Amidst high gas prices and the growing importance of fuel economy as a major consideration in a car buyer’s decision, General Motors Corp. is developing not only one, but two hybrid electric motors in a single package. Called “Dual Hybridâ€, the technology will first be used in the automaker’s Full-size SUVs due in 2008. Dual Hybrid technology uses two electric motors, V8 engine, and 4-speed transmission. The engine is also powered either by 4 cylinders or 8 cylinders, depending on the load. It is estimated that dual hybrid will improve fuel economy by as much as 25% on current models. An on-board computer will determine whether the two electric motors, the gas engine or a combination of both will power the vehicle.
The duel hybrid system is being jointly developed by GM, DCX and BMW. GM says the system will be priced competitively. Meanwhile, in related news, GM is currently building a new diesel engine for its light-duty pickups. The current 6.6-liter Duramax diesel engine will also meet 2007 emission standards.
The demise of the Ford minivan is fast looming in the horizon. Ford Motor Corp is moving away from the minivan segment to focus on manufacturing crossover vehicles. Sara Tatchio, spokesperson for Ford confirmed that the automaker has ceased production of the Mercury Monterey while the Ford Freestar will see its final run in 2007. To replace the two retiring vehicles, Ford will start production of the new generation “people-moverâ€Ford Fairlane concept that debuted at the 2005 Detroit Auto Show. IRN Inc. brand analyst, Erich Merkle said “They are rethinking the minivan; It makes sense. The minivan segment has become far too competitive. Putting those resources into a full-seize crossover is a more prudent choice for Ford.
Striking metallic viper green paint, an aggressive and sporty stance, sleek lines and steeply sloping rear – these features characterize the new IROC Sports car concept from Volkswagen. The automaker has released new pictures of the concept car ahead of its debut at the 2006 Paris Motor Show next month. The new sports car marks the return of the Scirocco, the iconic sports coupe that Volkswagen introduced in the ‘70s. The IROC will be 36 mm longer and 41 mm wider than the golf hatchback and will be 3.3 inches lower than the Golf GTI. Other notable features include five-point racing harnesses up front, 210-hp TSI engine, 19-inch alloy wheels, front-wheel drive, and 2+2 seating configuration.
The IROC’s design is undoubtedly attractive and distinctive with honeycomb-shaped grille different from VW’s corporate waterfall grill design. The interiors feature distinctive round gauges, instruments and displays at the cockpit illuminated by a cool blue back light. Meanwhile, our friends over at Volksbloggin found the IROC’s design too similar to the Peugeot Elixir Concept Car which debuted at the Frankfurt Motor Show three years ago. Well, whether or not it is a rip-off, we agree that the IROC is one hot concept car and will very likely be highly anticipated as a production model.
Honda Motor Corp will take the covers off from its third-generation fuel-cell system in a new version of its FCX concept vehicle. The new fuel cell system will debut at the Los Angeles International Auto Show to be held in early December. The FCX concept is a five-passenger luxury sedan unveiled by Honda at the Tokyo Motor Show last year. The FCX will be fitted with the third-generation fuel cell system. The exhibition in LA heralds that Honda is getting closer to a production-ready system. In fact, the automaker has announced that a production version of the FCX concept sedan may be realized within three to four years time.
Meanwhile, Honda already has a fuel-cell vehicle available although much smaller. Also called the FCX, this Civic-size hatchback is manufactured in very limited numbers only. More than a dozen of these FCVs were distributed to families and local governments in a number of states on short term-lease to provide the automaker with real-world experience with fuel cell technology. The hydrogen-powered 2006 Honda FCX has an fuel efficiency of 62 mpg in city driving and 51 mpg on the highway.
Toyota recently announced that it had developed the world’s first rear-end collision detection system that warn drivers of an impending collision with the help of a radar device installed in the car’s rear bumper. This radar senses if a vehicle is a approaching from behind. When the system detects a possible collision, sensors in the front headrests detect the position of the driver’s and front passenger’s heads. The system then changes the headrests’ positions to prevent the risk of whiplash injury.
Meanwhile, warning lights will start flashing to caution the driver of an impending crash from behind. According to Toyota President Katsuaki Watanabe, a sophisticated computer will be installed on a new Lexus LS luxury car that will power this rear-end collision detection system. The Lexus LS will go on sale in Japan but the rear-end pre crash system will not yet be offered in the US.
More and more automakers are recognizing the importance of “active head restraints†in preventing spinal/neck injuries and damages resulting from whiplash. New 2006 models from Honda and Mercedes Benz now feature restraint systems. This is a response to the growing demand for anti-whiplash safety equipments. Whiplash is the result of impulsive stretching of the spine, often the result of a rear-end collision between cars or trucks. The consequences of whiplash range from mild pain for a few days, to severe disability caused by restricted head movement and persistent pain.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety estimates that a total of $8.5 Billion are paid in whiplash claims annually. However, the frequency and depth of the claims are lower in states with laws limiting whiplash tests. The IIHS has also initiated an award and test for whiplash in 2005, bringing more focus to the issue. It’s “Top Safety Pick†award is based on combined scores that includes results for the whiplash test. Automakers are compelled redesign seats and headrests to address these tests.
The newest crossover SUV from Ford Motor Corp., named the Edge, drew largely positive response from people attending the Ford Racing Drive Zone event. The new Ford Edge was immediately well-received as it rolled right into Detroit’s Ford Field. Its characteristic three-bar grille, big and bold wheels and muscular and modern profile were dubbed as “impressive†by attendees. Meanwhile, potential buyers expressed that they are interested in trading other Ford brands for the Edge.
The Ford Edge SUV is a very significant feature of the “Way Forward†restructuring plan. Ford badly needs a successful model to accomplish a turnaround, and the Edge might just be it. The company has posted a record $1.4 billion loss in the first half of 2006. And although Ford’s car sales has increased by up to 3.5% this year, the decline in large truck and SUV sales has hurt the company badly, especially since these segments are the company’s main selling points. Ford hasn’t released any prices yet but the Edge is expected to sell for about US$25,000.
Underscoring the excellent quality and safety of Toyota automobiles, the Camry sedan and RAV4 SUV recently earned top honors for side/front crash safety. The two Toyota vehicles dominated the other models evaluated by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Other models tested included the latest versions of the Dodge Caliber, Kia Optima, Lincoln Zephyr, and Hyundai Tucson SUV. All six vehicles garnered “good†or “acceptable†ratings in front crash tests. However, five of the six vehicles got a poor rating in rear-end collision protection. Only the Kia Optima got a good rating for rear crash safety though it was not tested for side impact crash. The tests involve crashing the vehicles into a barrier at a speed of 40 mph as well as hitting the vehicle from behind at 20 mph.
The vehicles with side air bags got the highest marks. This bodes well for the NHTSA’s mandate for industry-wide use of side airbags. Apparently, side air bags can save up to 1,200 lives in the US every year. However, side airbags remain as an option (priced at about $650) in most vehicles today. Only 38% of current vehicles come with standard side airbags, while another 30% offers the safety feature as an option.
Parking a car has just been elevated to a new level with BMW’s new “self-parking†prototype vehicle equipped with remote parking technology. It actually lets drivers stand beside their car while it parks itself perfectly into the garage. Sounds cool, doesn’t it? The prototype BMW Remote Park Assist system, revealed at the BMW Innovations Day in Munich, Germany last month, is designed for automatic garage parking. The driver providse parking instructions to the system through a central locking button on remote control. The car can then be reversed from the parking place while the driver is monitoring pedestrian traffic around the vehicle. This eliminates the risk of reversing into small children and pets.
The driver controls and supervises the car through a key fob and the vehicle moves at half-walking speed (2.5 km/h). The automatic parking process is made possible by the use of video cameras and sensors that detect the distance from obstacles. To avoid collisions, the driver can interrupt the parking process by simply releasing the button on the key fob.
The system lets the car park exactly in the middle of the space to allow maximum room to open the doors. And since everything is saved within the system’s computer; the car will maintain the same trajectory when leaving the garage and also stop at the same point where the driver started the parking maneuver. It even lets exterior mirrors fold automatically when parking and exiting. The BMW Parking Assist System is ideal for parking areas with restricted space such as in condos and apartments. This innovation is another proof of BMW’s leading edge when it comes to developing advanced and sophisticated automotive systems.
See BMW’s Remote Park Assist in action in this video:
Just in time for the opening of classes throughout the country, CNN Money recently released its selection of the seven best college cars. Choosing the best from today’s crop of new, low-priced car models is not an easy task. The team at CNN Money found that there is a surprising number of options available for the college student or the recent college grad even though they restricted their choices to cars with a starting base sticker price of below $16,000. CNN Money’s criteria for choosing the best college cars include great fuel economy, functionality and safety and size. Based on these, here are the seven best college cars according to CNN Money, ranked from the lowest to highest base price:
Amidst high gas prices and the growing importance of fuel economy as a major consideration in a car buyer’s decision, General Motors Corp. is developing not only one, but two hybrid electric motors in a single package. Called “Dual Hybridâ€, the technology will first be used in the automaker’s Full-size SUVs due in 2008. Dual Hybrid technology uses two electric motors, V8 engine, and 4-speed transmission. The engine is also powered either by 4 cylinders or 8 cylinders, depending on the load. It is estimated that dual hybrid will improve fuel economy by as much as 25% on current models. An on-board computer will determine whether the two electric motors, the gas engine or a combination of both will power the vehicle. 
The IROC’s design is undoubtedly attractive and distinctive with honeycomb-shaped grille different from VW’s corporate waterfall grill design. The interiors feature distinctive round gauges, instruments and displays at the cockpit illuminated by a cool blue back light. Meanwhile, our friends over at 
Toyota recently announced that it had developed the world’s first rear-end collision detection system that warn drivers of an impending collision with the help of a radar device installed in the car’s rear bumper. This radar senses if a vehicle is a approaching from behind. When the system detects a possible collision, sensors in the front headrests detect the position of the driver’s and front passenger’s heads. The system then changes the headrests’ positions to prevent the risk of whiplash injury. 
More and more automakers are recognizing the importance of “active head restraints†in preventing spinal/neck injuries and damages resulting from whiplash. New 2006 models from Honda and Mercedes Benz now feature restraint systems. This is a response to the growing demand for anti-whiplash safety equipments. Whiplash is the result of impulsive stretching of the spine, often the result of a rear-end collision between cars or trucks. The consequences of whiplash range from mild pain for a few days, to severe disability caused by restricted head movement and persistent pain.
The newest crossover SUV from Ford Motor Corp., named the Edge, drew largely positive response from people attending the Ford Racing Drive Zone event. The new Ford Edge was immediately well-received as it rolled right into Detroit’s Ford Field. Its characteristic three-bar grille, big and bold wheels and muscular and modern profile were dubbed as “impressive†by attendees. Meanwhile, potential buyers expressed that they are interested in trading other Ford brands for the Edge. 
Parking a car has just been elevated to a new level with BMW’s new “self-parking†prototype vehicle equipped with remote parking technology. It actually lets drivers stand beside their car while it parks itself perfectly into the garage. Sounds cool, doesn’t it? The prototype BMW Remote Park Assist system, revealed at the BMW Innovations Day in Munich, Germany last month, is designed for automatic garage parking. The driver providse parking instructions to the system through a central locking button on remote control. The car can then be reversed from the parking place while the driver is monitoring pedestrian traffic around the vehicle. This eliminates the risk of reversing into small children and pets. 