International Business News Blogs - Autopia http://www.ibtimes.com/blogs/rss/sections/autopia.rss All articles are copyrighted by IBTimes.com 120 30 http://www.ibtimes.com/blogs/rss/sections/autopia.rss http://www.ibtimes.com/images/top_logo_ibt2_3.gif It's about time that another automaker took on Ford's Sync hands-free communication and entertainment interface. One of the best rival systems--at least in affordable vehicles--comes from an unlikely source: Mitsubishi. The new 2010 Outlander is the first vehicle to get the handy interface. In a way, it figures. Mitsubishi used to have a geeky reputation in the U.S. and elsewhere; many years ago now, the Japanese automaker stood out from the rest with features like all-wheel-drive, active yaw... http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20091120/mitsubishi-debuts-sync-rival-called-fuse-in.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/blogs/articles/11441/20091120/mitsubishi-debuts-sync-rival-called-fuse-in.htm Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:04:00 EST We've been keeping a close eye on the evolving Ford/Volvo/Geely saga. So far, the biggest point of contention in the brou-ha-ha has been Ford's concerns about intellectual property, which Geely might or might not respect after the ink dries. (Chinese law hasn't been exactly at the forefront of the IP issue.) However, there have also been unspoken concerns about the shift in production that might be precipitated by such a deal, moving factories and jobs from Europe to the Far East. Geely trie... http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20091120/geely-intends-to-keep-volvo-production-in.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/blogs/articles/11433/20091120/geely-intends-to-keep-volvo-production-in.htm Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:26:00 EST There are lots of ways to enjoy music from portable devices in your car. Many new vehicles come with built-in iPhone/iPod docks, but there are a range of other options,  including Belkin's popular TuneBase device. The TuneBase plugs into your car's cigarette lighter, keeping gadgets charged as you listen to music and take hands-free calls. Unfortunately, if you bought one of these devices in the U.S. or Canada, you might want to return it -- and pronto. Seems like a faulty washer can cause th... http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20091120/recall-alert-belkin-tunebase-may-catch-fire.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/blogs/articles/11426/20091120/recall-alert-belkin-tunebase-may-catch-fire.htm Fri, 20 Nov 2009 09:46:00 EST Let's face it: MINIs have a lot of curb appeal, but the company's advertising campaigns frequently come up short. A new spot for the MINI Cooper Convertible proves that point beautifully. Compared to yesterday's ad featuring the Alfa Romeo MiTo, this clip feels clunky and under-rehearsed -- although the potentially clichéd punchline somehow manages to be fairly freaking funny. The credit for that goes entirely to actor... well, if we told you his name, that'd probably give away the ending. ... http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20091119/adwatch-mini-cooper-convertible-spot-touts-protection.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/blogs/articles/11414/20091119/adwatch-mini-cooper-convertible-spot-touts-protection.htm Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:59:00 EST BMW has been given a fairly impressive international branding opportunity: the company was just announced as the automotive partner of London 2012, which includes the upcoming Olympic games and Paralympic games. As part of the arrangement, BMW will provide roughly 4,000 vehicles to move athletes, officials, and others around the city during the summer of 2012. BMW was also announced as one of London 2012's "sustainability partners", meaning that the company has committed to "low carbon" pa... http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20091119/bmw-automotive-partner-of-2012-olympic-paralympic.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/blogs/articles/11409/20091119/bmw-automotive-partner-of-2012-olympic-paralympic.htm Thu, 19 Nov 2009 11:03:00 EST Tesla and its Roadster are a product of DIY ingenuity -- a perfect example of what can happen when a bunch of people come together and say, "Hey, no one else is doing this, so why don't we?" In that same the DIY spirit, game designers at Microsoft have cleverly recruited a Tesla roadster for their own purposes: recording road noise for driving games without interference from noisy combustion engines. Some groups are worried about how quiet EV's and hybrids can be, but in this case, that's ... http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20091119/videogame-designers-love-the-tesla-roadsters-quiet.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/blogs/articles/11408/20091119/videogame-designers-love-the-tesla-roadsters-quiet.htm Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:24:00 EST No matter how you feel about Senator McCain's statements from earlier this week, there's no denying that Chrysler has a lot of potholes dodge as it motors down the road to recovery. Among the biggest tasks at the top of the Chrysler's to-do list is cranking out vehicles of consistent quality. Doug Betts, the company's senior vice president in charge of quality, says that many past problems have been the result of Chrysler's inefficient and unresponsive corporate culture. However, Betts ins... http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20091119/chrysler-changing-corporate-culture-to-boost-quality.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/blogs/articles/11406/20091119/chrysler-changing-corporate-culture-to-boost-quality.htm Thu, 19 Nov 2009 09:46:00 EST You're well aware that Toyota is recalling the 2004-2009 Prius--among a list of vehicles--for an issue with floor mats. Here at High Gear Media, we have at least two vehicles affected by the recall, both 2004 Toyota Prius hatchbacks, both even the same shade of blue. One of them's mine, and in the nearly six years we've owned our Prius, it's been relatively fault-free. Early on, we replaced the navigation screen under warranty. Two accidents cost about $3500 each, though they were parking-l... http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20091118/toyota-floor-mat-safety-recall-my-prius.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/blogs/articles/11393/20091118/toyota-floor-mat-safety-recall-my-prius.htm Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST With a price tag north of $100,000 and a production run of just 11 units, Commuter Cars' Tango EV isn't likely to become a bestseller on the lots -- but then, with Jay Leno test-driving it for all the world to see, you never know. It may be terrifyingly tiny, boasting a profile that only a mother could love, but with a four-second sprint from 0 to 60 mph, we could learn to overlook a lot. (Also noteworthy: it's a finalist for the Progressive Automotive X-Prize, and future models are expected... http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20091118/video-jay-leno-goes-cheek-to-cheek.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/blogs/articles/11391/20091118/video-jay-leno-goes-cheek-to-cheek.htm Wed, 18 Nov 2009 12:00:00 EST Last time we heard from Alfa Romeo, we wondered what new drugs had found their way to Europe. (Seriously, that genes/jeans campaign from London's Performance PR was terrible.) The latest ad for the Alfa Romeo MiTo comes from Milan's Fabbrica Virali agency, and it's equally bizarre -- but in a totally good way. The spot features Mozart's Requiem, a choir from La Schola Cantorum Santa Maria degli Angeli, and several dozen helium balloons. See if you can guess the tagline before the 53-second ... http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20091118/adwatch-alfa-romeo-mito-video-is-simple.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/blogs/articles/11384/20091118/adwatch-alfa-romeo-mito-video-is-simple.htm Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:30:00 EST Here at TheCarConnection.com, we see a lot of gadgets designed to enhance the driving experience. Like the Mercedes-Benz mbrace system we mentioned yesterday, most are telematics devices offering directions, traffic news, and other familiar data. But MIT's SENSEable City Lab envisions something different: an onboard robot capable of giving drivers feedback on their driving style, reminding folks to buckle up, and generally providing a more "symbiotic" relationship between vehicle and driver.... http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20091118/mit-audi-develop-onboard-robot-for-road.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/blogs/articles/11379/20091118/mit-audi-develop-onboard-robot-for-road.htm Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:30:00 EST A year ago, many people were predicting the end of Detroit. In light of the financial sector's collapse and the subsequent Big Three implosion (not to mention a few highly publicized chats between Detroit CEOs and members of Congress), naysayers around the world insisted that America's moment to shine was over -- at least as far as cars were concerned. Today, however, we need look no further than Ford Motor Company to see that rumors of Detroit's death have been greatly exaggerated. Yesterda... http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20091118/fords-big-day-fusion-gets-top-marks.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/blogs/articles/11375/20091118/fords-big-day-fusion-gets-top-marks.htm Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:00:00 EST • What is it?: The 2011 Ford Fiesta's Mazda sibling • The basics: Funky styling, and "zoom zoom" philosophy • On sale: Fall 2010, with a public showing at the 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show • Price: Less than $16,000 (est.) Compact hatchbacks have for a long time performed poorly in the U.S. but with fuel prices inevitably set to rise and customers shifting to smaller cars a number of major automakers have revealed their desires to bring the economical runabouts Stateside... http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20091118/preview-2011-mazda2.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/blogs/articles/11374/20091118/preview-2011-mazda2.htm Wed, 18 Nov 2009 06:59:00 EST The coveted Top Safety Pick designation from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) used to be quite exclusive--and a way for safety-conscious shoppers to narrow down their possibilities to a few top-rated vehicles in a segment. But since 2007, the number of Top Safety Picks has roughly doubled each year, going from just 23 vehicles then to 94 models--a huge portion of the new-car market--for 2009. That's slated to change beginning with 2010, as the IIHS requires that vehicle... http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20091118/iihs-picks-the-safest-new-vehicles-for.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/blogs/articles/11373/20091118/iihs-picks-the-safest-new-vehicles-for.htm Wed, 18 Nov 2009 06:24:00 EST A couple of weeks ago, we mentioned the "YouthMobile 2030" design challenge associated with the 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show. At the time, we highlighted GM's "Car Hero" entry, but Audi's designs deserve mention, too. The company has submitted two vehicles, the eOra and the eSpira, both of which were created with tomorrow's social media-savvy drivers in mind. In fact, they were designed via social media itself: Audi solicited suggestions for the models from its 400,000 Facebook fans. Check... http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20091117/video-audis-entries-for-the-youthmobile-2030.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/blogs/articles/11361/20091117/video-audis-entries-for-the-youthmobile-2030.htm Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:33:00 EST It's not quite the glamorous Staples Center--home to the Grammys and a certain celebrity endpoint this year--but just next door to the tabernacle of music sits the Los Angeles Convention Center. The convention center's the next roosting spot for the car world, as the industry sets down next month for the 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show. The L.A. auto show is less than a month away, but some of the launches already confirmed for the show are underscoring the show's traditional split personality--i... http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20091117/2009-los-angeles-auto-show-coverage.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/blogs/articles/11356/20091117/2009-los-angeles-auto-show-coverage.htm Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:43:00 EST The intersection between technology and daily life became slightly more seamless yesterday with the launch of Mercedes-Benz's new "mbrace" telematics system. It features a lot of the bells and whistles we've come to expect from such gadgetry, like roadside assistance, real-time traffic, and the ability to sync smartphones with in-dash entertainment systems. As you might expect from Mercedes, however, mbrace also includes luxury amenities like a concierge service that can make dinner reserva... http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20091117/mercedez-benzs-mbrace-puts-luxury-in-your.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/blogs/articles/11355/20091117/mercedez-benzs-mbrace-puts-luxury-in-your.htm Tue, 17 Nov 2009 11:40:00 EST We've often noted that the biggest hurdle for electric vehicles to overcome is the energy and recharging infrastructure. (In fact, that was listed among the most significant obstacles facing the MINI E just last week.) Now, a sprawling coalition of business leaders -- including Nissan's outspoken CEO, Carlos Ghosn -- have announced an aggressive plan to address  such problems and speed America down the EV highway. Called the "Electrification Roadmap", the plan calls for EVs to make up 75% o... http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20091117/electrification-roadmap-sets-high-standards-for-ev.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/blogs/articles/11354/20091117/electrification-roadmap-sets-high-standards-for-ev.htm Tue, 17 Nov 2009 10:40:00 EST To put it bluntly, crash-test results in their present state can be frustrating for shoppers. Take a look either at crash-test ratings from the federal government or from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and you're bound to be confused by the sheer number of vehicles that have all garnered top ratings. For some types of vehicles, like compact or mid-size crossover vehicles, it's become virtually impossible to separate the safest vehicles from the merely safe ones. For several... http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20091117/side-pole-crash-test-part-of-tougher.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/blogs/articles/11353/20091117/side-pole-crash-test-part-of-tougher.htm Tue, 17 Nov 2009 09:51:00 EST Over the past year, we've spoken a good bit about the 2010 Ford Transit Connect. Our own John Voelcker gave it a positive review after his test drive last May, and the fuel-efficient van aims to be a major contender in the American market. But before long, the Transit Connect will have some spirited competition: yesterday, Fiat announced plans to rebadge its revamped Doblo van and include it as part of Chrysler's new Ram lineup. Of course, the Transit Connect will have a significant head star... http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20091117/chrysler-expands-its-ram-fleet-with-fiat.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/blogs/articles/11350/20091117/chrysler-expands-its-ram-fleet-with-fiat.htm Tue, 17 Nov 2009 09:20:00 EST