By Kevin Miller

11.20.2008

The Volvo XC70, affectionately known as the “Cross Country” (though that moniker has been quietly dropped from Volvo’s lexicon), is a version of Volvo’s popular V70 wagon featuring all-wheel drive, a raised suspension for higher ride, and lower-body cladding for an off-road look. Autosavant recently spent a week with a Volvo V70, which is available only with a 235 HP 3.2 liter inline six and front wheel drive, and found it to be a comfortable, capable wagon.

For 2009, the XC70, is available either with a 235 HP, 3.2 liter inline six, or in T6 guise, with a 3 liter turbocharged six delivering 281 HP. I was eager to sample the XC70 T6 because its 281 HP approaches the 300 HP of my own 2004 Volvo V70R, the powerful flagship model of Volvo’s previous generation wagon. As a Volvo wagon owner, I’m in a good position to see what has been improved in the current generation. After spending a week with a 2009 XC70 T6, I can tell you that the vehicle is a big improvement over its predecessor- and the T6 is a big improvement over the 3.2.

My lasting impression after a week with the XC70 T6 is that the wagon is incredibly smooth. The engine seems to idle without vibration, unlike the previous generation’s 5-cylinder engines. It is always quiet in the car’s cabin, whether on a poorly-paved interstate at 80 MPH or cruising through the suburbs at 35. The leather-wrapped steering wheel feels perfect and smooth. The flowing shapes and rich materials in the car are harmonious. It is evident that this vehicle was engineered as a luxury wagon, rather than being a wagon merely dressed up in luxury trimmings. Continue Reading

By Dennis Haak

11.20.2008

The unprecedented runup in both crude oil and gasoline prices earlier in 2008, as well as the equally swift collapse in oil prices over the past few months has given me the motivation to seek a way to lock in today’s gasoline prices – yesterday I saw my first $1.99 for regular in a long time – with the expectation that when the economy improves and global demand continues its upward march against an ever-dwindling quantity of proven crude oil reserves, the price of gasoline is in the midst of what is likely at best a temporary retreat.

If, in fact, my prognostication is correct, there may be no better time over the next several years than the present circumstances in which to somehow stock up on low-priced gasoline supplies for the seemingly-inevitable climb back to $4.00 per gallon and beyond.  The problem is, the crude oil futures contracts that large companies such as Southwest Airlines use have high barriers for entry and are difficult, if not impossible, for a small consumer to utilize to protect oneself from fuel price spikes.  I’m proposing something far simpler – and in fact, as with most great ideas I have, someone seems to have thought of it before I did.  (For another example of one of my too-little-too-late ideas, ten years ago, I wanted to start a website that listed fuel prices at local gas stations.  Such tools now exist with far faster updates and far faster accuracy and scale than anything I could have pulled together as a 23 year old fresh out of college.) Continue Reading

By J. S. Smith

11.18.2008

Here in the Mitten State (or Wolverine State), we’ve been getting slapped around for a while. In the late 1970’s and early 1980’s there was an exodus from the state as the U.S. auto industry hemorrhaged jobs and money. Things stabilized, eventually, and with the exception of a dip in the 1991 recession, the times were pretty good.

When SUV sales took off, with concomitant massive profits for the Big Three—they really were big back then—in the 1990’s, Michigan was again awash in high wages and expanding auto plants. Overtime was commonplace. Autoworkers were getting bonuses of several thousand dollars. Employers in the lower part of the state had trouble filling positions because employment demand was so strong. The Ford truck plant in Wayne, which made the Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator, grossed over $11 billion in 1998. The Big Three and thus the State of Michigan was awash in money.

I remember back in the heady days of 1999, I spent a summer interning at a small law firm in Jackson. I remember quite vividly two partners discussing how clients were complaining about how difficult it was to find workers. Not qualified workers—any workers. Continue Reading

By Chris Haak

11.18.2008

Ahead of its official debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show, Ford has revealed photos and specifications on its new 2010 Mustang, which will go head-to-head with Chevrolet’s upcoming reborn Camaro pony car, plus the year-old Dodge Challenger.

The shape of the new Mustang is simultaneously different and familiar, which should be no surprise to anyone who has seen the Mustang build upon its styling heritage over the preceding years, and particularly with the most recent 2005-2009 generation.  The new design is more sleek and designers have been able to clean up the car’s airflow, reducing both drag and lift, while managing to keep the Mustang’s distinctive shape intact. The headlights in the new car aren’t as tall, and have far more detailed internal parts than the old model’s did, and the rear lamps still maintain the classic three-piece look on each side, while becoming angular to change the car’s shape without messing with tradition.  It appears from the photos that the greenhouse and roof are carryover, which – if true – take a bit away from the car’s new shape because they aren’t any different from the old model.  If they are different sizes/shapes, then they are not sufficiently differentiated from the old car’s parts, and the problem remains. Continue Reading

By Andy Bannister

11.18.2008

This week sees the end of an era as the very last Zastava-badged car drives off the production line in Kragujevac, Serbia, finally killing off the often-ridiculed marque responsible for the unlikely survival of the infamous Yugo.

The move comes as something of a shock. Earlier this year, at the Belgrade Motor Show, state-owned Zastava Automobili seemed to have renewed confidence, with exports resuming to eastern Europe. With some desperately-needed development of its elderly models it was showing a new-found determination to compete at the ultra low-budget end of the market against rivals like Lada and Dacia.

Despite the jokes that have dogged it, Zastava has always been a proud concern. Its boast is that not even modern NATO jets armed to the teeth could finish off the factory during the Kosovo campaign, when it was a prime bombing target. Continue Reading

By Kevin Miller

11.17.2008

General Motors’ Opel Insignia (Vauxhall Insignia in the UK) has been awarded Car of the Year by auto journalists. The Insignia won this award in a very close vote, beating Ford’s new Fiesta by just one point, with third place going to the Volkswagen Golf. The all-new Opel Insignia, will be available in sedan, hatchback and station wagon variants when it hits dealerships in Europe late this year and early 2009.

Hans Demant, Managing Director of Opel and Vice President of Engineering for General Motors Europe, says: “We are extremely proud the Insignia has been named Car of the Year. This is confirmation of the hard work of our designers, engineers and workers; and their commitment to quality that makes the Insignia a true flagship for our brand.” Continue Reading

By Kevin Miller

11.17.2008

Audi introduced a long-wheelbase A4, the A4L, in Beijing yesterday. The A4L, which is only for the Chinese auto market, will be manufactured at the FAW-VW joint venture (An Tiecheng) plant in Changchun, China. The vehicle, which will be rolled out starting at the Guangzhou Motor Show on November 18, will be at Chinese dealerships as of January 2009.

Two engine versions will be available for the Audi A4L: the 2.0 TFSI with 180 HP, and the six-cylinder 3.2 FSI with 265 HP. The chassis was tailored to Chinese road conditions to provide exceptional suspension comfort. The wheelbase – 60 millimeters (2.36 inches) longer than the A4 sedan’s wheelbase – makes the A4L a unique vehicle. The A4L is the only long-wheelbase vehicle in China’s premium B-segment. Continue Reading

By Jason Lu

11.17.2008

The automotive industry has a special bond with our ground transportation infrastructure. There is a fundamental rule laid out in the bond that makes vehicular transportation what it is today. The rule is that the automobile requires the road. It is by no means the other way around, as the road does not need the automobile. A road could be walked on, biked on, or trodden on by horses drawing carriages, without the need of a car. Luckily, The United States as a whole has established the fundamental basics extremely well, having more than 6,465,799 kilometers (4,017,661 miles) of paved and unpaved roads. The emphasis though, is on the word “basic” and it is this basic-ness that has held and is still holding back our automotive industry. For an automaker to produce desirable driving machines, it must be given the opportunity to extend its connection beyond basic road-building and unite with a prideful infrastructure. If cars require roads, then great cars require great roads.

The only nation that has truly united the car and the road is home to some of the most prestigious automakers in the world. Porsche, Mercedes, BMW, and Audi will automatically cause one to think German power. German carmakers are not only the marvels of German engineering, but also the trademark of the legendary German Autobahns, the skies in which the 911 and M5 soar. These stretches of “Free Roads for Free Citizens” are examples of top-notch quality engineering, with features unmatched by foreign highways. General curve radii are massive at more than 10,000 ft, reducing sharp curves for maximum speed and visibility. Pavement thickness averages 85 centimeters (33 inches) in thickness, almost three times that of American highways, allowing it to be durable enough for a 747 jumbo-jet to land on. Strict education, enforcement and lane discipline are the lifelines of Autobahn driving, making German drivers some of the best and the Autobahn one of the safest in the entire world. A major appeal though is that the majority of the Autobahn is without a speed limit, attracting tourists and drivers around the world onto its pavement and offering them a chance to conquer with speed. The unique characteristics of the Autobahn have profound effects on the cars developed around it. The high-end quality and “over-engineering” of the Autobahn boil down to the push for extreme German driving machines designed for German highways. Continue Reading

Yes, things are tough all over…

By Brendan Moore

11.16.2008

All the Sturm und Drang in the US market has monopolized the media coverage of the auto industry in the US, but Europe is having its own problems in terms of sales declines.

New-car registrations across Europe showed the second-biggest fall of the year last month in October. They were down 14.5 percent last month compared with October 2007, as the same things crushing sales in America, scarcity of credit and the overall economic malaise, put consumers off from all large financial commitments. Now, that’s nowhere close to the 32% decline the US market saw in October, but its still a nasty drop in sales volume. Registrations across Europe totaled 1,134,031 units in October.

“New car registrations have now decreased for six consecutive months, most notably since the summer,” said the ACEA, the association that represents carmakers in Europe. Continue Reading

By Chris Haak

11.16.2008

Infiniti’s new FX (available with a new 5.0 liter V8 as in my test vehicle, called the FX50, or with a 3.5 liter V6, called the FX35) is an all-new vehicle for the 2009 model year.  The FX is a crossover, sort of, but in reality is a tall car.  Also, its price, features, and performance put it clearly at the top of the Infiniti model lineup, so it also has to carry on as Infiniti’s flagship.  My objective in driving a new FX50 that Infiniti loaned to me for a week was to see how well the FX held up in its position as a flagship, and whether it was a $20,000 better vehicle than the similar-looking, but smaller, EX35.

The FX carries an interesting shape; although the latest model carries many of the styling cues of the first generation, Infiniti has also blinged it up a bit, with even larger wheels (21 inchers on my test vehicle), chrome fender vents and some interesting surfacing on the grille and headlights.  The roofline was copied over from the original FX to the 2009 model nearly intact.  On the original FX, I always felt that it looked like the metal part of the roof was a tarp that was stretched tightly over the top of the car, anchored at the D-pillars, but for some reason – in spite of the rooflines and door shapes looking nearly identical between the 2008 and 2009 models – the shape looks better to me in the 2009 model.  Overall, the proportions are very up-to-date, affirmed as I drove past storefront windows and cast admiring glances at my own reflection.  The front overhang, thanks to the FX’s rear-wheel drive roots (though FX50s are all AWD-equipped), is fashionably short, as is the height of the windows, with the commensurate high door sills.  It’s interesting to note that as I drive modern cars, I can’t recall the last time I was in a vehicle where the top of the door panel was at a comfortable height for resting my elbow there as many people did years ago; glass area is just too small and beltlines are just too high to allow for that nowadays. Continue Reading