Land Rover LRX Ready for 2008 NAIAS

In the upcoming North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit this January 2008, Ford Motor Company’s Land Rover division will unveil their newest concept model and will make its world premiere at the most prestigious motor show in the United States.

Land Rover debuts the LRX concept, a three-door compact and lightweight SUV model that represents the vision of company’s future, according to Land Rover. This new Land Rover model combines the aggressive characteristics and capability of a 4×4 vehicle and the concept of a large vehicle, in a compact model.

Phil Popham, Land Rover’s managing director said: “The LRX concept delivers the powerful message that we are as serious about sustainability as we are confident about the continuing relevance and desirability of our vehicles. The LRX is in every respect a Land Rover, but it’s a very different Land Rover.”

Some of the details of the new Land Rover LRX include reduced aerodynamic drag, smaller frontal area, improved fuel efficiency, reduced harmful exhaust emissions, and sustainability focused technologies. The British automaker did not yet released the detailed specs and features of the LRX concept, so you better watch out for it during NAIAS. Well, maybe Acura will also launch a new model (like new Acura CL with high performance Acura CL alternator) during the show.

LeaseTrader.com’s November 2007 Index

LeaseTrader.com, a company that provides auto lease transfers now releases their top 10 Index for the month of November 2007. The list includes 10 vehicle models in different segment that are preferred by customers and most leased in November. Last month, the BMW 3 Series ranks as the highest model along with other BMW models like the 5 Series and X3.

According to Sergio Stiberman, CEO and founder of LeaseTrader.com:
“The BMW 3-Series offers one of the most exhilarating driving experiences available, combined with excellent safety and reliability. BMW continues to remain one of the most popular brands on LeaseTrader.com because of its reputation for delivering high quality vehicles and excellent customer service levels.”

Check out below for the complete top 10 list of LeaseTrader.com’s November 2007 Index

  1. BMW 3 Series
  2. Range Rover Sport
  3. Mercedes C230
  4. Mercedes GL 4500
  5. BMW 5 Series
  6. BMW X3
  7. Lexus IS 250
  8. Infiniti G35
  9. Hummer H3
  10. Mercedes E350

Unfortunately, there are no Honda/Acura models (like the Acura CL with Acura CL hood lift) in the top 10 list.

The 2008 Car Rankings

U.S. News & World Report now releases its Car Rankings for 2008. The list includes the high ranking models from various segments including cars, trucks, sport utility vehicles (SUV), and minivans. The rankings show that GM models continue to improve from the previous year. In the other hand, Honda models dominated the top spot with a total of seven vehicles earning the highest spot.

Anyway, just check out below for the complete list of the top ranking models in the segment.

CARS    
Best Affordable Small Cars
2008 Honda Fit
    
Best Upscale Small Cars
2008 Volkswagen GTI

Best Affordable Midsize Cars
2008 Honda Accord
   
Best Upscale Midsize Cars
2008 BMW 3-Series

Best Affordable Large Cars
2008 Toyota Avalon

Best Luxury Large Cars
2008 BMW 5-Series

Best Affordable Sports Cars
2008 Honda S2000

Best Affordable Two-Seat Convertibles
2008 Honda S2000
   
Best Affordable Four-Seat Convertibles
2008 Toyota Camry Solara Convertible

WAGONS
Best Affordable Full Size Wagons
2008 Dodge Magnum
   
Best Affordable Compact Wagons
2008 Kia Spectra5

Hybrid Cars
Best Hybrid Cars
2008 Toyota Camry Hybrid
     
SUVs
Best Affordable Compact SUVs
2008 Honda CR-V
   
Best Luxury Compact SUVs
2008 Acura RDX

Best Affordable Midsize SUVs
2008 Honda Pilot
   
Best Luxury Midsize SUVs
2008 Lexus RX 350

Best Affordable Large SUVs
2008 Chevrolet Tahoe
   
Best Luxury Large SUVs
2008 Cadillac Escalade

Best Hybrid SUVs
2008 Lexus RX-400h

TRUCKS
Best Compact Pickup Trucks
2008 Toyota Tacoma
   
Best Full Size Pickup Trucks
2008 Chevrolet Silverado 1500

Best Sport Utility Trucks
2008 Honda Ridgeline
     
VANS
Best Minivans
2008 Honda Odyssey
     
HYBRIDS
Best Hybrid Cars
2008 Toyota Camry Hybrid
   
Best Hybrid SUVs
2008 Lexus RX-400h
   
I wonder why the Acura Integra equipped with Acura Integra steering rack is not included in the list.
 

Time for Your Wheels to Wear AutoSock this Winter

Driving the slippery icy roads is one of the most dangerous tasks that motorists will do this winter season. Road grip and extreme traction is the main factors to consider when taking these types of roads.

An innovative automotive accessory has been launch to solve this problem. Called the AutoSock, this accessory is made of high quality textile that provides traction to cars, trucks, SUVs, and other vehicles on slippery roads.

Garry E. Rainy, U.S. contact for AutoSock said: “We’re bringing a unique, useful product to America that has been proven by hundreds of thousands of drivers across Europe. AutoSock extricates drivers from unforeseen challenges caused by inclement weather. AutoSock provides convenience, safety and peace-of-mind to drivers. When the weather is bad, AutoSock brings you home.”

When heading on slippery streets, Drivers can easily install AutoSock on the car’s wheels. This acts as a cover on the tires to provide grip on slick icy road surfaces. AutoSock also features:

• Drivable at up to 30 mph (50 km/h).
• Noise-free, vibration-free
• Lightweight, easily stored
• Quick, simple installation and removal
• Self-centering during installation and use
• Reusable, machine washable
• Environmentally safe, recyclable
• Non-damaging, even to alloy wheels
• Fits almost all passenger cars and many light trucks
• Approved by leading test and certification bodies
• Approved by leading European auto makers
• Works on vehicles with low tire clearance
• Compatible with all electronic safety systems, such as ABS and ESP
• 90% customer satisfaction rating

Why not try this product on your Acura wheels and cover up your Acura hub caps?

J.D. Power Tackles Portable Navigation Device Usage

According to the data gathered from the 2007 Portable Navigation Device Usage and Satisfaction Study conducted by J.D. Power and Associates, most of the owners of portable navigation devices experience some problems.  But surprisingly, 95 percent of owner said that they are satisfied with their devices and it has met their expectations.

Mike Marshall, director of automotive emerging technologies at J.D. Power and Associates: commented: “When experiencing a problem, customers who contacted the manufacturer directly-via online or telephone-for support were much more satisfied than those who returned back to the retail store. This suggests that retail store representatives may lack the necessary knowledge of the products being sold. However, the direct support provided through the manufacturer may be more knowledgeable and better equipped to answer questions and assist customers with their issues.”

The Portable Navigation Device Usage and Satisfaction Study evaluate these devices and measures the problem based on the problems per 100 (PP100) units. J.D. Power measures customer satisfaction of these devices based on six significant factors including ease of use, routing, system appearance, speed of system, voice directions and navigation display screen. All data has been collected from the responses of 4,013 owners of automotive portable devices.

The results of the study shows:

- Customers are particularly interested in having real-time traffic, current weather

- Approximately 25 percent of owners say they want a device with iPod compatibility while only 14 percent report having this feature

- 12 percent of owners report having a camera in their portable navigation device, 26 percent desires this feature

– Advanced functionality on portable navigation devices can lead to higher overall satisfaction ratings

- Portable navigation owners report high levels of brand loyalty with more than 90 percent indicating.

- Portable navigation device owners rate the value of their devices relatively high.
 
Anyway, I think I’ll’ upgrade my Acura EGR valve rather than purchasing portable navigation devices.

AJAC Honors GM Canada

The Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) has released the winners of their annual awards to recognize the best new vehicle in each category. AJAC evaluated about 60 vehicle models during the AJAC Test Fest. The data gatered in this evaluation will be also the basis in selecting the winners of the Canadian Car of the Year Awards (CCOTY).

Five models from GM Canada made it to the list and was ranked as the highest in their respective segments. They include the Saturn Astra, Saturn Vue, Buick Enclave, and the Chevrolet Silverado. The GMC Sierra also made it into the list of the best pick up truck models.

Marc Comeau vice president of sales, service and marketing for GM of Canada commented: “We’re honoured by these awards from Canada’s top automotive journalists, which we think will help consumers appreciate the strides GM has made in terms of product design, technology, fuel efficiency and quality. With surprising levels of content and benefits like OnStar and GM’s leading coverage, customers get much more for their money with a GM vehicle today.”

Check out below for the complete 2007 AJAC category winners:

SMALL CAR
Saturn Astra
Ford Focus SE
Mitsubishi Lancer GTS
Subaru Impreza Sedan
Suzuki SX4 Sedan

SUV / CUV $35,000 - $60,000
Saturn Vue
Hyundai Veracruz
Infiniti EX
Jeep Grand Cherokee Diesel
LandRover LR2
GMC Acadia SLT
Mazda CX-9
Nissan Pathfinder
Subaru Tribeca
Toyota Highlander
Volvo XC70

SUV / CUV over $60,000
Buick Enclave
BMW X5
Mercedes M-Class
Mercedes G-Class

PICK-UP
Chevrolet Silverado,
Dodge Dakota
GMC Sierra
Toyota Tundra

I wonder why Acura models like the Acura CSX equipped with Acura CSX cargo liner are not included in the list.

Mazda Comes Up Trumps in Drive Awards

Australia’s annual Drive Car of the Year Awards endowed the Mazda2 and Mazda3 new bragging rights as the best small cars in their own categories.

The awards night was held in Melbourne and it named the Mazda2 as the Best Small car under $20,000 and its big brother, the Mazda3 as the Small Car over $20,000. Aside from these honors, the Mazda2 was revealed to be one of the greatest contenders for the overall Drive Car of the Year award in which BMW’s M3 coupe is victorious.

The award was given to the Mazda vehicles by The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age and Drive.com.au and the Melbourne age. These titles only show that Mazda is in the lead in Australia’s small car segment race.

“A clean sweep of the small car awards is fabulous news for Mazda,” Doug Dickson, managing director of Mazda Australia said at the awards night.

“The importance of these awards cannot be underestimated: The light car and small car categories account for one in every three new cars sold in Australia. Mazda’s Stylish, Insightful and Spirited Mazda2 and Mazda3 have certainly hit the sweet spot with consumers and critics alike.

“It is hugely gratifying for our super little Mazda2 to win this award just two months after its arrival in Australia. And pleasing too, to see the judges applaud its fun-to-drive nature, versatility and strong value equation.

“The Mazda3 award is even sweeter because the car itself has been on sale for close to four years, and despite strong competition from newly-landed rivals it’s still the best small car in Australia.

“This is the second win in a row for the Mazda3, which beat highly fancied rivals from Mitsubishi, Toyota and Hyundai to the coveted award.

Mazda3’s capable dynamics, powerful engine and state of the art interior radiated to the judges and eventually gained their favor. What could the Acura CL radiator say to that?

“Nearly four years after it debuted in Australia, however, the Mazda3’s interior design and quality more than holds its ground against fresher opposition.”

The judges said of the Mazda2:”It offered the best quality, had the most available safety features, the briskest performance, and the most sure-footed handling and precise steering of the bunch.

“The judges declared the Mazda2 not only a worthy winner, but a breath of fresh air in what has long been a conservative class.”

Volvo will remain under Ford’s shadow

Originally Sweden based automaker Volvo Cars is now not included in the “one Ford” business models or the brands Ford Motor Co. is selling. The announcement was made by Volvo Cars Chief Executive Frederick Arp. Volvo will remain a property of Ford, as its remaining brand in the Premiere Automotive Group. Ford is loosing its premium brands, what do we expect for a company who’s been really struggling for a long time. And I’d like to say that Ford’s brands are not that bad, like the Acura CL head gasket, many buyers are really interested.

“We’ll continue to extract synergies in component sharing and commodity sharing and continue to seek scale of economies in technology selection and development of new technologies,” Arp tells Ward’sautos.com.
“But when it comes to something that is really linked to the DNA of Volvo and going more premium, that is something we will do on our own.”

The stability status of Volvo in Ford’s Blue Oval was defined when last month, Ford CEO Allan Mullaly confirmed that they are not selling the Volvo nameplate. In fact, Mullaly said that they are venturing ways to strengthen Volvo’s stand in the global auto market. Volvo is the only brand left in the PAG after Ford sold the Aston Martin and announced the plan of selling Jaguar and Land Rover.

“We think we will be, and already are, a good premium manufacturer and brand, but don’t aspire to be luxury in the sense we will be up there competing with the Bentleys,” Arp says. “Our key competitors are BMW, Audi, Mercedes-Benz and Lexus (brands).”

The CEO emphasized the 2008 Volvo V70, a new vehicle proving that their vehicles have undergone great improvements. Arp described the sports wagon as a “significant step forward in terms of luxury our premium-ness”.
Although very optimistic, Arp admitted that his brand is also facing some challenges including the continuous depreciation of the dollar. However, he said that pricing pressure also benefits the consumers and automakers as well.

“In this country right now, cars are under-priced vs. the rest of the world,” he says. “The dollar has basically declined by 30%-70% the last two years, and (there has) been no adjustment in pricing for that.”

“We work very hard to ensure that for every new nameplate we launch, or revised product we launch, we have a world first or something that is really important to our customers in terms of safety,” Arp says. “(Safety) continues to be the leading edge for our company.”