William Maley

We've seen the shots of the new Chevrolet Cruze wearing layers of camouflage, but some new shots out of China could give us our best look of what the automaker has in mind for the next-generation model. Chinese automotive site, auto.sohu.com got their hands on what is reported to be a un-camouflaged next-generation Cruze sitting in a parking lot. Judging from the pictures, Chevrolet is making some dramatic changes. The front end looks to be borrowing some ideas from the SS with two distinctly separate grilles and a large Bowtie emblem. A set of narrowed headlights sit on either side. One other design cue to take note of is the arch in the rear wheel wells, something very reminiscent to the Impala. Inside looks to be a more upscale interior with a new steering wheel and larger screen for the infotainment system. auto.sohu.com says the Cruze will debut at the Beijing Motor Show in April. We'll keep you updated. Source: auto.sohu.com William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. View full article

The past ten years has seen a number of automakers either being folded up or taken into other automakers. But an analyst believes there is more consolidation for the automotive marketplace. Morgan Stanley auto analyst Adam Jonas said in a research note earlier this month says in the future there will only be five to six automakers in the world. This comes down to such factors as economics and technologies. “We believe the radically changing landscape of autos requires a commensurate change of thinking in Detroit if the domestic OEMs, as we have traditionally known them, are to remain relevant 15 or 20 years from now. The world has too many car companies: We cover nearly 30 auto assemblers globally across eight countries. In our opinion, the balance of economic, competitive and technological forces will ultimately consolidate this figure to five or six players,” said Jonas. Jonas' thoughts appears to be have spurned from Tesla Motors as the company has been very successful with their Model S rollout and introduction of new technologies. Last year, GM set up a group to study Tesla and see if they can take anything away from them. “Tesla could either end up being Detroit’s worst enemy or its salvation. In our opinion, the disruption from Tesla comes early enough to allow an incumbent sufficient time to adapt its culture, capital allocation and recruiting strategy to the changing forces. With proper execution, Detroit may thank Tesla Motors for being that stiff board in the back of the head right when they needed it,” said Jonas. It should be said that many of these predictions that have been spoken before have not amounted to anything. Will this one be any different? Stay tuned. Source: The Detroit News William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. View full article

The Cruze is subject to a stop-sale for the 1.4t model, from what I read. I forget why. Nothing to do with the ignition switch. And the new fullsize trucks and SUVs are being called in for a loose trans cooler line, I believe. GM says that Cruzes equipped with the 1.4T need to have their halfshaft replaced before they shatter.

During this summer, Jaguar will quietly say good-bye to the XK Coupe and Convertible. The company says poor sales and the introduction of the F-Type has made the company decide the XK needs to hit the road. That doesn't mean Jaguar isn't working on a replacement though. Auto Express reports that Jaguar is working on a new 2+2 grand tourer to take on the likes of the Mercedes-Benz S-Class Coupe and Bentley Continental GT. The new coupe, wearing the XJ nameplate, will feature certain design cues from the F-Type such as flowing lines, muscular rear wheel arches, and wraparound taillights. But the coupe will have a few of its own touches like an oversized grille and horizontal headlights. The new coupe will use a lengthened version of the F-Type's platform and have a range of supercharged V6 and V8 engines, and a diesel engine. The coupe is not expected to arrive till sometime after 2017 or so. Source: Auto Express View full article

Last night, General Motors announced that the ignition switch has been expanded to include an additional 824,000 vehicles. The vehicles include, 2008-2010 Chevrolet Cobalt 2008-2011 Chevrolet HHR 2008-2010 Pontiac G5 2008-2010 Pontiac Solstice 2008-2010 Saturn Sky This brings the total number of vehicles involved in the recall to over 2.6 million vehicles. Like the previous recalls, GM is urging owners to remove all of their keys except the ignition key to prevent the switch from moving. GM said replacement parts will begin arriving at dealers starting on April 7th. "We are taking no chances with safety. Trying to locate several thousand switches in a population of 2.2 million vehicles and distributed to thousands of retailers isn't practical. Out of an abundance of caution, we are recalling the rest of the model years," said GM CEO Mary Barra in a statement. This isn't the only problem GM is going through at the moment. Reuters reports that repair shops can buy the ignition switch from Delphi involved in the recall. While the switches may not be defective thanks to a fix in 2007 which replaced the tenser spring, the only way to be sure is to either take it apart or check the manufacturing history. This is due to GM keeping the part number the same on the new part, a bit surprising to those who are in the know. "When you make a change, you change the part number so everybody understands what happened," said a former GM executive to Reuters. GM Spokesman Jim Cain said they company is looking into this matter. "We are in the process of responding to the very questions you are asking, per our pledge to be fully cooperative with NHTSA," said Cain. Source: General Motors, Reuters William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. Press Release is on Page 2 GM Moves to Secure Recalled Ignition Switches 2014-03-28 824,000 models sold in the U.S. from 2008-2011 will get new ignition switch Parts return sought from aftermarket distributors DETROIT – General Motors today said it will replace the ignition switch in all model years of its Chevrolet Cobalt, HHR, Pontiac G5, Solstice and Saturn Ion and Sky in the U.S. since faulty switches may have been used to repair the vehicles. The parts are at the center of the company's recently announced ignition switch recall, which originally extended through the 2007 model year. About 95,000 faulty switches were sold to dealers and aftermarket wholesalers. Of those, about 90,000 were used to repair older vehicles that were repaired before they were recalled in February. Because it is not feasible to track down all the parts, the company is taking the extraordinary step of recalling 824,000 more vehicles in the U.S. to ensure that every car has a current ignition switch. GM is unaware of any reports of fatalities with this group of vehicles where a frontal impact occurred, the front air bags did not deploy and the ignition is in the "accessory" or "off" position. As with the earlier recalls, if the torque performance is not to GM specification, the ignition switch may unintentionally move from the "run" position to the "accessory" or "off" positions, leading to a loss of power. The risk may be increased if the key ring is carrying added weight or if the vehicle goes off road or experiences some jarring event. The timing of the key movement out of the "run" position relative to when the sensing algorithm of a crash may result in the air bags not deploying, increasing the potential for occupant injury in certain kinds of crashes. Until the recall has been performed, customers are urged to remove all items, including the key fob, from their key rings, leaving only the vehicle key. "We are taking no chances with safety," said GM CEO Mary Barra. "Trying to locate several thousand switches in a population of 2.2 million vehicles and distributed to thousands of retailers isn't practical. Out of an abundance of caution, we are recalling the rest of the model years. "We are going to provide our customers with the peace of mind they deserve and expect by getting the new switches into all the vehicles," Barra said. GM records indicate the service parts may have been used for ignition repairs in: 2008-2010 Chevrolet Cobalts 2008-2011 Chevrolet HHRs 2008-2010 Pontiac Solstice 2008-2010 Pontiac G5 and 2008-2010 Saturn Sky Owners who may have had a suspect part installed will receive a letter the week of April 21. GM dealers will replace their ignition switch free of charge as parts become available. Customers who paid to have their ignition switches replaced will be eligible for reimbursement. Dealers, distributors and other parts customers will be told about the recall beginning March 31. Information on the ignition switch recall is available www.gmignitionupdate.com. View full article

German magazine Autobild reports that the Volvo Concept Estate that debuted at the Geneva Motor Show earlier this month will likely become the replacement for the V70. Reportedly named V90, the model will utilize the design of the Concept Estate with two extra doors. Autobild goes onto say the new wagon will use the XC90's platform and come with range of four-cylinder engines. Higher-end models will come with a hybrid system to help produce more power. There is no mention in the report if Volvo is considering an off-road version of this new model like the current XC70. Also, no mention if this model will make it to the U.S. or when it will go into production. Source: Autobild William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. View full article

For the longest time, the Volkswagen Jetta has had it all to itself. I’m of course talking about the diesel compact sedan marketplace. Since the first Jetta came over the to the U.S. in the eighties, Volkswagen has offered a diesel engine as an option. Within the past few years, the popularity of the Jetta diesel has skyrocketed. But this past year, another contender has come in to challenge the Jetta’s dominance in this small niche. That would be the Chevrolet Cruze Turbodiesel. How does it stand up to the Jetta? Much like the Jetta TDI, the Chevrolet Cruze Turbodiesel doesn’t scream out that it's a diesel at all. The only clues that reveals its true identity are a set of seventeen-inch aluminum wheels and a new Eco badge that says 2.0 TD. Inside, the Cruze Turbodiesel comes fully loaded with leather seats, steering wheel controls, six-way power adjustment for the driver’s seat, remote start, and much more. To get even close to that in a Jetta, you’ll have to go for one of the higher trims. One disappointment I had with the Cruze’s interior were the seats. I found myself squirming around in them to make myself comfortable. Also compared to the the Jetta TDI, the Cruze’s back seat doesn’t provide enough legroom. Powering the Cruze Turbodiesel is a turbocharged 2.0L DOHC diesel four-cylinder with 151 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. A six-speed automatic is your only transmission choice. The Turbodiesel is quite the performer as torque peaks at 2,600 rpm and a majority of the torque is available between 1,750 and 3,000 rpm. This means the Cruze can very much hold its own when leaving a stop and there is always power in reserve when you need it. Fuel economy isn’t bad either with EPA ratings 27 City/46 Highway/33 Combined. Compared to the Jetta TDI economy, the Cruze beats it on the highway by four MPG, but the Jetta gets 30 MPG in the city. My average for the week landed around 37 MPG. However, all is not perfect with the 2.0L diesel. For starters, the 2.0L diesel engine sounds like it is from the eighties to early nineties with a loud clattering noise coming under the hood. Diesel engine technology has gotten much better to where the clattering noises are toned down by a fair amount, but you wouldn’t know it by standing next to the Cruze. Now I should at this point that when you’re inside the Cruze Turbodiesel, almost none of the clattering makes it in. This is a testament to noise reduction work done on the Cruze’s interior. It’s a shame that it wasn’t extended to the engine bay. The other problem with the Cruze Turbodiesel’s powertrain is the automatic. There are times when it seems to know what its doing and there are other times where it holds onto gears far too long before upshifting. I don’t know if this is an issue with this particular car or Turbodiesel models in general, but it wasn’t pleasant. Ride and handling characteristics are still the same as the Cruze I drove back two years ago where it has big car characteristics of smoothing over road imperfections and not letting in road and wind noise. As for cornering, the suspension keeps the vehicle steady and steering is quick, though somewhat numb. At the end of the week, I found the Cruze Turbodiesel to be equal to the Jetta TDI. Both models have different strengths and weaknesses, so trying to pick one that is better than the other is difficult. I would say if you’re looking for power and a impressive amount of kit, then look at the Cruze. If you want space, powertrain refinement, and a lower price, then the Jetta TDI is for you. Disclaimer: Chevrolet Provided the Cruze Turbodiesel, Insurance, and One Tank of Gas Year: 2014 Make: Chevrolet Model: Cruze Trim: Turbodiesel Engine: Turbocharged 2.0L DOHC Diesel Four-Cylinder Driveline: Front-Wheel Drive, Six-Speed Automatic Horsepower @ RPM: 151 @ 4000 Torque @ RPM: 264 @ 2600 Fuel Economy: City/Highway/Combined - 27/46/33 Curb Weight: 3,475 lbs Location of Manufacture: Lordstown, Ohio Base Price: $24,885.00 As Tested Price: $28,105.00 (Includes $810.00 Destination Charge) Options: Audio System W/ Navigation - $795.00 Enhanced Safety Package - $790.00 Pioneer Sound System- $445.00 2LT Driver Convenience Package - $380.00 William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. View full article