Autoblog

Click above for high-res gallery of the Dodge Hornet concept

The Dodge Hornet was one of the best-looking concepts that Chrysler has produced the past few years, and thanks to a partnership with Nissan, the impressive-looking compact is inching closer to production. Chrysler and Nissan have yet to officially announce details of the upcoming Nissan Versa-based vehicle they'll develop together, other than to say that it'd be available as a 2010 model, but everyone is banking on a production Hornet. Chrysler vice president of international sales Thomas Hausch recently said that the Pentastar is working hard on a Hornet Study, and that Chrysler would "announce something" in the near future. The linked Automotive News article is further evidence that our suspicions were correct and that Nissan, rather than Chinese automaker Chery, will build it.

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

It's been easy to forget about Nissan's small car offerings with the recent introduction of the redesigned Maxima in New York and the impending arrival of the GT-R for the first time on U.S. shores. But some of Nissan's more compact vehicles remain the bread and butter of the brand and fill the transportation needs of the masses. However, they're far from exciting and recent sales in the U.S. bear this out. To cope with these slow movers, Nissan is planning to idle its Aguascalientes, Mexico plant for a seven days this month so it can realign production with demand. According to Automotive News, the slowdown of car sales in America is expected to cause a bit of a slump for Mexico's burgeoning automotive industry, as many of the export models built there are intended for sale in the States. After the seven day closure, things should be back to normal, and hopefully sales of Nissan's small cars will rise along with fuel prices.

[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]

Nissan's in-house tuning arm, Nismo, is looking to expand its reach both in its home market and abroad, beginning with an S-Tune package for, of all things, the Tiida.

Beyond the Tiida (Versa here in the States), Nissan plans to offer Nismo parts and professional tuning at every one of its dealerships in Japan, with plans to expand the network across the globe. That could mean that you'll be able to hit up your local Nissan dealer for a Nismo exhaust and intake, have it installed while you're there and possibly get an ECU reflash to make better use of the parts. It's the wave of the future and you can't deny getting factory-approved and installed parts that would provide piece of mind while keeping your warranty intact.

[Source: Nissan]

According to Mazda President Hisakazu Imaki, "As soon as North American dealers see this, they ask for it." That, in reference to the new Mazda2, a freshly styled sub-compact that is set to go on sale in Europe this fall.

The only problem is that Mazda execs are still waffling on whether or not to throw their hat into the ring in N.A. to compete with the Honda Fit and Toyota Yaris. Currently, Mazda's focus is set on the ever-expanding crossover segment, and Mazda's corporate cousin, Ford, is working on the release of a Mazda2-based vehicle for sale in the U.S.

But Mazda (and Ford's) delay is causing buyers to head on down to their local Honda dealer to place an order for a Fit. The only rub: they still can't keep enough in stock. Honda's production plans for the Japanese-manufactured Fit is only 54,000 units per year, and both Honda bigwigs and U.S.-based dealers admit that it isn't enough to keep up with demand. In 2006, 27,934 Fits were sold in the U.S., and in the first six months of this year, they've moved 23,769 units off the lot. In a fuel-efficiency crazed market, demand is off the charts, but until Mazda/Ford and Honda get its act together, buyers are laying down their cash for the Yaris, xB and Versa.

[Sources: Mazda2 – Automotive News (Sub. Req.); Fit – Automotive News (Sub. Req.)]

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) in Arlington, Va. has just concluded testing on some 75 vehicles' head restraint systems and after performing a simulated rear-end impact of 20 MPH, only 22 of the systems received the top score of "good."

At the head of the class was Audi's A4, S4 and A6, along with the Chevy Cobalt, Ford Five Hundred (Taurus, whatever) and its Mercury counterpart, Honda's Civic, Hyundai Sonata, Jag S-Type, Kia Optima, Merc E-class, Nissan Sentra and its lesser sibling the Versa, Subaru's Impreza, Legacy and Outback, as well as Volvo's S40, S60 and S80 (no surprise).

The flunkees included the Acura TSX, BMW 5-series, Buick LaCrosse and Lucerne, Caddy CTS, DTS and STS, Chevy's Aveo, the Honda Fit and Accord, Infiniti's M35, the Jaguar X-Type, Kia Rio, Mitsubishi Galant, Pontiac's Grand Prix, plus the Toyota Avalon and Corrolla.

Considering that the IIHS estimates that the injuries sustained to the back and neck in these types of collisions costs insurance companies around $8 mbillion dollars per year, their interest in the matter is obvious. Whether or not consumers will include this in their purchasing criteria is another matter however.

[Source: IIHS]

Every couple of years, a study comes out identifying the myriad of chemicals being absorbed by your lungs during your daily commute. Surprisingly, these studies don't focus on emissions, but rather turn their scientific eye towards the materials that make up the interior of your car.

The Ecology Center, a non-profit environmental group, performed tests utilizing an X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) device that can measure "the elemental composition of any material" and came away with the ten best and worst vehicles to be stuck inside. The Chevy Cobalt, Chrysler PT Cruiser and Honda Odyssey take top honors for having the fewest toxins, while the Nissan Versa, Chevy Aveo and Scion xB are the worst offenders.

The tests isolate toxins like, arsenic, bromine, chlorine and mercury, found in everything from the carpet to the dash board, but the Ecology Center didn't identify what the degree of risk is while sitting in start and stop traffic.

We've heard about this issue before, and while some maintain that it's a legitimate health concern, others are more skeptical.

You can check out all 20 best and worst vehicles after the jump.

[Source: HealthyCar.org via Autopia]

If you need a car and have $12,550 to spend, you can get yourself into a brand-new 2007 Nissan Versa sedan, which went on sale nationwide on Wednesday. We're partial to the hatchback ourselves, as we favor the practicality it offers, but based on what Americans buy, we appear to be in the minority.

Nissan knows this, and that's why your local Nissan store now has two flavors of Versa on the lot. The aforementioned $12,550 buys you a Versa S with a 122-horse 1.8L and a six-speed manual. If you prefer the optional 4-speed auto, it'll cost you another thousand dollars.

The pricing scale progresses up to $15,550 (plus destination) for the Versa 1.8 SL with CVT. That model comes well-equipped with 15" alloys, power windows and doors, AM/FM/CD, remote keyless entry, cruise, 60/40 split rear seat and a security system. We decided to build a CVT-equipped SL with the optional $300 XM radio on Nissan's website, because $16K and change for 30/36 EPA fuel economy sounded pretty good to us.

Unfortunately, when we added the XM, Nissan forced us to also take the $700 Convenience package, $600 sunroof package, and $250 ABS package as well. That brought the price up to $18,015 before taxes, etc. and that strikes us as being misleading, and lame. The Versa at a little over $16K was attractive, but at $18K we'll pass, thanks. (Oh, and Nissan? Make the ABS standard next time, OK?)

You can check out their full press release after the jump.

[Source: Nissan]

Another year is approaching and, on its impending arrival, Nissan released new figures for its current lineup of pickups and sport utility vehicles.

But before we douse you with the bloated figures that make up anything with optional four-wheel drive, a note about the Versa. Nissan's fuel-miser will get an additional $100 stuck onto its sticker price, due to, well, we don't know why, just because. The 1.8-liter, six-speed equipped "S" model will come in at $12,550, with an automatic tranny setting you back an additional $800. The SL model with a stick comes in at $13,350, while the automatic will have an MSRP of $14,550. Add a CVT to the mix and tack on another grand.

Now, onto the big boys.

Everybody thought General Motors was on crack when it launched the Aveo back in 2003. Not particularly attractive or powerful, it did exactly what it was supposed to do -- drive for cheap. Little did the industry know that gas prices were about to blow up, and the image of the B-car as a European oddity was to blow up with them.

According to the Detroit Free Press, so far this year, B-cars are up 43 percent over last. The Honda Fit and Toyota Yaris are being sold by dealers above MSRP -- yes, really. True, the little cars only account for a mere fraction of what big trucks and SUVs account for, but the increase in sales is significant.

Styling is also a key element in this rise, as analysts say that the Geo Metros of years past have nothing on the trendy Fit or the sharp Nissan Versa.

[Source: Detroit Free Press]

Beginning today, Nissan is offering its buyers a creative new incentive that it hopes will spur the company's sagging sales. Any customer who buys a Nissan now through October 2 won't have to make a payment for 130 days. That means if you bought a Versa today, your first payment wouldn't be due until January 2nd. For some reason the offer is not available to residents of Michigan, Maine and Pennsylvania and Nissan has given no explanation for the exclusion of these states.

This is another one of those incentives that could be a double-edged sword for unsavvy consumers. While not making payments seems like fun at first, this type of deal will quickly increase the disparity between what is owed on these vehicles versus what they're worth. A year or two down the line an owner might be caught off guard to find how much negative equity has accumulated in their aging Nissan.

[Source: The Detroit Times]