Live from New York: Mazda gets miserly with new mills

NEW YORK - Canadians love diesels, yet only Volkswagen offers anything resembling affordable options for derv lovers with its 2.0L TDI engine. No more.

Here in New York, Mazda Canada confirmed that they have a diesel engine in its "next-generation mid-sized car"—or Mazda6—in 2012.

Along with a brand new six-speed automatic transmission, called Sky-Drive, the so-called Sky-D diesel is expected to achieve up to 43 mpg or 6.57 L/100 km on the highway, besting the current class-leading Ford Fusion Hybrid, so says Mazda.

In addition to new diesel engine, Mazda has said that it plans to build a new Sky-G (the Japanese automaker says these are concept names, and not the names of the actual products) gasoline engine that when matched with the SKY-Drive six-speed automatic will provide 15 per cent better fuel economy than existing gas engines.

This news only adds to Mazda’s mission for better fuel efficiency. It recently announced plans to lease hybrid drivetrain technology from rival Toyota.

 

Live from New York: Chevrolet fills out its upcoming Cruze lineup

NEW YORK - As part of the Government Motors' brand's push into the small car market, Chevrolet debuted here in NYC two more models of this fall's Cobalt-replacing Cruze compact sedan.

Based on the regular Cruze's 138 hp 1.4-litre four, the new Cruze Eco tries to eke out even more litres per kilometre. With a standard six-speed manual gearbox, a lower front grille air shutter (that closes at higher speeds to boost aerodynamics and opens at lower speeds to optimize engine-cooling airflow,) lowered ride height and 17-inch lightweight aluminum wheels, Chevy is promising 40 mpg or about 5.88L/100 km.  is

Looking like an attempt to assuage all those former Pontiac Sunbird GT owners, at the opposite end of the lineup is the Cruze RS.

With no performance upgrades, the RS is all show (unique fascias, rocker moldings, rear spoiler and foglamps, "uplevel" instrument cluster with chrome accent rings) and no go.

Live from New York: Fresh Scions coming to Canada this fall

NEW YORK - If you haven’t heard, Toyota’s former U.S.-market-only Scion brand is coming to 45 dealers in Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver this fall. And as part of the launch, the brand debuted here the new 2011 tC Coupe coming this fall, and the new iQ city car that will go on sale in early 2011.

 Although the iQ, left, looks like the two-seat Smart ForTwo city car, parent Toyota says it’s a “functional “3+1,” making it the world’s smallest four-passenger vehicle.  Power comes from a 90 hp 1.3-litre, four-cylinder hooked up to a CVT with an expected fuel consumption of “just over” 5.0L/100 km.

The second-gen 2011 Scion tC Sports Coupe, top right, gets new styling, engine, and upgraded interior.

Toyota claims new tC’s looks are based on the “helmet-inspired cabin shape” from the Scion Fuse concept first seen four years ago here in New York.

Power comes from all-new 2.5-litre four-banger engine with 180 hp,(19 more than the previous model) mated to two all-new transmissions: a six-speed manual and a sequential shifting six-speed automatic. 

In addition to the iQ and tC, Canadian Scion dealers will also be shilling the existing xD, and xB small five-door hatchbacks.

Live from New York: Hyundai adds power and economy to Sonata

NEW YORK - Hyundai's product onslaught continued here in New York with the addition of a hybrid and a performance model to its new Sonata family that debuted last fall. And avoiding any copycat label, the Korean automaker is boasting a unique hybrid solution and many “best-in-class” boasts.

For starters, with new front and rear styling distinct from the run-of-the-mill gs-only models, the Sonata Hybrid's 209 hp and 195 lb-ft electric-gas system is the first and only hybrid using lithium polymer battery technology, “leapfrogging” over competitive in-market nickel-metal hydride and lithium-ion hybrids.

Other hybrid Sonata claims: "best-in-class" highway fuel economy of 39 mpg (6.0L/100 km); "class-leading" electric-vehicle operation at steady-state speeds of up to 100 km/h; and the lightweight lithium polymer battery pack makes the Sonata hybrid the lightest vehicle in the segment, at just 1,568 kg, 120 kg lighter than a Fusion Hybrid.

Hyundai also boasts that its hybrid avoids using a CVT tranny, with its own new six-speed transmission.

The second new Sonata is the 2.0T, Hyundai’s first four-cylinder turbocharged gasoline direct-injection engine.

Again, with the bragging: Hyundai says the Sonata 2.0T delivers “best-in-class” highway fuel economy rating (34 mpg 7.0L/100 km), horsepower (274—more power than some V6 family sedans offer) and torque (269 lb-ft).

Pricing and Canadian availability will be coming, but expect the usual competitive Hyundai strategy.

Live from New York: Mercedes' minivan gets a makeover

NEW YORK - With new offerings coming from Toyota, Nissan and Honda in the next twelve months, minivans seem to be making a bit of a comeback after mainstream brands like Hyundai, Ford and GM abandoned the segment.

One people mover that you may have forgotten about, Mercedes-Benz’s slow-selling R Class, was revealed here today as a refreshed 2011 model.

The biggest changes to the world’s most luxurious minivan so far are most obvious when viewed from the front: new front end styling brings the R Class more inline with Mercedes cars like the C and E Class.

The R Class carries on as a six- or –seven-passenger people mover. AWD and V6s are standard in both the gas-only R350 4MATIC and the more desirable R350 BlueTEC 4MATIC clean diesel with its 400 lb-ft of kid-hauling-torque.

When the new R Class goes on sale in Canada later this year, 19-inch are standard, and an optional Sport Package adds some bling in the form of 20-inch AMG wheels.

 

Live from New York: Infiniti's new QX56 gets blinged

NEW YORK (March 31, 2010) – For those Lincoln Navigator and Cadillac Escalade owners looking for a little more bling, personality, or cachet with parking valets, Infiniti today revealed its all-new second-generation 2011 Infiniti QX full-size SUV here in the Big Apple.

Instead of being based on Nissan's fullsize U.S.-built Titan pickup platform, like the Nissan Armada, the second-gen QX now shares a platform with the Nissan Patrol—a Toyota Landcrusier rival favoured by Middle Eastern oil shiekhs—that's sold outside Canada and screwed together in Japan.

A new 400 hp  5.6-litre V8 engine (based on the FX's 5.0 unit, not the existing truck engine) and seven-speed automatic transmission with AWD is the sole drivetrain option.

Trying to defy physics, parent Nissan says for the first time ever on an Infiniti, the new QX will offer a new Hydraulic Body Control system that "helps reduce body lean while turning for a more comfortable ride."

The new QX goes on sale later this summer.

Live from New York: Nissan dishes the details on its new Juke mini-crossover

 NEW YORK - Ahead of the Japanese automaker's New York auto show media day presentation of its humongous 2011 Infiniti QX56 later this morning, Nissan released more details of its Juke subcompact crosssover coming to Canadian showrooms this fall.

From its global debut at last month's Geneva show, we already know that based on the Versa/Cube platform the Juke is smaller than the compact Rogue. Now Nissan Canada has added some extra nomenclature and confirmed its powerplant.

Now known officially as the Juke Sport Cross. And instead of Nissan's 1.6-litre four 107 hp and 111 lb-ft of torque found in the Versa Sedan, the mini-crossover gets a new a 1.6-litre with direct injection with "180+" horsepower and "170+" lb-ft, two transmissions (six-speed manual and CVT) and optional AWD.

Like one of its future rivals, the Mini Countryman coming next spring, you'll be able to check off plenty of option boxes on the Juke spec sheet, including leather seats, a rearview parking monitor, push button ignition, nav, yada, yad, yada...

[Source: Nissan Canada]

Does Volvo’s turning Chinese ensure its survival?

Here we go again. For the second time this year, a beloved Swedish auto brand has been sold off.

But given the initial news that after a long courtship China’s Geely has finally put pen to paper on acquiring Volvo from Ford, the Swedish brand’s survival looks more promising than sister Swedish brand, Saab.

First off, I don’t care the how the accountants spin it, Ford lost money on Volvo. That’s why it was willing to sell it for $1.8 billion U.S. after buying the Swedish brand in 1999 for $6.4 B. But you could also argue that Ford spent way more trying to keep Volvo relevant compared to what Government Motors did when it had Saab.

Yes, like Saab, Volvo is also a regional automaker. It relies heavily on Europe for production and on Europe and North America for most of its sales. However, unlike Saab’s latest saviours, Volvo’s new caretakers have the wherewithal to keep the brand more than just on life support

“I see China as one of the markets where Volvo could show us it has the opportunity to liberate itself and show the potential that is has. That is the rational for the deal,” Geely founder Li Shufu said. “We want to stabilize the brand in the traditional markets of Europe and North America and, at the same time, develop our business in emerging markets including China.”

In the short term, the much-needed new Volvo S60 is coming later this year, this time as a genuine salvo aimed at compact sports sedans the BMW 3 Series and Audi A4. There’s even a sports wagon variant on the way as well.

Do you think Geely will do a better or worse job than Ford?

Will customers still buy into Volvo “Swedishness” despite its new Sino owners?

[Sources: Straightline, Automotive News]

Report of Maybach’s death was greatly exaggerated, says parent Daimler.

In lieu of a report from the U.K.’s Auto Express I noted in last week’s Autonews, parent Daimler is denying that the arrival of the next generation Mercedes-Benz S Class means the demise of its Maybach über-luxury brand.

“We cannot confirm this report at all—there is no such decision. Moreover, every Maybach sold contributes to profit and we will continue to cultivate Maybach,” officials from the German automaker noted.

Despite sales that have perennially lagged its chief rival, the Rolls-Royce Phantom, Daimler wants you to know that it is quite happy with the Maybach business,

“Despite the very difficult market situation, a total of 200 Maybach vehicles (2008: 300) were delivered to customers in 2009. The brand gained market share in many countries and did better than the segment as a whole.”

As you would expect, we’ll check back between 2012 and 2014, the expected timetable for the next S Class, and see how Daimler’s plans for Maybach are holding up.

[Source: Daimler]

2010 New York Preview: Are GM’s EN-V concepts the future or folly?

As a follow up to last year’s two-seat Personal Urban Mobility and Accessibility concept developed with Segway, Government Motors brought to last year’s New York auto show, the U.S. automaker has released details of a trio of new Electric Networked-Vehicles (EN-V) concepts for this year’s Big Apple show media days, scheduled for next week.

This time around, GM teamed with its Chinese manufacturing partner, Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. Group (SAIC), for its trio of show cars.

GM says “they represent three different characteristics that emphasize the enjoyable nature of future transportation: Jiao (Pride), Miao (Magic) and Xiao (Laugh).”

In addition to being shown in New York next week, the concepts will be showcased from May 1 through October 31 at the SAIC-GM Pavilion at World Expo 2010 Shanghai.

The EN-V concepts, two-seat electric vehicles—that weigh less than 500 kg and about 1.5 metres in length—were designed to “alleviate concerns surrounding traffic congestion, parking availability, air quality and affordability for tomorrow's cities.”

GM’s press release ominously predicts that “by 2030, urban areas will be home to more than 60 percent of the world's 8 billion people.”

GM’s Blade Runner-like projections aside, do you think the automaker, using our tax dollars, should be playing around with cars that won’t see the light of day for 20 years, if ever?

Or should GM stick to trying to make more competitive Chevys and Cadillacs?

[Source: GM]