Sunday, May 16, 2010
Automakers battle for efficiency
COURTESY OF GENERAL MOTORS CO.
The 2010 Chevrolet Camaro still will offer the exhilarating acceleration of a V-8, but in an effort to improve its corporate average fuel economy, GM also is offering consumers the choice of a V-6 engine that's more efficient but still has 304 horsepower, more than double the power of the Chevrolet Corvette's V-8 of 25 years ago.
The horsepower race has been called off in the push for better gas mileage.
Where automakers once competed against each other to see which engine could crank out the most power, new federal regulations on fuel economy and tailpipe emissions have brought such battles nearly to a screeching halt.
With the manufacturers facing a deadline of 2016 to increase their fleets' corporate average fuel economy — also known as CAFE — to nearly 35 mpg, their designers and engineers have changed the focus to concentrate on efficiency, not performance.
Automakers say they're confident they'll meet the deadline, and they also are reassuring worried consumers that the new regulations don't mean everyone soon will have to buy sardine-can-size cars.
“We feel comfortable with being able to meet the regulations, which begin going into effect in 2012,” said Tracy Woodard, director of governmental affairs for the Tennessee-based Nissan North America Inc., which later this year will become the first automaker to roll out a mass-production all-electric car, the Leaf.
“The recent rule making (by the Obama administration) covers both greenhouse gas regulations from EPA and CAFE standards from (the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration),” Woodard said. “Nissan was supportive of the one national standard and will be looking at the range of technologies available to us.”
While the small car and the four-cylinder engine are going to play key roles, they're not going to solve the fuel-economy problem by themselves, automakers and analysts say.
There are more efficient six- and eight-cylinder engines in production or under development as well, so vehicles that require more power — such as pickups and large family haulers — won't have to give up performance in the quest for mileage, said Charlie Klein, director of mass energy and aerodynamics engineering for General Motors Co.
Advances such as direct fuel injection, variable valve timing, turbochargers and automatic transmissions with six or more forward gears can help give a four-cylinder engine the power of a V-6, or a V-6 the power of a V-8.
Technology such as GM's active cylinder management — which cuts out half of an engine's cylinders during highway cruising to decrease fuel consumption — can give a powerful V-8 the fuel economy of a V-6 or even a four-cylinder, Klein said.
Such improvements in the internal-combustion engine will be complemented by other new technologies, such as hybrid-electric drivetrains, including plug-in hybrids such as the new Chevrolet Volt and all-electric cars such as the Leaf, which will use no gasoline and will have no tailpipe emissions.
The exhilarating acceleration of a V-8 still can be found in sports cars such as Chevrolet's new Camaro, but consumers also have a choice of a V-6 engine with great fuel economy and 304 horsepower in the car. That's more than double the power of the Chevrolet Corvette's V-8 of 25 years ago.
But four-cylinder engines are going to provide the standard power in many vehicles that in the past would come with at least six-cylinders, if not V-8s, automakers and analysts say. There already are encouraging signs of acceptance of these newer, more fuel-efficient engines in the marketplace.
The redesigned Chevrolet Equinox crossover is one of GM's hottest-selling vehicles right now, and 80 percent of buyers choose the four-cylinder engine, GM spokeswoman Sharon Basel said.
That engine offers the performance of a V-6 with the economy of a four and usually is embraced even by initially reluctant consumers once they take a test drive, Chevy dealers report.
The 2.4-liter four-cylinder in the Equinox produces 182 horsepower, yet has EPA ratings of 22 mpg in the city and 32 on the highway. The 1978 Corvette with a V-8 engine had just 175 horsepower.
GM will introduce a new Buick Regal midsize sedan this summer with the 2.4-liter four-cylinder as its base engine, achieving highway fuel economy of up to 30 mpg. But it also will be available with a new 2.0-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder that produces 220 horsepower — with a highway rating of 29 mpg.
“We're really excited about the Regal,” GM's Klein said. “The turbo four-cylinder will make the car feel like it has a V-6. There is a movement toward smaller engines, as long as they can deliver the performance the customer expects. We have that in the Regal.”
Still, the automakers have a lot of convincing to do if they want customers to embrace smaller engines, analysts say.
“Consumers certainly don't want to give up performance or vehicle size, but they do want better fuel economy,” said George Peterson, president of the California-based consumer research firm AutoPacific. “The way the manufacturers will accomplish this is through better technology.”
That involves more than just engines, though, Klein said.
“At GM, we take a holistic approach, using lots of different ways to help improve fuel economy,” he said.
Among them: GM's new six-speed automatic transmission, which will be standard on 12 Chevrolet models alone for 2011. It's also being introduced throughout GM's other brands. That transmission alone is responsible for about a 4 percent increase in fuel economy on such vehicles as the Equinox and Malibu, he said.
But GM also is improving vehicle aerodynamics, giving them less wind resistance, as well as equipping them with low-rolling-resistance tires and using more lightweight materials in the quest for better fuel economy, Klein said.
Smaller, more fuel-efficient vehicles are coming, too, and some of these, such as the Chevrolet Cruze and Ford Fiesta, will offer great gas mileage with no compromises on interior space, said Jeremy Anwyl, CEO of the consumer automotive website Edmunds.com.
“The Fiesta is not a stripped-down cheapo car,” he said. “It's not the sort of car the person has to feel like they're sentenced to.”
The same is true of the Cruze, which will replace the Chevrolet Cobalt this fall, Anwyl said.
But consumer perceptions are hard to change, Peterson said. “People still equate vehicle size with status. It will take perhaps a generation to convince consumers that driving a small car is highly desirable. In the meantime, the manufacturers will be putting more money into engine and transmission technology.”
Power is still important to consumers, too, he said. A recent AutoPacific survey found that while 74 percent of all new-car buyers reported being satisfied with the power and acceleration of their vehicles, 20 percent said they would like to have more power.
Only 6 percent said they were willing to give up power for better fuel economy.
Despite higher fuel prices, in some circles, horsepower still is revered. Last week, members of the Texas Auto Writers Association evaluated this year's new cars during an annual testing event at the Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth.
They voted the 2010 Cadillac CTS-V as their “Car of the Year.” It comes with a 556-horsepower V-8 engine — and EPA ratings of 12 mpg city/18 highway.
“I hate to be cynical, but even though a lot of people are passionate about the environment, mainstream buyers want what they want,” Anwyl said. “They buy based on what they want, not what they should be wanting.”
Hybrids, small and large, are another way that automakers will be able to boost their CAFE ratings. These vehicles, which combine gasoline engines with battery-operated electric motors, are at the forefront of some manufacturers' efforts to boost fuel economy.
Among the industry leaders in hybrid technology are Toyota, Honda, Ford and GM. At GM, even large pickups and SUVs are offered in hybrid versions, with models such as the Chevrolet Tahoe SUV and Silverado pickup achieving the same city EPA mileage rating as four-cylinder gasoline versions of the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry sedans.
Nissan is late coming to the hybrid game, having offered only a midsize Altima sedan with a gasoline-electric drive system licensed from Toyota and sold only in a handful of Western and Northeastern states. The company will introduce a hybrid version of its new Infiniti M sedan later this year, using technology developed by Nissan, spokesman Darryll Harrison said.
But the company is betting heavily on the electric Leaf, a compact hatchback similar to the Versa, which will be introduced in December in Tennessee and five Western states, then in Texas and the rest of the country during 2011.
Nissan will break ground May 25 on a new facility next to its Smyrna, Tenn., assembly plant to manufacture lithium-ion battery packs for the Leaf, which will be able to go up to 100 miles on a single charge. The company will begin building the batteries and assembling the Leaf at the Smyrna plant in late 2012; before that, they will be imported from Japan.
Just how the Leaf's fuel economy — it uses no gasoline so has no mpg rating — will be figured into Nissan's CAFE number remains to be seen, Woodard said. “We're still waiting to hear from the EPA about that.”
“I don't know that consumers are really that aware of or will be making choices with CAFE in mind,” Anwyl said. “They are concerned about fuel economy; but without some direct economic stimulus, consumers probably aren't willing to pay extra for better mileage.”
The automotive columns of G. Chambers Williams III appear Friday, Saturday and Sunday in the Express-News Drive section. Contact him at (210) 250-3236; chambers@express-news.net.
| May 16 at 10:00 AM
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Ford planning a summer Fiesta
PHOTO COURTESY OF FORD MOTOR CO.
The 2011 Ford Fiesta's EPA ratings are expected to be as high as 30 mpg city/40 highway. The subcompact is expected to go on sale in the U.S. and Canada early this summer.
Production of the North American version of the 2011 Ford Fiesta began this week at the automaker's refurbished plant in Cuautitlán, Mexico, and the new small car goes on sale in early summer at U.S. and Canadian dealerships.
Ford promises best-in-class fuel economy for the subcompact Fiesta, which will come in sedan and five-door hatchback versions, with seating for up to five. EPA ratings are expected to be as high as 30 mpg city/40 highway.
The newest generation of the Fiesta already has been on sale in other world markets since 2008. Bringing it to North America and configuring it for American consumers is part of Ford's strategy for meeting stringent new federal fuel-economy standards that begin kicking in for model year 2012 and culminate with a mandate that cars achieve an average of about 37 mpg by 2016.
Ford said it transformed the Cuautitlán facility from a truck plant to assemble the new car, and the start of production “marks another milestone in the ‘ONE Ford' plan to deliver even more products people really want while better leveraging the company's global product and manufacturing strengths.”
What that really means is that Ford is hoping that a car such as the Fiesta, developed for markets outside North America that traditionally have embraced such small, fuel-efficient vehicles, also will appeal to American consumers used to bigger cars. Small cars always have been a hard sell in the United States; and even though sales spiked some when gasoline prices climbed to record levels in 2008, they're back to their traditionally low levels now.
Sharing a vehicle globally also brings significant cost savings for an automaker, even though Ford had to spend money to rework the Mexican plant to assemble the North American version of the Fiesta.
“Our investment in Cuautitlán brings ‘ONE Ford' global vehicles to life in North America and allows more customers to experience even more of our high-quality, fuel-efficient vehicles,” said Jim Farley, Ford's group vice president for Canada, Mexico and South America. “Small cars are the fastest-growing product segment around the world, and Ford is answering the call with fun-to-drive new cars such as Fiesta, Fusion and the new Focus that is coming soon.”
Ford has been pumping up early support for the Fiesta in the United States with a marketing program that began last year, putting some of the European cars into the hands of consumers across the country and sponsoring events that put those vehicles in the public's eye. The program was called the Fiesta Movement, and it was aimed at the target audience — young consumers — and made generous use of websites and social media.
“The all-new Fiesta features an expressive, vibrant design, fuel-efficient engine, high-quality materials and a number of features and technologies not found on competitive vehicles,” the automaker said.
Under the hood is a 1.6-liter, double-overhead-cam, four-cylinder engine rated at 120 horsepower. It can be paired with either a five-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission. The automatic will allow for the best fuel economy. But the 40-mpg target for the Fiesta won't give it the class-leading fuel economy Ford suggests; Chevrolet is about to introduce its new Cruze compact, which also is expected to have a highway rating of 40 mpg. “Best-in-class” is a fleeting distinction in the modern car business — even if you have it, you might not have it for long because other automakers are always gunning for you.
Ford also says the Fiesta is “expected to deliver best-in-class safety, convenience and connectivity,” with such connectivity features as e-mail and texting on the go (with audible readouts and voice commands). The car will come with Ford's remarkable SYNC voice-activated communications system, developed in partnership with Microsoft and now offered in a variety of Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles.
The Fiesta is a product from Ford's global small-car architecture, which the company expects to be responsible for sales of up to 1.6 million units worldwide by 2014. That will include five different vehicle lines, the company said.
This isn't the first Ford Fiesta model. The name was used on another small car that was introduced first in Europe in 1976, then in the United States and Canada in 1978. That one lasted only through 1980 for North America, but the vehicle has gone through five generations in Europe and other markets. A new model was introduced in Mexico in 1998, the first Fiesta in North America since 1980.
The one we're getting in the United States is the sixth generation, which was introduced in Europe for 2008. Since the original rollout, Ford has sold more than 12 million of the Fiesta, but only a few of those were sold in North America.
Ford said it sold more than 750,000 of the sixth-generation Fiesta in its first year and a half on the market in Europe and Asia.
Ford says more than 50 percent of the Fiesta's welded body is made from high-strength steel, designed to protect occupants better in the event of a collision.
The car will come with dual-stage front air bags, a driver's knee air bag, front seat-mounted side air bags and roof-mounted side-curtain air bags for both rows. Also standard will be electronic stability control, seatbelt pretensioners, rear child-safety locks and child-seat anchors.
Other features will include keyless entry with push-button start, tilt-and-telescopic steering wheel, air conditioning, cruise control, adjustable cup holders that Ford says “can accommodate Red Bull cans and Big Gulps” along with every other container size and Ford's new capless fuel tank.
No U.S. prices have been announced yet, but expect the vehicle to start somewhere in the low teens.
The automotive columns of G. Chambers Williams III appear Friday, Saturday and Sunday in the Express-News Drive section. Contact him at (210) 250-3236; chambers@express-news.net.
| May 15 at 10:00 AM
Friday, May 14, 2010
Tahoe Hybrid gets nod for efficiency
Big SUVs have long been the targets of some environmental activists, but there's one from General Motors that has made the Kelley Blue Book list of the Top 10 Green Cars for 2010.
It's the Texas-built, full-size Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid, which has enough room for the family and luggage, yet offers the same city gas mileage as that of a four-cylinder Honda Accord or Toyota Camry.
Assembled at the GM plant in Arlington, the Tahoe Hybrid has two siblings: the gasoline-electric hybrid versions of the GMC Yukon and Cadillac Escalade.
Both the Tahoe and Yukon with rear- or four-wheel drive have an EPA city rating of 21 mpg and a highway rating of 22 mpg — not bad for vehicles this large and with this much pulling power.
We tested the 2010 Tahoe Hybrid, with prices beginning at $50,455 (plus $950 freight) for the rear-drive model and $53,525 for the four-wheel drive.
Yukon prices are similar to those of the Tahoe, but the Escalade is better equipped and more expensive (base price $73,425 plus $950 freight) and has just slightly lower fuel economy — 20 city/21 highway.
These breakthrough sport utility vehicles, along with their gasoline-only versions, are built at the GM plant in Arlington.
Our tester was the four-wheel-drive version of the Tahoe Hybrid, which comes (as they all do) with three rows of seating and a capacity of up to eight passengers.
The 21-mpg rating for city driving is a 50 percent improvement over the regular gasoline-only versions of these big SUVs. It's also in line with many midsize cars equipped with four-cylinder engines, including the Mazda6, Hyundai Sonata, Volkswagen Passat, Chrysler Sebring and Dodge Avenger.
Compared with V-6 powered versions of popular family sedans, the Tahoe, Yukon and Escalade actually have better city fuel economy. The V-6 Camry and Accord have a 19-mpg city rating, while the Fusion is 18 mpg and the Mazda6 17 city.
GM says overall fuel economy of the hybrids is about 30 percent better than that of comparable gasoline models.
Under the hood of all three of the GM models is a two-mode hybrid system that includes a 6.0-liter V-8 engine equipped with GM's Active Fuel Management system. It's designed to cut out four of the cylinders during highway cruising. Power is delivered through a continuously variable automatic transmission.
In our testing, the Tahoe's cylinder-deactivation system engaged automatically on level ground and during slight downhill grades with the cruise control set at 70 mph. An indicator on the dash shows when the engine is in four-cylinder mode.
Any slight upward incline brings the engine back to eight cylinders. This system also is used on gasoline-only Tahoe and Yukon models with the 5.3-liter V-8 engine, giving them the EPA highway rating of up to 21 mpg (two-wheel drive).
While the cylinder cutout system doesn't kick in at low speeds, that's where the electric motor works to increase fuel economy, especially in stop-and-go city traffic. Besides having the fuel-saving gasoline-electric setup, these hybrids can run on solely electric power at low speeds, just like the Toyota Prius and other similar hybrids (such as the new Ford Fusion).
As with other hybrids, the gasoline engine stops when the vehicle comes to a halt, such as at a red light.
The Tahoe/Yukon/Escalade can start out using only the electric motor until about 30 mph, when the gasoline engine kicks in automatically. This would happen only with light pressure on the accelerator pedal, however. With heavy pressure on the accelerator at start-up, the gasoline engine comes on immediately.
It's difficult to drive for long on the electric motor, but we were able to do so with gentle pressure on the accelerator at startup. It's almost like driving a golf cart, although quite a large and heavy one.
The second mode of the Tahoe hybrid system kicks in at passing speeds. Then, the electric motor comes on to give the vehicle a boost in power, helping to save fuel. Electric power assists the engine during trailer towing as well, GM says.
More fuel savings occur during deceleration, when fuel automatically is shut off and the hybrid battery pack is recharged using so-called regenerative braking.
These big SUV hybrids are perfect for towing boats, campers and horse trailers, all of which are popular with Texas drivers.
Body and interior designs of the Tahoe Hybrid are the same as for the gasoline-only counterpart, which was last redesigned for 2007 (along with the Yukon and Escalade). With that redesign, the Tahoe and Yukon were the first large SUVs to break the 20-mpg barrier for highway fuel economy, using the 5.3-liter engine and the cylinder shut-off system.
These vehicles are built on the GM 900 vehicle architecture, which also carries the current generation of the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra light-duty, full-size pickups.
Features include a fully boxed steel frame, a coil-over-shock front suspension, rack-and-pinion power steering and a carlike interior.
But while they are trucks underneath, they have the feel of premium cars, especially inside, where passengers ride in comfort with lots of available entertainment options.
The Tahoe's wide front and rear tracks were designed to improve handling and lower the center of gravity.
For safety, all models come with GM's 360-degree occupant-protection and crash-avoidance technologies, which include electronic stability control with rollover mitigation, as well as head-curtain side air bags for all three rows of seats.
The hybrid system was co-developed by GM, the former DaimlerChrysler and BMW. It's designed for use with either gasoline or diesel engines; although for now, GM is sticking with a gasoline engine.
The two electric motors are inside the automatic transmission. A computerized controller decides which driving mode is correct, depending on the road's incline, the vehicle's load and the operator's style of driving.
GM says that four fixed gears in the transmission “multiply torque similar to a conventional automatic transmission.” Unlike conventional continuously variable transmissions, the GM gearbox has no mechanical belts or bands. Shifts are synchronous, GM said, which makes for very smooth acceleration.
One of the motors inside the transmission is used for driving, the other for powering accessories. That second motor doubles as a generator and also is used as a starter for the gasoline engine.
The electric motors and the rest of the vehicles' electrically powered systems draw their electricity from a 300-volt nickel-metal-hydride battery pack under the rear floor. Converters are used to drop the voltage to run 12-volt systems such at lights, radio and air conditioning.
Recharging of the battery pack is accomplished while the vehicle is decelerating or whenever the gasoline engine is running, so it does not have to be plugged into an external AC power source.
The Tahoe is quite well-equipped, with power windows/mirrors/door locks (with remote) and a six-way power driver's seat. The front bucket seats and the three-passenger, 60/40 split-folding second row are leather.
There is room for three people on both rear seats; and even adults can sit in the third row, although access is easier for children.
Other standard amenities include three-zone automatic climate control, power-adjustable pedals, a touch-screen navigation system with backup camera, and a Bose premium audio system with XM radio and compact-disc player.
The navigation system also includes XM Nav Traffic, which announces traffic tie-ups ahead on the route. It's a bit of a surprise, though, because there is no indication it's even turned on until it gives a traffic advisory. It even warns of construction lane closures ahead. The system is designed to work in conjunction with most large cities' freeway traffic-management systems.
Other standard features include cruise control, a 115-volt power outlet, universal garage opener, auto-dimming rearview mirror, turn-signal indicators in the heated outside mirrors, Bluetooth phone connectivity, ultrasonic rear parking assist, 18-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, remote start, heated front seats and a driver-information center.
GM's OnStar system is standard and offers turn-by-turn navigation, although that's already available through the built-in nav system. All of the other OnStar features are there, though, including automatic crash reporting and lock-out service.
A heavy-duty trailer-towing package is included; it allows the Tahoe to pull trailers weighing up to 6,200 pounds.
Our tester came with the Sun/Entertainment/Destination package ($1,940 with discount), which added a rear DVD entertainment system, a power-sliding sunroof and a year of XM satellite radio service. We also had the Red Jewel Tintcoat paint, which tacked on $395.
Total price of our vehicle, with freight and options, was $56,810.
The automotive columns of G. Chambers Williams III appear Friday, Saturday and Sunday in Drive. Contact him at (210) 250-3236 or
chambers@express-news.net.
| May 14 at 10:00 AM
Tahoe Hybrid gets nod for efficiency
PHOTO COURTESY OF GENERAL MOTORS CO.
The 2010 Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid has room for eight passengers, is quite refined and has lots of power, yet offers decent fuel economy, 21 mpg city, 22 highway. Prices begin at $50,455 for the rear-drive model.
Big SUVs have long been the targets of some environmental activists, but there's one from General Motors that has made the Kelley Blue Book list of the Top 10 Green Cars for 2010.
It's the Texas-built, full-size Chevrolet Tahoe Hybrid, which has enough room for the family and luggage, yet offers the same city gas mileage as that of a four-cylinder Honda Accord or Toyota Camry.
Assembled at the GM plant in Arlington, the Tahoe Hybrid has two siblings: the gasoline-electric hybrid versions of the GMC Yukon and Cadillac Escalade.
Both the Tahoe and Yukon with rear- or four-wheel drive have an EPA city rating of 21 mpg and a highway rating of 22 mpg — not bad for vehicles this large and with this much pulling power.
We tested the 2010 Tahoe Hybrid, with prices beginning at $50,455 (plus $950 freight) for the rear-drive model and $53,525 for the four-wheel drive.
Yukon prices are similar to those of the Tahoe, but the Escalade is better equipped and more expensive (base price $73,425 plus $950 freight) and has just slightly lower fuel economy — 20 city/21 highway.
These breakthrough sport utility vehicles, along with their gasoline-only versions, are built at the GM plant in Arlington.
Our tester was the four-wheel-drive version of the Tahoe Hybrid, which comes (as they all do) with three rows of seating and a capacity of up to eight passengers.
The 21-mpg rating for city driving is a 50 percent improvement over the regular gasoline-only versions of these big SUVs. It's also in line with many midsize cars equipped with four-cylinder engines, including the Mazda6, Hyundai Sonata, Volkswagen Passat, Chrysler Sebring and Dodge Avenger.
Compared with V-6 powered versions of popular family sedans, the Tahoe, Yukon and Escalade actually have better city fuel economy. The V-6 Camry and Accord have a 19-mpg city rating, while the Fusion is 18 mpg and the Mazda6 17 city.
GM says overall fuel economy of the hybrids is about 30 percent better than that of comparable gasoline models.
Under the hood of all three of the GM models is a two-mode hybrid system that includes a 6.0-liter V-8 engine equipped with GM's Active Fuel Management system. It's designed to cut out four of the cylinders during highway cruising. Power is delivered through a continuously variable automatic transmission.
In our testing, the Tahoe's cylinder-deactivation system engaged automatically on level ground and during slight downhill grades with the cruise control set at 70 mph. An indicator on the dash shows when the engine is in four-cylinder mode.
Any slight upward incline brings the engine back to eight cylinders. This system also is used on gasoline-only Tahoe and Yukon models with the 5.3-liter V-8 engine, giving them the EPA highway rating of up to 21 mpg (two-wheel drive).
While the cylinder cutout system doesn't kick in at low speeds, that's where the electric motor works to increase fuel economy, especially in stop-and-go city traffic. Besides having the fuel-saving gasoline-electric setup, these hybrids can run on solely electric power at low speeds, just like the Toyota Prius and other similar hybrids (such as the new Ford Fusion).
As with other hybrids, the gasoline engine stops when the vehicle comes to a halt, such as at a red light.
The Tahoe/Yukon/Escalade can start out using only the electric motor until about 30 mph, when the gasoline engine kicks in automatically. This would happen only with light pressure on the accelerator pedal, however. With heavy pressure on the accelerator at start-up, the gasoline engine comes on immediately.
It's difficult to drive for long on the electric motor, but we were able to do so with gentle pressure on the accelerator at startup. It's almost like driving a golf cart, although quite a large and heavy one.
The second mode of the Tahoe hybrid system kicks in at passing speeds. Then, the electric motor comes on to give the vehicle a boost in power, helping to save fuel. Electric power assists the engine during trailer towing as well, GM says.
More fuel savings occur during deceleration, when fuel automatically is shut off and the hybrid battery pack is recharged using so-called regenerative braking.
These big SUV hybrids are perfect for towing boats, campers and horse trailers, all of which are popular with Texas drivers.
Body and interior designs of the Tahoe Hybrid are the same as for the gasoline-only counterpart, which was last redesigned for 2007 (along with the Yukon and Escalade). With that redesign, the Tahoe and Yukon were the first large SUVs to break the 20-mpg barrier for highway fuel economy, using the 5.3-liter engine and the cylinder shut-off system.
These vehicles are built on the GM 900 vehicle architecture, which also carries the current generation of the Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra light-duty, full-size pickups.
Features include a fully boxed steel frame, a coil-over-shock front suspension, rack-and-pinion power steering and a carlike interior.
But while they are trucks underneath, they have the feel of premium cars, especially inside, where passengers ride in comfort with lots of available entertainment options.
The Tahoe's wide front and rear tracks were designed to improve handling and lower the center of gravity.
For safety, all models come with GM's 360-degree occupant-protection and crash-avoidance technologies, which include electronic stability control with rollover mitigation, as well as head-curtain side air bags for all three rows of seats.
The hybrid system was co-developed by GM, the former DaimlerChrysler and BMW. It's designed for use with either gasoline or diesel engines; although for now, GM is sticking with a gasoline engine.
The two electric motors are inside the automatic transmission. A computerized controller decides which driving mode is correct, depending on the road's incline, the vehicle's load and the operator's style of driving.
GM says that four fixed gears in the transmission “multiply torque similar to a conventional automatic transmission.” Unlike conventional continuously variable transmissions, the GM gearbox has no mechanical belts or bands. Shifts are synchronous, GM said, which makes for very smooth acceleration.
One of the motors inside the transmission is used for driving, the other for powering accessories. That second motor doubles as a generator and also is used as a starter for the gasoline engine.
The electric motors and the rest of the vehicles' electrically powered systems draw their electricity from a 300-volt nickel-metal-hydride battery pack under the rear floor. Converters are used to drop the voltage to run 12-volt systems such at lights, radio and air conditioning.
Recharging of the battery pack is accomplished while the vehicle is decelerating or whenever the gasoline engine is running, so it does not have to be plugged into an external AC power source.
The Tahoe is quite well-equipped, with power windows/mirrors/door locks (with remote) and a six-way power driver's seat. The front bucket seats and the three-passenger, 60/40 split-folding second row are leather.
There is room for three people on both rear seats; and even adults can sit in the third row, although access is easier for children.
Other standard amenities include three-zone automatic climate control, power-adjustable pedals, a touch-screen navigation system with backup camera, and a Bose premium audio system with XM radio and compact-disc player.
The navigation system also includes XM Nav Traffic, which announces traffic tie-ups ahead on the route. It's a bit of a surprise, though, because there is no indication it's even turned on until it gives a traffic advisory. It even warns of construction lane closures ahead. The system is designed to work in conjunction with most large cities' freeway traffic-management systems.
Other standard features include cruise control, a 115-volt power outlet, universal garage opener, auto-dimming rearview mirror, turn-signal indicators in the heated outside mirrors, Bluetooth phone connectivity, ultrasonic rear parking assist, 18-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, remote start, heated front seats and a driver-information center.
GM's OnStar system is standard and offers turn-by-turn navigation, although that's already available through the built-in nav system. All of the other OnStar features are there, though, including automatic crash reporting and lock-out service.
A heavy-duty trailer-towing package is included; it allows the Tahoe to pull trailers weighing up to 6,200 pounds.
Our tester came with the Sun/Entertainment/Destination package ($1,940 with discount), which added a rear DVD entertainment system, a power-sliding sunroof and a year of XM satellite radio service. We also had the Red Jewel Tintcoat paint, which tacked on $395.
Total price of our vehicle, with freight and options, was $56,810.
The automotive columns of G. Chambers Williams III appear Friday, Saturday and Sunday in Drive. Contact him at (210) 250-3236 or chambers@express-news.net.
| May 14 at 10:00 AM
Sunday, May 09, 2010
Audi's A8 a step up in performance
COURTESY OF AUDI OF AMERICA
Audi is set to roll out the next generation of the A8, its flagship sedan, this fall. The typical A8 customer generally will be worth more than $1 million, Audi says.
Audi's flagship sedan, the A8, will arrive this fall in its newest generation, again offering its signature combination of performance and elegance — with a heavy dose of excellent German automotive engineering.
Also as before, the A8 will come in two sizes, standard length and long wheelbase, with the latter being the kind of vehicle that pampers the rear-seat occupants in luxury and comfort while a chauffer handles the driving duties up front.
The standard-length model will be 202 inches long, while the expanded one will be 207.4 inches long. The extra length shows up in the back seat, mostly in extra legroom.
Audi, the luxury subsidiary of Volkswagen, says the new A8 will introduce “a new era in progressive excellence” and will combine “dynamic exterior and luxurious interior design with sporty driving characteristics, while providing the highest level of comfort and convenience equipment in the segment.”
The segment is a competitive one, even though its numbers are somewhat limited. The new A8 goes up against vehicles such as the BMW 7-series, Mercedes-Benz S-class and the Lexus LS. But there also will be competition from Jaguar's XJ and even vehicles such as the Volvo S80, Acura RL and Infiniti M, which would compete against the lower end of the A8 model line.
Audi says the A8 appeals to “highly affluent customers” with a median income of about a half million dollars a year, which in today's economy might not be quite enough to support such extras as a full-time chauffeur. That scenario is more likely to occur when the A8 is purchased for corporate or head-of-state use.
The typical A8 customer generally will be worth more than $1 million, Audi says, but even that's not a hard level to reach — lots of middle-class folks have (or had, before the recession) that much or more tucked away in their 401(k) accounts.
These A8 buyers are “highly educated, with almost half having a post-graduate level degree,” and they also usually are married, but with few if any children still at home, the company says. They also enjoy traveling domestically and abroad, especially to ski resorts and such. And perhaps they read the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, The Economist and Barron's along with (I hope) the newspaper this article is appearing in.
As in the past, this third generation of the A8 will feature the aluminum Audi Space Frame, which helps with performance and fuel economy by cutting out about 40 percent of the weight of a comparable steel frame. Audi says the newest aluminum design also brings 25 percent more rigidity than offered by the current A8, which was introduced in 2004.
Today, Audi offers the A8 in regular- and long-wheelbase models with a 350-horsepower, 4.2-liter V-8 gasoline engine. The new model will offer a revised 4.2-liter engine with 372 horsepower and 328 foot-pounds of torque. It will be connected to an eight-speed automatic transmission and, of course, will come with Audi's Quattro full-time all-wheel-drive system.
No prices have been announced yet for any of the 2011 A8 models, but Audi did say it “will maintain its relative position in the market, with even more product substance and technology.”
Translated, that means it probably won't cost much more than the current model, even with improvements in performance and comfort. That's a reflection of the tough market conditions right now, especially for high-end vehicles, which Audi acknowledges are “under tremendous pressure now.”
Prices for the 2010 models begin at $74,550 (plus $825 freight) for the regular length version and $78,400 for the longer model.
For 2010, Audi also offers the S8 high-performance version of the A8 with a 5.2-liter V-10 engine, rated at 450 horsepower and 398 foot-pounds of torque, and a starting price of $96,200. That one comes only in the regular length because it's intended to be driven by the owner, not the chauffeur.
For 2011, though, Audi makes no mention of an S8 version, which probably will come later.
But Audi says the 2011 A8L — the long version — will be offered with a new version of the company's W12 engine, with 500 horsepower and 460 foot-pounds of torque, beginning next spring. The previous W12, which also was used in the Volkswagen Phaeton, was last sold in the United States in the 2009 model year. It offered 450 horsepower and 428 foot-pounds of torque.
The new A8's V-8 engine will propel the vehicle from zero to 62 mph (100 kilometers per hour) in 5.7 seconds, while the W12 will move it to that speed in 4.9 seconds, Audi says.
All of Audi's gasoline engines in the United States have direct fuel injection, which gives better fuel economy. Although final EPA estimates are not available yet, Audi says the new 4.2-liter engine and eight-speed automatic combination will have about 15 percent better fuel economy than the current version, which is rated at 16 mpg city/23 highway in both regular- and long-wheelbase models.
Among special features of the new A8: It will be the first vehicle on the market with full LED headlights with high and low beams, daytime running lights, cornering lights and turn signals using that technology as well.
Available will be a Bang & Olufsen advanced audio system, but a great Bose system will be standard.
Other technology will include adaptive cruise control, a night-vision assistant with pedestrian detection, lane assist and blind-spot monitoring, a new electronic stability control system and automatic emergency braking.
The highest sales year for the current A8 was 2004, the first year of the present generation, when 5,943 were sold in the United States.
Audi will assemble the A8 in the same plant in Germany that builds the R8, A6, A5 and S5 models.
The automotive columns of G. Chambers Williams III appear Friday, Saturday and Sunday in the Express-News Drive section. Contact him at (210) 250-3236; chambers@express-news.net.
| May 09 at 10:00 AM
Saturday, May 08, 2010
Kelley names '10 Image winners
COURTESY OF PORSCHE CARS NORTH AMERICA INC.
Porsche won the most awards - three - including Best Performance, Best Exterior Design (luxury) and Coolest brand. Kelley says the new four-door Panamera only adds to Porsche's mystique.
There was great news for the two largest U.S. automakers recently as the Kelley Blue Book announced its annual Brand Image Awards — a measure of how consumers perceive manufacturers based on key attributes of their vehicle lines.
GM's Chevrolet won the award for Best Exterior Design Brand (nonluxury), while Ford took the honors in two important categories — Most Family Friendly Brand and Most Rugged Truck Brand.
All of the rest of the winners were luxury brands, with four going to German automakers and two to Japan's Lexus.
But beyond those awards for Lexus — for Best Comfort and Best Interior Design brands — the automakers from Asia were no-shows in the competition.
That includes consumer favorites Toyota and Honda from Japan, and the up-and-coming Hyundai line from South Korea. Lexus, however, is the luxury brand of Toyota so that carmaker wasn't left completely out of the mix.
Porsche, the German sports-car maker, won the most awards — three — for Best Performance, Best Exterior Design (luxury) and Coolest brands.
The other German winner was Mercedes-Benz, taking the Best Prestige Brand honor.
Kelley, which operates the popular consumer website kbb.com, said the 2010 Brand Image Awards were based on “consumer-perception data.”
The company said the awards “show which brands best communicated certain features of their vehicles over the past year and highlight factors that influence purchase decisions.”
It's the third year Kelley has bestowed the Brand Image Awards, and it's also the third time that Mercedes has won the “prestige” title.
Ford has picked up the “most rugged” designation for its trucks for the second year in a row, an attribute that Kelley research suggests is a key factor in consumers' truck-purchase decisions.
Kelley said the Brand Image Awards were based on consumer data collected for the company's Brand Watch study, which annually tracks more than 12,000 new-vehicle shoppers on kbb.com.
“The highly comprehensive Brand Watch report provides a detailed look at in-market new-vehicle shoppers' perceptions of brands,” as well as “important factors driving their purchase decisions,” Kelley said.
Brand Image Awards “recognize automakers' outstanding achievements in creating and maintaining brand attributes that capture the attention and enthusiasm of the new-vehicle buying public,” Kelley said.
“Kelley Blue Book Market Intelligence data, and the Brand Watch study in particular, can provide manufacturers with a unique perspective into the minds of how in-market new-car shoppers view their brand,” said James Bell, the company's executive market analyst. “Much too often, brands take a ‘shotgun' approach and offer several different marketing messages over time rather than focusing on the one or two that best resonate with the audience.
“The Brand Image Awards, chosen by in-market car buyers, honor the brands that were successful in communicating a cohesive message across their vehicles and raising the profile of their overall brand image.”
Lexus easily won the “comfort” title, Kelley said, because it has been “known from the very beginning” for its “comfortable highway rides.” The brand continues to provide “more occupant-coddling amenities.”
Those amenities probably are responsible for Lexus winning the “best interior” award, as well, Kelley said.
“Lexus interiors aren't extravagant, plush or boundary-pushing, but the fit, finish and attention to detail deliver long-term allure,” the company said. “Clean, comfortable and simple define the typical Lexus interior, which remains user-friendly even as it continues to host more and more technology.”
Porsche always has been a top favorite of consumers who actually have owned the cars, but giving people who are shopping for cars the idea that these vehicles are special is something this brand is very successful at.
“Porsche is an automaker so uniquely focused on performance that when it announced it had an SUV in the works, it sparked disbelief, confusion and even anger in some circles,” Kelley said.
“The dust from that disturbance settled years ago, and Porsche continues to design and build cars (and SUVs) that deliver a unique driving experience built not just on numbers, but on feel,” the company said. “The new four-door Panamera only adds to the mystique.”
While some might have expected Ford to win the honor for rugged trucks, it's quite a feather in the cap of the No. 2 Detroit automaker to be perceived as being the most family friendly. This is a company that has struggled in recent years to field a decent line of passenger cars, although for a while in the '90s and early 2000s, the Ford Explorer SUV certainly was the market-leading family vehicle.
Now, though, Ford's cars have come into the limelight with such surprisingly refreshing models as the midsize Fusion and full-size Taurus (the redesigned 2010 model, not the older ones that were relegated mostly to rental-car fleets).
There is a full range of family-oriented crossover utility vehicles in the 2010 Ford lineup as well — the compact Escape, five-passenger midsize Edge and the full-size, eight-passenger Flex.
“Combined with world-class reliability ratings, the Ford product renaissance is proving especially popular with families,” Kelley said.
Trucks always have been a Ford mainstay, and the F-150 has been the best-selling nameplate for 28 years in a row (even though GM sells more light pickups overall, with combined Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra numbers).
I would put Chevrolet up there right beside Ford for the most family friendly designation, but I'll certainly agree with Kelley on the best-design award for GM's volume brand.
Design is a hallmark of the Chevy lineup for 2010, beginning with the all-new Camaro, of course, but also including the midsize Malibu sedan (arguably the best-looking family sedan on the market), the redesigned Equinox compact crossover, the stunning Traverse large crossover, the beautiful Tahoe full-size SUV, the Corvette sports car and all of its current variations, and, last but not least, the Silverado pickup line (light and heavy duty).
“Chevy's designers are on a roll,” Kelley said. “The styling renaissance that started with the latest Tahoe SUV and continued with the current Malibu sedan continues to evolve ... Even the Corvette looks better than it has in decades.”
And, Kelley added, “backed up by a newfound, pervasive feeling of quality, we wouldn't be surprised to see Chevy win more Brand Image Awards in the coming years.”
That's quite refreshing for an automaker that many Americans seemed to be willing to give up for dead just a year ago. Forget that, my friends — GM is back!
The automotive columns of G. Chambers Williams III appear Friday, Saturday and Sunday in the Express-News Drive section. Contact him at (210) 250-3236; chambers@express-news.net.
| May 08 at 10:00 AM
Friday, May 07, 2010
Nissan refines Altima with 2010 tweaks
COURTESY OF NISSAN NORTH AMERICA
For 2010, the Nissan Altima sedan is getting a "midcycle refreshening," which includes a new grille, hood and front bumper.
Nissan has updated its popular Altima sedan for 2010, giving it a slight makeover that is known in the industry as a “midcycle refreshening.”
That means it's still the same generation — not a complete redesign — that was introduced for model year 2007, which has been winning awards and accolades since its debut.
Nissan says the car has “fresh exterior styling, refined interior treatments and a host of technology enhancements to its navigation and entertainment systems.” Many of the improvements also apply to the Altima Coupe.
Among the changes that Nissan says apply to all of the 2010 Altima models are a new hood, grille and front bumper, new wheel designs, standard electronic stability control across the line, revised interior fabrics and trim, some new exterior colors and changes in the content of options packages.
Nissan also has eliminated the six-speed manual transmission from the sedan lineup, a gearbox that was chosen by fewer than 1 percent of Altima buyers last year. All models now come with the smooth Nissan continuously variable automatic transmission, or CVT. (The manual still is offered in the coupe models.)
There also has been a slight name change among the Altima's trim levels. The top model — the one we tested — is now the 3.5 SR; last year, it was called the 3.5 SE. The SE designation stood for “Special Edition,” but Nissan hasn't said what SR stands for. Perhaps “Silly Renaming” or “Significantly Revised”? Take your pick or make up your own.
Whatever it means is really not important, though. What is important is that the Altima remains arguably the best midsize mass-market sedan on the market, something that others, including Consumer Reports, seem to agree with me on.
It's also an incredibly well-made vehicle. The 2009 model was the highest-ranked midsize sedan in the J.D. Power Initial Quality Study, a respected industry benchmark. It outranked such perennial consumer favorites as the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord.
The Altima also is an affordable family car that continues to hold its own in this down economy. Sales for April were up 22.9 percent over the same month last year, and calendar-year sales were up 20.4 percent. Nissan already had sold 74,245 of the Altima through April.
Two engines are offered again for 2010: the base 2.5-liter four-cylinder, which has an impressive 175 horsepower and 180 foot-pounds of torque, and the 3.5-liter V-6, one of the best engines ever made. It boasts 270 horsepower and 258 foot-pounds of torque, and turns the Altima into a true sport sedan.
For 2010, the Altima sedan comes in three trim levels, starting with the 2.5 CVT (base price $19,900 plus $740 freight), followed by the 2.5 S CVT ($21,840) and the 3.5 SR CVT ($24,520).
The Altima consistently has been one of the best driver-oriented midsize sedans on the market, along with the Mazda6 and Volkswagen Passat.
The previous-generation model was already the fourth-best-selling car in the United States. With the 2007 redesign, though, Nissan made the Altima significantly better. The upgrades were numerous, ranging from edgier exterior styling to more power to a new, very refined interior more like that of a premium car such a Lexus or Mercedes.
Our test car, the 3.5 SR, came with the Premium Package ($2,380), which brought leather seats and shift knob; heated front seats with power lumbar support for the driver's side; Nissan's rear-view monitor; Bluetooth hands-free phone system; a USB port with iPod connectivity; XM satellite radio; MP3/WMA CD-ROM playback; self-dimming rearview mirror; universal garage opener; compass; mood lighting; and rear air-conditioning vents.
We also had the Sport Package ($2,370), which added dual-zone automatic climate control; power/sliding/tilt tinted glass moon roof, with sliding sunshade and one-touch open/close; high-intensity-discharge xenon headlights; a rear spoiler; and fog lights.
A floor and trunk mat set added $175, so with all options and freight, our tester rang up at $30,185.
Nissan virtually has eliminated the sometimes-annoying torque steer that owners had complained about on the previous generation of the Altima. Steering also was improved to give the car more of a sport feel. Torque steer is the tendency of front-wheel-drive vehicles to try to turn in the direction of the wheel that's getting power, and it's present to some degree in almost every vehicle that has front drive.
In this generation of the Altima, power of the V-6 was increased even as torque steer was reduced.
The V-6 engine on our tester made this one of the most fun of the family sedans that we've tested. But with all the concern over fuel economy these days, there is a great four-cylinder engine available in the Altima, as well.
Our tester's V-6 was EPA rated at 20 mpg city/27 highway; but with the four-cylinder engine and CVT, the Altima's mileage climbs to 23 city/32 highway.
The four-cylinder engine is no slouch, either. It's an enhanced version of the engine from the previous generation of the Altima and is the second-most-powerful base four-cylinder in the midsize class.
Unlike some of its competitors, the Altima is not a copy of anything. The styling is unique to the car, and it rides on an all-new chassis that now also carries the redesigned Maxima premium sedan.
The exterior is a bit smaller than that of the previous generation, but the interior space remained the same. Nissan said some consumers had complained that the previous model was too big; it was the largest in the class.
This model is 189.8 inches long, just a half inch longer than the Camry but 1.3 inches shorter than the Accord.
Outside, the Altima is sleek and aerodynamic, but the unique headlights and taillights from the previous model were retained because consumers told Nissan those were among the things they really liked.
The Altima is on Nissan's new “D” chassis, which also is used for the redesigned Murano crossover utility vehicle that arrived for 2009. This architecture offers improved chassis strength, as well as a completely new front suspension and an improved rear suspension, the automaker said.
The continuously variable transmission does not have the irritating rubber-band feeling of some CVTs and doesn't rev the engine up annoyingly when shifting to a higher gear level.
Adaptive logic keeps the automatic transmission from unnecessarily changing gears while going up or down hills. The transmission has normal, sport and economy modes. It's also designed to learn the operator's driving style, so as to match shift points to that style, Nissan said.
Nissan made quality and attention to detail prevalent throughout the cabin, something that sorely was needed in the Altima. There are chrome accents, plush padded armrests and a standard tilt-and-telescoping steering column on all trim levels. Seats are quite comfortable, with long cushions and high backs.
Among standard features on all models is an intelligent-key system with push-button start, which usually is reserved for luxury cars. Nine cup or bottle holders are placed strategically throughout the cabin, and there are several covered storage compartments. All audio systems come with an auxiliary jack for an iPod or other music player.
Safety tools include standard front seat-mounted side air bags, as well as roof-mounted side-curtain air bags for both rows of seats. There also are active head restraints up front and a tire-pressure monitoring system.
A gasoline-electric hybrid model is offered in California and a few Northeastern states, but it is not sold here in Texas.
Among standard SR amenities are an eight-way power driver's seat, 17-inch alloy wheels, dual chrome exhaust tips, a nice front console with sliding armrest, a trip computer with outside temperature display, power windows/mirrors/door locks with remote, cruise control, leather-wrapped steering wheel, automatic headlights, 60/40 split-folding rear seat, tilt/telescopic steering column, speed-sensitive intermittent wipers and dual illuminated visor vanity mirrors.
There are map pockets in all four doors (with bottle holders), and child-seat anchors and tethers in the back along with child-safe rear door locks.
The automotive columns of G. Chambers Williams III appear Friday, Saturday and Sunday in Drive. Contact him at (210) 250-3236; chambers@express-news.net.
| May 07 at 10:00 AM
Sunday, May 02, 2010
Z06 Corvette gets Carbon look for 2011
COURTESY OF GENERAL MOTORS CO.
Chevrolet says it's making its 2011 Corvette Z06 Carbon Limited Edition as a tribute to the 50th anniversary of Corvette's first race at LeMans.
Another special Corvette model is coming to market this summer, the 2011 Z06 Carbon Limited Edition.
Just 500 of these 'Vettes will be made, Chevrolet says, so it may be difficult to get one.
The Carbon model is designed to be part street car, part race car, as with some previous Corvette special editions, including the first Z06, introduced for 2006, and the 2009 ZR1 model, which Chevy says “closed the gap between racing and production even further.”
With the 2011 Z06 Carbon, “Corvette continues its tradition of track-to-street technology transfer,” Chevrolet says.
“Designed to further incorporate technology developed through racing, the Corvette Z06 Carbon Limited Edition is a tribute to the 50th anniversary of Corvette's first race in the 24 Hours of LeMans,” said Chevrolet General Manager Jim Campbell, adding that, “This car is a must-have for the true Corvette collector and driving enthusiast.”
This is yet another iteration of America's sports car, which Chevy notes five years ago came in just two versions — a coupe and a convertible.
The present lineup includes those basic coupe and convertible models, but also a Z06, ZR1 and the Grand Sport coupe and convertible.
Prices for the current crop of Corvettes range from $48,930 (plus $950 freight) for the base coupe and $53,580 for the base convertible to $116,880 for the top ZR1 model.
Grand Sport, or GS, models begin at $54,770 for the coupe and $58,580 for the convertible. Z06 models, available only in coupe form, range from $74,285 to $81,455.
The ZR1 begins at $106,880. These models also are available as coupes only. They're too fast to have an open top, I suppose.
No price has been announced yet for the new Z06 Carbon, but when Chevy says things like “limited edition,” you know it's not going to be cheap.
It will be snapped up by collectors, for sure, some of whom will tuck the car away in an environmentally protected garage where it will be allowed to collect some dust but won't be running up any miles on the odometer.
Some buyers will take these cars and have fun with them at the track. Others will pretend they're on the track when they're on the highway, and I hope they get the speeding tickets they deserve. If I were to buy one, I would want to have a safe, closed track available to enjoy its great performance.
“For track use, the Z06 Carbon is the best-balanced Corvette yet,” Corvette Chief Engineer Tadge Juechter said. “It combines the lightweight and naturally aspirated Z06 engine with the road-holding and braking of the ZR1. For technical tracks like Laguna Seca, the Z06 Carbon could shave up to three seconds off the Z06 lap time.”
The powertrain will be the same 7.0-liter V-8 used in the other Z06 models, rated at 505 horsepower and 470 foot-pounds of torque. The only transmission offered is a six-speed manual; no automatic is available for any Z06 model.
It also will have Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes with special dark-gray-metallic calipers. These are the same brakes first introduced on the ZR1, Chevy says.
Other features will include black, 20-spoke, 19-inch front/20-inch rear wheels, along with Michelin PS2 tires. Also included will be General Motors' Magnetic Selective Ride Control, appearing for the first time on a Z06.
In keeping with its theme, the car also will have a special carbon-pattern engine cover.
Two exterior colors will be offered: Inferno Orange and Supersonic Blue. Other exterior cues will include black headlight and mirror trim, a ZR1-type body-color spoiler, body-color door handles, a raised carbon-fiber hood and black carbon-fiber rocker panels and splitter.
Available for customers using the vehicle for track events will be Euro-styled racing numbers.
The car will have an ebony leather and suede interior with either orange or blue seat stitching to match the exterior. There also will be a special steering wheel emblem, sill plate and headrest. Suede will be used on the steering wheel, shifter, seat inserts, armrests and door panels.
For those who can't snag one of the limited-edition models, a Z07 performance package available on the regular 2011 Z06 will bring the same mechanical upgrades found on the Z06 Carbon. The package also brings Competition Gray 20-spoke wheels and all of the Carbon model's chassis and cooling upgrades.
Also offered on regular 2011 Z06 models will be the CFZ Z06 carbon-fiber package, which includes the black carbon-fiber rocker panels, splitter and roof panel, with the full-width body-color spoiler, Chevy says. This package can be purchased either with or without the Z07 package.
These packages will be available at the same time that the 2011 Z06 regular and Carbon models debut in late summer, the company said.
The hottest of the Corvette models will remain the ZR1, which comes with a 6.2-liter V-8 engine rated at 638 horsepower and 604 foot-pounds of torque. Only the manual transmission is offered.
Base and GS models, both in coupe and convertible form, come with a 6.2-liter V-8 engine rated at 430 horsepower and 424 foot-pounds of torque. The six-speed manual is standard, while a six-speed automatic transmission is optional.
The automotive columns of G. Chambers Williams III appear Friday, Saturday and Sunday in the Express-News Drive section. Contact him at (210) 250-3236; chambers@express-news.net.
| May 02 at 10:00 AM
Saturday, May 01, 2010
Looking for a car for your grad?
COURTESY OF FORD MOTOR CO.
When picking a car for teens, safety experts say that larger vehicles offer better protection, which makes full-size pickups such as the Ford F-150 a good choice. To save on costs, buy one that's 3 or 4 years old.
Once again, graduation time has rolled around, and many young people will be getting their first cars — either to start driving to work or to take with them when they go off to college.
Although cars are popular graduation gifts, choosing the best vehicle for a young driver can be an agonizing decision for a parent.
Safety should be the biggest concern, but other key factors include price, economy of operation and reliability. For the teens, the vehicle's styling often is the most important factor, but parents should be prepared to temper that with some measure of practicality.
While some teens want high-performance vehicles, those can raise questions of safety and economy. With gasoline prices on their way up again, some vehicles with V-8 or even V-6 engines might be poor choices.
For the best fuel economy, a four-cylinder engine is generally the best choice, and today's vehicles are more fuel-efficient than ever.
It's always a good idea to give a teen as safe a car as you can afford, but in the past that also sometimes meant giving up some fuel economy for the benefits of a larger, more substantial vehicle. Safety experts all agree that larger vehicles give occupants better protection in a crash.
Midsize or larger SUVs and full-size pickups can be good choices for grads, based on the safety aspect alone. But if fuel economy is a key issue for your teen, there are choices among the compact and midsize crossovers and pickups that can offer better mileage while preserving good levels of safety.
Big SUVs that offer lots of safety include the Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon, Ford Expedition, Toyota Sequoia and Nissan Pathfinder. But to buy one of these for a teen, the most affordable choice would be a used model that is 3 or 4 years old.
The same goes for big pickups. If your grad can handle the cost of the gasoline, there are the Chevrolet Silverado and Ford F-150. If you can find one with a V-6 engine, that's a plus, but those are rare. Here in Texas, people traditionally have chosen V-8s, so they are abundant on used-car lots.
Midsize pickups are a good option, especially if you want to save on gasoline. Many of them are available with four-cylinder engines, and many offer fairly fuel-efficient V-6 engines. These generally are more affordable than large pickups, too.
Among the best choices are the Toyota Tacoma, Nissan Frontier, Chevrolet Colorado/GMC Canyon (with four- or five-cylinder engines), Dodge Dakota and Ford Ranger.
Among traditional SUVs that are good for teens are the compact Nissan Xterra and the midsize Toyota 4Runner.
Crossover utility vehicles, though, generally offer the best fuel economy among the SUV crowd, and some of those are good choices for teens. They include the Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V, Mitsubishi Outlander, Ford Escape, Mazda Tribute, Chevrolet Equinox, GMC Terrain, Hyundai Tucson and Kia Sportage.
Most of the crossovers are offered with four-cylinder engines, which usually offer better mileage than the optional V-6s.
For pure economy of operation, though, you can't beat small, lightweight cars and hatchbacks, and there are plenty of good offerings on the market that would fit into most young people's budgets.
Among the best of the new small cars are the Nissan Versa, Chevrolet Aveo, Toyota Yaris, Honda Fit and Suzuki SX4, all of which are in the burgeoning subcompact class. They come with four-cylinder engines, and most have fuel economy that ranges from the mid-20s to the mid-30s.
Small wagon/hatchback models also are popular and well-suited to young drivers, such as the Toyota Matrix, Chevrolet HHR, Suzuki SX4 Crossover, Kia Rondo, Scion xB and xD, Subaru Forester, Nissan Cube and Kia Soul. I'm particularly impressed with the Cube, which has lots of room, really cool looks and great fuel economy.
Midsize sedans are almost always a good choice for teens.
These include the Chevrolet Malibu, Ford Fusion, Nissan Altima, Toyota Camry, Suzuki Kizashi, Subaru Legacy, Mercury Milan and Honda Accord, among others. With these models, the best choice for fuel economy always is a four-cylinder engine, although most also are offered with a V-6.
Among compacts, there are choices such as the Toyota Corolla, Nissan Sentra, Honda Civic, Mazda3, Subaru Impreza, Chevrolet Cobalt, Mitsubishi Lancer and Ford Focus. I also like the Volkswagen Jetta, Golf and New Beetle as cars for young drivers.
Some cars probably aren't a good idea for young drivers. These include the Ford Mustang GT and the Chevrolet Corvette. But V-6 models of the Mustang are good for those who want an affordable, economical cool car. These cars aren't going to be as cheap to operate as an Accord, Camry, Corolla or Civic, but they're more fun even if they don't have a V-8 engine.
Sports cars such as the Mazda Miata might not be a good choice for teens, either, as open-top cars such as this are better for more experienced drivers. Convertibles of any size might not be a good idea for a teen, although you might have a hard time convincing your own teenager of that.
On the used-car market, the perennial favorites for teen drivers still include the Corolla, Civic, Sentra and Mazda 3.
When choosing a used vehicle, make sure the safety belts are in good condition and that your young drivers understand the importance of those belts in saving lives. A recent study showed that the majority of teens killed in traffic accidents at night were not buckled up.
Studies also have shown that occupants are more likely to survive an accident in a big SUV that has rolled over than in a small car that has smashed into a tree — but only if the SUV's occupants are wearing their safety belts.
Another safety feature to look for is electronic stability control, which can help prevent accidents. Many of the newer cars and SUVs have this as standard equipment.
The automotive columns of G. Chambers Williams III appear Friday, Saturday and Sunday in Drive. Contact him at (210) 250-3236; chambers@express-news.net.
| May 01 at 10:00 AM
Friday, April 30, 2010
VW teams with Chrysler on Routan
COURTESY OF VOLKSWAGEN OF AMERICA
The 2010 Routan is a Volkswagen-badged minivan that is built by Chrysler in Canada but has some unique styling and suspension changes.
The badges on the front and back say “Volkswagen,” but the minivan I tested this past week drove and felt quite like a Chrysler Town & Country or Dodge Grand Caravan.
Oh, wait a minute — that's because it is.
Rather than bring us that cool new Microbus that the Volkswagen showed off at the 2001 Detroit auto show, the German automaker decided to team up with Chrysler to bring a new VW van to the U.S. market.
Volkswagen introduced that van, called the Routan, at the 2008 Chicago auto show, and it went on sale later that year as a 2009 model. It is the first Volkswagen-badged minivan for North America since the Eurovan was discontinued in 2003.
Chrysler assembles the Routan at its minivan plant in Windsor, Ontario, in a shared-platform arrangement that is common in today's automotive manufacturing environment.
Instead of developing a van of its own — a process that could cost $1 billion or more — Volkswagen chose the alliance with Chrysler, which likes to bill itself as the inventor of the minivan.
But Volkswagen actually introduced the minivan to U.S. consumers with its Microbus of the middle 20th century, even though Chrysler is the automaker that developed and made a mass-market success of the modern minivan, beginning with the introduction of the 1984 Dodge Caravan.
The VW Bus remains a well-known icon of American culture, as it became the symbol of the hippie/peace/free-love movement of the '60s and '70s.
While the Routan is nothing like the original Microbus, it's an excellent minivan in its own right, just like the current Grand Caravan and Town & Country. There are some unique exterior and interior styling elements, however. And Volkswagen says the chassis was tweaked to give the Routan the feel of a European vehicle.
Routan prices for 2010 range from $25,900 (plus $800 freight) for the base S model to $42,500 for the SEL Premium model. The midlevel SE model begins at $30,600.
Our tester was the SE version with navigation and rear-seat entertainment systems ($33,500) and was quite well-equipped for around-town driving or extended family road trips.
Although the Routan is not a real VW, it was added to the company's U.S. lineup to help Volkswagen of America achieve its goal of moving from its current role as a niche vehicle marketer here, with sales of around 200,000 vehicles a year, to a bigger role with more than 800,000 sales a year by 2018.
Unfortunately for Volkswagen, though, Chrysler did not share all of the special features of its models with the Routan. It does not offer the swiveling middle-row seats that the Chrysler vans offer, which allow the two rear seats to face each other — an arrangement that originated with the VW Bus.
The two rear seats facing each other, with a fold-down table in the middle, was offered in many of the early Bus models, and there were Microbus campers that even had beds, a pop-up top, a refrigerator and a cook stove.
Unlike the early VW Microbus models — also known as Transporters or Type 2 Volkswagens — the new Chrysler-built models do not have a rear engine; it's in the front. VW already had moved to the front engine design with the Eurovan, though.
Powering our tester was the base 3.8-liter, 197-horsepower V-6 with 230 foot-pounds of torque. This engine also is used in the base S model, but the top-of-the-line SEL model comes with a 4.0-liter, 251-horsepower V-6. The engines are made by Chrysler.
Both engines are connected to a six-speed automatic transmission. The base engine actually has worse fuel economy than the bigger one, however. Our tester was EPA rated at 16 mpg city/23 highway, while the 4.0-liter engine has ratings of 17 city/25 highway.
There is room for up to seven people in the Routan, with a pair of bucket seats in the front and middle rows, and a three-person bench in the rear. The rearmost seat can be flipped over to face to the rear for a tailgate party, so people can sit there with their legs dangling out the back (but not while the vehicle is moving).
Power windows/heated outside mirrors/door locks with remote are standard on the SE, along with antilock brakes, electronic stability control, three-zone manual air conditioning, eight-way power driver's seat, four-way manual front passenger seat, AM/FM/six-disc DVD-CD player with auxiliary jack, leather steering wheel with audio controls, dual front glove boxes, second- and third-row retractable sunshades and power rear quarter windows.
Safety features include front seat-mounted side air bags and side-curtain air bags for all three rows, as well as a tire-pressure monitoring system and child-seat LATCH anchors.
There are power sliding passenger doors on both sides, but the heavy, one-piece rear hatch still had to be manually operated. To get the power hatch, you'd have to move up to the SEL model.
The temporary spare tire is in a hard-to-access spot under the middle of the vehicle. Because women are the primary operators of minivans, and VW obviously is pitching this vehicle to women with small children, the Routan should be fitted with run-flat tires. At the very least, the spare should be easily accessible.
There were no options available for our tester so it had a total price, including freight, of $34,300.
Upgrading to the SEL model brings more than the bigger engine. It also comes with such features as leather upholstery and a sunroof.
The automotive columns of G. Chambers Williams III appear Friday, Saturday and Sunday in Drive. Contact him at (210) 250-3236; chambers@express-news.net.
| Apr 30 at 10:00 AM
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