Today at The Car Connection, the Coda electric sedan and 2013 Cadillac ATS were rated by NHTSA, and we announced the Best Car To Buy for 2013. Lamborghini confirmed 2013 is the last year for the Gallardo, and the EPA rated the 60-kWh version of the Tesla Model S. All this and more in today’s car news, right here on The Car Connection. The 2013…
Source: The Car Connection
Category Archives: Automobiles
Name That Shifter, No. 106
It’s Monday, and that means it’s time to present this week’s shifter. You’ll have until mid-day Wednesday to identify the make and model of the vehicle from whence this shifter came. The first person to respond correctly in the Backfires section below will win a Save the Manuals button and sticker.* Good luck!
(* Offer open to U.S. and Canadian residents only.)
Source: Car & Driver
2013 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 2-Door Review & Test Drive
‘THE KING OF OFF-ROAD WARRIORS’
You can go deep when you are piloting the Jeep Wrangler, and even deeper toward your off-road destination in the Rubicon. In fact the Rubicon model has successfully traversed the nearly impossible Rubicon Trail in the Sierra Mountains just north of Sacramento. This Trail Rated model has no foes when it comes to trail busting off the road. While it’s off-road prowess in world renowned, the interior is more civilized, comfortable and high-tech as any other sport utility model on the market.
New for model year 2013 includes an easy-lift top mechanism and anew premium material soft top. Wrangler also adds comfort and convenience features with new more comfortable and supportive seats, auto-dimming rearview mirror with LED map lighting, new interior lighting, dual windshield washers to better clear off debris, available Alpine speakers and a premium Tire Pressure Monitoring System. For the 2013 model year, engineers for the Jeep Wrangler-the most capable and recognized vehicle in the world-focused their attention on interior ergonomics and 4X4 capability. The goal was to make Wrangler even more enjoyable and comfortable on a daily basis from the inside out while continuing to improve its off-road ability.
With the introduction of the all-new powertrain for 2012-a 3.6 liter, all-aluminum V6 engine with DOHC and VVT generating a trail-busting 285 hp and 260 lb.ft. of torque mated to a 6-speed manual or 5-speed automatic with AutoStick sequential shifting, Wrangler features improved on-road performance combined with even more off-road prowess. Now, with new features added to the interior, the 2013 Wrangler adds improved comfort to its long list of benefits. The result is an untouched level of capability off-road, combined with on-road dynamics, fuel efficiency and interior comfort that make Jeep Wrangler the perfect vehicle for fun daily driving, weekend trail-running or extreme off-road wheeling.
Passengers are now greeted by new front and rear seats. Re-contoured and with larger side bolsters, these seats are comfortable for long drives while offering more support for sporting off-road activities. Interior courtesy lighting is now found under the instrument panel as well as the cupholder areas for front and rear passengers. An auto-dimming electro-chromatic mirror is standard on all models and will feature LED map lights for front passengers. The optional premium tire pressure monitoring system can give direct read-outs for each individual tire. The Rubicon receives a new optional wheel design-an aggressive 17 in. 10-hole alloy wheel with polished accents and a mid-gloss gray painted inner face. My new Wrangler Rubicon came equipped with the beefy B.F. Goodrich LT255/75R17 in. T/A Mud Terrain Baja Champion tires with 3-ply sidewalls for extra strength off-road.
The 2013 Jeep Wrangler delivers unmatched off-road capability with legendary four-wheel drive and is produced with more than seven decades of 4X4 engineering experience. Wrangler continues to offer a body-on-frame design, front and rear five-link suspension system, live axles, electronic lockers, four-wheel vented power assisted brakes, and is one of the few mid-size SUVs that offers a six-speed manual in addition to its five-speed automatic transmission.
The Jeep Wrangler is available with several axle gear ratios allowing customers to optimize fuel economy and/or vehicle capability. Wrangler is available with 3.21, 3.73 or 4.10 ratios depending on model. Also, Wrangler offers towing capability up to 3,500 lbs.
The Wrangler Rubicon that I tested features heavy-duty Dana 44 front and rear axles and the Rock-Trac NV241 two-speed transfer case with a 4.0:1 low range gear ratio. Rubicon also includes electric front and rear locking differentials, disconnecting front sway bar and 32 in. tires wrapped with 17X7.5 in. alloy wheels all taking the Wrangler Rubicon to the highest level of capability.
The interior combines rich styling, versatility, comfort and intuitive feature use. Highlights include automatic temperature controls, heated seats, steering wheel controls for vehicle systems, dual cupholders, storage bin and armrest, dual map lights, storage bin above the center stack, variable speed wipers/washers, and thick cut-pile carpeting. The large rear windows are engineered for greater visibility. A USB port connects to the media center, a 12-volt accessory outlet. Standard features in the Rubicon not mentioned above includes A/C, Media Center, 368-watt 7-speaker Infinity sound system with subwoofer, audio jack input for mobile devices, Sirius satellite radio, temperature/compass heading, tilt/leather-wrapped steering wheel, reclining front bucket seats with height-adjustable driver’s seat, giant grab handle above the glove box, rear fold-and-tumble seat, rear compartment covered storage, instrument cluster with chrome rings with more chrome rings around the steering wheel center, switches and dials. Front floor mats round out the new up-level interior.
Optional equipment in my Rubicon Wrangler included connectivity group, remote USB port, electronic vehicle information display, Uconnect voice command with Bluetooth, power/heated sideview mirrors, remote keyless entry, power one-touch windows/door locks, security system, hill descent control, body-color 3-piece hardtop, body- color fenders, freedom panel storage bag, rear window defroster/wiper/washer, tinted rear quarter and rear flip-up windows, media center 430N SAT/CD/DVD/MP3/HDD/Nav system with 40GB hardrive, with 28GB available storage, 6.5 in. touch screen display GPS navigation.
The Jeep Wrangler Rubicon features the signature classic round headlamps, seven-slot grille, trapezoid wheel flares, removable doors, exposed hinges, a fold-down windshield and innovative removable and convertible tops and half doors that allow the Wrangler to retain the brank’s iconic appearance and function, plus the 4X4 Trail rated badge on the driver’s-side and the Rubicon graphic on the side of the hood. The exterior also includes side rock rails, swing-out rear door with flipper glass and holding the full-size spare tire, dual front tow hooks/single rear tow hook, transfer case skid plate shield, cruise control, fuel tank skid plate shield and front skid plate shield.
Standard safety systems include traction control, hydraulic brake assist, advanced multi-stage front airbags, electronic stability control, four-point roll bar, 3-point seatbelts with front pretensioners/load limiters, and electronic roll mitigation.
Built on more than 70 years of legendary heritage, Jeep is the authentic SUV with class-leading capability, craftsmanship and versatility for people who seek extraordinary journeys. On road or way off-road, if you want to go deep do it in a Jeep!
Copyright: 2012 Harvey Schwartz
SPECIFICATIONS
Price: Base Wrangler Rubicon 2-Door $29,995.00 / $35,940.00 as tested including $900.00 destination charges
Engine: 3.6 liter DOHC V6 285 hp @ 6400 rpm / 260 lb.ft. torque @ 4800 rpm
Suspension: F-live axle, link coil, leading arms, track bar, coil springs, high-pressure gas-charged monotube shocks, stabilizer bar R-live axle, link coil, trailing arms, track bar, coil springs, monotube high-pressure gas-charged shocks
Turning circle: 34.9 ft.
Brakes: F-11.9 in. vented discs/single-piston calipers R-11.9 in. vented discs/single-piston calipers/ABS/Hydraulic Brake Assist
Wheelbase: 95.4 in.
Track: F-61.9/R-61.9 in.
Overall length: 152.8 in.
Overall width: 73.7 in.
Overall height: 70.9 in.
Fuel tank: 18.6 gallons
Approach angle: 44.3
Breakover angle: 25.4
Departure angle: 40.4
Front axle to ground: 10.5 in.
Rear axle to ground: 10.2 in.
Curb weight: 4,129 lbs.
Headroom: F/R-41.3/40.3 in.
Legroom: F/R-41/35.6 in.
Cargo volume: rear seat upright-12.8/rear seat folded-55 cu.ft.
EPA mileage: 17mpg/city, 21mpg/highway
Source: Automotive Addicts
EPA Will Review 2013 Ford Fusion, C-Max Fuel Economy Claims
Two weeks ago, we mentioned that the Hyundai/Kia fuel-economy fiasco was turning heads in Congress and suggested that this could cause the Environmental Protection Agency to take a closer look at other vehicles. That’s now happening. According to AutoNews, the EPA will review complaints about the 2013 Ford Fusion Hybrid and 2013 Ford C-Max hybrid…
Source: The Car Connection
2013 Ford Fusion: The Car Connection’s Best Car To Buy 2013
The Car Connection’s Best Car To Buy 2013 is the new 2013 Ford Fusion. The Fusion earned the highest rating of all brand-new or significantly updated mainstream vehicles this year, fending off close challenges from the Honda Accord, the Cadillac ATS, and the Cadillac XTS. As we wrote in our full review, the 2013 Ford Fusion has “rock-star good…
Source: The Car Connection
Porsche Announces New 911 GT3 Cup Car: Video
The new 911 GT3 Cup – image: Porsche AG
With the introduction of Porsche’s new 911 road car, the Type 991, it stands to reason that its 911 GT3 Cup race car would evolve from the Type 997 platform to the Type 991 as well. It’s now official, as Porsche has released images and video of its Latest 911 GT3 Cup racer, which will run exclusively in the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup during the 2013 season.
Power comes from a 3.8-liter flat-six engine, good for 460 horsepower (10 more than the engine it replaces). The paddle-shifted six speed transmission replaces the former GT3 Cup’s sequential manual gearbox, and new single piece racing wheels wear wider Michelin race tires.
Up front, six-piston calipers grab 15-inch rotors, while the rear setup gets by with four-piston calipers. The braking system is all new and designed to further reduce fade in endurance racing. Other improved safety measures include a stronger safety cage inside the car, an improved racing seat and a recue hatch for first responders in the car’s roof.
The new 911 GT3 Cup – image: Porsche AG
Of the new car, Porsche driver Timo Bernhard said, “The new 911 GT3 Cup is much easier to drive at the limit. The car is excellently balanced. The new axle geometry is enormously positive for the handling. Apart from that the new Cup 911 is great fun to drive.”
Base price for the 2013 Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car is 181,200 euros ($233,893), and deliveries will begin in advance of the 2013 Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup series, dates to be announced.
Source: Automotive Addicts
24 Hours of LeMons Arse Freeze-a-Palooza: Winners!
It was hot and windy at the not-so-aptly-named 2012 Arse Freeze-a-Palooza 24 Hours of LeMons, held at Chuckwalla Valley Raceway in the Southern California high desert, and the BMW 5-series cars left their smaller 3-series brethren in the Mojave dust. Let’s take a look at some of the trophy winners from the sixth annual Arse Freeze.
For the third time in the 2012 LeMons season, the 1983 BMW 533i of Cerveza Racing took the win on laps. The race stayed very close for all of Saturday and much of Sunday, but mechanical problems pulled several of the fast BMW E28′s competitors out of the running late in the game. When the checkered flag came out, Cerveza Racing had a four-lap lead over the Model T GT.
In Class B, there was no stopping the 403-powered 1979 Oldsmobile Regency 98 Brougham of Team Oldsmember. This team won the Index of Effluency at the 2010 Arizona race, and this time the Oldsmembers rode good lap times and clean driving to a startling fifth-overall finish.
After many, many attempts to take home a Class C trophy, the Mexican wrestlers of Team Fiero Libre drove their 1987 Pontiac Fiero to victory. 23rd place overall, which is quite impressive for a Class C car in a 114-entry event.
The justices of the LeMons Supreme Court love French cars, especially tiny French econoboxes, and so the 1982 Renault Le Car of Team Tidy Whities started the weekend in a good position for grabbing the Judges’ Choice award.
When we saw the Le Car being towed into the inspection area by a three-year-old driving a Little Tikes car, we had no choice: Judges’ Choice for the Renault!
The Sharks and their junkyard-turbocharged BMW 5-series have been competing— if that’s the word— in 24 Hours of LeMons racing for several years now. The Sharkwagen is very fast (when it runs) but its chassis has taken many, many ruinous hits involving other cars, concrete walls, steel barriers, trees, and so on. On Saturday, yet another wreck bent the rear half of the unibody structure into sort of a tortured pretzel.
Rather than give up, The Sharks spent all of Saturday night cutting and pasting steel in an attempt to straighten out their bent Bavarian. Here’s what their left rear control arm looked like on Sunday. It worked! For that, the team received the Most Heroic Fix award.
On Saturday, the Billy Beer Malaise Forever 1979 Ford Fairmont Futura led Class C by a seemingly insurmountable margin, 200-cubic-inch inline-six engine and all.
Then on Sunday morning, thrown connecting rod! No problem, said the Billy Beer crew, we brought a spare engine! So, the team swapped in a junkyard 200 six, fired it up, hit the track… and discovered that an untested junkyard engine often blows up within a few minutes. For this, the team took home the I Got Screwed trophy.
The special regional trophy this time was the Grizzled Desert Survivor Award, given to the Salton Sea Speed Shop and their 1964 Ford Falcon. This car had been sitting in the desert since the 1980s and was brought back to ligfe several hours before the Arse Freeze-a-Palooza inspections. The Falcon ran for most of the weekend, looked great, and finished 73rd out of 114.
A dead-stock 1979 Subaru BRAT piloted by a quartet of women who had never been on a race track before (one of them hadn’t even driven a manual transmission before) is exactly the sort of entry we like to see in the 24 Hours of LeMons. The BRAT was slow and had a few mechanical problems, but at the end of the weekend it had earned 83rd place and an Organizer’s Choice trophy for Team Viva la Vulva.
The Index of Effluency is the top prize of LeMons racing, and it is bestowed upon the team that combines race performance far beyond what any sane person would expect from their car with the sort of attitude that epitomizes the spirit of the 24 Hours of LeMons. This time around, there was no question about who most deserved the IOE: the Ace Rothstein Special 1984 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz of Team Pit Crew Revenge 2.
Not only did Pit Crew Revenge run an extraordinarily LeMonic car, but they dressed exactly like the 1980s-Las-Vegas characters in the Martin Scorcese film, Casino, right down to the brightly colored suits.
In fact, “Ace Rothstein” changed his suit seven times during the course of the weekend, going from pink to turquoise to black to teal to orange and sporting various matching (spray-painted) ties and shoes. And he had a Tangiers Casino highball glass in his hand at all times, even when performing repairs on the Biarritz. On top of all that, the car finished 70th overall, beating a slew of BMW E30 3-series, Acura Integras, Ford Mustangs, and other cars generally considered racier than the ’84 Eldorado. Congratulations, Pit Crew Revenge 2!
Not enough 24 Hours of LeMons madness for you? Go here for complete LeMons coverage, courtesy of inexplicable sponsor C/D.
Source: Car & Driver
Buick LaCrosse
The Buick LaCrosse is a near-luxury mid-size sedan, offered in front- or all-wheel drive. Effectively the replacement for the old LeSabre, the LaCrosse was one of the first vehicles to assemble in a new Buick era–one in which GM turned to the nameplate as its affordable-luxury brand around the globe. The LaCrosse now competes with the likes of…
Source: The Car Connection
LeMons Chuckwalla Day One: Top Five On the Same Lap, Four Are BMWs
California 24 Hours of LeMons races always feature plenty of BMWs in the mix, though some racers got much more creative with their car choices, but many of the E30 3-series and E28 5-series cars tend to sink into the mud of the standings when their delicate electrical systems and breakage-prone rocker arms act up. Today, however, was different; when the checkered flag ended the first race session, six of the top ten places were filled with Bavarian machines (the other four are held by two Mazdas, a Nissan, and an Oldsmobile).
Five teams ended the day with 144 laps, with the Cerveza Racing ’83 BMW 533i holding a lead of a few seconds over the field. The Cervezas have taken two overall wins in tough California races this year and have become the West Coast team to beat this season.
The Faustest Team’s devilish ’86 325 has been campaigning in West Coast LeMons events for several years, they’ve always been among the faster teams, and insiders say they’re overdue for a win on laps. They don’t dare blink Sunday as they try to catch Cerveza Racing, because right behind them…
…is the Lipstick On a Pig ’91 Nissan Sentra SE-R. The Lipstick On a Pig team has been battling in California LeMons races for as long as the Faustest Team, and they’ve got several top-three finishes to show for it.
Also on Lap 144, the If It’s Not Punk It’s Junk CP ’92 525i has the quickest best lap time of the top contenders (2:11 flat versus 2:12.798 for Cerveza Racing). The IINPIJGP E34 5-series has taken an overall LeMons win before, but not since the 2011 season.
Rounding out the Lap 144 brigade is the ’87 BMW 325e of Team Prickstine. This car is an E30 3-series modified to look like the ’58 Plymouth in the film Christine, and it has a LeMons pedigree stretching all the way back to the Altamont Raceway era. Like The Faustest Team and Lipstick On a Pig, the Porcubimmers have often contended but have yet to claim an overall LeMons win.
Speaking of Altamont veterans, SoCal-based car writers Mike Finnegan and David Freiburger have dusted off a car that we hadn’t seen on a LeMons track since the spring of 2008. The Roadkill 1973 Plymouth Fury needed some work to get its five-year-old safety equipment up to current standards, but it roared onto the Chuckwalla track on Saturday afternoon.
The struggle for the Index of Effluency, the top prize of LeMons racing, remains difficult to call. With a good dozen teams in the running for the IOE this time and quite a few of them making strong cases for the award, there’s no telling how things will sort out tomorrow. All we can say is that a race with a Humber Super Snipe wagon versus a Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz versus a Subaru BRAT versus a six-banger Ford Fairmont is a good race!
Source: Car & Driver
24 Hours of LeMons Arse Freeze-a-Palooza BS Inspections: Saab-ified Honda 600, Ace Rothstein’s Cadillac Biarritz
Here we are at the sixth annual Arse Freeze-a-Palooza 24 Hours of LeMons, taking place at Chuckwalla Valley Raceway in lovely Desert Center, California. It was a long day roasting in the high-desert sun for the LeMons Supreme Court, but after inspecting 120 or so racin’ hoopties we’re able to pick out a handful of real standouts.
We can check off a car we’ve been hoping to see for many years: the Subaru BRAT. This team showed up with an exquisitely original BRAT—make it run, cage it, go racing!
Another car the serious LeMons aficionados have been longing to see is Ace Rothstein’s Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz, as depicted in the film Casino.
You really can’t pull off the Rothstein Biarritz without pink and turquoise suits!
Another attention-grabbing entry is the “Saanda” Honda 600 of Team Apathy. Most folks, when they decide to build a race car, don’t jump right to the idea that stuffing a Saab 900 Turbo engine in the back of a Honda 600 with gigantic box flares, but that’s just what Team Apathy did.
Makes sense to us!
We like to make each race’s BRIBED stencil sort of a commemoration of a subject of local interest, so we went with the most famous inhabitant of the Southern California desert for the Arse Freeze ’12 stencil. Helter Skelter is coming down fast.
Where else would you see a Little Tikes tow vehicle for a Renault Le Car? Check in Saturday night to see how the first race session goes!
Car & Driver
Ford Fusion Hybrid – Fusion Energi
Newly redesigned for the 2013 model year, the Ford Fusion Hybrid sedan may be the most stylish of the growing number of hybrid versions of mid-size sedans. It competes not only with the first such entry, the Toyota Camry (itself restyled for 2012), but also the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid and Kia Optima Hybrid twins and a forthcoming new hybrid version…
Source: The Car Connection
Fiat 500
The Fiat 500 mini-car is a two-door hatchback coupe or convertible with a variety of different models available to suit different tastes and budgets. It mixes Italian style with a fun-to-drive personality and comes with good gas mileage as a bonus. As well as the standard three-door hatchback, there’s a high-performance Fiat Abarth model…
Source: The Car Connection
Honda CR-Z
The Honda CR-Z occupies essentially a unique position in the market: It’s the sole sporty two-seat hybrid hatchback. Widely viewed as a sport coupe, the three-door hatchback CR-Z blends styling that evokes the design heritage of the famed CRX coupe of the Eighties and Nineties with a modern hybrid powertrain. Its challenge has been that it is…
Source: The Car Connection
Chevrolet Volt
After a contentious start, the Chevrolet Volt range-extended electric car has settled into its role of the best-selling plug-in electric car in the U.S. Its mix of 30 to 40 miles of battery power, plus unlimited range from its range-extending gasoline engine, has proven to be a winner among buyers who want to drive electric but experience “range…
Source: The Car Connection
Nissan Rogue
The Nissan Rogue is a solid alternative to the likes of the Honda CR-V, Ford Escape, Toyota RAV4, Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage, and Subaru Forester. Performance for this compact crossover isn’t its strongest virtue, but the Rogue is aimed at smaller, more frugal-minded families, and it gives them good interior space and versatility, along with an…
Source: The Car Connection
Volvo XC60
Anyone considering the aged, although still-competent XC90 has another worthy alternative in the form of the XC60 crossover. While it’s somewhat smaller, being classified as a mid-size crossover, the XC60 benefits from the same Scandinavian design influences as its bigger brother, and packs many of the same technologies. The XC60 is in its…
Source: The Car Connection
2013 MINI Cooper
If you’re looking for the best possible combination of style, hatchback practicality, and performance, in a zippy, city-friendly small-car package, the MINI Cooper lineup pretty much has the market cornered–and that’s not at all a bad thing. Ranging from the pint-sized Cooper hatchback and convertible, to the closely related Clubman…
Source: The Car Connection
Honda Crosstour
Formerly known as the Accord Crosstour, the Honda Crosstour is a hatchback wagon variant of the popular mid-size four-door sedan. A successor of sorts to the well-loved Accord wagons of the 1990s, the Crosstour was introduced in the 2010 model year and has been largely unchanged since then. It hasn’t been as well-received as those beloved wagons…
Source: The Car Connection
When Are the Future Jeeps Coming? Timeline for New Models, Diesels, and SRT
Five models populate Jeep showrooms these days—well, Jeep-Dodge-Chrysler-Fiat-SRT-Ram showrooms—but among them, only the Grand Cherokee and Wrangler are fresh. Deservedly, then, those two trucks have been runaway hits for Jeep, and make up about two-thirds of the brand’s sales. Jeep isn’t standing still, though: we’re coming up on replacements for the rather decrepit Liberty, Compass, and Patriot, while the brand prepares to add a subcompact model, and more engine choices. Here’s what’s in the seven-slatted pipeline, with all timing coming directly from high-ranking sources at Jeep:
January 2013: Jeep Grand Cherokee Diesel
A diesel option comes to the Grand Cherokee this winter, its debut scheduled for the Detroit auto show in January. The “EcoDiesel 3.0″ is an Italian-designed V-6, and will deliver 224 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque. Assuming Jeep offers the diesel across several Grand Cherokee trim levels (and not just the range-topping Overland), it should be the least-expensive diesel vehicle with four-wheel drive in the U.S.
May 2013: New Jeep Liberty
Jeep’s upright, truckish Liberty is a relic from an older era, but it’s still a strong seller, and the company’s managers chalk that up in part to its genuine off-road look and ability. The replacement will launch in the second quarter of 2013 on a vaguely Fiat-related platform. There’s a small chance it’ll return to the Cherokee name. Either way, the new truck will see huge improvements in weight, fuel economy, and on-road handling, all helping to attract customers who’d ordinarily shop Toyota’s RAV4 and the Ford Edge. Jeep’s next-gen all-wheel-drive system should give the Liberty all the off-road capability customers demand. Brand CEO Mike Manley says there’s an “interesting business case” for a diesel engine in this truck.
2013: Mystery Wrangler Option
Next year, “we’ll give our customers the opportunity to do something very special with their Wrangler that they’ve never been able to do before,” a high-level Jeep executive told us. Based on the context of the discussion, we think it’ll be something along the lines of the JK-8 pickup-truck conversion kit that Jeep introduced last year. Two prime options are the Mighty FC and J-12 concepts, spectacular retro one-offs based on the Wrangler; both received hot receptions after bowing at the annual Moab Easter Safari event last year.
Early 2014: Single Replacement for the Jeep Compass and Patriot
After the Chrysler Sebring-cum-200, the Compass and the Patriot may be the biggest pariahs of the American auto industry. Even after a face lift fixed the Compass’s emetic snout, the two remain dull and slow, outclassed in every way by the competition. We’ll see a far-better successor in 2014, which could retain the Patriot name, riding on the new Compact-U.S.-Wide architecture introduced with the Dodge Dart.
Some Time in 2014: Subcompact B-Segment Jeep, Imported from Italy
Jeep will expand downward in its lineup, targeting baby crossovers like the Mini Countryman, the Nissan Juke, and a future Honda spun off from the Fit. An exec has told us that Jeep will get more playful with this vehicle than its other, stern-faced trucks, so that it’ll be very “youthful and fun,” but still will be “immediately recognizable” as a Jeep. There will be a Trail-Rated version, too, although this ain’t a full trip back to basics like the 1953 CJ pictured above.
2014? Next-Gen Jeep Commander or Grand Wagoneer
We don’t have a good feeling about this on-again, off-again product seeing the light of day. The Chrysler Group’s needs for a seven-passenger SUV are met by the Dodge Durango, and CEO Sergio Marchionne has said how displeased he is by overlapping products.
2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee V6 Laredo 4X4 – Long-Term Road Test
2012 BMW X5 M vs. 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8, 2012 Mercedes-Benz ML63 AMG, 2012 Porsche Cayenne Turbo – Comparison Test
2012 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon vs. 2012 Mercedes-Benz G550 – Comparison Tests
Where’s the SRT? And the Diesel?
Sorry, everyone, there’s no way to sugar coat the “no” here. Manley confirmed that no other Jeeps will go SRT: Sticker prices would be too high to make sense, and there aren’t enough shoppers interested in smaller performance SUVs. It’s a similar sob story on the diesel front. After the Grand Cherokee, the Liberty is the only other Jeep that’s in the running for a diesel engine. The EPA and state of California have set such high standards for diesel certification and emissions that the costs—for both Jeep and potential customers—don’t make sense.
Source: Car & Driver
2013 Mercedes-Benz G550 Tested: Yesteryear and Better for It
The G550 couldn’t seem more obnoxious around our editorial office’s eco-conscious Ann Arbor environs: It’s huge, looks like it could eat a Prius, and absolutely stinks of money. But these are classic parts of the G-wagen experience, an uncommon mixture of old-timey road manners, military-industrial styling, and unexpectedly sprightly acceleration. Taken individually, only the styling and acceleration should appeal, but all together, the refreshed-for-2013 G550 delivers a sense of goodness and satisfaction that’s typified the G-wagen breed for some time. READ MORE ››
Source: Car & Driver