Even those with even the slightest passing interest in Hollywood movies know that the Oscars were doled out last night at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles. Films are fine, but anytime a screenplay involves copious (and sometimes gratuitous!) volumes of cars, well, gearheads like us tend to sit up and take notice.
Never mind Best Actor or Best Screenplay. What’s your pick for Best Car?
For a brand that probably once caught the eye of Woodrow Wilson, there’s a late adolescent feeling to Cadillac’s current existence that belies its century-long history. Having run away from mom and dad to find itself among the towers of Manhattan, General Motors’ luxury division is heading home for a rest — newly matured, a new mentor in tow, and packing a couple of extra crossovers.
Completing the makeover, Cadillac tossed its “Dare Greatly” tagline in the trash, debuting new messaging during its Oscar night ad campaign. But does the new campaign “Rise Above” the criticisms flung at its predecessor? Read More >
Truth be told, North American Honda plants do build the lion’s share of Civics sold in the region. However, last week’s announcement of the impending closure of the automaker’s sole UK facility means a 100-percent locally sourced crop of compacts in the future. Read More >
I had just returned from driving the 2020 Kia Soul in San Diego (review forthcoming later today) when Kia fulfilled a promise made to the media via a note in my inbox.
The pricing info that wasn’t ready for our drive event was now live.
While most of the pricing is in line with what one expects of a boxy compact commuter, if you fancy the GT Turbo, be prepared to pony up.
Focusing primarily on the U.S. market sometimes leads to a skewed view of what the average global consumer demands in their driveway, but not always. Broader trends don’t respect geographical boundaries; interest in light trucks doesn’t stop at the border.
As American buyers increasingly demand more additions to their high-riding vehicle buffet, the same call can be heard in other markets. And, just as Americans took home more electric vehicles (thanks, Tesla) in 2018, the segment recorded significant growth in places you’ve never visited.
However, the world still loves the Ford F-150. No change there.
Let’s take a global peek at last year’s buying decisions. Read More >
You wouldn’t know it, but that’s a heavily refreshed 2020 Volvo XC90 staring back at you from the header image. Good thing the grille still carries a Volvo badge.
Okay, the tweaks made to the SUV’s front fascia are milder than chain restaurant salsa, but the changes to the Swedish brand’s largest vehicle for 2020 are more than skin deep. For the upcoming model year, Volvo rolls out the first of its B-badged vehicles. What’s B? It signifies the presence of a kinetic energy recovery system designed to boost fuel economy by up to 15 percent. Read More >
With the eighth-generation Porsche 911 having made its debut at the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show, we anticipated waiting months for the automaker to start rolling the high-horsepower variants. Up until now, we’ve seen the Carrara S, 4S, and their convertible counterparts. But we didn’t expect to see the 992 Turbo until the fall.
However, it appears that one Porsche enthusiast managed snag a candid photograph of the Turbo without the manufacturer’s knowledge, spreading the image all over the internet. Read More >
It’s nice to love the car you own. Feeling that passion and excitement each and every time you slip behind the wheel; experiencing the sheer exhilaration of squeezing every last drop of performance from your magnificent new steed. As a Cruze owner, I know these sensations all too well.
Sometimes, being your car’s biggest fan means becoming a de facto spokesperson for the brand, and with that role comes the need to position your vehicle’s builder above all others. With that in mind, we ask whether you can point out anything wrong with the following Tesla review. Read More >
Detroit-Hamtramck, one of the five North American plants General Motors plans to shutter before the end of the year, will instead linger online a little longer.
While the plant’s future is still very much in doubt, and the lights will certainly go off for at least some period of time, the automaker plans to keep cranking out cars past New Year’s Eve. The reprieve stems from GM’s interest in continuing production of the Cadillac CT6 and Chevrolet Impala. Not the Buick LaCrosse or Chevrolet Volt, though. Definitely not the Buick LaCrosse and Chevrolet Volt. Read More >
As the marketplace evolves and the rise of “mobility” threatens to lock laggard automakers out of new revenue streams, old rivals are coming together to get out ahead of the competition. Take BMW and Daimler, for example. The German companies, normally embroiled in high-end sales combat, have cosied up to each other in recent years.
While they’re not sharing platforms and engines, the two do feel there’s benefits in joining forces on mobility. By mobility, we mean carsharing and all that sexy stuff you can’t get enough of. A pact between the two rivals came last March.
On Friday, the two automakers released the details of their mobility partnership, announcing five joint ventures funded by a combined $1.13 billion investment. Read More >
Less than a year after bestowing a coveted “Recommended” label on Tesla’s Model 3, Consumer Reports is taking is back. You can just imagine the outrage in the online Teslaverse.
Consumer Reports’ secret ownership by shadowy oil execs and General Motors notwithstanding (this is clearly false, don’t sue us), the retraction of what amounts to a “buy this, you probably won’t be sorry” label is a blow to the automaker, and CR claims it’s all Tesla’s fault.
At least Tesla can say it isn’t alone in the recommendation withdrawal camp. Read More >
Ford Motor Company has reason to believe a problem may exist in how the company calculates vehicle fuel economy and emissions.
The automaker has hired an outside firm to help get to the bottom of the issue, which was raised by employees, and has already notified the Environmental Protection Agency and California Air Resources Board of the probe, Ford claims. It insists this isn’t about sneaky defeat devices; rather, road load is the issue here. Read More >
Luke writes:
I have an ’09 Hyundai Santa Fe, 3.3L, with 117,000 km (73,000 miles). It’s losing oil from a leaking timing chain cover gasket at a rate of one litre per 1,400 km or so. The repair is estimated to be around $1,500. We have this vehicle because we have three young children (ages 4, 2, and 6 months) and the Santa Fe is one of the few that fit three car seats across one row safely and easily, and was within our budget.
I’ve only owned the vehicle for a year. What do you think I should do? Pay for the repair, just keep adding oil, or look for a different vehicle? Read More >
Not satisfied with turning up the heat on automakers via new crash tests and headlight performance evaluations, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety now has pedestrian avoidance systems under its microscope.
In its first round of tests, IIHS looked at the systems offered in 11 popular subcompact through midsize crossovers — vehicles that aren’t hard to imagine roaming leafy streets where wayward soccer balls (and those who chase them) lurk behind every parked car. The good news for both drivers and manufacturers? Nine of the 11 scored good marks.
Too bad about Mitsubishi and BMW… Read More >
Rather than look outside the company for some Silicon Valley-reared go-getter, General Motors sourced its new Maven boss from within. The automaker’s mobility brand was left leaderless following the unexpected January departure of Julia Steyn, who led the brand since its 2016 inception.
Into Steyn’s shoes steps Sigal Cordeiro, a 19-year GM veteran who most recently served as executive director of global product marketing for the automaker’s overseas GEM platform — a vehicle architecture intended to help GM grow its presence in emerging markets. Cordeiro now must guide Maven through its growing pains, ultimately taking it … somewhere. Read More >
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