Burn: Basic American Compacts From 2008

Posted on August 11, 2021 by admin

We continue our 1990s-then-2000s series today, following up the last post that featured compact American two-doors from 1998. By the late 2000s, the Escort, Neon, and Cavalier were all dead. In their place were the Focus, Caliber, and Cobalt, and not all of those had a two-door variant. That means we focus on four-doors today. Let’s go.

Dodge Caliber

The Caliber is in its second model year this year, as the crossover replacement for the Neon. Front-wheel drive with optional all-wheel drive, the Caliber rides on the Chrysler-Mitsubishi PM platform with things like the Mitsubishi Outlander. The only body style is this four-door with hatch. There are four trims this year, SE, SXT, R/T, and SRT-4. Today’s base SE uses a 1.8-liter inline-four good for 148 horsepower. It’s front-wheel drive, and has a five-speed manual transmission provided by Magna. Yours for $14,965.

Chevrolet Cobalt

The Cobalt is in its fourth model year after it replaced the ancient Cavalier for 2005. Cobalt uses the Delta platform which also sees use in the Saturn Ion and Chevrolet HHR. Unlike the Caliber, all examples are front-wheel drive. With two- or four-doors, there’s always a traditional trunk on the Cobalt. Four different trim levels are available at dealers this year: LS, LT, Sport, and SS, the latter with turbocharging. Base LS models are powered by a 2.2-liter inline-four that wrestles up 148 horses. The five-speed manual here is a Getrag box carried over from the Cavalier. Cobalt asks $14,410.

Ford Focus

The Focus is in its second generation for 2008, and is a car specific to North America. The first generation global Focus was part of Ford’s world car plan, but that idea was dropped. In 2008 customers choose from a two- or four-door Focus with trunk, as the hatchback option is no more. All Focii are front-drive, and all use the same 2.0-liter Duratec inline-four. Customers choose from four trims: S, SE, SES, and SEL. The cheapest S has the same 140 horses as the other models, and uses a five-speed manual. The Focus is in your drive for $14,395.

Three four-doors of Ace of Base persuasion, all wearing fantastic late 2000s styling. Which one’s worth the Buy?

[Images: GM, Ford, Dodge]

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GM Prioritizing Pickup Production Over Crossovers, Sedans

Posted on July 28, 2021 by admin

<img data-attachment-id=”1769300″ data-permalink=”https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2021/07/chip-shortage-leads-to-dead-cars-on-factory-lots-gm-halts-truck-production/a-2020-chevrolet-silverado-hd-in-the-trim-shop-on-thursday-janu/” data-orig-file=”https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/GMFlintSilverado70.jpg” data-orig-size=”3000,2000″ data-comments-opened=”1″ data-image-meta=”{“aperture”:”4.5″,”credit”:”John F. Martin for Chevrolet”,”camera”:”Canon EOS 5D Mark III”,”caption”:”A 2020 Chevrolet Silverado HD in the trim shop on Thursday, January 24, 2019 at General Motors Flint Assembly in Flint, Michigan. (Photo by John F. Martin for Chevrolet)”,”created_timestamp”:”1548865370″,”copyright”:”\u00a9 2019 John F. Martin and General Motors. This image is protected by copyright but provided for editorial and social media use.”,”focal_length”:”24″,”iso”:”640″,”shutter_speed”:”0.016666666666667″,”title”:”A 2020 Chevrolet Silverado HD in the trim shop on Thursday, Janu”,”orientation”:”1″}” data-image-title=”A 2020 Chevrolet Silverado HD in the trim shop on Thursday, Janu” data-image-description=”

General Motors will resume full-size pickup assembly next week, leaving its crossovers will have to continue enduring production hang-ups related to the semiconductor shortage. American manufacturers have been absolutely creamed by supply shortages this year and a lack of chips really hurt pickup volumes. We’ve seen a lot of creative solutions, including automakers putting unfinished vehicles on the lot in hopes that they can install the missing hardware later.

But GM’s latest solution involves prioritizing Michigan’s Flint Assembly, Indiana’s Fort Wayne Assembly, Silao Assembly in Mexico — all of which were previously idled or operating on reduced schedules. Unfortunately, that means giving other North American facilities more downtime and, sadly, plenty of it.

According to Automotive News, this includes Kansas City’s Fairfax Assembly — which has been idled since February — and five other factories located in North America. The facility was supposed to return to normal at the start of this month, which was later revised for the end of August. However, the newest plan leaves Cadillac XT4 production offline until September 20th, with Chevrolet Malibu assembly now being a giant question mark.

Lansing Grand River Assembly, responsible for the Cadillac CT4 and CT5, has been down since May and just got a two-week extension on its current production leave. Assembly isn’t likely to resume until the very end of August.

San Luis Potosi Assembly has enjoyed more production time than most North American facilities this year. But it’s getting another three weeks of downtime before resuming production of the Chevy Equinox and GMC Terrain. Those models will be back on the assembly line on August 23rd.

That just leaves GM’s Lansing Delta Township, Spring Hill, and Ramos Arizpe facilities — all of which will be getting just one more week off. But we’ve learned not to assume anything in 2021, especially since this is just one of dozens of scheduling changes that had to be revised by automakers. If chip supplies don’t stabilize, we anticipate the manufacturer prioritizing Lansing — so it can get more Chevrolet Traverses and Buick Enclaves on the lot Ramos Arizpe — which builds the Chevy Blazer and Equinox — also has a good chance of getting preferential treatment. Though the whole gang is supposed to be fully operational by August 2nd.

General Motors is just one automaker contending with this industrywide disaster, however. This week saw Mercedes-Benz and BMW also cutting production, citing supply chain problems. Meanwhile, Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida was expressing his pensiveness about the ongoing semiconductor shortage to the media despite his company turning a profit for the first time in a while.

“Knowing the current situation … we cannot be optimistic,” Uchida told CNBC on Wednesday. “I think this is day-by-day still.”

[Image: General Motors]

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Opinion: Here’s Where Infiniti Lost its Way

Posted on July 16, 2021 by admin

Late last year I put forth some thoughts about the future direction of Infiniti, largely about how the company was on a downward trajectory. Looking forward, the brand needs a major change in direction – not much has changed since December when I wrote that piece.

But one might then logically ask “Where did the company first lose its way?” I’m going to answer that question right now. Let’s take a little trip to the Before Times, in 1990.

That was the first model year for Infiniti just like it was the first model year for Lexus, but Infiniti started off on the wrong foot. I am of course speaking about the Q45, the grill-free, no-nonsense, no-wood, super-serious, full-size luxury sedan that was the company’s flagship. Where Lexus spent big money and years dreaming up an all-new car for its first U.S. luxury foray, Nissan went the cheap route. It took the upcoming new-generation President (the company’s JDM full-sizer) and then tried to Americanize it. Whereas Lexus made a more reliable Mercedes-Benz S-Class, Infiniti made a more hardcore BMW 7-Series without any of the iconic styling.

Americans wanted wood, ruched leather, a hood ornament, and a reasonably compliant suspension in their large sedans (they hate all that shit today, but whatever). Infiniti got a focus group together and then proceeded to edit the President into a firm-riding car without any wood or ruched leather. No grille, no hood ornament. After Judgment Error Number One was finished, they hired an ad agency to produce commercials for the exciting new Q45, and chose not to show it to customers. That’s right, they assumed that the luxury car buyer concerned with image and prestige would visit their dealer upon seeing an ad with a lake, rocks, and trees and “You can see this at a dealer!” tag line. That didn’t work then, and it wouldn’t work today. It was a terrible idea.

Their other premier offering was the M30 coupe and convertible. Based again on an existing Nissan, the Leopard, Infiniti went cheapo. Lexus spent big time money on the SC 400 and amortized that cost with the now-legendary Supra with which it shared a platform. The Leopard had some wood and leather added eventually (they’re learning!) and debuted as the M30. The Leopard wasn’t a bad car per se, and it had the V6 from the 300ZX. But it was again not what the American customer wanted. It was dated looking, too square, too small, not nice enough inside for the asking price, and half-assed. The SC and Acura Legend trounced it.

Shortly thereafter, Infiniti went after the Lexus ES 300 and the BMW 3-Series with the Nissan Primera-based G20. The Primera was more a world car than the President or Leopard, and more competitive generally. But G20 was a compact sedan with very bland styling, again based on something slightly too small for its American purpose. The ES 300 was larger and more luxurious and had interesting frameless windows. Most importantly, the ES didn’t look like it was a Camry. The G20 looked like a Sentra – which it wasn’t – but people assumed it anyway. People still think that even today in the age of the Internet. The G20 did make it quite a while (another problem) and earned itself a second generation that ran from 1999 to 2002. Infiniti had been around for nine years when the second G20 debuted, and the brand was still was doing badge swap jobs against unique Lexus product.

<img data-attachment-id=”1617298″ data-permalink=”https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2018/03/buy-drive-burn-1995-buying-sports-luxury-sedan/attachment/97804011990406/” data-orig-file=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/opinion-heres-where-infiniti-lost-its-way-29.jpg” data-orig-size=”1024,682″ data-comments-opened=”1″ data-image-meta=”{“aperture”:”0″,”credit”:””,”camera”:””,”caption”:””,”created_timestamp”:”0″,”copyright”:””,”focal_length”:”0″,”iso”:”0″,”shutter_speed”:”0″,”title”:””,”orientation”:”1″}” data-image-title=”1995 Infiniti J30t” data-image-description=”

Image Infiniti

<img data-attachment-id=”1670270″ data-permalink=”https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2019/04/qotd-your-least-favorite-rear-drive-nineties-ride/q45_pebble-beach/” data-orig-file=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/opinion-heres-where-infiniti-lost-its-way-34.jpg” data-orig-size=”800,518″ data-comments-opened=”1″ data-image-meta=”{“aperture”:”0″,”credit”:””,”camera”:””,”caption”:””,”created_timestamp”:”0″,”copyright”:””,”focal_length”:”0″,”iso”:”0″,”shutter_speed”:”0″,”title”:””,”orientation”:”0″}” data-image-title=”1997 Infiniti Q45″ data-image-description=”

Infiniti

The company’s had two or three bright spots along the way, but they’ve never been able to replicate the success or mature it into a second-generation offering. The G35 was a sales success and brought back sporting credibility to Infiniti. Sedan, coupe, convertible, the G35 was the right product at the right time. It used Nissan’s FM platform that carried over into the G37 version, where things started to fall apart. It wasn’t as inspired as the G35, and overall less original. The VQ V6 problem was here too, among others: Each time Nissan made the VQ larger it lost some refinement, sounded more like a paint mixer, and got more thirsty (3.0, 3.5, 3.7, 4.0). G37 became Q50 and Q60, and that 20-year-old FM platform is still in use today. It’s a big problem that Nissan can’t seem to fix.

FM also became the FX35, a stylish and unique crossover way ahead of its time. But then it turned into the FX37 and started looking like a fish. There weren’t enough new ideas there, and people demanded more cargo room out of their midsize two-row SUV circa 2009. They’d be okay with crap cargo room now because that’s marketable as “coupe SUV,” which is bullshit, but it would’ve worked had the FX persisted today.

<img data-attachment-id=”1618832″ data-permalink=”https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2018/03/qotd-whats-reliable-car-youve-ever-owned/attachment/96804051990203/” data-orig-file=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/opinion-heres-where-infiniti-lost-its-way-50.jpg” data-orig-size=”1024,682″ data-comments-opened=”1″ data-image-meta=”{“aperture”:”0″,”credit”:””,”camera”:””,”caption”:””,”created_timestamp”:”0″,”copyright”:””,”focal_length”:”0″,”iso”:”0″,”shutter_speed”:”0″,”title”:””,”orientation”:”1″}” data-image-title=”1997 Infiniti I30″ data-image-description=”

Image Infiniti

Oh, and there’s more FM: the M35. A larger midsize, M took over for the final Q45 as the only large-ish sedan the brand offered in 2007 (it shared the stage with Q for 2006). It was unrelated to the M45, a rebadged Nissan Gloria circa 2003 that was very enthusiast-approved but flopped with the general public given its looks. A generally successful offering, the M35 was not large enough to compete with full-size offerings from the other luxury brands and went against the E-Class, Lexus GS, and BMW 5-Series. The M had 2003-type styling at introduction in ’06 and maintained it through 2010 when everyone else had long moved forward. It was updated in 2011, again to add fish-like styling elements. It got larger in its rework (still not full-size), and spawned a long-wheelbase L version. It was renamed Q70 in short order but by then nobody cared. Stretched beyond its means, the FM Q70 did not feel well made, had an outdated interior full of 2006 components that were never updated, and was floppy in its handling while being too firm over bumps.

<img data-attachment-id=”1436825″ data-permalink=”https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2016/10/consumer-reports-most-reliable-vehicles-mostly-unpopular/2016-infiniti-q70-premium-select-edition/” data-orig-file=”https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/2016-Infiniti-Q70-e1533069414239.jpg” data-orig-size=”2928,1949″ data-comments-opened=”1″ data-image-meta=”{“aperture”:”7.1″,”credit”:”Infiniti”,”camera”:”NIKON D4″,”caption”:”The 2016 Infiniti Q70 Premium Select Edition’s exterior offers dark chrome trim, a darkened lower rear bumper, a rear decklid spoiler and unique design and color 20-inch aluminum-alloy wheels with 245\/40R20 all-season performance tires. The interior of the Q70 Premium Select Edition is highlighted by unique Graphite or Stone semi-aniline leather seating, suede-like headliner, aluminum interior trim, illuminated kickplates and floor mats with contrasting piping.”,”created_timestamp”:”1438974858″,”copyright”:”\u00a9 2015 Infiniti”,”focal_length”:”105″,”iso”:”100″,”shutter_speed”:”0.05″,”title”:”2016 Infiniti Q70 Premium Select Edition”,”orientation”:”1″}” data-image-title=”2016 Infiniti Q70 Premium Select Edition” data-image-description=”

Image: Infiniti

” data-medium-file=”https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/2016-Infiniti-Q70-450×300.jpg” data-large-file=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/opinion-heres-where-infiniti-lost-its-way-9.jpg” class=”aligncenter size-large wp-image-1436825″ src=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/opinion-heres-where-infiniti-lost-its-way-9.jpg” alt width=”610″ height=”406″>I’ve gone on for a while here and now I’m worn out. In summation, bad foundational product lead to a poor start. The foundational product was bad because Nissan didn’t invest enough in Infiniti the way Toyota did with Lexus and to a lesser extent Honda did with unique product for Acura. The G37 should have been the last FM platform ever, yet Infiniti can’t seem to get away from it. Among their more recent problems, the subsistence on FM is the worst, most important, and most persistent. When are they gonna cut that cord?

[Images: Infiniti]

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Porsche Asks For Suppliers to Go Green

Posted on July 8, 2021 by admin

Porsche is asking its 1,300 suppliers to only use renewable energy as they manufacture Porsche parts, starting this month.

The German automaker is doing so in order to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.

This change applies to any supplier awarded a contract for providing production material for new-vehicle projects. Suppliers who can’t or won’t comply will no longer be considered for Porsche contracts over the long term.

“Our battery cell suppliers have already had to use green energy since 2020. And now we are taking the next important step: we stipulate that our series suppliers also use only renewable energy to produce our components, to help reduce CO₂-emissions even further. We recognise that we have a responsibility to ensure that supply chains are transparent and sustainable,” Uwe-Karsten Städter, member of the executive board for procurement at Porsche AG said in a statement.

It’s all part of a larger goal the company has set to be carbon dioxide neutral across the entire supply chain by 2030. As it stands now, the company’s supply chain is responsible for about 20 percent of the company’s total greenhouse-gas emissions, with it projected to rise to 40 percent as electrification becomes more prevalent.

“By using only renewable energy sources, our suppliers are following our example in our efforts to reach CO_2-neutrality. We plan to have even more intensive talks with our partners in order to drive forward improvements in our sustainability. It is only by working together that we will be able to combat ongoing climate change,” said Städter.

Porsche is also trying to reduce emissions from its own plants — the company claims that production of the Taycan is carbon-neutral since 2019, for example, and that the same holds true for the 911 and 718 since 2020 and the plant that produces the Macan and Panamera since 2021.

It’s not as ambitious as having an EV Day, but Porsche, like everyone these days, is making claims about its ability to be green.

[Image: Porsche]

Driving Dystopia: Speed Camera Rule Change Creates Ticketing Explosion in Chicago

Posted on June 18, 2021 by admin

<img data-attachment-id=”1766244″ data-permalink=”https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2021/06/driving-dystopia-speed-camera-rule-change-creates-ticketing-explosion-in-chicago/chicagospeedcameraatstateandchicagoinstalledtocatch/” data-orig-file=”https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/06/shutterstock_1965788128-e1624038518681.jpg” data-orig-size=”4015,3895″ data-comments-opened=”1″ data-image-meta=”{“aperture”:”0″,”credit”:”Shutterstock”,”camera”:””,”caption”:””,”created_timestamp”:”0″,”copyright”:”Copyright (c) 2021 ChicagoPhotographer\/Shutterstock. No use without permission.”,”focal_length”:”0″,”iso”:”0″,”shutter_speed”:”0″,”title”:”Chicago,Speed,Camera,At,State,And,Chicago,Installed,To,Catch”,”orientation”:”1″}” data-image-title=”Chicago Speed Camera” data-image-description=”

ChicagoPhotographer/Shutterstock

At the start of the year, the city of Chicago announced that it would be changing rules pertaining to traffic enforcement as part of Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s updated 2021 budget package. But the one that was causing the most concern among motorists was a provision to have speed cameras issue tickets to anybody traveling 6 miles an hour over the posted limit, rather than the previous cutoff of 10 MPH. While just a singular aspect of the city’s plan to resolve a $1.2-billion deficit, it turned out to be one of the most controversial items and appears to have resulted in a tenfold increase in fines.

According to local affiliate CBS Chicago, data from a public records request indicated that during the 36-day period before and after the change took effect on March 1st, citywide ticketing went up from 35,784 citations in the weeks before to a massive 398,233 in the proceeding weeks.

Since the city has stated that some tickets would simply be warnings to remind motorists that the laws had been updated, it’s difficult to get concrete numbers. But the tally for if they had all been legitimate fines is supposed to be a whopping $871,000 despite the cameras being dotted around several alleged “Children’s Safety Zones” near parks and schools that the locals sound rather skeptical of.

From CBS Chicago:

“I see this thing going off all the time,” said Ricky Duddleston who lives right across the street from the speed camera at 3200 S. Archer Ave. “Constantly flashing … I think it’s a scam, man.”

Duddleston doesn’t buy the city’s safety zone reason for putting the camera in this location. There is a small neighborhood park a couple of blocks away. But he said, “There’s no kids walking down this street. Never.”

Money is the motive if you ask Duddleston. “City’s crying broke. How much money you think they make off these things?”

That Archer camera flashed 257 times before March 1 and 11,016 times after. Fines totaled $25,335 for city coffers. Comparing those new ticket numbers to a pre-pandemic year, that camera caught 1,853 speeders during the same period in 2019.

The rest of the CBS piece basically chronicles the massive upshift in fines at several speed camera locations with the locals expressing their dismay and issuing allegations that the city is only seeking ways to accumulate capital — including 9th Ward Alderman Anthony Beale.

“That’s ridiculous,” he said in response to the sudden deluge of traffic fines. “In times when people can’t afford to pay, now we’re hitting them over the head with ticket after ticket after ticket. This is a revenue generator, period.”

The strife being created here by these automated guardians isn’t new. The Chicago Tribune has been tracking the city’s automated speed camera program since its introduction in 2013 and complained that “hundreds of thousands of tickets” had been issued under “questionable circumstances.” Complaints include cameras that were active outside their posted hours, issuing fines in places where there was no posted speed limit, and school cameras that were active on days class wasn’t in session.

Many cameras have already individually amassed millions of dollars in fines, with Lightfoot’s proposals undoubtedly supercharging those figures if they’re retained or expanded to encompass more areas.

But do they work?

Well, that depends on what you’re hoping to accomplish. If you’re just interested in bilking the public, then you’ll be pleased to learn they’re wildly effective. Though they do seem to result in diminishing returns, as motorists will quickly realize where these cameras are located and attempt to avoid them or simply pass beneath them as slowly as possible, they appear to be rather reliable revenue generators. However, the public certainly doesn’t seem to care for them and lingering questions remain regarding how much safety they actually promote.

I’m often reminded by the decades-long battle the United Kingdom had with speed cameras that I only became aware of whenever Top Gear would have politicians on during the mid-2000s. At the time, the show was routinely butting heads with the likes of Boris Johnson over the politics of restrictive driving laws and doing reports about how speed cameras didn’t seem to be saving any lives.

The UK’s long-term battle with the devices also resulted in a plethora of useful data, most of which supports the idea that they make cities a lot of money. Much of this was complicated by a conflict between existing British and European Union laws, resulting in years of legislation designed to close loopholes that might allow people to escape fines. In 2004, the Transport Research Laboratory published a report claiming cameras increased the risk of serious accidents by 55 percent in work zones and 31 percent on open motorways. It also stated that its research indicated that fatal and life-threatening incidents were 32 percent more likely wherever traffic cameras were located.

But government agencies had assessed that the devices were effective in tamping down speeds, which are often cited as a contributing factor in serious accidents, and remained well aware that they were making money. By 2007, motorists had begun launching petitions to ban speed cameras as the public perception of their efficacy soured. There was even a stint where citizens were routinely going around disabling or destroying the hardware in protest. Subsequent years showed an increased number of departments agreeing to shut down their systems in response. Despite the United Kingdom still having the fourth-largest number of traffic cams per square kilometer, it’s estimated that only about half of them are active.

While we cannot predict the future, one imagines that Chicago would be in for a similarly prolonged conflict if it decides to expand its own camera scheme. Mayor Lightfoot has discussed the possibility of extending the updated rules across the city or simply adding more Children’s Safety Zones. She also recently announced the creation of new “Equity Zones” designed to rebalance discrepancies between ethnicities after she declared racism a public health crisis earlier in the week. Critics have stated that it looks to be a clever ploy to free up $10 million for special projects and bemoaned her use of the term equity (rather than equality), while advocates have pointed out there there are indeed divergencies in the public health of Chicago. We’re just wondering whether or not she’ll want those zones to enact predatory speed camera settings or if they’ll be subject to the standard level of traffic restrictions.

Lightfoot hasn’t said yet. Though she did issue a response to the city’s updated camera laws:

“The change in the speeding threshold was implemented in response to an alarming increase in vehicle speeding and traffic fatalities. This change affects the City’s 68 Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) Children’s Safety Zones, which are operational near schools when they are in session and children are present, and in parks during hours when they are open.

Forty-three more people died in traffic crashes in Chicago in 2020, a 45 percent increase over 2019. These deaths have occurred at a time when fewer cars were on the road due to the pandemic and City traffic data showed cars were driving 8-10 percent faster on average than at the same time in the previous year.

The goal is not to issue tickets, but to encourage safer driving behavior and discourage speeding that is correlated with more severe injuries and deaths in traffic crashes. In order to avoid a speeding violation, drivers simply have to observe the speed limit.

Even incremental reductions in speed greatly increase the likelihood of avoiding death or serious injury in the event of a crash. According to federal traffic safety data, chances of a pedestrian surviving being struck by a car are 90 percent if hit by a car traveling 20 MPH, 50 percent chance of surviving if hit by a car driving 30 MPH and only a 10 percent chance of surviving being struck by a car driving 40 MPH.”

We’ve covered alternative solutions to maximizing pedestrian safety in the past and, even though speeding does increase the risk of fatally injuring someone, there are plenty of other issues to consider. It’s usually just safer to keep those walking (or on bicycles) a healthy distance away from automobiles. Other solutions include improving pedestrian detection equipment on modern vehicles, limiting the number of distractions, discouraging jaywalking, and making sure you’re not hitting people with 2-ton SUVs with blunt faces. But let’s not kid ourselves, Mayor Lightfoot’s plan was always about the money and it seems like everyone has already figured that out.

Ed. note: As a Chicago resident who has long been outraged about the speed camera on Irving Park between Clark and Sheridan — one that is barely within the required distance of a park, a dog park that’s far off the street — I would like to add that I really, really hope the mayor’s office rethinks any expansion. The cameras are not, in my opinion, in any way used to increase safety. The unofficial city motto is “where’s mine?” and the cameras seem to be a complete money grab. I’ll save the rest of my thoughts for a potential future opinion/editorial post.

[Image: ChicagoPhotographer/Shutterstock]

2021 Acura TLX Type S Pricing Revealed

Posted on May 20, 2021 by admin

Ford’s Lightning has stolen the spotlight this week, but another hotly anticipated vehicle is jumping around and waving its arms (metaphorically speaking, as cars don’t have arms) to remind buyers it exists and goes on sale soon. That vehicle is the 2021 Acura TLX Type S.

Pricing will start at $52,300, not including the $1,025 destination charge, when the sport sedan goes on sale on June 23. $800 more gets you a high-performance wheel and tire package.

Only 2,000 of the cars, which have a 355-horsepower turbo V6, sport suspension with a double-wishbone front setup, Brembo brakes, 20-inch wheels, 10-speed automatic transmission, and Acura’s Super Handling All-Wheel Drive system, will be sold.

A build-and-price site is up for consumers, and interested buyers can plunk down a reservation.

It’s no electric truck, but it’s exciting in its own way, especially for those of us who still hold a flame for luxury sport-sedans in what’s become a crossover world.

It’s also about the same base price as a Lightning XLT. And on sale a year sooner. What’s the better deal, huh?

[Images: Acura]

QOTD: Should North America Have the Genesis G70 Shooting Brake?

Posted on May 12, 2021 by admin

<img data-attachment-id=”1762926″ data-permalink=”https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2021/05/qotd-should-north-america-have-the-genesis-g70-shooting-brake/attachment/584593/” data-orig-file=”https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/584593.jpg” data-orig-size=”3000,2000″ data-comments-opened=”1″ data-image-meta=”{“aperture”:”5.6″,”credit”:””,”camera”:”Canon EOS 5DS”,”caption”:””,”created_timestamp”:”1618500658″,”copyright”:””,”focal_length”:”100″,”iso”:”320″,”shutter_speed”:”0.3″,”title”:””,”orientation”:”0″}” data-image-title=”G70 Shooting Brake” data-image-description=”

Genesis

Genesis teased the rather handsome G70 Shooting Brake (wagon) this morning, highlighting the brand’s ability to design sophisticated automobiles that don’t need to compete directly with the cost of your home. Unfortunately, just about every automaker on the planet has decided that wagons have no business in America. This includes Genesis. The manufacturer made it clear that the liftback G70 was designed specifically for Europeans.

While the body style used to be the king of the road, it was supplanted by the minivan in the late 1980s. By 1996, the last American full-size wagons (Buick Roadmaster and Chevrolet Caprice Classic) were discontinued. The region had lost its taste for them and the industry has been operating under the assumption that the feeling has gone unchanged for thirty years. Aren’t we due for a resurgence?

<img data-attachment-id=”1762932″ data-permalink=”https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2021/05/qotd-should-north-america-have-the-genesis-g70-shooting-brake/attachment/584595/” data-orig-file=”https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/584595-e1620831798439.jpg” data-orig-size=”2625,1732″ data-comments-opened=”1″ data-image-meta=”{“aperture”:”6.3″,”credit”:””,”camera”:”Canon EOS 5DS”,”caption”:””,”created_timestamp”:”1618498059″,”copyright”:””,”focal_length”:”70″,”iso”:”400″,”shutter_speed”:”0.076923076923077″,”title”:””,”orientation”:”0″}” data-image-title=”G70 Shooting Brake” data-image-description=”

Genesis

” data-medium-file=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/qotd-should-north-america-have-the-genesis-g70-shooting-brake-10.jpg” data-large-file=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/qotd-should-north-america-have-the-genesis-g70-shooting-brake-1.jpg” class=”aligncenter size-large wp-image-1762932″ src=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/qotd-should-north-america-have-the-genesis-g70-shooting-brake-1.jpg” alt width=”610″ height=”402″ srcset=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/qotd-should-north-america-have-the-genesis-g70-shooting-brake-1.jpg 610w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/qotd-should-north-america-have-the-genesis-g70-shooting-brake-9.jpg 75w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/qotd-should-north-america-have-the-genesis-g70-shooting-brake-10.jpg 450w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/qotd-should-north-america-have-the-genesis-g70-shooting-brake-11.jpg 768w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/qotd-should-north-america-have-the-genesis-g70-shooting-brake-12.jpg 120w” sizes=”(max-width: 610px) 100vw, 610px”>

While we had a surge of cool dads purchasing imported wagons in the early 2000s, almost every one of them upgraded to an SUV as their kids got larger. North America’s long, straight, and sometimes shabby roads also give wagons less of a competitive advantage on road trips. Many decided to prioritize interior volume and longer suspension travel, leaving wagons to become niche items catering specifically to driving enthusiasts wanting more space. That leaves the entire segment to a small number of Europhiles, automotive writers, those with eclectic tastes, and younger couples with some extra cash.

But that seems to be exactly who Genesis is targeting with the G70 Shooting Brake. Sadly, the brand floating us a couple of dozen just to see how it plays on the market isn’t cost-effective unless it’s a colossal success — and there’s very little evidence that it would be. Meanwhile, crossovers have filled just about every conceivable space more traditional wagons could have occupied. Whatever sliver of the market that has been left to their more sporting alternatives would likely be all the G70 could hope to snag.

<img data-attachment-id=”1762930″ data-permalink=”https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2021/05/qotd-should-north-america-have-the-genesis-g70-shooting-brake/attachment/584594/” data-orig-file=”https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/584594.jpg” data-orig-size=”3000,2000″ data-comments-opened=”1″ data-image-meta=”{“aperture”:”11″,”credit”:””,”camera”:”Canon EOS 5DS”,”caption”:””,”created_timestamp”:”1618484208″,”copyright”:””,”focal_length”:”100″,”iso”:”400″,”shutter_speed”:”0.3″,”title”:””,”orientation”:”0″}” data-image-title=”G70 Shooting Brake” data-image-description=”

Genesis

” data-medium-file=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/qotd-should-north-america-have-the-genesis-g70-shooting-brake-14.jpg” data-large-file=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/qotd-should-north-america-have-the-genesis-g70-shooting-brake-2.jpg” class=”aligncenter size-large wp-image-1762930″ src=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/qotd-should-north-america-have-the-genesis-g70-shooting-brake-2.jpg” alt width=”610″ height=”407″ srcset=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/qotd-should-north-america-have-the-genesis-g70-shooting-brake-2.jpg 610w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/qotd-should-north-america-have-the-genesis-g70-shooting-brake-13.jpg 75w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/qotd-should-north-america-have-the-genesis-g70-shooting-brake-14.jpg 450w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/qotd-should-north-america-have-the-genesis-g70-shooting-brake-15.jpg 768w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/qotd-should-north-america-have-the-genesis-g70-shooting-brake-16.jpg 120w” sizes=”(max-width: 610px) 100vw, 610px”>

From Genesis:

The G70 Shooting Brake will be an important model for Genesis. As a premium car, it will offer customers greater practicality, especially in Europe, and it will further expand the Genesis lineup to meet various customers’ needs.

The G70 Shooting Brake is the same size as the new G70, measuring in at 4,685 mm long, 1,850 mm wide and 1,400 mm tall, with a 2,835 mm wheelbase. Meanwhile, the luggage space is 40 percent larger than the G70 sedan and its rear seats can be split-folded in versatile 4:2:4 format.

Inheriting its design from the new G70 sedan, the G70 Shooting Brake’s signature Crest Grille is set lower than the Quad Lamps, which spread outward evokes a sprinter’s pre-race posture and highlight the model’s athletic design.

When viewed from the side, the combination of the single-piece glass hatch that extend to the rear and the “floating type” integral spoiler creates a unique impression to the exterior that communicates the G70 Shooting Brake’s athletic intent.

<img data-attachment-id=”1762936″ data-permalink=”https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2021/05/qotd-should-north-america-have-the-genesis-g70-shooting-brake/584598_v2/” data-orig-file=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/qotd-should-north-america-have-the-genesis-g70-shooting-brake-21.jpg” data-orig-size=”800,600″ data-comments-opened=”1″ data-image-meta=”{“aperture”:”0″,”credit”:””,”camera”:””,”caption”:””,”created_timestamp”:”0″,”copyright”:””,”focal_length”:”0″,”iso”:”0″,”shutter_speed”:”0″,”title”:””,”orientation”:”0″}” data-image-title=”G70 Shooting Brake” data-image-description=”

Genesis

” data-medium-file=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/qotd-should-north-america-have-the-genesis-g70-shooting-brake-18.jpg” data-large-file=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/qotd-should-north-america-have-the-genesis-g70-shooting-brake-3.jpg” class=”aligncenter size-large wp-image-1762936″ src=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/qotd-should-north-america-have-the-genesis-g70-shooting-brake-3.jpg” alt width=”610″ height=”458″ srcset=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/qotd-should-north-america-have-the-genesis-g70-shooting-brake-3.jpg 610w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/qotd-should-north-america-have-the-genesis-g70-shooting-brake-17.jpg 75w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/qotd-should-north-america-have-the-genesis-g70-shooting-brake-18.jpg 450w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/qotd-should-north-america-have-the-genesis-g70-shooting-brake-19.jpg 768w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/qotd-should-north-america-have-the-genesis-g70-shooting-brake-20.jpg 120w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/qotd-should-north-america-have-the-genesis-g70-shooting-brake-21.jpg 800w” sizes=”(max-width: 610px) 100vw, 610px”>

Everything else seems to be lifted directly from the G70 sedan with an obviously premium bent. Were it to come to our market, that would likely include the 252-horsepower 2.0-liter turbo or the juicer 3.3-liter V6 pushing 365 hp. But Genesis has not issued any information on the Shooting Brake’s powertrain options in Europe.

Maybe it’s not right for our neck of the woods. But some of us are dying for some fresh designs to populate our highways. What say you? Would you like to see the G70 wagon grace our shores or is this one better left to Europe?

<img data-attachment-id=”1762934″ data-permalink=”https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2021/05/qotd-should-north-america-have-the-genesis-g70-shooting-brake/attachment/584597/” data-orig-file=”https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/584597.jpg” data-orig-size=”3000,2072″ data-comments-opened=”1″ data-image-meta=”{“aperture”:”4″,”credit”:””,”camera”:”Canon EOS 5DS”,”caption”:””,”created_timestamp”:”1618494858″,”copyright”:””,”focal_length”:”35″,”iso”:”400″,”shutter_speed”:”0.04″,”title”:””,”orientation”:”0″}” data-image-title=”G70 Shooting Brake” data-image-description=”

Genesis

” data-medium-file=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/qotd-should-north-america-have-the-genesis-g70-shooting-brake-23.jpg” data-large-file=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/qotd-should-north-america-have-the-genesis-g70-shooting-brake-4.jpg” class=”aligncenter size-large wp-image-1762934″ src=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/qotd-should-north-america-have-the-genesis-g70-shooting-brake-4.jpg” alt width=”610″ height=”421″ srcset=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/qotd-should-north-america-have-the-genesis-g70-shooting-brake-4.jpg 610w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/qotd-should-north-america-have-the-genesis-g70-shooting-brake-22.jpg 75w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/qotd-should-north-america-have-the-genesis-g70-shooting-brake-23.jpg 450w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/qotd-should-north-america-have-the-genesis-g70-shooting-brake-24.jpg 768w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/05/qotd-should-north-america-have-the-genesis-g70-shooting-brake-25.jpg 120w” sizes=”(max-width: 610px) 100vw, 610px”>

[Images: Genesis]

Chinese Smartphone Titan Xiaomi Entering the EV Race

Posted on April 1, 2021 by admin

Xiaomi, a Chinese smartphone colossus, has announced they are building their own branded electric vehicles (EVs), just like Apple, Huawei, Sony, and Foxconn.

If you’re prepared to lose money, starting a car company is easy. Just ask Tesla. Xiaomi has plenty, enough to sink $10 billion into the venture over the next 10 years.

Xiaomi, the third-largest smartphone maker, is merging automotive, electronics, and information and communication technology with the traditional auto industry model. Xiaomi’s expertise is in manufacturing, hardware-based Internet service, software, and hardware integration. Their appeal in China, brand recognition, and presence in other countries will no doubt help at launch.

Xiaomi’s smartphone brand, POCO, has made its way into 35 markets in the past three years. Xiaomi shipped over 9 million phones worldwide in 2020. The POCO F1 was their first release in 2018, adopted early on by techies and later by the media, achieving over 2.2 million shipments.

Yesterday, Xiaomi released the Mi Mix Fold, a new foldable smartphone. Xiaomi’s entrance in this segment is notable beyond the foldable display. Xiaomi’s new flagship, it has 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage. The first camera phone to use their Surge C1 chipset, it’s also the first to use liquid lens technology.

Besides the new smartphone, the company unveiled its new Xiaomi logo, designed by Japanese graphic designer Kenya Hara. Look for Xiaomi’s entrance into the EV segment to intensify the competition within China, as well as elsewhere in the world.

[Images: Xiaomi]

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Jeep Orange Peelz Concept Looks Sweet

Posted on March 27, 2021 by admin

Orange Peelz, one of a half-dozen Jeep concepts unveiled at Easter Jeep Safari, is quite possibly the easiest to replicate and drive on a daily basis. A two-door Wrangler, it uses Jeep Performance Parts (JPP) prototype half doors and a custom removable sunroof to let the sunshine in.

A JPP two-inch lift kit with Fox shocks, combined with custom steel fender flares, allows 37-inch BFGoodrich KM3 mud-terrain tires on 17-inch JPP aluminum wheels full range of motion. Mopar valve stems with a Jeep logo are a nice finishing touch, though unseen in the photos or by most people passing by.

Someone in the design department seems displeased with the hood on the Wrangler or Gladiator and has a penchant for replacing them. On the Orange Peelz, there’s another concept hood that differs from those on the other EJS vehicles, this one with a Jeep Willys logo and custom black Mopar hood latches. JPP five-inch off-road LED lights are mounted to the base of the A-pillars, and just in case you can’t see what’s ahead a Mopar windshield made of Corning Gorilla Glass is there for a little added protection.

The Orange Peelz’ exterior has a black graphic stripe around its midsection, with vintage Jeep fender badges in black. The custom JPP Rubicon bumper has a two-inch grille guard and is fitted with an 8,000-lb. JPP Warn winch. Custom rock rails were added for protection, should the trail run turn into something a little more serious. A JPP swing gate hinge reinforcement is there to accommodate a larger-size spare tire, and the JPP center high-mount stop lamp (CHMSL) relocation kit centers the third brake light in its center. Tow hooks front and rear are of course color-matched because that’s what designers do.

Plaid interiors are also an overarching ‘theme’ this year, with the door panels, center console, seat inserts, and mid-instrument panels covered in this lively material. Orange stitching on the steering wheel cover, shifter boots, and the parking-brake handle cover completes the match.

Aside from the JPP cold-air intake and JPP cat-back exhaust system, the 285 HP, 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 is stock. Yes, there are a few items you can’t buy on the Orange Peelz, but overall it’s the one that’s closest to finding its way to your driveway. Now if we can just get Revo Reeves from Stitchcraft to tell us where we might find plaid upholstery material, it’ll be a dead ringer.

[Images: Jeep]

Teutonic Tesla: Volkswagen Now Building ‘Gigafactories’

Posted on March 15, 2021 by admin

<img data-attachment-id=”1755530″ data-permalink=”https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2021/03/teutonic-tesla-volkswagen-now-building-gigafactories/volkswagen-power-day-2021/” data-orig-file=”https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/DB2021AL00276_medium.jpg” data-orig-size=”1795,1010″ data-comments-opened=”1″ data-image-meta=”{“aperture”:”0″,”credit”:””,”camera”:””,”caption”:””,”created_timestamp”:”0″,”copyright”:”Volkswagen AG”,”focal_length”:”0″,”iso”:”0″,”shutter_speed”:”0″,”title”:”Volkswagen Power Day 2021″,”orientation”:”1″}” data-image-title=”Volkswagen Power Day 2021″ data-image-description=”

VW Group

” data-medium-file=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/teutonic-tesla-volkswagen-now-building-gigafactories-2.jpg” data-large-file=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/teutonic-tesla-volkswagen-now-building-gigafactories.jpg” class=”aligncenter size-large wp-image-1755530″ src=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/teutonic-tesla-volkswagen-now-building-gigafactories.jpg” alt width=”610″ height=”343″ srcset=”http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/teutonic-tesla-volkswagen-now-building-gigafactories.jpg 610w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/teutonic-tesla-volkswagen-now-building-gigafactories-1.jpg 75w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/teutonic-tesla-volkswagen-now-building-gigafactories-2.jpg 450w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/teutonic-tesla-volkswagen-now-building-gigafactories-3.jpg 768w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/teutonic-tesla-volkswagen-now-building-gigafactories-4.jpg 120w, http://gagetruck.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/teutonic-tesla-volkswagen-now-building-gigafactories-5.jpg 800w” sizes=”(max-width: 610px) 100vw, 610px”>

As much as we’ve criticized American luxury brands for emulating the Germans, we’ve failed to do the same for Volkswagen Group’s pathetic attempts at copying Tesla. That changes with Monday’s announcement that VW will assemble six “gigafactories” in Europe by 2030. Shared on “Power Day” — the company’s bastardized version of Tesla’s Battery Day — the plan is supposed to result in a production capacity of 240 GWh annually when completed and help VW reduce battery costs while also securing access.

It’s not a half-bad plan for a company entirely devoted to electrification, which is probably why Tesla follows a similar model using nearly identical terminology. Though, considering the absolute mess Volkswagen seems to have made of its EV transmission thus far, some might find it difficult to blame the automaker for looking at the competition and breaking out the notepad.

Others will be less sympathetic while acknowledging this is probably VW’s best play if it’s serious about EVs.

Volkswagen is only in this mess for getting caught circumventing emissions by illegal means, specifically software that flubbed the test results of diesel models. While we’re happy to suggest the brand was placed in a difficult situation by being the first automaker to get majorly busted for skirting the nearly impossible to adhere to rules regarding modern diesel emissions, it was still being exposed to the same scrutiny as other manufacturers. But it went the coverup route before confessing and has responded by transmogrifying itself into a beacon of greenness as penance for its eco-crimes. Volkswagen became a “mobility company” overnight in 2016 — born again, so to speak — despite its product lineup showing its status as a relatively traditional automaker, often forcing us to take it at its word.

VW has endeavored to keep up appearances while sprinting full tilt toward widespread electrification. But the fruit of its labor haven’t always panned out. The company has had a terrible time with battery suppliers and most of the EVs delivered thus far aren’t offering the kind of ranges that would make them compelling choices. Digitizing its products has also resulted in software issues that helped stymie the launches of numerous vehicles. In some cases, it even resulted in incomplete vehicles coming to market.

These are issues most automakers are confronting as they collectively attempt to redefine the purpose of the automotive industry, and we’re now way past the point where the adage “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” would be useful. By now, most manufacturers are totally committed to a future where vehicles are electric, connected, and monetizing your data as often as possible. Volkswagen just seems to have dove in the quickest, suffered the worst for it, and is now in a situation where it absolutely has to make things work.

Hence the new “gigafactories” — which don’t seem a bad solution, if you can ignore the Tesla comparisons.

From Volkswagen:

The Group is pushing ahead at full speed with the development of production capacities in Europe in order to meet the increasing demand for battery cells. “Together with partners, we want to have a total of six cell factories up and running in Europe by 2030 thus guaranteeing security of supply”, explains [Chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen Group Technology] Thomas Schmall. The new factories are expected to produce cells with a total energy value of 240 GWh per year by the time they are finally completed. Volkswagen is therefore actively contributing to meet the targets of the European Union’s Green Deal. The first two factories will operate in the Swedish city of Skellefteå and in Salzgitter. In response to increased demand, Volkswagen has decided to refocus the previous plan in relation to cell production and concentrate production of its premium cells in the Swedish gigafactory “Northvolt Ett” in Skellefteå in collaboration with Northvolt. The production of these cells is set to commence in 2023 and will be expanded gradually to an annual capacity of up to 40 GWh.

Those capacities are annual and are supposed to cut battery costs by up to 50 percent once all synergies are accounted for. But we think the big get here is VW having a direct line on an essential component it’s had serious problems procuring in even modest quantities. These also help bring the automaker closer to its goal of making energy management a viable source of revenue. This again harkens back to Tesla. In 2019, Tesla CEO Elon Musk claimed that energy storage would gradually become a larger aspect of the business. The following year, he said that Tesla Energy would likely grow to be at least as big as its automotive aspirations.

Meanwhile, Volkswagen has repeatedly announced its role in the planned expansion of the public fast-charging network. Its latest release also said cooperation has been agreed to in Europe with some of the regions the energy companies, including BP, Iberdrola, and Enel. VW is plotting a course of staggered investments. As we’re not fortune tellers, we cannot predict how successful this strategy will be. But it does show that the company isn’t interested in taking half measures. And emulating the parts of Tesla that appear to be working makes it derivate and cringe-inducing, not stupid.

[Image: Volkswagen Group]

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