GM Announces New Ecotec Small Engine Family
GM’s Ecotec engines have been around since 2000 or so, and have been used to power everything from the Chevy Cavalier through the 2011 Saab 9-5. Currently available in displacements ranging from 1.4 liters (as used in the 2011 Chevy Cruze and upcoming 2012 Chevy Sonic) through 2.4 liters (as used in the 2012 Chevy Malibu and 2012 GMC Terrain, among others) the Ecotec family accounts for a significant portion of GM’s current engine production.
Since downsizing engines for improved fuel efficiency and lower emissions is the easiest way for manufacturers to comply with ever-tightening regulations, GM has announced an all-new global family of Ecotec engines, set to begin production in mid-decade. While the new Ecotec engines will feature performance-and-gas-mileage-boosting-technology such as gasoline direct injection, turbocharging and multi-fuel capability, they’ll also be quite a bit smaller than today’s Ecotec engines.
Displacements will range from 1.0 liter to 1.5 liters, and GM envisions production of over 2 million engines a year by the end of the decade. To reduce production costs and simplify global assembly, the engines will use a modular approach with interchangeable components.
GM isn’t saying where the new engines will be used, only that the engines will span “multiple vehicle architectures in various regions.”
GM’s Jim Federico, vehicle line executive for global small cars and electric vehicles, summed up the need for the new engines by saying, “We are working aggressively on vehicle electrification and other technologies, but the most immediate progress will come from continually improving the internal combustion engine.”
The new Ecotec engines will be developed jointly between GM, the Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp. (SAIC), Shanghai General Motors and the Pan Asia Technical Automotive Center.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
GM Using Forensic Science To Build More Durable Cars
You can learn a lot by tearing a car down to its individual components, especially if that car has been force-aged to simulate years of life in the harshest possible environment. By applying forensic science to the automotive world, GM is doing just that with the new 2012 Chevrolet Cruze.
Rust is generally the enemy of steel, and rust can form anytime bare steel meets water and oxygen. Add salt, like many states use to de-ice roads in winter weather, and the process of corrosion can accelerate greatly.
In the past, automakers lacked the tools to effectively force-age cars, and rustproofing was generally done by the car dealer or the aftermarket, with marginal results. Today, General Motors has the ability to simulate 10 years of hard life, in the worst possible conditions, within a few months.
In the case of the 2012 Chevy Cruze, cars were tested to the 95th percentile, representing the worst-case environment that GM can simulate. Next, the cars were stripped down to individual components to search for rust, a process that involved drilling out up to 3,000 spot welds by hand.
When traces of rust were found, steps were taken to eliminate moisture or treat steel in affected areas. In the case of the Cruze, forensic engineers found corrosion where the inner panel of the rear door meets the safety beam. The forensic team made suggestions to change to a rust-resistant steel stamping, and the corrosion was eliminated in future tests.
Tearing down a car can take a two-member forensic team as long as two weeks, but the benefits in added body life are payback for their efforts. As corrosion engineer Christa Cooper puts it, “it’s part investigation, part engineering - I love this job.”
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
2013 Ford Fusion Finds A Home In Michigan
Ford’s Flat Rock assembly plant, also know as AutoAlliance International, currently builds the Ford Mustang and the Mazda6 sedan. We previously reported that Mazda will no longer build the Mazda6 at this joint venture, and will build the Mazda6 in Japan, which leaves Flat Rock with quite a bit of surplus capacity.Per Autoblog and a contract summary document (PDF link) released to UAW workers, that capacity will be filled by building some next-generation 2013 Ford Fusion models in Flat Rock. That doesn’t mean that Ford will cease Fusion production in Hermosillo, Mexico, current home to the Fusion. Instead, Flat Rock will be used to provide a second source of manufacturing for the Fusion product line.
If recent Fusion sales are an indicator of things to come, Ford may need added Fusion build capacity. Year to date, Ford has sold some 188,439 Fusion models, an increase of nearly 17 percent from 2010. Sales of the 2011 Fusion in September totaled 19,510 units, up over 22 percent from September 2010. In fact, the Fusion is the best-selling car in Ford’s current lineup, and even tops sales of the popular Ford Escape SUV (although just barely).
While details on the 2014 Ford Fusion remain sketchy, we expect that the car might make an advance debut, in thinly veiled concept form, at January’s Detroit Auto Show.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
Distracted Driving: AAA Says Drivers Don’t Practice What They Preach
Over the summer, AAA conducted its fourth annual Traffic Safety Culture Index, and while the study's findings are alarming, they shouldn't surprise anyone. That's because while many of us talk the talk about distracted driving, we're terrible at walking the walk.
AAA gathered data for the survey from June 6 - 28, 2011, polling a representative sample of 3,147 U.S. residents age 16 and older. Most of the survey's questions centered on mobile phone usage while driving -- particularly taking and making calls as well as sending and reading text messages.
The good news is that most American drivers understand that distracted driving is a major problem. In all, 88% of respondents admitted that talking on the phone while driving is a safety hazard, and a whopping 95% were worried about people texting or emailing behind the wheel. (That's even higher than the 93% of drivers who are concerned about drunk drivers.) Altogether, 87% of respondents favored laws that would criminalize reading or sending texts or emails while driving, and 50% said that they'd support laws to prohibit drivers from using their mobile phones at all.
The bad news is that many of the survey's participants don't follow their own advice. Nearly 68% said they had talked on their mobile phone while driving within the past 30 days -- though to minimize the potential damage, over half claimed that they did so only when stopped at an intersection, and respondents said they were more prone to answer calls than to make them.
Worse, 35% of drivers said that they'd read or typed text messages behind the wheel. As above, most said that they did so only when stopped at traffic lights, and respondents were more likely to read messages than type them.
Statistics like these are why AAA has launched its third "Heads-Up Driving Week" (going on now through October 8) and why the organization continues to push for laws banning texting while driving. As of today, 34 states plus the District of Columbia have distracted driving laws, and AAA is hoping to ratchet up that number even more within the coming year.
No matter how you feel about AAA's legislative efforts, we could all benefit from perusing AAA's ten tips for more focused driving. After all, who wouldn't enjoy a few less distractions -- especially behind the wheel?
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
Mercedes-Benz Has A New Flagship Property: The Superdome
Mercedes-Benz is great a putting its name on highly visible, aspirational products. The international series of Mercedes-Benz Fashion Weeks is maybe the best example of that process in action, but now the automaker has another high-profile feather in its cap: naming rights to the Louisiana Superdome.
The New Orleans Saints and Mercedes-Benz told the press about the deal on Monday afternoon, with the official announcement expected today. Though none of the financial details of the arrangement between Mercedes and the stadium's owner, the state of Louisiana, have yet been made public, the deal is good for ten years. The Superdome's new name officially launches on October 23, in conjunction with the highly anticipated match-up between the Saints and the Indianapolis Colts.
Everyone from the owner of the Saints football team, Tom Benson, to the governor has had numerous sound-bitey things to say about this arrangement, but none has been more curious than the statement issued by Stephen Cannon, vice president of marketing for Mercedes-Benz U.S.A.: "The Superdome was an icon for how we (as a society) did things wrong but now is an icon for rebirth."
Clearly, Cannon is referring to the debacle at the Superdome during Hurricane Katrina, but the building's architects probably wish he'd phrased that sentence more clearly. Also: if Mercedes and the Superdome are meant to be a perfect match, is Cannon implying that Mercedes slid off the rails, too?
It bears mentioning that Benson also owns a couple of Mercedes dealerships in New Orleans and San Antonio, Texas. Is this a case of mutual back-scratching? Probably. Is it likely to up the automaker's visibility in 2013, during the world cup of advertising, otherwise known as Super Bowl XLVII? Most definitely.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
September 2011 Car Sales: The Needle Creeps Higher
Monthly sales numbers for September 2011 are being reported today by car makers, and the slight progress made in August seems to be continuing with upticks at all the major brands except for the two most affected by the Japanese earthquake earlier this year.
According to market analysts at J.D. Power, September retail new-vehicle sales could check in at a seasonally adjusted annualized rate (SAAR) of 10.3 million unit, which would be the first time the SAAR was above 10 million units since April. With fleet sales counted in, the SAAR could reach 12.9 million units.
On the year, Power predicts total sales of 12.9 million units, with 10.2 million coming from retail customers.
Some early winners like the Ford Explorer and Chevy Cruze are repeating their success from months past. Are other vehicles failing to launch, or picking up late-in-life strength? The results, by automaker:General Motors: General Motors (NYSE: GM) says it sold 207,145 vehicles in September, up 20 percent over September 2010. Chevrolet sales rose 21.5 percent, with the Cruze topping the 200,000-unit mark in its first year on sale. GMC sold 27.7 percent more vehicles than it did in September of 2010; Buick's sales rose 5.6 percent, and Cadillac was up a slim 1.0 percent.
Ford: Ford (NYSE: F) reported a company-wide increase in sales of 9 percent, with utility vehicles climbing 35 percent and trucks up 15 percent. Total sales were 175,199 units. Ford-brand sales were up 14 percent--the Explorer, up 204 percent--which means a big drop at Lincoln not yet broken out in the numbers.Chrysler: Chrysler Group LLC says it sold 127,334 vehicles in September, a 27-percent increase over September 2010. Chrysler brand sales rose 36 percent; Ram was up 42 percent, Jeep climbed 24 percent, and Dodge sales rose 10 percent. Fiat has moved 13,861 units so far this year, well off initial targets.
Toyota / Lexus: Toyota says its sales of 121,451 units represented a decrease of 17.5 percent over September 2010. Toyota-brand vehicles accounted for 106,456 of those sales, down 18.2 percent; Lexus was off 11.5 percent at 14,995 units, but Scion was up 7.7 percent at 3,838 sales in September.
Honda / Acura:Honda began to see its sales slump soften, as production returned to normal after the March 11 earthquake in Japan. In September, Honda sold 89,532 vehicles, a drop of only 8.0 percent; for the year it's off 6.2 percent. Acura sales of 10,010 represented a decline of 6.6 percent; on the year, Acura is off 7.9 percent.Nissan / Infiniti: Nissan reported sales of 84,485 vehicles, a 28.2-percent rise over last year's September; the Versa subcompact was up 68 percent. Infiniti was up 2.1 percent at 8,479 units.
Hyundai: With sales up 20 percent on the year, Hyundai set a September sales record last month by moving 52,051 vehicles--a 12-percent increase over the same period in 2010.
Kia: Kia's sales boom means the automaker has passed its previous sales record in just the first nine months of this year. September 2011 sales totaled 35,609 units, up 18.4 percent. Kia is up 37.1 percent for the year.
BMW / MINI: BMW sales rose 11.4 percent in September, for a total of 25,749 vehicles, and a 14.2-percent rise on the year. MINI kicked in another 3,999 units, for a drop of 18.1 percent, but a year-to-date increase of 20.4 percent.
Volkswagen: Volkswagen reported 27,036 units sold in September 2011, a 35.6-percent increase over September 2010. The 2012 VW Passat sold more than 3000 copies in its first month on sale; the Jetta continues to power huge growth in the compact class, with sales up 55.5 percent from the same period in 2010. Year-to-date sales are up 22.2 percent.
Mazda: Mazda saw sales of its CX-7 and CX-9 sport-utility vehicles climb 90 and 73 percent respectively, while its overall September sales reached 25,521 vehicles. That increase of 37.4 percent boosted its year-to-date sales increase to 9.5 percent.
Mercedes-Benz: Mercedes-Benz sold 23,897 vehicles in September, an increase of 15.6 percent over September 2010. The latest version of the C-Class is up more than 30 percent versus last year. On the year, the brand is up 10.3 percent.Subaru: Sales of 20,934 vehicles put Subaru's September 2011 sales off 2.3 percent from a year ago. At 195,550 units sold on the year, the brand is up 1.0 percent, though.
Audi: Audi says 9,725 vehicle sales in September set a new record, and represented a rise of 19.3 percent over last September. On the year, Audi is up 15.5 percent.
Mitsubishi: Mitsubishi sales were up 17 percent, for a total of 5,803 units.
Volvo: Volvo sold 5,042 vehicles in September, for a 21-percent bump over September 2010. On the year, Volvo sales are up almost 27 percent.Jaguar/Land Rover: The combined British brands said total sales in September of 3,851 vehicles represented an 11-percent increase from the same month last year. Jaguar sold 1111 vehicles for a 15-percent gain, while Land Rover moved 2740 units for a 10-percent boost. On the year, Jaguar Land Rover is up 9 percent.
Porsche: Porsche says it sold 2,170 vehicles in September, an increase of 10 percent on the month. For the year, the brand is up 28 percent.
Suzuki: Sales of 2,026 vehicles gave Suzuki a 23-percent boost in September. On the year, the Japanese brand--recently in the headlines for spats with erstwhile alliance partner VW--is up 20 percent.Saab: Not yet reported
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
Jeep Grand Wagoneer Poised For 2014 Return: Report
The last full-size Jeep Grand Wagoneer rolled off the assembly line in 1991, although the nameplate survived on the high-end, mid-size Jeep Grand Cherokee until 1993. Time really hasn’t diminished the demand for the full-size Grand Wagoneers, and clean, low-mileage used examples today can fetch prices topping $30,000.Chrysler is well aware of this, so the automaker began discussing plans for the rebirth of the American icon earlier this year. Originally planned as a 2013 model, the realities of the global market have now pushed back the Jeep Grand Wagoneer’s launch to 2014, according to documents published on Carscoop.
Here’s what we know so far: the new seven-seat Grand Wagoneer will share a platform with the recently announced Maserati Kubang. The Jeep will likely get Pentastar V-6 and HEMI V-8 engine choices, and will lean heavily towards the luxury side of the market. Think of it as a competitor to the Cadillac Escalade, not the Ford Expedition.
The new Jeep Grand Wagoneer will top Jeep’s range, which will begin with a new B-segment entry in 2014 to compete against compact crossovers like the Nissan Juke and Volkswagen Tiguan. Jeep will also have a single replacement for the Compass / Patriot in the C-segment, and will have a replacement for the Liberty in the D-segment.
Look for the Wrangler and Grand Cherokee nameplates to continue largely unchanged (except for refreshes), as Jeep works to grow sales from 400,000 units in 2010 to a stated goal of 800,000 units in 2014.
This story originally appeared at The Car Connection
