Fighting Sioux top St. Cloud 5-3 for Final Five title
SAINT PAUL, MN. — Freshmen Ryan Duncan scored two goals and T.J. Oshie and Jonathan Toews scored one apiece and set up three others, as the North Dakota “kiddie corps†claimed a 5-3 victory over St. Cloud State Saturday night. The victory won the WCHA Final Five championship before 19,282 fans at Xcel Energy Center – the perfect tonic for the Fighting Sioux, who seem to be reaching their peak just in time to play host to one of four NCAA regional tournaments next weekend.
No team that started the Final Five by playing the “play-in†game has ever won the tournament, but the Huskies gave it a run. They knew they had to win the tournament to gain an automatic berth in the 16-team NCAA field, but instead of showing signs of fatigue, St. Cloud struck for the game’s first goal. North Dakota countered just 10 seconds later, scoring twice in 15 seconds, in fact, and sped away to a seemingly secure 5-1 lead. But the Sioux never could put the scrappy Huskies away, and their rally to the finish – and a 40-29 edge in shots for the game – made it an entertaining final.
North Dakota (26-15-1) moves on, while St. Cloud State (22-15-4) goes home, but not without satisfaction from a strong finish.
Konrad ReederÂ’s opening goal for St. Cloud came at 3:50 of the first period, but Rastislav Spirko countered by knocking in OshieÂ’s try at the crease at 4:00, and Toews shot from the slot and knocked in his own rebound at 4:15. That flurry got the attention of the big crowd, but Parise stifled St. CloudÂ’s ability to keep pace with the Sioux scorers.
Oshie finished the first period with a power-play slap shot for his 23rd goal of the season, and Duncan scored two picture goals in the second period to boost the lead to 5-1. At 4:58 of the middle period, Duncan rushed up the left side, faked a slapshot to get goalie Bobby Goepfert to commit, then strode in deeper to shoot into an empty net behind him. At 14:41, Toews rushed in hard and fed a great pass to Duncan for another power-play tally.
The Huskies stormed back, closing the game to 5-3 on goals by Brock Hooten and a third-period marker by Billy Hengen, and were battling for more to the final buzzer.
“I want to congratulate St. Cloud State on a tremendous performance,†said North Dakota coach Dave Hakstol. “Everybody knows what theyÂ’ve gone through the past nine days.Ââ€
At a time when other coaches might be rationalizing away setbacks by staying focused on the “big picture,†North Dakota coach Dave Hakstol said he and his staff have instead gone after short-term objectives, and this weekendÂ’s strong tournament play was one of them. WeÂ’ve taken things on a short-term basis, and we had an opportunity to win a championship, and we did that. The Broadmoor Trophy is going home with us.Ââ€
While the Fighting Sioux came in as No. 3 seed, St. Cloud was No. 4, which meant the Huskies, who upset Colorado College in three games last weekend, had to defeat Minnesota-Duluth on Thursday, then get past No. 1 ranked Minnesota in FridayÂ’s semifinals, which they did, 8-7 in overtime. That put them up against the Fighting Sioux, who defeated second-seeded Wisconsin 4-3 on Friday.
St. CloudÂ’s first-year coach Bob Motzko was emotional, but handled it well. “IÂ’ve got to congratulate North Dakota and its coaching staff,†said Motzko. “Five goals by freshmen – what a job that coaching staff did to prepare a young team like that.”
Actually, it appeared freshmen had scored all the goals, but Oshie’s crease-crashing attempt on what appeared to be the first Sioux goal was later changed to Rastislav Spirko. Oshie, runner-up for freshman of the year to MinnesotaÂ’s Phil Kessel, was the best freshman at the tournament, and was a factor with his forceful play every shift he played. While Oshie had a goal and an assist, Toews had a goal and two assists, Duncan two goals and one assist, and freshman defenseman Brian Lee two assists.
“This one hurts, because we came to play,” said Motzko. “We made three mistakes and they cost us the game, but we had a very strong game. North Dakota played well, and their freshmen carried them. Pretty impressive, and with Zach Jones and that young defense, killing penalties – itÂ’s scary how well they played.Ââ€
The Fighting Sioux had six freshman forwards and four of their six defensemen were freshmen. And Drew Stafford, one of their few veterans, and the Sioux leading scorer, is out with an injury suffered last weekend in the first game of a tough, best-of-three victory over Minnesota State-Mankato. The Sioux also had to engage a St. Cloud State team that had beaten them three out of four times during the season, including a sweep at Grand Forks.
“When St. Cloud swept us in our building, it was the low point in our season,†said Duncan. “After that, we decided to collectively come together as a group, and weÂ’ve been going the same direction every since.Ââ€
The losses to the Huskies were both 2-1, with the second in overtime. Since then, the Sioux have gone10-3, and four straight victories, including the two in the Final Five.
Jordan Parise, North Dakota’s goaltender, came in comparatively unheralded against the likes of St. Cloud’s Goepfert and Wisconsin’s Brian Elliott – the two goaltenders he and his teammates beat in the tournament. Parise was named most valuable player of the event, and was joined on the all-tournament team byu defensemen Kyle Klubertanz of Wisconsin and Matt Smaby of North Dakota, and forwards Oshie, St. Cloud State’s Brock Hooten and Minnesota’s Ryan Potulny.
Parise had no chance on the opening goal, a power-play rush with Reeder one-timing a neat backhand pass to the slot by Aaron Brocklehurst. He also was beaten at 16:20 of the second period by Hooten, whose speedy burst up the left boards got him past the defense, and he cut across the goal-mouth before scoring inside the right pipe. That goal gave the Huskies life for the third period, and HengenÂ’s goal came in a scramble when his shot hit Parise, popped up high, and as Joe Jensen crashed into Parise in the crease, the puck landed behind him and trickled across the line at 5:07, inspiring the Huskies to keep pressing.
“We werenÂ’t thinking of the past, and weÂ’re not thinking too far ahead, either,†said Parise. “There have been games I havenÂ’t been at my best, but it hasnÂ’t caused my confidence to deteriorate a bit. I have a job, and my teammates rely on me; they have a job, and I rely on them to do it.Ââ€
A few goals didnÂ’t hurt, either.
Motzko, reflecting on how far the Huskies came this season, said: “We became a good hockey team, and we belong here. Maybe we had to experience this – to stand out there on the ice, and watch North Dakota get that trophy.Ââ€
Elliott, Badgers stop Gophers for 3rd, and much more
SAINT PAUL, MN. — Had Minnesota and Wisconsin played for the WCHA Final Five playoff championship Saturday night, it is impossible to predict what might have happened. Instead, they played in the afternoon third place game, which meant the duel of the two teams that have dominated the nationÂ’s No. 1 ranking all season were left with whatever intensity they could muster after disappointing semifinal losses.
It was no contest. Wisconsin whipped Minnesota 4-0 before a third-place-game record crowd of 16,164 fans at the Xcel Energy Center. The Badgers (26-10-3) thoroughly outplayed the Gophers (27-8-5) from start to finish, getting shutout goaltending from Brian Elliott, while Andrew Joudrey scored in the first period, Jack Skille scored midway through the second, and Ross Carlson and Robbie Earl chipped in with third-period goals.
The victory pushes Wisconsin from No. 2 to No. 1, displacing Minnesota, in the Pairwise computer rankings that the NCAA selection committee uses to select the field that will be announced today for the national tournament, which starts next weekend. Both teams undoubtedly will be top seeds for NCAA regionals, which will be held at four sites, including Grand Forks, N.D, and Green Bay, Wis.
Wisconsin undoubtedly will now be the No. 1 seed at Green Bay, while Minnesota very likely will be No. 1 seed at Grand Forks – where North Dakota, a resurgent team that played St. Cloud State Saturday night for the WCHA playoff title, will be the host, and a crowd-favorite.
Neither team came to the tournament to play in the third-place game, and both had reasons to lack intensity Saturday: Minnesota lost an emotional 8-7 overtime semifinal to St. Cloud State Friday night after rallying from a 6-3 deficit to tie it in the closing seconds; Wisconsin had earlier lost a tough 4-3 game to North Dakota, after blowing a 2-0 lead.
“Our team responded well, redemption being a great motivator, and nobody on our team was looking at this as just a third-place game,†said Wisconsin coach Mike Eaves. “We were playing for possible No. 1 in the Pairwise, and this was also the rubber match between the two teams. With the rivalry, intensity is going to be there all the time, but the intensity goes up a level this year, because both teams are good.Ââ€
Indeed, Wisconsin was virtually unbeatable from the start of the season, going 19-2-2 overall until mid-January, and then losing four straight games and five of six when Elliott was injured, and struggling to a 7-7-1 finish. The drop-off cost the Badgers the No. 1 rank in the nation as well as a huge lead in the WCHA. Minnesota, meanwhile, started off with an under-achieving 7-5-4 through a painful sweep at home against Wisconsin on December 2-3, but since then had ridden an amazing 20-1-1 streak into the Final Five – including a revenge sweep at Wisconsin – while winning the WCHA regular season title and the No. 1 national rating.
After both teams lost in FridayÂ’s semifinals, SaturdayÂ’s game turned WisconsinÂ’s fortunes upward, while the Gophers must shake off their first two-game lost weekend since December. The Gopher players seemed frustrated and a little angry that they had failed to play with any competitive fire against Wisconsin, but their coach rationalized a bit.
“The reality of the game today was what happened last night,†said Lucia. “We worked so hard to get back into the game, then lost in overtime. Had we won, IÂ’m sure we would have been more excited about playing today. Maybe if we had gotten a goal it could have been different, I canÂ’t say I anticipated us lacking intensity, but there were a lot of blank stares today. Both teams are moving on, so you come here to play for a trophy, and we lost that right last night.Ââ€
The coachesÂ’ different feelings may best be filtered through a bit of historic perspective. Both Eaves and Lucia stress even-keep approaches to coaching, keeping the big picture in mind throughout the long season. But at playoff time – even league playoff time – spikes in emotional fire can beat even-keel every time. “No question,†said Eaves, who smiled at the recollection of those electrifying Gopher-Badger games of 30 years ago. “You can never forget them.Ââ€
Eaves lived through the fullest intensity of the Gopher-Badger rivalry as a star at Wisconsin back in the 1970s, when “Badger Bob†Johnson coached against Minnesota’s Herb Brooks, and the two schools were the premier hockey programs in the country. Hatred is too strong a word for their rivalry perhaps, but then again, maybe not. On the other hand, Minnesota coach Don Lucia played for some very good teams at Notre Dame, but the Fighting Irish never had a rivalry that approached the Minnesota-Wisconsin electricity.
The Gopher players refused to accept any crutch from the night before. “As players, youÂ’re supposed to be able to bring it,†said captain Gino Guyer. “It wasnÂ’t there, for whatever reason. We werenÂ’t into it. After the first period, you could tell we were pretty dead. Every time we can win a trophy, we want to win it, and from here on out, weÂ’ve got to win or else.Ââ€
Teammate Danny Irmen agreed. “Give Wisconsin credit,†he said. They played well, and theyÂ’re a good defensive team. Last night, the energy was there, but today, everybody was looking around for someone else to do it, and you canÂ’t have that.Ââ€
Just 3:30 into the game, Jake Dowell chipped the puck off the boards in the Wisconsin zone, and Andrew Joudrey broke up the middle, caught the pass, split the flat-footed Gopher defense, and was gone. Speeding in on a breakaway, Joudrey deked and slid a backhand through goalie Kellen Briggs. It was the 11th time the Badgers had scored in the first four minutes of a game this season.
Wisconsin outshot Minnesota 11-7 in the first period, even though the Gophers had three power plays to one for the Badgers. The 1-0 score stood until midway through the second period, when Jack Skille broke up the right side with both teams a man short, leaned hard against a defenseman as he veered toward the net, and jammed his shot past Briggs at 10:07 for a 2-0 count.
The Badgers clicked on a power play at 3:02 of the third period, silencing the predominately Gopher crowd, which hadnÂ’t had much to cheer about anyway. Defenseman Kyle Klubertanz had the puck at the blue line, and he angled to his right to pick up a screen, then shot for the left edge. Briggs kicked out and blocked the shot with his right skate, but the rebound went right to Ross Carlson, who quickly shot it in.
The Gopher defense, which had a shaky tendency to throw the puck carelessly – something it had overcome during the team’s recent hot streak – saw that issue return in some cases. The costliest might have been when Robbie Earl stepped in to pick off sophomore Alex Goligoski’s D-to-D pass and broke in alone. His shot was blocked by Briggs, but the puck trickled in behind him, and Earl tapped in his own rebound as he sped past the net.
A night before, Gopher fans chanted “HO-BEY BA-KER…†over and over for center Ryan Potulny, who scored four goals and an assist as the nation’s top goal and point scorer. On Saturday, the chant came from the red-clad Badger fans, who chanted “HO-BEY BA-KER…†for Elliott, who seemed to be back in top form, with his third shutout in his last six games.
“I donÂ’t even know what ‘backÂ’ is,†said Elliott. “We kind of took it to them in their end, and when our forwards are going, thatÂ’s our best defense. Our defensive corps pushed them to the outside and didnÂ’t allow many good chances.Ââ€
Lucia said: “Elliott is a good goaltender, but he didnÂ’t have too tough of a game today.Ââ€
North Dakota nips Badgers 4-3 to reach Final Five final
MINNEAPOLIS, MN. — The University of North Dakota faced an imposing challenge Friday afternoon. As if facing Wisconsin was not enough, the underdog Fighting Sioux also gave up the first two goals, and faced star goaltender Brian Elliott in the Badger nets. But North Dakota pulled out something of a secret weapon to charge back with the next four goals, and whipped Wisconsin 4-3 before a first semifinal session-record 16,468 fans at Xcel Energy Center.
The victory sends North Dakota (26-15-1) into SaturdayÂ’s championship game of the WCHA Final Five for the seventh time in the last 10 years, where they face the winner of Friday nightÂ’s Minnesota-St. Cloud State game. Wisconsin (25-10-3) will face the late-game loser in the 2:30 third-place game, which takes on some extra importance for seeding purposes for the NCAA tournament, which will be announced Sunday.
“Wisconsin made a couple of plays early that got them going, but we were fortunate to come back,†said North Dakota coach Dave Hakstol. “There were some good goals, and good goaltending, at both ends. The championship game will be a big challenge, but thatÂ’s what we came here for. I donÂ’t care whether we play Minnesota or Wisconsin. WeÂ’l prepare ourselves to play as well as we can, and you canÂ’t pick your poison.Ââ€
The magic potion for the Sioux Friday was Rylan Kaip, a sophomore from Wilcox, Saskatchewan, who hadn’t ever scored a goal in two collegiate seasons, albeit missing half of his freshman term with recurring concussions. Kaip scored in the final minute of the first period to lift the Sioux to a 2-2 tie, then, with the Sioux leading 3-2, Kaip scored again late in the second period for a 4-2 lead – a goal that stood up as the game-winner.
“It definitely felt good,†said Kaip. “I can remember the last time I scored – it was back playing junior hockey in Saskatchewan. Scoring slumps happen, buyt mine probably went longer than most. Both teams came out pretty strong, and when we got behind 2-0, we just had to take a deep breath and start picking away.Ââ€
The Badgers had jumped ahead when Joe Pavelski picked a shot by Kyle Klubertanz out of the air, deflecting it down, where it went past goaltender Jordan Parise like a bad-hop single to left. That came at 7:43 of the first period, and right after North Dakota freshman flash T.J. Oshie had zigzagged the length of the ice for a scoring chance, the Badgers returned to the Sioux end for a perfectly-executed 2-on-1 rush. Jake Dowall, a left-handed shooter, rushed up the right side, pulled the puck back and snapped a pass across the slot, where Andy Brandt, a right-handed shooter skating up the left side, one-timed it past Parise at 11:05. It looked good, but for Brandt, a little-used fourth-line junior from Wausau, Wis., it was his first goal of the season and second of his career.
The Sioux responded quickly, but it took several minutes of generating momentum before they broke through on a power play at 18:07. The goal looked surprisingly easy, as Ryan Duncan walked in from the right point to the top of the circle, and fired a wrist shot over ElliottÂ’s glove and into the upper right corner.
“I thought we had made as many plays as they did when we were down 2-0,†said Hakstol. “DuncanÂ’s goal was a major turning point, and then we got one in the last minute of the period.Ââ€
That one came with 58 seconds left in the first period, less than a minute after Duncan’s goal, when Matt Watkins passed the puck out from the end boards on the left of the net to Kaip – who was playing his 38th game of the season at right wing, despite never having scored. Kaip let go with a wrist shot from the left circle to tie the game 2-2.
“We got ahead 2-0, then we became kind of complacent,†said Pavelski. “We had a number of chances to make it 3-0, and to put them away, but we werenÂ’t desperate all the time. We need every guy going out there.Ââ€
The Sioux seemed to like the momentum, and they resumed it when the second period began. Rastislav Spirko, a sophomore from Slovakia who counts as a veteran on the youthful Sioux team, came out from behind the net on the left just in time to deflect OshieÂ’s wide shot past Elliott at 4:10.
A succession of penalties – and successful penalty kills – filled the middle period until the 18:24 mark, and then Kaip struck again. This time, he looked like a veteran goal-scorer instead of a kid getting his second collegiate goal. A shot by Chris Porter had been blocked and caromed to the right circle, where Kaip caught it on his stick blade. Instead of shooting the wide-angle shot immediately, he coolly stepped ahead, and shot a wider-angle shot high into the net for a 4-2 cushion.
Wisconsin got a power-play chance before the middle period ended, and Robbie Earl made it click, waiting in the slot for a perfect feed from Pavelski, deep in the left corner, then one-timing a low shot between the pads of Parise as he dropped to the ice at 18:59.
That set the stage for a wild third period, but the Fighting Sioux managed to prevent any more scoring, with Parise turning acrobatic to stop all 12 Badger shots in the final session.
“We got off to a good start, which we wanted to do, but North Dakota stayed with it and got themselves back in the game,†said Wisconsin coach Mike Eaves. “The third period was pretty even, we just couldn’t get the tying goal. We seemed to be disconnected; if one guy was forechecking, another would be holding back instead of supporting him. It’s a learning process, and individuals learn at different rates. So do teams.
“The question we have to face is do we have the mental toughness to get it done? Even when we were playing so well earlier in the season, one thing we havenÂ’t had to deal with is coming from behind.Ââ€
The Badgers almost pulled it off, but PariseÂ’s brilliant finish stymied them. “Wisconsin came at us hard, especially down the stretch in the last four or five minutes,†said Hakstol. “As heÂ’s done all year, Jordan was there. The guys play extremely well for Jordan, and he came through for them.Ââ€
Lexus plans to divide and conquer with ES350, GS450h
LAS VEGAS, NEV. — Just like the model-designation numbers, Toyota just keeps on coming up with new and better models throughout its lineup, and the 2007 Lexus ES350 and the Lexus GS450h are the latest niche-fillers in ToyotaÂ’s upscale Lexus line.
There are differences, make no mistake. Toyota models are basically for normal folks, who want trouble-free driving from the time they sign their installment contract until, three or four years down the road, they buy a new one; Lexus buyers are decidedly upscale, desiring or demanding more luxury, more features and more power, and willing to pay for it.
Together, Toyota and Lexus are like an enormous city, with diverse neighborhoods and cultures all coming together in a prosperous society. Toyota has the Camry, the nation’s No. 1 selling single automobile, and Lexus has the ES level, which starts out based on the Camry platform but filled with upgrades everywhere. Interestingly, Toyota further crowds its own “entry-luxury†line with the Toyota Avalon, a stretched version of the Camry and/or the ES350, and the first car from the corporation to ride on the new platform. Meanwhile, Toyota also has the Prius hybrid, and has just introduced the Camry hybrid, but it doesn’t have a performance-oriented sedan, while Lexus gets two of them – the IS and the larger GS.
While renovating its whole line, Toyota and Lexus are set to take on the world – literally – and are inexorably moving up to overtake General Motors as the largest auto-builder in the world. The ES and GS lines in Lexus are merely the most recent examples.
The ES350 is the newest entry-level sedan from Lexus, introducing that model would be a trip by itself. Lexus chose to also introduce the GS450h – a hybrid version of the performance GS line – in a dual intro that sent waves of automotive journalists driving from the Ritz Carlton Hotel on the outskirts of Las Vegas out to Hoover Dam and Lake Mead and back. They were informative driving courses, and both vehicles performed admirably.
Critics of too many models may think it’s a gamble to produce so many, but if so, Las Vegas was the perfect location to launch them. Then Bob Carter, the vice president and general manager of Lexus, described the Lexus strategy, and it all made sense.
“The single largest segment in the luxury-car market is what is called ‘entry luxury,Â’ and there are two different parts to it – sporty-performance, and luxury-comfort,“ said Carter. “Most companies try to stretch a model out to try to do both, and we at Lexus have separate cars for both. In the sports-performance category we have the IS, and the larger GS; and covering the luxury-comfort part, we have the ES and the upscale LS.Ââ€
Further evidence of Lexus market research is that ES customers tend to move up to the LS luxury brand, rather than to the GS performance side. So instead of having a car for each niche, Toyota divides and conquers each niche within a niche. The LS is the biggest Lexus, loaded with luxury and all sorts of high-tech features. The ES350, however, now emerges as a slightly more compact luxury version, but with the clearcut wintertime advantage of front-wheel drive.
The IS sedans are hot little numbers, with two engines in very sporty, if more compact, bodies, so the GS has stepped in as the big brother, V8-powered high-performance sedan. So offering a hybrid technique to the GS may seem curious, but it isnÂ’t, because the electric power supplied to complement the gasoline engine makes the GS450h an even higher high-performance sedan.
ES350
When the ES350 was first unveiled at the Chicago Auto Show, the crowd of media was such that I couldn’t get a clear photo, so I waited a couple of hours and double-backed to the Toyota display, then proceeded to photo about 25 photos of different angles of the new ES350. When I got around to the rear, however, I was surprised to notice that the emblem said “LS†not “ES†– I had mistaken the big papa luxury LS for the so-called entry-level Lexus ES350. That startled me, and maybe it should concern Lexus luxury sellers, but it also should thrill those who can buy the ES350, save a chunk of thousands, and drive a front-drive sedan that closely resembles the high-priced spread.
Estimates are for the ES350 to be priced at about $35,000, which is right in there in a segment that is hotly contested among the Acura TL, BMW 5-Series, Mercedes E-Class, and Cadillac STS. Carter didn’t want to say that the ES might draw customers from the new LS, but he did say: “We believe that the new ES is better invirtually every way than the original 1990 LS flagship,†and he noted the new ES350 is quicker, more powerful, quieter and almost as roomy as that first LS400.
Overall length of the ES350 is unchanged, but there are a couple more inches in wheelbase, which expands the interior room, and a bit more width and track further enhance interior room.
The company’s new 3.5-liter V6 has 272 horsepower at 6,200 RPMs, and 254 foot-pounds of torque at 4,700 RPMs, thanks to the chain-driven dual overhead camshafts Toyota has been perfecting for two decades, and variable valve timing. The slightly expanded car is only 108 pounds heavier than its predecessor, and the new engine shoots it from 0-60 in 6.8 seconds – swifter than the original LS400, with its 4-liter V8. The power is dispersed via a six-speed automatic transmission, with a sports-shift gate for manual control. The transmission is shared with Camry.
Improved suspension and a whole raft of LS-like features include electronic brake-force distribution and brake assist to augment the antilock four-wheel disc brakes, and both stability control and traction control are standard. Cruise control uses radar to maintain intervals, and the back-up camera has guidelines to help park. That, and all the safety elements of surrounding airbags make the ES350 safer than ever.
Carter explained that most of the dozen or so Lexus competitors have focused in on the sports/performance end of the luxury segment, leaving a large opening for the ESÂ’s comfort/luxury aim. So the ES350 will be trying to coax conquest buyers from Acura, BMW and others, while also attracting buyers looking to move up from compact sedans.
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GS450h
The GS carries out several Lexus philosophies, while crossing some boundaries toward Toyota, yet keeping its distance. “It will be the industry’s first truly high-performance hybrid,†Carter said, and he explained how it also is the first rear-drive hybrid sedan, and, the quickest Lexus. The 3.5-liter V6 (sound familiar?) has 292 horsepower and 267 foot-pounds of torque in the GS form, tuned to coincide with the two electric motors for a total output of 339 horsepower.
Carter said: “The GS450h will go 0-60 in 5.2 seconds and 30-50 mph passing bursts of 2.7 seconds, with a top speed of 131 mph. Estimated fuel economy is 25 city, 28 highway.” Carter says that will make the GS450h quicker than the BMW 550, the Infiniti M45, the Audi A6, the Mercedes E500, or the Lexus GS430 – the same car with a V8 engine.
The only Lexus with a hybrid so far is the RX crossover SUV, a slick vehicle called the 400h. Carter said that the RX models account for 109,000 sales a year, and 25 percent of those RX buyers are buying the 400h hybrid. “When one-fourth of the buyers of you single highest-volume vehicle choose an option packagte [hybrid] that costs about $5,000 more than the base model, you know youÂ’ve made an impact.Ââ€
So Lexus officials think the GS hybrid will be similarly attractive, because it earns its power without larger displacement of a V8, or a turbocharger or supercharger, yet gets the fuel economy more likely to be obtained by a four-cylinder.
The system has the strong V6 and two electric motors – one called MG1, which controls engine output to the rear wheels, and the other MG2, which strictly powers the wheels. The RX400h has the front wheels driven by gas-electric combined, and a separate electric motor for the rear wheels. There areno plans for an all-wheel-drive GS450h, which essentially uses the gas engine for power and to replenish the juice for the electric motors.
Driving the GS450h is smooth, with seamless interaction of the gas and electric sources. While powerful, it also produces 17 metric tons less CO2 over 150,000 miles of driving, and is eight times cleaner in emissions than “one highly-touted diesel luxury car.†Toyota claims, in an unsubtle swipe toward Mercedes.
The GS450h will not be aimed at mass sales, the way the RX400h is, but will be a rare high-performance selection, with only 2,000 produced, and base priced at $54,900. At that price, all sorts of features, including adaptive headlamps, electronic sonar for avoiding items in the way, and electronically controlled brakes will be standard.
If it seems a lot to do about only a few vehicles, it seems unwise to question Toyota or Lexus these days. Besides, when someone asked Carter if Lexus would produce more GS450h cars than 2,000 if demand warranted it. He said, “Yes.Ââ€
Mercedes GL jumps into full-size SUV segment
CALISTOGA, CALIF. — Mercedes-Benz has been a major automotive topic in the United States in recent years, for such ventures as taking over Chrysler Corporation and turning it into DaimlerChrysler, and for building a plant in Alabama to build a crossover Sport Utility Vehicle, the ML-Class. Reaction varied from snickers to scorn about GermanyÂ’s leading luxury car builder trying its hand at the American SUV market, but the idea worked so well that Mercedes is now after bigger game. Literally.
The Mercedes GL pretty well covers all of its objectives. It is large, at 200.3 inches long, 121.1 inches wheelbase, 76 inches wide, 75.6 inches tall, and weighing 5,300 pounds. It is powerful, with a new V8 churning out 335 horsepower and 339 foot-pounds of torque. It is high-tech, with the 4.6-liter engineÂ’s 32-valve, dual-overhead-camshaft layout featuring variable valve-timing on both intake and exhaust valves and a 7-speed automatic transmission with fingertip manual controls.
It is strong enough to tow a 7,500-pound trailer. It is rigidly safe, with the worldÂ’s first unibody chassis on a full-size SUV, featuring 60 percent high-strength steel, and all the latest traction and stability control features, plus eight airbags surrounding all occupants, including side-curtain head protection for all three rows.
While the ML vehicles are stylishly attractive with their aerodynamic slopes and contours, they also are quite compact. Mercedes still makes the aging G-Class large SUV, and when it tried to eliminate the 27-year-old pre-Hummer squareish G, protests became so plentiful that the company decided to keep making it, for military and niche-sale use. Between those extremes, Mercedes introduced an all-new R-Class a few months ago, and it is a unique people-hauling wagon that might best be described as an “on-road SUV.Ââ€
So the GL jumps into the mix as something of a more rugged, more masculine, off-road-capable complement to the family on-road R-Class. In case anybody wonders why Mercedes seems to be intend on expanding its SUV presence, Mercedes officials point out that the GL, M, and R classes, and that those three vehicles will account for one-third of all Mercedes sales. All three vehicles are being built in the expanded and adjacent two-plant facility in Vance, Alabama, located midway between Tuscaloosa and Birmingham. One plant will build the M and GL, and the other will build the M and R.
With a price yet to be determined, estimates run in the “high-$50,000†range, which puts the GL into my usual category: The best German vehicles are expensive, and, based on quality and technology, worth every penny.
When I first saw the GL at the Detroit Auto Show, and again at ChicagoÂ’s show, I was curious. It was clearly larger than the ML, as if some giant robot had stretched and enlarged an ML from every dimension. Still, it retains some stylish contours at the front and along the sides, but I wasnÂ’t sure what Mercedes was aiming at with the vehicle. After the chance to drive some early production vehicles on freeways and highways northward from San Francisco, and through the hilly wine country of Napa Valley, the GL creates and fills its considerable space.
The Mercedes GL was unveiled to the worldÂ’s motoring press this past week at a very interesting and very exclusive new resort in the heart of Napa ValleyÂ’s wine country, and while planning a late-winter gathering in California seems logical, this particular week included almost constant rain, which has drenched the countryside north of San Francisco with the kind of puddles and mud that only grapes can appreciate.
Still, what could be better for test-driving a new SUV – the first full-size SUV built by any European company? The big beast had impeccable road manners, and the seats are comfortable and supportive enough that I quickly adjusted from feeling that I was sitting too high to feeling comfortably in full control. That was true on the freeways leaving San Francisco, and the two-lane highways selected to prove handling capabilities on the switchbacks in the mountain ranges flanking the Napa Valley. Having passed the normal-routine driving requirements with ease, the GL later proved its worth on some muddy stretches and off-road adventures as well.
“We didnÂ’t want the just enter the full-size segment,†said GL-Class manager Ron Mueller. “We wanted it to be the Mercedes of big SUVs.Ââ€
After the presentation, someone asked what specific vehicles Mercedes was aiming the GL at, although it seemed an easy answer, because the only “full-size†SUVs in the industry are basically four vehicles — the General Motors cluster of Suburban/Tahoe/Envoy/Escalade that are variations on one essential vehicle, the Ford Expedition, the biggest Lexus LX470/GX470, and the top Range Rover.
Mercedes officials, however, didnÂ’t name any competitors, saying simply that any utility vehicle priced above $40,000 would be a competitor. They also said they donÂ’t use any other companyÂ’s vehicles as benchmarks, because they have a specific, and quite rational plan. And they donÂ’t expect to lose ML buyers, just offer them an alternative.
“We wonÂ’t take away ML buyers, but we will stop ML owners from going elsewhere for larger SUVs,†said Geoff Day, director of Mercedes communication. “Our only benchmarks are internal – our customersÂ’ expectations. The key is, after two kids, compact SUVs just are not big enough.Ââ€
In styling, the ML looks compact, the R looks long and slinky, and the plan for the GL was to look more rugged, to convey the sense of size and girth. It comes with 18-inch wheels, but 19 or 20 inchers are available. Along with superb suspension and handling characteristics for the driver, all seven occupants have a lot to like about the GL.
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The three rows of seats not only seat seven, but they will seat seven adults in comfort. The second row is the key, because it will seat three, and has a 60/40 fold-down arrangement. Hopping into the far back third row seats is easy, and the third row’s two seats are split 50-50, and, at the touch of a pair of side-wall-mounted switches, either the right or left, or both, seat cushions drop down just enough and the backrests fold down on top of them, leaving a flat, carpeted stowage floor. Mercedes claims “zero-to-flat†in 4.9 seconds. Of course, the folded down area meets the folded-down second row to create a huge space, measured at 83 cubic feet.
The keys to comfort in the third row are that passengers have a roomy footwell, and a large skylight that is similar in size to the sunroof that opens for the front and middle passengers. Dual rear video screens, rear audio controls, and a 440-watt harmon-kardon audio system can be set to play iPod or MP3 or those old-fashioned CDs on separate controls, so rear-seat occupants can listen to something completely different from mom and dad up front.
Four-corner air-suspension facilitates adjustable ride height, which can be lowered three inches for serious off-roading, and which lowers itself a half-inch for optimum freeway aerodynamics.
While anyone seeking a vehicle in the over-$50,000 category will find the basic GL well-equipped, there are some upgrades available in the GL that set it apart. Options include the power rear liftgate, pushbutton-start keyless entry, rear videos imbedded in the backs of both front headrests, a rear-view back-up camera, full heated leather seats, and burled walnut trim.
The R-Class has the same platform but with stretched wheelbase, and while it has full-time 4Matic all-wheel-drive as well, it is not considered a “full-size SUV,†which allows Mercedes to call the GL the only unibody full-size SUV. Taking all the attributes of the R, the GL adds some rugged off-road features to assure capabilities beyond people-hauling. A two-speed transfer case, for example, with locking differential, adaptive damping, and higher ride-height adjustment from 3 to 4.5 inches.
Less than 2 percent are projected to choose the off-road package, which about mirrors the normal tendencies SUV owners have shown for serious off-road ventures. The R has fulfilled a lot of needs, but the GL takes most of the RÂ’s assets and expands on them.
“We are looking at traditional families who still want and need a full-size SUV,†said Mueller. “Our research shows that among all full-size SUV buyers, 30 to 35 percent own a Mercedes-Benz sedan.Ââ€
So if ML owners need more room, theyÂ’ve always had to look elsewhere. Now they can look at the GL and stay within the Mercedes realm. And if some Escalade, Expedition or LX470 buyers check out the GL, Mercedes probably wonÂ’t mind a bit.
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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