By Chris Haak

10.31.2008

I just spent a week driving an all-new 2009 Nissan Maxima SV “four door sports car,” and while I wasn’t terribly endeared with the car when I first saw it in photos (I thought the front end was ugly) or on the racetrack (I had spent most of the day driving rear wheel drive cars with a lot more horsepower), I really came to enjoy the Maxima after spending a week with the car.

Nissan has dug up its “four door sports car” moniker that it first applied to the Maxima two decades ago with the launch of its 2009 model, and has made a big deal of the car’s [front wheel drive] handling, increased horsepower, and styling tie-ins to Nissan’s performance flagship, the GT-R. Continue Reading

The right car at the right time?

By Brendan Moore

10.31.2008

In what may be a case of superb timing on their part, Nissan has announced this morning that a de-contented Versa with a 1.6 liter engine and no air conditioning will go on sale in the US market starting November 18, making the car the lowest-priced new car sold in America.

The MRSP of the new 2009 Versa model is $9,990 USD, or, $10,685 after destination and handling.

Previously the Versa was not available without air conditioning and was not available with the less-expensive 1.6 liter four-cylinder engine in the US. Only a 1.8 liter four-cylinder was available in US models.

Nissan states that they are allocating one-third of their Versa sedan production capacity for the new model, which works out to around 10,000 units. Undoubtedly they will sell all of that production in the current economic conditions.

The new Versa model wrests the “cheapest new car” title away from the 2009 Chevrolet Aveo, the previous title holder at $12,625 after destination and handling. Continue Reading

And why wouldn’t it?

By Brendan Moore

10.30.2008

Sources within GM state that there are some executives advocating the sale of Buick to SAIC (Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp) of China, their current joint venture partner for Buick in-country. Such a sale would solve two problems for GM; it would get them some desperately needed capital and it would also address the issue of having too many brands to support by jettisoning one of the brands.

It seems far-fetched to think that Buick would be sold by General Motors, but it also seemed far-fetched that GM would merge with Ford or acquire Chrysler, and it tried to do a deal with Ford several months ago, and is currently trying to buy Chrysler as I type this.

The sale of Buick actually makes more sense than either of those two moves. Buick sells more vehicles in China than the US, its down to three models here in North America, and SAIC would most likely be a willing buyer, thereby ensuring a decent sale price. Buick is a prestige brand in China. Not so much anymore here in the States, and its going to take a lot of marketing money and product to turn the perception around. It’s not looking as if GM is going to have much of either of those to spare for Buick in the near future. If GM is successful in buying Chrysler LLC, then there is even less money for Buick going forward. Continue Reading

By Chris Haak

10.30.2008

Late yesterday, Ford revealed its improved and facelifted 2010 Fusion midsize sedan ahead of its upcoming auto show debut.  Unlike Nissan, however, Ford provided extensive powertrain details, though no photos or mention of the interior upgrades that we are also expecting this car to feature.

The car’s new front end design is successful to my eyes, with a more modern and less conservative appearance than the current car’s.  The three-bar grille is more prominent, the headlights more detailed and swept back, and the lower grille opening below the bumper far more interesting, taking a shape that will begin the transition of Ford’s North American design language to something more akin to Ford’s European language that will be featured in upcoming products such as the Fiesta subcompact, as well as the other small European models making their way across the Atlantic in the next few years. Continue Reading

By Kevin Miller

10.29.2008

We don’t have much information beyond the name and the photos at this point, but today Nissan revealed its upcoming  370Z, a few weeks in advance of its official debut at the Los Angeles International Auto Show in November. Nissan’s press information refers to the 370Z as a 2009 model. The 370Z is the first full redesign of the iconic Nissan Z since its reintroduction as a 2003 model.

What we can see clearly from the photos is that Nissan has chosen an evolutionary path to updating the Z’s exterior, with some visual references to other members of the Nissan family, including the GT-R. The shape of the exterior lamps are implemented very similarly to the new Nissan Maxima, though they seem to suit the Z a bit better than the Maxima where we first saw their shape. The overall shape of at the back end of the car  looks to be sleeker with less visual bulk,  and better integrated with the Z’s overall style. Continue Reading

They Have Low Carbon Emissions, Too!

By Kevin Miller

10.29.2008

Volvo Car Corporation has introduced plastic-bodied vehicles this week that have no carbon emissions. Unfortunately, these are not road-going cars. They are toys meant for children. Toy versions of Volvo XC90, XC70 and C30 models will be produced in soft, safe and durable plastic in yellow, red, green and blue.

While Volvo is implementing workforce reductions in their vehicle plants and corporate offices, their partner Viking Toys will be tooling up for production of the toy Volvo vehicles. Viking Toys’ concept is to make soft, safe, high-quality cars for children starting from the age of 1 year. The products must be so safe that a child cannot pull off parts and put them in his/her mouth. All materials are guaranteed to be free of harmful chemicals. Continue Reading

By Chris Haak

10.29.2008

Automotive News (subscription required) reported this morning that multiple sources familiar with GM’s product plans have said that in order to conserve cash at the struggling auto giant, nearly all new product development activities slated for 2009 and 2010 have been postponed.  The only exceptions are vehicles that are seen as critical to the company’s image (the Chevrolet Volt and Camaro) and products whose development work is basically complete already (the Buick LaCrosse and Cadillac CTS wagon, most likely), the latter because very little cost savings would be realized this late in the game since the development work is basically complete on those vehicles.

GM expects that the moves will save up to $1.5 billion per year with the product delays as the company fights to stave off bankruptcy until the US new car market stabilizes and returns to normal (you know, when a 15% monthly sales decline is seen as a bad thing again instead of a good thing).

This situation is a perfect example of why GM should have done a better job of keeping its mouth shut regarding future product plans, specifically in regard to three Chevrolet products:  the aforementioned Camaro and Volt, plus the Cruze.  We’ve now seen and heard about both the Camaro and Volt for years (the Camaro since January 2006 and the Volt since January 2007) and GM has kept the public completely in the loop with regard to the development of these two products, even to the point of testing Camaro mules without any camouflage and showing the “production Volt” at a September 2008 press conference more than TWO YEARS before the car’s targeted on-sale date of late 2010. Continue Reading

By Chris Haak

10.29.2008

The Scion xB in its first generation had been a lovable little box, underpowered but charming, and a nearly undiluted lift-off of the Japanese domestic market Toyota bB, modified only with a switch from right-hand to left-hand drive and a few other modifications necessary to make the vehicle more palatable to US consumers.

The old xB was hardly a sales hit (Toyota claims this was intentional), but did do a good job as an image leader for Toyota’s Scion sub-brand.  Its boxy shape allowed for a small, yet versatile interior space, but its wimpy 1.5 liter, 108-horsepower four cylinder meant that it sometimes had trouble merging onto high-speed expressways.  Also, the first-generation xB, while it was a fairly lightweight vehicle that got good fuel economy (EPA rated at 26 city/31 highway when adjusted for the 2008 figures), it also didn’t do particularly well in crash test results (four stars front impact, and just three stars for front side impact).

So, Toyota used the same playbook that so many other manufacturers have used over the past two decades:  to make an existing product “better,” just add size and horsepower.  In the xB’s case, the 2008 model’s curb weight jumped to about 3,000 pounds from about 2,400 pounds.  The engine displacement jumped from 1.5 liters to 2.4 liters, and horsepower leapt from 108 to 158.  Even the crash test scores jumped, with the front side impact rating going to five stars rather than just three (it’s still rated four stars in the front impact test by the NHTSA, however).   Unsurprisingly, with no six-speed transaxles or hybrid drivetrains, the fuel economy suffered, dropping to 22 city/28 highway, or a combined loss of about 4 mpg. Continue Reading

Odds and ends about cars and the car business

By Autosavant staff writers

10.28.2008

BMW and Ford in Talks regarding sale of Volvo – London’s Sunday Times reported that Ford is in talks with BMW about the possible sale of Volvo. Such rumors also surfaced earlier this year, though they were quickly discovered to be unfounded.

From Ford’s perspective, the main reason behind the sale would be to raise cash, which has lately become a popular reason for US automakers to sell their assets. Sources close to both automakers indicated that talks have taken place, though a BMW spokesperson flatly denied the suggestion.

Reports from Göteborg in the past several months have shown there to be low morale among factions within Volvo, and many Volvo employees would like to see Ford sell their company. Since BMW is known for manufacturing high-quality cars which are enjoyable to drive, many Volvo enthusiasts would love to see the Swedish brand under the BMW umbrella, with the hopes that such a union would lead to Volvo vehicles capable of shaking the brand’s stodgy image.

VW hints that the Scirocco may be sold in the US – After reversing itself on this issue several times, VW is now saying that the new Scirocco may show up in the US after all, and as early as 2009 calendar year. The main issue holding the Scirocco back previously was the negative dollar/euro valuation, and that has largely mitigated itself as a result of recent market conditions. If the Scirocco does get sold here, it will be higher-priced and higher performance than the GTI so as to not cannibalize sales from the current VW performance icon. The appearance of the Scirocco after a 16-year absence would be warmly greeted by performance enthusiasts in the US. Continue Reading

By Brendan Moore

10.27.2008

Fiat Group has decided to push back the re-introduction of Ala Romeo line to the United States market due to poor economic conditions in the US.

The original plan was for Alfas to be sold in the US by 2009, but that was subsequently pushed back to 2010. The new date is 2011.

Fiat Group has also concurrently sharply scaled back its sales forecasts for China for the next two years, but this is related to production issues more than economic ones. And Fiat Group has already adjusted their sales forecasts for their main European market.

Fiat Group Automobiles CEO Sergio Marchionne told a group of auto analysts late last week that “it would be simply crazy investing for returning Alfa in such a depressed U.S. market.” Continue Reading