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Spy Shots: Fiat’s high-riding, all-wheel-drive 500

Filed under: Spy Photos, Hatchback, Fiat

Fiat 500 AWD spy shots

Fiat 500 AWD spy shots – Click above for high-res image gallery

The 2012 Fiat 500 may just be launching here in the United States, but elsewhere, Fiat appears to be working on an all-wheel-drive 500 to battle the high-riding Ford Fiesta and Chevrolet Sonic that have both been recently spied. Rumors have suggested that the AWD variant will be introduced around the same time as the slightly facelifted 500 in Europe.

This 500 mule is clearly rides higher off the ground than the normal car, and our spies point out that a reworked exhaust system is present on this test car – a result of the reworked underpinnings. We expect the 500 AWD to arrive sometime in 2012, though it is unclear whether or not this model is destined for consumption here in the U.S. Scroll through our gallery of high-res spy shots below to see for yourself.

Gallery: Spy Shots: Fiat 500 AWD

[Source: CarPix]

Spy Shots: Fiat’s high-riding, all-wheel-drive 500 originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 02 Feb 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Volvo bringing all-wheel-drive V60 plug-in hybrid to Geneva

Filed under: Concept Cars, Hybrid, Wagon, Geneva Motor Show, Volvo

2011 Volvo V60

2011 Volvo V60 – Click above for high-res image gallery

Volvo has announced plans to bring a “virtually production ready” V60 plug-in hybrid to the Geneva Motor Show this March, and if it makes it to market, it will be both the automaker’s first ~~gas~~diesel-electric production model and the first all-wheel-drive plug-in hybrid to be sold in the States.

The V60 hybrid will essentially pack two separate drivetrains: a 215-horsepower turbodiesel 2.4-liter five-cylinder up front and a 70-hp electric motor mounted between the rear wheels. A 12 kWh lithium-ion battery pack feeds juice to the rear electric motor and Volvo claims that the V60 hybrid can be driven for up to 31 miles on electricity alone. Volvo CEO Stefan Jacoby is adamant that the V60 will be a sports wagon for the enthusiast, which we can hopefully confirm when sales begin in 2012.

Gallery: 2011 Volvo V60

[Source: Volvo]

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Volvo bringing all-wheel-drive V60 plug-in hybrid to Geneva originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 27 Jan 2011 13:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumormill: BMW working on range of front-wheel-drive concepts

Filed under: Europe, Crossover, Hatchback, BMW, Rumormill

BMW Roundel

When BMW began making noise about bringing front-wheel drive to the table, purists, enthusiasts and fans of the brand immediately busted out the pitchforks and torches. Visions of front-wheel drive 3 Series and 1 Series models were almost enough to induce frenzy (not that a huge number of owners would know the difference…), but if the latest word from BMW Blog is to be believed, the company’s front-wheel drive efforts will be contained to a handful of all-new models.

The news comes courtesy of a BMW insider posting on German Car Forum. Supposedly, the main impetus behind delving into a FWD platform isn’t to increase the company’s average fuel economy as some have guessed. Instead, BMW is looking to make the Mini brand more profitable by sharing platforms with other models under the Roundel.

Those include a new compact BMW roughly the size of a Cooper, as well as an MPV that the insider calls a Compact Gran Sport Tourer. Additionally, there may be room for a crossover-sized front-wheel drive beast as well. Interestingly enough, the report says that the new BMW compact will have proportions similar to those of the Honda CR-Z.

At this point, it’s difficult to say whether or not the source from German Car Forum has their facts straight or not, but so far, this is the most detailed glimpse we’ve gotten into what BMW is up to with its FWD program.

[Source: German Car Forum via BMW Blog]

Rumormill: BMW working on range of front-wheel-drive concepts originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 07 Jan 2011 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumormill: Ferrari to unveil all-wheel-drive shooting brake in Geneva?

Filed under: Hybrid, Performance, Geneva Motor Show, Ferrari, Rumormill

Ferrari 612 Scaglietti unveiling

We’re anticipating a new Ferrari to be unveiled in a few months time at the Geneva Motor Show, but just what form – and arguably just as vitally, what technology – the new Prancing Horse will take has been the subject of much rumor and conjecture as of late.

Based on Ferrari chief Luca di Montezemolo’s reported pronouncement that his company is preparing “a very different new Ferrari” for the Swiss salon, initial reports speculated that a production-ready hybrid could be in the cards. But the latest reports seem to call that into question.

So if not a hybrid, what has Maranello got in store for us? Most reports point towards a replacement for the 612 Scaglietti, the company’s flagship (if somewhat lackluster) four-seat GT. Others suggest a shooting brake two-door wagon, while yet others report that whatever debuts will incorporate the company’s part-time all-wheel drive system, if not necessarily a hybrid drivetrain. The truth probably lies in the combination of several of these reports, if not all of them, but we’ll just have to sit tight to see what will lie underneath the veil come March.

[Sources: Le Blog Auto, Eurocarblog]

Rumormill: Ferrari to unveil all-wheel-drive shooting brake in Geneva? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 03 Jan 2011 18:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Man says he lost consciousness at the wheel due to Benz’s ‘new car smell’

Filed under: Etc., Government/Legal, Safety

new car scent

Numerous studies have shown that the so-called new car smell – which is actually a potent outgassing of volatile organic chemicals and heavy metals – can be potentially dangerous to breathe in, and that some people are more bothered by these VOCs than others.

But could that new car smell be so insidious that it could cause you to lose consciousness long enough that you get into an accident? And if so, could an attorney use such a new car smell defense to ease a client’s legal woes? Sounds a bit odd, but just such a case is currently taking place in Colorado.

Here are the facts: Martin Erzinger, owner of a 2010 Mercedes-Benz sedan (model unknown), fell asleep at the wheel, drifted off the road and struck a bicyclist named Dr. Steven Milo before colliding with a concrete barrier. The unresolved questions are whether Erzinger’s sleep apnea was compounded by his car’s odors, as suggested by a forensic specialist, and if he was aware that he had struck a pedestrian.

Of course, it’s not up to us to decide how guilty or innocent Erzinger may be… we’ll leave that up to the court. But we are curious what you think. Could a particularly noxious new car smell be a contributing factor in an accident?

[Source: VailDaily.com | Image: Dyanna – CC 2.0]

Man says he lost consciousness at the wheel due to Benz’s ‘new car smell’ originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 15 Dec 2010 17:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Will the next Holden Commodore go front-wheel drive?

Filed under: GM, Holden, Australia, Rumormill

Holden Commodore

2011 Holden VE Series II Commodore – Click above for high-res image gallery

Since 1978, the Holden Commodore has been roaring across the land down under. It’s worn a plethora of body styles ranging from coupe and sedan to wagon and ute, brought the Pontiac G8 to American soil and sold over 44,000 units last year in Australia. During its run, the Holden Commodore has been a rear-wheel drive vehicle, but new reports state that the front-engine/rear-drive layout may not be in the cards for much longer.

The next-generation Commodore is going to appear by 2015 and it’s possible that General Motors may switch it to a front-wheel drive car. The goal is increased fuel-efficiency for GM’s large cars and the front-wheel drive platforms are the ones set up to deliver the highest fuel efficiency.

The Holden Commodore could ride on the Super Epsilon II platform, which will also make its way into the next Chevrolet Impala and the upcoming Cadillac XTS. Sure, we understand why an automaker would look to make this change but it doesn’t mean we have to like it. We prefer our Maltidas waltzing and our Commodores drifting.

Gallery: 2011 Holden Series II Family

[Source: Go Auto]

Will the next Holden Commodore go front-wheel drive? originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 10 Dec 2010 17:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW celebrates 25 years of all-wheel drive

Filed under: Classics, Technology, BMW

BMW celebrates 25 years of AWD

BMW celebrates 25 years of AWD – Click above for high-res image gallery

BMW says that after 25 years, one in four of the company’s vehicles is sold with xDrive all-wheel drive. The German carmaker currently sells a total of 45 models that put power to all four tires, and it says that figure may rise in the near future. In order to celebrate just how far the company’s all-wheel drive system has come over the past quarter decade, BMW has rolled out a quick stroll down memory lane. The first BMW to wear an X on its trunk debuted in 1985 and offered buyers a vehicle that was as capable when the road turned slippery as it was when the tarmac grew twisty.

Since then, BMW says that it has worked to give all of its all-wheel-drive vehicles the same rear-wheel bias as the rest of its products to maintain the now classic BMW driving feel. Hit the jump to see the full press release for yourself, and be sure to check out the gallery full of vintage BMW goodies.

Gallery: 25 Years of BMW AWD

[Source: BMW]

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BMW celebrates 25 years of all-wheel drive originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 26 Oct 2010 17:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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BMW planning rear-wheel drive 2 Series?

Filed under: Hatchback, BMW, Rumormill

BMW M2 Rendering Consider our fingers crossed. With all of the talk of front-wheel-drive BMW models coming down the pike, we simply assumed that the future of small German hatchbacks with roundels on the hood would be littered with soulless heaps. According to the sleuths over at Car and Driver, however, that’s not the case. After discovering that BMW had filed for U.S. patents for the names 228, 230 and 235, someone at BMW let it slip that the new 2 Series would, in fact, send its power to the aft. But hold onto your teacups, kids, it gets better.

BMW has also filed for a patent for the M2 moniker.

Now, we know as well as anyone that a patent doth not a production vehicle make, but it’s still exciting to know that BMW isn’t walking away from the notion of a smallish, fun-to-drive model anytime soon. Supposedly the company is planning a rash of models positioned below the current 1 Series to help decrease its corporate average fuel economy, but the news of a rear-wheel drive model with an M badge on the back goes a long way toward salving any ails inflicted by the thought of a front-wheel-drive Bimmer.

[Source: Car and Driver]

BMW planning rear-wheel drive 2 Series? originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 25 Oct 2010 17:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VW considering adding all-wheel drive to Audi A1, Polo?

Filed under: Hatchback, Audi, Volkswagen, Rumormill

Audi A1 live in Paris

Audi A1 TFSI – Click above for high-res image gallery

Audi surprised us all when it took the wraps off its top-of-the-line A1 TFSI hatchback packing everything but the kitchen sink…and the S1 nameplate. The reason, according to reports, was that every S model in the company’s history has featured Quattro all-wheel drive, but the PQ25 platform on which the A1 is based can’t accommodate it. At least, not yet.

The UK’s Autocar now suggests, however, that a business case is being made inside the Volkswagen Group to engineer the platform to accept the extra driveshaft. Doing so would allow for proper Quattro-driven S1, but that’s not all. In order to justify the cost, the Volkswagen Polo could get a couple of models driven on all fours, including a Polo R hot hatch to slot in above the Polo GTI and a CrossPolo soft-roader with actual traction to back up its butch styling.

Gallery: Paris 2010: 2011 Audi A1 TFSI

Gallery: 2012 Volkswagen CrossPolo

[Source: Autocar]

VW considering adding all-wheel drive to Audi A1, Polo? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 14 Oct 2010 14:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Rumormill: Rumblings of Zeta-based family of rear-wheel-drive GM sedans persist

Filed under: Sedan, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Rumormill, Luxury

Cadillac Sixteen concept car in the wet

The ongoing yarn about General Motors fielding a brace of rear-wheel drive flagship sedans based on a new generation Premium Zeta platform has hit the big time, with Motor Trend reporting that the platform will underpin a sport sedan for Chevrolet. Last month, the rejigged Zeta was touted as the basis for a flagship Buick that would finally, and properly, challenge Lexus. MT’s report says there will be two wheelbases for this new Zeta, and that those two variants will do duty under a Cadillac, a U.S. Buick and potentially a Chinese-market Buick, and several Holden models along with the aforementioned Chevy.

As the basis for premium sedans, General Motors could spend the money to make it properly light and strong through the use of high-strength steels. The Chevy sport sedan mentioned would be “a kind of four-door Camaro” – Pontiac G8 GXP redux, anyone? – while the Buick only gets described as “cushier,” and both would go on the shorter wheelbase Zeta.

The most interesting tidbit could be Cadillac’s use of the long-wheelbase platform. MT prices a Cadillac flagship at between $125,000 and $140,000 and says the Zeta-based Cadillac, Whitacre’s S-Class rival for the Crest-and-Wreath brand, will sit beneath it. If it all comes to pass, that would give Cadillac a larger CTS, then an XTS, then a properly sporting high-end luxury competitor, then a one-Caddy-to-rule-them-all ne plus ultra model by 2014 or so. Hat tip to Joshua!

[Source: Motor Trend]

Rumormill: Rumblings of Zeta-based family of rear-wheel-drive GM sedans persist originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 24 Sep 2010 14:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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