William Maley

Care By Volvo is a very intriguing option for buyers. For just $600 or $700 month, you can get into XC40 with insurance, maintenance, replacement of wear items, telematics-based concierge service. The subscription lasts 24 months and provides a yearly allowance of 15,000 miles, along with the option to swap into a new model after 12 months. But Roadshow reports that Volvo had some issues with getting Care By Volvo up and running. Readers tell the outlet they have been waiting on their vehicles with barely any updates coming from Volvo. Forum and Reddit posts are expressing the same thing with some reporting hold-ups due to paperwork. There is some good news for those who ordered a vehicle through Care By Volvo. "The first round of paperwork has gone out to several customers and we are on track to deliver the first Care by Volvo cars before month [May] end," said Volvo spokesman Jim Nichols. Volvo did not reply to Roadshow's inquiries into how many people have signed up for the program, how many XC40s have been delivered, or how many people are still waiting for their vehicles. We may have an answer to the first inquiry thanks to a Reddit poster who wrote this, While Volvo is still ironing out the various issues with Care, they are planning to add the new V60 and upcoming S60 in the near future. Source: Roadshow View full article

Nissan's goal in the U.S. for quite some time was increasing its market share. To do this, the company piled on the incentives and sold more vehicles to rental car fleets. While fine in the short-term, the long-term effects would hurt profitability and brand image. This isn't helped by sales declining 6.5 percent this year and a growing supply of vehicles on dealers - Kelly Blue Book reports an 88-day supply of Nissan vehicles. Nissan is changing its plan for the U.S. Back at the 2018 NADA Show in April, Nissan's U.S. sales chief Dan Mohnke told dealers the company would focus on boosting profitability by reducing inventory. One way to do that is cutting back on production. The Nikkei Asian Review reports Nissan is slashing production as much as 20% at their North American plants. The cuts are already taking place at Nissan's two plants in the U.S. (Canton and Smyrna, TN) and three in Mexico. No layoffs are expected, instead, workers will have an extra day or two off of work. The cuts are expected to end in the fall when production of the next-generation Altima kicks off. It is expected that the production cut will drop Nissan's U.S. sales for the year by three percent. Source: Nikkei Asian Review View full article

Since 2014, there have been numerous rumors about Apple's self-driving project known as Titan. At one time, the project had a 1,000 workers with the goal of designing and building a self-driving electric vehicle. But numerous issues and changes in vision has caused the project to be majorly behind scheduled. A new report from the New York Times shines a light at the current circumstances. According to sources with knowledge of the project, Apple signed a deal with Volkswagen late last year that would see the automaker provide less than two dozen of T6 Transporter vans to the technology company. Apple will equip the vans with their self-driving tech and be used as shuttles around their Cupertino base. The sources say the vans are "consuming nearly all of the Apple car team’s attention". A number of former Apple employees added that the project "lacked a clear plan beyond the vans, including any near-term commercial goals." Volkswagen wasn't Apple's first choice for an automaker partner. BMW and Mercedes-Benz were the tech company's first and second choices. Various discussions would be held with both German automakers, but would ultimately go no-where as they balked at Apple's request "to hand over control of the data and design." Other automakers were spoken to, but wouldn't go far as automakers were not ready to give up control or Apple wanted " a more attractive partner." Volkswagen, however, jumped at the chance, as it was seen as a way to help improve their reputation after the diesel emission mess. It's unclear whether this deal will only be for the vans or extend further. Source: New York Times View full article

Last year, the final Dodge Viper rolled down the Conner Avenue assembly line. The vehicle would once again enter the history books as one of the maddest sports cars. But a new report says the Viper will be making a comeback, albeit with some major changes. Car and Driver has posted their '25 Cars Worth Waiting For: 2019–2022' piece and the Dodge Viper is on the list. The new model will retain its front-engine, rear-drive layout and spaceframe with independent suspensions front and rear. Extensive use of aluminum and carbon fiber will help keep weight down. One disappointment for Viper fans is the new model not having a V10. Instead, FCA is developing a new aluminum-block V8. A 550 horsepower naturally-aspirated version will serve as the base, with a more potent 700 horsepower supercharged variant to follow. A manual transmission of some sort is expected. Car and Driver predict that Dodge will show off the Viper at next year's Detroit Auto Show - which marks the 30th anniversary of the introduction of the original Viper. Production is expected to begin in late 2020 beginning with the convertible. The coupe is expected to follow a few years later. Car and Driver is quite confident, going as far to say "trust us: A new Viper is happening." We need some more evidence and possibly some spy photos before we hop aboard this train. Source: Car and Driver View full article

The lengths that automakers go to with camouflaging vehicles continues to amaze us. Case in point, the first spy photos of the next-generation Chevrolet Suburban has hit the internet. General Motors has covered up every surface, including the underside. That's because the new Suburban appears to be ditching the solid rear axle for an independent setup. We know this as a spy photographer found the right spot where there was minimal camouflage and captured it. Why is Chevrolet switching to an IRS setup? It might have to do with the new Ford Expedition which moved to independent rear suspension. A source told Autoblog that Chevrolet wouldn't have fit IRS because it was expensive, but plans changed when the Expedition made a big splash with it. Of course, IRS could have been in the cards for some time. Nevertheless, this setup will help improve ride quality significantly. Engines are expected to mirror the new Silverado, which might include the new turbocharged 2.7 four-cylinder. Source: Autoblog, CarScoops View full article

Before the new Corolla hatchback hits dealers later this summer, Toyota has revealed pricing and fuel economy numbers. The base SE will set you back $20,910 (includes a $920 destination charge), while the XSE begins at $23,910. That will net you a new 2.0L four-cylinder with 168 horsepower and a six-speed manual. A CVT is available for an additional $1,100. This is what you get on either trim: SE: Toyota Safety Sense 2.0 with automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control, and lane departure warning; 8-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay compatibility, and 16-inch wheels. XSE: 18-inch wheels, LED fog lamps, upgraded infotainment system, leather-and-fabric upholstery, and heated front seats. As for fuel economy, the SE with the CVT is the mileage leader with EPA estimates of 32 City/42 Highway/36 Combined. The XSE CVT is next with figures of 30/38/33. For the manual, Toyota only has figures for the SE which are 28/37/31. Numbers on the XSE manual are coming soon. Source: Toyota View full article

Is it possible to teach an old car new tricks? That’s the question Chrysler believes it has answered with the 2018 300. The current-generation model has been with since 2012, though the platform it uses goes back to nineties. Chrysler has been making various improvements to it with an updated look, new transmission, and revised trims. Spending a week with the 2018 300S, I found there were a number of things that make it a worthy contender. But there were some issues that made me leery of fully recommending this model. Somehow, the Chrysler 300’s design just gets better with age. The boxy shape of the body is complemented by a large mesh grille, slim headlights, and a clean looking rear. The S trim adds a hint of aggression with side skirts, rear spoiler, and multi-spoke 20-inch wheels. The green color and bronze trim pieces on this vehicle received a number of comments from the peanut gallery during my week. They ranged from what 1940’s army base did the 300 come from to some comparing it to appliances from the late sixties to early seventies. While I do applaud the chutzpah of the person who decided to go with this combination, I think the bronze accents are a bit much. Thankfully, they are an option and one I recommend skipping. Inside, the 300 isn’t aging so well. Most of the interior is fitted with cheap and somewhat flimsy plastics, very disappointing on a vehicle with a nearly $50,000 price tag. The soft-touch plastic used on the dashboard looks somewhat out of place with its textured pattern. For 2018, the 300 gets the new UConnect 4 system. The key changes are updated graphics and compatibility with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Thankfully, the updated UConnect system retains the logical layout with large touchscreen buttons and menu structure that we like so much. Our 300S tester came equipped with the base 3.6L V6 engine. Unlike most 300s equipped with this engine, the S gets slightly more power (300 horsepower and 284 pound-feet vs. 292 and 280). This is paired with an eight-speed automatic and optional all-wheel drive. Rear-wheel drive comes standard. Despite the small boost in power, the V6 in the 300S feels similar to other 300s and Dodge Charger/Challengers we have driven. On paper, the V6 is somewhat slow to the competition with a 0-60 time of over six seconds. But on the road, it doesn’t show any sign of sluggishness. There is enough power for most driving situations such as making a pass or leaving a stoplight. This is likely helped by the eight-speed automatic which provides quick and smooth shifts. Fuel economy is slightly disappointing if you opt for the AWD with EPA figures of 18 City/27 Highway/21 Combined. My average for the week landed around 20.4 mpg on a 50/50 mix of city and highway driving. S models differ from other 300s in the suspension. Chrysler uses a stiffer setup on the S to improve handling. It does show a marked improvement with less body lean and the chassis is willing to play. But it isn’t a vehicle you want to push around as the 300’s weight is very noticeable when cornering. The stiffer suspension will mean a slightly rougher ride. The 20-inch wheels that come standard on the S doesn’t help matters. As I mentioned earlier, this particular 300S is quite expensive with an as-tested price of $49,660 with destination. It isn’t worth the money considering you can get into a well-optioned Buick LaCrosse or Kia Cadenza for similar prices and feel you got your money’s worth. Also, Dodge offers the Charger R/T Scat Pack and Daytona 392 with 6.4L V8 that provide more performance for less money. Disclaimer: Chrysler Provided the 300S AWD, Insurance, and One Tank of Gas Year: 2018 Make: Chrysler Model: 300 Trim: S AWD Engine: 3.6L DOHC 24-Valve V6 Driveline: Eight-Speed Automatic, All-Wheel Drive Horsepower @ RPM: 300 @ 6,350 Torque @ RPM: 264 @ 4,800 Fuel Economy: City/Highway/Combined - 18/27/21 Curb Weight: 4,267 lbs Location of Manufacture: Brampton, Ontario Base Price: $38,295 As Tested Price: $49,660 (Includes $1,095 Destination Charge) Options: 300S Premium Group - $3,495 300S Premium Group 2 - $1,895 SafetyTec Plus Group - $1,695 S Model Appearance Group - $1,495 Beats Audio Group - $995 300S Alloy Package - $695 View full article

If you happen to have a pre-production Honda Civic Type R just sitting around, what would you do with it? If you happen to an engineer in special projects division at Honda's Swindon plant in the U.K., you decide to make it into a pickup. Codenamed ‘Project P’, the Type R pickup made its debut at the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) Test Day. To create this truck, the special projects division changed everything from the b-pillar to the back to install a bed with diamond-plate metal bed and a set of rollbars. The big rear wing is retained. The rest of the vehicle is pretty much identical to the standard Type R with a turbocharged 2.0L inline-four producing 306 horsepower, six-speed manual transmission, and adaptive suspension. Honda says the truck can hit 60 mph in 6.5 seconds and hit a top speed of 165 mph - just 5 mph slower than the standard Civic Type R. "We have a special projects division at the factory in Swindon and this project was a fantastic opportunity for the team to show just what their creative minds could do. The passion that our engineers have for Honda is shown in our latest creation and we are even considering taking it to the Nurburgring to see if we can take the record for the fastest front wheel drive pickup truck!” said Alyn James, project lead. Before someone asks, Honda explicitly states in the press release "no plans to put the concept into production." Source: Honda Honda Reveals Civic Type R Pickup Truck concept at SMMT Test Day Created by the team behind Synchro Motorsport at the Swindon factory Potentially one of the fastest pickup trucks on UK roads No plans to put concept into production Honda UK has stolen the show at the annual SMMT Test Day this year by showcasing a Civic Type R Pickup Truck concept, almost a year after the launch of the standard road car. Built by a specialist team from the Product Engineering department at the Honda of the UK Manufacturing (HUM) factory in Swindon and codenamed ‘Project P’, the Civic Type R Pickup Truck has been modified and developed from the standard road car to create potentially one of the fastest pickup trucks on UK roads. To create the Project P concept, the team used a pre-production version and adapted the design rearwards from the B-pillars of the car, with sweeping lines from the roofline to the back hiding a flatbed loading area in the centre of the car where the rear seats and boot space would normally be. Finished in Rallye Red, the concept retains the iconic rear wing associated with both the FK2 and FK8 Civic Type R, which, in a clever piece of engineering, is movable to allow direct and unfettered access to the rear of the truck. Using the same powertrain, suspension and gearbox as the standard road car, it is estimated Project P will complete the 0-62mph sprint in under six seconds and reach a top speed of over 165mph. It also possesses the same driving modes of comfort, Sport and +R, Project P offering both ride comfort as well as a unique racing capability on track. Alyn James, project lead, commented: “We have a special projects division at the factory in Swindon and this project was a fantastic opportunity for the team to show just what their creative minds could do. The passion that our engineers have for Honda is shown in our latest creation and we are even considering taking it to the Nurburgring to see if we can take the record for the fastest front wheel drive pickup truck!” Phil Webb, head of car at Honda UK, added: “This Civic Type R Pickup Truck concept by the special team at our Swindon-based plant demonstrates the passion and commitment of the team there – going above and beyond outside working hours to deliver the final product. There are no plans to put this in to production but we will be using it to transport our lawn and garden products as and when required!” View full article