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Study: Updated J.D. Power APEAL study shines on VW Group, Chevy

Filed under: Car Buying, Chevrolet, Porsche, Volkswagen

2013 Volkswagen full line parked in field

J.D. Power has just revealed the results of its 2013 APEAL Study, which looks at which brands have the most appealing cars based on sales figures, dealer inventory, brand loyalty, transaction and trade-in prices. The study was revamped for 2013, and places a larger focus on the new tech and infotainment options available to customers. All told, study participants gauged their vehicles on 77 different attributes, delivering a score out of a 1,000 points.

The Volkswagen Group had the greatest success of any corporation, topping the APEAL rankings with the Audi Allroad, Porsche Boxster, Porsche Cayenne, VW GTI and Passat. Chevrolet had the highest number of awards for a single brand, though, with the Avalanche, Sonic and Volt all taking home a prize.

The best brand overall was Porsche, which scored 884 out of a possible 1,000 points. The top Japanese brand was Lexus with a score of 847, while the top American brand was Cadillac, at 841. The best mainstream brand was Ram, which received a very respectable 817. The industry average for this year’s study was 795, with 16 brands, all of which were mainstream, falling below the average.

There were a few surprises for the individual model awards, as well. The Buick Encore took the sub-compact CUV class, while the Ford Mustang was the winner of the mid-size sporty car segment. The Lincoln MKZ beat out the BMW 3 Series, Cadillac ATS, and a spate of others to capture the compact premium car segment. Finally, the redesigned Land Rover Range Rover was the first vehicle outside of the large premium car segment to net the highest overall score. For more details, scroll down to read the official press release.

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Updated J.D. Power APEAL study shines on VW Group, Chevy originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 24 Jul 2013 14:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New York 2011: Mercedes-Benz Concept A-Class shines in Manhattan

Filed under: Concept Cars, New York Auto Show, Hatchback, Mercedes-Benz, Design/Style

Mercedes-Benz Concept A-Class live in New York

Mercedes-Benz Concept A-Class – Click above for high-res image gallery

Fresh off of its unveiling halfway around the world at the Shanghai Motor Show, Daimler graced the squeaky-clean floors of its brand-new flagship showroom, Mercedes-Benz Manhattan, with its striking Concept A-Class.

Nestled in the corner of the 11th Avenue megaplex (five floors and over seven acres of floor space in New York City), the Concept A comes off as surprisingly dynamic for what amounts to a conventional three-door hatchback – and a static one at that (unlike the car shown in China, the New York Auto Show star only has a half-interior). And it’s not just unique details like the elaborate pinwork grille (composed of hexagonal silver nubs on blacked-out stems), the windswept headlamps or the waifish side mirrors – the whole package just somehow comes together. We’re not sure if we’re finally getting more comfortable with the blunt-nosed look that’s infiltrating the Three-Pointed-Star’s lineup (see: SLS AMG, CLS, etc.), or if it just works particularly well here, but in the metal, the Concept A-Class looks more convincing than we expected from the first batch of press images.

That’s good news, because Benz is very serious about making its next production A-Class a world car – including North America. To that end, even in showcar regalia, the Concept A has perfectly feasible mechanicals: a 2.0-liter, 210-horsepower four-cylinder from Daimler’s new M270 range driving the front wheels and shifted by a dual-clutch gearbox. It also appears to be more conventional in chassis construction, eschewing the clever (if costly) ‘sandwich’ architecture and upright profile of the original 1997 model.

When it finally arrives in production form, the next-generation A-Class will no doubt ride on smaller wheels, have a taller greenhouse, and the engine will likely nestle behind a more conventional grille. Even so, Mercedes will still be on to something if it can preserve the appeal of the Concept A-Class’ form factor.

Gallery: Mercedes-Benz Concept A-Class: New York 2011

Gallery: Mercedes-Benz A-Class Concept

Mercedes-Benz A-Class Concept

New York 2011: Mercedes-Benz Concept A-Class shines in Manhattan originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 19 Apr 2011 22:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2010 Japanese Grand Prix: The sun finally shines in the Land of the Rising Sun [Spoilers]

Filed under: Motorsports, Japan

2010 Japanese Grand Prix – Click above for high-res image gallery

The Japanese Grand Prix has long held a special place in the Formula One World Championship. Traditionally one of, if not the very last race of the season, Japan has crowned many a champion: in fact the title has been decided there 12 out of the 24 times the Pacific island nation has hosted a grand prix. And of the drivers who’ve won there the past ten years running, all but Kimi Raikkonen lined up there again this weekend, Suzuka taking back the hosting duties from Fuji once more.

Would this year’s race see a new winner atop the podium? Or would Sebastian Vettel, Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton, Michael Schumacher or even Rubens Barrichello add the trophy alongside their previous wins in the Land of the Rising Sun? Follow the jump to find out.

Gallery: 2010 Japanese Grand Prix

[Images: Greg Baker, Mark Baker / AP | Mark Thompson, Shuji Kajiyama / Getty | Toshifumi Kitamura, Jung Yeon-Je, Kazuhiro Nogi / AFP/Getty]

Continue reading 2010 Japanese Grand Prix: The sun finally shines in the Land of the Rising Sun [Spoilers]

2010 Japanese Grand Prix: The sun finally shines in the Land of the Rising Sun [Spoilers] originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 10 Oct 2010 07:47:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Monterey 2010: Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 shines in silver

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Performance, Mercedes-Benz, Racing

Chromed Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3

Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 – Click above for high-res image gallery

That image above speaks for itself. All you really need to know is that this isn’t Dubai, Russia or even Germany – it’s right here in Monterey for classic car week. You can probably identify the Mercedes-Benz inside that shiny wrapper on your own, but just in case you’ve recently taken an amnesia-inducing blow to the head, it’s the SLS AMG GT3 – the race version of the company’s new gullwing sports car. There’s something to be said for having a mirror with you wherever you go, but this is a bit extreme. No matter, we think it looks amazing, even if it is just a wrap and not a polished car that’s been stripped of its white paint to shed precious ounces before a race. Click on any image to see our full high-res gallery.

Gallery: Monterey 2010: Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3

Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3

Monterey 2010: Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 shines in silver originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 14 Aug 2010 20:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chrome-dipped Mercedes SLS AMG shines at German GP

Filed under: Coupe, Mercedes-Benz, Racing

Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 chromed by Laureus – Click above for high-res image gallery

Is nothing sacred? We’ve seen all manner of chromed-out Mercedes, from the SLR McLaren to a C63 (and more than we care to remember in between), but some things ought to be left alone. If the SLS AMG weren’t enough to warrant exclusion from this most Middle Eastern of practices, we’d have hope at least that the GT3 racing version would be. We’d hope, but we’d be wrong.

The example you see here was rolled out by the Laureus Sport for Good Foundation, an organization that promotes athletics as a remedy to youth issues. The foundation is supported by Mercedes-Benz, among other sponsors, and the livery is also featured on a DTM C-Class touring car. Offset by the red accents, the bright finish “mirrors” that of McLaren’s F1 cars, which remain powered by Mercedes engines, though the automaker has switched its patronage to its own team this season.

The car was displayed during the German Grand Prix a couple of weeks ago at Hockenheim, the only place where it stood a decent chance of not standing out. At least it was for a good cause.

Gallery: Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT3 chromed by Laureus

[Source: Mercedes-Benz Passion via JonSibal.com]

Chrome-dipped Mercedes SLS AMG shines at German GP originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 04 Aug 2010 17:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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