Tag Archives: Toyota Camry

Automobiles

Official: Lexus ES350 confirmed for Kentucky production starting in 2015

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By Jeffrey N. Ross

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Following Thursday’s report, Toyota has confirmed that production of the Lexus ES will move to its Georgetown, KY assembly plant starting in 2015. To accommodate the extra 50,000 units of capacity that the ES represents, Toyota will be investing $360 million in the plant and hiring 750 new workers.

In the previous report, sources stated that the state of Kentucky had offered Toyota as much as $146.5 million to move ES production to the Georgetown facility.

The press release, posted below, specifies that only the ES350 will be built in Kentucky, so it’s likely that the ES300h hybrid will continue to be built in Japan – where all ES models have been built since the car was introduced in 1989. Toyota’s Georgetown plant, which currently builds the Toyota Camry, will also be getting an expansion to its engine plant to produce more four-cylinder engines at a cost of $30 million and will create an additional 80 jobs.

Continue reading Lexus ES350 confirmed for Kentucky production starting in 2015

Lexus ES350 confirmed for Kentucky production starting in 2015 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 19 Apr 2013 11:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Automobiles

Report: Toyota offered $146.5 million to build Lexus ES in Kentucky

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By Jeffrey N. Ross

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Toyota posted a media advisory yesterday saying that Akio Toyoda, president of Toyota, and Jim Lentz, CEO of Toyota North America, would be making a production announcement tomorrow in New York City, and Automotive News reports that the automaker will be announcing a plan to domestically produce the Lexus ES. According to the report, numerous plants are competing to build the ES in North America, and the State of Kentucky has offered the automaker up to $146.5 million to build the luxury sedan at the Georgetown, KY assembly plant.

If Georgetown gets the ES, which has been built in Japan since its debut in 1989, it would be built alongside the Toyota Camry, which is somewhat ironic since in our review of the 2013 Lexus ES350, we wrote that this ES finally says “goodbye to its Camry roots.” In order to get the whole amount offered, the article states that Toyota would have to invest $531.2 million and hire 570 full-time workers at the plant, which doesn’t sound all that unreasonable since the plant would require an additional 50,000 units of annual production, not to mention the fact that the Georgetown facility is already at its capacity for building the Camry.

Toyota offered $146.5 million to build Lexus ES in Kentucky originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 18 Apr 2013 15:37:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Automobiles

Report: GM Lambda crossovers are the most American Made according to new index

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By Jeffrey N. Ross

2013 Chevrolet Traverse

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There are plenty of reasons to appreciate the Chevrolet Traverse, Buick Enclave and GMC Acadia, but it seems that these crossovers have what it takes to wear the title of America’s most American vehicle. And who better to determine this than Washington, DC-based American University? Frank DuBois, an associate professor at this university’s Kogod School of Business, has come up with a new model for determining which cars have the highest content of US-sourced labor and parts, and he named the General Motors Lambda-platform triplets as the most “American made.”

Digging a little deeper than Cars.com did in naming the Toyota Camry at the top of its American-Made Index last year, the Kogod list factors in profit margin (where the automaker is headquartered), research and development, and information from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration American Automobile Labeling Act (AALA). Each vehicle was given a percentage score based on seven criteria, and the Traverse, Enclave and Acadia had the top Index Score of 88.5 out of 100.

Unlike the Cars.com top 10 list that had five “import” cars, the university’s top 10 (which actually consists of 34 vehicles) only has one, the tenth-place Toyota Avalon. Oddly enough, the six-way tie for tenth place also included the Buick Regal, which was given a full score for research and development despite being derived from a European-designed Opel. Head on over to the Kogod website to see the full list of vehicles on the American Auto Index, and let us know what you think in the comments below.

GM Lambda crossovers are the most American Made according to new index originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 12 Apr 2013 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Articles of Interest

Airbag Recall: Toyota, Nissan And Honda Recall Millions Of Vehicles Globally

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By The Huffington Post News Editors

* Japanese parts maker Takata says supplied the problematic airbags
* Takata says also supplied the airbags to foreign carmakers
* Fix to take about one hour or more – carmakers
* Carmakers increasingly using common or similar parts to cut costs
By Yoko Kubota
TOKYO, April 11 (Reuters) – Four Japanese automakers including Toyota Motor Corp, and Nissan Motor Co are recalling 3.4 vehicles sold around the world because airbags supplied by Takata Corp are at risk of catching fire or injuring passengers.
The move announced on Thursday is the largest recall ever for airbags made by Takata, the world’s second largest supplier of airbags and seatbelts. Shares of Takata tumbled almost 10 percent in Tokyo trading.
The recall is the largest since Toyota pulled back more than 7 million vehicles in October. The scale of the recent safety actions underscore the risk of huge global supply chain problems as automakers increasingly rely on a handful of suppliers for common or similar parts to cut costs, analysts have said.
The recall covers some of the top-selling Japanese cars, including Toyota’s Camry and Corolla, and rivals like the Nissan Maxima and Honda Civic. All of the vehicles in question were manufactured in or after 2000.
In an accident, the airbag for the front passenger seat may not inflate correctly because of a manufacturing defect in the propellant used in the airbag inflator, the companies said. As a result, there is a risk of fires starting or of passengers being injured.
Toyota, Honda and Nissan said there were no reports of injuries or deaths because of the defective airbags.
The recall is the largest for Takata since 1995 when the Tokyo-based company was involved in a recall of over 8 million vehicles because of defective seatbelts.
Tokyo-based

From: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/11/airbag-recall-toyota-nissan-honda_n_3058232.html

Automobiles

Report: Altima, Fusion shaking up midsize sedan sales race

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By Jeffrey N. Ross

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When we first saw and drove new midsize sedans like the 2013 Nissan Altima and 2013 Ford Fusion, we had a feeling the Toyota Camry would eventually see a challenge for the top sales spot, but we had no idea things would move this quickly. Automotive News is reporting that the quarter tallies still show the Camry holding a sizable lead over its competition, but the Altima did manage to outsell the Toyota by 100 units last month. While a single month of not outselling the competition might not be enough to unseat the Camry from its 11-year sales throne, it goes to show how far recent competitors in the segment have come.

The four best-selling cars in the midsize segment (in order) are the Camry, Honda Accord, Altima and Fusion, with each car boasting more than 80,000 units through the first three months of the year. Both the Accord and Fusion are seeing double-digit year-over-year sales increases while the Camry and Altima have dropped somewhat. And it wasn’t just Camry that was losing ground. As we saw in the March 2013 By The Numbers post, Toyota sales as a whole were down slightly from 2012 while all of its key competitors (Chevrolet, Ford, Honda and Nissan) were in the green.

After the top four sellers in the segment, the next closest midsizers are the Chevrolet Malibu and Hyundai Sonata, but these cars are well off the competitive pace. Although the 2014 Mazda6 isn’t expected to take too big of a bite out of the midsize market, its attractive design and available diesel engine could continue the shakeup of this once-predictable segment.

Altima, Fusion shaking up midsize sedan sales race originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 09 Apr 2013 09:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Automobiles

Report: Hyundai Sonata successor to seek evolution, not revolution

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By Michael Harley

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Hyundai hit a home run with its current-generation Sonata midsize sedan, so don’t expect the Korean automaker to make revolutionary changes when its replacement comes out for the 2015 model year. The four-door sitting in showrooms today was launched in 2010 with radical new lines that marked a big departure from its rather bland predecessor. Even with stiff competition from the Honda Accord, Ford Fusion and Toyota Camry – all newer designs than the Sonata – sales have been strong. Consumers embraced its new design language, taking home a record 230,605 units last year.

“I think we found a design language that works, the ‘Fluidic Sculpture‘ stuff, so I would say (the new styling) is not pulling back in any way. It’s more continuing to refine on that same trajectory that we’re on,” John Krafcik, Hyundai U.S. CEO, told WardsAuto in a recent interview. Consumers don’t seem to be fazed by the its age either. “A lot of consumers are just entering (the) midsize (segment) for the first time. They don’t see (the Sonata) as a three-year-old car. They see it as, ‘Whoa, that’s a pretty good-looking midsize car,’ so it’s doing quite well,” added Krafcik.

Sonota sales have been down over the last few months, but Krafcik says that is a reflection of the automaker’s decision to increase production of its Elantra compact at the Montgomery, Alabama, plant – where both are built – and a limited supply of its mid-grade GLS Sonata model.

Hyundai Sonata successor to seek evolution, not revolution originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 08 Apr 2013 15:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Automobiles

2013 Volkswagen Passat

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The Volkswagen Passat of today isn’t the Passat of just two years ago. Before the 2012 model year, the Passat was a slightly undersized, premium-priced four-door built in Germany for European tastes. The problem, you ask? It ran up against the inexpensive, crafty likes of the Hyundai Sonata, Toyota Camry, and Honda Accord. Time for a… …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at The Car Connection

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Want to Buy a Ford Fusion This Summer? Good Luck!

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By Adam Levine-Weinberg, The Motley Fool

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Ford continues to knock the ball out of the park with its second-generation Ford Fusion. The new Fusion, which debuted to great fanfare last fall, has quickly become one of Ford’s best-selling models. I have been bullish on the new Fusion’s potential since last August, and the early sales results have still outperformed my expectations.

The 2013 Ford Fusion (courtesy of Ford)

However, sales gains may have peaked for the time being, due to capacity constraints, which were highlighted Tuesday morning by Ford’s management on the company’s sales conference call. Fusion inventories are already very tight in many parts of the country, and are likely to get even slimmer during the spring and summer car-buying season.

From an investor standpoint, excess demand is a high-class problem to have. Lean inventories will allow Ford to sell as many Fusions as it can make without resorting to discounts. Furthermore, dealers may be able to cross-sell other Ford models to customers who come into dealerships thinking about purchasing a Fusion. Lastly, Ford will bring a second factory online to produce the Fusion beginning this summer, which will provide a foundation for further sales gains.

Increasing sales
Last month, I pointed out that Ford was gaining on competitors in the large and growing midsize car segment in 2013. The U.S. midsize segment has been dominated by the big three Japanese automakers — Toyota Motor , Honda Motor , and Nissan — for many years. However, the Fusion outsold the Nissan Altima in both January and February, catapulting Ford into third place.

In March, Fusion sales rose once again, setting an all-time monthly record with 30,284 sales. If not for the capacity constraints mentioned above, Ford could have sold more vehicles. Supply was very tight in big markets like California and south Florida, where Fusions sat on dealer lots for an average of about 15 days (the industry norm is approximately 60 days). Fusion production at Ford’s Flat Rock plant is expected to begin around July, so Ford should be able to meet full demand by sometime this fall. Until then, supply is likely to be tight, which means there won’t be many discounts, and selection will be limited for car buyers.

Be careful
While the Fusion’s popularity is great news for Ford shareholders, there are still reasons to be cautious about the stock. Despite Fusion‘s strong showing, Ford fell back into fourth place in the midsize segment in March, as Nissan Altima sales rebounded to 37763 units. (In fact, Nissan jumped all the way to first in the midsize segment last month, edging out longtime segment leader Toyota Camry by 100 units.) Nissan’s gains were probably due to higher incentive spending; according to TrueCar, Nissan’s incentives averaged 9.9% of the average transaction price last month, up sequentially from 9.6% in February. By contrast, incentive spending fell sequentially from 8.8% of ATPs in February to …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Automobiles

2013 Honda Accord

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The sea change among mid-size sedans has caught some napping. The Chevy Malibu’s lost some sense of direction, as has the Toyota Camry, while the Nissan Altima, Ford Fusion, Hyundai Sonata and Kia Optima all have gained ground with attractive designs and expertly packaged features. The 2013 Honda Accord cleaves the group of mid-sizers… …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at The Car Connection

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Strong Sales Continue for Ford's Hot New Models

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By John Rosevear, The Motley Fool

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March was another solid month for Ford , as the automaker once again posted U.S. sales gains well above analysts’ sales estimates.

Ford said on Tuesday that its March U.S. sales were up 6% over strong year-ago totals, well ahead of the 4.4% consensus expectation from analysts.

Solid sales of Ford’s F-Series pickups, which were up 16% over year-ago numbers, were a big contributor to the good results.

But the highlights were the exceptionally strong results for the automakers two newest models, the Escape SUV and the Fusion sedan.

In fact, Ford may be having trouble keeping up with demand for these hot models.

Ford’s latest models are becoming big sales hits…
“We are working harder than ever to keep pace with demand” for the Fusion and Escape, Ford’s U.S. sales chief Ken Czubay said in a statement on Tuesday. That demand has been torrid, as both models hit all-time highs for monthly U.S. sales in March.

Sales of the Escape were up more than 27% over year-ago totals, a strong sign that the redesigned model is finding its stride with customers.

Fusion sales were up just 6% over year-ago numbers, but that’s a more impressive amount than it might seem. Last March was another “best month ever” for the Fusion, as Ford was beginning the process of selling down inventories of the outgoing last-generation model.

It has been clear in recent months that the new Fusion, a visually striking car with many luxury features, has significantly elevated Ford’s game in this segment. The Fusion appears to be stealing sales from well-entrenched rivals like Toyota‘s Camry and Honda‘s Accord, the longtime class leaders.

Those strong March results capped the best-ever quarter for the two nameplates, Ford’s newest U.S. models. It’s a sign that the company’s “One Ford” product strategy is continuing to find favor with American customers.

But as Czubay’s comment on Tuesday suggested, the automaker is facing an interesting challenge: Building enough of these well-regarded vehicles to meet demand.

…but keeping up with demand will be a challenge
After years of painful restructuring, Ford is facing an interesting challenge in North America: Many of its factories are running at or near maximum capacity, but demand for its strong new products continues to increase.

In a way, this is a classic “good problem to have”. An industry rule of thumb is that auto factories break even at 80% of “full capacity”, generally defined as two eight-hour shifts. The further you get above that 80%, the more profitable your factory.

Ford said last fall that its North American plants were running at 114% of capacity, the automaker’s highest level in over 30 years. That means that some are already running around the clock, which is a big part of why Ford’s North American division has been so profitable recently.

But that also means that increasing production will require some expensive investments in new assembly lines.

Ford is already committed to making some of those investments. A <a target=_blank …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Automakers Expected to Report Highest U.S. Sales Since 2007

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By The Associated Press

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Stan Honda/AFP/Getty Images General Motors’ 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray convertible on display at the New York auto show, which runs through April 7. Consumer interest in new cars has grown as the economy has slowly improved, fueling expectations of higher sales in March.

By DEE-ANN DURBIN

DETROIT — U.S. car and truck sales are expected to hit their highest level in nearly six years in March, as buyers armed with tax refund checks were lured by flashy new vehicles and low interest rates.

Auto companies release U.S. sales figures Tuesday.

Analysts predict total sales of nearly 1.5 million cars and trucks, a number not seen since May 2007. That’s almost double the 855,000 vehicles sold in March 2009, the low point for sales during the economic downturn, according to Ward’s AutoInfoBank. Sales are expected to be up 3 to 5 percent over last March.

Alec Gutierrez, a senior market analyst with the car pricing company Kelley Blue Book, said the improving job market is boosting sales. The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits fell to a five-year low during March. Low interest rates are also making new-car purchases more appealing, Gutierrez said. The average rate for a 60-month new-car loan is now 4.12 percent, down from 4.52 percent at this time last year, according to Bankrate.com.

And Gutierrez says tax refunds can also spur purchases. The average federal tax refund this year is nearly $3,000, or enough to cover the down payment on a three-year lease of a Toyota Camry hybrid or a BMW 3-Series sedan.

Full-size pickup truck sales are expected to rise nearly 15 percent in March, following big gains in February, Kelley Blue Book said. Construction companies are rapidly replacing their truck fleets as the economy improves and they win more business.

Gutierrez said incentive deals — such as the $7,500 cash back now offered for the Chevrolet Silverado pickup — are helping truck sales, and should continue for a while. General Motors Co. (Ford Motor Co. (GM wants to clear out older models before introducing its new Chevrolet Silverado in a few months.

"Consumers looking for a new pickup truck should not hesitate to pull the trigger," he said.

Crossovers are also gaining, thanks to redesigned models like the Ford Escape and Toyota RAV4. Small cars are down slightly, in part because gas prices are relatively low. Gas averaged $3.64 per gallon at the end of March, down from $3.78 at the end of February and $3.91 in March of 2012, according to AAA.

Honda Motor Co.'s (HMC) sales gain should be among the best for March. Sales rose nearly 9 percent, according ...read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Ford's New Fusion Drives Big Gains

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By John Rosevear, The Motley Fool

Carbon Motors E7 police car prototype - front three-quarter view

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Ford Fusion Hybrid. Photo Source: Ford Motor Company

There’s no question that it’s a striking car, with its sleek flanks and Aston Martin-inspired nose. And its interior is a pleasant surprise, well-trimmed and loaded with luxury-car touches.

But for Ford , and for more and more new Ford customers, the beauty of the company’s new Fusion sedan is much more than skin-deep.

The new Fusion is another big hit for Ford
The old Fusion was a very good car, and a strong seller for Ford. But the new car, introduced late last year, has taken things to a different level. So far in 2013, Ford’s new midsized sedan is one of the top five models in U.S. sales – a trend that looks set to continue when Ford reports its March sales numbers on Tuesday, say analysts.

The Fusion still has a long way to go to displace Toyota‘s Camry from the top of the U.S. sales chart. In the first two months of 2013, the Camry outsold the Fusion by almost 13,000 cars in the U.S. Ford isn’t likely to catch up soon: Its factories are already running at full capacity, and then some.

Adding more production capacity will require a big investment from Ford. But meanwhile, the company has to be pretty happy with the model’s success so far. The Fusion’s “turn rate”, or the amount of time individual cars spend on dealer lots before they’re sold, is shorter – meaning, it’s selling faster – than both the Camry and Honda‘s Accord, the Fusion’s other big rival. And the handsome Ford is commanding higher prices than either of its major Japanese rivals, according to a Bloomberg report.

Incentives are still higher than rivals’
That’s not to say that there are no concerns. Ford’s “incentives”, those cash-back or cheap-financing deals that automakers often tout in TV commercials, are still higher than the company (and its investors) would like. Ford’s offers on the Fusion are higher than Toyota’s on the Camry; Toyota’s incentives are regularly among the lowest in the industry. That’s an artifact of lingering customer (and dealer) expectations from Ford’s bad old days, when discounts were needed to keep so-so products moving.

Ford’s products are much improved now, but those discounts are still part of the business. The company would surely like to get its per-vehicle incentives down closer to Toyota’s levels to improve its already-strong U.S. profit margins, but that will take time.

Ford has made progress in lowering its incentives relative to competitors over the last couple of years. Its overall per-vehicle spending on incentives has been considerably lower than both General Motors and Chrysler over the last several quarters.

Lowering incentives further will require time, discipline, and continued close attention to product quality. But as the success of the Fusion is already showing, Ford seems to be on the right track.

<p …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Automobiles

2013 Kia Optima Hybrid Gets More Torque, Better Mileage, Another Trim Level, and a Slightly Higher Price

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By Alexander Stoklosa

2013 Kia Optima hybrid

Kia has whipped up a small batch of changes for its mid-size Optima hybrid for 2013, which improve the car’s fuel efficiency and broaden its price appeal. First introduced for 2011, the Optima hybrid was offered in just a single trim level, and we found it to be handsome, if a bit rough around the edges. Now, Kia is offering buyers two trim levels—LX and EX—both of which see a host of underhood upgrades intended to improve fuel economy and drivability.

The 2013 Optima hybrid’s engine compartment plays host to a new electric motor that packs seven more horsepower than last year’s unit; the four-cylinder engine actually loses some output, dropping from 166 horsepower to 159. The gas engine’s peak torque is unchanged at 154 lb-ft, and the new electric motor makes the same 151 lb-ft of twist as last year’s. The lithium-polymer battery pack has more capacity than before while taking up less trunk space, and contributes to a boost in overall torque—235 lb-ft from 195; combined horsepower drops by 7 to 199. The net result is an improvement from 34 mpg in the city and 39 mpg on the highway to 36/40 for the Optima hybrid LX, a 1-mpg increase in city mileage for the Optima hybrid EX model, and a claimed increase in responsiveness and performance. Regardless, the Optima’s efficiency, at least as rated by the EPA, is significantly off of the segment-leading Ford Fusion hybrid, although the LX beats the Toyota Camry hybrid on the highway. Kia says that the increase in mileage and output come via improved battery cooling and an updated software-management system.

As for pricing, the 2013 Optima hybrid LX starts at $26,675, just $125 more than last year’s single EX model, while the up-level 2013 EX starts at $32,725 and basically comes one way: loaded. Standard equipment is essentially unchanged for the base model, and all of the goodies from the 2012 model’s $5350 Premium Tech package—HID headlights, a panoramic sunroof, 17-inch aluminum wheels, an Infinity audio system, navigation, heated front and rear seats, and a cooled driver’s seat—are standard on the reloaded EX model. LX buyers can spec a Convenience package, which adds an eight-way power driver’s seat and Kia’s UVO infotainment system, for an additional $700; both items are standard on the EX, which sees an identical $125 price increase over last year’s model equipped with the Premium Tech and Convenience packages.

It’s hard to argue with more choices, more torque, and better mileage for an almost indiscernible increase in price. We look forward to trying out the updated Optima hybrid and seeing whether it drives better, and it’ll be interesting to find out if the mechanically identical Hyundai Sonata hybrid will receive the Optima’s improvements anytime soon.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at Car & Driver

Automobiles

Motorsports: Denny Hamlin refuses to pay NASCAR fine for criticizing Gen VI racecar

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By Seyth Miersma

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Denny Hamlin isn’t crazy about the new NASCAR Gen 6 cars. Well, actually, that’s a bit strong. Based on our readings of his statements following the March 3 race at Phoenix International Raceway, Hamlin simply thinks that the new NASCAR racecar has got some growing to do before it’s as polished at the outgoing Gen 5 cars were. Here’s what the Toyota driver said:

“We learned a lot. I don’t want to be the pessimist, but it did not race as good as our Generation 5 cars. This is more like what the Generation 5 was at the beginning. The teams hadn’t figured out how to get the aero balance right. Right now, you just run single-file and you cannot get around the guy in front of you.”

That rather mild criticism of the Gen 6 (appearing in its second only race thus far) car has been enough, however, to cause NASCAR to issue Hamlin a $25,000 fine. The organization said that it gives its drivers “ample leeway” to voice their opinions but, “will not tolerate publicly made comments by its drivers that denigrate the racing product.”

Hamlin, who races for Joe Gibbs Racing – and drove the Gen 6 Toyota Camry from a 43rd-place start to a 3rd-place finish in Phoenix, by the way – is incensed that NASCAR officials didn’t reach out or attempt to have a conversation with him before issuing the fine. He has appealed the official decision, and vowed not to pay the twenty-five large.

Tweeted Hamlin on the issue: “I believe I was severely disrespected by NASCAR by getting fined. I believe that the simple fact of us not even having a conversation about this issue before I was hit with a fine has something to say about our relationship.” We’ll wait and see how this stand off at the stock car corral plays out.

Denny Hamlin refuses to pay NASCAR fine for criticizing Gen VI racecar originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 11 Mar 2013 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Articles of Interest

Shannon Lynn Jones Allegedly Breaks Into Homes, Stabs Elderly Woman, Dog

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By The Huffington Post News Editors

A woman who allegedly broke into three Riverside, Calif. homes, stabbing an 80-year-old woman and a dog, has been arrested.

Shannon Lynn Jones, 25, was arrested Tuesday at around 2:45 a.m. after being spotted in the Toyota Camry she had stolen from the elderly victim, Sgt. David Amador told CBS LA. Amador said Jones crashed the car, then fled on foot before police managed to overtake her.

Law enforcement officials had been searching for Jones since Monday, when she allegedly broke into the home of Kim and Suzy Lyman early that morning.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at Huffington Post

Automobiles

Official: Toyota Camry lineup gets interior and tech updates one year in

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By Danny King

2013 Toyota Camry - front three-quarter view

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When it debuted last year, the Toyota Camry came in for some criticism over its interior, most centered on material choices – both in quality (not enough) and variety (too much). Thus, Toyota has responded after just one model year, updating both materials and features on its gas-powered and hybrid family sedans for 2013.

The LE version appeared to get the lion’s share of the improvements. Specifically, the LE is getting “soft-touch” door materials as well as armrests that match the rest of the interior color (instead of being black). The LE model also gets Toyota’s six-inch display screen that helps folks get a better gander at the car’s energy usage and fuel economy, among other things. Other changes include adding cross-traffic alert for models equipped with blind spot monitoring

Toyota introduced its latest version of the Camry and Camry Hybrid in the fall of 2011 as a 2012 model. Sales have been solid, and in particular, the Camry Hybrid has improved its fortunes, bumping its US sales almost fivefold to more than 45,000 units. So far in 2013, the latter has carried over much of that momentum, boosting January 2013 sales from a year earlier by 81 percent to 3,826 units.

Looking for more details? Toyota happily goes into a ton of detail on the interior improvements in the press release below.

Continue reading Toyota Camry lineup gets interior and tech updates one year in

Toyota Camry lineup gets interior and tech updates one year in originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 21 Feb 2013 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at Autoblog

Automobiles

Report: North America's automakers ran at 97% of their production capacity last year

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By Jonathon Ramsey

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Wards Auto began tracking North American light-vehicle production capacity utilization in 2005, and last year produced the highest amount on record: 97.8 percent of available production was utilized, an improvement of 9.3 percent versus the year before. The number represents straight-time capacity plus things like the addition of a third shift or a third crew and worker overtime due to less vacations. Production with straight-time capacity utilizing two shifts still came out to 97.1 percent in 2012, an improvement of 13.7 percent versus 2011.

In the US, capacity use was 91 percent, a rise of 12.2 percent year-on-year; the only plants to show a decline were the Ford/Mazda facility in Flat Rock that ceased production of the Mazda6 last year and where the Ford Fusion is now built, and the Subaru plant in Indiana that produces the Toyota Camry alongside Subaru vehicles. In Canada, the capacity-use numbers jumped 19.4 percent to 99.6 percent, and in Mexico overutilization was the theme, their plants running at 124 percent. The Mexican situation isn’t new, that country exceeding 100 percent of capacity utilization in 2010 and 2011 as well. In total, 15.6 million vehicles were produced last year in North America, 842,000 more than in 2011.

North America’s automakers ran at 97% of their production capacity last year originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 16 Feb 2013 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at Autoblog

Automobiles

Elon Musk's attack on "fake" <i>New York Times</i> article prompts lots of Tesla talk

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By Sebastian Blanco

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Despite an official promise that Tesla Motors would respond to the online kerfuffle kicked up yesterday between The New York Times reporter John Broder and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, the official Tesla website remained silent today. The wait doesn’t mean the internet has been mute on this subject, though. That’s just not how it works.

First up, Broder’s detailed response to Musk tweeting that his article about running out of electricity was a “fake” is clear and straightforward: “My account was not a fake. It happened just the way I described it.” He goes on to describe the ways that he could have babied the Model S to hit the range targets, but points out that the plan was to test the Supercharger network. He added, “Now that Tesla is striving to be a mass-market automaker, it cannot realistically expect all 20,000 buyers a year (the Model S sales goal) to be electric-car acolytes who will plug in at every Walmart stop.”

The rest of the web got in on the action, too. After noticing Musk’s tweet that revealed “Tesla data logging is only turned on with explicit written permission from customers, but after Top Gear BS, we always keep it on for media,” other journalists wondered if they had been tracked when they test drove the Model S. It appears so. The Atlantic flat-out says, “Elon Musk‘s Crusade Against The New York Times Isn’t Helping Tesla.”

Over at Automotive News, Mark Rechtin points out an important – and unfair – difference between the way automotive journalists test cars:

If you drive an EV on the autobahn full tilt, your mileage and range will drop precipitously. But so will it if you drive your Porsche 911 or Toyota Camry in a similar fashion. Yet for some reason, while traditional cars are given a pass for lead-footed driving, the reaction to an EV‘s reduced range under those conditions is, “Aha!” in a tone mixed with outrage and schadenfreude.

So, yes, the discussion is growing while we wait for Tesla’s delayed official response. The big question is if it is too late to put this genie back in the bottle. By the time Tesla’s report is released, it’ll be just one more item in what is fast turning into a much bigger deal than you would think could ever grow from just 140 characters.

Elon Musk’s attack on “fake” New York Times article prompts lots of Tesla talk originally appeared on Autoblog Green on Tue, 12 Feb 2013 19:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Automobiles

Report: Chevrolet Malibu gets across-the-board price cuts, hopes to dig out of slump

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By Jeffrey N. Ross

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To say that things aren’t going well for the newly redesigned 2013 Chevrolet Malibu is a pretty sizable understatement. Reports have been swirling about the Malibu getting an emergency design refresh, less than a year after its introduction, as well as having its production at the Fairfax Assembly Plant halted twice already this year for excessive inventory. Now, Motor Trend is reporting that the midsize sedan will be receiving price drops across the board ranging from $300 on a number of models up to $770 on the 1LT trim; offsetting some of MSRP drop, though, the destination charge has increased from $760 to $810.

Without destination, the entry-level Malibu LS now starts at $21,995, which is still about $300 more than a Honda Accord and about $300 less than the segment’s top-selling Toyota Camry. This new pricing also drops the price of the Eco, 2LT and 3LT trims by $300. The LTZ trim has dropped by $415, meaning that the Malibu’s top dog now starts at just under $30,000, excluding destination.

Here are the new starting prices for all eight of the Malibu trim levels compared to the previous prices for the 2013 model year (including destination):

  • 1LS – $22,805 (previous price: $23,150)
  • 1LT – $23,995 (previous price: $24,765)
  • 2LT – $25,700 (previous price: $26,000)
  • 3LT – $27,410 (previous price: $27,710)
  • Eco 1SA – $25,795 (previous price: $26,095)
  • Eco 2SA – $27,405 (previous price: $27,705)
  • 1LTZ – $28,715 (previous price: $28,590)
  • 2LTZ – $30,510 (previous price: $30,925)

Chevrolet Malibu gets across-the-board price cuts, hopes to dig out of slump originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 11 Feb 2013 16:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Automobiles

Quick Spin: 2014 Mazda6 i Sport

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By Seyth Miersma

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2014 Mazda6

In an automotive landscape dominated by platform sharing, technology exchange and any number of other cross-fertilization/cost-saving/amortization exercises, it’s actually pretty rare that we get to drive a new car that is as “all-new” as this, the 2014 Mazda6. With brand-spanking new Skyactiv architecture throughout – engine, transmission, body and chassis all included – this 6 represents a new era of flexible production and cutting edge running gear for the happily lithe car company.

Our own Jonathon Ramsey did a cracking job of running the Mazda6 through its First Drive paces a few months ago, and sufficiently impressed upon us just how good looking a car this is for the midsize sedan segment. Suffice it to say, now, then, that this is easily the most interesting (and quitewhat’ possibly the most beautiful) midsize sedan in the segment today. However, as Mr. Ramsey reviewed a fully contented example of the 6 – one equipped with the six-speed automatic transmission – we took advantage of Mazda’s North American launch event of the car to suss out the base Mazda6 i Sport, complete with its six-speed Skyactiv manual gearbox. This may not shock you, but the stripper’s pretty good, too.

Driving Notes

  • We’ll get right down to the meat of it: The manual transmission is far-better than the average do-it-yourself gearbox in this segment. Throws of the gearlever are light, short, and easy to put home with confidence. The clutch pedal, similarly, is very low-effort, but with a broad catch point that’s simple to operate in every driving situation we encountered. This isn’t a hewn-from-billet shifting experience, naturally, but it is a manual transmission that can be used with satisfaction in spirited driving, or mindlessly on the shopping run. The transmission is just perfectly suited to the power delivery of the smooth 2.5-liter motor, too.
  • The Sport trim car we tested had zero options – quite a rarity in the media fleet. Still, we found the cabin to be pretty accommodating and comfortable. The most noticeable interior bits on this base-level are the all-cloth seats and the old school head unit where the touch-screen display usually lives. The seats were fine – soft to the touch and seemingly resilient, with just a bit of gloss and texture to make them feel upscale without the cowhide. The head unit, meanwhile, while perfectly functional (and sure to be embraced by the luddite set in our comments section), was both drab and old-fashioned looking. Naturally the instrument panel was designed to accommodate a touch screen – this is the 21st Century, after all – so its lack hampers the design. For one thing, the lack of color and brightness afforded by the display makes the dash look sort of dark and dreary by comparison.
  • So, just how inexpensive is the base model Mazda6 i Sport? The literal answer is $21,675 after the $795 destination fee has been added on. That’s pretty good, we thought. The relative answer is, of course, slightly more complicated. In a tooth-and-nail segment like this one, you’d expect pricing among the heavyweight players to be very close, and it is. Still, the new 6 is almost the class-leader. Comparing optionless, base-model MSRPs, plus destination charges, we find this: Toyota Camry is $23,030, Nissan Altima is $22,550, Honda Accord is $22,470 and Ford Fusion is $22,245. Volkswagen’s most basic Passat is just $21,640 though – about a night at the movies with your wife (not the kids) cheaper than the Mazda.
  • Mazda is in zero danger of loosing its ballyhooed zoom-zoom appeal by way of this 6 – the handling experience is impressive. While we were perhaps a bit less bullish about the car’s nimbleness on our test drive through some very hilly, winding Texas Hill Country roads than when cruising through the French countryside (again, see our First Drive), we still found the thing to be pretty tossable. Reactions to steering inputs, especially, were impressively fast for a car this big and long. The steering experience itself was a bit weightless, with not enough of a transition from on-lock to off-lock feeling of heft, but still very accurate and easy to modulate in a quick corner. Suspension response was admirable, too, on fast switchbacks. For all of that, the cruising ride didn’t suffer, though road and tire noise on the freeway was higher than we’d like.
  • Mazda will doubtlessly sell a lot of examples of this new Mazda6 based on its stunning sheet metal and high-levels of content in the middle/high trims. Good to know that the base car is still pretty sweet then; and still a pleasantly differentiated product in a segment filled with one-upmanship.

2014 Mazda6 i Sport originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 01 Feb 2013 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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