By Andy Bannister

09.25.2008

Fiat’s heavy commercial vehicle division, Iveco, has been busy lately previewing its new Campagnola 4X4, a competitor to the Land Rover Defender and Jeep Wrangler, which is about to go on sale in mainland Europe.

Campagnola – Italian for country girl – is a historic Fiat name first used on a competitor for the Willys-Jeep back in 1951, and now unexpectedly revived.

The new model’s closeness to Land Rover’s product is particularly pronounced, which is hardly surprising: the vehicle is derived from the same roots as the iconic British product, thanks to a complicated link involving Spain.

For many years Santana manufactured British Land Rovers there under licence, allowing the utility vehicle access to the then-closed Spanish market, where it became a staple product. When Land Rover and Santana parted company in the 1980s, the Spaniards continued production of the old design, relaunching it in the late 1990s. Continue Reading

By Sam Boni

09.25.2008

“Forget the Chattanooga choo-choo, Volkswagen has boarded the bullet train”, wrote Glenn Brooks in ‘Automotive World’ of July 2008. At that time, the German carmaker announced its decision to build a new manufacturing plant in the romanticized, industrial Tennessee town. Volkswagen will invest $1 billion and will employ thousands of people at its new North American plant. Other good news is in store for this area; after more than a decade of talking, the first real step in getting a high speed train connection between Atlanta and Chattanooga is underway.

If not on the bullet train, Volkswagen has been on an express train for years. With the takeover of several faltering automakers, the company added more factories in Europe. Using common components across its different makes, at Audi, Seat, Skoda as well as VW, production costs of many diverse models can be reduced.

North Americans think of Volkswagen as the quintessential German company. The truth is that VWs are better known and more popular in Brazil, China and places other than in Michigan or Quebec. Numerous Volkswagen plants have been built over the years in South America, India, Africa, Indonesia, Russia, China and several other countries. Volkswagen, known for their small cars, ventured onto the Chinese market as early as 1978. Several joint venture assembly and manufacturing plants followed and made VWs the best selling cars in the most populous country on earth. Continue Reading

By Brendan Moore

09.24.2008

Maybe I should have reviewed this G-Series sedan before I drove the G37 coupe around on roads for a week and then on a track for half a day. Because the sojourn I had with the somewhat frumpy sedan with the older 3.5 liter engine seems like a letdown compared to the torrid affair I had with the redesigned coupe.

Oh, the Infiniti G35 is a nice enough car, of course. But again, to exercise the relationship analogy a little more, that statement is akin to the assessment delivered after a so-so date: “So, what did you think of Barney?” To which the woman replies, “Barney? Oh, yeah, he seems nice.” Not exactly a ringing testimonial, right? This is what is commonly referred to as “damning with faint praise”.

Let’s start with the looks first.

Whereas the G37 coupe is one of those cars that actually looks better in the metal than in photographs, the G35 sedan is in the opposite situation. The car isn’t ugly, it’s just not pretty like the coupe.

Inside, the G35 sedan does not measure up to the coupe’s redesign. You’re not slumming it by any means, but it suffers in comparison. Continue Reading

By Kevin Miller

09.24.2008

Just as Mercedes-Benz introduced its S 400 BlueHYBRID last week, now BMW has released details about its compound-word-named hybrid large luxury sedan, though BMW’s vehicle is only a concept at this point. The Concept 7 Series ActiveHybrid comes with a turbocharged V8 gasoline engine and electric drive as a mild hybrid concept. The drivetrain technology featured in the concept car allows enhanced driving dynamics together with a reduction of fuel consumption and emissions by about 15 percent (in the EU test cycle) compared to the same car running on a combustion engine only.

The drivetrain of the BMW Concept 7 Series ActiveHybrid is made up of a V8 gasoline engine with Twin Turbo and High Precision Injection based on the power unit of the BMW 750i. Maximum output of the conventional engine in the regular production model is 407 hp, with peak torque of 442 lb-ft. This engine is combined with an electric motor fully integrated in the transmission housing, developing maximum output of 20 hp and peak torque of 155 lb-ft.

As in the Mercedes-Benz S 400 BlueHYBRID, the electric motor integrated in the transmission housing replaces the starter as well as the conventional alternator driven by the engine. Electrical energy is generated through brake energy regeneration. Integrated power electronics control the flow of electrons to and from the motor/generator. A high-performance lithium-ion battery integrated in the luggage compartment of the 7 Series Concept stores the energy generated and supplies power to the on-board electrical circuitry. Continue Reading

It appears Chrysler was sandbagging…

By Brendan Moore

09.23.2008

Chrysler surprised the rest of the auto industry today by announcing that it intends to produce both an electric vehicle and gas-electric hybrids starting in 2010.

Chrysler showed off an all-electric sports car, and hybrid versions of the Chrysler Town and Country minivan and the Jeep Wrangler, at a press event at Chrysler headquarters. Chrysler officials claimed a 150-200 mile range from the lithium-ion batteries in the vehicles, and said the battery packs could be recharged from either a 110-volt or a 220-volt power source, with different recharging times applicable to each.

Chrysler also stated that it tried to do a partnership deal with Tesla late last year that ultimately proved to be unsuccessful, and is currently involved in a partnership with General Electric and U.S. Department of Energy to develop smaller, more powerful batteries for electric vehicles. Continue Reading

By Igor Holas

09.23.2008

The world’s third-oldest automaker, Tatra of the Czech Republic, recently announced a bold move. Following a series of failed car models in the 1990s, and eventual exclusive reorientation toward trucks, they will resume production of one of the coveted models from their history.

Tatra was founded in 1850 as a coach and carriage manufacturer, but shifted its focus to automobiles in 1897 with a prototype called Präsident. After several other models, Tatra became one of the first major automakers, focusing on luxurious, technologically advanced vehicles. Continue Reading

By Chris Haak

09.23.2008

Over the past few days, I’ve read of several gasoline shortages in southern US cities that have been the result of rumors of stations running out of fuel.  First, on Friday, CNN.com reported that a rumor that Nashville, TN was running out of gas sent motorists rushing to fill their cars with whatever was left.  The “run on the bank” (or pump, in this case) resulted in most stations in Nashville actually running out of gas.  People who had perhaps a half tank and would have waited until the early part of the next week to fill their tank instead waited in line a few days early to top off, buying the gas that someone else might have ordinarily bought. 

Yesterday, Atlanta, GA found itself in a similar predicament.  The story was similar, although there was no mention of any rumors that led to the city running short of gasoline supplies.  In Atlanta’s case, it’s probably a combination of hearsay (people don’t want to be left with empty tanks if the city does run out of gas, so they top off when they’re down a little, exacerbating the problem) and the restrictions imposed by clean air gasoline blend requirements.  The Atlanta metro area has very strict formulation requirements for gasoline, so only a specific formulation may be sold there.  That means that even if there were gasoline available for the service stations in Atlanta, if it weren’t the right type, it could not be legally sold there – at least until a clean air waiver was obtained. Continue Reading

By Chris Haak

09.23.2008

A few days ahead of their official debut at the Paris Auto Show, Audi has pulled the wraps off of its upcoming S4 Sedan and S4 Avant, and they appear to be impressive machines.  Based on the new A4 (which is an extremely attractive and capable car in its own right), the new S4 features a new 3.0 liter supercharged V6 with direct injection.  This engine produces 333 horsepower and an impressive 325 lb-ft of torque, with a 0 to 62 time of 5.1 seconds for the sedan and 5.2 seconds for the Avant.  The supercharged engine produces maximum torque at just 2500 RPMs, and maintains it consistently between 2500 and 4850 RPMs, meaning the engine has some very solid midrange pull.  Transmission choices are either a seven-speed “S-Tronic” dual-clutch gearbox, or a conventional six-speed automatic with a good ol’ clutch pedal.

Impressively, fuel economy is improved a substantial 26% compared to the previous S4 (which had a 340-horsepower 4.2 liter V8 underhood), while returning better performance numbers.  Of course, being an Audi, Quattro all-wheel drive is standard, and diverts 60% of the engine’s torque to the rear wheels and 40% to the front wheels under normal driving conditions.  Depending on the immediate need, the system can almost instantly transfer 100% of torque to either the front or rear of the car. Continue Reading

By Chris Haak

09.23.2008

On the market since 2004, the current Dodge Durango in and of itself isn’t a terribly impressive vehicle; it has questionable handling, a plastic-centric interior, big-on-the-outside, small-on-the-inside engineering, terrible fuel efficiency, poor resale value, and an awkward look.  The Durango (and/or its cousin, the Chrysler Aspen) also is a vehicle that may be on Chrysler’s model-elimination chopping block in the next year or two as its Newark, Delaware assembly plant is slated for closure.  Sales of the Durango have fallen off a cliff during 2008, also.  Sounds like a perfect time to reinvigorate the old guy with a 50% city fuel economy improvement, doesn’t it?  I spent the past week in a 2009 Dodge Durango Hybrid, provided by Chrysler, to find out just how well this thing works.

Since you’ve obviously read the headline before reading even this far into the review, you are well aware of how Dodge managed a 46% city fuel economy improvement from the Durango – by fitting it with the sophisticated, well-regarded (yet expensive) two-mode hybrid system co-developed with BMW and GM.  GM has been installing its version of the system into its Tahoe Hybrid and Yukon Hybrid SUVs for a full model year, and has seen nearly zero sales success from it, so Chrysler tried a few tricks of its own based on GM’s less-than-stellar experience in marketing vehicles that occupy the same market segment as the Durango and Aspen do. Continue Reading

By Chris Haak

09.23.2008

In a move that was a surprise to few, Volkswagen has revealed its Robust pickup a few days ahead of its official debut at the AA Commercial Vehicles Show in Hanover, Germany.  Not to say that the pickup isn’t a robust vehicle, but when I say that VW revealed its Robust pickup, that’s the name of the truck.  Sort of like a “Who’s on First?” situation.  When the Robust’s production finally begins in early 2009, it will be built at VW’s plant in Pacheco, Argentina.  Initially, the truck will be offered for sale in South America, South Africa, Australia, and Europe, but likely not in North America.

The vehicle to be shown actually isn’t known officially as the Robust, but nearly everyone expects the production vehicle to carry that name.  This truck is actually known in concept form as the Concept Pickup, but is being shown in nearly production-ready guise.  Only a few concept-like silly touches such as the search and rescue theme, blue lights above the headlights, and the LED light bar appear to be concept car fantasies, although VW claims that the vehicle shown is only “a study, not the complete vehicle.” Continue Reading