Mercedes-Benz really wants you to know how green its new line of diesel vehicles can be. To that end, the German automaker calls them Blue and capitalizes EFFICIENCY. Subtle, no? In an effort to earn the badge, MB has tweaked its largest and most luxurious model with a 3.0-liter diesel engine, a seven-speed automatic tranny that decouples itself at stops, a power steering pump that only operates when necessary and low rolling resistance tires. Those are pretty simple changes, no complex electric motors here. Fuel mileage, though, is rather good for such a large vehicle, coming in at nearly 31 U.S. miles per gallon. In contrast, the marque's upcoming S400 BlueHYBRID only manages about 29 miles per gallon. If this sounds to you like it makes a resounding case for diesel vehicles, you're right. It does. Unfortunately, MB only mentions German pricing for the S 320 in the press release after the jump, not indicating whether the big blue sedan will be sold on our shores anytime soon or not.
Conspiracy theorists have long insisted that automakers could push their vehicles to achieve better fuel economy, and as it turns out, they were right. Of course, it isn't as easy as flipping a magic MPG switch, but automakers are making incremental gains on vehicles even between redesigns. Techniques like changing gear ratios, lowering revs at highway speed and using lower rolling resistance tires are helping drive up efficiency a few percentage points at a time. For example, the 2009 Cobalt XFE (above) achieves 37 mpg on the highway compared to 36 mpg for the 2008 model with minimal aero and mechanical changes. Ford made similar changes to the 2009 Escape, enabling the Blue Oval's smallest crossover to hit 28 mpg in 2WD four-banger guise. Honda achieved similar incremental improvements when it introduced cylinder deactivation on the 2008 Odyssey. Chrysler will show 1 mpg improvement on the 2009 Avenger and Sebring four-cylinder model, which will bring the Pentastar's midsize sedans to 31 mpg. While everyone seems to be sitting on the car buying sidelines until some unbelievably fuel efficient vehicle comes along with great looks and a low price tag, the reality is that these baby steps are what we should expect. There are some some bigger jumps on the horizon, like the Chevy Cruze that promises 45 mpg on the highway and diesel offerings like the Jetta TDI and oil-burning Accord. For the next few years, however, expect automakers to pick the low hanging fruit of high gas mileage first.
In light of the current pain at the pumps, fuel economy is on all of our minds these days no matter what kind of car you drive. That being the case, it might not be surprising to you that the car we're buying are getting more fuel efficient. Don't believe us? The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has just revealed that the U.S. auto industry set a new record in overall fuel efficiency during the first half of the 2008 model year by averaging 26.8 mpg through March. That's up from an average of 26.6 mpg through the entire 2007 model year.
While this is certainly good news for both consumers and manufacturers that need to meet the government's mandated CAFE standards, the numbers used by the NHTSA aren't really representative of the real-world fuel mileage you should expect to achieve on the road. The testing standards were initially created in 1975 and automakers get certain credits for creating flex-fuel vehicles, which can artificially inflate their miles-per-gallon numbers. Additionally, automakers earn credits for surpassing the CAFE requirements and can carry these credits forward for up to three years. Still, the numbers are somewhat worthwhile when comparing the current model-year with those of the past. Expect to see the year-end numbers set another new record as consumers continue choosing smaller and more fuel efficient models over larger, gas-guzzling choices.
Since the Mazda3 hit the streets in 2004, it's proven to be a very strong contender in the small car segment. The compact sedan and hatch has been winning customers over with great styling, athletic ride characteristics, and equipment that typically isn't found in small cars. Its rich mix of standard features and options has helped keep transaction prices high, which will be very important as the self-proclaimed Zoom-Zoom automaker looks to downsize its lineup and make as much money as possible from every sale.
Mazda will now execute the Mazda3 strategy across its entire line to boost profits while giving customers the standard features they crave. For example, the all-new 2009 Mazda6 will be equipped with disc brakes at all four corners in every trim level while some of the competition continues to use rear drum brakes on their base models. Mazda has already proven that adding standard content can raise transaction prices while at the same time increasing sales, now the Ford-controlled automaker needs to prove that it can accomplish the same feat across its lineup. If Mazda makes all of its vehicles as competent as the Mazda3, that shouldn't be a problem.
For ALPINA, simply substituting a larger engine for added performance is considered alien. Instead, the German automaker prefers to "maximize the sporting potential of existing units." With that in mind, ALPINA has tweaked the twin-turbo diesel powerplant from the BMW 123d and dropped it under the hood of the BMW ALPINA D3 Bi-Turbo Coupe. With a new output of 214 hp, and 330 lb.-ft. of torque, the coupe will hit 62 mph in 6.9 seconds as it accelerates towards its top speed of 152 mph. Best of all, and the modus operandi behind the eco-friendly sports car, the ALPINA D3 squeezes out a combined EU fuel economy rating of 52.3 mpg with a stick shift (50.4 mpg with an automatic). Before you go running down to your neighborhood BMW dealer, we'll remind you that the ALPINA D3 will only be sold overseas with a base price starting at £32,950 (about $64,500)
As if "shift lights" weren't annoying enough... Nissan's new "ECO pedal" has been engineered to encourage good fuel economy with a servo-actuated gas pedal that will push back on the driver's lead foot when on-board computers detect wasteful acceleration. According to Nissan, vehicles equipped with the ECO pedal, and real-time fuel consumption gauges in the instrument panel, have returned a 5-10 percent increase in fuel efficiency. The Japanese automaker says it has plans to begin installing the ECO pedal in models next year, although there is no word on what models, or markets, will get the system. We're betting it's an option unlikely to show up on the GT-R anytime in the near future.
In an effort to expose the underreported truth behind the government's corporate average fuel economy ratings (CAFE) and to define more accurate fuel economy estimates, the team over at Cars.com has created their own True Mileage Index. The consumer website points out the flaw behind CAFE is that the adjusted calculations misrepresent the numbers posted on new car windows, and the actual fuel economy consumers will realize on the road (e.g., although Honda earned a 2007 CAFE rating of 33.5 mpg, no Honda has a combined mileage of better than 31 mpg). Like the CAFE calculation, the True Mileage Index analyzes a number of factors. However, Cars.com places more weight on actual sales volume, and less on alternative fuels (like E85). Their math places Honda's True Mileage Index at a more realistic 24.9 mpg. In a nutshell, don't get overly excited when you hear that the 2020 CAFE number is going to be 35 mpg -- it's likely to only increase your future vehicle's actual fuel economy by a few mpg.
Besides the introduction of the Dodge Challenger, there has been very little good news coming out of Chrysler lately. Sales are down 22% for the year due to a lineup that's still heavy on trucks and SUVs, but there may be some help on the way as soon as 2009. Chrysler CEO Bob Nardelli has hinted that a fuel efficient new vehicle(s) could debut next year, and platform sharing with other automakers would be behind the quick turn-around. Nardelli says the Auburn Hills-based automaker has re-prioritized its capital in an effort to quickly get to market the fuel-efficient vehicles that the market demands. Debuting even a single vehicle that's more fuel-efficient than anything else in the Chrysler lineup would likely have a big effect in light of the fact that its brands offer some of the least fuel-efficient lineups in the industry.
Nardelli didn't give any details as to which vehicle could arrive ahead of schedule, but speculation is that the Dodge Hornet is on the short list. The handsome Hornet (if it looks like the concept) will be based on the Nissan Versa small car platform, and was originally slated to arrive in Dodge guise in 2010. Chrysler is also rumored to be working on alliances with Tata, Fiat, and Chery, and each automaker has plenty of small, efficient vehicles at its disposal. None of those automakers has a presence in the U.S., though, so a quick turnaround on a platform that hasn't been properly crash tested doesn't seem likely.
If the Prius went mainstream when Toyota bumped production to 280,000 worldwide units per year in 2007, the fuel efficient hybrid is now primed to kick project green to the next level. When Toyota begins producing the next gen Prius, it'll do so with more factory space than ever dedicated to the universal symbol for fuel efficiency, making it possible to produce 480,000 vehicles per year. The Japan-based Tsutsumi factory, which currently builds five different vehicles, will stop making the JDM Wish minivan to allow for more Priuses. Even more Prius capacity will be available beginning in 2010, when the Japanese automaker's new Mississippi plant comes online and begins to produce more of the hybrid.
With the meteoric rise in gas prices, the Prius has gone from a yuppie green statement for politicians and suburbanites to a means for the masses to travel around town without breaking the bank. $4 per gallon gas and a continued lack of competition means Toyota could probably double production again and still sell every Prius it makes.
To feed the insatiable demand for fuel-efficient vehicles, and follow the striking success of the Toyota Prius, the Japanese automaker will introduce a second hybrid-only vehicle in 2009. The all-new model will have a 2- to 2.5-liter engine, suggesting it will be larger than their current popular four-door hybrid (the Prius uses a 1.5-liter gasoline powerplant). The new model will be sold side-by-side with the Prius, Camry Hybrid and Highlander Hybrid. Toyota will also sell a rebadged version under the upscale Lexus brand, where it will join the LS Hybrid, GS Hybrid, and RX Hybrid. Toyota's master plan is to sell 1 million hybrid vehicles annually throughout the world, and considering the market, there's little doubt that the automaker can pull it off. Toyota's next hybrid debut is scheduled for Detroit in January, and we'll be there to cover it.
