The Softening Of A Sharp-Edged CUV



If you had asked us back in 2006 if the then-brand-new Acura RDX would be a success, our answer would have been yes. And why not? The Acura brand was still in demand, buyers were increasingly clamoring for luxury crossovers and the economy appeared to be in solid shape. And don't forget that the RDX was seemingly ahead of its time, pairing together a turbocharger and inline four-cylinder engine before it became de rigueur among engine choices.

If you had asked us that question six years ago, we would've been dead wrong, because the RDX proved to be anything but a sure bet. The compact luxury crossover stumbled along with woeful sales over the past half-decade, with 2007 being its best year with a meager 23,356 units sold. As it turns out, North American luxury car buyers weren't ready for a boosted CUV with a stiff ride, limited cargo-hauling capabilities and lousy fuel economy.

While the first RDX was a box office flop, Acura feels like it has an appropriate sequel for the 2013 model year. Gone is that performance-oriented turbo-four that was so out of place. Honda's luxury arm has instead gone with the company's tried and true 3.5-litre V6, placed it in a new larger platform, and added a raft of much-needed refinement.

Every once in a while, we see a video that defies explanation, and this is definitely one of those times. Scroll down to watch security camera footage of a young man in England who might be the luckiest individual on earth.

Los Angeles' KTLA5 reports that a man and his girlfriend were having a loud argument while she was driving when the car they were in hit a wall and rolled violently. The whole thing was caught on a security camera. Judging by the grainy footage, as the car slowed its roll, the man shot through the sunroof. Instead of laying on the cement writhing in pain, though, he appears to simply stand up, dust off his clothes and check on his girlfriend. Both individuals were reportedly taken to the hospital with minor injuries and released.

We're thinking it was a good thing that the sunroof was either open or shattered, but it would have been an even better thing if the man were wearing his seatbelt. Scroll down to watch the video for yourself.

Navigation systems have been coming down in price lately, making in-car directions more accessible to the masses. At the same time massive tech companies like Apple and Microsoft have gotten into the game as well, and as TheDetroitBureau.com reports, a new study shows that these forces are converging to quadruple the systems by 2019.

That's another 13 million nav systems per year around the world, or 56 million units by 2019. The biggest gains will likely take place in China, with sales going from 355,000 to 11.8 million in a decade. And BMW has recognized that releasing their next gen Connected Drive there first.

The study unsurprisingly predicts that navigation systems will also change considerably during that time, going from traditional DVD-based technology to inexpensive in-car systems and smart phone-based systems like the upcoming Apple tech that will be found on future vehicles from General Motors, BMW, Toyota, Audi and many other OEMs.

Cheaper tech and increased competition tend to go hand-in-hand, but that recipe could be toxic for traditional navigation providers like TomTom and Garmin. Such companies will need to rely on ingenuity and smaller margins to continue to thrive in the more competitive market.

We have no idea why the vehicle in the below video was rolling downhill on the wrong side of the road (a bad parking brake would be a good guess), but we do know that the gentleman in white is either brave or crazy... or a chilly cocktail of both.

In the video above, we have some dashboard camera footage of a vehicle rolling out of control with a gang of guys chasing after it as things look increasingly dire. It takes one particularly fleet-of-foot man with some serious brass clock-weights to run alongside and try to dive into the car before a nasty accident ensues.

Click here to watch the video and see if he was successful.

The Jeep Grand Cherokee has proven to be a rock-solid off-road-capable SUV with a dose of civility on public roads. But while the top Jeep has a terrific reputation and a long list of accolades, at least one model apparently didn't have the chops for the Teknikens Moose (or Elk) test over in Sweden.

The moose test is a lighting-fast emergency lane change maneuver that takes place at a relatively staid 40 mph (64 km/h). While most vehicles clear the obstacle with little fuss, the below video shows that a Grand Cherokee Overland got up on two wheels and very nearly rolled. Teknikens Värld tester Linus Pröjtz points out in the Overland model comes standard in Sweden with 20-inch wheels, rollover protection and electronic stability control.

The Swedish car magazine (translation: "World of Technology") goes on to call on Chrysler to put a stop sale on the Grand Cherokee in Sweden until this issue is addressed, and they claim Chrysler has yet to provide an explanation as to why the vehicle performed so poorly.

Here in the States, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration awarded the Grand Cherokee four stars, including a five-star score for side impacts. However, in rating the SUV's rollover resistance, the GC only managed three stars in rear-wheel drive configuration, while four-wheel drive models netted four stars.

Scroll down to take in the press release from Teknikens, followed by the one-minute video that shows the GC Overland going all Dukes of Hazzard.

*UPDATE: Chrysler brand fan site Allpar has published an article that alleges that the rollover test was rigged, arguing the test was conducted in an intentionally overloaded vehicle. Further, it reports that the magazine conducted the test again – with Chrysler engineers standing by – in three different Grand Cherokees correctly loaded vehicles over eleven separate runs, but they were "unable to reproduce" the wheel lift condition.

The news may be flooded with stories about the lagging economy and disappointing jobs reports, but it appears there is at least one profession that could use a few more applicants. USA Today reports that there is a genuine shortage of truck drivers, and the problem is leading to pricier deliveries and longer waits on packages.

There are plenty of reasons for the driver shortage, with a raft of retiring baby boomers and the $4,000 to $6,000 cost for a six-week training course being among the main culprits. Another potential issue is a requirement for trucking companies to publish their safety records, which has reportedly led to some companies looking only for drivers with clean records. And the problem could become worse in the next year as the federal government enacts strict federal limits on the time drivers can spend behind the wheel of a big rig.

The good news is that drivers at least 21 years of age have plenty of opportunities for employment. In the United States, pay has gone up as well, with compensation jumping five per cent year-over-year to an average of US$50,000 per year. And with pay jumping that fast, a few thousand dollars worth of training becomes more of an investment.

News Source: USA Today

This story is irritating on so many levels. It involves a dreaded police speed trap, a good samaritan warning motorists of the potential fine and a 12-hour stint in a Texas jail cell.

Houston-area resident Natalie Plummer, who was riding her bike on the way home from the grocery store, noticed that cops were pulling over speeders with what looked like a speed trap, so she decided to turn her bag into a make-shift warning sign. That sort of action seems to be covered by the American Constitution, but Plummer was still arrested for allegedly standing in the street when there was a sidewalk present. For the record, Plummer tells KRTK that she never left the sidewalk, and she claims that the arresting officer threatened her with an arrest for obstructing justice, which is a felony offense.

Click here to watch the ABC News report. We can see the cops being irritated with Ms. Plummer's sign-holding activity, but a 12-hour jail term seems more than a little excessive. Heck, even a fine of $1 seems a bit heavy handed, but then many feel the same way about speed traps.

News Source: ABC News

There is something very right about a rear-wheel-drive sports sedan with over 500 horsepower and a manual transmission, and yet few vehicles check those boxes quite like the BMW M5. Unfortunately, most M5 buyers prefer to leave their left foot out of the gear-shifting equation, which is leading BMW to lose the manual tranny option altogether in favor of a dual-clutch-only approach.

Inside Line reports that the next M5, and the M6 for that matter, will not feature a manual transmission option. BMW M-brand Engineering chief Albert Biermann reportedly told IL that manual-equipped M5 models are topping out at 15 per cent of total sales, making the MT a money-loser for the brand. Biermann claims that the volume of manual transmission buyers makes it all but impossible to make another three-pedal M5, adding "nobody wants it in Europe or anywhere else, so this will be the last time we do it."

This is most definitely not good news for stick shift-loving enthusiasts, but at the same time we can hardly argue against Biermann's point. There's no sense in offering a no-charge manual option if the vast majority of buyers don't want it. Fortunately, the M3 doesn't suffer from the same problem, so the M5's baby brother will continue to offer a row-your-own option.

News Source: Inside Line

Image Credit: Damon Lavrinc / WIRED Autopia

Big Luxury That's Long On Looks



Three-row crossovers are a bit like accounting departments in that every automaker has one, and there isn't much else about them that's exciting. But while most every automaker offers a crossover with seating for seven or eight, there surprisingly aren't many options in the luxury space. The Audi Q7 doesn't really count since it weighs an SUV-like 5,200 pounds (2,358 kg). Lincoln offers the MKT, but few buyers have taken Ford's luxury marque up on that offer. And then there is the Buick Enclave, which sells well but suffers from that "not quite a Cadillac" feeling. That's it... every other three-row luxury vehicle falls squarely in the body-on-frame SUV category, until now.

Infiniti is looking to spice up the larger luxury space with its JX35, which is built on next-generation Nissan Pathfinder hardware, but with more expressive sheet metal and a spruced-up cabin compared to its mainstream counterpart. Since the field is wide open for Infiniti, the luxury brand appears ready to blaze its own trail with a reasonable $44,900 price of entry and an impressive suite of available features.

Nissan has plenty to be proud of with its all-new 2013 Altima. The sedan promises to average 6.2L/100km (38 miles per gallon) on the highway, which is best-in-class for a non-hybrid. The new Altima also boasts a lighter and stronger frame, increased power and quicker acceleration among its many improvements.

As you'll see below, crafting an ad campaign is that much easier when you have so much to be proud of. Click here to watch the first four commercials that Nissan has lined up to introduce its new Altima to America.

In the first two, Nissan plays it straight with a raft of back-patting and a couple of jabs at the competition from Honda and Toyota. The second two spots aim for the funny bone while also pointing out new technology and hammering away at those all-important fuel economy numbers.

We're especially fond of the last commercial, which cleverly points out that the horn will honk when the tires have been filled to the optimum level. Funny stuff.

The Nissan Leaf isn't exactly flying off dealer shelves these days, but the slow-selling EV could receive a sales boost when some production is moved to Tennessee. Bloomberg reports that Nissan is ambitiously expecting to double Leaf sales once the plant comes online in December. The sales boost would then give Nissan a chance at hitting 20,000 sales for the fiscal year that ends on March 31, 2013.

It isn't out of the question that the Leaf could gain momentum with the help of local manufacturing, but first Nissan will need to get EV buyers in the showroom. Leaf sales have ebbed the past two months, falling behind the Chevrolet Volt in sales by more than a three-to-one margin. And speaking of margins, moving production to Tennessee from Japan should help Nissan's quest to make money on the Leaf thanks to lower labor and parts costs.

The Tennessee plant will be ramped up for Leaf production by December. The facility will be able to build up to 200,000 Leaf models and 150,000 battery packs per year.

The Top Gear team has made a bit of history at the Top Gear Festival in Durban, South Africa, as a stunt driver pulled off a double loop in front of a crowd of over 15,000. The event involved a 26-foot tall double loop track that looks to have come right out of a Hot Wheels box, except that it weighs over eight tons. The stunt vehicle of choice was a custom-made buggy with a throttle lock that could travel at a constant 40-45 km/h speed that the math geeks said was necessary for a successful "Deadly 720."

Click here to watch a nearly two-minute video that starts with cheering crowds and the trio of Jeremy Clarkson, James May and Richard Hammond and ends with the buggy stunt. We're thinking the best part of the video was the in-buggy view of the double loop.

News Source: Top Gear

Stealing cars is (obviously) against the law, and getting caught usually translates into a significant prison term. We're guessing the crime is just a bit stiffer if you're caught attempting to swipe the ride of a judge, especially if you just left her court room.

SF Gate reports that Judge Lillian Sing had just finished giving convicted felon Phillip Bernard a break after he missed some probation requirements when the gentleman walked out of the court room and used a weighted sock to smash a car window in the court parking lot. Of course, it happened to be the judge's vehicle, and Bernard timed his malfeasance so that two police officers just happened to be walking by when the incident occurred. We're guessing the move was either a string of complete stupidity or the 32-year-old homeless man actually wanted to go back to jail.

It should come as no surprise that Bernard is back behind bars and we're guessing the good judge probably won't be so lenient the next time she sees him.

News Source: SF Gate

Image Credit: RaleighWoman via Flickr CC 2.0

More Of The Same Is Just Fine With Us



The Ford Flex hasn't seen much sales success since it first hit North American streets back in 2008, and its boxy flanks have been decidedly hit or miss with the buying public. Still, when we first got a chance to drive the Flex, the big crossover was a revelation. It was smooth yet brash, comfy and luxurious all at once. In hindsight, one could argue that this big boat stands as a harbinger of Ford's revival. After the Flex arrived, a re-imagined Fusion, a much-improved Edge, the Explorer crossover and the new Focus all bowed.

The Flex was a big step forward for the Blue Oval in terms of refinement and bold design, but three-row crossover buyers are clearly looking for something more. Fortunately for Ford, the 2013 model year brings with it a refresh of its worst-selling Blue Oval-badged crossover, with more power, additional technology and a new face. Has Dearborn fiddled with the Flex formula enough to finally turn its most unique-looking crossover into a sales success? Only the market will determine that, but we spent a week with the vehicle to determine if it might have a shot.