William Maley

Ford has announced that it will be revealing the new Ranger Raptor on February 7th in Thailand. Details about the model are very thin, but Australian outlet Motoring reports that it debuts a new 2.0L turbodiesel four-cylinder. No power figures were given, but Motoring says it should produce more power than the current top-dog in the Ranger's powertrain lineup - a 3.2L turbodiesel four-cylinder with 197 horsepower and 346 pound-feet of torque. A 10-speed automatic is said to be in the cards as well. We're taking the information about the engine with a fair amount of salt. We do expect Ford to be making a number of changes to the Ranger Raptor's suspension to make it fiend in the desert. Source: Motoring View full article

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is trying to put the past behind them with the 3.0L EcoDiesel emission mess. The company has restarted production of the engine for the 2017 Ram 1500 and Jeep Grand Cherokee, and is in the process of getting a fix out there for older models. Now, talks about a possible settlement for owners of the 3.0L EcoDiesel are making some significant progress. At a hearing yesterday in San Fransisco, court settlement master Ken Feinberg said that proposed settlement documents have been passed between lawyers for FCA and owners of the 3.0 EcoDiesel. The proposal was also discussed at a meeting where the lawyers for both groups were joined by the Justice Department, California Air Resources Board, and supplier Bosch. “We’re looking for different substantive ways to secure an early comprehensive settlement,” Feinberg said. “Everybody in good faith is certainly trying to figure out how we might achieve a comprehensive settlement.” An agreement on a settlement could happen before tests of the proposed fix are finished in March. Source: Reuters Pic Credit: William Maley for Cheers & Gears View full article

Acura dropped both a teaser photo and video of the 2019 Acura RDX Prototype. The RDX is an important vehicle for Acura as its the second-best selling model for the brand - the larger MDX is the best selling model. The teaser image doesn't reveal much about the RDX Prototype's design aside from a distinct character line running along the doors and rear fender and a lowered roofline. The video, on the other hand, gives us some more clues. The front loses the beak grille and will transition to the shield grille that debut on the Precision concept back in 2016. Inside, the RDX Prototype features an infotainment screen jutting out from the top of the dash and what looks to be a push-button transmission selector. Acura says the new RDX was "designed and developed for the first time in America" and will use a new platform that is exclusive to the brand. No mention of power, but we wouldn't be shocked if a turbo-four is under the hood. We'll have more details when the RDX Prototype rolls out on January 15th. Click here to follow all 2018 Detroit Auto Show News Click here to follow all Acura News Source: Acura Press Release is on Page 2 All-new Acura RDX Prototype Teased Ahead of Detroit World Debut Dec 20, 2017 - TORRANCE, Calif. Teaser video highlights sleeker, more evocative exterior styling and a completely new interior design of perennial top-seller Most extensive Acura redesign in more than a decade Best performing, most premium RDX ever to debut January 15 at 11:05 a.m. EST at North American International Auto Show Reveal to be Live Streamed through Acura social media channels Facebook.com/Acura, YouTube.com/Acura and Twitter.com/Acura The third-generation Acura RDX Prototype will make its world debut at the 2018 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) on January 15 at 11:05 a.m. EST. Representing the most extensive Acura redesign in more than a decade, the new RDX is the first in a new generation of Acura products inspired by "Precision Crafted Performance" and signals the beginning of a new era for the luxury automaker. Designed and developed for the first time in America, the new RDX will be built on a new, Acura-exclusive platform and incorporates key design elements of two recent concepts – the Acura Precision Concept and Acura Precision Cockpit. The exterior styling adapts the low, wide and sleek presence of the Precision Concept to an SUV, and features strong character lines that run along the entire profile of the vehicle. From the Precision Cockpit, the third-generation RDX features an all-new interior design, user interface and operating system designed from a clean sheet. The Acura RDX is a perennial best-seller in the premium-entry SUV segment, which is on pace to unseat entry-premium sedans as the highest volume segment of the luxury market. The RDX has recorded five consecutive years of record sales and seven straight years of year-over-year sales growth. View full article

The number of models that you can get with a manual transmission has been declining over the past few years. For the 2019 model year, there could be another one off the list. The Truth About Cars has been going through General Motors' VIN decoder document for the 2019 model year. One of the items they have discovered is the 2019 Chevrolet Cruze will lose the six-speed manual for both the gas and diesel engines. It also looks like a CVT will become available. The document doesn't list what model the CVT could go in - our guess is that it could be an high-mileage eco model. Now, GM could change what is listed in the documents in the future. Under NHTSA regulations, an automaker can add new information on models up until 60 days before the start of production. We'll keep you posted. Source: The Truth About Cars Pic Credit: William Maley for Cheers & Gears View full article

Maserati has made the decision to extend plant shutdowns over the holiday season in an effort to cut down on inventory. Sources at the FIOM and FIM unions tell Automotive News Europe the plants affected include, Grugliasco - home to the Ghibli and Quattroporte. The plant was shut down on December 15th and will not reopen until January 15th. Modena - home to Granturismo and Grancabrio. Plant was shut down on the 15th of December and will not restart production until January 15th Production of the Levante at Mirafiori will stop from today to January 15th A key reason for the production stoppage comes down to due to declining sales in China. Recently, the country introduced new rules on the relationship between dealers and automakers. One of those rules is automakers cannot impose stock on dealers. In October, Maserati moved 750 Levantes in China, down 67 percent from the same time last year. Maserati isn't doing so well in other markets. Despite sales being up 40 percent in the first nine months, mostly due to the Levante, sales in the EU dropped 4 percent in October and November. The U.S. was worse with a 15 percent drop. Maserati and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles declined to comment when asked about the production shutdowns. Source: Automotive News Europe (Subscription Required) View full article

Japan's manufacturing industry has been rocked by a number of scandals through the past year. It has ranged from inflating fuel economy figures, fabrication of product data, and recently, improper inspections of Japanese market vehicles by Nissan and Subaru. Now a new scandal has come to light. Subaru has revealed that it is investigating whether or not mileage readings on their vehicles were falsified during final inspection. According to Reuters, the mileage readings are used as an indicator for fuel efficiency. The company is checking to see if this data affected its official mileage readings and whether exported models are involved. "At the moment we are trying to confirm whether data was indeed fabricated, and if so, how this happened and which models are affected," said Subaru spokeswoman Miyuki Yasuda. This revelation stems from a current investigation being done by external investigators into final inspections being done by uncertified workers for JDM vehicles. Some inspectors told the investigators "that mileage data had been altered on some sample vehicle models tested during final checks." “Coming on the heels of the certified inspection issue, this could be a sign of a bigger problem of how Subaru manages its manufacturing operations,” said Janet Lewis, head of Asia transportation research at Macquarie Securities. Subaru's stock price fell as much as 8.5 percent during trading on the Tokyo Stock Exchange when this news came to light. Source: Reuters, NHK World View full article

OMG! IT HAS A VOLUME KNOB!

Mercedes-Benz has never sold the A-Class in the U.S. as it wasn't sure consumers would buy a luxury hatchback. But Mercedes will be finally bringing over the next-generation A-Class, but as a sedan. "We truly believe that now with the body style we have the right answer for the market," said Britta Seeger, Mercedes-Benz's global sales chief to Automotive News. When the model launches next fall in U.S., the A-Class sedan will become the brand's entry-level model. Mercedes is aiming the model at younger buyers that are new to the brand. "It's a very attractive car for younger people. But not only for younger people — it can have a broad audience because it's a nice entrance into the Mercedes-Benz family," said Seeger. Currently, the cheapest way to get into a Mercedes-Benz is the CLA-Class with a pricetag of $32,700. It is expected that the A-Class sedan will start under $30,000. When asked about this, Seeger said, "We will see." Click here for more Mercedes-Benz News Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required) View full article

GM Daewoo making a triumphant return!

Yes, GM withdrew Chevrolet back in 2015 --> https://www.topgear.com/car-news/usa/chevrolet-dead-europe

Despite General Motors mostly leaving the European market with the sale of Opel and Vauxhall to PSA Group earlier this year, the automaker isn't ruling out a full-scale return. During a recent meeting of the Automotive Press Association in Detroit, GM CEO Mary Barra said the company would "absolutely" consider a return to the European market, adding that "nothing keeps us from going back." But it will be some time before GM decides to go back. According to Barra, the company would need to build out a lineup of "transformative products" like electric or self-driving vehicles to make it worthwhile. General Motors does have a small presence in Europe with Cadillacs being sold by 45 dealers - most of them in Germany and Switzerland. The Chevrolet Camaro and Corvette are also sold in small numbers. Source: Motor1 View full article