This is deja vu all over again. How many times do we have to see these vehicles in pre-launch hype before we actually see them on U.S. streets? Here we go again. GM skipped staging a media conference at the Los Angeles Auto Show last year apparently because of budget issues - bad decision. Hello, this is one of the biggest car markets in the world - GM ignores it, then comes back bragging about already-seen vehicles, come on.
A lot of media were ticked at the clapping and cheering crowd of GM employees in January at the Detroit Auto Show. Hey, media days at the large auto shows are for media to make objective criticism of new vehicles. Chevy vice president, Brent Dewar, will want to make his mark so he'll have make the most of what he's been dealt - Cruze and Volt are among them. Not his fault that his predecessors decided to have the longest vehicle lead time ever and then skip one of the most important auto shows in one of the biggest car buying markets.
2011 Chevrolet Cruze (pictured on right above) U.S. production version that includes a 1.4-liter turbo engine will debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show, on Dec. 2 after already launching in Europe and Asia. You'll have to wait until the third quarter of 2010 to see Cruze in a U.S. showroom. "With expected highway fuel economy up to 40 miles per gallon, Cruze will be extremely gas friendly," said Dewar. Let's hope GM gets a little more Southern Cal friendly. GM will be putting on the Fritz, that's Fritz Henderson, CEO of General Motors, keynote speaker December 2nd to kick off Media Days at the L.A. show. Let's see if he has anything new to say.
2011 Chevrolet Volt electric vehicle (picture on left above) is expected to drive up to 40 miles on electricity using a lithium-ion battery. When the Volt is depleted of energy, an engine/generator operates to extend the total driving range to more than 300 miles before refueling. Chevrolet will announce plans for initial retail markets where the Volt will be sold.
Where's the Spark? Or has it been shown so many times prior to its 2011 launch, that it's losing its ....
2010 Nissan cube hit showrooms in May and so far 16,849 have been sold through the end of October, including 2,097 last month which makes a statement about the cube appeal. The cube outsold the Kia Soul by 34 units and easily eclipsed the Scion xD which had October sales of 1,023 and Scion xB at 1,782. The Honda Element, another member of the boxy trend, saw just 871 leave showrooms last month.
The front-wheel drive cube is built on Nissan’s B-platform with a standard 122-horsepower 1.8-liter DOHC 4-cylinder engine and a choice of Nissan’s advanced, smooth shifting Xtronic CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) or 6-speed manual transmission. My first impression was the amazing visability with its large windows and all of the power windows fully opened. Then once behind the wheel, I found the low-end torque provided plenty of quickness and the engine delivered ample power to make the cube fun-to-drive. Getting 29 miles-per-gallon is a nice bonus.
cube is offered in four models: cube 1.8, cube starting at $13,990, 1.8 S starting at $14,690, cube 1.8 SL starting at $16,790 and a specialty vehicle edition, the cube 1.8 Krōm starting at $19,370 (pictured above).
Nissan offers a completely differently designed vehicle for a racing enthusiast with deeper pockets - the all-new, second generation NISMO Z, went on sale in June with its 350 horsepower 3.7-liter DOHC V6 engine that delivers 276 lb-ft of torque and has a starting price tag of $39,130.
The Nissan Leaf all-electric five-passenger, five-door, gasoline-free car made its North American debut in Los Angeles on Friday November 13th at Dodger Stadium during the day and at a media bash in Santa Monica at night. The Nissan LEAF Zero Emission North American Tour goes from L.A. to the San Francisco Auto Show that starts November 26th, making stops in 22 cities, in 11 states, the District of Columbia, and Vancouver, Canada.
The in-house developed electric motor delivers 80kW/280Nm for high response and powerful acceleration. The 24kWh laminated compact lithium-ion battery pack is placed under the vehicle floor without compromising cabin or cargo space. The regenerative brake system is employed to recharge the battery during deceleration and braking extends the driving range to more than 160km or about 100 miles under a full charge under average, everyday driving conditions. Top speed is 90 miles an hour.
Nissan North America will begin taking reservations for LEAF in spring 2010 with the launch expected in late 2010 in Japan, the United States, and Europe.
Hyundai was awarded Advertising Age Marketer of the Year, winning the trade magazine's reader poll by beating out household names like Walmart, McDonald's, Lego and Amazon.
Around the Super Bowl Hyundai promoted the Genesis, voted North American Car of the Year, by taking shots at their German and Japanese rivals and launched the new Genesis Coupe. Commercials for the Hyundai Assurance program, which let buyers return their new vehicles for up to a year if they lost their jobs, also helped Hyundai establish brand identity. During the Academy Awards Hyundai ran spots in slots that were given up by troubled GM. Hyundai has just launched a billboard campaign at Times Square in New York.
All Hyundai's aggressive marketing has paid off as October sales of 31,005 was a 49 percent increase compared with October 2008. Calendar year-to-date, Hyundai sales are up 4 percent and market share is up 1.2 percentage points (from 3.1 percent to 4.3 percent). Expected to give Hyundai a year end sales boost will be the all-new Tuscon ix.
The Hyundai Tucson ixwas first announced on Aug. 25 in Korea as the Hyundai ix35 and had its world debut in mid-September at the Frankfurt Auto Show where I took the above photo. The Tucson ix will be on display in early December at the Los Angeles Auto Show with more details on its features and specs.
Tucson ix rides on a 104 inch wheelbase which is a fraction of an inch longer than the previous iteration. At 173.6 inches long and 71.6 inches wide, it is also longer and wider than its predecessor improving the interior cabin space. Overall height has been lowered without affecting headroom.
Tucson ix will get the newest fuel-efficient engines and six-speed manual and automatic transmissions. For the North American market, a choice of 2-liter or 2.4-liter Theta-II engines will be available.
Honda CRV, the eighth best-selling vehicle overall in 2009, leads the SUV/CUV sales race in 2009 with 158,573 sold through October, down 7.4 percent from the same ten months in 2008 but that's because the competition is heating up as SUV shoppers crossover and more entries arrive to carve up the sales pie.
Ford Escape, which Ford calls a CUV (Crossover Utility Vehicle), has sales of 138,739 in 2009, up 2.3 percent from 2008, putting it in eleventh spot in overall sales, trailing CRV by less than 20,000 units in the race.
Toyota Rav4 rounds out the top three with sales of 120,834 so far this year is a gain of 1.6 percent over 2008.
GM's Chevrolet Traverse, new to the market this year, has sold 75,156 in 2009.
Toyota's Lexus RX350sales are at 73,641, a 7.7 percent rise from 2008. Ford Edge sales are 72,624, a drop of 27.2 percent.
Chrysler'sJeep Wrangler sales of 70,350, is just a 2 percent drop from 2008. Toyota Highlander sales this year are 67,463, down 24.2 percent from last year. Subaru Forester sales are 65,610, up 33 percent from the same period a year ago. Nissan Rogue sales are 65,570, up 8.1 percent over last year. Hyundai Santa Fe sales are 64,515, up 6.8 percent from last year.
GM's Chevrolet Equinoxsales are 63,850, up 8 percent from last year.
GM's Chevrolet Tahoe sales are 57,443, a 29.1 percent decline. Toyota Venza, another new entry, has sales of 44,451 this year.
GM's GMC Acadia sales are 43,957, a decrease of 26.8 percent from 2008.
Chrysler's Jeep Grand Cherokee sales are 43,146 this year, down 31 percent from 2008. Nissan Murano sales are 43,120, a drop of 29.1 percent from 2008. Dodge Journey sales are 41,520 in 2009, up 4 percent over last year when it came to market. Ford Explorer, the one-time dominant SUV leader, has sales of 41,138 this year, a 39.8 percent decline from 2008. Kia Sportage sales are at 40,042, a 37 percent jump from a year ago, just crossing the 40,000 threshold through the end of October 2009.
1. Ford F-Seriespick-up trucks lead sales with 334,922 sold through the end of October, down 23.2 percent from the same period in 2008.
2. Toyota Camry with sales of 294,493 this year, 23.7 percent less than last year at the same time, is second.
3. Honda Accordis third with sales of 244,579, a 26.6 percent drop from 2008.
4. Toyota Corolla is fourth at 240,755 sold, a decline of 21.6 percent.
5. General Motors Chevrolet Silverado pick-up trucks are in fifth place with 229,388 sold in 2009, down 38.1 percent from 2008.
6. Honda Civic sales are sixth with sales of 223,751, a 26.5 percent fall from last year.
7. Nissan Altima in seventh place with a sales count of 169,435, a 29.8 percent slide from the same ten months last year.
8. Honda CRV sales continue to be strong and lead the SUV segment with sales of 158,573, down 7.4 percent from 2008 for an eighth place ranking so far in 2009. The CRV is the 3rd Honda in the top 10.
9. Chrysler's Dodge Ram pick-up trucks in ninth place has sales of 155,467, a drop of 27 percent from 2008.
10. Ford Fusion comes in at tenth with sales of 148,045, an increase of 15.3 percent over 2008. Fusion is the only top 10 seller to post a rise in sales over last year.
The new 2011 Porsche Boxster Spyder mid-engined roadster will be the lightest Porsche available at 2,811 pounds. The Boxster Spyder features a 3.4-liter six-cylinder engine with Direct Fuel Injection upfront of the rear axle. Maximum output is 320 horsepower, 10 hp more than the Boxster S.
The Boxster Spyder features a 3.4-liter six-cylinder engine with Direct Fuel Injection upfront of the rear axle. Maximum output is 320 horsepower, 10 horsepower more than the Boxster S. When equipped with Porsche-Doppelkupplung (PDK) transmission and the Sports Chrono Package, the new Spyder, using Launch Control, accelerates from a standstill to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds. Top track speed is 166 mph - with the roof open.
This third Boxster model will join the Boxster and Boxster S and will make its world debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show, December 2, 2009. The 2011 Boxster Spyder goes on sale February 2010. U.S. pricing is $61,200.
The all-new 2010 Suzuki Kizashisedan (pronounced "Kee-Zah-Shee") will start at $18,999 (plus $735 for destination and handling) for the entry level Kizashi S model with a 185 horsepower 2.4-liter 4 Cylinder, 16-valve, DOHC engine mated to a six-speed manual transmission. The automatic CVT transmission version starts at $20,499. Standard features of the Kizashi S include 8 airbags (front/rear side and curtain), pushbutton keyless start, dual-zone climate control, 9-speaker audio with steering controls, EPS Stability Control and ABS, projector beam headlamps and power windows, doors and mirrors.
Suzuki also offers the Kizashi SE, GTS, SLS trims which, along with the S are available in both two-wheel and all-wheel drive. The all-new 2010 Suzuki Kizashi will debut in dealer showrooms in December 2009.
General Motors U.S. October sales of 177,603 vehicles, was up 4 percent from last October, GM's first year-over-year gain since January 2008. Total sales increased 13 percent when compared with September. Year-to-date GM has sold 1,724,554 vehicles, down 33.8 percent from the first ten months of 2008. The Chevrolet nameplate accounted for 65.5% of GM's October sales and 74.8% of GM's 2009 sales led by the Silverado pickup truck and Impala and Malibu cars.
ToyotaMotor Sales reported October sales of 152,165 vehicles, a decrease of 3.5 percent from last October. The Toyota Division posted October sales of 132,663 units, a decrease of 5.8 percent from the same period last year. The Lexus Division reported October sales of 19,502 units, an increase of 15.5 percent over the year-ago month. Year-to-date Toyota sales are 1,448,589, down 25.5 percent from 2008.
Ford, Lincoln and Mercury October U.S. sales totaled 132,483, up 3 percent versus a year ago and 21 percent higher than September. This marks the third time in the last four months Ford sales have increased. Ford sales so far in 2009 are 1,323,335, a drop of 20.4 percent from the first ten months in 2008. Volvo, still owned by Ford, had sales of 4,437, up 19.4 percent from October 2008, bringing the year-to-date sales total to 51,166, a 19.7 percent drop from the first ten months of 2008.
American Honda posted total October vehicle sales of 85,502, a decline of 4 percent compared to October 2008. Honda Division posted October sales of 75,751, a decline of five units versus October 2008. American Honda year-to-date sales of 969,638 representing a 23.4 percent decrease.
ChryslerGroup reported total U.S. sales for October of 65,803 units, a decrease of 30 percent compared with the same time period in 2008. Year-to-date Chrysler sales are 781,319, 39 percent lower than the first ten months last year.
Nissan North America reported October 2009 sales of 60,115, an increase of 5.6 percent compared with October 2008. Nissan Division sales rose 7.7 percent for the month, while sales of Infiniti vehicles were 9.3 percent lower than a year ago. Nissan has sold 640,411 vehicles this year, a 24 percent decline from last year.
HyundaiMotor America October sales of 31,005 units, a 49 percent increase compared with October 2008. Calendar year-to-date, Hyundai sales are 373,222, up 4 percent from 2008. This marks the tenth consecutive month of year-over-year gains in retail market share.
Kia Motors America October sales of 22,490 units, a 45.3-percent increase over the same month last year. Year to date sales totaled 261,060, a 7.2-percent increase over the same period last year.
Volkswagen of America reported October 2009 sales of 17,037, a 7.2 percent increase over October 2008.Audi, which is owned by VW but reports separately, had U.S. October sales of 7,358, down just 1.1 percent from October 2008's all-time record. VW 2009 sales are 176,817 so far this year, down 7.5 percent from 2008 while Audi has sold 66,876 vehicles in 2009 down 8.7 percent from 2008.
The BMW Group in the U.S. (BMW and MINI combined) reported October sales of 20,619 vehicles, a decrease of 19.1 percent the same month of 2008. The BMW Group also reported a year-to-date sales volume of 199,838 vehicles, down 23.7 percent compared to the first ten months of last year.
Daimler AG reported sales for the Mercedes-Benz Cars division in the U.S. (Mercedes-Benz and smart combined) of 18,854 units, an increase of 9.4 percent compared to October 2008. Mercedes-Benz USA October sales of 18,193 vehicles was its highest month of the year and a 21.3% improvement over October 2008. On a year-to-date basis, Mercedes sold 153,606 new vehicles, trailing the comparable period last year by 20.1%. smart USA recorded 661 sales in October 2009, a 70.4 percent drop. Year-to-date sales now total 13,082 units, down 35.8 percent from 2008. Since its introduction in the United States, there are nearly 40,000 smart fortwos traveling the roads throughout America.
Subaru of America had record-breaking October sales of 18,169, a 41-percent gain over October 2008. Subaru had a 13-percent gain year-to-date with 176,590 units sold in 2009.
MazdaNorth American Operations reported October 2009 sales of 15,068, a decrease of 8.4 percent versus October of 2008. Overall, total yearly sales are reported at 175,257, down 24.4 percent compared to 2008.
Mitsubishi Motors North America October 2009 sales of 3,867 brings the 2009 total for 10 months to 46,706 vehicles.
Land RoverOctober U.S. sales were 2,160, a 7 percent increase over October 2008 and year-to-date Land Rover has sold 20,545 vehicles, a drop of 18 percent. Jaguar sold 882 cars in October, a 2 percent gain over last year and in 2009 Jaguar has sales of 9,556, down 26 percent from the same ten months of 2008. Jaguar Land Rover, owned by Tata Motors of India, has sold a combined total of 30,101 in the U.S. this year down 21 percent from the year ago period.
American Suzuki had sales of 1,745 in October, a 50 percent drop from a year ago. Year-to-date Suzuki has sold 35.270 vehicles, a 55 percent drop from the first ten months of 2008.
Porsche Cars North America October sales in the U.S. were 1,642, up 15 percent from the same period last year. This marks the third consecutive month that PCNA has recorded an increase in year-over-year sales from 2008. On sale for only about two weeks, Porsche’s new four-door Panamera has already recorded sales of 360. Year-to-date Porsche sales are 15,952, down 29.1 percent from ten months in 2008.
The all-new 2010 Honda Accord Crosstour is set to debut on November 20th with a manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) starting at $29,670, plus a destination and handling charge of $710. The 271 horsepower Accord Crosstour is available in two model choices, the EX and EX-L getting an EPA-rated city/highway fuel economy of 18/27 mpg on 2WD models with Real Time 4WD drive is available.
The Accord Crosstour Crossover Utility Vehicle is based on the Accord V-6 Sedan with added cargo space and compartments in the rear. All Accord Crosstour models come standard with a 3.5-liter i-VTEC V-6 engine with Variable Cylinder Management (VCM). The VCM cylinder deactivation system is programmed to run on 3, 4 or 6 cylinders, based on current power requirements. A 5-speed automatic transmission is standard equipment.
Standard features on the Accord Crosstour EX include: dual-zone automatic air conditioning with second row ventilation, 360-Watt AM/FM 6-disc audio system with seven speakers, easy fold-down 60-40 split rear seat back, 17-inch aluminum wheels with 225/65 R17 all-season tires, hidden removable utility box, cruise control, moonroof, auto up/down driver and front passenger side windows, rear privacy glass, steering wheel-integrated audio controls, compass and outside temperature indicator, projector beam headlights with auto-off, fog lights, chrome door handles, body-colored power side mirrors with defrost, and more.
The Accord Crosstour EX-L adds or upgrades: leather-trimmed seating surfaces with heated front seats, leather steering wheel, leather gear shift knob, auto day/night dimming rearview mirror, 18-inch aluminum wheels with 225/60 R18 all-season tires, auto on/off headlights, memory driver-side seats, memory side mirrors with reverse tilting capability, cargo privacy cover, HomeLink transmitter, cargo privacy cover, Kevlar cone speakers, aluminum dome-type front tweeter speakers and a USB audio interface.
Subaru, the only car company with year-over-year sales increases in 2008 over 2007 and so far this year over last, has two all-new re-designed models.
The all-new Subaru Outback has five trim levels starting at $22,995 for the 2.5i with the 170-horsepower 2.5-liter SOHC SUBARU BOXER® engine up to $28,995 for the 3.6R Limited with the 256-horsepower 6-cylinder SUBARU BOXER® engine coupled with leather-trimmed upholstery and 440-watt 9-speaker harman/kardon® premium audio system.
The all-new Subaru Legacy 2.5i starts at $19,995 up to the Legacy 3.6R Limited starting at $27,995. All six of Subaru's vehicle lines have Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive which gives it sales traction in the Northeast, Northwest and all snow belt areas.
The Impreza, Impreza WRX, Forester and Tribeca all have attractive features along with trim and price levels for a wide range of car buyers.
In mid-September at the Frankfurt Auto Show, the pure-electric Tesla Roadster was charged and ready to go with its 248 hp 3-phase electric motor with a 14,000 rev limit. Driving in normal conditions (mixed city and highway conditions in a range of temperatures) results in “real world” range of 244 miles per charge, though in Australia at the 10th annual Global Green Challenge a Tesla Roadster achieved 313 miles on a single charge.
The Fisker Karma S is a four-seat, plug-in hybrid hardtop convertible. The deposit amount is $25,000.00 USD, with estimated delivery commencing at the end of 2011. Pricing for this model has not been finalized but is expected to be significantly higher than the current Fisker Karma model which is priced at $87,900.
Fisker Automotive has selected the former GM Wilmington Assembly plant in Wilmington, Delaware, to build its $39,900 (after $7,500 in federal tax credits) family-oriented plug-in hybrid sedan. Production is scheduled to begin in late 2012 and create 2000 factory jobs and more than 3000 vendor/supplier jobs when production reaches full capacity in 2014.
The Fisker Karma uses Q-DRIVE plug-in hybrid technology which means a fully-charged Karma burns no fuel for the first 50 miles before a gasoline engine kicks in to charge the lithium ion battery and the car operates as a normal hybrid vehicle. The Karma's 0-60 mph time is less than 6 seconds and has a top speed of 125 mph. Delivery of the $87,900, 100mpg Karma sedan will begin next year.
A 0-60 mph time of 5.6 seconds, a top speed of 120mph with a range up to 300 miles and 45-minute QuickCharge time gives this electric sedan impressive stats plus its superior fuel cost features - you can charge it from any outlet, without ever stopping for gas. Tesla brags that the Model S has more cargo space than other sedans, is twice as efficient as hybrids and offers 100 percent torque, 100 percent of the time without jerky shifting and a fraction of the noise and harshness of internal combustion engines.
The Tesla Model S can carry five adults and two children and has a base price is $49,900. Deliveries start in 2011.
