William Maley

A couple of years ago, Chevrolet rolled out the Colorado ZR2 concept. This truck showed what a possible off-road focused model could look like. At the time, Chevrolet said this was only a concept. But some new spy shots show GM is considering putting this model into production. While the front end is camouflaged very well, we can make out certain details such as a new front bumper, tow hooks, and a skid plate. The bumper is an important change as the current one limits how far you can off-road. The suspension has been lifted (an inch or two we're guessing) and there is a set of meaty off-road tires. Engines choices are likely to be the 3.6L V6 and 2.8L Duramax four-cylinder turbodiesel. In terms of off-road hardware, we wouldn't be surprised if there are new differentials, shocks, and possibly some assist systems such as hill descent control. No word on we could see this model. With next Tacoma TRD Pro just around the corner, the midsize truck class is only getting more interesting. Source: Autoblog, AutoGuide View full article

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is facing an investigation by the U.S. Department of Justice and Securities and Exchange Commission over their sales reporting practices. Bloomberg learned about the investigation from two sources this morning and since then, FCA has confirmed it. This investigation stems from lawsuits filed earlier this year by dealers in Florida and Illinois saying the automaker inflated sales numbers by having them file false 'New Vehicle Delivery Reports'. At the time, FCA denied the charges made and is seeking dismissal of the suit. But as Automotive News notes, FCA added a disclaimer to their sales reports in April about how sales are reported. “FCA US reported vehicle sales represent sales of its vehicles to retail and fleet customers, as well as limited deliveries of vehicles to its officers, directors, employees and retirees. Sales from dealers to customers are reported to FCA US by dealers as sales are made on an ongoing basis through a new vehicle delivery reporting system that then compiles the reported data as of the end of each month. Sales through dealers do not necessarily correspond to reported revenues, which are based on the sale and delivery of vehicles to the dealers. In certain limited circumstances where sales are made directly by FCA US, such sales are reported through its management reporting system.” Investigators from the FBI and SEC visited various FCA field staff at their homes and offices on July 11th. That same day saw federal attorneys visit FCA's headquarters to gather information. According to a source, FCA employees were advised not to speak with investigators without counsel. In a statement today, FCA said that it would "cooperate fully" with the SEC investigation into its "reporting of vehicle unit sales to end customers" in the U.S. It also mentioned that is has received similar inquiries from the DOJ and will cooperate with them. The DOJ, FBI, and SEC declined to comment. Source: Bloomberg, Automotive News (Subscription Required) View full article

The heavy-duty truck wars continue as Ford has announced the capabilities of the upcoming 2017 F-Series Super Duty and a number of them are class leading. We'll begin with power figures. The F-Series Super Duty is available with either a 6.2L V8 gas engine or a 6.7L PowerStroke V8 diesel. Both engines have best-in-class torque figures. 6.2L V8: 385 horsepower, 430 pound-feet of torque (Beats Ram's 6.4L V8 by one pound-foot) 6.7L PowerStroke V8 Diesel: 440 horsepower and 925 pound-feet of torque (Beats Ram's 6.7L Cummins inline-six by 25 pound-feet) Both engines come equipped with a six-speed automatic transmission. As for capability, Ford says the F-450 can tow up to 32,500 pounds with a gooseneck trailer and 21,000 pounds with a conventional trailer. The F-250 with an optional tow package and F-350 single-rear wheel boast a max conventional tow rating of 18,000 pounds. Ford also revealed the maximum payload ratings for the F-250 and 350: 4,200 pounds for the F-250 and 7,630 pounds for the F-350. “This is the best heavy-duty truck we’ve ever made. We listened to our customers and created the toughest, smartest and most capable Super Duty ever,” said Doug Scott, Ford truck marketing manager. Expect a response from GM or Ram in due course. Source: Ford Press Release is on Page 2 ALL-NEW FORD F-SERIES SUPER DUTY LEAVES THE REST BEHIND; RAISES TOWING, HAULING, ENGINE POWER TO NEXT LEVEL Most capability: All-new F-Series Super Duty can tow heavier trailers and haul heavier cargo than ever before, with maximum gooseneck towing capacity raised to 32,500 pounds on F-450, fifth-wheel towing capacity boosted to class-leading 27,500 pounds and conventional towing to class-leading 21,000 pounds; maximum payload now rated at up to best-in-class 7,630 pounds Most power: 6.7-liter Power Stroke® V8 turbo diesel boosts horsepower to a class-leading 440 and torque to a class-leading 925 lb.-ft. for all pickup models – from F-250 to F-450; 6.2-liter V8 gas model offers best-in-class torque of 430 lb.-ft. Most confidence: Class-exclusive smart technologies help make towing easier and enable increased confidence, including BLIS® with trailer tow, adaptive cruise control that works with the heaviest trailers, and Trailer Reverse Guidance to help back trailers up DEARBORN, Mich., July 18, 2016 – Ford, America’s truck leader, is taking heavy-duty trucks to the next level with the all-new 2017 F-Series Super Duty – empowering customers with the most towing and hauling capability and the most horsepower and torque of any heavy-duty pickup truck. Super Duty’s enhanced capability starts with high-strength, military-grade, aluminum alloy and high-strength steel that help reduce weight by up to 350 pounds. Ford reinvested that weight savings in more robust components everywhere it counts to give customers more towing and hauling capability than ever before. Foundational improvements for every Super Duty pickup truck include an all-new, fully boxed frame that is more than 95 percent high-strength steel and up to 24 times stiffer than the previous frame to support increased towing and hauling. The all-new high-strength, military-grade, aluminum-alloy body is more dent and ding resistant than the previous steel body. “This is the best heavy-duty truck we’ve ever made,” says Doug Scott, Ford truck marketing manager. “We listened to our customers and created the toughest, smartest and most capable Super Duty ever.” The future of towing is now The 2017 Super Duty is the undisputed leader in towing, offering available best-in-class performance in all towing categories, plus smart technology no other competitor has to enable greater confidence when towing. Ford F-450 Super Duty SuperCrew 4x4 now features a maximum gooseneck tow rating of 32,500 pounds – 1,290 pounds more than its nearest competitor, a regular cab two-door pickup. Maximum fifth-wheel towing is increased to 27,500 – 2,500 pounds better than the nearest competitor. Maximum conventional towing is increased to 21,000 pounds – 1,000 pounds better than the nearest competitors’ trucks and without the need for a weight-distributing hitch. Maximum conventional towing with F-250, with the all-new trailer tow package, and F-350 single-rear wheel are increased to a class-leading 18,000 pounds. Maximum gross combined weight rating for truck and trailer now tops out at a class-leading 41,800 pounds. That is more than half the maximum weight of an 18-wheeler semi-tractor trailer combination on most federal highways. This industry-defining capability is matched by never-before-seen towing technology. Super Duty is the first truck to offer adaptive cruise control and collision warning with brake support for heavy trailers, allowing truckers to traverse steep mountain grades while maintaining speed – even with a trailer weighing 32,500 pounds. A center high-mounted stop lamp camera provides visibility into the cargo box, which is especially helpful when hooking up gooseneck and fifth-wheel trailers. An Ultimate Trailer Tow Camera System uses four digital, high-definition cameras to give the driver a 360-degree bird’s-eye view surrounding Super Duty. Trailer Reverse Guidance provides visual cues and tips to help ease backing up a trailer. A first-ever factory-available trailer camera can be custom-placed on a trailer to improve visibility backing up. Trailer towing customers benefit from a segment-first in-cab trailer tire pressure monitoring system, accessible from the comfort of the cab while stopped or on the highway. Blind Spot Information System with trailer tow is optimized for Super Duty to include the length of the trailer up to 33 feet long; BLIS® uses radar sensors in the taillamps to monitor areas that may not be visible to the driver. Payload dominance Super Duty can haul more than any other heavy-duty pickup. Maximum payload of the 2017 Ford Super Duty F-350 is 7,630 pounds – more than any competitor, period. F-250 Super Duty boasts the same dominance over its peers; with maximum payload of 4,200 pounds, it can haul more than 600 pounds over its nearest competitor. More power than ever The Ford-designed, Ford-engineered, Ford-built second-generation 6.7-liter Power Stroke® V8 turbo diesel that powers Super Duty now delivers a best-in-class combination of 440 horsepower and a staggering 925 lb.-ft. of torque. That power is standard for every Super Duty diesel pickup – from F-250 to F-450 – without requiring special tuning or unique hardware. The standard 6.2-liter V8 now offers best-in-class torque among gasoline engines of 430 lb.-ft., with standard 385 horsepower. Both diesel and gasoline engines are backed by the TorqShift six-speed SelectShift® automatic transmission for reliable and efficient cross-country towing. The F-250 pickup with 6.2-liter V8 and all-new TorqShift-G six-speed automatic delivers improved fuel economy and capability for three-quarter-ton Super Duty customers. Ford has redefined leadership in the heavy-duty pickup truck market, delivering never-before-seen productivity for today’s heavy-duty truck customer. The 2017 F-Series Super Duty is a purpose-built machine for getting work done faster, smarter and more efficiently. The all-new Super Duty goes on sale this fall. View full article

BMW has revealed the 1-Series sedan today in China. This is the German automaker's belated answer to the likes of the Audi A3 and Mercedes-Benz CLA. BMW has only released one image of the new model, but we can tell the design is the same as the Concept Compact Sedan that debuted at last year's Guangzhou Auto Show. BMW's press release on this model is very sparse on technical details. We do believe this sedan is using the UKL front-wheel drive platform that underpins the BMW X1 and Mini Cooper. Power will likely come from turbocharged three and four-cylinder engines. It is expected the model will go on sale soon in China and be produced at Brilliance Auto's plant in Shenyang, China. Brilliance it should be noted is BMW's partner in China. The model is expected to only be sold in China. Source: BMW Press Release is on Page 2 The all new BMW 1 Series Sedan. Exclusively for the Chinese Market Beijing: The BMW Group and BMW Brilliance Automotive Ltd. (BBA) will further explore the premium compact segment in China with the BMW 1 Series Sedan – the first compact sports sedan under the BMW brand. This makes BBA's product range in the compact class even more comprehensive with premium entry-level cars covering segments of the Active Tourer, Sports Activity Vehicle, and Sports Sedan, attracting new customer groups to become premium car owners. The premium compact car segment is the fastest growing segment worldwide and in China. The BMW 1 Series Sedan is the most sporty and emotional sedan in segment. It is an exclusive model tailored and aligned to the needs of Chinese customers, solely produced and specifically sold in China. The development and testing of the new car was taken place in the BMW headquarters with the involvement of Chinese engineers. The new car also performed intensive road tests in respect to different circumstances of road conditions and climate situations on different terrains in China. With the BMW 1 Series Sedan, BMW engineers have made a lot of specific fine-tuning and improvements according to the Chinese customers' habits and vehicle-use environment. The BMW 1 Series Sedan is originated from the concept car BMW Concept Compact Sedan, which made its world premiere at Guangzhou Motor Show 2015. As a model ready for production, the BMW 1 Series Sedan maintains design elements of the concept car, including BMW's typical body proportion. The BMW 1 Series Sedan is instantly recognisable as a BMW. It has a concise BMW face with double kidney grille as well as LED double round headlamps and brand emblem in a very present, sporty and modern interpretation. The characteristic BMW design language is also shown in the sporty, emotional and modern-looking silhouette with Hofmeister kink. The BMW 1 Series Sedan is the latest proof of BMW Group’s strength in innovation and is superior in terms of connectivity. Its comprehensive BMW ConnectedDrive technologies provide all customers unparalleled convenience, rich infotainment, and significantly enhanced safety. The latest powerful and technology-leading engines with hi-tech electronic technology from BMW are produced at the new local engine plant in Shenyang and guarantee unparalleled driving pleasure. After the successful launch of the BMW X1 and the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer, the BMW 1 Series Sedan is added to the model range, which now comprises five locally-produced BMW model series in China. With that BMW offers even more attractive entry-level models for its customers. This will further help to expand the company’s product substance and competitive advantage. View full article