According to Automotive News Europe, the SUV planned to replace both the Jeep Compass and Patriot, has been delayed until 2014. Originally intended to go into production in 2013, the code-named B-SUV has been delayed so that Fiat can expedite engineering on its European products, like the Sedici compact. The delay also means a one-billion-Euro… View original here:  Jeep Compass And Patriot Replacement Delayed Until 2014

VW's current system (above) can now be considered old and busted—MIB is the new hotness Volkswagen’s upcoming MQB vehicle architecture is going to underpin every new VW car—excluding the upcoming Phaeton, but including more than a few Audis—that arrives from this point forward. It’s a component set of engines, suspension pieces, and transmissions, sure, but its adoption also will mark the debut of many other modular bits, including an infotainment system dubbed Modular Infotainment System, or MIB. (No Will Smith jokes, please.) The MIB setup—the initialism comes from from the German Modularen Infotainmentbaukasten —is basically a platform for in-car electronics, and it will be based on common, hidden hardware used across many vehicles. Hiding electronic hardware isn’t new, of course, but using the same basic stuff in everything from budget boxes to expensive sleds is more novel, and it will allow for technologies currently found in higher-priced rides to trickle down to more lowly models. Even entry-level cars such as the Golf will have the option of an eight-inch touch screen, high-res 3D navigation maps, and free map updates. In Volkswagens, MIB will be based entirely around capacitive touch screens; as one example, this will allow VW to adopt Audi’s navigation input system, whereby you write letters with your finger. As you may have surmised, VW’s version of the technology will use the capacitive screen rather than a touch pad, as currently found in the Audi A6, A7, and A8. (Audi will stick with its button, knob, and touch pad MMI setup in the future; its version of MIB was previewed in the next-gen Audi A3 interior shown at last month’s Consumer Electronics Show .) Volkswagen’s MIB rollout starts with the seventh-generation Golf , which goes on sale in Europe this year. Another trick feature will be a sensor that knows when a hand is near the touch screen. This allows, for example, the navigation map to be completely free of options (e.g. zoom, orientation, and drop-down destination functions) most of the time, but when a driver wants to interact with the map, he needs only to reach for the screen and the functions will appear. And, taking a page from the Apple, scrolling between music tracks will be done...

VW taking microhybrid leadership to full hybrids soon 39 million micro-hybrids in the next five years New analysis by Lux Research suggests hybrid vehicles have a much bigger interim future than most might expect, especially here in America. Unfortunately, that future is driven by micro-hybrids, but at least that’s still a bit of an improvement. Thus, by 2017 micro-hybrids will achieve 42 percent market share in the light duty vehicle space. Mild hybrid cars are are also expected to make a jump forward. One of the more interesting points of the study is that a huge micro-hybrid market already exists. Only we don’t know about it here in America because the micro-hybrid is driven by Europe, especially by VW. Europe will continue to dominate the micro-hybrid in 2017, but China and America are also expected to make big jumps in adoption. Similarly, according to Lux, as battery makers begin building out supply chains and manufacturing capabilities for plug-ins, mild hybrids stand to experience great growth as well as they suck up spare capacity in the lithium-ion supply chains. Market share, however, is still projected to be less than 2 percent by 2017. That makes me wonder about full hybrid vehicles such as the Toyota Prius or the new lithium hybrids coming from Ford. Why couldn’t these vehicles take advantage of the development of lithium supplies as well? By 2017 Toyota, for instance, could be well beyond 1 million hybrid sales per year according to previous company forecasts, and if lithium costs are conducive, Toyota has indicated it would make the switch to lithium batteries. Likewise, Ford could easily be producing a few hundred thousand hybrids per year as well if the plug-in build out provides cheaper lithium batteries for all. The Lux study apparently did not assess full hybrid potential under this same scenario. Anyway, a little disappointing how real world, cost-effective solutions for increasing fuel economy, such as microhybrids, turbo-charging, etc. are driven by the European market and not the US, but I’ll be getting back to that later. Source: GreenCarCongress Originally posted here: Forget plug-ins and the Prius. It’s a mirco-hybrid world by 2017

The world's best selling car Forget just US sales, let’s think worldwide Before the end of this decade, Toyota believes the Prius family will outsell the Camry. Whatever. Why not shoot for the moon? Within this decade, could a car like the Prius C help the family outsell the Corolla, and I mean in terms of total worldwide sales? I must admit even the idea of outselling the Camry first sounded a bit lofty to me, especially based upon today’s hybrid adoption rates, but Toyota has been pretty accurate with its hybrid forecasts for many years now, so I bet the Prius will top the Camry before the end of this decade. But the Corolla and its massive world-wide sales are another matter. In the recent past we’ve pitted the Toyota Prius C Versus non-hybrid compacts and subcompacts . Still, there is some gray area around whether the Prius C is a compact or a subcompact, for instance, and how this impacts pricing and perception. The C is larger than a Yaris, for instance, and offers the same total interior volume as a Corolla, but in hatchback form. So what’s the right comparison? Regardless, the sub-$19,000 C is fairly competitive against the competition, typically recovering its hybrid premium in just a few years, while offering a huge gasoline savings if owned long term. Add a gas spike or two and the Prius C really could be a bargain. And it was that kind of thinking — managing gasoline costs — that made the Toyota Corolla the world’s best selling car according to The Bottom Line . Obviously, however, the Corolla didn’t require a hybrid premium. It offered cheap upfront price and better long term fuel economy, and that’s a big difference this time around if the Prius is to eclipse the Corolla. But energy spikes are a lot more common this time around as well. Besides, even if the US taps Canadian oil sands, or fracks the hell of its massive shale supplies, I still bet the long term fossil fuel price story is inevitably higher. It’s simply going to be hard to move fast enough to offset rising worldwide demand for fossil fuels, and we’re certainly not moving that fast. Anyway, based on today’s gasoline prices, if you compare a comparably equipped Corolla to the Prius C, the long term Prius story...

The X plug-in SUV makes sense, but I'd like something more daring Could a higher plug-in standard be set? If you believe in the trickle down theory of technology, the Tesla Model X — teased today by Tesla — makes a lot of sense. A luxury electric SUV compliments Tesla’s Model S, creating greater scale, while enabling the company to better leverage the technologies it is outsourcing to the likes of Chrysler and Toyota, such as for the RAV4 EV. But I think that as visionary as Tesla has been this early in the plug-in game, they’ve missed a big opportunity. While I understand the trickle down economics of plug-in vehicles, I also believe that the future of plug-in vehicles — at least the interim future — has been miscalculated. Not every vehicle will be a plug-in, as Tesla CEO Elon Musk has suggested in the past, by 2030, for instance. Plug-ins have a much tougher road ahead and the science is evermore reinforcing that point beyond any doubt — assuming a plug-in future based upon today’s auto sale’s story. However, and fortunately something many in the plug-in community understand, consumer expectations and perceptions have to change in order to accelerate plug-in adoption. Unfortunately, even those in the plug-in community aren’t seeing the even bigger picture. The change in consumer psychology needed is even far more disruptive than accepting less range, and plugging-in instead of liquid refueling. That suggestion might seem a bit far-fetched today, but I don’t think it will before even 2020 — probably still long before batteries are really ready to shake up the industry. Technologies like carbon fiber, self-driving programs, and telematics, for example, offer the potential to change everything about transportation. And millennial consumer studies demonstrate just how ripe the future of consumers is to such revolutionary change. But few are aggressively pursuing this future, including Tesla. While many can see a future where a gasoline engine is replaced with a battery, few can envision change beyond just powertrain swapping. Think about the many baby boomers and gen x’ers tethered to their cell phones these days. It’s pretty amazing compared to the telecommunications experienced...

More than half of clients who specified a Rolls-Royce Ghost in 2011 turned to bespoke personalization. The service, which includes anything from the application of unique paint colors, coach lines and tread plates to whole vehicle designs featuring champagne sets, humidors and picnic cabinets, helped drive Rolls-Royce to record sales last year. In total, 56% of Ghost and Ghost Extended Wheelbase models sold around the world featured bespoke design in 2011. The move to highly personalised Rolls-Royce Ghost models follows an increase in sales of bespoke Phantom family cars last year. More than eight in every ten Rolls-Royce Phantom models passed through the hands of the team’s designers and skilled craftspeople, before being delivered to a client. In some markets in the Middle East every Phantom featured bespoke content. “It is always our goal to exceed our clients’ highest expectations and fulfill their innermost desires,” said Torsten Müller-Ötvös, Rolls-Royce CEO. “With highly bespoke Phantom and Ghost models, we are able to achieve this. The passion with which our bespoke craftspeople create these beautiful cars is reflected in some truly outstanding examples delivered across the globe last year.” The proportion of Phantom family cars with bespoke content delivered to Middle Eastern clients rose from 75% in 2005 to 99% last year, while in Europe the figure increased from 50% to 89%. In North America it rose from 30% to 84% over the same period and in Asia Pacific from 50% to 79%. In the United Kingdom, the third largest single market for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, the proportion of Phantom family cars featuring bespoke content increased from 60% to 88%. In August 2011 Rolls-Royce announced an expansion of its bespoke operation to meet growing demand, doubling the number of bespoke experts working at the Home of Rolls-Royce in Goodwood by the end of the year. The company is also about to expand its manufacturing facility, partly due to the increase in demand for bespoke cars. Work will begin next month.   Read the original: More Rolls-Royce Ghost clients turn to bespoke personalisation

The wrong kind of range extended plug-in through 2025? Leaf, Plug-in Prius, and Volt all bad by design? Not surprisingly the California Air Resources Board unanimously passed its Advanced Clean Cars (ACC) program for the technological requirements to meet emission requirements from 2015 – 2025. Under the plan, for instance, 1 out of 7 cars, or 15 percent of car sales, must be zero emission vehicles by 2025. While the aggressive goals are an interesting conversation in and of themselves, what’s perhaps even more interesting is the new kind of plug-in that CARB is now expecting automakers to develop, the BEVx. Apparently, as far as CARB is concerned, technologies such as the Nissan Leaf, the Toyota Prius plug-in, and the Chevy Volt, just aren’t good enough. As a result, the BEVx is a plug-in electric vehicle that offers an auxiliary power unit, or APU, that provides a gasoline powered range extending unit. However, this concept varies greatly form the Chevy Volt, another range extended electric vehicle. Unlike the Volt, the APU is not intended to provide long range or full power. It’s essentially the most minimal emergency option — cheapest — for dealing with range anxiety. Think of it as an emergency limp mode. Ultimately, through 2025 CARB anticipates that both the costs of of zero emission vehicles and limited range will prevent the ACC’s goals of 1 in 7 plug-in sales by 2025. Thus, they propose that a BEVx can be the solution. Interestingly, automakers already aren’t very supportive of CARB, and now that CARB is developing automotive concepts that it expects automakers to embrace is only going to create even more tension I’m sure. Regardless, I can’t help but wonder, is CARB really that smart? For instance, the wave generator hybrid offers a potentially cheap way to radically change the market place. While such a technology doesn’t provide zero emissions, if such a technology powered all light transportation vehicles in California by 2025, might it not achieve more than ACC, both faster and cheaper? And if not a wave hybrid, isn’t is possible that some other disruptive technology could significantly disrupt the industry in the next 13 years? Maybe not, but should CARB be at all focused on...

A good long term hedge against higher gasoline prices? But I sure wish it was easier to sell the Civic hybrid “Get with the program.” That’s what an advertising agency friend told me once regarding Hybridcarblog. I’m too critical, he rightly pointed out. Instead, he suggested that I sell every hybrid and plug-in that I cover. That, he assured me, would drive ad revenues higher. Besides, he scoffed, modern journalism isn’t about selling the truth, it’s about selling ad space. So, how do you sell a car like the Honda Civic hybrid? Don’t get me wrong. I respect anyone that buys a hybrid or a plug-in, but my goal isn’t really to sell cars. Sure I first got into this game to promote hybrid and plug-in technologies, but only as a means to a better environment and greater national security — and those two issues, particularly the later one, are at the foundation of every word I write. That makes covering this space tough for me, because I know how full of crap is the auto industry. I’ve been inside their game, and their use of halo products — which most hybrids and plug-ins are today — drives me, literally, towards insanity. Their ability to use perception and deception to obscure reality is impressive. But let’s get back to Honda and the Civic hybrid. On the plus side, Honda has offered some of the best fleet fuel economy in the industry, although that’s largely because they’ve simply avoided the truck segment. Likewise, Honda was an early adopter of hybrid cars. So, why isn’t Honda’s hybrid program further along? Why isn’t the Civic hybrid, for example, more of a compelling purchase after more than 10 years in this space? What do I mean? According to Honda there is a $4,495 cost difference between the Honda Civic hybrid and the Honda Civic HF. Based on average fuel economy that means that Civic hybrid provides a $385 gasoline savings advantage per years according to government estimated fuel efficiency. Thus, it takes 11.67 years for the Civic hybrid to recover its hybrid premium compared to the Civic HF. Why even sell a Civic hybrid? I mean, it’s not just the premium. That extra $4,495 also requires extra financing costs, extending this premium further....

The Chrysler product-planning department may want to avoid running for public office, lest they be labeled flip-floppers: After a confirmation followed by a cancellation , a Honda Civic–sized Chrysler is back in the company’s plans. Sergio Marchionne, the CEO of Fiat and Chrysler, told the Detroit Free Press this week that such a car is happening, that it’ll be a hatchback, and that it could be called the Chrysler 100. We confirmed that the Free Press accurately quoted Marchionne, and we’ve since heard from our own sources that the car has the green light. Here’s why this is such an odd turn of events. In 2009, soon after Chrysler and Fiat first hooked up, the company presented a five-year product plan ; it included a Chrysler-badged C-segment sedan. Then, in April 2011, this changed. Olivier François—charged at the time with running the Chrysler and Lancia brands but currently the head of Fiat— told us that “either Dodge or Chrysler” would get a C-segment vehicle, but not both. With Dodge prototypes eventually becoming the new Dart , we concluded that the Chrysler model was dead. It has now risen, zombie-like, from the development grave. The Lancia Delta, which may become the Chrysler 100 Beyond knowing that it’ll have five doors and a two-box shape, we can’t tell you very much about the Chrysler 100. Logically, it would ride on the same platform as the new Dodge Dart, which is about the right size. The Dart’s platform is called CUSW within Chrysler/Fiat, which stands for Compact U.S. Wide; it’s a widened evolution of the underpinnings used for the Alfa Romeo Giulietta . Marchionne went on to say that the Chrysler 100 would be rebadged as a Lancia and exported to Europe. Wait, what? Lancia already has a hatchback that’s bigger than the Alfa Giulietta; it’s called the Delta. The Chrysler folks even surreptitiously plopped a Chrysler-badged Delta onto its stand at the 2010 Detroit auto show. Why design an all-new C-segment hatchback, build it in the U.S., and then ship it off to Lancia in Europe, where such a car already exists? Surely it would be cheaper for Chrysler to take the existing Delta, federalize it for the U.S., and build and sell it locally. The Delta isn’t even...

Prior to his current job as head of Mini, Kay Segler ran BMW’s M division. It seems almost obvious, then, when he tells us that he wants JCW to serve the same purpose for Mini that M does for BMW. Once the JCW Countryman arrives , Mini will offer John Cooper Works packages for all of its models, but Segler wants to further differentiate JCW products in the future. This means that cars wouldn’t so much be equipped with the John Cooper Works package, but rather positioned as standalone models. Mini already considers the standard JCW powerplant—a turbocharged 1.6-liter four making at least 208 hp—a “unique” engine, and not a standard Cooper S mill with more boost. But we interpret Segler’s remarks to mean that the John Cooper Works engine will come in for additional work in the future; that could mean it will get some unique internals, or that the displacement will be increased. Segler’s sentiments also suggest that more hard-core, limited-edition models like the upcoming new-gen Mini GP could be produced. Other than the Countryman, Mini models are likely to remain front-wheel-drive-only for the foreseeable future. Getrag showed a proof of concept for an all-wheel-drive setup that would fit in a regular Mini hatchback a few years ago, but Segler told us it was still too expensive to adopt without much higher volumes. The engineers and execs at Mini are aware there’s a limit to how much power the front wheels of a car can handle, and that the current JCW cars are right up to the edge. How they’ll deal with adding power in the future, then, remains an open question. We have spotted all-wheel-drive Mini hybrid prototypes , however, with electric motors providing power to the rear wheels; this is one possible solution. Even though Minis have a real penchant for getting absurdly expensive with options and accessories—see our $46,244, ex-long-term JCW convertible as a prime example—Segler says the company will be careful about pricing future John Cooper Works offerings. Take a note from the relatively reasonable pricing of the BMW 1-series M and M3 GTS , we’re told. Considering that the 1-series M was something of a bargain at $47,010, that’s encouraging. Diesel For You, Too The single most common request that Mini gets from American customers,...

Volkswagen has always been known as “The People’s Car.” As in, affordable and ubiquitous. VW’s Das Auto advertising campaign has been highly effective – that slogan has permeated the public consciousness in a big way. While the company strayed from its roots in the past (VW Phaeton, anyone?) with upmarket intentions, VW has returned to its original mission. The Up! Concepts over the past few years have illustrated this. The production three-door was released a while back, but the five-door is making an appearance today. The Up! is the smallest VW, coming in below the Polo. It aims to be the Beetle of the 21st Century, with its small size appealing to buyers in packed urban centers. The Beetle was highly successful all around the world for many years because of those reasons. For modern times, VW aims to do it by offering a supermini that isn’t like a penalty box. We don’t know about that (it’s not exactly sumptuous in there) but it is better than a lot of alternatives. And, reviews coming in have been good. The new five-door sticks to the same formula as the three-door – retaining the same dimensions and engine options. It hasn’t been stretched to provide more legroom for rear seat passengers. Weirdly enough, the rear windows don’t roll down either. What is Up! with that? One engine is available – a 1.0-liter three-cylinder in two power guises: 60 and 75 horsepower. For the two added doors, VW will charge you a bit north of $600 extra. The Up! five-door starts at about $13,300 at current exchange rates. The Up! will first go on sale in Germany beginning in March. Availability will spread across the rest of Europe by summer time. VW doesn’t have any plans to bring the Up! over to the United States as of yet. Across most of the country it probably wouldn’t sell too well, but a limited availability program could work. New York City, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston and other cities like that could be potential markets. Related posts: When Does a Coupe Have Four Doors? 2012 Volkswagen Passat Reveal with US Pizazz Volkswagen Shows off Golf GTI Edition 35 Automoblog.net – A Car Blog for Auto Enthusiasts Read the original here:  Volkswagen Up! Adds Two Doors

A Mazda with a diesel engine finally will arrive in the U.S. in early 2013, spokesman Jeremy Barnes tells us. “It’ll be here between 15 and 18 months behind the launch of the Skyactiv-G gasoline engine in the Mazda 3 .” That car hit the market in October of last year, so the math says to expect a diesel Mazda between January and April of 2013. This is just a few months later than originally projected . Even though Mazda is describing the timing based on changes made to the Mazda 3, we shouldn’t expect that particular model to go diesel just yet. Our guess is that the compression-ignition engine will arrive first in the CX-5 ; the 3 and 6 are strong possibilities for diesel power in the following year or two. Mazda’s higher-spec 2.2-liter Skyactiv-D diesel four is the best candidate for U.S. service; in Europe, it makes 173 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque. We did a deep dive on this engine when it first debuted, so check out our full rundown for more details. Read more from the original source: Diesel-Powered Mazda to Arrive in the U.S. in Early 2013 See more here: Diesel-Powered Mazda to Arrive in the U.S. in Early 2013

Just months before its official debut, the F31 BMW 3 Series Touring was spied during winter weather testing. The F31 Touring picks up the design details from the new 3 Series Sedan and adds the typical sport wagon lines. The spy photo showcases the usual psychedelic camouflage that hides the final design cues, but we don’t expect any major changes at the front or rear-end. In Europe, the entry level model will be the 320d producing 184 horsepower. Next in the line-up is the more powerful 325d which uses the twin-turbo 218 horsepower four-cylinder engine from the 525d. The six-cylinder diesels will make their way into the 330d and 335d, producing 258 horsepower, respectively 313 hp. BMW will also offer the new touring with the xDrive configuration. Recently BMW of North America confirmed that the F31 Sports Wagon will come to the U.S. as well, and even though not confirmed, we expect the 328i model with xDrive to be the only one offered. The 3 Series Touring also comes in three lines: Modern, Luxury and Sport. The aggressive M sports package will come to enhance the sporty allure of the touring. Prices for the 3 Series Touring are usually a little higher than the sedan, so expect a small premium over the base price of a 328i. [Photo: BimmerToday | Pixner ] View original here: Spy Photos: F31 BMW 3 Series Touring

Now that the 2013 Ford Fusion ‘s sheetmetal has been exposed, one of our illustrators has grafted cargo space onto the back to create a wagon. And a good-looking one at that. Since the new Fusion will be sold in Europe as the Mondeo, this rendering is more relevant to the continent.  But because we’ll never tire of telling you enough how much we dig station wagons, we couldn’t help but pass this along with the hopes that–cross your fingers–it could also end up here in the U.S. We figure we might as well make a case for a five-door Fusion. While many at the 2012 Detroit auto show were fawning over the new Fusion/Mondeo sedan’s design, we think this wagon does the car’s long proportions even greater justice. It’s like a working man’s Aston Martin Rapide . Ford, if you’re listening, this design alone would blow the doors off the Acura TSX Sport Wagons and Volkswagen Jetta SportWagens on our shores. Bring it here. Please? Illustration by Christian Schulte See original here: 2014 Ford Mondeo Wagon Rendered: We’ll Take It as a Fusion See original here: 2014 Ford Mondeo Wagon Rendered: We’ll Take It as a Fusion

Land Rover has been trying to bolster its sales with a small ute for a while. The first, 2002’s Freelander , was slow, unpretty, and—at a base price of less than $26,000—might have been a bit too cheap to support the cachet of its brand. In Europe, where the brand’s image still is intimately tied to the utilitarian Defender, it worked. Here, where the brand is, like a double-nosed Andean tiger hound, something that matters primarily to the landed gentry, it didn’t. Freelander sales only occasionally surpassed those of anything else in the lineup. In becoming the LR2 , Land Rover’s wee one grew more powerful, but it also just plain grew, gaining about 600 pounds in the process. It was quicker but still slow, slightly less unpretty, and, with a base sticker almost 10 grand higher than the Freelander’s, inaccessible to more people. Rover’s smallest continued to trade the bottom sales slot with the LR3/LR4. Keep Reading: 2012 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque – Instrumented Test More: 2012 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque Tested: Looks Like Nothing Else, Drives Like A Few Somethings Else Originally posted here: 2012 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque Tested: Looks Like Nothing Else, Drives Like A Few Somethings Else