Bentley Hybrid Concept On Display In Beijing Later This Month

The Bentley Hybrid Concept, based on the Mulsanne, has a plug-in hybrid system capable of driving at least 30 miles on electric power alone. Bentley’s first plug-in hybrid model is set to be a dedicated version of the all-new SUV available in 2017.

2015 Honda Fit Goes On Sale Monday Starting At $16,315

The 2015 Honda Fit goes on sale on Monday, with an MSRP starting at $16,315 (including $790 destination charge) for the LX trim with 6-speed manual transmission. All Fit models are powered by a new, higher power 130 horsepower 1.5-liter engine with 114 pound feet of torque delivering an EPA fuel-economy rating of 33/41/36 (city/highway/combined) for the LX with Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT).  

The 2014 Ram Power Wagon, The Latest Ram Truck

The 2014 Ram Power Wagon, based on the Ram 2500 Heavy Duty 4x4 Crew Cab, has a suspension with more than two inches of lift, locking differentials and a 12,000-pound winch. The 2014 Ram Power Wagon is powered by a 410 horsepower 6.4-liter HEMI V-8 engine with a peak torque rating of 429 lb.-ft. and offered with the 66RFE six-speed automatic transmission connected to a part-time, manual-engagement Borg Warner BW 44-47 transfer case. The 2014 Ram Power Wagon accommodates a payload up to 1,490 pounds and towing capacity up to 10,810 pounds, coming in the Tradesman trim with monotone paint covering the truck, the SLT trim with special red billets in the four quadrants and the Laramie trim featuring an all chrome grille and bi-functional halogen headlamps set into a chrome background. Truck on!

J.D. Power 2014 U.S. Customer Service Index (CSI) Study

Customer satisfaction with dealer service continues to improve. Based on a thousand point scale, luxury brand owners overall customer satisfaction with service averaged 855, up from 846 in 2013 and mass market brand owners average CSI was 797, up from 789 in 2013.

A big catalyst according to the J.D. Power 2014 U.S. Customer Service Index (CSI) Study is that 68 percent of luxury vehicle owners and 46 percent of mass market brand owners have a complimentary or prepaid maintenance package during the first year of ownership, more than double when compared with 35 percent of luxury and 15 percent of mass market brand owners in 2009. There's a higher CSI score with the use of digital tablets during service interactions, 838, compared with 802 when a tablet is not used.

Two GM brands perform highest in the segment rankings in 2014. Cadillac ranks highest in satisfaction with dealer service among luxury brands, achieving an overall CSI score of 872 on a 1,000-point scale, an increase of 14 points from 2013. Rounding out the five highest-performing nameplates in the luxury segment are Audi (868); Lexus (867); and Infiniti (865) and Lincoln (865) in a tie. 

Buick ranks highest among mass market brands, with an overall CSI score of 835, a 26-point improvement from 2013. Following Buick in the mass market rankings are Volkswagen (830); GMC (828) and MINI (828) in a tie; and Chevrolet (812).

The 2014 U.S. CSI Study is based on responses from more than 90,000 owners and lessees of 2009 to 2013 model-year vehicles. The study was fielded between October and December 2013.
Courtesy J.D. Power & Associates.

Kia Minivan Coming In A Few Weeks

Kia will unveil an all-new midsize multi-purpose, up to an eight passenger vehicle at the 2014 New York International Auto Show in two weeks. Looks like a minivan from this teaser photo.

March 2014 U.S. Auto Sales

General Motors dealers delivered 256,047 vehicles in the United States in March 2014, up 4 percent compared with a year ago. Retail sales were up 7 percent and GM gained retail market share. Year-to-date sales of 649,637 is down 2.3 percent from 2013.

Ford Motor Company U.S. total March sales of 244,167 are up 3 percent from a year ago. Retail sales of 166,030 vehicles are up 3 percent and represent the best March result in eight years. Year-to-date sales of 582,758 is down 2.6 percent from a year ago.

Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., reported March 2014 sales results of 215,348, an increase of 4.9 percent from the year-ago month. Toyota divsion sales were 186,755, up 2.5 percent for March and 455,912 year-to-date, a 3.6 percent drop while Lexus division sales were 28,593 in March, a 23.3 percent rise over last year and for the year are 65,085, a 14.7 percent increase. Year-to-date sales of both brands is 520,997, a 1.6 percent drop from last year.
 
Chrysler Group reported U.S. sales of 193,915, a 13 percent increase compared with sales in March 2013 for the group’s best March sales since 2007. Year-to-date sales of 475,964 is 11 percent more than a year ago.

Nissan Group announced total U.S. sales for March 2014 of 149,136, an increase of 8.3 percent over the prior year. The Nissan Division sales of 136,642 was an increase of 7.9 percent over March 2013 and Infinity sales of 12,494 is a 12.5 percent gain. Total sales year-to-date of 354,966 is an 11.5 percent gain over last year.

American Honda Motor reported March 2014 Honda and Acura vehicle sales of 133,318. Acura division sold 15,580, up 10.5 percent  while the Honda Division recorded sales of 117,738 vehicles in March.

Hyundai Motor America announced March sales of 67,005, down 1.9 percent from a year ago. Year-to-date sales of 160,013, is a 2.6 percent decline from a year ago.

Kia Motors America reported March sales of 54,777, a 11.5-percent increase over the same period in 2013. Year-to-date sales are 133,006, a 4.8 rise from 2013.

Subaru of America reported record sales of 44,479 vehicles for March 2014, an increase of 21percent over the March 2013 setting consecutive monthly sales increases for the past 28 months. Year-to-date sales are 112,388, up 21.5 percent.

Volkswagen of America reported March sales of 36,717, down 2.6 percent while year-to-date sales of 87,323 was an 11.1 percent decline. Separately, Audi reported sales of 14,246, 7.5 percent ahead of March 2013. Through the first quarter of 2014, Audi U.S. sales stood at 35,228, 3 percent ahead of the record pace set in the year-earlier quarter.

The BMW Group in the U.S. (BMW and MINI combined) reported March sales of 35,762, an increase of 7.9 percent from the same month a year ago. Year-to-date, the BMW Group (BMW and MINI combined) have sales of 81,034 up 2.6 percent compared to the first three months of 2013.  

Mazda North American Operations reported March U.S. sales of 34,903 vehicles, representing an increase of 9 percent versus last year. Year-to-date sales through March are 78,282, down 0.3 percent versus last year.

Mercedes-Benz USA sold 30,091 Mercedes-Benz, Sprinter and smart model vehicles in March, up 11 percent from the same month last year. The Mercedes-Benz brand alone hit a new benchmark for the month with sales of 27,401, an increase of 11.2 percent, while year-to-date volumes climbed to 72,614 units, up 5 percent from March 2013. Adding year-to-date sales of 4,624 for Sprinter Vans and 2,237at smart, MBUSA delivered a year-to-date grand total of 79,475.

Jaguar Land Rover North America reported March 2014 U.S. sales for both brands of 6,215, a 9 percent increase from March 2013. Jaguar sales were 1,816, 29 percent up from March 2013 while Land Rover sales reached an all-time March high of 4,399, up 2 percent from March 2013.

Mitsubishi Motors North America reported historic March sales of 8,996, a 70 percent increase over the March 2013 total. It was the best single month of sales for Mitsubishi since August 2008, and also the best March sales in six years.

Volvo Cars of North America reported U.S. sales of 5,915 for the month, a 10.3 percent increase versus March 2013.

Porsche Cars North America announced March sales of 3,808, an increase of over nine percent and a new high for that month. For the year so far, PCNA has delivered 10,136, an increase of five percent and the first time that the company has topped the 10,000 mark in a first quarter.   

2015 Ford Mustang Convertible

The 2015 Ford Mustang Convertible has a new turbocharged EcoBoost® 2.3-liter and an upgraded 5.0-liter V8 engine with more than 420 horsepower (above) and manual or automatic six-speed transmissions. The 2015 Mustang convertible roof uses a new electromechanical drive and single-handle center latch to lower in half the time of the current car and features a standard fabric outer layer and is fully lined and insulated for quieter ride. The more compact roof and flat load floor enabled by the new suspension boost trunk volume by 19 percent to 11.4 cubic feet, big enough for two large golf bags, even with the available premium audio subwoofer. The lower liftover height also makes it easier load up the trunk.

BMW X7 Joins X Model Line-Up Made In Plant Spartanburg

BMW Group plans to invest $1 billion in it’s Spartanburg, South Carolina plant, and it includes manufacturing the BMW X7, all-new, larger X model, adding to the X3, X4, X5, X6 line-up being built at Plant Spartanburg which already exports, on average, 70 percent of its annual production with a 2013 value of more than $7.5 billion. The plant’s annual production capacity will expand by 50 percent from around 300,000 up to 450,000 vehicles by the end of 2016 creating an additional 800 jobs, increasing the total workforce to 8,800.

2015 Chrysler 200 Starts At $22,695 Gets 36 Highway MPG

The all-new 2015 Chrysler 200 with the standard 184 horsepower 2.4-liter Tigershark MultiAir®2 I-4 engine mated to a nine-speed automatic transmission achieves 23 mpg city, 36 mpg highway and 28 mpg combined, five highway miles per gallon better than the outgoing model and has a starting MSRP of $22,695 (including $995 destination charge). The 36 highway MPG is a bit better than first thought.

The 295 horsepower 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 engine delivers an EPA highway fuel economy rating of 19 mpg city, 32 mpg highway and 23 mpg combined, for a three-mile-per-gallon highway improvement over the outgoing model. The available all-wheel-drive system features a one-speed power transfer unit and uniquely disconnects and reconnects the rear axle, automatically and seamlessly, as needed and at any speed.

2015 Audi TT, TTS Coupe and Roadster

The 2015 Audi TT Coupe and Roadster, built with a high-strength aluminum frame structure, are powered a 211 horsepower 2.0-liter TFSI® turbocharged and direct-injected, four cylinder engine while the high-performance Audi TTS Coupe and Roadster get 265 horsepower out of the 2.0-liter TFSI® turbocharged and direct-injected, four cylinder engine, both mated to a six-speed S tronic® dual-clutch automatic transmission.

For the 2015 Model Year, the Audi TTS has a new optional Competition Package, which includes new exterior paint in Imola Yellow or Nimbus Gray, a fixed rear spoiler, 5-arm-Rotor wheels with silver finish, Baseball Optic leather seats w/ Imola yellow accents and contrast stitching. Also for the 2015 Model Year, the TT Coupe and Roadster will offer the optional S line® plus carbon package and will have standard 5-arm-Dynamic design wheels. A roll-bar covered in black leather will be optional for both models.The TT and TTS offer an available twelve-speaker BOSE® sound system. An available Navigation package includes the Audi parking system with rear acoustic sensors, as well as the Audi Music Interface. The available DVD-based Audi Navigation plus system features a full-color 6.5-inch LCD screen and MMI® control logic for AM/FM and SiriusXM® Radio, real-time traffic, AMI in the glove box and two SD® card slots for MP3 music.

2015 Acura TLX To Debut At New York Auto Show

The 2015 Acura TLX will offer two advanced new powertrains - a 2.4-liter 16-valve, direct-injected i-VTEC® 4-cylinder engine mated to an all-new 8-speed dual-clutch transmission with torque converter and a 3.5-liter 24-valve direct-injected i-VTEC V-6 mated to a new 9-speed automatic transmission and will utilize the next-generation of Acura Precision All-Wheel Steer™ technology with independent left and right rear-wheel toe angle control.

Porsche Boxster, Cayman GTS Models Coming This Summer

The Porsche Boxster GTS (above) and Porsche Cayman GTS (below) will be offered as GTS models with an additional 15 horsepower compared to their "S" model counterparts, so the Boxster will have a 330 horsepower 3.4-liter 6-cylinder boxer engine and the Cayman GTS 340 horsepower. The Sport Chrono package is a standard feature with either the 6-speed manual or the optional 7-speed Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK) transmission. With manual transmissions, the top track speed for the Boxster GTS is 174 mph and for a Cayman GTS is 177 mph. They offer as standard equipment unique front and rear fascias, blacked out Bi-XenonTM headlights with the Porsche Dynamic Light System, 20-inch Carrera S wheels and a sport exhaust system with black tailpipes. 

The Boxster GTS is priced from $74,495 and the Cayman GTS is priced from $76,195, (including destination charges of $995). Both models will be available for delivery this summer.

Bentley SUV Coming In 2016

 Bentley Motors anticipates a minimum annual sales volume of 3000 SUVs when they hit roads in 2016.

2015 Mercedes-AMG S63 AMG 4MATIC Coupe To Debut Soon

The new 2015 Mercedes-AMG S63 AMG 4MATIC Coupe with the 577 horsepower AMG 5.5-liter V8 biturbo engine mated to the AMG SPEEDSHIFT MCT 7-speed sport transmission has a 0 to 60 mph estimated time of 3.9 seconds taking it to a top speed of 186 mph. The lightweight construction which includes the entire aluminum outer skin and the front end has reduced the vehicle weight by up to 140 pounds. There are three modes to choose from: "C" (Controlled Efficiency), "S" (Sport) and "M" (Manual) and the ECO start/stop function is standard. World premiere at the mid-April New York Auto Show and market launch this year.

Video: Kia's Eddie Rayyan Discusses 2015 Kia K900 V8

The all-new 2015 Kia K900 is offered with a 311 horsepower 3.8-liter Lamba V6 that will be launched sometime after the 420 horsepower Tau DOHC all-aluminum 32-valve five-liter V8 engine which just went on sale starting at $60,400 (including $900 in destination charges) for the K900 V8 Luxury model. The K900 comes with a three-year, 37,500-mile complimentary scheduled maintenance program covering the first five service visits at participating Kia dealerships.

Standard on the V8 are adaptive LED headlights with 16 LED bulbs, heated wheel, Nappa leather, 12-way adjustable driver’s seat including power lumbar support, front seat multi-stage heating and ventilation, Blind Spot Detection System, full-length panoramic roof with power retractable sunshade, and a 900-watt Lexicon high-fidelity audio system with a trunk-mounted 12-channel digital amplifier feeding 17 speakers. 

Eddie Rayyan, Kia Motors America, Product Strategy Manager discusses the all-new Kia K900 luxury sedan.

The V8 VIP Package K900 sells for $66,400 and has Head-Up Display, a TFT instrument panel with a 12.3 inch full-color LCD screen, seats with the ability to independently recline and incorporate power lumbar support and lateral headrest adjustability, a Lane Departure Warning System and a Surround View Monitor system which utilizes four wide-angle mini-cameras at the front and rear and within the outside rear view mirrors. The K900 V8 VIP Package also includes a radar-based Advanced Smart Cruise Control that adjusts vehicle speed to help maintain a set distance to the vehicle in front and has the ability to bring the K900 to a full stop.  The system will also automatically accelerate the vehicle once traffic allows.

Koenigsegg Agera R - Zero to 200 MPH In 17.68 Seconds

The Koenigsegg Agera R made of a carbon fiber with aluminum honeycomb chassis is powered by an 1140 horsepower twin turbo superchargered aluminum 5.0L V8 engine mated to a 7-speed dual clutch transmission that can take it to a reported top speed of 273 miles an hour. At a price upwards of $1.6 million, the Agera R can sprint from zero to 200 mph in 17.68 seconds. 

The two-door, two seater roadster hypercar has a removable glass hardtop stowable under the front hood and comes with an adaptive rear wing, front winglets, rear view camera, Aircore carbon fiber wheels and new Aero exhaust. The Agera R is a flexfuel car running on both E85 biofuel and 95 octane fuel. Gas has less octane than ethanol E85 so the power is reduced to 960 horsepower. From the land of Volvo and Saab, Koenigsegg Automotive AB is based in Sweden and will show off one of these cars next month at the New York Auto Show.

2014 Dodge Journey Starts At $25,980 With 283 Horsepower V6

The 2014 Dodge Journey mid-size crossover with available seven-passenger seating gets the 283 horsepower Pentastar 3.6-liter V-6 engine mated to a six-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive on SE models which start at $25,890 (including $995 destination). The powertrain delivers up to 24 mpg on the highway in AWD Journey models and 25 mpg for front-wheel-drive models. 2014 Dodge Journey models are built in Toluca, Mexico.

2014 Honda Civic Si Coupe Goes On-Sale Today Starting At $23,580

The restyled 2014 Honda Civic Si Coupe with a 205 horsepower 2.4-liter i-VTEC® DOHC 16-valve engine delivering 174 lb-ft of torque and mated to a close-ratio, 6-speed manual transmission goes on-sale today starting at $23,580 (including $790 destination charge) followed by the Si Sedan on March 26 starting at $23,780.

For 2014 the Si Coupe and Si Sedan add as standard equipment Honda's new 7-inch Display Audio touchscreen, which uses a smartphone-like interface, allowing users to swipe, tap and pinch their way through audio, phonebook, media, vehicle information and available navigation features. The display is also the interface for the next generation HondaLink™, the application based platform that connects customers to smartphone-provided online content both inside and outside the car. Also standard on the 2014 Si is the convenient Smart Entry with Push Button start, expanded view driver's mirror and Honda LaneWatch™ display for enhanced driver visibility.

BMW X4 xDrive28i Starts At $45,625

The all-new BMW X4 xDrive28i Sports Activity Coupe with a 240 horsepower 2.0-liter four cylinder engine has a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price of $45,625 and the X4 xDrive35i, with a 300 horsepower 3.0-liter inline six engine has an MSRP of $48,925. Both models include an 8-speed Steptronic sport automatic transmission with shift paddles as well as xDrive, BMW’s intelligent all-wheel drive system. At 184.3 inches in length, it is 0.6 inches longer than the X3 and is 1.5 inches lower. The X4 concept was introduced in Los Angeles last November.

MINI Clubman Concept - Longer and Wider

The MINI Clubman Concept, longer and wider than the current model, with four doors and five seats.