Tag Archives | crossover

Review: 2011 Buick Enclave CXL AWD

By on February 21, 2011 in Reviews

By Charles Krome

Sometimes, reviewing two vehicles in a row from the same brand can border on the redundant, but not this time around. A 2011 Buick Enclave CXL with all-wheel-drive ended up in my driveway the day after I said goodbye to a 2011 LaCrosse, and experiencing them back-to-back was an eye-opening affair. Although both are, obviously, current production vehicles, their different positions in their respective life cycles was much in evidence, and much to the newer LaCrosse’s advantage.

The Enclave is probably best thought of as a reboot of the Buick Roadmaster station wagon from the mid 1990′s—that is, as a premium full-size people hauler that’s not a minivan. But speaking of which, the key here is to remember that GM’s big crossovers (including the Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia and the late Saturn OUTLOOK) were designed to replace the General’s minivan lineup, not necessarily to be SUV alternatives. That helps explain the size of these vehicles, too. The Enclave is listed at 201.8 inches in length, and the only other crossover that big is the Ford Flex, essentially Ford’s minivan replacement. To put this into context, the three-row Honda Pilot is Honda’s largest crossover, but it’s “only” 190.9 inches long; the Honda Odyssey minivan is 202.9 inches. (The punch-line here? The Roadmaster wagon stretched a yacht-like 217.5 inches.)

Continue Reading →

Comments { 4 }

New Explorer Orders Double Ford’s Expectations

By on November 30, 2010 in News

By Charles Krome

According to a report this weekend from The Detroit News, Ford has received nearly twice as many orders for its all-new 2011 Explorer as the company originally projected. But the actual numbers may surprise some people: According to the article, the 15,000 or so orders include approximately 3,000 from retail customers and 7,500 from dealers, with the remainder—roughly 4,500—coming from fleet buyers.

It’s good news overall for Ford, but I do have some mixed feelings about that last number. On the one hand, in the context of a (hopefully) improving economy, it makes sense that fleet orders would be on the rise, especially for a vehicle like the next-gen Explorer, which offers both iconic name appeal and an all-new model. But I’m certain Ford is hoping fleet sales will represent significantly less than 30 percent of Explorer purchases once the vehicle actually goes on sale.

Continue Reading →

Comments { 2 }

2011 Ford Explorer: Redefining the SUV

By on July 27, 2010 in Editorials

By Charles Krome

Okay, I’m calling Ford’s bluff. The all-new 2011 Ford Explorer, as impressive as it is, is simply not an SUV. Or maybe this is just what Ford means by “redefining” the segment.

Think about it this way: The classic definition of an SUV, although perhaps hard to pin down in its particulars, has long revolved around things like body-on-frame construction, towing capacity, off-road capabilities and (lack of) fuel efficiency. But it’s obvious from reading the Explorer press releases that Ford is working off a different vocabulary list. In fact, going through the marketing materials is a near-Orwellian experience.

Continue Reading →

Comments { 8 }

Volkswagen Introduces CrossPolo

By on June 15, 2010 in News

By Kevin Miller

While automotive media here in the US has been busy showing off embargo-broken photos of the bland and bloated next Volkswagen Jetta, here’s something a little different from Wolfsburg: The CrossPolo.

Likely named to recall a cross dresser crossover, the CrossPolo is essentially Volkswagen’s smallest five-door hatch, the Polo (introduced in 2009),  wearing the equivalent of a stylish pair of hiking boots and a jaunty cap. Introduced together with the Polo GTI, the CrossPolo rounds out the Polo family model lineup. Typical of European-market vehicles, the Polo is available with six different powertrains (three diesel and three gasoline-powered) ranging from 70 to 105 HP, two of which are available with Volkswagen’s 7-speed DSG.

Featuring unique 17-inch alloy wheels beneath black plastic wheelarch extensions, anodized silver roof rails and unique front and rear bumpers, the CrossPolo has the all-terrain design cues today’s crossover shoppers are looking for. Inside, the tiny crossover features a two-tone upholstery scheme complementing the car’s exterior (with CrossPolo embroidered on the front seat backrests), leather-wrapped steering wheel and handbrake (with stitching complementing the two-tone upholstery), and standard features like heatable, power-adjustable mirrors, power windows, and tire pressure monitoring.

Continue Reading →

Comments { 0 }

Review: 2010 Toyota Venza V6 4×2

By on June 10, 2010 in Reviews

By Roger Boylan

The 2010 Toyota Venza is a sleek and stylish SUV crossover with a pseudo-Italian name (a marriage of “venture” + “Monza”), designed to compete head-to-head with a sleek and stylish SUV crossover bearing a genuine Italian name, the Nissan Murano, which has no apparent connection to the eponymous Venetian glassblowing district but which comes closest to wearing the same three-cornered hat of sportiness, utility, and style. The others in this segment, such as the Ford Edge, Chevrolet Equinox, Mazda CX-7, and the new Honda Accord Crosstour, are, if you ask me (and even if you don’t), a step or two behind on the fashion runway, although all are pretty solid contenders. But in the street or the piazza, the Venza’s design stands out, with its bright chrome grille, tapering headlamp clusters, and low front valence containing a wide air dam and embedded fog lamps.

From the side, the Venza’s low rocker panels and tight doorsills evoke a more than passing resemblance to the first-generation Matrix, but on a larger scale that manages to look up-to-date, sleek, and swift. The huge wheels (in the V6 version, 20-inchers shod with 245/50 tires) sit at the corners of the body, contributing to the overall muscular, yet graceful, stance. Swoosh-shaped tail lamps add a sporty touch. It’s an eye-catching design, and it comes courtesy of Toyota’s CALTY Design Research Center in Newport Beach, California. Its Asian DNA is evident, though, in the grinning–almost leering–grille, as if Kabuki demons had a part in its creation.

Continue Reading →

Comments { 1 }

Review: 2010 Toyota Highlander SE 4X2

By on May 19, 2010 in Reviews

By Roger Boylan

The arrival of my latest test vehicle, a 2010 Toyota Highlander SE 4X2, could hardly have been better timed. My daughter was graduating from high school and out-of-state relatives, two of whom had never been to Texas, were arriving for the festivities. As soon as everyone was assembled, I invited them to board the Highlander and on a rainy Friday afternoon we set off. For the next three days, we alternated between academic celebrations and touring South-Central Texas, taking in such diverse cultural attractions as old German settlements, barbecue joints, ancient Comanche encampments, barren mesas, taco bars, and student hangouts. The Highlander was the perfect companion.

The 2010 Highlander family consists of the Base, Sport, SE, and Limited, all except the Base 4-cylinder available with AWD. A Hybrid with AWD is also available; one such was recently tested by Autosavant. Prices range from around $25K for the Base 4-cylinder to slightly north of $45K for a full-boat Hybrid. My test vehicle, an SE 4X2, came in at $32K MSRP. The Base version with 4-cylinder 187-hp engine and 186 pound-feet of torque garners EPA fuel economy estimates of 20 mpg city/27 mpg highway and 22 mpg combined: that sounds OK, but the deservedly more popular mill is the 3.5-liter V6 with 270 hp and 248 lb-ft of torque, harnessed to a seamless five-speed automatic (with manual-shift capacity).

Continue Reading →

Comments { 0 }

Review: 2011 Kia Sorento EX 4×4

By on April 29, 2010 in Reviews

By Chris Haak

Kia has completely shocked me over the past few years with the dramatic improvement in its vehicles from generation to generation.  And the company’s move to hire Peter Schreyer as its chief designer was an absolute stroke of brilliance.  Schreyer has brought an interesting, attractive design language to the brand where previously there had been little more than a hodgepodge of various design cliches slapped together.  Take the Kia Amante, for an example of what was wrong with Kia design prior to Schreyer’s arrival.

The last Kia that I evaluated for a week was a Sportage, and I really didn’t care for it at all.  As we’ve recently covered from New York, the 2011 Sportage is an all-new beast, and one that mercifully completely erases all memory of the former sub-par crossover.  And as an added bonus, the Sorento is the first Kia model built in the US, in Kia’s new Georgia plant.  So if you buy a Sorento, you’re not just supporting American assembly workers, but members of Kia’s US-based supplier community build interior plastics that smell like a new car’s should, unlike the odd olfactory sensations that Korean-built Kias tend to bring to the table.

Continue Reading →

Comments { 2 }

Beijing Auto Show: Chevrolet Volt MPV5 Crossover Concept

By on April 23, 2010 in News

By Chris Haak

Last week, the sleuths at GM Inside News stumbled upon a design patent drawing for a crossover that seemed to basically have the Chevrolet Volt’s face attached to a crossover body.  Though the size wasn’t apparent from the fairly basic drawing, it seemed to be similar in size and shape to the forthcoming Chevrolet Orlando crossover.

Now, this Volt-looking crossover has made its official debut at the Beijing Auto Show in China, and it’s nearly exactly what the insiders at GM Inside News expected it would be.  The Volt MPV5 has a wheelbase just 15 mm longer than the four-seat Volt, but its body is 181 mm longer and 182 mm taller than the Volt.  The MPV5′s interior uses the Volt’s iPod-like center stack and gauge cluster, but adds five-person seating, and the second row seats fold.  The Volt MPV5′s powertrain is identical to the Volt’s (16 kWh T-shaped lithium ion battery pack, 150 horsepower/273 lb-ft electric motor, 1.4 liter range-extending gasoline engine), but because of the Volt MPV5′s less-optimized aerodynamics and heavier weight relative to the Volt sedan, its electric-only driving range drops from approximately 40 miles to 32 miles.

The Volt MPV5′s design works for me; it seems to be a handsome-looking extension for the Volt brand, and proves that the Voltec architecture that underpins the Volt is flexible (after all, it also underpinned the Cadillac Converj coupe concept in 2009).  In what is likely a further boost to the Volt MPV5′s production likelihood, it would most likely be classified as a light truck, and could help GM to meet increasingly-aggressive CAFE targets over the next several years.  No official word on production from GM, however.  Follow the jump for a photo gallery and GM’s press release.

Continue Reading →

Comments { 0 }

Volvo’s Identity Crisis

By on March 29, 2010 in Editorials, News

By Kevin Miller

On Sunday, a press conference was held at Volvo’s headquarters in Gothenburg, Sweden, announcing that Ford has entered into an agreement to sell Volvo Car Corporation and related assets to Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Company Limited. The release states that the sale is expected to close in the third quarter of 2010, and is subject to customary closing conditions, including receipt of applicable regulatory approvals. The purchase price of $1.8 billion will be paid to Ford primarily in cash at the time of closing.

“Volvo is a great brand with an excellent product lineup. This agreement provides a solid foundation for Volvo to continue to build its business under Geely’s ownership,” said Alan Mulally, Ford’s president and CEO. “At the same time, the sale of Volvo will allow us to further sharpen our focus on building the Ford brand around the world.”

Stephen Odell, CEO of Volvo Cars, added, “The Volvo management team fully endorses Ford’s sale of Volvo Cars to Geely. We believe this is the right outcome for the business, and will provide Volvo Cars with the necessary resources, including the capital investment, to strengthen the business and to continue to move it forward in the future. Continue Reading →

Comments { 0 }

2010 Acura ZDX SH-AWD Review

By on March 24, 2010 in Reviews

By Chris Haak

Acura’s new ZDX crossover continues a recent trend of attaching a four door coupe-like body onto the higher ride height of a crossover’s platform. The resulting vehicles often look kind of like unfortunate types of hybrids – not the kind that have a gasoline engine and an electrical motor, but rather vehicles that combine two totally different vehicle types, with both low-cut tops with a partially jacked-up body.

The ZDX’s shape – clearly an evolution of the design theme that Acura is hopefully still in the process of perfecting – actually is one that grew on me over the past few months, and even more so during its time with me. The shape is now what I’d call practical (more like function following form, particularly in terms of the loss in rear-seat room and cargo volume compared to the related MDX), but it’s clean, sporty, and reasonably attractive. In fact, driving the car, I felt like I was tooling around in a concept car rather than a production car, since the ZDX is so new and I’ve never seen one on the road before, and its shape is so different from other vehicles out there.

Continue Reading →

Comments { 0 }
← Older posts Newer posts →