The hard top of the trunk/bed opens hydraulically to a 45-degree angle, and once it's lifted, the rear double-door tailgate can be opened to the sides, exposing a lighted trunk/bed. There are two storage compartments to boot.
The interior is mostly Navigator, with Wenge wood accenting the steering wheel and instrument panel. The buckets are leather-trimmed, and a GPS unit is in the floor-mounted console.
Under the hood is a 5.4L DOHC V-8, allowing the Blackwood to fall into the Class III trailer tow group. This particular concept made its appearance in lowered, two-wheel-drive form.
Did You KnowComerica Bank compiles a quarterly Auto Affordability Index, and it has discovered that vehicles are more affordable now than they've been in the last 20 years. Basically, your income is increasing, but vehicle pricing is not. It sure doesn't feel that way, does it?
Big Jeep NewsCould the Wrangler of the future be cheaper, weigh less, and even get better fuel economy? A new recyclable thermoplastic technology will be used on the Jeep's hardtops, possibly as soon as next year. It'll knock off about 23 pounds from the production version. This composite is lighter and cheaper than steel, and can even be used for doors, quarter-panels, and bumpers. An entire exterior made of this is not likely tomorrow or even the next day, but DaimlerChrylser may be on to a whole new way to make automobiles.
Before jumping into the future, DaimlerChrysler has a few things to work out with its existing line. Because thousands of Jeep owners have been bringing their new Grand Cherokees back to dealerships for warranty repairs as a result of a loud rear-axle sound at highway speeds, engineers have assembled a correction kit for the dealers, which includes a few metal pieces that will absorb the axle noise and prevent it from reverberating into the cabin. A Jeep quality-control official called it "conventional axle rumble," although in some cases it can be "imprecisely machined axle parts," making it seem louder.
The axles are said to be the same ones used on the previous generation, but with the all-new design and smoother engine, the noise is more apparent to '99-and-newer vehicles. Via computer, the axle design has now been refined so that everything fits a bit better for future assembly.
Is Nissan Going To Build A Fullsize Truck?A lot of stuff is up in the air at Nissan lately, but we're hearing that the concept sport/ute/pickup (SUT) based on the Frontier and Xterra is dead. Actually it has just sort of been left for dead. The suits would prefer the SUT be built on a larger platform, based on the...er, well, that's the problem. There isn't a fullsize Nissan pickup, nor is there a midsize. The goal for this larger platform and its offspring models is 2003. We have to contribute this to the great sales Toyota has found with its V-8-powered Tundra. By the way, has anyone seen a V-6-powered Tundra? They are available but it seems everyone buying a Tundra is doing the right thing.
An Industry First
Ever heard of the Ikon? Probably not, unless you're living in India. Ford is the first multinational company to create a car specifically for a country other than the United States. It was designed, engineered, and built specifically for India's consumers. The Ikon features a stiffer suspension to handle the country's roads, roomy backseats and additional vents, best-in-class headroom for turbans, and large door openings for women in saris. It's also 85-percent recyclable, making it quite environmentally friendly.
OK, But What's Going On In The Backseat?According to Farmer's Insurance Group of Los Angeles, its survey of American drivers revealed the following stats of how they passed the time to and from work:
Talked on the phone, 31%
Put on makeup, 19%
Changed clothes, 6%
Shaved, 5%
Oh, that's not all. One percent of the men surveyed claimed to also apply makeup, and two percent of women also admitted to shaving.