Auto Trend and Auto Insurance News

Toyota introduced an all-new, sixth-generation Camry for 2007, and this model has retained its position of best-selling car in America. Camry is available in four-cylinder and V6 models, and as the Camry Hybrid equipped with Toyota’s industry-leading Hybrid Synergy Drive.

The Camry stands out in a competitive segment with its distinctive, athletic exterior design. It is built on a 109.3 in. wheelbase to provide outstanding interior room: 101.4 cubic feet of passenger space, including 38.3 inches of rear legroom. Changes for 2008 include new darker wood trim in the XLE grade. Classic Silver Metallic was added to the array of exterior colors, while Titanium Metallic was discontinued.
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announced manufacturer’s suggested retail prices (MSRP) today for the 2008 Camry and Camry Hybrid.

America’s best-selling car, and winner of Motor Trend’s 2007 Car of the Year Award, continues to set global standards for comfort, performance and — with the Camry Hybrid — ultra-efficient fuel economy.

The gas version carries over unchanged for the 2008 model year with a price increase of $100 for each grade. The weighted average of the increase represents 0.4 percent across all grades. The base MSRP for the 2008 Camry sedan ranges from $18,570 for the four-cylinder engine and five-speed manual transmission to $28,120 for the premium XLE grade with a V6 engine and sixspeed automatic transmission.
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Toyota announced today the nationwide launch*1 in Japan of the completely redesigned Alphard as two different vehicle series, the “Alphard” and the “Vellfire” *2.

Taking as their theme “stately presence—the ultimate minivan”, the new models represent a further decisive evolution in all aspects of product performance. The exterior of the Alphard emphasizes “elegance” and “refinement”, while that of the Vellfire accentuates “power” and “innovation,” thus creating two vehicles with individual identities.

A new platform allows for an innovative package, providing further expansion of the interior space and improved ingress and egress. Additionally, an extensive range of equipment—including Executive Power Seats for the second row and indirect LED interior lighting—is aimed at creating a supremely welcoming environment.  A revamped powertrain, along with enhanced aerodynamics and lightweight technology, allows the new models to achieve ample dynamic performance together with high levels of environmental performance, including, in particular, substantially improved fuel efficiency.  The new models also offer outstanding handling and cruising stability, as well as class-leading*² levels of safety performance, contributing to their status as Toyota flagship minivans.

*1 4WD models with a 2.4-liter engine are scheduled for an August 1 sales launch.
*2 Coined from “velvet” and “fire” to emphasize the vehicle’s “cool” and “passionate” characteristics.
*3 Compared to vehicles of similar engine displacement
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Toyota announced today that it plans to provide, for the third year in a row, home-use fuel cell cogeneration units as part of a government project to verify the practical use of CO2-reducing stationary fuel cells.

The municipal-gas-fueled 1-kW home-use fuel cell cogeneration units—which generate electricity and capture waste heat for household heating—are to play a role in the continuing Large-Scale Stationary Fuel Cell Demonstration Project of Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI). Twenty-four of the units will be provided to project participant Toho Gas Co., Ltd. (Toho), which will install them in homes in three central-Japan prefectures (Aichi, Gifu and Mie) to collect data toward commercialization. The government project, which was originally scheduled to conclude on March 31, 2008, is now expected to run until the end of March 2009.

TMC’s home-use fuel cell cogeneration units run on a system—jointly developed with Aisin Seiki Co., Ltd.—consisting of a stationary fuel cell and a hot water storage tank. Recent improvements, such as a modified heat-recovery circuit, have boosted heat-recovery efficiency by roughly 20% (as measured by TMC) without any loss in power-generation efficiency. The result is a marked reduction in household primary-energy consumption and CO2 emissions.
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Toyota will launch 18 new or revised models in Europe by the end of next year to reduce its CO2 emissions. "Each model will offer improved fuel efficiency," Toyota Motor Europe President Tadashi Arashima told the Automotive News Europe Congress.

Toyota plans to prop up production at one of its under-utilized U.S. factories by exporting to the fast-growing markets of the Middle East and China, the Asahi Shimbun daily reported today.

This summer Kia will introduce its first true, unadulterated truck, called the Borrego.

The 2009 Kia Borrego was unveiled at Detroit’s North American International Auto Show in January 2008, and it surprised many who attended. Some in the automotive media were expecting a slight variation on the Santa Fe from Hyundai, Kia’s parent company. The Kia Borrego is in fact a conventional, mid-sized sport-utility vehicle with Kia’s first-ever V8 engine.

The Hyundai Santa Fe has a welded unibody, like the typical sedan, and emphasizes cabin comfort and luxury.

The Borrego is somewhat larger, but more significantly, it applies body-on-frame construction, with a separately assembled body bolted to a ladder-type frame. The emphasis with Borrego is real, truck-style work such as towing.

On a wheelbase of 114 inches, Borrego’s weight and dimensions closely match those of truck-based sport-utility vehicles like the Ford Explorer and Nissan Pathfinder.

Borrego features something that’s unusual with truck-based SUVs, however. Its coil-spring rear suspension is fully independent (like the Explorer and Pathfinder and most cars), rather than equipped with a solid axle (like the Toyota 4Runner and most other body-on-frame SUVs).

From a distance, the Borrego might be mistaken for a Pathfinder or an Explorer or some other SUV. There is only so much differentiation possible with the conventional two-box SUV design. On closer inspection, however, the Borrego exhibits some unique details. It looks almost graceful, and perhaps lighter, less thick or massive, than a Pathfinder. In some respects the Borrego looks smaller than it actually is. It will be offered with wheels up to 18 inches in diameter.

The base Borrego will be powered by a 3.8-liter V6, though Kia hasn’t released horsepower or torque ratings. We’d guess something in the range of 275 horsepower. The upgrade is a 4.6-liter V8, and Kia promises at least 300 horsepower from this engine, which will make Borrego the company’s most powerful vehicle to date. Both engines are matched to Kia’s first six-speed automatic transmission, which should deliver competitive fuel-economy ratings. Kia reports an impressive 7500-pound towing capacity for the V8, and 5000 pounds for the V6.

The 2009 Borrego will be offered with either rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive, as well as a couple of electronic packages that should make off-road operation easier. Kia’s first downhill assist control (DAC) system is designed to keep Borrego moving straight and steady down steep grades without locking its wheels. The hill assist control (HAC) will help control fishtails and backwards slides on steep upgrades.

Kia hasn’t offered a good look inside the Borrego, which suggests that the final interior design is still being sorted. But we can tell you that this SUV seats seven, with a sliding second-row seat that adjusts for relative legroom and easier access to the two-passenger third row. Both rear seats fold flat to optimize cargo space.

Safety equipment includes two-stage front airbags, curtain-style head protection airbags for all three rows of seating, electronic stability control and a sophisticated antilock brake system (ABS) with electronic brake distribution (EBD) and brake assist. There is no indication that Borrego is equipped with anti-rollover electronics, which are increasingly common on sport-utilities and other taller vehicles.

And while Borrego is definitely a truck, it won’t be short on big-ticket features. It will offer several Kia firsts, including a DVD-based navigation system, power-adjustable pedals and a back-up warning system with rear camera. And it will come standard with lots of stuff, as Kia vehicles typically do, including a 600-watt Infinity stereo with USB audio input jacks, a six-CD changer and Sirius satellite radio hardware.

Expect the first Borregos to reach Kia showrooms by July, 2008. If Kia follows its typical pricing scheme, the Borrego should retail for at least $1,000 less than similarly equipped competitors
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The first thing you notice about Daihatsu’s new Terios SUV is that it is much bigger than its predecessor - and all the better for it.

How much bigger? Well, it’s 230mm longer and 190mm wider. It looks smarter too, with a new purposeful front end featuring a deep front bumper topped by a flat but curved bonnet. The rear end has a side opening door with a rear-mounted spare wheel and a window line that appears to wrap around into the main body of the car. It has a hint of RAV4 about it, which is not surprising considering Daihatsu’s parent company is Toyota.

The company is so confident in the Terios that they are already warning of restricted numbers worldwide because it is so popular at home.

The Terios looks fun and capable. It has a fairly long wheelbase coupled with a wide track and short overhangs at each end, making it suitable for off-road excursions. It has a full-time 4WD system, complete with an electronic differential-lock for sticky situations. Although the nearest most of them will get to going off-road is putting a wheel on the kerb and despite the fact that I didn’t get to test it in the wild, if the Terios is anything as good as the company’s old Fourtrak, then it is more capable than it looks.

The new Terios comes in three forms: S, SX and SE. The latter has an automatic transmission, while the other two are fitted with a 5-speed manual box. Prices range from £12,995 for the S to £14,995 for the SE. I tested the SX at £14, 295 but, whichever one you choose; it will arrive with a 1.5-litre petrol engine under the bonnet.
This unit produces 105PS (103.5bhp) at 6,000rpm and just under 140Nm of pulling power at 4,400rpm. Top speed for the S and SX is almost 100mph - 99.4mph to be exact, while the SE has a top speed of just over 93mph. It takes 12.2 seconds to get from 0 to 60mph in the test car and a smidgeon less in the S and 13.2 seconds in the SE.

At first, I thought the Terios was slow and a little boring. The gear change on the test car was stiff and I couldn’t get a clean, smooth change. Then I went for a proper test drive and it changed my mind. I found that to get the best out of the engine, it has to be driven and that from second gear onwards the transmission proves to be very flexible, which newer drivers might find forgiving. It is also very sprightly and the raucous noise from the engine makes it sound like the rally car, it thinks it is.

The stiff suspension makes the ride a bit bumpy and speed humps are to be avoided. Even at slow speeds, there is a danger of losing your fillings. Having said that, it is a very stable car that seems to enjoy swift changes of direction and along with the positive steering, it makes country lanes fun.

Motorway journey are accomplished with aplomb although I would have liked another gear. Around town, the good all-round visibility and higher seating position helps with guessing what the other traffic is about to do. The Terios also proved to be very manoeuvrable in tight spots aided by the rear parking sensors, which are standard across the range. Usually, parking sensors are a little over-cautious but the system in the Daihatsu is just right.

In terms of specification, even the entry-level S comes with air-conditioning, four electric windows (not all do), driver, passenger and side airbags and ABS with EBD. Moving up to the SX, which is expected to be the most popular, adds alloy wheels with fatter tyres than the other two trims, two-tone wheel arch extensions, side skirts, roof-rails, front fogs and a multifunctional display, amongst other things. The SE is much the same as the SX but has different alloys and colour-keyed side skirts.
The Terios comes with five doors for more convenience and has a surprisingly spacious interior. The front seats are firm but comfortable and the driver is faced by a rake-adjustable steering wheel and a very smart fascia. The silver-coloured, centre console has a touch of ‘Cyberman’ about it, with large, louvred air vents and chunky comfort control dials. Above these is a black-faced radio/CD system. It is simple in its function and probably wouldn’t appeal to most Hi-fi buffs but it does, in fact, produce a good quality sound equal to that in some more expensive cars.

At the time of writing, it has been announced that between September 1 and October 31 2006 , all new Terios’ will come with a free satellite-navigation system and the range has gained an extensive options list featuring such items as a hard spare-wheel cover (£225), aluminium side steps, also £225 and full leather trim in various colours for just over £1,028.

Back to the cabin. The rear seat has a bench squab and sits three in comfort, each with their own 3-point seatbelt. It has a 60:40 split, fold and tumble function, which is easily accomplished although you have to watch out for the stud fixings on the bottom as they get a little hot. Folding the rear seats increases the luggage capacity from 390-litres to an undisclosed figure that is capable of holding a mountain bike.

According to Daihatsu, the Terios has ‘politically correct’ fuel economy with figures of 28.8 mpg, and 39.8 mpg for the urban and extra-urban cycles, resulting in a combined figure of 34.9 mpg while exhausting 191g/km of CO2.

The Terios is well built, although the paintwork seemed to mark easily. However, as with all Daihatsu’s, it comes with a three-year, unlimited mileage warranty with roadside assistance and an 8-year anti-perforation warranty. Can’t be bad.

The addition of GM’s 5.3L V8 to the HUMMER H3 Alpha for 2008 has resulted in some trickle-down goodness for the SUV’s pickup truck platform-mate, the Chevy Colorado. PickupTruck.com is reporting that the smaller Chevy truck will indeed receive the same infusion of V8 power in 2008. We’ve driven both the Silverado and the GMC Sierra with that engine, and we liked it a lot in the big trucks. Imagining it in the Colorado has grins spreading across our faces, as it will certainly add a good amount of pop, and with the 5.3’s cylinder deactivation system, it should also be respectable at the pump, considering it’ll have a lot less truck to move around than with the GMT900.

The addition of the 295-horse V8 will catapult the Colorado to the top of the heap in the midsize pickup segment in terms of power, edging the new Dodge Dakota (290 hp), and putting it well beyond the Toyota Tacoma and Ford Ranger (numbers 1 & 2 respectively on the sales charts). GM’s been teasing everyone with V8-powered small concept pickups for a while now, and though it won’t officially confirm or deny the report (a spokesman only says, “stay tuned”), it sure looks like the General’s finally decided to give us the real thing. Good.

Small cars have been with us for five decades. But sooner or later - more likely sooner, if California and the greens have their way - we’ll all be driving smaller, more fuel-efficient cars, whether we like them or not.

Fortunately, we’re more enthusiastic about small cars at TheCarConnection.com than we have been in a long time, and that’s thanks to a host of new vehicles in the class - vehicles from the MINI Cooper to the Chevrolet Aveo.

After a week of trying out a stick-shift Aveo four-door sedan for some 400 miles over every kind of driving Southern California offers, I came to a few conclusions - mostly Aveo-centered, since the MINI has a cultish following and the Aveo is arrowed right at the mainstream, nearly all cuteness excised.

My conclusions? Ford, which has announced it will offer a B-car in the U.S. within the next year, will have to hustle to come up with a car as good as the Aveo. If Chrysler expects to have a credible B-car entry here, it better work fast - and well.

That’s because though not flawless, Chevrolet’s Aveo is well-appointed, quiet, smooth riding, handles nimbly and most of all is fun to drive. Heck, its trunk can even swallow two and possibly four golf bags without indigestion. The Aveo is an incredible improvement over the three-cylinder Suzuki-supplied Chevy Metro of a few years ago, before GM took over the South Korean automaker Daewoo.

What’s a B?

First, a little primer if you’re still unsure as to what a B-car is. In the segment so far this year, Aveo sales of 19,944 are an uncontested second only to 26,418 for the Toyota Yaris. But you could argue that the Yaris is really is a “C-car” entry with its wheelbase slightly over 100 inches, and thusly that the Aveo is really the segment sales champ. That would make the second and third best sellers the Honda Fit at 12,795, and the Hyundai Accent at 11,190.

The top three sellers in the compact “C” segment are the Toyota Corolla (120,484), the Honda Civic (99,295), and the Ford Focus (56,463) with the Chevrolet Cobalt a hair behind in fourth place at 56,448. In any event, you can see that B-cars are puny sellers in the U.S. , in a total market of 5.2 million light vehicles for the first four months of 2007.

Regardless of the numbers, Americans have nothing to fear in “moving down” to a B-car except the sneers of their neighbors. Most of the rest of the world drive primarily B-cars and thrive on them. Yes, you could argue the laws of physics dictate that a 2500-pound car is less safe in a population of 3500-pound or more vehicles, but today’s American-market Bs like the Aveo also are loaded with such amenities as front and side airbags, anti-lock brakes, and good crash-test “star” ratings from the NHTSA.

A far cry from the Beetles

B-car sedans carry base price stickers generally ranging from $11,000 to $13,000, while Cs typically run from $13,000 to $15,000. The Aveo is well-positioned at $11,950. Our test vehicle was stickered at $14,775 with options and delivery.

Unlike stripped entry-level cars of the past, you can get a lot for your money now - the Aveo has standard air conditioning, power steering, intermittent wipers, reclining seats, tilt column, and a remote trunk release. Optional on our test car were anti-lock brakes, cruise control, AM/FM/CD, remote-entry power locks, and aluminum wheels.

The Aveo trim level was noticeably high. Seats are upholstered in a hard-surface fabric that you can slide across as easily as over leather. Front seats sit high for excellent vision and caused not a crick on our road trip described below.

This is a far cry from the barren Beetles, Pintos, and Vegas that really got the subcompact market in the U.S. going some 37 years ago.
No complaints

Aside from buzzing happily around San Diego , a typical daily driving routine at which the canary yellow (labeled “summer yellow”) Aveo excelled, a 250-mile mountain-and-desert road trip in this little car was noteworthy.

For my birthday, son Matt (a Navy doc recently returned from deployment with the Marines in Iraq ) presented me with a training lesson in a glider. The glider port is located at Warner Springs , some 60 miles northeast of San Diego over largely two-lane roads gradually climbing from sea level to 3000 feet. The Aveo’s 1.6-liter 103-hp four-banger gobbled up this route with minimum downshifting.

I had an exhilarating glider ride on thermals up another 3000 feet to just below the cumulus puffs - you could almost reach out and touch them - and the first stick-and-rudder time I’d experienced in many years. Then we hit the road again, over the high desert east into the mountains and wound steeply down to the desert floor at Borego Springs, west of the below-sea-level Salton Sea . Needless to say, this was a great workout for the Aveo’s civilized handling, but nothing to compare with the way back up the mountains on the return half of our loop. We ate up the 1750-ft Yaqui Pass , twisted through the Cuyumaca Rancho Park area ravaged by forest fires a few years ago, and ended our journey with a 40-mile stretch of Interstate 8.

This leg made me wish for a few more squirrels, or at least more energetic critters, to supplement the drop-downs from 5th to 4th to 3rd and even 2nd in order to maintain speed on the essing back-and-forth climb. In dashing commuter traffic, the 1.6-liter is fine, but it won’t shine in drag racing or minimal-shift mountain climbs. But that’s part of its fun. In an automatic or CVT, all this shifting would have been unnecessary - and the driving more boring.

Still, the Aveo handles in an entertaining way. Its shift lever is nicely positioned so that gears can be changed with a flick of the wrist while the driver’s forearm rests on his right-side armrest. However, I confess to having some problems finding 3rd on downshifting, forcing a 4-2 shift two or three times in the mountains to avoid losing momentum.

My only other complaint about the Aveo is, for gosh sakes (as Rummy would say), the paucity and inadequacy of the cupholders. In the front compartment, there are only two flimsy holders which aren’t deep enough to clutch a medium-sized water bottle safely, and too close to the instrument panel to hold a fat cup. And there are no bottle-slots in the front side-door map pockets, fairly common in American cars these days. Given the remake of the Aveo for ‘07, I was surprised at this apparent oversight.

This is perhaps a trivial gripe, but it’s the “tremendous trifles” which can kill a sale and Americans are finicky about such things. Luckily, we can’t find many of those in the well-executed Aveo, which goes to show you that Americans aren’t by nature averse to a competent B-car. We just haven’t had many to consider - or many reasons to consider them again - until now.

2007 Chevrolet Aveo

Base price: $11,950; as tested, $14,775
Engine: 1.6-liter four-cylinder, 103 hp/107 lb-ft
Transmission: Five-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Length x width x height: 169.7 x 67.3 x 59.2 in
Wheelbase: 97.6 in
Curb weight: 2531 lb
Fuel economy (EPA city/hwy): 27/35 mpg
Major standard features: Air conditioning; AM/FM stereo with auxiliary jack; tilt steering; 60/40 split rear seat
Safety features: Six airbags
Warranty: Three years/36,000 miles