Vehicles: Page
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Courtesy of WardsAuto
New Civic: Just One Word…Plastics
The ’12 Civic handles great and retains its world class engine. But it also gets Jetta-ized, with an interior full of cheap materials and a ho-hum design.
By Christie Schweinsberg • April 29, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
VW’s 2.0L Turbodiesel Remarkably Likeable and Fuel Efficient
For those whose travels include substantial highway miles, a somewhat less expensive 40-plus-mpg diesel can offer real savings over many hybrid-electric vehicles.
By Gary Witzenburg • April 26, 2011 -
Explore the Trendline➔
Courtesy of Toyota Motor North America
TrendlineTop 5 stories from WardsAuto
Automakers are evaluating their long-term strategies, revisiting their product mix, and approach to both retail and manufacturing approach along the way.
By WardsAuto staff -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Interior Nominee Quick Hits
In 10 words or less, we summarize this year’s Ward’s 10 Best Interiors entries. Many of these comments come directly from editor scoresheets.
By Ward's Staff • April 25, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Chevy Cruze Interior Checks All the Boxes
The Cruze impresses Ward’s judges with its materials, fit-and-finish, aesthetics, safety and exceptional value.
By James M. Amend • April 25, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Homer Needed This Odyssey
From optional “cool box” refrigerator to the “Wide-Mode” second row to the remarkably spacious third row, the Honda Odyssey interior delivers everything a family could want.
By Tom Murphy • April 25, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Grand Cherokee Interior ‘Summit’ of Excellence
Jeep's flagship SUV follows the '09 Ram fullsize pickup as the second vehicle to benefit from Chrysler's new commitment to interior design.
By Eric Mayne • April 25, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Small-Car Sales Lift Fleet Fuel Economy in First Quarter
Domestic LVs vehicles earned a 21.8 rating on the Ward’s Fuel Economy Index, up 1.3% over year-ago, with cars scoring 25.2 against a light-truck rating of 18.8.
By John Sousanis • April 21, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Delphi Unplugs EV Charging
Hands-free wireless charging is one component of Delphi Packard’s strategy to capitalize on the EV market on both the vehicle and infrastructure side.
By Tom Murphy • April 19, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Tata Technologies to Address Global Engineer Shortage With Product-Development Programs
“Consumers are demanding more product and features, and engineering resources are a constraint for a lot of companies,” a top executive tells Ward’s. “We can offer things OEMs want done.”
By Byron Pope • April 15, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Ward’s Announces Finalists in Interior Design Competition.
Under the supervision of CCS instructor Clyde Foles, the students were challenged to create a vehicle interior for an active, young professional in the year 2020.
By Drew Winter • April 13, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Renault Investing in Next-Gen Gas Engine Production
The French auto maker says the new downsized engines, a 0.9L 3-cyl. and 1.2L 4-cyl., will cut carbon-dioxide emissions by 30-40 g/km, compared with the 4-cyl. mills they will replace.
By William Diem • April 12, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Jaguar 4-Cyl. Diesel to Debut in NY
A future XF production car will feature the new 2.2L turbodiesel 4-cyl., rated at 187 hp and 332 lb.-ft. (450 Nm) of torque and capable of 52.3 mpg.
By Alan Harman • April 7, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
BMW Recruiting Engineers to Focus on Lightweight, Carbon-Fiber Composites
Carbon-fiber bodies long have been used for F1 race cars and supercars, but the German auto maker’s forthcoming i3 EV will be the first high-volume car to use the technology.
By William Diem • April 5, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Don’t Blame CRM System for Internet Ineffectiveness
Editor's note: This story is part of the WardsAuto digital archive, which may include content that was first published in print, or in different web layouts.If auto dealerships respond slowly to Internet sales leads, don’t blame customer-relationship management software, says Fran O’Hagan. He i...
By Steve Finlay 2 • April 1, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Dealer Website Vehicle Trade-in Appraisals Catching On
Online vehicle appraisal tools are becoming more popular, with savvy dealers using them to attract customers. So says Mike McFall, president of Black Book Online, a vehicle value-setter that offers appraisal applications on dealership and auto maker websites. Conventionally, customers take their currently owned vehicles to dealerships for on-site determinations of value as a prelude to trade-in transactions.
By Steve Finlay • April 1, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Record 51 Entries Vie for Interior Honors
WITH A RECORD 51 VEHICLES IN THE 2011 Ward's 10 Best Interiors competition, making the cut will be tougher than ever. This year's entries are the best Ward's editors have seen, particularly in the small-car category with stand-out interiors for several vehicles, including the Chevy Cruze, Fiat 500, Ford Fiesta, Ford Focus and Hyundai Elantra. Compact-car interiors for years have suffered the indignities
By Tom Murphy • April 1, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
‘Spectacular Failures’ Await Electric Vehicle Industry
Including plug-in hybrids, more than 70 EVs are expected to hit roadways around the world, according to a Ward’s survey of sellers and intenders.
By James M. Amend • March 30, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
U.S. Industry Observers Mixed on EV Market Growth
President Obama’s 2015 EV-penetration target is likened to John F. Kennedy’s man-on-the-moon promise of the 1960s.
By James M. Amend • March 30, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Record 51 Entries Vie for Ward’s Vehicle-Interior Honors
The Ward’s 10 Best Interiors winners will be announced next month and recognized in a special ceremony at the Ward’s Auto Interiors Conference May 17 in Dearborn, MI.
By Tom Murphy • March 21, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Mercedes Says Dirty Fuel Problematic in U.S.
Excessive sulfur levels in gasoline sold in the U.S. is preventing Mercedes from selling its most efficient engines, capable of running on a lean-burn combustion cycle.
By Tom Murphy • March 16, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Ford Expects Small-Car Demand to Rise, But Higher Fuel Prices Threaten Overall Market Growth
Even if gasoline prices subside, as they did following the spike in 2008, it’s unlikely there will be a shift away from small cars, Ford’s top sales analyst says.
By Byron Pope • March 1, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Top GM Executive Says Fighting Fuel Economy Mandates Wrong
General Motors Co. was myopic in past strident lobbying efforts against federal mandates for greater fuel efficiency, says a candid Mark Reuss, president of the auto maker's North American operations. Lobbying against U.S. corporate average fuel economy legislation was a short-term way of addressing the need for a long-term solution, he says at a J.D. Power Automotive Roundtable held in conjunction
By Steve Finlay • March 1, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Diesels Make Comeback in European Markets
Diesels gained five points of market share through the first 11 months of 2010, and analysts say that momentum is continuing into 2011.
By William Diem • Feb. 24, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Smart Distribution Takeover Symptom of Small-Car Turbulence
The dynamic between American consumers, volatile gasoline prices and minicars “hasn’t played out yet,” says J.D. Power’s Jeff Schuster.
By Eric Mayne • Feb. 15, 2011 -
Courtesy of WardsAuto
Niche EV Maker CODA Rebounds After Troublesome 2010
The positive outlook follows a leadership shakeup in late-2010 that saw industry veteran Philip Murtaugh hired as CEO and the postponement of the company’s electric sedan to the year’s third quarter.
By Erik Derr • Feb. 14, 2011
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