2015 Honda Fit Is All-New With More Horsepower This Spring

The all-new 2015 Honda Fit, completely redesigned from the ground up, is slightly shorter (-1.6 in.) and wider (+0.3 in.) with a longer wheelbase (+1.2 in.) with an increase in passenger volume (+4.9 cu ft) and rear legroom (+4.8 in.) compared to the previous model. The 2015 Fit is equipped with an all-new 130 horsepower direct-injected 1.5-liter DOHC i-VTEC engine, 13 horsepower more than the outgoing engine, and paired to two new transmissions, a 6-speed manual or a Continuously Variable Transmission with available paddle shifters. The EPA-estimated fuel economy ratings are 33 city/41 highway/36 combined for the CVT-equipped models. The 2015 Fit will be in production next month and go on sale in the U.S. this Spring.

2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 With 625 Horsepower Coming Next Year

The 2015 Chevrolet Corvette Z06 with at least 625 horsepower from an all-new LT4 6.2L supercharged V-8 engine, and an all-new, high-performance eight-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters for manual control. The new Corvette Z06 will be available in early 2015. 

2015 Hyundai Genesis Is All-New With AWD Model Coming This Spring

The all-new 2015 Hyundai Genesis has a redesigned advanced high-strength steel platform making it stiffer to accommodate its new available HTRAC® AWD system, using no shared components with its previous generation. The 2015 Hyundai Genesis is offered with a choice of rear-wheel-drive or new HTRAC® All-Wheel-Drive (AWD) configurations.

The Genesis 3.8-liter direct-injected Lambda engine has also been further optimized to deliver a flatter overall torque curve at low rpm for enhanced driveability producing 311 horsepower and 293 lb.-ft. of torque. The Genesis 5.0 has the 420 horsepower Tau 5.0-liter V8 engine and is also mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. The new Genesis will be built at Hyundai’s Ulsan, Korea plant, with U.S. sales beginning in the Spring.

Porsche 911 Targa 4 and 4S Arrive This Summer At $102K Plus

The Porsche 911 Targa 4, powered by a horizontally opposed 350 horsepower 3.4-liter 6-cylinder engine, will have an MSRP of $102,595. Equipped with the optional Porsche Doppelkupplung (PDK) and Sport Chrono package, the 911 Targa 4 accelerates from zero to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds and is capable of a top track speed of 174 mph (175 mph with the manual transmission).

The Porsche 911 Targa 4S has a 400 horsepower 3.8-liter horizontally opposed 6-cylinder engine with a price tag of will have an MSRP of $117,195, and accelerates from zero to 60 mph in 4.2 seconds when equipped with optional PDK and Sport Chrono package. The 911 Targa 4S is capable of reaching a top track speed of 183 mph when equipped with a manual transmission and 182 mph with PDK.

Both 911 Targa models will come in AWD when they arrive this summer.

Chevrolet Sweeps 2014 Car and Truck Of The Year Honors

The all-new Chevrolet Corvette Stingray,  the most powerful standard model ever, with 455 horsepower and 460 lb-ft of torque from a 6.2L V-8 engine, is the 2014 North American Car of the Year receiving 211 points topping the Mazda3 with 185 points and the Cadillac CTS with 94 points.

The Chevrolet Silverado 1500 pickup truck, available with a 355 horsepower 5.3L EcoTec3 V-8 switching to four cylinders for an EPA estimated highway fuel economy of up to 23 mpg, is the 2014 North American Truck of the Year, receiving 219 points to the Jeep Cherokee with 174 points and the Acura MDX with 97 points. It's the first time Chevrolet has won both awards in the same year. 

Kia GT4 Stinger Concept

Kia GT4 Stinger Concept

2015 GMC Canyon Pickup Truck Coming This Fall

The 2015 GMC Canyon pickup truck, offered in base, SLE and SLT models, in 2WD and 4WD models, and with an All-Terrain package offered on SLE models, comes with a standard estimated 193 horsepower 2.5L I-4 engine or an available estimated 302 horsepower from 3.6L V-6 engine offering a payload of at least 1,450 pounds and a trailering rating (when properly equipped) of at least 6,700 pounds. A Duramax 2.8L turbodiesel engine is coming in the 2016 model year. GMC will continue to work on and develop the Canyon until the start of production this Fall.

2015 Chrysler 200 Sedan Starts At $22,695 In Second Quarter

The all-new 2015 Chrysler 200 Sedan offers a 295 horsepower 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine or the standard 184 horsepower 2.4-liter MultiAir®2 Tigershark I-4 engine mated to a standard nine-speed automatic transmission, which enables expected highway fuel economy ratings of 35 miles per gallon. The 2015 Chrysler 200 sedan is all new from the ground up and has a starting MSRP of $22,695 (including $995 destination). The 2015 Chrysler 200 is available in four different models in the United States and will arrive in volume in dealer showrooms in the second quarter of this year. Customers can choose from the 2015 Chrysler 200 LX model, Chrysler Limited model, Chrysler 200S model and the premium Chrysler 200C.

Toyota FT-1 Concept - Video Game To Reality

Toyota FT-1 Concept, first devised by Calty Design Research in the Sony PlayStation Gran Turismo game, is now life size on display in Detroit.

2015 Ford F-150 Pickup Coming Later This Year

The all-new 2015 Ford F-150, part of the Ford F-Series truck lineup, America’s best-selling truck for 37 consecutive years and America’s best-selling vehicle for 32 years, will come in five primary trim levels: XL, XLT, Lariat, Platinum and King Ranch. Chrome appearance packages are available with XL, XLT, Lariat and King Ranch. Monochromatic sport appearance packages are available with XL, XLT and Lariat. The 2015 Ford F-150 offers four engines: a new 2.7-liter EcoBoost with standard Auto Start-Stop and a 3.5-liter V6 engine with twin independent variable camshaft timing join the the 3.5-liter EcoBoost and 5.0-liter Ti-VCT V8.

The 2015 Ford F-150 has a new 8-inch LCD productivity screen in the instrument panel, SYNC® with MyFord Touch®, hill start assist, MyKey®, rear view camera, reverse sensing, trailer brake controller and extendable tailgate step. The F-150 also features second-row inflatable safety belts with a tubular airbag that inflates in the event of a crash, curve control automatically provides four-wheel braking when the truck is going into a corner too fast, adaptive cruise control uses radar technology to monitor traffic ahead, lane-keeping system helps avert unintentional drifting, blind spot information system with cross-traffic alert, which uses radar hidden in the taillamps to detect a vehicle entering a driver’s blind spot while driving or backing up.

2015 Audi A8 Arrives This Summer With Refreshed Look

The 2015 Audi A8 sedan still offers the 333 horsepower 3.0 TFSI as the entry level engine and the 500 horsepower 6.3-liter FSI® W12 engine as the high end powerplant while the 4.0T V8 engine now produces 435 horsepower up from 420. The outside look shows off a new LED headlamp, grille, bumper, and splitter and hood design and inside there's an available 22-way front and rear comfort seats with 5 different massage functions.

Technology includes active lane assist, secondary collision assist that automatically applies the brakes following a collision to help avoid possible secondary collisions and there's night vision assistant that has pedestrian detection and now animal detection is able to highlight larger animals. There's head-up display projecting information onto windshield. Audi park assist helps steer the car into a parking space Audi Side assist and Audi pre sense® plus. The Audi MMI® navigation plus system that includes Google Earth mapping, Google Voice local search functionality and a Wi-Fi hotspot for up to eight devices.

The S8 has a 520 horsepower 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged, direct-injected V8 engine. The new 2015 Audi A8 and S8 will arrive in the U.S. this summer.

Volvo Concept XC Coupé Shows Off What's Coming

The second of Volvo’s three concept cars is the new two-door, four-seat Volvo Concept XC Coupé. Tony Nicolosi, President and CEO of Volvo Cars North America discussed vehicles that are coming at the LA Auto Show in November.

Volkswagen Passat BlueMotion® Concept Boasts 42 MPG

The Volkswagen Passat BlueMotion® Concept is a non-hybrid, gasoline-engine mid-size sedan with an all-new version of the Volkswagen 1.4-liter EA211 TSI® engine with direct injection and turbocharging that delivers 150 horsepower and 184 lb-ft of torque for an manufacturer estimated highway fuel economy rating of 42 mpg. The Passat BlueMotion® Concept also offers Active Cylinder Management technology which deactivates the valvetrain on cylinders two and three for situations when the driver only applies light throttle pressure to maintain specific city speeds, previously seen on the European Volkswagen Polo and Golf models. 

Kia GT4 Stinger Sports Car Concept To Debut Soon

The Kia GT4 Stinger rear wheel drive 2+2 sports car concept with a carbon fiber front splitter and powered by a 315 horsepower turbocharged 2.0-liter engine will be shown off in Detroit in 10 days.

2014 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 Arrives For $75,000 This Spring

The 2014 Chevrolet Camaro Z/28 with a 505 horsepower 7.0L LS7 engine delivering 481 lb-ft of torque mated to a close-ratio six-speed manual transmission will have a suggested retail price of $75,000 (includes destination and freight charges, as well as the gas-guzzler tax) and will be available to order in late January with the first cars delivered to customers in the spring.

The new Z/28 power is distributed to the rear wheels via a Torsen limited-slip differential featuring a helical gear set, rather than traditional clutch packs, for optimal traction. The new Z/28 is offered in Red Hot, Black, Silver Ice Metallic, Ashen Gray Metallic and Summit White. The only available option is a $1,150 package that adds air conditioning and a total of six audio speakers. The standard Z/28 package includes one speaker. Power is distributed to the rear wheels via a Torsen limited-slip differential featuring a helical gear set, rather than traditional clutch packs, for optimal traction.

December and Full Year 2013 U.S. Auto Sales

General Motors delivered 230,157 vehicles in December, down 6 percent versus a year ago with retail sales were down 6 percent and fleet sales were down 9 percent. For 2013 GM delivered 2.8 million vehicles in the United States with retail sales increasing 11 percent and total sales up 7 percent compared with 2012.

Ford Motor Company December sales were 218,058 vehicles up 2 percent with retail up 3 percent while 2013 U.S. sales totaled 2,493,918 vehicles, up 14 percent.

Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. reported December 2013 sales results of 190,843, an decrease 1.7 percent from year-ago month. Full year 2013 sales of 2,236,042 is a 7.4 percent gain over last year.

Chrysler Group reported U.S. sales of 161,007, a 6 percent increase compared with sales in December 2012 (152,367), Chrysler's best December sales since 2007. Full-year Chrysler Group sales of 1,800,368 were up 9 percent in 2013, compared with sales during 2012.

American Honda reported 135,255 Honda and Acura vehicles were sold in December, eclipsing last December's strong sales by 1.9 percent. Total 2013 vehicle sales of 1,525,312, an increase of 7.2 percent for the year and the second-best result in company history. Honda Division annual sales reached 1,359,876 in 2013, a year-over-year increase of 7.4 percent and the second best all-time sales total for the Honda brand. The Acura Division posted year-to-date sales of 165,436, a 5.9-percent gain and the best result since 2007.

Nissan U.S. sales for December 2013 of 109,758 was an increase of 10.5 percent compared to last year. In 2013, Nissan sold 1,248,420 vehicles in the U.S., an increase of 9.4 percent over 2012 and the best annual sales total in Nissan's history.

Hyundai Motor America December sales of 63,005 was up six percent versus the same period in 2013, the best December in company history and the first December to break the 60,000 mark. Annual sales were 720,783, up 2.5 percent over a record setting 2012.

Kia Motors America reported December sales of 33,631, a 14.2 percent drop from a year ago and for the year Kia reported it's second-best annual sales of 535,179 vehicles, a 4 percent drop from 2012.

Volkswagen of America reported December deliveries of 34,015, a 22.7 percent drop from last December. 2013 full year sales of 407,704, down 6.9 percent from 2012. Separately, Audi set an all-time monthly sales record in December 2013 with sales of 17,013 new models, a 14.6 percent improvement over the previous monthly sales record set in December 2012. Audi achieved its fourth-consecutive year of record U.S. demand by recording full-year sales of 158,061, a 13.5 percent increase over the previous annual record set a year earlier.

The BMW Group in the U.S. (BMW and MINI combined) reported December sales of 43,981 vehicles, an increase of 0.3 percent from the 43,855 vehicles sold in the same month a year ago. At year end, the BMW Group (BMW and MINI combined) is up 8.1 percent on sales of 375,782 compared to 347,583 in 2012, a new record for the BMW Group U.S.  

Subaru of America reported December 2013 sales of 40,172, the best December ever for the company, an increase of 9.6 percent over December 2012. For the year, record sales of 424,683 was an increase of 26.2 percent over the previous record of 336,441 vehicles, which was set in 2012.  This fifth consecutive record also represents the largest ever single-year increase in volume for the brand.

Mercedes-Benz USA reported its best-ever December for the Mercedes-Benz brand with sales of 33,007, increasing 17.3 percent and its highest annual sales volume with sales of 312,534 for the Mercedes-Benz brand in 2013, a 14 percent increase from the 274,134 vehicles sold in 2012. Sprinter Vans achieved an annual sales total of 21,816, gaining 4.2 percent. Adding 9,264 units from smart, MBUSA's year-end total hit a record 343,614, increasing 12.6 percent from the 305,072 vehicles sold the previous year.

Jaguar Land Rover North America reported December 2013 U.S. sales for both brands of 7,308, a 17 percent increase from 6,223 units in December 2012. Jaguar Land Rover North America sales for the year were 66,962, up 20 percent from 55,675 units in 2012. Jaguar sales were 1,544, up 47 percent up from 1,049 units in December 2012 while sales for the year were 16,952 up 41 percent from 12,011 in 2012. Land Rover sales reached 5,764 units, up 11 percent from 5,174 units in December 2012 and sales for the year achieved an all-time high of 50,010 up 15 percent from 43,664 in 2012.

Mitsubishi Motors North America reported December sales of 6,423, up 56.2 percent compared to December 2012. Mitsubishi sales were up 7.7 percent for the year.

Volvo Cars of North America reported U.S. sales of 4,888, a 20.5 percent decrease from December 2012, due to a planned strategy to move away from fleet units and focus on retail sales. For the year, U.S. sales were 61,233, down 10.1 percent versus 2012.

Porsche Cars North America December sales of 3,246 cars was an increase of 10 percent over last December and for the year Porsche Cars North America set an all-time U.S. sales record, with 42,323 cars sold in 2013, up 21 percent over 2012.

Sales will be updated as manufacturers report.

Lexus RC 350 Coupe Coming This Year - In Red?

The all-new Lexus RC 350 Coupe was introduced in Tokyo in late November and will debut in the U.S. in Detroit in two weeks and launch later this year. The Lexus RC 350 Coupe will presumably be powered by a similar 270 horsepower V6 engine that's currently used in other models. We'll find out soon enough.

On the issue of RED CARS, according to the DuPont Automotive Color Popularity Report, 8 percent of the cars in the U.S. in 2012 were red. As seen on this chart, the top global vehicle colors in DuPont’s report are as follows:
1.         White/White Pearl – 23 percent
2.         Black/Black Effect – 21 percent
3.         Silver – 18 percent
4.         Gray – 14 percent
5.         Red – 8 percent
6.         Blue – 6 percent
7.         Brown/Beige – 6 percent
8.         Green – 1 percent
9.         Yellow/Gold – 1 percent
10.        Others – 2 percent

Infiniti Q50 Eau Rouge Concept High Performance Sedan

The Infiniti Q50 Eau Rouge high-performance design concept based on Infiniti's Q50 sedan is influenced by Formula One racing and loaded with carbon fiber parts, including front splitter, rear diffuser, side sill skirts, roof and door mirror casings. The Q50 Eau Rouge will premiere at the 2014 North American International Auto Show in Detroit on January 13.

David Zuchowski Becomes CEO and President of Hyundai Motor America

David Zuchowski (left), Hyundai Motor America executive vice president of sales will become President and CEO effective January 1, 2014 taking the place of John Krafcik (right) who will step down after five years at the helm upon the successful completion of his contract on December 31, 2013.

Zuchowski joined Hyundai Motor America in February 2007 as vice president of Sales with responsibility for all sales, sales operations, market representation, field operations and overall dealer relations. A 33-year veteran of the automotive industry, Zuchowski was previously with Mazda North America, where he served as vice president of Sales and Field Operations. Zuchowski began his career in 1980 at Ford, where he progressed through various executive-level positions including regional manager, product marketing manager, national merchandising manager and field operations manager for the Ford and Lincoln Mercury divisions.

Merry Christmas - Happy New Year