The I in ILX Does NOT Stand for Integra
Acura is introducing a new entry-level, sporty sedan, called the ILX, but refuses to compare it to the late, lamented Integra -- similarities notwithstanding.
Escape Eco-Boosts chance of staying No. 1
Ford's compact Escape rose to status as the No. 1 SUV in 2011, and an all-new Escape is already reaching showrooms with entirely new style, power and high-tech features.
Dart clears hurdles as compelling compact
Fiat wanted to return to the U.S. and Chrysler needed a compact car, so Fiat's takeover has produced the 2013 Dodge Dart, on an Alfa Romeo Giulietta stretched platform.
New CR-V seeks old CR-V's top spot
Honda played it safe with the fourth-generation CR-V, changing the styling outside and in, adding new AWD, but staying with the familiar drivetrain.
Acura RDX undergoes smooth refinement
The first Acura RDX was a swift, sporty compact crossover; the first revision of the RDX gains smoothness in style and performance.The “I” in ILX Does NOT Stand for Integra
Acura ILX in sporty trim went searching for Arizona's Lost Dutchman mine.
By John Gilbert
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZONA — Acura is introducing a new, entry-level ILX sedan for the 2013 model year, a good-looking sedan that will fit in below the luxury RL , the smaller entry-luxury TL, and the midsize TSX in Acura’s stable.
To me, it was a cause for celebration, because I thought Acura had made a mistake when it discontinued the Integra, a sporty, entry-level sedan, back in the mid-1990s, and the new ILX might be a worthy replacement. At the introductory press conference, I raised my hand and asked if it would be logical to consider the ILX as being what the previous Integra might now be. Acura officials were emphatic to say there was no connection or resemblance to the long-gone Integra, as if they thought my question was an insult.
The new generation of Acura engineers needn’t be so sensitive; I meant the resemblance as a compliment. To humor those corporate officials, let’s just say the replacement of a Civic-based, sporty, high-mileage, entry-level sedan from a decade ago with an all-new Civic-based, sporty, high-mileage, entry-level sedan is merely a coincidence. When a coupe is added in a year or two, that will be coincidence, too.
There is nothing aged about the ILX. I like the design, particularly the pinched center of the lower fascia that comes up to meet the bumper. Models will be simple to differentiate, with really only one car, separated by option packages.
The base “Standard” is powered by a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder with 150 horsepower and 140 foot-pounds of torque and a 5-speed automatic, and Acura’s first-ever Hybrid, with basically the same 1.5-liter with Lithium Ion battery pack from the Honda Civic Hybrid is an available option. Moving up is the Premium package, with either the 2.0 or the TSX’s hot 2.4-liter twin-cam engine with 201 horsepower and 170 foot-pounds of torque. Top of the line is the Technology package, which has either the 2.0 or the Hybrid — which combines 91 horsepower from a 1.5-liter 4 and 23 electrical horsepower from the Lithium-Ion battery pack for a combined 114 horsepower and 127 foot-pounds of torque, and adds all sorts of premium features.
Modern look of Acura ILX stood out at Apache Junction Mining Camp during Arizona introduction.
The base car starts at $25,900, and includes keyless access and ignition, power moonroof, Bluetooth wireless telephone interface, dual-zone climate control, USB with iPod and iPhone compatibility with text-message capability, and Pandora internet radio. The Premium package boosts the price to $29,200, and with the 2.4-liter engine is the hot-rod of the group, with a 6-speed manual transmission; it has all the base car’s standard features plus the Premium package’s leather interior, heated front seats, 8-way power driver’s seat, high-intensity headlights, and foglights. The Technology model adds Acura navigation with voice recognition and real-time traffic and weather, the Panasonic ELS 365-watt, 10-speaker surround audio, a GPS, and a solar-sensing climate-control system.
There is no separate Technology model, but the car with everything would be the Hybrid version, starting at $28,900, including all the Premium package features, plus the high-mileage gas-engine/battery-pack system. Fuel economy estimates from the EPA show 24 city/35 highway for the 2.0, 22/31 for the 2.4, and 39/38 for the Hybrid.
While the styling of the ILX may not cause people on the sidewalks to snap their heads and point, it is an attractive car. During initial test-drives, I found the mainstream 2.0 with its 5-speed automatic to handle all normal driving circumstances with ease. The engine is basically the 1.8-liter Civic engine with displacement enlarged to 2.0, and if the 5-speed is outdated by competitors’ rush to 6-speed automatics, the ILX has a distinct advantage over some of them by installing remote paddles on either side of the steering wheel, with the left for manually overriding for downshifts and the right for upshifts for sportier gear-changes.
Graceful sweep to ILX stylishly houses abundant high-tech creature features.
A brief drive in the 2.4 with its dual-overhead-camshafts and 6-speed stick indicates that buyers who remember the sportiness of that late, lamented Integra (by me), or want something a bit more refined than the Civic Si — which has the same drivetrain — have found a new potential favorite.
The Hybrid was the car my partner and I chose first, to get a feel for how it would handle both in-town and highway driving. The Hybrid runs on a combination of the gas and electric power, and the battery pack is recharged by the gas engine as well as braking friction as regenerative. My driving partner is more “old-school,” who prefers to drive a Hybrid just like any other car, and calculate how it measures up to traditional driving habits, whereas I tend to try to drive to the Hybrid’s strengths, by not accelerating a hard and trying to anticipate stoplights better to make use of regenerative braking power feedback.
High-tech comfort in entry-level ILX.
The reason that the Hybrid — like the Toyota Prius — gets better gas mileage in city or congested driving than while freeway cruising is that the gas engine shuts off when you stop at a red light, and if the battery pack is fully charged, driving in the 10-45 mph range will be predominately done by the electric power. Both sources work for start-up acceleration, or when accelerating briskly anytime, and the gas engine takes over primary power duties during gentle acceleration or high-speed cruising. The Hybrid has a CVT (continuously variable transmission), which tends to drone a bit compared to a normal shifting transmission, and it is less conducive to aggressive driving.
Obviously, changing driving habits can have an immediate impact on Hybrid fuel economy. I drove first and really tried to be conservative and anticipate every stop on a brief urban and suburban stretch, with modest acceleration at best, and I recorded a spectacular 49.9 miles per gallon. When we got out into more open spaces, and I was driving 65-70 mph over some hilly terrain, my fuel economy was still good at 43.6. After we switched drivers, and my partner drove considerably harder, I checked the fuel computer and it showed 35.5 mpg.
Pinched lower fascia improves ILX appearance, air flow.
All the ILX models handled impressively, with good directional stability and responsiveness to the quick-ratio power steering. Handling is aided by 62 percent of the body surrounding the passenger compartment made of high-tensile steel, with an aluminum hood. That gives the ILX good torsional rigidity without excess weight, and helps the suspension and slick aerodynamics aid stability. The McPherson strut front and multi-link rear geometry is aided by dual-action, “amplitude reactive” dampers front and rear, which uses a second valve on the piston inside the shock to react to severe bumps after the first one handles smaller and more normal irregularities. In addition, the ILX combines skid control with an overriding understeer and centering control to help in cornering on slippery surfaces.
The whole Acura line started life in 1986, after Honda had established itself as a strong and high-tech force on the American auto scene. The company realized that Honda owners might progress from a Civic or two to an Accord or two, but when they progressed further and wanted to spend more for more prestigious cars, they had to turn to European brands. That’s how Acura was born, in 1986, with a new array of cars that would keep Honda buyers in the family.
The mainstay of the early Acuras was the Legend, a luxuriously appointed car that was definitely an upgrade from the Honda Accord but reasonably priced, and powered by a new V6. To be housed in separate dealerships, Acura needed more models, so an entry-level sedan was also offered — the Integra. For good measure, Acura also was given the incomparable NSX, a two-seat, mid-engine sports car that was an exotic car that never needed maintenance, an unheard of compromise.
The Integra, for my money, was the corporate prize, however. Low and sleek, and in both 4-door hatchback and 2-door coupe form, the 1986-89 Integra was much more than a Honda Civic, more sporty than an Accord, and more versatile than most station wagons.
Priced in mid-$20,000 range, ILX fits in below Acura RL, TL, TSX.
Our family purchased a 1989 Integra 5-door, and we enjoyed the high-revving 4-cylinder and the stick shift, and it was the ideal family runabout that combined fuel-efficiency and sporty performance for about five years. The Integra was redesigned for 1990, a little bigger, and smoother, and it continued to be an over-achieving car until Honda discontinued it.
The Integra is long gone, remember, and long live the ILX. The new car ILX is entirely new from wheels to roof, and its shapely body and interior amenities included. With prices under the RL, TL, and TSX, the ILX should be a big attraction for Acura showrooms. It will be impressive to anyone who looks at it, and more impressive to those who take one for a test drive — especially those of us who fondly remember the Integra.
Escape Eco-Boosts chance of staying No. 1
New Ford Escape Has Style and Features to Hold No. 1
Boxy lines are gone, as 2013 Escape gains new style, power and enough features to stay atop SUV sales.
By John Gilbert
SAN FRANCISCO, CA. — The current Ford Escape is a sales winner, but its familiar boxy shape is being replaced by a better-looking, better-handling and more powerful and versatile model, with perfect timing to take the top-sell of the entire SUV industry to new levels of sophistication and technology for the 2013 model year.
Technology and a tough economy are dominating the industry, and the Escape was positioned perfectly to capitalize on the rush toward smaller utility vehicles coupled with demands for higher fuel economy with downsized but still feature-packed compact utility vehicles. The 2012 Escape is the last of the original boxy design, and Ford did its best to fill it with its latest gadgetry during the new model’s incubation. The reward was that 2011 “was our best sales year ever, with 254,000 sold,” said Frank Davis, Ford’s executive director of engineering, and strong sales continue in 2012, especially with model-end bargains sure to come.
“But,” Davis added, “you’ll find that from the standpoint of styling and dynamics, the new Escape is truly a 21st century SUV.”
Last year’s sales success was a bit of a surprise, because the Honda CR-V had been the sales leader of the compact SUV category from 2007 through 2010, while Ford had been content to be a strong second, while focusing — so to speak — on its new Explorer, which showed a 124 percent sales increase in 2011, and the midsize Edge and Flex. The trusty Escape shot up in sales prominence with a major assist from a natural disaster. The earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan in March of 2011 seriously inhibited Honda production, most notably of parts for the CR-V. Many potential CR-V buyers seeking a new vehicle looked for an alternative, and the Escape was ready and willing to meet their demands.
For the coming year, new generations of both the Ford Escape and the Honda CR-V have been introduced, which should make their current year’s battle for the top spot compelling indeed. Both vehicles are totally redesigned on the outside, and in fact share similarly sleek lines, and both also have new interiors accommodations. Ford gives the Escape extra push with new and more sophisticated powertrains. It may sound startling to hear that Ford has outflanked Honda in powertrain offerings, but while Honda has chosen to stay with its dependable but aging 2.4-liter 4-cylinder, as well as its smooth but dated 5-speed automatic in the new CR-V, Ford is installing two new EcoBoost turbocharged 4-cylinder engines to join the returning 2.5-liter base 4 with a new 6-speed automatic transmission in the new Escape,.
Vibrant colors and stylish contours are matched by Escape's technical upgrades inside.
It will be up to consumers to decide how important high-tech power is, as well as in styling and features, where the Escape and CR-V are extremely competitive with each other, just as they are with exterior and interior dimensions and stowage potential. For example, the CR-V has improved rear cargo space to 37.2 cubic feet while the new Escape has 34.3 cubic feet behind the rear seats, but when you fold the rear seats down, the CR-V’s 61.4 cubic feet is bypassed by Escape’s 68.1 volume.
The bigger point of competition will undoubtedly be under the hood. Honda’s strong 2.4 engine — which can be found in early 1990s specialty cars like the Prelude, and as the base engine in the current Accord and Acura TSX — delivers 185 horsepower at 7,000 RPMs and 163 foot-pounds of torque at 4,300 revs, with a towing capacity of 1,500 pounds.
Most consumers might buy a larger, beefier SUV if they tow heavier trailers, or tow a lot, but the new Escape attempts to cover all those bases. In the new Escape the base engine is the 2.5-liter 4, with 168 horsepower at 6,000 RPMs and 170 foot-pounds of torque at 4,500 RPMs, and a 1,500-pound tow capacity. Next in availability is a 1.6-liter EcoBoost, where turbocharging boosts horsepower to 178 at 5,700 revs and torque to 184 at only 2,500 RPMs, with a 2,000-pound towing capacity. The top engine is the 2.0-liter EcoBoost, with 240 horsepower at 5,500 RPMs and a whopping 270 foot-pounds of torque at 3,000 at RPMs, which has a towing capacity of 3,500 pounds.
Fuel economy is another pivotal feature, and while the CR-V shows 22 miles per gallon city and 30 mpg highway (31 mpg for 2-wheel drive), the Escape models attain better EPA estimates, with the 2.5 showing 22 city/31 highway, and the 1.6 EcoBoost at 23 city/33 highway. The powerful 2.0 EcoBoost matches the CR-V’s estimates with 22 city/30 highway. The 2.0 EcoBoost, which replaces the previous 3.0 V6 without any sacrifice in power but with the promise of improved fuel economy, asks for premium fuel, while the other two will run just fine on 87-octane regular.
Optional 2.0 EcoBoost gives Escape 240 horsepower, 270 foot-pounds of torque, and 3,500-pound towing capacity.
Ford’s commitment to its new EcoBoost turbocharging stresses that it allows smaller displacement, for built-in mileage improvements, with the internal components built stronger so that the force-fed turbo power increases make up the disparity with larger engines, but without the gas-mileage penalty. By 2013, Ford claims that 90 percent of all its engines will feature the EcoBoost technology.
The 6-speed automatic is another advantage for the Escape. While Honda engineers insist they’ve altered gear ratios and improved horsepower by 5, there is no doubt the new-breed of compact SUVs — including the Hyundai Tucson and Santa Fe, Kia Sportage and Sorento, Mazda CX-5, and now the new Escape, prove that a sixth gear is better for allowing you to be in the best ratio for all driving situations. In fact, paralleling the introduction of the new CR-V, Honda’s upscale Acura arm introduced a new similarly sized RDX, and it has a 6-speed automatic.
Regardless of the figures, however, power and performance in a compact SUV becomes more a matter of perception. If it feels quick enough, it is. And the Escape feels strong and anxious to perform in both EcoBoost forms, with suspension staying firm and complementing a body that is 40 percent stiffer, leading to a very quiet interior.
When we drove two of the three new Escape models at the introduction in San Francisco, I was impressed with the performance and handling precision of both the 1.6 and 2.0 EcoBoosts, although I didn’t push either of them beyond reasonable real-world driving limits. My partner, meanwhile, really pushed the 2.0 around some twisty, hilly roads, driving more as if he were qualifying for some unknown road-racing event I hadn’t heard about. Regardless, the Escape tracked well and remained stable under all conditions, although I’ll need to wait until a longer driving opportunity to more accurately assess fuel economy.
Escape interior features large screen for navigation, plus hands-free controls through SYNC connectivity.
There are some exceptional features on the new Escape that will jump out as examples of contemporary connectivity. Ford has been at the forefront of connectivity with its SYNC system that includes voice commands, and it has improved the system each year, and adds My Ford Touch for further control. Pandora music and Sirius satellite radio are coordinated through a Ford partnership with Sony for its audio controls. You can even download audio books to listen to while you drive.
Such features as a blind-spot sensor and parking assists are also available, but when Ford says “parking assist” it means the most impressive self-parking system in the industry. Parallel parking remains a challenge to many drivers, and Ford has come close to perfecting a system where you drive up next to the car ahead of the vacant space, shift into reverse, and engage the park-assist. Take your hands off the wheel and the vehicle will back itself into the open space, spinning the wheel and depositing you into perfect position. All you have to do is touch the brakes when you’re perfect, and it’s done.
Coupled with the rear-view camera and the cross-traffic alert for backing out of a driveway, as well as forward and reverse sensing systems, the Escape can be securely moved in any direction. Beyond that, the gadgetry list is extensive. One pleasant surprise is the power liftgate, which goes beyond normal key-fob activation. Imagine approaching the Escape with both arms full of grocery bags. All you do is sweep your foot under the rear of the vehicle and the liftgate pops open and rises to expose the open storage area. Ford’s information says that special precautions in the system prevent a passing animal from activating it, but since you have to have the key fob in your pocket to make it work, I haven’t figured out how any dogs, cats, squirrels or other critters might carry the proper key.
Escapes come in a variety of models, and all of them come with AdvanceTrac with roll stability control to prevent loss of control and all but eliminate any chance of rollovers; airbag systems that include driver knee bag, side airbags and safety canopy; keyless entry; LATCH lower anchors for child seats in rear; automatic door locks; traction control; AM-FM-CD-MP3 6-speaker audio with auxiliary input jacks; power points in the front, rear and cargo areas; and the 6-speed automatic transmission.
The base model is the S, starting at $22,795, with the 2.5 engine. The SE starts at $25,395, adding to S equipment with the availability of the 1.6 EcoBoost and various other upgrades, such as SYNC, MyFord with a 4-inch touch screen, and foglights. The SEL adds larger optional 18-inch wheels, and availability of dual climate control, a 9-speaker audio upgrade, perimeter alarm, 10-way power seats, heated seats and exterior mirrors, leather seat trim, and perimeter alarm, for a base price of $28,195. Top of the line is the Titanium, at a base of $30,695, with all of the standard equipment of the other models, plus the high-powered 2.0 EcoBoost, push-button start with remote feature, 19-inch wheels, and options such as the titanium package with power liftgate with the hands-free function, active park assist, rear-view camera, rain-sensing wipers, and rear-view camera.
All models start with front-wheel drive and have optional 4-wheel drive, and the intelligent 4-wheel drive system provides a larger dose of power to wheels with better traction in slippery conditions, and also has torque-vectoring, which reads multiple computer impulses to coordinate the trajectory of the vehicle and the intended direction based on steering input. If you’re driving around a left curve in slippery conditions, for example, your Escape might skid just a bit as it tends to understeer — pushing ahead more than at the radius of your steering — the computer will send more torque to the rear wheels to help counteract that effect. Torque-vectoring sensors also calculate steering angle, lateral acceleration, and driver’s throttle input, and take pre-emptive action, adding and subtracting torque to different wheels through an electromagnetic clutch. Adding power to the outside wheels and reducing it to the inside wheels, including actually applying light braking, helps the vehicle turn the way you’re intending.
One of the Escapes we test-drove was a loaded Titanium model, which went from the base $23,295 to an as-tested $35,630, with the Titanium and Parking Technology packages. Built at the Louisville, Ky., assembly plant, it weighed in at 3,645 pounds, while some front-wheel-drive Escapes start as light as 3,502. It lacks only one important feature, in my opinion, and that is an easy and intuitive method for manually overriding the 6-speed automatic.
Because the Escape has such sporty power and precise control from its front MacPherson struts, and twin-tube gas shocks, progressive rate springs, and stabilizer bars front and rear, its transmission should live up to its new-found sportiness. The easy way would be to include a manual shift-gate adjacent to the shift-lever’s groove, and the vastly preferred method would be to include steering-wheel paddles to manually upshift or downshift without taking your hands off the wheel. Ford instead offers only its electronic shift on the shift knob that allows the driver to click it to up or downshift, or click it twice to downshift twice.
Escape Titanium boasts enough features to intrude on midsize SUVs.
Ford officials claim this is all anyone needs or could want, but I tried it repeatedly but never found it approaching intuitive, so I don’t think I’d be comfortable using it. Besides, it does require the driver to take one hand off the steering wheel to activate the switch — and in a vehicle stressing SYNC for its advanced voice commands to allow drivers to keep their hands on the wheel, it seems incongruous at best.
On the other hand, I have complained repeatedly about a recent Ford trend to make the turn signal stalk return to its neutral position even while the blinker is still blinking, which causes me instinctively to push it again — which cancels the signal. Ford uses it in its trucks, from the F150s down to the Flex, and in some new cars. But after driving the Escape, even when engineering director Frank Davis was riding in the rear seat with us, I never complained once about having cancelled the blinker when turning. He had to tell me why I had no reason to complain: The turn signal stalk now latches in its turn position, so all instincts from visual, to audible and to feel, inform the driver that the blinker is on.
Davis and engineer Don Ufford are my favorite Ford engineering targets whenever I think I have a valid criticism, because they are both good-natured and seem to enjoy the give and take to discuss and debate such complaints. While I can celebrate the return to latching turn signals in the Escape, the vehicle is so nearly flawless that it leaves precious little for me to heckle them about.
Dart clears hurdles as compelling compact
Dodge Dart debuts with sleek shape atop stretched platform of Alfa Romeo Giulietta.
By John Gilbert
AUSTIN, TEXAS — Chrysler’s new-car stable was so desperate for a compact car that the bar was pretty low for the 2013 Dodge Dart to hurdle. For example, imagine that to be successful you only had to pick two of the following assets: A. good looks, outside and inside; B. tight build quality; C. excellent fuel economy; D. reasonable base price; E. performance that is pleasingly peppy; F. precise and agile ride and handling; G. genuine high-technology features; and H. contemporary connectivity standards.While picking only two, be aware that there are a number of successful cars out there without more than a couple of those assets. When the 2013 Dodge Dart makes its way into showrooms by June of 2012, however, the Dart listing will need one more choice, for “all of the above.” The Dart seems to have it all, after a brief preliminary test of preproduction models, starting with the first-glance attractiveness that makes it such a bonus to have Italian flair mingling with Chrysler engineering.
All of that, and the rest of the endless array of features, would fall flat, however, without the allure of initial pricing, in order to compete with the likes of Honda Civic, Ford Focus, Mazda 3, Chevrolet Cruze, Toyota Corolla, Nissan Sentra, and Hyundai Elantra. The Dart gobbles up that objective, too.
Five different Dart models expand from there with assorted technical and package options. They include:
- SE, with all the good looks standard 2.0-liter engine, four-wheel disc brakes, brake assist, brake-lock differential, stability control with electronic roll mitigation, traction control, plus 10 airbags, at $16,790.
- SXT, which adds extra content such as power mirrors, taillight surround, heavy-duty battery, console, 17-inch wheels, and makes a turbo engine available, for $18,790.
- Rallye, adding foglights, trip computer, steering wheel remote controls, and leather-wrapped steering wheel, at $19,790.
- Limited adds a U-Connect 8.4-inch touchscreen with voice-command multimedia, numerous power options including a nine-speaker audio upgrade, sunroof, active grille shutters and underbody panels to enhance the drag coefficient to a scant 0.285, at $20,790.
- R/T, with all the Limited goodies plus a 184-horsepower 2.4-liter engine, special leather seats, sport suspension and various performance trim features, for $23,290.
Dodge styling, Italian heritage blend smoothly in 2013 Dart.
The performance-oriented R/T won’t be available until a few months after the rest of the Dart fleet reaches showrooms. But one of the dizzying features about the Dart is that it will be available for custom-ordering and rapid-delivery, two things which might seem mutually exclusive. It’s all in the plan for allowing customers to select a Dart with exactly the equipment an individual might want. Everything above the basic SE gets the “racetrack” taillights, which are featured on the Charger and encircle the whole rear facade with a row of 152 LED lights.
Among the major challenges facing Chrysler Corporation two years ago was that consumers reacted to the plunging economy by scrambling to buy smaller and more fuel-efficient cars, and there were no — as in zero — compact or subcompact vehicles anywhere to be found in the entire Dodge-Chrysler inventory. The Neon had been OK, but disappeared in favor of the Caliber, which was precisely between small SUV and tall station wagon in a netherworld that left it out of either category.
Fiat’s buyout came along just about then, saving the company from potential extinction. Immediate renovation of the interiors and feature trim on all existing Dodge and Chrysler vehicles was impressive, but there was still the major vacancy — no compact car in an ever-more-compact world. Fiat wanted to come back into the U.S. market with its own Fiat 500 subcompact, as a separate entity, and that has happened. Meanwhile, Dodge and Chrysler had decided to discontinue the Caliber two years ago, and when Fiat installed Sergio Marchione as new Chrysler CEO, the idea of a new compact car was hot on the griddle. In November of 2010, the decision was made — Go!
Remarkably, the whole Dart project came together in 18 months, which normally might be the time of initial drawings and discussions. The brief time from concept to rollout might imply that a lot of shortcuts were taken, and shortcuts often lead to trouble in the car world. But preliminary examination and driving of preproduction Darts on the roadways of West Texas indicate the Dart looks good, and it operates better than it looks.
The Dodge stand at all the big U.S. auto shows has been a popular place, thanks to the Dart. The Dart would have deserved notice as the most compelling vehicle displayed if it hadn’t been for the splash made by the upcoming Ford Fusion. As it is, there seems no doubt that the Dart, with its dashing (Darting?) good looks, could challenge the Fusion at Car-of-the-Year voting time. It has a low, sleek look to it, with its four-door body stretched tight from covering its spacious trunk, tracing forward over a smooth roofline, and dropping down over the hood to a low and fashionable grille. The familiar Dodge “cross-hairs” grille has been modified to be very narrow in height and very wide horizontally, from headlight to headlight. The look changes by model and personal choice, too, with color-keyed, or chrome, or blacked-out background to give different Darts different personalities.
Tight Dart design incorporates midsize room in a stylish compact package.
The body looks good enough to stand on its own, but what’s under the skin is even more impressive. Fiat now only builds good small cars in Italy, it also owns a few world-class marques, such as Ferrari, Alfa Romeo, and Lancia. When the Alfa Giulietta compact sedan hit the streets of Europe, it was an immediate success. When Mercedes owned Chrysler, there was always a feeling that it was treating its American conquest as a stepchild; with Fiat, there is a definite feeling that the Italians are honored to have the chance to mix, match and blend with Chrysler models. The Chrysler 300, for example, was brought to Italy to serve as the halo model Lancia. So with a snap of Fiat fingers, Chrysler engineers found themselves free to experiment with the well-formed Giulietta platform. It has proven to be so strong that it will serve in various sizes to underpin virtually all Dodge and Chrysler sedans moving forward. But first, the Dart.
Dodge engineers lengthened the platform 12 inches, and widened the Giulietta architecture by 2 inches to create a compact car that cheats. The expanded size creates more interior room than other compacts, and indeed meets EPA standards for midsize cars. The rigidity of the platform benefits from a body consisting of 68 percent high-strength steel, and 600 hours of wind-tunnel development on the aerodynamics of every shape including the underside, lends itself well to the latest sound-deadening techniques, resulting in a refined and quiet demeanor.
A stretched Italian platform under a made-in-America (Belvidere, Ill.) sedan indicates how global the Dart is, and examining the intriguing array of engines and transmissions adds new evidence to the true global concoction. Chrysler and Mitsubishi joined Hyundai in search of a high-tech global four-cylinder engine a few years ago, and the timing was perfect, because Hyundai had just connected all the dots on its breakthrough technology to produce the 2.4-liter engine for all three to use. Next, Hyundai designed and built its own six-speed automatic transmission that is world-class in efficiency and size. Meanwhile, in Italy, Fiat was experimenting with its MultiAir system, which eliminates the intake camshaft and uses oil-pressure tubes from the exhaust valves to actuate the intake valves. It is a brilliant technology that allows almost infinite valve-timing advances or delays for improved power and fuel-efficiency, and it is what makes the little Fiat 500 go. A turbocharged version of that 1.4-liter engine makes the Fiat Abarth REALLY go. In 2009, the engine started finding its way into other Alfa models.
Cutaway shows Dart interior with flip-up storage in passenger seat.
So here comes Chrysler, ready, willing and able to capitalize on all that technology coming from all corners of the globe. The leadoff hitter in the Dart lineup is the 2.0 Tigershark engine, with dual overhead camshafts, dual counter-rotating balance shafts, reduced noise, vibration and harshness. Since being born on Hyundai schematics, the engine consists of 88 percent new parts, and — with 160 horsepower and 148 foot-pounds of torque — will be the standard engine in all Darts except the R/T. Fuel estimates are 25 city and 36 highway with the Fiat-sourced 6-speed manual transmission.
Next up is the 1.4-liter MultiAir Turbo 4-cylinder, which is optional on all models except the R/T, and it gains surprising power from its Honeywell turbocharger, which spins at 220,000 RPMs to urge 160 horsepower and 184 foot-pounds of torque out of those 1.4 liters. It will be the mileage king of the Darts, with EPA estimates of 27 city and 39 mpg in highway driving, with the 6-speed stick, right out of the Fiat Abarth.
The engine still to be tested is the 2.4-liter Tigershark, which powers the R/T and is extremely intriguing because it takes the basically Hyundai-sourced engine from South Korea, and the MultiAir technology from Italy, and builds the engine in Dundee, Michigan. The refined finished product is called “MultiAir 2” for increased fuel efficiency and midrange torque, and decreased noise and harshness. A forged steel crankshaft with cast aluminum pistons designed specifically for the revised MultiAir system should keep the fuel economy up near 30 while producing 184 horsepower and 171 foot-pounds of torque. Because of the MultiAir 2 operation, the peak horsepower will be available from 2,500-4,000 RPMs, and the peak torque starts at 2,600 RPMs and stays there until 4,100 revs.
"Racetrack" taillights feature 152 LEDs circling the entire rear of the Dart.
An area of extreme importance to optimum fuel economy is the blending of high-tech engines with equally high-tech transmissions. In the Dart’s case, three transmissions are available and all three are 6-speeds, while some prominent segment players still languish with 5. First is the smooth-as-silk 6-speed stick, which comes from Fiat. Second is a 6-speed automatic, brought in from Hyundai. And still to come is a 6-speed dual-dry-clutch from Fiat.
From brief drives, the Abarth’s MultiAir turbo offers a sporty alternative to the daily driving chores, while the 2.0-liter 4-cylinder Dart will undoubtedly be the biggest seller, handling normal duties with ease and still offering the eye-catching looks of the new Dart.
New CR-V seeks old CR-V’s top spot
New CR-V's all-new all-wheel-drive system easily handled a late Lake Superior snowstorm.
By John Gilbert
Honda got quite comfortable when its CR-V became the largest-selling sport-utility vehicle in the industry in 2007 and held that position until 2011. Only production losses caused by the tragic earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan dropped the CR-V behind the Ford Escape as the top-selling SUV, but just over a year later, Honda is back up to speed and projecting the new fourth generation CR-V will return the compact SUV to its position of prominence.
The new CR-V takes a new styling direction, replacing the third-generation’s symmetric-arc silhouette with a more sophisticated sleekness, and displaying Honda’s amazing packaging skills that offer more interior room and a more spacious feel even while the new vehicle is almost an inch shorter than its predecessor.
If anything, the new CR-V mostly resembles the new-generation Ford Escape, which is also just being introduced and should put both vehicles into an interesting position to continue their duel at the top. It used to be that their competition would be for only the compact crossover (CUV) segment, but with economic and fuel-efficiency issues becoming top priority, and dropping large and even midsize SUVs in popularity, the CUVs are rising fast enough to become the hottest sellers in the industry.
Honda doesn’t hesitate to claim its young-family oriented compact crossover is aimed to appeal to women, who make over half of the decisions on vehicle purchases. Evidence includes a dashboard that is extended on both sides for a more spacious look; making the center console large enough to conceal a purse; offering ambient lighting around the instruments that changes from white to a subtle green as you drive more economically.
Much sleeker roofline loses the previous CR-V's symmetric-arc shape.
Connectivity is another improvement for the new CR-V, which accommodates whatever electronic gadgetry you might have — except for iPhones, curiously, while Blackberrys are no problem. You can use voice commands to text while driving, because when you receive a text message, the i-MID (intelligent multi-information display) will read it aloud to you, and your brief response will be relayed back. The i-MID screen can even be set to display favorite photos for further personalization.
Functionally, the CR-V rides atop an all-new all-wheel drive system, doing away with the separate rear hub that used to send power to the rear whenever the front wheels spun. The new system uses an electronic control to more quickly transfer torque from front to rear axles, and provide a portion of power to the rear for climbing hills and for start-up traction, because a natural rearward weight transfer in both circumstances require more power from the rear. When cruising, the rear power disengages, but up to 100-percent of torque could go to the rear when the front slips.
Slightly shorter but taller, redesigned CR-V has increased interior room.
This has been a weird winter in the Upper Midwest, with March being very June-like, and April being more like a normal March, but the best feature of any all-wheel-drive system is its ability to handle a sudden snowstorm, and the new AWD system on the CR-V made short work of the worst winter could throw down on the North Shore of Lake Superior.
While shorter by 0.8-inches, the CR-V is an inch taller and has expanded interior room. A lower hip point in rear seating also enhances interior space. The body itself is made 7 percent stiffer in bending rigidity and 9 percent in torsional rigidity, helping the suspension improve responsiveness by 40 percent. Quietness is enhanced by more insulation and sound-absorbing materials, and the lower cargo floor, with side restraining nets, increases cargo volume from 35.7 to 37.2 cubic feet with the rear seat folded down.
Under the hood, Honda’s familiar 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine has dual overhead camshafts and i-VTEC variable valve timing, and is hooked up to the smooth but aged 5-speed automatic transmission. Horsepower increases by 5, to 185 (at 7,000 RPMs), with 163 foot-pounds of torque (at 4,300 RPMs), and power feels fully adequate. EPA fuel economy estimates are 23 city/31 highway for the FWD models, and 22/30 for AWD, which is available as an option on all models. Competitors such as the Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage, and just-introduced Mazda CX-5 and Ford Escape offer 6-speed automatics to insure better ratios for fewer highway revs and improved fuel economy, and the CX-5 and Escape both offer 6-speed manual as well as 6-speed automatic transmissions. Some can attain better fuel economy in real-world driving than Honda gets on EPA estimates, indicating either the competitors caught Honda in a complacent snooze, or Honda has become more dependent on market research than progressive technology.
The first CR-V was a 1997 model, an interesting attempt at all-wheel-drive compact utility vehicle that sold well for its uncompromising utility, and had a strong rival in the similarly aimed Toyota RAV4. The CR-V’s second generation came for 2002 when its boxy shape was rounded off into a more refined body. The third generation in 2007 was pivotal, as Honda and Toyota went separate ways. Toyota introduced its new RAV4, lengthened by 14 inches and offering both a third-row seat and a V6 engine option. Toyota said it was abandoning the personal-runabout rivalry in response to market research, which indicated U.S. customers asked for more room and more power.
Soft-touch materials, more sound-deadening, and a surprising spaciousness are CR-V assets.
Honda was more guided by technology in those days, and made the 2007 CR-V more compact by removing the spare tire from the rear, while staying with two rows of seats and only its 4-cylinder engine with its 5-speed automatic. It left any critics — as well as the RAV4 — behind, becoming the largest-selling SUV of all. That third-generation model’s considerable change in appearance took on a half-circle silhouette rising from the windshield and tapering off to the rear deck. It continued to combine size, performance, versatile packaging, coupled with with a high standard of build quality, to remain No. 1 in sales through 2010.
When the earthquake and ensuing tsunami struck Japan in March of 2011, Honda’s facilities and supply of parts hampered numerous Honda products, and hurt CR-V availability enough that many compact crossover customers looked for alternatives, enough choosing the Escape to boost it past the CR-V in sales.
The marketplace will decide on their new-generation duel, but Ford’s newly stylish Escape has a trio of 4-cylinder engines, including two EcoBoost turbocharged models, a new 1.6-liter and a 2.0-liter, joining the reliable 2.5-liter. The CR-V stays with the once-dominant 2.4-liter 4, although it has dual overhad camshafts and iVVT variable valve timing for power. Honda also clings to its 5-speed automatic transmission, which is smooth and feels adequate, although the Escape, Hyundai Tucson, Kia Sportage, Kia Sorento, and just-introduced Mazda CX-5 all offer 6-speed transmissions for improved fuel economy, and the Escape and CX-5 both offer 6-speed manuals as well. Honda officials defend the 5-speed, claiming altered gear ratios to allow better acceleration.
New CR-V grille resembles Accord or Insight styling.
The CR-V lineup starts with the LX model, equipped with front-wheel drive, air conditioning, cruise control, Bluetooth HandsFreeLink, i-MID, remote entry, a 160-watt 4-speaker audio system, Motion-Adaptive Electric Power Steering (EPS), for $22,495; the same vehicle with all-wheel drive starts at $23,745.
The EX model adds an upgraded six-speaker audio system, power moonroof, 17-inch alloy wheels and more, at $24,595 for front-drive, and $25,845 to add Honda’s Real-Time AWD system.
The top of the line EX-L adds leather-trimmed interior, 10-way power driver’s seat, automatic dual-zone climate control, 360-watt 7-speaker audio system with XM Radio to the EX’s features. The EX-L include the Honda Satellite-Linked Navigation System with Voice Recognition and FM Traffic, or a DVD Rear Entertainment System, at base prices that vary from $27,945 for FWD to $28,495 for AWD. The EX-L has unique availability of a rear-seat DVD player.
Without question, the fourth generation CR-V is the best so far. The question is whether it has improved enough in the face of ferocious competition.
Acura RDX undergoes smooth refinement
Acura's revised RDX loses turbo-4 for refinement of 3.5 V6.
By John Gilbert
When Honda decided to grace its upscale Acura line with a compact crossover SUV for the 2007 model year, it rolled out the RDX, which was an impressive sports-car-like performer amid a sea of more mundane competitors. That sea has experienced a remarkable rising tide during the past five years, so it’s time for a new RDX that is both an impressive performer and a bit of a contradiction on wheels.
The new design is considerably smoother, playing off the just-introduced Honda CR-V with a distinctly upgraded spin to set it apart from its mainstream sibling. It discards the high-performance turbocharged 4-cylinder engine for the smooth and powerful 3.5-liter V6 that powers the Acura TSX sedan and the Honda Accord and Odyssey van. Handling and connectivity features are among focus points of the new RDX, which has lost the harshness of the first generation’s ride without sacrificing the firm cornering feel.
The new RDX will have base prices of $34,320 for front-wheel-drive models, and $35,720 for a new and more-sophisticated all-wheel-drive system. Built at the East Liberty, Ohio, plant, the RDX will compete with the BMW X3, Audi Q5, Mercedes GLK 350, and Infiniti EX35, according to Acura, but the proliferation of compact crossovers might also throw the Volvo XC-60, Range Rover Evoque, Volkswagen Tiguan, Chevrolet Equinox, GMC Terrain, Ford Edge, Toyota RAV4, Nissan Murano, Hyundai Santa Fe, Kia Sorento, Mazda CX-7 — and its new replacement, the CX-5 — into the fray.
Curiously, while such major players as BMW, Mercedes, Mazda, and Hyundai are proving that switching from six cylinders to four can reduce fuel consumption, and gaining sufficient power from applications of turbocharging in some instances, Acura, which was among the first to try that concept with the first RDX, now is going the other direction — from four to six cylinders — in search for the same improvement in fuel economy.
Slight increase in dimensions creates more interior room.
Jeff Conrad, the Acura vice president, explained that projecting “Generation Y” buying habits have changed from what Honda’s market research had previously projected. “Gen Y is the first generation to earn less money than their parents,” Conrad said. “Luxury vehicles involve emotion, because you’re buying a vehicle not because you have to, but because you want to — and you can.
“But value is now a top priority, and buyers are less interested in horsepower and size, which will cause a fundamental change in the luxury car market. Acura has unique core values, focusing on the driver more than just the machine, on connective technology, and on sustainability. We will remake our whole line with those priorities.” Read more
Ford relaunches Taurus, refines Flex
Renovated 2013 Taurus adopts Fusion-like grille and sleekness to its stance.
By John Gilbert
The completely redone Ford Fusion won’t reach showrooms until late summer, but its flashy restyling has been the talk of the auto show circuit. In fact, it may be the reason Ford created an all-new Taurus ahead of its time.
The 2013 Taurus is a car for all reasons for those who need, or want, a large car. And it also is a car for all seasons with available all-wheel-drive, for those living in the snow-belt, or, a the introduction session proved, for those living in non-snow regions that occasionally might get blindsided by a blizzard.
When the midsize Fusion was shown at the Detroit Auto Show, one cynic suggested that if the rear seat-room was adequate, there would be no need to continue building the larger Taurus. The new Fusion’s rave reviews made the new-for-2010, and still new-looking, Taurus seem outdated before its time.
The considerable expense of rebuilding a next-generation car is what causes automakers to build a model to last five or more years, perhaps with only a mid-term cosmetic refreshing, but Ford went against conventional planning. As Ford’s flagship, the Taurus meets the demands for a large sedan to take on the armada of General Motors large cars, as well as Chrysler, European, and now Asian big cars. So even though the current Taurus was only going into its third model year, Ford introduced another entirely new Taurus as a 2013 model. It was a brilliant move.
The new Taurus smoothes out a few of the contours that looked so fresh just two years ago, and the car takes on a lower and sleeker look with a cousin-like resemblance to the upcoming Fusion. Taurus adopts a Fusion-shaped grille, which apparently will establish it as a new corporate signature. The top-of-the-line Taurus again will be the SHO model, which is loaded with performance features and begins at a lofty $39,200. The one we drove was loaded up to an even loftier $44,485 with voice-activated navigation and 20-inch painted aluminum wheels.
A subtle benefit of short-shifting the renewal is that the current Taurus, which is a very good and handsome sedan, so the renovation didn’t require tossing out everything and starting with a clean sheet. In the Taurus’s case, Ford designers and engineers could work with an already-impressive vehicle, and small alterations or tweaks were aimed at smoothing out features, polishing the interior, and making the Taurus go, handle and ride better and more quietly. The finished product improves the appearance, and is filled with upgrades inside and out.
That wasn’t Ford’s only recent maneuver; the company is revising the look of the stylishly square Flex as well. Ford introduced both the Taurus and Flex for 2013 to the automotive media in Portland, Oregon, in mid-March. That plan made sense at planning time, because back at Ford’s home, Detroit, and throughout the rest of the Upper Midwest, early March is normally still in the grip of winter, while Portland promises moderate temperatures despite a little rain.
Majestic firs and treacherous roads were no problem for Taurus SHO's all-wheel drive.
Ah, but 2012 began with the Upper Midwest’s “non-winter,” and while Minnesota, for example, was recording a couple of weeks of record lamb-like warm temperatures — 60s and 70s even — Portland’s weather was remarkably the opposite and lionish. We drove from downtown Portland in a steady, day-long rainstorm and headed toward the Pacific Coast. Driving up some suburban foothills, we found that the steady rain turned to snow, hanging heavily in white majesty from the fir trees as we went to higher elevation.
It was perfect timing, because both the new Taurus and Flex make all-wheel drive available. The Tauruses we test-drove were, in fact, the hot-performing SHO models. Newer Ford folks say “Show,” in referring to the SHO, while more veteran observers recall the original came out in 1989 and the name was the initials for “Super High Output,” for the gem of a V6 engine that was built specifically for the car by Yamaha. Later, Yamaha built Ford a V8 for the car.
The new SHO also has a V6, but no longer a V8. Ford’s latest technology has been to mount turbochargers on its 3.5 V6 and create more power and performance than a larger V8, while also improving fuel economy. The Taurus will have three engines available, starting with a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder EcoBoost, then the normally-aspirated 3.5 V6, and topped by the EcoBoost 3.5 V6. The power range shows the 2.0 EcoBoost is turbocharged up to 240 horsepower and 270 foot-pounds of torque, while still boasting an EPA estimate of 31 highway miles per gallon. The normal 3.5 V6 has 288 horsepower and 254 foot-pounds of torque, and a range of 19 mpg city and 29 highway.
If you select the SHO, you get the EcoBoost, which has two turbochargers and direct injection, and the power takes a quantum leap to 365 horsepower and 350 foot-pounds of torque, with fuel economy estimates of 17 city, 25 highway. Not sensational fuel economy, but very good consider that the SHO has a lot of power for a V8, and startling potency for a V6. Read more
Skyactiv engulfs new Mazda CX-5
CX-5 styling strategy was done to encase Mazda's Skyactiv engine, drivetrain, aero and design technology.
By John Gilbert
Mazda has established a reputation for building vehicles that range from unusual to mainstream, with all of them sharing a heritage of being enjoyable to drive. With its new CX-5, Mazda may have outdone even its own standards — and the analogy of hitting a home run is noteworthy when nearly all competitors are settling for doubles and triples.
The CX-5 meets the demands of consumers in a struggling economy, who are seeking the seemingly impossible combination of efficient size, cutting-edge technology, safety, fun to drive performance and handling agility, high fuel-economy potential, and high-quality features, while still being available at a reasonable price. After a brief preliminary drive at its introduction, the CX-5 gave no hint of a weakness in any of those categories, all for a price structure starting at $21,000.
Skyactiv was impressive when first unveiled in the Mazda3 in October, although we were told at the time it had to be limited in its totally holistic application, because the full “spaghetti pile” of exhaust manifolds would not fit in the engine bay, and must wait for the next generation Mazda3. It was still an impressive jump, but now we learn the true difference. The CX-5 is the first of what Mazda calls its sixth generation of design concepts, and it was designed to be all-around Skyactiv to house the engine and transmission. The huge manifold fits under the hood, and it gains enough added torque to — suprisingly — outperform the smaller and lighter Mazda3.
Mazda introduced the CX-5 to the auto media at Monterey, Calif., so that we could drive it on Mazda Raceway at Laguna Seca. Driving an SUV, even a compact crossover SUV, on a famous road-racing circuit is a bold venture, but even in a steady rainstorm, the results were impressive. We were advised to stay off the fastest racing line, because the rain would make it slick, but after driving both the front-wheel and all-wheel-drive models for several turns, I felt confident enough to first go through the fast line at every turn, and then go hard through them all. The CX-5 never varied, never leaned, and never threatened to break traction.
It was so good that I asked a top Mazda performance engineer about the difference in lap time between the admittedly quick Mazda3 Skyactiv and the new CX-5 around the twisting Laguna track. He said the difference was 3 seconds — in favor of the CX-5! In road-racing, lap times are differentiated by tenths, and even hundredths, so a difference of 3 seconds a lap might cause the runner-up to withdraw.
When pushed around a race track, or splashing around an autocross in the rain, the CX-5 was stable and firm.
We later pushed the CX-5s around a well-designed autocross course set up in the puddles of the paddock parking lot. Again, starting cautiously you realized you could take every turn faster, and confidence built quickly.
And this from a CX-5 that has highway fuel economy numbers ranging from 31-35 miles per gallon, depending on the model. My driving partner and I recorded a computerized 31.5 mpg on a stretch where my driving intentions were to evaluate the suspension and agility on the rolling hills and curving roadways inland from Monterey.
The shift from large SUVs to smaller and more fuel-efficient crossovers means manufacturers from all around the world are scurrying to improve their smallest SUVs to grab a slice of the expanding pie. A lot of outstanding vehicles crowd the compact crossover segment, but the common theme is compromise. In seeking more power, sportier handling, more comfortable suspension, interior amenities, safety, and improved real-world fuel-efficiency, providing “most of the above” is commendable. The Mazda CX-5 boasts “all of the above.”
The secret is not the CX-5’s design, or interior, or fun-to-drive suspension — although all of those elements are there — but the all-encompassing assets of Mazda’s new Skyactiv concept with its very impressive Skyactiv engine and purpose-built transmission. Read more
Fiat Abarth: ‘right amount of wrong’
Stretched longer and housing power, suspension, interior and exterior upgrades, the Fiat Abarth costs $22,000.
By John Gilbert
Advertising can be coersive, exaggerated, informative, and meaningful, sometimes just annoying, other times fun. Then there are those special cases, where an ad can be so memorable it could only be improved if you could bring it to real life.
Fiat has pulled off one of those special ads, and it started with the Super Bowl and carried through to the introduction of the 2013 Fiat Abarth at the car’s introduction, in Las Vegas in early March. Fiat started to bring its subcompact 500 into the U.S. a year ago, and Jennifer Lopez did a series of memorable commercials driving the 500, but the little car drew some, but not a lot, of interest. Then came the Super Bowl.
The Fiat Abarth is a specially modified and turbocharged version of the new little subcompact 500 coupe, adding a new dimension to the 500 for Fiat, Italy’s expansive and technically savvy company, which now owns Chrysler Group. “The 500 is a fun, unique, agile, and cute car,” said Tim Kuniskis, the head of Fiat North America. “The Abarth is a 500 with just the right amount of wrong…It’s flirting with irrational, for $22,000.”
OK, not all Fiat Abarths come in black, and it looks pretty racy in red, too.
It’s not at all irrational if you thought the Fiat 500 needed a little extra dose of punch, because the Abarth has enough punch to satisfy discriminating performance-oriented drivers, whether on their daily commute, roaming on your favorite twisty roads, or taking advantage of a track-day at a local road-racing circuit. The question was, how to translate the special qualities of the Fiat Abarth, combining its practical side with its exotic Italian passionate heartbeat.
That made the Super Bowl the perfect launching pad for the Fiat Abarth, and it was a provocative ad that has continued, after turning out better than anyone could have imagined. The car comes in different colors, but because of the ad, you’ll have reason to picture it mainly in black.
As always, the Super Bowl was loaded with clever commercials, and sometimes they’re better than the actual football game. If you were normal — or at least a normal, red-blooded male — you undoubtedly remember the commercial where a normal-looking fellow is walking down a busy sidewalk, New York we’d guess, carrying a cappucino, or latte, or mocha, or some such designer coffee he has just purchased. Suddenly he stops in his tracks and stares, because ahead of him, bending over to adjust her high heels, is a stunningly beautiful, dark-haired woman in a provocatively flowing black dress with red trim. She glances back and catches him staring at her, and he freezes. She straightens up and confronts him, slaps him across the face, grabs him by the necktie and pulls him close to her. She reaches into his mocha-latte-cappucino thing and scoops out a fingerful of whipped cream. She puts it into her mouth, but a small bit of it falls, strategically plopping right where her discreetly plunging neckline is most discreet.
Catrinel Manghia repeated her prize-winning performance on Fiat Abarth TV ads at the Las Vegas media introduction. The car looked good, too.
The totally smitten guy is somewhere between shock and ecstacy, as he leans forward, slowly, eyes closed. We think he might attempt to lick up the fallen whipped cream, but as he leans forward, he opens his eyes to find that the most beautiful woman in the world has vanished. In place of his passionate objective is a new passionate objective — a Fiat Abarth, parked at the curb and wearing color-coordinated black paint with red accents.
When the seductive commercial first ran during the Super Bowl, Fiat’s website went instantly crazy. According to Edmunds.com, a widely accepted automotive news website, the Fiat showed an immediate increase of 3,354 percent in inquiries immediately after the Super Bowl ad aired — the largest increase of any of the many cars advertised during the game. Virtually all the hits were for the Fiat Abarth.
Since the Super Bowl, Fiat’s website has registered 8 million hits for the Abarth on Youtube, said Kuniskis, speaking at the news media introduction for the Fiat Abarth, in Las Vegas in early March. There have been more online requests for the Fiat Abarth since the Super Bowl than there had been, total, for the 500 itself in a full year. Read more
Toyota deserves an ‘A’ for new Prius c
Prius c instruments show fuel economy and grade the driver for optimum fuel-efficient driving.
By John Gilbert
For a couple of decades now, the entire Toyota auto empire has been identified by the Camry. But maybe it’s time to realize that the Prius might be taking over as Toyota’s new signature vehicle.
Actually, it’s not just the Prius anymore. It’s the whole Prius family, which has a new baby — the Prius c. The “c” is lower-case, incidentally, and allegedly stands for “city,” and it is projected to become the top-selling model in the Prius group, because it’s smaller, lighter, less expensive, and gets the best mileage of any Prius.
Those last two items are what Toyota figures will drop the company’s aging demographic and become the hybrid for the younger masses, because you can get into one and be environmentally sound for $20,000.
Toyota tends to go beyond single models, going instead for clusters of cars, such as Lexus, or Scion. The same has happened to the Prius, which started out over a decade ago as a single vehicle, and became the hybrid compact that outsells all other electric and/or hybrid vehicles combined. Only Honda, with its Civic Hybrid, has built a strong competitor in sales of a high-mileage, good-looking compact with a small gas engine complemented by a battery pack’s electric motor. With its gas engine hooked up to recharge the electric motor’s power, fuel economy numbers have commonly reached 40 miles per gallon and beyond.
Prius c starts at $20,000 and can easily attain 50-plus miles per gallon.
The Prius came out in 2000 as a 2001 model, and the second generation moved the car from being an ugly duckling to a stylishly popular version with a contemporary angular look. The third generation refined the operation and carries on the look that carries on today. Toyota has sold 2.5 million Priuses globally, and 1.1 million of those have been in the U.S. That puts Prius at about a 4-1 advantage over Honda’s hybrids, 5-1 over Ford’s, and 10-1 over any hybrid sales generated by General Motors. Worries about the lifespan of the Toyota Hybrid Synergy Drive system have been nullified by the fact that 96 percent of all Priuses sold are still in operation.
Last year, Toyota expanded the Prius line by adding the Prius V, which is an elongated, wagon-style hatch companion to the standard Prius, which is now called the Hatchback. The Prius V adds 58 percent more cargo room, and Toyota sold 8,399 of them in their first 10 weeks on the market.
Obviously anticipating the arrival of the Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf electric plug-in cars as competition, Toyota also added a plug-in version of the standard Prius Hatchback, which can be driven like a normal Prius, adding the advantage of plugging it in overnight. When fully charged, you can drive 15 miles at speeds up to 62 mph, and it will register 95 miles per gallon, or 50 in combined driving with both the plug-in charge and normal hybrid operation.
The Volt, incidentally, will run on electric only for about 35 miles, then its gas engine takes over, so if you live 10 miles from work you can get there and back day after day without ever needing to buy any more gasoline. However, the gas engine will not charge the battery pack, so it must be charged by overnight plug-in. The greater negative, along with a potential spike in your electric bill, is that the Prius price is in the $40,000 range, or about twice the price of a Prius c. Word came about the first of March that Chevrolet is halting production of the Volt for a few weeks because of more supply than demand.
Sculpted lines all aim at optimum aerodynamics on the new Prius c.
There are four levels of Prius c vehicles, beginning with a base car at $18,950, a second level with more features at $19,900, then a step up to $21,635, and a fully loaded model at $23,230.
One of the key elements of the c is that it comes equipped with some impressive features. Traction control, stability control, brake assist, electronic brake force distribution, and a hill-start assist control to prevent rolling backwards, are among the features available. The modern trend is that if we’re moving toward smaller and more fuel-efficient cars, that doesn’t mean we want primitive and starkly basic cars. Read more
Hyundai renews Azera with FWD luxury
Renewed Azera makes a giant step into the luxury front-wheel-drive class.
By John Gilbert
Remember the Hyundai Azera? It was a very nice and contemporary sedan, but it seemed to disappear from any promotional considerations because of the recent flurry of Hyundai’s high-style new vehicles. But that is about to change. The all-new and restyled Azera steps to the front of the class as perhaps the most dramatic example of Hyundai’s self-acclaimed “fluidic design.”
While a cut below Hyundai’s super-luxury Equus and the mid-luxury Genesis, the Azera is the company’s luxury front-wheel-drive car, just for those of us who live in area’s where winter driving is a challenge as well as a necessity. At the same time, Azera abandons being relegated to the list of “forgettable” nice cars, to command a prominent place on the “unforgettable” side of the ledger.
One of the reasons for the large pre-availability popularity of the Azera, which will hit showrooms in mid-March, is that it was a star of Hyundai’s advertising strategy to engulf recent television extravaganzas like the Grammys and Academy Awards. The Azera commercials were so good many viewers might remember them better than Adele, Taylor Swift, Meryl Streep, or “The Artist.”
The Azera’s splashy introduction came just in time, too, because it will show up at dealerships just after the Upper Midwest suddenly decided to have winter, after all. There’s nothing like a foot or two of snow to snap drivers back into the reality of the advantages of front-wheel drive. Rear-drive advocates rave about the highly sophisticated new traction-control systems that make rear-drive cars more capable in winter conditions, but the same applications work on front-wheel-drive too, and further the inherent advantages FWD starts out with in conquering slippery driving challenges. Read more
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About the Author
John Gilbert is a lifetime Minnesotan and career journalist, specializing in cars and sports during and since spending 30 years at the Minneapolis Tribune, now the Star Tribune. More recently, he has continued translating the high-tech world of autos and sharing his passionate insights as a freelance writer/photographer/broadcaster. A member of the prestigious North American Car and Truck of the Year jury for over 15 years, he also is the new editor of the national automotive website "CarSoup.com," and offers weekly auto commentary on Charlie Boone's top-rated Saturday morning radio show (WCCO AM830), while writing college hockey features on "wcha.com," and a sports column in Duluth's "Reader Weekly."
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