William Maley

Chevrolet is hard at work on a new three-row crossover that will sit in between the Equinox and Traverse according to Automotive News. Speaking with people familiar with the matter, the new crossover will use the short-wheelbase version of the next Chevrolet Traverse's platform. To make room for this model, the Equinox will shrink down and move to a platform that underpins the Chevrolet Cruze. This move follows the footsteps of other automakers that are expanding to offer four different crossover sizes - ranging from subcompact to full-size. Now the new Chevrolet crossover will not be the only GM vehicle to use the short-wheelbase Traverse's platform. The upcoming Cadillac XT5 and next-generation GMC Acadia will use this platform as well. Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required) View full article

Earlier this week saw a big announcement from Volvo. The Swedish automaker has purchased a part of Polestar Performance - the company behind some of the hottest Volvos in recent years. The deal will have Volvo taking in Polestar Performance division and the Polestar trademarks. The racing arm of Polestar was not included in the deal and will go with a new name. Driving a Volvo Polestar is a special experience. We have decided to bring this experience to more Volvo drivers, placing the full resources of Volvo behind the development of Polestar as the model name for our high performance cars," said Håkan Samuelsson, president and chief executive of Volvo Cars in a statement. The two companies have been working together since 1996 - racing in a variety of series from Swedish Touring Cars to V8 Supercars. The past few years have seen the two work on production models with a bit more oomph. Volvo says in their statement that more S60 and V60 Polestar models will be built in the coming year (750 to 1,000-1,500 models). Also, Polestar is beginning to work on building performance-oriented hybrid models. Source: Volvo Press Release is on Page 2 Volvo Cars buys 100 per cent of Polestar Volvo Cars, the premium car maker, has acquired 100 per cent of Polestar, the Swedish high performance car company, including the Polestar brand. Polestar will now be used as the model name for special high performance Volvos. Polestar will also in future utilise Volvo’s twin engine electrification technology to develop next generation performance cars. Volvo is the largest manufacturer of plug in hybrid cars in Europe and leader in advanced vehicle electrification technology. Volvo currently develops and manufactures some of the most powerful, most environmentally-friendly hybrid engines in the automotive industry. Volvo and Polestar share a long history. They have been working in motor sport since 1996 and in recent years signed a cooperation agreement to jointly develop Polestar versions of Volvo cars that combine a comfortable Volvo driving experience with a very high level of power and handling. “Driving a Volvo Polestar is a special experience. We have decided to bring this experience to more Volvo drivers, placing the full resources of Volvo behind the development of Polestar as the model name for our high performance cars,” said Håkan Samuelsson, president and chief executive of Volvo Cars. In 2015, Volvo expects to sell 750 Polestar versions of the V60 wagon and S60 sedan globally. Polestar sales are forecast to increase to between 1,000 and 1,500 cars a year in the medium term under Volvo’s ownership. The Polestar brand is already firmly established internationally through the sale of Polestar-branded Volvos. Volvo will also benefit from the sale of aftermarket Polestar performance optimisation kits for existing Volvos. No financial details of the deal have been disclosed. Existing Polestar Performance employees will become Volvo employees. The Polestar racing team will remain under the control of Christian Dahl, the former owner of Polestar, and will be renamed. The Polestar brand will continue to work alongside Christian Dahl. “We are extremely satisfied with the way the performance business with Volvo has developed. But we are a racing team first and foremost. This is an opportunity to return our full attention to our core business – to develop and race Volvo cars,” said Christian Dahl. View full article

The Nissan Rogue crossover is proving to be a very popular vehicle for the brand. Through the first half of the year, Nissan has moved 135,397 Rogues - making this the second best-selling model behind the Altima. According to Automotive News, Nissan will be tapping its Kyushu, Japan factory to produce an extra 100,000 Rogues starting next year. This will help give Nissan the ability to sell 300,000 Rogues. Automotive News also reports that the company will be introducing two new variants of the Rogue in the future. According to two sources, Nissan will launch a hybrid Rogue next year. Following this will be the smaller Qashqai crossover. Based on the Rogue's platform, the Qashqai is about 10 inches shorter and two inches narrower. This is expected to be the replacement for the Rogue Select, which is the last-generation Rogue. Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required) View full article

Being the car guy in the family is sometimes a difficult thing. Case in point is when someone asks for your help with buying a car. About a year or two ago, my dad asked me for some help with buying a new midsize sedan. He had two contenders in mind to replace his 2006 Ford Fusion - the new Fusion or the Nissan Altima. At the time, I had just reviewed the Altima and thought the four-cylinder powertrain needed a bit more refinement. The Fusion had its own set problems as the 1.6L EcoBoost four-cylinder - the engine my dad was considering - was having a number of reliability issues. There was also MyFord Touch which had a number of problems. At the time, I was leaning towards the Fusion when my dad threw a curveball; what about the last-generation Fusion? After giving it a few moments of thought, I thought it would be the best choice at the time. So fast forward to now when a 2015 Ford Fusion Titanium AWD came in for a week’s evaluation and I found myself wondering if my dad had made the right call with going with an older Fusion. Well, let’s find out. The Fusion has a number of items to help make it stand out in the crowded midsize class. The biggest one is the exterior design. The Fusion’s shape follows the trend of four-door coupes with a low roofline and a short rear end. The front end is very much like an Aston Martin with a low-slung front end and a trapezoidal front end. The overall look gives the Fusion an air of looking more expensive than it really is. However, I think the Fusion design is just trying a little bit too hard to stand out. Also, I think the Fusion must have mugged an Aston Martin to use its front clip. As for the Fusion’s interior, I wished Ford had done more in terms of design. Step inside and you find yourself surrounded by materials in black and sliver. While the company does deserve some credit for using high-quality materials throughout the interior, I wished Ford’s designers had taken some of the enthusiasm from the exterior and placed it inside. Front seat passengers get power-adjustments, along with heat and cooling. I found the seats to provide excellent support and comfort. Rear seat passengers will find legroom is decent. Headroom is tight thanks to the sloping roof. When I put my 5’8” frame back here, I found my head to be touching the roof. My tester came equipped with the MyFord Touch infotainment system, This system has been criticized for a number of issues including non-responsive capacitive buttons, laggy performance, and a questionable voice recognition system. Ford has been ironing a number of problems and the good news is that some of the problems are gone. The capacitive buttons actually respond when pressed and a good amount of the lag is gone. But there is still a fair amount lag in the system. An example of this comes when going to my presets on the radio and it taking a few seconds to respond. Also, I found the voice recognition system not recognizing my voice. I tried using the commands the system provides, but it couldn’t understand anything I said to it. Just for a laugh, I swore at the system and the response it gave back was something to effect of ‘Do you need help?’ For Powertrain and Handling Impressions, See Page 2 Being the top-of-the-line Fusion, it means that it gets the turbocharged 2.0L EcoBoost four-cylinder with 240 horsepower and 270 pound-feet of torque. This is paired with a six-speed automatic, and the choice of front-wheel or all-wheel drive. My tester had the latter of the two drivetrains. Since this was a turbocharged four-cylinder, I was expecting it to be like other ones I have driven where power would come on instantaneously before running out of steam midway through the rpm band. In the case of the 2.0L EcoBoost, power doesn’t come on instantly. Instead it feels more like a V6, gradually building up power as the revs climb. It should also be noted the 2.0L EcoBoost is quite refined with barely any noise coming from the hood. The six-speed automatic is quick and responsive for any situation you throw at it. Fuel economy is the biggest drawback with the 2.0 EcoBoost. Equipped with all-wheel drive, the 2.0 EcoBoost is rated by the EPA at 22 City/31 Highway/25 Combined. My average for the week was around 24 MPG. Although it should be noted that I was seeing around 20 to 21 when driving in stop and go city traffic during my first few days of testing. Driving around in the Fusion presented a mostly comfortable and quiet ride. I say mostly due to my tester being fitted with optional 19-inch wheels which do let in a few more bumps and imperfections. On the freeway, there is barely the hint of road and wind noise. Out on a twisty road, the Fusion handles quite well. The car barely has any body lean and is very nimble. Steering is quite hefty, but more exuberant drivers will wish for a bit more feel. So at the end my week, I felt a bit mixed about the Fusion. On one hand, Ford has done a lot to make the Fusion stand out with an upscale look, impressive powertrain, and a nice balance between comfort and sport. But there are some big downsides to the Fusion as well: MyFordTouch still has a fair amount of issues, the rear seat is kind of tight, and the optional AWD results in some poor MPGs. The biggest sticking point though is the price. A base Fusion Titanium starts at $30,390. With AWD and options equipped on my tester, it rose to $38,820. That price puts in the range of base and decently equipped compact luxury sedans, Drop AWD and the price goes to around $36,000. Still that's a lot of money for a midsize sedan, especially when many competitors offer a lot of the same features for less money. So when I think back about my dad and whether or not he made the right call with going the older Fusion and not the newer one, I can say now that he made the right call. Disclaimer: Ford Provided the Fusion, Insurance, and One Tank of Gas Year: 2015 Make: Ford Model: Fusion Trim: Titanium AWD Engine: Turbocharged 2.0L Four-Cylinder Driveline: All-Wheel Drive, Six-Speed Automatic Horsepower @ RPM: 240 @ 5500 Torque @ RPM: 270 @ 3000 Fuel Economy: City/Highway/Combined - 22/31/25 Curb Weight: 3,821 lbs Location of Manufacture: Hermosillo, Mexico Base Price: $32,600 As Tested Price: $38,820* (Includes $825 Destination Charge and $490 Sync and Sound Discount) Options: Driver Assist Package - $1,200.00 Adaptive Cruise Control - $995.00 Active Park Assist - $895.00 Navigation System - $795.00 19-Inch Aluminum Wheels - $695.00 Heated and Cooled Front Seats - $395.00 Ruby Red Tinted Clearcoat - $395.00 Rear Inflatable Seatbelts - $190.00 Premium Floor Mats W/ Trunk Mat - $175.00 Heated Steering Wheel - $150.00 View full article

Two years from Chevrolet's introduction of the latest-generation Silverado, the company has unveiled the facelifted 2016 model. The big change is up front where Chevrolet designers transformed the clip. A new body-color strip across the middle of the grille is paired with new headlights. Higher trim models such as the Z71 get dual strands of LEDs. There is also new bumper and hood. At this time, we don't know what lower-tier models look like or even the rest of the truck. There is some good news as Chevrolet says the 8-speed automatic transmission will be expanded, but no mention as to what engines. The 5.3L V8 is a likely model. Also coming is a new version of Chevrolet's MyLink infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and AndroidAuto integration. The 2016 Silverado is expected to arrive in this fall. Source: Chevrolet Press Release is on Page 2 2016 Silverado: The New Face of Strong Bolder, more sculpted look reflects Silverado strength, dependability Available support for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay Expanded use of 8-speed transmissions; additional safety technologies DETROIT – Chevy Trucks are on a roll, with Chevrolet pickup sales up 32 percent so far this year. Chevrolet intends to strengthen this momentum with significant updates for the 2016 Silverado 1500 full-size pickup. “The redesigned 2016 Silverado will build on Chevy Trucks’ legacy of dependability. It will feature a more muscular appearance and offer new customer-focused technologies,” said Sandor Piszar, marketing director for Chevy Trucks. “New front end designs with bold horizontal elements, sculpted hoods and dramatic lighting reflect the strength and refinement that have helped make Silverado the fastest growing full-size pickup brand this year.” Other changes for 2016 will include expanded use of 8-speed automatic transmissions, updated Chevy MyLink with support for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and additional safety technologies. The redesign of the 2016 Silverado 1500 is part of an aggressive strategy to build on Chevy Trucks’ momentum. Since the introduction of the all-new Silverado 1500 in the spring of 2013, Silverado sales have grown by double digits, on a percentage basis, each year. Through June of this year, Silverado sales are up 14.6 percent. Chevrolet also sold 41,575 midsize Colorados during the same period. More product details will be available this fall, closer to the public debut of the redesigned 2016 Silverado 1500. View full article