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The Wrangler’s hood buckles -- the two exterior straps and clips that keep the hood securely in place -- are just as much a part of Jeep history as its seven-slot grille.
Would Wrangler design tweaks rile the Jeep faithful?
Posted 3:06 pm U.S. ET, May 21Though I am no Martin Luther, I’d like to nail a note on the door of the Church of the Most Holy Jeep Wrangler.
The design orthodoxy of the Wrangler -- the gospel of Jeep, as it were -- needs a tweak or two before the 71-year-old vehicle’s next makeover.
Now, before the Jeep faithful charge me with heresy and strap me to a solid front axle atop a big pile of kindling, let me explain: The tweaks I’m suggesting are small and wouldn’t affect the Wrangler’s performance but would make it a better vehicle to own. For instance:
1. It’s time to let go of the collapsible windshield. Customers have been able to fold their windshields flat s ...
Continue reading "Would Wrangler design tweaks rile the Jeep faithful?" » May 21, 2012 3:06 pm U.S. ET
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Is Kia’s K9 flagship closer to U.S. showrooms?
Posted 4:07 pm U.S. ET, May 17LOS ANGELES -- Another piece of evidence suggests that Kia is likely to bring its K9 flagship sedan to the United States.
A photo of an uncamouflaged K9 driving on an Orange County, Calif., roadway hit my Twitter feed this morning, thanks to @scarboy6693 and @KMA_PR’s retweet.
You can find my retweet of the photo here.
The rear three-quarter shot shows the sedan with California plates marked with the vertica ...
Continue reading "Is Kia’s K9 flagship closer to U.S. showrooms?" » May 17, 2012 4:07 pm U.S. ET Post Comment | Permalink
Fiat Strada could find a niche in U.S.
Posted 12:38 pm U.S. ET, May 16
DETROIT -- Maybe I'm crazy for even thinking it, but if I could bring one Fiat-based vehicle to the United States that's not yet here, I wouldn't hesitate in my choice:
The Fiat Strada.
I've never driven a Strada and never seen one in person, but the photos I've seen of the Brazilian-built runabout intrigue me.
This year, Fiat is shipping the lifestyle pickups to Europe. A Chrysler spokesman said there are no plans to bring it to United States, and that's a shame.
Because I think -- admittedly with little more than a hunch to back ...
Continue reading "Fiat Strada could find a niche in U.S." » May 16, 2012 12:38 pm U.S. ET Post Comment | Permalink
Kia readies new minivan after Sedona exits in 2013
Posted 12:01 am U.S. ET, May 14
LOS ANGELES -- Kia has dropped its Sedona minivan for the 2013 model year, but the automaker expects to return to the segment.
Kia spokesman James Hope confirmed the Sedona's departure. He said Kia likely will field another people mover but he declined to say when or what it might look like.
"We're not going to get completely out of the segment," Hope said. "It's a market that we're still interested in being in."
According to sources, a minivan is part of Kia's product plan for the 2014 model year.
Last year Kia sold 24,047 Sedonas, up 10 percent from 2010. The segment's top-selling nameplate, the Toyota Sienna, had sales of 111,429 units last year.
In a ...
Continue reading "Kia readies new minivan after Sedona exits in 2013" » May 14, 2012 12:01 am U.S. ET Post Comment | Permalink
Riviera redux at Buick?
Posted 12:01 am U.S. ET, May 14
The Riviera name may be poised for a comeback at Buick. At least General Motors isn't shutting the door completely.
GM renewed the trademark on the "Riviera" name, which had lapsed, on May 3, according to the Patent and Trademark Office.
"There are a number of reasons why companies file for patents or trademarks on names, ranging from potential future use to protecting rights [of] an existing historical name," a spokesman told Autoweek.
The Riviera is one of the most famous models in Buick's history. It debuted in 1963 with Ferrari-inspired design cues and died in 1999 as a premium coupe.
GM showed a concept with the Riviera ...
Continue reading "Riviera redux at Buick?" » May 14, 2012 12:01 am U.S. ET Post Comment | Permalink
Fisker fires back, rebuts expert's theory on garage blaze
Posted 4:59 pm U.S. ET, May 12So what caused the Sugar Land, Texas, garage fire this week that destroyed a Fisker Karma plug-in hybrid and two other cars?
The local fire inspector told Autoweek that the fire started in the Karma, but said he didn't know the exact cause. On Thursday, EV expert Jon Bereisa suggested to me that the Karma's cramped engine-bay packaging could have created conditions that led to the blaze.
Now Fisker Automotive has fired back, offering a rebuttal of Bereisa's speculation in a detailed statement to Automotive News.
As I noted in a Friday blog, Bereisa s ...
Continue reading "Fisker fires back, rebuts expert's theory on garage blaze" » May 12, 2012 4:59 pm U.S. ET Post Comment | Permalink
Expert: Fisker Karma's engine packaging, not batteries, likely caused fire
Posted 9:58 pm U.S. ET, May 10
LOS ANGELES -- A garage fire last week in suburban Houston has been linked to a Fisker Karma plug-in hybrid, but the company quickly noted that the battery remained intact and unplugged -- and did not appear to be the cause.
But if not the battery, then what?
More likely, poor packaging in the engine compartment and exhaust routing generated excess heat. When combined with a fluid leak, that would be enough to create a fire, said Jon Bereisa, CEO of consultancy Auto Lectrification.
Bereisa was chief engineer of General Motors' EV1 and was the systems architect for the Chevrolet Volt, so he knows his way around these sorts of complex problems.
Bereisa has drive ...
Continue reading "Expert: Fisker Karma's engine packaging, not batteries, likely caused fire" » May 10, 2012 9:58 pm U.S. ET Post Comment | Permalink
Porsche's new baby crossover uncovered, targets younger buyers
Posted 2:34 pm U.S. ET, May 9
The newest Porsche, a baby crossover inspired by the larger Cayenne SUV and a key driver of the automaker's ambitious sales goals, has been spotted uncovered on the roads of Europe.
The Macan -- Indonesian for tiger -- goes on sale in 2013 as a 2014 model with a big job: draw younger, mostly urban customers to the Porsche fold.
Previously known by its codename of Cajun -- short for Cayenne Junior -- the Macan is decidedly smaller than the Cayenne, Porsche's first SUV.
The Macan will share a platform with Audi's Q5 and upcoming Q6 crossovers and is expected to b ...
Continue reading "Porsche's new baby crossover uncovered, targets younger buyers" » May 9, 2012 2:34 pm U.S. ET Post Comment | Permalink
Don't write off the Dodge Grand Caravan just yet
Posted 4:51 pm U.S. ET, May 8
Mark Twain once famously said: "The reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated."
According to Chrysler Group, so too have the reports of the death of the Dodge Grand Caravan minivan.
A Bloomberg story last week, which appeared Saturday on autonews.com, quoted a source from Polk who said that 2012 would be the last model year for the venerable old Dodge people mover. The assertion was made despite Chrysler's 2009 product plan that has the Grand Caravan -- and its Chrysler Town & Country minivan line mate -- remaining in service through 2014.
In a statement t ...
Continue reading "Don't write off the Dodge Grand Caravan just yet" » May 8, 2012 4:51 pm U.S. ET Post Comment | Permalink
Flying Lady 1, flying object 0
Posted 12:01 am U.S. ET, May 7Rolls-Royce – the automaker known for its Flying Lady on the hood – forever proved to me and two others that the new Phantom is much more than just a luxury lounge on wheels. When asked to dart around an unidentified flying object on a highway in southern France last Saturday, the Phantom performed perfectly, saving me and the two other people in the car from potentially serious injuries.
The near tragedy happened as the three of us were casually cruising down the D4 highway near Cabris, France. Rolls-Royce held a ride-and-drive event for the refreshed Phantom last weekend. A fellow journalist, who asked not to be named, was drivi ...
Continue reading "Flying Lady 1, flying object 0 " » May 7, 2012 12:01 am U.S. ET Post Comment | Permalink
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Porsche drops 2-seater plan
