Toyota‘s plus-sized Prius, the Prius V, has began production, and will start at $28,600 in Japan, roughly $3,700 more than the standard Prius. Many feel that the price will be closer to $27,000 in the United States, although the American-spec Prius V will lack the third row seat. Toyota claims that this feature would not...
Continue Reading...
For all the dismissive attitudes surrounding GM CEO Dan Akerson, his latest machinations seem particularly astute, even if they don’t quite jibe with the tastes of “car guys”. For months, Akerson has been creating a contingency plan for when oil prices rise to $120 per barrel. Akerson is on record stating that “I don’t think...
Continue Reading...
During Audi‘s presentation at the 2011 Geneva Auto Show, a company spokesman praised the Audi Q5 Hybrid’s as a usable everyday car and not “…a complicated political statement. While this swipe at a well-known rival may be over the line to some observers, the fact is that they compete for two very different customer bases....
Continue Reading...
While Volvo was apparently set to discontinue North American sales of all station wagons – arguably the vehicle they built their reputation on – in favor of crossovers. But that looks like it will change starting in 2012, with the launch of their V60 plug-in hybrid. Unveiled at the Geneva Auto Show, the V60 Plug-In...
Continue Reading...
After the United States legislated mandatory pedestrian warning systems for hybrid and plug-in vehicles, Hyundai was forced to go back to the drawing board, and modify their Sonata Hybrid sedan to comply with the new legislation. The Sonata Hybrid was originally equipped to give drivers the ability to turn off the “chirping” sound emitted at low speeds...
Continue Reading...
Volvo fans can rejoice now that the famous station wagon variant, the V60, is back (in North America), but it couldn’t be further from the rugged, mechanically simple station wagons of the past. The V60 Plug-In uses a 215 horsepower 2.4L diesel 5-cylinder engine to drive the front wheels, with a 70 horsepower electric motor...
Continue Reading...
The Toyota Prius is one of the most polarizing vehicles on the market today, with a legion of fans convinced that they’re doing their part to save the world, and an equal number of detractors deriding it as nothing more than a status symbol for green-obsessed vanity hounds. Strip away the awful rhetoric, and the...
Continue Reading...
The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, a non-profit group sponsored by foundations, electric utilities and government agencies, released its list of the Greenest Vehicles, and the Honda Civic GX, a perennial favorite, continued to come out on top for the 8th consecutive year. In second place was the all-electric Nissan Leaf, while the much...
Continue Reading...
A fire at a Toyota assembly plant in Japan temporarily halted production at a facility that assembles the Prius, Camry and Scion tC. The fire broke out around 10 A.M. but was put out by now. Toyota reports that no production equipment was damaged, but the fire did affect the factory’s ceiling. An investigation is being...
Continue Reading...
After the launch of the Porsche Cayenne S, another hybrid model is set to bow from Germany’s most famous sports car manufacturer, though details are scant. With the 918 RSR concept car and 911 GT3R hybrid race car making waves, we’d bet that a Panamera Hybrid is on deck, as it’s the next logical step...
Continue Reading...
One of the BMW X6’s biggest criticisms, the lack of a fifth seat, will be put to bed starting this spring, as the coupe-like crossover will have the option of a fifth seat, making it slightly more functional but no less confusing. Along with new 20″ dubs and interior leather choices (as well as some...
Continue Reading...
Ford of Europe CEO Stephen T. Odell announced a “groundbreaking” new vehicle set to debut at the Geneva Auto Show at the beginning of March, but gave no details as to the nature of the car. Some have speculated that the car could be an larger version of the Fiesta, dubbed the B-Max, that would...
Continue Reading...
The 2012 Infiniti M35h Hybrid, the brand’s first hybrid vehicle, has been rated at 27 mpg in the city and 29 mpg highway, while returning 350 horsepower from its V6 engine. With a net rating of 360 horsepower when the hybrid system is taken into account, the M35h should offer a good blend of power...
Continue Reading...
This year’s Super Bowl is heavy on automotive ads, with Hyundai, Audi, Volkswagen and Chevrolet all spending megabucks to get a coveted ad slot at television’s biggest event of the year. Hyundai’s spots largely focus on their new superstar, the 2011 Elantra, with Hyundai calling for an end to hypnotizingly dull compacts. A fourth spot...
Continue Reading...
Audi fanboys will have the wind taken out of their sails today after Johan de Nysschen, president of Audi’s American division, told Autoweek that the car may not reach the U.S. market until 2015! No reason was given, but we can only assume that it’s far from production ready. The A6 Hybrid is apparently capable...
Continue Reading...
A report from PlugInCars.com suggests that Hyundai‘s endless march towards global domination isn’t letting up, and the next phase of their product strategy involves both a Prius competitor and a plug-in variant of the Sonata Hybrid. According to Mike O’Brien, Hyundai’s head of product planning, the Sonata plug-in Hybrid would require little in the way...
Continue Reading...
BYD, perhaps China’s best known car maker, is an acronym for “Build Your Dreams”, but their current product offerings look like someone else’s dreams shamelessly copied and sold under the Chinese automakers own badging. BYD’s S6 DM is a blatant rip-off of the Lexus RX crossover, and even has a dual-mode hybrid system similar to...
Continue Reading...
Not one to let its long-time rival capitalize on every niche, Mercedes-Benz is apparently working on a small city car to rival BMW’s MegaCity project. Although only sketches and clay models exist, a possible synergy with the Smart brand could exist, especially in light of the brand’s recent foray into electric vehicles. The vehicle’s styling...
Continue Reading...
While the Honda CR-Z has had only a tepid reception in North America, its home market of Japan seems to be taking well to the controversial hybrid sports car. Hybrids have always been a hit in Japan, and the nation’s automotive journalists recently awarded the CR-Z the title of “Car of the Year”. To celebrate...
Continue Reading...
Hot on the heels of Mitsubishi’s joint venture announcement with Nissan comes word that the Japanese conglomerate is developing all of their future products with the ability to use hybrid or electric drive technology. Mitsubishi’s German spokesman, Helmut Bauer, would only give a cryptic statement to a German magazine, claiming that “Every new car we...
Continue Reading...
Consumer Reports released their ranking of fuel efficient cars in their upcoming January issue, and their rankings may come as a shock to conventional wisdom. Scoring highest was the Volkswagen Jetta TDI, a car that previously had a reputation for anything but reliability(although it was less about reliability than overall performance). The Ford Fiesta and...
Continue Reading...
With limited supplies and swelling demand, General Motors is looking for ways to double or even triple the production figures of the Chevrolet Volt. While GM plans to build 10,000 Volts in 2011 and 45,000 in 2012, an estimated 240,000 potential customers have expressed their interest in the vehicle, leaving dealers woefully short of vehicles...
Continue Reading...
The Buick Regal will get GM’s eAssist mild hybrid system next year, according to rumors on GM Inside News. The eAssist system will debut on the Buick Lacrosse 4-cylinder, an engine shared with the Regal. It is also expected to appear on thew upcoming Chevrolet Malibu, though eAssist is expected to remain exclusive on Buick...
Continue Reading...
Kia took the wraps off their Optima Hybrid at the Los Angeles Auto Show today, and no surprise here, it’s exactly the same as it’s corporate sibling, the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid. Fortunately for the Optima, this gives the car a huge leg-up. Our review of the Sonata Hybrid was quite positive, and we expect the...
Continue Reading...
sidebar...
