William Maley

Jaguar's SUV is just around the corner, but the company will not be calling it an SUV. “A Jaguar SUV is not possible. SUVs and 4x4s are for Land Rover. The Jaguar concept is far more road-orientated. It will need a different kind of name,” said Jaguar Land Rover boss Ralf Speth. Autocar says the model is being referred as a “sports crossover”, due to the model having a heavy bias towards on-road dynamics. The company is planing to have a better descriptor when the model is launched. Of course, it will be a vehicle which looks great and which has a strong stance, but the capability will be very different from a Land Rover. Mike Cross and his vehicle dynamics team will do an extraordinary job to make sure that it is sensational to drive on the road. It will be something special in that regard. Of course, it will not be anything like a sports car, but it will have a very specific character that sets it apart,” said Speth. Source: Autocar View full article

Jeep has always been the most important part of Chrysler. But now its an important part of new car sales in general. Automotive News has been crunching the numbers and has figured out that in the past eleven months, automakers have sold around 780,000 more vehicles than at this same time last year. Out of that, one out of every four was a Jeep. Jeep has been having a remarkable 2014. The brand has seen its sales sales climb 44 percent in the past year. Brand loyalty has also been rising, with Jeep posting a increase of 16 percent. That puts it right behind Maserati and Mitsubishi according to IHS automotive. Jeep's massive growth has also been helping out its parent company, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. The company has seen its sales rise 16 percent in the past year, and its market share grow from 8.7 percent in March 2010 to 13.2 percent now. “It’s a whole different feeling now. It’s not a rental-car fleet anymore. The consumer is buying our product,” said Chuck Eddy, a Chrysler dealer in Youngstown, Ohio, and chairman of the Chrysler National Dealer Council. Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required) View full article

For the U.S. and China, XC90 is a big deal since its the first vehicle with their new SPA architecture. This is really their make or break since that platform will underpin a number of other vehicles.

Volvo's Concept Coupe surprised everyone when it debuted last year. This concept was a preview of what Volvo had in mind for their next design language. But the coupe garnered fans not only outside of Volvo, but inside as well. So does this mean that the Concept Coupe will go into production? Possibly. Auto Express sat down with Volvo designer Anders Gunnarson who said that at the moment, Volvo is focusing on its core models. “The Concept Coupe is on hold. The coupe style of car is something that the British and Americans have always done very well - a coupe is the car a car manufacturer wants. We very much want to build the Concept Coupe," said Gunnarson. Volvo's focus at the moment is getting the XC90 out into the world. "It is our focus 100 per cent. The XC90 represents what Volvo is exactly about - simplicity, trustworthiness, solidity, functionality and simplicity. It is the absolute Volvo. For us, the XC90 is the bolt that holds everything together. If you remove the bolt, everything falls apart. This car is a must and has to be a success - there is no going back, we cannot do it wrong,” said Gunnarson. Source: Auto Express View full article

Nissan is working hard into changing its performance and racing arm, NISMO, into a real player. This is being shown by how many hatchbacks and sport cars are coming out with the NISMO name. But NISMO is considering expanding their reach to other Nissan models. CarAdvice.com.au recently spoke with Nissan marketing chief Darren Cox and Nismo boss Shoichi Miyatani, and both said a Nismo-tuned SUV or pickup are on the table. That could include the Navara and Qashqai crossover. But there's no telling what other vehicles could go under the NISMO transformation. “Nismo has to be a credible production car from Nissan that’s sporty and therefore we study the implications of that, a pickup could be an interesting product because of its global nature when we go into other markets.” said Cox. Source: CarAdvice.com.au View full article

I know Titan is coming to Detroit. Frontier if I remember from a report I wrote beck earlier this year is still a few years out.

2015 Jetta refresh and possible cash on the hood on the older models would be my guess on the surge.

Very true. I was looking on Cars.com in their new car listings and the great majority were the 250. This makes me sad since the 250 is horrible engine. I'm hoping that the 2.0L turbo-four found in the NX makes its way into the IS.

It has been quiet at Nissan and Toyota since General Motors introduced the new Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon. But that appears to changing very soon at Toyota. Automotive News has learned that the company is planning to show off the next-generation Tacoma at the Detroit Auto Show next month. Bill Fay, Toyota's general manager says with the recent introduction of GM's new midsize trucks, it will spur interest and demand in the class. “With the new entries coming in, the market should expand,” said Fay. Despite being one of the oldest models in the class, the Tacoma is still a strong seller. Through November, the company moved 140,747 Tacomas, more than 66 percent of the total midsize truck marketplace. Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required) View full article

Over the course of his long and fictitious career in espionage, secret agent James Bond has driven a wide variety of vehicles. But he is synonymous with Aston Martin. In many of the films, Bond can be seen driving in a DB5, V8 Vantage, DB7, and most recently, the DBS. But the next James Bond film will feature a new Aston Martin. Called the DB10, the vehicle will star along side Daniel Craig in the upcoming Spectre. Aston Martin didn't release any technical details about the vehicle, but did go into some detail about the design which breaks away somewhat from the current design language that has been a part of the company for awhile. Working with EON Productions – the studio responsible for the Bond films – Aston Martin's design team led by Marek Reichman created a new shape that is similar in size to the current V8 Vantage. "In the same year that we celebrate our 50-year relationship with 007, it seems doubly fitting that today we unveiled this wonderful new sports car created especially for James Bond. To be partnering once again with EON Productions is great news for this company and for everyone around the world that loves to see Bond at the wheel of an Aston Martin. I'm incredibly proud of everyone in the team at Gaydon who have brought this special project from concept to reality," said Aston Martin CEO Andy Palmer. Aston Martin will be building ten of these special models. You'll be able to see the DB10 in action when Spectre releases next November. Source: Aston Martin Press Release is on Page 2 Built for Bond: Aston Martin debuts unique car for Spectre - Aston Martin DB10 created specifically for new Bond film - Partnership with EON Productions spans 50 years of cinema history- Demonstrates the breadth of Aston Martin's bespoke capabilities 4 December 2014, Gaydon: Aston Martin together with EON Productions, the producers of the James Bond film franchise, unveiled Bond's stunning new car, the Aston Martin DB10, on the 007 stage at Pinewood Studios. The luxury British sports car brand is delighted to confirm that James Bond will once again drive an Aston Martin in Spectre. On this occasion, it will be a model developed specifically for the film and built in-house by the brand's design and engineering teams. Led by Aston Martin Chief Creative Officer, Marek Reichman, the design team worked closely with the film's director, Sam Mendes, to create the ultimate car for the world's most famous spy. Celebrating the great British brand's half century with Bond, which started with the iconic DB5, the DB10 gives a glimpse to the future design direction for the next generation of Aston Martins. Dr Andy Palmer, CEO of Aston Martin, said: "In the same year that we celebrate our 50-year relationship with 007, it seems doubly fitting that today we unveiled this wonderful new sports car created especially for James Bond. "To be partnering once again with EON Productions is great news for this company and for everyone around the world that loves to see Bond at the wheel of an Aston Martin. "I'm incredibly proud of everyone in the team at Gaydon who have brought this special project from concept to reality." Production will be strictly limited to 10 of the bespoke sports cars, developed and built by the designers, engineers and highly skilled craftspeople at Aston Martin's Gaydon headquarters. Spectre is due for general release on 6 November 2015. View full article

Motor Trend has named its truck of the year today and it has come to a complete shock to those who were expecting the Ford F-150 to take home the golden calipers. Instead it has gone to the Chevrolet Colorado. “After days of testing, hundreds of miles on the road, and our most rigorous truck testing program to date, our editors unanimously selected the Chevy Colorado as our 2015 Truck of the Year. Colorado is a smart, capable, and refreshingly honest truck that makes a strong value and efficiency statement. It’s perfectly sized and suited for the needs of many of today’s truck users,” said Edward Loh, editor-in-chief at Motor Trend. The Colorado earned praise for its spacious interior, fit and finish; performance, and price tag. The most surprising part of the Colorado's win was that unanimous vote by the editors of Motor Trend. Aside from beating out the F-150, the Colorado also beat out Chevrolet Silverado 3500 HD Ford F-450 Ford Transit 350 HR and Transit 150 MR GMC Canyon SLT GMC Sierra Denali 2500 HD Source: Motor Trend, GM Press Release is on Page 2 MOTOR TREND Names Chevrolet Colorado 2015 Truck of the Year Midsize pickup outclasses competition in design, engineering, efficiency, safety and more EL SEGUNDO, Calif. – After its most comprehensive truck evaluation program in history, MOTOR TREND has selected the Chevy Colorado as its 2015 Truck of the Year®. MOTOR TREND’s Truck of the Year program is only open to all-new or significantly updated trucks and vans for the upcoming model year. For 2015, seven contenders were invited to compete; three competitors were asked to bring a powertrain and/or body style variant for a total of 10 vehicles overall: Chevrolet Colorado WT and Colorado Z71 Chevrolet Silverado 3500 HD Ford F150 2.7L EcoBoost and 3.5L EcoBoost Ford F-450 Ford Transit 350 HR and Transit 150 MR GMC Canyon SLT GMC Sierra Denali 2500 HD The 2015 Colorado emerged as MOTOR TREND’s 2015 Truck of the Year by a rare unanimous vote. The editors were particularly impressed with Colorado’s handsome, clean-sheet design, “right-sized” package, excellent handling and overall capability. Colorado’s potent-yet-efficient powertrains also returned best-in-class fuel economy according to Real MPG and EPA testing. “After days of testing, hundreds of miles on the road, and our most rigorous truck testing program to date, our editors unanimously selected the Chevy Colorado as our 2015 Truck of the Year,” said Edward Loh, MOTOR TREND’s editor-in-chief. “Colorado is a smart, capable, and refreshingly honest truck that makes a strong value and efficiency statement. It’s perfectly sized and suited for the needs of many of today’s truck users.” Said Sandor Piszar, Chevy Trucks marketing director: “The Chevrolet Colorado offers customers the versatility of a pickup in a powerful, refined, fuel-efficient midsize package, with up to 27 mpg EPA highway. For Colorado to emerge from MOTOR TREND’s thorough evaluation as the 2015 Truck of the Year shows how Colorado is changing the game by offering truck customers fresh new choices.” To determine which truck deserved top honors, the MOTOR TREND test team subjected all of the contenders to numerous instrumented and real-world road tests. First up was standard MOTOR TREND testing, which included: 0-60 mph and 1/4-mile acceleration, 60-0 mph braking, and maximum lateral grip - all without payload or trailered loads. A specific payload was then added to each truck and van, and the vehicles were then driven more than 250 miles to the Arizona/Nevada border to evaluate ride quality and loaded fuel economy. The vehicles were driven up and down the famed Davis Dam in Bullhead City, Ariz., for further assessment, including an instrumented test designed to simulate a passing situation while carrying a load. The team then moved to a world-class automotive proving grounds for instrumented acceleration tests with nominal weight trailers. Truck and trailer were also driven through a short handling course to evaluate acceleration, braking, maneuverability and outward visibility. The final phase of evaluation involved a 21-mile road loop through hills of Arizona’s Hualapai Mountains. Following the team’s intensive evaluation, the trucks were shipped to MOTOR TREND headquarters in El Segundo to undergo proprietary “Real MPG” fuel-economy testing. Using advanced exhaust gas and flow-rate analyzers, Real MPG measures tailpipe emissions every second during a three-hour, 88-mile drive around the Los Angeles area to record accurate real-world fuel economy. Once testing was completed, select MOTOR TREND editors convened to determine which truck would be crowned Truck of the Year. The winner is not chosen from a direct comparison against the other contenders, but rather as a result of how each contender performed in testing and against the award’s six criteria: Design Advancement, Engineering Excellence, Efficiency, Safety, Value, and Performance of Intended Function. View full article

Yet, I appreciate that it tries too hard. Can't explain why.

Trying to make yourself stand out in a crowd is a difficult task. Trying to do that in a competitive crowd such as compact luxury car market can be labeled as ‘Mission Impossible’. Why? Because sooner or later, you’ll be compared to the demigod that is the BMW 3-Series. The 3-Series has been a perennial favorite by many automotive writers and buyers because of its fun-to-drive characteristics and the value of the BMW badge. Since the F30 generation, many believe that the 3-Series has softened a bit. This has allowed competitors such as Cadillac, Infiniti, Mercedes-Benz, and others to try and slip some of those buyers away. Lexus is one of the competitors hoping to give the 3-Series a run for its money by introducing a radical looking third-generation IS. The looks are one thing, but can this Lexus make a stand? I had an IS 350 F-Sport for a week to find out. The IS makes a good first step in differentiating itself from everyone else. The overall shape looks to be an impressionist’s take on a compact luxury sedan. With sharp lines, the now familiar spindle grille, separation of the headlights and daytime running lights, and other details; the IS makes sure that it's the center of attention. One design element I think needs to be called out is the rear rocker panels coming together at an angle and flowing upward to create the leading edge for the taillights. A nice touch. The F-Sport package only ratchets up the attention of the IS by a factor of ten. Such design touches include new body kit, mesh grille insert, and a set of 18-inch wheels finished in graphite. Lexus also worked on making the IS’ interior standout from the crowd as well. The interior layout is very reminiscent to the LF-A supercar with an angular center stack and a minimal amount of buttons, to the configurable gauge cluster a sliding bezel which can positioned three ways (left, middle, and right) to provide key information for the driver. Material quality is for the most part top notch with brushed metal accents and soft-surfaced plastics. A set of sport seats help keep you and your passenger locked in while driving somewhat enthusiastically. Personally I found the side bolstering to a bit too much, which meant I couldn’t fully get into the seat. For your infotainment needs, the IS 350 F-Sport comes with the latest version of Lexus Enform. This new version features a new interface which brings the system into the modern era. You can also divide the screen into two or three parts to show off key information such as navigation, climate, and audio. Moving around the system is done with Lexus’ Remote Touch system. While I like the idea of using a joystick to control the system, the execution is another story. You have to be precise with your movement of the control, especially when you are pressing down to select a function. One slip and you’ll be in another section. The IS’ powertrains carry over from the last generation model. The base IS 250 features a 2.5L V6, while the IS 350 comes with a 3.5L V6. The larger V6 produces 306 horsepower and 277 pound-feet of torque. An eight-speed automatic comes standard on the rear-drive IS 350, while the all-wheel variant sticks with a six-speed automatic. The 3.5L V6 is a very stout and smooth performer. Power seemed to be available throughout the rev range and getting the IS 350 moving from a stop was no problem. If you put the IS 350 F-Sport into Sport or Sport+, the V6 becomes Mr. Hyde. The engine provides a deeper growl and provides sharper acceleration. When I put the vehicle into Sport+, I was shocked how the V6 engine changed from a smooth operator to one that had the same characteristics of a turbocharged one. The eight-speed automatic has to be one of the best I have experienced as it provided quick and smooth shifts, no matter whether I was driving normally or like a maniac. Fuel economy for the IS 350 F-Sport is rated at 19 City/28 Highway/22 Combined. My week saw an average of 21.8 MPG. Being an F-Sport model, the IS gets a number of tweaks to the suspension and steering. Such tweaks include an adaptive variable suspension, variable gear ratio steering, system a set of summer performance tires, and new brake pads. When the IS 350 F-Sport is in normal mode, its pretty much like your standard Lexus vehicle. The suspension does a mostly good job of isolating bumps and imperfections. There will be a few bumps that make their way into the vehicle due to the stiffer setup the F-Sport is equipped with. Switch the vehicle into Sport+ and the suspension stiffens up and makes the IS 350 a race car. Toss the IS 350 F-Sport into a curve and the model hunkers down with nary a hint of body roll and the tires keeping the vehicle glued to the road. The steering is nicely weighted and provides excellent feel. Lexus has a very credible competitor in compact luxury class with the IS. If you can spare your eyes from the looks, the IS 350 features a wonderful V6 and a impressive interior layout. The cherry on top is the F-Sport package which makes IS 350 a compelling driver’s car. Sure the IS may not have the brand equity that some of its competitors may have. But Lexus has shown that you don’t have to go the Germans to get a fun sedan. Disclaimer: Lexus Provided the IS 350, Insurance, and One Tank of Gas Year: 2014 Make: Lexus Model: IS Trim: 350 RWD Engine: 3.5L 24-Valve DOHC VVT-i V6 Driveline: Eight-Speed Automatic, Rear Wheel Drive Horsepower @ RPM: 306 @ 6,400 Torque @ RPM: 277 @ 4,800 Fuel Economy: City/Highway/Combined - 19/28/22 Curb Weight: 3,593 lbs Location of Manufacture: Tahara, Aichi, Japan Base Price: $39,465 As Tested Price: $48,977 (Includes $910.00 Destination Charge) Options: F-Sport Package - $3,620 Navigation System/Mark Levinson Premium Audio - $3,225 Blind-Spot Monitor with Rear Cross-Traffic Alert - $600.00 Paint Protection Plan - $429.00 Variable Gear Ratio Steering - $400.00 Trunk Mat, Cargo New, Wheel Locks, and Rear Bumper Applique - $329.00 View full article