from auto feed http://ift.tt/2zNYw3d
Honda confident in sedans as Accord redesign hits dealers
American Honda is working to meet fast-growing demand for SUVs but believes sedans are still well worth the investment.
from auto feed http://ift.tt/2zNYw3d
from auto feed http://ift.tt/2zNYw3d
Enterprise's revenue doubles in one decade
Enterprise Holdings has more than doubled its revenue since its acquisition of National Car Rental and Alamo Rent A Car a decade earlier.
from auto feed http://ift.tt/2yLBauY
from auto feed http://ift.tt/2yLBauY
Next-Gen Jeep Wrangler Confirmed for November Debut
Jeep will unveil the next-generation Wrangler in November, Fiat Chrysler confirmed in its third quarter results presentation today.
It’s likely the Wrangler will make its official debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Jeep is scheduled for a press conference on November 29.
As we learned earlier from a leaked owner’s manual, the 2018 Jeep Wrangler will feature a 2.0-liter engine and a 3.6-liter engine. Although the manual didn’t reveal the full specs, they are expected to be the rumored “Hurricane” turbo-four 2.0-liter engine and the 3.6-liter V-6 Pentastar. For the 2019 model year, a diesel engine option is expected to join the lineup.
The document, first posted on JL Wrangler Forums, also reveals the Wrangler will offer a six-speed manual and eight-speed automatic transmission. Buyers can pick between a removable soft top, a three-piece Freedom hard top with removable panels, and a power sliding top that’s not removable.
FCA will build the Wrangler in Toledo, Ohio. Expect it to shed weight compared to the previous version thanks to the strategic use of aluminum. It’ll be available in two- and four-door models just like before. A pickup version could arrive around a year later than the standard model, according to reports.
The Wrangler should begin production in the fourth quarter of this year. Meanwhile, a new Ram 1500 is slated to debut in January, hinting at a possible Detroit auto show reveal. The truck will enter production in the first quarter of 2018 along with a refreshed Jeep Cherokee.
Source: FCA
The post Next-Gen Jeep Wrangler Confirmed for November Debut appeared first on Motor Trend.
from auto feed http://ift.tt/2yLGTRu
2018 SEAT Arona Priced From Just £16,555 in the UK
from auto feed http://ift.tt/2gAIEIY
2018 SEAT Arona Priced From Just £16,555 in the UK
from auto feed http://ift.tt/2gAIEIY
Actually, Toyota isn’t Behind on EV Tech, Says Head of R & D
Earlier this month, Automotive News published an article that accused Toyota and other Japanese automakers of having fallen behind in electric vehicle development. Among other examples, the article pointed out that Toyota only started its dedicated EV division less than a year ago. But if you ask Toyota, it’s not behind at all.
Speaking with Autocar, Kiyotaka Ise, Toyota’s head of research and development, said the company’s focus on hybrids and hydrogen-powered vehicles hasn’t held it back on the EV front. “We have been working with electric motors, inverters, and batteries for more than 20 years,” he said. “We have nothing to worry about. Our EV technology is already developed. The core technology is the same.”
Ise also dismissed concerns that Toyota hadn’t invested enough in battery research saying, “There are basically four battery suppliers in the world and we can buy from any of them.” However, he did admit that bringing solid-state batteries to market as soon as possible would give Toyota an edge over its competitors. But these types of high-energy-density batteries are one area where he says Toyota is investing heavily.
“I will not spoil the story by revealing our range goals or cost expectations, but we are working hard on solid-state batteries,” Ise said. “The plan is to have them on sale in the early 2020s. And that is an objective that we think puts us ahead of the opposition.”
Perhaps we’ll hear more about Toyota’s electric plans at the Tokyo Motor Show later this week.
Source: Autocar
The post Actually, Toyota isn’t Behind on EV Tech, Says Head of R & D appeared first on Motor Trend.
from auto feed http://ift.tt/2yJz6Ub
Hackett reshapes Ford's executive team
from auto feed http://ift.tt/2y4sE8l
Majority of Hyundai Cars Will be Internal-Combustion Through 2025
If you read enough headlines, you may get the impression that the internal combustion engine is almost dead. But the more likely scenario is that it will remain an important part of the industry for many years to come. Hyundai Motor Group announced that by 2022, it will make 10 gas engines, six diesel engines, and six transmissions using its new efficiency-minded technology. By 2025, Hyundai expects to shift pace with more alternative powertrains.
Hyundai’s new Smart Stream technology centers on reducing the size and weight of engine components to increase efficiency. The automaker hopes to maximize thermal efficiency by up to 50 percent with the use of Smart Stream engines. One of Hyundai’s new engines is the G 1.6 turbo with the first commercial application of Continuously Variable Valve Duration technology, which tells the cylinder valve to open and close at just the right time to respond to different driving demands. A new eight-speed wet dual-clutch transmission promises a highly efficient hydraulic system for better performance and fuel economy.
At its International Powertrain Conference in Korea, Hyundai said that the internal combustion engine will “maintain a strong presence in the market until 2025.” At that time, plug-ins and electric vehicles will gain acceptance, and Hyundai will produce more of these vehicles, including fuel cells. Despite the shift, Hyundai says it will continue to produce internal combustion engines alongside the alternative powertrains.
Hyundai is prepping a next-generation fuel cell SUV that will replace the aging Tucson Fuel Cell. It’s expected to drop early next year in Korea, followed later by North America. As expected, the automaker plans to increase battery capacity and range on future electric models. Right now, the Ioniq Electric can drive 124 miles on a single charge.
Volvo announced earlier this year that it will stop introducing gas-only cars by 2019. But that doesn’t mean it’s giving up on the internal combustion engine altogether, as some of its future vehicles will be hybrids and mild hybrids. Jaguar and Aston Martin will offer an electrified powertrain on every model line in the near future. Meanwhile, France and Britain have gone so far as to ban the sale of gas and diesel cars by 2040.
Source: Hyundai
The post Majority of Hyundai Cars Will be Internal-Combustion Through 2025 appeared first on Motor Trend.
from auto feed http://ift.tt/2y3Lz38
Lexus will end partnership with Weinstein Co.
Lexus is ending its partnership with film and TV production firm The Weinstein Co. after allegations that co-founder Harvey Weinstein sexually harassed or assaulted a number of women.
from auto feed http://ift.tt/2yL7BLl
from auto feed http://ift.tt/2yL7BLl
Survey finds tech can help draw millennials to dealership jobs
Results from a new survey show that incorporating modern technology may help attract more millennials to dealership jobs.
from auto feed http://ift.tt/2yHl2g8
from auto feed http://ift.tt/2yHl2g8
Novitec Ferrari GTC4Lusso Makes 709 HP, Sounds Like Old F1 Car
from auto feed http://ift.tt/2z49bcG
Ferrari 488 GT3 Nurburgring Near Crash Is a Racer's Nightmare
from auto feed http://ift.tt/2yO0O3X
TJ Cruiser Could Enter Toyota Lineup
Toyota’s wacky, boxy TJ Cruiser concept crossover could get the green light for production if reaction at the Tokyo auto show and other forums is positive.
Although it rides on a longer wheelbase than the current RAV4, it is shorter in overall length, width, and height. Those dimensions are more in line with a Honda HR-V.
Another reason for fast-tracking the TJ Cruiser: Toyota does not sell the RAV4 in Japan anymore. It needs a small SUV for its home market dealerships to attract young buyers, said Mai Takeuchi, a Toyota product planner who was part of the concept’s development team.
“We still need to know how marketable and usable the TJ is,” Takeuchi said through an interpreter at an event on the eve of the Tokyo Motor Show. “We have no type of car for young, active people. They love the Land Cruiser. They just can’t afford it.”
Designers developed the TJ Cruiser with the TNGA platform in mind as its underpinnings, said Hirokazu Ikuma, Toyota’s lead designer on the project.
Whereas some concepts are created as whimsical flights of fancy, the TJ’s design brief was “to come up with a design that was very real so that if the company wants to build it, we can put it into production very quickly,” Ikuma said.
Ikura points to the detail of the TJ’s B-pillar. Most whimsical concept cars have a B-pillar that is just for show, if it exists at all. But the concept TJ’s B-pillar is a sculpted piece of support structure. The design team worked with both product planners and engineers in the development feasibility of the concept—such as regarding the size of the wheels and tires, the width of the vehicle, and its load height when considering a potential hybrid variant, Ikura said.
Whether the TJ would make it to American dealerships is still undetermined. One issue is whether American buyers would embrace the second-row sliding doors, a touch that would not be changed for different markets, Ikuma said.
But Americans might appreciate the “tool box” practicality of the TJ’s interior—from it’s ability to fit a 9-foot ladder to all the tie-down hooks located throughout the cargo area and second-row seats. Neat little touches exist, such as the front seat’s ability to fold flat for long cargo and the narrow gaps in the load floor so that a bicycle can fit standing up without having to remove its tires.
How soon might it arrive in showrooms? It took Toyota two years from pen hitting paper to the rollout of the concept vehicle, Ikura said, noting that the TJ has not yet received the green light from the board.
Creating a production-ready design, once approved by Toyota’s management, would take the better part of a year, perhaps less. From design freeze to Job 1 usually takes two to three years. But Toyota also has been known to rush cars into production; the original Scion tC made it from design freeze to Job 1 in 13 months.
The post TJ Cruiser Could Enter Toyota Lineup appeared first on Motor Trend.
from auto feed http://ift.tt/2zA0H9A
Kia recalls 342,381 Souls for second time for steering flaw
Kia is recalling 342,381 Souls in the U.S. for the second time because an initial repair may not have fixed a steering flaw.
from auto feed http://ift.tt/2gGj3Sv
from auto feed http://ift.tt/2gGj3Sv
Spied! Toyota Supra Sheds More Camouflage, Reveals Taillights
The upcoming Toyota Supra has been caught once again by our spy photographers, this time wearing its production taillights. Immediately, you’ll see design cues taken from the FT-1 Concept revealed at the 2014 Detroit auto show such as the large lower air intakes in the front fascia and the oval headlight cluster. We get a better look at the Supra’s production headlamps with a closeup on the six small square-shaped LEDs, which again look similar to Acura’s “jewel eye” headlights.
Out back, the taillights are thinner and feature LED accents. Despite all of the camouflage, the rear end of the prototype has design cues taken from the outgoing (and highly revered) fourth-generation Toyota Supra thanks to its chunky rear wheel wells and fastback roofline. There’s also a lip rear lip spoiler integrated into the car’s liftback-style hatch. Another key design cue clearly taken right out of the FT-1 Concept is the car’s double bubble roof, further hinting that many of the show car’s design elements will make it to the production fifth-generation Supra.
Developed alongside the next-generation BMW Z4 roadster, the fifth-generation Toyota Supra rides on a platform that was co-developed with BMW, and it will be manufactured alongside its drop-top German cousin in Austria by Magna Steyr. Powering the Supra could be a range of BMW engines including a 3.0-liter turbo I-6 and a 2.0-liter turbo-four paired to an eight-speed automatic transmission. According to our spy photographers, the Supra could be marketed under Toyota’s new GR performance brand instead of under the Toyota banner.
Photo Source: CarPix
The post Spied! Toyota Supra Sheds More Camouflage, Reveals Taillights appeared first on Motor Trend.
from auto feed http://ift.tt/2xly4fC
2019 Porsche 911 Tries To Pass as Current Model at Nurburgring
from auto feed http://ift.tt/2yKEZjX
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)