William Maley

It has been quite awhile since we have reported on an all-new model from Mitsubishi. But that will be changing in March as the Japanese automaker will debut a new crossover that will slot between the Outlander Sport and Outlander. The new model looks very familiar to the XR-PHEV and XR-PHEV II concepts with a sharply raked roofline and tailgate, bold character line along the side, and headlights extending to the fenders. For Europe, we're expecting a range of gas and diesel engines. The U.S. version will get a turbocharged four-cylinder according to Mitsubishi Motors North America COO Don Swearingen to Motor1 earlier this month. We'll have more details on Mitsubishi's new crossover when it debuts at the Geneva Motor Show. Source: Mitsubishi, Motor1 Press Release is on Page 2 All-New Mitsubishi SUV to Debut At 2017 Geneva Motor Show The forthcoming 2017 Geneva Motor Show marks a turning point for Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) with the world premiere of its latest SUV - the first of a new generation of Mitsubishi Motors vehicles. With its striking design, the sporty, coupe-like SUV will line up alongside the Mitsubishi ASX and Mitsubishi Outlander to broaden the brand’s model range and introduce a whole new audience to Mitsubishi Motors, a name long associated with stylish, tough and extremely capable SUVs and 4X4s. Sharper in its expression than a conventional coupe, this new, compact SUV will feature highly chamfered contours with a wedge-shaped belt line and a distinctive V-line in the rear quarter stemming from the forward-slanted C-pillar and the chunky, muscular rear fenders. The all-new Mitsubishi SUV will make its global debut on the Mitsubishi stand at the Geneva Motor Show (Hall 2, Stand 2130) on March 7 2017. View full article

We have known since last year that Porsche has been working on a Panamera shooting brake (wagon). Now we have an idea of when it will show up. Speaking with Car Magazine, Dr Stefan Utsch, director of sales and marketing for the Panamera revealed that the shooting brake will debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March and sales will kick off later in the year for Europe. We're expecting to see something similar to the Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo shown at the 2012 Paris Motor Show - the roofline extended a bit and larger tailgate. One item up in the air is whether or not the Panamera shooting brake will come to the U.S. "We have to have some patience for [the wagon] to arrive in the U.S. But we are confident that this car will be well received here, despite the fact that this country doesn't really like hatchbacks or wagons," said Porsche's U.S. chief, Klaus Zellmer last year to Automotive News. That could mean we might see the Panamera shooting brake as early as 2018. Source: Car Magazine View full article

China has given Cadillac a bit of breathing room when it comes to sales and working on filling out their lineup. Automotive News reports overall sales of Cadillac vehicles in the U.S. dropped 3 percent, while sales in China rose 46 percent. "We are moving Cadillac from having this very strong U.S.-centric focus to having a global focus. The time will come when we will sell more Cadillacs in China than here," said Cadillac President Johan de Nysschen in an interview. With sales going up in China, this gives the brand some flexibility from transitioning a sedan-heavy lineup to adding more crossovers beginning in mid-2018 for the U.S. Currently, the XT5 serves as the brand's sole crossover and best-selling model (2016 saw 39,485 XT5s sold). Not a good thing since light trucks currently account for 60 percent of total U.S. car sales. "The majority of our portfolio is exposed to downdraft, while we can't really capitalize adequately on all the opportunities that exist with the swing of demand into crossovers. Now, this will be remedied, of course, over time as we expand our portfolio, but in the meantime it is our reality," said de Nysschen. Dealers though don't get to have that breathing space. An 18-month window without any new products is making them very anxious. "We're in the retail business. We live and breathe month to month and weekend to weekend. There is a lot of product out there on the horizon, but nothing very soon," said Bill Wallace, owner of Wallace Cadillac in Stuart, Florida. The next product is expected to a compact crossover known as the XT3, due in mid-2018. Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required) Pic Credit: William Maley for Cheers & Gears View full article

Last year's Geneva Motor Show saw Subaru introduce the XV concept, giving us a preview of what to expect with the next-generation model. Today, Subaru has revealed a teaser for next-generation XV (Crosstrek to us in the states). Unlike some of Subaru's past attempts of taking a concept and making into a watered-down production model, the next XV looks to be very faithful to the concept's design. Subaru is keeping many details quiet, but we can guess some of them. Using the new platform that underpins the Impreza Power coming for a 2.0L four-cylinder and the choice of either a five-speed manual or CVT Less spartan interior and all new infotainment system We'll have more details on the XV when it debuts in March. Source: Subaru Press Release is on Page 2 Tokyo, January 23, 2017 – Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. (FHI), the manufacturer of Subaru automobiles, today announced that the all-new Subaru XV will make its world debut at the 87th Geneva International Motor Show to be held in Switzerland (Press day: March 7 – 8 / Open to the public: March 9 – 19, 2017). The all-new Subaru XV will be unveiled at the press conference scheduled for 11:00 AM (Central European Time) on March 7 at Subaru booth following a speech by FHI President & CEO, Yasuyuki Yoshinaga. View full article

They say timing is everything. As I mentioned in our quick drive piece of 2016 Subaru Forester 2.5i Premium, the automaker announced a refreshed version for 2017. Changes included a revised exterior, improved interior materials, and a revised EyeSight active safety system. Once we heard about the refresh, we knew we need to get one in for review. That’s what happened this past fall as a 2017 Subaru Forester 2.0XT Touring arrived at the Cheers & Gears Detroit garage. The XT is the important bit as it means we have the turbo engine. Let us begin with the engine as this is one of the best points of the Forester. The XT gets a turbocharged 2.0L boxer-four producing 250 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. This comes paired with Subaru’s Lineartronic CVT and all-wheel drive. The turbo engine solves some of the issues we had in the previous Forester. The 2.5i wasn’t as responsive as we would have liked and it takes its sweet time to get up to higher speeds. With the turbo engine, the Forester leaps into action. Yes, it does a take a moment for the turbo to spool up. But once it does, the engine delivers power at a steady and smooth rate. Subaru’s Lineartronic CVT is one of the better CVTs on the market. Part of this comes from the simulated gear changes Subaru has programmed for the CVT. This will fool most people into thinking that the transmission is a standard automatic. Also, the CVT doesn’t have much of a groan when you decide to floor the accelerator. The downside to the turbo engine is fuel economy. EPA fuel economy figures for the 2.0XT stand at 23 City/27 Highway/25 Combined. Our average for the week was 24.7 MPG. If you’re expecting Subaru to make some changes to the suspension and/or steering for the Forester 2.0XT, then you’ll be very disappointed. The 2.0XT is the same as the 2.5i we drove earlier. That means a smooth ride over some of the worst roads Michigan has on offer, but a fair amount of body roll when going around a corner. Changes for the 2017 Forester’s exterior include a new grille design, LED accent lights for the head and taillights; and a new set of wheels. The XT also gets a more aggressive front bumper. While the Forester is still a box, at least the changes have made it a bit more stylish. The interior remains mostly unchanged when compared to the 2016 model. The only change we noted is the option of brown leather for the XT Touring that is used for the seats and various parts of the dash and doors. It is a nice touch, but it would have been nice if Subaru had gone a bit further with the luxury touches - especially considering the price of our tester. Subaru has upgraded their EyeSight system for 2017 by installing a new set of color stereo cameras. Subaru says the new cameras allow better detection of various objects and a wider range of monitoring. We believe it as the updated system was able to detect vehicles slightly faster than the previous system when using the adaptive cruise control system. There is one big issue for the 2017 Forester 2.0XT Touring, price. The base price is $34,295. Equipped with an option package that brings a larger screen for the Starlink infotainment system, EyeSight, and reverse automatic braking, the as-tested price comes to $36,765. Taking into consideration for what you get for the price, the Forester 2.0XT Touring isn’t worth it considering you can get into some luxury crossovers for around the same price. You can get the Forester 2.0XT in the Premium trim which kicks off at $29,295, but you cannot get EyeSight as an option. If you really want a Forester with a turbo engine, wait for 2.0XT Touring to hit the used car lot as it will become a slightly better value. Otherwise, skip the 2.0XT and go with the Forester 2.5i or another crossover. Disclaimer: Subaru Provided the Forester 2.0XT Touring, Insurance, and One Tank of Gas Year: 2017 Make: Subaru Model: Forester Trim: 2.0XT Touring Engine: Turbocharged 2.0L DOHC GDI Boxer-Four Driveline: CVT, All-Wheel Drive Horsepower @ RPM: 250 @ 5,600 Torque @ RPM: 258 @ 2,000 - 4,800 Fuel Economy: City/Highway/Combined - 23/27/25 Curb Weight: 3,686 lbs Location of Manufacture: OTA, Gunma, Japan Base Price: $34,295 As Tested Price: $36,765 (Includes $875.00 Destination Charge) Options: Option Package 34 - $1,595.00 View full article

As Holden transitions from a local manufacturer to importer, this brings up the concern of what kind of vehicles will be available to brand. Previously, Holden had a limited choice of vehicles to choose from due to the requirement of being right-hand drive. But now, General Motors is promising a larger selection of vehicles for Holden to choose from. This could open the door for various models from the U.S. and other countries. This change comes down to GM's vehicle architectures becoming more flexible and used globally, along with a new way of thinking as GM's design boss Mike Simcoe explained, “Where we see there’s a need to have right-hand drive, yeah. We’ll have the ability to make a choice but the architecture will accommodate left- and right-hand drive” “The reality is as we reduce the total number of architectures they are going to be more global. We don’t design a vehicle specifically for North America anymore, because you always get caught out if you do. The numbers of those is reducing,” Simcoe went on to say. A key example is the GMC Acadia heading down to Australia as a Holden - due in 2018. That doesn't mean Holden will be able to pick any model they want freely. They still have to make a business case as to why they need a particular model. "I think it is looking at what are the global applications because in certain vehicles, like Camaro, there would be markets outside Australia and New Zealand, and understanding looking through it a lens of; does this make business sense? Does this make customer sense? Is it the right thing to do from a competitive perspective? So it's really a mix of variables that we take into account," said Lowell Paddock, head of product planning for General Motors International. Source: Drive.com.au, Wheels View full article

Even though it was launched a week ago, there is already about possible powertrains for the Kia Stinger. Spencer Cho, Kia’s overseas product marketing boss told Car and Driver that Stinger would benefit from the electrification options developed for the Optima, despite the different powertrain layouts - Optima uses a transverse layout, while the Stinger uses a longitudinal layout. “We can utilize the currently available hybrid, plug-in-hybrid, and EV technology” for the Stinger’s benefit, said Cho. While there are no immediate plans to do an electric Stinger, Cho said they could develop one very quickly. The development team behind the Stinger have considered this possibility and looked into ways to perform this change. One idea was to use transmission tunnel for battery storage. “We don’t have any EV in the plan yet, but we have the capability to bring EVs in the near future if the demand is there, based on market reception. The global EV market is still small, but it is getting bigger and bigger due to CAFE in the U.S. and European emissions standards,” said Cho. I have full confidence in our engineers and if we need the EV Stinger to come to light, our engineers can come up with ideas for putting the batteries into this vehicle.” Source: Car and Driver Pic Credit: NewspressUSA View full article

Ever since Martin Winterkorn resigned from his post as Volkswagen Group CEO due to diesel emission scandal sixteen months ago, he has been out of the spotlight. However, Winterkorn made his first public appearance today at a parliamentary committee in Berlin investigating the emission irregularities of automobiles. At the hearing, Winterkorn maintained his innocence, saying he had no part in the cheating, nor knew anything about it. “It’s incomprehensible why I wasn’t informed early and clearly. I would have prevented any type of deception or misleading of authorities,” said Winterkorn. Winterkorn declined to answer questions dealing with when he was informed about the scandal, saying prosecutors are still investigating. The defense that Winterkorn is using (not having any knowledge about the scandal until the news broke) is very much at odds with his reputation of being a detail-obsessed executive. “It remains difficult to believe that such a dedicated engineer like Winterkorn wasn’t aware what was going on. And if he wasn’t, he neglected his duties as supervisor,” said Stefan Bratzel, an auto industry researcher at the University of Applied Sciences in Bergisch Gladbach, Germany to Bloomberg. There is also a fair amount of circumstantial evidence that shows Winterkorn knew about this. A year before the scandal broke, Winterkorn was alleged to get a memo talking about the investigation into the EA128 2.0L TDI engine. He claims that he never saw that memo. There is also the allegation that Winterkorn sat in a meeting discussing the investigation. Before leaving the hearing, Winterkorn apologized once again. “What happened makes people furious -- me too. I’m deeply upset that we disappointed millions of our customers,” said Winterkorn. Source: Bloomberg View full article