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Read This: US and EU negotiating free trade pact to unify global auto safety regulations

Filed under: Government/Legal, Safety, Read This

Safety and emissions regulations have long been touchy subjects in the auto industry, because they can dictate the legality of automobiles and are not the same from country to country. Fragmented regulations add costs to vehicle sales, and they inhibit the ability of automakers to offer the same products around the globe.

The US and EU are attempting to improve the situation with Free Trade Agreement negotiations that started this month in Washington, D.C., Wards Auto reports, which are expected to result in a deal that pushes the global auto industry toward a world vehicle-regulatory system, with an emphasis on safety requirements.

Thoughts of mandatory sealed-beam headlights and 100+pound impact bumpers – both of which were products of fragmented global vehicle-regulatory systems – still give us headaches decades later, so here’s to hoping the FTA negotiations help unify safety regulations to some degree.

Be sure to read the article for all the details on the trade negotiations, and feel free to comment below.

US and EU negotiating free trade pact to unify global auto safety regulations originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 26 Jul 2013 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Organizers vow city bankruptcy won’t affect Detroit Auto Show

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Government/Legal, Earnings/Financials

2013 North American International Auto Show - Cobo Hall sign

Detroit’s bankruptcy is going to mess up a lot of stuff in the coming months – if not years. One thing that shouldn’t be affected, though, is the North American International Auto Show, held at downtown Detroit’s Cobo Center.

Currently in the midst of a much-needed $299-million renovation, Cobo’s operation was taken over by the Detroit Regional Convention Facility Authority in 2009, essentially protecting the convention center, and by extension, the auto show, from the city’s ills.

Speaking to Automotive News, executive director of the Detroit Auto Dealers Association, Rod Alberts, said he isn’t worried about the effect of Detroit’s bankruptcy on the show’s most visible municipal presence – security. City officials are committed to providing the same degree of activity as in previous years. In addition to the regular police presence, the auto show will hire its own security forces for this year’s show rather than contracting out. Not all the pressure is on the show and the DPD, though, as Alberts pointed out to AN, “‘I know we can lean on other agencies to help us out if we need to.'”

Held annually at Cobo since 1965, the North American International Auto Show is one of the premiere events on the global auto show calendar. Held every January, it has been a regular source of ~~frostbite~~ news and new vehicle introductions for media from around the world.

Organizers vow city bankruptcy won’t affect Detroit Auto Show originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 22 Jul 2013 15:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: More Jeep Wrangler Pentastar rumors, five-speed auto promised

Filed under: SUV, Chrysler, Jeep, Off-Road

2011 Jeep Wrangler

2011 Jeep Wrangler – Click above for high-res image gallery

According to The Toledo Blade, citing ordering guides sourced from Chrysler dealerships, the Jeep Wrangler will finally get the automaker’s 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 for the 2012 model year. Since 2007, the Wrangler has been fitted with a 3.8-liter V6 engine (which replaced the venerable 4.0-liter inline six) that has met with less than stellar reviews. The new engine may have been a foregone conclusion, but it’s a welcome one nonetheless.

Equally as important is news that the Jurassic-age four-speed automatic will be replaced with a five-speed unit. That’s nice and all… but why go with a five-speeder when six (or more) is the current standard?

In any case, the report claims that the 2012 Wrangler’s powertrain will be identical to the units in the 2011 Grand Cherokee. That means we should expect 290 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. Those are much-needed improvements of the old 3.8, which offered up 202 horses and 237 lb-ft. Fuel mileage will reportedly improve to 16 city, 23 highway from 15/19.

In other Jeep news, Allpar.com reports that the 2012 Grand Cherokee will get a six-speed automatic to replace the five-speed unit in the 2011 model. (Guess we know where those older gearboxes are headed, eh?) In a further bid to improve fuel economy, the Pentastar-equipped Grand Cherokee will also be getting electrically driven power steering in place of the current hydraulic unit.

More Jeep Wrangler Pentastar rumors, five-speed auto promised originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 31 May 2011 17:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: WSJ looks at who the auto bailouts really left behind

Filed under: Government/Legal, Recalls, Safety, Chrysler, GM

Capitol Hill street view

According to The Wall Street Journal, Chrysler’s post-bailout restructuring allowed it to effectively erase any responsibility for car accident victims. Two years after the $12.5-billion auto industry bailouts, families like the one Vicki Denton left behind are stuck between a rock and a hard place.

The WSJ reports that Ms. Denton was killed in a head-on collision in which the airbag in her 1998 Dodge Caravan failed to deploy. A court ordered Chrysler to pay Denton’s son and surviving relatives $2.2 million in damages, but that was just before the bailout hit. Since Chrysler is no longer under any obligation to the family because the bailout measures absolved Chrysler from its liabilities, the Dentons will almost certainly never see their money and have no legal recourse to get it.

The Chrysler case isn’t unique. The same rings true at General Motors, where a $50-billion bailout and restructuring left asbestos victims, laid off dealers and accident victims without any way to secure their damages. Beyond the unfairness of the deal, some experts suggest paying accident victims wouldn’t have been out of the question.

Those who coordinated the bailouts maintain that in situations like the ones at GM and Chrysler, full recompense simply isn’t possible for everyone. As far as the courts are concerned, there is standing legal precedent to allow for such omissions during a bankruptcy restructuring.

WSJ looks at who the auto bailouts really left behind originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 May 2011 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoline After Hours welcomes auto show models in the studio tonight

Filed under: Etc., Marketing/Advertising

Lamborghini Product Specialists

If you have some time this evening, we highly recommend checking out Autoline After Hours. The crew will be hanging out with Margery Krevsky, the author of Sirens of Chrome. Krevsky painstakingly researched the 100-year history of the auto show model for the book and will be sharing some of her insights with hosts John McElroy and Peter Delorenzo for your enjoyment. If that’s not enough to drag you to the computer at 7 p.m. Eastern this evening, the news that Krevsky will bring along a few of her product specialist friends as well should have you patiently waiting at the keyboard.

The booth professionals will model dresses from the last 50 years of the car show circuit as a living, breathing supplement to the discussion on the book. Sound like a good time? You can see all the action by heading over to the Autoline After Hours site or by checking out the uStream feed after the jump.

Continue reading Autoline After Hours welcomes auto show models in the studio tonight

Autoline After Hours welcomes auto show models in the studio tonight originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 12 May 2011 16:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Can’t make the New York Auto Show? Take a virtual tour with a hot model

Filed under: New York Auto Show, Videos

serene hosting new york auto show after dark

Serene brings us the 2011 New York Auto Show After Dark – Click above to watch video after the jump

The public portion of the 2011 New York Auto Show is in full swing, but not everyone can (or wants) to make the trip to the Big Apple. The producers of the show have come up with a solution, which allows you to check out the action from the comfort of your favorite computin’ chair.

Your host for New York Auto Show After Dark is an attractive lass named Serene. She and her crew have put together a few videos, giving you a look at a few select vehicles and events at the 2011 NYIAS. Click past the jump to view the clips and take in a bit more of the New York Auto Show.

Of course, you can also see high-res image galleries of all the new vehicles from the show right here.

[Source: YouTube]

Continue reading Can’t make the New York Auto Show? Take a virtual tour with a hot model

Can’t make the New York Auto Show? Take a virtual tour with a hot model originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 27 Apr 2011 19:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2011 New York Auto Show Round Up

Filed under: New York Auto Show

It’s official. Our coverage of the 2011 New York Auto Show has come to an end. Take a look at every significant automobile that we covered from The Big Apple. There’s something here for everyone, from sports cars to budget rides to mainstream machines. That’s a total of 33 vehicles, for those keeping track. Got any favorites? Let us hear about them in the Comments. See ya in New York next year!

2012 Fiat 500c	2012 Shelby GTS	2012 Honda Civic
2012 Kia Rio	2011 Chrysler 200S	2012 Mazda3
2012 Jaguar XF	Suzuki EcoCharge Concept	2012 Kia Soul
Suzuki Apex Concept	2012 Honda Civic Hybrid	2012 Dodge Avenger R/T
Facebook 911 GT3 R	2013 Chevy Malibu Eco	2012 300C Executive
Nissan Leaf NISMO RC	MB SLS AMG Gulf Livery	Scion FR-S Concept
2012 Chrysler 300C SRT8	2011 Jeep Wrangler Mojave	2012 VW Beetle
2012MB C63 AMG	2012 Nissan Versa	2011 Subaru Impreza
2012 Ford Taurus SHO	2012 Chrysler 300S	2012 Jeep SRT8
2011 Panamera Turbo S	2012 Hyundai Accent	Lexus LF-Gh Concept
MB Concept A-Class	2012 MB E63 AMG	2013 Chevrolet Malibu

2011 New York Auto Show Round Up originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 21 Apr 2011 20:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2011 New York Auto Show: Day 1 Round Up

Filed under: New York Auto Show

Day One of the 2011 New York Auto Show has come and gone, bringing with it a whole slew of new cars, trucks and concept vehicles for us to obsess over. We’ve gone ahead and sorted through the day’s unveilings and put them all together in one handy-dandy spot. And of course, tomorrow will be more of the same. Stay tuned!

Nissan Leaf NISMO RC	MB SLS AMG Gulf Livery	Scion FR-S Concept
2012 Chrysler 300C SRT8	2011 Jeep Wrangler Mojave	2012 VW Beetle
2012MB C63 AMG	2012 Nissan Versa	2011 Subaru Impreza
2012 Ford Taurus SHO	2012 Chrysler 300S	2012 Jeep SRT8
2011 Panamera Turbo S	2012 Hyundai Accent	Lexus LF-Gh Concept
MB Concept A-Class	2012 MB E63 AMG	2013 Chevrolet Malibu

2011 New York Auto Show: Day 1 Round Up originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 20 Apr 2011 20:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kia Hampsters win Nielsen’s Top Auto Ad Award for second year in a row

Filed under: Budget, Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Hatchback, Kia

Kia Soul Hamsters in

Kia Soul Hamsters in “This or That” – Click above to watch video after the jump

Kia has taken home the top honors in the Nielsen Automotive Ad of the Year awards for the second year in a row. The company’s troupe of dancing hamsters managed to make the biggest impression on viewers in the “A New Way To Roll” spot in 2009 and the rodents managed to pull off a similar stunt in 2010 with the automaker’s “This or That” ad.

Nielsen hands out the awards based on response information collected from 2.5 million viewers across 24 networks, and according to Kia, the hamster spots have helped increase Soul sales in a big way. The boxy compact saw its sales figures increase by 50.8 percent last month compared to March 2010.

The Soul wasn’t the only winner, though. Ford took home two awards in different categories, with the Fiesta netting honors for the best green ad and the company earning best sales event spot with its “Swap Your Ride” commercials. Meanwhile, Mercedes-Benz grabbed the best luxury campaign trophy with its “Triumphant” spot for the SLS AMG and Toyota walked away with the Spanish Advertiser of the Year title.

Follow the jump for the press release, as well as a replay of the winning “This or That” ad.

Gallery: Kia Soul This or That music video stills

[Sources: Neilsen, Kia]

Continue reading Kia Hampsters win Nielsen’s Top Auto Ad Award for second year in a row

Kia Hampsters win Nielsen’s Top Auto Ad Award for second year in a row originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 20 Apr 2011 16:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Refreshed 2012 Kia Soul to bow at New York Auto Show

Filed under: New York Auto Show, Budget, Hatchback, Kia

Kia Soul spy shots

2012 Kia Soul spy shots – Click above for high-res image gallery

According to a newsletter sent out by the New York Auto Show organizers, Kia will debut its refreshed 2012 Soul hatchback as part of next week’s festivities. In addition to a slightly revised front fascia complete with LED running lamps, the funky hatch will receive a number of powertrain enhancements for the 2012 model year.

Most significantly, the Soul will benefit from the addition of new six-speed transmissions, likely in both manual and automatic forms. According to Kia, this means the 2012 Soul will achieve nearly 35 miles per gallon on the highway – a healthy boost over the current car’s fuel economy rating of 24/30 mpg city/highway when equipped with the 2.0-liter engine and five-speed manual shifter.

As we reported earlier, Kia will also debut the 2012 Rio in New York, boasting new direct-injection technology and fuel economy ratings of over 40 mpg. Stay tuned for the full details next week.

Gallery: Spy Shots: Next-generation Kia Soul

Spy Shots: Next-generation Kia Soul

[Source: New York Auto Show | Images: CarPix]

Refreshed 2012 Kia Soul to bow at New York Auto Show originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 14 Apr 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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