2011 VPG MV-1 Has Wheelchair Users In Mind
With all due respect to Janis Joplin, freedom is not just another word for nothing else to lose. For America’s 14 million adults using wheelchairs and scooters, freedom means mobility. Vehicle Production Group had them in mind when it designed its MV-1, the first purpose-built vehicle for members of the disability community and their caregivers.
Wheelchair-accessible vehicles have been on the road for years. Typically, they’re minivans that undergo extensive and expensive aftermarket conversion, easily doubling the vehicle’s original sticker price while voiding the manufacturer’s warranty. Fit and finish and reliability are inconsistent also.
With production underway at AM General’s Indiana plant (the former home of HUMMER), the 2011 VPG MV-1 (for “first mobility vehicle”) should avoid those shortcomings and offer significant advantages.
Whether ordered in base SE trim starting at $39,950 or $41,950 for the DX (before any qualifying incentives), no modifications are required; the MV-1 meets National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) standards and is Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliant. VPG opted for traditional body-on-frame construction for durability but insists ride quality doesn’t suffer for it. It seats up to six and is configurable to accept multiple wheelchairs at once. A generous side doorway, wheelchair ramp and tie-down points are already there, including the shotgun position next to a conventional cockpit (VPG states most owners won’t do the driving themselves).
From the driver’s seat, the layout is straightforward. Ford’s bulletproof 4.6-liter V-8 is mated to its common four-speed automatic gearbox. Green-minded owners can choose a factory-installed Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) fueling system. Either way, VPG covers the powertrain with a five-year/75,000-mile warranty. That complements the three-year/36,000-mile bumper to bumper coverage, along with five years/75,000 miles for the ramp and five years/100,000 miles against corrosion.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
2012 GMC Terrain Debuts Camera-Based Collision Alert
While radar-based collision detection systems aren’t new, General Motors is the first automaker to debut a simpler, more economical camera-based system. The camera will also provide drivers with a lane departure warning system, and it’s now an affordable option on the 2012 GMC Terrain crossover.
The collision alert system, which operates at speeds above 25 miles per hour, uses a windshield-mounted high resolution digital camera to capture some 14 frames per second. Each frame is analyzed by an image processing algorithm to determine the change in position of objects in view.
If the system detects a car in front, it signals the driver with a green icon; follow too closely, and that green icon changes to a solid red warning bar. Close on a vehicle in front too quickly, and that red bar will flash, an audible alert will sound and the Terrain will pre-charge its braking system to reduce stopping distances.
That’s simplifying it a bit, since the system also takes into consideration speed, directional change, accelerator position and brake pedal position before calculating whether or not a warning is required. For rush hour commuting, warning range can be adjusted to accommodate traffic flow, or the system can be disabled entirely by the driver.
The camera also senses the Terrain’s position within painted lane markers, at speeds above 35 miles per hour. Deviate from your lane without using a turn signal, and the lane departure warning icon changes from green to flashing amber, accompanied by a series of beeps.
The camera and associated processing software is smart enough to function day or night, but can be affected by snow or mud obscuring the lens. Unlike radar-based systems, which can add thousands of dollars to the cost of a vehicle, GM’s camera-based system is a $295 option on the 2012 GMC Terrain.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
GM Pioneers The Front Center Air Bag
General Motors will launch an industry-first center air bag in 2013 Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia and Chevy Traverse midsize crossovers. The airbag will be standard on the Buick Enclave, and on all Acadia and Traverse models equipped with power seats.The front center airbag is designed to protect drivers in an opposite-side crash, and will serve as an energy-absorbing cushion between driver and front seat passenger in all side-impact crashes. The tubular airbag is mounted in the right cushion of the driver’s seat, and will also provide an additional margin of safety in rollover accidents.
Although not required by federal regulations, GM feels the front center airbag will help increase vehicle safety and potentially reduce side-impact fatalities. Per National Highway Traffic Safety Administration data, some 29 percent of belted front occupant fatalities involved being struck on the opposite side of the vehicle.
GM worked with industry supplier Takata over a three-year period to arrive at the best combination of packaging and protection for a variety of crash types and occupant sizes. GM and Takata will share patents on the design of the airbag cushion.
GM is quick to point out that the front center airbag is part of a comprehensive occupant restraint system, and won’t provide maximum benefit unless occupants are wearing seat belts. Gay Kent, GM’s executive director of Vehicle Safety and Crashworthiness called the innovative airbag a “demonstration of GM’s commitment to provide continuous occupant protection before, during and after a crash.”
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
Ford Yanks TV Ad Critical Of Bailouts
Just two weeks ago, we told you about a Ford television commercial critical of GM and Chrysler for taking bailout money. The unscripted ad, filmed in a mock “press conference” format, featured an F-150 owner named Chris who supported Ford for “standing on their own; win, lose or draw.”
Now the ad has been pulled from the airwaves, and not because of public sentiment. Instead, some within the White House have reminded Ford that even Alan Mulally, Ford’s beloved CEO, supported the idea of government loans in the darkest days of 2008 and 2009. Ford may not have accepted loans (aside from a Fed-backed line of credit) but the automaker was behind the government issuing them.
The Detroit News says that Ford pulled the ad in response to White House criticism, and perhaps because of ire from cross-town rival General Motors. The success of the automaker bailout will figure heavily in Obama’s reelection campaign, so anything that portrays the bailout in a negative light will be frowned upon, heavily, by administration staffers.
An unnamed source familiar with the situation admits that the ad is “highly charged,” but insists it was never an attack on policy. The source also denies that Ford was under pressure to take down the ad, but there’s no denying that it raises questions those in power would rather not address, especially heading into a reelection year.
As for Ford, it may soon find itself stuck between a rock and a hard place. Both GM and Chrysler currently have better credit ratings than Ford, thanks to government-provided assistance. GM and Chrysler also have a clause prohibiting UAW hourly workers from striking prior to 2015, which was part of the package handed out by the Feds. Ford doesn’t have such protection, and it’s about to begin difficult contract negotiations with the UAW.
Whether the ad runs or not, Ford will continue to get business from buyers opposed to the bailout. That won’t help its negotiations with the UAW, but it will certainly help the automaker’s bottom line.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
By The Numbers: Women Are Worse At Parking Than Men
We’re not big on perpetuating stereotypes, and we’d dare anyone to tell Michele Mouton, Sabine Schmitz or Simona de Silvestro that women are less capable than men behind the wheel. Still, sometimes studies produce hard data, and the latest numbers from Britain seem to suggest one thing: women have a more difficult time parking than men.Nearly a third of women who failed their U.K. driving test in 2010 missed because of errors made parallel parking. The overall failure rate for women in the U.K. is higher, too: while 50.7 percent of men taking the driving test pass, only 44.1 percent of women taking the same test pass.
It’s not just the British reporting the link between women and parking, either. Researchers at Germany’s Ruhr University Bochum had 65 volunteers park an Audi worth an estimated $36,000. On average, it took women drivers some 20 seconds longer to accomplish the task than it did their male counterparts.
Blame it on bravado, which also costs men on the British driving exam. The Daily Mail reports that some 40,000 men failed the exam for “moving off too fast,” while another 30,500 failed for “jumping the lights.” Maybe that’s the reason why women drivers enjoy cheaper car insurance, even in Britain.
Do the studies really prove anything? Probably not, which means this debate is sure to continue.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
Ford Builds An Explorer From Lego Bricks–And No, You Can’t Drive It
A 2012 Ford Explorer generally contains some 2,500 separate parts, and will take you nearly anywhere you need to go, on road or off (within reason). The newest Ford Explorer contains 382,858 parts, and you can’t drive it anywhere.
In fact, the doors don’t even open, and there’s no engine beneath its plastic hood. The newest Ford Explorer is built from Lego bricks and will be used to promote the Ford Driving School at Legoland Florida, after a brief stop at Ford’s Chicago Assembly Plant, where the “other” Explorers are built.
The 2,654-pound sculpture will be trucked from Chicago to Winter Haven, Fla., in a trailer with transparent sides, allowing motorists to see the life-size plastic replica. It took a team of Lego designers some 2,500 hours to lay out and construct the Explorer, so we’re guessing that the transport driver will be chosen for his long and unblemished safety record.
Once at the new Legoland Park in Florida, the Explorer will be displayed in front of the Ford Driving School attraction, which allows children as young as three to climb behind the wheel of speed-limited electric model cars. Designed to simulate driving in a neighborhood (built of Lego bricks, of course), drivers are cheered on by park employees known as “Model Citizens,” and receive souvenir Ford Driving School licenses at the end of the ride.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
OnStar Committing ‘Brazen’ Invasion Of Privacy, Says Senator
On Thursday, we told you about OnStar's new terms of service, which go live this December. Among the more controversial features in the company's new customer agreement, OnStar now reserves the right to share details about owners' location, speed, and other factors with third parties. Worse: OnStar says it will continue collecting that data even after folks cancel their subscriptions.
Now, Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) is calling foul. He's calling on the Federal Trade Commission to investigate OnStar's new TOS to see if they violate federal consumer protection laws. Said the senator: "OnStar is attempting one of the most brazen invasions of privacy in recent memory."
Until now, OnStar's new TOS had received minimal attention, overshadowed by bigger public-relations disasters, like the trainwreck instigated by Netflix. To its credit, OnStar has tried to get ahead of the game, sending out letters to subscribers and owners well in advance of the launch date, and even going so far as to publish a video apologizing for the confusion those letters have caused. But with a well-known Senator of a populous state now calling attention to the TOS, OnStar might have to do some more serious backpedaling.
Our take
Like any corporate entity, OnStar is entitled to create products and terms of service to support its bottom line, so long as they don't break any laws. Conversely, the public is entitled to purchase those products (with their TOSes) or ignore them.
Frankly, we're not completely bothered by the possibility of OnStar selling data to third parties. After all, OnStar exists to capture data on customers -- without that, features like navigation and roadside assistance wouldn't be very useful. And though the practice of making customer data available to other companies for a fee might seem a little sketchy, it isn't too different from cable companies tracking subscribers' viewing habits so they'll know how to sell advertising.
No the problems here are (a) OnStar's intention to track data on non-subscribers, (b) OnStar making data collection for non-subscribers opt-out instead of opt-in, and (c) OnStar's ineptitude in handling the whole TOS rollout.
Item C can't be helped (other than replacing the company's PR staff). Items A and B, however, could be addressed with a couple of quick changes to the TOS. The new rules don't become effective for over two months -- surely there's time for a re-write.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
2012 Honda CR-V Concept Debuts In Anaheim
World debuts for new concept and production models typically happen at premier auto shows, like the North American International Auto Show, the Tokyo Motor Show or even the IAA (more commonly known as the Frankfurt Auto Show). The Orange County International Auto Show, held annually in Anaheim, California, isn’t where most automakers would choose to debut a revision to one of their most popular models.
Honda isn’t like most automakers, so it chose the Orange County International Auto Show for the world debut of its 2012 Honda CR-V Concept. Not only is the current CR-V one of Honda’s best-selling models, it’s also the best-selling SUV in the United States, by calendar year, from 2007 through 2010.
That makes the success of the fourth-generation Honda CR-V critical to Honda’s sales in the United States, so Honda needed to walk a fine line between too many design changes and not enough changes. The styling of the concept would seem to indicate that Honda’s designers hit their mark.
The 2012 Honda CR-V Concept is more dramatically styled than CR-Vs of the past, yet still tasteful in its design. Character lines on the new CR-V are more deeply sculpted, and the front end is somewhat aggressive in appearance. Signature styling traits, like the faux front skid plat and vertical tail lights, remain, and the muscular rocker panels give the CR-V something of a sporty look.
Honda is quick to point out that this is still just a concept, albeit one that “strongly hints” at the styling of the upcoming production model, which will debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November. What other changes, compared to the current CRV, does Honda have in store? Expect a more fuel-efficient engine, a lower curb weight and a revised interior that Honda calls “accommodating and spacious.”
Look for the 2012 Honda CR-V to hit dealer showrooms by the end of the year.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
Suzuki Demands Apology For VW Lawsuit
Divorces, be they between previously consenting adults or major corporations, rarely end on an amicable note. Such is the case between once-happy newlyweds Suzuki and Volkswagen, and the breakup between the two is starting to look like fodder for grocery-store tabloids.Suzuki is demanding Volkswagen retract published statements, implying that the Japanese automaker breached contracts with Volkswagen by sourcing diesel engines from Fiat. Suzuki has even given Volkswagen a deadline of September 30, claiming that its global reputation has been significantly damaged by Volkswagen’s announcement.
The two automakers view Suzuki’s actions in a different light: while VW says that sourcing engines from Fiat violated the terms of the agreement between Suzuki and Volkswagen, Suzuki claims that they had received prior consent from VW to approach Fiat. Suzuki further claims that VW’s diesel engines did not meet Suzuki’s expectations, giving them no alternative but to look for other partners.
While Suzuki chairman Osamu Suzuki is pushing hard for an end to the relationship (actually referring to it as a “ball and chain”), Volkswagen seems indifferent to the drama. In fact, VW has refused to sell their stake in Suzuki, despite repeated offers from Osamu Suzuki to repurchase the shares.
As Automotive News (subscription required) reports, Suzuki is adamant that any working relationship between the two companies is over. Volkswagen, who has yet to comment on Suzuki’s demand, doesn’t appear to have an interest in terminating its relationship with Suzuki.
Just as in a civil divorce, expect this drama to play out in a courtroom before it’s ultimately resolved.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
New Car Shopping? Here Are September’s Best Deals
If you’re in the market to buy or lease a new car, TrueCar says there’s no time like this weekend. In fact, the vehicle-transaction-price tracking website estimates that this Saturday, September 24, will be your best shot at getting a good deal in the month of September.
If you’re looking to buy a full size pickup or SUV, the 2011 Nissan Titan can be had for $22,497, thanks to incentives totaling $5,888 (which represents a discount of 20.7 percent from list). The 2011 Ford Expedition is selling for $36,502, thanks to $6,208 worth of available incentives, which saves you 14.5 percent from sticker price.
If a sedan is more to your liking, consider the 2011 Volvo S80, which can be had for $31,631, a discount of $6,394 (and 16.8 percent) from list price. If you want an American sedan, the 2011 Chevy Malibu is selling for $19,946 (a discount of $3,789, or 16 percent) and the 2011 Chrysler 200 can be had for $21,035 (saving you $3,660, or 14.8 percent).
If you’re looking for help with financing, the 2011 Buick Enclave, the 2011 Ford Fusion and the 2011 Toyota Camry LE are all available with zero-percent financing, with terms up to 60 months. Kia is offering 1.9-percent financing on 2011 Kia Sedona models, plus it will give you an additional $3,000 cash back if you finance through its lender.
If leasing is more your style, you may want to check out deals on the 2012 Audi Q5 2.0T ($499 per month for 39 months), the 2011 Hyundai Sonata ($199 per month for 36 months), 2012 Infiniti M37 ($549 per month for 39 months) the 2012 Jaguar XF ($649 per month for 36 months) or the 2012 VW Passat ($219 per month for 36 months). Remember that lease deals all require cash down at signing, and most cap you to either 10,000 or 12,000 miles per year.
It’s a good time of year to be car shopping, since the end of September is also the end of the third quarter. If car makers are hungry to make deals at the end of the month, they’re ravenous to close sales at the end of the quarter. Use this to your advantage, and you’ll be able to cut the best deal possible on your next ride.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
