Cars Review: 2013

Sunday, October 27, 2013

So is the 2014 Toyota Corolla for U S market

After the odd teaser and advancement in prototype form we saw in the last Detroit Motor Show under the name Furia Concept, Toyota unveiled the 2014 Toyota Corolla and for the U.S. market.

The new Corolla, in its eleventh generation, measures 4.64 meters long, about 1.78 meters wide and 1.45 meters high, representing a significant increase in size, yet still lower: 10 inches long, 1.6 inches wide and less than 1 centimeter high.

With a more modern design than the outgoing model, the Corolla comes standard with LED lights, lower grille sports a striking and looks generally more attractive. And thanks to its larger dimensions, features an interior inspired by the latest generation of the Auris and breadth in the rear 7.5 inches higher.

2014 Toyota Corolla

In the United States will be offered with a four-cylinder 1.8-liter 133 or 141 hp, depending on the version, and with four-speed automatic, six-speed manual or CVTI-S continuously variable. Eco version of 141 hp CVT brings change and throws an average consumption of 40 miles per gallon, equivalent to 5.8 liters per hundred kilometers, thanks among other things to a weight of about 1,315 kilograms.

Toyota offered to the United States four trim levels: L, LE, LE and SE Eco. Among the standard equipment found from eight airbags and Bluetooth connectivity, until reversing camera (not all finishes), touchscreen, keyless start SofTex seat upholstery, for example.

Specifications prices Modifications and Image 2011 Volkswagen GTI
Mark Twain famously wrote, "There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies and statistics." Judged on statistics and track numbers alone, the 2011 Volkswagen GTI would be one of the least desirable of the currently available sport hatchbacks. But thats a lie. In reality, the GTI is a front runner among the competition.
Sure, the 2011 Volkswagen GTI isnt as quick to reach 60 mph as the competition, nor can it weave through the slalom or cling to a skid pad as tenaciously. How then, you ask, can the GTI rank so highly in such a sport-oriented segment? The answer is two-fold: refinement and drivability.
The VW GTIs interior is quite simply, the best in its class. Its so nice, in fact, that it could be mistaken for a cabin from sister company Audi, save for the plaid fabric seats. (About those private school uniform-patterned coverings -- its a nod to the original GTI from more than three decades ago.) The GTI also boasts surprising amounts of rear legroom and useful cargo space considering its compact overall size.
Drivability is the other main advantage the 2011 Volkswagen GTI has over other sport hatches. Output from the 2.0-liter turbo engine is smooth and linear, and that power is more manageable in the real world than that of more feisty rivals. Competitors like the Mazdaspeed 3 and Mini Cooper S suffer from torque steer -- the sensation of the steering wheel tugging in your hands under hard acceleration -- that many drivers find distracting.
In addition to the Mazda and Mini, other performance hatchbacks to consider include the all-wheel-drive Mitsubishi Lancer Sportback Ralliart and Subaru Impreza WRX. Certainly, theres a lot to like about all of these cars. But if youre like Mark Twain and dont blindly go by the numbers, youll find the 2011 GTI an ideal pick -- the sum of its parts cant be quantified with statistics alone.

INTERIOR
The GTI cabin is businesslike without being austere, a place the driver can appreciate and passengers will find quite accommodating. Its nicely trimmed and well-assembled, the level of fit and finish better than you might expect for the price knowing money also got spent on the engineering. You might argue the instruments and switches benefit from Audi influence, or the other way round since VW owns Audi.
Heated sport seats are standard up front with a fair range of adjustment, long cushions for long-legged support, excellent bolstering that contains you without restricting movement or entry and exit, and comfort for all-day drives. Leather is available yet we find the standard cloth better breathing and a bit less slippery if youre of slender build.
The rear seats are designed for three-across seating, but as usual this is better for slim adults or children; more bolstering might be beneficial for some passengers but would compromise flexibility. There are three adjustable headrests, reading lights, cupholders, and storage bins, but the side windows open only on four-door models (the seats and space are the same). It may not be a long car but it is roomy; we put four 6-plus-footers in a moonroof model with no complaints thanks to the hatchback roofline.
Both front seats slide forward for entry/exit and with big side doors make the two-door a realistic proposition. With the narrow part of the split-folding rear seat behind the driver, a tall driver with the seat well back can still carry longer loads and two rear passengers, or one passenger in back and really long things over a reclined front seat.
A tilt and telescoping column with a flat-bottom, heavily contoured steering wheel, a good dead pedal and nearby brake and shifter allow anyone from 5-foot to 6-foot, 5 inches to find a comfortable driving position. Any option pack adds controls to both wheel spokes and automatics have shift buttons behind, so its rare to need to remove a hand from the wheel.
Gauges are basic white-on-black analog with large engine and road speed, and 270-degree sweep fuel and temperature inside them. A central display handles trip computer and radio data, exterior temperature, door-open warnings and so forth. The audio and navigation systems are new for 2011, MP3/iPod compatible, most touch-screen and Bluetooth controls are roof mounted. Climate control is three-ring simple and unlike many cars each of the center vents can be closed independent of the other.
Storage is reasonably good. The sides of the bin ahead of the shifter double as places to brace a knee, door pockets have good space and bottle holder contours, but the center-console under-armrest room is good for little more than a smartphone and pack of smokes.
Outward visibility is very good. Outside mirrors are low and the inside high enough that neither blocks any vision even on climbing switchbacks. The bottom of the windshield is unobstructed the full width of the dash and the top is high for an excellent view forward, and the rear pillars are so far away they dont compromise quarter views.
Behind the seats there is 15 cubic feet of trunk space; a bit less below the cargo cover. Folding the rear seats expands that to more than 40 cubic feet bettering some SUVs. The cargo area also has tie-down loops, grocery bag hooks, three baby-seat tethers, a multitude of cubby holes underneath and a surprise below: the spare tire and wheel are identical to the other four so you avoid temporary-spare or run-flat speed limits and wondering where the flat tire will go.

EXTERIOR

The GTI is based on the VW Golf, and both received a new exterior last year that made them more angular and menacing. The GTI has some unique features, including a thin, blackened honeycomb grille with two red outlining stripes; different front and rear bumpers; side skirts; and GTI badging. It also rides slightly lower than the Golf. Exterior features include:

Standard 18-inch alloy wheels
Dual tailpipes
Optional xenon high-intensity-discharge headlights

ENGINE

The front-wheel-drive 2011Volkswagen GTI is powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that produces 200 horsepower and 207 pound-feet of torque. A six-speed manual transmission is standard, while a six-speed dual-clutch automated manual (called DSG) is optional. The DSG transmission can be shifted manually via the shift lever or paddles on the steering wheel, or it can operate as a standard automatic.
In testing, the GTI accelerated from zero to 60 mph in 7.3 seconds, which is slower than the competition by at least half a second. It is also on the pokey side in terms of handling, turning in a 67-mph run through the slalom and pulling 0.84g on the skid pad.
The EPA estimates fuel economy at 24/32 mpg city/highway for DSG-equipped models and 27 mpg in combined driving. The manual transmission achieves slightly less, at 21/31/25 mpg.

SAFETY
Standard safety equipment for the 2011 Volkswagen GTI includes antilock disc brakes with brake assist, stability control, front-seat side airbags and full-length side curtain airbags. Last years optional rear-seat side airbags for the four-door have been discontinued.
In government crash testing, the GTI sedan earned four out of five stars for frontal crash protection of the driver and front passenger and five stars for side impact driver protection. In performance testing, braking from 60 to zero mph required 129 feet, which is a full car length longer than the Mazdaspeed 3s impressively short 115-foot halt.
reference:autos.aol.com,www.cars.com,www.edmunds.com

2014 Honda Odyssey shoots for Top Safety Pick Plus

Gabe Nelson | Automotive News

The engineers who work on the Honda Odyssey pay close attention to crash-test ratings. Safety sells minivans, and Honda has long taken pains to maintain the vehicles five-star safety ratings from the government.

So they were determined to prevent the type of steel carnage they saw in late 2011, when the crash testers at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety laboratories here sent a 2012 Odyssey zooming into the corner of a concrete barrier at 40 mph.

The impact obliterated the corner of the van and left a gaping hole where the left front tire had been. Behind that, the driver-side foot well and door frame buckled, which would have put a driver at risk of severe leg injuries.

These were the telltale wounds of a "small overlap" crash, in which the front corner of a car strikes an oncoming car, a pole or a tree. Now that the IIHS has made a high rating on its new small-overlap crash test a prerequisite for its stricter Top Safety Pick+ honors, protecting passengers from these crashes has become a pressing challenge for automakers.

And its a tough one -- not least because of the unique nature of the crash. A small-overlap impact misses the steel beams that crumple to cushion a head-on crash, said Chuck Thomas, Hondas chief engineer for vehicle structure research, during a visit to the safety groups Virginia laboratory to witness the 2014 Odysseys crash test.

"The structures which are most capable of absorbing that kind of front-end energy just arent so accessible," he says. "Thats what makes these crashes very severe."

Automakers prefer to save complex engineering changes for the redesign of a model, but brands that have built their reputation around safety had to move quickly. Subaru, for example, bolstered the steel frame of the Legacy sedan and Outback wagon as part of a freshening. Volvo reprogrammed the side curtain airbags in the XC60 crossover. All three passed the IIHS test to earn Top Safety Pick+ honors.

Some automakers -- most notably, Toyota -- have struggled. Americas best-selling car, the Toyota Camry sedan, received a "poor" rating on the small-overlap test for the 2013 model year. So did the Prius V hybrid and RAV4 crossover.

Joe Nolan, head of the IIHS crash laboratory, said it usually takes five or six years -- one full product cycle -- for all models in a particular brand to ace a new crash test. "The programming of an airbag can change pretty quickly," Nolan said. "But a fundamental change to the architecture of the front end of the vehicle? Thats a pretty big deal."

Toyota is racing to catch up. Nolan said the company asked IIHS to test the redesigned Corolla compact, Prius compact hybrid and Highlander SUV -- as well as the Camry, which is getting a freshening for the 2014 model year.

It shows Toyota expects those models to do better on the small-overlap test, he said.

-Honda wasnt surprised by the Odysseys 2011 test results. The company had been working on a tougher front end for the minivan since 2009, when the IIHS released research on small-overlap crashes, Thomas said. But the redesigned Odyssey was a year from its 2010 launch date at that point, and engineers ran out of time. "Its not practical to tear up everything at the last minute," he said.

To strengthen the freshened Odyssey, Honda added high-strength steel supports, and in places switched to hot-formed steel. Honda also added new side-curtain airbags to keep passengers from being ejected in a crash and switched to an aluminum hood to offset some of the 70-pound weight gain.

At its test here last week, the reworked Odyssey was thrust down a long track before it struck the barrier with a thunderous noise, then pivoted 90 degrees to the right. Inside the passenger cabin, inflated airbags obscured the crash dummy. IIHS is expected to issue its rating in a few weeks.

Meanwhile, from a gallery upstairs, two Toyota engineers looked on, waiting to inspect the wreckage of the rival vehicle.

John Hanson, a spokesman for Toyota, defended the automakers overall safety record, saying it has the most current models that have earned IIHSs regular Top Safety Pick honors, which exclude the small-overlap results.

"Some manufacturers are able to roll out the changes quicker than others," he said. "We want to be able to conform to those new criteria, and were going to."

You can reach Gabe Nelson at gnelson@crain.com.

2014 McLaren P1

McLaren Automotive has released the final numbers, images and information relating to its phenomenal McLaren P1™ ahead of a global reveal at the 83rd International Geneva Motor Show.

2014 McLaren P1

The race-inspired Instant Power Assist System (IPAS) gives the McLaren P1™ astonishing performance. Zero to 100km/h will take less than 3 seconds, zero to 200 km/h under 7 seconds, and zero to 300 km/h will be achieved in no more than 17 seconds. Putting that into perspective, thats 5 seconds faster than the legendary McLaren F1 road car. Top speed is electronically limited to 350 km/h.

McLaren has been engaging with potential customers actively in the last few months to get their views on the McLaren P1™, about the cars styling. Their unanimous verdict on the styling was not to change the car presented last September in Paris. So unusually, the McLaren P1™ has translated to production form with very little change. In fact just one, the addition of LTR ducts ahead of each of the front wheels to further aid cooling and optimise downforce.

McLaren has closely monitored demand so as to maintain exclusivity, and announced a production number of just 375 units - a figure that will ensure the McLaren P1™ will remain a rarity and, if spotted on the road, an unforgettable sight.

McLaren has also announced that the car will cost from £866,000 on the road with a specification that fully equips the car for both road and track use. The company prides itself on designing performance cars that their owners can use regularly so the McLaren P1™ comes comprehensively equipped as standard with an array of colour and trim alternatives from which the customer will be able to choose as well as visible carbon fibre in the cabin. The options list is limited to only bespoke content that a customer might wish to add through McLaren Special Operations, and fitted luggage.

As already announced, the McLaren P1™ will have the combined force of two highly-efficient powerplants, offering the optimum mix of superb throttle response, day-to-day drivability and top speed. A mid-mounted 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8 petrol engine is substantially enhanced featuring, for example, larger turbochargers and a highly effective electric motor, to give a combined output of 916PS (903 bhp) and a maximum torque figure of 900Nm. This ensures instantaneous throttle response through the rev range, more akin to a naturally aspirated engine. Emissions of less than 200g/km on the combined cycle are reduced to zero in full electric drive mode, while the Formula 1-derived DRS and IPAS technologies offer an increase in straight-line speed and an instant boost of power.

The tyres fitted to the McLaren P1™ are specially developed P Zero Corsas, which have been developed with McLarens technology partner, Pirelli. The team at Pirelli has been involved throughout the entire development programme, and this has seen the tyre testing phase integrated into the schedule, as a key performance component. The final compound and construction has been developed and optimised during testing, and the end result is a tyre that is finely tuned specifically to the performance and handling characteristics.

To rein in the power produced by the twin powerplants, the McLaren P1™ is designed to offer braking performance more associated with a GT3 or sports racing car. Developed by McLarens Formula 1 partner Akebono, the system features a new type of carbon ceramic disc, which has previously seen service in space, but never before used on a road car. Stronger than conventional carbon ceramic, the material dissipates heat more effectively, giving the highly efficient braking system exceptional stopping and cooling capability. The system also boasts significantly reduced weight, and a bespoke ceramic layer coats both friction surfaces to give an attractive mirrored finish.

One surprising feature is that the car can also be driven solely in electric mode. In city driving, with an average speed of 30 mph, this could mean up to a 20km range. More than enough for an owner to enter, for example, a city centre Zero Emissions Zone, have dinner and return home.

Articles Source : Netcarshow

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Ford is slowly releasing the fuel economy numbers on its latest batch of vehicles to receive the firms new EcoBoost engines.
Following last weeks announcement on the 2012 Explorer with the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder unit, Ford today revealed that the 2012 Edge with the same powerplant will deliver an EPA certified 21mpg in the city and 30mpg on the highway.
In the Edge, the EcoBoost four-cylinder engine produces 240 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and a 270 lb.-ft. of torque at 3,000 rpm. Power is transferred to the wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission.
Ford made note that it currently has 13 model/powertrain variations in its range that deliver an EPA fuel economy rating of up to 30 mpg or more. You can see the models in following list:

- Edge with EcoBoost: 21 mpg/30 mpg
- Escape Hybrid FWD: 34 mpg/31 mpg
- Escape Hybrid AWD: 30 mpg/27 mpg
- Fiesta five-speed manual: 29 mpg/37 mpg
- Fiesta automatic: 29 mpg/38 mpg
- Fiesta SFE automatic: 29 mpg/40 mpg
- Focus five-speed manual: 29 mpg/37 mpg
- Focus automatic: 28 mpg/38 mpg
- Focus SFE automatic: 28 mpg/40 mpg
- Fusion 2.5-liter automatic: 23 mpg/33 mpg
- Fusion Hybrid: 41 mpg/36 mpg
- Mustang 3.7-liter Coupe automatic: 19 mpg/31 mpg
- Mustang 3.7-liter Convertible automatic: 19 mpg/30 mpg

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Rolls-Royce raises the bar with the latest Phantom

Rolls-Royce, with the Phantom, had set a new benchmark in terms of luxury tourers. There was great performance, and all from the rich comfort of one of the most luxurious car cabins in the world. Rolls had outdone itself. Or so we thought, till the carmaker came up with the Phantom Series II. If you thought the old Phantom was good, then this new one will absolutely take you by storm.
There are improvements all round. The new car is even smoother than the old one, thanks to a new eight-speed gearbox mated to the twelve-cylinder motor. It is more economical because of the extra gears, but then, most Rolls owners have not been known to care much about fuel bills. The suspension has also been tweaked subtly to make the Phantom a tad more sporty. A more responsive throttle map can be turned on via an ‘S’ button on the steering wheel. Not that being sporty was ever a condition with any Rolls.
The new Phantom does do a great job of amplifying comfort levels and that feeling of luxury. The suspension gobbles up bad roads with utter ease, faint and nearly unnoticeable thuds the only indication. Barely any noise creeps into the cabin, even when you rev the engine freely. So when you step inside, you’re practically sealed into luxury.
So, what are the changes made to the Phantom II? The old car’s pig-eye fog lamps have made way for a nicer-looking LED headlight setup featuring fully automatic brights and some rectilinear daytime running lights. The imposing Parthenon grille is now made of a single piece of stainless steel, unlike the bonded three-piece component of old. Other exterior changes are
to the C pillar, which gets new chrome treatment, and a rear bumper that’s been refined.
The six-and-three-quarter-litre engine makes ‘adequate’ power, which is a bit of an understatement. The 453bhp and 73.4kgm of torque gets to 100kph in 5.7sec, but it never feels that quick. This I believe, is down to the taller ratio in the new differential that makes occupants feel like they’re gathering speed when they’re actually piling it on.
For a car that’s this big, it’s rather easy to drive. The square dimensions make guiding it through traffic a cinch, the view from the high driver’s seat is excellent, and visibility is improved by the elephant-ear rear view mirrors.
This brings us to that other useful feature that the new Series II has – cameras all around the car that beam images to BMW’s latest iDrive screen. And when you’re trying to park this leviathan, you need all the help you can get.
The cabin, of course, is finished to the expected highest standards, with lovely wood, soft leather, bright chrome bezels and tactile handles and buttons. Everything you touch has the right texture and tension to tell you it’s the best possible solution for its purpose. The thin-rimmed steering wheel is evocative of the traditional, albeit with multiple buttons integrated around the hub, and you can’t help but get sucked in by the old-world charm that this cabin exudes.
In the end, it may seem like Rolls-Royce has been extremely cautious with upgrading the Phantom, but when the last one was already so good, I think there’s no point in fixing what wasn’t broken. Sir Henry Royce had a principle – ‘take the best that exists and make it better’. That’s exactly what Rolls has done with the Series II.