Four-dollar-per-gallon gasoline may be wreaking havoc on sales of the Mustang, F-150 and Explorer, but it comes along at a convenient moment for the facelifted 2009 Escape and Mariner. Six-speed automatics replace four-speed automatics, there’s a new lower front chin spoiler below the redesigned front fascia and rear tire spoilers for better aerodynamics, and new low rolling resistance 16-inch Michelin tires across the board. The old 153-horsepower 2.3-liter four has been bored and stroked (among other upgrades) to a 171-horsepower 2.5-liter, and the 3.0-liter V-6 gets new cylinder heads, injectors, intake and exhaust cams, manifolds and pistons, and a compression ratio bump from 10.0:1 to 10.3:1.
So now the V-6 actually has a V-6-like horsepower number, up 40 ponies to 240. Both engines get intelligent variable valve timing. The hybrid gets the new 2.5-liter, too, and for ‘09 runs on the Atkinson cycle. It has a new engine processor and a new powertrain damping system, to cut vibrations and feedback.Ford anticipates EPA mileage will be up 1-mpg city, 1-mpg highway, whether you get the four, the V-6 or the hybrid. The biggest change, though, is that you no longer have to buy one of the bottom-feeder trim levels to get four-cylinder fuel economy. The 2.5 is available all the way up to the Escape Limited and Mercury Mariner Premier versions. Small engines are big now, even with buyers who can afford more. Ford even removed the “V-6″ badge from so-equipped ‘09 models as if it has become a badge of extravagance and disregard for the environment and global oil supply.
Last week there was news of GM closing Midwest plants that build light trucks and SUVs. This forecast of decreased production, along with the higher cost of fuel, has triggered a reflection on similar circumstances we have experienced in the past. Higher fuel costs have plagued us for some time now. In the midst of this adversity the automotive and aftermarket industries have adapted and brought about change in the light truck and SUV industry, both from the OEMs and the accessory suppliers. There is very little doubt that we will need to build our vehicles and accessories lighter, stronger and much more fuel adaptive and efficient.
We experienced a revolution in products and vehicles in the late 1980s and 1990s when GM redesigned their pickups. The other manufacturers followed suit and the result to date has been more advanced, safer, lighter, user-friendly and significantly more economical vehicles. Now it is projected that the 2009 models are following this formula.
The only way we are going to transcend the difficulty and “challenges” we face is to match these changes with innovation, modernization and the desire to create a new climate to supply new and improved products and to find advanced ways to communicate these changes to the public. I recently had a discussion with a supplier who was prototyping a new product specifically geared to addressing the problem of better fuel economy for the outdoor market; it will also have impact in the light truck market. It is this enterprising innovation that we will again need to call upon from our industry. One of the challenges he stated was, “How do I get the word out?”
CHENNAI: Automobile manufacturer Hindustan Motors Ltd on Friday said they would be launching a high-premium Sports Utility Vehicle in the Indian market soon.
“We are expecting to launch the high-premium SUV ‘Outlander’ by this year itself in the Indian market and it would be placed between Mitsubishi’s Pajero and Montero”, Hindustan Motors Ltd Executive Vice-President Y V S Vijay Kumar told reporters here today on the sidelines of the company’s exclusive tie-up with Pune-based Opulent Auto Care Pvt Ltd.
To a query, he said that the price may be somewhere between in the Rs.30 lakh range but declined to give more details about the vehicle.
He said the sales performance of “Montero” was ‘phenomenal’ since the launch of the vehicle.
“So far we have sold 600 units and we are expecting it to increase this year too”, he said.
“We sell around 250 units of Pajero every month and cities like Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai have reported good sales performance” he said.
Referring to their tie-up with Opulent Auto Care Pvt Ltd, which mainly caters to the Value Added Services for automobiles, Kumar said that the concept is gradually gaining importance from vehicle owners. “The contract with them is for three years and this particular segment is booming,” Kumar said.
If you’re like most people, the purchase or lease of a vehicle will be the second largest financial decision you’ll ever have to make. Just think, most of us make that decision every 3-6 years. The choices and options can seem overwhelming. While the decision is as personal as… well, the person, sport utility vehicles (SUVs) have become a very popular choice for many.
Need or Novelty?
Do you needan SUV, or is it just a novelty? I once told a salesman I didn’t need “Feature X”, or “Feature Y”. With a large smile the salesman said, “That’s OK, because those features aren’t for the ‘needy’ they’re for people like you who wantthem.” Still, those are the exact features I always point out to friends first. Of course I didn’t need them, but I did want them. The question was: how much was I willing to pay for them?
Do you need a SUV? Probably not. Then again, SUVs aren’t for the needy. SUV’s are for people who want more than a form of transportation to get from point “A” to point “B”. If getting from point “A” to another point were the sole concern, a horse or a Ford Model T (in any color you want as long as it’s black), would still be all consumers needed.
Choices
If you have decided that an SUV is one type of vehicle you want to consider, your choices and options are nearly limitless. You may want to make a list of pros and cons of owning an SUV first, or maybe a list of the ways you plan to use your SUV. Starting with these lists will help determine the features and type of vehicle that will best meet your lifestyle, and your budget.
2008 AUTO EXPO: TATA SUMO GRANDE
Tata Sumo Grande launched, priced at 6.6 lakh and above
The new Tata Sumo Grande, launched at the Auto Expo 2008 in New Delhi today, can take the fight to Toyota Innova and Mahindra Scorpio.
BY OUR AUTOMOBILE CORRESPONDENT
9 January, 2008
Tata Sumo Grande photo
The new version of the successful Tata Sumo, Sumo Grande, was launched by Tata Motors today in New Delhi on the opening day of the Auto Expo.
The Tata Sumo Grande will be priced between Rs 6.6 lakh and Rs 7.49 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). The SUV is expected to be available in the market from February 2008 onwards.
The Sumo Grande is a lot more butch-looking than the current Sumo it replaces. Fit and finish - we will have to wait a bit more to find out about that.
New Tata Sumo Grande photo at Auto Expo 2008
“The company has been trying to bring in the contemporary aspect in styling and technology by infusing new features,” said Ravi Kant, managing director, Tata Motors.
The Sumo Grande will feature the Tata Safari’s successful 2.2 liter Dicor engine but it will be detuned to produce 120 bhp instead of the 140 bhp in the Safari.
The Sumo Grande still has the high stance of the Sumo - but we expect vehicle dynamics to be much improved. At this price point, the Sumo Grande is quite capable of taking the fight to the Toyota Innova and the Mahindra Scorpio.
Me, I personally always thought that the Scorpio looks like a heavily-made up grandmother in a miniskirt. The Sumo Grande looks immensely better to my tastes.
After months of speculation, skeptical claims of vaporware, and leaked photography, GM pulled the wraps off the 2011 Chevrolet Volt - its great green hope - at its centennial celebrations in Detroit.
It’s easy to see this isn’t the concept Volt, which debuted at the 2007 Detroit auto show. Engineers needed to improve aerodynamics for production, which explains why the flat, sharp surfaces of the show car transformed into long, rounded forms on the final product.
Though it may look somewhat different than the slinky concept shown at the 2007 Detroit auto show, the premise behind the Volt is still the same. Deemed an “extended-range electric vehicle”, the car is designed to operate as an electric vehicle until the batteries are depleted. At that point, a small gasoline engine kicks in to recharge the batteries - not drive the wheels. Owners will also be able to recharge the Volt by plugging it into either a 120- or 240 volt outlet when parked at home or at work.
CHENNAI: Auto major Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) would soon come out with a new Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV), a company official said on Tuesday.
Addressing a HR conclave here, organised by Great Lakes Institute of Management, Allen Sequeria, M&M, Senior Vice-President HR, said the new SUV would be rolled out in another 15 days. But he declined to divulge any details about the product even as reporters sought details from him.
Talking about his company, he said, “M&M will be a US Dollar one billion company in the auto component sector and the country’s leading tractor manufacturer by 2010.”
Perhaps you’ve heard: Mercedes-Benz has this new SUV called the GLK, and it’s not just the Sex and the City audience that’s being targeted. The compact ute’s getting-to-know-you tour will make a stop at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas, where four concept versions will be on display. We already told you about RENNtech’s hybrid Rally Racer show truck, and now we have some info on the other three versions that’ll join it in Vegas.
Naturally, BRABUS will represent, skinning the GLK300 Bluetec in Widestar duds, new wheels, and the de rigeur custom interior. No power upgrade yet, it seems, but knowing BRABUS, they’ll have a version putting out approximately a trillion horsepower by the time the GLK is in customers’ hands.
PRESS RELEASE:
MERCEDES-BENZ GLK IS POISED TO IMPRESS AT SEMA 2008
Official Design Renderings Released of four Customized GLK-Class Showcars
MONTVALE, NJ – Mercedes-Benz will emphasize its “star power” at the 2008 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show with four 2010GLK-Class showcars customized by leading aftermarket tuning firms. The four Mercedes-Benz GLK SEMA concepts showcase the bold, expressive nature of the GLK luxury SUV prior to its official showroom debut in January 2009.
Design Concepts Include:
* RENNTech Rally Racer – Inspired by the unlimited-class rally cars at the storied Pikes Peak Hillclimb, the GLK concept represents the Mercedes-Benz performance specialist’s first hybrid powertrain to enhance acceleration off the line and out of the corners.
* BRABUS Widestar – Developed by Mercedes-Benz tuning experts Brabus of Bottrop, Germany, this striking wide-track “designer suit” for the GLK300 BLUETEC includes flowing front and rear wheel arch flares and redesigned front and rear bumpers complemented with exclusive BRABUS wheels and an interior to match.
* The Urban Whip – Florida-based Boulevard Customs is sure to turn heads with a wide body styling kit, massive 26-inch wheels and tires, redesigned interior and ground-pounding stereo system.
* The Four Corners Rock Crawler – Exotic and muscle car restoration specialist Legendary Motor Cars design includes an innovative winching system to propel skate and wakeboarders up to speed and actually “grind” down the vehicle’s specially integrated side rails.
The new 2010 GLK350 combines bold, aggressive design with versatile SUV capability engineered in a slightly smaller package. Powered by a 3.5-liter 268-horsepower V6 and featuring standard 4MATIC all-wheel drive, the GLK350 will make its showroom debut in January 2009.
The four GLK-Class vehicles will be displayed at this year’s SEMA show, taking place November 4-7 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. During the exhibition, attendees will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite design via online and mobile voting. Following the SEMA show, the four vehicles will be displayed at the Los Angeles Auto Show (November 21-30) providing showgoers with another opportunity to cast their vote. Beginning in early October, all four vehicles will be featured in videos on Mercedes-Benz USA website, www.mbusa.com. The votes from the show attendees and www.mbusa.com will be tallied and the winner will be announced on December 2, 2008.
ll-New 2007 Yukon Lineup: Refined, Efficient and Powerful
ANAHEIM, Calif. - GMC unveiled the all-new 2007 Yukon and Yukon Denali full-size SUVs Oct. 5. They are based on GM’s all-new full-size SUV family, which features distinctive styling, spacious and refined interiors, exceptional driving characteristics and enhanced safety features.
The new Yukon family is distinguished with sleek, expressive styling that announces a new look for GMC vehicles - styling that conveys GMC’s professional grade qualities and a distinct design from other GM vehicles. The vehicles offer more power and better fuel economy than the vehicles they replace, enhancing GMC’s “more than expected” reputation.
“The all-new 2007 Yukon and Yukon Denali bring GMC’s professional grade philosophy to a new level - we’re aiming to provide customers more than they expect in all respects,” said John Larson, GMC general manager. “Yukon Denali is our flagship and delivers the performance and features of a luxury SUV, along with the full capability demanded in a full-size truck.”
Yukon and Yukon Denali are available early in the first quarter of 2006. Yukon is available in SLE (cloth trim) and SLT trim (leather appointments), as well as 2WD and 4WD configurations. Yukon Denali is a distinct model, with differentiated, exclusive features that elevate its performance and style to an unprecedented level - including an exclusive 6.2L all-aluminum small-block V-8 engine with variable valve timing and a new six-speed automatic transmission.
Distinctive design
Yukon and Yukon Denali have a sleeker, taut form. Wraparound front and rear fascias, styled mirrors and integrated running boards provide a seamless, contemporary appearance. Craftsmanship is found in elements such as tight tolerances between exterior components and a tuned, wheels-to-the-corners
