Monthly Archives: June 2011

Jeep Grand Cherokee drivers may given V-6 diesel option

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Posted in General Auto News

The Jeep Grand Cherokee has been among the most popular SUVs in the United States for years, and thanks to some European ingenuity, it is about to get an efficiency upgrade. Motor Trend reports that American drivers may now get the option of a new Italian turbodiesel V-6 in addition to transmission upgrades.

The diesel engine was introduced in European models earlier this year, and has been well-received by international drivers. According to the news source, the upgraded engine provides a more powerful option for Grand Cherokee drivers, and meshes especially well with the new, elegant design of the classic SUV. Additionally, it offers up an impressive 28 miles-per-gallon while performing at at maximum of 287 horsepower.

"There's a better than 50 percent chance that the diesel will make it to the USA," Sergio Marchionne, the CEO of Fiat and Chrysler, told reporters at an event in Italy meant to broaden the international appeal of Jeep.

Drivers looking to purchase a used Jeep or Chrysler at an affordable price may want to turn to New Jersey State Auto Auction. Regardless of the make or model, there are plenty of cars for sale at an affordable price. 

Nissan, JAF announce electric vehicle rescue service

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Posted in Auto Brands News, Nissan

Though electric vehicles (EVs) offer an eco-friendly way to get from point A to point B, there is always the lingering risk of running out of power. Nissan and the Japan Automobile Federation are looking to allay the fears of drivers with a roadside assistance program that will offer stranded motorists a recharge on the side of the road.

It's no surprise that the Nissan is at the forefront of the so-called EV rescue truck, as the company's Leaf is the first modern fully electric car on the market. According to USA Today, Nissan has sold just 1,200 of the Leaf in the United States, but its production signals a shift in how cars are powered and similar models are likely on their way to the states.

"As EVs gain wider consumer acceptance, it is important to create a roadside assistance system that can help motorists driving EVs which have run out of battery power," said Hitoshi Kawaguchi, a Nissan senior vice president.

Drivers interested in a used Nissan or Honda may want to look into New Jersey Auto Auction, which offers a wide variety of affordable cars for sale.

Volt earns highest safety rating from NHTSA

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Posted in Chevrolet

When the Chevrolet Volt turns up in the news, it's usually in regards to its electric powertrain, which has been a top selling point for General Motors thus far. However, the most recent news to come out of the Volt camp is the fact that the car has earned the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) highest possible safety rating of five stars.

The NHTSA recently revised its testing to make achieving five stars significantly harder for automakers to achieve, as it seemed like nearly ever car tested in years prior was able to earn five stars. Models must pass a front, side and rollover test to earn the honor.

The Volt did very well on the rollover and side-impact test, scoring five stars on both. There was a minor hiccup on the front-impact test, where the car was only rated four stars. There was actually a gender discrepancy here – the car earned five stars with a male test dummy, but the female model suffered more damage and caused the score to be lowered to a four.

Still, the two five-star scores along with the four were enough to earn the car the highest possible rating overall, which is something Chevrolet will likely be playing up in future advertisements for the vehicle.

Drivers interested in purchasing a used Chevrolet Volt or any other vehicle should check out New Jersey State Auto Auction.

May sales give BMW control of luxury segment

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Posted in BMW

BMW was able to top other luxury automakers in May, improving on its sales totals year-on-year and widening its lead for 2011.

The German automaker has found itself atop the luxury segment after Lexus' fall from grace toward the end of 2010. Since then, it's been all Germany, as BMW and Mercedes-Benz have been neck-and-neck for the sales lead.

"BMW and Mercedes-Benz clearly will be on a photo finish for the rest of the year," Jesse Toprak of TrueCar told Bloomberg. "Lexus, for the first time in many years, is clearly out of the running for the top spot."

May could prove to be a critical month for BMW, as it allowed the automaker to extend its lead over its close rival Mercedes. BMW sold 20,651 vehicles in May, a 16 percent increase over the previous year. That brought the automaker's year-to-date total up to 92,068, just beating Mercedes at 90,274 and trouncing former leader Lexus at 77,237.

Big sellers for BMW include the company's lineup of SUVs as well as the 5-Series sedan.

Drivers interested in a used BMW or Mercedes should consider New Jersey State Auto Auction, which offers a wide variety of cars for sale at affordable prices.
 

Fiat buys out U.S. Treasury stake in Chrysler

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Posted in Auto Industry News

The long road back from the economic recession has reached another milestone for Chrysler, as the automaker has finally completely severed ties with the U.S. government.

Italian automaker Fiat struck a deal to purchase the U.S. treasury's remaining six percent of shares in Chrysler, officially ending the era of government involvement in American automakers. In May, Chrysler was able to organize a refinancing package that allowed the company to officially pay back its loans to the U.S. and Canadian government, allowing Fiat to up its stake in the automaker.

Fiat originally received shares in Chrysler during the bailout, when Chrysler sought Fiat's expertise in small cars for help moving forward. The tie-up between the two companies has grown into something greater, with Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne revitalizing the company and slowly building its stake in the company.

Although the deal still needs regulatory approval, the final six percent of shares being sold to Fiat will give the Italian company 52 percent of Chrysler, giving it full control over the automaker's future.

Drivers seeking a used Chrysler may want to consider New Jersey State Auto Auction, which offers these cars and other models at affordable prices.
 

Next Chrysler minivans will feature AWD

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Posted in Auto Industry News

Chrysler has announced that its next generation of minivans will feature all-wheel drive, according to an interview with CEO Sergio Marchionne by the Detroit News.

Marchionne dropped a few hints about the new minivan platform that Chrysler is developing in comments to the news provider. The new platform will support all-wheel drive and will be used on at least two models, which Marchionne described as a "classic minivan" and a "people mover that is still taking shape."

"This platform better have more capability than the one we have, including all-wheel drive capability and the ability to get narrower," Marchionne told the news source.

Most minivans don't offer all-wheel drive, as flexible seating capabilities typically prevent the architecture underneath the car from supporting it. Currently, the only model that does feature all-wheel drive is the Toyota Sienna. Chrysler models had the feature up until 2004, when they elected to go with stow-and-go seating instead.

The talk of two distinct models built on the same platform will likely relate to the future of the Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town and Country. The automaker has expressed interest in differentiating these cars before, so one will likely retain the minivan shape while the other goes in a different direction.

Chrysler minivans are scheduled for a redesign in 2014. In the meantime, families in the market for a vehicle can shop the wide variety of cars for sale at New Jersey State Auto Auction.
 

American automakers dominate top 10 model list

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Posted in Chevrolet

Domestic automakers are celebrating after May sales totals came in, as many of the top-selling Japanese cars fell out of the top 10.

Typically, the list of best-selling models is dominated by the Ford F-150 and Chevrolet Silverado pickup trucks, followed closely by the seemingly unbeatable quartet of the Toyota Camry, Honda Civic, Honda Accord and Toyota Corolla.

Yet due to the Japanese earthquake and shifting market conditions, these four models all took a hit in May sales, falling out of the top 10. That allowed many domestic vehicles to jump up the list.

Chief among these was the redesigned Chevrolet Malibu, which became the best-selling car in the country, and third-best model overall (still falling behind the two trucks, technically not classified as "cars."). Nissan, which hasn't felt the sting of the earthquake as much as its rivals, was in fourth with its Altima.

The rest of the list was mostly dominated by American cars, something that hasn't really been seen in quite some time. The Ford Fusion, Focus, Escape and new Chevrolet Cruze all made their way onto the list, along with the Hyundai Sonata and Elantra.

Drivers interested in any of these vehicles may want to consider New Jersey State Auto Auction before they head to the new car dealership. Often, lightly-used versions of these popular models can be found at a heavy discount.

Nissan Leaf to enter Pikes Peak competition

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Posted in Nissan

The Nissan Leaf has become famous for its all-electric capabilities – but how does it handle a professional race environment?

The world is about to find out, as the Japanese automaker has announced that the Nissan Leaf will be entered into the upcoming Pikes Peak International Hill Climb. This isn't the previously unveiled Nissan Leaf NISMO RC, a racing-inspired Leaf outfitted with a special carbon-fiber body. The challenge of scaling the hill will be left to a regular production model with no modifications.

Piloted by off-road racing champ Chad Hord, the automaker believes that the Leaf has a pretty good shot in the competition, as it will be competing against other electric vehicles. The automaker also believes that the car's electric motor will ultimately come in handy in the competition.

"The instant torque available from the electric motor makes the LEAF a fun car to drive and the abundance of corners on the hill climb will give Chad a chance to take advantage of that torque," said Ron Stukenberg, senior manager of marketing communications.

There's no doubt that the Leaf is an interesting car, but drivers may not want to take the plunge just yet. A smart play might be to wait for electric vehicles to hit the used car market, then snag one at a discount.

Buyers opt for F-150 V6 over V8

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Posted in Ford

The Ford F-150 is the best-selling model in the country, and that seems to be true no matter what the economic conditions are. Even with gas prices hovering around $4 per gallon, one thing remains true: Americans love their pickup trucks.

Still, the F-150 isn't completely immune to shifts in the market, as recently demonstrated by the May sales totals. Ford reported that "for the first time in decades," the V6 engine option on the F-150 outsold the V8, USA Today reports.

One might assume that drivers were simply trying to save money – but that's not entirely true. The most popular V6 engine was actually the turbocharged EcoBoost, which is $2,000 more expensive than the base V6. However, the EcoBoost has the highest fuel economy of any engine Ford offers on the vehicle, something that buyer's have been going for lately. The EcoBoost also has higher horsepower and torque than the base V6, which justifies the cost to many buyers.

"That's a premium engine that almost always comes with premium content," Ford VP of sales Ken Czubay told the news source.

The V8 isn't going anywhere soon – it still made up 45 percent of all sales. But at least for May, it appears that the V6 was king.

Drivers looking for a vehicle with excellent fuel economy may want to consider New Jersey State Auto Auction, which offers both new and used cars for sale.

Ford to reintroduce three-cylinder engine to U.S.

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Posted in Ford

Automakers are pulling out all the stops in an effort to raise fuel economy, but Ford may be taking the most drastic step yet – introducing a three-cylinder engine.

Ford isn't the first automaker to offer a three-cylinder engine – they were last seen on Suzuki Swifts and Chevrolet Metros in the 1990s. However, the planned reintroduction of the engine in the U.S., likely set for next year, will come as a shock to many, as most accepted that an automaker wouldn't go lower then four cylinders in a mass production vehicle again.

The three cylinders will allow Ford to achieve a higher MPG rating. In fact, it may allow the automaker to get 50 miles per gallon – unheard of for a gas-powered car.

"Consumers are telling us they want to buy affordable vehicles that get many more miles per gallon," said Derrick Kuzak, global product development chief. "Our new 1-liter EcoBoost engine will give consumers looking for hybrid-like fuel economy a new, more affordable choice."

Ford has been mum with the details, but it's likely that the compact Fiesta will be the recipient of the smaller engine.

Drivers interested in a high-MPG vehicle may want to consider New Jersey State Auto Auction, which offers a wide range of cars for sale at affordable prices.