Archive for the ‘Passenger Cars’ Category

The Daewoo Kalos is a subcompact automobile manufactured by GM Daewoo (the South Korean subsidiary of General Motors) introduced in 2002 and marketed globally in 120 countries – prominently as the Chevrolet Aveo(ah-VAY-o).

Marketed worldwide under five brands (Chevrolet, Pontiac, Suzuki, etc.) and eleven different nameplates (Kalos, Aveo, G3, Swift, etc.), the Kalos vehicles have evolved through two re-stylings in the car’s first generation and have featured three body styles and five engine configurations – all built on a dedicated platform shared with no other vehicles. The first generation’s styling iterations received the T200 and T250 internal codes, used first by Daewoo, and then, by GM Daewoo during the car’s development.

At first glance, the 2010 Chevrolet Aveo would appear to be a contender for the economy car crown. With a super-cheap price (it’s one of the least expensive new cars sold), decent fuel economy and respectable vehicle dynamics, the Aveo could have many shoppers ready to sign on the dotted line. But perhaps their eagerness to commit to an Aveo would be tempered once they compared it to the competition. At that point it becomes clear that the Aveo is more of a back-of-the-pack runner rather than a pace setter.

To its credit, the Aveo does have features like an MP3-enabled audio system, faux carbon-fiber trim and vibrant paint choices for added appeal to younger buyers. It also has GM’s OnStar feature, which is a nice touch for such an inexpensive vehicle. But these features do little to conceal the Aveo’s bland styling and middling performance. The 2010 model’s changes don’t do the Aveo any real favors, either. In fact, the new taller gear ratios for the manual transmission may serve to further neuter performance for the sake of a couple added miles per gallon.

Though one shouldn’t expect too much from budget-minded vehicles like this, the reality is that the 2010 Chevrolet Aveo comes up short in nearly every category. When pitted against other cars like the Honda Fit, Kia Rio and Toyota Yaris, the Aveo is less enjoyable to drive and is hampered by a low-buck interior. Before going with an Aveo, we would even suggest considering used versions of the previously mentioned cars, especially the class-leading Fit.

The 2010 Chevrolet Aveo lineup gets a modest bump in horsepower and estimated highway fuel economy. Chevrolet’s smallest car comes as a 4-door sedan or a 4-door hatchback called the Aveo5. Both body styles come in LS and uplevel LT trims. All have a 108-horsepower 1.6-liter 4-cylinder engine, an increase of 2 horsepower from 2009. A 5-speed manual transmission is standard, and a 4-speed automatic is optional. Available safety features include ABS and front-side airbags. Power locks and remote entry are newly standard on the LT hatchback. A 2LT option package for the LT hatchback includes cruise control, heated power mirrors, power windows, and satellite radio.

The STS (S-Series Touring Sedan) is a full-size luxury sports sedan / executive car manufactured and sold by Cadillac. It is equipped with a six-speed automatic transmission with performance algorithm shifting and driver shift control.

Cadillac first used the Seville name to indicate the hardtop coupe version of the top-of-the-line Eldorado convertible (covered much more extensively in its own Generations feature). These “Eldorado Sevilles” carried all the equipment of an Eldorado convertible, were powered by the same drivetrains, rode atop the same chassis and were priced about the same.

Built atop the basic rear-drive Sigma architecture that Cadillac uses for the CTS midsize sedan and SRX crossover sport-ute, the new STS may not be a “Seville” but it does promise to be the best STS yet. The Northstar V8 is still a prominent part of the package, but a potent 3.6-liter V6 is also available. As this is written all we have are first impressions. But those impressions are encouraging.

Both the V6 and V8 versions are engaging to drive, too. “With 255 horsepower and 252 pound-feet of torque,With 320 hp and 315 lb-ft of torque, there’s more than enough power to make this car feel quick. Cadillac claims a 0-to-60-mph time of less than 6 seconds and it feels that fast behind the wheel. Some of the credit has to go to the standard five-speed automatic transmission, as it serves up perfectly executed shifts no matter how hard the pedal is pressed.”

With all-wheel drive as an option, a sophisticated suspension and quite likely the best Cadillac interior ever, the STS is an attractive proposition even if it does look an awful lot like its smaller brother, the CTS.

The base Cadillac STS features a direct-injected 3.6-liter V6 rated at 302 horsepower and 272 pound-feet of torque. This impressive power plant and its accompanying six-speed automatic provide similar performance and better fuel economy than the available 320-hp 4.6-liter Northstar V8.

A full-size luxury sedan in its physical dimensions, the Cadillac STS is priced in line with other premium midsize sedans that offer V6 and V8 engines. There are five trim levels — V6 Luxury Sport, V6 Luxury, V6 Premium, V8 Luxury and V8 Performance. Common features on all models include leather seating, dual-zone climate control, a Bose sound system and OnStar. The V6 Luxury adds perks such as Bluetooth, heated/ventilated front seats, heated rear seats and rain-sensing wipers. The V6 Premium highlights include 18-inch (versus 17-inch) wheels, upgraded braking/steering/cooling systems, auto-dimming xenon headlights, upgraded audio and a navigation system. The V8′s trim levels are identically equipped save the Premium, which also boasts adaptive suspension, blind zone/lane departure alert, a sunroof, a head-up display and adaptive cruise control.

In reviews and road tests, our editors have found the strengths of the Cadillac STS to be its nimble road manners, powerful engine options and high-quality audio system. The midlife changes greatly increased the STS’s appeal and competitiveness — especially with the new direct-injected V6 — but it’s hard to fully endorse this full-size luxury sedan when Cadillac’s own CTS is an excellent car that only gives up a bit of interior space to its big brother.

The 2010 Grand Marquis is a 4-door, 6-passenger family sedan, available in one trim only, the LS.

The Grand Marquis is equipped with a standard 4.6-liter, V8, 224-horsepower, flexible fuel engine that achieves 16-mpg in the city and 24-mpg on the highway. A 4-speed automatic transmission with overdrive is standard.

The 2010 Grand Marquis is a carryover from 2009.

The success of the CX-7 is carried almost entirely to the CX-9, which is basically the first, but larger and more passengers. The CX-9 can carry 7 passengers while maintaining the concept of sportsmanship and aggressive design of the CX-7. But rather than look, Mazda says this crossover is not simply a stretched CX-7, but a completely different vehicle. Read the rest of this entry »

Cadillac : Top Gear had no intention of selling the V version of the CTS in Europe. Thus causing the disappointment of all users of these German superberlinas looking at this thing differently. But General Motors has left to deny this rumor, it seems that there was a “small” error in drafting the Top Gear.

It would sell the Cadillac CTS-V in Europe, the only change is that the hatchback sold in Britain will not have the steering wheel to the right. Why the Top Gear committed such an error is a mystery, anyway Good news for drivers of the brand.

Due to excellent sales results demonstrated Mazda in Switzerland is now the 2nd Among Japanese importers and the 13th Rank among all car brands. To know the brand the biggest increase in sales in the top 20 of the Swiss market and achieved the best annual result of the last 15 years.

Petit-Lancy, January 19, 2009. In Switzerland, Mazda excellent results can be presented: the statistics of car-Suisse, were in 2008, considerable 8’989 Mazda cars allowed. The so achieved growth of 29.7% compared to the 6’929 new registrations from the same period last year reflects the best years of earnings over the past fifteen years. Read the rest of this entry »

South Bend, Indiana: The vehicle made famous by CNN, as we watched it storming the dunes of Kuwait in the Gulf War, has become increasingly cache in the civilian set. Celebrities such as Arnold Schwarzenegger, Andre Agassi, George Forman and Montel Williams park one or more of these huge beasts, that sit nearly a foot wider than any other passenger vehicle, in their driveways-Schwarzenegger has eight, for instance-but so do growing numbers of other everyday drivers, who have found the Hummera€™s street-legal version to their liking. Read the rest of this entry »

In the 7th and 8th arrondissements of Paris, you can cross now factors in the saddle of electric quads!

These devices, named Quadeos are provided by manufacturers and Automobiles Ligier Matra.

100 copies will be assigned to factors by the end of February 2010 in France so they can deliver mail so green in urban areas. Read the rest of this entry »

The western United States has some of the most picturesque roads you’ve ever seen. Twisting mountain roads at elevation filled with evergreen trees. Roads that cut through deep canyons and along riverbeds. There has been many a day when I’ve reveled in the view out the window as I traversed through some of the most breathtaking scenery I’ve ever seen. Those are the days when I feel like I could drive forever. Read the rest of this entry »

When Bill Lear developed a radio practical for use in an automobile in the late nineteen-thirties, he started a revolution. His was the first accessory for a car that had nothing to do with driving, and he feared that government legislation would quickly be enacted to keep such devices out of cars. Little did he know what was coming around the bend. Today it’s unthinkable to have a car without tunes, and if things continue on their present course, a car without a telephone will soon be as odd as a phone-free home. And why shouldn’t we have the same communications options on the road as on the couch or in the office? After all, we are spending more and more time in our automobiles, and often in stuck in traffic when we could be getting some work done or connecting with the family. What started with Bill Lear and the ability to listen to the local ball game while behind the wheel has grown into a wild new facet of the automotive industry known as telematics. Broadly defined, telematics is the stuff that helps connect a car to the outside world. We’re not talking about the tires, but a stream of digital information to and from the automobile. Here’s what to look for in the coming years as connectivity comes to the car: Read the rest of this entry »