Category: Auto Industry

Official: Kia prices 2011 Soul Hamstar special edition at $20,295*

Filed under: Car Buying, Marketing/Advertising, Hatchback, Kia

2011 kia soul hamstar special edition

2011 Kia Soul Hamstar special edition – Click above for high-res image

You can get with this… for $20,295. Kia has officially announced that you’ll need that much dough (*plus $695 for delivery) if you want to purchase a 2011 Soul Hamstar special edition. An ode to the award-winning hip-hop hamsters seen in Kia commercials, the four-speed auto-equipped Hamstar becomes the sixth special edition Soul that Kia has offered up for sale.

The limited-production box on wheels wears Molten Red pain, which is offset with a pair of black stripes across the front doors and black trim. Black is also the color of choice for the 18-inch wheels, fender vents and fuel-filler cap. A Hamstar logo sits on the hood, and can also be seen throughout the interior.

That interior space can be filled with music thanks to the Audio Upgrade Package. A 315-watt amp pumps sound out through the speakers, but it’s kicked up a notch thanks to the center speaker and subwoofer.

The full press release on the Soul Hamstar is posted after the jump. You can check out the concept version shown off at the 2010 SEMA show, by clicking through the gallery below.

Continue reading Kia prices 2011 Soul Hamstar special edition at $20,295*

Kia prices 2011 Soul Hamstar special edition at $20,295* originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 May 2011 16:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: 2012 Honda Civic output at half capacity until fall *UPDATE

Filed under: Coupe, Budget, Sedan, Japan, Plants/Manufacturing, Honda

2012 Honda Civic Si

2012 Honda Civic Si – Click above for high-res image gallery

The devastating earthquake in Japan couldn’t have come at a worse time for Honda. The Japanese automaker was just starting to launch its new Civic for 2012, and the compact car is a major part of the company’s portfolio. Any delays or hiccups in the Civic’s launch will surely send shockwaves reverberating through Honda’s balance sheets.

Sadly, supplies of electronics parts and raw materials from Japan are still hampering automobile production for Honda, even in plants outside its home market. That includes the new 2012 Civic, which is assembled in Greensburg, Indiana and Alliston, Ontario.

Speaking to Reuters, Honda spokesman Ed Miller admitted that Civic production will likely be stuck at around 50-percent capacity until the fall of 2011. Industry analysts predict that the Ford Focus, Chevrolet Cruze and Hyundai Elantra will likely fill in any sales void left by a lack of available Civics.

*UPDATE: Honda has confirmed that Civic production will run at 50-percent capacity for the time being, likely until fall. The automaker expects all other models to be back up to normal production levels by August. See the official release after the break.

Continue reading 2012 Honda Civic output at half capacity until fall *UPDATE

2012 Honda Civic output at half capacity until fall *UPDATE originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 May 2011 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official: GM invests $331 million, adds 110 jobs at Arlington plant

Filed under: GM, Earnings/Financials

GM Arlington Assembly

General Motors has committed to investing a total of $2 billion in 17 of its facilities here in the United States, and the latest to receive monitory support is the Arlington Assembly Plant in Texas. $331 million is being pumped into the Arlington facility for tooling and equipment in an effort to expand the plant. 110 jobs will also be added to the facility’s existing 2,400-person workforce.

Currently, the plant builds The General’s GMT900 sport-utility vehicles: the Chevrolet Tahoe, Suburban, GMC Yukon and Cadillac Escalade. GM likely has no plans to abandon this segment anytime soon, so it only makes sense that the plant will be updated in order to support the next generation of these full-size SUVs.

The Arlington Assembly investment comes after GM made efforts to expand its Detroit-Hamtramck, Bowling Green, Flint and Bay City facilities. Follow the jump for the official press blast.

Continue reading GM invests $331 million, adds 110 jobs at Arlington plant

GM invests $331 million, adds 110 jobs at Arlington plant originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 May 2011 15:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: We lap Laguna Seca in BMW’s autonomous Track Trainer

Filed under: Safety, Technology, Videos, BMW

BMW Track Trainer at Laguna Seca

BMW 330i Track Trainer at Laguna Seca – Click above for high-res image gallery

You know what’s scary? Autonomous cars. What’s scarier? An autonomous car that can lap Laguna Seca at eight-tenths and post sub-two minute lap times all day long. BMW’s 330i Track Trainer can do just that. And we have the video to prove it.

Continue reading We lap Laguna Seca in BMW’s autonomous Track Trainer

We lap Laguna Seca in BMW’s autonomous Track Trainer originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 May 2011 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official: IIHS tests brace of new small cars, many earn Top Safety Pick status [w/video]

Filed under: Etc., Safety, Videos

2011 nissan juke crash test

Small cars score big in latest IIHS crash tests – Click above to watch video after the jump

Thirteen enter, six leave … with Top Safety Pick awards. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety spent some time driving (and smashing) a big group of small cars. Six of those cars received top honors from the IIHS by scoring a rating of “Good” across the board. The 2012 Ford Focus, 2012 Honda Civic sedan, 2011 Hyunda Elantra, 2011 Lexus CT200h, 2011 Nissan Juke and 2011 Toyota Prius are all the small-car place to be in the event of an accident.

This crop of small cars are also quite fuel efficient. All vehicles in the top six offer a version that gets at least 40 miles per gallon on the highway.

The rest of the vehicles tested faired well. Only the older Suzuki SX4 and Dodge Caliber received “Mediocre” ratings in some categories. Every car tested, however, received multiple “Good” ratings. Click past the jump to watch the IIHS talk about about the small car crash tests. Also, be sure to check out the breakdown of the ratings by vehicle (pdf file).

Continue reading IIHS tests brace of new small cars, many earn Top Safety Pick status [w/video]

IIHS tests brace of new small cars, many earn Top Safety Pick status [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 May 2011 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Mugen itching to build hot Honda Fit

Filed under: Aftermarket, Performance, Europe, Hatchback, Honda, UK

Mugen Fit

Mugen Honda Fit/Jazz – Click above for high-res image gallery

As the pseudo-works Honda tuner of choice, Mugen has tricked out Civic models for decades. They’ve also dabbled in the occasional Accord, are preparing to debut their supercharged CR-Z and have even had their way with the Ariel Atom – powered as it is by Honda engines. So what’s next for Mugen? It could be the Fit.

The five-door hatchback, known in other markets as the Jazz, has received some attention from Mugen in the form of aftermarket body kits and such, but the tuning house’s British garage could be looking at something a little more comprehensive, according to a fresh report from Autocar.

According to the British mag, the hot Fit’s engine program could incorporate either the 2.0-liter VTEC four from the Civic Type R or the supercharged hybrid 1.5 developed for the Mugen CR-Z. Tempting options, both, but whichever way the Honda tuner goes, the likelihood is that the result won’t make the trip over to these shores, anyway.

Mugen itching to build hot Honda Fit originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 May 2011 13:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: Aston Martin Rapide S undergoing testing on the ‘Ring

Filed under: Spy Photos, Sedan, Performance, Aston Martin, UK, Luxury

Aston Martin Rapide S spy shots

Aston Martin Rapide S spy shots – Click above for high-res image gallery

Word on the street is that Aston Martin is developing a faster, more powerful version of its Rapide four-door, a rumor fueled by new spy shots snapped on Germany’s infamous Nürburgring. The camouflaged prototype pictured above appears to pack a revised front end and tail, with larger intakes up front and a lip spoiler and reshaped bumper around back.

Underneath the revised fascias, sources expect to find the 510-horsepower V12 from the DBS to upgrade from the DB9-spec 470-hp mill already in place in the “standard” Rapide. Couple this with carbon-ceramic brakes and revised suspension, and the Rapide S is starting to shape up as a real barnstormer.

In short, if the existing Rapide is a four-door DB9, expect the Rapide S to come in as a four-door DBS – suitable for carrying 007 and not just one, but three Bond girls to their next mission or exotic locale.

Aston Martin Rapide S undergoing testing on the ‘Ring originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 May 2011 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Audi highlights the rigors of Le Mans in animated short

Filed under: Motorsports, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Audi

A Day in the Life of an Audi Driver

A Day in the Life of an Audi Driver – Click above to watch the video after the jump

They don’t call it endurance racing for nothing. And the strain is placed not only on the car, but on the driver, as well. That’s all very well and fine to know in theory, but to highlight the rigors of racing around the clock at Le Mans, Audi has produced this stunning animated short.

The two-and-a-half-minute film called A Day in the Life of an Audi Driver features the team’s star driver, Alan McNish, and will be shown during the high-profile soccer match this weekend at Wembley Stadium between Barcelona and Manchester United, a team which Audi sponsors. It will also play in 3D for moviegoers going to see Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows in the UK, and will spearhead a newspaper ad campaign as well as dedicated apps for various smartphone platforms.

Fortunately, we don’t have to wait for all that to watch the clip ourselves. All you have to do is follow the jump and click play, where you’ll also find details of the campaign in the full press release.

Continue reading Audi highlights the rigors of Le Mans in animated short

Audi highlights the rigors of Le Mans in animated short originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 May 2011 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First Ride: 2012 Hyundai Veloster

Filed under: Budget, Videos, Hatchback, Hyundai, Design/Style

CEO Takes Us For A Spin In This Innovative One, Two, Three-Door

2012 Hyundai Veloster

2012 Hyundai Veloster – Click above for high-res image gallery

“How about a ride in the Veloster?”

While the experience falls seriously short of taking a few orbits in the Space Shuttle, those seven words were enticing enough to motivate us to cross the dreaded Los Angeles basin during rainy rush-hour traffic last week. The Veloster is Hyundai’s latest addition to a rapidly expanding lineup that now encompasses everything from the modest $12,000 Accent to the Lexus-fighting $58,000 Equus. The new hatchback – uniquely configured with one driver door and two passenger doors – is parked on the low end of the model range, promoted as a compact coupe offering fun-to-drive chassis dynamics, a long list of standard innovative technology and hybrid-beating fuel economy in one cool-looking package.

Hyundai isn’t letting anyone drive the Veloster yet, but like proud parents, they are more than willing to show us around the car, from top to bottom, and take us for an extensive drive around the block – as passengers.

However, this isn’t just a simple low-level meet-and-greet, as our host will be John Krafcik, CEO of Hyundai Motor America. Understandably, we had a slew of questions swirling around our minds before our ride: How comfortable is the cabin? Do tall adults fit in the second row? What does the engine sound like? How does it handle? Lastly, why does everyone keep comparing the new Veloster to the old Honda CRX?

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First Ride: 2012 Hyundai Veloster originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 May 2011 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Dodge updates Attitude for Mexico with latest Hyundai Accent, forgets badges *UPDATE

Filed under: Budget, Sedan, Dodge, Hyundai

2012 Dodge Attitude

What you’re looking at is not the 2012 Hyundai Accent, it’s the 2012 Dodge Attitude. Yes, we see the Hyundai badge. No, we aren’t kidding.

Dodge has, for quite some time now, sold a rebadged version of the Hyundai Accent in Mexico under the Attitude moniker. (Hyundai, as an automaker, is otherwise absent from the Mexican market). And while the previous-generation Attitude was simply a rebadged version of the old Accent sedan, it appears that the 2012 model doesn’t even go that far.

We got our first glimpse at the U.S.-spec Accent at the 2011 New York Auto Show earlier this year, and while our market will benefit from the functionality of the five-door hatchback configuration, the Dodge Attitude will only be available as a sedan. A 1.4-liter gasoline engine is standard, with a 1.6-liter powerplant available as an option.

Dodge N100UPDATE: Looks like the Accent isn’t the only Hyundai vehicle being given the Pentastar treatment in Mexico. The Korean automaker’s Starex van (known as the iLoad and iMax – seriously – in Australia) also wears a Dodge nameplate in Mexico, though like the Attitude, the Hyundai badges have remained intact. The Dodge H100 is available in both cargo van and passenger van configurations. (Hat tip to owenrec!)

Dodge updates Attitude for Mexico with latest Hyundai Accent, forgets badges *UPDATE originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 May 2011 11:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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