This Just In
* When we got our first look at the new FJ Cruiser, Toyota said its price target was around $22,000 for a "nicely equipped" model. We hoped that would be true but were skeptical, given the new SUV's quality and high level of appointments. Well, guess what. When it comes out this spring, pricing for the FJ Cruiser 4x4 with a six-speed manual will start at $22,890, while the automatic version will start at $23,300. Let's hope dealers keep gouging to a minimum.
* If you just gotta have a seven-passenger Isuzu Ascender, better get one quick: GM discontinued making the TrailBlazer-derived SUV when it closed its Oklahoma City plant in February. That leaves Isuzu with only three vehicles on sale in the U.S.-the five-passenger Ascender and two pickups, the i280 and i350, both derivatives of the Chevy Colorado.
* We hear from SEMA that an entirely new tire technology utilizing polyurethane instead of rubber has been developed by Amerityre. A polyurethane tire has many advantages over rubber, says the company: It runs cooler, has less rolling resistance, and is safer because it is all of one piece and can't separate like a traditional tire can when it fails. The tire is also cheaper and faster to make. "We are not going to compete with rubber; we are going to replace it," says Amerityre's sales and marketing manager Craig Hooks.
* Hella will begin marketing new aftermarket taillamp kits that feature a combination of Hella's Central Lighting Systems (CELIS) and LED technology. They'll first be introduced for '03-and-later Chevrolet Silverados and '04-and-later Ford F-150s. Similar kits for SUVs will be introduced later this year. LEDs use less power, last longer, and come on quicker than traditional incandescent lights.
Environmental & Political Watch
SEMA's Washington watchdogs report the OHV community, land developers, and environmental groups are gearing up for a debate this year over the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Senators Mike Crapo (R-ID) and Blanche Lincoln (D-AR) have introduced legislation that would give states greater authority under the ESA and add new incentives for conservation efforts. Known as the Collaboration for the Recovery of the Endangered Species Act (CRESA), the bill (S. 2110) allows states to enter into cooperative agreements with the federal government for the development of state-run programs to conserve endangered and threatened species. The bill would also allow federal officials more time to make listing decisions and propose critical habitat for species. SEMA has made passage of the ESA reform bill a legislative priority. Since it was enacted in 1973, the law has eliminated access to millions of acres of land, including many roads and trails responsibly enjoyed by OHV enthusiasts, while providing little benefit for species. SEMA has urged lawmakers to revise the existing law to meet its goal of species preservation without unnecessarily depriving the OHV community of recreational opportunities.
The Los Angeles Times reports that the EPA may finally be altering its fuel economy tests to better reflect the mileage drivers can achieve in the real world. If the proposed changes go through, tests beginning for '08 model-year vehicles will include simulations of high-speed driving, rapid acceleration, and stop-and-go driving in heavy traffic. The new tests would also consider conditions like cold-weather starts and air conditioning use and how they affect fuel economy. Should the new tests be implemented, expect to see highway fuel economy numbers drop by 20 percent and city numbers by 15, says the Times.