William Maley

William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com January 2, 2013 Kia announced today that it has teamed up with Google to enhance the second generation of their UVO (Your Voice) infotainment system. The second-generation system will feature a Send2Car feature that allow owners to send directions or POI information from Google Maps directly to their car via the UVO smartphone app. Also, the system will have Google Maps and Google Places. "The newest iteration of the UVO platform is a breakthrough as one of the industry’s first mobile pure app-based telematics systems, and now with the Google solutions and APIs, we take the platform to yet another level of enhancement for the Kia customer. Due to the popularity and ease-of-use of Google Maps, owners can remain confident in the technology and information being delivered to them,” said Henry Bzeih, head of Kia's connected car program and chief technology strategist. Also featured in the second-generation UVO system is Kia eServices. eSevices follows in the footsteps of other infotainment systems by offering such features as 911 Connect – which calls 9-1-1 in the event of an accident, vehicle diagnostics, and where did you park app. The system will arrive first in the 2014 Sorento, followed by the new 2014 Forte. William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. Press Release is on Page 2 KIA MOTORS ANNOUNCES GOOGLE MAPS INTEGRATION TO ENHANCE IN-CAR CONNECTIVITY UVO Advances Kia’s Infotainment and Telematics with the Utilization of Google Solutions UVO eServices with Google functionality will debut in the new 2014 Kia Sorento, expected to go on sale during Q1 of 2013 Map and POI destinations to be sent to the navigation system through Web and mobile IRVINE, Calif., Jan 2, 2013 - Kia Motors America (KMA) today announced it will work with Google to provide content and search-based solutions enabled by Application Program Interfaces (APIs) for the second-generation of the automaker's innovative UVO eServices telematics system. These new solutions will initially be introduced on the new 2014 Sorento CUV. The immediate integration of Google solutions will utilize Google Maps and Google Places to acquire driving directions and locate Points of Interest (POIs) in a seamless and organic manner. KMA and Google look forward to continuing to work together to bring innovative navigation solutions to enhance the connected car experience. Available with the 2014 Sorento CUV, the new Google-powered UVO system will serve Kia owners whether they are in their cars or away from them. Enabled by the Send2Car feature, Kia owners can send a POI or destination to their car directly from the Google Maps via their smartphone1 UVO app. From within the car, Kia owners will benefit from Google Places, which will provide POI and destination resources such as a dealership location, and Google Maps, which will provide directions to virtually anywhere and everywhere a car can travel. "The newest iteration of the UVO platform is a breakthrough as one of the industry’s first mobile pure app-based telematics systems, and now with the Google solutions and APIs, we take the platform to yet another level of enhancement for the Kia customer,” said Henry Bzeih, head of the connected car program and chief technology strategist, KMA. “Due to the popularity and ease-of-use of Google Maps, owners can remain confident in the technology and information being delivered to them.” UVO continues to offer drivers hands-free mobile phone management capabilities and hands-free control of music from a variety of media sources, including CD, radio, USB, media player, and the Digital Jukebox. With UVO eServices, users will now be able to control the 2014 Sorento’s on-board navigation system through voice commands when the vehicle is outfitted with the UVO eServices/navigation package. Also new with UVO eServices is an enhanced telematics suite that offers a number of maintenance and infotainment functions, including 911 Connect, enhanced Roadside Assist2, Automatic Diagnostics, Manual Diagnostics, Scheduled Diagnostics, vehicle maintenance, and eServices Guide, many of which are run through the owner’s Smartphone equipped with the UVO eServices app available at no charge3. Advanced Voice Recognition makes it simple to operate many of UVO eServices functions, including the Sorento’s voice activated navigation system. USB connectivity allows users to download music files from a memory stick into the Digital Jukebox. The large eight-inch touch screen is easy to operate and incorporates Sorento’s rear camera display4, Infinity®5 Premium Sound System and My POIs (personal Points of Interest via online maps), a feature that makes it easy to customize the owner’s most visited locations. UVO eServices is compatible with iPhone®6 at launch and Android® phones are expected to be compatible in the second quarter of 2013. Key Features of UVO eServices: Google Integration: Utilization of Google Maps and Google Places to provide direction and location information. eServices Guide: Accessed via the touch-screen or voice command, eServices Guide places a phone call via Bluetooth® hands free connectivity7 to a voice response system that explains UVO eServices to the driver in an interactive manner. Car Care Web: Through the UVO eServices owner's portal, known as "Car Care Web," owners can check vehicle diagnostics, vehicle status, maintenance schedules, driving behavior, and schedule appointments with their preferred or nearby dealer via their home computer or mobile device. Owners also can earn awards for safe and eco-friendly driving viewable on Car Care Web should they rank high enough among their fellow UVO eServices owners. My POI: Also available to UVO eServices owners is My POI, a feature that allows owners to send a destination from Google Maps through their Smartphone to their UVO eServices vehicle. In the convenience of their home or office, the customer selects a destination from the Web via Google Maps, once the customer’s Smartphone receives the destination it will send the destination to the vehicle’s navigation system the next time the Smartphone is paired via Bluetooth® wireless technology. In addition, all destinations sent from Google Maps will be copied to the owner’s Car Care Web. (My POI is only available with UVO eServices vehicles equipped with navigation). Parking Minder: If the driver happens to forget where they parked the car, the Parking Minder function helps find it by sending the location of the vehicle to the driver's phone. If preferred, the owner also can take pictures of the surrounding area for reference, write a reminder note, email his or her location and set an alarm if the car is parked at a meter. To guide the owner back, the UVO eServices Smartphone app will display the owner and the vehicle's locations on a map. Vehicle Diagnostics: If UVO's eServices identifies a problem by way of the Automatic Diagnostics function, it will communicate the vehicle's issue(s) and its location to Kia's 24/7 call center or will schedule an appointment online with the nearest Kia dealership upon user request. With Manual Diagnostics, at the owner's preference, UVO eServices can connect the user with Kia's 24/7 call center or schedule an appointment online with the nearest Kia dealership, should an issue be found. Additionally, the user can take advantage of Scheduled Diagnostics from their Smartphone, setting a monthly diagnostic check of the vehicle. Upon completion, any issues found are automatically forwarded to Car Care Web. 911 Connect8: In case of an airbag deployment, the Crash Notification Assist function will alert emergency services. During a 10-second window, the driver has the option to cancel the call, otherwise UVO eServices will dial 9-1-1, read the vehicle's location out loud to the emergency services operator and allow the operator to speak with the vehicle occupants. Following the introduction of UVO eServices in the Sorento, the system will be offered in other models in the Kia lineup, including the all-new 2014 Forte sedan View full article

William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com December 31, 2012 The Jaguar XK has had to fill two roles in the Jaguar lineup; a sports car and a grand tourer. But with the introduction of the new F-Type taking the role of the sports car, the XK could be heading in another direction. Speaking with Autocar, Jaguar's design director Ian Callum said that the company was “going through a lot of discussion” about where to take the XK in the future. “It could grow into the luxury market, and grow in size. Whether it stays the same as a two-plus-two or becomes a two-plus-more-than-two has not been committed to yet,” said Callum. Source: Autocar 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 December 28, 2012 Back in 2010, Chevrolet introduced a new ad campaign with the tagline of 'Chevy Runs Deep'. The campaign was designed to emphasize the emotional connect between a person and a vehicle. However the campaign was met with mixed reactions. "I'm not sure that was appropriate for the mainstream market that they're in. They need to create a message that conveys some type of differential advantage, some benefit to the mainstream buyer that the Asians cannot offer," said Polk Automotive analyst Thomas Libby. General Motors and its advertising agency, Commonwealth are weighing whether to keep the campaign or go with something else. "We have not made a decision yet. What does a global campaign look like and how do we execute it? Is it one line around the globe or is it different taglines? That's what we're looking at right now," said Chris Perry, Chevrolet's vice president of marketing. The fate of the campaign will be decided in the first quarter of 2013. Source: Detroit Free Press 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 December 28, 2012 After a number of complaints from owners saying that their Nissan Leafs were losing charge capacity, Nissan has announced a new warranty for the Leaf's battery. “Nissan will protect against capacity loss in LEAF batteries that fall below nine bars, of the available 12 bars displayed on the vehicle’s battery capacity gauge, for the first five years or 60,000 miles in the United States, whichever comes first,” said Nissan executive VP Andy Palmer in a letter sent to Leaf owners. The warranty will debut on the 2013 Leaf, but the warranty will be expanded to cover all 2011 and 2012 models before next summer. Before, Nissan claimed the Leaf's lithium-ion battery would only lose 20% of its charge capacity after being driven for five years. However a group of Leaf owners in Arizona said their vehicles were losing charge capacity at a much faster rate and sued the company. Palmer in his letter also said that the automaker is also working "to improve the precision of the battery capacity gauge that displays remaining capacity in the Leaf's electric vehicle battery." “Our actions today are intended to put customer minds at ease regarding the topic of battery capacity loss,” wrote Palmer. “Even though it is expected the great majority of owners will never have to use this enhanced warranty, we want each Nissan LEAF owner to have the security that should capacity loss exceed this defined threshold, Nissan will cover the repair or replacement of their battery under warranty.” Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required), MyNissanLeaf.com 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 December 27, 2012 In the past few generation of its full-size SUVs, General Motors used pretty much the same interior design across all brands. That looks to be changing with the next-generation SUVs. “In the past we shared SUV and (pickup) truck interiors. That is not the case going forward,” said Chris Hilts, creative manager of interior design at General Motors to Car and Driver. Hilts cites two reasons for this change. One is that SUV owners want more refinement in their vehicles. Pickup owners want something a bit different. “We went to a lot of clinics. What we learned is that truck customers like their interior to feel like a truck. In some of our past experiences, we felt truck customers would like a passenger-car interior. That wasn’t quite the case when we started listening to what was being said,” Hilts said. The second is to help better separate the Chevrolet, GMC, and Cadillac versions from one another. “I think in the past we have not done so well with brand differentiation and we haven’t done so well with trim differentiation,” Hilts said. With the next-generation pickups and SUVs, “we tried to make a great effort to correct that.” Source: Car and Driver 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

Same here..

William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com December 24, 2012 January 13, 2013 is the date that Chevrolet will reveal to the world the new seventh-generation Corvette. But some leaked images could give us some hints as to what the rear end and interior look like. The images are allegedly from a user manual. The Corvette Fourm's member who posted these images cannot vouch for their authenticity, but the images seem to match up with past rumors. Starting with the rear end, the images show the new Corvette sharing some design cues from the 2009 Stingray concept. The images also reveal a set of quad tailpipes and uniquely styled taillights. Heading inside, the images reveal a new center stack with a large screen, paddle shifters, and a track telematics system that will display lap times, a small GPS map of the track with the car’s position, G forces, gear selection, and 0-60 times. We'll see if the images are the real deal or not when the 13th rolls around in a few weeks. Source: Corvette Fourm via 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

Yes. No. Yes I can tell where the corners are. No massive blind spots. It would help out in certain situations. Can't say since its an automatic spong? Yes.

No.. The way I have the seat setup, there is no legroom at all. (I'll get a shot of it sometime over Christmas.) Yes the plastic are on the cheap side. But in the FR-S I have, good build quality.

William Maley Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com December 21, 2012 The folks at Camaro5.org got their hands on General Motors service document on decoding VIN number on 2014 model year vehicles for dealers and found some interesting information. First is the 2014 Camaro which features a listing of the 7.0L LS7 V8 engine from the current Corvette Z06 (505 horsepower and 470 lb-ft of torque). Speculation has it being for a new Camaro model, the rumored Z28 model. Next, the document references a LF3 engine which is noted as "ENGINE GAS, 6 CYL, 3.6L, SIDI, DOHC, VVT, ALUM, TWIN TURBO". In plain English, it could be the long rumored 3.6L twin-turbo V6. The document doesn't list the 3.6L twin-turbo in any of the models. Other items the document notes is the 2014 Buick Verano looks be dropping its base 2.4L four-cylinder and going towards a 1.6L turbo-four. The 2.0L turbo model will stick around. Source: Camaro5.org 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 December 21, 2012 This week in the Cheers & Gears Detroit garage, I have 2013 Scion FR-S coupe. Its the car that a lot of people have been talking about this year. A lightweight, rear-wheel drive coupe that costs under $30,000..? Where do I sign up? Drew has briefly driven the FR-S back at the IMPA Test Days earlier this year and my test FR-S is pretty much the same vehicle aside from the color; a base model equipped with the six-speed automatic transmission for an as-tested price of $26,099.00 (includes $730.00 destination charge). The good: The steering is amazing. Its precise, has a good amount of feel and weight, and is very direct. The engine has a nice sound and doesn’t mind being pushed. The handling is really good around corners as the light-weight and nimbleness makes a fun car throw around corners. The bad: I can’t seem to fit into the front seats due to my shoulders being a just shy too wide for the bolsters. Also, I really don’t like the radio in this car because a good amount of the buttons are too small and trying to accomplish simple things like trying to setup the bluetooth system is a pain the butt. I’ll will be giving some updates of the Christmas holiday about my time with the FR-S. In the meantime, if you have questions on this orange coupe, drop them in. 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 December 20, 2012 Ford Motor Company has set an ambitious sales goal for the Lincoln Motor Company in 2013. A source tells The Detroit News that at a recent dealer meeting, Ford announced an 18% rise in sales for next year would constitute a "good year". For a brand that has experienced a 60% decline in sales during the past two decades, any growth would be considered good news. Some analysts believe that the 18% increase is not enough. "An 18 percent increase from this point will probably be a modest increase, For them to show any kind of momentum, they need to have a 25 percent-plus year," said Jesse Toprak, vice president of industry analysis at TrueCar.com. Ford's executive vice president of global marketing, sales, service and Lincoln, Jim Farley has said Lincoln is not trying to be the volume leader in sales. Instead, Lincoln hopes to be the brand that introduces new and unique designs, color schemes and technologies. The new Lincoln MKZ has just entered the market, and dealers are saying that preorders of the car are the highest they have seen since the Navigator in the late nineties. 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 December 20, 2012 The Detroit Free Press reports electric vehicles like the Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Volt aren't garnering the same residual values as gas vehicles. The report cites data from Kelly Blue Book which estimates the 2012 Nissan Leaf will hold around 20% of its value after five years while a 2012 Nissan Sentra will hold around 30%. The 2012 Chevrolet Volt is predicted to hold around 30% while a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze will hold 38%. Auto Leasing Guide (ALG), another pricing service estimates the residual values of the Leaf and Volt about a point higher than KBB. Now, the residual value estimates don't take into account the $7,500 federal tax credit on EVs. When you do, the values for EVs and gas vehicles are similar. That's due people purchasing the EV at a lower price. Source: Detroit Free Press 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 December 19, 2012 General Motors is moving production of the next-generation Camaro from its current home of Oshawa, Ontario to Lansing Grand River Assembly Plant in Lansing, Michigan according to a statement released today. GM cites “lower capital investment and improved production efficiencies” as the reason for the move. The Camaro is the only RWD vehicle built at Oshawa, so the move the Lansing Grand River to join alongside the Cadillac ATS and CTS makes complete sense. Also, the next-generation Camaro and CTS will move onto the Alpha platform which currently underpins the ATS. For the time-being, the current Camaro will still be built at Oshawa, alongside the Buick Regal and Cadillac XTS. Starting in 2013, GM will produce the new Impala. Source: GM William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. Press Release is on Page 2 Next-Generation Chevy Camaro to Be Built in the U.S. 2012-12-19 GM announced today the next-generation Chevrolet Camaro will be assembled at the Lansing Grand River (LGR) Assembly Plant in Lansing, Michigan. This decision is based on a comprehensive business case. Lower capital investment and improved production efficiencies were key factors in the business case. The Camaro is the only rear-wheel drive (RWD) vehicle built at Oshawa. Assembling the next-generation Camaro at LGR consolidates the RWD assembly with the Cadillac CTS and ATS. As a result, GM will continue to deliver top-quality vehicles as efficiently as possible. GM will continue to meet the production targets agreed to with the Canadian and Ontario governments during the 2009 restructuring. Production of the current generation Chevrolet Camaro will continue on the flexible manufacturing line at Oshawa Assembly until the end of the current product lifecycle. The Buick Regal continues to be produced there, and GM recently invested $185 million to support the launch of two new products on the flex line as well: the all-new Cadillac XTS and the next-generation Chevrolet Impala scheduled to launch in 2013. In addition, GM recently announced it will add a third shift to support the launch of the new Impala there. The consolidated line at Oshawa Assembly will continue to produce the current generation Chevrolet Impala and Equinox until June 2014. View full article