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 Over the past three and a half years, the federal government has gotten a lot of flak for offering low-interest loans to automakers, and automakers have gotten a lot of flak for taking them. But according to the Detroit News, a new report suggests that at least one of those loan programs won't be as big a washout as everyone feared.The program in question is the one supporting advanced-tech vehicles and the updating of automaker's manufacturing facilities to improve their efficiency. The funds... http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20120213/how-much-will-the-feds-lose-on.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/blogs/articles/34184/20120213/how-much-will-the-feds-lose-on.htm Mon, 13 Feb 2012 11:00:00 EST This story originally appeared at The Car Connection http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20120208/2013-hyundai-elantra-coupe-revealed-at-chicago.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/blogs/articles/34129/20120208/2013-hyundai-elantra-coupe-revealed-at-chicago.htm Wed, 08 Feb 2012 01:01:00 EST If you watched the Super Bowl last night, you probably caught Chevrolet's ad for the 2012 Silverado pickup. Most saw it as a clever riff on the whole 2012/Mayan calendar/world-ending thing that's rumored to occur later this year. When the folks at Ford watched it, though, all they saw was red.The premise of the ad is simple: the apocalypse has arrived on schedule, delivered by a shower of falling meteors, alien space ships, volcanic eruptions, and a plague of frogs. As the dust settles, four f... http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20120206/did-fords150-fumble-to-the-chevrolet-silverado.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/blogs/articles/34055/20120206/did-fords150-fumble-to-the-chevrolet-silverado.htm Mon, 06 Feb 2012 11:00:00 EST Honda has issued two recalls today -- one for the 2012 Accord and 2012 Crosstour, and another for the 2011-2012 Ridgeline. The 2012 Accord and Crosstour recall is the most worrisome of the two. According to a bulletin from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Accords and Crosstours from the 2012 model year may have been built with a faulty inflator for the side-curtain airbag on the passenger's side. As a result, those airbags may not deploy during a crash, seriously in... http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20120203/honda-recalls-2012-accord-2012-crosstour-2011.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/blogs/articles/34020/20120203/honda-recalls-2012-accord-2012-crosstour-2011.htm Fri, 03 Feb 2012 10:00:00 EST While nearly every automaker reported brisk, upbeat sales numbers for the first month of 2012, General Motors didn't have much to cheer.GM sales were off by 6 percent last month, while its crosstown rivals were up, strongly in the case of Chrysler, which reported a sales increase of 44 percent, while Ford rose 7 percent.Also on the upturn were Toyota and Honda, both reporting solid sales increases nearly a year after the destructive March 11 earthquake in northern Japan devastated the country a... http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20120201/january-2012-car-sales-are-strong-except.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/blogs/articles/33969/20120201/january-2012-car-sales-are-strong-except.htm Wed, 01 Feb 2012 14:45:00 EST Last Friday, the influential California Air Resources Board adopted new emission rules that will require carmakers to sell increasing number of zero-emission vehicles in the state, starting in 2018.By 2025, fully 15.4 percent of the cars sold annually in California must be zero-emission vehicles--either battery-electric and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles, or plug-in hybrids that can run electric-only for at least several miles.That would mean a total of 1.4 million plug-in or hydrogen vehicles woul... http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20120130/ca-passes-landmark-law-requiring-many-more.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/blogs/articles/33935/20120130/ca-passes-landmark-law-requiring-many-more.htm Mon, 30 Jan 2012 13:30:00 EST Each year, thousands of consumers answer surveys about cars and the people who sell them. Those studies -- like the ones we recently mentioned about brand loyalty and the shopping habits of men and women -- can tell us a lot about buyers, but for an insider's look at the auto industry, you need to chat with folks on the other side of the counter: the dealers. A new study from the National Automobile Dealers Association says its members are happiest in the company of Asi... http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20120130/survey-hyundai-subaru-lexus-score-high-with.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/blogs/articles/33906/20120130/survey-hyundai-subaru-lexus-score-high-with.htm Mon, 30 Jan 2012 11:00:00 EST No one likes changing a flat tire. In fact, just storing the spare can be a problem: if it's inside the vehicle, it can take up valuable cargo space, and if it's kept outside, it may prevent you from using bike racks or other accessories. But AAA says that thanks to new fuel economy regulations, we may not have to worry about either of those things much longer, since spare tires could soon disappear altogether.We've spilled a lot of ink discussing the new fuel economy rules handed d... http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20120126/aaa-puts-spare-tires-on-the-endangered.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/blogs/articles/33851/20120126/aaa-puts-spare-tires-on-the-endangered.htm Thu, 26 Jan 2012 11:00:00 EST So, you're in the market for a new car. You've skimmed through our extensive collection of news and reviews, and you're ready to hit the showroom. What should you expect? If you're a man, you might negotiate a slightly sweeter deal, however, your female friends will probably pay less because they've configured a more cost-efficient ride. That's according to new data from CarWoo.We first mentioned CarWoo a little over a year ago. It's a website that allows shoppers to solicit competing off... http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20120124/women-are-more-practical-shoppers-but-men.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/blogs/articles/33801/20120124/women-are-more-practical-shoppers-but-men.htm Tue, 24 Jan 2012 11:00:00 EST Fueled by record worldwide sales of its Chevrolet brand, General Motors has achieved 2011 sales of 9.03 million units, surpassing both the 8.16 million sold by Volkswagen and the 7.9 million estimated by Toyota. Like other Japanese automakers, Toyota was impacted by inventory shortages caused by the twin disasters in Japan.That puts GM back on top of global sales, which is a remarkable achievement given the automaker’s financial health in 2009. GM hasn't sold that many vehicles worldwide ... http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20120119/gm-back-on-top-withmillion-unit-sales.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/blogs/articles/33740/20120119/gm-back-on-top-withmillion-unit-sales.htm Thu, 19 Jan 2012 13:30:00 EST Back in November, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Transportation announced new fuel-efficiency regulations affecting vehicles built through 2025. Many automakers and environmental groups have praised the guidelines, but dealers warn that they could boost the cost of new cars by as much as $5,000. We'll try to cut through the spin so you know what to expect down the road.What are the new guidelines?In a nutshell, the new Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) regula... http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20120118/dealers-warn-fuel-rules-will-boost-car.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/blogs/articles/33720/20120118/dealers-warn-fuel-rules-will-boost-car.htm Wed, 18 Jan 2012 11:00:00 EST Given the recent recession and relatively high unemployment figures, it's no surprise that car owners are holding on to their vehicles for a long time. According to research firm Polk, however, the average age of vehicles on U.S. roads has hit an all-time high of 10.8 years.The age of passenger cars moved up slightly between 2010 and 2011, going from an average age of 11 years in 2010 to 11.1 (as of June 2011). The aging of the light truck and SUV population, however, has been a shade more seve... http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20120118/americans-are-holding-on-to-their-cars.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/blogs/articles/33719/20120118/americans-are-holding-on-to-their-cars.htm Wed, 18 Jan 2012 10:00:00 EST If you've kept up with coverage of the 2012 Detroit Auto Show and the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show, you know that auto technology is undergoing some dramatic changes. True, flying cars and plasma drives are still a bit further down the road, but the way we interact with our vehicles today is miles from what it used to be.However, with all these changes and improvements come countless dangers -- notably, the danger of distracted driving. Once upon a time, the biggest preoccupations for drivers... http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20120116/6-ways-to-end-distracted-driving.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/blogs/articles/33671/20120116/6-ways-to-end-distracted-driving.htm Mon, 16 Jan 2012 12:00:00 EST Hot on the heels of recalling the Ford Freestar and Mercury Monterey minivans, Ford Motor Company has issued another recall -- this time for the Ford Escape SUV.A bulletin from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration explains that the Escape recall is due to a faulty brake master cylinder reservoir cap. In certain cases, that cap can leak brake fluid, which may drip down onto the wiring that controls the anti-lock braking system. Over time, the leak may cause corrosion of the electric... http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20120112/2001-2002-ford-escape-recalled-for-potential.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/blogs/articles/33618/20120112/2001-2002-ford-escape-recalled-for-potential.htm Thu, 12 Jan 2012 09:30:00 EST GM has the new 2013 Cadillac ATS sedan waiting in the wings, and at Ford, the mission's almost the same--to snare more entry-level luxury-sedan buyers. That task begins with the 2013 Lincoln MKZ, making its debut as a concept car at the 2012 Detroit auto show.Lincoln's mission is a little more urgent, though. Once the best-selling luxury nameplate in the U.S., Lincoln sold just more than 85,000 vehicles in the U.S. last year, about half of Cadillac's numbers and well off the more than 300,000... http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20120110/2013-lincoln-mkz-preview-2012-detroit-auto.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/blogs/articles/33571/20120110/2013-lincoln-mkz-preview-2012-detroit-auto.htm Tue, 10 Jan 2012 09:00:00 EST GM has the new 2013 Cadillac ATS sedan waiting in the wings, and at Ford, the mission's almost the same--to snare more entry-level luxury-sedan buyers. That task begins with the 2013 Lincoln MKZ, making its debut as a concept car at the 2012 Detroit auto show.Lincoln's mission is a little more urgent, though. Once the best-selling luxury nameplate in the U.S., Lincoln sold just more than 85,000 vehicles in the U.S. last year, about half of Cadillac's numbers and well off the more than 300,000... http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20120110/2013-lincoln-mkz-preview-2012-detroit-auto.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/blogs/articles/33570/20120110/2013-lincoln-mkz-preview-2012-detroit-auto.htm Tue, 10 Jan 2012 00:01:00 EST The winners of the 2012 North American Car and Truck of the Year awards have been announced, as the auto industry kicks off the new year at the annual Detroit auto show.For this year's awards, the winners are the 2012 Hyundai Elantra for car of the year and the 2012 Land Rover Range Rover Evoque for truck of the year.In December, a panel of 50 journalists named six finalists for the two awards. On the car side, the NACOTY jurors put the Ford Focus, Hyundai Elantra, and Volkswagen Passat up for ... http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20120109/hyundai-elantra-range-rover-evoque-are-na.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/blogs/articles/33551/20120109/hyundai-elantra-range-rover-evoque-are-na.htm Mon, 09 Jan 2012 07:30:00 EST Cadillac has been promising us a true BMW 3-Series competitor, and it is finally here. The 2013 Cadillac ATS is the compact luxury sedan that Cadillac is depending on to establish a new reputation among some of the world's top performance sedans.The ATS follows the new-expression Art & Science design direction set by the new 2013 XTS, which was introduced at the Los Angeles Auto Show this past fall. The front end does a great job mimicking the XTS while the side character line is softer and les... http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20120108/2013-cadillac-ats-preview-2012-detroit-auto.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/blogs/articles/33533/20120108/2013-cadillac-ats-preview-2012-detroit-auto.htm Sun, 08 Jan 2012 13:00:00 EST Toyota has the small-car market pretty well covered. In addition to the 2012 Toyota Yaris, there are the Scion xB and iQ models, which share in many places the same showroom and the same sales lot. And that's before even considering the only somewhat larger Matrix (and Corolla), as well as the nearly like-sized 2013 Toyota Prius C that's on the way this year.Against those Scion models, the all-new Toyota Yaris—especially in the SE trim that we drove—seems like the obvious pick.But ... http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20120106/2012-toyota-yaris-se-first-drive.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/blogs/articles/33517/20120106/2012-toyota-yaris-se-first-drive.htm Fri, 06 Jan 2012 15:22:00 EST In recent years, the quest for high gas mileage has become an important factor for new car buyers, automakers, and legislators alike. But has gas mileage really improved over the past 30 years, and what do automakers really need to do in order to ensure their cars meet tough new Corporate Average Fuel Economy targets by 2025? According to MIT economist Christopher Knittel, the answer is simple: maintain the same rate of automotive technological innovation we’ve seen since 1980s w... http://www.ibtimes.com/articles/20120105/mit-to-get-better-gas-mileage-cars.htm http://www.ibtimes.com/blogs/articles/33501/20120105/mit-to-get-better-gas-mileage-cars.htm Thu, 05 Jan 2012 10:00:00 EST