing, Configurator Now Online
Hyundai’s fresh interpretation on the hatchback, the 2012 Hyundai Veloster, won’t hit dealers for a few months yet. If you’re eager to see how the Veloster stacks up when you begin adding option packages, Hyundai now has its Veloster configurator online.
With a starting price of $18,060 (including a destination charge of $760), the Veloster is priced to compete against the Volkswagen Golf, the Mazda3 and the MINI Cooper. Loaded up with every available option, the Veloster still won’t hit the $24,000 mark, and that includes premium accessories like a navigation system unavailable on most competitive models. Hyundai has found success with the “more content for less money” model, and we don’t see that changing any time soon.
Those looking for a hot hatch version of the Veloster will be disappointed, at least for now. The first model to launch will come with the same 138-horsepower, 1.6-liter engine used in the 2012 Hyundai Accent, and it will be offered with either a six-speed manual transmission or a six-speed dual-clutch automatic. There’s no turbocharged version (yet, at least), and a sport suspension is not on the list of available options; that leads us to believe that Hyundai has other Veloster-related announcements to make in the near future, but that’s just our hunch.
Even in base trim, the Veloster gives you a lot of content for the money. All Veloster models come with a full array of safety features (including traction control, stability control, anti-lock brakes and six airbags), 17-inch alloy wheels, a seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system, steering wheel mounted controls, Bluetooth phone integration and Hyundai’s Blue Link telematics system.
A $2,000 Style package adds 18-inch wheels, a panoramic sunroof, an upgraded interior with a premium audio system and fog lights. Opt for the $2,000 Tech package (which requires you to buy the Style package first) and you’ll get unique 18-inch wheels, a rear parking sensor system, a navigation system with rearview camera, keyless entry and push button starting.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
2010 Detroit Auto Show: 2011 Buick Regal GS Preview
In Europe, the 2011 Buick Regal is badged as an Opel Insignia and is available in a number of different guises, including sedans, wagons and high-performance all-wheel drive speeders complete with manual transmissions.
With the car soon to be available in the U.S., there's a strong chance that any number of these variants could be heading to local showrooms as well. One of the most exciting prospects is the possibility of a turbocharged and all-wheel drive version that Buick will be previewing at next week's 2010 Detroit Auto Show in the form of the Buick Regal GS concept car.
Packing a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, the same unit destined for the Regal CXL but with output dialled up to 255-horsepower and 295-pound-feet of torque, the new Regal GS should easily eclipse the 60 mph mark in less than 6 seconds.
Drive is sent to all four wheels via a 6-speed manual transmission and an adaptive all-wheel drive system complete with an electronic limited slip differential.
But it's not just about extra power. The hotted-up Regal GS also sports a sophisticated suspension set-up dubbed High Performance Strut (HiPerStrut), which essentially helps reduce torque steer and maintain negative camber during cornering to improve grip levels.
Finally, an advanced chassis system with three adjustable settings--normal, sport and GS--is fitted and allows the driver to change the suspension settings, throttle response, shift pattern and steering sensitivity through the variable-effort steering system.
Visual differences between the regular Regal and the new Regal GS are a lowered ride height, a discreet bodykit, 20-inch forged aluminum wheels, Recaro bucket seats with four-way lumbar support and cushion extensions, and a racing style steering wheel and metal pedals.
The Regal name has been linked with sporty Buicks in the past, with models like the Grand National, GNX, GS and GSX all springing to mind, and you can bet a production version of the latest Regal GS concept car will be arriving in showrooms later this year.
[Buick]
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
2010 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution MR Touring Pricing Announced
Mitsubishi has expanded its 2010 Lancer Evolution range with the new MR Touring model, which goes on sale for $40,990 (not including a $720 destination fee). Sitting at the top of the Lancer Evolution range, the new MR Touring doesn’t come cheap but its hefty pricetag is justified somewhat when you consider the performance of the car.
The 2010 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution MR Touring comes packing a 291-horsepower turbocharged 2.0-liter engine and sends power to all four wheels via the automaker’s six-speed Twin Clutch Sportronic Shift Transmission (TC-SST) and Super All-Wheel Control (S-AWC) all-wheel drive system.
Other performance modifications include Brembo brakes all ‘round, Recaro bucket seats, weight saving aluminum panels for the roof, hood and front fenders, and 18-inch BBS forged alloy wheels with Yokohama tires.
It’s not just about performance, however, as the MR Touring also comes with an assortment of luxury items. These include full leather trim, a powered glass sunroof, rain-sensing wipers, heated front seats and side mirrors, keyless entry and starting system, a 40 GB hard-disc navigation and audio system and a 710-watt Rockford Fosgate stereo.
Seven air-bags come as standard.
Some optional goodies we’re sure you’ll want to tick include the $425 rear parking sensors, custom side skirts for $900 and a set of wheel locks for $32.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
