Automobile Blog

GM’S new 2-mode hybrid

Now GM has entered into the green car market. The engineering advancements that GM was showing off in the Yukon hybrid GM brought to Manhattan on a recent morning were impressive in their own right more on that later. Likewise, the scope of GM’s vision to roll out the new system into new models left me more convinced of the company’s commitment to a technology it was dismissive of a few years back.

Indeed, GM has been talking about this new so-called “2-mode hybrid” for years. Whether GM could scale it up into full production was a big question, though. The proof sat parked in the guise of an aerodynamically sculpted SUV (that sounds like an oxymoron, I know, but is true) parked outside a restaurant in New York’s art gallery district.

Full hybrids have to date been almost synonymous with Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive (HSD) system, which, in addition to being the technology behind all Toyota and Lexus hybrids, is licensed by Nissan for its Altima Hybrid and is used in a modified version by Ford in the Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner hybrids. This hybrid monopoly is about to change, however, as GM readies its 2-Mode hybrid system for introduction later this year in the Yukon Hybrid and Tahoe Hybrid SUVs. Like HSD, GM’s 2-Mode system enables cars to run just on electricity, just on gasoline, or a mixture of the two.

The system makes use of a two electrically controlled variable transmission (ECVT) modes, which change based on the car’s speed and engine demand. The result, according to GM, is a 40 percent improvement in city fuel economy over the gasoline-only Yukon, and a 25 percent improvement in overall gas mileage.

Hybrid is supposed to improve your city mileage by 40%. If you know the Tahoe, you know how big that thing is. It is a just a bit hypocrite to add electric engines to the existing V8 engine. On the other hand, it is better than nothing is – American moms just love their SUVs. Chevrolet’s two-mode hybrid system developed by BMW adds 400 pounds that the GM engineers had to lose again somewhere else in the Tahoe. The used aluminium on the rear lift-gate, hood and bumper for instance.

GM has several leading battery technology developers and manufacturers onboard in its effort to build an affordable, long-range rechargeable battery for the car, critics have pointed out that the price point could be a challenge given the technology needed to go into it.

GM hasn’t released numbers in any detail yet, but the company claims the new hybrids are 40 percent more fuel-efficient in city driving alone, and 25 percent more fuel-efficient overall than their non hybrid counterparts. The big discrepancy between city and overall performance is due, in part, to the fact that the car relies more heavily on electric power at slower speeds, and because city driving requires more braking, which charges the battery more often.

Sports Coupe Concept by Kia Motors

Kia Motors Corporation has released a second Sports Coupe Concept of the car it will unveil for the first time at the Frankfurt International Motor Show on 11 September. The svelte Sports Coupe Concept reveals classic lines coupled with a lengthened cabin design that can accommodate four adults in comfort. It is designed in Europe, under the guidance of Kia’s Chief Design Officer, Peter Schreyer. The all-new 2+2 Sports Coupe Concept, whose name remains a secret at present, will demonstrate an uncluttered, pure and timeless execution and represents a new design ethos for the Korean automotive company.

Kia says the car “will demonstrate an uncluttered, pure and timeless execution and represents a new design ethos” for the brand. Set to be unveiled at IAA 2007, the yet unnamed Kia sports coupe will measure 4.3 meters long. As far as we can tell, this vehicle is different than the upcoming RWD Tiburon successor, but there’s a distinct possibility that the two cars should share a few components, like the drive train and V6 engine.

Kia Motors Corporation is one of the fastest growing automakers in the world — was founded in 1944 and is Korea’s oldest manufacturer of motor vehicles. As part of the Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group, Kia aims to become one of the world’s premier automotive brands. Kia’s 12 manufacturing and assembly operations in 8 countries produce more than 1.3 million vehicles a year that are sold and serviced through a network of distributors and dealers covering 165 countries.

Kia today has over 33,000 employees and annual revenues of almost $19 billion. It is the major sponsor of the Australian Tennis Open and an official worldwide sponsor of the Davis Cup. From 2007 to 2014, Kia will be an official automotive partner of FIFA — the governing body of the FIFA World Cup. Kia Motors Corporation’s brand slogan — “The Power to Surprise” — represents the company’s global commitment to surpassing customer expectations through continuous automotive innovation.

Audi gets iPhone addition

Audi and Apple’s modest design ethos, it was simply a matter of time before they joined forces and offered a way to integrate the new iPhone across the four-ringed lineup. Any Audi model equipped with Bluetooth will allow the iPhone to be paired with the vehicle, giving users the ability to make and receive hands-free phone calls, as well as providing a signal strength indicator, assigning specific names to numbers (Work, Home, etc.) and allowing access to call lists.

Even at the time of its launch, the first mobile phone from Apple can be used in all Audi models. The big seller in the U.S. (more than 270,000 phones sold in the first 30 hours) is eagerly awaited in this country too. According to a survey, every third Apple fan would definitely like to buy the phone and, what is more, “right away”.

Audi and Apple have been working closely to ensure that the full functionality of the iPhone is available in most Audi models. The only requirement is the mobile phone preparation with the Bluetooth interface, optionally available in all Audi model lines. Alongside the standard hands-free functions (accept/reject call/hands-free), the mobile phone preparation supports the display of the signal strength and the provider’s name, in addition to the transfer of the telephone directory including the icons “Work”, “Home”, “Mobile” and the call lists.

With the adding of the Audi music interface (available as an optional extra for the A5, A6, A8 and Q7) users will gain music playback capabilities and the ability to navigate through music compilations by artist, track title, playlists and genre on the Audi interface. As of yet, it’s not clear whether this option will be available to current Audi owners, and what the upgrade process will require. It’s also not clear when Audi plans to start building this functionality into newly shipping vehicles.

Dongfeng Nissan and Shanghai GM to Introduce SUV Models to China

GM plans to introduce a SUV model, Antara, later this year in Shanghai. Shanghai GM official told, “We are not allowed to disclose any details about new car models to be introduced to China,” said Gong Guangjun, a public relations official from GM. However, Gong confirmed that Shanghai GM’s marketing manager, Sun Xiaodong said in April Shanghai GE would introduce a SUV model to China later this year.

Currently Shanghai GM has no plan to produce SUV models locally in China; instead, the company plans to import 2.4 L and 3.2L SUV models from abroad, Guangzhou Daily reported yesterday. Shanghai Automotive which runs ventures with General Motors and Volkswagen, announced a massive bond issue plan this week to fund the development of sedans – including the construction of facilities capable of making 270,000 sedans and 320,000 engines per year – with an estimated cost of 21.4 billion yuan.

Guangzhou Honda, the Japanese auto maker’s tie-up with state-run Guangzhou Automobile Group, also unveiled a 2 billion yuan plan earlier in the month to develop non-Honda branded sedans, becoming the first foreign car venture to develop cars bearing its own badge. Unlike Shanghai Auto, Dongfeng Motor, planning to roll out its own-brand sedans in 2009, handles its own-brand vehicle project at the group level, company executives told Reuters previously.

Ford E85 Escape Hybrids

Ford E85 Escape Hybrids will be delivered to select fleet customers in six states, staking Ford’s claim to another important industry first. These are the world’s first hybrid vehicles capable of operating on blends of fuel containing as much as 85 percent ethanol. Ethanol is a renewable fuel that can be produced from American-grown corn or sugar beets. The E85 Escape Hybrid produces about 25 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions than a gasoline-fueled Escape Hybrid. It also runs on a completely renewable fuel, which can help reduce this nation’s dependence on imported oil. If all of the more than six million flexible fuel vehicles now on America’s highways operated on E85, more than 3.6 billion gallons of gasoline could be displaced a year.

For its part, Ford has committed to making half of its annual vehicle production capable of running on alternative fuels by 2012. Ford Escape Hybrid appears a little more formidable as a sport utility, feels comfortable in the driver’s seat and is quieter inside than in the previous years. The only clue I had to the size of the engine (without reading the paperwork) was the four pistons on the display of where the power was coming from: the electric motors, the gasoline engine or both. The Escape Hybrid has a continuously variable transmission, but without belts, because the electric motors do the variable duty. The vehicle takes regular gasoline, which is great.

The Escape is labeled a compact sport utility, since it is only 174.7 inches long and 71.1 inches wide. It weighs 3,636 pounds, not much more than a conventional sedan. Inside, there is front shoulder room of 56.6 inches and rear shoulder room of 55.9 inches to be shared by as many as three passengers. Front-seat legroom is 41.6 inches, but rear legroom is down to the basic 35.6 inches. If there is one must-have option, it is the navigation system and hybrid power display; the power display gives you an updated minute-by-minute indicator of your fuel mileage. One standard feature is a visible auxiliary audio input jack under the dashboard unit – useful now that so many people use an iPod or a rival device to bring their own music on the road.

The 2008 Escape hybrid will offer a tougher look, more airbags and Ford’s new Ice Blue dashboard lighting scheme, in addition to seats made of recycled materials. Additionally, the 2008 Escape hybrid will cost almost $1000 less than last year’s model. Even better, Ford is currently offering some nice incentives on the Escape hybrid. For example, Ford offers either $2000 cash back in some areas on Escape purchases. Or, you can finance the Escape hybrid for 36 months at 0 percent, plus $1000.00 cash back. As for 2007, it will be interesting to see what happens to Ford Escape hybrid sales when Toyota hybrids run out of tax credits, especially if gas prices continue to rise. While the basic system used in the Escape Hybrid is licensed from Toyota, Ford’s engineers claim they have considerably modified the Toyota system and, in many instances, improved on it. I don’t know about that but I can say the Escape driving experience is quite different from the Prius.

In fact, if you did not know the Escape was a hybrid, you’d be hard pressed to realize you weren’t driving a conventional 200 hp V-6. It is smooth, quiet and amazingly quick. The 0 – 60mph time has to be below 9 seconds, which again puts it well into V-6 territory. In order to optimize the efficiency of the mostly conventional 2.3L Duratec 4-cylinder engine under the hood, some interesting modifications have been made to it. One of the most interesting is the Atkinson-Cycle variant of the conventional 4-stroke cycle. It is tailored to the hybrid’s specific driving characteristics and reduces fuel consumption by an additional 4%. The Atkinson-Cycle variant reduces low-end torque, which is not needed on a Hybrid drive since the electric motors provide instant maximum torque. Power gets to the wheels via a fuel efficient, electronically controlled continuous variable transmission (eCVT). Towing capacity is 1000 lbs.

In the upcoming Frankfurt Auto Show in September Chevy is releasing the Kalos sub-compact car. But it’s not just new sheet metal, they’ve decided to import an American name to go along with the hot new looks. Something which is absolutely no thoughts of hot hatch sub-compact Aveo. But this Aveo isn’t your college freshman’s B-segment. It’s got a new look that seems to represent a melding of the ‘American strong centerline with a more Euro WTCC-like grille.

The Euro Aveo will go on sale starting in March 2008 in a 1.2-liter, 84 HP and 1.4-liter, 98 HP gas engine flavors, neither of which, thank goodness, is available in the states. Still, that front end looks to be significantly hotter than the current US Aveo. The most significant features of this completely reworked model are its striking exterior, its high-class interior and a new, even more efficient petrol engine. Like its notchback stable mate, the new hatchback model will now bear the Aveo name throughout Europe. Sales will start in March 2008.

The Aveo hatchback sports Chevrolet’s new design features, as characterized by the big horizontally split radiator grille with a body-colored crossbeam and the brand logo sitting prominently in the center. The dynamic detailing includes large, curved, clear-glass headlamps and fog lamps that project like spotlights from the lower part of the bumper. In profile, the bodies prominent shoulder lines catch the eye, while the back of the car is dominated by the solid bumper and the round tail lamps in clear-glass housing.

The Chevy Aveo has never been a car to set one’s heart racing, but the restyled 2007 edition in sedan form is a decent-looking economy car with a visually appealing interior. Here in the US, the Aveo5 hatchback retained its old looks, which were nothing special, and we all assumed that at some point it would take on the same freshened appearance of the sedan.

The Aveo even gets a trendy side extractor vent on the front fender, leading us to believe that it’s probably time to put that styling cue to bed. On the upside, Aveo now has something in common with Cadillac. Aside from the car’s gaping grille, it also gets clear lens head- and taillights, a new range of engines and gearboxes and a much-improved cabin, Chevy tells us. Underneath, it’s based on the same model architecture of the current Kalos, but it’ll be the last new Chevrolet supermini to use it. In 2009 the brand’s Matiz-replacement arrives, and that will be underpinned by GM’s all-new global supermini platform, which will also form the basis of the next Vauxhall Corsa.

Renault Clio Estate

Clio Sport Tourer, which will be given its public debut at the Frankfurt motor show this September. The Clio Sport Tourer is the first estate version of the supermini and is aimed at buyers who enjoy leisure pursuits. It will go on sale next spring.

Although details are being kept under wraps, it is known that the car is 4.2 metres long and has a luggage capacity of 439 litres. The car takes design cues from the Clio Grand Tour Concept that was shown at the Geneva motor show earlier this year

In addition, Renault will unveil hatchback and estate versions of its new Laguna in Frankfurt, as well as two concept cars. Its design echoes the staple lines of Clio Grand Tour Concept, which was unveiled at the last Geneva Motor Show.

Obviously, since it’s based on the same car, the 4.2m-long Estate builds on the strengths of Clio 3 in terms of driving pleasure, interior space, comfort, and safety.

According to the marketing department, Clio Estate is “firmly focused on leisure pursuits. It strikes a perfect balance between sleek design with its angled rear screen and spaciousness with the generous volumes of its luggage area (439dm3 VDA).”