2011 Archives | Page 54 of 57

2011 Chevrolet Volt requires… premium gas?

Filed under: Hybrid, Sedan, Chevrolet, GM, Electric

As we’re sure you’ve noticed by now, General Motors has been making lots of waves over the past few days with the pricing announcement (finally!) of its 2011 Chevrolet Volt. And, as you’re surely aware, GM’s plug-in hybrid is capable of traveling at least 40 miles per charge without using a single drop of gasoline. But what happens when the time comes to pump some good ol’ crude into the tank? You’ll be using premium.

Yes, you read that right. Premium gasoline only in GM’s mostly gasoline-free automobile. It seems a bit odd that The General would force its customers into using higher-priced gasoline if there wasn’t a good reason for it, but it certainly wouldn’t seem that the engine is highly stressed – 80 horsepower from 1.4 liters isn’t exactly bleeding edge.

There is a possibility, however, that the car’s engineers were able to wrestle a bit more efficiency from its constant-load engine/generator setup by using higher octane fuel. In any case, the automaker has not offered up any specific explanations on why premium is required or, for that matter, what kind of fuel mileage the Volt will attain when the gasoline-powered engine is in operation.

We feel compelled to point out that it probably doesn’t matter much that the Volt requires premium fuel considering how little gasoline the average user is likely to go through any given month. But naturally, your mileage will vary.

Gallery: 2011 Chevy Volt

[Source: The Truth About Cars]

2011 Chevrolet Volt requires… premium gas? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 28 Jul 2010 15:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2011 Kia Optima configurator goes live with estimated pricing starting at $18,495*

Filed under: Car Buying, Sedan, Kia

The 2011 Kia Optima doesn’t go on sale until sometime this Fall, but the configurator is now live on Kia.com. The new Optima brings Kia design to a whole new level, with a sleek coupe-like profile that should be backed up by some pretty impressive performance when equipped with the new 2.0-liter direct-injected turbo.

Kia hasn’t released official pricing yet for the new Optima, but in an odd move, it is listing estimated prices on the configurator. The base, 200-horsepower 2.4-liter LX model with a six-speed manual is listed at an affordable $18,495 (*sans destination charges, which are likely to add $695), while the least expensive model with the 274-hp 2.0T engine is the $23,895 EX. A maxed-out SX with the premium and technology packages comes in just shy of $30K, which actually strikes us as pretty reasonable based on what we’ve seen so far of the car. That means that the 2011 model is more expensive that the staid but surprisingly competent current model (which starts at $17,995), but we’re thinking the better-looking sheetmetal is worth it alone, not to mention all of the other equipment and material upgrades. Appreciate the tip, Matt!

Gallery: 2011 Kia Optima

[Source: Kia]

2011 Kia Optima configurator goes live with estimated pricing starting at $18,495* originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 28 Jul 2010 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Videos: 2011 Ford Explorer shows off its tech

Filed under: SUV, Technology, Videos, Crossover, Ford

2011 Ford Explorer Terrain Management System – Click above to watch this video after the jump

Unless you’ve been in seclusion for the past 24 hours, you know Ford officially unveiled the 2011 Explorer yesterday. (Be sure to read Part One and Part Two of our deep dive for the full details.) The new Explorer is a pretty drastic departure from the generations preceding it – Ford has opted to use a unibody construction and a car-based platform rather than a traditional body-on-frame SUV, and naturally aspirated V8 power has been ditched in favor of more fuel-efficient four- and six-cylinder powerplants.

So while the Explorer seems to fit better in the crossover classification, Ford is confident that traditional SUV shoppers will still be pleased with what the new Expy has to offer. There are a host of new technology features on the 2011 model, including things like blind spot monitoring, trailer sway control and a terrain management system (similar to what you might find on a Land Rover). These features will be attractive selling points to SUV-oriented customers, and they get detailed in the videos after the jump.

Gallery: 2011 Ford Explorer

[Source: Ford]

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Videos: 2011 Ford Explorer shows off its tech originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Jul 2010 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First Drive: 2011 Nissan Leaf doesn’t change the game, just the players

Filed under: Hatchback, Nissan, First Drive, Electric

2011 Nissan Leaf – Click above for high-res image gallery

We’ve met the Nissan Leaf before. First at its coming-out party in Japan, followed by an all-too-brief stint behind the wheel of a Versa-based prototype late last year. Now we’ve had a chance to sample Nissan’s first foray into the world of electric vehicles in production form and the automaker picked one of its most important markets – the heart of Silicon Valley – to give us some seat time.

If there’s any area ripe for early-EV adoption, it’s San Jose, CA. And during a quick test loop through the tight confines of Santana Row and a run through the city’s suburban surrounds, it’s obvious that the first mass-produced EV is officially ready for prime-time.

Follow the jump to continue.

Gallery: 2011 Nissan Leaf: First Drive

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First Drive: 2011 Nissan Leaf doesn’t change the game, just the players originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Jul 2010 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2011 Chevrolet Volt priced at $41,000* or $350/month for three-year lease

Filed under: Hybrid, Hatchback, Chevrolet, Electric

Chevrolet Volt – Click above for high-res image gallery

General Motors’ recently hired vice-president for sales and marketing Joel Ewanick took the stage at the Plug-In 2010 conference in San Jose, CA today and finally revealed that the 2011 Chevrolet Volt will have a base price of $41,000 (including a $720 destination charge) before federal and state tax incentives. While GM hasn’t gone as aggressive as most people had hoped on the sticker price, the real deal appears to be the $350 per month for 36 months lease. That matches the monthly payment that Nissan is charging for the Leaf EV.

The effective purchase price of the Volt will be cut to $33,500 with a $7,500 federal tax credit (hence the asterisk in the title), but buyers will have to finance the $41,000 and get the credit back on their next tax return. Lease customers will have the credit factored in to their payment. The Volt lease requires a $2,500 down payment (vs $2,000 for the Leaf), but GM is including a clause in the lease contract that allows leasers to buy the car at the end of their term so that the automaker don’t have another standoff with customers like it did with the all-electric EV1. Follow the jump to learn more about the Volt’s price and how the order process will go, but first take our informal poll below.

View Poll

Gallery: 2011 Chevy Volt

Continue reading 2011 Chevrolet Volt priced at $41,000* or $350/month for three-year lease

2011 Chevrolet Volt priced at $41,000* or $350/month for three-year lease originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Jul 2010 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2011 Ford Explorer unveiled live from coast to coast

Filed under: SUV, Ford

2011 Ford Explorer Live Debut in Southern California – Click above for high-res image gallery

It’s been quite a day for the new 2011 Ford Explorer. After teasing, more teasing, and even more teasing, Ford finally unveiled what it thinks will “reinvent the SUV for the 21st century.” At 12:01 EST this morning, we presented an in-depth look at the new Explorer, providing details on the new exterior and interior as well as some of the safety features, and at noon we went over the new powertrain options, including the 2.0-liter EcoBoost inline-4 that will deliver 30 percent better fuel efficiency than the previous V6 model. Ford has even put up a configurator for the 2011 Explorer, allowing you to build your own.

The 2011 Explorer was also introduced live in various parts of the country, from the middle of New York City to Detroit to Los Angeles. We were in attendance on both ends of the coasts to cover the unveilings, each of which had an entirely different feel. The Discovery Channel’s Mike Rowe was on hand with CEO Alan Mulally to make the introductions in the Big Apple, while Ford’s President of the Americas Mark Fields did the honors amidst huge sand sculptures alongside the famous boardwalk in Venice Beach. You can see photos from both unveilings in the galleries below.

Gallery: 2011 Ford Explorer Southern California Live Debut

Gallery: 2011 Ford Explorer New York City Live Debut

2011 Ford Explorer unveiled live from coast to coast originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 26 Jul 2010 19:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Unlikely Ire: Dan Neil excoriates 2011 Porsche Boxster Spyder

Filed under: Convertible, Performance, Porsche, Design/Style

2011 Porsche Boxster Spyder – Click above for high-res image gallery

When we look at the 2011 Porsche Boxster Spyder rap sheet, it’s hard not go get a bit excited. It looks seriously terrific, it weighs but 2,811 pounds, and it packs 320 mid-mounted ponies. Good stuff. When we spent some time behind the wheel of the Spyder, we fell more than deeply in love with this, the purest of Boxsters. If only automotive super-journo Dan Neil agreed.

Neil’s review of the Boxster Spyder in The Wall Street Journal falls somewhere short of glowing prose – in fact, it’s about 500 miles short of glowing and a mere six inches past poor. The Pulitzer prize-winning author pans the Spyder’s top as beyond difficult (we called it “trick”). Okay, so a convertible top that was designed to save 46 pounds is probably going to shape up as less than ideal (Neil: “Find me the guy who designed the canvas top. Bring me his head on a platter”), but if Neil thinks this top is Erector Set hell, he should get his hands on a Lamborghini Murcielago Roadster.

Anything else wrong here? Well, there’s the power for starters. Neil feels the Spyder’s 320 horses are hamstrung by 273 pound-feet of torque that can only be best accessed when pushing the flat-six hard. And then there is the six-speed manual transmission, which Neil feels is inferior in every way to the PDK dual-clutch tranny (“Those purists out there still clinging to your six-speed manuals, please go home. Your black-and-white TV is on the fritz.”).

So… is the Boxster Spyder God’s gift to lightweight roasters or is it a reason to fire the engineers who designed this Porsche’s lightweight top? We know Dan – he’s a swell guy and one hell of a writer, but even though we’re decidedly short on Pulitzers, we can’t help but think that to slate the Spyder for not being a great everyday car is to miss its point altogether. Factory lightweight specials like this one are always a bit silly for street use, always ask for more concessions of their drivers, and, if they’re German, they always cost a bunch more, too. And yet… we’d still rock the top Boxster any day of the week and twice on Sundays.

Oh, and we’re just fine with the three-pedal setup, thanks – like seemingly every dual clutch gearbox, the PDK still has lousy low-speed drivability – and you can call us hopeless romantics, but when it’s not about chalking up lap times, we still love to row our own gears.

Head over to the WSJ to read Neil’s scathing review for yourself.

Gallery: First Drive: 2011 Porsche Boxster Spyder

[Source: The Wall Street Journal – sub. req.]

Unlikely Ire: Dan Neil excoriates 2011 Porsche Boxster Spyder originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 26 Jul 2010 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW recalling 2010-2011 5 Series, 5GT models over fuel tank sensors

Filed under: Sedan, Wagon, Government/Legal, Recalls, Safety, Crossover, Hatchback, BMW

2010 BMW 550i Gran Turismo – Click above for high-res image gallery

If the fuel gauge in your 2010 or 2011 BMW 5-Series sedan or 5-Series Gran Turismo tells you that you’ve got plenty of petrol, you may want to hit the gas station before going on that long trip anyway. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website reports that 6,080 5-Series sedan and GT models built between January 12 and July 1, 2010 are being recalled for a faulty fuel sensor. In certain cases, the sensor can wedge itself against the tank, which will lead to the fuel gauge reading that the vehicle has more fuel than it actually does. Drivers suddenly saddled with a fuel-free Bimmer while driving could wind up getting into an accident or being stranded by the side of the road, and that’s not good at all.

The NHTSA website currently shows that BMW still hasn’t provided an appropriate fix for the issue, but when the automaker does, owners will doubtlessly be able to head over to the nearest BMW dealer for a free repair. Head across the jump to read over the official NHTSA press release.

Gallery: Review: 2010 BMW 550i Gran Turismo

[Source: NHTSA]

Continue reading BMW recalling 2010-2011 5 Series, 5GT models over fuel tank sensors

BMW recalling 2010-2011 5 Series, 5GT models over fuel tank sensors originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 26 Jul 2010 17:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2011 Audi A7 Sportback shows its shapely rump in Munich

Filed under: Sedan, Hatchback, Audi, Design/Style, Luxury

2011 Audi A7 Sportback – Click above for high-res image gallery

There’s a new automotive segment being born as we speak. Previewed by the Porsche Panamera, Aston Martin Rapide and BMW 5-Series Gran Turismo, modern four-door sportback sedans combine the functionality of a hatchback with seating for four or five, all wrapped in a shapely, sleek package. Audi previewed its own offering at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show by way of the Sportback concept, and now the production model has officially been unveiled in Munich.

From a design standpoint, it’s obvious that the A7 Sportback was penned alongside the all-new flagship A8 sedan. Audi’s signature LED running lamps are intact up front, in a more angular shape than what you’d see on the A4 or R8, and the chopped rear deck is not only a throwback to fastback sedans from many decades ago, but its design mimics that of the larger A8, as well. The most striking view, however, is the side profile, which looks to be one part shooting brake and one part coupe, though if we’re honest, we wish the A7’s front overhang were reduced just a bit. Interestingly, at one point, Audi refers to the A7 has having a boattail, which initially made us cringe, but staring at it a bit more, this notion makes a degree of sense.

Powertrain details are slim as of this writing, but Audi says that the A7 Sportback will debut with four different V6 offerings, two petrol and two diesel. Expect the 3.0-liter supercharged V6 from the S4, S5 and A6 to be on hand, as well as the 3.0-liter TDI V6 found in the Q7 SUV. Audi will offer the A7 in both front- and all-wheel-drive configurations, with the Multitronic CVT and seven-speed S-tronic transmissions being used, respectively. Interestingly, unlike the A8, the A7 will make use of electric power steering, so we hope Audi’s boffins have done their homework on dialing in feel and linearity.

Inside, we expect the standard raft of Audi amenities, including the automaker’s new MMI Touch infotainment interface. From there, the latest in Audi technology will be on hand, including wireless internet connectivity. The interior is very much akin to that in the new A8, and we fully expect that it will offer premium creature comforts while still being driver-focused.

No official confirmation for North American consumers just yet, but we expect an all-wheel drive model to make it to these shores – presumably with a gasoline and S-tronic gearbox only configuration.

Hit the jump to read the full details in Audi’s press release, and click through the attached gallery for high-res shots. We fully anticipate that Audi will open the floodgates on further information and images in the near future, so stay tuned.

Gallery: 2011 Audi A7 Sportback

[Source: Audi]

Continue reading 2011 Audi A7 Sportback shows its shapely rump in Munich

2011 Audi A7 Sportback shows its shapely rump in Munich originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 26 Jul 2010 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2011 Ford Explorer configurator already up and running, pricing starts at $28,190*

Filed under: SUV, Crossover, Ford

It’s been less than 24 hours since Ford took the wraps off of the 2011 Explorer, but in an effort to keep the buzz going about the all-new crossover due to hit dealerships later this year, Ford’s online configurator is already up and running.

At the moment, only models equipped with the 3.5-liter V6 can be optioned, ranging from the base $28,190 front-wheel drive Explorer (*Don’t forget to add $805 for delivery fees) all the way up to the top-trim Limited 4WD ($39,190 plus destination). A fully decked-out all-wheel drive configuration will set you back $48,075* – and that’s before the optional accessory list is looked over.

If you have some time to waste, head over to Ford’s configuration page and spec out the Explorer of your dreams. Additionally, be sure to scroll through our gallery of color choices, showing the nine available paint jobs.

Gallery: 2011 Ford Explorer Colors

Gallery: 2011 Ford Explorer

[Source: Ford]

2011 Ford Explorer configurator already up and running, pricing starts at $28,190* originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 26 Jul 2010 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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