2014 Ford Fusion hybrid is a strong, environmentally friendly car

The 2013 Ford Fusion was an undeniable success, with cars swiftly exiting showrooms. So it’s no surprise that heading into the 2014 model year, nothing extreme was changed on the ride and mostly minor adjustments made.
I recently spent some time in one of the hybrid models of the 2014 Fusion (the SE hybrid), and I’m back with my reflections.

STILL STRONG

The 2013 Fusion was the result of a strong and sleek redesign (a midsize vehicle with some personality, so to say), and offered a lot to like inside and under the hood too. It features a powerful ride for its class, and the same can be said about the 2014 update. The handling was another high point.

One minor adjustment from the previous year: Gone are the capacitive lighting buttons in the front, as many folks had complained about them being too sensitive. Physical buttons have returned and this is a good thing.

Technology/Safety features

The Fusion hybrid comes with the Sync system standard, and you can upgrade to MyFordTouch. (the upgrade will allow you to control more features of the vehicle by voice, and is something I’d recommend).

A new addition this year safetywise is inflatable seat belts, which can help during a collision. And you continue to have the option of all the safety features you can shake a stick at, designed to do everything from keep you in your lane to warn you if someone is behind you.

MPG what really counts

This is really the nuts and bolts of everything right here: The draw of a hybrid (outside of the environmental reasons) is keeping money in your pockets over the life of the vehicle by keeping you away from the gas station.

The official numbers on this Fusion hybrid are 47 mpg across the board (city/highway/combined). The hybrid option is available on all three trim levels of the Fusion (S, SE and Titanium), and there is an electric version the Fusion Energi available, too.

I got about 42 mpg during my time in the car, which is pretty good compared to most of the competition. This is a good Big 3 alternative to well-known hybrids like the Toyota Prius, and it looks more like a regular car too not a futuristic vibe like the Prius and other hybrids.

PRICE

I drove a 2014 Fusion SE hybrid, which starts about $27K. Not bad for a car that will save you a ton on gas.

With all the add-ons I had on the test vehicle (luxury package on interior/MyFordTouch/rear camera/Reverse Sensing system/Adaptive cruise control/Navigation/Lane Keeping System, etc.), the final price settled just north of $35K.

If you want a non-hybrid Fusion, you can get the base model for under $21K.

BOTTOM LINE

For families who want an attractive, powerful and safe ride but also demand high mpg, the 2014 Ford Fusion hybrid is one the best options they have if they’re looking for a domestic vehicle.

It’s got better gas mileage than some of the big foreign automakers in the hybrid category, plus an American nameplate. That should mean a big hit in these eco-friendly times when everyone is searching for the best fuel mileage.

Luxury cars pack these pothole-ridden, poverty-stricken streets

ABIDJAN, IVORY COAST Porsches, Range Rovers and even Maseratis… luxury cars are no strange sight weaving through the old bangers that rumble along Abidjan’s chaotic streets, another indication of the emergence of a wealthy class in Africa.

Each of the vehicles costs at least tens of thousands of euros, representing decades of work for an Ivorian earning the minimum wage, even after it was recently hiked 60 percent to 60,000 CFA francs a month. That’s around $125 a month or an annual salary of $1,500.

Yet in wealthy Abidjan neighborhoods the streets are jammed with more luxury autos than in rich quarters of American and European cities.

It’s the same story in Johannesburg, Lagos, or even Libreville. In the Gabonese capital it is common to see SUV after SUV snaking along the oceanside boulevard.

Wealthy Africans love the big, high, four-wheel drive vehicles.

Not only are they better adapted to the roads, regularly in a poor condition, they have also become something of a status symbol.

In Gabon, 70 percent of the 6,000 new vehicles sold each year are big 4x4s, mostly Japanese models, according to the Gabonese Federation of Car Importers.

Here, its a 4Ã4 or nothing, said one car importer who declined to give his name. For the Gabonese, the SUV has become the symbol of success, much more than a house.

In Ivory Coast, luxury cars make up only 3 percent of the 8,000 new cars sold each year, said one industry expert who asked to remain anonymous.

However certain customers are looking for the top of the line bling-bling cars there are people with money like that in the market, he added.

But the high taxes slapped on new cars have given the second-hand car market a boost. A significant proportion of luxury cars enter the country this way from Europe, the United States and even the Middle East.

And it isn’t just SUVs.

Despite the potholes that riddle Abidjan’s streets, there are importers offering low-slung sports cars like Lamborghinis and Ferraris.

A former rebel military leader turned security official, Issiaka Ouattara, known as Wattao, was recently seen on national television driving a Maserati.

This brash display of luxury cars is an indication of the growing wealth in Africa despite increasing numbers living in extreme poverty.

The African Development Bank put the size of the African middle class at 300 million in 2011.

Ventures financial magazine recently put the number of African billionaires at 55 more than triple the previous count. That figure is likely an underestimate, the Nigerian magazine said, as many are not comfortable disclosing the true extent of their wealth.

Expansion across the continent

Luxury automakers are not letting this bonanza pass them by.

Porsche boasts a brand new showroom in Victoria Island, one of Lagos’ most chic neighborhoods.

The German carmaker’s sales have jumped by nearly 40 percent the past two years in South Africa, where it has been present for decades.

It has recently set up shop in Angola and Ghana as well as Nigeria, according to Christer Ekberg, Porsche’s managing director for the Middle East and Africa.

With 2,000 Porsche cars sold in sub-Saharan Africa in the first three quarters of this year, which the company described as a promising figure, the automaker is committed to expanding further across the continent.

Local partners are being sought for dealerships in Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ivory Coast, Namibia, Senegal, Tanzania and Zambia.

Mercedes also views the potential of the African market as enormous, a spokeswoman said.

The German carmaker has an assembly line in South Africa, where it sells 20,000 vehicles per year.

BMW said it also intends to keep expanding across Africa, where it saw 15 percent sales growth in 2012 to 34,000 vehicles.

As for Audi, the company expects further growth in certain parts of Africa, where its sales have doubled in three years to 22,000 vehicles.

The carmakers are also being pulled in by the need to service their vehicles that have already found their way into African countries.

A lack of parts and diagnostic equipment has led to these high-performance vehicles being kept off the road for months in Abidjan, according to an expert on the local car market.

If Porsche comes to Ivory Coast, customers will be overjoyed to be able to repair their cars in a company garage, said another expert on the African market.

But they won’t necessarily buy there, he added.

Well-heeled clients are no different than others and will likely plump for a second-hand vehicle in good condition that is much less expensive, he said.

Daimler electric cars get fake vroom to thwart silent threat

FRANKFURT, Germany Christoph Meier, a sound engineer at Mercedes-Benz parent Daimler, typically spends time making engine noise less jarring. For the carmaker’s new electric models, he’s had to do the opposite create sound.

For Daimler’s e-Smart city car, Meier and his team invented a sonorous purring that was pitched higher than conventional vehicles, while Mercedes’s 416,500-euro ($569,600) SLS AMG Coupe Electric Drive gets huskier tones to reflect its power.

People expect some exterior noise from a vehicle, because we all grew up with the ‘vroom vroom’ of combustion engines, said Meier, who oversees 250 people as head of powertrain acoustics at the Stuttgart, Germany-based company.

Daimler isn’t alone in adding noise to electric cars. Renault offers a choice of car tones pure, glam and sport on the Zoe hatchback, while Nissan’s Leaf, the best-selling electric car, also comes with artificial sound. The issue has become more critical to carmakers as regulators look to require warning noises as soon as next year, while the rollout of more and more models requires manufacturers to seek ways to stand out.

Synthetic motor noise, like the jangly, high-pitched whir of Renault’s glam track, could save lives and at the same time protect investments in electric cars. The vehicles emit almost no sound at low speeds, making them a potential silent threat for cyclists and pedestrians used to reacting to the rumble of engines. With electric cars already struggling to gain popularity, a spate of accidents could further damp demand.

If a silent electric vehicle knocks over an elderly person or a child, it’s not worth the risk, said Neil King, an analyst with Euromonitor in London. It happens often enough in urban areas that people are stepping into the road without looking. You can’t get around that.

Although no data yet exists on injuries caused by electric vehicles, the European Union takes the threat seriously enough to propose legislation making acoustic warning sounds mandatory, and worldwide guidelines are expected in early 2014, according to German auto association VDA.

Blind and visually impaired people, who rely on acoustic cues to navigate through city streets, could be most at risk.

Without noise, we could step right in front of a vehicle and the driver would have no chance to brake in time, said Gerhard Renzel, who’s blind and a traffic expert for the German association for the visually impaired DBSV. What is important for us is that we don’t get killed in traffic.

Electric vehicles are mainly silent at speeds less than 19 miles per hour. Then tire and wind noise kicks in. While adding motor sounds at slow speeds may help avoid accidents, it also undercuts one of the unique selling points of electric vehicles.

One of the big competitive advantages of electric vehicles is their soundlessness, said Stefan Bratzel, director of the Center of Automotive Management at the University of Applied Sciences in Bergisch Gladbach, Germany. It’s a justified goal to have quieter cities.

Because of this, some carmakers are seeking to keep the din of electric vehicles to a minimum. BMW will add artificial sound to the i3 city car only where authorities demand it. Volkswagen also isn’t planning to add sound to its e-Up! model unless required.

Elon Musk, chief executive officer of Tesla Motors, said in June that electric cars should direct a pleasant- sounding noise as a gentle warning to nearby people rather than be required to emit sound all the time.

Daimler, by contrast, sees sound as a safety feature. On the electric Smart, the engine tone is standard in the U.S. and Japan and an option in Europe. Unlike Renault, which equips its Zoe, Kangoo and Twizy electric models with sound, the German company doesn’t allow customers to shut off the noise manually.

Smart’s sound mimics the noise of a combustion engine by getting louder as the driver presses down on the pedal and higher as the car accelerates. The German automaker will equip electric Mercedes models with a similar system. The real dilemma is designing an appropriate noise.

Simply imitating the sound of a combustion engine was not an option, said Ralf Kunkel, head of acoustics at Audi, who developed a tone for the A3 E-tron plug-in hybrid, which debuts next year. We discarded ideas of giving electric vehicles sounds such as birds twittering or leaves rustling.

With the stylish 500L, Fiat's American portfolio, demand just got bigger

When most Americans think of a Fiat, the Italian brand making a re-entry into America in recent years due to its connection with Chrysler they think of tiny vehicles. The larger 2014 Fiat 500L is out to change that perception, and I’m here with my thoughts on the vehicle after some time behind the wheel.

LOOKS

This is a hip-looking ride, no doubt about it. It’s very attractive and has somewhat unique styling (though it’s somewhat MINI Cooper-esque from a distance).

It’s a very European look, and you’ll definitely be noticed driving this vehicle. The windshield is much larger than on other vehicles, and you have the unique features of partial windows on the left and right to provide even clearer vision of the road ahead and on your sides.

Inside, it’s very roomy for a Fiat. The back seat has a decent amount of leg room and plenty of room for a car seat. You even get a decent amount of trunk space.

When seated in the Fiat 500L, both front and back, you’ll feel a bit higher than usual. The front seats are elevated higher than in most vehicles, and the back seats are even higher, offering a unique feel to your ride.

ENGINE, DRIVE QUALITY

The 1.4-liter MultiAir turbocharged four-cylinder engine in the Fiat 500L is not overly powerful, but it will get you around town adequately. At 160 horsepower, just don’t expect it to know your socks off. My overall feeling driving this car was very positive, as the handling was responsive and you could easily maneuver it where you needed to go.
One warning: It is a bit noisy inside the vehicle, as the road noise is not blocked out as well as I would have liked.

The mpg rating was good but not great, listed at 27 average (24 city, 22 highway); My numbers were a little bit lower than that.

TECH FEATURES

The UConnect 5.0 infotainment system is standard, and my test vehicle had the optional UConnect 6.5 touchscreen with GPS, rear back-up camera and rear park assist. This system  works very well to help you control the vehicle and get where you need to go, but it’s worth noting that many other vehicles in the Chrysler family feature a larger and even more user-friendly 8.4 inch touchscreen.

Bluetooth and USB connections are standard, a must in any new car these days.

You get a booming sound system (and an option to upgrade to include Beats technology), a smart move to try to lure a younger audience the natural target even more to this vehicle.

PRICE

$20,195 is the base price on the Fiat 500L I tested (There are multiple trim levels on the 500L, starting as low as $19K). Additional features such as the sunroof, heated front seats and the white roof, and the total on my test vehicle went past $25K.

BOTTOM LINE

The Fiat 500L distinguishes itself from the other vehicles on the road, something that is not easy to do these days. It’s not the most powerful ride, but it’s a larger Fiat machine with plenty of passenger and storage space and that is bound to attract a new class of customer to the brand as it continues to reintroduce itself to the U.S. I don’t think the Fiat line will top any sales charts anytime soon, but with the addition of a new and bigger model like the 500L, Fiat has a much better shot to do well and improve its standing in this country.

GM recalls 1.46 million cars in China

BEIJING General Motors will recall about 1.46 million cars in China, its largest market, in the nation’s biggest callback since a new law broadening manufacturer liability came into force.

Shanghai General Motors Co., GM’s passenger-car venture with SAIC Motor Corp., is recalling 1.22 million Buick Excelle and 243,297 Chevrolet Sail cars starting Monday, according to a statement on the website of China’s General Administration of Quality Supervision. The statement cited problems with parts that may lead to fuel leaks under extreme conditions.

China is stepping up protection for consumers as automakers from GM to Volkswagen seek to expand sales in the world’s largest auto market. The new law, which came into force this year, allows the government to order investigations and impose fines should manufacturers and importers fail to recall faulty vehicles in a timely manner. A separate rule mandating minimum standards for warranties took effect from October.

Even though it is a big recall, it won’t have that much of impact on the automaker given that components makers usually pay the majority of costs if they supplied faulty parts, said Han Weiqi, an analyst with CSC International Holdings in Shanghai. GM has established its brand image in China and the recall is unlikely to undermine their appeal to car buyers, especially when there are no casualties involved.

A total of 3.76 million vehicles have been recalled in China as of Dec. 24, on track for an annual record, according to the quality supervision administration.

Chrysler 300C AWD closes curtain on year

Happy New Year is my greeting to Denver Post readers from the cushy seat of the 2014 Chrysler 300C all-wheel-drive sedan, the final review of year ’13.

The Chrysler is one of 77 new models driven during the past 12 months, and its sticker of $45,670 nearly matches the average price of all, $45,900. In 2012, the average price was $46,424 for 72 new cars and trucks.

Those driven this year ranged in price from the Ford Fiesta hatchback at $17,135 to the sporty, luxurious, high-powered Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG roadster at $171,225.

The Chrysler 300 continues as a strong rear-wheel-based competitor against the Ford Taurus, Chevrolet Impala and Toyota Avalon.

Like so many 300s sold in Colorado, the review model was equipped with all-wheel drive.

It is upgraded for the future with the 292-horsepower Pentastar V-6 engine and 8-speed automatic transmission.

The V-6 acceleration, though somewhat pale when measured against the long-used Hemi V-8, is plenty adequate for the 4,100-pounder, and performs smoothly with the 8-speed, controlled with a short shifter.

Fuel mileage average was 23.1 for a fairly even split of city/highway travel (EPA estimate 19/27).

Jan and I tested the 300′s AWD setup a bit during a snowy, evening drive to Shanahan’s in south Denver.

The upright, square-jawed exterior design, introduced in 2005, remains popular with purchasers of large cars; also appreciated is a plush interior of fine craftsmanship.

Among amenities are Beats premium audio, heated front and rear seats and ventilated front seats, heated and cooled cupholders, heated steering wheel, panoramic sunroof, automatic high-beam headlamps, adaptive speed controls, rear power sunshade, remote start, navigation and rearview camera with large display screen.

During the year, I reviewed seven Fords, six Chevrolets and five Nissans. BMW, Kia and Mazda each provided four cars, while three each were offered by seven manufacturers – Audi, Buick, Dodge, Hyundai, Infiniti, Jeep and Volkswagen. Two cars each were sent by Acura, Cadillac, GMC, Honda, Jaguar, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Ram, Range Rover and Subaru. The reviews included single models from Chrysler, Fiat, Lincoln, Mini Cooper, Mitsubishi and Toyota.

Bud’s Cars and trucks driven in 2013 and their prices:

Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG $171,225;

Nissan GT-R $104,000;

Jaguar XJL AWD $86,295;

Range Rover Sport $79,030;

Lexus LS460 $76,620;

Jaguar XF AWD $69,045;

Ram 3500 Crew Cab $68,960;

Audi S5 Coupe $66,895;

Ram 2500 Laramie Longhorn Crew Cab $66,850;

Lexus GX460 $66,715;

Infiniti M35 Hybrid $66,245;

Mercedes-Benz E350 AWD Coupe $64,670;

BMW 435i xDrive $64,278;

Acura RLX $61,345;

Cadillac XTS AWD $59,625;

BMW 335i xDrive $56,145;

Acura MDX $55,400;

Infiniti JX35 AWD $55,170;

Jeep Grand Cherokee EcoDiesel $54,480:

GMC Sierra Denali $53,694;

BMW 328i xDrive GT $52,575;

Audi Q5 TDI $51,945;

Infiniti Q60 Coupe $50,405;

Range Rover Evoque $50,225;

GMC Sierra 1500 Crew Cab $49,045;

Chevrolet Silverado 1500 Crew Cab $48,750;

Audi A5 Coupe $48,560;

BMW X1 $48,395;

Cadillac ATS 3.6L $47,780;

Ford Explorer Sport $47,390;

Chevrolet Traverse LTZ $46,410;

Dodge Durango Limited $45,675;

Chrysler 300C AWD $45,670;

Buick LaCrosse AWD $45,475;

Dodge Durango R/T $45,165;

Lincoln MKZ AWD $45,025;

Ford Edge Limited $44,810;

Nissan Pathfinder $44,395;

Honda Pilot $42,250;

Kia Cadenza $41,900;

Buick Regal AWD $40,445;

Mazda CX-9 $40,030;

Mini Cooper S Paceman $39,800;

Chevrolet Impala LTZ $39,245;

Hyundai Santa Fe $38,730;

Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk $38,315;

Honda Crosstour EX-L $37,920;

Kia Sorento $37,450;

Ford C-Max Energi plug-in $36,240;

Ford Fusion AWD $35,980;

Ford Escape Titanium $35,130;

Subaru Outback 3.6R $34,365;

Volkswagen CC R-Line $33,020;

Hyundai Sonata Hybrid $32,640;

Kia Sportage SX $32,400;

Buick Encore AWD $32,230;

Nissan Altima $32,135;

Nissan Xterra Pro-4X $31,925;

Mazda CX-5 $31,890;

Dodge Journey $31,755;

Mazda6 $30,865;

Subaru Forester $30,420;

Volkswagen Beetle Convertible $29,290;

Mitsubishi Outlander Sport $28,570;

Ford Focus ST $28,290;

Nissan Juke Nismo $27,710;

Jeep Patriot Latitude $26,450;

Chevrolet Cruze Turbodiesel $25,795;

Fiat 500L $25,545;

Volkswagen Beetle TDI $25,460;

Mazda3 $24,985;

Hyundai Elantra Coupe $23,965;

Kia Soul ! $23,575;

Toyota Corolla S $23,570;

Nissan Sentra SL $22,400;

Chevrolet Sonic $20,405;

Ford Fiesta hatchback $17,135.

Corvette, Cherokee, O'Meara, Jag make news

Two of the most recognizable names in the U.S. auto industry – the Chevy Corvette and Jeep Cherokee – get my nod for car and truck of the year for 2013.

I was one of 1,200 journalists and auto executives crowded into the old Russell Industrial Center in Detroit in January on the eve of the opening of the North American International Auto Show for the unveiling of the seventh-generation 2014 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray.

Few introductions have ever drawn attention on the level of this one. “The soul of our company is sitting right here tonight in the seat of this new Corvette,” said Mark Reuss, president of General Motors North America. During a “strolling dinner” after the intro, I met up with and had a nice visit with Bob Lutz, former top executive at GM, Ford and Chrysler.

The new 2014 Jeep Cherokee; no, not the Grand Cherokee, the smaller one, the Cherokee; showed up perfectly timed against Colorado’s snow and near-zero temps of early December. Styled more interestingly than the old square Cherokee or the Liberty, which the new Cherokee succeeds, the new one is equipped with V-6 or 4-cylinder engine, 9-speed automatic transmission and three available four-wheel-drive setups.

Other highlights along auto row for 2013:

Surprise – After 100 years of one-brand loyalty, the O’Meara Ford family has looked to the west down 104th Avenue and purchased North Valley Volkswagen from Doug Moreland. We heard of the transaction on Christmas Eve from Bonnie Murray, who with her distinctive voice has long been the most famous O’Meara of all. The big sidestep caps an exciting year for O’Meara in its 100th anniversary. Alfred M. O’Meara got it started when he came to Denver from Detroit in 1913.

Best story – At the Denver Auto Show in March, when Jack TerHar, in introducing the 2014 Jaguar F-Type convertible, said, “I learned of it back in 2004 in a British pub in England. My tablemate, Ian Collum (Jaguar stylist), sketched it on a napkin while we drank beer. Nine years later, here it is.”

Lowest-priced – The sleekly styled 2014 Ford Fiesta hatchback at $17,135. It’s got wide, squnty headlamps and prominent grille out front, heated front seats and is powered by a 1.6-liter, 4-cylinder and 5-speed manual transmission.

Highest priced - The 2013 Mercedes-Benz SL63 AMG Roadster at $171,225, with twin-turbo V-8 horsepower of 557 and torque of 664.

In-state drive – That same Mercedes on an August evening along beautiful Colo. 72 toward Nederland; the hills were more green than normal for late summer. Linking us to the car’s heritage was our dinner at the German-themed Black Forest restaurant towering over the Boulder County village.

MPG – The 2014 Chevy Cruze turbodiesel averaged 43.7 miles per gallon on a 167-mile highway run and 35.6 overall for an entire week; the ’14 Mazda3 at 35.9 and the ’14 Ford Fiesta at 35.7.

Hybrids – Ford C-Max Energi plug-in 42.6, ’14 Honda Accord 38.9, ’13 Hyundai Sonata 38.8.

Worst fuel mileage – Snow and cold and icy roads contributed to a reading in January of 14.6 by a Hemi-powered 2013 Dodge Durango and 14.9 early this month for a 2014 GMC Sierra Crew Cab 4-by-4 with 5.3-liter V-8.

Snow Day – The drive to the 9,500-foot Bear Lake parking area of Rocky Mountain National Park in early February in a 2013 Ford Explorer Sport, with 19 degrees, blowing snow and 26 inches of snow depth. The Explorer’s AWD grip was put to use on snowy and icy roads, including a stretch of gravel.

Stop, quick! – I backed the ’13 Cadillac XTS4 from my garage, tugged left on the steering wheel, removed my foot from the brake, applied light pressure to the accelerator and let the car angle in reverse toward a large stand of juniper bushes alongside the driveway. Inches from the bushes, the automatic brake stopped the car, instantly, a sudden halt. It is effective in forward or reverse.

Worst color (or best) – Tangerine scream yellow on a ’13 Ford Focus ST hatchback.

Short side – I’d never driven a Buick of such short wheelbase, and company officials confirmed it. Wheelbase of the ’13 Buick Encore is only 100.6 inches, fractionally shorter than the little Skyhawk of the late 1980s. The Encore is the shortest wheelbase Buick since the 1912 Model 34, which measured 90.7 inches.

Quickest – Nissan’s 545-hp, twin-turboed GT-R V-6 with dual-clutch, paddle-shifted 6-speed automatic transmission. As I “kicked it down,” I surveyed the lane ahead, lowered my eyes to watch the speedometer pass 60; aha, we were approaching 100.

Dependability – Fred Gerbaz at 84 still shows up for work every day by 6:30 a.m. at Berthod Motors in Glenwood Springs. Quitting time is 6:30 to 7 p.m.

Hell’s bells – Twenty minutes and 12 miles west of Landmark Lincoln, where I had left with a 2014 Lincoln MKZ sedan, Jan and I found ourselves in a large parking lot off Shaffer Parkway in Jefferson County in a deluge of hail. We were being pounded. I steered the Lincoln toward a row of office buildings, eased over the curbing and over the sidewalk and into the covered entryway of an insurance office. Only the trunk extended into the downpour.

Least favorite – One of Honda’s lesser-known offerings, the ’13 Crosstour, an odd-looking, rear-sloped crossover. It is a decent handler, but its strange design has drawn criticism, and it has sold barely over 15,000 around the country this year.

Jan’s favorite – The 2014 Jeep Cherokee. Well, we do occasionally agree on cars.

Best greeting – Happy New Year!

Truck ads show tough men hauling boulders and babies

LOS ANGELES In the 1990s, American masculinity was undergoing a clunky transition. Hulk Hogan donned a tutu to babysit in Mr. Nanny. Robin Williams strapped on the apron to win back his family in Mrs. Doubtfire. Arnold Schwarzenegger gave birth to a baby, for ludicrous reasons, in Junior. But at least the red-blooded American male could still rely on his truck.

America is still the land of rugged individualists, Chevrolet’s voice-over artist announced as Bob Seger’s Like a Rock howled over a montage of America’s manliest men: stoic military service member, handsome cowboy friend, dude who has attached his torso to a pulley system for the purposes of lifting himself onto a piece of construction equipment, grease-encrusted guy who appears to have poked out his own eye, man heaving a toolbox onto a dusty workspace, dude reclining on his truck’s hood (perhaps because the bed was filled with stuff he had hauled, tiring him?). The commercial also featured two brief nods to the ladies; one of these women was taking off her sweater.

In 2013, Chevrolet’s vision of masculinity no longer looks so individualistic. In ads for the latest iteration of its Silverado truck, Chevy serves up the traditional macho imagery we see men driving across the plains, shaking hands near a tractor, sawing stuff, hauling stuff and standing importantly near fire extinguishers. But the ad gives equal weight to the Chevy man’s responsibilities in the home. It lingers on images of a man holding his wife’s hand, consoling his son after a Little League loss, and driving through the wilderness to the edge of a cliff where he picks up his cowboy-hatted son and sets him down on the truck’s hatchback for some quality time. The pickup truck has officially been domesticated.

The Chevy man’s shifting priorities are punctuated by the brand’s touchy-feely new masculine anthem, country singer Will Hoge’s Strong. (Everybody knows he ain’t just tough he’s strooooong). Seger’s Like a Rock was a song for a man with no concerns outside himself and his oversized load. It was about how the best years of your life are in your late teens when you have no special commitments and no career, Seger has said. It’s your last blast of fun before heading into the cruel world. The modern Chevy man’s strength is centered in family and community. It ain’t what he can carry, what he can lift, Hoge sings. It’s a dirt-road lesson talking to his kids about how to hold your ground, and how to live strong.

How did Like a Rock get so soft? Perhaps Chevy has wised up to the female portion of its pickup audience. Leo Burnett, the agency behind the new Silverado campaign, estimates that women now buy 15 percent of trucks, and industry polls suggest that they influence up to 85 percent of all vehicle purchasing decisions in the United States. Chevy’s new manhood is, in part, a feminine construction. (In Strong, Hoge notes that his masculine ideal will happily lend you his truck when you need to move something swoon). But the ad campaign also reflects a wider social shift in how men view themselves. In 2013, dedicated fatherhood is no longer a sight gag; it’s a cornerstone of masculine identity. More American men than women claim that they want to be parents. Professional men are more likely than women to describe themselves as family-oriented and to prioritize a strong, loving marriage and children alongside work. Half of working fathers with kids under 18 say they have trouble balancing work and family. Though today’s dads spend three times as much time with their kids than dads in 1965, 46 percent of them would still like to spend more.

Translate those concerns into the masculine fantasy world of the truck ad, and you get an ideal modern man who is equally capable of hauling boulders and babies. Importantly, Chevy doesn’t expect truck-driving women to carry the same weight. This year, Chevrolet released a rare truck commercial for women, featuring a lone rodeo rider who travels with her truck and her horse in search of a ribbon that goes on her wall, not in her hair. Boyfriends and babies are nowhere in sight. This woman represents the flip-side of all those studies she is less likely to want kids, less likely to prize marriage, less likely to trust that she can succeed at work while taking on responsibilities at home. At least when it comes to selling trucks, child-rearing is kind of a dude thing.

Redundancy carries a high price for Nissan, Infiniti

Nissan Motor, maker of all things Nissan and Infiniti, suffers from an embarrassment of riches. It has too many good but similar products competing in the same arena. The result is confusion and potential dilution of the Nissan and Infiniti brands.

For Nissan/Infiniti executives, the difficulty is this: How do we credibly differentiate our often similar products? How do we justify price differentials?

For Nissan/Infiniti customers, it is this: What are the real differences among the products being offered by Nissan/Infiniti? Why are some prices higher than others? Are the extra charges really worth it?

If this corporate/consumer conundrum sounds familiar to you, there is good reason. Think General Motors, Ford and Chrysler for the 40 years from 1960 to 2000. All three companies were seriously infected by what the automobile industry called badge engineering differentiating products mostly by minor cosmetic changes and overblown marketing hype, minus any fundamental engineering or technical differences.

It is a dysfunction born of trying to please every consumer in every price range, aggravated by the Tyranny of Dreams cars engineered to run faster than most laws allow, designed to cruise open roads that effectively are closed by traffic congestion generated by ever-growing populations, and that offer reasonable fuel economy.

At Nissan/Infiniti, the result seems to be Q-ism, as evidenced by this week’s subject automobile, the 2014 Infiniti Q60 IPL 6MT coupe. But first, some deciphering is in order:

The new Q60 coupe replaces the old Infiniti G37 coupe. But the only thing that has changed is the name. That is, the new Q60 and old G37 are technically identical.

IPL refers to Infiniti Performance Line, which is a marketing bid to capture those buyers who regard themselves as driving enthusiasts, and whose need for speed and precise vehicle handling requires something more than what is offered in the available Q60 Coupe Journey, Q60 Coupe AWD, Q60 Coupe 6MT or Q60 Coupe IPL.

What’s the difference?

The rear-wheel-drive Q60 IPL 6MT offers a slightly more sophisticated suspension than do its non-IPL brethren. It provides a more powerful version of the 3.7-liter, V-6 gasoline engine installed in Q60 cars. The non-IPL Q60 models, for example, deliver 330 horsepower and 270 pound-feet of torque; the Q60 IPL gives you a maximum 348 horsepower and 276 pound-feet of torque.

6MT refers to six-speed manual transmission. The Q60 Coupe IPL without the 6MT designation is equipped with a seven-speed automatic transmission that can be operated manually. AWD in the Q60 Coupe AWD means that, yes, it comes with all-wheel drive as standard equipment.

The real difference is in price. The Q60 Coupe IPL 6MT (standard six-speed manual transmission) starts at $51,650. The IPL version with the seven-speed automatic transmission starts at $53,550. But, for my money, the non-IPL Q60 coupe with all-wheel drive offers a better drive, ride and overall better deal than its IPL siblings with a starting price of $42,500.

I’ll cause a ruckus by writing this. So be it: The expense of the IPL package, leaving prestige and ego aside, just isn’t worth it. The 348-horsepower V-6 won’t actually move you any faster than the 330-horsepower engine. And, even if it did, to what end? A speed limit is a speed limit is a speed limit. I’ve never met a traffic enforcement official who was impressed by an automobile’s horsepower. Exceed the speed limit. Get caught. Get ticketed. It’s that simple.

That being the case, I would bypass the Q60 IPL duo altogether. I’d go with the more sensibly priced and engineered Q60 Journey, which starts at $40,850. It does not have the red leather and brushed aluminum interior of the Q60 IPL 6MT Coupe. I don’t care. I don’t want a motorized bordello. I want a pleasant, fun-to-drive, fun-to-be-in automobile. That is the Q60 Journey, once known as the Infiniti G37.

Note to Nissan: Stop confusing people. Review GM’s history. Eliminate redundancy in your product lineup.

Mary Barra, a child of GM, prepares to lead it

DETROIT When Mary Barra was born in 1961, General Motors was selling half the cars on U.S. roads.

In her booming middle-class suburb north of Detroit, the woman who will soon become GM’s CEO remembers pining as a 10-year-old for her cousin’s red Camaro convertible and tinkering in the garage with her father, a die maker who spent four decades at GM.

In 33 years at GM, Barra has worked in engineering, communications and human resources. She’s gained in-depth knowledge of a company whose complexity contributed to its losing ground to rivals and, four years ago, a trip through bankruptcy court. In each stop, Barra analyzed the situation and simplified things. For instance, she streamlined designs by using the same parts in many different models.

One of her professors at General Motors Institute, now Kettering University, saw evidence of her managerial abilities early on.

She was great in getting jobs done, putting a team together and making sure that it’s being done right, Mo Torfeh says. She was always the person who took charge.

Now it’s up to Barra the first woman to lead a global automaker to ensure GM prospers for a new generation of 212,000 employees spread over 23 time zones. GM’s board unanimously approved her for the post two weeks ago after CEO Dan Akerson announced he would step down to help his wife battle cancer.

Barra, 52, inherits a company that’s putting out strong new products and making money. Since leaving bankruptcy in 2009, GM has racked up almost $20 billion in profits. But it also faces intense competition in its home market and challenges in Europe and other regions.

Friends and colleagues say Barra has an unusual mix of skills. She’s fiercely intelligent yet humble and approachable. She’s collaborative but is often the person who takes charge. And she’s not afraid to make changes.

When you put her in a position that’s completely new to her, she does an amazing job of getting grounded, understanding what’s important and what’s not and executing very well, said Gary Cowger, a former GM executive who mentored Barra.

Barra, who declined to be interviewed for this story, has said she had an early aptitude for math and science. Her mother, one of eight children who never attended college, encouraged Barra and made higher education a priority for her and her brother.

She was so supportive, not saying ‘You have to do this or that,’ but whatever you do, put your heart in it, Barra said at Inforum, a professional development group for women, at an event in Detroit last year.

Barra joined GM at 18. She was a co-op student, working for several months at a time at GM’s Pontiac division while studying for her engineering degree at General Motors Institute, a Flint, Mich., college then owned by the company.

In a lab where students worked in teams to build electric motor controls, Barra showed natural management skills not often found in engineers, said Torfeh, the veteran professor who instructed Barra in at least two classes.

Barra was near the top of her class, but wasn’t the smartest engineer. Her people skills, however, were so strong that Torfeh thought at the time Barra would rise high in the male-dominated auto business.

Through the years, Barra stayed in touch with Torfeh. Last June, when she spoke at Kettering’s commencement, Barra took time to congratulate Torfeh and his daughter, who was graduating that day.

GMI was the training ground for many female executives in the auto industry, including Diana Tremblay, a GM vice president, and Carla Bailo, head of Nissan Motor Co.’s research in the Americas.

Bailo, who graduated a year before Barra and serves with her on Kettering’s board, said it’s understandable how many of the women who started in the male-dominated 1980s became leaders.

If you had the guts and gumption to stick that out, to say, ‘This is a man’s world and I need to blend in,’ that makes us some of the most adaptive people in the industry, she said.

Barra graduated from GMI in 1985, and GM eventually sent her to Stanford University to earn an MBA. When she returned, she rotated through a number of jobs, including executive assistant to then-CEO Jack Smith, a role often given to rising stars. She headed midsize car engineering and managed GM’s Detroit-Hamtramck plant.

Just after the 2009 bankruptcy, then-CEO Ed Whitacre put her in charge of human resources, a stop that isn’t normally along the CEO track. But in Barra’s case HR was key. GM had to keep talented people from jumping ship so it had bench strength to recover. Few people left.

In 2011, Akerson plucked Barra from HR to run GM’s huge worldwide product development, an operation he says was in chaos at the time.

Through all the moves, Barra did the same thing she did in college took charge and got people to work as a team, said Grace Lieblein, GM’s vice president of purchasing and a close friend of Barra’s.

It’s almost always Mary who stands up and says she’ll take that on, Lieblein says.

One recent problem she took on was the Chevrolet Malibu, a midsize car with roots back to GM’s pre-bankruptcy era. GM rushed an updated version to market in 2012. The car looked dull and sold poorly. Barra and her team made fixes in under a year, something unheard of at GM. The new version reached showrooms in the fall and sales are up.

Barra does have holes in her resume. She has little experience in sales and marketing or accounting, two key areas that she’ll have to rely on others to manage.

But Whitacre said she’ll overcome any knowledge gaps. What she doesn’t know she’ll pick up quite quickly, he says.

Barra made $4.85 million last year, including a $750,000 base salary plus stock units. The pay for her new job hasn’t been determined, but it’s no longer capped by government pay restrictions.

Much has been made about Barra’s gender. At the Inforum meeting last year, she stiffened when the issue came up.

We all come to the table, we all work hard, we all bring out skills and that’s the way I’ve always thought of it, she said. I never went and said, ‘That happened to me because I’m a woman.’ Just don’t go there.

Barra believes in balancing work and family. She’s been married for 27 years to Tony Barra, a technology consultant, and has two teenage children and a dog. She sometimes tells executives and engineers who are working late to go home.

Because her job spans so many time zones, there’s much travel and days are long. She’s on several corporate, nonprofit and university boards. She likes to go to dinner with friends, but after kid activities, there’s little time left for her own hobbies.

I don’t have a lot of free time, but that’s the life I’ve designed right now, she told Inforum.

When Akerson announced Barra’s appointment as CEO in a broadcast to employees, many of them applauded spontaneously, Lieblein said. I just thought, ‘wow, that is so cool,’ Lieblein said. She cares about people and they know it.

2014 Ford Fiesta is affordable, peppy, fuel sipper

Ford’s smallest car in the United States, the Fiesta, doesn’t have a hybrid powerplant and it doesn’t plug into an electric outlet. The 2014 Fiesta doesn’t even come with a fuel-conscious continuously variable transmission.

Yet, the affordable, sprightly, five-seat Fiesta ranks as a top nameplate in the United States in fuel economy among 2014 cars with conventional gasoline engines.

The Fiesta’s best fuel mileage rating from the federal government is 32 miles per gallon in city driving and 45 mpg on the highway. This combined 37-mpg mileage is for a Fiesta that’s fitted with a new-for-2014, 1-liter, three-cylinder, turbocharged, gasoline engine that generates 123 horsepower.

But even 2014 Fiestas with Ford’s 1.6-liter, naturally aspirated four cylinder that develops 120 horsepower can be rated as high as 30/41 mpg by the federal government.

For 2014, there’s other news for the Fiesta, which is sold as a sedan and five-door hatchback. The front styling on all Fiestas gets a bit of an Aston Martin treatment with new headlight shapes and prominent grille. There’s new equipment, including Ford’s MyKey that provides personalized controls over maximum driving speed and audio volume.

Best of all, the Fiesta can be tailored with many convenience, connectivity and luxury features even heated leather-covered seats.

Arguably, the most stylish and versatile of Fiestas is the hatchback, which was the test model.

Starting manufacturer’s suggested retail price, including destination charge, is $15,395 for a base, front-wheel drive, 2014 Fiesta S Hatchback with 120-horsepower, four-cylinder engine and five-speed manual. The lowest retail price for a 2014 Fiesta hatchback with automatic is $16,490, and this includes the same 120-horse four cylinder.

These base prices are in line with competing small hatchbacks. The 2014 Nissan Versa Note, for example, has a $14,800 starting MSRP, including destination charge. But the Versa Note’s four cylinder generates less power 109 horsepower. And the 2014 Hyundai Accent hatchback, with its four-cylinder, 138-horsepower engine, has a starting retail price of $15,705.

The test 2014 Fiesta five door was a comfortable size for driving in the city.

At 13.3 feet long from bumper to bumper, the Fiesta hatchback is subcompact in the government’s classification list and slips easily into many tight urban parking spaces.

Yet, the Fiesta hatch is not tiny, the way a Scion iQ three-door car is.

The Fiesta is long enough to allow a competitive 14.9 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats, which is more than the 12.8 cubic feet in the Fiesta sedan trunk.

This is not to say that back-seat legroom of 31.2 inches is spacious. Tall riders will want front-seat passengers to adjust their seats to better accommodate them.

Fuel consumption is not an issue. The test car with five-speed manual averaged nearly 32 mpg in city and highway travel, which is above the government’s 31-mpg rating for a Fiesta hatch with 1.6-liter, double overhead cam, inline four cylinder.

Power wasn’t punchy, the way it can be with a turbo engine. And when pressed hard, the engine became noisy. But the Fiesta moved well in city traffic.

Note that torque of 112 foot-pounds comes at 5,000 rpm. This compares with 123 foot-pounds at 4,850 rpm in the Accent.

The test Fiesta’s travel range of nearly 400 miles on a single tank of regular unleaded gasoline is noteworthy for a 12.4-gallon gas tank. The fillup cost for that amount of travel at today’s average price: $40.

Road noise came into the Fiesta’s passenger compartment, particularly on rough-surfaced pavement. But the car did not feel cheap or tinny, even though the Fiesta hatch weighed just over 2,500 pounds. The ride wasn’t punishing but passengers could feel many road bumps and vibrations.

The Fiesta’s tidy turning circle of 34.4 feet made U-turns easy. The electric power-assisted steering had a mainstream feel and brakes in the test car were adequate.

Every Fiesta has a steering wheel that tilts and telescopes so drivers of different statures can find a comfortable driving position.

The Versa Note doesn’t offer leather-covered seats, but leather and heated seats came on the test Fiesta Titanium hatch that priced out at less than $20,000.

The test Fiesta hatch also had MyKey, rear spoiler, fog lamps, driver seat adjustable lumbar, Ford’s Sync connectivity system with voice recognition, a new Sony audio system, two auxiliary powerpoints, push-button start, automatic-dimming rearview mirror and Ice Blue lighting in the instrument cluster.

In addition, all Fiestas come with seven air bags, including one for the driver’s knee to help keep the driver properly positioned in a frontal collision. The federal government hasn’t reported full crash test results for the 2014 Fiesta. But in frontal crash testing, the 2014 Fiesta sedan and five-door hatchback earned four out of five stars for occupant protection.

A new Fiesta the ST is due this model year as a 197-horsepower, performance hatchback.

test

test

Ally paying $98M auto-loan discrimination settlement

Ally Financial Inc. is paying $98 million to resolve U.S. government claims that minority borrowers were charged higher rates on its auto loans than whites with similar credit histories.

The agreement announced Friday by the Justice Department and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is the government’s biggest auto-loan discrimination settlement to date.

Ally is paying $80 million in damages to about 235,000 African-American, Hispanic and Asian and Pacific Islander borrowers, and $18 million in penalties. The higher rates were charged on auto loans between April 2011 and December 2013, according to the government.

Detroit-based Ally is one of the largest indirect auto lenders in the U.S. Ally doesn’t make auto loans directly to consumers; it buys the loan contracts made by auto dealers. Ally sets an interest rate for the loans and allows dealers to charge customers a higher rate, or dealer markup.

The government says the system gives Ally an incentive to allow auto dealers to charge higher markups. Ally failed to adequately monitor rate-setting by dealers, the government said.

Ally says it sets rates based only on borrowers’ credit profiles and that it doesn’t practice or condone discrimination.

Ally said in a statement that based on the company’s analysis of its business, it does not believe that there is measurable discrimination by auto dealers.

At the same time, Ally said it takes the government’s allegations very seriously and has agreed to the settlement terms. The company said it expects to take a $98 million charge against fourth-quarter earnings for the settlement.

Government officials said they have not accused Ally of deliberately discriminating against minority borrowers in its rate-setting. But whether the action is deliberate or not matters little to the borrowers who are discriminated against, they said.

Under the settlement, Ally will have to monitor dealers’ rate-setting to prevent further discrimination or eliminate the dealer markups. A compliance program to be established by Ally will include education of dealers about anti-discrimination laws and taking action against dealers when discrimination occurs.

We are taking a firm stand against discrimination in a critical lending market, Attorney General Eric Holder said in a statement. By requiring Ally to provide refunds to those who are overcharged because of their race or national origin, this agreement will ensure relief for Americans who are victimized.

The National Automobile Dealers Association said it fully supports the anti-discrimination laws but it criticized the approach taken by the regulators in the settlement with Ally.

The CFPB continues to withhold the secret methodology it uses to determine whether unintentional discrimination has occurred, the group said in a statement. The public still does not know whether the (CFPB) takes into account legitimate factors that can affect finance rates for example, a dealer’s ability, regardless of race, to lower the interest rate to meet a customer’s monthly budget.

Ally, the former auto loan and mortgage arm of General Motors, received a $17.2 billion federal bailout at the height of the financial crisis, to save the company and keep auto loans flowing. Ally has repaid roughly $12 billion. The Treasury Department still holds a 64 percent stake in Ally, with the rest held by a mix of institutional investors.

GM said last week it has sold its 8.5 percent stake in Ally for about $900 million, expecting to record a gain of $500 million from the sale in its fourth-quarter earnings.

Added grip boosts '14 Buick Regal turbo for Colo.

“Merry Christmas,” I shout, a few days early, from the driver’s window of the 2014 Buick Regal.

This sport sedan is well-suited to the Denver region, with all-wheel drive and a turbocharged 4-cylinder engine. And it’s dressed in what I would label “holiday red.”

I extend happy holiday greetings over the next 10 days to all my readers.

The Regal was a strong performer for Buick in the 1980s and ’90s, then became a bit bloated in looks until its production ended in 2004. It was resurrected in 2011 in much trimmer form.

The addition of all-wheel drive is the big news for 2014. It is a Haldex system with electronic limited-slip differential; it can send 90 percent of torque to the rear axle for improved grip and cornering in adverse conditions.

Coupled with the AWD setup is a redesigned 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder engine with turbocharging and an increase horsepower to 259 (torque 295). Fuel economy has been improved, along with the higher output. It is mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission, with manual mode that can be tapped up or down for quickened shifts.

The Regal Premium II edition shows a high-quality interior, with comfortable front soft-leather seats, lightly bolstered and heated. Legroom and footroom are tight in the rear seating area. Trunk space is 14.2 cubic feet, considerably roomier than that in the Audi A4 quattro.

The Buick and I took to the road for a couple hundred miles on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The first day was a drive in to Denver (Speer and Grant) for a luncheon at the Colorado Automobile Dealers Association building, a treat for business representatives who “deal with the dealers.”

Jan tested the front passenger seat in the Regal on Wednesday in accompanying me along the newly reopened, flood-damaged U.S. 34 up Big Thompson Canyon to Estes Park. Along the way for the Buick were stops where one-way travel was necessary as work continues along the road. Even after lots of cleanup, destruction in the canyon is shocking; cabins and homes hang precipitously over washed-out footings, foundations and basements along the river.

Lunch was spent at Mama Rose’s, not so much that we were hungry, but more for ducking out of the cold wind blowing down the main street in Estes.The descents and twists on the drive down from Estes to Loveland lend themselves to the use of the manual-mode shifter, and the Regal was of quick response and good handling.

Those highway drives and a number of stop-and-go in-town maneuvers resulted in an overall fuel-mileage average of 24.8. Premium-grade fuel is recommended for the Regal turbo.

The Regal is equipped with MacPherson-strut front and four-link independent rear suspension, along with lane-departure/rear-cross-traffic/blind-zone safety alerts.

The ’14 Regal Premium II with the AWD and turbo comes in at a base price of $35,935; options push the sticker total to $40,445. Besides some already mentioned, those options include adaptive cruise control, power sunroof and memory settings.

Among standard items for the well-equipped sedan are navigation, Bose premium audio with satellite radio, rearview camera, power windows/locks/mirrors, dual-zone climate control, tilt/telescope steering column and 18-inch alloy wheels.

BMW’s 3 coupes renamed 4 series

There are no longer two-door versions of the BMW 3 series.

The coupes will be known as the 4 series for the 2014 model year.

To clarify the change, BMW furnished us with a new 435i xDrive. It is lower and wider and an excellent handler.

Performance is directed from a 3.0-liter, twin-power turbocharged V-6 engine with a smooth 8-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive.

Hit a Sport button and the car reacts with more aggression. A stiffer suspension is felt on the bumps. Quicker paddleshifts and acceleration add to the quality drive.

Price of the 435 review model soared way beyond what might be expected from a former 3 series coupe. With the all-wheel drive, the base price of $48,000 climbed to sticker of $64,278, with the addition of these options and more:

M Sport 19-inch alloy wheels, sport seats, steering wheel, anthracite headliner.

Cold-weather package of heated seats and steering wheel, retractable headlight washers.

Driver-assistance rearview camera and park-distance control.

Dynamic-handling suspension and sport steering.

Lighting package of automatic high beams and adaptive LEDs.

Premium lumbar support and keyless entry.

Technology package of navigation, head-up display, Bluetooth and Smartphone.

M Sport brakes.

The 435 averaged 25.5 miles per gallon of premium fuel. Its EPA estimate is 20/30.

Tesla Motors fights back hard against report of possible Model S-related garage fire

PALO ALTO  Tesla Motors (TSLA) is fighting back hard against news reports that a garage fire last month may be related to its Model S sedan or the electric vehicle’s charging system.

Reuters reported this week that a Nov. 15 garage fire at a home on the UC Irvine campus may have been caused by an overheated charging system, citing a report by the Orange County Fire Authority. There was a fire in the wall socket where the vehicle was plugged in, but the car was not burned and no one was injured.

Tesla has found itself on the defensive after three battery-related fires involving the Model S first surfaced this fall. Two of those fires occurred after drivers hit highway debris and the other followed a collision.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration opened a formal investigation Nov. 19 that is ongoing.

Headlines about the Model S fires have infuriated CEO Elon Musk, who took to Twitter to blast the news coverage.Why does a Tesla fire w no injury get more media headlines than 100,000 gas car fires that kill 100s of people per year? Musk asked in one tweet last month.

Following the report of the garage fire, Tesla released a lengthy statement saying the company had investigated the fire and that neither the Model S nor the charging system was not to blame.

Based on our inspection of the site, the car and the logs, we know that this was absolutely not the car, the battery or the charge electronics, the company said. There was a fire at the wall socket where the Model S was plugged in, but the car itself was not part of the fire. The cable was fine on the vehicle side; the damage was on the wall side.

Tesla also said that a review of the car’s logs showed that the battery had been charging normally, and there were no fluctuations in temperature or malfunctions within the battery or the charge electronics.

The company called the Reuters report misleading, adding: It appears that their objective was simply to find some way to put the words ‘fire’ and ‘Tesla’ in the same headline. The journalists and editors who created the story have patently ignored hundreds of deaths and thousands of serious injuries unequivocally caused by gasoline car fires, instead choosing to write about a garage fire where there were no injuries and the cause was clearly not the car.

Reuters could not immediately be reached for comment.

Tesla says it is on track to deliver 21,500 Model S sedans in 2013. The company recently opened a showroom in Beijing and is preparing to expand production capacity at its Fremont factory, thanks in part to tax breaks on the purchase of manufacturing equipment issued by the California Alternative Energy and Advanced Transportation Financing Authority, chaired by state Treasurer Bill Lockyer.

2013 Porsche 911 Carrera 4S commemorates 50 years of love

This Porsche is the new 911 Carrera 4S. It’s the largest sports car the German masterbuilder has ever created. Up front I am as comfortable as a chubby banker in his favorite club chair.

There’s never a day when you wouldn’t want to find yourself driving a car like this, but this week it feels particularly apt as the 911 has just celebrated its 50th birthday.

To mark the occasion, Porsche has created a commemorative model. Aside from a few extra flounces and period references, it is the same as the one I’m driving here. But it’s worth noting as this is the kind of obsessional attention to detail that Porscheophiles love its multi-spoked wheels are inspired by the original Fuchs rims, the dials have green lettering, as the 1963 car did, and the badge colours are repeated in the headrests’ stitching. Porsche has also only made 1,963 of them. I love that sort of numerical homage.

Porsche does make other models from the poor man’s Boxster up to the unlovable Panamera, and it sells more of its hideous Cayenne SUVs than all the others put together but the 911 has always been the beating heart of the brand. It’s the quintessential sports car and the benchmark against which all others measure themselves. It’s the Steve McQueen; the steak baguette; the… You could go on. Porsches do this. They make you feel like you’re in love.

Over the 50 years more than 820,000 911s have been built. Most have made their way into their owner’s lives as surprisingly useful, everyday cars. Everyday? Actually, yes. There are not many supercars with room for two little elfs in the back and, despite being so low-slung, my elderly neighbor managed to clamber in and out. It’s biddable in town and even surprisingly frugal with the fuel. But all 911s, given half a chance, are flyers with the potential to let rip on the track. And to have such a limitless supply of power, grace and ability on tap is something that always improves your mood.

This all-wheel-drive car is powered by a phenomenal 3.8-liter six-cylinder 400 horsepower engine which I, of course, spent the week driving responsibly. It’s also fitted with a new seven-speed manual gearbox. It’s the world’s only seven-speed manual and it’s easy to see why it’s a complete pain. You never seem to know what gear you are in, or should be in. My father’s first car only had three gears and that served him well enough.

I rarely drive on my own. But late last Sunday I headed out to the quiet, dark lanes of Kent for one last go before the car was collected the next morning. I drove 50 miles in 50 minutes Porsche would like that. No music, just the engine’s mesmerizing buzz. Fast, slow, straight, cornering… and grinning.

Time to start the Christmas shopping

It can be hard buying for the car-lover in your life. But luckily the RAC has come to your rescue with the launch of a new online shop. It will stock 80,000 different products for motorists, ranging from headlights for a 1960s VW Beetle to a seat belt for the family dog. And also this amazing old-fashion pedal car… Have a look at racshop.co.uk.

Muscle-car mania

Ford is to reveal the new Ford Mustang to the world on 5 December. It will be unveiled in six cities round the world, including Barcelona, where Ford of Europe will hold a Go Further event to introduce new vehicles and technologies. Mustang is the most Liked vehicle on Facebook with more than 5.5 million fans. As part of Ford’s countdown to the unveiling, Facebook and Instagram will showcase what Mustang has meant to its millions of fans during the last 50 years. The Go Further event will be hosted by Stephen Odell, president of Ford of Europe, and will be live-streamed from 2pm on 5 December. You can watch it here: gofurtherlive.com.

Email Martin at martin.love@observer.co.uk or follow him on Twitter @MartinLove166

This article originally appeared on guardian.co.uk

Honda tops insurance industry safety list

Honda Motor Co. has topped the insurance industry’s annual list of the safest new vehicles.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety on Thursday gave 39 vehicles top safety ratings for 2014. That is dramatically fewer than the 130 on the list last year because vehicles now must meet tougher standards.

For the first time, the vehicles need top crash test scores and a good front crash prevention system such as warning systems or automatic braking to get its highest designation. Vehicles are now ranked as either a Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick + if they meet the front crash protection criteria as well.

Honda, which also owns the Acura brand, had the most winners of any automaker with eight of its vehicles making the list. The Honda Civic hybrid, Honda Accord, Acura RLX and Acura MDX all got the highest ranking. Its Honda Civic two-door and Acura TL were also ranked as top safety picks.

The list is often used by safety-minded car shoppers and by automakers in advertising.

There are eight newcomers to the list, including Infinity’s Q50, the Mazda 3, Toyota Highlander and the Chevrolet Spark mini-car. The Honda Civic Hybrid and several Volvo models won the top designation on the basis of standard equipment in their vehicles.

The IIHS’s rankings have been a catalyst in recent years for automakers to make their cars safer. Automakers are scrambling to bolster the front-end protection of their cars and trucks to meet the institute’s offset test, which measures how well a car protects people in a crash covering only part of the front end.

For example, Toyota redesigned the midsize Camry sedan, America’s top-selling car, so it could pass the test, the institute announced Thursday. The changes helped the Camry’s crash-test rating move from poor to acceptable, for all models built after Nov. 1, the institute said.

That $2.5 million classic Jaguar you're buying may be fake

BERLIN In the 1930s, British sports-car maker MG made exactly 33 of the K3 open-top race car. If you want to buy one now, there are more than 100 to choose from.

No, the defunct carmaker didn’t restart production. The tripling of the K3 fleet is part of the booming trade in fake antique autos as soaring prices for classic cars spur sophisticated counterfeits, according to Bernhard Kaluza, vice president of international antique auto club FIVA.

In the 1990s, I would find one faked car every five years, said Norbert Schroeder, who verifies classic cars at TÃV Rheinland, a Cologne, Germany-based technical testing company. Now I find up to five fakes a year.

Vintage cars have gained in appeal, especially since the financial crunch. Auction values have risen more than sevenfold over the past decade, according to data from market tracker Historica Selecta. British auction house Bonhams, which says global sales total more than $1 billion a year, sold a 1954 Mercedes-Benz F1 car for 19.6 million pounds ($32.1 million) in July, setting a world record at auction.

The lure of antique autos is evident in the case of a 1955 Aston Martin DB2/4. Bonhams sold the exact same car in unchanged condition for 230,000 pounds in 2011, more than four times the price paid in 2003, said James Knight, head of the auction house’s motoring department.

Demand remains high. At a Dec. 1 auction, Bonhams, which performs numerous checks before accepting a vehicle for auction, sold dozens of vintage autos, including a 1964 Porsche 904 GTS racing coupe for 1.15 million pounds, 1959 Aston Martin DB4GT Sports Saloon for 1.57 million pounds and a 1956 Jaguar D-Type Shortnose for 2.58 million pounds.

People with a lot of money prefer to have a classic car in the garage than money in the bank, said Adolfo Orsi, president of Historica Selecta, a consulting company that specializes in classic cars. When there is a lot of money, there are fakes. In today’s world, it is possible to replicate everything.

Sophisticated forgers have been known to buy up old screws and washers, leave reproduced frames in fields to weather and have parts copied to make fakes harder to detect. FIVA’s Kaluza says counterfeiters even bought an old movie theater in France to get the worn antique leather from the seats.

The people faking cars are not a few lone wolves, said TÃV’s Schroeder, who has traveled as far as California to authenticate cars, including evaluating welding joints and chemically testing the metal to determine its age. It’s organized crime because it’s expensive to build such cars and you need a good infrastructure to do it.

Christian Jenny has confronted the risks. The former chief information officer of Zurich Insurance Group AG spent five years proving his rare 1952 Jaguar C-Type convertible was authentic, after another model showed up on the market claiming to have the same identification number.

The owner of 13 vintage Jaguars consulted numerous experts, including Norman Dewis, chief test engineer for the British luxury brand for more than 30 years. With the car valued at about $2.5 million, there was a lot at stake.

It might be a problem if you tried to sell the car years later, said Jenny, who is now retired and lives in Thalwil, Switzerland. Verifying the car was a precautionary measure.

Authenticating cars isn’t easy. Simon Kidston, a classic- car consultant in Geneva, was offered an Alfa Romeo Giulia TZ racer from the 1960s from a seller who claimed to have discovered the car in a scrapyard in northern Italy.

After consulting numerous sources, Kidston eventually discovered a photo of a car with the same identification number that was involved in a fiery crash at the Sebring race in 1964. The driver only barely escaped.

It was clear there could be nothing left of the original car, said Kidston, who rejected the offer.

Other frauds are more subtle, like taking an authentic vintage Porsche 911 and turning it into a high-performance 911 RS version, which would effectively quadruple the car’s value. Others take authentic parts and build a vehicle around them, making the line between refurbished and forged models murky.

There are plenty of adapted cars, said Bonhams’ Knight. Fake has another meaning: it’s trying to deceive.

There are also legitimate copies of classic cars, which don’t try to fool buyers.

The replica game isn’t evil, said Martin Emmison, a lawyer at Goodman Derrick LLP in London, who advised Jenny and drives a Jaguar C-Type look-a-like. It gives people like me who can’t afford a real C-Type a chance to drive the machine almost exactly how they were.

The extent of classic-car fraud is difficult to track since few victims come forward, and it’s still considered relatively rare. Still, to prevent the threat of counterfeits from discrediting the whole market, FIVA has created a passport for antique cars to improve transparency.

The whole problem of faked classic cars is being treated warily, because people in the market don’t want to ruin the good mood, said TÃV’s Schroeder. I want to speak out on this before the whole thing blows up.

John Cooper Mini concept set to storm Detroit

Promising race car thrills plus everyday use practicality, the car provides a sneak peek of what to expect when a production super Mini finally arrives.

For those that don’t know, John Cooper was a formidable British car builder and racing driver who took the original 1950s Mini and turned it into a proper miniature racing machine.

The original Mini Cooper was launched in 1961, boasted a beefier engine, better carburetors, disc brakes and followed it up in 1963 with the Mini Cooper S which was faster still and went on to conquer rallies and track circuits the world over.

Its abilities were also immortalized in the classic British film The Italian Job, which featured three in red, white, and blue being used to outwit the Italian police and the Mafia in a gold heist.

The Mini Cooper S stayed in production until 1971 and came to life again after BMW bought Mini in 2000.

Based on the all-new Mini, launched in November, the latest John Cooper Works concept promises go-kart handling and all-round driving fun.

BMW won’t be revealing what exactly is under the car’s hood until the car makes its official debut at the North American International Auto Show on January 13 but has confirmed that the car’s huge 18-inch alloy wheels, air intakes, front and rear spoilers and side skirts are in no way for show.

They have all been developed to ensure the car stays planted on the road, whether racing down a straight or launching into a corner.

John Cooper himself passed away in 2004, but the business he built, the Cooper Car Company, and the work it does lives on and his estate continues to advise BMW on all matters Mini Cooper.

Many drivers still ignore warnings about texting, cellphone use

Let’s start with the good news: Only 1 percent of drivers older than 75 say they text while behind the wheel. Now the bad: It gets a whole lot worse from there.

More than 40 percent of people between 19 and 39 years old say they text while they drive, and 10 percent of them say they do it regularly. More than half of those in a new survey by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety say they talk on their cellphones while driving.

Using your phone while driving may seem safe, but it roughly quadruples your risk of being in a crash, according to previous research, said Jake Nelson, AAA director of traffic safety advocacy and research. None of us is immune from the dangers of distracted driving. The best advice is to hang up and drive.

The number of roadway deaths linked to distracted driving in 2012 dropped slightly to 3,328, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. That’s 32 fewer than in 2011, when NHTSA said distracted driving was to blame for 10 percent of all crashes and 387,000 injuries.

It has been estimated that 660,000 Americans use electronic devices while driving at any moment during daylight hours, and most people say they recognize the risk posed by distracted driving. It’s an irony borne out by many surveys: Drivers think they’re able to use their phones safely but wish others wouldn’t.

The AAA foundation survey builds on the group’s earlier work, a comprehensive study by researchers at the University of Utah. Released this past summer, the report found that the more complicated and absorbing a task becomes such as text messaging or a phone conversation the greater the distraction. And the longer any such task takes, the more absorbing it becomes.

The study described a problem called inattention blindness. A driver might see something that should trigger caution, but the realization doesn’t register in time for the driver to react by braking or swerving to safety.

The study also found that voice-activated devices that allow drivers to listen to or send text messages without touching their mobile device are not effective in reducing distraction.

When compared with other diversions inside the car, interacting with the speech-to-text system was the most cognitively distracting, the report said. This clearly suggests that the adoption of voice-based systems in the vehicle may have unintended consequences that adversely affect traffic safety.

Concern, studies and new laws about distracted driving have ballooned since then-U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood embraced the issue almost five years ago. Although LaHood’s efforts and observations by average drivers of scary distracted behavior on the road have increased awareness of the risk, the new AAA survey of 2,325 drivers suggests that hasn’t translated into reduced use of mobile devices.

Overall, the survey found that 26 percent of drivers said they text and 6 percent said they did so frequently. Sixty-seven percent said they talk on their phones while driving, 28 percent of them regularly.

Surprisingly, given that they may be the most tech-savvy, the youngest drivers said they text and talk less often than do older drivers. The 16- to 18-year-old group talked less on their phones while behind the wheel than any group younger than 60 and were less likely to text than drivers between ages 19 and 39.

Teens may be absorbing the constant safety messages related to distracted driving, and therefore are choosing to use their cellphone less often while driving, said John Townsend of the AAA. On the other hand, younger adult drivers may have a false sense of confidence when using their phones.

Don't judge the Honda CR-V by the size of the engine

The door of the Fiesta swings open, pushed by a woman’s bare foot. Laughter comes from inside the darkened car. She steps out then leans in to say something which causes more hilarity. As she talks she steps into her shoes and wriggles her wrinkled skirt down over her bottom. She rebuttons her blouse, runs her hands through her hair and hops back in. The door slams and the engine starts…

I’d been walking my dog (honestly), and I wondered if the couple had been having sex. Think about it: laughter, darkness, a secluded lay-by, that rumpled skirt and the clincher a Fiesta. According to a recent poll by BBA Reman of more than 2,000 drivers, the car most people have had sex in is a Ford Fiesta. Does this tell us more about Fiestas or the people who tend to own Fiestas? I’m not sure.

I pondered this as I loaded the dog into the back of the palatial Honda CR-V I was test-driving. The boot is colossal there’s 1,669 litres of loadspace (odd how manufacturers measure space in litres, but what else would you use? A quick Wiki yields 94 different units of volume, including firkins, rundlets and hogsheads). If you fold down the back seat, which you can do in seconds by pulling a single easy-grip handle, there’s room in the back of the CR-V for, oh, six and a bit hogsheads. Certainly there’d be room for a copulating couple. They’d be more than comfortable and the little sidelights would be quite romantic…

To be fair, despite selling more than five million vehicles since it was first launched in 1995, the CR-V is not known for setting your pulse racing. It’s a quietly sedate, brilliantly functional soft roader. But still waters run deep and this new model has something to boast about. Honda has put the ultrafrugal, superlight, downsized diesel engine it developed for its Civic into the SUV. This new engine is named Earth Dreams; it is 1,598cc and only powers the front wheels, so this 4Ã4 is only really a 2Ã4. But that saving means this CR-V is more economical and eco-friendly than almost any other family off-roader on the, er, road. The loss of full green-lane capability is more than offset by the fact that fuel economy reaches unscaled heights for such a large car. Honda claims a coquettishly optimistic figure of 62.8mpg maybe, if you’re driving on the moon. But in mixed conditions and with a loaded car I still did average a none-too-shabby 54mpg. The remarkable engines will be built at Honda’s UK manufacturing base in Swindon and they will churn out up to 500 units a day.

Does a small engine in a big car work? Thanks to a raft of technologies and weight-saving strategies, the answer is yes, incredibly well. The car flows nicely on the motorway and never feels underpowered, yet the diesel still sounds agricultural enough to convince you that you’re at the wheel of something fruitier at low speeds.

Inside, the CR-V is comfortable, conservative, rewarding, grown-up. Nothing is showy, yet there is no sense of being short-changed either.

It doesn’t feel like a car people will have sex in. But if they do, I’m sure it will be comfortable, conservative, rewarding and grown-up.

Email Martin at martin.love@observer.co.uk or follow him on Twitter @MartinLove166

This article originally appeared on guardian.co.uk

Many drivers still ignore warnings about texting, cellphone use

Let’s start with the good news: Only 1 percent of drivers older than 75 say they text while behind the wheel. Now the bad: It gets a whole lot worse from there.

More than 40 percent of people between 19 and 39 years old say they text while they drive, and 10 percent of them say they do it regularly. More than half of those in a new survey by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety say they talk on their cellphones while driving.

Using your phone while driving may seem safe, but it roughly quadruples your risk of being in a crash, according to previous research, said Jake Nelson, AAA director of traffic safety advocacy and research. None of us is immune from the dangers of distracted driving. The best advice is to hang up and drive.

The number of roadway deaths linked to distracted driving in 2012 dropped slightly to 3,328, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. That’s 32 fewer than in 2011, when NHTSA said distracted driving was to blame for 10 percent of all crashes and 387,000 injuries.

It has been estimated that 660,000 Americans use electronic devices while driving at any moment during daylight hours, and most people say they recognize the risk posed by distracted driving. It’s an irony borne out by many surveys: Drivers think they’re able to use their phones safely but wish others wouldn’t.

The AAA foundation survey builds on the group’s earlier work, a comprehensive study by researchers at the University of Utah. Released this past summer, the report found that the more complicated and absorbing a task becomes such as text messaging or a phone conversation the greater the distraction. And the longer any such task takes, the more absorbing it becomes.

The study described a problem called inattention blindness. A driver might see something that should trigger caution, but the realization doesn’t register in time for the driver to react by braking or swerving to safety.

The study also found that voice-activated devices that allow drivers to listen to or send text messages without touching their mobile device are not effective in reducing distraction.

When compared with other diversions inside the car, interacting with the speech-to-text system was the most cognitively distracting, the report said. This clearly suggests that the adoption of voice-based systems in the vehicle may have unintended consequences that adversely affect traffic safety.

Concern, studies and new laws about distracted driving have ballooned since then-U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood embraced the issue almost five years ago. Although LaHood’s efforts and observations by average drivers of scary distracted behavior on the road have increased awareness of the risk, the new AAA survey of 2,325 drivers suggests that hasn’t translated into reduced use of mobile devices.

Overall, the survey found that 26 percent of drivers said they text and 6 percent said they did so frequently. Sixty-seven percent said they talk on their phones while driving, 28 percent of them regularly.

Surprisingly, given that they may be the most tech-savvy, the youngest drivers said they text and talk less often than do older drivers. The 16- to 18-year-old group talked less on their phones while behind the wheel than any group younger than 60 and were less likely to text than drivers between ages 19 and 39.

Teens may be absorbing the constant safety messages related to distracted driving, and therefore are choosing to use their cellphone less often while driving, said John Townsend of the AAA. On the other hand, younger adult drivers may have a false sense of confidence when using their phones.

2013 and the year of the hybrid hypercar

From McLaren to Ferrari, supercar builders have been turning to electric motors to reduce environmental impact of their vehicles but without denting top speed or performance, a trend that’s set to accelerate in 2014.

The exception

There’s a good reason why Lamborghini called its latest concept hypercar the ‘Egoista’. During its official unveiling in Sant’Agata Bolognese in May, its creator, Volkswagen’s head of design, Walter De Silva, said: This is a car made for one person only, to allow them to have fun and express their personality to the maximum. It is designed purely for hyper-sophisticated people who want only the most extreme and special things in the world. It represents hedonism taken to the extreme, it is a car without compromises, in a word: egoista. Or, when translated into English, ‘selfish’. But, with the notable exception of Lamborghini, which believes the gasoline-powered, V12 supercar is a work of art, an endangered species that should get the same protected status as the panda or orangutan, 2013 will be remembered by many in the motoring industry as the year that supercar selfishness turned into benevolence.

Before its time: the Jaguar C-X75 concept

A growing number of Lamborghini’s peers are adopting hybrid gasoline/electric powertrains that cut cars’ CO2 production and increase fuel efficiency in line with growing environmentally focused EU and US legislation, but without eroding performance, exhilaration or, critically, desirability. Making the change is anything but simple, it’s a huge feat of engineering as Jaguar’s Rob Atkin explained. Our challenge was monumental: we needed to achieve the performance of a Veyron; the range of a Volt; and the CO2 of a Prius, he said of the company’s 2011 C-X75 concept.

The McLaren P1 sold out

Ironically, when Jaguar examined the feasibility of putting its 850bhp hybrid hypercar into production, it decided that global economic uncertainty would stop potential owners from taking a chance on the car, and so shelved manufacturing plans in 2012. UK competitor McLaren has had no such problem. Its first hybrid hypercar, the P1, made its official debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March and within seven months had sold all 375 examples of the 903bhp twin-turbo 3.8-liter V8/electric hybrid, despite its $1,350,000 price tag. Still for that money, delighted owners got an environmentally friendly car somehow capable of going from 0-100km/h in 2.8 seconds and on to an electronically limited top speed of 350km/h.

The LaFerrari: making hybrid power desirable

Ferrari has also gone for an electric motor, albeit mated to a V12 and the result, the LaFerrari, boasts equally impressive statistics. Like the McLaren, it debuted in Geneva in March and it too is sold out, but unlike the P1, each of the 499 production examples were spoken for in a matter of minutes, such is the allure of the prancing horse.

Setting a new standard, the Porsche 918 Spyder

Porsche has been openly tinkering with electric motors for some time and this year grabbed headlines with its equally environmentally friendly 918 Sypder, not least because the car capable of a 0-100km/h time of 2.8 seconds and a better fuel economy than a Toyota Prius just broke the lap record at the Nurburgring. With a time of six minutes and 57 seconds, it is currently the fastest ever road-legal production car to lap the 20.8km circuit.

Economic and exciting, the BMW i8

The 918 Spyder will officially go on sale in 2014 and it will be joined by the BMW i8. Not as powerful as its Italian or British peers, it uses a 131bhp electric motor to drive the front wheels and a three-cylinder 231hp engine that sends power to the rear for a combined 360bhp. And because the car is extremely light, this horsepower will translate to a 0-100km/h time of 4.5 seconds and a fuel economy of 2.5 litres/100km (94 mpg).

Is Audi’s Sport Quattro concept heading for production?

And, where BMW goes, Audi tends to follow. At the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, the company unveiled the Sport Quattro concept, a reimagining of its legendary Quattro coupe but updated for the 21st century with a hybrid V8/electric powertrain. There’s every likelihood that a production version is in the works.

Will the Honda Acura NSX be Japan’s first hybrid supercar?

The same is true of Honda, which has been touting its NSX concept for several years now. Although it is not expected to go into full production until 2015, a finished version, compete with electric motor to complement its V6 engine, is expected to make its official debut as soon as January at the Detroit Auto Show.

All-electric, the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Electric Drive

Jaguar has signaled that it is reconsidering its decision regarding the production of its C-X75 concept and Mercedes is continuing its research into all-electric supercars, following the warm reception its SLS AMG Coupe Electric Drive has so far received. Although it has seriously limited range, due to being battery-powered only, it offers better acceleration and handling than the gas-powered equivalent thanks to an electric motor independently powering each wheel.

The end of the line?

All of which could leave Lamborghini as the only supercar builder still focused on squeezing as much power as possible out of a V12 engine, regardless of environmental impact. However, the company has just ceased production of the Gallardo and a replacement is expected to be revealed at the Geneva Motor Show in March. So, don’t be surprised if it comes with a battery as well as a fuel tank.

Ford demos driverless Fusion hybrid

The American manufacturer has just unveiled an autonomous version of its hybrid car, built for research purposes. Equipped with cameras and numerous sensors, this version of the Fusion glides down the road with no one in the driver’s seat.

This automated version of the Ford Fusion hybrid, which can analyze its environment and detect obstacles without human intervention, will be used to develop and enhance various automated driving technologies. Ford aims to position itself among the leaders in this field, and it has demonstrated cars that can park themselves, follow voice commands, detect driving hazards and trigger emergency braking when necessary.

In a partnership with the University of Michigan and State Farm, Ford developed the research vehicle as part of its vast Blueprint for Mobility program, which it says envisions a future of autonomous functionality and advanced technologies after 2025.

The company estimates that in the mid-term, vehicle-to-vehicle communications enabling certain autopilot functions will become commonplace. Further in the future, Ford predicts that vehicles will be able to navigate almost entirely on their own, improving safety on the road and reducing traffic congestion.

Earlier this year, at its test center in Lommel, Belgium, Ford demonstrated a number of advanced autonomous functions including the ability to park itself and avoid accidents on a version of the Focus.

Ford is not the only manufacturer actively working to develop an entirely autonomous vehicle. Volvo recently made headlines with the announcement of a new pilot project, in which 100 autonomous cars will make their way along public roads around the city of Gothenburg, Sweden. Nissan plans to market an entirely autonomous vehicle by 2020, and last September the brand announced that it had equipped a Leaf with a number of automatic driving technologies, enabling it to legally travel along Japanese roads without a driver. This was not the first time an autonomous car has been approved to take to the open roads: Google is already testing its driverless cars in California and Nevada.

Tesla plans to debut cheaper model in 2015

Tesla’s move into mainstream motoring is just one year away. Visitors to the 2014 North American International Auto Show will have to make do with the debut of the company’s first SUV instead.

Called the Model X, the all-electric SUV has been displayed in concept and pre-production form at a number of motoring events over the past year or so but, according to the company’s head of design, Franz von Holzhausen, it is now ready getting ready for the road.

In an interview with German publication AutoBild, von Holzhausen also confirmed that Tesla’s car for the masses will be called the Model E and will not simply be a smaller version of the current Model S.

Although the two cars will share some design language, they will look different. Holzhausen doesn’t want Tesla to follow the design approach of companies like Audi, where all of the cars seem to look the same from the front and rear, with just the length differing.

In the interview, he is also asked what he thinks of BMW’s i3 electric car and the answer is, not much, from a design perspective anyway. He compares it to a piece of IKEA furniture although he praises the car’s underlying technology and the materials used in construction.

The Tesla Model S currently retails for $60,000 in the US, pushing it into the same category as the Mercedes E Class, BMW 5 Series and Audi A5. The Model E is expected to cost around $30,000 when it launches, meaning that it will be competing with most Ford and GM mass market vehicles.