In Gear offers a fresh look at the world of cars – its technology, economics, and future – through the eyes of Monitor staffers and other automobile writers from around the world.
A Range Rover Sport from Land Rover is displayed on stage after an unveiling at the New York International Auto Show in New York, New York, in March 2013. (Lucas Jackson/Reuters/File)
Land Rover Range Rover Sport: zippy, powerful, and slim
It's new for 2014, and though the Land Rover Range Rover Sport looks familiar, the scope of change it brings is pretty vast. A better off-roader than ever, it's also quicker than ever, more deft on pavement, and more finely rendered.
Forgive them, Oprah, for they have sinned, but it's all due to crash dieting. The materials science and engineering involved can be summed up in a word: aluminum. Switching from steel to a body like the one on the new Range Rover, the Sport drops about 800 pounds, getting it on average under 5,000 pounds net, while it picks up scads of drivetrain and handling tech that thrusts it more convincingly into the small set of sporty SUVs that really, truly live up to that confusing duality.
In essence the Sport's a slice off the Range Rover, but there's plenty of influence from the smaller Evoque in its profile. It's almost pure Range Rover from the doors forward, save for a slimmer nose and winged headlamps. The roofline drops with the drama of the Evoque, and the Sport's summed up with an abbreviated tail clearly inspired by the hit compact ute. The cabin's pure Range Rover, calm and architectural, drawn to play up pure stretches of leather and aluminum, filtered clean of buttons and switches as much as possible.
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The split between drivetrains divides the Sport into nicely-done and awesomely-hot camps. A new supercharged, 340-horsepower 3.0-liter V-6 engine is the new base engine, delivering a nice 90-degree V-6 snarl and sub-7-second acceleration, in tandem with a sweet paddle-shifted ZF eight-speed automatic. The supercharged V-8 comes from a different planet entirely, one maybe with a timeshare in the American South: it barks out 510 horsepower with NASCAR authority, ripping off 5-second runs to 60 mph. ( Continue… )
Volvo Cars Vice President Thomas Andersson, left, and Volvo Auto India Managing Director Tomas Ernberg pose for photographs during the opening of the company’s first showroom in Ahmadabad, India, earlier this year. The struggling automobile maker is introducing three new safety features to its cars, saying it hopes by 2020, it will eliminate serious injuries and deaths in Volvo cars. (Ajit Solanki/AP/File)
Volvo debuts new safety features for cars
No doubt about it: Volvo has had a rough couple of years. After being sold to Chinese automaker Geely in 2010, the brand has struggled to regain its footing.
Whether that's due to the shift in administration, a slowdown in research and development, lackluster quality scores, or a general lack of enthusiasm for Volvo vehicles is debatable. What we do know is that Volvo is one of a tiny handful of brands that's faring worse in 2013 than it did in 2012. As of June 30, Volvo had only sold 32,578 vehicles in the U.S., putting it 5.9 percent below last year's stats.
But we're not counting Volvo out just yet. (Heck, if Mitsubishi is still kicking, anything's possible.) For decades, the Swedish brand has based its reputation on safety, so it's only appropriate that snazzy safety features sit at the core of Volvo's planned comeback.
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The automaker recently debuted three new safety features that should begin appearing on Volvo models in late 2014. It's all part of Volvo's plan to completely eliminate deaths and serious injuries for occupants of its vehicles by the year 2020. The features are:
Pedestrian detection in darkness
Volvo bills this as a "world first", though Audi, Mercedes-Benz, and Toyota have all unveiled similar technology, incorporated into self-dimming headlights. Still, it's a great feature, and one that fits well with Volvo's reputation of being highly pedestrian-friendly. (According to a press release, Volvo's long-awaited animal-detection system should roll out soon after this.)
Road edge and barrier detection with steer assist
We've seen plenty of lane-assist features that alert drivers when they cross over the center line. This detection system focuses on the edge of the road, helping to steer the car back toward center -- even on roads without markings on the outer edges.
Adaptive Cruise Control with steer assist
Many brands have unveiled Adaptive Cruise Control systems, but given their importance as safety features, adding one more automaker to the list seems like a good thing.
These three features should debut on the 2015 Volvo XC90 during the latter half of 2014. For more info, check out the video embedded above and the two below.
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A Tesla Motors Inc Model X is seen at Tesla's introduction of its new battery swapping program in Hawthorne, California last month. Tesla will join the NASDAQ-100 next week, becoming the only automaker listed in the index and further cementing status in the financial world. (Lucy Nicholson/Reuters/File)
Tesla Motors joins the NASDAQ-100
The NASDAQ isn't exactly a top topic amongst most gearheads, nor is its NASDAQ-100 Index, used to track the exchange's climate. But as of July 15, Tesla Motors will become one of the 100 companies that compose the index.
That will make Tesla [NSDQ:TSLA] the only automaker listed in the index, owing mostly to the fact that it's the only automaker listed on NASDAQ.
Tesla finds a spot open on the NASDAQ-100 index because Oracle is leaving for theNew York Stock Exchange (NYSE).
So what does this mean for the electric car fan? Basically, it means Tesla is being recognized by the financial world as a legitimate force rather than a potentially unstable newcomer. That may not mean much, however, as changes just this year have seen Starz, Kraft Foods Group, and Netflix come onboard with the NASDAQ-100 while Starz, Virgin Media, and now Oracle have left. Starz joined and left in just three months. ( Continue… )
Mercedes-Benz cars are displayed in a dealership of German car manufacturer Daimler in Munich, Germany, earlier this year. Mercedez-Benz and Infiniti dealerships offer the best customer service, according to a study released by a California sales and service consulting firm. (Michaela Rehle/Reuters/File)
Mercedes-Benz, Infiniti offer best customer service, study says.
Mercedes-Benz, Infiniti, and Lexus dealerships treat car shoppers the best, while at least some Scion and Mitsubishi dealerships have a lot to work on.
These results are some of the top-level findings of the new 2013 Prospect Satisfaction Index (PSI), from the California sales and service consulting firm Pied Piper.
This is the seventh consecutive year that Pied Piper has conducted the PSI studies, and for 2013 it's reset the industry-average score to 100. That leaves an industry low of 88 and 89, for Scion and Mitsubishi, respectively, while Mercedes-Benz stands at the top at 113.
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Other top-performing brands included Audi, GMC, Hyundai, Jaguar, and Kia. And according to the firm, 19 of the 33 brands led in at least one PSI sales process. For instance, Infiniti, Land Rover, and Smart were most likely to give a walk-around demo.
Comparing the 2013 results to those of last year, salespeople are now more likely to mention different finance or leasing options, ask about a trade-in, or ask about factors preventing purchase, while they're less likely to offer a brochure, use visual aids, or discuss features that are unique versus the competition.
The company says that, on an individual dealership basis, the PSI survey is closely correlated to sales success. A good point to remember for some of these dealerships that are struggling is that while products might be relatively slow to change, the sales process can change virtually overnight.
The survey was conducted with 5,203 hired “mystery shoppers,” who visited dealerships through the U.S. between July 2012 and June 2013.
The emblem of Nissan Motor Co. shines on a wall of the company's showroom in Tokyo, Japan, earlier this year. The 2014 Nissan Versa Note, a lighter version of its predecessor, improves efficiency through its aerodynamic build. (Itsuo Inouye/AP)
2014 Nissan Versa Note: Clever aero, lower weight.
As automobile manufacturers strive for greater fuel efficiency, it's the low-hanging fruit proving most effective for immediate gains.
That's why Nissan's new 2014 Versa Note--replacing the old 2012 Versa hatchback--has improved by a full 5 mpg on the old car's combined economy.
The 2014 Nissan Versa Note achieves EPA gas mileage figures of 31 mpg city, 40 mpg highway and 35 mpg combined. While none embarass a similarly-sized hybrid vehicle like the Toyota Prius C, they're thoroughly respectable numbers for a standard subcompact. The lightly-tweaked Ford Fiesta SFE, by comparison, is 2 mpg down on both city and combined mileage, while matching the Versa Note on the highway.
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No witchcraft was required to reach such figures--just good, old-fashioned engineering improvements.
According to Automotive News, those include a significant reduction in weight over the old model--by around 300 pounds--as well as a redesigned continuously-variable transmission and improved aerodynamics. ( Continue… )
The 2014 Mazda6 made its debut at the LA Auto Show last November. The Mazda6 has impressive gas mileage figures despite being a mid-size sedan. (PRNewsFoto/Mazda North American Operations)
2014 Mazda6: Impressive mileage, sporty package.
Mazda has released gas mileage numbers for its top-of-the-line, mid-size 2014 Mazda6—with the GT Technology Package that arrives in dealerships beginning this month—and they're better than some you'll find in efficiency-minded compacts or subcompacts.
How does 40-mpg highway, and 32 mpg in the EPA Combined cycle, sound for one of the sportiest-driving mid-size sedans on the market—one that's not a hybrid, or a diesel?
The Mazda6 is the first Mazda globally to pack the automaker's new i-ELOOP (Intelligent Energy Loop) system, designed to work as part of the automaker's SkyActiv engineering initiative, which aims to maximize efficiency through a clean-slate redesign of core components.
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While the gasoline version of the 2014 Mazda6 earns 26 mpg city, 38 highway in the EPA cycle, the i-ELOOP version earns 2 mpg better in both the city and highway cycles—for a net 28 mpg city, 40 mpg highway.
32-mpg Combined in a mid-size sedan; no clunky hybrid battery pack
This brings a phenomenal 32-mpg Combined rating and a 656-mile highway range—without weight-adding (and potentially fun-robbing) battery hardware. ( Continue… )
Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban SUVs on a lot in Gaithersburg, Md. in May. The newest Suburban is easy to handle for its size, Padgett writes. (Gary Cameron/AP/File)
Test drive: 2014 Chevy Suburban
Crossover vehicles suit drivers who ferry people more than cargo--but when it comes to towing and hauling more than the usual load, SUVs like the Chevy Suburban get the call.
The Suburban, carried over for a brief 2014 model year before a new version arrives for 2015, is one of the most familiar SUVs in its niche. It's one of the longest, widest utility vehicles on the market, and fitted with all the available features, it can be one of the most capable, too.
A relative of the GMC Yukon and Cadillac Escalade, the Suburban is essentially the extended-length version of the Chevy Tahoe. Some 20 inches longer overall, the Suburban has 14 inches more between its wheels than the Yukon, which amplifies its already vast cargo and third-row seating space.
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Most shoppers will be fine with the light-duty Suburban 1500, which comes with a 5.3-liter V-8 and six-speed automatic transmission, all good for 320 horsepower. It's pleasant and responsive, with smooth shifts and quick downshifts, yet it can tow 8,100 pounds. And thanks to a cylinder deactivation system that shuts of half of the cylinders when coasting or decelerating, it's quite economical, with EPA ratings of up to 15/21 mpg. Heavy-duty Suburban 2500 models maximize the Suburban's load capacity and towing capability, without changing the interior package, although they do have a stiffer, less passenger-approved ride. Fuel economy is also lower with the 2500 models, which pack a huge 6.0-liter V-6 making 352 horsepower. ( Continue… )
The logo of Toyota Motor Corp's Prius hybrid car is seen on its body at the company's showroom in Tokyo in April. Global sales of the Prius surpassed the 3 million mile mark in June. (Issei Kato/Reuters/FIle)
Toyota Prius passes 3 million in global sales
The records just keep on tumbling, as Toyota announces a new milestone for its Prius line of hybrids.
That figure is three million--the cumulative global sales total through June, for all Prius models since the car debuted in Japan in 1997.
Since then, the Prius has gone through three main generations, with other models--the Prius V wagon, Prius C subcompact and Prius Plug-In Hybrid--all adding to its impressive tally.
It's the second significant milestone passed in less than a year, Toyota announcing ain April that it had sold five million Toyota and Lexus hybrids in total, since that first 1997 Prius.
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Such a figure puts the Prius' own success into perspective. While Toyota now produces a wide range of hybrid vehicles, it's the core line which still sells in the greatest numbers, and in certain locales--California being a prime example--it counts itself among the highest-selling cars of any type.
The car itself has changed significantly since that original car, first seen in the U.S. in 2000 as a 2001 model-year car. ( Continue… )
The Panamera S Hybrid is the most fuel-efficient Porsche of all time. The 2014 Panamera S E-Hybrid arrives in the US later this year at a starting price of $99,000. (Porsche Cars North America, Inc./PRNewsFoto/File)
Test drive: 2014 Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid
Porsche isn't the first name in hybrids, or even in green cars. But the company is leveraging its depth of engineering knowledge to move forward in the field rather quicker than a small company should.
Examples of this include the 918 Spyder supercar and the new 2014 Panamera S E-Hybrid. The 918's 887-horsepower rating and 0-60 mph in 2.8 seconds capabilities are impressive, especially in light of its target gas mileage of 85.6 mpg in the European cycle. But the Panamera S E-Hybrid is the car those closer to ordinary mortal status will be able to attain.
And it's no slouch, either. Porsche estimates fuel consumption at 75.8 mpg in the European cycle (3.1 liters per 100 kilometers), thanks to a set of updates to the engine and hybrid system. What that will translate to in U.S. EPA testing remains to be seen, but it's not likely to be 75 mpg.
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Now sporting a 3.0-liter supercharged V-6 engine paired with an electric motor and a 9.4-kWh lithium-ion battery pack, the Panamera S E-Hybrid generates a combined output of 416 horsepower, managing a 5.2-second sprint to 60 mph despite the extra 550 pounds of battery pack compared to a non-hybrid Panamera S. A PDK dual-clutch transmission is skipped in favor of a Tiptronic S eight-speed automatic, chosen because it works more fluidly with the electric side of the powertrain.
That electric side is surprisingly potent, offering up to a claimed 22 miles of all-electric driving at speeds up to 83 mph. In our brief drive of the car last week in Germany, we easily achieved a total electric-only range of 25 miles, and under the right conditions, even farther would be possible. ( Continue… )
The 2014 Audi Allroad has already arrived at some dealerships. How does it compare to the 2013 Allroad, and is the extra $1,100 you'll pay to get it worth it? (Gene J. Puskar/AP/File)
2014 Audi Allroad: worth the higher price?
If you've kept up with our month-long, up-close coverage of the 2013 Audi Allroad, you probably have a pretty good idea by now of how this stocky wagon fits into the market—and whether it fits you.
But with 2014 Allroad models already arriving to dealerships, you might be wondering if you'd be better off going for one of those.
Rest assured, no matter how the deal pans out, you'll essentially be getting the same vehicle whether you go for the 2013 model or the 2014.
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At the base level, prices for the 2014 Audi Allroad have risen $1,100 versus 2013—to $40,700. Although the Convenience Package, with its Audi music interface, HomeLink universal garage-door opener, the so-called driver information system, and Bluetooth connectivity, has been packed in as part of the Allroad's standard equipment for 2014.
If you opt for one of the better-equipped Allroads (like the 2013 Premium Plus we had), you'll get a few more features for 2014, too. All models at the Premium Plus level and higher get the Advanced Key system as standard, while Audi Side Assist, which monitors blind-spot areas and scans for fast-moving vehicles at a range of 150 feet behind the car, is newly offered as a standalone option on the Premium Plus model. Meanwhile, models with the top Prestige package get rear window shades. ( Continue… )
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