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Chrysler to outfit Fiat 500-approved dealers with specific showroom "salons"

by Jeremy Korzeniewski (RSS feed) on Nov 4th, 2009 at 4:55PM

Fiat 500 - Click above for high-res image gallery

Listening to Chrysler's long and rambling 2010-2014 Business Plan, it was clear that the company and its dealerships are very much looking forward to finally getting the fuel efficient Fiat 500 in North America. Much like what happened when BMW launched the Mini brand eight-odd years ago, it's hoped that the cute little 500 will attract a whole new customer to the Chrysler fold.

In order to properly court those new ~~wallets~~ buyers, Chrysler plans to open "specific interior showroom branded salons" in select dealerships, mostly in metropolitan areas. A dedicated set of salespeople will be assigned to sell the Fiat 500 in the States... ya know, since they otherwise wouldn't know how to sell the important car to American consumers.

There will also be a full line of accessories made available to customize the new car, which we would expect will include unique color and stripe packages both inside and out along with a slew of optional wheel designs. Whatever, make ours an Abarth and we're good. Expect all of this to take place before the end of 2010 as the Fiat 500 finally starts to show up in those selected dealerships.

Gallery: Fiat 500

2010 Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup 'Street" edition arrives in January

by Sam Abuelsamid (RSS feed) on Nov 4th, 2009 at 3:52PM

2010 VW Jetta TDI Cup Street Edition - Click above to enlarge

When we were in Germany last month for the launch of the 2010 Golf, VW product planner Andres Valbuena told us that a special street replica of the Jetta TDI Cup race car would be launching in January 2010. We just got the first photo of the new limited edition model along with further details. The TDI Cup "Street" edition gets the same deeper front fascia, rocker panel and rear bumper extensions used on the race cars. Unfortunately, the replica keeps the standard 140-horsepower engine rather the uprated 170 hp diesel used in the track cars... but it does get some functional upgrades.

The replica won't be any quicker off the line, but it will stop and turn better than standard TDI models. The brake calipers are larger than standard and painted red to let observers know they are special. The suspension gets thicker sway bars and the retuned springs and dampers from the Jetta GLI along with 18-inch wheels. Inside, the Cup car gets a paddle shift steering wheel to go with the 6-speed DSG gearbox. The Cup Jetta starts at $25,000 and will be available in January.

[Source: Volkswagen]

Rendered racing fantasy: 1-Liter Racing surfs to the future

by Sebastian Blanco (RSS feed) on Nov 4th, 2009 at 2:53PM

One Liter Racing - Click above for high-res image gallery

We recently saw a rendering for the purely-speculative Audi Avatar, which was based on the outlandish vehicles seen in some futuristic racing video games. A new set of renderings takes the unreal racing game concept a bit further and imagines an entire league that uses hyper-efficient racing vehicles sprinting around a course while using just one liter of fuel. As we know from VW's 1-liter concept vehicle, in the right vehicle, a liter of fuel can take you quite a distance.

Designed by Moritz Martin, the 1 Liter Racing League would be run in unusual locations (think shallow water and beaches) in order to mimic "the effortless gliding of skim boards" on some patches of the course. The wheels can retract in order to "surf" over wet patches and the cars have "a rear wheel-mounted air nozzle for frictionless steering during slides." Check out the renderings in the gallery below.

Gallery: 1 Liter Racing League

[Source: One Liter Racing via Yanko Design]

Citroen's C3 Picasso gets more efficient and more connected

by Sam Abuelsamid (RSS feed) on Nov 4th, 2009 at 2:09PM

Citroen has just introduced a revised version of the C3 Picasso compact MPV in the UK with a re-calibrated engine to reduce the CO₂ emissions. The VTR+ and exclusive models equipped with the 90 hp diesel engine are now rated at 119 g/km CO₂ compared to the 125 g/km of the previous edition. Getting below that 120 g/km threshold is important in the UK because road taxes are in part based on fuel/consumption CO₂ emissions. Getting into the lower tax band means a reduction from £120 to just £35. Mileage goes from 50 mpg (U.S.) on the EU combined cycle to 52.3 mpg (U.S.). The new, high-mileage models also get standard Bluetooth connections for cell phones and USB connections for MP3 players.

[Source: Citroen]

Diesel back in the picture at Chrysler, start-stop in Q4 2010

by Sam Abuelsamid (RSS feed) on Nov 4th, 2009 at 1:20PM

Based on the presentation by Paolo Ferrero at the Chrysler business plan meeting in Auburn Hills today, it sure sounds like diesel is back in the picture at Chrysler. Prior to the Daimler-Chrysler divorce, there were lots of plans for diesel installations in U.S.-market Chryslers. That all fell by the wayside during the Cerberus era. Ferraro, the new SVP of powertrain engineering at Chrysler, repeatedly mentioned diesel as one of the paths to reduced fuel consumption, although he didn't give any specific dates on when they might be introduced in the U.S.

Ferraro did say that Chrysler would "Reinforce the Clean Diesel Image" and adapt Fiat engines to Chrysler vehicles. He also said they would apply aftertreatment technologies to meet 2015 European and U.S. emissions standards.

Ferraro went on to say that Chrysler would add automatic start-stop beginning in the 2011 model year and showed a diagram of a 2010 Jeep Wrangler diesel in Q4 2010. A Wrangler diesel is offered overseas but will switch to Fiat engines next year. Hopefully, Fiat will start bringing these diesels to the U.S., too.

Gallery: Review: 2009 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon 4x4

[Source: Chrysler]

Chrysler to cut weight of next-gen Jeep Liberty by 600 pounds!

by Sam Abuelsamid (RSS feed) on Nov 4th, 2009 at 12:47PM

The Jeep Liberty is not a particularly large vehicle, but Chrysler engineers managed to pack a lot of mass into it nonetheless. The current Liberty weighs in at nearly 4,300 pounds! At the Chrysler business plan meeting today, product development SVP Scott Kunselman revealed that aerodynamics and weight reduction will be a big part of all future vehicles. Using modern computer design tools and lighter materials the company plans to pare large amounts of excess mass. As an example, Kunselman revealed that the next generation Liberty SUV will shed a whopping 600 pounds!

In addition Chrysler will help drivers reduce fuel consumption through connectivity technologies. New navigation systems will have more intelligence in the routing algorithms with the goal of minimizing the fuel consumption. For example, it could set up the route to minimize left turns even if it might mean going slightly further. UPS has been experimenting with similar technology in its routing and now it looks like consumers will be able to get it.

[Source: Chrysler]

BusinessWeek: Prius one of the 50 Ugliest Cars of the Past 50 Years

by Jeremy Korzeniewski (RSS feed) on Nov 4th, 2009 at 12:02PM

Beauty, as they say, is in the eye of the beholder. While some cars seem to be almost universally loved for their gorgeous lines and undeniable sense of style – the Lamborghini Miura and Shelby Daytona Coupe certainly come to mind – others, such as the new Honda Crosstour and even the latest Nissan GT-R – not to mention nearly everything currently wearing the Acura badge – sport more debatable duds.

And what of the car that's most commonly associated with the green movement? Of course, that would be the Toyota Prius, and we know that some happen to find the car rather attractive... whether that's for its slip-through-the-wind styling or the high fuel mileage – made possible in part by that styling – that its owners happily enjoy. According to BusinessWeek, though, the second-gen Prius is one of the 50 Ugliest Cars of the Past 50 Years. Not a distinction any owner wants their car to carry.

Take heart, Prius owners. There are a number of questionable vehicles on the list. For instance, the classically boxy Volvo 240 isn't ugly at all... it's purposeful and practical. Neither are the Lamborghini LM002, 2002 BMW 7 Series, Tata Nano or Toyota iQ deserving of inclusion on this unflattering list. Lastly, does anyone really think the DeLorean is that unattractive? Unabashedly '80s? Sure. Ugly? Nah.

Gallery: 2009 Toyota Prius

[Source: BusinessWeek]

Officially, Official: Fisker chooses Emil Frey Group for European distribution

by Sebastian Blanco (RSS feed) on Nov 4th, 2009 at 10:57AM

Fisker Karma - Click above for high-res image gallery

Speculation that Fisker's new big dealership partner in Europe would be the Emil Frey Group has turned out to be correct. The start-up automaker announced today that Emil Frey will be its largest partner to import, market and service the company's plug-in hybrid cars in Europe, starting with the Karma. Emil Frey's operations span six countries – Switzerland, Germany, France, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland – and over 100 stores offering a variety of brands. Fisker already has distribution deals in place with the Nellemann Group in Copenhagen, Denmark and GP Supercars in Merano, Italy.

Gallery: Fisker Karma

[Source: Fisker]

SEMA 2009: Ford EcoBoost '34 Hot Rod rocks a V6 in style

by Drew Phillips (RSS feed) on Nov 4th, 2009 at 10:01AM

1934 Ford EcoBoost Hot Rod - Click above for high-res image gallery

Putting modern engines into new cars isn't anything new, but this '34 3-window coupe in the Ford display isn't like anything we've ever seen before. Detroit Street Rods has wedged the 3.5L EcoBoost V6 underneath the hood, making it the first rear-drive application for the twin-turbocharged engine. Packing 400 horsepower and 400 lb-ft torque, this little coupe has the potential to surprise quite a few people at stoplights.

Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the car is how the engine is packaged. The dual Honeywell turbochargers have been moved to the front of the motor among various aluminum tubing routing air and exhaust gases, and a single, large exhaust cone exits above the front fender on each side of the car. It's not a rumbling V8, but it looks just as good and is just as fast too. You can read more details about the car in the press release after the jump, or check out our high-res gallery below.

Gallery: SEMA 2009: 1934 Ford EcoBoost Hot Rod

Volvo introduces new hybrid truck for refuse and delivery

by Xavier Navarro (RSS feed) on Nov 4th, 2009 at 8:54AM

_{2010 Volvo FE Hybrid Truck - Click for gallery}

In many cities, garbage trucks can wake up entire neighborhoods with the sound of diesel engines. When the new Volvo FE truck goes on sale (expected to take place in 2012), waste management companies will be able to opt for a truck that produces no noise, at low least some of the time. The FE truck is a parallel hybrid, like the Toyota Prius, and can operate using just the electric motor and lithium-ion batteries at low speeds; the diesel engine starts up when more power is needed or the battery is flat. The spec sheet is impressive: there's a 7-liter 300 hp engine mated to a 3-phase 120 kW motor, fed by 600V lithium ion batteries. Volvo states that this set-up manages to reduce fuel consumption by 30 percent and, in start-stop driving, drops noise levels a few dB for sleeping neighbors.

Gallery: 2010 Volvo FE Hybrid truck

[Source: Volvo]

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