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2009 Kia cee'd gets Intelligent Stop & Go

Stop/start technology is like a trial membership for hybrids: it lets drivers in on the fuel savings and lower carbon emissions without forcing them to become a card-carrying member of the hybrid brigade. Kia is will be offering buyers just such an opportunity by introducing ISG, or Idle, Stop, and Go (also called Intelligent Stop & Go) on the new cee'd. The ISG will be available on the 1.4- and 1.6-liter gasoline-engined c'eeds, and unlike other stop/start technology, this ISG shuts the engine down not only when the car is stopped, but when it's moving less than four mph. To engage the ISG while the car is moving, the driver puts the car in neutral and depresses the clutch, the engine is shut down, and he or she will be rewarded with 15% better fuel economy in the urban cycle. The frugal-ized cee'd also benefits from a lighter five-speed gearbox and low-rolling-resistance tires as standard fitment. Later in 2009, the 1.6-liter diesel c'eed will be offered with ISG technology.
posted : 1/5/2009 @9:45:02 PM
Autogas Chevrolet Matiz Concept = LPG for the masses

Thanks to a company called fahrmitgas ("go with gas", get it?), our European readers will soon be able to cut their fuel costs to the low, low price of €3 (about $4.20 USD) for every 100 km of driving. Of course, they'll need need to be driving a converted Chevrolet (nee, Daewoo) Matiz converted to LPG, but on the other hand... that's just €3 to go 100 kilometers. The fahrmitgas Matiz LPG Concept has been put through a suite of bench-tested enhancements in order to be so frugal. Since fahrmitgas is a supplier to Chevrolet, it has intimate knowledge of the Matiz's systems. After installation of the LPG unit and some engine tuning for mid-range power, the company added stop/start, lowered the car a whopping 30 mm, and fitted it with ultra low rolling resistance Hankook Optima 4S tires. A shift light on the center console helps the driver get the most of from his or her LPG. A liter of gas in Germany is about €1 (@ $1.40 USD), meaning 3 liters/100 km for the LPG Matiz, instead of 5.2 liters/100 km for the petrol Matiz. fahmitgas is looking at a production run, but no timetable or prices have been announced. In the meantime.
posted : 1/5/2009 @9:26:01 PM

Holden to produce four-cylinder small car

Holden, known for it's massive sedans and massively appealing V8s, is on the small car bandwagon with its announcement to build a four-cylinder car in Australia to be sold alongside the Commodore. Holden currently has three four-cylinder cars, but they're comprised of rebadged Daewoo's and an Opel, and haven't set the Outback on fire. The new compact car will be based on the Chevrolet Cruze, but with a body designed by Holden, and will offer both four-pot gas and diesel options. Down the line, Holden said it will investigate ethanol-capable engines and start-stop technology for its new Corolla fighter.

Holden has a few reasons to make such a move right now, changing consumer tastes being one of the most important. The Australian government has also pledged $6 billion (AUD) to its local auto industry, which has allowed Holden to carry out its plans with less concern about the bottom line. Holden will spend $200 million (AUD) and the government will provide another $179 million (AUD). The new compact sedan will have to stave off competition from Toyota, as well as the parade of cheap Thai cars that have been flowing into Australia after the two countries concluded a free trade agreement. The new Holden will face-off against the Ford Focus and Toyota Corolla when production begins in 2011.

posted : 12/23/2008 @8:39:35 PM
VW could cut production, new models to weather downturn

Anyone paying attention to the world economy shouldn't be surprised to hear that Volkswagen is the latest company to feel some financial discomfort. Automotive News cites Automobilwoche, which says about 2,000 VW managers will meet Thursday in Dresden with CEO Martin Winterkorn to discuss the company's future plans. A source tells the German magazine that several things are on the agenda. Production cuts are almost a given and plans for future models are not safe. Automobilwoche specifically mentions the plant currently being built in Chattanooga as one that will be under review. Hopefully this is not the end of the on again/off again U.S.-bound Scirocco or the Mk VI GTI we were looking forward to. But don't get your hopes up for that mid-engined roadster debuting in Detroit.
posted : 12/22/2008 @8:13:53 PM
Green car advocate proves first hand how small cars aren't deathtraps

Despite numerous positive crash test results and assurances from both manufacturers and safety organizations, we still hear people say they'll never trade their bank-safe SUV for one of those little tin cans on wheels. This makes some people wonder what it would take to change folks' minds about automotive safety. A first-hand account from Nick Chambers, an admitted greenie who blogs for gas2.0.org, slammed his Yaris into a dirt embankment then rolled it three times. He not only lived, but walked away from his crumpled Toyota with little more than a bump and a really sore neck. He also admits that before his little off-road excursion in the Yaris, he wasn't completely sold on small car safety. But now he says, "Yes. Yes I would trust my family to a small fuel-efficient car, and I'm miraculously alive and mostly uninjured... so no, it's not a death trap."
posted : 10/27/2008 @4:15:53 PM
Toyota expected to post first annual sales decline in 10 yearsWe knew the auto industry was in bad shape and it didn't take long to extend its poisoned-tipped tentacles into the world's automotive juggernaut. In August came news that the Japanese automaker had cut its sales forecast for 2008 from 10.4 million vehicles to 9.7 million. A Japanese newspaper, though, says it expects Toyota to only sell 8.3 million for the year. If true, it would be the company's first year over year sales decline in a decade. The Nikkei Daily (subscription required) doesn't back up its prediction with any sources, but we'll know how close to the truth they get come in January when Toyota announces official sales numbers.
posted : 10/22/2008 @11:06:26 PM
Chrysler's new hybrid SUVs score a 20/22 mpg from the EPA

Those who have had a hard look at their needs and still come to the conclusion that a full-size SUV would fit the bill officially have a new option. The Chrysler Aspen and Dodge Durango hybrids are now on sale and the EPA has determined that the pair have the best fuel economy of any such vehicles on the U.S. market. The Chrysler duo are officially rated at 20 mpg in the city and 22 mpg on the open road. Chrysler has opted to offer the Two-Mode hybrid trucks only with all-wheel-drive while GM's similarly powered Tahoe/Yukon can be had in rear- or all-wheel-drive. Comparing like configurations, both brands get an equal 20 mpg in stop and go traffic. Once you get up to cruising speed, the Chryslers pull out ahead, topping the GM SUVs by 2 mpg. At about $45K, the Chrysler/Dodges provide what may be an even more important advantage over the competition. An AWD Tahoe will run you $53,000. You don't really give up anything in terms of equipment or features for that price difference, so it's worth checking out. We sampled it ourselves this summer and came away with a fairly positive impression.
posted : 10/18/2008 @7:31:43 PM
Electricity + gasoline = more mpg?

Kids, do not try this at home. Researchers at Temple University have been experimenting with what happens when an electric current is run through fuel. Big boom, right? Well, apparently not. According to a paper the Temple team has published in "Energy & Fuels", done right, a small electric current applied to fuel just before it enters the combustion chamber, makes for much smaller droplets of fuel which burn cleaner and more efficiently. The team installed and tested their device on a diesel Mercedes where it showed a 20% decrease in fuel consumption in the lab. The technology is currently being tested on a fleet of diesel trucks in Pennsylvania. How soon might you see it on a car lot? Actually you may see it on a late-night informercial first. The company will most likely bring the tech to market is the same one running the Pennsylvania test: Save The World Air, Inc. That's the same company that sells the MagChargR which is basically a magnet that supposedly does the same thing this new technology does. It's also the same company that at one time was selling the Zero Emission Fuel Saver (ZEFS) device which was basically a magnet that, um, did the same thing. The RAND Corporation looked into ZEFS and found "at best mixed results." STWA is also the company that was sued by the SEC for stock fraud. So, maybe they've got something that works this time around, maybe not. The science sounds solid, but only time will tell if it translates into a working product.
posted : 10/16/2008 @4:55:47 PM
People turn to torching cars in bad economyVehicle owners behind in their payments and faced with mounting debts have begun taking matches to their cars and trucks in an effort to stop their payments and collect the insurance settlements. Unfortunately, in most cases the attempts backfire (pun intended). According to police, when delinquencies on auto loans rise, owner-involved arson jumps as well. Between 2004 and 2007, "potential owner give-ups" (most of which involve torched vehicles) nearly doubled nationally. Distinguishing between an actual theft-and-burn and an owner-induced arson is the job of investigators who often find such cases easy to crack. For example, recently a pair of Chrysler Pacificas were burned and it just so happens that that particular model was only reported stolen 98 times across the nation this year – the so-called "theft" raised more than a few eyebrows at headquarters. In another case, a Yukon owner claimed his truck was stolen and burned overnight. Police knew that the thief likely had the keys (Yukons are especially difficult to hot-wire) so their focus was immediately turned towards the owner who had conveniently left "two cans of gasoline" in the back. In yet another case, the late-paying owners had significantly lowered their deductible just days before the reported theft. Over their heads in debt, fraudulent owners choose arson because the burned-out vehicle shells are often found immediately by authorities, and the insurance companies settle and disburse payments quickly. That is, assuming they haven't fallen behind on their insurance bills as well!
posted : 10/16/2008 @4:49:29 PM
U.S. auto sales predicted to plummet to 13.4 million in 2009Light-vehicle sales in the U.S. are expected to continue their decline in 2009. Global Insight, a firm that has been forecasting sales since the 1960s, is predicting sales of 13.4 million units next year. That figure is slightly down from the 13.8 million units automakers are expected to sell in 2008. (For comparison to recent years, 16.1 million vehicles sold in 2007 and 16.5 million units sold in 2006.) Global Insight makes note of the current U.S. credit crisis and the worsening global economy, citing the worldwide financial situation is more detrimental to auto sales than oil at $200-a-barrel. When oil is high, at least the countries benefiting from the oil profits continue to purchase cars – unlike today. While analysts differ on when we may see a turnaround, the firm feels it could take until 2013 for sales to recover to levels seen just a few years ago.
posted : 10/15/2008 @7:01:48 PM
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