Filed under: Economy, Sedans/Saloons, SUVs, Trucks/Pickups, Crossovers/CUVs, Ford, Honda, Earnings/Financials
Click above for high-res gallery of the Ford Explorer America Concept
For years, the success of vehicles such as the Ford F-Series pickups and Explorer SUV kept the Blue Oval brand from improving its line of mostly uncompetitive sedans. Automakers like Honda, though, never went the way of body-on-frame trucks and SUVs, preferring instead to continually improve its range of cars and crossover utility vehicles. That strategy is paying dividends in these days of high fuel prices, and Ford has taken notice. Asked whether he would prefer a more car-oriented model-mix, like that of Honda or Toyota, CEO Alan Mullaly recently answered, “Absolutely. We just don’t have enough of those small or medium-sized vehicles yet, and that’s what we need to concentrate on.” Of course, all is not lost. As Automotive News points out, Ford has a new F-150 on the horizon, which is likely to improve its sales somewhat, and the brand as a whole has sold 647,140 vehicles, placing it well above Honda through April. Profitability, on the other hand, is another matter entirely.
[Source: Automotive News]
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Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, SUVs, Green, Plants/Manufacturing, Chrysler
Last month, a major announcement was made regarding an effort between Nissan and Chrysler to share products. Specifically, Nissan will build a small car for Chrysler and receive a large truck in return. It seems as if the Pentastar brand could use some more help when it comes to offering the types of vehicles that the public wants as quickly as possible. To that end, Chrysler CEO Bob Nardelli says, “If we can have similar arrangements … and it makes financial sense and supports our dealer network relative to what customers are telling them they want, we’re going to go do it.” What customers want is fuel efficient vehicles, something which Chrysler is not exactly well positioned with at the moment.
In related news, Nardelli also mentions that Chrysler sees hybrids and electric cars as the most viable options moving forward to reduce emissions and fuel consumption. The first hybrid vehicles from Chrysler are expected to be the Dodge Durango and Chrysler Aspen SUV’s, which use a version of the dual mode hybrid system that is currently offered by GM on the Tahoe and Yukon.
[Source: The Detroit Free Press]
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Filed under: SUVs, Government/Legal, Green, Supercars, Lamborghini
How can a company like Lamborghini be expected to adapt to tightening emissions regulations? It’s a reasonable question, and according to the company’s chief executive Stephan Winkelmann, it simply can’t. In an interview with Automotive News, the supercar exec justifies that its production is so limited and its vehicles are so rarely driven that its overall environmental impact is negligible. As such, Lamborghini will not be switching to downsized engines, like Ferrari has been discussing.
Winkelmann also reiterated that Lamborghini is not interested in significantly boosting production, or in developing SUVs or four-seaters. Business as usual, then, for the Raging Bull, and you know what that means: powerful, loud, exotic supercars that you can’t get your hands on… and hopefully, neither will the bureaucrats.
[Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd]
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Filed under: SUVs, Auction Action, Volkswagen, Motorcycles, Special/Limited Editions
Click to view the Harley edition Touareg in our gallery
Volkswagen and Harley-Davidson are two motor companies with highly recognized images, but those images don’t much overlap. That is, until now: someone has cooked up his own Harley edition Touareg. But while the special badging might look at home on a Ford F-150, it doesn’t quite fit on a VW.
Aside from the emblems affixed to the wheels, grille, tailgate, sill plates and steering wheel, there’s really nothing that makes this any different from any other 2004 model Touareg. It’s got 42k miles on the odometer and a rich brown saddle leather interior, and with four days remaining ’till the digital hammer drops, bidding is up to $13,600. An actual Harley, and any measure of good taste, are not included.
[Source: eBay Motors via Motive]
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Filed under: Hybrids/Alternative, SUVs, Green, Land Rover, UK
click on the image above to enlarge
We have a few reservations about Liberty Electric Cars’ plan to convert Range Rovers to extended-range Rovers in the U.K. While we applaud the idea of using electric vehicles in urban environments, it seems a little counter-productive to start with a large, heavy 4×4 like the Range Rover. Still, if the company is able to pull of its stated goal of creating 250 jobs along with “tens of thousands” of electric vehicles, we’re all for it. To make this rather ambitious goal a reality, Liberty has invested £30 million into the “re-engineering” of the Rovers. A brand new electric drivetrain is being worked up, which is said to allow up to 200 miles of range on electricity alone for the Liberty Range Rover. Pricing starts at £95,000, and for £125,000, the company can fit the Landie with a range-extending generator, which makes the machine similar in concept to the much-hyped Chevy Volt. For those who can afford a $187,000 to $246,000 USD all-electric SUV, this is great news. For the rest of us, we hope these large electric luxury machines will allow for the adoption of smaller, lighter and therefore less expensive conversions in the near future.
[Source: Liberty Electric Cars Ltd. via AutoblogGreen]
Continue reading British company building electric Range-extended Rovers
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Filed under: SUVs, Mercedes Benz
The Mercedes G-Class is like the tux and tails — its remains in vogue no matter what’s happening in the world around it. And like the tux, it looks pretty much like it did when it first arrived, and changes to it still don’t come quickly.
For the ‘09 model, the G has been given Mercedes’ new corporate face, so you can better associate it with that CL65 you’ve got parked next to it in the garage. The big news, though, is in the engine bay. The base V8 engine gets a whopping 90-horsepower bump from 292 to 382. Torque also gets seriously goosed from 336 ft-lb to 391. The boosted V8 and the AMG G55 get a much more modest boost of 7 horsepower for an even 500.
Otherwise, the squared one gets new wheels and electronics, including a new Telematics system. There is no word yet on whether the celebrity chariot will come to the U.S., but we’re sure Britney really wants one.
[Source: eMercedesBenz]
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Работать на рынке нефтепродуктов Украины с каждым днем становится все труднее – мировые цены растут так быстро, что украинским трейдерам приходится реагировать на ценовые скачки уже через несколько дней. Кроме того, у всех, даже у крупных фирм, возникли трудности с оперативным кредитованием. Читать далее »
1 января 2009 года заканчивается действие Соглашения о свободной торговле между Украиной и РФ, в рамках которого автомобили облагались пошлиной 0%. Это позволяло российским автомобилям долгие годы иметь в Украине исключительные условия и конкурировать с иномарками. Читать далее »
В рамках автосалона KYIV AUTOMOTIVE SHOW 2008, который пройдет с 26 мая по 1 июня в г. Киеве, компания «Илта» планирует продемонстрировать четыре новинки бренда Peugeot. В первую очередь, это Peugeot 308 SW. Главная премьера Женевского автосалона на стенде Peugeot – новая версия модели 308 с кузовом «универсал» в Украине появится в продаже осенью 2008 года, но познакомиться с ней станет возможным уже на KYIV AUTOMOTIVE SHOW. Читать далее »
Під час 16 Київського міжнародного автосалону SIA’2008 на стенді Lanos відбудеться справжній автомобільний День народження насправді «народного» автомобіля: 10-річний ювілей автомобіля Lanos на ринку України На стенді Lanos на SIA’2008 дистриб’ютор презентує поштову марку, випущену на честь 10-річного ювілею автомобіля Lanos в Україні та вшанування Lanos, як лідера продажу на ринку легкових автомобілів України. А ще - спеціальна пропозиція для власників Lanos…А ще - спеціальна пропозиція для власників Lanos - можливість отримати подорож на двох від «Гермес Тревел Груп». Дізнатися подробиці можна за телефоном гарячої лінії 8-800-500-23-30 або на сайті: www.ukravto.ua На стенді Lanos можна буде побачити модифікації цього автомобіля, а також можливості його тюнингу.
