William Maley

Previous Page Next Page Volkswagen has never understood the U.S. marketplace since the first Beetle. Their vehicles were either too expensive or didn't fit the needs of a buyer. But the company hopes with their new 2018 Atlas crossover, they can make end roads into the U.S. market and begin fixing their tattered image. The Atlas is basically the production version of the CrossBlue concept that debuted at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show. Details such as the long grille, flat-topped wheel fenders, a crease along the side, and sloping rear window are here. If you didn't know this was Volkswagen, you would swear it was a Jeep Grand Cherokee. Using a stretched version of Volkswagen's MQB modular platform (yes, the same one used in the Golf), the Crossblue measures 198.3 inches long, 77.9 inches wide, and 69.6 inches tall. To put this in perspective, the GMC Acadia is about 4.7 inches shorter and 2.5 inches narrower than the Atlas. Inside, the Atlas features three rows of seating for seven people. Volkswagen is quick to point out a clever folding mechanism for the second row that allows someone to enter the third row with a child's seat in the second. As for technologies, all Atlas trims will get Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and MirrorLink integration. Optional will be Volkswagen's Digital Cockpit which swaps the standard instrument cluster for a reconfigurable screen and a 12-speaker Fender audio system. At launch, the Atlas will come with two engine options, Turbocharged 2.0L four-cylinder with 238 horsepower 3.6L VR6 with 280 horsepower No torque figures were given for either engine. An eight-speed automatic and front-wheel drive comes standard for both engines. 4Motion all-wheel drive is only available for the VR6. 4Motion will offer various drive modes for various road conditions. A hybrid model is expected down the road. Volkswagen says the Atlas will be available at dealers next spring and will be built at the company's Chattanooga, TN plant. Pricing will be announced before then. Source: Volkswagen Press Release is on Page 2 VOLKSWAGEN UNVEILS THE 2018 ATLAS, AN ALL-NEW SEVEN-PASSENGER SUV BUILT IN AMERICA FOR THE MODERN AMERICAN FAMILY The Chattanooga-built Atlas arrives with a full slate of available driver assistance and technology features, a massive interior and a choice of two powertrains Largest Volkswagen ever assembled in America Five trim levels, priced for the heart of the competitive SUV market Available interior features include innovative Volkswagen Digital Cockpit instrumentation Two engine options: four-cylinder TSI® turbo or the available powerful VR6®, both with eightspeed automatic transmission Seating for two adults in the third row, with innovative access system Based on the award-winning Modular Transverse Matrix (MQB) architecture Optional 4Motion® all-wheel-drive system on VR6 models or standard front-wheel-drive Santa Monica, Calif. – The 2018 Volkswagen Atlas, unveiled tonight on the Santa Monica Pier at the end of historic Route 66, launches a new chapter in the company’s American history. Built in Tennessee, the seven-passenger Atlas offers class-competitive levels of technology and spaciousness combined with hallmark Volkswagen driving dynamics and attention to detail, all at a price designed to draw customers’ attention in the family SUV segment. “This is the biggest and boldest Volkswagen we have ever built in the United States, delivering the distinctive design and craftsmanship we’re known for, now with room for seven, ” said Hinrich J. Woebcken, CEO of the North America Region, Volkswagen. “The Atlas marks a brand new journey for Volkswagen to enter into the heart of the American market.” Engineered from Volkswagen’s award-winning Modular Transverse Matrix (MQB) architecture, the Atlas draws on the latest Volkswagen design DNA to create a bold new look in the SUV segment. At 198.3 inches long, 77.9 inches wide, and 69.6 inches high, Atlas is larger than any other Volkswagen on sale in the U.S., yet it retains classic proportions and clean lines that create a sense of timelessness and precision. Up front, standard LED headlights and LED Daytime Running Lights combine for a unique visual signature, with optional LED taillights to complete the look. Inside, the Atlas makes maximum use of its dimensions to offer space for seven adults and their luggage. The third-row can be easily reached by an innovative folding seat solution, one that works even with child seats installed in the second row. Simple, driver-centric displays enhance the feeling behind the wheel rather than distracting from it; while the available Volkswagen Digital Cockpit allows drivers to reconfigure how they view vehicle information. The available Volkswagen Car-Net® system provides a full suite of connected vehicle services, including standard App-Connect technology that offers integration with the three major smartphone platforms—Apple CarPlay™, Android Auto™ and MirrorLink®. The vehicle also features an available Fender® Premium Audio System that is the most sophisticated yet seen in a Volkswagen, with 12 channels, a 480-watt amplifier and 12 speakers. The Atlas offers available driver assistance features that had been previously been reserved for premium SUVs, at an affordable level. These include: Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC); Forward Collision Warning and Autonomous Emergency Braking (Front Assist); Blind Spot Monitor with Rear Traffic Alert; Lane Departure Warning (Lane Assist), which actively helps the driver steer the car back into its lane; and Parking Steering Assistant (Park Assist). Also, the Atlas is the only vehicle in its class to offer the Automatic Post-Collision Braking System. This builds on the premise that a collision is rarely a single, instantaneous action, but rather a series of events that follow the initial impact—the most significant of which can cause additional collisions. The Automatic Post-Collision Braking System addresses this by applying the brakes when a primary collision is detected by the airbag sensors, thus helping reduce residual kinetic energy and, in turn, the chance of additional damage. The Atlas arrives with a choice of two powertrains: the 2.0-liter turbocharged and direct-injection TSI® four cylinder with 238 horsepower or the available 3.6-liter VR6 engine with 280 horsepower. Either engine routes power through an eight-speed transmission to help maximize engine efficiency, and the Atlas can be configured either as front-wheel-drive or with available 4Motion all-wheel-drive in VR6 trims. The 4Motion system has a Driving Mode Selection feature that allows the driver to select specific parameters based on driving conditions. EPA fuel economy estimates will be released ahead of the launch in the Spring of 2017. The Atlas is built alongside the Passat at the Volkswagen Chattanooga assembly plant, the result of an additional $900 million investment by Volkswagen in the facility. The Chattanooga plant is the only automotive manufacturing facility in the world to receive Platinum certification by the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) program. Previous Page Next Page View full article

We are currently living in a golden age of compact cars. From distinctive styling to new powertrains that offer impressive power and fuel economy, the compact car has been growing up. One of the key players in this dramatic change is Hyundai. When they introduced the last-generation Elantra for the 2011 model year, it was unlike any compact that Hyundai or for that matter, any automaker had produced. The swoopy lines of the exterior made the Elantra look more expensive than it was. Plus the combination of a smooth ride and long list of standard features helped propel the model towards the top. How do you follow up this impressive act? Hyundai decided to play it safe when it introduced the 2017 Elantra at the 2015 LA Auto Show - evolution and not revolution. Was this the right decision considering the current crop of compacts? We spent a week in the Elantra Limited sedan to find out. The basic shape of the Elantra is mostly unchanged to the last-generation model. But Hyundai has done some finessing to it. The front features a larger hexagonal grille that has been appearing on Hyundai’s crossover lineup. There is also a new front bumper with a vertical strand of LED lights and reshaped headlights. The side profile becomes bolder with sculpting along the doors and more prominent character lines. In the back, the Elantra takes the trunk lid from the larger Sonata and new taillights. It might not be as daring as the new Honda Civic or Mazda3, but the Elantra has an air of elegance. It stands out but doesn’t scream about it. The interior is where you begin to see the big changes. Higher quality materials like soft-touch plastics are used in a lot of the interior. The dashboard design and layout is the same as the Sonata. This means a much easier control layout than the outgoing model and larger buttons for the various controls. Our Limited tester came with a 7-inch touchscreen as standard. Hyundai’s infotainment system is one of the better systems thanks to easy-to-understand interface and blazing performance. The 2017 Elantra brings forth Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. With our iPhone hooked up to the system, we found Hyundai’s implementation to be one of the best. It only took a few seconds for the system to recognize the phone before bringing up the CarPlay interface. From there, performance was smooth and we had no issues with either the system or phone locking up. Compared to the outgoing Elantra, the new model is about an inch longer and wider. This space has been put to good use in the back seat as legroom has improved. Headroom is still a tough affair if you happen to above 5’8” as your head will be touching the roof. The front seats provide a fair amount of adjustments to get yourself comfortable. The one item we would have liked is a bit more thigh support for longer trips. Most Elantras will feature the engine seen in our tester, a 2.0L Atkinson Cycle four-cylinder with 147 horsepower and 132 pound-feet. A six-speed automatic is only available on the Limited, but the base SE has the choice between it and a six-speed manual. Compared to the 2.0L found in the last-generation Elantra, there isn’t any real improvement in the power delivery. It still takes its sweet time to get up to speed whether driving on a country road or merging onto a freeway. Out of all the compacts we have driven in 2016, the Elantra is right alongside the Nissan Sentra for being some of the slowest vehicles in the class. The six-speed automatic does a competent job with providing smooth gear changes. Hyundai has two other engines on offer for the Elantra: A turbocharged 1.4L found in the Eco and updated turbocharged 1.6L coming in the new Elantra Sport. For our money, going with either one of these engines would be the better option. We’ll have a better opinion whenever we get behind the wheel of either model in the future. EPA fuel economy figures for the 2017 Hyundai Elantra stand at 27 City/38 Highway/32 Combined. Our week consisting of 60 percent city driving and 40 percent highway returned an average of 30.7 mpg. If there one area the last Hyundai Elantra did very well, it was ride comfort. The new model continues this with improved suspension tuning that irons out most bumps and imperfections. But Hyundai still has a lot of work to do when it comes to noise isolation. A fair amount of road and wind noise comes inside, making the Elantra not a great choice to do a long trip in. Handling has seen a noticeable improvement with the Elantra showing less body roll in cornering. Thank the additional structural rigidity Hyundai has added to the Elantra. Still, the steering could use a bit more work. It feels way too light and you’ll find yourself doing a fair amount of correction when driving on the highway. Hyundai took a big risk with the last-generation Elantra and it proved to be a major success. The design and features on offer shook up the compact car arena and sent manufacturers back to their drawing boards to build something that could take on the Elantra. But for this new model, Hyundai played it safe. They took an idea that was working and just improved it. In certain areas, this is a good thing. The interior is a much nicer place to be in and the addition of CarPlay and Android Auto is nice to have. But Hyundai could have done more to make the Elantra stand out even further. The 2.0L four-cylinder could have a little bit more power and more work should have been done in terms of keeping outside noises from entering the interior. The 2017 Hyundai Elantra is an improvement over the outgoing model. But in light of fresh competition such as the Chevrolet Cruze and Honda Civic, the Elantra doesn’t find itself on top as it once did. Cheers: Still sharp looking, Improved interior design, Comfortable ride Jeers: Slow performance, Too much outside noise coming in, Seats could be improved for longer trips Disclaimer: Hyundai Provided the Elantra, Insurance, and One Tank of Gas Year: 2017 Make: Hyundai Model: Elantra Trim: Limited Engine: 2.0L MPI Atkinson Cycle Four-Cylinder Driveline: Six-Speed Automatic, Front-Wheel Drive Horsepower @ RPM: 147 @ 6,200 Torque @ RPM: 132 @ 4,500 Fuel Economy: City/Highway/Combined - 28/37/32 Curb Weight: 2,811 lbs Location of Manufacture: Montgomery, Alabama Base Price: $22,350 As Tested Price: $23,310 (Includes $835.00 Destination Charge) Options: Carpeted Floor Mats - $125.00 View full article

Mine will be slightly stranger: 1989: Dodge Caravan Turbo 2005: Mercedes-Benz E55 Wagon 2010: Volkswagen Jetta TDI Cup Edition Today: Lexus GS 350 F-Sport Bonus: Chevrolet SS

Mazda has dropped a teaser picture of the 2017 CX-5 crossover that will be debuting at the LA Auto Show next month. The key item we can tell you is that the vehicle will be offered in red. Okay, we are being slightly snarky here. There are some details we can pull out once we have done slight tweaks to the photo (which you can check out in the gallery below). The CX-5 will be taking some details from the larger CX-9 such as longer front end, new grille and headlight treatment, and a revised greenhouse. We'll have more details on the 2017 CX-5 in the coming weeks. Source: Mazda Press Release is on Page 2 All-New 2017 Mazda CX-5 to Premiere at Los Angeles Auto Show HIROSHIMA, Japan —Mazda Motor Corporation announced today that the all-new 2017 Mazda CX-5 will make its world premiere at the Los Angeles Auto Show, open to the public November 18-27. Mazda will hold a press conference at 12:50 p.m. on November 16, the first of two press days. With the all-new CX-5 crossover SUV, Mazda has further refined every element of its design and technology to offer new dimensions of driving pleasure. Taking the KODO—Soul of Motion design concept to a new level, the company has honed the car’s beauty, imparting a powerful combination of sophistication and strength. Mazda’s Exhibits at the Los Angeles Auto Show Vehicles scheduled for sale All-new Mazda CX-5 [world premiere], Mazda MX-5 RF Vehicles on sale Mazda3, Mazda6, Mazda CX-3, Mazda CX-5 (current model), Mazda CX-9 Reference exhibits Mazda Prototype (race car) [world premiere] Technology exhibits SKYACTIV-G 2.0 (gasoline engine) SKYACTIV-G 2.5 (gasoline engine) SKYACTIV-G 2.5T (direct-injection turbocharged gasoline engine) View full article