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Official: IIHS tests brace of new small cars, many earn Top Safety Pick status [w/video]

Filed under: Etc., Safety, Videos

2011 nissan juke crash test

Small cars score big in latest IIHS crash tests – Click above to watch video after the jump

Thirteen enter, six leave … with Top Safety Pick awards. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety spent some time driving (and smashing) a big group of small cars. Six of those cars received top honors from the IIHS by scoring a rating of “Good” across the board. The 2012 Ford Focus, 2012 Honda Civic sedan, 2011 Hyunda Elantra, 2011 Lexus CT200h, 2011 Nissan Juke and 2011 Toyota Prius are all the small-car place to be in the event of an accident.

This crop of small cars are also quite fuel efficient. All vehicles in the top six offer a version that gets at least 40 miles per gallon on the highway.

The rest of the vehicles tested faired well. Only the older Suzuki SX4 and Dodge Caliber received “Mediocre” ratings in some categories. Every car tested, however, received multiple “Good” ratings. Click past the jump to watch the IIHS talk about about the small car crash tests. Also, be sure to check out the breakdown of the ratings by vehicle (pdf file).

Continue reading IIHS tests brace of new small cars, many earn Top Safety Pick status [w/video]

IIHS tests brace of new small cars, many earn Top Safety Pick status [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 26 May 2011 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ford’s Big Goal in 2011: Get out of junk status, lower loan rates

Filed under: Ford, Earnings/Financials

2010 was a banner year for Ford Motor Company. Market share and profits were as good as they’ve been in years, and there is genuine buzz surrounding the Blue Oval’s cars and trucks. Heck, even Ford’s stock has been a monumental success. But not all that glitters is gold, as Ford is still mired in junk bond status, which in turn makes it more expensive to borrow money. That makes it more pricey for Ford to offer incentives to customers, and lease terms are less attractive than they would otherwise be.

K.R. Kent, Ford’s new executive director of investor relations, is charged with getting Ford out of Junk status. Automotive News reports that Ford has been in junk status since 2005 and is currently four grades below junk status after being upgraded by two levels back in August. Ford CFO Lewis Booth admits that the company still has “a lot of steps to go before we get to investment grade.” Making the matter more urgent for Ford is the fact that Ally Financial, the finance arm for General Motors and Chrysler, became a bank holding company in the second quarter of 2009. Since that time, AN says that it has been cheaper for Ally to secure loans than Ford Credit.

We’re thinking that Ford has a big job in the year ahead, and getting out of junk status will likely take improved auto sales and continued quarterly profits. Booth says Ford will reach its junk-free goal by showing the investment community “authoritative and highly credible insight into our automotive business and Ford Credit.”

[Source: Automotive News – sub. req.]

Ford’s Big Goal in 2011: Get out of junk status, lower loan rates originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 31 Dec 2010 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Status Design plays with the Lamborghini Murciélago before it goes away

Filed under: Aftermarket, Convertible, Performance, Lamborghini, Russia, Luxury

Lamborghini Murcielago by Status Design

Lamborghini Murciélago by Status Design – Click above for high-res image gallery

The Lamborghini Jota might not be coming to the Paris Motor Show this week, but that doesn’t mean tuners are finished playing around with the Murciélago LP640 roadster. Russia’s Status Design has worked with BF to tweak the Murc in the automotive sunset of its life, with performance mods limited to just a sport exhaust. But there’s alligator leather inside, a wicked sound system, carbon fiber ladled throughout, and get a load of that tangerine. It’s all in the gallery of high-res photos below. Press release is available after the jump, too.

Gallery: Lamborghini Murcielago Roadster by Status Design and BF

[Source: Status Design]

Continue reading Status Design plays with the Lamborghini Murciélago before it goes away

Status Design plays with the Lamborghini Murciélago before it goes away originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 30 Sep 2010 18:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Cadillac CTS, Infiniti M models earn Top Safety Pick status from IIHS

Filed under: Safety, Acura, Audi, BMW, Cadillac, Hyundai, Lexus, Lincoln, Mercedes-Benz

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has put a new crop of large luxury vehicles through its crash test gauntlet, and the Cadillac CTS and Infiniti M joined some impressive company in scoring a Top Safety Pick designation. The CTS and M clinched the highly regarded award by receiving the top score of “Good” in roof strength testing. To achieve the top score in rollover safety, a vehicle’s roof has to be able to support four times the weight of the entire vehicle.

The Top Safety Pick designation is handed out only to vehicles that received a “Good” score for all four IIHS crash tests while also featuring standard stability control to help avoid accidents altogether. The Cadillac and Infiniti join the BMW 5 Series, Lincoln MKS, Volvo S80, Hyundai Genesis and the Mercedes-Benz E-Class as Top Safety Pick winners.

Since large luxury vehicles cost so much and contain so many safety features, it’s not all that surprising that so many models aced IIHS testing. But not all vehicles passed the test with flying colors. The Lexus GS and Audi A6 managed only an “Acceptable” score in roof testing, while the aging Acura RL lagged behind the competition with a “Marginal” rating. Hit the jump to read over the IIHS presser.

Gallery: 2011 Cadillac CTS sedan

Gallery: 2011 Infiniti M

[Source: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety]

Continue reading Cadillac CTS, Infiniti M models earn Top Safety Pick status from IIHS

Cadillac CTS, Infiniti M models earn Top Safety Pick status from IIHS originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 16 Aug 2010 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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