Lexus Rocks the F-Sports at SEMA 2009

Motor Authority - blog Category: Sub-Compact & Mini’s

  • Mercedes to base next-gen A and B-Class on Toyota MC platform?

    Mercedes to base next-gen A and B-Class on Toyota MC platform? July 1st, 2009 ByKenneth Hall Kenneth Hall, Author, July 1st, 2009 Kenneth Hall 2 Comments

    Mercedes to base next-gen A and B-Class on Toyota MC platform? Toyota's small-car prowess is rapidly being recognized by some of the giants of the automotive industry, including Aston Martin, which is building a re-styled iQ for its own brand. The next to borrow from Toyota could be Daimler, if the latest word from Germany holds true.

    The next-gen A-Class and B-Class small cars could be based on the Toyota MC platform, according to Auto Motor & Sport. Why would Daimler and Toyota concoct such an alliance? Efficiency, of course.

    Or as it's termed - often ominously - in the industry, 'synergy'. Toyota has a lot of production capacity for small cars in Europe, and Daimler has a need for new, quality... Toyota's small-car prowess is rapidly being recognized by some of the giants of the automotive industry, including Aston Martin, which is building a re-styled iQ for its own brand. The next to borrow from Toyota could be Daimler, if the latest word from Germany holds true. The next-gen A-Class and B-Class small cars could be based on the Toyota MC platform, according to Auto Motor & Sport. Why would Daimler and Toyota concoct such an alliance? Efficiency, of course. Or as it's termed - often ominously - in the industry, 'synergy'. Toyota has a lot of production capacity for small cars in Europe, and Daimler has a need for new, quality underpinnings for the next generation of its smallest nameplates. It's estimated that Toyota could build about 9 million cars annually in Europe, but is only expected to push out about 6.7 million this year. Sounds like a perfect fit, right? It even fits with long-running reports that Mercedes is looking for a partner for its next-gen compacts. The MC platform is the same one that underpins the Lexus RX, Lexus ES, Toyota RAV4, Camry and Highlander. That level of flexibility means it might just be possible to put a lot of Toyota into the Daimler cars without any of it shining through to the naked eye. This flexibility could be especially beneficial given Mercedes' desire to expand its A-Class and B-Class into a new family of compact vehicles, including a crossover-like model and several others. Power for the next-gen A-Class and B-Class will still be delivered by Mercedes engines, however, so fans of the premium small cars need not fear the loss of all Mercedes personality should the deal move forward. Check out our previous coverage of the next-gen A-Class and B-Class for more details on what to expect of the potential Daimler-Toyota partnership, a possible roadster variant and the potential for U.S. sale.Mercedes-Benz compact family renderings Read More

  • GM reveals plan to build new small car at idled assembly plant in U.S.

    GM reveals plan to build new small car at idled assembly plant in U.S. May 29th, 2009 By Nelson Ireson Nelson Ireson, Author, May 29th, 2009 Nelson Ireson 2 Comments

    GM reveals plan to build new small car at idled assembly plant in U.S. In an atypically cryptic press release, General Motors today announced that it will be building a new small car at an unnamed idled UAW-staffed assembly plant here in the U.S. The new vehicle will be in addition to the already-planned 2011 Chevrolet Volt and Cruze, but it's not yet known which small car it will be.

    When the new small car will go into production also hasn't been disclosed, though with the Volt set to enter production late in 2010 and the Cruze aiming for an early 2010 release, it could be timed to fit between them, sometime in summer 2010.

    One small car candidate is the Chevrolet Spark, born from the long-lived Beat concept... In an atypically cryptic press release, General Motors today announced that it will be building a new small car at an unnamed idled UAW-staffed assembly plant here in the U.S. The new vehicle will be in addition to the already-planned 2011 Chevrolet Volt and Cruze, but it's not yet known which small car it will be. When the new small car will go into production also hasn't been disclosed, though with the Volt set to enter production late in 2010 and the Cruze aiming for an early 2010 release, it could be timed to fit between them, sometime in summer 2010. One small car candidate is the Chevrolet Spark, born from the long-lived Beat concept revealed in 2007. Other models could also see U.S. production, however, especially with the ongoing brand shuffle at GM, as well as the expected bankruptcy filing coming June 1. It wouldn't be beyond the pale to see a re-branded Opel or Saturn model sold as a Chevrolet, such as the Astra. "Small cars represent one of the fastest growing segments in both the U.S. and around the world," said Fritz Henderson, General Motors President and CEO. "We believe this car will be a winner with our current and future customers in the U.S. "This vehicle segment, while important today and expected to be more so in the future, is extremely challenging. It takes a special effort by everyone to bring a domestically produced small car to market in a cost-competitive and profitable way - but that is what we are going to do together [with the UAW]." The new small car is apparently expected to be a major volume seller, with GM upping its estimate of the percentage of U.S.-built GM sales from the current 67% to over 70% by 2013.2011 Chevrolet Spark minicar2010 Opel Astra Read More

  • Report: VW working on Polo-based coupe

    Report: VW working on Polo-based coupe May 28th, 2009 ByAlex Kaufmann Alex Kaufmann, Author, May 28th, 2009 Alex Kaufmann 2 Comments

    Report: VW working on Polo-based coupe Volkswagen may already be in the midst of preparing a new three-door version of its 2010 Polo hatchback, but a rumored coupe version due late next year promises to be even more attractive. The car would slot into VW’s lineup as a smaller sibling to the Scirocco coupe, with which it will share most of its styling, and there may even be some influence from the recently revealed Bluesport roadster concept.

    As a more aggressive variant to the Polo family, as well as a stepping stone to the higher-spec Scirocco, the Polo coupe will be getting the carmaker's impressive 1.4L supercharged and turbocharged engine. According to AutoExpress,... Volkswagen may already be in the midst of preparing a new three-door version of its 2010 Polo hatchback, but a rumored coupe version due late next year promises to be even more attractive. The car would slot into VW’s lineup as a smaller sibling to the Scirocco coupe, with which it will share most of its styling, and there may even be some influence from the recently revealed Bluesport roadster concept. As a more aggressive variant to the Polo family, as well as a stepping stone to the higher-spec Scirocco, the Polo coupe will be getting the carmaker's impressive 1.4L supercharged and turbocharged engine. According to AutoExpress, the compact engine will be churning out close to 180hp (140kW) in the Polo coupe, and this should provide for some spirited performance, especially when matched with VW’s new 7-speed DSG. This same engine will also appear in the Polo GTI, which was recently previewed in concept form at the 2009 Worthersee tuner show. Throwing in a new Polo coupe into the current VW lineup may make the Polo range look a little cluttered, especially with the new three-door coming soon, but the coupe’s alternate styling should see it popular with those who don't want to upgrade to the Scirocco but still want more performance and aggressiveness than the regular Polo GTI.2010 Volkswagen Polo 3-door renderings2010 Volkswagen Polo Read More

  • Small car, hybrid sales taking a long drive off a short pier

    Small car, hybrid sales taking a long drive off a short pier March 23rd, 2009 By Nelson Ireson Nelson Ireson, Author, March 23rd, 2009 Nelson Ireson 6 Comments

    Small car, hybrid sales taking a long drive off a short pier The short-sightedness of the car-buying public is breathtaking. It was just months ago that fears over $4 gas prices had people scurrying about, dumping loaded SUVs for a fraction of their purchase price and replacing them with smaller, more efficient vehicles. But today, with fuel well under $2 per gallon in most places, Americans are returning to their big-car ways.

    Hybrids have taken it on the chin as well, even leading small cars back into oblivion. Sales of the Toyota Prius are off 30.8% in February when compared to 2007 figures, and hybrids were down 10% across the industry throughout 2008, despite record demand in the summer, reports... The short-sightedness of the car-buying public is breathtaking. It was just months ago that fears over $4 gas prices had people scurrying about, dumping loaded SUVs for a fraction of their purchase price and replacing them with smaller, more efficient vehicles. But today, with fuel well under $2 per gallon in most places, Americans are returning to their big-car ways. Hybrids have taken it on the chin as well, even leading small cars back into oblivion. Sales of the Toyota Prius are off 30.8% in February when compared to 2007 figures, and hybrids were down 10% across the industry throughout 2008, despite record demand in the summer, reports The Detroit News. The cost of buying the technology makes owning one only marginally cheaper than owning a larger, less efficient car - and even then only when fuel prices are high. With stricter CAFE regulations looming in the background and a weak economy in the fore, carmakers are not precisely happy with the reversal of tastes among those that are still buying cars either. The backlog in small cars like Toyota's Yaris, which has a 175-day supply in the U.S., and the Dodge Caliber, with 205 days worth of inventory on hand, threatens to put the assembly lines on hold indefinitely. Chevrolet's Aveo (pictured) is even worse off, with 427 days of overstock - enough to sell until May 24, 2010 even if the factory stopped making them today, reports The Wall Street Journal. So what happens when the carmakers readjust yet again to this fluctuation in consumer preference only to have the price of fuel skyrocket along with demand for small cars and hybrids? Can the industry withstand another such setback? There are those among the major auto companies that think fuel prices were only the catalyst in the reaction, and that other forces, including political and moral influences, will keep the ball rolling toward a smaller, more efficient American fleet. With the government backing the industry's play, President Obama's call for 1 million plug-in electrics by 2015 and a popular culture that tends toward demonization of what is perceived as anti-environmental action, they may be right. On the other side of the issue, there are people like Kelley Blue Book's Jack Nerad, who told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, "I think what you hear out of the government these days is almost antithetical to what you hear in the marketplace, at least in the short term." So will the short-term dissonance in consumer demand and government-mandated supply resolve in favor of the carmakers? Or will the consumers continue to snatch up SUVs, pickup trucks and larger sedans until they are forced to once again dump them on the used market only to seek hybrids and smaller cars - perhaps to find them unavailable? Only time will tell, but it's a game being played with millions of jobs in the balance. Read More

  • Chrysler ends talks with China’s Great Wall Motors

    Chrysler ends talks with China’s Great Wall Motors March 17th, 2009 ByJeremy Weber Jeremy Weber, Author, March 17th, 2009 Jeremy Weber 2 Comments

    Chrysler ends talks with China’s Great Wall Motors Partnerships between American and Chinese carmakers are nothing new, but only in the recent past has there been talk of Chinese-manufactured cars being imported into North America. Chrysler is one of the most determined American carmakers seeking to launch a Chinese-manufactured car in the U.S., even going so far as to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) last year with China’s Great Wall Motor (GWM).

    The original MoU was for the exploration of long-term business ties between the two carmakers in various areas including distribution, components and technology, and presaged the current deal. The deal was part of Chrysler’s... Partnerships between American and Chinese carmakers are nothing new, but only in the recent past has there been talk of Chinese-manufactured cars being imported into North America. Chrysler is one of the most determined American carmakers seeking to launch a Chinese-manufactured car in the U.S., even going so far as to sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) last year with China’s Great Wall Motor (GWM). The original MoU was for the exploration of long-term business ties between the two carmakers in various areas including distribution, components and technology, and presaged the current deal. The deal was part of Chrysler’s greater strategy to increase its operations in overseas markets, especially in emerging countries like China. But then the financial crisis hit and vehicle sales around the globe started to dive. As a result, GWM has ended talks with Chrysler and even described the process as a “waste of time”. Speaking with Automotive News, GWM president Wang Fengying said his company plans to focus on its own businesses and isn’t looking for any partnerships. He also said both Chrysler and GWM are better off focusing on their immediate priorities. GWM is one of China’s leading businesses and is the largest privately owned carmaker in the country. It specializes in SUV and utility models but has recently expanded into the MPV and small hatch markets, and is already exporting vehicles to Europe. Chrysler also had close ties with rival Chinese carmaker Chery Auto, but late last year both firms also decided to end negotiations. Read More

  • VW will sell sedan and hatch versions of Polo compact in U.S.

    VW will sell sedan and hatch versions of Polo compact in U.S. March 16th, 2009 ByRalph Hanson Ralph Hanson, Author, March 16th, 2009 Ralph Hanson 15 Comments

    VW will sell sedan and hatch versions of Polo compact in U.S. The small-car surge in the U.S. was cut short last year when once-high fuel prices dropped as suddenly as they'd risen, but the future of the market seems clear: prices will rise again, and small cars will be the best solution. To that end, Volkswagen is planning to bring its 2010 Polo compact car to the U.S. but the story is not so simple.

    The Polo sold in the U.S. will be different to the one unveiled earlier this month at the Geneva Motor Show. Firstly, a new sedan model will be offered, while the regular hatch will also grow in size to suit American tastes. The size difference is due to greater height and a longer wheelbase than other... The small-car surge in the U.S. was cut short last year when once-high fuel prices dropped as suddenly as they'd risen, but the future of the market seems clear: prices will rise again, and small cars will be the best solution. To that end, Volkswagen is planning to bring its 2010 Polo compact car to the U.S. but the story is not so simple. The Polo sold in the U.S. will be different to the one unveiled earlier this month at the Geneva Motor Show. Firstly, a new sedan model will be offered, while the regular hatch will also grow in size to suit American tastes. The size difference is due to greater height and a longer wheelbase than other versions of the Polo, said VW’s American boss Stefan Jacoby during a recent interview with Automotive News. It will be a "cross between a compact minivan and a hatchback," Jacoby explained, something like the Honda Fit. Pricing is expected to be around the $14,000 and to maximise profits the American versions will be produced in Mexico. While an actual launch date hasn’t been pencilled in, production will most likely start in 2011. VW's current smallest car in the U.S. is the Rabbit (Golf to the rest of the world), which sits around the middle of the carmaker’s global range. The smaller Polo could offer even smaller and more efficient engines, which could also help bring a new premium entry to the small car market while at the same time help VW meet tougher CAFE standards.2010 Volkswagen Polo 3-door renderings2010 Volkswagen Polo Hatchback Read More

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