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2011 Toyota Matrix

2011 Toyota Matrix – Click above for high-res image gallery

Look very closely and you may notice the subtle changes Toyota has made to its Matrix for the 2011 model year. If your eyes are still failing you (as were ours at first glance), we’ll point them all out. There are new wheels across the board, Smart Stop technology has been added to curb pedal misapplication complications, and the automaker’s “Toyota Care” complimentary maintenance plan is now standard. That wasn’t too difficult, was it?

As was the case last year, the 2011 Matrix is again offered in Base and S trim levels with a standard 1.8-liter four-cylinder (132 horsepower) or a more powerful 2.4-liter four-cylinder (158 horsepower). The standard powertrain is front-wheel drive, with all-wheel drive optional on the higher trim level with the larger engine. Those seeking a bit more driving excitement (well, at least visual excitement) need to add the optional Sport Package to their S model, as it adds 17-inch alloy wheels, underbody spoilers, and a painted rear spoiler. Oh, we almost forgot… a new color, called Spruce Mica, joins the exterior palate for 2011.

Gallery: 2011 Toyota Matrix: Chicago 2011

2011 Toyota Matrix

Chicago 2011: 2011 Toyota Matrix is… umm… sorta refreshed? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 10 Feb 2011 14:39:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Hybrid, Sedan, Technology, Chevrolet, GM, Celebrities, Electric

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

As America’s most recognizable celebrity car guy, you might expect that Jay Leno is anxious to put what might be America’s most recognizable and highly anticipated game-changing new car in decades in his Big Dog Garage. Apparently, you’d be wrong. The late night comedian spoke with The Detroit News about the upcoming extended-range electric car and, surprisingly enough, said he doesn’t plan to be one of the first in line to drive away in a 2011 Chevrolet Volt:

“If you didn’t know, you might think it’s a Cobalt or a Camry… I don’t think there’s a lot of cachet in having the first one. It’s meant to be a people mover, not a people impresser.”

If we’re all being honest with ourselves, Leno makes a fine point. For the generation of Americans who grew up on hot rods and muscle cars, the Chevrolet Volt is something of an appliance meant to be safe, efficient and environmentally friendly. Those aren’t exactly the kind of attributed that stir up the emotions of petrolheads. But that’s kinda the point.

As Leno himself points out of the Chevy Volt, “I think it’s great technology.” And it clearly is. In fact, it’s the likely future of automotive transportation. “There is a particular audience that is all about advanced technology and green transportation,” responded GM spokesperson Rob Peterson. “For people like that, the Volt has that cachet. It’s kind of like an iPhone. An iPhone is still a cell phone with a lot of capability in it.”

Perhaps that’s an apt comparison. Telephones and even mobile phones started out as appliances meant only to perform a basic function. Just as the iPhone revolutionized what the general public thought could be done with a phone, the Volt has the potential to revolutionize the kind of efficiency Americans have come to expect from their daily drivers… and it will certainly attract plenty of attention. With or without a glowing recommendation from Jay Leno.

Oh, and for what it’s worth, Leno says he’s excited about the Volt’s launch later this year and may in fact buy one. Just maybe not from the first batch, we surmise.

Gallery: 2011 Chevy Volt

[Source: The Detroit News]

Jay Leno a Chevy Volt intender? Umm… not so much originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 21 Jul 2010 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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