Autoblog

Like every other automaker that intends to do business in the U.S., Hyundai is planning for the future and the proposed fuel economy standards that are expected to hit in 2015. Currently, Hyundai's passenger cars average 32.4 mpg, while its trucks average 25.5 mpg. When the new regulations are in place, those numbers will have to increase to 37.5 mpg and 31.0 mpg, respectively. Hyundai's approach involves two separate strategies that will work together to achieve those figures.

The first step is to increase electrical efficiency by utilizing more LED technology that puts less strain on the powertrain, along with the use of electric power steering systems (in place of hydraulic units), direct-injection engines and six-speed transmissions. Those changes will be accompanied by the use of lightweight materials, aerodynamic enhancements and low-rolling resistance tires. While the electric power steering system only adds around one mpg overall, the combination of DI engines and six-speed 'boxes should increase fuel economy by between three and six percent.

Within the next two years, Hyundai plans to equip all of its V6-powered vehicles with six-speed gearboxes, while smaller models, with four-cylinder mills, will be upgraded to five-speed transmissions. All of this should help Hyundai achieve its goals, but more needs to be done, and Hyundai's senior manager of the powertrain department, Timothy White, says, "There is really no home run out there." Incremental are what it's about for the time being, and Hyundai seems to be making the first of many steps to accomplish that goal.

[Source: Automotive News – Sub. Req.]

Unlike many carmakers, Mercedes-Benz has traditionally built its own transmissions . It has even supplied them to others, such the slushbox that they sold to Porsche for the 928. Economic realities could soon cause that to change, as the team from soon-to-be Daimler AG investigates outsourcing transmission production to other companies. Mercedes wants transmissions that will help the fuel efficiency of their next generation A, B, and C-Classes, such as eight-speed dual clutch units. Rather than spend the resources developing its own. it might just purchase such a unit from a company like Getrag or ZF, according to a report in Auto Motor und Sport.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. req'd]

Ford was forced to halt production at seven assembly plants after finding a quality problem with a transmission component, but all seven plants affected by the stoppage should be up and running again today.

A supplied component, described as "a clutch mechanism that helps make the transmission shift smoothly between first and second gears" (sounds to us like the overrunning clutch), was found to be problematic, but the defect was caught before any suspect vehicles were delivered to customers. The supplier isn't being identified.

More than 4,000 units of light truck, van, and Lincoln Town Car production were lost, costing Ford somewhere in the neighborhood of $35M. The automaker says that making up for the stoppage won't be a problem, as they seem to have a bit of extra capacity to put towards the effort, and F-150 inventories are current running at about 107 days of sales.

[Source: Detroit News]

The Auto Channel has an extensive article on the Honda Fit, which recently went on sale in the U.S. It delves a little deeper into the five-door subcompact: a summary of its main features; in-depth discussions on the vehicle's exterior, engine and transmissions; an overview of the chassis; a look at the interior with its "Magic Seat"; safety features; and, finally, an overview of all available accessories.

Of even more interest are three videos showing the Fit on the road, a tour of its interior, and the car gettin' dizzy on a turntable.

[Source: The Auto Channel]