The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has just released crash test results for the new Ford Edge crossover and for the updated Ford Fusion midsize sedan, and the results are good for Ford.
The Edge (and the mechanically identical Lincoln MKX) join five other SUVs as IIHS “Top Safety Picks”, which signify top performance in frontal, side, and rear crash testing in conjunction with vehicle stability control.
The Ford Fusion was rated Acceptable in frontal and side performance, the third highest of four ratings, when it came out for the 2006 model year. For 2007, it strengthened the floorpan and redesigned the door panels, and it is now rated Good, the highest rating, for frontal and side protection. Unlike the Edge, it is not a “Top Safety Pick” because of marginal rear-impact performance and no stability control. Also, Ford only changed the door panels on the Fusion and its twin the Mercury Milan, while the pair’s pricier derivative, the Lincoln MKZ, still has the lower side-impact rating.
To compare these results to those of other cars, please visit the IIHS website. You can also see the IIHS crash test results listed alongside those conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration at the IFCAR auto safety page.
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The Associated Press reports that Honda is recalling 81,000 2004 and 2005 Accord sedans for a potential defect in the airbag sensors, and that Toyota is recalling 533,000 2004-2006 Tundras and 2004-2007 Sequoias for a steering flaw.
The Honda recall concerns the housing for the sensor wires that determine the force at which the frontal airbags should deploy. The housing was installed in a way that the sensor wire may break. Without the sensor information, the airbags deploy at full force, which can injure smaller occupants. No injuries have been reported, however.
The Toyota recall concerns a ball joint on the front suspension of the Tundra pickup truck and mechanically related Sequoia SUV. Toyota is concerned that excessive wear on the joint is likely, and that the issue would make the vehicles difficult to steer. Eleven accidents and six injuries have been attributed to the defect, Toyota’s second for front suspension issues on its full-size trucks. The redesigned 2007 Tundra is not affected.
The Toyota recall seems to affect all Tundra and Sequoia models within the stated year range, but the Honda recall does not affect every 2004 and 2005 Accord sedan.
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The 2008 Buick Enclave, the third of the GM Lambda crossovers, will go on sale in the early summer of 2007 with a base price of $32,790 including destination charge.
The Enclave joins the Saturn Outlook, which starts at $27,990, and the GMC Acadia, which starts at $29,990. To compensate for the higher price, GM promises that the Enclave will be more refined, have more luxurious interior, and include more standard features than its cousins.
The base CX model starts at $32,790, and the uplevel CXL begins at $34,990. All-wheel-drive adds $2,000 to the price of each Enclave.
The Detroit Free Press reports that Toyota has settled a class-action lawsuit brought against it by owners of Toyota and Lexus models who were refused warranty work after a buildup of oil sludge destroyed their engines.
Many owners who suffered sludge-related engine damage under warranty were informed that a lack of proper maintenance had voided them, even if they had followed Toyota’s recommended maintenance schedule. Up to 4 million vehicles from the late 1990s and early 2000s are at risk for sludge buildup, including the Toyota Camry shown at right.
The terms of the settlement include a third-party evaluator to determine what (if any) compensation owners of affected vehicles are entitled to. Toyota is also paying the owners’ legal expenses.
But Toyota refuses to acknowledge any flaw in the design of the sludge-prone engines, even as they admit that frequent maintenance may not prevent sludge buildup.
A Toyota spokesman told the Free Press that reliability is one of the automaker’s “top concerns,” and that customer satisfaction is another.
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The Car Connection reports that the Volkswagen Jetta is set to receive a Bluetec common-rail diesel engine that will meet emissions requirements in all 50 US states in 2008. The previous diesel Jetta was discontinued for the US market after the 2006 model year after it did not, but because of its popularity here, Volkswagen continued to produce 2006 models even after most other new cars were labeled as 2007s to evade the new emissions requirement.
Volkswagen has sold over 800,000 diesel cars in the United States, and the since-discontinued Jetta was a good one. Much to the disappointment of hybrid fans, Consumer Reports magazine rated it higher than the Toyota Prius and Honda Civic hybrids. With cleaner emissions than before and no restrictions on where it will be sold, the new model should continue to offer top-notch fuel economy and continue Volkswagen’s diesel sales success.
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While the Big Three languish in UAW-induced financial hell, Toyota is having trouble meeting demand - and may open as many as five new American plants.
Anonymous sources at Toyota have confirmed that one plant will located in the U.S. southeast and one will be located in Mexico. (The photo to the left shows the Toyota plant in Texas, now operating.)
A report in the Internation Herald-Trbune noted that demand isn’t the only consideration:
The concern of Toyota executives about U.S. criticism of its mounting shipments of Japanese-built autos to America is the source of the urgency behind production plans, the people said. Toyota also wants to limit exposure to currency fluctuations against the Japanese yen by building more vehicles where they are sold, they said.
But hey, if Americans didn’t want Toyotas, they wouldn’t be buying millions of them per year. It’s not that difficult a concept - build reliable cars, offer techie features in them, and invest some money in the interior to make it look sophisticated (or at least reasonably pleasing to the eye). That means no gaps in the dash panel, no cheap plastic, and a quality stereo package.
As a side note, now that the Democrats are back in power, expect this controversy to heat up. The Democrats get big bucks from organized labor, who will undoubtedly expect a return on their investment in the party. In addition, the auto controversy could stand as a launching pad for another try at a social healthcare system in the U.S. - with the justification being that foreign competitors to U.S. companies do not have to offer healthcare packages to workers.
The company that pioneered hybrid technology is getting more intersted in diesel-powered engines. One Honda honcho, according to a report in Business Week, stated that while hybrid systems work best in small cars, midsizers and SUVs would benefit more from a diesel system. He hinted that the next-generation Accord may feature a diesel choice rather than a hybrid choice.
On meeting U.S. regulations regulations, CEO Takeo Fukui claims his engines will be just fine:
Fukui says Honda’s hybrid technology is still an important piece of its strategy, but the company thinks its new diesel engines—which it boasts are both quiet enough for consumers and clean enough to meet tough air regulations in California, New York, and several New England states—are a smart option.
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A short-but-sweet report by the AP today reported that:
German automaker BMW AG said Friday its 2006 sales in China rose 51.3 percent amid a luxury car boom.
Even more impressive, the same report recalled:
BMW’s Rolls Royce unit announced earlier that its China sales rose 60 percent last year, though it did not release the number of cars sold.
And we thought they all drove knock-off Hondas…
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Could this be Peugeot’s rumored Audi killer?
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Nissan has increased horsepower to 306 for it’s flagship sports car. In addition to the engine upgrades the Z sports a new refined nose. Here’s Nissan’s press release:
“The Nissan 350Z continues to offer sports car lovers high performance excitement and dynamic driving experience. For the 2007 model year, Nissan engineers have taken the award-winning sports car one step further with the next generation of its award-winning VQ-series 3.5-liter V6. The new VQ35HR V6 produces 306 horsepower and 268 lb-ft of torque and features a twin air intake system, among other enhancements, that increases efficiency and allows for improved fuel economy.
Other new features for the 2007 350Z include a new front hood design, three new exterior colors, a new gray colored convertible top (Roadster models), interior improvements, a Bluetooth® Hands-Free Phone System (Touring, Grand Touring Coupes) and standard front seat-mounted side-impact supplemental air bags (Roadster models).
These new features enhance the already well-equipped sports car, which features speed-sensitive power steering system, LED taillights, refined optional navigation system and available RAYS® super lightweight 18-inch front/19-inch rear 5-spoke forged alloy wheels (Coupe only).
For 2007, the 350Z is again available in Coupe and Roadster body styles and in an array of models – four for the Coupe and three for the Roadster. Each provides sports car lovers high performance excitement and a dynamic driving experience, with a style all its own.”
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