Autoblog

Autoblog Podcast #313

Dan Roth — Tue, 18 Dec 2012 17:29:00 EST

Filed under: Podcasts, Truck, Work, Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford, GM, GMC, Hyundai, Infiniti, Kia, Subaru, Toyota

Infiniti model names, new GM trucks, Ford work vans, Hyundai ratted out on economy, Ward's 10 Best Engines

Episode #313 of the Autoblog Podcast is here, and this week, Dan Roth, Zach Bowman and Jeff Ross talk about Infiniti's confusing model name re-jiggering, the 2014 General Motors pickups, Ford's new Transit line of vans, reports that a domestic automaker ratted on Hyundai/Kia about fuel economy ratings, and Ward's 2012 list of 10 Best Engines. For those of you who hung with us live on our UStream channel, thanks for taking the time. Keep reading for our Q&A module for you to scroll through and follow along, too. Thanks for listening!

Autoblog Podcast #313:

Topics:

In the Autoblog Garage:
2013 Toyota Prius C
2013 Subaru Legacy
2013 Dodge Durango R/T

Hosts: Dan Roth, Zach Bowman, Jeff Ross

Runtime: 01:18:25

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Autoblog Podcast #313 originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 18 Dec 2012 17:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Volkswagen designer claims no cost was taken out of Jetta, Passat interiors

Chris Shunk — Fri, 18 May 2012 10:45:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Volkswagen, Design/Style

There was a lot of built-up excitement surrounding the larger and less costly 2011 Volkswagen Jetta, but the anticipation deflated among critics when the model's less-than-impressive interior was revealed to the world. Critics chided the cheapened cabin, and quite a few negative reviews followed.

It's tough to argue that in the process of its upsizing, the Jetta's interior wasn't downgraded with lesser plastics and trim. The 2012 Passat does a much better job in this regard, but even then there are some areas where it feels like cost has been taken out of the cabin. But none of that is apparently enough to stop designer Jae Min from taking issue with these characterizations. Ward's Automotive reports that VW's chief U.S. designer claims that the Jetta and Passat interiors were not the victims of cost-cutting. Min claims that the money was simply re-purposed, with money shifting "from here to there." The designer went on to add that the automaker was able to lower the starting price of both vehicles in part because of more flexible vehicle architectures and shifting production from Germany to the States.

While Min sounds convinced that no pennies were pinched, we're not so sure - unless when he says money was shifted "from here to there" he means "from where you can see and feel to where you can't." Regardless of what we think, one statistic is impossible to argue: Jetta sales have shot up 43.9 percent this year and Passat sales have skyrocketed by 80.9 percent. That, ladies and gentlemen, is letting the numbers do the talking.

Volkswagen designer claims no cost was taken out of Jetta, Passat interiors originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 18 May 2012 10:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ward's selects the 10 best interiors of 2012

Jeff Sabatini — Mon, 16 Apr 2012 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Sedan, Crossover, Hatchback, Audi, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Hyundai, Infiniti, Land Rover, Mazda, Design/Style

Ward's AutoWorld is well known for its annual "10 Best Engines" list, but the trade publication has been compiling a second list for interiors for a few years now. Formerly known as the "Interior of the Year" competition, Ward's rebranded the list last year, naming the coolest cockpits under the "10 Best Interiors" moniker.

This year's winners are a relatively diverse lot, with hatchbacks, sedans and crossovers all making the list. While Ward's lists them in alphabetical order rather than crowning a single winner, we're choosing to present them with the lowest as-tested MSRP first:

Hyundai Accent ($15,925)
Chevrolet Sonic ($18,745)
Dodge Dart ($21,485)
Volkswagen Beetle ($25,195)
Mazda CX-5 ($30,415)
Hyundai Azera ($36,875)
Chrysler 300 Luxury ($44,855)
Range Rover Evoque ($49,745)
Infiniti JX35 ($54,800)
Audi A7 ($67,430)

The first thing we noticed then is that while fully half the models carrying base sticker prices under $25,000, Ward's was clearly not testing the base models of any of these vehicles. The Chevy Sonic, for instance, starts nearly $5,000 below the price of the car Ward's drove. Even so, that half of the cars on the list could be legitimately called "affordable" is impressive.

Ward's says 40 vehicles qualified for the competition by having "new or significantly improved interiors," and while 13 of those were luxury vehicles, they only made up half of the winners. Ward's says it judged the interiors based on design, fit-and-finish, comfort, ergonomics, safety, material selection, overall value, aesthetics, and human-machine interface.

Check out all the award winners in our high-res image gallery above.

Ward's selects the 10 best interiors of 2012 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 16 Apr 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ward's releases annual 10 Best Engines list

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 13:30:00 EST

Filed under: Technology, Audi, BMW, Buick, Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, GM, Hyundai, Infiniti, Jeep, Kia, Mazda

It's that time of year, folks. No, we're not referring to the oodles of time spent shopping for the holidays, we're talking about end-of-the-year lists. Kicking things off in the automotive spectrum is industry stalwart Ward's Auto, which has just released its annual 10 Best Engines list.

Without further ado, here are the award-winners for 2012:

3.0L TFSI Supercharged DOHC V-6 (Audi A6)
2.0L N20 Turbocharged DOHC I-4 (BMW Z4/528i)
3.0L N55 Turbocharged DOHC I-6 (BMW 335i Coupe)
3.6L Pentastar DOHC V-6 (Chrysler 300/Jeep Wrangler)
2.0L EcoBoost DOHC I-4 (Ford Edge)
5.0L DOHC V-8 (Ford Mustang Boss 302)
2.0L Turbocharged DOHC I-4 (Buick Regal GS)
1.6L DOHC I-4 (Hyundai Accent/Kia Soul)
2.0L Skyactiv DOHC I-4 (Mazda3)
3.5L DOHC V-6 HEV (Infiniti M35h)

It comes as little surprise that seven of the ten engines on the list feature the most recent advance in power and efficiency, namely direct injection, or that a full half of them are boosted with the addition of either a supercharger or a turbocharger. Perhaps more surprising is that there's only one hybrid powertrain on the list, and it's from Infiniti, not Toyota or Lexus.

In fact, there isn't a single engine from Honda or Toyota on 2011's edition of the 10 Best Engines, nor are the 1.4-liter/111kW electric motor package in the Chevrolet Volt or 80kW AC motor in the Nissan Leaf anywhere to be found - both of which were on the list in 2010. Also missing? A diesel... any diesel - and there certainly are a few options from the likes of Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen from which to choose.

Though its neither direct-injected nor turbocharged, the Pentastar V6 from Chrysler is surely worthy of inclusion, if for no other reason than its single-handed ability to transform any vehicle it's in from an also-ran to a competitive proposition.

We'll also give a shout-out to Ford, which earned two spots on the list but could seemingly have garnered another for the excellent 3.5-liter EcoBoost engine in the F-150 pickup. Ward's has plenty of commentary on why each engine was chosen, and you can read all about it right here. But first, have a look at each powerplant in our high-res image gallery.

Ward's releases annual 10 Best Engines list originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 08 Dec 2011 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Which models will join the 100,000 sales club this year?

Zach Bowman — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 09:57:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Chevrolet, Ford, Kia, Toyota

2011 Toyota Camry - Click above for high-res image gallery

The number of vehicle models slated to cruise past the magic 100,000 mark this year is up. In a big way. According to Wards, there are around 39 percent more nameplates expected to clear the six-digit hurdle in 2010 compared to 2009. So far, sales-trends point to 32 cars and trucks expected to meet or exceed the goal, compared to 23 last year. So which models are the winners of 2010?

For the first time ever, vehicles like the Kia Sorento, Chevrolet Traverse and Nissan Versa are aiming to close out 2010 with more than 100,000 units sold. They join the ranks of mainstays like the Ford F-150 and Chevrolet Silverado - two trucks that have already well-exceeded the 100k line, even with another full quarter left in the year. In all, a total of 16 cars and trucks have already performed similar feats of sales wizardry.

And who's the fairest of them all? That honor goes to the Toyota Camry. The Japanese automaker has already delivered a total of 220,061 units through August, putting it well ahead of any competition. That pace doesn't look to be slowing anytime soon, either.

Gallery: 2010 Toyota Camry

[Source: Wards]

Which models will join the 100,000 sales club this year? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 15 Sep 2010 09:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ward's releases 2010 Auto Interior Award winners

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 17:58:00 EST

Filed under: Acura, BMW, Chevrolet, GM, Infiniti, Lexus, Mazda, Subaru, Volvo, Design/Style

2010 Chevrolet Camaro interior - Click above for high-res image gallery of interior award winners from Ward's Auto

Do you own a Lamborghini Miura? If not, we're going to presume that you spend way more time looking at the interior of your car than the exterior. If you do happen to have a Miura parked in your garage, we suggest you stop reading immediately and go gaze upon its sensuous exterior lines for a few hours.

Still here? Great, that means you don't own a Miura and the interior of your car is an extremely important consideration. Which begs the question: What car has the best interior in any given class? Attempting to answer that query is none other than Wards Auto, which has just released its annual Auto Interior of the Year Awards for 2010 after analyzing the innards of 40 vehicles that are either brand new for 2010 or at least significantly updated.

Somewhat surprisingly, the only automaker to take home more than one trophy was Chevrolet. The new Equinox won for popular-priced truck under $39,999 and the Camaro took top honors in the sportscar category. Other winners include the Subaru Outback in the popular-priced car under $29,999 category and the BMW 5-Series Gran Turismo for "Design Versatility."

Want to see the rest? Check out our high-res image gallery below for a visual listing of all the winners and click past the break for the official press release.

Gallery: 2010 Ward's Interior of the Year Winners

[Source: Wards Auto]

Continue reading Ward's releases 2010 Auto Interior Award winners

Ward's releases 2010 Auto Interior Award winners originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 12 Apr 2010 17:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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