Friday, February 13, 2009
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Three Kings: 2004 Cadillac XLR vs. 2003 Lexus SC 430 vs. 2003 Mercedes-Benz SL500
Cadillac's brand-new '04 XLR roadster takes on the Lexus SC 430 and the Mercedes-Benz SL500 in a battle royal for the hardtop-convertible throne. Yes, heads roll.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Honda Civic VTi
instruments are arranged in two binnacles, one above the other. The lower contains a centrally-mounted analog tacho and this space also houses the warning lights. Directly above, the second binnacle mounts a large digital speedo and electronic bargraphs for fuel and coolant temperature. These displays are easy to read (even through sunglasses) and the speedo is especially effective, being only a tiny eye movement away from the road. All the controls are clear and work with a quality feel. However, the MP3-compatible sound system controls are not duplicated on the steering wheel.
Hydrogen Fuel Cell Bike: Suzuki gets closer to the dream with Intelligent Energy
The automobile industry, whether it is the one with two wheels or four wheels, is getting its act together quickly to try and switch to cleaner fuel sources at the earliest and a lot of this actually has to de with economic ...
Friday, February 6, 2009
Nissan to unveil latest technology at ITS World Congress
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd announced that four advanced Cooperative Intelligent Transport technologies will be shown at the 15th World Congress on Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS). The ITS World Congress, which is being held at New York City's Jacob K. Javits Center from Nov. 16 - 20, showcases future vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communications systems.The systems on display include Signal Violation Warning, Cross Traffic Notification, Oncoming Traffic Notification and Cooperative Intelligent Cruise Control. Nissan is developing these advanced systems for future applications to help inform the driver and help control the vehicle, with the goal of contributing to improved traffic safety as the infrastructure is implemented. Following are brief descriptions of each:
Signal Violation Warning: If the vehicle is approaching an intersection with a red light or a light that will soon turn red without the driver applying the brakes, the Signal Violation Warning system issues visual and audible warnings to notify the driver of impending danger. These warnings are generated based on the traffic signal phase (color and duration), vehicle speed and distance to the intersection. The system calculates when the vehicle will arrive at the intersection and issues a warning if a conflict is anticipated.
Cross Traffic Notification: As the vehicle approaches an intersection without a traffic signal, the system will issue a crossing traffic notification to warn the driver of potentially unseen cross traffic. Warnings are generated based on information received from other vehicles and distance to the intersection.
Oncoming Traffic Notification: If the vehicle is in the left turn lane, the system will issue a warning of oncoming traffic based on information received from the other vehicles and vehicle location.
Cooperative ICC: If the vehicle using ICC approaches an intersection with a red light or a light that will soon turn red, the system will apply the brakes and bring the vehicle to a stop near the stop line.
These future systems are based on research and development conducted by Nissan as part of the U.S. Department of Transportation Vehicle Infrastructure Integration (VII) program over the past three years. These advanced systems utilize dedicated short range communication (DSRC) technology between road side equipment (RSE), on-board equipment (OBE) in the vehicle and other vehicles, and GPS-assisted high-accuracy vehicle positioning technology.
The vehicles equipped with the GPS receiver and OBE recognizes high accuracy map information, determines approximate vehicle positions, and receives traffic signal information when approaching intersections.
On a global level, Nissan is committed to build safer vehicles equipped with advanced safety technologies. In Japan, the company's safety vision is to halve the number of traffic fatalities or serious injuries involving Nissan vehicles by 2015 compared with the level in 1995
Honda Accord
Get information on the new Honda Accord in the Motor Trend new car buyer's guide. With detailed info on car pricing, safety ratings, specs, car pictures, and dealer rebates, you'll have all you need to make a decision on whether to purchase the new Honda EX or LX.
Price Range: $20,000 - $30,500
Body Style: Coupe, sedan
Sum Up: Could well regain U.S. best-seller status.
Motor Trend Rating:
Price Range: $20,000 - $30,500
Body Style: Coupe, sedan
Sum Up: Could well regain U.S. best-seller status.
Motor Trend Rating:
Bentley Continental Flying Spur
Get information on the new Bentley Continental Flying Spur in the Motor Trend new car buyer's guide. With detailed info on car pricing, safety ratings, specs, car pictures, and dealer rebates, you'll have all you need to make a decision on whether to purchase the new Bentley Continental Flying Spur.Price Range: $177,000 - N/A
Body Style: Sedan
Sum Up: well priced against other ?bersedans.
Motor Trend Rating:
BMW 6-Series
Price Range: $75,500 - $109,000
Body Style: Coupe, conv
Sum Up: Buffed elegance.
Motor Trend Rating:
HUMMER H2
Price Range: $56,455 - N/A
Body Style: Pickup
Sum Up: BIG TRUCK STYLE, SMALL TRUCK LOADS.
Motor Trend Rating:
2010 Toyota Matrix
Price Range: $17,360 - $21,960
Body Style: Wagon
Performance & Efficiency: 1,798 cc 1.8 liters in-line 4 front engine with 80.3 mm bore, 88.4 mm stroke, 10.0 compression ratio, double overhead...
2009 Hyundai Genesis
As it enters its third decade in the U.S. market, Hyundai certainly has reason to celebrate, despite the generally dismal state of the American market. Its market share has never been higher. And it has pushed into Japanese territory on most of the credible automotive quality studies. It also scored an unexpected victory this month when a panel of 50 North American journalists voted the automaker's first luxury model, the Genesis sedan, its North American Car of the Year (NACOTY). The Genesis also ranked high as a 2009 Motor Trend Car of the Year finalist.
Cadillac Converj: Two Doors or Four?
The Cadillac Converj is still just a concept. Even though I'm far from the only motor journalist to have gushed over the star of the North American International Auto Show, General Motors' brass hasn't given a production version the green light. To refresh your memory, the Converj is a sexy 2+2 coupe riding on a version of the Chevrolet Volt's Voltec platform, powered by a 16 kW set of lithium-ion batteries with a 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine for recharging purposes only. We'll have more details in an upcoming issue of Motor Trend magazine and of course here at MT.com.2009 Honda Insight
First off, let us all recognize the 2800 pound, leaf-eating pachyderm in the room. Though the 2009 Insight is Honda's latest hybrid, it looks suspiciously like the Toyota Prius.
It's not hard to understand why. The Prius has been a massive hit for Toyota in sales and image greenification. It's won car of the year awards in Japan, Europe, and North America, as well as our own COTY award back in 2004. It's the world's number-one-selling hybrid vehicle, but more important is who's bought them. Early adopters included such Hollywood royalty as Cameron Diaz, Leonardo di Caprio, Susan Sarandon, Sting, and Billy Crystal. It's hard to pinpoint exactly what this celebrity buzz did for sales, but you know it had to be mahvelous.
CLICK TO VIEW GALLERY
Naturally, Honda spinmeisters strenuously reject the notion that they're merely aping the world's first million-selling hybrid vehicle (why would they, right?) and offer the following facts as evidence:
Exhibit A: The Insight was America's first and best hybrid. It's easy to forget that the tadpole-shaped, first-generation Insight came to America in Y2K. Though Toyota's first-gen Prius was the first hybrid ever sold (Japan only, beginning 1997), it didn't make it here until 2001. The Insight's feathery weight, slippery aerodynamics, and abstemious Integrated Motor Assist system helped it return a whopping 70 mpg on the highway, a feat other hybrids have yet to equal. So why didn't it sell? Its two-seat configuration certainly didn't help, but the real issue was that, back then, gas prices hovered around $1.15/gallon nationwide, making Insight the answer to a question no one was asking-yet.
CLICK TO VIEW GALLERY
Exhibit B: The new Insight is smaller. While the Prius qualifies as a midsize car, the 2009 Insight is a compact: shorter by 2.7 inches overall and 5.9 inches between the wheels. The Insight is also 1.2 inches narrower, with a roof height 2.5 inches lower, which is why Honda tells you its Prius-fighter is the more similarly sized Civic Hybrid.
Exhibit C: The Insight will be cheaper. While pricing has not been set, the Insight will most certainly be less expensive than the $22,720 base MSRP of a Prius.
But the real reason Honda would like to quash the inevitable comparison with the Toyota is the one it's loath to discuss. You could call it Exhibit mpg: The Prius gets better fuel economy. According to the EPA, the 2009 Insight returns a 40/43 mpg on its city/highway fuel-economy cycle. Not bad, but significantly off the Prius's 48/45 numbers. When the next-gen Prius drops next year, you can bet that difference will be greater still.
It's not hard to understand why. The Prius has been a massive hit for Toyota in sales and image greenification. It's won car of the year awards in Japan, Europe, and North America, as well as our own COTY award back in 2004. It's the world's number-one-selling hybrid vehicle, but more important is who's bought them. Early adopters included such Hollywood royalty as Cameron Diaz, Leonardo di Caprio, Susan Sarandon, Sting, and Billy Crystal. It's hard to pinpoint exactly what this celebrity buzz did for sales, but you know it had to be mahvelous.
CLICK TO VIEW GALLERY
Naturally, Honda spinmeisters strenuously reject the notion that they're merely aping the world's first million-selling hybrid vehicle (why would they, right?) and offer the following facts as evidence:
Exhibit A: The Insight was America's first and best hybrid. It's easy to forget that the tadpole-shaped, first-generation Insight came to America in Y2K. Though Toyota's first-gen Prius was the first hybrid ever sold (Japan only, beginning 1997), it didn't make it here until 2001. The Insight's feathery weight, slippery aerodynamics, and abstemious Integrated Motor Assist system helped it return a whopping 70 mpg on the highway, a feat other hybrids have yet to equal. So why didn't it sell? Its two-seat configuration certainly didn't help, but the real issue was that, back then, gas prices hovered around $1.15/gallon nationwide, making Insight the answer to a question no one was asking-yet.
CLICK TO VIEW GALLERY
Exhibit B: The new Insight is smaller. While the Prius qualifies as a midsize car, the 2009 Insight is a compact: shorter by 2.7 inches overall and 5.9 inches between the wheels. The Insight is also 1.2 inches narrower, with a roof height 2.5 inches lower, which is why Honda tells you its Prius-fighter is the more similarly sized Civic Hybrid.
Exhibit C: The Insight will be cheaper. While pricing has not been set, the Insight will most certainly be less expensive than the $22,720 base MSRP of a Prius.
But the real reason Honda would like to quash the inevitable comparison with the Toyota is the one it's loath to discuss. You could call it Exhibit mpg: The Prius gets better fuel economy. According to the EPA, the 2009 Insight returns a 40/43 mpg on its city/highway fuel-economy cycle. Not bad, but significantly off the Prius's 48/45 numbers. When the next-gen Prius drops next year, you can bet that difference will be greater still.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)