Automobile Driving

Ford’s 3.5-liter EcoBoost engine is not only bringing new, more affluent customers into Ford and Lincoln Mercury showrooms, it also is delivering some of the highest customer satisfaction scores for overall engine performance the company has ever seen.

“We are winning import buyers with EcoBoost,” says Amy Marentic, Ford’s North American group marketing manager for cars and crossovers. “Even better, this new customer is younger and more affluent.”

Drivers of EcoBoost vehicles say they are more than satisfied with the overall performance of their engines, according to the Global Quality Research System (GQRS) study conducted by the RDA Group of Bloomfield Hills, Mich.

In rating their EcoBoost engines, 100 percent of Lincoln MKT buyers surveyed said they were satisfied with their engine’s performance, including power and pickup.

Meanwhile, 99 percent said they were satisfied with their engine’s overall operation. Ninety-one percent of Lincoln MKS buyers were satisfied with their engine’s performance, while 94 percent were satisfied with their engine’s overall operation. (more…)

Electric transportation pioneer ZAP has contracted Zhejiang Jonway Automobile Co. Ltd. to be the manufacturing partner for its futuristic Alias electric sports car in China. ZAP and Jonway have agreed to accelerate volume production manufacturing plans following successful debut of a pre-production Alias at the Jonway exhibit at the Beijing Motor Show last week. ZAP is targeting the electric vehicle market in China and worldwide markets, making Alias one of the first electric sports cars to be produced in China.

Jonway is ZAP’s manufacturing partner on a number of different electric vehicle models and Alias is one of latest models included under the strategic commercial agreements signed earlier this year. In addition to the Alias, Jonway is ZAP’s manufacturing partner for its SUV electric taxi based on Jonway’s A380 SUV and is launching production manufacturing for the China market with volume delivery this year. (more…)

BMW, the world’s leading manufacturer of premium cars, is consistently enlarging its wide range of all-wheel-drive models. Starting in June and, respectively, September 2010, all engine variants of the BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo will also be available with intelligent BMW xDrive all-wheel-drive technology. And also starting in autumn 2010, the BMW 740d xDrive will become the top diesel in the luxury sedan class to feature this innovative drive system.

The BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo combines elegance, spaciousness, comfort and variability in a truly unique car concept – and now this combination offering supreme motoring comfort is becoming even more thrilling and overwhelming. First, starting in June 2010, customers will have the choice of two versions of the BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo featuring BMW xDrive all-wheel-drive technology. In both the BMW 530d xDrive Gran Turismo and the BMW 550i xDrive Gran Turismo, permanent, electronically masterminded all-wheel drive ensures the appropriate distribution of drive power front-to-rear in every situation. Then, following in September 2010, the BMW 535d xDrive Gran Turismo and the BMW 535i xDrive Gran Turismo will round off the engine range, helping to give the BMW 5 Series Gran Turismo even greater and more versatile character within the premium segment through BMW xDrive technology. (more…)

Toyota Motor Sales today announced that it will launch a voluntary Safety Recall involving approximately 600,000 first- and second-generation Sienna 2WD minivans sold in the United States to address potential corrosion in the spare tire carrier cable. 

This condition may appear on certain 1998 through 2010 model year Siennas that have been operated in cold climate areas with high road salt use.  Continued prolonged exposure to road salts may cause excessive corrosion of the carrier cable in some of these vehicles.  In the worst case, the carrier cable may fail and the spare tire could become separated from the vehicle, a road hazard for following vehicles that increases the likelihood of a crash.

Toyota is currently working to develop a remedy for this condition.  Until this remedy is developed, customers will receive an interim notice instructing them to bring their vehicle to a dealership for a preliminary inspection.

Once the remedy has been developed, customers will receive a secondary notice advising the customer of the remedy availability. (more…)

The new BMW 5 Series Touring is the perfect symbiosis of driving pleasure, efficiency, versatility and sporting elegance. The 4th generation of the Business Touring convinces through powerful design aesthetics, modern premium-level functionality and brand-typical driving dynamics combined with exemplary efficiency. Extensive comfort and safety features, which include numerous BMW exclusive driver assistance systems, substantiate the outstanding qualities of the new BMW 5 Series Touring as an upper midrange touring car.

Design: Individual styling, sporting elegance.

The design of the new BMW 5 Series Touring is characterised by a high level of individuality with regard to its proportions and surface design. Its uniqueness is reflected by dynamic and powerful looks. With its long bonnet, short overhangs, the longest wheelbase in its segment, the stretched silhouette and a steeply inclined roofline, the new BMW 5 Series Touring possesses an elegance unrivalled by its competitors.

Versatility: Intelligent solutions for modern functionality.

Thanks to a multi-functional interior and intelligent detail solutions, the new BMW 5 Series Touring is fully equipped to meet the most diverse demands. The luggage compartment has a capacity of 560 litres. If desired, an increase in capacity to a maximum of 1,670 litres is guaranteed by 40:20:40 split folding rear seats, which are unique in this segment. The backrest angle is variable by up to 11 degrees. The backrest can be folded down using two control levers inside the luggage compartment, the loading space cover of which is automatically lowered when the tailgate is closed. The separately opening rear window automatically swings upwards at the push of a button. (more…)