2009 Subaru Exiga Makes Formal Debut

OKYO, Japan The 2009 Subaru Exiga, a minivan-ish seven-passenger crossover wagon, made its formal debut on Tuesday here. The Exiga was unveiled last fall as a concept at the 2007 Tokyo Auto Show.

Prior to the production Exiga's formal presentation, Subaru had only showed off partial images of the vehicle.

The base Exiga gets a 2.0-liter DOHC boxer-4 that delivers 146 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 141 pound-feet of torque. The uplevel Exiga 2.0 GT with all-wheel drive gets a turbocharged version of that engine, boosting horsepower to 222 and torque to 240 pound-feet. A four-speed automatic transmission is standard on 2.0-liter models; a five-speed automatic transmission with Sportshift is standard on the 2.0-liter turbo models.

The Nikkei says the vehicle will be priced between $18,400 and $25,700 in Japan.

The Exiga gets an optional panoramic glass roof that is available on all models except the 2.0i. The cabin gets three rows of seats that are laid out at different heights to allow better exterior visibility for all passengers. The Exiga is sized between the Legacy wagon and the Tribeca MPV.

In late May, a Subaru of America spokesman told Inside Line that there are no immediate plans to sell the Exiga in the U.S.

2009 Hyundai Sonata's Touch-Screen Display Enhances XM Radio

CHICAGO -- XM, the nation's leading provider of satellite radio, announced today that 2009 Hyundai Sonata buyers will experience an enhanced XM radio listening experience through the vehicles available color, touch-screen navigation display. The Sonata's navigation display, unveiled today at the 2008 Chicago Auto Show, will make for a richer XM listening experience.

The brand-new display on the 2009 Hyundai Sonata allows listeners can use the high-resolution touch-screen display to easily scan through XM's more than 170 channels of entertainment.

The display will feature sophisticated graphics, making it easy to glance at the XM channel name, song title, artist name, and category to select music, sports, talk, news, comedy or traffic and weather.

"XM fans will truly appreciate the enhanced user experience through the Hyundai Sonata's new touch-screen display. Now, listening to XM Radio in the vehicle is richer and easier than ever before," said Joe Verbrugge, senior vice president, automotive partnerships and international operations, XM Satellite Radio.

XM has been standard on all Sonata models since 2007. Every Hyundai equipped with XM Satellite Radio also comes with a three-month complimentary subscription.

This is the first time a navigation system has been incorporated into the Sonata.

The 2009 Hyundai Sonata will be on display throughout the 2008 Chicago Auto Show.

Toyota Opens Loans to Seven Years

Toyota Motor Corp. has begun offering customers 84-month loans on new cars in an effort to help dealers ride out the most severe downturn in the U.S. auto industry in the past decade.

The seven-year loans are unusually long. Just a few years ago, 72-month auto loans were rare.

The move reflects the lengths to which auto makers are going to pump up sales without resorting to the hefty cash rebates that they have relied on in the past. Over time, big cash discounts eat into profits and tarnish an auto maker's image. Most are now trying to curtail the practice. Chrysler recently began offering navigation systems and other interior upgrades at no additional costs to tempt buyers.

George Borst, chief executive of Toyota Financial Services, said at a financial-services conference in San Francisco that the company started offering seven-year car loans in late summer. These loans, which carry slightly higher rates than 72-month deals, have risen to represent 4% of all cars Toyota Financial Services lends money on.

A Toyota Financial spokesman said there were too many variables to say what rates are charged on the loans. But rates quoted by Toyota dealers ranged from 6.9% to 7.59% for 84-month loans, compared with 5.85% to 6.84% for 72-month financing.

Mr. Borst said he sees the loans growing to represent 5% of business. He said Toyota's in-house lender, known as a "captive finance arm," started making the loans after realizing it was losing business to other noncaptive lenders offering loans with longer terms.

Toyota Financial Services originates loans for about three-quarters of the cars financed in the U.S. at Toyota dealers, or about 50% of total sales for the auto maker, a spokeswoman said. She said the seven-year loans are given only to customers with top credit.

GMAC Financial Services, the largest auto lender in the world, offers 84-month loans but says they make up a tiny portion of its business. Ford Motor Co.'s credit arm did some pilot programs related to 84-month loans, but isn't aggressively offering them. "We don't like these loans," Ford Motor Credit Chief Executive Michael Bannister said on the sidelines of the conference.

By:- Automotive News

Mystery supercar revealed! Meet the MCE MC1

Spy shots of a Mystery Car being tested in the UK last year caused quite a commotion. Many speculated its identity, with the upcoming return of the Lotus Esprit or a new Lotus sportscar being the odds on favorite. All of those guesses are incorrect, as the identity of the mystery supercar has been revealed as the MCE MC1.

New CAR magazine should be credited with the expert sleuthing that not only revealed the car’s identity, but also brought to light a series of official renderings that show off the MC1’s body, designed by David Hilton who also penned the Ford Focus RS and S-Max.

The MC1 is really a joint project between two companies: MotorCity Europe and C2P Automotive. C2P handled development of the MC1 and will likely be responsible for building it, while MCE coordinated its design. Mechanically speaking, all we know is that the MC1 is powered by a 600bhp V10 and features an all-carbon fiber monocoque chassis. Its wheels are enormous at 20-inches up front and 21-inches in the rear. In terms of size, CAR states that the MC1 is “slightly shorter and narrower than a Lamborghini Murcielago LP640, and a mere 15mm higher.”

The MCE MC1 is still not necessarily destined for production, as this “concept” needs funding to get flying. But MCE has obviously done a lot of heavy lifting so far, including track testing and nailing the car’s overall aesthetic, which, as you can see in the gallery, is every bit as ostentatious as a supercar should be.

By:- Automotive News

2008 Jeep Commander the Sleeker Cherokee

The Jeep Commander is a mid-sized SUV introduced in 2006. Its first public appearance was commenced at the New York Auto Show in 2005 and debuted as a sports utility vehicle in 2006. It came out as a 7 passenger SUV with just about 2 inches longer than the Grand Cherokee.

Upgrades have been made in the engine and overall features for the 2008 Jeep Commander. The 2008 Commander is a 4-door, up to 7-passenger sport-utility, available in 6 trims, ranging from the Sport 4X2 to the Overland 4X4. "The Sport 4X2 is equipped with a standard 3.7-liter, V6, 210-horsepower engine that achieves 14-mpg in the city and 19-mpg on the highway. The Overland 4X4 is equipped with a standard 5.7-liter, V8, 330-horsepower engine that achieves 13-mpg in the city and 17-mpg on the highway. A 5-speed automatic transmission with overdrive is standard on both trims." With this specification, one evident quality of the Jeep Commander is its capability to drive off the road.

The new Jeep Commander holds a big similarity with the original Jeep Cherokee, but has been made more modern through its auto body parts, sleeker looks and attractive finish. The Commander is undoubtedly a Jeep due to its apparent use of Jeep design cues. Such Jeep exclusive features include the seven-slot grille, trapezoidal wheel openings, and squared-off lines with flat surfaces. It’s been added with allen-head bolts along the wheel openings and a decorative headlamp module to create a more technical look.

Its exterior standard features include fender flares and door handles that match the body color for a smoother line, a flip-up glass window in the back lift-gate, and heated power mirrors that fold against the body of the car.

The interior may not show-off excessive luxury features, but it is totally roomy and well-designed. The seats for seven are nicely shaped and padded. Standard interior features include power front windows, heated power mirrors, eight-way power driver's seat, air conditioning, cruise control, AM/FM/CD six-speaker audio and tire pressure monitoring warning.

According to usnews.rankingsandreviews.com 2008 Jeep Commander does fairly well in federal government crash tests "Safety features on the 2008 Jeep Commander include the expected LATCH child-seat restraint system, multi-stage airbags for the front seat, and side curtain airbags for all seats, and both traction control and stability control as well as an accident response system that turns off the fuel pump, lights the interior of the vehicle, and unlocks all the doors, if the airbags deploy.

Acura Upgrades RDX for 2009

TORRANCE, California Acura has made some minor upgrades to its 2009 RDX. The changes should make it an even bigger threat to the entry-level premium SUV segment, of which it captured 38 percent in its first full year of sales.

For 2009, the four-way adjustable power front seat is standard for the passenger, which is a big addition for the turbocharged 240-horsepower Acura crossover. Four new exterior colors are now available: Basque Red Pearl, Crystal Black Pearl, Grigio Metallic and Palladium Metallic. Acura's real-time traffic system also gets another metropolitan area to make 77 total covered cities.

The sleek 2009 RDX already comes stacked with options like a 10-speaker premium sound system and advanced navigation, and the few additional features cause a slight price increase compared to the 2008 RDX. The base model is up $500 to $34,455, and the Technology Package trim level is up $300 to $37,755. It will soon be on the lot at your local dealer and is currently available for order.

By:- Automotive News

Automotive Industry News

Six Ways to Cut Gas Prices Forever

Cheap gas has never been guaranteed. Nevertheless, we Americans have tended to treat it--like so many things--as a right, not a privilege. And this entire political season is threatening to be overwhelmed entirely by the idea that we have the right to $3 or $2 a gallon of gas without making a single sacrifice.

Even our fantastically flexible economy is struggling with today's gas prices. The momentary inconvenience of paying more and driving less is only a symptom. The root cause is that we're beholden to a generation of lunatic-fringe fundamentalists who see a big recession as sort of an hors d'oeuvre before they commit the next terror attack here at home. And we're beholden to a lifestyle that we're unwilling to support with what we have and what we can afford today.

So while you might really be looking for six ways to cut costs at the pumps today, I'm giving you six ways we can cut gas prices forever--but it's bitter medicine, no doubt:

Drill here, drill now--and refine. Open up the Alaskan National Wildlife Refuge, the Florida and California coasts, and the shale deposits in the Rockies for more exploration. Send the signal that we're serious about doing for ourselves. Start right now by signing the petition online from Newt Gingrich's American Solutions. Build refineries to handle the expansion. If you want a larger economy and more prosperity, it must be fed.

Cut tariffs on Brazilian ethanol. We have 6 million flex-fuel vehicles already on the road. Our ethanol's expensive and inefficient to produce; Brazil makes a lot of richer ethanol at much cheaper prices, but we levy a tariff on it to "protect American farmers." At the current state of U.S. ethanol production, E85-equipped vehicles will never reach a tipping point of acceptance, and development will stall like it did in the early 1990s when I drove my first flex-fuel Chevrolet Lumina. Detonate demand: open the door to Brazilian imported ethanol, get people used to looking for something other than gas, and make an even stronger relationship with a country that's in our hemisphere and has identified huge oil reserves as a backup. Farm states don't want it, proving that self-interest doesn't only run deep at the gas pump.

Go nuclear. Wherever possible, we need to build new nuclear reactors and a real solution in place to deal with nuclear waste. If China, Russia, and India can have more than a hundred reactors in the planning stages, so can we. This is the only way to make plug-in hybrids work: get cars on the grid and off the tanker.

Leave "Big Oil" alone while we cut consumption. Idiotic calls to "seize oil profits" and "take oil companies to task" are fright moves that will scare the existing industry out of exploration when we can least afford it. If more Americans knew the difference between a profit margin and pure profit, this wouldn't even be an issue.

Keep researching for usable alternatives. Hear about the bacteria that excrete crude oil? Or the natural wind tunnel of West Texas that could be farmed? These are great examples of energy diversity. Keep funding research and expanding use, but if they can't turn a profit in 15 years, move on. Rely on American ingenuity first, resources second.

Dump the CAFE standards. The most destructive legislation in industrial history needs to be broomed. Let the market decide whether big cars live or die--and only with heavy guarantees in place, set a flat national tax on gasoline that goes directly to improving roads and easing traffic flow. Some automakers like the idea, because it makes more sense to consumers and it makes more sense to industry than CAFE. I like it because it leaves choice in your hands.

And for a seventh, how about:

Get real about driving--and flying, and shopping, and everything. Here's where you come in. You don't need three cars. You don't need to live 50 miles from work or from public transportation. You don't need to drive 30 minutes across town for "a great meal." Learn to cook, learn to ride a bus, and learn to consume less where you can. Driving is not the only player in our crude-oil domestic melodrama, but it's an easy place to start.

Car Fuel Saving Tips How to Save on Fuel Cost

With the current rising global oil prices, many people are finding it tougher fuelling their cars and keeping to their monthly household budget. People are constantly searching for car fuel saving tips to reduce their gasoline usage cost. One solution to reduce fuel cost is by converting your car to run on hydrogen gas. Do you want to learn how you can convert your car to run on hydrogen? This article will provide some information on the subject.

Almost every driver around the world will want to know car fuel saving tips to save on the consumption of gasoline. There are many ways that this can be done.


1. Constantly Checking On the Conditions of Your Car

Just by checking your car’s tire air pressure, it will improve your gas mileage by at least 4 percent. To have a better engine performance, clean your air intake filter. This simple process can boost your gas mileage by 10 percent. Another option is to convert your car to run on hydrogen gas.

2. Use Water To Power Your Car

There is a new technology spreading over the world wide web that involves converting water into clean and renewable energy for your car. It has been proven to help many drivers improve their gas mileage and reduce fuel consumption. Many people will believe that this new technology is a hoax. However, this technology has been broadcasted over Fox News in a news report. After the report, it has created a lot of interest from people all over the world.

3. What Are The Benefits Of Using Water As Fuel?

In summary, this new car fuel saving tip has a potential to save gasoline consumption by as much as 75 percent. Another benefit is less carbon dioxide emission and the only by product of this system is pure water.

4. How To Convert Your Car To Use Water Power?

To convert your car to run on water can easily be done with a budget of around $150. There are no major modifications on your engine and the entire procedure is totally reversible. All of the parts needed for the conversion kit can be bought from the hardware store. There are many e-books that you can purchase online that will help you in the conversion process.

By:- Automotive News

New York ‘08 Preview: Suzuki Concept Kizashi 3 planned for debut

At the Frankfurt Motor Show last year we met the first Suzuki Kizashi Concept, a large sport wagon proof of concept that looked like a Dodge Magnum had crashed into a box of Anime. Next we encountered the Kizashi Concept 2 at the Tokyo Motor Show, which carried forward the first concept’s design theme but applied it to a low-slung CUV body. At the New York Auto Show later this month, we’ll meet the Concept Kizashi 3, the most production feasible Kizashi concept to date and the last one in the series. Cast in the form a sport sedan, the Concept Kizashi 3 portends a future performance four-door for the Japanese brand, and we’re down with that given Suzuki hasn’t played in this space with a decent offering, like, ever. We have no other information on Suzuki’s big debut for New York, so no word on what powers it, which wheels are driven or what the interior’s like, but we’ll find out soon enough when Autoblog goes to Gotham.

By:- Automotive News

Automotive News

2009 Toyota Corolla Review

Automotive News

OK, we’ve seen some of their previous work so we probably shouldn’t have expected much more this time around, but when we heard that Mansory had gotten its hands on an SLR and a Ferrari 599 GTB, we certainly hoped that it would figure out a way to enhance their gotta-have-it quotients. Alas, our prayers went unanswered. Done up in a matte gold and black combo, the SLR looks a bit toy-like, but it should manage to sell in the single digits at least. Which digit you choose to count the sales is up to you. The Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano had actually been criticized in some camps for being a bit too evocative of the Chevrolet Corvette when it was first shown. The Mansory edition done up in white and carbon fiber looks even more Vette-like to our eyes. Thoughts of a ZR1 or the recent 427 special edition Z06 leapt to mind. There was also a Phantom in the booth, but quite honestly, doing something outrageous to a Roller just doesn’t offend us as badly. Take a look at the gallery and let us know if you agree. We’ve already heard from at least one other journo who happened to be winding his way down the road towards us that the 599 looks seriously racy and that we are dead wrong about it. We’ll let you decide for yourselves. Click away.

Auto News

The More You Pay, The More You Panic

The more you pay for gasoline, it seems, the more you're likely to panic and rush out looking for some quick fix - or so suggest the results from a new survey by CNW Marketing.

Until prices hit around $3 a gallon, there was virtually no impact on consumer buying decisions, the study finds. But suddenly, at $3.25, buyers started thinking about fuel-efficient alternatives.

Among "new car intenders," those getting close to making a purchase, one out of five said $3.25 gas would have them buy a higher-mileage vehicle immediately, while nearly one in three would buy something more fuel-efficient "eventually." With many experts predicting gas will hit $4.50, the impact is far more dramatic. More than three in four would buy a high-mileage model immediately, and more than four in five would switch eventually.

A full 63 percent of the general American motoring public say $4.50 gas will lead them to drive "somewhat less," while 53 percent will drive "significantly less."

According to the CNW poll conducted last month, environmentalism has its price. At $3 or less, essentially no one wanted the government to permit drilling for oil in the ANWAR preserve. At $3.25, however, more than half said the feds should approve drilling. And at $4.50? A full 96 percent said the heck with those penguins and polar bears.

CNW has conducted its survey for several years, and it's clear that perceptions are relative. With $4 gas already a reality, $3.25 seems a veritable bargain. But a year ago, when $2.75 was the norm, consumers already seemed to be panicking. Back then, a solid majority said they'd be ready to trade in immediately if prices hit $3.75. And even at $3.25, most motorists would have been ready to open up the ANWAR reserves.

But there's a growing sense that consumers have finally hit a wall when it comes to fuel prices. Ford marketing chief Jim Farley described May as a "watershed month," and most manufacturers are now preparing major shifts in their product plans, away from big trucks and toward fuel-efficient crossovers and passenger cars. Whether the shift in the public mood will play in favor of those who want to expand offshore and Arctic oil drilling, however, remains to be seen.

By:- Automotive News