Main page | July 17, 2007 »

Vehicles keep inching up and putting on pounds

Despite high gas prices, the auto industry believes consumers view bigger as better and cars and trucks have ballooned as a result, according to USA Today.

Models getting the XXL treatment range from Audi's previously tiny TT sports car to the venerable Ford Taurus sedan among next-generation models. Even BMW's Mini is going to offer a maxi version.

Posted by   at 3:34 PM to Auto industry , Design | Permalink | Comments 0

Survey finds shoppers pleased with Acura

Acura dealerships ranked highest in a study to be released today that evaluates how consumers are treated when shopping for a new car or truck, according to the Detroit Free Press.
Land Rover and Saturn took second and third place, respectively, in the 2007 Pied Piper Prospect Satisfaction Index auto industry study. The report evaluates shopping experiences at 1,592 dealerships, representing all brands, nationwide.

Posted by   at 10:51 AM to Honda , Sales | Permalink | Comments 0

With This Tool, You Tell a Mechanic What’s Wrong

Two of the most alarming words a car owner can face are "check engine." That warning light on the dashboard could mean the car needs expensive engine work or simply that the gas cap is loose

For most drivers, there’s no way to find out without taking the car to a mechanic. The primary reason is that vehicles are largely controlled by onboard computers, which are generally inaccessible without the proper equipment and software.

But there are a growing number of products and services that are helping to take that helplessness out of car repair by doing the translation for you, according to the New York Times.

Posted by   at 10:45 AM to Accessories | Permalink | Comments 0

Once Frumpy, Green Cars Start Showing Some Flash

When Christopher Paine, the director of “Who Killed the Electric Car?” filmed the General Motors EV1, he had to search for a flattering perspective, according to the New York Times.

“When we filmed the car on the road, its best angle was the low front shot from the side,” he said. “It was gorgeous. The back of the car was more challenging. The car’s style did not appeal to certain design sensibilities

Posted by   at 10:43 AM to Alternative fuels , Design , Environment , Fuel economy | Permalink | Comments 0

Electric Cars Nearly Ready, but Batteries Are Less So

Clever and attractive, the Chevrolet Volt, a design study for a new wrinkle in electric cars, dominated the headlines coming from the Detroit auto show in January. But the introduction was punctuated with an asterisk, according to the New York Times.

The car that promised a fuel economy equivalent of 150 miles a gallon and a total range of 640 miles using its onboard recharging system carried a major caveat: the lithium-ion batteries required to make it a reality are not yet available, and won’t be until 2010 at the earliest, industry experts say.

Posted by   at 10:31 AM to Alternative fuels , Environment , GM | Permalink | Comments 0

Low-Cost Chinese Cars Making Restrained Entry to European Market

They have names like the Brilliance BS6, the Landwind Fashion or the improbable Hover Wingle, and though these sedans, vans and sport utility vehicles are hardly as familiar to Europeans as, say, a Volkswagen Golf, they are beginning to show up on European roads, according to the New York Times.
“I’ve got air-conditioning, ABS brakes and air bags,” said Carlo Scalvini, describing his Hover, a big and boxy sport utility vehicle built by the Great Wall Motor Company, with headquarters in Baoding in eastern China. “And the price is competitive: you pay 10,000 euros less in the end,” more than $13,000.

Posted by   at 10:29 AM to China | Permalink | Comments 0

Ford Denies It's in Talks to Sell Volvo

Ford, responding to reports that it's putting its Volvo unit up for sale, said it is not negotiating with anyone to sell the Swedish automaker, according to the Associated Press.
The Sunday Times, citing unnamed sources in London, said the decision to sell Volvo, which is part of Ford's Premier Automotive Group, was made in the past two weeks, but that the timing of the sale had yet to be decided.

The New York Times, in a story posted Sunday on its Web site, said Ford would entertain offers for Volvo following a board meeting last week. The newspaper cited people whom it didn't name who it said had knowledge of the situation.

Posted by   at 10:15 AM to Ford | Permalink | Comments 0