GTI makes aggressive bid to reclaim hot hatch image
SAN DIEGO, CALIF. — For those who remember the glory days of the GTI, VolkswagenÂ’s new “Mk. V†– to designate the fifth generation of the quick, compact hatchback – signals a return to VWÂ’s most impressive venture into hot performance on a budget.
The details are impressive, because the new GTI uses the company’s impressive new 2.0-liter dierect-injectiuon four-cylinder, which is one of my favorite engines in the entire automotive world. It comes with a low-pressure turbocharger, and is shared with the Audi A4 and A3, where I got 32 miles per gallon with it. It is also shared with the new Jetta, which, in reality, means there is one platform for the Jetta and Golf, so the Jetta is basically a four-door Golf with a trunk – just like in the old days.
Also just like the old days is that the GTI is the hottest version of the Golf, and it has a sister ship in the GLI, which is the hottest performer in the Jetta line. It is interesting that Volkswagen has carefully introduced the Jetta, the GLI, and the GTI in separate ceremonies.
Consider that the Honda Civic was introduced all at once, and it became the overwhelming choice of auto writers as the 2006 North American Car of the Year, primarily because it includes a great four-door sedan, a trick, high-mileage Civic Hybrid, and a couple with a sizzling Si sports version. It was a lot to digest at one function, but it contributed to winning the award. If VW had used that strategy, we might have been introduced all at once to the Jetta as the four-door model, the Jetta TDi turbodiesel as the super-high-mileage model, and the GTI and Golf as the two-door hatch and hot-performer.
NobodyÂ’s complaining, though, because having a full day to appreciate everything the new GTI can do was impressive and satisfying. The car is tight, rock-solid in handling because of its new independent rear suspension setup and razor-sharp electro-mechanical steering. Plus, thereÂ’s that engine, which turns out 200 horsepower from 5,100 to 6,000 RPMs, and 207 foot-pounds of torque from 1,800-5,000 revs. VW claims 0-60 times of 6.8 seconds, and it is electronically limited to 130 mph top speed.
The continuously-variable intake and exhaust valves on the transverse-mounted four-cylinder is operated by either a six-speed manual or an automatic, which also is a six-speed DSG unit with switches on the steering wheel – click the right switch to upshift and the left switch to downshift. The automatic has a two-clutch arrangement, which, as you rev, already has engaged the next gear, so when you hit the switch, you get instantaneous upshifts as it disengages from the current gear.
At $21,995, the GTI flashes back into a more receptive world that seems to enjoy strong performance on a budget, with all the safety structure (15 percent stiffer dynamically, and up 35 percent in torsion rigidity) plus front, front-side, and head-curtain airbag complements. It drives, handles and performs like a sports car costing far more, and two adults can sit in the back seat, with surprising storage space under the hatch.
The isolation of the GTI introduction is being accompanied by an advertising campaign that is certain to stir up some controversy. The object of the campaign, kicked off on telecasts of the Winter Olympics, is something called a “Fast†– as in: “Make friends with your Fast†— because it implies an attempt to encourage those hooligans who might drive aggressively to be out there zipping around and even screeching the tires now and then.
More people will be startled to see Helga, a very German blonde woman, enticing folks – presumably young men, or at least men of youthful spirit – to hustle on down to a dragstrip and blow the doors off the winged Japanese-based tuner car alongside it. And still more might take offense at Wolfgang, a very German man who ridicules other tuner “Whatchamacallits†by suggesting they should “unpimp their auto,†and, at the touch of a button, demolishes their overdone tuner cars with a wrecking ball, squashes them flat with a huge weight dropped from the ceiling, or flings them to early destruction with a giant catapult – replacing them with shiny new GTIs as their worthy replacement.
Even some of the automotive journalists attending the introduction of the new GTI expressed dismay over the campaign, as if we should all keep it secret that some people truly like and want strong-performing, good-handling, high-tech, but rock-solid cars.
In one upcoming tv commercial, a young man orders a pizza, and when the shop says, “Pick-up, or delivery?†the guy looks out at a monsoon-like rainstorm, and hesitates. The next frame shows him jumping into his new GTI, turning on the lights, and roaring away, while a voice says: “My Fast thinks ‘deliveryÂ’ is for the weak.Ââ€
None of that bothered me. But then, I’ve always put a premium on the “fun-to-drive†category of car-buying and car-driving. Anyone who would be offended by the racy ads is not in the market for a GTI, while those who are either too young to remember the car’s heritage, or are aware of it but might be unaware that the new GTI has recaptured that competence, will enjoy the ads and will find their interest rekindled in a very impressive car.
To me, there are all kinds of cars, some better than others, some more reliable than others, but if all things are equal, the car that is a hoot to drive around a cloverleaf, or to turn rush-hour gridlock into a satisfying stretch of time with an enjoyable ride, IÂ’m all for it.
It doesnÂ’t mean you have to speed or break the law. All it means is that Kerri Martin, who was hired last spring to come up with a provocative campaign for the car, hit her target broadside. Her purpose was to reinvigorate the image of the GTI as the original “pocket rocket,†and of Volkswagen as a brand, in general. “ÃÂf the Beetle is the heart of Volkswagen,†said Ms. Martin, “then the GTI is the soul of Volkswagen.Ââ€
She explained that the weird little gremlin-like “Fast†souvenir, which every GTI buyer will receive shortly after they’ve taken delivery, is an emblem of the GTI, which requires “one heavy foot, and 10 white knuckles.†She said that the new GTI can rekindle the interest of those of us who remember the first GTI as a simple, functional but excessively fun-to-drive hatchback, and that VW also wants to attract the tuner culture, which has been seeking out inexpensive sports coupes, mostly Japanese, and loading them up with performance chips, trick suspensions, exhausts, wings, wheels, paint-jobs, and audio systems.
Volkswagen first gained fame with the original Beetle, then the Rabbit, which was a departure from rear-wheel-drive air-cooled to front-wheel-drive hatchback. The Golf followed. The first GTI, Volkswagen says, came to the U.S. in 1983. I thought it was before that, because I believed the GTI was the car that started the “pocket-rocket†trend of the early 1980s. However, I owned a 1979 Dodge Colt hatchback, made by Mitsubishi, which had a two-range gearbox with its four-speed stick, meaning you could shift eight times if you were quick enough, or had three hands. But that little bumblebee-yellow-and-black Colt’s 1,600-cc. engine could screech the tires in the first three gears and still deliver 42 miles per gallon in town. That car remains the reason I’m cynical when new subcompacts come out “boasting†of great fuel economy that falls shy of 30.
My first trip to Germany was in 1989, and I drove an Audi quattro coupe on the autobahn, with no speed limit, flat-out at 210 kilometers per hour on the speedometer — 135 miles per hour in our terms. At that speed, moving up swiftly to pass you would be big BMWs, Mercedes sedansÂ…and every once in awhile a Volkswagen Golf GTI with a 16-valve four-cylinder engine. I was impressed.
Years later, VW committed a grievous blunder. The company decided to make a cosmetic version of the GTI — a “base†version GTI that only seat and trim upgrades to give the illusion it was special. The price was kept low that way, but the resale plummeted on all GTIs, and VolkswagenÂ’s reputation nosedived along with it.
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The GTI regained its capabilities, if not its stature, in recent years, going to a stronger V6 engine and other upgrades. But the tuner crowd, particularly favoring very good Japanese coupes, has gone elsewhere.
That’s why I applaud VWÂ’s marketing effort. The new car is all-new, and it is outstanding. Sharing a drive through the mountains east of San Diego, my co-driver and I put both the stick and automatic through their paces with some degree of aggressiveness. I love stick-shift cars, and in almost every case a stick is preferable to any automatic for performance driving. In the GTI, however, I had to concede that the DSG automatic, switched into sport-mode, and controlled by the little paddles on the steering wheel, was quicker-shifting that the stick.
At one point, I zapped around two or three tight curves with amazing precision, and came up behind a slower moving vehicle. It took a couple more miles before we came to a stretch of dotted line rather than the prevailing double-solid-yellow non-passing lines. Now, I never advocate illegal speeding, but when I pull out to pass, I believe the quicker you can pass, the less time and less hazard you are in the oncoming lane. So I downshifted and hit the throttle. Smoothly and swiftly, we pulled out, swept past the other car, and eased back into our lane.
With no tight turn ahead, I glanced at the speedometer, and as I glanced back up, I realized there were three digits on the left of the needle. I did a double-take, and, to both of our amazement, the needle was pointing at 120! It was exhilarating, and it also was unintended, but it was so smooth and easy we both thought I was somewhere between 80 and 100.
The things we do in the name of comprehensive evaluation.
Later, I spoke to Kerri Martin again about the ad campaign. “We take safety very seriously†she said. “WeÂ’re just having some fun with this.Ââ€
With EPA fuel economy estimates of 23 city/32 highway with the stick, and 25 city/31 highway with the direct-shift gearbox automatic, the GTI is set off – same as the GLI among Jettas – by a red underline on the grille. A mysterious “Dr. Keller†points out in another ad, that if you see that red grille stripe in your mirror, it means, “Schnell! Move over, dumbkopf – youÂ’re going too slow.!Ââ€
6th generation Camry expands on No. 1 stature
If you are a car manufacturer, and you build the top-selling car in the United States for seven of the last eight years, how do you approach building the all-new replacement for that car?
Carefully. Very carefully.
In a word, “careful†might best describe the Toyota Camry, regardless of whether you mean the one that carried Toyota’s nameplate to the No. 1 slot, the one that boosted sales to hold the No. 1 slot, or the entirely new sixth-generation 2007 model that was introduced at last week’s Chicago Auto Show, and which will go on sale this spring all across the country.
That made the Chicago Auto Show enormous for Toyota. The Camry is impressive by itself, but the rest of ToyotaÂ’s 2007 arsenal includes the outstanding new FJ Cruiser SUV, and, a worldwide introduction of the new Tundra pickup, which is expanded from the original to challenge the biggest of the full-size Ford, Chevrolet, Dodge or Nissan pickups, and the new Yaris, a more compact compact than the venerable Corolla.
The Tundra was arguably the most impressive vehicle at the Chicago show to me, but thatÂ’s only because I already had been able to get a preliminary test drive of both the FJ Cruiser and the Camry, on a trip to Greenville, S.C.
The Camry may be a careful car, for families who value the basic fundamentals of car-ownership – efficient and cost-efficient family transportation, with style, comfort, and legendary dependability – but it has been criticized for being so careful that it is almost boring. In a good way, of course. There are no surprises with a Camry, and if it backs off a little from cutting-edge performance, making all its compromises toward the center, it is a criticism that hasn’t bothered the masses.
For 2007, the Camry is less careful, if that works. The styling takes an upturn, with a nose that slopes only so far, then takes an abrupt downturn, to a grille that has an enlarged Toyota emblem that takes up much of the upper center area of the trapezoidal grille. The rear is sleek and comes together stylishly.
Go back to 1983, when the first Camry sold 52,651 models, to 2004, when 424,803 Camrys were gobbled up by an appreciative populace. Overall, 6.5 million Camrys have been sold in the U.S. through its first five generations, and 10 million altogether, in 104 different countries. In its never-ending duel with the Honda Accord, Camry finished its current run with 458,000 2005 models, and the new car should boost calendar-year 2006 sales.
Larger and roomier than its predecessor, the new Camry takes a technological leap forward with five models, including a well-planned hybrid version that could cause Honda to rehink its Accord Hybrid.
Toyota is taking great pains to inform everyone that the new Camry is more emotional, more passionate, than it used to be. That’s an interesting ploy, but it’s a lot like a hockey player choosing to tell his coach that he’s hustling, when it remains up to the coach – and the teammates and fans – to determine that.
Without question, though, the new Camry is more performance-oriented and more fun to drive than Camrys have been known for. To give the North American media the chance to experience the car, Toyota brought us to Greenville, S.C., and let us drive on Virginia International Raceway, a neat, and fast, road-racing circuit.
I went right for the sportiest model, the SE, and found it could be shot around the race track quite well, with fairly firm, but not quite stiff, handling and cornering, and good steering response, as well as good acceleration from the 268-horsepower 3.5-liter V6, which also has 248 foot-pounds of torque. That engine, which also serves duty in the RAV 4 and Avalon, has variable valve-timing on both intake and exhaust valves of the 24-valve powerplant.
The six-speed automatic transmission has a manual gate for those who want to shift for themselves, but if you leave it in drive, it will hold the revs higher, and will even downshift, as a computer tries to gauge shift points according to how youÂ’re driving.
The basic four-cylinder also has four-valves per cylinder and dual overhead camshafts, with a five-speed automatic, but no sport-shifter. That engine is standard in the base CE, which Toyota projects will account for 5 percent of sales. The mainstream LE, with more features, of course, will account for 60 percent.
The SE sporty version should take 10 percent, and the luxury XLE is expected to account for 17 percent. That leaves 8 percent, and Toyota chalks them up as Camry Hybrid buyers.
The hybrid, with ToyotaÂ’s Hybrid Synergy Drive, uses the 2.4-liter four-cylinder, which gives Toyota a large edge in the duel with Honda, because the Accord Hybrid uses the V6 instead of HondaÂ’s excellent VTEC four, because Honda wanted to prove it could make a more powerful sedan, above the high-mileage Insight and Civic. The result is that the Accord Hybrid shows 40 miles per gallon on EPA estimates, but gets closer to 30 in real-world driving.
The Camry Hybrid looks identical to the rest of the Camry fleet, and shows EPA estimates of 43 city, 43 highway, and 40 mpg combined. Curious, that is, because if you get 43 city and 43 highway, shouldnÂ’t your combined city-highway be right in there at 43? Ah, well, thatÂ’s why its past-due time for the EPA to change its evaluation system to more closely resemble real-world driving.
The point is, a four with an electric combined motor will get more power than the four alone, and better fuel economy. Toyota uses an Atkinson Cycle treatment on its 2.4-liter four, which allows it to elongate its firing timing for more thorough fuel burning, and reaches 147 horsepower on its own.
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Coupled with the 47-horsepower equivalent electric motor that recharges off regenerative braking and the gas engine, the Camry Hybrid shows 192 combined horsepower, and has 8.9-second 0-60 times.
When we were at the race track, and I had driven the XLE, SE and LE models, I finally got a chance to get behind the wheel of the Hybrid.
A colleague was on the track about a fourth of the way around the road course when they let me out in the Hybrid. I wanted to see how hard I could push the Hybrid, and see if I could get within sight of the Camry ahead just to compare our paces, but remarkably, I overtook my friend in one lap. I actually slowed down in order to avoid embarrassing him for being caught by the hybrid.
The new Camry uses more high-strength and ultra-high-strength steel in the construction, with an ever-expanding eye on vehicle safety. Wheelbase has been lengthened more than two inches while overall length stays the same. Stock wheels are 16 inch, with the sporty SE getting 17-inchers. Toyota says it anticipates the SE will attract some younger buyers, and the new car could lower CamryÂ’s average age buyer from 55 to 53. Or so.
The look of the new Camry is interesting. I think it looks good, but IÂ’m not thrilled with the beak. To me, enlarging the Toyota emblem at the top center of the grille looks like the Camry is trying to copy the Mazda6 a little. Not that thereÂ’s anything wrong with that, but otherwise, I like the looks of the car.
It is comfortable, with a well-laid out and impressive interior, boasting good ergonomics and attractive features. But is it more passionate? More emotional? I wouldnÂ’t call it a breakthrough in that regard, although the SE is more fun to drive by a twitch. But in reality, it doesnÂ’t matter.
For an entire generation of U.S. car-buyers, the family car best remembered from youth is a Camry or an Accord, more than a Chevy or Ford. For 2006 and 2007, Ford is making some major strides toward recapturing some market share, and Chevrolet is talking as if it plans to do the same, weaning itself away from dependence on truck sales. But the 2007 Toyota Camry wonÂ’t make their challenge any easier.
U.S. accepts learning curve of women’s bandy event
The Winter Olympics are well underway in Turin, Italy, but in Roseville, Minnesota, another world competition is taking place. The United States lost 2-0 to Finland, then 7-0 to Russia, but despite the early results, the American players are totally satisfied with their performance, because for them, the WomenÂ’s World Bandy Championships are a learning experience.
ItÂ’s the same for North Americans all across the continent, who have no idea what bandy is, or of the great interest there is in the game in Scandinavian countries and Russia, where it is more prevalent than hockey.
The tournament is being conducted at the John Rose Oval adjacent to Roseville Arena in the northern suburb of the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul.
Bandy is played on skates, without contact, and using a light but hard ball instead of a puck, and short, curled-blade sticks. The team is more like a soccer team, with a goaltender, sweeper, two fullback defensive players, maybe two halfback defenders, three midfielders and two attacking forwards, and it is played on an ice surface the size of a soccer rink. So the interior of the speedskating oval is the only place in Minnesota that can house the tournament.
“We’re trying to get more nations playing the game to elevate it to an Olympic sport,†said Leif Klingborg, chairman of the Federation of International Bandy (FIB), and was coach of the Swedish men’s team in 1994 and 1995, which won the World Championship, also held at the Roseville facility.
With Russia, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Canada and the United States participating in this weekÂ’s tournament, the sport may not be far away. There are not that many more teams playing womenÂ’s hockey, which is being played for the third time in the Winter Olympics. While Canada and the U.S. are far ahead of the rest of the field in hockey, and have played in every gold medal game of every world and Olympic tournament, in bandy Sweden is the power, with Russia next, and then Finland and Norway, while the U.S. and Canada are in the learning phase.
It turns out, the 2-0 loss to Finland, on goals by Katri Niemela and Paula Niskanen, was an outstanding performance by Team USA, which contained the Finnish attack with strong and disciplined defensive play.
“We knew they were a lot better than we were, so losing 2-0 was really good for us,†said Heather Pritchard, U.S. alternate captain and a defensive player who was named the team’s player of the game against Finland.
“Bandy is the No. 2 sport to soccer in Russia,†said Klingborg. “In Sweden, it also is a big sport, second to hockey. There is women’s bandy all over Sweden, and there is not much hockey for women yet. In Finland, bandy is big, but not as big, and hockey is more popular. In Norway, though, bandy is bigger than hockey.
“The U.S. and Canada are getting better all the time, but right now, Sweden and Russia are the two most dominant teams. This is the second World Championship for womenÂ’s bandy. There is some bandy played in other countries, like Hungary and Poland, but weÂ’re trying to get more nations started in the sport.Ââ€
Klingborg has coordinated the tournament closely with Magnus Skold, a Swede who now lives in Minneapolis, and is a vice president of the executive board of FIB. Skold is responsible for getting bandy a foothold in the Twin Cities region, where men and women play, and youth bandy programs also have begun. The absence of purposeful body contact, and the free-skating style with very little equipment makes it a stylish and feasible sport for some who are concerned with the more physical style of hockey.
Many of the top Russian players dating back to the Soviet Union days were great skaters because they grew up first playing bandy. The sport is particularly popular all across Siberia, where itÂ’s not unusual to attract crowds of 20,000. In Moscow, there is an enormous, ultramodern indoor bandy and skating arena, which reportedly cost the equivalent of $2 million.
The WomenÂ’s World Championships continue with all six teams seeded off preliminary round-robin results for games at 9 a.m. Friday for the fifth and sixth ranked teams, followed by Friday night semifinals with the No. 2 team facing No. 3 at 5:30 p.m. and the No. 1 playing No. 4 at 8 p.m. The third-place game will be at 12 noon Saturday, with the championship at 3 p.m.
Badgers lose WCHA lead but regain flowing style
Wisconsin should have been able to celebrate a season highlight by beating Ohio State 4-2 in a memorable Frozen Tundra Hockey Classic at Green Bay’s flooded and frozen Lambeau Field. After all, four different Badgers scored – Adam Burish, Kyle Klubertanz, Andrew Joudrey and Robbie Earl – and the Badgers dazzled a crowd of 40,890, and reached the 20-victory plateau at 20-7-2.
But while the Badgers took a week off from the WCHA battles, they also slipped from first to third in the WCHA. The real highlight for the Badgers is that they seem to have gotten their game back in order. A little consistency now, and coach Mike Eaves will be satisfied, going into playoff time.
The Badgers seemed to have everything disintegrate by losing goaltender Brian Elliott to a practice knee injury, and then promptly losing four straight at home, and five of their last six WCHA games. But indications are that the wheels are back on and the Badger Express is ready to speed away from its pit stop.
The loss of Elliott signaled the end of a dominant Wisconsin runaway atop the WCHA, but strong play most of the way by freshman Shane Connelly since then has made Elliott only a convenient excuse. Eaves knew what happened, and it went from subtle to serious.
The Badgers had a free-wheeling offense, characterized by a quick-passing game that featured not only making the simple direct passes but also the ability to lag soft passes ahead to where only teammates could get the puck. With Elliott out and Connelly in, the offense suddenly stopped. That doesnÂ’t make sense, on paper, but several factors gathered to make it happen.
They may have had full confidence in Connelly, but there also seemed to be a psychological factor that may have caused them, as a group, to decide they had to be extra protective of their freshman goalie. When that subconscious factor became real, Wisconsin lost 1-0 to Denver, at home. A 1-0 loss doesnÂ’t mean the goaltender was a problem, but it does raise questions about the vanishing offense.
“Losing Brian changed our whole dynamics,†said Eaves. “We have a very talented young group, and we had to grow up and mature quickly. The same went for Shane.
“We put it on the table for him and said we didnÂ’t just drop him in the deep end, we dropped him in the Pacific Ocean. But after losing four games, we told him he was a better goalie now, and if he keeps improving, weÂ’ll win as a team.Ââ€
The result of that pep-talk was a 7-2 romp at Minnesota-Duluth. The free-wheeling offense was back, with the neat passes and instant ability to pounce on mistakes and capitalize. Tom Gilbert, Andrew Joudrey, Robbie Earl, Ross Carlson, Adam Burish, and the final two by freshman Ben Street lifted the Badgers from a 1-1 standoff, and a close 4-2 second-intermission toll, to a runaway victory.
“We had been missing a little something,†said Connelly, after that victory. “But we got it back tonight. We played a lot smarter.Ââ€
Wisconsin’s 7-2 victory came on the night UMD retired Brett Hull’s No. 29 at the DECC. Back on top of the league standings, the Badgers found out what the rest of the WCHA has been learning all season – nothing follows conventional routine.
The second game of that series saw UMD come out of the chute to take a 1-0 lead in the first period, then, after Joe PavelskiÂ’s power-play goal offset Tim StapletonÂ’s opening tally for a 1-1 tie, the Badgers seemed ready to take command. But UMD freshmen Mason Raymond and MacGregor Sharp connected for goals to boost UMD into a 3-1 lead later in the second period, and Nick Kemp, yet another freshman, clinched a 4-1 victory with a third-period goal.
It wasnÂ’t exactly back to Square 1, but it was a two-steps-forward-one-step-back pitfall. The Badgers trailed just 2-1 midway through the game, but they were clearly off their smooth-flowing game after only one day back on it. “It doesnÂ’t matter how you played last night, youÂ’ve got to be consistent,†said Gilbert, WisconsinÂ’s All-America candidate defenseman and captain. “We ran around as if we had no idea where we were goingÂ….It was frustrating to watch.Ââ€
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If everything had gone according to form, Wisconsin, Denver and Minnesota would be going into the final stretch-run in a three-way tie for first place in the WCHA. But that would be “conventional†form, dating back to the time when teams respected the tradition of home-ice advantage.
Two weeks ago, the teams were in a three-way tie, mainly because Wisconsin ran afoul of the home-ice rule. Cruising through the league with only one loss – that at home to then-last-place Michigan Tech – the Badgers returned to the huge but comfortable homesite of Kohl Center, only to lose twice to Denver, and then twice to Minnesota. Four straight home losses raised Denver and Minnesota to the three-way tie.
A sweep at Duluth would have lifted the Badgers to a four-point lead, but the split left them only two ahead of Denver and Minnesota. So Wisconsin went into its weekend off from WCHA action, and won a 4-2 empty-net outdoor victory over Ohio State, before 40,000 people at Green BayÂ’s flooded Lambeau Field, but the BadgersÂ’ frolic was with a wary eye back at the standings theyÂ’d left behind.
Sure enough, Denver whipped Minnesota State-Mankato and Minnesota won at Michigan Tech to forge a three-way tie for the lead. Denver won again, for a sweep, but Tech rose up to sting Minnesota with a 2-2 tie at Winter Carnival. So Wisconsin won a nonconference game before a record crowd, and dropped from first to third.
Denver, the two-time defending NCAA champs, has a 15-5-2 record for 32 points and first place; Minnesota is 14-5-3 for 31 points and second place, and Wisconsin stays 14-6-2 for 30 points and third.
The other altered view is the upcoming schedule. Minnesota and Denver collide in an enormous series that could ultimately decide the championship this weekend at Mariucci Arena, and while Denver also has North Dakota coming to Denver, and a home-and-home set with Colorado College, Minnesota must still play at Alaska-Anchorage and at home against Minnesota-Duluth. Wisconsin has been conceded the easiest closing schedule all season, playing at Michigan Tech, at Minnesota State-Mankato, and at home against St. Cloud State – but that all changed in the past month.
Tech, Mankato and St. Cloud all have come to life in the second half. Tech, while only eighth, did beat the Badgers already, and come off a spirited 2-2 tie with Minnesota to face the Badgers. Mankato has had a strong second half, until losing twice at onrushing Denver last weekend, but the Mavericks are seventh and still have a fleeting shot at home ice. If they fail to get it, their final home games will be Feb. 24-25 against Wisconsin. And St. Cloud State had been the hottest team around. The Huskies lost to Colorado College last Friday, but bounced back to gain a split. St. Cloud State now stands fourth, just ahead of CC and North Dakota, both of whom have surprised everyone by struggling at or near the .500 mark, and both of which are in jeopardy of losing home ice for the first playoff round. So St. Cloud could be going for a strong finish in the season finale at Wisconsin.
But all of that, and even the frantic scramble for the WCHA title, seem secondary to the carefully plotted course Eaves has set for the Badgers. Getting them back to playing well has been accomplished, and now getting them to play that way with the consistency they showed in the first half of the season is the main factor in WisconsinÂ’s playoff and NCAA tournament scheme.
Dodge takes higher Caliber shot at changing segment
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. — The desert of Arizona doesnÂ’t have much in common with Chicago in midwinter, notwithstanding some pretty elaborate McCormick Place simulations during the Chicago Auto Show, which started with February 8-9 media previews. But there was a significant connection this year.
Chrysler showed that its most compact commuter vehicle will be of a higher Caliber as a 2007 model when it held media introductions in Arizona, then proved in Chicago that along with the rest of the automotive world, Chrysler Group might be adding distance in another direction from General Motors and Ford, its United States competitors. The vehicle in the middle of that breakaway is the new Dodge Caliber, which is a combination downsized SUV and upgraded sedan/wagon, with a completely flexible and fun-to-drive conglomeration of the best assets of both.
Upon first examination, at the Frankfurt Auto Show in September, and again at DetroitÂ’s Auto Show in January, I was dazzled by the looks of the Cobalt, and I assumed it might be a personal/luxury crossover that might cost from $25,000-$35,000. I was surprised to learn the base SE model Caliber starts at $14,000. Then I got to drive one at the media introduction in late January in the mountains surrounding the Phoenix suburb of Scottsdale, and I am convinced that as a project, the Caliber is of extremely highÂ…ahÂ…caliber.
I predict that the Caliber will prove enormously popular by both what it isnÂ’t and what it is — first, being NOT enormous in size; second, being surprisingly a kick to drive; and third, being remarkably inexpensive to operate, and particularly to buy.
Flash forward to media days at the Chicago Auto Show, and Jason Vines, Chrysler’s unceasingly clever public relations coordinator, pulled on a wig portraying “Wink Jasondale†to play a Dating Game parody called Driving Game, and unveiled three vehicles – first, a new Nitro R/T; last, a new Dodge Rampage concept pickup; and between the two, the new SRT-4 – which is a turbocharged, 300-horsepower version of the Caliber.
On either side of Chrysler’s introduction, General Motors and Ford both unveiled their newest large trucks – GM with the new Chevrolet Avalanche and Ford with a redesigned Lincoln Navigator. Let’s see, now…two new large trucks, from two companies that are in financial crisis-mode because of the serious dropoff in large-truck/SUV sales. Hmmmmm.
Meanwhile, the rest of the automotive world seems to have realized that smaller, more compact “crossover†SUV sales are going right past the big-truck versions in 2006, and are scrambling to enter that more rational compact-SUV segment, the Dodge Caliber seems to be another blast out of the park for Chrysler. Caliber fulfills all the requirements of larger SUVs with the obvious assets of a compact crossover SUV, but if it’s a crossover, it’s coming from the compact sedan driveability end, more than the truck end. It is being built in the Belvidere, Ill., assembly plan, right on I90 as you drive westward from Chicago.
Going against the flow has become a standard for Chrysler, from days of the Prowler, to the Viper, to the PT Cruiser, to the 300, Magnum, Charger and upcoming Challenger. For now, it is the Caliber. “We monitor the industry,†said Chrysler Group product communications director Rick Deneau, “and when everybody else goes right, we go left.Ââ€
Consider that the Neon was ChryslerÂ’s successful little compact/subcompact that had a good life but has now disappeared from ChryslerÂ’s product list. The Caliber, actually, is the replacement for the Neon. And yet, at $13,985 (including destination), it starts $410 below the Neon, with huge upgrades in content. It may meet all responsibilities of a compact family car, but with its Dodge cross-hairs grille, hump-backed wagon-back roofline, and flexible utility inside, the Caliber crosses over to cover virtually all features that people have been getting from outrageously expensive SUVs.
ChryslerÂ’s recently arranged collaboration with Mitsubishi and Hyundai on engine-building pays off with a World Engine variety for the Caliber. Hyundai first came up with a design, which Chrysler officials didn’t think was workable, so Hyundai created a totally redesigned idea six weeks later, and Chrysler officials considered it perfect for their U.S. application, as well as on the worldwide stage.
Built in a new plant in Dundee, Mich., but also being built in Japan, South Korea, and elsewhere in the world, the base 1.8-liter engine has 148 horsepower, the 2.0-liter has 158 horsepower, and the 2.4-liter has 172 horsepower. All three are from the same family, but the days of simply boring out an engine are gone. Computer-selected optimum sizes for balance and refinement meant varying bores and strokes on all three, but they share concept, chain-driven dual overhead camshafts, and variable valve timing on both intake and exhaust sides of their four-valve-per-cylinder layouts. (The just-announced SRT-4 takes the 2.4 and turbocharges it up to 300 horsepower and 260 foot-pounds of torque, but thatÂ’s a later story.)
Calibers start out as front-wheel drive, and the top R/T comes with all-wheel drive. Transmissions range from a five-speed manual up to a second-generation continuously-variable transmission (CVT), which can be selected with an AutoStick feature that simulates manual choice of six automatic gear stops. All Calibers built with 40-percent high-strength steel throughout the body cage, plus magnesium and hot-stamped steel reinforcement beams for side-impact protection and hydroformed front and upper cross-members for further structural rigidity. Standard side-curtain airbags augment the other safety features.
The 1.8 engine is standard in the SE and SXT. In the $13,985 SE base model, options include the 2.0, with the CVT. Same as the $15,985 SXT model, which adds more interior versatility, including a 115-volt household electrical outlet, and an expanded option list that includes heated leather seats, power sunroof, 17-inch alloy wheels, foglights, and electronic stability control. The top R/T model has all that the SXT offers, plus electromagnetic all-wheel drive at $19,985, and has the 2.4-liter engine standard, along with the CVT with the added AutoStick feature, plus antilock brakes, sport suspension, performance steering ratio, foglights, 18-inch alloys, and a chrome grille.
There is no resemblance to the Neon, but whatever the Caliber is, it takes care of those folks who wouldnÂ’t consider the Neon, or any subcompact, because of diminutive size. The Caliber is 4 inches taller, 1 inch wider, and 1 inch shorter overall than the Neon. It also measures 5 inches longer and 2.5 inches lower than the PT Cruiser. With a rear floor that is easily removable for cleaning, and split fold-down rear seats, it has enough interior room to appeal to a universal array of buyers. Chrysler intends to sell Caliber in 98 countries, and designed it to also handle right-hand-steering.
Every manufacturer is trying to attract the 20-something segment, and Caliber has certain appeal there, but with marketing projections of 50-50 male-female buyers, itÂ’s a logical contender for any commuter, any small family, any second-car seekers, and even for those looking for an inexpensive but safe car for an offspring reaching driving age.
The kind of details that can set a vehicle apart from competitors also are available in the Caliber. A rechargeable flashlight, for example, is a handy and useful feature. A second glove compartment, one high and one low, are also handy, and the lower one has a chiller box that will hold four 20-ounce pop or water bottles. The household electrical outlets, first seen on the Toyota Matrix, is a brilliant addition – no more searching for a cigarette-lighter adaptor.
And then thereÂ’s the audio system, which can be upgraded to a nine-speaker, 458-watt blaster. When youÂ’re at a picnic, or tailgating, swing open the rear and you can fold a little hinged boombox comes down from the ceiling aimed outside, to fire off your tunes for the conversationally-challenged.
The Caliber designers seemed to think of everything, including all kinds of parts intended to help satisfy the potential for after-market tuners, who will find an unlimited playground for personal alterations.
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 since 1993. John can be heard Monday-Friday from 9-11am on 610 KDAL(www.kdal610.com) on the "John Gilbert Show," and writes a column in the Duluth Reader.
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