By the end of the year you'll be able to buy hybrid versions of the Chevy Tahoe and GMC Yukon, both using the two-mode hybrid transmission GM developed in conjunction with DaimlerChrysler and BMW. Paired with GM's 6.0L V-8, the tranny's low-speed mode allows the SUV to operate on electricity alone or in combination with the V-8. In highway mode the transmission's electric motor boosts the V-8's performance. The hybrid propulsion system, along with Active Fuel Management on the V-8, aerodynamic changes to the SUV's body, and other modifications, should achieve a 25-percent overall improvement in the truck's fuel economy, says GM.
In a recent press release, Ford committed the journalistic sin of burying the lead. The release trumpeted the fact that the Discovery Channel's Mike Rowe (host of one of our favorite shows, Dirty Jobs) was doing another commercial for the F-series truck. As we read further, we spotted the much more significant factoid: The F-150 recently earned a five-star driver and front-passenger crash rating from the NHTSA, no small feat. Plus, we'd much rather run this cool crash photo than another picture of Rowe. No offense, Mike.
Modern factories could churn this number of vehicles out in just a few years, but Land Rover recently celebrated the manufacture of its four-millionth vehicle, an LR3, after being in business nearly six decades. (Look, we don't mean to knock LR at all. We've been to the factory in Solihull, and it's pretty old-school-very cool, but very old-fashioned compared to the robotic and computerized facilities we've seen in the U.S. and Japan.) The milestone Rover was donated to the Born Free Foundation, which is dedicated to wildlife conservation. Actress Joanna Lumley (Absolutely Fabulous), Born Free's founder patron, "collected" the Land Rover, which will become a Rapid Response Rescue vehicle for deployment across the U.K. and Europe.
The Lucas Oil World Series of Off-Road Racing (WSORR), the new sanctioning body for short-course off-road races at Crandon and other Midwest venues, recently signed a deal with Nissan making it the official vehicle of the newly-formed series. As a result, Nissan will "concentrate its off-road racing efforts on this challenging series," says Nissan, not only as official vehicle but through contingency awards to Nissan drivers. Titan-based race trucks (like Carl Renezeder's 2006 championship truck, seen here) run in WSORR's Pro 2WD Pickup class, while Frontiers battle in the Pro Light Pickup class.
Airbags. That's why we can't get our hands on a Land Rover Defender in the States. According to a recent story in AutoWeek, it would be too expensive to fit them, despite recent, significant improvements to the SUV. The Brit SUV now has a 2.4L turbodiesel four under its squared-off hood, making 121 hp and 265 lb-ft of torque. Other improvements include a six-speed transmission with a super-low First gear, suspension revisions, and something wholly new for Defender: air conditioning.
Got your eye on one of those new, V-8-powered Pathfinders? Nissan just announced that the new model, which shares the 5.6L, 310hp Endurance V-8 with the Titan and Armada, will start at $32,850 for the 4x4 SE version. V-6 4x4 models start at $27,700. Unfortunately, the Pathfinder's Off Road edition, with its 4-Wheel Limited Slip system and other traction-enhancing aids, is available only with the 4.0L, 266-horse V-6.
During the third annual Camp Jeep New York, Jeep raised more than $16,000 for the "Tigers Forever" initiative, a collaboration with the Wildlife Conservation Society, whose goal is to raise the number of tigers in key habitats by 50 percent in the next decade. The money was earned through pledges made by Jeep, which donated $5 for every person who took a ride on the Camp Jeep test track. Nearly 3,300 passengers took the ride, and Jeep ponied up $16,470.