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Report: Detroit Electric SP:01 production plans delayed again

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Plants/Manufacturing, Electric

Detroit Electric SP:01 delayed again.

The revival of Detroit Electric and the imminent arrival of its first vehicle, the SP:01 sports car, have us hooked, not because the EV is the most innovative design around (based on the Lotus Exige, it’s strikingly similar to Tesla’s discontinued Lotus-based Roadster), but because it promises to be yet another American-built high-performance EV with some unique twists. We like the fact that customers can opt for a four- or five-speed manual transmission (particularly unusual in an EV), or use the car to power a building in the case of a power outage. Unfortunately, we’ll have to wait a bit longer before the SP:01 hits the road, because Detroit Electric has yet to finalize a lease or purchase agreement of its chosen production facility in Plymouth, Michigan, The Detroit News reports.

Detroit Electric has been trying to hammer out an agreement, but the negotiations for the Plymouth facility are producing enough uncertainty that Detroit Electric’s North American President Don Graundstadt says the automaker-to-be is negotiating with other parties.

Previous plans for SP:01 production called for its manufacture to begin by this month, but plans change, and production will be pushed back. There is no mention of when the electric sports car will become a 2,500-unit-per-year reality, but rather ominously, The Detroit News notes that “the immediate fate of the automaker should be known in the next couple of weeks.”

Detroit Electric SP:01 production plans delayed again originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 24 Aug 2013 14:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Next Chevy Spark coming in 2015, Sonic delayed

Filed under: Budget, Hatchback, Chevrolet

As the best-selling Chevrolet product in Europe and a surprising new hit here in the US, the Spark is proving to be quite an important global vehicle for General Motors. Even though the Spark just went on sale in the US last year, it has been on sale globally since 2009, and Automotive News Europe is reporting that the next-generation Spark is expected to debut during the first half of 2015. There is no information about the new Spark except for reports that it will continue to be built in South Korea.

This report also says that the redesign of the Sonic/Aveo has been delayed until after 2015. Again, there was no information as to the cause of the delay, but this means the third-gen Sonic and Aveo will likely debut sometime in 2016 – five years after the debut of the current model. This follows the recent report saying that the redesign of the Cruze has been delayed by almost a year, until the end of 2015, due to engineering changes.

Next Chevy Spark coming in 2015, Sonic delayed originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 30 Jul 2013 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official: Nissan donates cash, offers employee pricing and delayed payments to Southern storm victims

Filed under: Car Buying, Budget, Nissan

Nissan Americas is offering employee pricing and delayed finance payments to victims of the recent tornadoes and floods across the southeastern U.S. The latest gesture comes after the company donated $115,000 to the Red Cross to help with the relief efforts.

Qualified buyers, meaning those from the southeast who were left without a mode of transportation after the storms, will be offered Nissans at a price normally reserved for company workers and their immediate families. To be eligible for the program, you have to live in Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia, Arkansas, Mississippi or Alabama and be able to provide proof of damage to your primary vehicle. Check out Nissan’s full press release after the jump.

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Nissan donates cash, offers employee pricing and delayed payments to Southern storm victims originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 22 May 2011 15:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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WRC Jordan Rally delayed due to political unrest, stormy seas and engine trouble

Filed under: Motorsports, Middle East

Sebastien Loeb

Sebastien Loeb drives the 2010 Jordan Rally

Mounting a rally is never easy to begin with. Organizing one in the Middle East amidst the greatest popular upheaval in the region’s considerable history, however, is another matter entirely. We recently reported on the potential effects which demonstrations and revolutions across the region could have on motorsport competition, and now it’s all come home to roost.

Only two months after protests forced the cancelation of the Bahrain Grand Prix, a number of unpredictable factors have caused the delay – but not the cancellation – of the WRC rally in Jordan. Although the Hashemite Kingdom itself has remained relatively stable, getting the cars and equipment there this year proved a unique hassle. Teams were cautioned against trying to go through the Suez Canal due to the situation in Egypt, and with protests kicking into high gear in Syria, Plan B was out, too. Organizers ended up shipping by sea from Italy to Israel, only to be faced by further setbacks.

Stormy weather reportedly dictated it unsafe for the ship to dock in Haifa – Israel’s northern port on the Mediterranean – leaving it stranded one kilometer offshore. When the harbor finally gave the all-clear for the ship to dock, one of its engines wouldn’t start, forcing tug-boats to bring it in and shutting down all traffic in the port in the process. The shipment was then delayed in customs and took fourteen hours to finally reach the Jordanian coast of the Dead Sea where the garages are being set up.

The rally is now set to begin on Friday, two days behind schedule, but ready to go nonetheless. Meanwhile, the ship has since been impounded by the Israeli ministry of transportation until its engine can be repaired, forcing organizers to make alternative arrangements for getting their cars and gear back to Italy for the Sardinia rally on May 5.

[Source: Autosport | Image: McKlein/Citroën]

WRC Jordan Rally delayed due to political unrest, stormy seas and engine trouble originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 14 Apr 2011 18:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Alfa’s return to the U.S. delayed until 2013

Filed under: Europe, Plants/Manufacturing, Chrysler, Alfa Romeo, Design/Style, Fiat

Alfa Romeo Giulietta – Click above for high-res image gallery

Alfa Romeo is reported delaying its return to the States until 2013 because Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne is unhappy with the proposed vehicle designs bound for the U.S. Marchionne cited manufacturing and styling issues that need fixing before the 2013 Alfa Romeo Giulia is ready to be released both in the States and abroad.

The delay pushes the Giulia back from a late-2012 release to sometime mid-2013, which leaves Alfa Romeo in the lurch in two continents. Without the Giulia, Alfa will have a gaping hole in its lineup and nothing to offer in the hotly-contested mid-range market.

Marchionne is also unhappy with efforts from Chrysler designers to retool the Giulia as a replacement for the Chrysler 200 and Dodge Avenger, models which Fiat-Chrysler is hoping to debut in 2013. Since the two new Chryslers and the Giulia will share a platform, a delay for one means a delay for the others.

With the Giulia’s release postponed, Alfa will have to make do with a three-model lineup, comprised of the MiTo, the 159 and the Guilietta, until its new small SUV arrives in late 2012, followed by the Giulia the following year.

Gallery: Alfa Romeo Giulietta

[Source: AutoNews]

Report: Alfa’s return to the U.S. delayed until 2013 originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 10 Apr 2011 13:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Kia Optima Hybrid delayed due to Hyundai Sonata Hybrid pushback

Filed under: Hybrid, Sedan, Plants/Manufacturing, Technology, Hyundai, Kia

2011 Kia Optima Hybrid

2011 Kia Optima Hybrid – Click here for high-res image gallery

The Hyundai Sonata Hybrid was supposed to go on sale in December, but at the eleventh hour, the company decided on a last-minute engineering change to enhance safety. When the automaker learned that President Obama planned to sign a bill that would ban a switch that can disable a noisemaker designed to warn blind pedestrians, the Korean automaker decided it was best to remove the switch. The move delayed mass availability of the Sonata Hybrid from December to late April.

But what about its twin, the Kia Optima Hybrid? Ward’s Automotive reports that the mid-size hybrid has been delayed until late in the second quarter, or about five months after its scheduled January launch.

Will the substantial delay of the Optima and Sonata Hybrids hurt sales and satisfaction? We’re sure there are probably some impatient buyers out there who don’t understand why they have to wait, but in the long run, we’re likely looking at a mere bump in the road.

Gallery: 2011 Kia Optima Hybrid

2011 Kia Optima Hybrid

[Source: Ward’s Automotive – sub. req.]

Report: Kia Optima Hybrid delayed due to Hyundai Sonata Hybrid pushback originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 31 Mar 2011 11:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2012 Chevy Impala to soldier on with new V6, replacement delayed until 2014

Filed under: Sedan, Chevrolet, GM

2011 Chevrolet Impala

2011 Chevrolet Impala – Click above for high-res image gallery

When discussing the current W-body Chevrolet Impala, the phrase “long-in-the tooth” is an understatement. And while Chevrolet’s biggest retail sedan was scheduled to get a complete overhaul in 2013, a report from GMInsideNews states that the next Impala has now rescheduled for the 2014 model year.

In an effort to keep the elderly Impala passably fresh until its new Epsilon-based replacement arrives, General Motors is reportedly ready to outfit the big sedan with its 3.6-liter V6 engine mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. Both the current 3.5- and 3.9-liter V6 engines have been canned, and because of the W-body architecture, adding a six-speed automatic transmission to the existing engines would not have been feasible.

No other updates are scheduled for the 2012 model year as of this writing, but we’re sure that the Impala will continue to be a fleet queen until a more consumer-worthy replacement arrives.

Gallery: 2011 Chevrolet Impala

2011 Chevrolet Impala

[Sources: GMInsideNews, Motor Authority]

2012 Chevy Impala to soldier on with new V6, replacement delayed until 2014 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 07 Feb 2011 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Scion iQ delayed until Summer

Filed under: Coupe, Budget, Japan, Scion

Scion iQ

Scion iQ – Click above for high-res image gallery

Word on The Internets is that the Scion iQ won’t be hitting our shores anytime soon. The pint-sized hatch was originally supposed to arrive here in the United States by March of this year, but GreenCarReports.com has indicated that the city car may not arrive until sometime this summer. The move is thought to be as much about production delays as marketing. Scion has said that it wanted to give the 2011 tC enough time to have the company’s stage all to itself without having the limelight stolen away by its newest sibling.

At the same time, the company said that the first prototypes from Japan were a few months late in arriving and that the delay pushed back the production schedule. Whatever the hold up, buyers clamoring for a competitor to the Smart ForTwo will have to wait a few more months for the pleasure of grabbing the keys to a Scion iQ. As of this writing, there’s no telling whether the car will show up as a 2011 model as first thought or whether it will be labeled a 2012 when it finally shows up.

Gallery: 2011 Scion iQ

[Source: GreenCarReports.com]

Report: Scion iQ delayed until Summer originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 21 Jan 2011 16:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: BMW X1 U.S. debut delayed due to high demand in Europe

Filed under: Europe, Crossover, BMW, Luxury

2011 BMW X1

2011 BMW X1 – Click above for high-res image gallery

American buyers may have to wait a little bit longer before sinking their teeth into the upcoming BMW X1. According to Automotive News, the CUV has been more popular in Europe than the German automaker originally anticipated, and as such, BMW is experiencing a bit of a supply crunch. As a result, North American buyers won’t be seeing the X1 at the end of this year as originally expected. Instead, it’s beginning to look like the vehicle won’t show up here until early 2012 at the soonest. Automotive News reports that the X1 went on sale in Europe in November of 2009.

Since then, the high-riding hatch has sold out in every market it’s touched. BMW says that it fully expects the X1 to be a low-volume model here in the land of the free, with sales lodged somewhere in the same realm as what the current 1 Series Coupe and Convertible. Even so, the company says that it’s shooting for around 8,000 units per year. With the larger, more popular X3 just now hitting dealerships, the X1 will likely serve to fill a slot for buyers looking for a compact luxury crossover.

Gallery: 2011 BMW X1

[Source: Automotive News – sub. req.]

Report: BMW X1 U.S. debut delayed due to high demand in Europe originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 19 Jan 2011 14:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Mahindra introduction to U.S. ‘indefinitely delayed’

Filed under: Budget, Truck, Government/Legal, India

Mahindra and Mahindra Pik-Up

Mahindra Pik-Up – Click above for high-res image gallery

We apparently won’t be seeing any Mahindra trucks on U.S. roads any time soon. The company has announced that it has no date in mind for its American introduction, and that as of right now, its progress into this market is indefinitely delayed. The hangup resides in an ever-growing legal battle between the Indian company and its almost-was importer here in the States, Global Vehicles USA. As you’ll likely recall, GV USA claims that Mahindra improperly terminated its contract with them earlier this year, noting that the automaker now wants to sell vehicles directly to U.S. customers instead of going through a middle man.

Mahindra, meanwhile, says that it doesn’t want to get into a “war of words” with its former importer. Also, the company has made it clear that it still wants to break into the American market. How exactly it plans to do so is still somewhat murky, however.

In the meantime, Global Vehicles USA has filed an injunction in federal court claiming breach of contract and urging the court to bar Mahindra vehicles from entering the states in the future.

One thing’s for sure, this mess has yet to completely unravel, and none of it bodes well for the availability of inexpensive diesel-powered pickups in America.

Gallery: Mahindra Pik-Up

mahindra-pickup-large_21 mahindra-pickup-large_11 mahindra-pickup-large_22 mahindra-pickup-large_12 mahindra-pickup-large_13

[Source: Associated Press via Journal Gazette via PickupTrucks]

Report: Mahindra introduction to U.S. ‘indefinitely delayed’ originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 18 Oct 2010 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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