CADILLAC SHOWS OFF SRX
After months of showing the vehicle
off the record to journalists, Cadillac has released this first official photo
of the SRX crossover vehicle due out next year. The 2004 SRX comes in either
rear- or four-wheel-drive versions; it’s based on the CTS platform and built in
the same plant, which raises the possibility of a four-wheel-driven CTS. The SRX
will sport either a 3.6-liter V-6 or a 4.6-liter version of the Northstar V-8,
as well as a long wheelbase and Magnetic Ride Control. Five-passenger and
seven-passenger versions will be available when the SRX goes on sale in the
middle of 2003.
GM Sketches Out '03
Concepts(8/19/2002)
2003 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
Mercedes-Benz will launch the E320
version of its new mid-size E-Class at $46,950, $1500 under the price of the old
model in the U.S. The top model, renamed the E500, sees a $1000 price increase,
but at $53,850, it also gets a new, semi-active suspension system, a four-zone
climate control system, and the car’s V-8 is upgraded from 4.2 liters to 5.0
liters. While E-Class sales will be down slightly this year due to the model
changeover, Mercedes’ marketing chief, Dave Schembri, is forecasting 2003 will
see sales of the new sedan surge to at least 51,000 in the U.S., which would be
the best year ever for the mid-size mainstay. Even so, Mercedes expects the
C-Class to remain its best-selling model, largely due to the proliferation of
new niche spin-offs, such as the C Coupe and the C240 wagon, the latter also
being launched this month.
2003 Mercedes-Benz CLK-Class by Jill Amadio
(8/19/2002)
2003 Jaguar XK
It may look like the old XKR, but
Jaguar’s got some changes in store for ’03 on its high-performance coupe. The
updated model hits 390 hp, a full 30 more than in ’02, noted Bob Dover, the head
of Ford’s so-called “Brit Group.” That’s pumped through a new six-speed
automatic gearbox with manual override. On the street, the updated XKR will
launch from zero to 60 mph in 5.2 seconds. There are other changes for ’03,
including xenon headlamps, Adaptive Cruise Control and a collision alert system.
One feature not added is any price increase. In today’s competitive market,
Dover noted, Jaguar will hold the old MSRP. Jaguar pointedly displayed a coupe
version of the XKR during its Pebble Beach launch, which Dover referred to as
“such a civilized car.” Right now, however, the XK convertible is outselling the
hardtop in the U.S. by 9-1.
2002 Pebble
Beach Concours(8/19/2002)
2002 Chrysler Cali Cruiser concept
Pulling the wraps off of a new
Chrysler concept, Jim Schroer, Executive Vice President-Chrysler Group Global
Sales and Marketing, described the California Cruiser as "the next wave." The
all-new concept, unveiled at Chrysler's traditional and exclusive dinner
honoring the judges and organizers of the 52nd Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance,
will debut at the Paris Motor Show. The concept has two large doors, an
innovative rear hatch, a multifunctional interior and room for four passengers
and their travel needs, although it can be transformed into a "hotel room for
two." Wearing design cues from the Chrysler Crossfire and Pacifica concepts, the
California Cruiser has scalloped headlamps, a chrome accented grille and an
integrated bumper. "Chrysler's next wave experience is not the same ol' Chrysler
Group," said Schroer. ”We're back in the black and we're re-energized, and we're
here to celebrate the new wave, the new vision-the millennium wave."
—Sue Mead
Dream Cruise: Marketing Dream?
(8/19/2002)
AMERICANS DRIVING ALONE
More Americans than ever are going it alone to
work, the AP reports. According to 2000 Census figures, about 76 percent of
drivers 16 and older headed to work drive there alone. In 1980, the figure was
64 percent; in 1990, 73 percent, the news service says. About 12 percent of
Americans carpool to work, down eight percent in the past two decades. Five
percent of us use public transportation, and three percent actually walk to
work. The residents of Huntington, W. Va. — Ashland, Ky., were the loneliest –
some 87 percent commute solo — while only 38 percent of Washington, D.C.,
residents drove in by themselves.
BMW RECALLING FOR
AIRBAGS
BMW
will recall 20,500 3-Series vehicles for an airbag fix, Reuters reports. The
German automaker will recall the vehicles in question for the second time to
repair airbags that sometimes deploy without an accident. The vehicles in
question are 323i and 328i sedans built between April and August 1999. The first
recall affected more than 34,000 of the same model. Dealers will reprogram
airbag controllers to keep the airbags from activating when drivers run into
curbs or potholes.
2002 BMW M3 SMG by Eric Peters
(8/5/2002)
GM RECALLING 720,000 VEHICLES
General Motors will recall about 720,000 cars and
trucks for two separate problems, the company said on Monday. In the first
recall, some 570,000 GMC Sierra pickups and Yukon/Yukon XL SUVs and Chevrolet
Suburban/Silverados will be recalled so that an airbag module can be
recalibrated. The existing calibration could interfere with airbag deployment in
a crash, GM said in a release. In the second recall spread over 13 GM vehicles
built in May and June 2002, the driver-side airbag modules could crack, leading
to less than optimal bag inflation. The latter recall involves about 150,000
vehicles.
CONTINENTAL RECALLING FORD SUV
TIRES
Germany’s Continental AG
is recalling about 600,000 tires used on the 2000 and 2001 Ford
Expedition/Lincoln Navigator. The company says the tires were not performing up
to its standards after two years on the involved vehicles. Ford said in a
release that it supported the recall, which centers on 275/60R-17 tires and will
cost Continental AG about $20 million, Reuters
reports.
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