Along with V8 engines and the manual transmission, compact pickups are on the endangered automotive species list. To fend-off extinction, Nissan has made a few important changes to the 2013 Frontier to lift its sales.
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Third-Row Legroom
Welcome back to the all-you-can-eat Top-10 buffet! You know you want more, and AutoGuide’s happy to serve up another heaping helping of facts, neatly garnished with a sprig of fun. Grab a plate, load it up and tuck in to another generous portion of automotive infotainment.
General Motors and Isuzu are mulling over the possibility of jointly developing a new pickup truck, according to an announcement by GM made today.
Ever more stringent CAFE requirements in the U.S. and CO2 regulations in Europe are squeezing automakers like never before. They’re turning to technologies and fuels they would have never considered just 10 years ago. What’s Honda’s strategy to meet these standards?
Road debris is dangerous, especially when it’s something as big as the spare tire pinned under the bed of a Toyota Tacoma.
As we draw closer to the New York International Auto Show, Ram continues its slow release of teaser images ahead of its official unveiling later this week.
The latest teaser image features two more macro shots, this time of what looks to be the interior trim of the Ram truck – the first of an interior light, the second of a piece of trim from the dashboard. While teaser images are considered by many automakers to be a fun and effective marketing trick to raise awareness and excitement, these obscure images fail to convey exactly what we should expect from the next generation Ram. Its official reveal will be during the New York International Show and we will share more substantial information regarding the new truck later in the week.
So far, we know that development of the new 2013 Ram 1500 truck heavily focused on the mechanicals, featuring a fuel efficient package that combines Chrysler’s Pentastar V6 along with an eight-speed transmission. What’s more, the new Ram will also feature the air bag suspension system from the Jeep Grand Cherokee.
Honda has announced a recall in the United States for 206 Ridgeline trucks built from 2011 through 2012. This recall is to address a possible mismatch between the Ridgeline’s spare tire and the FMVSS mandated tire information placard installed on the vehicles’ driver-side doorjambs.
Honda Ridgeline trucks sold in the United States are fitted with a compact spare tire and, in some cases, placards may incorrectly indicate that the Ridgeline came with a full-sized spare tire instead. To solve this matter, Honda will either provide Ridgeline owners with a spare that will match the information provided on the vehicle’s placard or it will install a new placard that reflects the spare tire installed by the factory. While this issue may not seem like an urgent safety hazard, the recommended cold inflation pressure for the tire may not be correctly indicated.
No crashes or injuries have been reported due to spare tire failures but Honda’s recall encourages owners of all affected Ridgelines to take their vehicles to an authorized dealer when they receive a recall notification in the mail. Recalls notifications will begin to reach Ridgeline owners by mid-February 2012. An owner could also take the initiative by contacting www.recalls.honda.com or by calling (800) 999-1009, option 4.
In Parenting Magazine‘s first “Genius” issue, a new magazine committed to helping parents find ways to best help their children unlock their “genius” potential, the all-new Infiniti JX SUV was chosen as one of the “Smartest Family Cars Of 2012.”
Editorial Director for the Parenting Group Ana Connery said, “By recognizing today’s smartest cars, Parenting hopes to make it easy for families to use technology on the road, whether it’s for quick run to the store or for an extended road trip vacation. Our editors’ top picks have thought of everything so that parents don’t have to.”
The Infiniti JX, available at Infiniti dealerships by spring 2012, was selected for its many smart, high tech, and family-friendly attributes, including 360-degree external cameras and collision sensors that engage the brakes, actively assisting in accident avoidance. The JX also provides a Google Calendar sync to its infotainment system, so that parents could better manage their busy schedules.
Infiniti America Vice President Ben Poore said, “The Infiniti JX’s features were inspired by families who told us they wanted a luxury vehicle with features like the world’s first Backup Collision Intervention system, an Around View Monitor and not having to take out a child safety seat to get access to the 3rd Row. We’re proud that Parenting magazine recognized our desire to make hectic family lives a little more efficient and much more enjoyable.”
Among the list of “Smartest Family Cars of 2012″ is another Nissan product, the Quest minivan. Click here for the complete list of “Smartest Family Cars.”
GALLERY: 2013 Infiniti JX
Kelly Blue Book Released their list of the 20 most researched vehicles and three of the top five spots belong the Honda products. The Civic and Accord placed first and second respectively, with the Toyota Camry in third, the Honda CR-V in fourth and the Ford F-150 in fifth.
The Hyundai Sonata and Elantra placed sixth and seventh respectively, with the Elantra cracking the top 20 for the first time. The top five brands overall were Toyota, Ford, Honda, Chevrolet and Hyundai, with the Toyota Prius as the sole hybrid on the list. Check out the full list below, after the jump.
If you were one of the unfortunate kids who never got a Power Wheels for your birthday, you might be in luck thanks to Smart.
No it’s not a joke, though it is just a concept car. Smart sent out a press release today detailing its new For-Us pickup truck. With the most serious face you can muster, picture this: Smart’s latest attempt to grab U.S. attention is small enough to fit inside an average pickup truck bed. The little thing measures a miniature 11.6 feet and features a bed just big enough to squeeze a couple of bikes with their front wheels removed.
Smart said in their release that the ultra-compact pickup could be useful for accessing areas traditional trucks cant fit into, like small trails. Despite the obvious limitations around owning a pickup smaller than some golf carts, the Smart For-Us might have a sliver of merit: it’s an EV. Perhaps if the company sees its way to marketing this little utility buggy, the world might have it’s first zero-emissions pickup truck. Just try not to go too far out into the bush. You wouldn’t want to run out of battery power on the “isolated trails” Smart suggests taking the For-Us on.
If you’re still curious, more details are set to emerge on this curious creation at the 2012 North American International Auto Show.
The Ridgeline is a slow seller, but Honda isn’t ready to give up their only truck bed-bearing model just yet.
The 2012 model will be getting a slight facelift along with a lower-cost sport (pictured above) model. The four-door pickup hasn’t managed to take hold since 2006 when it was first released.
Those slow sales fed speculation that the truck might disappear from showroom floors altogether, but it doesn’t seem to be the case. American Honda’s Truck Planner, Sage Marie, directly addressed the issue in an official statement, saying the truck is “here to stay.”
Tetsu Iwamura, President and Chief Executive Officer of American Honda confirmed that statement in an interview with AutoBlog.com at the Tokyo Motor Show.
“We’re fully aware of the importance of that model and we’re trying to make that model grow much more. At this moment, there is no intention to stop the Ridgeline,” he said before confirming that Honda is conducting research into improving North American appeal for the truck.
[Source: AutoBlog]
The future of the Jeep Liberty will be revealed Wednesday when Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne will visit the Toledo, Ohio plant that currently builds the truck.
The new Liberty will shed its traditional off-road roots and move to a Fiat-based car platform. While the move to a crossover may anger traditionalist, Marchionne was apparently less than enthused regarding the Liberty’s lagging sales, especially compared to crossovers like the Honda CR-V. There is also talk of reviving the iconic Cherokee nameplate for the new car.
The new platform is expected to underpin as many as 8 future vehicles. Chrysler will invest $365 million in the plant and add 1,105 jobs.
[Source: Automotive News]
Law enforcement gets a severe-duty upgrade beginning this month, with Chrysler’s Ram Truck brand offering their new Ram 1500 Crew Cab 4×4 Special Service package for police enforcement and emergency services support.
Combining durability, reliability, and value, president and CEO of Ram Truck Brand Fred Diaz announced, “Like the Ram Truck brand, first responders give it their all with guts and glory, and we’re proud to offer a Ram truck that gives them the reliability and durability to get to the scene quickly and safely. The Special Service package offers legendary Ram capability and a ready-to-go platform for the folks who require a truck they can depend on.”
The Special Service package includes ballistic material packed within the doors, extended cycle 100,000-mile sparkplugs, a larger oil cooler to aid the engine in stop-and-go operation, as well as a 220-amp alternator to handle high electric loads. An additional PDC, a Power Distribution Center with two separate 100-amp main fuses, plus a unique wire harness combine to provide power, ground, and fusing to siren, lighting, computer, modem, radar and camera system and devices.
Did we mention that the package also comes with a Hemi? That’s right, the truck’s 5.7 liter Hemi V8 with Fuel Saver Technology, good for 390-hp and 407 lb-ft of torque, is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. Combined with a 3.92 axle ratio, the Ram truck is capable of towing 10,000 and shouldering a payload of 1,455 lbs.
GALLERY: Ram 1500 Crew Cab 4×4 Special Service package
This year’s SEMA awards were announced Wednesday morning, with the Chevrolet Camaro, Ford F-Series and Jeep Wrangler taking home the awards for Hottest Car, Truck and 4×4 SUV respectively.
The big surprise here was the announcement of the Fiat 500 as the Hottest Sport Compact, despite a relatively small presence at the SEMA show. The Hyundai Veloster seemed like a far more likely candidate for the award, given the ubiquity of the new Hyundai hatchback.
Check out AutoGuide’s SEMA coverage here
Fans of the Land Rover Defender worried about the iconic off-roader’s impending demise should feel at ease, because the Defender has a long life ahead of it, with production scheduled until 2017.
While a new, more civilized Defender, will bow in 2015, the current vehicle will remain in production until 2017, and possibly as long as 2020. Changes in emissions and safety legislation that would have rendered the Defender unfit for sale have been ammended, or exemptions have been granted for the vehicle.
The Defender was also re-classified as a commercial vehicle a number of years ago, and reports suggest that this should help further safeguard the vehicle’s future in the European marketplace.
[Source: Autocar]
A truck containing a teleprompter and audio gear used by President Barack Obama was stolen in Virginia, prompting questions about security lapses.
The gear, estimated at about $200,000, was parked in a van at a Virginia hotel parking lot ahead of Obama’s visit to the area. The van was said to be carrying audio equipment, podiums and even the Presidential seal, which only Obama is allowed to stand behind. The truck was eventually recovered, but details about the equipment’s status has not been made public.
The truck was said to be unmarked but wearing government tags, and observers are questioning whether this was simply a random vehicle theft that happened to be carrying important cargo, or whether the goods were specifically targeted by thieves.
[Source: NBC12.com]
Ford is revising their forecast for F-150 Ecoboost sales, estimating that the turbocharged 6-cylinder pickup will comprise 45 percent of F-150 sales, versus original estimates of 40 percent. Ford now estimates that the Ecoboost will sell 100,000 units this year.
The F-150 remains the best selling vehicle in the United States, and Ford was caught off guard by the Ecoboost’s popularity. A V6 option has only been available within the last two years, as the segment was dominated by V8 engines. Unstable fuel prices and a general trend towards environmentally conscious purchase choices are credited with helping Ford introduce a V6 powered F-150 in a favorable light.
[Source: Wall Street Journal]
The Chevrolet TrailBlazer was killed off in 2009 to make way for GM’s new range of car-based crossovers, but evidently there’s still demand for a mid-size, truck based SUV, as Chevrolet has announced a new TrailBlazer based on the upcoming Colorado mid-size pickup.
Given that the Colorado was developed for world markets by GM’s Thailand division, expect the new TrailBlazer to differ from the outgoing vehicle, which could be had with a 6.0L small-block V8. The new TrailBlazer will be unveiled alongside the Colorado at the Dubai Motor Show in November. In the mean time, check out the press release below.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is investigating Jeep Liberty SUVs built between 2002 and 2003 for an issue regarding the premature deployment of airbags.
NHTSA said that they’ve received 7 complaints regarding airbags deploying without a crash, with 5 of these incidents having caused injuries. 387,356 vehicles are said to be affected by the issue.
[Source: Automotive News]
General Motors will idle its Fort Wayne, Indiana plant for one week in November to help bring pickup truck production in line with slowing demand.
The plant will be idled for the week of November 7th, and no Chevrolet Silverado or GMC Sierra pickups will be produced at that time. GM has reported a 108 day supply of full-size pickups for the month of August, while an 80-day supply is considered a normal figure. GM said that sales of the Silverado and Sierra are up 7 and 18 percent respectively.
[Source: Automotive News]
Nothing can test a truck’s true mettle quite like thousands of miles of sand. For the 2012 Dakar Rally, the British Excite Rally Raid Team plans to enter the most brutal competition on Earth using three specially modified versions of Land Rover‘s new Evoque.
Powered by a 3.0-liter turbo diesel straight-six engine by BMW producing 275-hp and 479 lb-ft of torque and mated to a ZF six-speed gearbox, the Evoque will be hand-built by the wizards of RaBe Race Cars, whom possess a very long history of providing Dakar raiding hardware for many teams.
British Excite Rally Raid Team, as the name suggests, will be a completely British crew. The drivers are Martin Rowe, Andrew Coley and John Hardy. Keep a look out for British Excite at the 2012 Dakar Rally in January 1, 2012.
GALLERY: British Excite Rally Raid Team Land Rover Evoque
Toyota recently announced an updated version of its Tacoma pickup for 2012 and has now revealed pricing, with the top-selling truck starting at $16,875.
The 2012 Tacoma will emphasize driving comfort, usability, and convenience. Exterior enhancements include a facelift with new hood, headlamps and fog lights. Two new shades of paint, Spruce Mica and Nautical Blue Metallic, are new for 2012 as well. Tacoma’s interior gets an update too, providing a new steering wheel, new gauge cluster, a new center instrument panel, as well as several interior trim updates. TRD Sport and Off-Road models get to have extra water-resistant fabric seats while Access or Double Cab models benefit from heavy duty all-weather flooring.
But really, the nice surprise from the new Tacoma is that it will be one of the first Toyota vehicles to have the new Entune multimedia/infotainment system. Entune is designed as a collection of popular apps and data services including Bing, Pandora, movietickets.com, live traffic and weather, sports and stocks. Smartphone tethering is also available. Entune subscriptions will be free for the first three years.
Powertrains available for the 2012 Tacoma are the base 2.7 liter I4 and the premium 4.0 liter V6, pushing 159 hp/ 180 lb-ft and 236 hp/ 266 lb-ft respectively. Both engines will have Toyota’s variable valve timing VVT-i for better efficiency and stronger torque. Finally, selections for transmission are either six-speed manual or a five-speed automatic.
The 2012 Tacoma maintains its regular cab, access cab, and four-door double cab in 4×2 and 4×4 configurations. Pricing will start from $16,875 and reach $27,835.
GALLERY: 2012 Toyota Tacoma
Fiat may shift planned production of Jeep and Alfa Romeo SUVs from the Turin plant to an American facility. If this is successful, Fiat will have space to produce a small car at the Italian plant. One insider said that the compact car may be built at the Mirafiori plant, and Fiat’s strategic SUV move is based on America’s ongoing demand for trucks, although Fiat has yet to make a final decision.
Less than a year ago, Fiat invested $1.44 billion in the Turin plant in order to produce Jeep and Alfa Romeo SUVs for late 2012, but since then, the Euro has increased nearly nine percent against the american dollar. This economic shift makes the possiblity of manufacturing Jeep vehicles aborad, then shipping them back to the U.S, a less profitable venture. Fiat will likely build the trucks stateside, allowing Jeep to remain domestic and providing Alfa Romeo with momentum to relaunch in America.
[Source: Detroit News]