Tag: passenger

Rumormill: BMW mulling seven-passenger X7 crossover… again

Filed under: Crossover, BMW, Rumormill, Luxury

2011 BMW X5

2011 BMW X5 – Click above for high-res image gallery

While it may have seemed unlikely before 1999 when the original X5 was launched, BMW has enjoyed explosive growth in the crossover utility world – so much so that it’s expanded its lineup to include the X1, X3 and X6 as well. The X5 and X6 have even spawned M versions, and the X3 is apparently slated to follow suit. But that’s hardly the extent of it, as the Bavarian automaker is reportedly developing a larger X7.

According to Automobile, the rumored X7 (codenamed F17) will go head-to-head with the Mercedes-Benz GL and a possible Audi Q9 – you know, in case the Q7 isn’t quite big enough. To differentiate it from the X5, the mooted X7 will reportedly pack a third row of seats for seven-passenger capability.

This isn’t the first we’ve heard of the X7, of course. The program was widely reported as canceled back in 2008 thanks largely to poor economic conditions in markets like the United States. The model had been scheduled for a 2013 introduction. Has a modestly improving economy and America’s relentless appetite for crossovers rekindled the project? If Automobile is to be believed, apparently so…

BMW mulling seven-passenger X7 crossover… again originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 25 May 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: VW readying seven-passenger SUV

Filed under: SUV, Crossover, Volkswagen, Rumormill

Volkswagen Touareg

It looks like a few more details have shown up on the rumored addition to the Volkswagen SUV family. According to Auto Express, the newcomer will have its sights set dead on the American market and will boast seating for seven. It will also carry a slimmer price tag than the current Touareg, all of this courtesy of VW America guru Jonathan Browning.

Auto Express is also reporting that the new crossover/SUV will most likely be built here in the U.S. at the company’s Chattanooga, Tennessee manufacturing facility alongside the new Passat.

The German automaker has made no secret of the fact that it wants nothing more than to carve out a larger chunk of the American auto market, and doing so will require a portfolio of vehicles that caters more specifically to Yankee tastes. By 2018, VW wants to sell 800,000 vehicles in the land of the free. Last year the company managed to move 256,830 units.

[Source: Auto Express]

Report: VW readying seven-passenger SUV originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 20 Jan 2011 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: GM will sell diesel passenger car in the U.S.

Filed under: GM, Diesel

USDOT DEER 2010 DetroitSources (i.e., email tips and a Tweet from Ward’s Auto) are telling us that General Motors Vice Chairman Tom Stephens told attendees at the Directions in Engine-Efficiency and Emissions Research (DEER) conference in Detroit today that a diesel-engined passenger car is coming to the U.S. sometime in the future. Nothing has been officially decided, but Stephens indicated that GM has a portfolio of diesels to draw from, noting that it’s up to the marketing department to define what engine and platform might be used, let alone what brand it would be marketed under. What might we see? Maybe something along the line of a GM Jetta?

GM has been talking up diesels in the U.S. for years, but oil-burning powertrains haven’t gotten quite the attention that the plug-in Voltec in the forthcoming Chevrolet Volt has (how could it?). Now that the cat is at least poking its head out of the bag, we wonder if the German automakers, who are having a bit of success with oil-burning powerplants here, are worried. Unlikely, but at least we could get more options – and would it kill GM to make the new car officially B100-capable from the start?

[Source: Ward’s Auto Twitter]

Report: GM will sell diesel passenger car in the U.S. originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 27 Sep 2010 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cadillac recalling CTS and CTS-V over risk to passenger knees

Filed under: Performance, Etc., Recalls, Cadillac, Event Alert, Luxury

2009 Cadillac CTS-V sedan

2009 Cadillac CTS-V – Click above for high-res image gallery

General Motors has issued a recall notice for 2009-2010 all-wheel drive Cadillac CTS’ and CTS-Vs due to an issue with the front passenger-side knee airbag.

In a collision, the front passenger’s knees are at risk of being hit – however, this risk is only for passengers not wearing their seat belts. Dealers are instructed to replace the glove box assembly and, if necessary, modify the instrument panel structure. Per usual, these services are free of charge and the recall is scheduled to begin on or before October 20th, 2010.

Gallery: Review: 2009 Cadillac CTS-V

Photos Copyright (C)2009 Sam Abuelsamid / Max Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.
[Source: NHTSA]

Cadillac recalling CTS and CTS-V over risk to passenger knees originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 20 Sep 2010 13:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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