Whenever I have a particularly vexing automotive market research issue, I typically turn to my long-time friend, George Peterson, of Auto Pacific for an answer. Such was the case recently after I spent a week in a 2012 Kia Rio SX GDI 5-door hatchback. (more…)
Hyundai has been selling cars in the US since 1986. And after a bit of a sputtering start, the last decade has seen years of steady growth for Hyundai in this market. Starting at a mere 0.6 percent market share in 1998, Hyundai reached 3.0 percent penetration in 2008 and in 2009, a year in which world-wide recession and plummeting auto sales affected virtually every auto maker in this market, Hyundai sales rocketed to a 4.2 percent share of market.
So what has Hyundai been doing right? Seems like just about everything: Quality products competitively priced. J.D. Power quality and North American Car of the Year Awards. Attention grabbing warranty programs. A job-loss vehicle return program. Depreciation lower than Toyota and Ford. High-tech powertrains. Industry-leading fuel economy. More standard features than the competition. Leadership in active and passive safety technologies. Oh, and did I mention styling? Say hello to the eye-stopping 2011 Hyundai Sonata.
Hard to believe but Ford’s midsize competitor to the likes of the Camry, Accord, Malibu, Altima and Sonata has been around since the 2006 model year. It first appeared in these pages in 2007, November 27th to be precise, in the guise of two 2008 SE models, one with a 4-cylinder and the other with a V6.
Spool ahead to 2010 and we’re got a substantially updated Fusion, one with revised front and rear styling, an even nicer interior and new powertrain offerings including the hybrid model reviewed here.
Ford’s continued evolution of its hybrid technology results in a hybrid system that transitions between gasoline and electric power and back more efficiently and seamlessly. The overall system upgrade allows the Ford Fusion and its Mercury Milan counterpart to operate longer at higher speeds in electric mode. The hybrid vehicles can operate up to 47 mph (I saw 43 mph) in pure electric mode, approximately twice as fast as some competitors. Plus, the city driving range on a single tank of gas is expected to be more than 700 miles. EPA ratings for the Ford Fusion Hybrid are 41-mpg city and 36-mpg highway, better than its Camry, Altima and Malibu hybrid counterparts. (more…)
What is a Terrain? It’s a compact crossover, the GMC version of the Chevrolet Equinox (Carmudgeon, July 8, 2009) and the new Cadillac SRX.
The following is a quote from General Motors regarding the new GMC Terrain.
“At the core of the reinvention of General Motors is a promise to deliver customers greater value with strong new products. For the new 2010 GMC Terrain, that means taking the brand’s 100 year-plus tradition of engineering and capability and presenting it in a smaller, more fuel-efficient package for today’s buyers. (more…)
The Mazda3 is a great success story. The first generation sold for the past five years was purchased by nearly 2-million owners around the world. One out of every three Mazdas sold worldwide is a Mazda3. In the US, its sales increased each year for the last five years. In 2008, the last year in the first generation Mazda3 lifecycle, it singlehandedly represented 44 percent of Mazda North American Operation’s sales volume. (more…)
Last time we met at this Suzuki hitching post was in July, the 30th to be exact, and I stated the following:
“Suzuki believes that what the world is missing is an affordable, world-class, sports sedan . . . a European sports sedan with the QRD (quality, reliability, durability) of a Japanese sedan. One that will attract a new (read Suzuki) buyer.
“Development targets included the Alfa 159, Acura TSX and VW Passat, with upscale design, craftsmanship, performance and a premium interior being key characteristics. A car designed for American and European enthusiasts. One with an extremely rigid structure, standard dual-zone heating and air conditioning, extensive sound deadening and meeting 2014 safety standards, including eight standard airbags, standard stability control and available all-wheel drive, a rarity in this class.” (more…)
Is it possible for a car to get too big for it’s britches? Case in point: the new for 2009 Toyota Corolla XRS. The 2009 Corolla is the 10th generation of the best selling passenger car in history and the longest-running Toyota car model sold in America. Note the word car here because the Toyota Land Cruiser has the distinction of being the longest running name plate of all time in America having first touched our Pacific shores in 1958, 10 years before the Corolla. (more…)
Mazda designers and engineers faced a serious dilemma as they gathered to create the next Mazda6. The current model didn’t have the broad appeal of its direct family sedan Asian competitors—Toyota Camry, Honda Accord and Hyundai Sonata—because it was smaller on the outside and on the inside. It also trailed these competitors in quality and power. (more…)
Take a practical and functional Nissan Sentra compact 4-door sedan and send it to a Jose Canseco athletic club for a 2-week “treatment” and what do you get?
If you’ve ever lusted after a convertible, but shied away from this fun-in-the-sun body style because of environmental issues such as snow, ice and rain (think New England) or theft and break-ins (Eat your hearts out, New Yorkers.) have I got two words for you: retractable hardtop. Visualize a convertible but with a folding rood of steel or plastic instead of canvas. The quietness and security of a fixed roof combined with convertible cool. RHTs are growing in popularity and numbers daily and the VW Eos sis one of the best. (more…)
Nobody asked me, but . . .
