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…)
Let’s get one thing perfectly clear. When Honda says small car, it means Fit. When Dodge says small car, it’s talking Caliber, a car that’s about 18 inches longer, 2.5 inches wider and as much as 800 pounds heavier than a Fit. The Caliber is replacing the Neon in the Dodge lineup and both the Neon and the Caliber are Honda Civic-size.
Calibers are available in five trim levels, ranging from the base 1.8-liter SE at $13,425 up to the 2.4-liter R/T AWD (all-wheel drive) with an MSRP of $19,425 (plus $560 destination charges) we tested. A CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) is standard in the R/T AWD and optional in all other models.
With the Caliber, Dodge designers have gone out of their way to create the illusion of a larger car. The exterior looks like a smaller version of the Magnum. Inside, the large gauges, heater/vent/air conditioning dials and steering wheel, along with the expansive dash give the perception of a larger car. All the better to fool American buyers who don’t feel comfortable driving small cars.
The R/T AWD’s “big” 4-cylinder is a necessity in a “small car” weighing more than 3300 pounds. But even its 172 horsepower is barely up to the task of hauling around that much weight. And as a result, the EPA estimated fuel economy is a modest 23 mpg city and 26 highway.
The CVT tries hard, and by its very nature it keeps the revs higher than the ears enjoy hearing. There is no melody to a 2.4-liter 4-cylinder revving above 6000 rpm. The transmission features a manual gate with six distinct ratios, and the Caliber feels more peppy and less strained when driven in this mode.
From behind the wheel the Caliber R/T AWD not only looks like a big car but also it feels like a bigger car. The steering and brakes are heavy. Around corners it has a big-car feel: substantial but never light and nimble. The ride is firm. The R/T models have performance steering and a sport suspension aimed at enthusiast drivers. Test drive the other Caliber models if you prefer a less sporty driving experience.
In addition to being the Chrysler Group’s first compact car to offer all-wheel-drive, Dodge Caliber is the Chrysler Group’s first passenger car to use an electromagnetically controlled all-wheel-drive system that manages torque split from front to rear, based on road surface conditions.
The system works on demand, without need for driver input, driving only the front wheels until power to the rear wheels is needed, which optimizes fuel economy. All-wheel drive also is used between speeds of 25 and 65 mph to ensure precise handling during performance driving.
Along with an ABS braking system (standard on models with CVT), Dodge Caliber also is the first Chrysler Group compact car to offer Electronic Stability Program (ESP) with traction control on SXT and R/T models (late availability). These confidence-inspiring features are ideal for all-season go-power in Northern New England’s notoriously wet, slippery, snowy, icy, muddy driving conditions.
Dodge doesn’t use the words “station wagon” to describe the Caliber, but I can and will. The rear hatch and folding rear seats create a large functional cargo area. There are plenty of storage cubbies strategically located throughout the cabin, including a clever two-level glovebox (but no lock). Plus numerous thoughtful details, including extendable visors and a cell phone/iPod holder built into the center console. But these are counterbalanced by seat controls that are awkwardly positioned and outboard vents that are irritatingly low. And despite its exterior size, the Caliber’s interior doesn’t offer much more room than a lot of smaller cars I can name, including the Honda Fit.
At $14,000 dollars I expect to find hard plastic interior surfaces. But when a model such as the R/T AWD is just a five spot under $20,000, I look for higher-grade materials and better fit and finish. Come on Dodge, you can do better.
I find the Caliber R/T AWD a bit of an enigma machine: Big car on the outside, but small car on the inside. A compact car with mid-size car price and fuel economy. Thoughtful design touches mixed with some frustrating controls. The peace-of mind of all-wheel drive and available stability and traction control combined with a not-so-peaceful 4-cylinder and CVT. A blending of Chrysler and Daimler technologies and engineering. Maybe trying just a little too hard to be both germane and German. A 22-caliber rifle shot in a shot gun market.
Nobody asked me, but . . .
