William Maley

I've locked the thread for the time being. I will open it back up in a few hours.

Back in January, Ford announced they would be introducing 13 new electric and hybrid vehicles including a hybrid Mustang and plug-in hybrid version of the F-150. Automotive News has learned about four additional vehicles that will launch in 2019. According to sources familiar with Ford's plans, the company will launch plug-in hybrid versions of the Escape and Lincoln MKC, along with hybrid variants of the Expedition and Navigator. Jeff Schuster, senior vice president of forecasting for LMC Automotive said it makes sense for Ford to do hybrid variants of SUVs and crossovers as they are hot sellers. "They're at a critical point in their strategy, and that's trying to balance today and tomorrow. You don't want to go all in on EVs at this point because that's not going to pay the bills and keep the lights on today, but you also don't want to get behind," said Schuster. The return of a hybrid Escape comes at an interesting time as Ford begins to end production of the C-Max Hybrid and Energi models. Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required) View full article

It seems somewhat odd that GMC doesn't have a subcompact/entry-level crossover like its sister brands Buick and Chevrolet. Speaking with Automotive News at the media launch of the GMC Terrain, the head of Buick and GMC Duncan Aldred said a model that is smaller and less-expensive than the Terrain is "a logical place" for the brand to expand. "To me, there is more room for SUVs in the GMC stable. An obvious place for GMC to be if it expands is that small SUV segment," said Aldred. Small crossovers have become one of the hottest segments in the past few years with various automakers throwing their hat into the ring. Aldred admitted that GMC "should have been first in the segment." Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required) View full article

When the final Australian-built Holden Commodore rolls down the line next month, it will mark the end a number things including the end of the SS nameplate. “Calais stays, but SS doesn’t. Outside of that, we’ll let you know. We’re still six months away from launch,” said Holden director of communications Sean Poppitt to CarAdvice. “The only product that currently has it [the SS name] in Australia is the V8 Commodore. So when we stop making V8s, that’s when we stop the SS. That doesn't the SS name will never return on a Holden vehicle. “It’s a GM name, so it’s also used on Camaros and other performance vehicles. None of which I can comment on coming to Australia, but can I categorically say that you won’t see SS on a GM vehicle in Australia again? No,” said Poppitt. We also got some confirmation on a key piece of information pertaining to the Commodore and Buick Regal. Last year, we reported that the Insignia (the model on which the Commodore was based) couldn't take anything larger than a V6 engine due to the design of the platform. Speaking with Motoring, the lead development engineer for the Commodore David Johnson confirmed the tight confines of the platform. “We looked at it, in a lot of depth, but the architecture wasn’t designed for it. There’s just no where to put the turbos. It was a stretch to get a V6 in it at all,” said Johnson. Source: CarAdvice, Motoring View full article

Late last week, Volkswagen unveiled the production T-Roc crossover. The subcompact crossover is based on the MQB platform and stands out with a stylish look and range of gas and diesel engines. Previously, we have reported that the T-Roc was under consideration for the U.S.. But a new report says the model is off the table for the time being. “The car is meant for Europe and China. The most compact model of the Volkswagen range for the U.S. remains Tiguan,” a Volkswagen source tells Automobile Magazine. No reason was given as to why the T-Roc would skip the U.S. But if we were to hazard a guess, it might be due to Volkswagen not being able to get the price low enough for the U.S. Only a couple of months ago , we reported that Volkswagen wasn't planning to bring over the Polo subcompact for the same reason. There was a rumor floating around a month or two ago that Volkswagen might do a different subcompact crossover for the U.S. Whether this happens or if Volkswagen decides to send the T-Roc to the U.S., we'll let you know. Source: Automobile Magazine View full article

The relationship between Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Volkswagen has been frosty, to say the least when it comes to a possible merger - Volkswagen has said no to this idea. But it appears the two have been talking about possible alliance when it comes to certain light utility vehicles. The Wall Street Journal has learned from a source that the two companies held discussions on producing some light-duty vehicles such as the Caddy van (Transit Connect and ProMaster City sized) and Amarok pickup. The source said the talks are still at an early stage. "It's still very vague, we have to see if this will be pursued," said the source. If these discussions do go somewhere, it might give Ram something it badly needs in the U.S.; a midsize pickup. Also, sources tell the paper that Volkswagen "isn’t currently eyeing the Jeep unit itself, or considering a takeover bid for Fiat Chrysler." They're still dealing with the fallout from the diesel emission scandal. Source: The Wall Street Journal (Subscription Required) View full article

I’m one of the few people who actually like the current Toyota Prius - I named it one of my favorite vehicles last year. It offers excellent fuel economy and noticeable improvements to the interior and handling. So what happens when you add a plug to it? You end up with the Prius Prime which is much better than the last-generation Prius Plug-In and makes for an interesting alternative to Chevrolet Volt if you happen to be on a budget. The regular Prius was already a model that you either loved or hated the design. The Prime only exacerbates this as it comes with new front and rear styling to set it apart. The front end gets a new black treatment for the middle that makes it look like it is wearing a mask to hide its identity. A set of quad-LED headlights come from the Mirai and makes the Prime look futuristic. The back features a new tailgate design with what Toyota calls a “dual wave.” It may look ridiculous when put next to the standard Prius, but I dig it. One more thing about the rear tailgate; it happens to made out of carbon fiber to help reduce some weight out of the Prime. The weight loss is not really that impressive as the tailgate only drops 8 pounds from the curb weight. Move inside and the Prime is mostly similar to the Prius I drove last year with an abundance of soft-touch materials, color screens for the instrument cluster, and comfortable front seats. The key differences? You’ll only find seating for two in the back and cargo space is slightly smaller (19.8 vs. 24.6 cubic feet) due to the larger battery taking up some of the precious cargo space. One key item Toyota is proud of in the Prius Prime is an 11.6-inch, vertical touchscreen that controls many of the vehicle’s function such as navigation, audio, and climate control. But you may notice our test Prime doesn’t have it. That’s because the larger screen is only available on the Premium and Advanced models. The base Plus sticks with the 7-inch touchscreen with Entune. From reviews I have been reading about the Prime with the larger screen, it is a mess. The user interface is a bit of mess, performance is meh, and the screen washes out when sunlight hits it. The 7-inch system doesn’t have all of these issues - aside from the sunlight one. Entune may look a little bit dated, but the interface is easy to wrap your head around and performance is pretty snappy. The Prime’s powertrain is the same as the standard Prius; 1.8L Atkinson-Cycle four-cylinder engine and two electric motors/generators producing a total output of 121 horsepower and 105 pound-feet of torque. Where it differs is the battery. The Prime comes with a 95-cell, 8.8-kWh Lithium-ion battery pack. This allows for 25 miles of electric motoring - 14 miles more than the last-generation Prius Plug-In. In electric mode, the Prius Prime feels confident when leaving a stop as the electric motors provide that immediate thrust of power. This is a vehicle that will make other drivers question their thoughts about the Prius. When the Prime is put into the hybrid mode, it feels and goes like a slower Prius. A lot of this is due to extra weight brought on the larger battery - about 300 pounds. You will notice the vehicle taking a few ticks longer to get up speed, especially on hills or merging on to a freeway. How much range was I able to squeeze out of the Prime? I was able to travel between 24 to 27 miles on EV power. Average fuel economy landed around 75 mpg with mostly city driving. When I first got the Prius Prime, I had to plug it in to get the battery charged up. On a 120V outlet, it took 5 hours and 30 minutes to recharged - exactly the time listed by Toyota. If you have a 240V charger, a full recharge only takes 2 hours and 10 minutes on 240V When the battery is halfway depleted, it took about 2 hours and 30 minutes to fully recharge. The Prius was quite a shock when I drove it last year as it drove surprisingly well. It provided decent handling and the steering felt somewhat natural. The same is true for the Prime. You would think after four-generations of the Prius, Toyota would have finally figured out how to make the regenerative brakes feel like brakes in a standard car. But this isn’t the case. Like in the Prius I drove last year, the Prime exhibited brakes that felt numb and having to push further on the pedal to bring the vehicle to a stop. The Toyota Prius Prime is a huge improvement over the old the Prius Plug-In Hybrid as it offers a better EV range, short recharging time, and a much nicer interior. The exterior will put some people off and Toyota still needs to work on improving the Prius’ brakes. We have to address the elephant in the room, the Chevrolet Volt. The Volt does offer a longer range (53 miles), much better brakes, and a sharper exterior. The Prius Prime fights back with a larger interior, shorter recharging times, and low price. If I had the money, I would be picking up a Volt Premier as I think it is the slightly better vehicle. But if I only had $30,000 to spend and wanted something fuel efficient, the Prius Prime would be at the top of the list. Disclaimer: Toyota Provided the Prius Prime, Insurance, and One Tank of Gas Year: 2017 Make: Toyota Model: Prius Prime Trim: Plus Engine: 1.8L DOHC, VVT-i Atkinson Cycle Four-Cylinder, Two Electric Motors Driveline: Front-Wheel Drive, ECVT Horsepower @ RPM: 95 @ 5,200 (Gas), 71 @ 0 (Electric), 121 (Combined) Torque @ RPM: 105 @ 5,200 (Gas), 120 @ 0 (Electric) Fuel Economy: Electric + Gas, Hybrid City/Highway/Combined - 133 MPGe, 55/53/54 Curb Weight: 3,365 lbs Location of Manufacture: Aichi, Japan Base Price: $27,100 As Tested Price: $28,380 (Includes $885.00 Destination Charge) Options: Special Color (Hypersonic Red) - $595.00 View full article