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LA 2010: 2012 Infiniti M Hybrid brings electric power to the luxury sport segment

Filed under: LA Auto Show, Hybrid, Sedan, Infiniti

2012 Infiniti M Hybrid

2012 Infiniti M Hybrid – Click above for high-res image gallery

Making its public debut here at the LA Auto Show is the first production hybrid sedan from Infiniti, the M35h. Set to hit dealerships in the spring of 2011, the M Hybrid uses a parallel hybrid system combined with a seven-speed automatic transmission and rear-wheel drive.

When paired with a 50-kilowatt electric motor, the M35h’s 3.5-liter V6 is estimated to produce a stout 360 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. What’s more, the electric motor produces an additional 199 lb-ft of twist off the line for acceleration, and we’re told that the sedan can travel up to 62 miles per hour on electric power alone.

Official fuel economy figures are not available as of this writing, but Infiniti expects the M Hybrid to achieve 25 miles per gallon in the city and 30 mpg on the highway (27 combined). Sure, that might sound impressive, but for the sake of comparison, we’d like to direct your attention to the new 5.0-liter direct-injected V8 from Hyundai, which is estimated to net 26 mpg highway with a whopping 429 hp on tap. Just sayin’.

The M Hybrid does come standard with a laundry list of technological features, such as Active Noise Control and an audible pedestrian warning system for times when the car is silently cruising in electric mode. On top of that, the usual host of functions like navigation, Bluetooth and satellite radio are all on hand – this is a top-tier Infiniti, after all.

Follow the jump for the full details in the automaker’s press release, and click through our galleries of live and stock shots to see the new M Hybrid from all angles.

Gallery: LA 2010: Infiniti M Hybrid

2012 Infiniti M Hybrid

Gallery: 2012 Infiniti M Hybrid

2012 Infiniti M Hybrid

[Source: Infiniti]

Continue reading LA 2010: 2012 Infiniti M Hybrid brings electric power to the luxury sport segment

LA 2010: 2012 Infiniti M Hybrid brings electric power to the luxury sport segment originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 18 Nov 2010 15:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LA 2010: 2011 Kia Optima Hybrid is good-lookin’, green-drivin’

Filed under: LA Auto Show, Hybrid, Sedan, Kia

2011 Kia Optima Hybrid

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

Kia is just now beginning to roll out its sexy new 2011 Optima, with the 2.4-liter GDI version priced from only $18,995. Much like its sister car, the Hyundai Sonata, the Optima will be offered with a turbocharged 2.0-liter engine in EX and SX trims, and here at the LA Auto Show, the Kia has unveiled its third member of the Optima family – the Hybrid.

Much like the Sonata Hybrid, the gas/electric Optima uses the same 2.4-liter direct-injected inline-four, mated to an electric motor. Combined with a six-speed automatic transmission, the Optima Hybrid will yield 40 miles per gallon on the highway – besting its eco-minded competitors, the Ford Fusion Hybrid and Toyota Camry Hybrid.

Pricing will be announced closer to the car’s on-sale date early next year, and you can read the full details in Kia’s press release, after the jump. Check out our high-res galleries of live and stock shots, as well.

Gallery: LA 2010: 2011 Kia Optima Hybrid

2011 Kia Optima Hybrid

Gallery: 2011 Kia Optima Hybrid

2011 Kia Optima Hybrid

Continue reading LA 2010: 2011 Kia Optima Hybrid is good-lookin’, green-drivin’

LA 2010: 2011 Kia Optima Hybrid is good-lookin’, green-drivin’ originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 17 Nov 2010 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Porsche commits to a hybrid model in every vehicle line

Filed under: Hybrid, Performance, Technology, Porsche

2011 Porsche Cayenne Hybrid

2011 Porsche Cayenne Hybrid – Click above for high-res image gallery

Fuel efficiency is a big deal for small sports car manufacturers. Boutique automakers and sports car specialists like Porsche figure to have a particularly hard time meeting rising efficiency and carbon dioxide emissions regulations all around the world because they don’t manufacture vehicles that play in more fuel-efficient segments of the market.

With that in mind, it doesn’t come as a surprise that Porsche is keenly interested in hybrid technology. Starting with the 2011 Cayenne and following with a similar hybrid system for the Panamera, Porsche plans to roll out fuel-saving technology across its entire model range.

That transition won’t be an easy one. Both the Cayenne and Panamera use a front-engine layout and automatic transmission with an electric motor sandwiched in between, and such a system wouldn’t work on the company’s mid- and rear-engined models.

That’s where the upcoming 918 Spyder comes in. According to Porsche development chief Wolfgang Duerheimer, “We want to learn how we can electrify all our sports cars in the future with the help of this short production run” of the hybrid 918 Spyder. In fact, all of Porsche’s models are slated to be hybridized, says Duerheimer.

Other efficiency-raising efforts will include a 10-percent reduction in weight, increased use of carbon fiber bodywork and possibly even the return of four-cylinder engines, likely with forced induction and direct injection.

Gallery: 2011 Porsche Cayenne

[Source: Automotive News – sub. req’d]

Report: Porsche commits to a hybrid model in every vehicle line originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 18 Oct 2010 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Second Drive: 2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid

Filed under: Hybrid, Sedan, Hyundai, First Drive

Hyundai Aims To Lead The Mid-size Hybrid Pack

2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid – Click above for high-res image gallery

At some point, the minds at Hyundai got serious about the company’s mid-sized sedan game. Seemingly in a heartbeat, the Korean manufacturer went from being completely under the radar of the average American family sedan buyer to a viable alternative to default buys like the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. That jump fell solely on the shoulders of the all-new 2011 Sonata, a sedan that has so far delivered the kind of styling, efficiency and low MSRP that sends consumers scrambling for their checkbook. But if you want to go the full distance in this segment, you had better come to the fight packing more than just a competent base model.

That’s something you don’t need to tell Hyundai. The company has shored up its Sonata line with a potent turbocharged 2.0-liter model designed to tango with V6-equipped competitors as well as the car you see above – a hybrid model that comes loaded with nearly all of the latest and greatest tech to keep fuel consumption at a minimum. Is it enough to put the Sonata Hybrid ahead of the electrified versions of the heavy hitters already prowling the scene? We took the wheel to find out.

Gallery: 2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid: Second Drive

2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid

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Second Drive: 2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 18 Oct 2010 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First Drive: 2011 Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid

Filed under: Hybrid, SUV, Technology, Volkswagen, First Drive, Luxury

A Porsche Cayenne Hybrid For The People

2011 Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid

2011 Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid – Click above for high-res image gallery

Fuel economy is a funny thing. In Europe, better efficiency has always boiled down to two simple concepts: diesel fuel and turbos. But like the 35-year-old who won’t drink tequila because of a bad experience in college, American buyers’ stomachs start turning whenever manufacturers talk about oil-burners – clean or otherwise. That’s a problem for carmakers like Volkswagen. You see, the company can build an arsenal of clean diesel vehicles that have no problem turning out excellent fuel-economy numbers without the weight, complexity or burden of lugging around a partially electric drivetrain, but that doesn’t mean Americans will buy them. Nope. On this side of the pond, fuel efficiency translates into just one word: hybrid.

And that’s exactly why Volkswagen has taken to electrifying its beefy 2011 Touareg, the very first production hybrid in the company’s history. Volkswagen has made no secret of the fact that it plans to be the world’s number one automaker, and that part of its plan for global domination involves broadening its appeal in the still-juicy American market. If you were wondering exactly what that meant for the company’s lineup on our side of the world, wonder no more. We’re living in the future, and it’s a place stocked with a blazingly-quick, fully capable and quasi-efficient SUV from Germany with love.

Gallery: 2011 Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid: First Drive

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First Drive: 2011 Volkswagen Touareg Hybrid originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 15 Oct 2010 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Honda prices 2011 Fit Hybrid at $19,310; cheapest gas-electric in Japan

European 2011 Honda Jazz Hybrid – Click above for high-res image gallery

Despite the fact that Honda has no plans – at least not yet – to export its 2011 Honda Fit (Jazz) Hybrid to the U.S., we’ve still kept a close eye on the automaker’s subcompact gas-electric. From the rumors that swirled around back in 2006 to its on-stage debut at the Paris Motor Show, we’ve never lost sight of the Fit Hybrid and its overall importance in the gas-electric segment. Now, as the vehicle launches in Japan, we’re pleased to note that Reuters is reporting that Honda has kept its promise and priced the Fit Hybrid at a mere 1.59 million yen ($19,310 U.S. at current exchanges rate). This makes it the cheapest gas-electric car available in Japan.

Honda reports that pre-orders in Japan for the bargain-priced hybrid have reached nearly 10,000 units. Toppling the nation’s best-seller, the Toyota Prius, though, will require even more consumer interest than that. Under Japanese testing methods, the Fit Hybrid receives a 70.6 mile-per-gallon fuel economy rating, equal to that of the company’s Insight.

Gallery: European Honda Jazz Hybrid

[Source: Reuters]

Honda prices 2011 Fit Hybrid at $19,310; cheapest gas-electric in Japan originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 09 Oct 2010 14:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: PSA may withold hybrid vehicles in China over intellectual property concerns

Filed under: Hybrid, China, Government/Legal, Technology, Peugeot, Citroën, Diesel

Peugeot 3008 Hybrid4 – Click above for high-res image gallery

Cracking the burgeoning Chinese automobile market is a challenge that nearly every automaker in the world is currently grappling with. Among the myriad reasons why the Chinese nut is a tough one to crack is that the government has set strict regulations and laws that must be met before it will approve of any automaker doing business within its borders.

For instance, no foreign automaker is allowed access into the country without first partnering up with a local manufacturer from China. Naturally, that means sharing a great deal of resources and technology – and that presents a big problem with you’re dealing with cutting-edge products that you’ve spent a ton of time and money developing.

PSA Peugeot Citroën is the latest automaker to express concerns with the notion that its intellectual property must be handed over to its Chinese partners, Dongfeng Motor Group and Changan Automotive. Problem is, to sell in China, Hybrid4 technology must also be in the hands of Dongfeng and Changan, which is something PSA isn’t keen on. “The Chinese government will have to reconsider its position,” according to PSA Chief Financial Officer Frederic Saint Geours. Sounds unlikely, but we’ll see.

Gallery: Peugeot 3008 Hybrid4

[Source: Automotive News China – sub. req’d.]

Report: PSA may withold hybrid vehicles in China over intellectual property concerns originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 08 Oct 2010 16:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2010 Petit Le Mans dominated by diesels again, hybrid Porsche performs well [w/video]

Filed under: Motorsports, Videos, Audi, Chevrolet, Porsche, Ferrari, Peugeot, Racing

Rain didn’t cut this year’s Petit Le Mans short. Unlike last year’s race, racers went carbon-fiber fender to carbon-fiber fender for the full 1,000 miles at Road Atlanta during the running of the 2010 Petit Le Mans. By the time the checkered flag fell, Peugeot walked away with a one-two win, effectively establishing a French dynasty in the American Le Mans series. As you may recall, Peugeot took the overall win at last year’s Petit Le Mans as well, beating out arch-diesel-rival Audi in the process. This year, the quad-rings fell to third place, a full two laps behind the leading French racer thanks to a flat tire late in the race. The German car, piloted by Le Mans legends Tom Kristensen, Allen McNish and Dindo Capello, simply couldn’t make up the time lost to the pits, sealing the win for Peugeot in the process.

The pair of Pugs led 299 of the 394 total laps, but that doesn’t mean that’s where the only show was. Hit the jump for a quick recap.

[Source: American Le Mans]

Continue reading 2010 Petit Le Mans dominated by diesels again, hybrid Porsche performs well [w/video]

2010 Petit Le Mans dominated by diesels again, hybrid Porsche performs well [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 05 Oct 2010 15:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Peugeot HR1 concept is latest to use through-the-road hybrid tech

Filed under: Concept Cars, Hybrid, Europe, Paris Motor Show, Crossover, Peugeot

Peugeot HR1 concept

Peugeot HR1 concept – Click above for high-res image gallery

Peugeot has found a new home for its HYbrid4 technology that independently powers the front and rear wheels with two types of powertrains. It’s called through-the-road hybrid technology and it makes its latest appearance in the just-unveiled HR1 concept. According to Peugeot, The HR1 is part small city car, part SUV-ish beast and and part coupé – and it’s an aggressive little thing. To match the crowded city where it’s intended to be used, the HR1 uses scissor doors that open vertically – and the it’s is taller than you might expect, with the driver up high in a “dominant driving position.”

All this steroid-like aggression doesn’t extend to the powertrains, though, since the HR1 concept boasts numbers that are quite kind to the environment: 81 miles per gallon (64 mpg U.S.) and CO2 emissions of just 80 grams per kilometer. The frugality comes from a new, three-cylinder 1.2-liter THP 110 gas engine that is used to power the front wheels. In the back, the HYbrid4’s through-the-road hybrid powertrain uses a 37-bhp electric motor.

What is it about auto show halls that brings out this sort of magic? Yes, we know Peugeot is bringing a HYbrid4 3008 to market, but that car “only” gets 61.9 miles per gallon (U.S.) and spews a comparatively monstrous 99 grams of CO2 per kilometer. Full specs and a flowery press release after the jump, and we’ve got lots of high-res pictures in the gallery below.

Gallery: Peugeot HR1 concept

[Source: Peugeot]

Continue reading Peugeot HR1 concept is latest to use through-the-road hybrid tech

Peugeot HR1 concept is latest to use through-the-road hybrid tech originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 29 Sep 2010 16:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Toyota to provide Daimler with hybrid components, technology?

Filed under: Hybrid, Technology, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota, Electric

mercedes-Benz S-Class

2010 Mercedes S400 Hybrid – Click above for high-res image gallery

Mercedes-Benz is getting hot and heavy into hybrids, and parent company Daimler AG might be looking to a familiar name for help. Reports out of Tokyo indicate that Daimler is in talks with Toyota about getting “motors and batteries in addition to technology” to supply its hybrid needs.

The discussions have gone on for a year now, and have come to the point of detailing exactly which components Toyota will supply. Apparently, the pact could also include fuel cell technology sharing. Assuming a deal gets made, Daimler will join Ford, Nissan and Mazda on the Toyota bandwagon. And if that isn’t what you call “hybrid synergy drive,” we don’t know what is.

Gallery: Review: 2010 Mercedes-Benz S400 Hybrid

[Source: AFP]

Toyota to provide Daimler with hybrid components, technology? originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 18 Sep 2010 15:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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