Another victim of high fuel prices, the next-generation Lexus SC has been canceled by Toyota while plans for the replacement Toyota Avalon Sedan might also be shelved. The SC is having a very low sales record, moving only 1,230 SC 430 units in the first six months of this year, down more than 40% from a year ago. A new version of the Lexus SC had been in the drawing boards and was supposedly slated for production in early 2009 but was pushed back to mid-2011; now it has been canceled according to Toyota insiders.

Meanwhile, Toyota is also mulling whether to cancel the planned replacement of the Camry-based Avalon which is slated for production in early 2010 in the automaker’s Kentucky plant.

Meanwhile, the Honda Civic moved 39,967 units to post a new June record. Sales for the Honda Accord also rose 54%. Reflecting current industry trends, the Honda’s light truck segment suffered a 14.2% slump. Year to date, American Honda’s sales grew by 4.8%.

Source: Honda

The Concept-cX SUV, which drew raves at last year’s Frankfurt Motor Show, is confirmed for production by Mitsubishi. The Concept-cX will feature a new 1.85 liter, Euro-5 compliant Clean Diesel four-cylinder turbo engine. It will also have Mitsubishi’s Twin Clutch SST gearbox and a custom AWD system, which are already fitted into the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X.

The new compact crossover model is expected to become the showcase model of Mitsubishi’s upcoming environmental awareness technologies which will include a family of Euro-5 clean diesel engines. These new engines will feature highly efficient turbochargers and excellent combustion characteristics that will provide class-leading power as well as low emissions. The production Concept-cX will be sold primarily in the European market. Further details have yet to be released, though.

Via Car Central

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety or IIHS has chosen the 2009 Acura TSX as recipient of its Top Safety Pick award. The TSX was honored for offering superior overall crash protection for a vehicle in its class. To win the award, a vehicle must receive top ratings of “good” in all front, side, and rear tests as well as excellent electronic stability control. IIHS officials cite the 2009 TSX’s significant improvement over the previous model.

“Criteria to win are tough because Top Safety Pick is intended to drive continued improvements such as top crash test ratings and rapid addition of electronic stability control, which is standard equipment on the TSX,” said IIHS president Adrian Lund. “Recognizing vehicles at the head of the class for safety helps consumers distinguish the best overall choices without having to sort through multiple test results.” he added. In 2007, the IIHS added a requirement for the Top Safety Pick award – all winners must feature electronic stability control.

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General Motors is apparently planning on unveiling a production version of its new Chevrolet Volt by September this year, just in time for the automaker’s 100th founding anniversary. With sales declining rapidly, GM is seeking to focus the investors’ and consumers’ attention away from the gloomy prospect brought about by rapidly declining sales (GM’s US sales are 15% off this year) to the rosier perspective of its fuel-efficient vehicles under development.

GM first showed off a concept version of the Volt back in January 2007 but has since significantly revamped the vehicle’s look to improve its aerodynamics. Now the shape of the production car has reportedly been finalized. The Chevy Volt is a plug-in electric vehicle designed to run purely on electricity from on-board batteries for up to 40 miles (64 km).

With the help of a small internal combustion engine driving a generator to resupply the batteries, the vehicle’s range can potentially reach 640 miles (1,030 km) on the highway. Two suppliers are in the running to provide the lithium-ion batteries for the Volt: Korea’s LG Chem and German auto parts supplier Continental AG. The Volt is one of the first landmark attempts to use lithium-ion batteries, very common in consumer electronics, in automobiles.

Via Reuters

As the auto industry continues to reel from the negative effects of rising world oil prices, consumers are looking towards buying compact, more fuel-efficient cars. But as buyers are trooping to smaller vehicles, concerns over whether these small cars offer enough protection are rising once again.

Fortunately, latest statistics show that small car safety have actually improved over the last few years. Automakers are making great strides in introducing safety innovations in small cars such as air bags that are designed to disperse energy generated by a car crash away from the passenger compartment. New materials such as high-strength steel are also being used to reinforce the sides.

Automakers are also improving the crash-worthiness of small vehicles by introducing electronic crash-avoidance systems that can detect an impending collision and take preventive measures, such as braking or tightening the seat belts.

Because of these improvements, the death rate for drivers of the smallest cars have dropped to 106 per million registered vehicles in 2006, down from 165 ten years ago. That makes small cars safer than small pickups with 116 deaths per million vehicles but on par with fatalities among large pickup drivers. But the numbers are still significantly higher than those of the safest categories: large sedans with 41 deaths per million vehicles and large SUVs with 33.

Via Detnews

As oil prices climb up to record highs, automakers are scrambling to produce a commercially-feasible electric vehicle. Hyundai hopes to make a good head start in the Hybrid Electric Car segment with the introduction of the make’s first hybrid electric car. The Asian country’s Ministry of Knowledge Economy divulged that Hyundai is currently conducting test drives of a hybrid electric version of its Avante model, a compact car called the Elantra in Australia, North America and Europe.

The hybrid Avante will use a lithium ion rechargeable battery pack. Expected to be sold in 2009, it will be the first South Korean hybrid electric vehicle. The new hybrid car can reach 37.9 miles per gallon compared to 24.7 miles per gallon for conventional engines or up to 35% savings on fuel. If successful, Hyundai could beat GM and Mitsubishi to the electric car race.

General Motors is planning to roll out Volt, its plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, in the US come November 2010. Meanwhile, Mitsubishi Motors is aiming to be the first makor automaker to bring an all-electric vehicle to the mass market by 2010, is fast-tracking the development of its prototype 4-door iMiEV electric vehicle.

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