Can't Touch This Chevy, EitherChevrolet's S3X concept SUV, unveiled at the Paris Motor Show, was a preview of a production version that will bow in Europe in 2006. It's a nice looking little SUV and seats seven passengers in a trim package that's bigger than the typical cute/ute, but slightly smaller than Chevy's five-passenger Equinox crossover SUV. More significantly, it will be powered by a diesel engine, a first for Chevy in Europe. Plus, the S3X was developed solely by GM's South Korean Daewoo Auto & Technology division, heralding further growth by the South Korean auto industry. Don't scoff, folks. It wasn't all that long ago that Japanese automakers were making these kinds of baby steps into the U.S. market, and look where they are now.
Durango Adds AdventurerSince it was all-new last year, there aren't many changes to the Durango SUV for '05. However, Dodge has added a new model to the Durango lineup. The "Adventurer" package doesn't boast any mechanical changes, but it is fitted with options "designed for the outdoor enthusiast," says Dodge, including a Thule roof rack, tubular side steps, reversible "slush mat" floor mats, and a rubberized, washable cargo-area liner with a built-in cargo organizer. You'll be able to spot the Adventurer model by its unique badges, gray side moldings with silver inserts, and gray painted front and rear fascias.
This Just InIn truck sales news, GM has cut back on the number of dealers it had planned for the Hummer brand. Currently there are more than 160 Hummer dealers in the U.S. Original goals for 200 to 225 dealers have been dropped in favor of a number closer to 180, reports Automotive News. Sales of the H2 through August were off by more than 20 percent compared to the same period in 2003. GM has also asked AM General to cut back H2 production. Analysts say the sales slowdown is due to the fact that "the people who wanted them have gotten them," said the trade paper. Another analyst quoted in the story said the smaller (and more fuel efficient) H3 should be a high-volume vehicle for the brand. nGM stepped in to help Florida's hurricane victims by donating three H2s and several Chevy and GMC hybrid pickup trucks to the Red Cross to assist with rescue and cleanup duties. In addition, the GM Foundation contributed $100,000 to the Red Cross and said it will match up to $100,000 in contributions from GM employees.
Here's a bit of irony: Detroit ranks as the most expensive city in the U.S. to own a car, according to a study by Runzheimer International, a management consultant specializing in transportation reimbursement. The study tracked car ownership expenses, including fuel, oil, tires, insurance, registration fees, and other items, and found it costs more than $11,000 a year to own a car in Motown. Los Angeles was ranked Number 2. At the other end of the list was Sioux Falls, South Dakota, where the cost to keep a car running for a year was $7,100.
Low-speed crashes equal sky-high repair bills: The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety recently conducted a series of low-speed (10 mph) crashes between cars and SUVs to see how the difference in bumper height between the two types of vehicles would affect damage and repair costs. Ford was at the low end. When an Explorer rear-ended a Taurus, the total cost of repairing both vehicles was $1,200. In the same crash test between a Grand Cherokee and a Dodge Stratus, the total of the repair bills topped $6,100. At 10 mph, folks. Ouch! Tests between a Nissan Altima and Murano caused more than $5,000 in damage, while the coming together of a Chevy Malibu and TrailBlazer cost more than $4,000 to fix.
Thinking about taking the "Land Rover Experience" driving school in one of those fancy resorts? The list of participating hotels has gotten shorter. Land Rover recently announced it has concluded its agreement with the Greenbrier Resort in West Virginia to operate the school on the property. Instruction is still taking place at the Fairmont Le Chateau Montebello in Quebec and Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina.
Moss Motors in Southern California has published an accessories catalog with nothing but parts for the new Ford F-150. Suspension, interior, exterior, and lighting products are just the start of what's featured. Living in the virtual world? You can order the parts from the company's Web site: www.F150store.com.
Sales of the new GM midsize Colorado and Canyon are not off to a roaring start, according to WardsAuto.com. Combined sales of the two trucks for the first eight months of 2004 were below the sales of the Chevy S-10 and GMC S-15 during the same time period in 2003. GM execs argue the comparisons aren't valid, since production startup caused low inventories at the beginning of 2004. nLiberty rumors, part one: From a fairly reliable source we've heard that Jeep is considering putting a live axle under the front of the Liberty, to increase its appeal among hard-core off-roaders. While the change sounds interesting, it's hard to believe Jeep would do such a thing and potentially upset the truck's ride quality for the 98 percent (our guess) of Liberty owners who use their SUVs on the road only.
Liberty rumors, part two: From another fairly reliable source we've heard that the Liberty may be available for just a few more years. As in three more, then out. Now, it would be pretty cool if the Lib ended its life as a live-axle-suspended, serious rock buggy. But that niche seems to be well filled by the Rubicon Wranglers. So take all this with a grain of salt.
Nissan executives at the Paris Motor Show indicated they'd like to build a heavy-duty version of the Titan pickup and equip it with a diesel engine, according to Automotive News. One exec noted that the pickup's platform would not have to be wholly redesigned to accommodate the change.
Environmental & Political WatchAnd they think we're the bad guys: A recent Los Angeles Times article-covered by the Inland Empire Four Wheelers in the club's newsletter-reported that a California conservancy group was accused of mismanaging millions of dollars. Instead of using the funds to buy and restore parkland as it was supposed to do, the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy instead spent the money on airline club memberships, hotel room service expenses, travel for conservancy executives' family members, and to fund "administrative overhead" that was a whopping 350 times bigger than the overhead of similar groups in the state. The group's response? "I don't know what the numbers are, and I don't care what the numbers are, frankly," said the conservancy's executive director, whose wife bought airfares with the conservancy's money.
The TRAIL Act of 2004, passed by the U.S. House of Representatives last fall, would set up "consistent penalties across all public-lands agencies for those who would abuse our public lands," said Larry E. Smith, executive director of Americans for Responsible Recreational Access (ARRA). The Trail Responsibility and Accountability Act would enforce a consistent set of fines and penalties for federal agencies with jurisdiction over public lands, including the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management and the Forest Service. The bill would also authorize that fines collected under its provisions could be used to rehabilitate lands damaged as a result of the offense which led to the fine. The bill, H.R. 3247, now moves to the Senate for approval.
California does it again: Long a leader in antipollution regulations, the Golden State (courtesy of the California Air Resources Board) recently decreed that carbon dioxide is a pollutant and will regulate tailpipe emissions of the gas. The regulation takes effect in 2006 and will first apply to '09 model-year vehicles. Unfortunately, about the only way to reduce carbon dioxide emissions is to reduce the amount of fuel burned, so what this really is (according to vehicle manufacturers) is a back-door way of increasing the state's fuel economy regulations. Not to mention a means to make it even more difficult to modify an engine to increase power. Since the automakers figure it will cost them about $3,000 per vehicle (!) to meet the requirements, they may challenge the ruling in court.
More "good news" for Californians (we sure hope the sarcasm is coming across): Governor Schwarzenegger signed a bill that repealed California's rolling smog-test exemption rule (which kept vehicles 30 years old and older from having to go though a test). Instead, all '76-and-newer vehicles will now be required to undergo smog testing for the lifetime of the vehicle. This despite desperate pleas by a number of car enthusiast groups and even Jay Leno, asking Schwarzenegger to leave the rule alone, since well-maintained vintage vehicles contribute tiny amounts to the state's pollution.
SEMA reports that efforts to create the "Wild Sky Wilderness" in Washington's Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest appear to be dead, since lawmakers cannot agree on whether to protect existing roads, buildings, and structures within the wilderness study area. A SEMA-supported House proposal (H.R. 5083) to set aside about 93,000 acres as wilderness and also create a 13,300-acre "backcountry wilderness management area" to maintain the previously developed lands lacks votes critical for passage.
CorrectionDoh! Someone get the paddle because we made a mistake. Our butts were happy for the whole Ultimate Adventure while sitting in our Corbeau VX2000 seat, but we deserve an ass-chewing for screwing up Corbeau's phone number in our source box. We hate when we screw up, but we understand that we deserve this spanking. So give Corbeau a call at 801.255.3737, or check out the Web site (www.corbeau.com) if you're looking for a new place to sit. Meanwhile, we'll be in the corner sulking.