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.
Reid Bigland, president and CEO of the Dodge brand, introduces the new 2014 Dodge Durango at the New York International Auto Show March 28, 2013. Durango adds a new standard 8-speed transmission, delivering up to a 10 percent improvement in fuel economy, and is built for those who have a passion for driving. (Chrysler Group LLC/PRNewsFoto)
2014 Dodge Durango shines at times vs. Toyota Highlander, Nissan Pathfinder
In the old days, SUVs were crude, truck-derived vehicles, purchased by those with a need to go where the busses don’t run, or a need to get from point A to point B regardless of weather. Families bought station wagons, or later, minivans.
Then the SUV and crossover craze hit, and suddenly off-road vehicles became more civilized (often losing some of their off-road prowess in the transition). Today, SUVs and crossovers are the hottest segments of the auto industry (in the U.S., anyway), and buyers are demanding more and more amenities with each passing year.
It’s no longer enough that an SUV includes cavernous cargo space, all-weather peace of mind or seating for up to seven passengers. Shoppers today want fuel economy, advanced safety features and sedan-like comfort, too.
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For 2014, there are a crop of revised SUVs and crossovers hitting the market, including the 2014 Dodge Durango, the 2014 Toyota Highlander and the 2014 Nissan Pathfinder Hybrid. Which one is right for your needs and your family depends a lot on your requirements and expectations. ( Continue… )
A Kia "Hamstar" mascot poses for a photograph with the newly unveiled 2014 Kia Soul during the 2013 New York International Auto Show Wednesday in New York. The updated people mover comes with electric steering that allows drivers to choose comfort, normal, and sport settings. (John Minchillo/AP)
Kia bares its 2014 Soul, offering a better ride
Though Kia has, on occasion, missed the mark with vehicles in the United States (such as its Borrego SUV), there’s no denying that its Soul “urban passenger vehicle” is a solid hit that seems to defy demographics.
Though pitched at Millennial buyers, we’ve seen plenty of fifty-somethings behind the wheel, too. Drive a Soul and it’s easy to see why: the diminutive MPV is practical, affordable and nimble enough to provide some degree of entertainment value.
For 2014, Kia has an all-new Soul to talk about, and it’s launching its funky people mover at this week’s New York AutoShow. Kia says the new Soul was born from the Track’ster concept, but the only similarities we see are the new Soul’s wider stance and updated front fascia.
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The 2014 Soul is longer, too, and blessed with a stiffened chassis to reduce noise, vibration and harshness (NVH). Though you may not feel it in urban cruising, the new platform’s 28.7 percent increase in torsional rigidity should help in the twisty bits, especially when you factor in the “significant suspension upgrades” Kia refers to. ( Continue… )
A VW Golf VII car is pictured in a production line at the plant of German carmaker Volkswagen in Wolfsburg, Germany, las month. The Mark VII will appear in the US as the 2015 Golf next year once VW retools its factory in Mexico to produce the cars. (Fabian Bimmer/Reuters/File)
VW shows new Golf in New York. No US sales till next year.
American consumers will need to wait until next year to buy a 2015 Golf or GTI at their Volkswagen dealer, but New York AutoShow attendees can see the Mark VII models in the flesh (or in the sheet metal, actually).
Volkswagen’s latest Golf models will use the modular MQB platform, and North American inventory will be assembled at the brand’s newest factory, in Silao, Mexico.
Though the Mk VII Golfs have already debuted in Europe (excluding the GTI, which will drop in May), the delay in North America is due to the ramp-up time needed to get the Mexican plant functional.
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The 2015 Volkswagen GTI will come to market in a longer, wider, lower and lighter form than its Mk VI predecessor. The 51 pounds of weight savings (shared with the Golf) and lower coefficient of drag should help with the new GTI’s acceleration, handling and braking, too. ( Continue… )
Actor Daniel Craig unveils the All-New Range Rover Sport with a live drive through the streets of New York. The luxury vehicle uses recycled or renewable materials throughout, including plastics, leathers, and wood veneers. (Land Rover/PRNewsFoto)
Range Rover Sport: quicker, agile, and 800 pounds lighter
Edgier, sleeker, and faster, the 2014 Land Rover Range Rover Sport is the sporting complement to the off-road specialist (with on-road credentials) found in the new Range Rover.
Unveiled this evening just before the 2013 New York Auto Show, the 2014 Range Rover Sport improves upon the previous model's formula with quicker acceleration, lighter weight, and greater agility.
How much lighter is the new Range Rover Sport? Try 800 pounds lighter. That's like kicking four 200-pound six-footers out of the super-SUV--without having to leave your friends on the roadside.
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Four variations of the 2014 Range Rover Sport will be offered in the U.S.: the base SE, with a 3.0-liter supercharged 340-horsepower V-6; the HSE with the same engine but upgraded features; the Range Rover Sport Supercharged, with a 510-horsepower 5.0-liter supercharged V-8 (naturally); and the Range Rover Sport Autobiography, with the same engine as the Supercharged model, but again, a better set of equipment. ( Continue… )
Executive Director of Global Cadillac Mark Adams introduces the new 2014 Cadillac CTS, Tuesday, March 26, 2013 in New York. The dramatically updated luxury car is more evenly balanced than the Chevy Corvette Grand Sport, and the Vsport version offers nearly as much horsepower per pound as the Corvette. (Louis Lanzano/AP)
2014 Cadillac CTS: a leap forward for American luxury cars
American luxury just took another leap forward. The 2014 Cadillac CTS, on display tomorrow at the New York Auto Show, raises the bar for design, power, and value in the luxury sedan segment, continuing the CTS' legacy in forging new ground for Cadillac and the U.S.
This isn't the same CTS we've come to know and love, however. In fact, it's hugely different in almost every respect. Larger, more dramatically styled, and far more powerful (excepting the previous generations CTS-V), the 2014 Cadillac CTS moves up a notch to compete with the BMW 5-Series, Audi A6, and Mercedes-Benz E Class more directly.
The design, of course, speaks for itself. But there's a lot going on underneath that pretty skin.
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Specifically, the CTS is 4.1 inches longer (now 195.5 inches), including a 1.1-inch longer wheelbase (up to 114.6 inches). It also cuts a lower profile into the wind, with a one-inch lower roof line (now at 57.2 inches). At the same time, the 2014 CTS weighs about 200 pounds less than the 2013 BMW 528i (according to Cadillac) at 3,616 pounds--and it's more than 250 pounds lighter than the outgoing model of the CTS. ( Continue… )
Smoke rises in this time exposure image from the stacks of the La Cygne Generating Station coal-fired power plant in La Cygne, Kan. Researchers at the University of Georgia are working on a process that might help cut down on fossil fuel use and reduce greenhouse-gas emissions, Ingram writes. (Charlie Riedel/AP/File)
Fuel from carbon dioxide: Is it too good to be true?
We currently have two main issues in our transport future.
The first is cutting down on fossil fuel use, ensuring our finite supplies can be used for longer than our current consumption levels would account for. The second is reducing greenhouse gas emissions, helping prevent runaway climate change.
If there was a way of solving both issues at once, you'd take it--right? Researchers at the University of Georgia could be doing just that.
Biomass Magazine reports the researchers have found a way of using microorganisms to turn atmospheric CO2 into energy--essentially replicating the processes found in plant life. ( Continue… )
Traffic stacks up on a highway in Dallas. Honda is developing an app aimed at reducing congestion and improving fuel efficiency. (LM Otero/AP/File)
An app to end traffic jams?
About a year ago we first told you about a new technology Honda was developing aimed at reducing congestion, by first detecting the potential for a traffic jam and then determining the best course of action for drivers in order to prevent one from occurring.
It is based on the principle that vehiclesmoving erratically and braking needlessly breaks up the smooth flow of traffic and leads to congestion.
Now, after conducting some real world tests on the busy streets of Jakarta, Indonesia, one of the most congested cities in the world, Honda engineers have managed to verify the effectiveness of the technology.
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The system relies on the drivers of several vehicles all using a special smartphone app developed by Honda, which is connected to a cloud server (there is also a version for single users). ( Continue… )
A Tesla Model S electric sedan is driven near the company's factory in Fremont, Calif. Since the first 'supercharger' stations went live last September, there have been only eight locations in California and the Northeast Corridor, Voelcker writes. (Noah Berger/Reuters/File)
Tesla Motors to expand Model S electric car 'Supercharger' network
One of the features associated with the 2013 Tesla Model S all-electric luxury sport sedan is the dedicated Supercharger network of DC quick-charge locations.
Since the first stations went live last September, there have been only eight locations in California and the Northeast Corridor.
Now Tesla Motors [NSDQ:TSLA] is planning to open more locations.
in the company's latest blog post, George Blankenship, Tesla's vice president of worldwide sales and ownership experience, said that the network will grow--and soon.
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"We will be adding Supercharger coverage in many areas over the next three to four months," he writes, "installing our first Superchargers in the Pacific Northwest, Texas, Illinois, and Florida with additional coverage in the Northeast and California. ( Continue… )
A billboard that encourages people not to text while they drive is shown in the northside of Indianapolis. US drivers are more likely to use phones while driving than their European counterparts, a CDC study finds. (Michael Conroy/AP/File)
US drivers more likely to use phones on the road than Europeans, study finds
You know it, we know it, everyone knows it: distracted driving is a problem, and it's getting worse.
But where is the problem worst of all? You'd think that since cell phones are now a global phenomenon, distracted driving would affect every country on the planet, and that it would be most pronounced in technologically oriented countries where cell phones have become a part of everyday life.
And you'd be right. But according to a study led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the problem is particularly bad here in America.
The CDC examined data from two studies: the 2011 EuroPNStyles and HealthStyles surveys, which polled drivers between the ages of 18 and 64. Researchers found that a whopping 69% of U.S. respondents had talked on their mobile phones while driving within the past 30 days.
Europeans couldn't match that number. The closest runner-up was Portugal, where the figure hit 59%. In the U.K., it was 21%.
Stats on texts and emails, however, were more balanced. In both the U.S. and Portugal, 31% of drivers said that they'd read or sent emails or texts within the past 30 days. At the low end of the scale, the figure in the U.K. was again 21%.
The moral of the story? Americans are far more prone to talk on the go (perhaps because of our very long commutes), but texting and emailing may be less culturally specific phenomena.
Also: Portugal could be picking up some of our bad habits.
We'd like to see a similar study conducted in countries like Japan and South Korea, where cell phone penetration is high and mobile networks are especially robust. Maybe those folks could give us a run for our money.
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A five-door European Ford Fiesta in 'Hot Magenta.' A larger share of under-35 car buyers are turning their backs on Japanese brands and buying from Detroit's big three (including Ford) and South Korea. (PrNewsFoto/File)
Where are people under 35 buying their cars?
The data is clear: folks under 35 aren't as interested in owning a car as their parents and grandparents were. But that doesn't mean they've given up on cars entirely -- and when they do need a set of wheels, they're spending less time loitering on the lots of Toyota, Honda, and other Japanese brands.
That's big news, and it comes to us via studies at both Edmunds and R.L. Polk.
As recently as 2008, folks between the ages of 24 and 34 heavily favored Japanese auto brands. Of all the cars young shoppers bought that year, a stunning 50.6% came from Toyota, Honda, Nissan, and other Japanese manufacturers.
That same year, just 35.4% of young buyers purchased vehicles from Chrysler, Ford, or General Motors.
But oh, what a difference four years can make: in 2012, Japanese automakers lost huge market share among 25-to-34-year-olds, slipping nearly eight points to 42.9%.
Where did those young shoppers go for their vehicles? Some went to the Big Three: Detroit's auto share among that demographic edged upward to 36.8%. That's in part due to snazzy rides that fit Millennials' budgets, like the Chevrolet Spark, Fiat 500, and Ford Fiesta.
But when it comes to market share, the biggest winner may be South Korean automakers -- specifically, Hyundai and Kia. In 2008, the two brands accounted for just 5% of sales to young auto shoppers. In 2012, that figure had doubled to around 10%.
According to Edmunds.com's Jessica Caldwell, that's not only because of youth-oriented rides like the Hyundai Veloster and Kia Soul, it's also because the twin brands have loosened credit restrictions for younger buyers, who might not have the long work history needed to secure loans elsewhere.
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