2010 LA Auto Show: Ford Fiesta a Green Car of the Year Finalist for 2011

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Announcement of the "Green Car of the Year" winner is one of the major events at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The five finalists for this year's award have been announced.

This year's selection not only includes hybrids, which have been part of the contest since its inception, but for the first time includes electric vehicles, and -- surprisingly -- a gasoline-powered vehicle, as well. The Hyundai Sonata Hybrid and the Lincoln MKZ Hybrid represent the hybrid entries. (Lincoln sibling Mercury Milan Hybrid, which has now been discontinued, was a finalist in last year's contest.)

The Nissan LEAF and the Chevrolet Volt are the first electric vehicles to be named as GCOY finalists. The Volt recently was embroiled in controversy as details of its range-extender engine clashed with previous GM pronouncements. Finally, the Ford Fiesta joins as a finalist due to its 40 mpg highway range. "These five 2011 Green Car of the Year® finalists reflect an auto industry in transition," Ron Cogan, editor and publisher of Green Car Journal and editor of GreenCar.com, said in a statement. "It wasn't long ago when electric drive was a novelty. Now, it's expected that auto manufacturers will include electric drive in some form among their model offerings."

No diesel vehicles made finalist this year.

GCOY judges again include Frances Beinecke, president of the Natural Resources Defense Council; Jean-Michel Cousteau, president of Ocean Futures Society; Matt Petersen, president of Global Green USA; Carl Pope, chairman of the Sierra Club; television host Jay Leno; and automotive icon Carroll Shelby.


Source: LA Auto Show

2011 Volkswagen Jetta - First Drive by Motor Trend

2011 Volkswagen Jetta
Price Range $20,925.00 - $24,730.00	Fuel Economy 23 city / 33 highway Base Engine 170-horsepower L5	Value Rating N/A Explore This Car More

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For 2011, Volkswagen has taken its volume-selling Jetta in a new direction. It's not so radically different that you won't recognize the car, but there are significant changes. In the recent past, the Jetta was seen as a costlier upmarket alternative to the Corolla, Civic, and Focus; the new model has been redesigned to compete in the heart of the market.

But you wouldn't know that based on the dimensions of the sedan and wagon.


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2011 Porsche 911 GT2 RS -- Sold Out

2010 Porsche 911
Price Range $77,800.00 - $143,800.00	Fuel Economy 18 city / 25 highway Base Engine 385-horsepower H6	Value Rating Average Explore This Car More

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Porsche announced yesterday that all 500 copies of its GT2 RS have been spoken for worldwide. Talk about a quick sale.

That's an impressive feat, considering each 911 GT2 RS carried a base price of $245,000 -- but it isn't all that surprising. Each GT2 RS was about as close to a street-legal 911 racer as money could buy. A twin-turbocharged 3.6-liter flat-six-cylinder engine spat out a whopping 620 horsepower, and channeled that power to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual transmission.

Engineers stripped the car of virtually any feature deemed unnecessary, and other tricks -- like a carbon fiber hood, single-lug wheels, and vinyl Porsche crest logos -- helped bring the curb weight down to a paltry 3020 pounds. As a result, the GT2 RS is capable of sprinting from 0-60 mph in a scant 3.4 seconds, with a top speed in the realm of 205 mph.

According to Porsche, 133 of the 500 GT2 RS preorders are from American customers, who will take delivery of their cars beginning February 2011. Although they had to pony up some serious cash in order to attain this über-911, customers can take solace in at least one fact: anyone else looking to steal one away will likely be paying a sizable premium over the already steep MSRP.


Source: Porsche courtesy of Automobile Magazine Staff

2011 Dodge Journey - Refreshed Exterior, Revamp Interior

2010 Dodge Journey
Price Range $21,130.00 - $29,785.00	Fuel Economy 19 city / 25 highway Base Engine 173-horsepower L4	Value Rating Average Explore This Car More

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Chrysler has given us a sneak peak of its 2011 Dodge Journey crossover.

Admittedly, the Journey's exterior revisions are modest, at best. Dodge's new corporate grille pattern is applied up front, while the previous model's blocky rear taillights are replaced with sleek, elongated lamp assemblies. No matter, as designers focused their efforts on what really needed work: the interior.

The blocky, plastic-laden interior of the last Journey appears to be a thing of the past. The 2011 model receives a completely overhauled cabin, complete with a sleek, curvaceous instrument panel, similar to that used on the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee. A new gauge cluster incorporates a full-color LCD vehicle information display, while audio, navigation, climate, and phone systems are apparently bundled into a new touch-screen system, which Chrysler dubs Uconnect Touch. Other improvements include new seats, a revised front storage bin, new steering wheel, and a redesigned center console, which hides power outlets and a USB audio input within its storage cubby.

Mechanically speaking, the biggest news for 2011 comes with the arrival of a new six-cylinder engine offering. As predicted, Chrysler's new 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 replaces the aging 3.5-liter V-6, although it continues to be mated with the company's six-speed 62TE automatic transmission. At 283 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque, it represents a 48-horsepower and 28-pound-feet improvement over the outgoing engine. Dodge also says its engineers have refined chassis tuning, reportedly improving the crossover's handling through revised suspension geometry, upgraded tires, and sharpened steering.

Chrysler says production of 2011 Journeys in Toluca, Mexico, will begin shortly, and deliveries to dealers nationwide should commence in the fourth quarter of 2010.


Source: Chrysler courtesy of Automobile Magazine Staff

Seatbelt Issues force 2009-2010 Chevy Impalas Recall

2011 Chevrolet Impala
Price Range $24,390.00 - $29,930.00	Fuel Economy 13 city / 20 highway Base Engine 230-horsepower V6	Value Rating N/A Explore This Car More

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Last week, General Motors issued a recall for 2009-10 Chevrolet Impalas. According to GM's NHTSA filing, the problem lies with the front seatbelt anchorages. Some of the seatbelts may not be properly secured to the lapbelt pretensioner. This could lead to the seatbelts not restraining occupants as intended in the event of an accident, which could lead to greater injury. Approximately 303,000 may have been affected. GM has authorized its dealerships to assess the seatbelt anchors and make the necessary adjustments or replace the anchors entirely. The recall will begin by October 26, 2010. Source: NHTSA courtesy of Automobile Magazine Staff

2012 Ford Focus -- Engine gets 160 HP, 146 pound-feet of Torque

2011 Ford Focus
Price Range $16,640.00 - $19,670.00	Fuel Economy 25 city / 35 highway Base Engine 140-horsepower L4	Value Rating N/A Explore This Car More

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Ford's new 2.0-liter engine is rife with technology that makes such impressive figures possible.

Not only does the engine feature direct-injection, but it also offers twin independent variable camshaft timing (what Ford refers to as Ti-VCT) and is E85 flex fuel capable. E85 represents a fuel blend of 85 percent gasoline and 15 percent corn-based ethanol.

The result is an engine that produces a full 20 horsepower and 10 pound-feet more than the current 2011 Ford Focus' 2.0-liter I4. That horsepower figure also appears to put the 2011 Chevrolet Cruze's base engine to shame. The Cruze's 1.4-liter turbocharged I-4 is said to produce 138 horsepower and 148 pound-feet of torque, while achieving similar highway fuel economy.

Both of these figures come alongside a fuel economy estimate of 40 mpg in highway driving when matched to Ford's upcoming six-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox.


via Ford courtesy of Motor Trend Staff

Motor Trend Drives 2011 Saab 9-4x

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The new Saab 9-4x luxury crossover enters a segment ripe with competition, with the best from Europe, Japan, and the U.S. battling for supremacy. The question is, can Saab regain its mojo with a product based on the Cadillac SRX?

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