Volvo recently revealed that it is looking for 400 early adopters to test a prototype of its 24 kWh all-battery powered C30 Electric car. Better get in line early, because the limited range, practically hand-made vehicle will be leased for just $2,100 per month. Why bother with an every day C30 four-passenger, two-door hatchback, when the exotic...
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General Motors will recall 2,000 laid off workers by September according to a Detroit News report, allowing the company to start hiring new workers for its American plants. While G.M. representatives would not confirm any timeline, Joe Ashton, UAW VP in charge of GM, confirmed that the workers would be back, stating “We will have...
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The latest Harris poll results are out and Ford has taken the top spot in the “Full line automotive” sector, while Mercedes-Benz takes the win in the “Luxury” sector. The winners scored the highest in terms of customer connection, commitment, equity and trust. Ford beat out rivals such as Chevrolet and Honda, while previous category...
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Volkswagen is recalling 71,403 2011 Jetta models due to a problem with the vehicle’s wiring. The issue affects the vehicle’s horn and anti-theft system, and Volkswagen said no injuries have been reported. Owners can check their vehicles build date to see if it falls within the specified range (March 2010 to March 2011) by checking...
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The California New Car Dealers Association is accusing Chrysler of operating a factory store illegally in the Los Angeles area. The showroom, dubbed Motor Village L.A., was designed to boost Chrysler’s profile and show off their revised product lineup, as well as the new Fiat brand. The dealer group filed a petition with the California...
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Ford is asking dealers to curtail orders of three shades of red paint, and one hue called “Tuxedo Black” due to difficulties sourcing metallic elements needed for the paint. The element, which is produced by a Japanese supplier, is unable to be produced to due damage resulting from the natural disasters that occurred in the...
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Mazda is planning to close down their assembly plants again, while stopping orders from dealers in the United States for their made-in-Japan vehicles. The Mazda2, Mazda3, Mazda5, MX-5, RX-8, CX-7, CX-9 are all affected. Only the Mazda6 and Tribute will remain in production at their American plants, although the situation could change in light of...
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Fiat’s 900cc TwinAir 2-cylinder turbocharged engine, currently available in the European market Fiat 500, has won critical acclaim for its performance and use of advanced technology, and the motor will soon be available in both the Alfa Romeo MiTo and Fiat Punto. The TwinAir will superceed the current base engines in both cars, rated at...
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Shoehorning giant engines into small cars is nothing revolutionary. The goal of achieving a ridiculous power-to-weight ratio has always been on the minds of automotive enthusiasts, and this project is a great testament to how far creativity goes. LS1 engine enthusiast, LS1Blazer on ls1tech.com, went and swapped in a 401-hp LS1 motor into a Geo...
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While the Nissan Sunny has already been previewed at AutoGuide, we just got out first look at the hatchback version of Nissan’s subcompact (known as the Tiida) thanks to a Chinese photographer who spied the car out in the open. The new hatchback looks like a Lexus CT200h mixed with Nissan’s familiar corporate styling cues,...
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Ford has just released a new sport appearance package for the 2012 Fiesta, adding some exterior goodies and perhaps even a slight improvement in acceleration. The package comes complete with black mirrors and a black grille surrounds, as well as a rear roof spoiler and some 16-inch wheels. As for the improvement in speed, well,...
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Despite reports to the contrary, the team at Car & Driver are reporting Chevrolet has no plans to introduce a Cruze SS model. But that doesn’t mean a more powerful version isn’t in the cards. Wait? So wouldn’t a more potent Cruze be a Cruze SS, you’re asking? Not exactly. Rather than a sport-compact-style machine,...
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Mitsubishi‘s diminutive i electric vehicle is undergoing some fairly substantial changes when it makes its debut on our shores, the most significant being a slight increase in length and a 5 inch bump in width, with the extra size added to help the car feel better during high speed highway driving. While Japanese drivers experience...
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There once was a time, when turbocharged engines translated to big horsepower and big fuel consumption. The new generation of turbocharged engines are still producing very decent power outputs, but their main concern is to improve fuel-economy, and a company that is getting the most out of this type of set-up is BMW. They have...
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An old finance maxim states that “by the time you’ve read about it, it’s already too late”, but that hasn’t stopped used car dealers from eagerly snapping up any 4-cylinder or hybrid vehicle as gas prices continue to climb. With one dealer calling the sudden trend a “panic”, values of previously undesirable cars like the...
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With the Chevrolet Cobalt SS being a critical (if not commercial) success, General Motors has been pushing for an SS version of their new Chevrolet Cruze small car, and the program looks like it’s a go, with much of the work being done by their Australian Holden division. While details are still preliminary, a more...
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The Insurance Institute For Highway Safety awarded the Mazda 3 with its Top Pick honor in the small car category. The Mazda3 met the criteria by scoring a “Good” rating in all crash test categories (front, side, rear and rollover) and has electronic stability control. The Mazda3 is the first car from the automaker to...
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Everything that is old is new again. That is the mantra of pretty much every single major car company. Volkswagen has the Beetle (a newer version of which will be launched later this year), Mini has had the reborn Cooper for awhile now, and Fiat recently introduced the new 500 in the North American market....
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From the “Entirely Too Predictable” files, the ongoing crisis in Japan has spooked dealers wary of car shortages to raise their prices. Instead of the time-honored car buying traditions of haggling and deep discounts, buyers are paying sticker price on cars that may suffer from delayed shipments from Japan, such as the Toyota Prius, Yaris,...
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Hyundai has recalled over 190,000 Elantra models over concerns that the passenger side airbags might not work properly. The Elantras were from the last generation, built from July 2006 to November 2008, and cover model years 2007 to 2009. The recall deals with a defect in the airbag seat sensor that detects a person’s weight...
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BYD, China’s 4th largest automaker, has finally established a location in Southern California, although the digs are modest to say the least. BYD’s new home in America is an office within a used car dealership in Glendale, a Los Angeles suburb. According to reports, the dealership is being used to train BYD technicians, and BYD...
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Ford‘s strategy involving smaller cars priced at a premium will become even more important if gasoline rises beyond $4 gallon, said Ford of the Americans President Mark Fields. “There is a natural kind of water level that if a gallon of gas goes over, that may shift the market mentality,” Fields told Automotive News. “When it...
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For the ultimate Mini fan in the house, the car maker has just released some new gadgets to keep him/her entertained when working on their computer. Mini has just released some new flash drives, a 4GB unit which is shaped like a British Bulldog and a 8GB unit shaped like an ignition key. The outer...
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The Audi A2 was well ahead of its time when it launched in 1999, and it paid dearly for its advanced nature, with a short lifespan and disappointing sales. But the A2, which was capable of getting 78 mpg in some trim levels, appears set for a renaissance. Times have changed, and the demand for a...
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