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Official: Smart celebrates 1.5 million Fortwo models built, prepares to upgrade factory

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Plants/Manufacturing, Smart, Specialty

Smart is celebrating 1.5 million Fortwos built since 1998 at its plant in Hambach, France, before it goes offline for an extended summer break. The 1.5 millionth Fortwo is a white Electric Drive Cabriolet, but it isn’t known which market it will be sold in.

The milestone is highlighted by the reason for the extended break, which starts in July and continues through August: The plant will be receiving a 200 million euro upgrade to prepare it for a next-generation Smart vehicle, a newly designed “four-seated urban mobility car” (aka, the 2015 Smart Forfour) that will be available in 2014. In addition, a new, environmentally friendly liquid-paint shop will be built at the plant, replacing the old powder-paint shop and representing the largest individual project in the upgrade, requiring a cool 50 million euro.

For more details on Smart’s immediate future, check out the press release below.

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Smart celebrates 1.5 million Fortwo models built, prepares to upgrade factory originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 18 Jul 2013 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Official: Chrysler resolves recall issue with NHTSA, will inspect, upgrade affected Jeeps

Filed under: SUV, Government/Legal, Recalls, Safety, Jeep

Chrysler made big news earlier in the month by refusing a recall request from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for the 1993-2004 Jeep Grand Cherokee and 2002-2007 Jeep Liberty. Last week, NHTSA boss David Strickland countered by defending his agency’s request for the recall of 2.7 million Jeep SUVs. Today marked the deadline for Chrysler to formally respond to NHTSA, and it seems that both parties have met in the middle with Chrysler inspecting and upgrading some of the affected vehicles without using the word “recall,” which would constitute the admission of a defect; instead, Chrysler said that it is conducting a “voluntary campaign.”

At issue on these vehicles is the positioning of the fuel tank behind the rear axle that could get damaged during a rear-end collision. NHTSA has stated that at least 51 people have been killed in rear-end collisions involving these Jeeps after the vehicles caught fire, to which Chrysler countered by pointing out that both models “met and exceeded” the requirements for fuel-system integrity.

As a compromise on the situation, Chrysler says that it will inspect all pre-2004 Grand Cherokees and pre-2007 Liberty models and, “if necessary, provide an upgrade to the rear structure of the vehicle.” According to Automotive News, this upgrade will consist of adding a trailer hitch that will presumably better protect the rear-mounted gas tank. Vehicles already equipped with a factory or Mopar hitch will not be modified. Chrysler’s official statement on the matter is posted below, but no additional information has been released, such as when the campaign will begin and how many vehicles could be affected.

Continue reading Chrysler resolves recall issue with NHTSA, will inspect, upgrade affected Jeeps

Chrysler resolves recall issue with NHTSA, will inspect, upgrade affected Jeeps originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 18 Jun 2013 16:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2012 Ford Fiesta gets sport appearance package with slight performance upgrade

Filed under: Budget, Hatchback, Ford

2012 ford fiesta

2012 Ford Fiesta w/ Sport Appearance Package – Click above for high-res image gallery

Ford wants you to get personal with the 2012 Fiesta. Be it through custom exterior graphics or LED lighting, Ford offers something to make your Fiesta truly your own. Now, if you opt for the SEL or SES trims, you can also choose from a pair of new two-tone interior color schemes. The 2012 Fiesta can be outfitted with Oxford White or Race Red, both of which are paired with black.

Besides the interior style touches, the 2012 Ford Fiesta is now being offered with a sport appearance package. It includes blacked-out side mirrors, grille-surround, upper rear-hatch spoiler and a set of 16-inch polished alloy wheels. This isn’t just for looks, though. When equipped with a manual transmission, the standard 4.07 gear ratio gets swapped out for a 4.25 final drive ratio, meaning off-the-line acceleration should prove to be a bit more brisk.

Check out the new interior options in the gallery below, and click past the jump to read the full press release.

Gallery: 2012 Ford Fiesta

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading 2012 Ford Fiesta gets sport appearance package with slight performance upgrade

2012 Ford Fiesta gets sport appearance package with slight performance upgrade originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 23 Mar 2011 13:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chicago 2011: No power upgrade for the Hyundai Genesis Coupe “for a little while”

Filed under: Chicago Auto Show, Coupe, Performance, Hyundai

2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe

Hyundai Genesis Coupe – Click above for high-res image gallery

The Hyundai Genesis sedan has just received an upgraded 3.8-liter V6 with 333 horsepower and 291 pound-feet, adding 43 more horses and 27 more pound-feet of torque to its accomplishments.

The Genesis Coupe, on the other hand, is playing with 306 hp, and according to Hyundai spokesman Jim Trainor, that isn’t going to change soon. When we asked if the Genesis Coupe would get the new V6, he said “you won’t see any difference to the Genesis Coupe powertrain for a little while.” Trainor wouldn’t define what “a little while” meant, but he did say “you’ll probably see a similar strategy to the Genesis sedan,” suggesting that the Coupe will get a power bump when it gets facelifted, “probably next year.”

Gallery: 2010 Hyundai Genesis Coupe: First Drive

Chicago 2011: No power upgrade for the Hyundai Genesis Coupe “for a little while” originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 10 Feb 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nissan luring business owners to buy new van with free upgrade packages

Thanks to its new NV series of body-on-frame vans, Nissan now has a stake in the commercial cargo moving market. But how will the Japanese automaker entice fleet buyers to stop their scheduled orders for tried-and-true options like the Ford E-Series and Mercedes-Benz Sprinter in favor of unproven models like the NV 1500, 2500 and 3500? The answer appears to be some clever incentives.

Instead of just dropping cash on the hood, Nissan is instead offering the choice of several no-cost options to help NV buyers convert their vehicles into a cargo-carrying juggernaut. Customers who purchase an NV can choose from a cargo management systems consisting of three 44-inch shelving units, a steel cabin/cargo partition, or an exterior standard roof utility rack or an interior rack for high roof models. NV buyers more interested in marketing than cargo enhancements can opt for a personalized graphics package from Original Wraps that spans up to 70 square feet. And if none of those options sound good, Nissan will cut $300 from the new van’s $24,590 starting price. Hit the jump to read over Nissan’s press release.

[Source: Nissan]

Continue reading Nissan luring business owners to buy new van with free upgrade packages

Nissan luring business owners to buy new van with free upgrade packages originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 14 Jan 2011 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Lincoln plans to close 200 metro dealers, upgrade the rest

Filed under: Ford, Lincoln, Luxury

Lincoln Concept C – Click above for high-res image gallery

Now that Ford has officially announced that its Mercury division would be going the way of the Dodo, and with Blue Oval-branded models like the Taurus SHO proving that the Dearborn automaker can indeed move itself a bit upmarket, the next logical concern is addressing what will happen to Lincoln. That’s especially true given the fact that Lincoln’s 82,847 total sales in 2009 are a mere pittance compared to that of class-leading Lexus, which moved 215,957 vehicles.

One of the big problems with Lincoln is that there are just too many dealerships trying to sell a car to in-market customers. To wit, Lincoln currently boasts a whopping 1,221 stores in the States. By way of comparison, Lexus has 230, Audi has 270, BMW has 338 and Mercedes-Benz has 352. Do the math and it’s easy to see that each Lincoln dealership doesn’t sell very many vehicles – in fact, they’re averaging just two sales per week.

According to Automotive News, Ford has a two-part plan to inject some life into its moribund Lincoln outlets. First, the total number of dealerships will be reduced by at least 200, and most of those closures will happen in large metropolitan markets where there are already multiple stores. Second, remaining outlets will be heavily upgraded in order to compete with Lincoln’s targeted competitors.

Will it work? Hard to say, but if the brand can build models like the rumored production version of the Concept C showcar, it could certainly inject some life into Lincoln. In any case, we should get a few more details around October 4, which is when Lincoln’s annual dealer meeting is scheduled to begin.

Gallery: Lincoln Concept C

[Sources: Automotive News – sub. req., Bloomberg]

Report: Lincoln plans to close 200 metro dealers, upgrade the rest originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 27 Sep 2010 18:21:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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