Chrysler has gotten on pretty well in the post-bankruptcy world, with a big assist from its newest master. But while Chrysler has seen dramatic improvement thanks to refreshes and a few new models, the next couple years could be very exciting.

Automobile Magazine recently got the chance to talk cars with CEO Sergio Marchionne, and the charismatic leader apparently had plenty to say. Among the top headlines are the reported upcoming death of the Dodge Avenger in 2014 and Dodge Durango in 2016. We're thinking nobody will miss the Avenger, but the Durango sounds like a bit of a bummer.

That's until we see that the Durango will be replaced by a Jeep Wagoneer; a rehash of an old name based on the same platform and engine choices of the Dodge three-row utility. The Durango platform will also spawn the Maserati Kubang (which will likely be named something else), a move that should go a long way toward helping Maserati hit 50,000 units per year.

The Wagoneer is just the tipping point for new Jeeps on the way. Among the other models expected are an all-new Liberty in 2013 followed by a new Patriot in 2014 and a Fiat 500-based subcompact crossover tentatively named Jeepster.

The Chrysler brand should also look a bit more interesting as the 200 gets re-imagined for 2013 and the Town & Country morphs into a crossover in 2015. The Chrysler brand will reportedly also get a Dodge Dart-based 100 compact, but not until 2016 or later, which seems like a long way off.

Among the other interesting vehicles expected to bow are as many as six Alfa Romeo models including the 4C Coupe, the next MiTo, the Giulietta and an unnamed crossover. And then there will be a smattering of new Fiat 500 models including the 500L and the XL, which will reportedly feature seating for up to seven.

The SRT lineup will also be getting a sheetmetal injection with the addition of the Dart SRT4 and the Journey SRT6. Now if Sergio Marchionne can make the Journey exciting, he'll be up for auto executive of the decade!

News Source: Automobile Magazine

Jump-Starting An Already Solid Sedan



There is a huge push by most automakers to incorporate green hybrid technology into future products. The reasons for this are many, and they include improved public perception, better Corporate Average Fuel Economy numbers and a push to continually improve the technology. The craze really caught on with the Toyota Prius, though it was started in North America by Honda and Ford got in the game with the Escape Hybrid.

General Motors has taken a different approach to hybrid tech with a combination of technologies that includes the Voltec system used in the Chevrolet Volt and the Two-Mode Hybrid system that has been relegated to GM light-duty trucks and large SUVs. The third and most affordable option is eAssist, which utilizes a small, 65-pound 115V lithium-ion battery and a 15-horsepower electric motor to improve fuel economy by up to 25 per cent.

We spent a week in a well-heeled 2012 Buick Regal with eAssist to gain a better understanding of the technology and to see how well GM's Gen II mild hybrid tech works in the real world.

Patrons at Gordie's Place in Little Canada, Minnesota are lucky to be alive after a driver crashed her pickup into the bar. Six adults were taken to the hospital, including the driver, who apparently suffered a medical condition while behind the wheel.

Two patrons were seriously injured, and after looking at the video, which is posted below, it's incredible that anyone survived the violent impact at all. The truck also ran down a telephone pole before hitting the bar, but as you can see in the video, it did little to slow the pickup.

Google Street View vehicles have logged block after block in an effort to display video of every street imaginable, but unfortunately the G-Mobile is too big for a few European roads. But instead of leaving the thin and narrow out of Street View, Team Google has employed the diminutive Toyota iQ onto the smallest streets in Belgium to to go where Google Street View previously could not travel.

Click Here to watch the little iQ do its thing. Some of the roads only look big enough for a Schwinn, but the smallest Toyota does the trick just fine.

The SC 430 wasn't exactly a hot ticket item, but it was the only Lexus model available with two doors until the model was discontinued in 2010. That could change for the 2014 model year, as Inside Line reports that Lexus is primed to unleash a coupe version of the all-new Lexus GS.

While Lexus hasn't officially announced that a two-door GS is forthcoming, IL points out that there are plenty of signs that point towards a performance coupe. For instance, Lexus Boss Mark Templin reportedly stated that he was interested in a sport coupe in the $60,000 to $70,000 range. Further, Lexus planning chief Karl Schlicht reportedly told Automotive News earlier in the year that the brand needed a coupe to round out its lineup of sedans and utility vehicles. Certainly not a confirmation of a sleek new coupe, but the puzzle pieces appear to be coming together.

One small glitch is that the GS350 RWD sedan starts out at $51,900 Canadian, which is a far cry from $60,000 to $70,000 price range. The pricing difference could come in the form of a high-performance F-Sport engine or perhaps a more performance-oriented hybrid.

Chances are if Lexus does add a sporty coupe to its lineup, we're going to hear about it by the time the Los Angeles Auto Show rolls around this fall. We're more than okay with more GS variants, and a performance coupe always sounds like a good idea to us.

News Source: Inside Line

Image Credit: Copyright 2012 Jeff Sabatini / AOL

The passing of automotive legend Carroll Shelby has led to an outpouring of support, including a replay of a toe-tapping melody from country music great Mac Davis. Davis has enjoyed a long and successful career as both a performer and songwriter, with several number one songs including three written for Elvis Presley.

If you watch Mac's tribute to the one and only Carroll Shelby, you'll see his talent on display. Davis took the time to sing his Shelby song that he'd written years before, and you can view it yourself by scrolling below. The lyrics are pretty amazing, and they can be a bit of an elaborated history lesson for enthusiasts who thought Shelby's fame is relegated to a few Mustang GT500 models.

Most of us likely assume that the gas pump that is providing petrol is giving you the fuel that you pay for – no more or less. While that may be true in most cases, ABC News in Baltimore, Maryland proves that sometimes pumps do bad things to good people.

The report details Maryland state gas station inspections that have revealed over 4,000 defective pumps over the last four years. In all, that's between five and six per cent of the 40,000 gas pumps in Maryland, or way too many error-prone pumps for our tastes.

While our primary concern is that customers aren't getting what they pay for, it seems the gas station owners are more likely to get the short end of the stick. The report claims that station owners are three times more likely to lose money than the customer.

Scroll down to watch the ABC News report.

There was a lot of built-up excitement surrounding the larger and less costly 2011 Volkswagen Jetta, but the anticipation deflated among critics when the model's less-than-impressive interior was revealed to the world. Critics chided the cheapened cabin, and quite a few negative reviews followed.

It's tough to argue that in the process of its upsizing, the Jetta's interior wasn't downgraded with lesser plastics and trim. The 2012 Passat does a much better job in this regard, but even then there are some areas where it feels like cost has been taken out of the cabin. But none of that is apparently enough to stop designer Jae Min from taking issue with these characterizations. Ward's Automotive reports that VW's chief U.S. designer claims that the Jetta and Passat interiors were not the victims of cost-cutting. Min claims that the money was simply re-purposed, with money shifting "from here to there." The designer went on to add that the automaker was able to lower the starting price of both vehicles in part because of more flexible vehicle architectures and shifting production from Germany to the States.

While Min sounds convinced that no pennies were pinched, we're not so sure – unless when he says money was shifted "from here to there" he means "from where you can see and feel to where you can't." Regardless of what we think, one statistic is impossible to argue: Jetta sales have shot up 43.9 per cent this year and Passat sales have skyrocketed by 80.9 per cent. That, ladies and gentlemen, is letting the numbers do the talking.

News Source: Ward's Automotive

Image Credit: Copyright 2012 Drew Phillips / Dan Roth / AOL

The Internets are buzzing over the upcoming initial public offering of Facebook, but General Motors doesn't seem all that impressed. The Huffington Post reports that The General has pulled its Facebook ad campaigns just days before the social media site is scheduled to officially hit the stock market.

The pricey ad buy reportedly wasn't paying sufficient dividends for GM, which spends billions on advertising every year. GM Spokesperson Pat Morrissey confirmed that Facebook was being reassessed, but added that the automaker routinely reviews where it is spending its ad dollars. Morrissey then added that GM is looking for effectiveness when it doles out marketing cash, which doesn't bode well for Facebook's ability to draw clicks.

If GM's decision sounds at all irrational, the statistics seem to show that Facebook isn't exactly an ad-click magnet. A recent CNBC poll showed that 50 percent of all Facebook users never click on any ads, and only 12 percent of those polled feel comfortable purchasing anything through Facebook. Google appears to be more effective at attracting clicks, as The Wall Street Journal cites a click-rate that is seven times that of Facebook.

Regardless of GM's decision to break up with Facebook, we're guessing that the news probably won't drown out much of the anticipation for the IPO. After all, it isn't every day that an Internet site with 900 million mostly addicted users goes public.

News Source: The Huffington Post

Image Credit: Mladen Antonov/AFP/Getty

The current Infiniti G has soldiered on since the 2009 model year with few updates, so it is about time for a design change. But how much longer do we have to wait? Inside Line reports that the new G will arrive next spring with a new design, fresh engines and a possible hybrid variant.

Nissan VP Andy Palmer reportedly let loose the G's tight time line, while providing room for us to speculate what engineering changes could come with the redesign. The high-ranking executive told IL that the partnership between Nissan and Mercedes-Benz is progressing as planned, and we know that a four-cylinder engine is among the early collaborative endeavors. In fact, just last week Autocar reported that the next G will feature diesel and four-cylinder engines with Mercedes DNA.

Such a powerplant could replace the 2.5-litre V6 under the hood of the G25, and turbocharging could be on order as well. Palmer added that a turbocharged six could also be in the cards, noting that there is a business case for blown sixes that deliver V8 power with V6 fuel economy. Given that the entry Infiniti sedan doesn't currently feature a V8 option, we're all for more G-power for 2014.

The last interesting tidbit is the possibility of a G hybrid model. The addition of a battery-assisted G makes sense given that the automaker already features a hybrid option in its M sedan, and using the powertrain in more applications helps lower development costs.

News Source: Inside Line

Thankfully, Truck Nuts have proven to be more fad than fashion, but that hasn't stopped a few truck owners from donning the hitch-mounted clock weights. Those who continue to hold their Truck Nuts near and dear should keep in mind that sometimes, law enforcement is having none of it.

The Smoking Gun reports that one Joe Cervantes-Rodriquez recently spent a night in jail thanks to his flesh-colored pickup balls. A South Carolina deputy spotted the Truck Nuts during a patrol and decided to pull over the driver.

For the Truck Nuts, Cervantes-Rodriquez was given a warning citation; for not having a driver's license he spent the night in jail-an experience that would likely have been avoided were it not for the "obscene object" that triggered the traffic stop, which was described as being the size of a softball and anatomically correct.

Cervantes-Rodriquez was released from jail after posting a US$237.50 bond. We'd guess that he's since removed the Truck Nuts.

News Source: The Smoking Gun

Baby Buick Makes Quiet Case As An Almost-Luxury Car

If you put us in charge of Porsche Boxster development, we'd have demanded more power, less weight and improved fuel efficiency. We now know that the new 265-horsepower, 2.7-litre boxer six was capable of 10 more ponies than the outgoing model, and overall tonnage was slashed by 25 kilograms, so the base model is already two-thirds of the way toward our vision.

The Porsche website lists that the most affordable Porsche has completed the wish-list trifecta, announcing a significant fuel economy bump. The base 2013 Boxster will boast a NEDC-estimated 10.6L/100km (22mpg) in the city and 5.9L/100km (40mpg) on the highway, but only when equipped with the PDK transmission. The manual-equipped Boxster will still achieve impressive 11.4/6.3L/100km, (21/37mpg), respectively.

The Boxster S is only slightly thirstier, with the 315 horsepower, 3.4-litre flat six delivering 12.2L/100km (19mg) city and 6.9L/100km (34mpg) highway with the six-speed manual or 11.2 (21) and 6.2 (38), respectively, with the seven-speed PDK.

News Source: Porsche

April was a busy month for the long-term 2011 Mini Countryman, with over 4,000 kilometers added to the odometer and a heaping helping of people and things passing through its doors. When I picked up the Countryman, I was impressed by the fact that all four of its winter tires were neatly stowed behind the front seats. However, the biggest of Mini models didn't fare so well when the rear seats were occupied.

On a shopping day with the kids, a relatively small amount of goods proved to be far too much for the Countryman's diminutive trunk. As a result, I had no choice but to disperse boxes at the feet of my wife and kids, which was a decidedly unpopular move (don't let the smiles fool you). The kids didn't love the lack of roominess, but I can assure you that my 4,000 kilometers were mostly enjoyable.

I got a huge kick out of the Countryman's spirited handling, even though I didn't find our long-termer to have the same go-kart-like demeanor of its smaller siblings. The good news, however, was that I was able to average 9L/100km during my month with the Mini, with a high of 7.8L/100km and a very entertaining high of 11.8L/100km being guzzled. But don't blame the Countryman for that 11.8L/100km number – that tank of gas was all about exploring the performance limits of our smallest long-term loaner. And even so, my own average fuel economy is higher than the dismal numbers that Editor Ewing brought up in last month's update.

One thing I didn't like about the Countryman was a sometimes jarring ride, which we've attributed, in part, to the dreaded run-flat tires. The throttle was also a bit odd, as the first few degrees of pedal travel felt a bit dead. It took a few days to get used to it, and it helps to always drive in Sport mode.

The Countryman did require a non-scheduled trip to the dealership during its month in my hands. After just a few days with the car, I noticed that the fan kicked on at full blast every time I turned on the car. I didn't think much of it at first, until I came back outside one day and discovered that the fan was still on after about 10 minutes of the vehicle being turned off. The 'check engine' light illuminated the very next day, so off to Motor City Mini we went. As it turned out, the engine's thermometer was on the fritz, and the dealer replaced the part under warranty. That one issue aside, we've enjoyed nearly 25,000 kilometers of carefree Mini motoring.

Our Mini will spend the month of May shuffling between a number of staffers, with a few road trips planned as warmer weather starts to grace southeast Michigan. Stay tuned to see how the Countryman fares.

Keep your eyes locked on the official Autoblog Canada Facebook page for updates, as well as the official Autoblog Canada Twitter account.