William Maley

William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com September 23, 2013 In a surprising move today, Chrysler has halted Cherokee production at its Toledo, Ohio plant. “We have been producing vehicles since the end of June and have now built the critical number of vehicles we need to stock dealerships once containment is released. We will temporarily idle the second shift so as not to put additional strain on our logistics partners to get these vehicles into the hands of customers as quickly and efficiently as possible upon release,” said Chrysler spokeswoman Jodi Tinson in a statement this afternoon. Chrysler has idled 500 workers from the second shift and is expected to last two weeks. Other workers are being assigned to perform lengthy test drives of Cherokees. Bruce Baumhower, president of United Auto Workers Local 12 told reporters that Cherokee is ready to go, but Chrysler is being very cautious. "There's not a problem with the vehicle. The unusual thing on this launch, you've got a brand-new engine. It's never been used before. You've got a brand-new nine-speed transmission. You've got a brand-new torque converter. We're putting all those three things together and we want to make sure we get it perfect before they get released to the dealers." *UPDATE* The Detroit News has learned from workers at the plant that the reason for the production stoppage is due to over 1,000 Cherokees still having problems with the nine-speed automatic transmission. Source: The Detroit News, Toledo Blade William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. View full article

William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com September 23, 2013 Tesla has apparently gotten under the skin of General Motors' CEO Dan Akerson. As we reported back in July, Akerson created a group to study Tesla and how it could effect the company. Now, Akerson wants to take on Tesla with Cadillac. “If you want to compete head-to-head with Tesla, and we ultimately will, you want to do it with a Cadillac,” Akerson said to The Detroit News. Akerson went on to indicate that he would like to compete with Tesla Model S directly. “But I do think when the (Cadillac) ELR comes out late this year, early next — it’s certainly in the same postal code as Tesla, but now we’re going to move up. It’s not going to be a mass-produced car." Akerson also gave Tesla a bit of a ribbing. “We’ll sell more (Chevrolet) Volts and lose less money on the Volts than they’ll lose on the (Tesla) Model S.” Source: The Detroit News William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. View full article

William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com September 23, 2013 Reuters is reporting that Fiat will be buying General Motor's share of Italian engine manufacturer VM Motori. VM Motori currently supplies engines for the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Ram 1500 EcoDiesel. "GM's notification to exercise its put option to sell to Fiat its 50 percent interest in VM Motori SpA is in line with the contracts Fiat entered into when it acquired a 50 percent stake in VM in 2010," said Fiat in a statement. Fiat expects to have full control of VM Motori by the end of this year. No word on what the future holds for GM products with engines from VM Motori. Source: Reuters William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. View full article

William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com September 23, 2013 General Motors is considering whether or not to do off-road-focused versions of their next-generation full-size SUVs. "We are looking at, for this generation, a more off-road variant," said Jeff Luke, GM's executive chief engineer for trucks. Luke explains that off-road capability is a major reason why buyers go to full-size SUVs and not crossovers. Owners "just love off-roading with these vehicles. They look at this vehicle as more off-road capable" than crossovers, said Luke. GM sold a Z71 off-road package for their current-generation of full-size SUVs. The package added stronger shocks, larger wheels, and special styling cues such as bigger wheel flares and badging. The Z71 package was never a big seller though. Luke also said that GM would introduce more enhancements after the SUVs go on sale in March. When asked if an eight-speed automatic would be making its way into the SUVs, Luke said "Stay Tuned". Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required) William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. View full article

William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com September 23, 2013 Chrysler is taking the Ram 1500 Rumble Bee Concept out to dealer shows to gauge reception and find out from dealers if the concept should become a production model. "We will take it to some dealer shows and talk to dealers. We try to listen to the dealers. They know their marketplace," said Dave Sowers, Ram's head of marketing. "It is something that we could execute.” However if the Rumble Bee is given the green light, there will be a few items that will be left out. "Some of the things that we put on the truck weren't volume production possible for us. That flat yellow paint would be a little bit of a challenge in the plant and the actual bee in the shifter would be tough to execute," said Sowers. Source: Edmunds William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. View full article

William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com September 20, 2013 As we were expecting, Kia told its dealers this week that the K9/Quoris flagship sedan will be coming to the U.S. in early 2014. The flagship will wear the K900 nameplate (WHY?!) and have a marketing blitz during the 2014 Super Bowl according to dealers. The K900 will be Kia's first rear-wheel drive sedan sold in the U.S. and become the brand's flagship. It will come with the choice of either a V6 (likely the 3.8L with 290 horsepower) and V8 (likely the 5.0L Tau V8 from Hyundai with 420 horsepower). An eight-speed automatic transmission is expected to come as well. Pricing wasn't disclosed, but rumors have pointed to a price range between $50,000 to $70,000. As Don Hobden, chairman of Kia's national dealer council put it, the K900 is "a 7-series value for a 5-series price." Kia also told its dealers that the K900 rollout will begin at dealerships on the West Coast, in New England, and Florida before going on sale nationwide. Dealers will undergo special training and buy special items for their showrooms. This sounds very familiar when Hyundai launched the Equus. Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required) William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. View full article

Not really. Moving between functions was pretty quick. I was surprised by how fast this system was in its first generation.

William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com September 20, 2013 Honda is hard at work on the next-generation Civic Type R which will pack a 2.0L turbo-four with 276 horsepower going to the front wheels. But don't expect to see this hot Civic coming to our shores anytime soon. Part of the reason comes from the Civic sold in the U.S. and the one sold elsewhere is very different. The other part comes from the Civic being seen as a econo-box and launching a high-performance and somewhat costly Civic seems like a bad idea. Now at this point, I'm sure you're wondering why I'm telling you about this vehicle that will never appear in the U.S. Well according to CarSales.com.au, the next-generation CR-Z will utilize the same platform as the new Type R. According to an unnamed source, the CR-Z will use a shortened wheelbase and a somewhat soften suspension setup from the Type R. Power will come fromdirect-injected and turbocharged 1.5L four-cylinder engine teamed with Honda's Integrated Motor Assist (IMA) hybrid system. Total output is around 221 horsepower. This is paired with a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox. We're not sure if we fully buy this as there is one source to this story and the details are a bit sketchy. We'll be sure to keep an eye on this and let you know if there are any updates. Source: CarSales.com.au William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. View full article

William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com September 20, 2013 For the past few years, Kia has become the brand that offers a lot of equipment for a very surprising price. Kia is now applying that idea into their infotainment systems. Last year, Kia introduced the next-generation of their UVO which brings forth a new layout, more features, and what Kia calls UVO eServices. I had the chance to play around with UVO in the 2014 Kia Cadenza I reviewed earlier this week. First, a quick history on UVO. Introduced back in 2010, UVO was jointly developed by Kia and Microsoft. The system used a 4.3-inch color display and a advanced voice recognition system that allows drivers to take phone calls, send SMS messages, and access media through a variety of sources. Sadly, you couldn't get UVO if your Kia came equipped with navigation. The new version of UVO addresses that as you can get UVO with or without navigation. On certain Kia models, you have the choice of a 4.3-inch screen without navigation or an 8-inch screen with navigation. All Cadenzas come equipped with the 8-inch screen as standard. Using UVO on a daily basis was a breeze thanks to a simple, yet elegant interface with large touch points. The system responded very quickly whenever I changed stations, inputs, or different functions. Not bad for a new infotainment system. Voice commands also worked pretty flawlessly. No matter what I spoke, the system was able to comprehend and perform the task. Whether it was to play a certain song off my iPod or making a phone, UVO did it. The only real downside to using UVO deals with the button layout in the center stack. As I wrote in my Cadenza review, the buttons are too similar in size and shape. Add in the fact the buttons are mounted low in the center stack and you have someone taking their eyes of the road longer than necessary. Now on to the star of the next-generation UVO system, eServices. UVO eServices is much like General Motor's OnStar where it offers a number of services for drivers in day-to-day use and in the event of an emergency. Where it differs from OnStar and number of other services is how it connects. With OnStar and other systems like it, they have a cellular connection in the vehicle to offer those services, hence why you have pay a fee to you use it. With UVO eServices, the system uses your cell phone to provide the connection via the Bluetooth system. Once your phone is paired with the system, you can use eServices. The services available are; Roadside assist: Calls Kia's Roadside Assistance Vehicle diagnostics: Reports if there is anything wrong with the vehicle and allows a driver the option of to call a nearby dealer to schedule an appointment or call for roadside assistance. Parking minder: Sends coordinates of where the vehicle is parked to your smartphone via the UVO smartphone app. My POIs: Stores specific points of interest for quick recall; i.e. Your Home. eServices Guide: Walks users through some of eServices functions GPS Info: Displays coordinates of the GPS system. Other features of eServices include automatic 911 notification if the airbags deploy, a UVO smartphone app that allows your iPhone or Android smartphone some connection to the vehicle, and MyUVO.com where you can get basic diagnostic information and can schedule a dealer appointment. While I didn't get the chance to play around with all of the eServices, I can say Kia has a very impressive package here. UVO's eServices doesn't offer all of the services like OnStar, but it does cover the basics really well. Add in the fact that you don't have to pay an annual fee to use it only increases the value. It's hard to believe that Kia could be one of the automakers leading the way with infotainment systems. But with the new UVO system and UVO eServices, Kia has a one-two punch that's places it at the top of the infotainment pile. William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. View full article

William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com September 19, 2013 Within the past three years, Audi has shown two different quattro concepts. At the 2010 Paris Motor Show, there was the quattro Concept. Then at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show, Audi pulled the covers off the Sport quattro concept. Speaking with Auto Express, Audi's head of design Wolfgang Egger says that the quattro could reach production, but the decision of which one to use is being debated. "With every design concept we do we are thinking about everything becoming reality.” said Egger. “We have done one (designed for MQB platform (quattro concept)) and now we have done the other (on larger MLB platform (Sport quattro concept)) so now we need to make a decision.” Whatever happens, elements of the Sport quattro's exterior and interior will make their way into the next-generation of Audi's sports cars. Source: Auto Express William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. View full article

William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com September 19, 2013 It seems diesel mania is hitting truck manufacturers. Ram has the 1500 with a diesel option; Nissan has announced a diesel V8 for the next-generation Titan; and Toyota is considering whether to do a diesel option for the Tundra. Now a new report says General Motors is ready to join the diesel fray in half-tons if it proves to be popular. According to AutoGuide, GM can use the same 3.0L Diesel V6 found in Ram 1500. This is due to GM owning a part of the engine builder of the 3.0L Diesel V6, VM Motori. Also, General Motors commissioned VM Motori to build this engine for the European market CTS a few years ago. However, GM announced bankruptcy before the project was finished and the engine was shelved. General Motors spokesman Tom Wilkinson says that even if the company has access to that engine, they are pessimistic about the chances of diesel half-ton pickups succeeding. Wilkinson points out the high cost of diesel fuel and higher price premium the diesel models command over their gasoline brethren as possible reasons why diesel half-ton pickups could fail. But Wilkinson admits if diesel half-ton pickups take off, GM is “in a position to respond quickly.” Source: AutoGuide William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. View full article

William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com September 19, 2013 The U.S. Department of Energy has announced this week they will be putting up Fisker Automotive's $164 Million loan up for auction next month. This is in a effort to try and recoup as much money as they can. "After exhausting any realistic possibility for a sale that might have protected our entire investment, the Department announced today that we are auctioning the remainder of Fisker's loan obligation, offering the best possible recovery for the taxpayer," said Peter Davidson, director of the Loan Program Office at the Department of Energy in a blog post. "Consistent with the intent and statutory purpose of the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing program, the Department will require all bids to include a commitment and business plan that promotes domestic manufacturing capabilities and related engineering for advanced technology vehicles here in the United States." So who will be putting in a bid for Fisker? Well we have a list of possible suitors. We have the founder of the company, Henrik Fisker who has teamed up Hong Kong-based investor Richard Li, Chinese automotive supplier Wanxiang Group and Bob Lutz's VL Automotive, and German investment group Fritz Nols AG. Source: Green Car Reports William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. View full article

NO, NO, NO, NO! NO!