Archive for March, 2010
2011 Porsche Cayenne Video
Wednesday, March 31st, 2010
Cars.com senior editor Joe Wiesenfelder has had some harsh words for the Porsche Cayenne, but after getting a look at the 2011 model at the 2010 New York auto show he’s happy with the automaker’s improvements. With a less exaggerated design compared to the previous model and more appealing interior materials, Porsche has made basic aesthetic improvements, but the new Cayenne is also more fuel efficient and more powerful. Porsche even offers a hybrid version. Check out the video for more details.
2010 New York Auto Show: Day 1 Recap
Wednesday, March 31st, 2010It’s a rain-soaked mess in the Big Apple, but luckily that has no bearing on our team’s coverage of the 2010 New York International Auto Show. Read the latest previews of upcoming production vehicles from the 2011 model year, as well as up-close photos of each car. Check back tomorrow for more coverage — it looks like we’ll be busy.
Production Models
2011 Hyundai Sonata Turbo
2011 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid
2011 Nissan Juke
2011 Infiniti QX56
2011 Mercedes-Benz R-Class
2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid
2011 Scion iQ
2011 Scion tC
2011 Cadillac CTS-V Sport Wagon
2011 Chevrolet Cruze Eco
2011 Subaru Impreza WRX
2011 Acura TSX at 2010 New York Auto Show
Wednesday, March 31st, 2010- Competes with: BMW 3 Series wagon, Audi A4 Avant
- Looks like: A sexy station wagon
- Drivetrain: 2.4-liter four-cylinder, five-speed automatic
- Hits dealerships: Late fall
Station wagon fans have been salivating for years over the Acura TSX wagon ever since it was sold overseas as a Honda. The TSX Sport Wagon looks like an interesting entry in a small segment and could offer a significant value in the entry-level luxury space like the TSX sedan does. Like that sedan, the Sport Wagon will feature a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine teamed to a five-speed automatic transmission with steering-wheel paddle shifters. However, the Sport Wagon will eke out 1 more mpg on the highway, an estimated 30.
Standard features include Acura’s usual staples such as Bluetooth, leather seats, dual-zone climate controls, moonroof and a USB port. A navigation unit with an 8-inch LCD screen is optional. Acura says it will be priced slightly higher than the four-cylinder sedan.
The wagon body style seems to translate really well to the TSX design. The cargo area looks large, but Acura has not revealed cargo space specs. Check out more photos below.
2011 Kia Sportage at the 2010 New York Auto Show
Wednesday, March 31st, 2010- Competes with: Honda CR-V, Nissan Rogue, Ford Escape, Chevrolet Equinox
- Looks like: A smaller, edgier version of Kia's midsize Sorento crossover
- Drivetrain: 176-hp, 2.4-liter four-cylinder or turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder with six-speed manual or six-speed automatic transmission; front- or all-wheel drive
- On sale: TBA
Like other new Kia models, the Sportage has much crisper sheet metal than the model it replaces. The front end is dominated by a black grille bordered by angular headlights that creep up the front fenders. A subtle crease accents the side doors, and sharply angled rear roof pillars draw your eyes to the rear. Overall, it's an appealing look that's modern and athletic.
Base LX models have standard 16-inch alloy wheels with low-rolling-resistance tires, body-colored door handles and supplementary turn signals incorporated into the side mirrors. Seventeen-inch rims are optional on the LX. The EX is fitted with 18-inch alloy wheels and adds body-colored heated side mirrors, roof rails and chrome trim that includes a chrome-bordered grille.
The Sportage has room for five people on front bucket seats and a 60/40-split folding backseat. Standard features include cloth seat upholstery, air conditioning, CD stereo with auxiliary and USB ports, Bluetooth, tilt steering wheel and height-adjustable front seats. EX models gain a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, a telescoping feature for the steering wheel, keyless entry, dual-zone air conditioning, a cooled glove box and a power driver's seat. The EX also comes with UVO, Kia's entertainment and communication system that's similar to Ford's Sync. Available EX features include leather-trimmed upholstery, heated and ventilated front seats, push-button start, rear parking sensors and a panoramic sunroof.
The Sportage's base engine is a 176-horsepower, 2.4-liter four-cylinder. Later in the 2011 model year, a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder with direct injection will be available. We could see that engine in a separate SX trim, much like the company rolled out for the new Sorento. Transmission choices include a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic with a clutchless-manual mode.
Front-wheel drive is standard, and all-wheel drive is available. The all-wheel-drive system sends all of the engine's available torque to the front wheels unless they begin to slip, but the system also includes a lock feature that splits torque between the front and rear wheels up to 25 mph. It's designed for use in especially poor weather or on slippery roads. Also standard are Hill Start Assist Control, which can hold the Sportage when starting out on an uphill grade, and Downhill Brake Control, which automatically limits vehicle speed during steep descents.
Standard safety features include antilock brakes, an electronic stability system, side-impact airbags for the front seats, side curtain airbags for both rows and active front head restraints. A backup camera is optional.
2011 Scion tC at the 2010 New York Auto Show
Wednesday, March 31st, 2010- Competes with: Honda Civic coupe, Kia Forte Koup, Ford Focus coupe
- Looks like: A new design that looks old
- Drivetrain: 180-hp, 2.5-liter four-cylinder, six-speed manual or automatic transmission
- Hits dealerships: Fall 2010
A bigger, more powerful engine ups the horses by 19 to 180 horsepower. By adding six-speed manual and automatic transmissions, the 2011 tC will get better fuel economy, too, according to Scion. The car is also lower with large 18-inch alloy wheels and improved handling.
The cabin gets an upgrade with an all-new steering wheel and new cloth seating. There’s also more interior room.
The previous generation’s panoramic moonroof remains standard; USB inputs, an eight-speaker stereo system and steering-wheel-mounted audio controls are also standard.
2011 Infiniti QX56: Up Close
Wednesday, March 31st, 2010
I’m not sure the lines off the G, FX and M really suit a full-size SUV. The shapely lights look too small for a canvas this big, and they sit unnaturally below the car’s belt line. The QX56 looks more conventional than the FX, but it will take some getting used to.
2011 Scion iQ at the 2010 New York Auto Show
Wednesday, March 31st, 2010- Competes with: Smart ForTwo
- Looks like: Scion’s version of the Smart ForTwo
- Drivetrain: 90+ hp, 1.3-liter four-cylinder, CVT
- Hits dealerships: Early 2011
The iQ is 120.1 inches long, more than a foot longer than the Smart ForTwo. It also packs two extra seats in a unique 3+1 configuration that you'll have to see to understand. But the +1 is suggested to accommodate a “dog.” No, really. Scion says that’s how much room there is. Paris Hilton-sized pup most likely.
But it’s unlikely the iQ will be carrying four often, dog or no. This micro-subcompact is meant for efficient driving and features a small four-cylinder engine with continuously variable automatic transmission that the company says should get in the high 30s in terms of gas mileage.
Standard equipment includes USB and auxiliary audio ports and steering-wheel audio controls. It also comes with stability control and 10 airbags standard, including a rear-window curtain airbag and an airbag for the driver’s seat cushion.
Check out more photos below and let us know if you would consider such a small car.
Mazda Sky Engines Promise Diesel in 2012
Wednesday, March 31st, 2010Mazda announced more tidbits about its future engine plans today in New York, but it’s still holding back specifics. But the big news is that Mazda will bring a small diesel engine to the U.S. in 2012.
Labeled the Sky-G for gasoline engines and the Sky-D for diesels, the two engines will roll out in 2011 and 2012 globally, finding their ways into various Mazda models.
The company didn’t reveal exact specifications, but it did say the Sky-G will be 15% more fuel efficient than the 2.0-liter four-cylinder currently in the Mazda3, which gets 25/33 mpg city/highway.
The Sky-D will be introduced in the U.S., and the company says it will be used in its “next generation midsized diesel car” and will get up to 43 mpg. We’re not sure what car that would be, as the Mazda3 and Mazda6 have been recently redesigned.
Besides these uniquely tuned engines, the company also announced sophisticated, new six-speed automatic transmissions that will act like — but we’re guessing aren’t technically — dual-clutch transmissions, allowing for increased fuel economy of 5%.
iPad App Inspired by 2011 Cadillac CTS Coupe
Wednesday, March 31st, 2010Cadillac and Cool Hunting have created a new app for the upcoming Apple iPad with exclusive content “inspired by” the 2011 Cadillac CTS coupe.
Although the companies are hazy on what this content includes, the app will have Cool Hunting coverage “inspired by the CTS Coupe’s dramatic design and performance,” along with content about the 2011 CTS coupe.
Cool Hunting provides a daily update on art, design, culture and technology. Theoretically, those are the iPad users Cadillac wants to reach.
The app will be available through Apple’s App Store on April 3, when the iPad goes on sale to the public.
2011 Hyundai Sonata Turbo at the 2010 New York Auto Show
Wednesday, March 31st, 2010- Competes with: A gaggle of V-6 family cars
- Looks like: Hyundai has found where they hide the chrome
- Drivetrain: 274-hp, turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder with six-speed automatic; front-wheel drive
- Hits dealerships: Late 2010
Hyundai has said since last fall that the 2011 Sonata would only be offered with four-cylinder engines, with a turbocharged four-cylinder in place of the traditional V-6. Well, here it is: A 2.0-liter direct-injection turbocharged four-cylinder will be optional on the SE and Limited trims by year’s end. It makes 274 horsepower and 269 pounds-feet of torque – considerably more power than the base Sonata’s 198- or 200-hp, normally aspirated four-cylinder.
Hyundai estimates the turbo Sonata will get an EPA-rated 22/34 mpg city/highway, just 1 mpg highway less than the non-turbo. That’s better than a lot of non-turbo four-cylinder family cars.
We were waiting for the other shoe to drop with a premium-fuel requirement, but Hyundai says the Sonata turbo does all this on regular 87-octane unleaded. Cake can be had and eaten, too, it seems.
Well, not necessarily. There’s no word yet on pricing for the Sonata 2.0 turbo, and you can bet it will add a premium to the pricing of the SE ($22,595) and Limited ($25,295). Like on those trims, a six-speed automatic will be standard. The turbocharged SE adds 18-inch wheels, steering wheel paddle shifters and dual tailpipes.
Move up to the turbo Limited, and you’ll get a panoramic moonroof.
We’ll have more details on the turbo Sonata later today. For now, check out more photos below.
